Melanie Lamaga, Writer, Editor, Photographer
Fiction on the Border Between the Real and Unreal
An epic magical realist saga of family and country, connecting far-flung dots into a revealing portrait of the first thirty years of India’s independence from Britain. The narrator is Saleem Sinai, the first of 1000 “Midnight’s Children,” born the first hour of August 15, 1947, when India officially became independent of Britain. Saleem is the […] Read more »
“I Want to Write, But Can’t Find Time!” This is a common sentiment. In fact, if there is one thing more plentiful than writers, it’s would-be writers. Nothing wrong with that, but sorry to say, it’s unlikely that Time is going to find you. Sure, you might get lucky and get laid off, but eventually […] Read more »
Attitude Check I just came across a post about best-selling author Robert Goolrick. This man’s childhood was like something out of a horror movie, but that’s just the back story. It’s what Goolrick’s accomplished since then that got me thinking about some big lies we tell ourselves – and how they can greatly undermine our […] Read more »
Little, Big is a modern classic of fantastic literature, a book that is praised far and wide, and with good reason. It’s a beautifully written, deep meditation on complex and arcane philosophies of magic and metaphysics (from Plato to Rosicrucian and Theosophist) and the challenges of living an ethical life in light of such considerations. […] Read more »
In honor of the fourth of July, I suggest you make your own declaration of independence from anything that is getting in the way of your creative prosperity. Yes, I want you to actually write it down. Here are the (slightly modified) immortal words of the founding fathers to help get this party started. When […] Read more »
Ever wish you could fly? Visitors to the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California might be tempted to take a plane ride in order to better view the dramatic topography. A five-mile ridge of mountains and hills rise from sea level to 2,000 feet. On one side, steep cliffs rise above barking sea lions and […] Read more »
Despite the CDC’s denial that there is any evidence of a zombie outbreak, alert citizens know better. Zombie Virus 2.0 has been festering ever since the economy crashed in 2007. On the one hand, we’ve seen a swell of entrepreneurial mojo. As the economy sank, creativity rose. But there is a flip side to this […] Read more »
A Light, Engaging tale by a Modern Master of the Fantastic. Written in letters, the book is a sort of fantasy/mystery that centers around the educated, ex-con Bax’s attempts to unravel the supernatural goings on at the mansion he’s been left by a mysterious man. The letters go down like popcorn. No sooner do you […] Read more »
More Great Reading Ahead… I have many of these titles already on my To Be Read List. And now adding a few more! The 2012 Locus Awards Went to: Science Fiction Novel: Embassytown, China Miéville (Del Rey; Macmillan). Fantasy Novel: A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 5), George R.R. Martin […] Read more »
[amazon_image id=”1416558470″ link=”true” target=”_blank” size=”medium” ]Coyote Blue: A Novel[/amazon_image] This is a comedic novel that plays with the intersection between mythology or religion, depending on your point of view) and consensual reality; between the identities we are born with and those we assume. Sam Hunter is an ace salesman who seems to have everything under […] Read more »