Together is a Distant Star
About this ebook
A shapeshifting alien changeling raised by humans. The “wicked” child selected as the village sacrifice. People trapped in rigid belief systems, oppressive regimes, well-intentioned families, complicated relationships, and their very own bodies.
Is it better to succumb and survive, or escape by staking everything on a slender hope?
What triumphs in the end, love or vengeance?
And if all that remains is ashes, is it still worth it?
Grapple with these questions by diving into twelve new science fiction and fantasy stories. Together is a Distant Star is a collaborative anthology that encompasses authors hailing from Europe to Australia, South Africa to South America, and celebrates a kaleidoscope of perspectives—female, nonbinary, BIPOC, queer, and more.
Featuring stories from: A.J. Calvin, C.B. Lansdell, Nancy Foster, V. Carvajal Leiva, Karen Lykkebo, Erika McCorkle, Branwen OShea, Alyse Steves, Delilah Waan, and Isabelle Wagner.
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About the author
A.J. Calvin is a science fiction/fantasy novelist from Loveland, Colorado known best for The Caein Legacy series and The Relics of War series. A former microbiologist, A.J. lives with her husband, along with a turtle, a bearded dragon, and a salt water aquarium.
When she is not writing, she enjoys scuba diving, hiking, and playing video games. Her books are available through most retailers. More details are available at www.ajcalvin.net
Valentina Carvajal Leiva—also known as V. Carvajal Leiva—is a Chilean novelist, screenwriter, and psychologist. Her work explores the emotional depth of her characters, blending fantasy, suspense, and drama. She is the writer of Before Blooming, an ongoing comic available on Webtoon and Tapas.
https://
Nancy Foster is a US-Mexican dual citizen that grew up in Mexico City and currently splits her time between the big city and a semirural village. An avid fan of reading Latin American SFF, she invited V. Leiva Carvajal in a push to bring Chilean works to a broader audience. Whenever she isn’t writing, Nancy is either sewing, drawing or travelling to far-flung places. Additional works by the author can be checked at:
https://nancyfosterauthor.
Andrea Marie Johnson is a nonbinary (they/them) disaster bi writing steamy queer romantasy riddled with angst and darkness. Some may say they’re three frogs in a trench coat but don’t believe those baseless rumors. When they’re not hiding in the basement writing their little stories, you’ll find them hiding in the basement playing video games, drawing maps or watching anime. https://
Storytelling and inventing new worlds has been a part of Natalie’s life since before she could read or write. Nowadays she mostly writes in English but you’ll often discover hints of her native Danish or some of the other languages she has picked up along the way. Her stories are focused around the struggles of mental health, disability, grief and yet still finding a place to belong in the world. https://nataliekelda.co.uk/
Born and raised in Cape Town, C.B. Lansdell is a lifelong fynbos-appreciator who enjoys soaking in coastal rockpools. Over the past 17 years, she has illustrated material for the South African Department of Education and several international authors.
Her published works include The Apidecca Duology, The Tidelings of Dras Sayve (a novelette) and Little Bead in a Squall (an interactive short story on the Unearthed Stories app). All titles are set on Knyadrea, a habitable moon, where near-human characters mysteriously emerge from the sea.
https://cblansdell.com
Erika McCorkle is an avid worldbuilder and consumer of all things fantasy, whether that be books, video games, or anime. She has been developing the Pentagonal Dominion since the 90s and is publishing novels that take place in that fantastic world. Her website is at www.authormccorkle.com
As a young girl, Branwen wanted to become an ambassador for aliens. Since the aliens never hired her, she now writes about them. She holds a B.A. in Biology, a B.S. in Psychology, and an MSW and loves using fiction to explore our potential to change, often through connecting with nature or other species. In addition to humans, she has lived with an opossum, skunks, raccoons, a crow, salamanders, and the more usual dogs, cats, and horse. She is also a lifelong student of mysticism, meditation, and indigenous healing. Branwen is a licensed counselor, a yoga teacher, a sound healer, and writes books with stardust and magic. And if the aliens are interested, she’s still available for peacekeeping missions.
www.branwenoshea.com
Raised as a feral homeschooled child in a small town named after a planet, normalcy was never an option for Alyse. Now a somewhat domesticated adult, Alyse’s unconventional upbringing fueled her creativity and contributed to a science fiction novel, Child of Humanity, a fantasy children’s book, Savannah the Kind, and a superhero serial killer thriller, The Darkest Memories. Alyse resides in Florida, and when she isn’t working as a scientist or writing, she enjoys going to the gym, traveling, hiking, kayaking, and cultivating a growing plant army.
www.alysesteves.com
Delilah Waan is an award-winning Chinese-Australian author who writes raw, emotional adult epic fantasy where there are no villains—just complex characters with strong motivations at cross-purposes. Her books are available through most retailers, via libraries, and direct from her website: www.delilahwaan.com
Isabelle Wagner is an editor and writer with one foot in Germany and the other in the United States. She’s always loved words and though she strayed from them a few times over the years, she has finally found her place among the pages. Though she’s neck-deep in various WIPs, “True Colors” is her first published fiction. She hopes to follow that up with many more stories that focus on mental health, nature, and traveling. She currently lives in NC with her husband and their daughter and pets.
www.emeraldscribebooks.com
Karen Lykkebo writes a variety of fantasy and horror drenched in despair, love, and hope. She’s the author of The Palace of Winds trilogy and Heir to The Sun and has several horror short stories under her name. A former marine biologist turned physiotherapist her writing is inspired by nature and her personal struggles with depression and anxiety. She loves the deep misty woods and long summer evenings and is drawn to the ancient lore of the north and the healing properties of the growing world. www.karenlykkebo.com
