The Authors Quill Authors Mike Strickland Zach Poulter Brenda Posey S_J_ Stevenson

Mike Strickland has made a career out of writing everything from marketing copy and finance articles to technical documentation and mobile app messages—and even twenty thousand science fiction-themed trivia questions. Other jobs he's been paid to do include scuba diver, navigator, call center representative, user experience designer, and now, science fiction author. His love of words began with fantasy and sci-fi, where it has now brought him full circle. After a long hiatus from fiction, Mike started writing and publishing again in 2024. A year later, he earned a master's degree in creative writing and won the prestigious Writers of the Future Contest. The story idea for “As Long as You Both Shall Live” was born from a dream two days before the Writers of the Future contest deadline. Mike wrote most of the story on the day of the deadline itself—his most prolific day of writing yet. The inspiration that powered such output focused on this question: “If technology allowed a person’s consciousness to be transferred to a virtual environment, disconnected from their The Contest, one of the most prestigious writing and illustrating competitions in the world, is currently in its 43rd year and is judged by some of the premier names in speculative fiction. The Writers of the Future Contest judges include, Tim Powers (author of On Stranger Tides), Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert (Dune prequel series), Robert J. Sawyer (The Oppenheimer Alternative), Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn series, The Stormlight Archive), Larry Niven (Ringworld), Orson Scott Card (Ender’s Game), Nnedi Okorafor (Who Fears Death), Hugh Howey (Wool), and Katherine Kurtz (Deryni series) to name a few. 🎙️ New to streaming or looking to level up? Check out StreamYard and get $10 discount! 😍 https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5047151774400512