tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73577617389442095042024-03-21T17:22:30.499-07:00R.J.K. Lee's Figments BlogHi! Here you can find updates on R.J.K. Lee's publications, thoughts on creativity, and updated lists of where to send creative work.R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-45785047070786767802024-02-19T21:33:00.000-08:002024-02-19T21:35:19.066-08:00Book Review: Queen Hazel and Beloved BeverlyQueen Hazel and Beloved Beverly by Mary E LowdPublished by Deep Sky Anchor Press on December 8th, 2023.A cozy portal fantasy with special attention to family bonds and childhood memories and letting go. I could see this being okay for any age group but feels directed at an adult who misses reading piles of middle grade portal fantasy books, who grew up expecting to be transported into some R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-61424572749500225762024-02-19T21:25:00.000-08:002024-02-19T21:36:09.766-08:00Book Review: IdolatryIdolatry by Aditya SudarshanPublished by Flame Tree Press on January 9th, 2024 Idolatry is an SF social commentary novel set in India and following how Shrine Tech influences society to gradually increasing levels of domination. As with my previous review, I'll give the good, neutral, and bad. I did have pretty mixed reactions to the novel, even though it was a good read and R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-82030717042218877322024-01-29T04:48:00.000-08:002024-01-29T04:48:06.496-08:00Book review: a quick, fun fantasy with dragons and queer relationshipsThe Chase Begins: Catastrophe Incoming Volume 1by Aimee DonnellanPublished by Aimee Donnellan on June 24, 2023The good:-Character tensions.-Grounding of the city the whole story is set in.-The select details for major characters that help them stand out.-The protagonist's identity and complicated relationship was greatly appreciated-Fun, fast read; easy to read along with weightier tomes.The not R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-90136657880351595912024-01-10T21:45:00.000-08:002024-01-10T21:45:26.442-08:00My Stories Published in 2023Happy New Year!It's been a very slow start for me. I certainly enjoyed the brief break. Could use more...hah. Regardless, I'm trying to play catch-up now and pick up the pace for whatever awaits me this year.First off, my stories published in 2023. Go give them a read, if you haven't yet, and let me know what you think. Would love any feedback. Really enjoyed what I heard from some readers so farR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-35832799932138325742024-01-10T21:40:00.000-08:002024-01-10T21:40:26.166-08:00Final Statistics Report on Submissions during 2023Hi there. I'd like to share my final statistics for work submitted in 2023. For comparison's sake, the total submissions for 2022 came to 129. This year was a bit more...Total times work was submitted in 2023: 477 (108 flash/drabble, 248 short/novelettes, 3 novella, 102 poem, 10 reprint, 2 pitch, 4 acceptance)Accepted pieces: 4 (2 short stories, 1 poem, 1 reprint)Writers of the Future R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-14999790416960161072023-10-31T18:38:00.007-07:002024-01-29T04:29:03.247-08:00Two great horror books I reviewed in October 2023The Only Safe Place Left is the Darkby Warren WagnerPublished by Ghoulish Books on August 29, 2023Cover Art by Aidan MaynerAdult, gay, intense, zombie apocalypse, gore, 5/5.A fairly short, emotional rollercoaster. The story at novella-length made me crave longer exploration of the content, but it is a solid and complete read that doesn’t leave you hanging, though it might leave you in shredsR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-24973464882349091902023-09-21T18:57:00.006-07:002023-09-21T19:24:09.132-07:00Intense collection of eco-fiction both terrifying and wonderfully inspiringI just read an intense collection of eco-fiction stories and wrote up a review. I gave a 5 out of 5 because it was freaking brilliant.You Are My Sunshine and Other Storiesby Octavia CadePublished by Stelliform Press on September 21, 2023Short story collection, Eco-fiction (both really dark and really positive)Adult (contains lots of death and graphic depictions of violence, including loss of R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-17801068762087088532023-03-05T22:25:00.007-08:002023-09-21T18:31:05.209-07:00Book Review: Nocean by EfaNoceanVol. 1. Atari and Tikaby EfaHello! I just read a fun eco-friendly positive dystopian graphic novel that I wrote up a review on. I gave a 3 out of 5, not a bad read, though not super deep. I'd give it a try if you like the sound of it from my review below:Nocean by EfaPublished by Europe Books on February 22, 2023 by Europe BooksGraphic Novel, Eco-fiction, DystopiaYoung Adult (probably suitsR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-35420601392617565382022-11-03T21:39:00.002-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.636-07:00Revisiting my NaNoWriMo Approaches from 2015Hello my fellow creatives!I'll aim to update the list of deadlines further this weekend. For now, a NaNoWriMo focus. Plus, some related images I've put together with the likes of midjourney, canva, gimp, krita, etc. Enjoy.My Latest Stories Coming SoonAnother reminder, my stories are being published soon! I should have a story out this month in Clamour and Mischief, available for pre-order R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-29544726366528183952022-10-05T15:21:00.031-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.635-07:00October DeadlinesOctober! The month of wonderful wind and spirits and costumes. Plenty of deadlines it looks like. Hope this helps. Also take a look at the bottom of the list for more resources.Quick self-promo: I have two stories coming out in November! One story in Clamour and Mischief available for pre-order now. Includes a bunch of great stories about corvids; my story's another entry into my near R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-63136206915426109042022-09-05T06:47:00.032-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.641-07:00Submission Windows for September 2022 and BeyondHello there. I hope all's well with everyone. Or at least you're managing to breathe. Life feel busy busy and overwhelming to anyone else?Here are the updated lists for September 2022 and beyond.Additions to list 1 include:9/16, Flame Tree (Monthly Flash Fiction Contest) -- Genre: fantasy Theme: Dream Walker9/22-10/15, DreamForge Anvil -- Genre: solarpunk/hopepunk9/15-11/14 (11:59 PM EDT), MightyR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-89673150159975751152022-08-08T18:09:00.004-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.646-07:00Clamour and Mischief Cover Reveal So I'll be trying something newish with this blog. Instead of posting the update of deadlines and all that in every single post, I'll keep it in its own post. For other chatter, I'll make separate posts. Today's chatter regards my forthcoming story in Clamour and Mischief from Clan Destine Press and edited by Narrelle M. Harris. Narrelle has just revealed the cover in full and I am so R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-34990503888365359342022-08-03T10:54:00.079-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.635-07:00Gradually updating list of submission windows for August 2022 and beyond Hi everyone!I'm gradually updating the list of submissions windows for August and beyond. I have too many other matters to deal with at the moment, so expect this to require another 3-5 days to really flesh out with more deadlines, but I've marked down a bunch of deadlines in section 1. Take a look.EDIT 1: addition of a novella window to the sparse section 5EDIT 2: additions to everything, R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-38964242193833403962022-07-25T21:48:00.012-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.636-07:00Blogger Has Taken Down My Posts (Fixed)Hi everyone,Just a quick update. Apparently blogger has taken down several of my posts for no reason whatsoever, including my July post. If I can't get them reinstated here, I'll start looking into migrating my posts to a new site. This is the first time I've experienced this on blogger.com, and hopefully it's not a sign of a system-wide issue.Thanks for understanding.UPDATE 2: all of my blog R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-15327941710034325812022-07-03T10:27:00.030-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.632-07:00My Publication News and Updated Deadlines for July 2022 and BeyondHi everyone,Life's been busy and I haven't kept up on this blog. But I do have some good writing news.I had my story Don't Trust Molters published online at DreamForge Anvil Issue 8 and in their print collection DreamForge Magazine Issue 10. I absolutely loved what the artist did for my story. I also highly recommend checking out the other wonderful fiction within, as well as the articles R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-24217814779673465542022-05-16T21:05:00.005-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.633-07:00Review of Ogres by Adrian TchaikovskyMy review of Ogres by Adrian TchaikovskySpeculative novella (available in ebook and limited edition signed hardcover)5 of 5 (wow wow wow!)I'm already a fan of Adrian Tchaikovsky's writing from some of his SF work, but when it comes to fairy tales I tend to be pretty hesitant, so the opening to this novella had me very leery. But I kept at it, and boy was it worth it. A fantastic read that keeps R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-7397030204855357852022-04-17T21:12:00.034-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.631-07:00Late-April 2022 UpdateHi everyone,I hope you've been doing well and still writing and subbing and all those good things. I've slowed down quite a bit, though I recently noticed my first short story sale (December 2021) was mentioned in the Showcasing Art section of my hometown's Gazette-Times. Motivating to see. Have to get more out there for people to read, right? I'll have two stories published later this year I R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-71407153163155359852022-04-13T20:32:00.006-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.642-07:00Review: Dreams Bigger than Heartbreak Unstoppable, Book 2My review of Dreams Bigger than Heartbreak (Book 2 of Unstoppable) by Charlie Jane AndersYA novel (e-book and audiobook), Science Fiction, Adventure, LGBQTA+5 of 5 (heck yes!)I loved how all the characters interact with each other. Everyone’s dealing with all their hang-ups and everything and it’s not always easy for them to talk with each other, but I love how they always try to manage to work R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-82659463385860863452022-03-15T23:50:00.008-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.644-07:00Note to readers of this blogNote to readers of this blogIf you were looking for an update on the monthly list of places to submit your creative work--major apologies, but I'm afraid life got in the way and I won't be updating that this month. Look out for next month's list though! In the meantime, I will be posting reviews of books I receive from NetGalley and some random books that I just enjoyed on my own. I've been R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-59584947655464894922022-03-15T23:49:00.007-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.640-07:00Review: DC Horror Presents: The Conjuring: The LoverMy review of DC Horror Presents: The Conjuring: The Lover by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, Rex Ogle, and Scott SnyderGraphic Novel, Horror, Movie Tie-in3 of 5 (I liked it but wasn't amazed)Probably the most interesting part were the short stories at the end about various artifacts from the Warrens' collection, and not all of those were great. Still, if you're already a fan of R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-19521858414353821772022-02-11T23:15:00.024-08:002023-06-04T02:25:22.632-07:00Mid-February 2022 Update (with respect to Dave Farland)Here's a mid-February update, with respects paid to the wonderful Dave Farland.I just received the hard copy of my semi-finalist certificate for the Writers of the Future contest. This was for the fourth quarter in 2021, and it was for a very new story subbed to one other anthology before submission. The certificate has a nice gold trim to the background and lettering. My first semi-finalist R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-81911105985254615512022-01-07T23:47:00.008-08:002023-06-04T02:25:22.644-07:00January 2022 Update (brisk and to the point)Happy New Year! Here's some brief blog chatter on a rather brisk January in Japan, then straight on to the deadlines I managed to add here. I hope the year's starting off well for all of you. I've had a relaxing start to it, though a bit too lazy, so it's been a slow climb back towards productive--almost there. I'm going to try and focus on having more fun with the writing this year, which likelyR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-62587725885569328502021-12-29T20:41:00.007-08:002023-06-04T02:25:22.641-07:00Awards Eligibility Post for 2021Awards Eligibility Post for 2021Hi there! Here is my eligible story for anyone reviewing pieces for the Nebula Award for Best Short Story, the Hugo Award for Best Short Story, the Locus Award for Best Short Story, or the World Fantasy Award - Short Fiction. Please consider reading my first-ever eligible publication for the Short Story Category.My short story Stone Shaper Tanukis Estranged (2,160 R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-24870677189257578332021-12-04T19:07:00.010-08:002023-06-04T02:25:22.634-07:00December 2021 Update: welcome and wishing you all successBlog Chatter for December! First off, welcome to any new followers! I know there will be at least a few or more this month, as I know several joined a writer's group I'm in after Fyrecon wrapped up. I hope this blog will help you with your creative endeavors. Fingers crossed and wishing us all much success.What a blast Fyrecon was! I really enjoyed having my first experience on a roundtable, two R.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7357761738944209504.post-57888186555420920982021-11-06T20:52:00.010-07:002023-06-04T02:25:22.640-07:00November Update: my 50k project, my story promo scheduled, and Fyrecon this monthBlog Chatter for November! It's that crazy month when some of us tack on a 50k project on top of our other obligations and deadlines, but I didn't want that to stop the monthly blog, which I generally aim to release between the 3rd to the 9th at the start of each month. I hope the listings below help. Apologies if I missed anything or if any details have changed. I did try to double check most ofR.J.K. Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15746501961809996187noreply@blogger.com0