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Life As Me

typewriter

Happy 16th to Me

Today marks the 16th anniversary of my very first book release. If you’re doing the math, that’s about a decade before AI became a thing, right as eBooks and self-publishing started to have a moment, and couple of years before individual author sales started trending down while the book market as a whole boomed. I thought I’d take a moment to reflect on all that I learned throughout my journey, because it’s been a hell of a ride so far.   When I was your age… Back in 2010 and earlier, the Internet was a very different place. It was actually useful and had a lot of good, reliable information that still showed up at the top of search results.… Read More »Happy 16th to Me

typing hands

Don’t Assume Malice: Giving a Bit of Grace

Let’s talk about books and copyrights for a second. I recently came across a reel where a fellow author calls out a very specific section of licensing notes in a printed edition of an Indie book, and I have thoughts.  Before I get into that, though, I want to make clear that this is in no way intended to criticize this particular content creator, or what they said, which is why I’m not sharing the reel, or naming the creator. They were partly correct, and I’m not disputing that. But the first thing I thought when I saw it was, “What was the purpose behind sharing this information?” And maybe this is my own experience as an Indie coloring my… Read More »Don’t Assume Malice: Giving a Bit of Grace

puppet on strings

The Puppet Theater: Act III

I feel like this blog has become a political statement in the last few months. I know my opinions aren’t why people come here. But, like so many others out there, I find that I can’t shut up about it. History will look back on this time period as the second Dark Age of the human race. When empires fall, kids end up learning about it in school. This time, the empire is globalized. The whole world is falling. I’m not writing out my opinions to make a statement. I’m doing it to process the fuck-ton of toxic, soul-devouring shit I see happening all around the world every goddamn day. Maybe if we all started talking about our feelings more… Read More »The Puppet Theater: Act III

The Beauty of Knowing Your Mind

This is going to be a deeply personal post so, if you’d rather not know, now is your chance to click away.  Hi, I’m Alianne, and I’m neurodivergent. I’m what they like to call “high-functioning.” Which is another way to say, “We can get what we need out of you with minimal fuss.” It is what it is. As someone who’s only recently  gotten this confirmed (without an official diagnosis on the books – see reasons below), I’m not bitter about it. I’m just looking back at my life so far and connecting dots that, in hind sight, should have been really freaking obvious.  A lot of things about me and my life make a lot more sense now, and… Read More »The Beauty of Knowing Your Mind

I Just Never Had The Time

Tell me if you heard this one: At a casual get-together, a group of strangers share something personal about themselves. One person says, “I’m a writer,” and immediately, someone in the group responds with, “Oh, that’s so cool! I always wanted to do that, but I just never have the time.” I can pretty much guarantee that every writer has had this interaction multiple times in their life. I am also about 95% sure that writers are the only type of creatives who experience this. No one looks at a professional ballet dancer, singer, or artist and says, “I always wanted to do that, just never have the time.” No, they might say something like, “I always wanted to learn… Read More »I Just Never Had The Time

When It’s Almost Too Late:  On The Rise of Global Censorship

I know this is not the type of content you come here to find. I wish more than anything that the world was different, and that I didn’t have to keep posting this type of content. But it’s not. And I’d rather speak up while I can than preemptively shut up and take it lying down.  Already, I’m seeing dangerous developments across the platforms where I have accounts. The signs are there that we have entered an era where our access to information and each other will start to shrink and warp, and I need everyone to take note, prepare themselves, and get ready to act, because the time for sitting on our hands and pretending it’ll all eventually get… Read More »When It’s Almost Too Late:  On The Rise of Global Censorship

The One You Feed Always Wins

I’d like to start this by saying I sympathize. I really do. To an extent. What I have to say may ruffle some feathers. It may come across as harsh. It may make you angry. I’m okay with that—I can take it. I just hope that at some point you can find it in yourself to direct that anger where it belongs. Because, in the end, I’m just the messenger. I think by now we’ve all seen enough posts about the current state of our oligarchy, and the many calls for boycotts and economic blackouts to make it clear that the US population is finally waking up to a reality they don’t like, and they’re ready to do something about… Read More »The One You Feed Always Wins

Seemed Relevant…

I have this book called Wolfen. It was released in 2014, and ever since, readers have been asking me to write a sequel. I guess it’s one of those stories that resonates. I get that. And I have been wracking my brain about it for over a decade now. It’s not about writing more. It’s about writing more in a way that won’t cheapen or undermine the original story. There is a book 2 in my head. It’s dark, heavy, traumatizing in some parts. It’s the first story I ever started writing for which I knew right away I would need a very clear trigger warning in the intro. The story is half-written already. And it’s been stuck in that… Read More »Seemed Relevant…

Romance And Why Everyone Should Read It: An Essay

Brief (TL;DR):
Romance gets more hate and ridicule than any other genre of books, yet continues to outperform all genres. Maybe there’s a reason for it. In this essay, I will discuss why romance books are not just valid but essential for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation, but especially for cis-het men and women.

What Is Love

I have this thing I like to say any time the topic comes up: “I like my men like I like my books—fictional.” Because, really, what avid reader out there hasn’t at one time or another fallen in love with a fictional character? If you’re one of the Lucky People whose minds are able to translate words printed on the page into vivid images and scenes in your mind’s eye, it’s almost a foregone conclusion. And if you’re a writer on top of that, well… infer from that what you will. LOL The joke is meant to be funny, but it speaks to something much deeper: the love I have for books and writing. And I know I’ve talked about… Read More »What Is Love