This week our guest is Alia Luria. Alia holds an MFA in Fiction from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She writes a mix of science fiction fantasy novels, personal essays, and haiku. Her first novel, Compendium, won the Indie Excellence Award in fantasy, was a silver medalist in the Reader’s Favorite Book Awards in fantasy, was a gold medalist in the eLit Awards for science fiction/fantasy, and was an Independent Author Network Book of the Year finalist in the science fiction, fantasy, and first novel categories. Her personal essay about being stalked by an ex-boyfriend, “You Might Eat Organic, but You’re Full of Baloney,” was a finalist for the Open Season Award in CNF and was published by Northwest Review.  She has also had short work published in Toho Journal and Wingless Dreamer. Her second novel, Ocularum, is forthcoming in 2024 with Something Or Other Publishing, and her first collection of personal essays and haiku, working title Geri o Shimasu, will be published in 2025 by Unsolicited Press. You can visit her blog at Still Not a Robot stillnotarobot.com or her author site at alialuria.com.