My Favorite Hives of Scum and Villainy

Well, look, people.  I'll be the first to admit it: even as wild as this past year has been, I'm still very much fresh off the moisture farm.  But life's gotten kind of crazy, and I've been palling around with this weird old man lately, and let me tell you - if you guys want to know where rogue literarians go to slam back Gamorrean hooch and dazzle you with their books, minds, and the occasional margarita recipe, I now officially have the hookup.  If you want to know where the cool writers hang, look no further.

Okay, this first one almost made me reconsider the post title, because it is not a hive at all - much less a villainous one.  Rather, it's a brand-new startup, and one that I'm excruciatingly excited about - because The Author Visits is a true one-of-a-kind gem.  No, it's not the first place on the Internet where authors can go to guest-blog about their latest work - but it's gotta be the first one where the host (the dauntless Veena Kashyap!) gives each author a review and an interview - and treats readers to a whole week of celebratory book-tacular activities, including a giveaway every Friday.  Trad-published?  Self-published?  It don't matter none, son!  From thrillers to poetry to paranormal contemporary urban portal vampire YA (or whatever the kids are calling it these days!), Veena and TAV are game to host and entertain every kind of book and book-lover out there - and I am REALLY looking forward to seeing who-all walks through her newly-open door.  Pro tip: make sure that includes you!

"Tex," I hear you ask, "why is that dinosaur clutching a book?"

Why, because Novelocity is a website for voracious readers, of course - and there is no reader more voracious than the fearsome novelociraptor!  More than that, it's a nest of professional and neo-pro sci-fi and fantasy authors, who run a collective "topic of the week" blog on every writing subject imaginable.  (I say "who", but really it's the indefatigable Beth Cato of Clockwork Dagger fame who herds all us cats.  And I say "us" because I'm one of the eleven writers there, albeit the spottiest and least-reliable of the bunch.  Working on that!)

What I really like about Novelocity, though (apart from the mascot), is that it's more than just book stuff - and more than just OUR book stuff.  Whether getting revved about upcoming SFF releases, waxing nerdy about Ferengi and Flight of the Navigator, or diagramming office setups with screaming Lego figures, it's always a good time over there - and we are always game for a chat!

 

 "...the what."

Well, the Holy Taco Church is a literary-gastronomical ministry, with fifteen ordained authors carrying out the work of the church under its spiritual father Kevin Hearne, formally known as the Tacopope, and -

"...the WHAT."

All right, think of it like this: in addition to being notorious iconoclasts, most spec-fic authors are also chair-based life-forms.  This is known.  And although we subsist mostly on Cheetos and Mountain Dew during our larval stages, post-pupal SFF writers very often acquire a hobbit-like appreciation for the finer things in life: good food, good drink, good books, and friends to help enjoy all of the aforementioned.  These particular friends have just started a new website for trading recipes and book recommendations - so if that sounds like a good combination to you, anoint yourself with with the Holy Guacamole and head on down!

(Plus, come on - they have Wendig.  Who doesn't love Wendig?  Yeah, exactly: productive, well-adjusted members of society and gormless flinching beardophobes.  NOT HERE, BUDDY.)

You know what - this was really fun to write, and long overdue.  Maybe I should do one for local DFW stuff too.  We'll call it "Plano Shot First."  Stay tuned!

Sorry about the mess.