Bye bye, beach!

An amazing storm appears on the horizon at Scusset Beach, MA, September 10, 2021.

I’ve been privileged enough to enjoy a week at a writer’s retreat with some friends in Cape Cod, and I head home today.

I wanted to just work my butt off, but I quickly realized that what I needed was just some peace, and some relaxation. I got a few things done—a fraction of what was on my worklist—but if you know me at all, you know that, if I’m going on a retreat, I bring three times as much work as one human can do in that amount of time.

Horoscope

Even my horoscope told me I needed to just relax!

It was a week full of surprises, too! Among them, The Write Start published an interview, Gen-Xed, an anthology which will feature my story “Nothing to See Here,” kicked off its Wayback promotion (more on this in a future post), parABnormal accepted my story “Mating Call” and will publish it in December, and “Dominion” was named one of thirteen winners in the HP Lovecraft Film Festival & Cthuluthon’s Microfiction Contest 2021, which means it will be published in Lovecraftian Microfiction Vol 7. In addition? I received other great news (to be announced). What. A. Week!

What I really learned on this trip is that I have been all work and no play for a very, very long time—and that sometimes play to recharge the batteries is just as critical to well being. The new goal in my world is to achieve better balance.

They say the sea heals the soul—and after this magical week, I believe it! I feel refreshed and recharged. Here’s a recap, and to get you started, here’s some soothing wave action.

TIME FOR A TRIP!

parABnormal Magazine

Good news incoming! I was walking on the beach when parABnormal Magazine let me know they wanted to accept “Mating Call”!

BEACH ADVENTURES

Adorable sandpipers!

 

Chasing fish!

Lovecraftian Microfiction 2021 winners list

I got up at four in the morning to go use the ladies’–and found this on my phone: “Dominion” was named one of 13 winners of the Lovecraftian Microfiction Contest for 2021!

BEACH LIFE

Ghost Kiss Emoji

My husband sends me a kiss!

OUT AND ABOUT

Cape Cod Sunset

My final sunset, viewed from the roof deck.

Cape Cod storm

I woke up to a massive storm — I thought, “even the sky doesn’t want me to leave.”

A SPECTACULAR STORM

 

 

 

About kristipetersenschoonover

A ghost story writer who still sleeps with the lights on, Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies; her traditionally published books include a short story collection, THE SHADOWS BEHIND. She was the recipient of three Norman Mailer Writers Colony Residencies and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. She serves as co-host of the DARK DISCUSSIONS podcast, as founding editor of the dark literary journal 34 ORCHARD, and is a member of both the New England Horror Writers and the Horror Writers Association. Follow her adventures at kristipetersenschoonover.com.

Posted on September 16, 2021, in Deep Thoughts & Fun Stuff, The Writing Life and tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink. 2 Comments.

  1. Multi-congratulations are in order! Thanks for sharing your photos and videos. You saw lots of wildlife, so cool.:-)

    • Thank you! I had such a BLAST, and the three announcements were just icing on the cake. I just got home. Wish I could go back. That was awesome. I feel like myself again for the first time in a few YEARS, seriously! And yes, I found lots of wildlife because I would walk three miles a day … it totally didn’t feel like exercise!

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