The Silver Coin Extended to Ongoing Series

INTEREST IN THE SILVER COIN SERIES SKYROCKETS, EXTENDED TO ONGOING SERIES

PORTLAND, Ore. 05/24/2021 — Michael Walsh’s new horror anthology The Silver Coin is being extended into an ongoing series this August in response to its breakout success and positive reception among fans.

The bestselling series, which has thus far showcased a murderers’ row of talent—including Chip Zdarsky (Stillwater), Kelly Thompson, Ed Brisson, and Jeff Lemire (Gideon Falls, Sweet Tooth)—will continue to send chills down readers spines with Joshua Williamson, Ram V, Matthew Rosenberg, and Vita Ayala on board to serve up thrilling new stories. 

"I am beyond excited to continue telling stories in the world of The Silver Coin. The response to the first arc has been overwhelming and it's provided me with the opportunity to bring in an all-new group of incredible talent for more tales of terror," said Walsh. "I'm very lucky to be working with people that consistently elevate my own work and push me to grow as an artist and writer. Josh, Ram, Matt, and Vita are all such insightful, creative and unique voices in the world of comics... I can't WAIT to show off the horrors that we are crafting together."

Each issue of The Silver Coin tells a tale of terror in a shared supernatural world. The story starts in 1978 with a failing rock band whose fortune suddenly changes when they find the mysterious Silver Coin. Little do they know that fame comes with a cost, and a curse is always hungry.

The Silver Coin #5 Cover A by Michael Walsh (Diamond Code JUN210246) and The Silver Coin #5 Cover B by Maya McKibbin (Diamond Code JUN210247) will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, August 11. 

The Silver Coin is available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

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ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Old Head Coming in August

SPACE JAM MEETS FRIGHT NIGHT IN FORTHCOMING OLD HEAD ORIGINAL GRAPHIC NOVEL

PORTLAND, Ore. 05/24/2021 — Fan favorite creator Kyle Starks (Assassin Nation, Sexcastle) is back with more action-packed laughs in the forthcoming horror/comedy mashup, Old Head. This original graphic novel will hit shelves this August from Image Comics.

Perhaps best described as Space Jam meets Fright Night, this hilarious new story follows a former basketball star when he returns home for his mother’s funeral. What he doesn’t expect is to learn of her mysterious past, his destiny, and to find himself embroiled in a decades-long blood feud with Dracula himself. 

"I'm really excited for folks to finally get to read Old Head—an examination of legacy and toxic masculinity viewed through the lens of a father and daughter fighting sex monsters," said Starks.

Old Head original graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-5343-2074-1, Diamond Code JUN210152) will be available on Wednesday, August 25 and in bookstores on Tuesday, August 31. It can be pre-ordered at your local comic book shop or independent bookstore via Bookshop or IndieBound, or it can be pre-ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo. 

Old Head will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play

[click to embiggen]

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

Interview with Nicole Jarvis, author of The Lights of Prague

Please welcome Nicole Jarvis to The Qwillery as part of the 2021 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. The Lights of Prague was published on May 25, 2021 by Titan Books.

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Nicole:  I’m happy to be here! I remember writing a short story for fun when I was in elementary school. I was traveling with my childhood crush along the Nile to search for a monstrous giant crocodile. (My crush did not survive to the end of the story. Sometimes we have to make sacrifices for narrative tension!)

TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Nicole:  Plotter!

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Nicole:  Even though I carefully plot each draft, I never know if something works until the whole book is written out. I rely heavily on editing once I have everything on paper, but it makes for a lot of deleted and rewritten material!

TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Nicole:  I’m influenced by everything around me, but travel often sparks the tone and plot of my work. I hope my books can give people the sense of exploring the world.

TQ:  Describe The Lights of Prague using only 5 words.

Nicole:  Flames. Lace. Fangs. Cobblestones. Secrets.

TQ:  Tell us something about The Lights of Prague that is not found in the book description.

Nicole:  Though the book description focuses on Domek Myska, the monster-hunting lamplighter, half the book is from the point of view of Lady Ora Fischerová, a beautiful widow who is far older than she looks.

TQ:  What inspired you to write The Lights of Prague?

Nicole:  I was struck one night with the image of a lamplighter on a misty street jumping into danger—and getting sucked into a much bigger conspiracy—and the rest of the book demanded to be written from there!

TQ:  The novel is set in gaslight-era Prague. In your opinion what elements are required for a novel to be a Gaslamp fantasy?

Nicole:  Despite literally starring a lamplighter, I didn’t envision The Lights of Prague as a “Gaslamp Fantasy” when I wrote it! I was drawn to the idea of a character who brought not just light but safety to the dark streets, and the era of gaslamps was the perfect fit.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for The Lights of Prague?

Nicole:  Before I even started writing the first draft, I read several books about the setting to get an idea of the day-to-day life in 1868 Prague. Once I had the frame in place, I went into more detailed research dives on Wikipedia and JSTOR. Later, I visited Prague to envision the book on the ground!

TQ:  Please tell us about the cover for The Lights of Prague.

Nicole:  Julia Lloyd designed the cover and absolutely blew me away. In addition to being gorgeous and evocative, the cover shows two key landmarks that are central to the book’s plot.

TQ:  In The Lights of Prague who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Nicole:  Ora was the easiest character to write. I found it natural to balance her light, clever voice and her private grief. The hardest was Kája, the will-o’-the-wisp. I ended up rewriting nearly all of his dialogue over the course of my edits to really nail his personality and plotline.

TQ:  Does The Lights of Prague touch on any social issues?

Nicole:  There are several social issues touched on in the book, but I was especially determined to include LGBTQ representation. As a bisexual woman, it was very important for me to write about queer characters. We have always existed, even when history has tried to erase us.

TQ:  Which question about The Lights of Prague do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Nicole: 

Question: Which character from The Lights of Prague would you get along with most in real life?

Answer: I would love to have a fancy dinner and joke around with Cord, Domek’s best friend! A charming nobleman with interesting hobbies, he’d know how to have a fun conversation.

TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from The Lights of Prague.

Nicole:  I’m still very partial to the opening line! I wanted to bring people right into the atmosphere of Prague at night—

“Dark water reflected the line of gas lamps along the path, the rippling lights echoing the stars stretching overhead.”

TQ:  What's next?

Nicole:  I can’t say much, but I will say that my next project is set in Florence—and involved a lot of research into some fascinating historical figures!

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Nicole:  Thank you for having me!

The Lights of Prague
Titan Books, May 25, 2021
Trade Paperback and eBook, 416 pages

In the quiet streets of Prague all manner of mysterious creatures lurk in the shadows. Unbeknownst to its citizens, their only hope against the tide of predators are the dauntless lamplighters – secret elite of monster hunters whose light staves off the darkness each night. Domek Myska leads a life teeming with fraught encounters with the worst kind of evil: pijavice, bloodthirsty and soulless vampiric creatures. Despite this, Domek finds solace in his moments spent in the company of his friend, the clever and beautiful Lady Ora Fischerová - a widow with secrets of her own.

When Domek finds himself stalked by the spirit of the White Lady - a ghost who haunts the baroque halls of Prague castle – he stumbles across the sentient essence of a will-o’-the-wisp captured in a mysterious container. Now, as its bearer, Domek wields its power, but the wisp, known for leading travellers to their deaths, will not be so easily controlled.

After discovering a conspiracy amongst the pijavice that could see them unleash terror on the daylight world, Domek finds himself in a race against those who aim to twist alchemical science for their own dangerous gain.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : iBooks : Kobo

Photo by John Adrian

About Nicole

Nicole Jarvis has been writing stories as long as she can remember. After graduating with degrees in English and Italian from Emory University, Nicole moved to New York City and currently works in marketing at Bloomsbury Publishing, and lives in Manhattan with two cats named after children’s book characters. She loves listening to musicals, learning strange histories and thinking about the inner lives of superheroes. The Lights of Prague is her first novel.

Website  ~  Twitter @nicolejarvis

Interview with Sammy H.K. Smith, author of Anna

Please welcome Sammy H.K. Smith to The Qwillery as part of the 2021 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Anna was published on May 25, 2021 by Solaris.

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Sammy:  Thank you so much for having me! *waves*

Oh wow, this is a great question and I remember my first fully formed story so well! I was about 9 years old and it was a story about a group of kids who found magical stones that transported them to a world where an evil witch was trying to capture and cook them. They had to smash the stones with a hammer from a wood fairy to stop the witch and of course they succeeded and everyone was safe (such an intense story! Oh the peril!). Unfortunately I don’t have a copy of it any more but I really remember sitting at the desk in Primary School writing it out and drawing accompanying pictures. Ahhhh, the nostalgia!

TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Sammy:  I’m definitely a hybrid. I have a rough story idea and an idea where I would like it to go and try to write out the key scenes and work from there. I find it easier to plot than pantz as with the latter I get myself caught into too many plot holes and corners!

I plotted out ANNA quite tightly, and only added in extra bits and pieces during editing.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Sammy:  Time. I have 2 young boys (5 and 3), I work 50+ hours a week in the main job and also have a labour of love second job. Most days I get up at 6am and don’t get to sit down until 8pm and by then I’m knackered! I’d love a clone (or three!) to do my day to day work so I could sit and write…

TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Sammy:  I draw influence from everywhere, whether I realise it or not! With my fantasy novels I have a fondness for tropes – I know, I know, but I like the comfy feeling and the way my brain switches off. I love a good ‘chosen one’ story when there’s a bit of a twist, or a little bit of romance.

With my dystopia, I go for social commentary and emotions. They’re definitely darker and more hard-hitting.

TQ:  Describe Anna using only 5 words.

Sammy:  Terror, Journey, PTSD, strength, peace

Or

A tale of feminine strength

TQ:  Tell us something about Anna that is not found in the book description.

Sammy:  This is an excellent question. The description of the book is deliberately vague, but Anna is a story of one woman dealing with her PTSD following traumatic sexual abuse and finding the strength to rebuild her confidence and self.

We didn’t want to paint the entire story on the blurb, and instead felt that readers would better connect and understand if they travelled with Anna on her journey, seeing and feeling what she did.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Anna?

Sammy:  I work in domestic and sexual abuse and come in contact with victims and survivors of rape, vicious assaults, coercive control and other heinous crimes on a daily basis. The majority of those I deal with are women (but I absolutely strongly stress that male victims occur and I feel their crimes as victims are hugely underreported, something I wish I could change).

These women have so much more strength than they ever realise, and yet nearly all of them try to blame themselves for the perpetrator’s actions by either suggesting they should have fought them off or not angered them in the first place. I wanted to write something to show readers that strength comes in many forms and that physically fighting isn’t the only response.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Anna?

Sammy:  I really want to make it clear that I haven’t used any of my cases in this novel. All the events are fictitious, but I have taken that underlying mindset I mentioned above and weaved it into the novel, along with some of my own personal observations and experiences.

Anna is set in a near-future dystopia where world wars have ravaged the land. Fossil fuels are scarce and economies have crumbled. I researched the MAD doctrine, UV filter systems for eco homes that could survive without electricity, composting toilets, water tanks and similar. It was really interesting learning about the ‘shelf life’ of fuels if stored correctly, and reed bed sewage systems.

TQ:  Please tell us about the cover for Anna.

Sammy:  My cover was by the wonderful company ‘Head Design’.

I just love how it’s stark and striking. Just like the world she lives in and Anna’s actions. It isn’t the easiest novel to express in art but my editor Kate Coe absolutely nailed the themes and chose the best design from the excellent shortlist. It’s symbolic rather than a clear scene/theme from the novel, but I love the repeated bear trap design, too.

TQ:  In Anna who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Sammy:  Oooh. I think Nikky was the easiest – a fun, bubbly character who is naïve to a lot of hardship. I viewed her as a younger teenage version of myself (though Nikky is older) and recalled how I was around 17/18.

The hardest was Simon – a gruff cruel misogynist with an ulterior motive for everything he does. He (and my main antagonist) is perhaps the furthest away from my own beliefs and mindset, and so I would write sections, leave them, come back a few days later and make sure I was happy with the motivations and dialogue.

TQ:  Does Anna touch on any social issues?

Sammy:  The main thread of the novel is about sexual violence and the reactions of a victim to a perpetrator’s control and abuse, but there’s also the theme of power.

The power a perp has over their victim, the power of brute force, the power of government and controlling bodies brainwashing the masses. Power corrupts.

 TQ:  Which question about Anna do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Sammy:  Why does the pace change so obviously in the three parts of the novel?

I’ve had so many comments about this and want to explain: part one is intense and terrifying, and Anna’s experiences mirror this. It’s quick, sharp, shocking and gives us little time to breathe. This is how Anna feels. Constant state of alert and unable to sit back and pause.

Part two is slower, the plot has moved on and so has Anna. She’s adjusting to the changes and like a cautious animal she’s slow and wary, finding her place in the world but still hyper-sensitive to everything around her and all the minute details of this new place.

Part three brings us somewhere between the two, she has found balance and resolution.

TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Anna.

Sammy: 

“It’s not easy talking about stuff, but thank you for trying to make me feel welcome. One day I’ll be okay.”

“You’ll never be okay, Kate,” he murmured, “but you’ll learn to live with what happened and find some sort of peace.”

*

Adaptation, like creation and death, is one of nature’s imperatives, part of the perpetual cycle. The world has suffered, we’ve annihilated each other and yet we’ve adapted and moved on, and the land renews, it forgives.

TQ:  What's next?

Sammy:  I’m currently writing another book in the same world as Anna and exploring the themes of grief and bereavement alongside the duties of a carer and homemaker in a broken world. There’s a strong theme of family in this novel but I’m also touching on human trafficking, drugs, murder, whodunit, and a little romance! It’s tentatively called ‘Emma’.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Sammy:  Thank you so much for this interview! It’s been so much fun ☺

Anna
Solaris, May 25, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 300 pages

A chilling feminist novel set in a near-future dystopia, Anna explores the conflicts between selfhood and expectations, safety and control, and the sacrifices we make for the sake of protection.

Beaten. Branded. Defiant.

Anna is a possession. She is owned by the man named Will, shielded from the world of struggles by his care. He loves her, protects her, and then breaks her. Anna is obedient, dutiful, and compliant. Anna does not know her place in the world.

When she falls pregnant, Anna leaves her name behind, and finds the strength to run. But the past – and Will – catch up with her in an idyllic town with a dark secret, and this time, it’s not just Anna who is at risk.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : Kobo

About Sammy

Sammy H.K Smith lives and works in Oxfordshire UK as a police detective. When not working she spends time with her children, husband and pets, renovates her house, and inadvertently kills plants. A keen writer and lover of all things science fiction and fantasy, she’s often found balancing a book, a laptop, a child, and a cat whilst watching Netflix. Follow Sammy on Twitter @SammyHKSmith.

Website

Interview with Sarina Dahlan, author of Reset

Please welcome Sarina Dahlan to The Qwillery as part of the 2021 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Reset is published on May 25, 2021 by Blackstone Publishing.

Please join The Qwillery in wishing Sarina a Happy Book Birthday!

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery. What is the first fiction piece you remember writing?

Sarina:  Thank you! I’m happy to be here. The first fiction piece I wrote was a story set in the Indonesian immigrant neighborhood of Kampong Java in Bangkok, Thailand—a place where I spent the first twelve years of my life. I don’t remember exactly what it was about. I feel I’ve been writing a variation of this story forever. Kampong Java is a special, magical place and I don’t know if I can ever do it justice. I used it as a setting for a few stories in Shadow Play, a short story collection that I self-published, but I don’t think I’m done. One of these days…

TQ:  Are you a plotter, a pantser or a hybrid?

Sarina:  I’m a pantser for the first few chapters of the book. Then, once I have the story, I plot chapter by chapter in Excel, complete with timeline. The best analogy I can think of is to compare it to my trip to the Emerald Cave in Thailand. First, I swim in partial darkness through a tunnel. Then the tunnel opens up to a hidden lagoon of emerald water and a beach. There, I get to see the place, explore the topography, and examine everything inside it. The plot does change over time depending on new developments and characters that tend to show up unannounced and in the most surprising ways possible.

TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Sarina:  Oh god, finishing a story. It takes an incredible amount of tenacity and willpower to stay with the story and dig deeper until you hit the bottom. Life was designed to distract writers from writing. It’s a conspiracy.

TQ:  What has influenced / influences your writing?

Sarina:  Other books. Other authors. Mythologies. Philosophy. Masterclass. Writing conferences (which I adore and miss.)

TQ:  Describe Reset using only 5 words.

Sarina:  I had answered “dystopian love in a utopian society” in another interview, but I thought of another—“Lost lovers in post-apocalyptic utopia.” And yes, I’m counting post-apocalyptic as one word.

TQ:  Tell us something about Reset that is not found in the book description.

Sarina:  The two main character, Aris and Metis, are part-Asian. RESET is set in a world where race is a thing of the past because people are conceived by randomly mixing the DNA of the survivors of the Last War. Since race was a social construct of the Old World—used to differentiate and divide—it was eliminated as a threat to peace. So, I purposely did not mention race. Instead I used physical descriptions, and subtle ones.

TQ:  What inspired you to write Reset? What appeals to you about writing Science Fiction?

Sarina:  I’ve always gravitated toward “what if” scenarios, so speculative fiction is where I naturally fit as a writer. Fiction is the art of hiding truth in lies—of talking about things people would probably unfollow or unfriend you for in real life by wrapping it in a story far enough from reality to be palatable. Science Fiction is a great platform for that. Through it, we can travel the paths that humanity can potentially take if we are not careful. One such path is what RESET explores.

TQ:  What sort of research did you do for Reset?

Sarina:  I actually enjoy the research part of writing, sometimes so much so that I have to stop myself. I did a lot of reading on the brain, neuroscience, how we process memories, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. I don’t retain everything since it’s been four years. But what I learned, I put in the book.

TQ:  Please tell us about the cover for Reset.

Sarina:  The cover was designed by Kurt Jones at Blackstone Publishing. Blue origami cranes feature prominently in the book as a way for the Dreamers to pass on secret information, and the Four Cities is a metropolis in the middle of the desert. Combining the two seems as natural as breathing to me. I also love the hopefulness that the crane represents. It’s the best cover I could have hoped for.

TQ:  In Reset who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?

Sarina:  The easiest character to write was probably Benja. He was quite incessant—his personality just leapt off the page. He has this fierce honesty and a confidence that I’m a bit envious of. The hardest character for me was Metis. I had to rewrite him a few times. He’s naturally quiet, but has this pensive complexity and a weighty seriousness. He was a bit intimidating to approach at first, but incredibly romantic once he lets you in. I’m not even sure if he had let me in fully.

TQ:  Does Reset touch on any social issues?

Sarina:  I created the Four Cities as a utopia that answers some of our current and prevalent social issues: racism, extreme capitalism, homelessness, warfare, climate crisis. I used the lyrics of “Imagine” as a template for that peaceful world, and Buddhist philosophy as a way to achieve it. Buddhism teaches that detachment is the path to nirvana. If memories are the seeds of all forms of attachment, erasing memories is then a logical shortcut to peace. In this world, racism is removed by randomly mixing survivors’ DNA. Capitalism by assigning jobs and equal “pay” via an entertainment points system. Homelessness by assigning housing. Climate crisis by controlling resource consumption. Warfare by deleting ownership, thus the desire to accumulate and create dynasties. Essentially eliminating human shortcomings by removing them from our hands. But every utopia is someone’s dystopia. And this world is a dystopia for those who wish to remember whom they loved and lost. Ultimately Reset is a love story that happens to be set in this utopian/dystopian world.

TQ:  Which question about Reset do you wish someone would ask? Ask it and answer it!

Sarina: 

Q: How did you come up with the names of Aris and Metis, and for the Four Cities?

A: The Planner who created the Four Cities was a lover of Greek philosophy and mythology. I named Aris after Aristotle, the philosopher to whom the concept of “unscribed tablet” is attributed to. Metis is also a Greek name originally of a Titan goddess of wisdom—but I pronounce it differently. I like that the names of Aris and Metis are gender exchanged. The Four Cities was named after four of Jupiter’s moons. I picked them based on the way they look.

TQ:  Give us one or two of your favorite non-spoilery quotes from Reset.

Sarina:  I’m going to chance this and choose two quotes from non-main characters in Reset.

“You haven’t experienced agony until you stare into the eyes of someone you love and see no trace of recognition. I’ve witnessed what it can do to a person.” – the Crone

“With the mind a blank slate, everyone has the freedom to author their own soul. Tabula Rasa. It is the future. It is what will save humanity.” – the Planner

TQ:  What's next?

Sarina:  I’ve been furiously writing a prequel to Reset, meant to be read after. It centers on the story of the two creators of the Four Cities right before the vote to enact Tabula Rasa. If Reset is a story about a marriage coming together, this story is about a marriage coming apart under the weight of the world.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Sarina:  It’s been great. Thank you so much for having me.

Reset
Blackstone Publishing, May 25, 2021
Hardcover and eBook, 340 pages

Can you love someone you don't remember?

After the Last War destroyed most of the world, survivors form a new society in four self-sustaining cities in the Mojave Desert. In the utopia of the Four Cities, inspired by the lyrics of "Imagine" and Buddhist philosophy, everything is carefully planned and controlled: the seasons, the weather-and the residents. To prevent mankind from destroying each other again, its citizens undergo a memory wipe every four years in a process called tabula rasa, a blank slate, to remove learned prejudices. With each new cycle, they begin again with new names, jobs, homes, and lives. No memories. No attachments. No wars.

Aris, a scientist who shuns love, embraces tabula rasa and the excitement of unknown futures. Walling herself off from emotional attachments, she only sees relationships as pointless and avoids deep connections. But she is haunted by a recurring dream that becomes more frequent and vivid as time passes. After meeting Benja, a handsome free-spirited writer who believes his dreams of a past lover are memories, her world is turned upside down. Obsessed with finding the Dreamers, a secret organization thought to have a way to recover memories, Benja draws her down a dangerous path toward the past. When Metis, the leader of the Dreamers, appears in Aris's life, everything she believes falls to pieces. With little time left before the next tabula rasa, they begin a bittersweet romance, navigating love in a world where names, lives, and moments are systematically destroyed.

Thought-provoking and emotionally resonant, Reset will make you consider the haunting reality of love and loss, and the indelible marks they leave behind.

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Bookshop : Books-A-Million : IndieBound
Google Play : Kobo

Photo by David Dann

About Sarina

Sarina Dahlan was born into an Indonesian family in Thailand, and immigrated to the United States at the age of twelve. While children in the west grow up on fairy tales, she learned parables through ghost stories, mythologies, and Japanese manga.

A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, with degrees in psychology and visual arts, she has blended both disciplines in careers as an advertising producer, a corporate marketing strategist, and an award-winning writer. She lives in California with her family and is currently raising her three children on a healthy diet of history, Thai curry, and scientific thinking.

Reset is her first novel.

Website  ~  Twitter @SarinaDahlan

Silver & Gold Foil John Cassaday Variants Revealed for Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem

JUPITER’S LEGACY: REQUIEM GOLD & SILVER FOIL JOHN CASSADAY VARIANTS REVEALED 

PORTLAND, Ore. 05/21/2021 — In celebration of the recent Netflix success of Jupiter’s Legacy, Mark Millar and Tommy Lee Edwards’ 12-issue series Jupiter's Legacy: Requiem will feature two rare foil covers—a silver variant and a gold variant—by artist John Cassaday.

The highly collectible silver foil cover will be a 1:10 copy incentive variant and available in limited quantities—exclusively at local comic shops—upon release Wednesday, June 16. Interested fans should inquire with their local comic shop for availability. 

The Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 gold foil variant will ship to retailers as a thank you for their ongoing support of the Jupiter’s Legacy series. 

Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 16:

• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover A Edwards - APR210095
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover B Quitely - APR210096
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover C Quitely B&W - APR210097
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover D Jock - APR210098
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover E Netflix Season 1 variant - APR210099
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover F Yildirim - APR210100
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover G Blank cover - APR210101
• Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 Cover H 1:10 copy incentive silver foil - APR210102

Jupiter’s Legacy: Requiem #1 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

[click to embiggen]

ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

First Look at Stillwater #8 Coming in June

THE NEW WORLD ORDER RISES IN STILLWATER BY ZDARSKY & PÉREZ #8 

“A fantastic comic that's a must for fans of the horror genre” —Graphic Policy 

PORTLAND, Ore 05/21/2021 — Today Image/Skybound revealed a first look at Stillwater By Zdarsky & Pérez #8, the newest chapter of the critically acclaimed hit series from the superstar team of Chip Zdarsky, Ramón K. Pérez and Mike Spicer. 
 
Nothing will ever be the same in the town of Stillwater now that Kreegs and his team of outsiders have arrived to enforce a new world order—and Daniel must join the clandestine resistance. But now it’s time for Sheriff Tanya to take a road trip, dispose of a body and deal with the consequences of her choices. 
 
Stillwater By Zdarsky & Pérez #8 will be available at comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, June 16: 

• Stillwater By Zdarsky & Pérez #8 Cover A by Perez - Diamond Code APR210336
• Stillwater By Zdarsky & Pérez #8 Cover B Pride Month variant by Gabrielle Kari - Diamond Code MAR219151

Fans of Stillwater By Zdarsky & Pérez won’t want to miss the monumental Skybound X #2, featuring the unexpected secret origin of Daniel’s powerful new ally, available in stores & digital platforms on Wednesday, July 14. 

• Skybound X #2 Cover A by Cliff Rathburn - Diamond Code MAY210042
• Skybound X #2 Cover B by Andrei Bressan - Diamond Code MAY210043
• Skybound X #2 Cover C by Tri Vuong & Irma Kniivila - Diamond Code MAY210044  

For more info and updates, visit www.skybound.com. 

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ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

ABOUT SKYBOUND ENTERTAINMENT
Skybound Entertainment is a multiplatform content company that works closely with creators and their intellectual properties, extending their stories to further platforms including comics, television, film, tabletop and video games, books, digital content, events, and beyond. The company is the home of notable properties including The Walking Dead, Invincible, and Super Dinosaur.
 
Skybound holds strategic partnerships across the entertainment industry, and has the in-house capabilities to serve as publisher, producer, and global distributor for tabletop and video games. On screen, Skybound holds a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios and a first-look movie deal with Universal. Additional partnerships include comic book publishing with Image Comics, book publishing with Simon & Schuster, and a first-look narrative audio deal with Audible. Skybound also houses a variety of unique creators and their IP, including Kristian Harloff and his pop-culture movie trivia platform the Schmoedown Entertainment Network, and printmaking expert Peter Santa Maria’s Attack Peter brand.

Eduardo Ferifato and Natália Marques Join Radiant Black Creative Team & Sneak Peak of Radiant Black #5

THE TRIALS OF ULTRAMAN’S EDUARDO FERIGATO & ACCLAIMED COLORIST NATÁLIA MARQUES JOIN RADIANT BLACK CREATIVE TEAM THIS JUNE

Sneak peek of early preview pages revealed 

PORTLAND, Ore. 05/21/2021 — Fan-favorite artist Eduardo Ferigato (Self/Made, The Trials of Ultraman) and critically acclaimed colorist Natália Marques will join Kyle Higgins and Marcelo Costa on the bestselling superhero series Radiant Black. The new team members will contribute their talents to the upcoming Radiant Black #5, on sale this June from Image Comics.

Image is pleased to reveal a sneak peek at early interior pages from the forthcoming issue.

“I’ve been working with Eduardo and Natália on different projects for quite some time now.  In fact, I first met Marcelo... when he was coloring Eduardo’s work. With the big twist at the end of issue 4, we knew we wanted to give the issue the space it needed to properly deal with the fallout,” said Higgins. “Eduardo is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever worked with, and as you’ll see in the below pages, has quite the flair for Cosmically Powered Action, rendered in beautiful contrasting palettes, by Natália. This issue has some more big twists and turns, and will be ramping straight into our big issue 6 Radiant Red spotlight. Trust me, after issue 5, you’ll definitely want to know his story.”

After Radiant Black #4’s heart-stopping cliffhanger the Radiant Black team isn’t done subverting readers’ expectations and will provide fans with an extra-length, explosive climax to the first story arc in issue #5.

Radiant Black #5 concludes the first story arc of the series—and yet Radiant Red is still out there at large. Red needs to be stopped before anyone else gets hurt. But after the events of last issue left Lockport—and the world—reeling, is Radiant Black up to the task? And will he be in this fight alone?

Radiant Black #5 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 16:

• Radiant Black #5 Cover A Doaly - APR210322
• Radiant Black #5 Cover B Diego Greco - APR210323
• Radiant Black #5 Cover C 1:25 copy incentive by Serg Acuña - APR210324 

Radiant Black #5 will also be available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play.

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ABOUT IMAGE COMICS
Image Comics is a comic book and graphic novel publisher founded in 1992 by a collective of bestselling artists. Image has since gone on to become one of the largest comics publishers in the United States. Image currently has six individuals on the Board of Directors: Robert Kirkman, Erik Larsen, Todd McFarlane, Marc Silvestri, Jim Valentino, and Eric Stephenson. It consists of five major houses: Todd McFarlane Productions, Top Cow Productions, Shadowline Comics, Skybound Entertainment, and Image Central. Image publishes comics and graphic novels in nearly every genre, sub-genre, and style imaginable. It offers science fiction, fantasy, romance, horror, crime fiction, historical fiction, humor and more by the finest artists and writers working in the medium today. For more information, visit www.imagecomics.com.

The View From Monday - May 24, 2021

Happy penultimate Monday in May!

There are 3 debuts this week and we will have interview with each of these debut authors!

Reset by Sarina Dahlan;

The Lights of Prague by Nicole Jarvis;

and

Anna by Sammy H.K. Smith.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.

From formerly featured DAC Authors:

The Unwilling by Kelly Braffet is out in Trade Paperback;

The Blacktongue Thief (Blacktongue 1) by Christopher Buehlman;

Revelations (Netherspace 3) by Nigel Foster;

Dawnrise (Chaos Queen 5) by Christopher Husberg;

A Murder in Time (A Kendra Donovan Mystery 1) by Julie McElwain is out in Mass Market Paperback;

See Something (A Witch City Mystery 11) by Carol J. Perry;

and

A Chain Across the Dawn (The Universe After 2) by Drew Williams is out in Mass Market Paperback.

Clicking on a novel's cover will take you to its Amazon page.

Debut novels are highlighted in blue. Novels, etc. by formerly featured DAC Authors are highlighted in green.

May 25, 2021

TITLE	AUTHOR	SERIES
MEG: Generations (tp2mm)	Steve Alten	SupTh/SF - Meg 6
From Blood and Ash	Jennifer L. Armentrout	FR/PNR - Blood and Ash 1
The Damnation Game (ri)	Clive Barker	H/SupTh/Sus
Power Challenges	Ben Bova	Power 5
The Unwilling (h2tp)	Kelly Braffet	F/HistF
The Uplift War (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 3
Heaven's Reach (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 6
Infinity's Shore (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 5
Brightness Reef (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 4
Startide Rising (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - Uplift Saga 2
The Uplift Storm Trilogy: Brightness Reef, Infinity's Shore, Heaven's Reach (e)(ri)	David Brin	SF - The Uplift Saga
The Last Druid (h2mm)	Terry Brooks	F - Fall of Shannara 4
The Blacktongue Thief	Christopher Buehlman	F/H/HU - Blacktongue 1
Scorpion	Christian Cantrell	SF/TT/TechTh
Reset (D)	Sarina Dahlan	SF
New Welsh Reader 126: Speculative Fiction from Wales (e)	Jo Dahn Gee Williams	SpecFic - Anthology
Chance of a Lifetime	Jude Deveraux Tara Sheets	Women/TT/MR/HistR - Providence Falls 1
The Apocalypse Seven	Gene Doucette	SF/AP/PA
Claws on the Plain	James Dunbar	F - Kings of War
How to Mars	David Ebenbach	SF/AC/MHU
Revelations	Nigel Foster	SF/AC/SO - Netherspace 3
1636: The Atlantic Encounter (h2mm)	Eric Flint Walter H. Hunt	SF/TT - Ring of Fire 25
Richards & Klein	Guy Haley	SF/CyP/PI
Honeycomb	Joanne M. Harris	DF
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (h2tp)	Grady Hendrix	H/SupTh/Southern
Chaos Queen - Dawnrise	Christopher Husberg	DF/F - Chaos Queen 5
The Lights of Prague (D)	Nicole Jarvis	F/Gaslamp/HistF/FR
The Promised Queen	Jeffe Kennedy	FR - Forgotten Empires 3
On the Origin of Species and Other Stories	Bo-Young Kim Sora Kim-Russell (Tr)	SF - Collection
The House of Styx	Derek Künsken	SF - Venus Ascendant 1
Déjà Doomed	Edward M. Lerner	SF/HSF/AC
A Murder in Time (ri)	Julie McElwain	Women/HistM - Kendra Donovan Mystery 1
Shakespeare for Squirrels (h2tp)	Christopher Moore	F/HU
Witness X	SE Moorhead	SF/Cr
The Legacy of Heorot	Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle Steven Barnes	SF - Heorot Series 1
See Something	Carol J. Perry	PCM - A Witch City Mystery 11
The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (h2tp)	Natasha Pulley	HistF/Gay/MR/Hist
The Kingdoms	Natasha Pulley	F/AH/HistF/MR
Burn-In (h2tp)	P. W. Singer August Cole	TechTh - A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution
Anna (D)	Sammy H.K. Smith	Women/Dys
Battle Luna (h2tp)	Travis S. Taylor Timothy Zahn et al.
The Chalk Man (ri)	C. J. Tudor	PsyTh/Sus/H
Hard Reboot	Django Wexler	SF/SE
A Chain Across the Dawn (ri)	Drew Williams	SF/SO/HU - The Universe After 2
Version Zero	David Yoon	TechTh/Sus/SF

D - Debut
e - eBook
Ed - Editor
h2mm - Hardcover to Mass Market Paperback
h2tp - Hardcover to Trade Paperback
Ke - Kindle eBook
ri - reissue or reprint
tp2mm - Trade Paperback to Mass Market Paperback
Tr - Translator



AB - Absurdist
AC - Alien Contact
AH - Alternative History
AP - Apocalyptic
BHU - Black Humor
CF - Contemporary Fantasy
CM - Crime & Mystery
CoA - Coming of Age
Cr - Crime
CW - Contemporary Women
CyP - CyberPunk
DF - Dark Fantasy
Dys - Dystopian
F - Fantasy
FairyT - Fairy Tales
FL - Family Life
FolkT - Folk Tales
FR - Fantasy Romance
GenEng - Genetic Engineering
GH - Ghost(s)
GothicR - Gothic Romance
GW&CC - Global Warming and Climate Change
H - Horror
HC - History and Criticism
Hist - Historical
HistF - Historical Fantasy
HistM - Historical Mystery
HistR - Historical Romance
HistTh - Historical Thriller
HSF - Hard Science Fiction
HU - Humorous
LC - Literary Criticism
LF - Literary Fiction
LM - Legend and Mythology
M - Mystery
Med - Medical
MR - Magical Realism
MTI - Media Tie-In
MU - Mash-Up
NF - Near Future
Occ - Occult
P - Paranormal
PA - Post Apocalyptic
PCM - Paranormal Cozy Mystery
PF - Paranormal Fantasy
PNR - Paranormal Romance
Pol - Political
PolTh - Political Thriller
PopCul - Popular Culture
PP - Police Porcedural
Psy - Psychological
R - Romance
RF - Romantic Fantasy
ScF - Science Fantasy
SE - Space Exploration
SF - Science Fiction
SFR - Science Fiction Romance
SFTh - Science Fiction Thriller
SH - Superheroes
SO - Space Opera
SP - Steampunk
SpecFic - Speculative Fiction
SS - Short Stories
STR - Small Town and Rural
Sup - Supernatural
SupM - Supernatural Mystery
SupTh - Supernatural Thriller
Sus - Suspense
TechTh - Technological Thriller
Th - Thriller
TT - Time Travel
TTR - Time Travel Romance
UF - Urban Fantasy
VM - Visionary and Metaphysical
WS - Women Sleuths

Note: Not all genres and formats are found in the books, etc. listed above.