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Hope, Love, and Queeromance with R.L. Merrill

Hope, Love, and Queeromance column logo - R.L. Merrill

Greetings and salutations. I’m R.L. Merrill—you can call me Ro (she/her)—and I’m here to bring you some hope. That’s right. Times have been increasingly dark in our world and it’s easy to be overwhelmed by life around us and lose direction. That’s why it’s so important to hold onto the things that give us hope. Some folks cling to their faith in times of trouble. Sometimes folks will emotionally check out in order to maintain some semblance of normalcy in their lives. I never want to criticize how anyone chooses to handle the overwhelming amount of stress our society has experienced recently. We’ve witnessed terrible tragedies, unchecked racism and hostility, … Read more

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We Writers Are Strange Creatures!

Plot Bunny - Sharita Lira

Greetings. This is Michael Mandrake aka Sharita Lira with a post about being an author and/or writer since they’re more synonymous that you think. Sooo, what about writing? It’s something authors love to do. We keep strange hours, writing when the house is asleep or awake depending on the members in your household. Or maybe you’re a lone ranger. Oh you’re really doomed! *grins* No one to bother you or answer to? Then you’ll spend a ton of time with your characters. And oh, what about those critters? Yes, the ones you talk to and think about while driving. I discuss parts of the story I need to rewrite and … Read more

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Back to Nola!

New Orleans - Sharita Lira

As you read this, I’m already in New Orleans, enjoying the sights of Mardi Gras. Here’s an older article I wrote about why I love the Big Easy! Greetings readers. Although I’m in my early 40’s, it’s so easy to revert back to being a kid when it comes to the Big Easy. And most do, especially during Mardi Gras. In February or March, many tourists flock to N’awlins to take in parades, the bars to listen to love music, and drink until their hearts content or right before they puke. *laughs* It’s equivalent to Rio’s Carnivale but in my estimation, a lot more tame. Restaurants, hotels, and any tourist attractions … Read more

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Writing Outside My Spectrum

Anasa's Awakening - Michael Mandrake - Immortals

I apologize for being late with this month’s post. *sighs* I was ill earlier in the week, and then Nano and day job and… *sighs* Well, here it is! I’ve wanted to write this blog for a while, and I finally decided why not? You see, other than my Facebook personality, along with the muses, I’m really a shy person. I hide behind the computer screen and most of the time my social media profiles don’t feature a personal picture. It’s not because I don’t think I’m beautiful. *smiles and twists black locks of hair around my fingers* it’s because my writing shows so many different sides of myself. I … Read more