Tag Archives: crystal lake shallow waters flash fiction

Turn the light out: Friday Update

13 Friday Feb 2026

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News:

“Take It to the River” is up at the Crystal Lake Patreon for the River flash fiction theme contest. ($5/month tier and up for reading and voting privileges)

Works in Progress:

Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8) first round edits are going a little more slowly than I’d like, but I’m doing as much as I can with the time I have. I do have to pause today to get a short story ready for a February 15 deadline, but I should be able to knock out another big chunk of N&F edits on this day off, hopefully.

I’m not a fan of juggling projects, but sometimes needs must.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
The Shining by Stephen King
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Delain
Hannibal playlist
Drift playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Bone Lake
Tracker series
CSI: Miami series
CSI series
Resident Alien series

Poem of the Week:

My mother wrote a letter,
slipped under my door.
She never got better.
I learned to never ask for more.

She’s been dead for years.
Time to face her excuse.
Holding back tears,
I shake the letter loose.

An unsigned birthday Hallmark card,
day and month all wrong.
Ma, so long.

Still not decelerating: Friday Update

06 Friday Feb 2026

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News:

“Take It to the River” is a finalist for this month’s RIVER theme at Crystal Lake Shallow Waters. It’ll post at the Patreon about February 16. ($5/month tiers for reading and voting)

Works in Progress:

I was supposed to be slowing down, but it still hasn’t happened. I wonder if this pace is simply what my brain demands. However, it’s not all my fault; it’s more about external deadlines. Once I get contractually obligated edits done, I’ll have a whole stretch of months before the next one (Masque, July). Then I’ll try to take my time.

Cleaned up the final draft of In the Dollhouse We All Wait, and although I wasn’t able to get much done on Thursday due to oversleeping, I actually knocked out quite a bit of the first round of edits on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8). I hope to do another big sweep today. At this point, a lot of the work is cutting; second round will be polish. Ideally, I’d cut the book down from 141K to under 110K before even getting to the second round of edits.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
The Shining by Stephen King
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Christmas playlist (finally putting this away; seemed appropriate during the Icepocalypse, but once we hit February, it started feeling weird)
Metal playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Volcano
Tracker series
9-1-1 series
9-1-1: Nashville series
Elsbeth series
Resident Alien series

Poem of the Week: (throwback to 2022)

a critter
with doleful eyes
eyes eyes eyes
and legs legs
so many legs
chitters lovingly
at the foot of your bed

And winter came: Saturday Update

24 Saturday Jan 2026

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SONY DSC

Had to delay writing this because I started work yesterday morning so I could achieve my quota and be home in time for dinner and well before the freezing started. I was more than willing to stress myself out helping people before the Icepocalypse, but Amanda does not drive on ice. The grocery stores were adventure after adventure; it wasn’t this intense even during Thanksgiving and Christmas shopping. Raise a glass to your grocery workers, who did amazing keeping staples stocked as best as they could. Everyone, stay safe and warm.

News:

“Divergences” won 3rd place this month at the Crystal Lake Shallow Waters flash fiction contest, themed Regret.

Works in Progress:

I started the double edit on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8) and almost promptly had to set it aside, because I received the last edits for In the Dollhouse We All Wait, and since formatting needs to be done by the end of January, these take precedence. Because of work, I’m a little less than a third through, but because of the Icepocalypse, I can’t work this weekend and probably Monday, and that should give me the time to finish up and send it back out.

Then I need to edit my flash fiction entry for the Shallow Water theme given for next month’s posts, themed Rivers, if you’d like to participate. It’s a heart-breaking little story that probably affects me more than the reader, but it was still kind of startling how strongly writing it hit me. Like an emotional gut punch over and over. Hopefully, some distance makes it less painful.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
The Shining by Stephen King
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Christmas playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Bring Her Back
Final Destination: Bloodline
9-1-1: Nashville series
Stranger Things series
Resident Alien series

Poem of the Week: (throwback to January 2023)

skate blades hiss
over frozen surface
swirls of particle ice
spin and twirl
finest graceful form
slice and cut
through frigid air
scarlet scarves flutter
in festive spread
full moon rising
over crimson ice

Still listening to Christmas music: Friday Update

09 Friday Jan 2026

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And you can’t stop me. 2026 has been one manmade disaster after another. I’ll listen to what I like.

News:

“Hell Come Home” was included on Ellen Datlow’s list of recommended 2024 short stories. She’s a horror anthology legend, so her recommendations hold weight.

“Divergences,” a piece of horror flash fiction, will be posted tomorrow on the Crystal Lake Patreon as a finalist of last month’s theme of Regret. ($5/month tier or higher to read and vote)

Works in Progress:

I’m about two-thirds through my fix of the Dracula reimagining. It doesn’t require a lot of intense work, but I’m also doing a standard edit as I go, because I might as well as long as I’m doing a close read for the details that need to change. Just a bit of a tidy.

Once I’m finished, I’ll write a piece of flash or two before hitting May Cooler Heads Prevail edits.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
The Shining by Stephen King
Skeleton Crew by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Christmas playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Mickey’s Christmas Carol
Muppet Christmas Carol
Gremlins
Joyeux Noel
Black Christmas (1974)
Ocean’s 8
Christmas Inheritance
Holidate
Troll
Wicked: For Good
Together
The Christmas Charade
Legion
Dr. Pimple Popper: Breaking Free series
Transplant series (finished)
Monk (S7) series (finished)
Twelve Dates ’til Christmas series (finished)
Holiday Baking Championship series (finished)
Great British Baking Show series (finished)
Great British Baking Show: Holiday Edition series (finished)

Poem of the Week:

shed the skin
shed the sinew
shed the pounds
shed the hounds
shed the sorrow
shed the morrow
shed the marrow
shed the horror
shed it down to parts
to unatomed hearts
they are no use
where you’re going


A little night music: Friday Update

14 Friday Nov 2025

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News:

“Zombie Lesbian Bed Death” is a zany short story featured in the Savage Realms Press anthology Necro-Sapiens, the third in their Anthologies of Horror series, this one focusing on the undead. I didn’t think it would ever find a home, so I was thrilled when it was selected, because it was perfect for this anthology. And it’s got a great cover, if you want to check that out at the link.

“A Swirling Light” was posted yesterday for this month’s Shallow Waters Flash Fiction contest at Crystal Lake’s Patreon, for their Halloween encore theme. The characters may or may not have been inspired by my niblings. ($5/month tier to read and vote)

Works in Progress:

Still going on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), not out of this long scene yet. I’ll hit 112K by tonight. End count has been amended up to 130K words. Sigh. Keep in mind that I cut about 20-25% of a book in the initial edits.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Halloween playlist
Silent Hill playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Jurassic World: Rebirth
The Pale Blue Eye
Red Dragon
Matlock series
CSI: NY series
CSI series
SWAT series

Poem of the Week:

the ritual of the clock
of the tick tock commanding me
when to move when to rest
when to eat when to run
when to work when to swallow
check the numbers check yourself
measuring the days by the
ding dong ringing on the hours

Chasing cars: Friday Update

19 Friday Sep 2025

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Had the absolute worst cramps I’ve had a very long time yesterday and had to cut my afternoon work short. Since starting this work, I’ve been able to work through the bad cramp days, but this was an 8-9 on my pain scale for about three hours, highly unpleasant, and pain amnesia means it all feels like a dream I had. Fortunately, they’ve receded to manageable or quiet since, but man, it was bad. And now I have to work this afternoon to make up for what I missed. Sigh.

News:

“Eviratum” has been posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon as a finalist for this month’s flash fiction contest on the theme Music Horror. It doesn’t appear to be one of my more popular ones, but I’m still just happy I was able to write it.

Works in Progress:

I’m at 24,025 words on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), so around a quarter through, and I’m finally at the point that things start getting more interesting (on a supernatural level). I had to pause the writing on Wednesday and Thursday to edit the first chapter and send it in so it could be included as a sneak peek in Tooth & Claw (M7, coming out in October).

I’m still happy with the story, and this is around where I kept getting stuck on all previous incarnations of T&C, so I assume N&F is still a good story to work on, which is such a relief.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Halloween playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Stir of Echoes
The Long Walk
The Monkey
The Rookie series (finished)
Matlock series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
Halloween Baking Championship series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series

Poem of the Week:

corvid conversations calm me in the morning
mockingbird repertoires incense me at night
and i admire the wrens’ full-throated song
for despite their size they trill like bullets
in the distance the kites call to their mate
while the mourning dove mourns hers

Seasons in the sun: Friday Update

05 Friday Sep 2025

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News:

“Growing Things” tied for first for last month’s Eco-Horror Shallow Waters contest. I believe this should send you to a free-to-read page. No hosting the contest this time. I deferred to the other winner, since I got to host just a few months ago and it was his first time. Still want to do it again, though.

Squirm Books is putting out a queer anthology of beauty and body image called Skin Deep, and my mall story “Changing Room” has found a home on its TOC. Look for it February 2026.

Works in Progress:

I couldn’t put it off any longer (although I had several shorter editing projects to distract me), so I started Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), and while there are weak areas here at the beginning, it’s moving apace and doesn’t involve quite as much pulling teeth as the last novel I tried. I’m at around 9K words of an anticipated 85K. The story itself is simple but the emotional stakes are pretty ambitious. It’ll be interesting to see if I can accomplish it.

Books I’m Reading:

Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn (finished)
Rose Madder by Stephen King

Things I’m Listening To:

Abyss/Ascent playlist
Nocturne playlist
Halloween playlist (finally)

Things I’m Watching:

The Awakening
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series (finished)
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
NCIS series

Poem of the Week:

what would you give for a life? a lifestyle?
a toe, a heel, an ankle, a delicate stretch
of leg to the knee and beyond?
what is a bribe but a clearance sale
to spare someone far more precious?
such a small thing, your dignity and pride,
your security and safety, your sleep and dreams,
in exchange for one more day, and one more day.

Persist: Friday Update

15 Friday Aug 2025

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News:

On August 10, “Growing Things” was posted for this month’s Crystal Lake Shallow Waters contest theme Eco-Horror. It’s available to read for $5/month tiers and up. This is a solid month for entries and a generally popular theme. I’ve really enjoyed reading them so far.

Works in Progress:

I finished the proofreading edit of Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) and sent it back to my editor. As you can see above, it’s available for preorder at Totally Bound and Amazon, for general release October 28—just in time for Halloween. All about a young veteran hunter who learns the facts of life from a vampire and a werewolf. Getting back to my Sanctuary trilogy and Nocturnal Creatures trilogy roots, I guess.

I’m taking a short break to work on two flash pieces and hopefully finish up reading Langan’s The Fisherman. Then I’ll dive into Never & Forever (M8), the last Meridian novel. Hard to believe I’ll have two trilogies, a serial, and two series under my belt with my other name once that’s finished.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn

Things I’m Listening To:

Pop music playlist (I’m pretty much just biding my time until I feel comfortable turning on my Halloween/horror playlist, which will be immediately followed by my Christmas playlist after Thanksgiving or whenever I finish my next horror work)
Wonderland soundtrack

Things I’m Watching:

CSI series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Home Town: Takeover series (finished)
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
The Rookie series

Poem of the Week: (throwback)

lurking deep
in steaming trench
slumbering
in the womb
of earthen heat
waiting out the cold
tentacles drift
with venting exhalation
the quaking rumble
of its snores
may it continue
its sweet dreams
and never wish
to wake

Not too hot for cake: Friday Update

08 Friday Aug 2025

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Due to some problems in transit (now I know better how to transport this particular cake, which has unique issues in comparison to others), I had to buy a new cake for my customer, deliver it again (successfully this time), then take the one with significant icing damage home. So I had unpaid time to replace it and paid for the replacement out of pocket, but at least I got cake out of everything. Better than the last few shopping catastrophes.

It’s a tres leches cake, and it’s quite good. But man, I’m exhausted.

News:

My flash fiction “Growing Things” will be one of this month’s Eco-Horror finalists at the Crystal Lake Patreon for the Shallow Waters contest. It should post around August 11.

Works in Progress:

Got some reading done, but not as much as anticipated. My proofreading edit for Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) came in a few days ago, so I’m deep into that right now. I should finish next week, when I’ll write a few short things before tackling Never & Forever, the final book in the Meridian series.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn

Things I’m Listening To:

TTW playlist
Drift playlist
Vicious by Halestorm
When It’s All Over by RAIGN

Things I’m Watching:

CSI series
Found series (finished)
9-1-1 series (finished)
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
The Rookie series

Poem of the Week: (throwback)

there’s nothing in the bathtub
nothing but bubbles to brim
steaming water and feet gray
needs more sun refraction
angle doesn’t hurt nor
the ankle despite the scab
or white of bone broken through
toenails yellow cracked and thick
nothing in the bathtub sink
beneath brim bubbles submerge

For what it’s worth: Friday Update

25 Friday Jul 2025

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News:

“Sins of the Asylum,” a deeply gothic lyric poem, appeared in Gathered Here Today from Graveside Press, an open casket anthology of poetry and illustrations. You can get it cheaper direct from the press.

All seventeen Mystical Listicles stories have been posted at Crystal Lake’s Patreon, and voting is open to $5/month tiers and above for another 20 hours or so. I think the theme was a big hit this month—in part because it was about form rather than content and lent itself to a greater variety in subject—and I reiterate how much fun I had putting together the finalists. I would love to do it again.

Works in Progress:

I finished Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) edits and sent them to my publisher. I should receive the proofreading edits next week. In the meantime, I’m tackling some short stories before the end of the month, some of them for calls and some of them just for the heck of it. I might even do that creative nonfiction piece I want to write about Mary Reilly, too. As soon as T&C(M7) is completely finished, I’m really nervous about doing Never & Forever (M8) because my attention span is still kind of shot, but I guess I’ll just take it a day at a time.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn

Things I’m Listening To:

Hannibal soundtracks
Fourth of July playlist
Emilie Autumn

Things I’m Watching:

The Amateur
Con Air
Found series
CSI series
9-1-1 series
The Amazing Race series
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series

Poem of the Week:

flowers someone else leaves
makes for a charming host
but i would never leave you
i miss you the most
i feast on your grave
raise a livelier toast
your headstone a pillow
i sleep with your ghost