Happy birthday week to me! I turn 45 on the 9th. I’ve officially crossed over into that 45-60 year old category. This year, I had four novels, one novella, one fiction collection and an anthology come out. All I want for my birthday is for you to buy one of them and leave me a review. It’s been a standing birthday wish now for about five years. Please consider getting yourself a gift of one of my books for my birthday. You have a great selection.

If you want to know which one I want you to buy… the Melissa Allen series, Never Let Me Sleep, Never Let Me Leave, or Never Let Me Die. I get royalties and kudos on them all but those are the newest.

Apocalypse Girl Dreaming – Fiction collection
Travel from the weird west to the hidden worlds of Kendrick all the way to the far reaches of space. This collection contains twenty previously published short stories and includes the brand new Kember Empire story “Found on the Body of a Solider.” Enjoy your journey and don’t forget your survival gear. Apocalypse Girl is waiting. Includes a foreword by science fiction author Jody Lynn Nye.

DocWagon 19 – Shadowrun tie-in novella
DocWagon—saviors of the needy, rescuers of the desperate. Willing to go anywhere, rescue anyone, as long as that “anyone” has forked out enough advance cash to justify the effort. Reporter Amelia Hart has embedded herself with a DocWagon team to see what their life is really like, and she’s in for a wild ride. From an OD’ing celebrity to an aggressive team of hackers, from pesky gangs to an extremely rich and powerful client teetering at death’s door, this night will give the team all they can handle. But will they survive long enough to remember that in the Sixth World, nothing is truly random?

Chimera Incarnate – Fourth and final book in the Karen Wilson Chronicles
“The Veil is breaking. The Nightmares are coming through.” The supernatural forces of Kendrick may have defeated the Children of Anu, but every war leaves destruction in its wake. And fixing the collateral damage is never easy. The fourth and final volume of the Karen Wilson Chronicles tells the story of what happens when all the chips are down, places of power have been consumed, and one of Karen’s greatest allies teeters on the edge of oblivion. The Grey Lady and her people are fading. Only their pact with the Makah people, and the land of Kendrick itself, is holding their ancient foes at bay. Karen and her allies must find a way to save one of their own before the Veil falls and the world as they know it is destroyed.

Never Let Me Sleep – Melissa Allen #1, YA SF-Thriller
What would you do if you discovered everyone in your house, on your street, and in your town dead? Then discovered you weren’t alone and what was out there was hunting you? Melissa Allen knows exactly how it feels. With only a voice on the phone for help, she must stop what is happening before the monsters find her.

Never Let Me Leave – Melissa Allen #2, YA SF-Thriller
What would you do if you found yourself locked in an underground lab with a murderous alien hunting you? Melissa Allen and her new friends know exactly how it feels. With no help from the outside and time running out, it’s up to Melissa to keep herself and the other teens safe. How can she do that when she’s not sure who she can trust? Someone in the lab helped that alien escape. Someone human.

Never Let Me Die – Melissa Allen #3, YA SF-Thriller
What would you do if your sister was shot and your brother was kidnapped? Melissa Allen knows. It’s been six months since the attack at PAR Lab. Melissa, Carrie, and Adam have settled into a semblance of domestic bliss with Heather as their guardian. Things seem too good to be true. Someone has been watching them. Someone who has no problem trying to kill them.

Naughty Or Nice: A Holiday Anthology – Adult-oriented SF Anthology
With a little bit of nice, a sprinkle of dark, a handful of sexy, and a whole lot of naughty, this adult-oriented anthology is filled with blushes, laughs, and gasps. This is not your average holiday reading. From the story behind Marley's fate, to a little elf who makes the perfect "toy" to the holiday rituals that keep the world going, Naughty or Nice: A Holiday Anthology, keeps the pages turning. Be prepared to be a little bit shocked!

This Norwescon was pretty intense and event-filled. The biggest thing that happened was the Hugo Award nomination short list announcement. I have been nominated for Best Editor, Short Form. I’m simultaneously thrilled beyond words and terrified. I know a whole lot more people will be looking at me now, trying to figure out who I am, what I do, and what I’ve done.

I once wrote about working in the publishing industry was to be an obscure celebrity. When people find out, they get very excited. The stars in some people’s eyes is really amazing to see.

To be an editor is to be a stealth troubleshooter, designer, and artist all at once—specifically to make someone else look awesome. I’ve worked hard in the last five years, putting out 14 anthologies, being an assistant editor for Apex Publications, being the editor in chief of Apocalypse Ink Productions, and doing the thousand myriad jobs one does in the publishing business. I am currently editing a charity anthology as well as an open call for flash fiction for Evil Girlfriend Media.

In 2014, I had 4 anthologies released. I am proud of all of them. The first is pure science fiction, the second is steampunk fantasy, the third is a non-fiction anthology from women about games and the gaming industry, and the last is traditional fantasy-military.

• Bless Your Mechanical Heart anthology - Evil Girlfriend Media, Editor, April 2014


• Beast Within 4: Gears & Growls anthology - Graveside Tales, Editor, October 2014


• Chicks Dig Gaming non-fiction anthology - Mad Norwegian Press, Co-Editor (with Robert Smith? and Lars Pearson), November 2014


• Shattered Shields anthology - Baen Books, Co-Editor (with Bryan Thomas Schmidt), November 2014

Below are the other 10 anthologies I edited since 2009, including my award winning anthology, Grants Pass.

• Grants Pass anthology - Morrigan Books, Co-editor (with Amanda Pillar), August, 2009 (AU Shadows Award Winner 2009)


• Close Encounters of the Urban Kind anthology - Apex Book Company, Editor, April 2010


• Beauty Has Her Way anthology - Dark Quest Books, Editor, January 2011


• Human Tales anthology - Dark Quest Books, Editor, April 2011


• Beast Within 2: Predator & Prey anthology - Graveside Tales, Editor, June 2011


• Space Tramps anthology - Flying Pen Press, Editor, Sep 2011


• Human for a Day anthology – DAW, Editor, Dec 2011


• Dangers Untold anthology - Alliteration Ink Press, Editor, 1 October 2012


• Beast Within 3: Oceans Unleashed anthology - Graveside Tales, Editor, 7 December 2012


• Coins of Chaos anthology - EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Editor, October 2013

Since the announcement, several people have asked me if they can vote. The answer is “yes, but…” Yes, but you need to be at least a supporting member of Sasquan / Worldcon 2015. This is a minimum of $40. However, if you do become a member in time to vote (by the end of July 2015), you will receive the Hugo packet which will have a whole of books and stories from the nominees in other categories so you can make an informed choice. The Hugo packet will include examples of my editing work.

I want to thank everyone who has contacted me with cheers, support, and well wishes. I’m tickled pink that authors I’ve edited are happy about the nomination. Every congratulations message means the world to me. More than you can know. I do feel a little bit like the “home town girl does good” and I don’t want to let anyone down.

There you have it. I’ve been nominated and I’m thrilled. If you have any questions about my work, please let me know.