By Betty Fall Critically acclaimed author, award-winning filmmaker, professor of English and literature, Zen Buddhist priest—Ruth Ozeki’s extensive portfolio is as impressive as it is varied. Ozeki has built a literary career exploring all facets of how people connect, especially through reading and writing, and her stories have resonated with audiences across the globe. Despite already having such an accomplished…
By Shannon Glass When it comes to writing, TJ Martinson is always trying something new. His first two novels, The Reign of the Kingfisher and Her New Eyes, explore first the superhero myth and then speculative fiction delving into the body-identity connection. With his latest work, Blood River Witch, Martinson takes inspiration from his current home in Kentucky to craft…
By Geordie Stock Désirée Zamorano is a foodie, and in her short fiction, it shows. Her latest book, Amarisa’s Cooking Pot: Tales of Life in All its Wonders, is a hearty meal of a collection. Zamorano’s characters are overjoyed, furious, desperate, forlorn, pensive, and resolute. They populate the collection in magical fairy tales; cold, mean diatribes; and bittersweet introspective days…
By Sandy Duchac If authors are meant to write what they know, Perrin Pring’s work as a park ranger provides a wealth of knowledge. As a law enforcement officer, Pring is required to patrol thousands of acres, investigating crimes, providing emergency aid, and navigating unforgiving terrain with little to no backup. The work demands adaptability, restraint, and a constant awareness…
By Pallas M. Gutierrez Emily Rapp Black does not shy away from the tough stuff. Her first memoir, Poster Child, explored her experience as a disabled person. The Still Point of the Turning World detailed her experience of losing her son Ronan to Tay-Sachs disease. As a result of that loss, many people over the years have told her, “I…
The Last Generation Press staff with their mentor and publisher, Chiwan Choi. Photo courtesy of Chiwan Choi. By Angelo A. Williams Last Generation Press began with a summer poetry class and quickly became something larger: a teen-run publishing project committed not only to young writers, but to the idea that publishing itself can be grassroots, communal, and ethical. Founded by…
By Dave Oei Having published over three dozen books, the first at eighteen, Shanora Williams is no stranger to writing across different genres. The New York Times bestselling author has penned paranormal and contemporary romances, thrillers, dark fantasy, and, as with the recently released Mayhem and the Mortal, romantasy. Red Tower Books, known for helping define the genre with the…
By Charli Engelhorn Kali White VanBaale is the author of the novels The Space Between, The Good Divide, and The Monsters We Make, but at The Coachella Review she is also known as the author of the short story “Monkey Mountain,” published here in 2019. That story features in her debut story collection, Release of Information and Other Linked Stories, in…
By Kevin T. Morales Fantasy is a cooperative challenge. It requires of both author and reader equally strong imagination. In Megan Jauregui Eccles’s debut novel, Sing the Night, magic is invoked by singing, and an intense competition to be the King’s mage takes place in L’Opera du Magician. There’s an inherent challenge in describing music in prose. As The Lovin’…
By Sophie Ann Hinkson Some authors have a magnetic pull—you keep returning to them, as if by fate. Megan Milks is one such writer, first gaining attention with the body-horror short story “Slug,” from their eponymous collection. Milks is also the author of the novel Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body and the recently released Mega Milk, all published by Feminist Press. Their books explore…