For the first time in a long time, I went out to meet a friend I’ve only known on the internet and it wasn’t a convention. The Husband and I met Olli at the Space Needle for dinner to start his coastal trip from Seattle to San Francisco to Maui (envy, I have it) and back.

While we were at dinner, he asked me if I remember how we met. I didn’t remember. It’s because of Andy Weir’s (yes, that Andy Weir) Casey & Andy comic. I was a sidekick character as the sorta hapless, weirdness magnet (international jewel thief) neighbor to the comic’s titular characters.

Apparently, Olli remembers me on the Casey & Andy forums, followed me to Facebook, then Twitter. When he reminded me of this, I realized who he was—one of the only people to ever recognize me from the comic that I didn’t already know.

I hadn’t thought of that comic in ages. It’s a fun read. If you haven’t read the comic, you should. It harkens back to an era I lived through. Casey was one of my real life roommates. Also, because of the comic, I’m an official 200 points GURPs character in the Casey & Andy GURPs supplement.

It was an unexpected trip down memory lane.

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If you are Seattle local and have free time this coming Saturday, May 16th, me, Cat Rambo, Raven Oak, and Tina Connolly will be teach a “How Not to Write a Novel” workshop at Redmond Library from 12:30 to 3:30.

Blogging while writing a novel is boring from the outside. My head is filled with the wonderful and horrible things I’ve done, am doing, plan to do to my character. It’s also filled with the myriad of things I need to figure out or research to get the novel done. All I can show for it is “Wrote 1400 words today. Feel good about them.” Or “Got 600 words in today. It was like pulling teeth.”

No matter what I’m doing, half my mind is with my novel. My husband and close friends are used to me tangenting in a question that is related to my novel or breaking off to talk about something that’s just happened in the novel or talking about some research I just did and discovered something new that affects the novel.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t have anything to talk about except… I’m writing NEVER LET ME DIE and I’m feeling pretty good about it now. I guess my advice is to not even try to be interesting.

Here. Have some kitty pictures.

I'm deep in the throes of writing NEVER LET ME DIE, Melissa Allen #3, so I'm not checking Twitter or Facebook right now. However, lots has happened. Here's a Bubble & Squeek for you.

Award: I was nominated for a Hugo Award. This is both exciting and terrifying.

Convention: I've been added to OrcaCon's Special Guest lineup. I'm also on their kickstarter with a custom game of Katanas & Trenchcoats for you and four of your friends.

Interview: I was interviewed by Douglas Hawk for his 7 Questions series. Want to know what my workspace looks like?

Publication Release: DocWagon 19 is out the door! Get it here:  Amazon | BattleShop | DriveThruRPG

Recommendation: Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix is one of the best, messed up horror books I’ve read in a long time. I will never look at a large home store the same ever again.

Recommendation: Science STYLE - Taylor Swift Acapella Parody. I just really liked this video.

Review: Goodreads review of Chimera Incarnate.

Review: Goodreads review of DocWagon 19.

Sale: I sold The Last Days of the Salton Academy to Ragnarok Publications! Yay!

I am an OrcaCon Special Guest for their kickstarter. There's only one of these:

Pledge $350 or more. Limit 1 of 1.
Ready to be a super sweet badass, in the style of Big Trouble in Little China meets Highlander? Game Designer Jennifer Brozek will be running you and 4 friends through Katanas & Trenchcoats RPG, in a custom con-only adventure! Five OrcaCon Standard Memberships included in this reward level.

C'mon... you know you wanna. This is going to be a blast.

I need to take a break from social media so I can get my mind focused on the novel I have due soon. I’m going “internet lite.” No Facebook or Twitter until April 18th. I’m still going to be reading email, IMs, and text messages but only after I’ve made word count for the day. NEVER LET ME DIE has got to be my focus until I’m so far in the throes of it I can’t think of anything else. I’m sure the internet will survive without me. If you must get hold of me, email is your best bet.

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.

Copied from Ragnarok Publications.

Press Release
For Immediate Release

 DANGER LURKS IN THE SAFEST OF PLACES AFTER A NEW OUTBREAK IN DARK SPECULATIVE FICTION

Ragnarok Publications welcomes award-winning Jennifer Brozek to their author list with novella The Last Days of Salton Academy

 March 27, 2015—Crestview Hills, KY—Ragnarok Publications announces dark days ahead for readers with their newest acquisition, The Last Days of Salton Academy.

Penned by Jennifer Brozek, a much celebrated editor, game designer, and author, The Last Days of Salton Academy focuses on grim and mysterious happenings at one of the last safe havens after an outbreak has ravaged the world. It is a tale of high stakes and dire consequences in a world on the brink of collapse.

“This novella began with the image of a zombie dog walking down a school hallway with a heavy chain dragging behind it,” Brozek says. “The sound of the moaning dog and the chain against tile wouldn't leave my head. The more I thought about it, the more the story unfolded.”

Ragnarok Publications is no stranger to the zombie apocalypse, with books on their publication list like the Dead West Omnibus by J.M. Martin, Tim Marquitz, and Kenny Soward, Path of the Dead by Timothy Baker, and the Tuskers series by Duncan McGeary.

What keeps readers coming back for more zombie stories? Brozek has an idea: “Good zombie apocalypse stories are about the people and what happens when the foundations of civilization breakdown.” One only needs to look as far as their television to see this in action. With shows like AMC’s The Walking Dead, fans can see how horrendous happenings can bring out the best and worst in people, and sometimes good people must do bad things in order to survive. Zombie and other apocalypse stories explore sides of society and people that aren’t always apparent or accessible in other types of tales.

Readers can expect The Last Days of Salton Academy to arrive in March 2016, but anyone wanting a taste of Brozek’s work beforehand will have plenty to choose from. Winner of the Australian Shadows Award for best edited publications, Brozek has edited fifteen anthologies to date with multiple publishers. She has written more than sixty short stories and is also a freelance author for numerous RPG companies, having contributed to RPG sourcebooks including Dragonlance, Shadowrun, and Serenity. Her work has earned both the Origins and the ENnie awards.

“I couldn't be happier to be signed by Ragnarok Publications,” says Brozek, concerning her new publisher. “They have a well deserved reputation for excellent genre fiction, quality products, and a knowledgeable staff. They have their act together and I appreciate being part of that.”

Here is my Norwescon 2015 schedule. If I am not in one of these places, I'm probably at my booth in Authors Avenue just outside the Dealers Room. Come say hello. I'm happy to chat as time and customers permit. Don't forget to ask for my Convention Story Card.

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Outlines
Thu 8:00pm-9:00pm - Evergreen 3&4
Jennifer Brozek (M), G. David Nordley, Dean Wells, Kevin Radthorne, Jude-Marie Green, Suzanne Brahm, Anne Groell

Horror Cage Match: Short Story vs. Novel
Thu 9:00pm-10:00pm - Cascade 9
Morgue Anne (M), Kate Jonez, Nathan Crowder, Jennifer Brozek

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Worldbuilding 101
Fri 12:00pm-1:00pm - Evergreen 1&2
Brenda Carre (M), Pat MacEwen, Simon R Green, Grant Riddell, Django Wexler, Jennifer Brozek

Writing About the Military
Fri 4:00pm-5:00pm - Cascade 7&8
Russell Ervin (M), Bart Kemper, S. A. Bolich, Jennifer Brozek, Joseph Malik, Elliott Kay

Are Optimistic SF Stories Gone Forever?
Fri 5:00pm-6:00pm - Cascade 10
Alex C. Renwick (M), Brenda Cooper, Nancy Kress, Jennifer Brozek, Mir Plemmons

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SFWA Meeting
Sat 10:00am-11:00am

Your Anti-Procrastination First Aid Kit
Sat 1:00pm-2:00pm - Evergreen 1&2
Nina Post (M), Jennifer Brozek, Stephanie Herman, Kevin Scott, Harold Gross, Gregory A. Wilson

Autograph Session 1
Sat 2:00pm-3:00pm - Grand 2
Dennis R. Upkins, Cat Rambo, Kate Jonez, Patrick Swenson, Brenda Cooper, Carol Berg, Cymbric Early-Smith, Bijhan Valibeigi, Dean Wells, G. David Nordley, Jennifer Brozek, John Cramer, Jude-Marie Green, Keffy R. M. Kehrli, Kurt Cagle, Lee Moyer, Nancy Kress, Rob Carlos, Simon R Green, Stephen L. Gillett, Wolfgang Baur, Morgue Anne, Jack Skillingstead

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Worth the Dues?
Sun 11:00am-12:00pm - Cascade 7&8
Cat Rambo (M), Annie Bellet, Pat MacEwen, Peter Dennis Pautz, Jennifer Brozek

The Life of a Lifesaver

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?

Full of memorable characters and rich Sixth World flavor, DocWagon 19 is a thrilling ride with the people struggling to save lives in a sprawl with a million ways to make people dead. Strap in, hold on, crank up the siren, and get ready for a crazy ride-along through the full chaos of the Shadowrun setting.

You can buy it here: Amazon | BattleShop | DriveThruRPG

Article: Black Gate Magazine calls JAZZ AGE CTHULHU a new treasure. It's got my novelette, "Dreams of a Thousand Young", in it.

Cover Art: Catalyst Games Lab revealed the cover art to my Shadowrun novella, DOC WAGON 19. It's wonderful.

Release: Rogue Games has released COLONIAL GOTHIC: ROANOKE ISLAND. My take on what happened to the colony in the Colonial Gothic RPG world.

Release: CHIMERA INCARNATE has been released to the world. Cover art by Amber Clark.

Chimera Incarnate
Karen Wilson Chronicles #4
This is the final book in the series.
More Information.  Buy Now.
Amazon | B&N | DriveThruFiction