Author: Sarah M. Chen

Stop the World: Snapshots From a Pandemic Releases Today

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The anthology from Thalia Press is out today! This collection features essays, poems, and short stories from 40 writers from all over the globe and is edited by Lise McClendon with Gary Phillips, Kate Flora, and Taffy Cannon.

My essay “The Five Stages of Coronanxiety” features phone conversations between me and my dad during the early days of the pandemic in February and March.

All proceeds go to charity. I’m honored to be a part of this collection and hopefully it will offer some hope and humor for readers.

Book description:

Once you may have wished for a pause to take a breath, to stop your hectic life, to enjoy a stay-cation with so much time on your hands. Then, it happened, suddenly and terrifyingly. What do you do with these scenarios, this odd time, this creativity that doesn’t stop? How do you handle it?

This collection of fiction, essays, and poetry shines a light on moments in the times we live in during the global pandemic of 2020, when the world stopped. It offers a record of people’s lives and imaginations, a snapshot of enduring creativity— a happy, sad, funny, reflective, deep, shallow, and/or thought-provoking slice of our lives.

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The Faking of the President New York Times Review Tour

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Last night we chatted presidents and politics with our esteemed editor / publisher Peter Carlaftes. It was a blast! We also read excerpts from our stories in The Faking of the President. To watch, click on the YouTube link below!

Buy links for The Faking of the President, a New York Times Editors’ Choice!

Three Rooms Press

Amazon

Bookshop

B&N

THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT is an Editors’ Choice in the NEW YORK TIMES

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How cool is this? The anthology is one of nine books that the editors of the New York Times has selected as staff picks. Woot! So exciting! Here’s a link to the picks: Editors’ Choice

And more good news: I received my print copy of the New York Times Book Review from my awesome publisher / editor Peter Carlaftes of Three Rooms Press. YOU KNOW I’M GOING TO FRAME THIS!

Even Zoe is excited for me!

Low Down Dirty Vote, Volume II is Out Now

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I’m excited to be a part of Mysti Berry’s anthology that centers around the theme of voter suppression. My story “Unit 805” is about a misanthropic septuagenarian who blackmails his condo’s board members so they will vote in his favor. All proceeds for the anthology will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Get your copy now!

Amazon

And here’s the first book review from Booklife / Publishers Weekly!

The Faking of the President is reviewed in the New York Times

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The New York Times reviewed three books that deal with political satire and one of them is The Faking of the President anthology! Editor Peter Carlaftes of Three Rooms Press and all of us contributors are absolutely thrilled that they chose to review our book and it’s a great review! I’d say it’s the best of the three.

And they mentioned me and my near-future President Pence story “In Mother We Trust”! Now that’s something I can check off my bucket list.

Check it out here:

“Can Political Satire Outpace Reality? 3 Books Toss Their Hats in the Ring”

Stop the World: Snapshots from a Pandemic

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I have a piece in the upcoming collection Stop the World: Snapshots from a Pandemic with Thalia Press. It will be out August 4, 2020 and features 40 essays, short stories, and poems about, what else? The pandemic.

I’m excited about this one and it’s a first for me as my contribution is an essay rather than a short story. Actually, it’s not really an essay but telephone transcriptions, hence the title “The Five Stages of Coronanxiety in Telephone Transcriptions.” These are conversations between my dad and I during the early stages of the pandemic. The U.S. had not issued “safer at home” orders yet. I have to say it was very cathartic writing this!

I’m grateful to the editors Gary Phillips, Lise McClendon, and Taffy Cannon for putting this together. And all proceeds go to charity!

Here’s the book description:

HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THE PANDEMIC?

Not fondly, of course. But your life, and the lives of millions of others, are forever changed by these times. These 40 writers set out to record their experiences, emotions, fears, and gratitude for living through 2020. Stuck at home, watching the news in horror, helping others: these writers’ imaginations never stopped (although their productivity sometimes took a hit.)

Crime stories, creative fiction, elegant and angry poetry, wrenching personal essays– these record the pandemic year in ways we are likely to want to forget. For the record, here are 40 inspiring, heartfelt, creative takes on this odd and terrifying time in the world, from writers in the US, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and Romania. All 2020 profits will be donated to charity.

Preorder here!

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Apple

Kobo

An Interview with Mysti Berry on LDDV, Volume II

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With everything going on in our country and local communities – and around the world really – I’ve been hesitant to add to the noise unless it’s to boost those voices who need boosting.

But Mysti Berry is publishing an anthology of short stories next month – July 4, actually – that I’m hopeful will make a difference in the upcoming election as well as ensuring our right to vote. It’s called Low Down Dirty Vote, Volume II and it’s about voter suppression. It includes one of my stories “Unit 805” and I’m honored to be a part of it. All proceeds will go to the Southern Poverty Law Center. You can pre-order the book here: Low Down Dirty Vote, Volume II

I interviewed her about the anthology and how it came to be. It’s up today at The Thrill Begins.

I also want to add that this will be my last Thrill Begins post. Ed Aymar, our tireless editor, is leaving his post so all of us have decided to leave along with him. I’m sad but so grateful I got a chance to be a part of The Thrill Begins and Murderer’s Row. Hopefully we will all work together on a different project or blog so stay tuned!

The FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT West Coast launch

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Last night we had our virtual launch party for the West Coast writers of THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT (in addition to Chris Chambers and editor/publisher Peter Carlaftes who are East Coast). It was a blast! We chatted about politics and our predictions and hopes for the upcoming election. It was the first time I got to chat with writers I only know virtually like Nikki Dolson and Chris Chambers.

I read from my story “In Mother We Trust” which is told from the POV of Karen Pence. It’s set during the 2024 election in which Pence is the Republican nominee and Trump refuses to leave office. Not only is it an important presidential election but Calexit is on the ballot for California.

To watch, click below!

Shotgun Honey Presents Volume 4: RECOIL

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Today it’s out in the wild! I’m in Shotgun Honey’s 4th anthology Recoil, 23 Tales of Crime, edited by Ron Earl Phillips. I’ve never been in one of Shotgun Honey’s anthologies so I’m thrilled to be a part of this one. It has an excellent lineup of crime fiction authors. See for yourself!

My story “Hotelin” is about a teenage girl struggling to take care of her little sister while her single mother works two jobs and moves them from hotel to hotel. It’s a tale of revenge and community.

Available now at these links:

Amazon

B&N

Down & Out Books

Writer Types podcast

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I’m host of a podcast! Okay, I’m a guest host, but still! And I’m a co-host which means Eric Beetner, the actual host of the awesome Writer Types, figured I needed help which is totally true. I was super nervous and didn’t want to screw up, but I managed to still have a lot of fun.

So if you want to check out me and E.A. Aymar chatting it up with Eric, then click on the link below. We talked about what it was like editing The Swamp Killers and how I manage to work so well with Ed (hint: he makes me laugh a lot).

We also interviewed authors Sheena Kamal who wrote the YA novel, Fight Like a Girl, and Matthew Quirk who writes political thrillers, his latest being Hour of the Assassin.

And while you’re at it, you should subscribe to Writer Types and get the latest scoop on your favorite crime fiction authors plus book recommendations from the Malmons and cool music.