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Eden’s Paradise, Ep. 3: Visit to Eden
By Berneta L. Haynes and Lornett B. Vestal Valerie rode with Bradford, who regaled her with details about Grand Teton and the area’s natural history. She surmised he was a geologist, but as he went on, he mentioned working as a plumber twenty-five years ago before the Great Turn. “Those were simpler days, weren’t…
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Question Culture: Sexism and Gender Roles
During the most recent episode of Question Culture (a bi-weekly socio-political podcast), Lornett and Brian discussed a wide variety of topics including, sexism, gender roles, the patriarchy, and rape culture. Check out the episode. As you know, at Waking Writer we don’t focus on writing and literature in a vacuum. All writing and art operate within a…
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Eden’s Paradise, Ep. 2: Good Samaritan
By Berneta L. Haynes and Lornett B. Vestal Valerie awoke when she heard Mia chatting with a man. It wasn’t Grayson’s deep baritone voice but a softer, more calming voice. As she wiped the drool from the side of her mouth, she sat up and peered through the clearing. When she walked to the…
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Eden’s Paradise, Ep. 1: Stranded
By Berneta L. Haynes and Lornett B. Vestal Valerie Amira Wright stood on the side of Moose Wilson Road near the Grand Teton National Park sign. She wore a look of frustration while Grayson leaned under the hood of the Jeep. She glanced at the clear blue sky, not a cloud as far as the…
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Steven M. Moore, author of The Klimt Connection
When did you first consider yourself a writer? I read a lot as a kid. I thought I could tell stories too. Except for rare occasions, I put off storytelling for a long time, though (life’s responsibilities got in the way), but I really got into it after 9/11, even while still at my old…
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New Short Story Serial Coming Soon!
Dear Readers, In the coming weeks, I will be sharing episodes from a short story based on my ongoing duology Faders and Alphas, as my co-writer and I prepare to release the final novel this summer. Aya and the Alphas, the sequel to Eve and the Faders, will hit stores in June. Stay tuned for…
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Meet John S. Poitier, author of Mangoes in the Summertime
What inspires you to write? As cliche as it might sound, love is what inspires me to write. The love that I feel from God, my family, friends, myself, and the world around me…fuels me, in a way. It gives me hope and drives me to overcome any mountains that I might encounter when I…
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Feyisayo Anjorin, author of One Week in the Life of a Hypocrite
What inspires you to write? Inspiration comes from a variety of sources. Sometimes I’m inspired by a news report. I hear about a scandal or something interesting and then I ask, “What if…?” Sometimes it’s a book that triggers an idea, music, or a conversation. I get inspired too when I’m in a quiet place…
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Book Bans, Draft2Digital Acquires Smashwords, and more news!
‘Dangerous and Cruel’: YA Authors Say Unprecedented Book Bans Hurt Kids Most (Rolling Stone) YA fantasy novelist Kalynn Bayron, who is Black and queer and who writes Black and queer characters, says the fervor over book banning worries her about her ability to reach readers — whether they relate to the characters or not. “It’s important for…
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The Aliens by Budhaditya Ghosh
A deadly gamma-ray burst bears down on the ramshackle mining colonies orbiting Jupiter. As the Terran military struggles to evacuate everyone in time, tensions back home fly high as innocent refugees become pawns in a game of political maneuvers and posturing. The wheels of a sinister conspiracy begin to turn and grind even while the…
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By Berneta L. Haynes
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