Author Directory at Booksta

My author profile now appears in the Author Directory at Booksta. It humbled and flattered me to see my name listed with some of the greatest writers of today and some of the greatest writers in literary history: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Dan Brown, Toni Morrison, George R.R. Martin, Aldous Huxley, Jane Austen, and many others. The directory page links to individual listings, which consist of a short biography and some interesting facts, as well as at least one book from the author.

Booksta pays members to answer questions about books featured at the app and website.

Queer SciFi Double Feature

Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures at Barnes & Noble.

Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures at Amazon.

Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures at Smashwords.

Taldra Discussion in Two Gay Geeks Webcast.

“Creative and unique.” —R.L. Wood. Read this SciFi Book Review.

“I hope to see more by this author.” —Emily. Read this SciFi Book Review.

“Edge-of-your-seat action, scenes that detail the turmoil and terror of an alien attack and an inside look at love and acceptance for humanity’s differences.” —Tome Tender. Read this SciFi Book Review.

“A highly-imaginative sci-fi adventure. Simolke’s alternate universe hits all the right notes between the fantastic and the believable. There is a dizzying and impressive array of ideas that permeate this novel. Taldra is a great sci-fi read, especially for those who enjoy history and religion mixed in with technology. This is one story where all three blend seamlessly into one.” Self-Publishing Review, ★★★★ Read this SciFi Book Review.

Set in an alternate reality, the Taldra novels focus on gays, people of color, and powerful women. Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure flings an Iroquois family into a battle across time and space.

Winner, StoneWall Society Pride in the Arts Award.

“A thought provoking and fun sci-fi read.” —Blogger Girls

In Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure, alien shapeshifters and dark secrets threaten humanity.

“The most intriguing aspect of the story is controlled by emotion as relatable characters grow and brave it all together, selflessly helping each other.” —Enas Reviews

Excerpt:

Lorfeltez stopped speaking. The audience grew still and quiet. The Maintainers had arrived. They filed through the crowd like a swarm of insects, freely pushing and shoving with all the authority their office granted them, elbowing several people, and pushing a few out the doorways.

Part of the crowd disappeared, as if the weight of the entering officers forced them outside. However, many of them failed to move away in time, and the Maintainers grabbed at their collars or even punched at them, before finding the sources of the disruption.

A female Maintainer yanked the holo-projectors away, knocking them to the floor, then used the handle of her sleep rifle to destroy them, sending hot metal parts and wires everywhere. One of the wires gashed a woman’s arm, sending out a small spurt of blood. Before even noticing her, the Maintainers handcuffed all five men, even while the crowd continued to shift madly about, trying to escape. One of the Maintainers assisted the injured woman, holding his hand over the cut on her arm.

Dr. Lorfeltez saw an elderly red woman in the audience, frail to the point that she had obviously lived beyond the virus’s benefits. One of the Maintainers waved his laser pistol around to scare away the remnants of the controversial gathering. He threw the metal cylinder up in the air and let it drop glove-like around his left hand.

(Excerpt from the revised, third edition of Degranon, Copyright 2016.)

Keywords: gay marriage, love is love, LGBT, queer, POC, People of Color, Native American, Iroquois, Navajo, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Asian, Middle Eastern, religion, faith, atheism, cults, diversity, DiversityInSFF, strong females, powerful women, women, alternate reality, space epic, romance, free speech, individuality, scifi, SyFy.

Tweets with keyword Taldra

SciFi Thriller Featured at Expansive Resource for Authors and Book Lovers

Sons of Taldra is a featured book at Proof Positive, a blog that offers book suggestions and writer interviews, as well as tips about writing, blogging, social media, marketing, and much more. Visit often for new resources. Find even more at MelanieRockett.Com.

Authors Give Back

My gay-themed eBooks Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure and Holding Me Together: Essays and Poems are 60% off during the big Authors Give Back promotion at Smashwords, March 20 - April 20, 2020. Just use the provided coupon code.

Texas Short Stories Featured on App That Pays Users to Read Books

Read about The Acorn Stories at Booksta, an app that pays in coins after readers successfully answer questions about featured books.

Visit the West Texas town of Acorn! Enjoy the German festival, a high school football game, homemade apple pie from the Turner Street Cafe, and the cool shade of a hundred-year-old oak tree. Meet dedicated teachers, unusual artists, shrewd business owners, closeted gays, and concerned neighbors. See how lives become intertwined in moments of humor or tragedy. Just be careful, because in Acorn, the sky is always falling!

From romantic comedy to razor-sharp satire to moments of quiet reflection, these award-winning tales transform a fictional West Texas town into a tapestry of human experiences.

A lush tangle of small-town life branches out in this engrossing collection of short stories.” –Kirkus Reviews

“The ability to depict such a wide cross-section of humanity including details of each character’s breadth of knowledge and experience takes a talented insightful author and Duane Simolke is such a writer.” –E. Conley Betty’s Books

Get writing feedback via Critique Circle

I love Critique Circle's web site. I work on my current stories or chapters for months, post them there, critique other authors in the sub's genre, and get helpful feedback. #WritingTips #WritingCommunity #WritingAdvice #WritersNetwork https://www.critiquecircle.com/

Texas Short Stories Featured at Reader & Writer Resource

Read about The Acorn Stories at Snickslist, a site that helps readers find low-priced or free eBooks.

“A lush tangle of small-town life.” –Kirkus Reviews. #SmallTownLife #TexasTales

Read an eBook Week

Sites like Smashwords are celebrating Read an eBook Week by offering deep discounts on many ebooks, including the following gay read.

Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure.

“A major voice not only in American literature but also in the LGBTQ genre.”

We thought the aliens wouldn’t find us. We thought we could trust the Maintainers. We were wrong.

The Iroquois scientist Taldra became Leader of our world a year before the alien shapeshifters attacked. Her twin gay sons, Telius and Argen, will rally to her side.

Telius, a former time traveler, wants to marry his boyfriend, a former spy. Argen, a prodigy with a troubled past, modifies a handsome captain’s vessel for the battle.

Our world’s other protectors hold dark secrets that might pose an even greater threat than the invaders.