I'm testing the waters with some video content on my Instagram account. Called "Free Read Fridays," each episode will include a brief (1-minute) reading from a randomly selected page in my novel EOLYN. I will occasionally cross-post here, but the best way to catch Free Read Fridays is to follow me on Instagram. This week's... Continue Reading →
Summer Escape for $4.99
It's been a while since I've done this. I've decided to run a promotion for my award-winning fantasy trilogy, The Silver Web. For a limited time, you can download the entire set for just $4.99. Each novel is available separately, starting with Eolyn for just $0.99. The trilogy has been published across multiple electronic platforms,... Continue Reading →
EOLYN available for free download
In hopes of offering more entertainment options for a home-bound public, my women-centered fantasy novel, Eolyn, is now available for free download. You can find Eolyn on Google Books, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo, as well as on Smashwords in both epub and mobi format. Amazon wouldn't let me set the price below 99 cents, but... Continue Reading →
First Goals and Aspirations for 2020
Avila University started its regular spring semester about two weeks ago. Seems I've hardly drawn a breath, and the month has already slipped by! After some worry that I might be teaching an overload again this spring, I managed to negotiate with the powers that be so that my teaching obligations remain within contract. This... Continue Reading →
My WisCon Schedule
Unbelievable - in just under 2 weeks, I'll be at WisCon! I'm very excited! So is EOLYN! This will be our first time at the Madison-based fan con that focuses on discussion of gender, race, and class in the context of science fiction and fantasy. Overall, the programming looks very interesting. Based on the panel... Continue Reading →
Kirkus Reviews ‘Daughter of Aithne’
I was excited (and nervous) last week to receive Kirkus Reviews' assessment of Daughter of Aithne, the third and final installment of The Silver Web Trilogy. Nervous before I read it, excited afterwards. All three novels of The Silver Web have received positive reviews from Kirkus, but Kirkus seemed to like Daughter of Aithne best of all: "Thankfully," the reviewer writes, "[Gastreich] ends her series with the... Continue Reading →
The Inquisitor
For a second, Carlos wonders what this man would look like under torture, whether his face would retain the same luminous quality. The thought excites him - the execution of power always does - and his sense of inferiority fades. - Tobsha Learner, The Witch of Cologne For a while now, I've been promising a series of... Continue Reading →
Not-So-Benevolent Sexism
The night I watched Hillary Clinton accept the Democratic nomination for president, something shifted inside of me. More than shifted; there was movement of seismic proportions. A complete re-ordering of my internal universe. Until that moment, part of me believed that this was impossible; that as long as I lived, a woman would never be nominated... Continue Reading →
The Un-Success Story
A couple months ago, I watched a documentary about the life of Jim Henson on PBS. I grew up with the Muppets and always admired the artistry and imagination of Henson's enterprise. It was interesting to have this behind-the-scenes look at Henson life, and to learn about the personal and professional struggles he dealt with.... Continue Reading →
About those women characters…
This post is inspired by three seemingly unrelated events this week. One was an article by Renee Asher Pickup about the feminist implications of the story of Ted Bundy. The other, a reflection on a Tumblr blog about Joss Whedon and the ever-elusive female heroine. (This latter post has been on line for over a year now;... Continue Reading →
