LJ Cohen

I don't think I realized how much my surgery in December - and the months of worry and loss of function that preceded it - had interfered with my writing. I am well on the mend and working hard in physical therapy. And let me tell you, it's not easy being on the other side of the treatment equation. (I worked as a PT for 25 years).

For the past several months, I've been building strength and endurance and the subtle sensation and proprioception has returned to my hands, arms, and legs. And the writing has been progressing really well. 

In fact, I'm 4 1/2 scenes from completing the sequel to LITANY. 

Book 2 of the series is EVERY SKY A STRANGER. I'm working on a brief description, which is definitely harder to come up with than writing the whole novel. 

This is an early draft of that 'blurb':

When an EMT with PTSD falls through a portal to an alternate version of Boston, three friends from different realities in the multiverse, each who have been helped by him, attempt a rescue before conflicting memories destroy his mind. But Traveling through the world walls is risky and each of the three find themselves exactly where they least wish to be.

If you are willing to be a beta reader for the manuscript before my final revision and before it goes off to my editor, please let me know. I'm looking for:

• 2 or 3 folks,
• ideally who have read book 1
• who can return comments within 2 weeks
• big picture feedback only, no sentence level work

You will have my gratitude and a public thank you in the acknowledgments of the book.

Be on the lookout for my Kickstarter Campaign!

In the next month or so, I'll be going live with a kickstarter campaign for an audiobook version of LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD. There will be some fun perks, including a limited edition ceramic (thrown/made by me) mug. I'm working on a glaze application that will look like a portal. 

If you are a writer, or know any, then you also know that we are in a 'golden age' of scam/spam email solicitations, all likely generated by AI/LLM. They flood my inbox every damned day, often multiple emails a day and they all include the same smarmy praise with elements of the stories that have absolutely been produced by the magic 8 ball/spicy autocorrect plaigarism machine. (Ask me how I really feel about LLMs...) 

So when I got an email from Louise McLaughlin - an indie author - who thought that her readership might be interested in my work and vice versa, I initially thought 'Yeah, right.'

But lo and behold, Louise is a real human! Who writes real books! And she's offering DIMENSIONS for free here. 

DIMENSIONS by Louise McLaughlin

WANTED UNIVERSAL CODERS: Secret Organisation, The 23, seeks a long-term relationship with gifted people. Discretion and the ability to think differently are essential. Grey morality is desirable. Excellent job satisfaction.

No need to apply… We’ll find you.

Frankie’s life is turned upside down when he’s coerced into joining a Secret Organisation.

The organisation is called The 23, which claims to control the code behind all of reality on Earth.

Along with his friends, Hugo and Dawn, they uncover the terrifying truth.

Reality is about to be reset.

To survive, they need to hack reality using the consciousness interface.

He wants freedom for everyone, but the stakes are deadly.

They are humanity's only hope.

What could possibly go wrong?