News:

After a few weeks of nothing, some nice Halloween treats.

Contract is signed and other authors are sharing, so I guess I can say that my short storm horror story “The Glitter of Bile” will be published in Cosmic Horror Monthly in the new year.

“The Last Ride of Sutton Purnell” won a flash fiction contest from Flame Tree Press based on the theme ‘Nightmare Avenue.’ It appeared exclusively in their newsletter this week, but it should post to their website soon, too. Once I have that link, it will be free to read. It is absolutely gruesomely gross body horror, if you can stomach it.

The Crystal Lake Shallow Waters flash fiction contest theme for this month is Horror on Board (Boats/Ships/Subs), and my story “Arms Race” posts next Wednesday. It’s $5/month to read and vote, but it’s worth it to have a new themed anthology every month.

Earlier this week, I completed my fiftieth short story of the year! They range from micro fiction to novelette, so it all averages out.

I’m also on the short list for several calls that I’m crossing my fingers for.

Finally got to talk to an orthopedist, and she’s not alarmed by the strange overexertion, so I’ll try to endure it until I can get in to a physical therapist, who should be able to help the re-tear heal, then help me get back to a regular gait, and then the overexertion should calm down, in theory. I’m still getting quotes from PT facilities.

But in more pleasant news, I crossed another thing off my to-finish list with Nine Perfect Strangers. And I found a ten-dollar bill on a walk.

Works in Progress:

I submitted my short story collection, so now I have two short novels and a collection out in the world.

I finished the first edit of my other name’s Meridian Book 4 edits, and I’m well into the second, which always goes much faster. Afterward, I’ll palate-cleanse with a very short story or two, then jump into a pet project, probably In the Dollhouse We All Wait.

And in the midst of that, I do my daily flash poetry for the Crow Calls, a lyric poem every five days, and I’m working on an autumnal long poem for a seasonal poetry collection.

Books I’m Reading:

IT by Stephen King
Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse edited by Brandon Applegate

Music I’m Listening To:

Halloween playlist
Taylor Swift
Fifty Shades movie soundtracks (never read the books or saw the movies, love the soundtracks)
Fight Like a Girl by Emilie Autumn
UNSECRET singles

Things I’m Watching:

The Addams Family
The Nun
No One Will Save You
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Halloween Wars series
Halloween Baking Championships series
Outrageous Pumpkins series
CSI series
CSI:Miami series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer series
Scream Queens series
Nine Perfect Strangers series (finished)
Under the Banner of Heaven series

Poem of the Week:

i would never be accused of
wallowing in my own sorrow
but may i render this ground
unhallowed with dripping salt
seeping into the ground soil
downhill of the cursed gallows
from where the mortician carries
my son to grave upon the morrow