Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Incandescent by Ayodele Nzinga

Arriving in stores on June 29th: Incandescent by Oakland’s first poet laureate, Ayodele Nzinga

From the forward by K.M. Smith: “Incandescent, the brilliance of expression that Ayodele Nzinga has so lovingly crafted, is red hot in its urgency. It moves subtly, it shifts and crescendos and somersaults across time and space, through light and darkness, joy and pain. This fiery book of poetry comes at you quickly. Questions abound and answers permeate about justice and freedom and existence.”

“I am overwhelmed by the pervasive African love expressed in this collection, but even more so by her profound recognition of Ancestor worship and their essential connection to our existence in the now and in the future. … A continuation of her eternal moan and praise to ancestors, asking, pleading, praying.”

-Marvin X

author of How to Recover from the Addiction to White Supremacy

“Ayodele is a profoundly gifted artist whose creations take on many forms - from community building to directing to writing and educating. ... stirring, beautiful and poignant.”

-Amanda Bornstein

co-founder of The Flight Deck Art Gallery and Theater

“This is the essence of poetry: a recalcitrant and unapologetic collection of verse. The words and meter flow through the pages.”

-Zack Dye

author of 21st Century Coastal American Verses

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Powell’s.com in hardcover HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon in paperback HERE and hardcover HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Jessica Mehta's When We Talk of Stolen Sisters: New and Revised Poems

Arriving in stores on June 15th: When We Talk of Stolen Sisters: New and Revised Poems by Jessica Mehta.

Cover Art: “Warm Stratis” by Brenda Mallory

Cover design by Benjamin Gorman

This collection of Jessica Mehta’s powerful, beautiful, vulnerable work spans “from dates so long ago I can’t even recall” to her most current poetry in the midst of a pandemic. Her poems call our attention to the unsung disappearance of Indigenous women, the cultural genocide that still continues, the eating disorders that consume us from within, and to love, family, and the courageous choice to see the world from a different angle in the face of death.

“Mehta’s immense attention to detail in diction and form, tokens of homage to other artists, and ability to write in diverse voices and styles shows how much education, experience, and deep care Mehta has invested into these poems. The poet and the poems have book smarts and street smarts, and that combination makes this collection completely uncontainable … Mehta overflows with life, and we are lucky that the spillage produced these poems.”

   -Linzi Garcia, author of Thank You

“…visceral, sensual, and raw, built from language that is unafraid to split open and show its entrails, to display the muscle of the heart that makes it tick. With arresting imagery and deft wordplay, Mehta wrestles with the demons of loss, death, body image, aging, eating disorders, and the complexity of relationships with lovers, parents, and one’s self.”

   -Brittney Corrigan, author of Breaking and Daughters

“Poems that dare to be this open are a testament to the conviction that human connections come from a willingness to be known. Mehta’s courage, over and over, to reveal her true self, makes reading her work feel like discovering someone who has been a friend for decades and remembering how much you deeply admire her.”

   -Benjamin Gorman, author of When She Leaves Me

Available for pre-order from Tombolo Books HERE. (Jessica Mehta will be doing a reading there in August, so we encourage you to buy your copy from them to say thank you for hosting her!)

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Target.com HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

We're giving away free copies of Benjamin Gorman's Corporate High School to Public School Libraries, Classrooms, and Public Libraries

Benjamin Gorman explains why Not a Pipe Publishing came to this decision:

[from his blog, www.TeacherGorman.com]

“I am a high school English teacher. During Covid, the school where I teach (shout-out to Central High School, no relation to the CHS in this novel) discovered a lot more students wanted to read eBooks than had previously been the case. Maybe some of you like reading on your phones. Maybe you’ve gotten used to staring at screens during the pandemic. Regardless, we found that the cost of those eBooks really added up. And here I am, the author of a book that’s all about how we need to fight back and defend public schools against the increasing attacks from those who see them as a source of corporate profit. I didn’t want this novel to be a burden on public schools (or public libraries which are also essential for protecting the people of a democracy). So I worked it out with my publishing company to provide this edition for free for public schools and public libraries. (There’s a nice advantage to being the co-publisher of the company: I only had to check with my co-publisher, Viveca Shearin, and no one else could stop us. Thanks, Viveca!) We know some people outside of public schools and libraries might sneak a copy or two. We decided it’s worth it. I hope you enjoy this book. It was a ton of fun to write. And there’s a lesson there: Standing up for you believe in isn’t always enjoyable. You get push-back, and sometimes that push-back can be awful. But sometimes taking a stand is a blast! You don’t do it for the party, but there’s nothing wrong with enjoying those bright moments when they come. I hope this book will be a bright moment for you, too.

“Trigger warnings: There’s some challenging material in this book. There’s a scene of an attempted sexual assault. There are references to people experiencing homophobia and racism. There’s one pretty graphic description of a beating. And there are lots of references to environmental disasters that will likely be the consequences of global climate change. I tried to handle these events in the story with care. I think the book is completely appropriate for most high school students and even more mature middle school students, but students who have experienced some of these traumas should be forewarned. There is a balance to be found between accurately depicting the horrors of the world, even an imaginary one, and exaggerating those horrors to make a point. I tried to find that balance, but it’s impossible to know exactly where it is for every reader. So please know there is no shame in closing a book if the content gets to be too much for you. You are more important than anything on a screen. Take care of yourself.”

The free edition of the eBook is available for public school libraries, classrooms, and public libraries HERE.

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Praise for Corporate High School

“Benjamin Gorman's Corporate High School is a must-read for anyone interested in joining the fight to save public education.  We proudly proclaim this book as badass and spot on about the fight to save the foundation of our democracy - strong public education for all.” 

-Marla Kilfoyle, General Manager

Badass Teachers Association

"Benjamin Gorman clearly knows high school students, and the importance of a free and public education for them. Corporate High School is fantastic!"

-Tanya Baker, Director of National Programs,

National Writing Project

"Gorman's gut-wrenching satire delivers the lesson that when a school is not a school, learning is rebellion and knowledge is a weapon."

-Karen Eisenbrey, author of The Daughter of Magic Trilogy, The Gospel According to St. Rage, and Barbara and the Rage Brigade

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Denial Kills: An Anthology of Poetry and Short Fiction

Not a Pipe Publishing is proud to release our third anthology. After our success with promoting more women’s voices during The Year of Publishing Women with the anthology Strongly Worded Women, and then our desperate crying out against the rise of fascism with Shout: An Anthology of Resistance Poetry and Short Fiction, we’re directly confronting the epistemic crisis of our post-truth world with Denial Kills.

In these pages, authors and poets point us to the dangers of refusing to see what is right before our eyes. Editors Viveca Shearin, Zack Dye, and Benjamin Gorman bring you the works of Jessica Mehta, Lydia K. Valentine, Kaia Valentine, Claudine Griggs, Ayodele Nzinga, T. J. Berg, Zach Murphy, Joanna Michal Hoyt, Simon J. Plant, Huda Tariq, Ndaba Sibanda, Sarah Jane Justice, Fable Tethras, Joann Renee Boswell, Eric Witchey, Janet Burroway, Mike Jack Stoumbos, Koraly Dimitriadis, Heather S. Ransom, Kate Maxwell, and Bethany Lee. New York Times bestsellers and those published for the first time, from across the United States and around the world, come together to question, explore, illuminate, and demystify.

FDR told us we have nothing to fear but fear itself. But there is another sinister threat that can be deadly. Denial, when allowed to fester, can have serious consequences. For example, a woman who refuses to see the ugly truth about her doomed engagement can end up trapped in a miserable marriage. A wife who refuses to accept that her husband is unfaithful can find herself confronted by his lover, by her own jealousy, and by her own willful ignorance. Denying women the rights to their own bodily autonomy can cost us our happiness, our sanity, and our lives. Denial can take many forms. And when one isn't careful, denial can most surely kill.

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for John Dover's Once Upon a Fang in the West!

Cover Art by Don Aguillo

It’s here! John Dover’s Once Upon a Fang in the West, the thrilling, blood-soaked paranormal Spaghetti Western, is available for pre-order in paperback, hardcover, and on Kindle. The book will be available everywhere on May 4th!

The Braided Pony saloon is no stranger to gun fire and blood stains on the floor. But when a mysterious gunslinger turns up dead in Ruby’s room, it’s up to the town's drunken sheriff to investigate. Lucky for him, Samuel, a fast-talking vampire, arrives looking to settle a score and attempting to resurrect his dead friend. Now they’re on the hunt across the rocky plains of the Wild West to recover the life that was stolen.

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

Praise for Once Upon a Fang in the West

"This gory Spaghetti Western reads like a barroom brawl between Sergio Leone, Robert E. Howard, and Quentin Tarantino with Elmore Leonard howling from the rafters. A bloody, naked Elmore Leonard, how's that for an image you can't unsee? Too much? Well, then too bad for you, ya lily liver. Because John Dover serves up a gorgeously nasty cocktail of resurrection and redemption riddled with bullet wounds and teeth marks...really big teeth marks. Don't be shy, step on up to the bar and knock it down.”

-Charles Austin Muir, author of Slippery When Metastasized and This Is a Horror Book

"This book is fast paced, has vampires, demons, ghosts, shoot-outs, violence and a whole barrage of other dark, horrific delights to keep you entertained. There are some really original concepts that I have never come across before and the fact that I am a huge reader means that doesn’t happen very often. John is a great writer, and this book will take you on a journey through the town of Thrall and further into the desert as foe chases foe and old rivalries are put aside to battle a common enemy."

-Kevin J. Kennedy - author of Halloween Land and Owner of KJK Publishing

"This is a visceral and indulgent Spaghetti Western romp. Dover's lush descriptions are a delightful contrast to the violent and harsh experiences of his characters. The world Dover writes for Samuel, William, and Finn is nothing short of immersive. Smells of whiskey, blood, and dirt waft off of every page. This story moves from one deliciously gruesome event to the next at breakneck speed. Before you know it, you've finished the tale and read of innumerable dismemberments."

-Cora Y. – author

"John Dover’s book, Once Upon a Fang in the West, feels like a gritty, dirty, “Spaghetti” Western with a great cast of characters. Now add Vampire’s and other creatures and you have quite the mix. I couldn’t put it down. I needed to find out who survives."

-Kelley Baker – independent filmmaker and author of Road Dog, From Arrah Wanna to Mule Shoe, and the upcoming Dennis Barton Is A Bastard and Other Stories.

"Dover’s Once Upon a Fang in the West is a hilarious page-turner Western, as well as a very explicit, gory vampire tale that binds the genres. Just pour yourself a shot of whiskey and wear an apron before reading."

-Ivonne Saed, author of Triple crónica de un nombre (Triple Chronicle of a Name).

"The enemy of your enemy is supposedly your friend, right? But how far would you go to defend your town from a vile creature of unspeakable horrors when that ‘friend’ is an unsavory vampire? Find out in this fast-paced, pulpy tale of horror, gory deaths, and bloody dealings between a sheriff and unwanted visitors to his Old West town. A flesh-rending good time!"

-Rick Cook – author

“Visceral, vicious, twisty…a small-town sheriff’s past haunts him as he joins forces with vampires on the hunt for…something worse. Once Upon a Fang in the West will have you checking dark corners and avoiding dark alleys. And never trusting a dead body.”

-LeeAnn McLennan, author of The Supernormal Legacy (Dormant, Root, and Emerge)

“Can a story with this much blood and gore be called ‘pure’? Because this is pure fun!”

-Benjamin Gorman, author of Don’t Read This Book

"Rye whiskey, wry humor, and abundant gore—hold onto your ten-gallon hat for this thrilling, bloody ride!"

-Karen Eisenbrey, author of The Daughter of Magic Trilogy

“Four-fisted Western action: one to aim your gun, one to hold your whiskey, and two still (barely) attached to the severed arms of the supernatural baddies who dared to oppose our Big Damn Hero! Hilariously violent fun by a master of modern pulp!”

-Jason Brick, author of Wrestling Demons

“A gory good ride through a Wild West where the good guys are bad, the bad guys are worse, and everyone has a taste for blood.”

-Nan. C. Ballard, author of the forthcoming Under Carico’s Moons Trilogy

Eban and the Dolphins update

A revised version of Eban is now available on the Global Retail Network.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1034724924/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781034724926&qid=1618425749&s=books&sr=1-1

There's still time to join Writing Against the Darkness!

Not a Pipe Publishing’s team, Writing Against the Darkness, will be participating in The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual The Longest Day fundraiser, this year on June 19th.

This year we’ll be writing on Saturday the 19th of June so we don’t conflict with families’ Father Day celebrations on the 20th.

Join the team here.

For the last few years, we’ve started writing at dawn on the longest day of the year, summer solstice, and we write until sundown. By asking friends and family to sponsor us (with just a few posts from each of us on social media), we’ve raised more than $10,000 and written 142,268 words! Everyone writes whatever they want. In addition to working on their novels, members of the group have written beautiful memoires, poetry which has made it into published collections, and even the lyrics to songs that are now recorded singles. So bring your writing powers and join us in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. We’d love to double the size of the team, double the wordcount, and double the fundraising total this year. We started building the team earlier this year and wrote together on the winter solstice. It’s a lot easier to write on the shortest day than the longest, so this was a great way to dip our toes in the water. But don’t be intimidated; you can write as much or as little as you want, and you don’t NEED to write all day. Every little bit helps. Just go to this link and click on the green “Join Our Team” link.

Join Here

(Be sure you don’t accidentally click the “Donate” button. We’d love the donation to the team’s efforts, but we want you to join our team even more!)

The Longest Day event has always been so much fun! Looking forward to writing with you!

The New and Improved Eban and the Dolphins

A revised version of Eban is now available-- as of today -- on Ingram's Global Retail Network.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1034724924/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=9781034724926&qid=1618425749&s=books&sr=1-1

A YA environmental fantasy about a boy genius who feels alienated from humans. With permission from a dolphin community, he elects to live in their pod.
Eban is joined by his girlfriend, Emma, who, with her parents, Janet and Ted, acquire an understanding of his philosophies and way of life. Ultimately, Emma and Eban integrate their human and marine lives.
A story of personal and interpersonal conflict resolution through growth, love, and acceptance, there are, as well, strong messages included about the environment and respect for all life.
Sally M. Olsen’s glorious illustrations enhance the text.

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Death's Midwife, the conclusion to the Daughter of Magic Trilogy!

Cover art by Michaela Thorn

It’s here! Karen Eisenbrey’s Death’s Midwife, the staggering conclusion to the YA epic fantasy Daughter of Magic trilogy, is available for pre-order in paperback, hardcover, and on Kindle. The book will be available everywhere on March 23rd!

When Luskell returns to Eukard City to claim her wizard's staff, she has no plans to advertise her skill for visiting the dead on the Other Side. Word gets out anyway, and she can't say no to those who would benefit from her specialty. But a spirit of legend called Old Mother Bones objects to a living soul trespassing on her domain. When Luskell refuses to heed her demands, Old Mother Bones threatens the person dearest to Luskell's heart. It will take all Luskell's power-and all her friends-to find the legend's weakness before it's too late.

“Girl power at its best! Smashing through wizarding boundaries and redefining opportunities for career and life, Luskell's magical journey comes full-circle as she shapes a long-forgotten skill into a new destiny for herself and those who would follow her.”

-Mikko Azul, author of The Staff of Fire and Bone

“Luskell has grown from a girl trying to discover her power, to a teen breaking glass ceilings, to a woman defining her place in the world, building a community, and lifting up others. This is third wave, intersectional feminist fantasy lit, and I am here for it!”

-Benjamin Gorman, author of Corporate High School

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

And check out the amazing covers for the whole trilogy with new art by Michaela Thorn!

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Zack Dye's 21st Century Coastal American Verses

It’s here! Zack Dye’s 21st Century Coastal American Verses, a staggering collection of poetry, is available for pre-order in paperback and on Kindle today (links below, hardcover available soon). The book will be available everywhere on November 17th!

Zack Dye’s powerful debut collection travels from sea to sea, shining a light on the ways our country’s systems of oppression twist our sense of identity, freedom, love, and loss into an American mythos we wear like a hairshirt. Dye’s unique experience as a white-presenting Mexican American, as a person who has climbed up and down the socio-economic ladder, and as someone who has lived and traveled across the country, produces a unique voice, sometimes pulling the reader in, sometimes shoving us away angrily, leaving us shaken.

"Zack Dye’s poems channel Walt Whitman, if the American everyman had been writing more often from a place of blazing rage. With verses that can encompass both the immensity of time and the wonder of a jelly donut, Dye’s collection speaks to our struggle to stay human in a pixelated world." 

-Eliza Stricland, Senior Editor at IEEE Spectrum

"Zack Dye's poetry expresses fleeting moments of joy and knowledge in the midst of confusion, misunderstanding, frustration, anger, and self-deception, engendered by the false dichotomies of race, language, and otherness in America."

-Jean Harkin, Author of Night in Alcatraz: and Other Uncanny Tales

"The song of a self with calloused feet and open heart, tumbling and vulnerable, raw and hopeful, inescapably honest."

- Brandon Keim, author of The Eye of the Sandpiper

Available for pre-order on Barnes and Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

Writing Against the Darkness Team Will Be Writing on Winter Solstice!

Not a Pipe Publishing’s team, Writing Against the Darkness, will be participating in The Alzheimer’s Association’s annual The Longest Day fundraiser. And this year we’re getting ahead by writing on the winter solstice, too!

Join the team here.

For the last few years, we’ve started writing at dawn on the longest day of the year, summer solstice, and we write until sundown. By asking friends and family to sponsor us (with just a few posts from each of us on social media), we’ve raised more than $10,000 and written 142,268 words! Everyone writes whatever they want. In addition to working on their novels, members of the group have written beautiful memoires, poetry which has made it into published collections, and even the lyrics to songs that are now recorded singles. So bring your writing powers and join us in fighting Alzheimer’s disease. We’d love to double the size of the team, double the wordcount, and double the fundraising total this year. And we can do it, in part thanks to an idea from Stephanie Foster, the Development Associate at the The Alzheimer’s Association’s Oregon Chapter. We’re going to start building our team even earlier this year and kick-off by writing all day on the winter solstice. It’s a lot easier to write on the shortest day than the longest, so this is a great way to dip your toe in the water. Just go to this link and click on the green “Join Our Team” link.

Join Here

(Be sure you don’t accidentally click the “Donate” button. We’d love the donation to the team’s efforts, but we want you to join our team even more!)

We’ll get in touch with all the team members with details for the winter solstice. The Longest Day event has always been so much fun, and we’re excited to bring some extra light to the darkest time of the year, too!

Register for the Live Event: "Thankful for Poetry Month" Reading and Open Mic with Lydia K. Valentine, Zack Dye, and Benjamin Gorman

Thankful for Poetry Month

On Saturday, November 28th, at 5pm Pacific, please join poets Lydia K. Valentine (Brief Black Candles), Zack Dye (21st Century American Verses), and Benjamin Gorman (When She Leaves Me), and poets who generously share a poem of their own in the open mic portion of the show. Poets, we’ll sign up via the chat at the beginning of the even, so don’t be late!). In this challenging time in our country and our world, calls for gratitude can feel forced, even toxic, but one thing we can all appreciate is the gift of poetry as a vehicle to process all the challenges and blessings of our multifaceted human experience. Registration is free. Here’s the link to the Zoom room: https://zoom.us/j/93268903987?pwd=aFE5aWM5RzBBL2ViMzFDSmRJQW9hQT09

Thanks to our sponsors:

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Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for When She Leaves Me by Benjamin Gorman

It’s here! Benjamin Gorman’s When She Leaves Me, a heart-wrenching story told through a collection of poetry, is available for pre-order in paperback, hardcover, and on Kindle today (links below). The book will be available everywhere on November 24th!

In his debut collection, Gorman relays the story of a shocking dissolution of two decades of marriage and his long crawl back to hope. Unflinching, unflattering, shocked and angry and selfish and ultimately generous, the poetry is aimed at readers open to empathy who can nourish their souls on a journey of healing.

“When They Leave Me is a field of wildflowers that blooms after raging fires scorch the forest. These poems not only refuse to let sorrow and destruction have the final word, they are in fact only possible because they are born from that charred past life.”

-Armin Tolentino, author of We Meant to Bring It Home Alive

“…stripped bare and raw, a gut punch that reflects the devastation felt when one is left to find their way… The vulnerable honesty of this collection reveals not only the unspoken realities hidden behind social-media-ready posts, but also the deep-down and, sometimes, buried strength we find to move on.”

-Lydia K. Valentine, author of Brief Black Candles  

“This is a passionate reminder that all the facets of our lives are important, fragile, worthwhile and, unfortunately, impermanent. Benjamin Gorman captains us through a tossing sea full of rainy love, tempestuous truths, monstrous introspection, and gray-scale rainbows. This doesn't have a hero; it's not supposed to. But it's alive, very, very alive, and because of that, it roots and attaches around your heart.”

-Zack Dye, author of 21st Century Coastal American Verses

“Raw, tender, honest, and real, Benjamin Gorman’s When She Leaves Me slips in like a blade between ‘the bones of joy / and mourning’ and cuts straight to the heart. Gorman invites us to listen to ‘the story / of the choice / to tell / this story,’ the story of the end of a marriage, and of his determination ‘to see it / the way / it is,’ even as what he comes to see more clearly is himself. Within these pages, Gorman lights a fire beneath ‘that thing / you are not allowed / to say,’ refining and transmuting this pain to hope. Read this to feel more human. Read it to live a little louder. Read this for the courage to become your own alchemist.”

-Bethany Lee, author of The Breath Between: An Invitation to Mystery and Joy

“Gorman's voice bravely explores the pain that comes with the realization that ending what was meant to be a lifelong relationship at times is the best happily-ever-after one can hope for. I honestly couldn't put this work down.”

-William V.S. Tubman III, author of Anthem

Mantra Light: Poetry/Inspiration

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

More links to come as more retailers offer the book for pre-order.

Not a Pipe Publishing Introduces New Co-Publisher, Viveca Shearin

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 19th, 2020

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Not a Pipe Publishing Announces the Promotion of a New Co-Publisher and Co-Owner, Viveca Shearin

Viveca Shearin

Benjamin Gorman

Independence, Oregon. Not a Pipe Publishing company, a fast-growing business established in 2013 which now publishes the works of 44 authors and poets, is undergoing an exciting change in leadership. Editor Viveca Shearin is being promoted to the position of co-publisher and is accepting joint ownership of the entire company. 

Shearin brings a wealth of expertise, having previously worked in the industry as a freelance copy editor for Black Bride Magazine and managing editor for Psych2go, a psychology-based website. She’s also worked for Not a Pipe Publishing as a freelance editor, then a developmental editor and project manager, shepherding the bestselling novels Wizard Girl by Karen Eisenbrey, Don’t Read This Book by Benjamin Gorman, and the forthcoming Tooth and Claw by Michaela Thorn. Because she makes her home in Brooklyn, New York, Not a Pipe will also be able to connect more directly with other companies in the publishing industry and in other parts of the entertainment and media industries located there. 

Shearin’s promotion came about because of Not a Pipe’s commitment to inclusion and representation in the publishing industry. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, one of Not a Pipe’s authors and a freelance editor, Fable Tethras (nee Taliyah St. James), offered free editing services to BIPOC writers. Another of Not a Pipe’s authors, M.K. Martin, who also works as a freelance editor, liked this idea and reached out to encourage other editors to make the same offer. Not a Pipe Publishing’s founder and publisher Benjamin Gorman, was immediately excited about the idea, then had second thoughts. “I worried that, while this was a gift to BIPOC writers, it might undercut BIPOC editors.” Gorman reached out to Shearin, a Black editor, to see if his concerns were justified. She referred him to one of her mentors, Christa Desir of Tessera Editorial and Sourcebooks Publishing. Desir assured Gorman the offer of free editing would not harm BIPOC editors, but she went further. “I don’t think any change will come until we change the face of publishing. As long as we have white leadership and white sales guys and white editors and white publishers, we’re never going to be able to do the work necessary for our Black authors and their books.” Gorman considered this carefully. “I realized I was in a somewhat unique position to do something about this. I wouldn’t give away shared ownership of this company I love to just anyone, but after working with Viveca for years, I know she’s imminently qualified and will make this company an even stronger family for our authors, and that’s always been my top priority. I found I could do my part to change the face of publishing while also making Not a Pipe Publishing a better company. So I asked her if she wanted to take on this new role.”

When offered the new position, Shearin thought about a goal she’s had for several years. “I thought about all of the authors and writers of color who never got a chance to get their stories heard. Because of the publishing industry’s arcane viewpoints about who belongs in publishing and who doesn’t, I wanted to become an editor and publish more BIPOC stories. I want their voices heard and their stories told. Publishing needs more diversity at every level of the industry. I just hope I inspire more BIPOC out there to take the plunge and carve out their own paths as well.”

Not a Pipe Publishing has a history of social and political activism. In 2015, when Gorman heard about author Kamila Shamsie’s challenge to make 2018 “The Year of Publishing Women,” Not a Pipe accepted and became the only company in the US and one of only two in the world to commit to only publish women authors that year. It published eight novels and an anthology in 2018, and has stuck by those authors, publishing six more by those authors since. In January of this year, Not a Pipe Publishing released Shout: An Anthology of Resistance Poetry and Short Fiction, an overt response to rising fascism in the United States and around the world. Shearin and Gorman share this commitment to activism through art. “By publishing more books about activism,” Shearin says, “we can encourage future generations to use their voice to stand up for what’s right, fight for much-needed change, and create a better tomorrow.” Gorman agrees. “We publish fiction and poetry, but through art, we are committed to telling the truth. Our novels range from fantasy to science fiction to paranormal to thrillers, but the themes they all share are that true heroism comes from standing up for justice, that justice is rooted in love, and that authentic voices have dignity and deserve to be heard. I know Viveca helps authors express those truths, and I can’t wait to see what other voices she’ll find to bring into the Not a Pipe family.”

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For more information or to arrange an interview, contact co-publishers Viveca Shearin and Benjamin Gorman at: 

Vivevca Shearin and Benjamin Gorman

notapipepublishing@gmail.com

P.O. Box 184

Independence, Oregon 97351

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Brief Black Candles by Lydia K. Valentine

It’s here! Lydia K. Valentine’s Brief Black Candles, a beautiful and heart-wrenching collection of poetry, is available for pre-order on Kindle today (the pre-order for the print edition should be available this week) . The book will be available everywhere on November 10th!

Art by Salvatore Cindrich

“In Brief Black Candles, Lydia Valentine attends, with passionate velocity, to questions of survivability, remembrance and the creative art of living a fully human life, even in contexts and conditions that work against that what-it-could-be. …reading becomes a mode of witness. … Haptic, revolutionary and unflinching, this is a powerful debut collection by a poet who does not, and cannot, ‘in this time-/ in this place-’, look away.”

-Bhanu Kapil

“This debut collection, written in the most truthful key available to language, uses poetic form and precise repetition to give shape, then echo, to questions of family, loss, justice and survival, seated in the frame of an America that is a long way from post-racial—the America of today.”

-Sanam Sheriff

“Valentine weaves a text that is rich in sensory, place and imagery. … She demands answers, calling them, you, and us to walk through the museums of our minds, reckon with our ghosts, embrace our angels, and be our own crooked superheroes.”

-Kellie Richardson

Poet Laureate for the city of Tacoma

author of The Art of Naming My Pain

“Valentine explores the ways we touch one another and the spaces between us. … She speaks the harms we have done; she calls us to the work of repair. … Here you will find wounds and loss. Candles extinguished, burning and drowning. Young men turned into symbols. But you will also find new and bursting life…”

-Tina Ontiveros

author of rough house

Available for pre-order in paperback on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

The print edition will be available from your local bookstore, from IndieBound.com, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and all other retailers of fine books in the next few weeks. We will announce these pre-order options as they become available, so follow Not a Pipe Publishing on twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for more information!

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for GhostCityGirl by Simon Paul Wilson

It’s here! Simon Paul Wilson’s GhostCityGirl, an amazing sci-fi horror novel, is available for pre-order today. The novel will be available everywhere on October 27th, so order you copy today and it will arrive by Halloween!

Cover by Michaela Thorn

Serial killers, starvation cults, and spicy noodles −  just another day in Nihon City.

It’s been one hundred years since Tokyo was ravaged by a ghostquake and talking about the supernatural was forbidden. To escape her unhappy family life and mundane job, Kichi Honda spends her days off visiting Mister Tanaka, an old man who tells her illegal tales of haunted Japan. But when Kichi gets stranded on Level One, she meets an impossible girl who claims to have come from Tokyo.

Kichi learns the truth about what really happened all those years ago … and discovers history is about to repeat itself.

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“…immersive and haunting, pulling you into Kichi Honda's world from page one and not releasing its grip on your psyche even after the wild ride is over. Every detail, from the mundane to the supernatural, is deliciously written…”

-Jessie Kwak, author of The Bulari Saga

“… an original dystopian world that masterfully merges the cyberpunk genre with horror elements and never slows down. A world where ghosts no longer go bump in the night but are a sort of weapon of mass destruction that must stay locked away to protect the masses.” 

- Joshua Marsella, author of Scratches

“…perfect read for fans of Ghost in the Shell, Fatal Frame, and Japanese ghost stories. Crammed tight with endless twists and shiver-inducing scares…”

-Michaela Thorn, author of Tooth and Claw

"If you grabbed a bunch of memorable characters, a cool sci-fi setting, a driving plot, and a supernatural disaster, and you tossed them all into a blender, you'd be lucky to get a novel as fun as GhostCityGirl. And without a tight lid, you'd get a lot of blood on the walls."

-Benjamin Gorman, author of Don't Read This Book 

Pre-order your copy today from your local independent bookstore. Find it using IndieBound.org.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Amazon UK HERE.

Available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle UK HERE.

Cover Reveal and Pre-Order Announcement for Tooth and Claw by Michaela Thorn

It’s here! Michaela Thorn’s Tooth and Claw, an amazing vampire and shifter novel, is available for pre-order today. The novel will be available everywhere on September 29th. Check out this striking cover by Michaela Thorn herself, and pre-order your copy in hardcover, paperback, or Kindle below.

Cover and interior art by Michaela Thorn

Vampires.

The Man in the Moon’s bloodthirsty children forged from his scorn.

Shifters.

Mother Nature’s fearless, noble servants, who risk death by bite in their constant struggle to keep the vampires at bay.

Macy’s entire life has been devoted to Mother Nature and upholding her glory, despite Macy’s incompetence as a shifter. When she’s bitten by a vampire but doesn’t die from the venom, everything changes. Overnight, she becomes one of the monsters she reviled. Severed from her girlfriend, her people, her home, and her faith, everything is called into question.

And then the Man in the Moon whispers about something even more terrible lurking on the horizon.

"Such a refreshing take on the vampire lore! Thorn knows how to weave an enthralling tale of two opposing sides that makes you crave for more!"

-Villimey Mist, author of Nocturnal Blood

"A paranormal thriller perfect for our times: a tale of oppression, vengeance, and, maybe, hope for reconciliation between ancient enemies."

-Karen Eisenbrey, author of Daughter of Magic and The Gospel According to St. Rage

“A fresh take on werewolf and vampire lore, Tooth and Claw demands your attention. Not only is it a fantastic read; it has fantastic illustrations, too. Get your teeth and claws stuck in this ASAP!”

Simon Paul Wilson, author of GhostCityGirl

Not only did Michaela Thorn create the fantastic cover art for this novel, but she also produced the artwork which decorates the interior! Her artwork can be found on her website HERE or on Instagram HERE.

Pre-order your copy today from your local independent bookstore. Find it using IndieBound.org.

Available for pre-order on Amazon HERE.

Available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble HERE.

Available for pre-order on Kindle HERE.

Author William Schreiber on the Tom Sumner Program

Our own William Schreiber, author of Someone to Watch Over, was interviewed on the Tom Sumner Program. Check it out HERE!

It's Not Too Late!

A team of writers and poets of all kinds will be getting together online for just one day, on June 20th, to write all day (with lots of snack breaks and online camaraderie) to raise money for The Alzheimer's Association's annual The Longest Day fundraiser. It’s free and fun! Join with Willamette Writers luminaries like Janet Burroway (Writing Fiction, Losing Tim, Raw Silk), Nan C Ballard (Carico Trails), Mikko Azul (The Staff of Fire and Bone) and Benjamin Gorman (Don’t Read This Book, The Sum of Our Gods) in their Writing Against the Darkness team here: http://bit.ly/AgainstDark2020

Feel Better by Doing Good

You may have heard about this study: Scientists gave people $5-$20 and asked them to either buy themselves a treat or spend it on someone else. The folks who spent it on someone else were happier. This has been replicated and crosses all kinds of socio-economic, national, and cultural lines. Giving makes us happier than we expect.

But what if someone isn't handing you $20 right now? What if times are tight and you have every reason to feel down?

Here's a way to give for free: Pick an author who has written a book you like. Someone alive. And the less famous, the better. Go to Goodreads. Write them a nice review. Copy it. Post it to the websites of a bunch of online and brick-and-mortar bookstores. You can do all of this in ten minutes.

And then, do you know what will happen? You will make that author incredibly happy. Way more than anything you could have purchased for $20. And when you know that, you will feel happier. Even in dark times. Even when you have good reason to be bummed. Because you will have done a very kind thing for someone who will really appreciate it.

Of course there are lots of other free ways to be kind which will make you happier. We think of this one because we love authors and see how much good reviews mean to them. But please, do those other kind things, too. Feel better by doing good. You deserve it!