Blog from Lubbock, Texas, Author Duane Simolke.
The Arrow by Matthew Richardson. Beautiful representation of gay love!
Kindle Edition * Barnes & Noble Nook eBook * Excerpts from The Acorn Stories * The Individual Stories * Reading Group Questions * Historical Acorn, Texas
Book Trailer: West Texas Fiction Book Trailer 2: Texas
"...a collection of short stories that use a small West Texas town as its backdrop. Each story shows a little something about the townspeople. I really liked how it all kind of intertwines too. While reading 'The Acorn Stories,' you really do feel like you are there. That is another plus for reading the collection."
I found this book to be a perfect vacation companion. Filled with stories that "packed a punch" for good reading but were also short and often had some good humor spliced into the writing. -Chandler
The town is Acorn, Texas, and it is a representation of all of the tiny places, or wide places in the road that dot America.
From their portal page:
"MineEye is an online bookstore with a unique vision. We connect writers with their audience in a friendlier, more up-close manner than you have seen before. Borne out of a collective of authors, poets and musicians, we nurture great talent and give our readers a chance to connect with new and exciting writers. Start exploring our store and download a new book today!"
From romantic comedy to razor-sharp satire to moments of quiet reflection, The Acorn Stories 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. “There are people that you like, some that you can’t wait to see if they get theirs.” –Joe Wright, StoneWall Society. “A well-crafted collection of short stories.” –L. L. Lee, author of Taxing Tallula.
It’s a vast site with many ways to get involved. Readers can find many more resources, and some inspiring pics, via Twitter: WipeHomophobia and Facebook: STOP-Homophobia.com.
Please also see Holding Me Together and Reactions to Homophobia.
Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures at Amazon (print and eBook).
Taldra: Two Science Fiction Adventures at Smashwords.
Add Taldra to Your Goodreads Reading List.
Taldra Music Video Playlist:
Feed My Reads Interview with Taldra.
Taldra Discussion in Two Gay Geeks Webcast.
Instagram Book Promotion: Taldra.
Instagram @caty.books: Taldra.
BookPromotions BookTok: Taldra.
BookTok: My Meet Taldra Video.
“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.
“The writing is imaginative and makes you think, adding depth to the tale.” —Rella B. 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.” —Dianne at 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.
The use of “vibrant” fits the blog, with its bright colors, reader-friendly layout, engaging interviews, and insight into science fiction and fantasy writing. Please read my Interview about Valchondria at Our Epic Worlds, but don’t stop there. Our Epic Worlds is a fun read and an interesting resource for readers and writers.
The Our Epic Worlds twitter account includes links to the latest posts.
Author M.L. Spencer manages Our Epic Worlds.
In an alternate reality, an Iroquois woman and her twin gay sons battle shapeshifting aliens.
Keywords: Native American, African American, Middle Eastern, strong women, gay, lesbian, LGBT, queer, scifi, diversity, alternate reality, book club, book chat.
Small-town life is funnier and crazier than you imagined! These West Texas tales reveal the closely connected lives of rural eccentrics. “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.
A new review of Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure is up at Goodreads.
If he’s a scifi geek, send him this scene with a gay marriage proposal, from Sons of Taldra: A Science Fiction Adventure.
"Music video by Bielfield performing Blow My Mind. (C) 2016 Sony Music. Entertainment Australia Pty Ltd."
"we have always been here. we will always be here. this video is dedicated to all who’ve come before me and fought for our cause and those who now continue the fight. in dark and light times, let’s love forever. love, troye x"
I'm currently writing a new short story, not based on any of my previous works. It's a gay romantic comedy set in Texas.
I'm also working on a revised version of The Return of Innocence: A Fantasy Adventure.
Please be good to yourself and others throughout the year!
