Yeah, I know. Y’all were getting used to having some content from me every Sunday, and then I disappeared. What happened?

A glass of amontillado toasts the opening of Poe Season at our favorite October cocktailing spot.

I’ve been writing short fiction—a lot, and honestly, I’m not the type of writer who can do both. While most of the year was spent on my novel Tidings, my muse let me down on that one for little bit, but inspired three new pieces. “Omniscience” and “Threading the Needle” are out for submission; a third, “Temporary Inconveniences,” is being workshopped, and after that, I’ll be finishing one I started last year post-“Wrecking Malcolm” called “Feast or Famine.” Ideas for new pieces are coming out of nowhere, and I mostly have to give them all of my attention except for necessary adult things like bill paying, cleaning the house and getting the windshield repaired on the car: a novel I can work on and balance life. Short fiction? Not so much. It’s pretty much bye-bye Krissi.

Providence’s Waterfire.

Of course, around all of these projects, I was busy trying new things, too. I had a successful book signing for The Shadows Behind up at Howe Caverns (where I helped them beta-test their new escape room). I went to my very first NecronomiCon Providence AND my very first Providence Waterfire. After auditioning, I was invited to join another critique group (in addition to Crow’s Nest, where I’ve been a member on and off for twenty years or so). Changes at the day job have needed adjusting to, six of us at work have formed an “Escape Room Club”—because we tried it as a team-building exercise and are now addicted, and I took my sister, niece, and niece’s boyfriend to the Dinosaur Safari at the Bronx Zoo. Nathan and I celebrated our seventh wedding anniversary (also at the Bronx Zoo), kicked off Poe Season with a nice bottle of Amontillado at our favorite secluded cemetery, and it’s been one hell of a year in terms of seeing films for Dark Discussions at the movies (I feel like I live at my local AMC).

Taking a break at the Howe Caverns pool before THE SHADOWS BEHIND signing event.

Childhood friend Kristina (left) and me (right), gussied up for NecronomiCon Providence’s Eldritch Ball at the Graduate Biltmore in downtown Providence, RI. Our friend Brandon’s artwork was selected for the con’s official poster, so it was also an evening to celebrate his success.

Sunset on Second Beach in Middletown, RI, on Labor Day Weekend. My friend, poet Heather Sullivan, and I, used the weekend as one last beach day opportunity.

In addition, I have a busy, exciting season ahead! Nathan and I got a room at the Long Neck Inn—the former giraffe house at the abandoned Catskill Game Farm. I’ll be attending this year’s Damnationland in Portland, Maine, a festival of horror film shorts by independent Maine filmmakers. I’ll be participating in Hops and Horror—a drink and paint night—at Bad Dream Brewing in New Milford, CT, and Nathan and I are looking forward to an evening of Corvid folklore followed by a showing of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds in a creepy old barn up at Audubon’s Bent of the River in Southbury, CT. To kick off the holidays? We’ll be hitting the just-returned Bronx Zoo Holiday Lights (I used to volunteer for that!) on Thanksgiving weekend.

Me and Nathan clown around on the Bronx Zoo’s Bug Carousel.

Yup, that’s me riding a Preying Mantis on the Bronx Zoo’s Bug Carousel. I always get that one as long as I’m not stealing it from someone who really wants it. It’s the most popular bug on the ride (let’s face it—nobody’s a fan of sitting on the dung beetle’s ball of shit).

On our anniversary, Nathan and I met a Barn Owl at an L.L. Bean Outdoor Adventure Series Wildlife program.

In short, life is suddenly moving at light speed, and I feel, finally, completely recovered from my surgeries two years ago: one day in mid-September I woke up, and all my energy and optimism was back.

I have a full slate of blog posts ready to write. I’ll be working on those when the short fiction begins to ebb.

Until then, I may post a few bits of news here and there. Have fantastic Poe and Holiday Seasons!