New release is in pre-order and other news

Cover art by Chris Howard

The long awaited (at least by me!) sequel to LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD is here! EVERY SKY A STRANGER is book 2 of Entangled Realities, a metaphysical science fiction trilogy set in worlds scattered throughout the multiverse where memory can't be trusted and reality itself is being manipulated for political gain.

The ebook is available now for preorder at every major online retailer, and directly from me through Gumroad -  links on my website. The print edition will be released when the ebook is published on 9/29/26. 

Praise for Every Sky a Stranger:

"A vivid, extraordinary novel. Cohen masterfully depicts a full-bodied cast of characters navigating a chaotic multiverse that strips certainty, revealing who they are and what they're willing to sacrifice to save it. Brava!"

—THERESE WALSH, author of The Moon Sisters and founder of Writer Unboxed

 

"… hold on. Beyond logic. Beyond sense. If there is a single future where hope wins, fight for it."

When an EMT with PTSD falls through a portal into an alternate version of Boston, three friends from different realities in the multiverse, each of whom owe him a debt, attempt a rescue before conflicting memories of a life he never led destroy his mind. But Traveling through the world walls is unpredictable and the three – a doctor, a truthscryer, and the daughter of Travelers - become separated, each ending up where they least wish to be, powerless to aid their companion.

The doctor contends with an alternate timeline where her drinking jeopardizes her medical license, the truthscryer faces a life of rejection and despair because of his gift of seeing, and the young girl is trapped at the secret agency which engineered her father's death. All become enmeshed in a struggle within that agency which risks destabilizing the fragile fabric of reality and isolating the lost travelers far from home. If they are to survive, they must hold faith in one another across all time and space.  

In other news...

 The audiobook for LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD will be released shortly! Stay tuned for links to where it will be available!

And even more news 

I'm healed enough from my tree pruning injury and subsequent hand surgery in July to be back on the potters wheel, back to knitting, and almost back to my regular speed touch typing. Let my experience be a cautionary tale—never ever rush when using power tools. I was extremely lucky and should have a full recovery.  

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What would your Focus be?

Several stitch markers I use in my knitting and crochet

In the world of Entangled Realities, there are those who can move between worlds of the multiverse. These Travelers are taught to use a small item, called a focus, to keep them grounded so they don't lose themselves in transit. 

One of my characters - Reina - is a young girl who is the daughter of two Travelers. When she faces her first journey, she needs to choose an item for her focus and remembers her father asking her what represents home. 

She chooses a beach stone. It has special significance to her past, as revealed in the story. 

I wondered what I would choose. What represents home to me? I've lived in many places across my 62 years on the planet. I've moved through many phases of my life, each with different identities: child, student, wife, professional, mother, writer, farmer, crafter. Which of these is "home". Not in a literal place, but in a sense of core being. What small item could I carry that would always lead me back to myself?

Reina's parents both choose their wedding rings as their focus. While my spouse is definitely home base for me, I don't wear a wedding ring. We both have them, but life as a farmer and a potter is not conducive to wearing jewelry of any kind. 

A pottery tool was under consideration, but that is just part of who I am. Same thing for a fancy pen to symbolize my life as a writer. But I don't typically write with a pen and a computer would be too awkward to carry. 

Then I glanced at my knitting project bag and the box of stitch markers. 

Perfect.

They are small, light, easy to connect to a piece of clothing. And while they do the literal work of keeping me on track in a knitting or crochet pattern, they represent something more. Of holding my place in the fabric of the world. Marking where I am and giving me the sense of where I need to go. 

Plus - and amusingly - they seem to shift in and out of phase, getting lost in the multiverse of the sofa cushions and randomly getting found again.  

So that's my focus sorted out. Stitch markers. Something that wouldn't be noticed or commented on. Something that has personal and metaphorical meaning. Something to anchor me to myself in the swirling confusion of the multiverse.

How about you? What's your focus?

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Subscribe to BlueMusings and receive my short story collection, STRANGER WORLDS THAN THESE, as my gift.

 

Blue Musings is a low volume e-newsletter containing notifications about book releases, sales, recommendations, and free original short fiction in multiple drm-free formats. Your privacy will always be respected.

Why Poplar is the Best Dog and A Kickstarter Update

As of Day 1 of the campaign! 

 

I didn't set out to write a story with a telepathic dog. In fact, I didn't plan on any dog at all. But when I was working on the early drafts of what would become LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD, Poplar showed up. 

Yes, characters do appear like that. A gift from the subconscious that any writer worth her salt doesn't turn away. So Poplar stayed. Even as the story morphed and changed. Even as other characters got cut and never returned to the manuscript. 

And when I look at the story, she is its heart and soul.

I'd like to say I created Poplar as an amalgamation of all the dogs I've owned throughout my adult life, but I think she really created herself out of my memories and relationships with our canine companions.  

Let me introduce you to them.

Maxwell Smart

I didn't grow up with pets of any kind. The night before my wedding in 1988, my sister asked if she could bring over our gift as 'it was fragile' and she didn't want to risk bringing it the wedding. 

Sure, we said, come on over. 

And she walked in with a 12 week old puppy. A Lhasa Apso aka a white ball of fluff. 

Maxwell Smart Dog, age 6 with our first born kiddo, circa 1994

Unfortunately, all our photos of Max as a puppy are somewhere in photo albums in a storage unit. He was a clown of a dog and set himself as the protector and best friend of our son pretty much from the start. 

Max was a great first dog to have. He was patient and gentle and playful. Would hop in any car ready for adventure. Max was also something of a Houdini and found many ways to escape our fenced in yard to ride shotgun for the day with our town's animal control officer. 

 

Tigger 

Tigger with her favorite thing in the world: A tennis ball

 

Max lived to be almost 17! When he passed in December of 2004, we weren't going to look for another dog for a little while. It was winter. I had 2 young children to care for. But my youngest (8 at the time) held me to my promise that we would look for a dog once there was no longer snow on the ground. 

In March of 2005, Tigger found us. When we got her records from the dog rescue, we discovered she'd been born the day Max died. The kids ever after believed that Max sent her to us so we could stop being sad. 

Tigger was a hound/lab mix and one of the most responsive dogs I've known. She loved to learn tricks and when she was old enough, she and I passed the tests to become a therapy dog team. We spent many years visiting hospitals, nursing homes, and adolescent psychiatry facilities. She was a natural. Always knew the exact person who needed her love. 

 

Dustin

I swear, this photo was not staged.

 

When our kids got older and busier, it was clear that Tigger needed a canine friend. So we adopted Dustin. Then we found out that he was part Jack Russel Terrier. AKA terror. 

Terriers are a special breed of intense. And Dustin had a lot of trauma from being a feral stray. But Tigger loved him. He became her puppy and she civilized him. Dustin was definitely a challenge, but over time, he became a very sweet cuddler, albeit a menace to other dogs. 

Mya

 

Mya cosplaying a babushka

 

Sadly, Tigger died of cancer when she was 10 and we quickly realized Dustin needed a companion. So we adopted Mya - a border collie mix who had been shot as a puppy and only had 1 eye. She was very much my dog. Extremely sweet with people. Unpredictably fear aggressive with other dogs. Though she and Dustin were definitely pack. 

Dustin and Mya made the transition with us to empty nesting and our move to the farm where we live now. In fact, when I came out here in 2020 at the beginning of covid (while my spouse stayed in Boston, treating ICU patients), they were my loyal companions. 

 

Gigi 

 

1 year of Gigi

 

Mya got lymphoma in 2024 and after 6 months of chemotherapy, died in early 2025. Dustin - probably well in his teen years by then (we were never really certain how old he was) - died of heart failure about 6 weeks later. We were heartbroken, but definitely not ready for another dog. 

Until Gigi found us. A lovely mix of shepherd and hound, Gigi is a lot like Tigger was in terms of her emotional intelligence, responsiveness, and gentleness. Unlike Mya and Dustin, Gigi is exceptionally well mannered with other dogs and knows how to alter her play style to suit her companion. She's also the first dog I've ever had who naturally retrieves a ball and drops it at my feet on command. So these are all my good dogs. 

 

 

And Poplar? Well, she has a little bit of all of them in her. I am indebted to each dog we've shared our lives with for helping me bring Poplar to the page with clarity and honesty. Along with a nose for cheese.

As for the Kickstarter, you can help bring more Poplar to the world with your support! Now that we've reached the initial funding goal, anything raised beyond this will go toward the audiobooks of book 2 and 3 in the trilogy, all with Poplar being the best good dog on the page. 

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Subscribe to BlueMusings and receive my short story collection, STRANGER WORLDS THAN THESE, as my gift.

 

Blue Musings is a low volume e-newsletter containing notifications about book releases, sales, recommendations, and free original short fiction in multiple drm-free formats. Your privacy will always be respected.

Being Vulnerable

I did the thing.

I put together a kickstarter campaign to help fund the audiobook production of LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD.

Can I tell you how much I struggled just to consider doing this? How hard it is for me to ask for friends, readers, and strangers to pledge money to my project? It was difficult enough to write my story (as KS defines it) and be clear on what I needed and to put together rewards for backers that would be something interesting and unique that I could offer. The hardest part? The video.

Kickstarter encourages creators to add a short video to their campaign. Fine, I thought, I'll do a slide deck. But best practice seems to be for the creator to talk directly to potential backers. 

AARGH. 

I'm a writer. And a neurospicy one at that. I work in a little room, at my computer, alone (maybe Gigi curled up at my feet), usually dressed in torn jeans and flannel and with major bed head. Being seen is uncomfortable.  

So I split the difference - created a few slides to introduce my video, did the voice over, added about 90 seconds of me talking about the project and myself. 

Total time to put together and record that roughly 2 minute video? Four days. Four full days. Maybe 40 hours of work and at least 20 takes. Video is *hard*. Kudos to creators who work in that medium. I know I couldn't. 

After getting really wonderful feedback on the campaign and making some important changes, I sent it off to the powers that be at Kickstarter for approval. 

If they give me the green light, I'll set the campaign to officially begin by mid May. 

Stay tuned! If you'd like updates, please consider subscribing to my email newsletter Bluemusings. 

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Subscribe to BlueMusings and receive my short story collection, STRANGER WORLDS THAN THESE, as my gift.

 

Blue Musings is a low volume e-newsletter containing notifications about book releases, sales, recommendations, and free original short fiction in multiple drm-free formats. Your privacy will always be respected.