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kŝitigarbo… staras apud la pado, eĉ sen antaŭtuk' / Jizō… standing by the path, even without his bib #hajko #haiku #esperanto

#WritersCoffeeClub Would you ever serialize your work? Have you done it?

I love serializing my work, perhaps due to the influence of manga: it just feels very comfortable. My debut work, *Revin's Heart* was serialized as seven novelettes. And I've written a follow-on story, *Lady Cecelia's Journey* which is set in the same universe and will be serialized as six novelettes.

I learned an expensive lesson about going to conventions. https://stevendbrewer.com/an-expensive-lesson/

ping @tobadzistsini

I went to Hawley Bog with @philipbrewer and his wife. We saw sundews, pitcher plants, cotton grass, and lots and lots of sphagnum moss. #Mosstodon

Leroy came out of the house. Mike searched Leroy's face for clues, but Leroy gave nothing away until he held up the keys and jingled them.
"Awesome!" Mike said, with a grin. "How did you do it?"
"The squeaky weasel gets the #grease." Leroy smirked. "I just wouldn't shut up until he gave in. He's such a dope. I can't believe he fell for it."
Mike's shocked face prompted Leroy to turn around.
"I'll just take those," Leroy's dad said, plucking the keys back from Leroy's nerveless fingers.

#wss366

#WordWeavers What about writing is challenging for you?

My biggest challenge is maintaining tension. I hate tension and, when I introduce it, my instinct is to want to defuse or resolve it instantly. It's taken a lot of practice — and false starts in writing — to maintain and heighten the tension to develop a sense of rising action until the story reaches the climax. But, practice makes perfect! I've gotten a lot better at this over the years I've been writing.

Caterwaul, the big #event of the season, was happening at Nyandafuru Station. Cherub docked & the hatch slid open. But when Tau & Bebe emerged, an alarm sounded & guards converged, weapons drawn.
"Dogs may nyot be on station without a leash," the lead guard hissed.
Tau's hackles came up, but Bebe put a hand out & smoothed his fur.
"Bebe will take care of it." She put on a collar, snapped on the leash, & handed the end to Tau who carried the other end in his mouth.
"No," the guard said.

#wss366

#WordWeavers What makes your setting unique?

The Better Angels are set on the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy, which is a shared-world setting created by authors at Water Dragon Publishing. It's been very interesting to read the different works that authors have created using the setting: it's like the intersection of multiverses that are largely incommensurate, but have this single common feature. It's a real pleasure to work with such a talented group of people! https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/

#PennedPossibilities Which of your characters would be nominated for best dressed?

Undoubtedly Cecelia's evil mother, Milady Thornice Dahlia Aspidelle of Westland:

Cecelia's mother was a tall, imposing woman, in her fifties, with platinum blond hair done up in an elaborate bun interlaced with gold wire. She wore a bespoke, tailored silk suit and was carefully made up. Everything about her appearance said money.

ĉe la ĝardeno… senĉesa parolado rompas trankvilon #hajko #esperanto

#PennedPossibilities Is your MC confident in themselves?

Many of my stories involve characters that are somewhat naive and insecure, but grow and develop over the course of the stories. This is particularly true of Revin and Lady Cecelia. I often have characters that are very — indeed supremely — confident in themselves: the pirate Will and the neoboxer Tau fall into that category. But, as a person who questions themself, I find having a more vulnerable protagonist to be more relatable.

There was a knock at the door.
Curtains, hungover, lay in bed & groaned.
"See who it is, Roughneck."
Before he could get there, another, more insistent, knock came.
Roughneck opened the door & found a man wearing a crisp Belleriand uniform.
"Lord Curtiss Belthingstone?" he asked.
"Curtains?" Roughneck said, looking over his shoulder.
"That's not my name," Curtains said, sitting up & rubbing his temples.
"There's no #doubt," the man said. "Milord Baron."
Curtains looked up, eyes blazing.

#wss366

For folks at #Worldcon, at 10pm BST (5pm Eastern) is another virtual "rogue reading". It's open mic. Join us to read or just listen!

#WritersCoffeeClub What's your favorite summer read for a vacation?

I read mostly science fiction and fantasy. For a summer read, I often want something cozy which, to me, usually means re-reading an old favorite. My favorite is probably *The Three Musketeers*. But other books by authors that include Elizabeth Bear, Patricia Briggs, Lois McMaster Bujold, Jim Butcher, Steven Brust, Glen Cook, J.R.R. Tolkein, and many others.

Tanuki-chan was VERY VERY HAPPY to meet @philipbrewer and treated him like a favorite new chew-toy. #DogsOfMastodon

#PennedPossibilities What does your MC’s morning routine look like?

At 5 bells, Terrier awoke Revin with a tub of hot water for bathing. Revin washed gratefully and then reclined in the bath. He wistfully remembered Momo bringing him a cup of coffee last time but acknowledged to himself that it wasn't reasonable to expect the Queen to fetch and carry for him. But suddenly the adjoining door popped open and Momo breezed in carrying a cup of coffee.
"Are you decent?" she sang out, with a wink.

#WordWeavers Tell us about a character that you don’t like as a person.

In *Revin's Heart*, Beck is a bodyguard who, when he discovers that Revin is transgender, begins to misgender him and make inappropriate and unwanted advances. In one of the reviews of *Then They Fight You* (part six), the reviewer says, "First, let me say, Beck gave me the icks shortly after meeting him, and I'm happy about the way his role in the story played out."

#WritersCoffeeClub In your work, do you include short sections in languages other than the primary language?

In *A Familiar Problem*, the demon Tseluna has spent a lot of time in Japan and she occasionally says words in Japanese. Part of the charm (to me) of the story is that the human protagonist (Rory) is from another dimension that humans were seeded to during the last ice age and he knows nothing of Earth. So the inhuman demon is the one that is the expert and teaches him about our world.

Water Dragon Publishing, a small press in California, is holding a virtual Live Pitch Session at #Worldcon at 8pm BST (3pm Eastern). Yes, it's OK to come just to listen and learn!