2022 marks the year that Hexael Rivera accomplished his dream of becoming a published author. The full-time educator and student, who idolizes J. R. R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), has loved storytelling and world-building since his youth. This past summer he released The Intricate Code, the first book in his steampunk fantasy series Mysteries of Sirlionheart (illustrated by Phrygian Bayona). His literature is targeted towards readers … Read the rest
Journalist and Tune in Tomorrow (August 18, 2022, Solaris Books/Simon & Schuster) novelist Randee Dawn is a writer and storyteller through and through. As a youth, she wrote stories about her stuffed animals, and on the rare occasion she skipped school, it was to visit the library. Teachers assumed she was writing notes when she was writing fiction. Her love for literacy carried into fanfiction—Law & Order fanfiction (she … Read the rest
When Absolution creator Rachelle Storm writes the supernatural series, is she exclusively writing for longtime fans of the genre or also hoping to attract new fans? The novelist, who released the second book Revelations earlier this month, reveals it has been tricky to even categorize it due to the books’ various elements. At times, the four-part story leans into fantasy and romance and at times it does not.
“It’s this … Read the rest
How can a writer be unique on the page when emulating another writer? Multi-hyphenate and doctor, Omar Mora, explains how this is possible. He uses his new book Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru (Moras Productions; illustrated by Miguel Guzman and Edwin Estrada), which launched at this past 2022 Comic Con, as an example. “Ancient Explorers is inspired by stories like Indiana Jones, The Goonies… Read the rest
Just because one has a Ph.d and multiple master degrees in writing and/or literature, a long history of writing leisurely, and teaches writing, does not mean the craft comes easy. Author of the Absolution series, Rachelle Storm, checks all these boxes. “A lot of people assume that that must mean I’m really comfortable writing and that I’m comfortable sharing my writing,” she tells So Booking Cool. “That’s just not … Read the rest
As many of us know, the world has been mourning the loss of the late great Kobe Bryant. Award-winning novelist, writer, and former world-ranked squash player Ivy Claire Pochoda who collaborated with Bryant on their number one New York Times bestselling series Epoca shares her perspective on his passing while working on Book 2, The River of Sand (Granity Studios, December 15, 2020). “It’s been really hard, I mean, … Read the rest
How does one know when a draft is written to its full potential? Writer, creator, and author of the science fiction and fantasy anthology Chimera Revolution: The Nue-Gaea Chronicles (June 19, 2020) Marcus E.T. shares his thoughts on the topic. “I think, for me, since I’m writing a lot of short stories, it easily just comes down to what seems to be the most satisfying conclusion that kind of leads … Read the rest
Voice is a common thread in So Booking Cool’s conversation with bestselling, critically acclaimed children’s book author, Lisa Moore Ramée. There’s the beloved ‘Shay’, Ramée’s debut protagonist from A Good Kind of Trouble (which has garnered renewed interest and now an Indie bestseller in paperback), whose voice has been praised and prompted whether it is important for Ramée to create resonant voices within her characters; there’s Ramée sharing the time … Read the rest
14-year-old Vanessa Chen, author of A Butterfly Universe (Star Moonstone Books/Story Monsters LLC, 2020), doesn’t know if she has written enough to have established her own writing style, however, she does know the techniques she appreciates in other writers. “I really admire whenever an author sort of goes on [the] entire scene,” Chen tells So Booking Cool. “They’re very descriptive about it, but not extremely ‘blah, blah, blah’ … Read the rest
For some of us, books are more than words on a page; they do more than tell stories. When emerging author and entrepreneur, Crown Shepherd, aka Crown the Writer, found black authors, her writing soared. Her love for reading and writing, which had gone dormant for about ten years, was resurrected thanks to Octavia Butler and Jesmyn Ward, who is among the black authors of Shepherd’s book club … Read the rest
