Do I consider it a happy coincidence that it is now Alethea's turn to be profiled the same time her book (Beauty & Dynamite) comes out?

Yes. Yes I do.

If there's anything I'm about, I'm about the synergy. Crap stories fuels the Rejection Urge. Forcing Apex editors to perform slave labor means a Financially Effective business plan. Alethea Kontis+her smile equates to hearts and wallets melting like butter.

Soon after the integration of Mari Adkins into the Apex fold, I attended Hypericon and met Alethea. I won't go into detail here, but I did write a story about this holy event and entered it into a contest (consequentially I won 50 bucks!). You can read this story of orgies, booze, and Brian Keene right here.

This story also happens to appear in Alethea's book Beauty & Dynamite that can be bought right here. (Feel the synergy, people!)

At the time, I thought I was tapping into the skills of an excellent writer. Little did I know that I had stumbled upon a treasure trove of talents.

Alethea is many things. Writer is just one of them. She's a book buyer for Ingram Books. She's a skilled copy and line editor. She's well-connected with industry insiders. She's a fountain of knowledge. With a flick of her wrist, she can have you tarred, feathered, and glued to the underpinning of an I-75 highway overpass.

When all else fails, when I desperate absolutely need something, Alethea is the one I contact. She is my ace-in-the-hole. Do you have any idea how comforting it is to know that if I am falling, Alethea will be there to catch me, kick me in the groin, and tell me to get my butt back out there soldier I have a public to entertain.

Alethea generally doesn't work on our slush or acquisitions, so there is only one tip I can give to writers to help them improve their career.

1) Get to know Alethea.

I'm glad I did.