It recently dawned on me, by the light of the moon, that we need an opportunity to properly introduce ourselves. As a result of my musings the Lunar Lounge is now open! Swing on by, say “hello”, tell us something about yourself, how you found the Lunar Awards or any number of fascinating tidbits you think would be of interest to a group of fantasy and science fiction afficionados.
I'm Brian, and I'm a software architect by trade, living in Southeast Michigan with my wife and two kids. While I'm the founder of the Lunar Awards, which keeps me busy enough, I'm also in love with the short story. I write fantasy and science fiction on Future Thief, my Substack, and I'm failing miserably at writing something longer, like a novella or novel. Although I did publish a short story collection this year, and that was a major accomplishment.
An interesting tidbit is that my degree is actually in journalism, and during the dotcom boom I realized had a knack for reverse engineering and ended up teaching myself to code. I'm one of the remaining few who survived the dotcom bust and who does not have a degree in computer science.
Hi! I'm Suzanna. I write Catholic fantasy and am getting ready to start publishing my Substack in October. I am a stay at home wife, living in South Carolina, and I heard about the Lunar Awards though one of the Substacks I subscribe to. I think S.E. Reid or Gibberish.
I'm Michael, I live in southern Indiana across the river from Louisville, Kentucky; I work as a staff attorney checking conflicts for a local law firm. If I recall correctly I found the Lunar Awards through a mention on Substack Notes; it might have been Fictionistas, though. I write short stories and serials about angels, superheroes, and occasionally sci-fi, most often with a comic bent.
One interesting tidbit is that I have visited the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk in Riverside, Iowa, and as a souvenir I have a small vial of actual dirt from said birthplace. (I'm very proud).
I'm Meaghan. I mostly write fantasy for young readers (mg and ya). I'm currently publishing my horror comedg Zombie Shark Highway serially on substack. I also draw...a lot. I've been following the Lubar Awards for a while now, I think i first learned about it through fictionistas!
Hello! I'm Reina. I'm a middle school social studies teacher and write dark speculative fiction.
I'm actually a new mom. I've been adjusting to my new normal and finding how I can fit writing into my routine. My little girl often distracts me with her cuteness!
I found lunar awards through the amazing fiction community here on substack. I'm happy to officially meet everyone 😁
Hello Fellow Writers! I'm Amy Letter, the Florida writer and artist who lives in Iowa now. I teach creative writing at Drake University, which includes teaching AI in Fiction and a Writing in a Networked World course -- I'm basically a huge science nerd who writes. I love teaching. I love writing. I love drawing. I love life. I love ideas. I love animals. And I love this pale blue dust-mite of a dot we all live on. I discovered the Lunar Awards by following a chain a writers around Substack, where I've been publishing Human in the Post-Human World for 3 years. I've been honored with a Lunar Award for "Amicus Memorandum," a story about bots being Very Loyal to Very Bad people, and one honorable mention for "A Sexbot Reads Chekhov's 'The Darling,'" and both of them absolutely made me squee like Mabel Pines in a 50 gallon drum of confetti sprinkles. :) I have also really enjoyed finding new stories through the Lunar Landscape. My favorite Lunatic is Em Eaulders: IYKYK
Hey everybody, I'm Stephen. I reside in the UK where I work from home as a graphic designer for a company based in Canada :D. I found the Lunar Awards through Fictionistas and the amazing writing community here on Substack in my efforts to connect with more of my fellow writers.
I've been serialising my YA novel, Underland and the Forehidden Kingdom, on Substack since 2021. Once in awhile I write articles. Once in a once in awhile I write short stories.
My name is Justin. I live in the Hudson Valley and work as a middle school teacher. I found the Lunar Awards because I’ve been reading Brian Reindel’s fiction for over a year now. He’s one heck of a storyteller, not to mention an all-around class act.
I admit, I still haven’t submitted a story to the Lunar Awards ...but my plan is to write one for season four. And I’m sticking to those words, darn it! 😄
I'm Redd and I write fantasy and sci-fi here on SubStack. I also paint portraiture and the occasion landscape when time allows. Most of my recent writing has been short stories but before SubStack I wrote 5 novels with the aim of trade publishing, but the industry is glacial and I grew tired of waiting for other people to say I could publish and build an audience. It may be slow going sometimes and I need to wear many hats to do it but growing an audience and community from scratch is well worth it. I have published short stories and novellas thus far and am looking to start publishing a space-opera novel/series in the near future.
I heard of Lunar Awards from Brian's fiction Stack, Future Thief, and knew I had to get involved from the outset.
I fell into fiction writing everday during my Masters degree (Philosophy) back in 2018. Sure I'd done NaNo a few times and enjoyed it but never thought about it beyond November. The seed grew to bursting and I suddenly felt the need to write. The Masters went well but I was repulsed by academia so option 2 for 'a career' was out. (Option 1 was graphic design and while I love drawing and painting I learnt during my A-levels I don't want to do it all the time). Between odd jobs I learned the trade of writing and am now looking to make it, not just a creative hobby but also, a good paying job.
Hi, I'm Michael. I live in the Washington, DC area. Recently, I just graduated from Grad School and I'm hoping to move back to my home country of Indonesia by next year. But right now, I've been focusing on my writing career while hustling in the gig economy.
I started writing my novel, Inquisitor's Promise in the beginning of 2023, though I've had a lot of notes and even story bits in my hard drive long before. That was the first novel I've finished and it will always have a special place in my heart. Right now, that story has now been released as an ebook in Amazon Kindle (amongst others) and also a web novel serial in Substack.
Speaking of Substack, I've also written other things from fiction to nonfiction. To be honest, I don't remember how I ran across the Lunar Awards, but I'm glad I did. As for an interesting tidbit, I'm not afraid to entertain alternative cosmology. So one might find the setting of my stories to be a bit off-kilter.
Hi everyone! I'm Claire and I'm from Idaho. I'm currently in school to become a middle school math teacher.
When I'm not doing math I sometimes find time to write a variety of short stories and flash fiction across many genres. I found the Lunar Awards through Brian and Future Thief! I love the fiction community here and it's so fun to pop in and interact with everyone when time allows!
Hi I'm Houck, I am a programmer and parent of two young kids who keep me on my feet. I've come across Substack as a way to share my fantasy writing works and been loving it. It's a lot easier than other site builders and keeping track of my newsletter became a lot simpler. I found Lunar awards when it was featured on my list of recommendation and it is a great way to find some wonderful works and writers here on Substack.
Hi Lunarites! I’m Olivia from the Midwest. I write slightly twisted tales with the occasional happy ending (because variety is good, right?). I also dabble in fantasy, and though attempted several times, have not yet succeeded in sci-fi. Oh, and I’m working on a horror novella that’s still in process, but shows up every now and then on my substack.
I’m still working on my Lunar win, but I did get an honorable mention in Season Two! It’s the highlight of my writing career so far. 😊 I can’t say enough positive things about this competition - I look forward to it every time, and if you haven’t had the chance to participate, you absolutely should. Your writing will thank you!
My name is Maya and I write dark fantasy and horror for adults. My focus is on documenting my journey to publish my debut novel Shades of Night, but I have a lot of little scribblings from other projects. I've written my whole life but this is the first time I managed to finish something! I found the Lunar Awards through Brian Reindel’s fiction---very happy I did! Maybe one day, I will submit something to the First Chapter category! My interesting tidbit is that I work as a film archivist and watch a lot of military film.
Hello! I'm Patty and I'm too creative for my own good and love writing and knitting. I'm in the UP of Michigan by the Canadian border. I have a morbid fascination with serial killers. Other non-creepy interests are jigsaw puzzles and playing with graphic design. I started writing one day because I was bored out of my skull and now have 4 published novels and a handful of novellas. Usually of the fantasy genre, but I dabble in sci-fi a little, too. I love a good escape from reality.
I'm Randall, "your friendly neighborhood neuroscientist," though these days I teach biology labs during the academic year and sometimes neuro or other things for fun during the summer. I also have a small business where I design internships and do other educational consulting. I'm from Kentucky originally, but have been living in Greensboro, North Carolina, for about 15 years.
My writing is science articles and SF short stories, with an occasional cartoon or animated diagram thrown in. I have never had the patience for anything longer. I do still submit to magazines, frustrating though that process often is, and except for a couple of entries to the Lunar Awards, most of my fiction here is reprints (so far). The Lunar Awards popped up in Substack's auto-recommendations.
I'm also a huge game nerd, though not of the video variety, and I used to read a lot of superhero comics, though these days that monkey is fed by animation, and most comics I read are indie things.
I'm Lisa Kuznak and I'm a stay-at-home-mom from northwestern Ontario, Canada. I write primarily SFF, sometimes with a literary bent—I enjoy experimenting with words and narratives. I also post poetry occasionally. On Substack I have a serial, Pull Me Under, a sword and sorcery inspired portal fantasy, and recently I published my first novel, Pallas, a scifi/horror with major old-school pulp vibes. I have another book being prepped for release, a literary fantasy, and I have a couple other novels in the works.
My reason for starting my Substack was to just share my writing instead of keeping it to myself, work on my short fiction skills, and meet other writers. I discovered the Lunar Awards through Notes.
Other than my writing and love of books, I've also delved into the textile arts rather heavily, knitting, sewing, etc, and I love history and film, too. If anyone needs fact checking for historical (European) clothes or textiles, I'd be happy to help out.
I’m Heather, & I’m a fantasy novelist/short storyist (that’s a word, right? Lol). My family & I live in Missouri, where we enjoy the sunshine for lake days & our garden but still spend a lot of time cussing out the humidity. My husband is a meteorologist & we homeschool our two rowdy boys.
When I’m not writing, I’m either playing Minecraft, D&D, or some other board game.
Super excited to be hanging out here and meeting other fiction authors on Substack! This is my new favorite online hangout spot.
Well, this was a nice surprise to see! For those not in the know, hello! The name's Jake Calta. I'm a filmmaker, composer, and writer, born and raised in New York State, and currently a free man out in the wild, cutting my teeth on any projects I can get my hands on. You'll know me here on Substack by my current project, "365 Infantry," a speculative fiction quarterly set in a wild post-nuclear cyberpunk dystopia starring a bunch of tough wolves and their magnificent motorized machines.
My fun fact is this: I'm 22 and I know more about arts and entertainment than most 20-somethings ought to be allowed. I can talk of classical music, comic books, films and television galore, games, pulps, the works. It's only through this unending fount of knowledge I can even write half of the most deranged things I come up with for my series and my other efforts.
I'm Christopher Deliso, an American professional writer based in Southeast Europe since 2002, with my big publishing projects mostly in non-fiction (travel, history, culture, current events mostly on themes and places in SE Europe). I opened my TLS substack in Jan. 2023 to expand my ongoing fiction writing and literature analysis. My interest is mostly in detective fiction, but speculative also comes in as I enjoy anachronism and playing with time. However, lacking math/IT skills, I do need to learn more from those of you who are savvy in those realms and thus keep an eye out for new and different sci fi plots.
The Lunar Lounge is a great idea, Brian and for some shameless self-promotion, please note that I have given a shout-out to you and Winston for the Lunar Awards Season 3 as part of today's best of August article below. It's an unusually long one, but has something for everyone. Happy writing, all- CD
Hey fellow writers! 👋 I’m Alexa, a Jane-of-all-trades sort of misfit obsessed with storytelling. I’ve been steeping in the magic of the many forms that stories can take for my whole life! ✨ I am a voice actress, filmmaker, and writer. At the start of this year I created my own Substack called The Giggler which is where I am serializing my zany spy adventure comedy “Over the Top Secret.” 🤓 Between book releases I have fun plans for entertaining readers with my real life crazy adventures and strange ideas! Not sure how I discovered Brian— perhaps he discovered me?? Either way I’m excited to be part of the fiction writing clan here on Substack! 🥳
Hi! I'm Lloyd, I divide my time between the Netherlands and Italy (though I grew up in the US). I love reading science fiction. I write travel/history/social nonfiction and crime fiction. Found Lunar Awards through Brian, whom I found via Fictionistas. I work in CRM for my day job, and I also run creative writing workshops (online and in the Netherlands) and writing retreats in Italy.
I'm Joe, and I'm a Fantasy writer. I've been writing for 15 years and just self-published my first novella on Kindle. My night job is as a Detention Officer. I am going to publish another novella in about two months, and am working on another one, with a fourth in the planning stages.
I have to write or my characters say they will cut my fingers off.
(They are so mean to me.)
I know most of the usual crew. Brian, Scoot, Michael, Stephen, Jacob, RedOscar.
If you have any books that you'd like me to read and review, I'll gladly read them, if you'll do the same for me.
I'm Josh, and I live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I've been in the land surveying/civil engineering industry for almost 11 years.
I first hopped on Substack back in February because I needed somewhere to complain about what a pile of crap God of War: Ragnarok was, and Substack seemed to be what all the cool kids were using. At the time, I had (almost) no intention of using my platform to write fiction, though I have wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember. I discovered the Lunar Awards one way or another at the end of Season 1, and that set me on a collision course with the absolutely thriving fiction community on here. Thanks to some guidance/encouragement from Brian early on, I decided to switch gears and focus almost exclusively on honing my storytelling skills, though I do still publish the occasional "thinkpiece."
I recently added a section for 100 word stories to my page, for those times when I absolutely just have to fire off a short burst of creativity. Also, I'm currently working on my first serialized story, which is also my first attempt at writing a western 😳😬
I'm Will, I've been with the Lunar Awards since the start. I write fantasy fiction, and have serialized story that uses the framing device of a game walkthrough to mix my love of fantasy books and fighting games. Also passionate about mythology and have strong opinions on the proper way to use it for fiction.
Off of substack I write fanfiction. In addition to playing video games I wish it was easier for me to get groups for boardgames and tabletop RPGs.
G'day. I'm in Queensland Australia. Been writing for most of my 76 years but published for the first time this year on substack. Been an academic, journalist, corporate high flyer (that sucks), business owner, farmer, firefighter , beekeeper and more. Travelled extensively around the world. Hope to get some of those experiences down before time runs out.
Great idea, Brian. A bevy of writers collects within these comments. A good resource too for a scroll and read of things and authors I hadn't heard of.
Hi all, I'm Nathan, a research scientist/lecturer in biochemistry but with a strong passion for good fiction and a love of science fiction and fantasy. I live in Melbourne, Australia and I love any writing that moves me and takes me to other places, fantastical or otherwise. Strong dialogue is a must. Some of my favourite authors are Haruki Murakami, David Mitchell, Bret Easton Ellis, Dan Simmons, and (more recently, because *facepalm* I don't know why it took me so long to get there) Gene Wolfe.
A random fact is that I used to be a close up magician, which helped to pay my way through my PhD.
I think I heard about Lunar Awards around the onset of Notes on Substack :)
I write Sci-Fi and Suspense books and join several short story writing contests. That was how I found Substack. I am still pretty new and unsure how things work around here, and the first note I read was the Lunar Awards.
English is not my first language, but the language I'm most comfortable expressing myself. It's not easy, but I am learning every day.
I am a very introverted person in real life, but I'd love to connect with other writers and readers out there!
Hello All! So glad to be here, it's such a nice place. My name is James Ron. I live in the northeast San Francisco Bay Area about a third of the way between SF and Sacramento. I entered a story for the first Lunar Season but missed the second one because I published it too soon and missed the third one because it was a part 2 of another story. I should be in sync next time around. : ) I have thoroughly enjoyed the great stories I've read lately. Looking forward to more of same. Write on!
I've been on Substack since last December, and decided to make Substack my place to focus on my writing a few months ago. I'm sci-fi and fantasy nerd, Tad Williams is probably my all time favorite author, Gaiman comes in at a close second.
I've just started dipping my toes into writing urban/modern fantasy, so we'll have to see how that goes.
I am Teri Adams. My cred is that I went to Clarion in 1977 when it was still in East Lansing, Michigan. Excellent experience, but for various neurotic reasons, I didn't write much much fiction after that.
My undergrad degree is in English (Creative Writing emphasis.) Then I went to law school. I hated every minute of it, but it bought me cred to work in providing services for students with disabilities, which I did for 27+ years until I retired last fall.
Getting back to writing, but I am more comfortable in the non-fiction realm. I still love science fiction, though!
Hi everyone. I am a musician who also writes when I can find time and inspiration. Teaching guitar and bass pays the bills. I currently play in an acoustic trio called American Garage Band. We Livestream on TikTok every Thursday at 9:30 EST and have built a following of 62k followers in a year. (I wish I could say the same for Substack. 🤣) We also play local live gigs occasionally.
I have written two novels in the Baron Britpop Blastfurnace series that you can read on my Substack (Mark Starlin Writes!) for free. I also wrote a serial “space sitcom” called Space Traveler Fargone, which is on hiatus (it is also on my Substack.) I mainly write short fiction and humor. Too many genres to mention. I love variety.
I live in North Carolina, and am married with three daughters and five grandsons.
Hello friends! I'm Christopher. I'm a I'm a lawyer living in the Boston area with my wife and our two wonderful little kids. I've been itching for a creative outlet so I started my Substack last month: a weekly source of writing prompts (check it out if you're ever looking for a spark!) with fantasy and sci-fi mixed in. I use each prompt to inform my post for the week, and so far it has been a great way to get myself writing. I've posted one short story so far (wherein a magic gnome grapples with his own mortality) but more are on the way, and I definitely plan to submit one for the next Lunar Award season.
I'm also writing a sci-fi/cyberpunk novel. I just finished the first version of my outline (apparently I'm an architect, not a gardener under George R.R. Martin's classification system) and I'm now turning to actually writing the darn thing. First impression: it ain't easy, but it is fun.
I only discovered the Lunar Awards a few days ago, but I think it is great. I came across it while actively searching for more speculative fiction because the algorithm was sending me a bit too much non-fiction for my taste. Now that I'm here I feel like I've hit the mother lode. I can't wait to dive into everyone's work!
Great idea, Brian! It's fascinating to read about other Substack authors and what drives them. I'm Finlay Beach, the author of the Managed Paranoia Book Series (33 chapters of Book One are on Substack so far), but my Doctor of Chiropractic diploma bears the name Ray Pope. Writing my debut book was a revelation beyond keystrokes. Here's why I opt for a pen name: 1) Shielding colleagues' 2) Segregating my vocations; 3) Coolness (like Mark Twain). Finlay Beach is a fusion of my middle name and my cherished beach location.
The Lunar Lounge Is Open!
I'm Brian, and I'm a software architect by trade, living in Southeast Michigan with my wife and two kids. While I'm the founder of the Lunar Awards, which keeps me busy enough, I'm also in love with the short story. I write fantasy and science fiction on Future Thief, my Substack, and I'm failing miserably at writing something longer, like a novella or novel. Although I did publish a short story collection this year, and that was a major accomplishment.
An interesting tidbit is that my degree is actually in journalism, and during the dotcom boom I realized had a knack for reverse engineering and ended up teaching myself to code. I'm one of the remaining few who survived the dotcom bust and who does not have a degree in computer science.
Hi! I'm Suzanna. I write Catholic fantasy and am getting ready to start publishing my Substack in October. I am a stay at home wife, living in South Carolina, and I heard about the Lunar Awards though one of the Substacks I subscribe to. I think S.E. Reid or Gibberish.
Hello, all!
I'm Michael, I live in southern Indiana across the river from Louisville, Kentucky; I work as a staff attorney checking conflicts for a local law firm. If I recall correctly I found the Lunar Awards through a mention on Substack Notes; it might have been Fictionistas, though. I write short stories and serials about angels, superheroes, and occasionally sci-fi, most often with a comic bent.
One interesting tidbit is that I have visited the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk in Riverside, Iowa, and as a souvenir I have a small vial of actual dirt from said birthplace. (I'm very proud).
Hi all!
I'm Meaghan. I mostly write fantasy for young readers (mg and ya). I'm currently publishing my horror comedg Zombie Shark Highway serially on substack. I also draw...a lot. I've been following the Lubar Awards for a while now, I think i first learned about it through fictionistas!
Hello! I'm Reina. I'm a middle school social studies teacher and write dark speculative fiction.
I'm actually a new mom. I've been adjusting to my new normal and finding how I can fit writing into my routine. My little girl often distracts me with her cuteness!
I found lunar awards through the amazing fiction community here on substack. I'm happy to officially meet everyone 😁
Hello Fellow Writers! I'm Amy Letter, the Florida writer and artist who lives in Iowa now. I teach creative writing at Drake University, which includes teaching AI in Fiction and a Writing in a Networked World course -- I'm basically a huge science nerd who writes. I love teaching. I love writing. I love drawing. I love life. I love ideas. I love animals. And I love this pale blue dust-mite of a dot we all live on. I discovered the Lunar Awards by following a chain a writers around Substack, where I've been publishing Human in the Post-Human World for 3 years. I've been honored with a Lunar Award for "Amicus Memorandum," a story about bots being Very Loyal to Very Bad people, and one honorable mention for "A Sexbot Reads Chekhov's 'The Darling,'" and both of them absolutely made me squee like Mabel Pines in a 50 gallon drum of confetti sprinkles. :) I have also really enjoyed finding new stories through the Lunar Landscape. My favorite Lunatic is Em Eaulders: IYKYK
Another great idea Brian!
Hey everybody, I'm Stephen. I reside in the UK where I work from home as a graphic designer for a company based in Canada :D. I found the Lunar Awards through Fictionistas and the amazing writing community here on Substack in my efforts to connect with more of my fellow writers.
I've been serialising my YA novel, Underland and the Forehidden Kingdom, on Substack since 2021. Once in awhile I write articles. Once in a once in awhile I write short stories.
Hi all! 👋
My name is Justin. I live in the Hudson Valley and work as a middle school teacher. I found the Lunar Awards because I’ve been reading Brian Reindel’s fiction for over a year now. He’s one heck of a storyteller, not to mention an all-around class act.
I admit, I still haven’t submitted a story to the Lunar Awards ...but my plan is to write one for season four. And I’m sticking to those words, darn it! 😄
Thanks, Brian!
Greetings, all!
I'm Redd and I write fantasy and sci-fi here on SubStack. I also paint portraiture and the occasion landscape when time allows. Most of my recent writing has been short stories but before SubStack I wrote 5 novels with the aim of trade publishing, but the industry is glacial and I grew tired of waiting for other people to say I could publish and build an audience. It may be slow going sometimes and I need to wear many hats to do it but growing an audience and community from scratch is well worth it. I have published short stories and novellas thus far and am looking to start publishing a space-opera novel/series in the near future.
I heard of Lunar Awards from Brian's fiction Stack, Future Thief, and knew I had to get involved from the outset.
I fell into fiction writing everday during my Masters degree (Philosophy) back in 2018. Sure I'd done NaNo a few times and enjoyed it but never thought about it beyond November. The seed grew to bursting and I suddenly felt the need to write. The Masters went well but I was repulsed by academia so option 2 for 'a career' was out. (Option 1 was graphic design and while I love drawing and painting I learnt during my A-levels I don't want to do it all the time). Between odd jobs I learned the trade of writing and am now looking to make it, not just a creative hobby but also, a good paying job.
Hi, I'm Michael. I live in the Washington, DC area. Recently, I just graduated from Grad School and I'm hoping to move back to my home country of Indonesia by next year. But right now, I've been focusing on my writing career while hustling in the gig economy.
I started writing my novel, Inquisitor's Promise in the beginning of 2023, though I've had a lot of notes and even story bits in my hard drive long before. That was the first novel I've finished and it will always have a special place in my heart. Right now, that story has now been released as an ebook in Amazon Kindle (amongst others) and also a web novel serial in Substack.
Speaking of Substack, I've also written other things from fiction to nonfiction. To be honest, I don't remember how I ran across the Lunar Awards, but I'm glad I did. As for an interesting tidbit, I'm not afraid to entertain alternative cosmology. So one might find the setting of my stories to be a bit off-kilter.
Hi everyone! I'm Claire and I'm from Idaho. I'm currently in school to become a middle school math teacher.
When I'm not doing math I sometimes find time to write a variety of short stories and flash fiction across many genres. I found the Lunar Awards through Brian and Future Thief! I love the fiction community here and it's so fun to pop in and interact with everyone when time allows!
Hi I'm Houck, I am a programmer and parent of two young kids who keep me on my feet. I've come across Substack as a way to share my fantasy writing works and been loving it. It's a lot easier than other site builders and keeping track of my newsletter became a lot simpler. I found Lunar awards when it was featured on my list of recommendation and it is a great way to find some wonderful works and writers here on Substack.
Hi Lunarites! I’m Olivia from the Midwest. I write slightly twisted tales with the occasional happy ending (because variety is good, right?). I also dabble in fantasy, and though attempted several times, have not yet succeeded in sci-fi. Oh, and I’m working on a horror novella that’s still in process, but shows up every now and then on my substack.
I’m still working on my Lunar win, but I did get an honorable mention in Season Two! It’s the highlight of my writing career so far. 😊 I can’t say enough positive things about this competition - I look forward to it every time, and if you haven’t had the chance to participate, you absolutely should. Your writing will thank you!
Hello, everyone!
My name is Maya and I write dark fantasy and horror for adults. My focus is on documenting my journey to publish my debut novel Shades of Night, but I have a lot of little scribblings from other projects. I've written my whole life but this is the first time I managed to finish something! I found the Lunar Awards through Brian Reindel’s fiction---very happy I did! Maybe one day, I will submit something to the First Chapter category! My interesting tidbit is that I work as a film archivist and watch a lot of military film.
Hello! I'm Patty and I'm too creative for my own good and love writing and knitting. I'm in the UP of Michigan by the Canadian border. I have a morbid fascination with serial killers. Other non-creepy interests are jigsaw puzzles and playing with graphic design. I started writing one day because I was bored out of my skull and now have 4 published novels and a handful of novellas. Usually of the fantasy genre, but I dabble in sci-fi a little, too. I love a good escape from reality.
I'm Randall, "your friendly neighborhood neuroscientist," though these days I teach biology labs during the academic year and sometimes neuro or other things for fun during the summer. I also have a small business where I design internships and do other educational consulting. I'm from Kentucky originally, but have been living in Greensboro, North Carolina, for about 15 years.
My writing is science articles and SF short stories, with an occasional cartoon or animated diagram thrown in. I have never had the patience for anything longer. I do still submit to magazines, frustrating though that process often is, and except for a couple of entries to the Lunar Awards, most of my fiction here is reprints (so far). The Lunar Awards popped up in Substack's auto-recommendations.
I'm also a huge game nerd, though not of the video variety, and I used to read a lot of superhero comics, though these days that monkey is fed by animation, and most comics I read are indie things.
Hey everyone!
I'm Lisa Kuznak and I'm a stay-at-home-mom from northwestern Ontario, Canada. I write primarily SFF, sometimes with a literary bent—I enjoy experimenting with words and narratives. I also post poetry occasionally. On Substack I have a serial, Pull Me Under, a sword and sorcery inspired portal fantasy, and recently I published my first novel, Pallas, a scifi/horror with major old-school pulp vibes. I have another book being prepped for release, a literary fantasy, and I have a couple other novels in the works.
My reason for starting my Substack was to just share my writing instead of keeping it to myself, work on my short fiction skills, and meet other writers. I discovered the Lunar Awards through Notes.
Other than my writing and love of books, I've also delved into the textile arts rather heavily, knitting, sewing, etc, and I love history and film, too. If anyone needs fact checking for historical (European) clothes or textiles, I'd be happy to help out.
Pleasure to meet you all!
Hello everyone!
I’m Heather, & I’m a fantasy novelist/short storyist (that’s a word, right? Lol). My family & I live in Missouri, where we enjoy the sunshine for lake days & our garden but still spend a lot of time cussing out the humidity. My husband is a meteorologist & we homeschool our two rowdy boys.
When I’m not writing, I’m either playing Minecraft, D&D, or some other board game.
Super excited to be hanging out here and meeting other fiction authors on Substack! This is my new favorite online hangout spot.
Well, this was a nice surprise to see! For those not in the know, hello! The name's Jake Calta. I'm a filmmaker, composer, and writer, born and raised in New York State, and currently a free man out in the wild, cutting my teeth on any projects I can get my hands on. You'll know me here on Substack by my current project, "365 Infantry," a speculative fiction quarterly set in a wild post-nuclear cyberpunk dystopia starring a bunch of tough wolves and their magnificent motorized machines.
My fun fact is this: I'm 22 and I know more about arts and entertainment than most 20-somethings ought to be allowed. I can talk of classical music, comic books, films and television galore, games, pulps, the works. It's only through this unending fount of knowledge I can even write half of the most deranged things I come up with for my series and my other efforts.
I'm Christopher Deliso, an American professional writer based in Southeast Europe since 2002, with my big publishing projects mostly in non-fiction (travel, history, culture, current events mostly on themes and places in SE Europe). I opened my TLS substack in Jan. 2023 to expand my ongoing fiction writing and literature analysis. My interest is mostly in detective fiction, but speculative also comes in as I enjoy anachronism and playing with time. However, lacking math/IT skills, I do need to learn more from those of you who are savvy in those realms and thus keep an eye out for new and different sci fi plots.
The Lunar Lounge is a great idea, Brian and for some shameless self-promotion, please note that I have given a shout-out to you and Winston for the Lunar Awards Season 3 as part of today's best of August article below. It's an unusually long one, but has something for everyone. Happy writing, all- CD
https://christopherdeliso.substack.com/p/travels-value-for-writers-my-mediterranean
Hey fellow writers! 👋 I’m Alexa, a Jane-of-all-trades sort of misfit obsessed with storytelling. I’ve been steeping in the magic of the many forms that stories can take for my whole life! ✨ I am a voice actress, filmmaker, and writer. At the start of this year I created my own Substack called The Giggler which is where I am serializing my zany spy adventure comedy “Over the Top Secret.” 🤓 Between book releases I have fun plans for entertaining readers with my real life crazy adventures and strange ideas! Not sure how I discovered Brian— perhaps he discovered me?? Either way I’m excited to be part of the fiction writing clan here on Substack! 🥳
Hi! I'm Lloyd, I divide my time between the Netherlands and Italy (though I grew up in the US). I love reading science fiction. I write travel/history/social nonfiction and crime fiction. Found Lunar Awards through Brian, whom I found via Fictionistas. I work in CRM for my day job, and I also run creative writing workshops (online and in the Netherlands) and writing retreats in Italy.
Good Evening,
I'm Joe, and I'm a Fantasy writer. I've been writing for 15 years and just self-published my first novella on Kindle. My night job is as a Detention Officer. I am going to publish another novella in about two months, and am working on another one, with a fourth in the planning stages.
I have to write or my characters say they will cut my fingers off.
(They are so mean to me.)
I know most of the usual crew. Brian, Scoot, Michael, Stephen, Jacob, RedOscar.
If you have any books that you'd like me to read and review, I'll gladly read them, if you'll do the same for me.
Greetings, fellow Substackers!
I'm Josh, and I live in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. I've been in the land surveying/civil engineering industry for almost 11 years.
I first hopped on Substack back in February because I needed somewhere to complain about what a pile of crap God of War: Ragnarok was, and Substack seemed to be what all the cool kids were using. At the time, I had (almost) no intention of using my platform to write fiction, though I have wanted to be an author for as long as I can remember. I discovered the Lunar Awards one way or another at the end of Season 1, and that set me on a collision course with the absolutely thriving fiction community on here. Thanks to some guidance/encouragement from Brian early on, I decided to switch gears and focus almost exclusively on honing my storytelling skills, though I do still publish the occasional "thinkpiece."
I recently added a section for 100 word stories to my page, for those times when I absolutely just have to fire off a short burst of creativity. Also, I'm currently working on my first serialized story, which is also my first attempt at writing a western 😳😬
I'm Will, I've been with the Lunar Awards since the start. I write fantasy fiction, and have serialized story that uses the framing device of a game walkthrough to mix my love of fantasy books and fighting games. Also passionate about mythology and have strong opinions on the proper way to use it for fiction.
Off of substack I write fanfiction. In addition to playing video games I wish it was easier for me to get groups for boardgames and tabletop RPGs.
G'day. I'm in Queensland Australia. Been writing for most of my 76 years but published for the first time this year on substack. Been an academic, journalist, corporate high flyer (that sucks), business owner, farmer, firefighter , beekeeper and more. Travelled extensively around the world. Hope to get some of those experiences down before time runs out.
Great idea, Brian. A bevy of writers collects within these comments. A good resource too for a scroll and read of things and authors I hadn't heard of.
Hi all, I'm Nathan, a research scientist/lecturer in biochemistry but with a strong passion for good fiction and a love of science fiction and fantasy. I live in Melbourne, Australia and I love any writing that moves me and takes me to other places, fantastical or otherwise. Strong dialogue is a must. Some of my favourite authors are Haruki Murakami, David Mitchell, Bret Easton Ellis, Dan Simmons, and (more recently, because *facepalm* I don't know why it took me so long to get there) Gene Wolfe.
A random fact is that I used to be a close up magician, which helped to pay my way through my PhD.
I think I heard about Lunar Awards around the onset of Notes on Substack :)
Hi, I am Sotto.
I write Sci-Fi and Suspense books and join several short story writing contests. That was how I found Substack. I am still pretty new and unsure how things work around here, and the first note I read was the Lunar Awards.
English is not my first language, but the language I'm most comfortable expressing myself. It's not easy, but I am learning every day.
I am a very introverted person in real life, but I'd love to connect with other writers and readers out there!
Hello All! So glad to be here, it's such a nice place. My name is James Ron. I live in the northeast San Francisco Bay Area about a third of the way between SF and Sacramento. I entered a story for the first Lunar Season but missed the second one because I published it too soon and missed the third one because it was a part 2 of another story. I should be in sync next time around. : ) I have thoroughly enjoyed the great stories I've read lately. Looking forward to more of same. Write on!
Hi from Chicago !
I've been on Substack since last December, and decided to make Substack my place to focus on my writing a few months ago. I'm sci-fi and fantasy nerd, Tad Williams is probably my all time favorite author, Gaiman comes in at a close second.
I've just started dipping my toes into writing urban/modern fantasy, so we'll have to see how that goes.
Hello!
I am Teri Adams. My cred is that I went to Clarion in 1977 when it was still in East Lansing, Michigan. Excellent experience, but for various neurotic reasons, I didn't write much much fiction after that.
My undergrad degree is in English (Creative Writing emphasis.) Then I went to law school. I hated every minute of it, but it bought me cred to work in providing services for students with disabilities, which I did for 27+ years until I retired last fall.
Getting back to writing, but I am more comfortable in the non-fiction realm. I still love science fiction, though!
Hi everyone. I am a musician who also writes when I can find time and inspiration. Teaching guitar and bass pays the bills. I currently play in an acoustic trio called American Garage Band. We Livestream on TikTok every Thursday at 9:30 EST and have built a following of 62k followers in a year. (I wish I could say the same for Substack. 🤣) We also play local live gigs occasionally.
I have written two novels in the Baron Britpop Blastfurnace series that you can read on my Substack (Mark Starlin Writes!) for free. I also wrote a serial “space sitcom” called Space Traveler Fargone, which is on hiatus (it is also on my Substack.) I mainly write short fiction and humor. Too many genres to mention. I love variety.
I live in North Carolina, and am married with three daughters and five grandsons.
I think I learned about Lunar Awards on Notes.
Hello friends! I'm Christopher. I'm a I'm a lawyer living in the Boston area with my wife and our two wonderful little kids. I've been itching for a creative outlet so I started my Substack last month: a weekly source of writing prompts (check it out if you're ever looking for a spark!) with fantasy and sci-fi mixed in. I use each prompt to inform my post for the week, and so far it has been a great way to get myself writing. I've posted one short story so far (wherein a magic gnome grapples with his own mortality) but more are on the way, and I definitely plan to submit one for the next Lunar Award season.
I'm also writing a sci-fi/cyberpunk novel. I just finished the first version of my outline (apparently I'm an architect, not a gardener under George R.R. Martin's classification system) and I'm now turning to actually writing the darn thing. First impression: it ain't easy, but it is fun.
I only discovered the Lunar Awards a few days ago, but I think it is great. I came across it while actively searching for more speculative fiction because the algorithm was sending me a bit too much non-fiction for my taste. Now that I'm here I feel like I've hit the mother lode. I can't wait to dive into everyone's work!
Great idea, Brian! It's fascinating to read about other Substack authors and what drives them. I'm Finlay Beach, the author of the Managed Paranoia Book Series (33 chapters of Book One are on Substack so far), but my Doctor of Chiropractic diploma bears the name Ray Pope. Writing my debut book was a revelation beyond keystrokes. Here's why I opt for a pen name: 1) Shielding colleagues' 2) Segregating my vocations; 3) Coolness (like Mark Twain). Finlay Beach is a fusion of my middle name and my cherished beach location.