March Events! Readings & A Book Fair in the Bay Area

I’ll be appearing at a few events in the Bay Area, coming up this week and next. Here’s the deets:

The Wizard’s Homecoming Book Launch

I am thrilled to celebrate my friend, the talented Elwin Cotman, and his new speculative poetry collection, The Wizard’s Homecoming, this coming Friday, March 17, at 7:00pm Pacific Time! I’m also thrilled that he asked me to read as part of the celebration.

elwin cotman wizards homecoming speculative poetry

The book launch takes place at Hasta Muerte Coffee in Oakland, and Elwin will also be hosting comic artist Dan McCloskey for the evening. Come on out! More Info.

Strong Women • Strange Worlds Birthday Book Fair

I’ll be taking part on Facebook in Strong Women • Strange Worlds’ Birthday Celebration Book Fair on Saturday, March 18, from 12pm to 1pm PT!

This event intimidates me, to be honest. Why? Because it’s not a reading but twenty minutes of time for me to just talk about my books, my writing process, the publishing industry, and maybe even how my foodie ways influence my fiction. I’m afraid of being a rambling mess….but if you’d be entertained by a rambling Rebecca Gomez Farrell, check it out! SWSW’s birthday festivities will be going on all day, but you should be able to tune in here on Facebook at 12:00pm to find me. Sumiko Saulson and KC Grifant will also be authors on display during that Book Fair hour.

SF in SF

I am delighted to return to SF in SF for my second reading with that great celebration of speculative fiction writers! It takes place on Sunday, March 25, at 6:30pm at the American Bookbinders Museum in San Francisco.

After our readings, Cliff Winning will interview me and fellow guest, Mia Tsai. We’ll be taking questions from the audience as well, and Soma FM will be recording the event for their station. Come grab a seat and ask me whatever you’d like. Even what my characters would pick as their favorite cocktails. 🍹 All proceeds from the $10 entry fee and the cash bar are donated to the American Bookbinders Museum.

Will I see you in March? I hope so! But if not….more April events will be announced soon!

 

 

The Circle Broken: Pushing Daisies Leaves Room for Pie

Somehow, I managed to overlook posting here about a nonfiction essay I wrote last fall! “The Circle Broken: Pushing Daisies Leaves Room for Pie” appears in Journey Planet #58 “Cancelled Too Soon!”

A magazine cover with images from several TV shows that were cancelled too soon.

This special double isssue of the Hugo-nominated fanzine was “dedicated to Television Programs that were cancelled after two seasons or less! Thrill to tales from fans, critics, show-runners, inspirations, and writers about the shows that were loved, or at least watched, and lost.” Steven H Silver edited the issue. You can download it here for free.

What did I write about? Why, as you can tell from the title, the answer is Pushing Daisies!

I’ve long listed Pushing Daisies as one of my all-time favorite shows, but because it lasted such a short time, that was really more wishing for what could have been than the reality of what the show was. You see, it’s easy to view something with rose-colored glasses when it’s been snuffed out in its prime, before the realities of a long life add depth to that vision….but now, I’m getting ahead of myself. 😉 If you’re interested in pondering how Pushing Daises broke the cycles of life and death, and how having the show’s own cycle get cut short may have been the best thing that could have happened to it, then take a few minutes and dive into “The Circle Broken: Pushing Daisies Leaves Room for Pie.”

Of course, there are a great many other essays on great works of television that did not get their due in this issue of Journey Planets! Enjoy the excuse to relive a little of those works that you loved and download the issue.

Wings Unfurled Review at Big Indie Books!

We have arrrived at the final stop of the Wings Unfurled Blog Tour. And we’re ending with a doozy – a wonderful review from the folks at Big Indie Books!

Cover art for Wings Unfurled, featuring a silver stag with blue tones and two moons in the background.

My head is spinning with delight! Here’s my favorite part:

Written from multiple points of view, including that of a Moon, Esye, the writer seems to have really hit her stride with this second offering. The book nicely ties up the overall story and the reader will appreciate the resolution of the various relationships we learned about in Wings Unseen, and that come full circle in Wings Unfurled.

The whole review is thoughtful, and I appreciate the amount of time and effort it takes to review books. Each and every one means so much! Especially because they aren’t intended for writers, but to help readers find the works that they’ll most connect with. I hope you’ll consider connecting with the Wings Rising duology! Be sure to read the full review at Big Indie Books!

Only two days left to enter the $50 giftcard drawing from Meerkat Press to celebrate the Wings Unfurled Blog Tour! Don’t miss your chance to profit off my success. 😉 And now for today’s contextless quote from Wings Unfurled…

“The flame must fly to be found again. That’s what my father said, remember?”

Questions to Consider When Writing A Series at WritingForums.com!

Today at WritingForums.com, I shared questions that writers should consider when writing a series.

These are questions I had to wrestle with while writing Wings Unfurled, and they may be slightly different questions than writers who intend from the get-go to write a series might consider. That’s because Wings Unseen was writtten as a standalone novel, so the writing process for a second book in the same world was a different one. But many of the questions are likely useful either way.

WritingForums.Com is quite a useful forum, too, and I was excited when they joined the Wings Unfurled blog tour. They often come up when I’m searching for information on the industry or craft advice. I’m looking forward to finally starting an account with them and poking around. They do also organize manuscript critiques, which I point out because folks are ALWAYS asking for where to find critique.

I hope you pick up some tips from the post! Don’t forget to also visit the Meerkat Press Wings Unfurled Blog Tour masterpost to enter our $50 giftcard prize drawing! And now for today’s contextless quote from Wings Unfurled.

And now, for today’s context-free quote from the book:

“Listen to your father,” the specter said, billowing like a sheet of pressed metal in decay.

Wings Unfurled Book Review at Monty’s Book Reviews!

Today’s Blog Tour review of Wings Unfurled is glowing! Thanks to Monty’s Book Reviews for sharing their thoughts. Here’s a snippet:
“An enthralling story told from three separate viewpoints which are skillfully woven into a free flowing narrative that keeps the reader’s interest throughout. The characters are both interesting and flawed which endears them to you as the story progresses and ensures that a vested interest in their future is maintained. “
Read the full review at https://montysbookreviews.blogspot.com/…/wings-unfurled… and find an excerpt from Chapter 3, the silver moon’s first POV chapter! Have you entered the Meerkat Press Wings Unfurled prize drawing yet? Only four days left to enter….
Cover art for Wings Unfurled, featuring a silver stag with blue tones and two moons in the background.
And here’s today’s contextless quote from Wings Unfurled:
He wilted, a vine in the sun. Alive, but with too much taken from him.

Worst Writing Advice I’ve Ever Received

Today, on the Wings Unfurled Blog Tour, you can visit Ali Lucia Sky’s blog, where I answer “What’s The Worst Writing Advice You’ve Ever Received?” It’s a claim I’ve heard many times, from many writers, but one that lacks the nuance that newer writers need to hear, in my humble opinion.

You’ll also find an excerpt of Chapter 1 in the book! This comes from Serra’s point-of-view, and she’s at Castle Callyn for the first time in quite a while….and for reasons she needs to report to King Dever right away.

Don’t forget to also visit the Meerkat Press masterpost to enter our $50 giftcard prize drawing! And now for today’s contextless quote from Wings Unfurled.

“I heard the Green Lady was building a new glass house, so I came with my hammer and thought to help.”

Hosting the SFWA Weekly Writing Date!

In slightly under an hour, I’ll be hosting SFWA’s Weekly Writing Date!

These writing dates are one of the primary ways that a core group of SFWA members and Nebula Conference attendees have kept in touch over the past pandemic years, providing community while taking part in writing sprints together. I’ve only been able to join a few times, and I’m delighted to host the week of Wings Unfurled‘s release!

I’m also excited to dive into some freewriting – my skills are rusty these days, and writing dates are a wonderful way to exercise them. For me, freewrites really loosen my imagination, so I can better grasp the stories my psyche wants to tell.

If you’re a SFWA member or Nebula Conference participant, come join me from 2pm to 4pm! Details here.

And here’s a contextless quote from Wings Unfurled for release week!

Vesperi rarely spoke of her brother, and when she did, it came coupled with a curse.

Wings Unfurled Release Week – New Readings to Watch!

Week 1 of the Wings Unfurled Blog Tour is almost over!

Promo graphic featuring the book covers of Wings Unseen and Wings Unfurled

There are no new stops on the tour scheduled over the weekend, but I still have new content for you! But first, don’t forget to swing by the Meerkat Press masterpost to enter our $50 giftcard prize drawing! Not quite 100 folks have signed up yet, so you have a nearly 1/100 chance at the moment—that’s actually really great for an online prize drawing.

New content? Yes! You can now watch video of me reading the prologue to Wings Unfurled! This was recorded as part of the Strong Women, Strange Worlds reading series, which I appeared in this past November. Head here to YouTube to watch!

On the same YouTube page, you can watch the full video of that First Friday Quick Reads session with Strong Women, Strange Worlds. Six authors in total read, each of us for just 8 minutes, to give you a quick sip of our work. Featured authors beside myself: Sandra Barrett, Ellen Booraem, Jennie Goloboy, Angela Yuriko, and Sylvia Woodham.

I also appeared on Story Hour this past Wednesday, which is a lovely readings series that began with the pandemic and has been running strong weekly ever since. Story Hour focuses on short stories, so I did not read from Wings Unfurled. Instead, I shared “Garbage,” a humorous, but as host Laura Blackwell described it, “funny and disturbing,” science fiction story. I read with Barbara A. Barnett, who graces the first half hour with a short, sad read and then a longer, funny tale that’ll make you think twice before your next bite of salad.

My half starts about 25:00 minutes into the Story Hour. I hope you enjoy the listen!

And let me leave you with another contextless sentence from Wings Unfurled. Place your order by clicking on the vendor of your choice in that right sidebar over there ↗↗↗

“What does the mama snake say to the baby snake?” “Ssssnuggles, ssssnakelet!”

Psychoanalyze This! Please? is our next Wings Unfurled Blog Tour Stop!

Today’s Wings Unfurled Book Tour Blog Stop is at TKentWrites.com! I’d like to think them for hosting my short post on “Psychoanalyze This! Please?” in which I talk about my dislike of the idea that all authors’ work are autobiographical in some form . . . while also wondering if maybe some of the symbols and images that fascinate me do have deeper meaning for my life and I just don’t know it! Read it here:

http://www.tkentwrites.com/psychoanalyze-this-please-by-rebecca-gomez-farrell/

Also be sure to swing by Meerkat Press’s Wings Unfurled Blog Tour masterpost to enter their $50 giftcard prize drawing! There are not quite 100 entries yet, so now’s a great time to get your name in there. Good luck!

Cover art for Wings Unfurled, featuring a silver stag with blue tones and two moons in the background.

As promised, here is a line from Wings Unfurled, with no context. I’m sharing one each day we have a new blog tour post to feature.

“I wasn’t sure I wanted to come help you folks, but that was a jolly good time.”

See you for tomorrow’s blog post feature!

Wings Unseen Release Day & Launch Party Invite!

Release Day is here! Or rather, release day has already come and is almost gone and I’m just now getting to a post on my own blog to mark it—it’s been busy, y’all! Busy in a good way.

I am thrilled to report that whatever snafu Amazon had going on is now resolved, and you can order both paperback and ebook copies of Wings Unfurled through them again. But of course, they are also availabile at all the usual suspects of online vendors! Here are your options:

Bookshop.org
Barnes & Noble
Meerkat Press
Amazon
Apple Books
Kobo

And I believe it may be on Google Books now as well. As the author, it does not make a difference to me which one you order from, but ordering straight from my publisher, Meerkat Press, is best for supporting this awardwinning, quality small press!

I would also love to invite you all to my Wings Unfurled Book Launch Party on Sunday, December 18, at 4:30pm Pacific Time! This will be a Zoom-based event, and my husband will present me with AI “art” he has generated from passages in the book, which will be a fun show-and-tell. I’ll also be giving away two sets of the Wings Rising duology, so if you do not have Wings Unseen already, this is a great chance to get signed copies of both books for free! After the prize drawing, it’ll be a casual hangout time for friends and friendly readers. Register here to join.

Of course, there is also a new port of call on the Wings Unfurled Book Blog Tour today! Head by the Speculative Fiction Showcase to read Chapter 3, the first one from a brand-new character’s perspective: Esye, the silver moon. Don’t forget to enter the $50 giftcard prize drawing at the end of the piece!

As promised, I’ll leave you with a line from the book:

“I’ll be right back, or someone else will, okay, Izzy? Don’t go far.” “Okay,” she said. How far could she go during a right back, she wondered.

And here’s how I celebrated Wings Unfurled‘s publication, with one of my favorite things…a crab roll!

May your successes be as tasty! I look forward to sharing more exciting Wings Unfurled news with you tomorrow.