Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Insecure Writer’s Support Group - Dark Matter: Artificial


It’s time for another group posting of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group! Time to release our fears to the world – or offer encouragement to those who are feeling neurotic. If you’d like to join us, click on the tab above and sign up. We post the first Wednesday of every month. I encourage everyone to visit at least a dozen new blogs and leave a comment. Your words might be the encouragement someone needs.


The awesome co-hosts for the January 6 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse van Vuuren , J Lenni Dorner, Gwen Gardner Sandra Cox, and Louise - Fundy Blue!


Want to know more about the IWSG? Operation Awesome recommends it and has a post up about it this week. Check it out!


January 6 question - Being a writer, when you're reading someone else's work, what stops you from finishing a book/throws you out of the story/frustrates you the most about other people's books?


IWSG Anthology winners!!!

We are thrilled to announce the winners of the Dark Matter IWSG Anthology Contest:
Stephanie Espinoza Villamor - a librarian writer mom who lives with her husband and young son just outside Las Vegas.
CD Gallant-King - a loving husband and proud father of two wonderful little kids, C.D. was born and raised in Newfoundland and currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
Kim Mannix - a fiction writer, poet and journalist currently residing on Treaty 6 territory in Sherwood Park, Alberta.
Steph Wolmarans - an educator, mother, wife, beekeeper, and speculative fiction author.
Tara Tyler - Tara Tyler is a math teacher who writes to share her passion for reading with others.
Deniz Bevan - a firm believer in burning the candle at both ends, she is generally writing a new novel while editing another, and blogging about her reading and research adventures—and sharing travel photos—weekly on her blog
Charles Kowalski - his thrillers for adults have won the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers' Colorado Gold Award and been nominated for the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award and the Adventure Writers Grandmaster Award.
Olga Godim - a writer and journalist from Vancouver, Canada.
Elizabeth Mueller - an award-winning author, Elizabeth lives in Texas with her husband, five lively children, five indoor kitties, a few outdoor kitties, seventeen chickens, and a horse named Hazel.
Mark Alpert - a contributing editor at Scientific American and the internationally bestselling author of ten novels.


As Stephanie’s story was the official judge’s top pick, her story is now in the title.



Dark Matter: Artificial
An Insecure Writer’s Support Group Anthology

Discover dark matter’s secrets…

What is an AI’s true role? Will bumbling siblings find their way home from deep space? Dark matter is judging us—are we worthy of existence? Would you step through a portal into another reality? Can the discoverer of dark matter uncover its secrets?

Ten authors explore dark matter, unraveling its secrets and revealing its mysterious nature. Featuring the talents of Stephanie Espinoza Villamor, C.D. Gallant-King, Tara Tyler, Mark Alpert, Olga Godim, Steph Wolmarans, Charles Kowalski, Kim Mannix, Elizabeth Mueller, and Deniz Bevan.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents, authors, and editors, these ten tales will take readers on a journey across time and space. Prepare for ignition!

Release date: May 4, 2021
Print ISBN 9781939844828 $14.95
EBook ISBN 9781939844835 $4.99
Science Fiction: Collections & Anthologies (FIC028040) / Space Exploration (FIC028130) / Genetic Engineering (FIC028110)


Big thanks to the official judges:
Dan Koboldt
Julie Gwinn
Damien Larkin
Ion Newcombe
Colleen Oefelein
Lynda R. Young
David Powers King



And don’t forget, the IWSG Twitter pitch event, #IWSGPit, happens January 20!


18 comments:

Pat Garcia said...

Congratulations to all the winners! I look forward to reading it.
Shalom aleicheim,
Pat Garcia

Jemi Fraser said...

Congrats to all the winners! I see some writer friends on the list and am looking forward to the book!

Natalie Aguirre said...

Congrats to all the winners. I hope you are putting me down as a co-host every three months. I'm glad to fill in any month. I work part-time and am a contractor so can do what I like, like not work too much today so I can read IWSG posts.

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations to all of the winners and a thanks to all of the judges!!!

Joylene Nowell Butler said...

Congratulations to all the winners. You all do honour to your profession. Happy New Year.

Patsy said...

What usually stops me reading is when I notice the writing. Mistakes of course are annoying, but the same can be true of writing that's too 'clever' and draws attention to itself, or has me reaching for the dictionary three times per page.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Alex - Happy New Year ... sometime in 2020 I hope. Congratulations to all the winners and entries in the anthology. Sounds an interesting read - each story telling its own Dark Matter secrets ... take care - Hilary

Anna said...

Stephanie, we are so proud of you winning the Anthology contest! You are so very talented and we love you very much!

L.G. Keltner said...

Congratulations to all the winners! The cover looks awesome!

Jemima Pett said...

Congratulations to all the winners!

I am, of course, insanely jealous, and just a little bit more insecure as a result. But when I read your stories I'll understand just how wonderful they are - and with several of the authors named, I know just how brilliant you are anyway!

Happy new year everyone :)

Leigh Caron said...

Yes, congratulations to the winners. Can't wait until it's available.

Leigh Caron said...

Woo Hoo to the winners! And how exciting that their stories will be released in May. Will definitely check it it.

Steph W. said...

I am extremely thrilled to be included. I truly appreciate all of the support this group has given me this past year!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Congrats to all the authors appearing in the anthology. May do my first Twitter pitch this time around. IWSG is awesome.

Meera Dandekar said...

Congratulations to the winners!

Deniz Bevan said...

Congratulations to all the authors! So exciting to be a part of this!

Pat Hatt said...

Congrats to all the winners.

Toi Thomas said...

I'm very excited about this anthology. Will there be pre-orders for it?