Now that the official notice is out, I'm proud to announce that my short story Between One Word and the Next has been accepted for publication by Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast! https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-335-shelf-february-2026 It's based on the record of an enslaved maidservant couple in 15th century Korea split up by a predatory princess, an incident I guest-blogged about on LHMP (CW sexual violence and stalking): https://alpennia.com/lhmp/lhmp-449-lee-2024-sossang-and-danji-15th-century-korean-maidservants-love The story should appear in the podcast this year in audio and print versions.

#HistoricalFiction #WritingCommunity #LjWrites

Now that the official notice is out, I'm proud to announce that my short story Between One Word and the Next has been accepted for publication by Lesbian Historic Motif Podcast! https://alpennia.com/blog/lesbian-historic-motif-podcast-episode-335-shelf-february-2026 It's based on the record of an enslaved maidservant couple in 15th century Korea split up by a predatory princess, an incident I guest-blogged about on LHMP (CW sexual violence and stalking): https://alpennia.com/lhmp/lhmp-449-lee-2024-sossang-and-danji-15th-century-korean-maidservants-love The story should appear in the podcast this year in audio and print versions.

#HistoricalFiction #WritingCommunity #LjWrites

Having recently read it aloud at a charity event, I have finally just published to my website my 2012 essay "Lie to Me", written at the time for my friend Juli, inviting honesty, which it suggests is more about trust, immediacy and fearlessness than it is about truth. I figured somehow that Valentine's week was a good time to get it out into the world.

There is an accompanying audio reading by me. It is about 5 minutes long.

https://nhplace.com/kent/Writing/Lie-To-Me.html

#Valentine #Valentines #ValentinesDay #honesty #truth #lies #lying #trust #immediacy #honesty #essay #writing #WritingCommunity #poem #FreeVerse

Having recently read it aloud at a charity event, I have finally just published to my website my 2012 essay "Lie to Me", written at the time for my friend Juli, inviting honesty, which it suggests is more about trust, immediacy and fearlessness than it is about truth. I figured somehow that Valentine's week was a good time to get it out into the world.

There is an accompanying audio reading by me. It is about 5 minutes long.

https://nhplace.com/kent/Writing/Lie-To-Me.html

#Valentine #Valentines #ValentinesDay #honesty #truth #lies #lying #trust #immediacy #honesty #essay #writing #WritingCommunity #poem #FreeVerse

“The world is violent and mercurial--it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love--love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”

- Tennessee Williams

#WritingQuote #WritingCommunity #inspiration

“The world is violent and mercurial--it will have its way with you. We are saved only by love--love for each other and the love that we pour into the art we feel compelled to share: being a parent; being a writer; being a painter; being a friend. We live in a perpetually burning building, and what we must save from it, all the time, is love.”

- Tennessee Williams

#WritingQuote #WritingCommunity #inspiration

So here's a problem I have with books about older female protagonists. Somehow, in these books, thirty five is when you start getting grey hair and changing metabolism? I must have missed that memo, because I didn't start showing grey until mid forties. I'm 53 now and still not entirely grey. It feels a little insulting. One book even proposed a woman in perimenopause in her 30s. Which, okay, sure it happens, but I think that's a bit of an outlier...

I dunno. Maybe I'm just prickly at 53. Does anyone else have opinions on this?

#writing #WritingCommunity #bookstodon

#PennedPossibilities 905 — Is your MC responsible for anyone other than themselves? How do they feel about this?

Ooooh, I wanna answer this one truthfully, but it would contain major spoilers for readers, so I can’t. Instead, I’ll say this: Alistair is responsible for Duncan, Fenella, and the servants at his castle. He takes care of them, the servants are under his employ, and that’s that. He sired Duncan, and he takes care of Fenella with every bit of himself. So yes, he’s responsible for far more than just himself, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities 905 — Is your MC responsible for anyone other than themselves? How do they feel about this?

Ooooh, I wanna answer this one truthfully, but it would contain major spoilers for readers, so I can’t. Instead, I’ll say this: Alistair is responsible for Duncan, Fenella, and the servants at his castle. He takes care of them, the servants are under his employ, and that’s that. He sired Duncan, and he takes care of Fenella with every bit of himself. So yes, he’s responsible for far more than just himself, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

SF authors working on their story blurbs in 2025:

In a dystopian future...

STRIKE THAT.

In a future that's marginally more dystopian than the present day...

#Writing #WritingCommunity #a10d3

#PennedPossibilities 904 — What does your MC have in common with you, the author?

He’s a tortured author. Oh, and he has curly hair.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities 903 — MC POV: Are you afraid to be alone?

Alistair: Generally speaking, not really, no. At the moment, however, my answer might be something different than the usual one. Alone time is sacred. It’s my time to relax, or to paint or write. For the time being, Isma might be back. Whenever that might happen. Who knows. And Duncan is *already* back at my castle. I don’t trust either of them. We have strength in numbers. If I’m alone, that no doubt means that Fenella is as well. I can’t trust either of those men. They might harm her, and I would *never* allow that to happen.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities 902 — How old is your antagonist? Do they act their age, or do they feel their age?

No one *truly* knows how old Isma is. And no, he doesn't act his age. He might feel it, but he never acts it. I'll leave some dialogue down below. It was from a conversation between Alistair and Eleanor, his maid. They're rather close friends at this point. For context, this story takes place in 1890.

⬇️

Her head snapped up. “Oh, good Lord. How old is your master?”

“He befriended Socrates,” he said by way of explanation. “Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides, and Sappho. He knew them all.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Do you mean to say… Are you sure?”

“I’m quite sure, yes,” he responded. “He spoke of them often. I’m not entirely sure how long he had been alive at that point, or if he was bloodbound or not. I only know he was alive, whether a vampire or not. His name is Isma. He’s a callus, cruel man. I separated myself from him long ago. He’s a murderer, and an old world vampire. He’ll never change.”

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities 901 — What is your MC’s profession?

(There are multiple parts to this one, at least for me. No pressure! Please boost and share for everyone, in case others are interested as well. I appreciate it tons.)

Alistair is a published author.

1. Did they choose this profession for themselves or were they pressured into it by someone else?

Alistair *chose* to be an author. No one else forced him to do it. He needed a creative outlet, same as with his art.

2. If they chose it for themselves, why did they do it?

He has a lot of memories and stories to share. There are things he can weave into his plots along the way, memories or things that organically develop into the plot and help the story progress. He has a lot of experience to draw back on. Aside from that, he’s a naturally creative person. Writing fiction is *fun* for him.

3. Regardless of how they got into this profession, do they enjoy it?

He still enjoys it, no matter how much has passed him by. He always will. Like I said, writing is a fun activity for him.

4. If they were not in this profession, what would they be doing instead?

If he wasn’t an author, he would be a full-time artist. He’s a rather talented artist as it is, but he rarely ever sells or even shows off his work. It’s just a hobby for him.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities 900 — Share a piece of lore from your WIP.

(New thread for my friends~!)

The older a vampire is, the less the sunlight will bother them. Eventually, they will be completely unaffected, where a young vampire would immediately burn.

I’ll include an excerpt that explains things better than I ever could. At the moment this takes place, Alistair and Fenella have just learned the information we’re discussing. It’s also a favorite scene of mine, featuring Duncan and Fenella. Alistair has just stormed out of the room.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Deadline 31 January 2026 — #FlashFiction and narrative #poetry competition, Hot Flashes, and also stories and poems for possible inclusion in a new anthology to be published in April 2026. For full details, see https://paradisepress.org.uk/projects.html

The competition will have four categories:
- Under 40 words prose (for poetry – #haiku, #limerick or #clerihew).
- Under 300 words prose, or, for poetry – #sonnet, or other form under 20 lines.
- Under 600 words prose (poetry under 40 lines).
- Under 1000 words prose (poetry under 70 lines).

The anthology is for #LGBTQ writers and straight allies, but submissions do not have to be about sexuality. The submission must not contain material produced by AI, and must not have appeared in any publication with an ISBN.

#queer #CallForSubmissions #WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub 12.26 — Who or what serves as your "rubber duck"?

My girlfriend. LOL. Since we met, we've always written roleplay stories together, which are just co-written stories, and we often talk through plot points and things like that before or as we're writing together. If I have an issue with one of my novels as well, I can talk things through with her, and I'll usually realize what it is that I need to write or do along the way. We love chats like that.

#WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub 12.26 — Who or what serves as your "rubber duck"?

My girlfriend. LOL. Since we met, we've always written roleplay stories together, which are just co-written stories, and we often talk through plot points and things like that before or as we're writing together. If I have an issue with one of my novels as well, I can talk things through with her, and I'll usually realize what it is that I need to write or do along the way. We love chats like that.

#WritingCommunity