Sam Stark's Blog

Hello there. I have a lot of things going on and not a lot of time to be updating four different blogs. Therefore, I am moving my updates to my Patreon, as I am much better at posting over there.

I’m going to keep things like book reviews and convention shenanigans here, but if you would like to hear my rants about silly things like video games and my pets, head over to https://www.patreon.com/Sam_Stark where I faithfully update every Tuesday.

Also, just a quick note: you don’t have to p...

I’m not at all surprise that this book is as comprehensive and well put together as it is. I don’t want to say that I expected it, because that sounds entitled, but I do find a certain amount of comfort when tuning in to author Sara Steel’s podcast “Let’s Talk About Sects.” Every episode is researched, professionally discussed, engaging, and compassionate. She interviews cult survivors/leavers, giving them a platform on which they can tell their stories without judgement or confrontation—a rare ...

I’ve been lax at updating this blog, so I thought I would take a few minutes to review a book I read yesterday. The book is “Summer Sons” by Lee Mandelo, and it’s awesome.

Hello, this is a repost of my short fantasy/horror story that was published in “Strange Lands”, which you can find here: https://blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-gothic/gothic-fantasy-successful-submissions-strange-lands

Enjoy!

Wondrous Grot and Secret Cell

As the last sliver of sunlight disappeared behind the battlements, the king glanced around warily at his advisers and then waved one gnarled finger in the air.

“Open the gate!” he commanded.

Iron chains protested the s...

After carful consideration and a few messages from a few readers, I’ve decided to do a Patreon page. Kindle Vella has been nice, but it’s not available for my international readers. I want to make money, but I also want my stuff available to everyone.

If you’re interested in reading some m/m shifter romance, or just some romance in general, and maybe get together sometimes and chat on Discord about writing or slash fiction or food or you know, whatever, click the link below and you can do al...

I’m writing sex again.

It’s been ten-thousand years.

It’s like riding a bike, not going to lie. Writing across several genres (romance, fantasy, horror) I’ve come to recognize the stuff that’s easy to fall back into and what’s a struggle, and sex is the easiest. I fall into that shit like it’s a Posturepedic.

My weaknesses are many. I mean I’m pretty shit at a lot of stuff but mostly intros and first lines. I work into things slowly and I always get “you need to get to the tension/actio...

I’m starting Keto today.

I need to lose a few pounds but I think the main reason I’m getting back on a regulated eating cycle is that it bumps my creativity. Every time I’ve been on some kind of calorie counting kick or low sugar thing or whatever where I’ve had to strictly monitor my food intake, I get a little stricter in my daily living overall. I have a lot of pieces and moving parts in my life and I get through everything more easily if it’s organized. (Bacon twice a day and cheese when...

I need to learn how to not be so hard on myself.

Yeah right.

I am probably the most organized person I know. I’m not crazy anal or anything, and I’m not ODC or whatever, I just have this fairly strict sense of things I need to do in a specific amount of time because I’m a fucking adult and I have things that need to get done. There’s always Something. I’m always doing Something. (Just a side note: this specific amount of time is a week. I don’t know why it’s a week, it’s just the way of t...

Look at me updating! Dang, I’m so good at this. Professional blogger, that is me.

I can finally BREATHE! As of this moment I have no audiobook narrations to do. Dusk Mother be praised! Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love narrating, but taking on four projects in–what was it, two months? Three?–was a stupid, bad bad bad idea. I barely had time to finish the southern/military one, and the fourth one? Oh man, that’s a story I will get to in a second.

First off, let me promote myself because...

I 0 did not meet my goal of getting a journal post up last week. Oops. I have a good excuse though, promise.

Okay, so, first thing’s first: I have now finished two novel narrations. The first is past the author/publisher’s checks and now it’s on to Audible approval. I should hear back (hopefully) soon. I’ll put the link to it up here, but it’s the billionaire romance so I don’t expect anyone that follows me to actually read (listen to) it. It’s cool, don’t worry about it.

The second is an ...