Wings Unseen

Pondering the Orb features Wings Unseen!

I am delighted that the Wings Rising series appears on the current episode of Pondering the Orb, a vidcast from fantasy author Jay Requard. In the episode, Jay reads the first chapter of Wings Unseen, Book 1 in the duology. This is where we first meet Vesperi Sellywn and the story gets going with a bang–or more fittingly, a poof.

Watch it here:

The episode also features a conversation between Jay and Sam Montgomery-Blinn, who’s actually the reason that Jay and I met in the first place! Sam invited us both to read for an NC Speculative Fiction Night in 2013, which was also celebrating the launch of Bull Spec #5, which Sam edited and in which my “Bother,” my first SFF pro sale, appeared. I actually still have video of my reading that night!

Unfortunately, I think Jay stays just out of the frame, but Sam introduces me at the pedestal. That one night was the first time I met so many great authors local to the RTP area, some who’d become critique partners, some Game of Thrones TV night buddies, and others support in all the ways that we authors need each other to continue in this career.

Thanks, Jay, for sharing Wings Unseen on Pondering the Orb and for reminding me of those wonderful memories. Sure, some writers are known for their drama, but in my experience? Writers are just plain awesome and supportive people. You should get to know a few. 😉

Wings Unfurled Flies in 2022!

I am so delighted to announce that Wings Unfurled, the sequel to my epic fantasy novel Wings Unseen, will be coming out in 2022! Meerkat Press will publish the sequel, just as they did Wings Unseen. Here’s their official announcement of the upcoming publication.

Some of you may remember that I wrote Wings Unseen as a standalone novel. Or rather, I first dreamed of it as a trilogy in the early 2000s, but by the time I seriously started writing it, in 2009, the going advice was that a first-time novelist couldn’t get a multi-book deal. So I shifted gears, focusing on writing the full story in one book instead. That made for a much tighter narrative, but by the time I began shopping the manuscript around, the collective wisdom in speculative fiction was back to recommending series of books as the best bet for a writer, first-time or established!

Luckily, Meerkat Press took the risk on Wings Unseen as a standalone book, and I’ve always been happy that I could tell people that the story is complete in and of itself.

wings unseen rebecca gomez farrell meerkat press cover fantasy

Such a shiny, pretty debut novel!

But after its release, my publisher, Tricia Meeks, the driving force behind Meerkat, mentioned that she’d be interested in a second book. So of course the wheels of a new story for Janto, Vesperi, and Serra began turning!

My wheels don’t turn very fast. Wings Unseen was published in 2017, and I didn’t begin writing Wings Unfurled in earnest until October 2019. Yet somehow, I managed to send off the manuscript’s third draft for consideration by Meerkat in March 2020, and they purchased it! That’s the fastest I have ever written a book, for sure – faster than I’ve written most short stories, to be honest. I’m definitely someone who puts manuscripts aside for a while, letting time do the solving of plot puzzles before coming back with fresh eyes.

So what’s Wings Unfurled about? Well, I’m not going to spoil it, but it begins about six years after Janto, Vesperi, and Serra have rid Lansera and its formerly Meduan lands of the invisible plague of claren and the thrall of the Guj. I won’t tell you more than that for now – except to tease that there’s a fourth, and briefly a fifth, new point-of-view character in the book. Not a pigeon this time! But rest assured, there are plenty of feathers left to lash in Lansera.

I’ll be dropping hints about Wings Unfurled along the way to its publication, leaving you a tasty trail to follow until then. Maybe I’ll even share a recipe for the lemon cakes that Janto, and another family member, so loves! Waits are always easier to endure when there’s a snack.

grandview bakery, pittsburgh bakeries, cupcakes, lemon cake, almond cupcake, los angeles

That image is of Pittsburgh’s Grandview Bakery’s almond cupcakes – NOT Mar Pina’s lemon cakes in Lansera, but not far off from what I imagine…

Come to the Alameda Author Series on 2/25!

I would love to have you join me in Alameda for this author event. As I’m the only author on the agenda, I am a bit nervous about having a turnout…this is why I usually invite more authors to read with me. 😉  RSVP through Eventbrite right here, and yes, it’s free. I will have copies of Wings Unseen available for sale.

aauw, alameda author series, rebecca gomez farrell, wings unseen, east bay literary event

Host Kevis Brownson and I will have a conversation about my writing and the organizations I’m involved with, then I’ll do a reading, then there will be audience Q&A, and then a signing and reception to wrap up the evening. 6 pm is early! So don’t worry about sliding in a bit late.

Here’s the series description: For the third year, the AAUW Alameda presents a spring series of talks featuring authors who live and write in Alameda and nearby, now co-sponsored by the Friends of the Alameda Free Library. Our February author Rebecca Gomez Farrell will discuss her novel Wings Unseen and her current writing projects.

Hope to see you there!

Catch me at the first ever Terra Incognita Reading on Thursday!

Join me on Thursday, 1/25/18 at 7 pm at the Octopus Literary Salon for a brand-new Bay Area reading series: Terra Incognita! terra incognita reading seriesSponsored by the Escapery, a Bay Area organization offering adventures for artists and writers of all levels, Terra Incognita is a genre fiction-based reading series that showcases Bay Area authors. Each month, a different genre or hybrid genre will be represented, ideally including a range of authors of varying skills and publication history. And the first month’s theme is Speculative Fiction!

That, of course, is fortunate for me, being a speculative fiction writer. I’ve met Terra Incognita’s host, Haldane King, a few times, and I’m thrilled to be a part of his new reading series, especially as genre fiction is underrepresented on the literary scene at large. Though I must say, I’ve always been warmly welcomed when reading horror, fantasy, or science fiction anywhere I’ve gone in the East Bay and San Francisco. Thus, I’m mostly excited we’ll have one more outlet of creative genre expression for us all.

Nick Mamatas, J Curtis, Jackie Haudek, Samuel Walsh, and myself will be the inaugural Terra Incognita readers. Enticements include a free drawing for Nomadic Press poetry chapbooks, and the great refreshments at the Octopus. Donations are welcome, and I’ll have copies of Wings Unseen for sale.

If you’d like, sign up at the Facebook event. Or just show up! I hope to see you there.

octopus literary salon, book launch, wings unseen, rebecca gomez farrell

Last time I read at the Octopus Literary Salon.

Order Your Autographed Gifts of Wings Unseen by 12/16!

We’re only 20 days out from Christmas, and thus the time for gift giving is upon us! For $15, you can send a signed, personalized copy of my epic fantasy, Wings Unseen, to anyone you love – heck, it’s cool if you send it to someone you only kind of like, too. 😉

wings unseen, book, epic fantasy

My friends, Paul and Ann, whom I kind of like, I guess, getting their signed copies at my book launch.

$15 includes the book, and my signature and a personal message, filled out from your instructions on whom I should address that message too. It also includes shipping costs! What is Wings Unseen? Here’s my full page on it.

This price is only available until 12/16. After that, I won’t be able to ship via media mail in time for Christmas. But I am happy to use a more expensive shipping option to get it to your loved one for opening under the tree!

wings unseen, loki, cats

Loki guaranteed for good cuddling.

How to order? You can contact me via direct message on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram or just email me at becca@thegourmez.com. We’ll discuss payment and shipping methods – either Paypal, Square, or Venmo will work, and I am amenable to other shipping options, but the price will reflect those other options.

Or you can just order Wings Unseen off Amazon! It’s only $12 currently, which is a deal! But that doesn’t include author signature…

Happy holidays, dear readers, friends, and family!

I’m Literally Reading 10/24 at Flywheel Press’s Literally Series!

Woosh! That was my schedule zooming by too fast for me to keep up with it. Thus, I haven’t had time to give my next reading much promotion, but there’s still time! Barely.

literally, flywheel press, san mateo

Tomorrow night, Tuesday 10/24, I’ll be reading at the Literally series at the Shop at Flywheel Press in San Mateo at 7:00 pm along with author Peter Carroll. Flywheel Press is an art and design center in San Mateo that has fostered a unique creative space in many different forms: as a letterpress studio, a co-working space for artists, a First Fridays destination, an art gallery, and a provider of classes for kids and adults.

If you’d like to share your own work, there will be an open mic afterward, too! And of course, I’ll have Wings Unseen available for purchase, should you like a signed copy. 😉

I hope you’ll join me!

Join me Friday, 10/20, for the Speculative Fiction Cantina Livestream and an At the Inkwell Reading!

I’m going to be busy this Friday promoting my fiction, through two different mediums! You, of course, are invited to join in.

First, S. Evan Townsend will interview me at 3 pm PST for the Speculative Fiction Cantina Livestream and Podcast show.

speculative fiction cantina

This show takes place weekly and includes a reading, so I’ll be sharing a selection from Wings Unseen. It’ll be a chance for my “radio voice” to come out, which people have told me I have for most of my life. I’ll be appearing along with author Brian James, and based on past shows, it should be a fun, casual time of speculative fiction appreciation. You can tune in here on Friday at 3 pm PST: LINKY LINK

Second, I’ll be reading for the At the Inkwell Flash Fiction Night, which takes place at Alley Cat Books in San Francisco at 7 pm.

at the inkwell

This is the second time I’ll have read with At the Inkwell, which is a national organization dedicated to helping writers get more exposure through reviews and reading series. The Alley Cat Books space is one of the best I’ve been to for literary readings, and I’m excited for flash fiction to be the chosen topic – it’ll give me a break from reading book excerpts! I’ll likely be sharing “What Scattered in the Wind,” which is published in Little Letters on the Skin, and some Halloween-themed micro-fiction I’ve been working on. If there’s time, perhaps “Hobgoblin” will also make an appearance at the mic. More info on the event is here: LINKY LINK.

I would love to see you at Alley Cat Books or know you’ve tuned in to the Speculative Fiction Cantina this Friday!

The NC Leg of the Wings Unseen Book Tour is Taking Flight!

Today, I’ll be travelling from Los Angeles to the Research Triangle Park area of North Carolina for the final leg of my Wings Unseen book tour. Hooray! Here I am getting a little relaxation and cold recovery in at my sister’s before taking off:

I lived in Durham, NC, for eight years, and it’s where my writing career got its start. So I am glad to be able to share such a wonderful career milestone with my NC community of friends and fellow writers. And there is plenty of opportunity to join us and to check out some of the great voices living in this great area of the South.

NC Speculative Fiction Night
Tuesday, 9/19, 7 pm
The Regulator, Durham

james maxey mur lafferty rebecca gomez farrell the regulator

Join me (and Vesperi!) and local NC authors Mur Lafferty (John W. Campbell award winner, author of the Shambling Guides 1&2) and James Maxey (author of the Dragon Apocalypse novels and much more!) in reading from our works. From dragons to invisible flesh-eaters to murder mysteries in space, our trio offers a little bit of everything sci-fi and fantasy. More details: Facebook or the Regulator website.

Becca Gomez Farrell and Friends
Wednesday, 9/20, 7 pm
Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill

natania barron, margaret s mcgraw, rebecca gomez farrell, flyleaf books

At this event, I’ll be reading from Serra’s point-of-view, and fellow authors Margaret S. McGraw and Natania Barron will be sharing stories from their own Weird West and early 1900s paranormal tales of adventure. More details: Facebook event or the Flyleaf Books website.

An Afternoon of YA Fantasy
Saturday, 9/23, 2 pm
Barnes & Noble, Cary

tony daniel, rebecca gomez farrell, barnes & noble

Join  myself (and a reading from Janto’s POV) and Tony Daniel, author of the Wulf’s Saga series from Baen Books for an afternoon of YA fantasy storytelling and book signing. This event is part of the B-Fest celebration of Teen Books at Barnes & Noble nationwide! More details: Facebook event or Cary Barnes & Noble website.

I hope to see you at any one of these events next week, Triangulars! I’m looking forward to celebrating Wings Unseen’s release with the East Coast and all the wonderful folks and friends I met while living there. There will be more events coming up in October for me in the Bay Area – including a workshop and panel discussion at ConVolution! – and I’ll be sharing information on all of those opportunities to meet up soon.

Reading at Shades & Shadows in Los Angeles 9/16!

This coming Saturday evening, I am thrilled (or is it chilled?) to participate in Shades & Shadows, Los Angeles’s only dark fiction reading series:

shades and shadows reading rebecca gomez farrell

Details:

8:30 pm, doors open at 8
$10 entry fee. Tickets here.
THERE WILL BE CAKE
At the Mystic Museum
3204 Magnolia Blvd
Burbank, CA

Click here if you’d like to RSVP at the Facebook event!

Dark fiction, you ask? But isn’t your fantasy novel YA? Well, as many of the reviews can tell you, Wings Unseen is quite a bit darker than some readers expect for YA! I did pitch it as having elements of horror, for both the creatures contained within it and the horrific power struggle in Medua. Believe me, there is plenty of darkness to draw from in the worlds of Lansera and Medua. Now will I go dark horror, dark magic, or darkened halls for my selection? You’ll have to come to find out! This is my one and only SoCal stop on my book tour, so I do hope you’ll make it. If not, stay tuned for the podcast release of the evening’s festivities….which may take a while — the Shades & Shadows crew is about a year behind in podcast production. So you’re best bet is to show up! I hope to see you there.

Bay Area Readings 9/2 and 9/10!

I have two more Bay Area readings coming up in the next two weeks! Which means two more opportunities for locals to come hear a little more about Wings Unseen and get me to sign your book – it’s a harmless experience, I promise!
rebecca gomez farrell wings unseen signing

A Reading of the East Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Meetup Group

Where: Mad Monk’s Center for Anachronistic Media, Berkeley

When: 9/2 at 1 pm

What: The East Bay Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Meetup Group has been going strong since 2011! This critique group for speculative fiction writers of all adult ages and career stages has provided input for a great number of talented writers over the years. A great collection of talent has come through this group, and we thought it’d be nice to spotlight a few of them finding success as featured readers while also giving current members the chance to read their works in a supportive setting for perhaps the first time in the form of an open mic. We will have three featured readers: Rebecca Gomez Farrell, Andrew Roberts, and Tantra Bensko. Afterward, the reading will transition to an open mic for authors of speculative fiction to share excerpts of their works of up to 600 words, or 5 minutes of reading time.

More Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1384209081676428

SF in SF

Where: American Bookbinders Museum, San Francisco

When: 9/10 at 6:30 pm

What: Join SF in SF as they present authors DARYL GREGORY and REBECCA GOMEZ FARRELL! Each author will read a selection from their work, followed by audience Q & A moderated by Terry Bisson. Booksigning and schmoozing follows – both authors’ books will be available for sale, courtesy of Borderlands Books (feel free to bring books from home as well!). Doors and cash donation bar open at 6PM – and, it’s DEBUT NOVEL DRINK NIGHT! Help us raise even more money for the Bookbinders Museum by imbibing a little bit 🙂 $10 at door – no one turned away for lack of funds
All proceeds benefit the American Bookbinders Museum.

More Information: https://www.facebook.com/events/117232002272576

I hope to see you at either, or both, events! More info coming on LA and NC stops soon….