Blog Archives

Looking for an audio scare? My short “February Thaw” is on the DON’T FALL ASLEEP podcast!

Feb Thaw on Don't Fall Asleep Podcast - Description Screenshot

I’m thrilled to announce that my short story, “February Thaw”—which was published earlier this year in Dark Moon Books’ Horror Library Volume 7—is now available on Blood Bound Books’ Don’t Fall Asleep podcast!

There are several ways to listen, so Read the rest of this entry

“The Digging Place” now available in FORNEVER AFTER!

The Digging Place in FORNEVER AFTER Art

My short story, “The Digging Place,” is now available in Jolly Horror Press’ romantic horror collection, ForNever After.

Kali adores the odd treasures her husband brings home from The Digging Place, a warehouse full of discarded junk. Until the day he shows up with something that belonged to her former lover …

“The Digging Place” is one of sixteen stories about love gone not just wrong, but God-awfully wrong. From the back cover, written by editor Jonathan Lambert:

True love…a soul mate? Desired by most, found by few. What you are up against… is A LOT. For love to stay true, and endure. And that’s without the doom and gloom and horror that falls upon the lovers in this anthology.

These are stories where two people nearly find everlasting bliss and happiness.

NEARLY. You didn’t miss that word did you? It was never meant to be. That makes it hurt worse. They were THE one. The one to grow old with, but also the one that never saw it coming.

FORNEVER AFTER includes 16 tales of tragic love, surrounded by all kinds of horrors. If you are looking for stories with happy endings, this isn’t the book for you….

ForNever After is available in Paperback and Kindle here: https://bit.ly/DigPlace

THIS WRITING LIFE Episodes 11 & 12: It’s all good and stories in cans

In This Writing Life Episodes 11 and 12, things are fine–until I have a nightmare, which could result in a great short story that would work for a looming deadline (but only if I can pull myself together).

You can watch both episodes below.

 

Short Story Sunday: The Caves in Oregon, Benjamin Percy

Refresh, Refresh Cover

The Caves in Oregon, Benjamin Percy

I first read this tale of a broken marriage a decade ago, and a recent re-read revealed it’s even better than I remembered. In this atmospheric tale, Percy is the master at connecting the geology of the earth with the geology of our complicated emotions and the intangible foundations that form our relationships.  Find it in Percy’s debut collection: Refresh, Refresh: Stories https://amzn.com/1555974856

THIS WRITING LIFE EP 4: The Importance of Setting released

Ep 4 Blog Art

Episode 4 of my sometimes-web series, This Writing Life, is now posted! It’s about creating authentic settings…but I think this might really just be a lot of food porn? Check it out and judge for yourself…watch it here.

I know, it’s been awhile since you’ve heard about This Writing Life. Even though I have a blast doing it, it’s too big a project to do on a weekly basis, so now it’s once a month (or maybe twice — either way that’s great, since I have nine future episodes in the can already and by the time I use those up I should have more).

If you missed any of the prior episodes you can visit here.

 

 

“Crawl” to appear in CT Halloween collection

Crawl Blog Cover Art JPG

I’d watch out for that baby blanket if I were you.

I can announce this now! I just signed the contract for my short story “Crawl,” which will appear in Books and Boos Press’ Tricks and Treats: A Collection of Spooky Stories from Connecticut Authors this September. As its title suggests, each story Read the rest of this entry

“Our Lips Are Sealed” now in Sediments Literary-Arts’ A HAUNTING

 

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My short story “Our Lips Are Sealed” — about a woman who may be having an unusual experience with her wine glass collection — is now available in Sediments Literary-Arts Journal‘s A Haunting issue. It takes its place next to several wonderful ghost stories (I especially loved Adam “Bucho” Rodenberger’s “Welcome to the Fireworks”) and hauntingly beautiful artwork (a favorite of mine is Amanda Bess Allen’s “Sleepy Hollow”).

On a personal note, what’s even cooler is the editor referenced “Our Lips Are Sealed” in her introductory note!

Best enjoyed with a bottle, you can check out everything in the issue here and read “Our Lips Are Sealed” here.

…back to basics…

This was my second typewriter -- Dad bought it in 1987 to replace the old 1960s model Selectric I had been using. It had data storage capabilities and was really quite the thing in its day.

This was my second typewriter — Dad bought it in 1987 to replace the old 1960s model Selectric I had been using. It had data storage capabilities and was really quite the thing in its day.

…while I know there’s much to catch up on, here, I’ll start with I’m excited to announce I’ve just enrolled for One Story’s Become Your Own Best Editor: Learning from “The Remains” by Laura Spence-Ash online class, which runs from June 12 – 21. As a writer, I believe continuing education is key to learning and growth, and since my recent trip to AnthoCon has pulled me out of my funk, I figured this would be the best place to begin (after all, I have lots of manuscripts around that need work. This might inspire me to get back to them).

If you’re at all interested in One Story‘s online classes or their other programs, such as workshops, master classes, and one day writing classes, please visit https://www.one-story.com/

Do writers have more crap in their basements?

Basement Typewriter Text

An old typed short story of mine I found in a box called “The Basement,” which was written in 1990. The featured image for this post, which is the typewriter that appears in the little box to the left, was my second typewriter — Dad bought it in 1987 to replace the old 1960s model Selectric I had been using. It had data storage capabilities and was really quite the thing in its day. It broke my heart to toss it, but honestly, it was broken beyond repair. I loved it to death.

Yes.

Why? We keep everything. Notes for stories, seventeen drafts as a piece went through its critique process, research, books, photographs and other ephemera which may have inspired works, more books, multiple copies and print-outs of magazines, anthologies, and e-zines in which our work has appeared, letters and cards from admirers, notebooks full of advice from workshops, even more books.

Recently, I decided to go through and start lightening my load, and I discovered it’s Read the rest of this entry

Reviewers open ‘CANOPIC JARS,’ find fresh scares

Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification

Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification—the anthology from Great Old Ones Publishing which includes my newest short story “Jarring Lucas”—is available and has, so far, met with positive Read the rest of this entry

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