Born just outside of Philadelphia, Ari moved into the city for school and never looked back. In their day job, they are a lawyer (not that kind of lawyer). When they’re not writing, they’re listening to black metal, researching one of several incredibly niche interests, or watching too many hockey games. Ari's latest novel is GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE.

Ari's Tip

Nothing that you write is a waste of time or a lost cause. Even if you feel like it's unsaleable, or you hate it at the time you've written it, all writing is time spent honing and developing your craft. Even beyond that, though, it's important to save every draft and project because you never know when you'll return to it at another point in your life and a different point in your career and be able to salvage it.

My most recent release, Goaltender Interference, was originally written in 2020 and then expanded and revised four years later, and my current work-in-progress is something I'd started in 2016 and abandoned because, at the time, I didn't feel like I had the skill level to complete it. I'm tackling it almost a decade later with fresh eyes and a new perspective. The point: even if you're feeling down on yourself about projects you haven't completed or sold, try not to. Everything you write is worthwhile and useful and you never know when you'll have the time, skill, and reason to revive it.

THE RIVAL by Emma Lord

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At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival — her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb — by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE by Ari Baran

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PRIMAL MIRROR by Nalini Singh (paperback)

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THE LEGEND OF MENEKA by Kritika H. Rao

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Kritika H. Rao weaves a luscious, exhilarating fantasy inspired by one of the most famous romances in Hindu mythology— the story of a celestial dancer tasked with seducing a human sage, but when she finds herself falling for her mark, she will be forced to choose between loyalties and being true to herself.

Across the mortal and immortal realms, celestial dancers known as apsaras are revered for their beauty, allure, and enchanting magic. But Meneka knows that is not all they are. Trained as a weapon—a warrior—Meneka despises leaving each of her marks in thrall to her potent illusions. With every seduction Lord Indra, king of heaven, demands of her for his political gain, she craves her freedom more and more.

A YEAR AND A DAY OF EVERYDAY MAGIC by Deborah Blake

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