Happy Release Day for Sarena Ulibarri’s Another Life

Today is release day for Sarena Ulibarri’s debut novella Another Life, available now from Stelliform Press and other booksellers.

I had the honor of betareading the book and blurbing it, so I hope you’ll check it out if you’re interested in solarpunk, positive futures, and a world where people work together to solve tough issues. Plus reincarnation!

About the book:

Finding out who you were in a previous life sounds like fun until you’re forced to grapple with the darkness of the past. Galacia Aguirre is Mediator of Otra Vida, a quasi-utopian city on the shores of a human-made lake in Death Valley. She resolves conflicts within their sustainable money-free society, and keeps the outside world from meddling in their affairs. When a scientific method of uncovering past lives emerges, Galacia learns she’s the reincarnation of Thomas Ramsey, leader of the Planet B movement, who eschewed fixing climate change in favor of colonizing another planet. Learning her reincarnation result shakes the foundations of Galacia’s identity and her position as Mediator, threatening to undermine the good she’s done in this lifetime. Fearing a backlash, she keeps the results secret while dealing with her political rival for Mediator, and outsiders who blame Otra Vida for bombings that Galacia is sure they had nothing to do with. But under the unforgiving sun of Death Valley, secrets have a way of coming to light.

Sarena and I have been colleagues and crit buddies here in New Mexico for a long time. She is an accomplished writer and editor, and you may recall our joint event for Creative Santa Fe a few years back. I’m so happy for her and hope you’ll find as much enjoyment in her words as I have!

Sarena Ulibarri and Lauren C. Teffeau at Creative Santa Fe’s Cli-fi: Altered Futures event in 2019. Photography courtesy of Luis Castillo Photography

2023 Jack Williamson Lectureship

This weekend was the annual Jack Williamson Lectureship at Eastern New Mexico University. I hadn’t been able to go the last couple of years because of the pandemic, but I returned this year and had a wonderful time.

The Guest of Honor was Arkady Martine, who gave a fantastic and thoughtful speech touching on questions raised in her Hugo-award winning Texicalaan series. That was followed by a number of interesting panels with repeat Lectureship guests like Connie Willis and Walter Jon Williams and as well as other New Mexican writers (like me), many of whom attend year after year. The University always makes us feel so welcome in celebrating Jack’s legacy, making it one of the highlights of the year.

You can watch my panels on YouTube including:

Climates of Empire with Arkady Martine, Lauren Teffeau, Rebecca Roanhorse, & Sarena Ulibarri

and

New Genres and Trends in Fiction with Lauren Teffeau, Sarena Ulibarri, S. E. Burr, & Vivian Shaw

Another highlight was Connie Willis’s writing workshop on Saturday, who is always a joy to listen to. Each time I hear some new nugget of wisdom that kicks off a rush of new connections.

Be sure to check out the entire schedule, which includes links to all the recorded events and panels. And if you ever find yourself in Portales, NM, keep the lectureship on your radar.

Cyberpunk/Solarpunk Anthology Kickstarter Now Live

A while back, I announced that my short story “Root Cause” was selected to appear in Android Press’s Fighting for the Future: Cyberpunk and Solarpunk Tales, edited by Phoebe Wagner.

Today, Android Press launched a Kickstarter campaign that will allow to you pre-order the anthology and other add-on perks to celebrate the book release. There are first-day backer rewards and a number of other options and surprises along the way, so you might want to keep an eye on the campaign. I know I will.

Check out the fully loaded table of contents, including some amazing contributors (like moi!):

The book doesn’t actually come out until later this summer, but if you can’t wait, you can always check out my novel Implanted. “Root Cause” is set in the same story world. The Implanted audiobook is 50% off through April 7th, so act fast.

The cover for the audio version of Implanted

Odds and Ends: Winter 2023 Edition

There’s been a bunch of small but significant things happening in my little writing world these past few months.

For starters, Chromophobia: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women in Horror made the 2022 Bram Stoker Award preliminary ballot! The anthology, featuring my story “Gray Rock Method” was spearheaded by editor Sara Tantlinger and published by Rooster Republic Press last summer. Ebooks are now available in addition to print paperback copies in case you haven’t had a chance to check out all the fuss. Fingers crossed it makes it to the next round of consideration! Actually, it made the final ballot too! Ahh, how exciting!!


Next, results for the 2022 Critters Annual Readers Poll were released a few weeks ago, and I was thrilled that two of the anthologies I had stories in were shortlisted in the Best Anthology category.

Strange Religion: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality, Belief, and Practice took the top spot! Edited by Andy Dibble and published by tDotSpec, it features my story “The Life that Comes After.”

Third Flatiron’s After the Goldrush anthology, edited by Juliana Rew and featuring my story “The Front of the Pack” was also in the top 10!

Be sure to check both anthologies out if you haven’t already!


In other anthology news, the amazing cover dropped the other day for Android Press’s Fighting for the Future: Cyberpunk and Solarpunk Tales, edited by Phoebe Wagner and featuring my story “Root Cause” which just so happens to be set in the storyworld of my debut novel Implanted. Behold:

There are some great contributors so be sure to check out the full table of contents. AND be sure to sign up to stay informed about the upcoming Kickstarter.


Preorders are now being taken for the Solar Flare anthology, edited by Patricia Bray & Joshua Palmatier and to be published by Zombies Need Brains after their successful Kickstarter to commemorate 10 years of ZNB anthologies. I’ve just turned in edits for my story “Trial by Fire” that will be included and am looking forward to seeing the rest of the collection come together!

Cover art for Solar Flare

Finally, I want to congratulate friend and colleague Sara A. Mueller for being shortlisted for the 2023 Compton Crook award for best first SF/F/H novel. I went to Taos Toolbox back in the day with Sara and beta read her fantastic novel The Bone Orchard. It’s so wonderful to see her work nominated for the same award my debut novel was. Fingers crossed for her and the other finalists this year.

That’s it for me. Stay tuned!

Where You Can Find Me @ COSine 2023

For the first time ever, I’ll be attending COSine 2023, Colorado Spring’s science fiction convention, on January 20-22. I’m looking forward to getting to know this regional con better and the First Friday Fandom that hosts the event.

The Guest of Honor is the Martha Wells (!) plus Science Guests of Honor Drs. Louise & James Gunderson (experts in robotics & artificial intelligence, Artist Guest of Honor Kyle Crutcher, and Special Guests Connie and Courtney Willis.

If you are in the area, you can find me on the following panels:

  • Friday 4pm: Best and Worst MacGuffins
  • Saturday 1pm: Trust Issues (on-line)
  • Saturday 2pm: Adding Romance to Your SF&F (M)
  • Saturday 5pm: Author Reception & Mass Autographing

Hope to see you there masked and vaxxed!