"A dark bouquet of narratives that often focus on women pushed to emotional extremes." -- Kirkus Review

Author Renee Coloman is inviting new friends to follow me / follow you on Instagram where we can share inspiring insights about books, writing, and the magic of storytelling.

Get ready for a visceral ride, as I share a few of my favorite story titles & character situations from Born of Dirt & Dust by Renee Coloman.

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I read and I write and I read throughout the days and nights, because books and their authors have a special way of revealing truths about our humanity, our potential, our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, yet our courage and resilience to survive. These are the reasons why I won’t let go. Why I have to keep going. It’s my writing journey, and there is no end. 

The book is fiction. Yet the narratives feel prickly and real. No matter that the book's genre dives into fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. Certain situations demand certain choices. We do what we must to make sense of our realities.

It's a heartbeat away. Only a few more days until the release of Born of Dirt & Dust---a hybrid collection of 23 short stories spread across 200+ pages; the kind of intense narratives that dip and swirl within worlds of fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. Stories that feature diverse characters and settings, offering thoughtful insights into life's hardships and the strength of the human spirit. An experience that will move you, provoke thought, and stay with you long after the last

Born of Dirt & Dust ... Prepare to immerse yourself in this collection of twenty-three captivating stories, artfully blending speculative flash & short fiction doused in literary themes, escapism, sci-fi, and horror.

Sami understood that proper behavior translated into extra bonus points. Especially during substitute-teacher days. And, with enough good check marks next to her name, she would earn the privilege of selecting a special prize posted on the classroom bulletin board, right next to her teacher’s big desk. Right in front of everyone. With a sparkle in her smile, the ambitious second grader focused on the dangling ticket to win a googly-eyed goldfish – FREE! From Mermaid Katy’s A

Currently---before our recent discussion about Cronenberg with my book-club friends, I've been finessing a 1,600-word short story about a boy's relationship with his father, in particular his admiration for father's working-man hands.

Nate Powell shared his process of translating published books into graphic novels. It's a slow, very detailed approach before the graphic novel is published. He talked about multiple reads of the written book, earmarking and taking notes on how best to illustrate the work into visual storytelling.

Thank you to The Literary Hatchet, published by Pear Tree Press, for including Abby's Lockbox in their book #38, released in November 2024.

Renee Coloman is delighted to share that the editors from Literally Stories selected my work, Once Bitten, for publication---coming this winter.

One of my top-tier favorite pastimes is attending OC Library's hosted literary events featuring best-selling authors. A few days ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Kaira Rouda, an award-winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Yeah! Bring it on, Kaira!! "Let's talk murder. The fictional kind, of course." That's her tagline. And I love it.

Short stories have a way of seeping from my pores. I can't help myself. I'm addicted to writing speculative narratives that feel weird, violent and heart-breaking, yet truthful in representing our humanity.

In this flash moment of time---an experience imprinted deep, deep into my mind---I can't help but think, hating myself, for all the beauty in this world that we bend, break, and destroy. We're good at it. A five-star review.

Tick, tock, tick. There's a countdown clock inside my brain. Play the game, play the game, I tell myself. But I can't let him win. Not when it comes to my memories, to what I know about my brother's death. I can't let him win. Can't let Dad gaslight me. Again and again and again.

I wrote ROBBY's Come to Play, a light sci-fi short fiction, in early 2024---a gut reaction to waking up alone in bed one pre-dawn morning and feeling a crazed urge to smash apart my phone and terminate its screeching alarm.

Hybrid poetry-flash fiction reflecting on the power of love