Tag Archives: meridian

We all float down here: Friday Update

06 Friday Jun 2025

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News:

My story “Floaters,” accepted for Stories to Take to Your Grave, through Undertaker Press, is available to read for free here. It’s not so creepy as Pennywise. Instead, it’s a hopeful little thing imagining a different kind of interment after the oceanic ecosystem collapse.

Works in Progress:

I did manage to finish the edits for Masque on Friday night and pared down the synopsis and wrote the pitch on Saturday before sending it out on submission, so I met my deadline and my goal. After that, I was worn out and had work to do, so I haven’t gotten a lot done, but I’ve made a few alterations on Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7), and I should finish up the fixes on it before doing the second edit, which shouldn’t take too long.

And I’m starting to do flash poetry again, after a break of a few months.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall album
The Phantom (Maury Yeston) Original Cast Album

Things I’m Watching:

Moana 2
Fear Street: Prom Queen
The Equalizer 3
Earthstorm series (finished)
Jeopardy Masters series
Say Yes to the Dress series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
The Equalizer series

Lips of honey: Friday (kinda) Update

16 Friday May 2025

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My audacity for being late comes from being social this morning and afternoon, when I’d usually be drafting the update. This happens so infrequently that I can’t refuse it when it does happen.

Then, due to heat and humidity, I had a massive headache coming home after working, so I needed to wait for that to settle down, too.

News:

“The Devil’s Bathtub” posted on May 11 at Crystal Lake’s Patreon. Those familiar with Bluebirds (Thorns Book 3) might have recognized the locale for the horror story—not the same place, but the same inspiration.

Works in Progress:

It took a little longer to finish up the first round of edits for Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) than anticipated, so I’ve only been working on Masque second-round edits for a few days.

T&C (M7) had about 13K words cut, from 89K to 76K. I’m not satisfied with the climactic scene, because I feel like I didn’t use Chekhov’s gun, but I don’t have time to address it right now. I’ll muse over possible solutions until I can return to T&C.

I’ve only been working on Masque for three days, and I’m about a tenth of the way through, but I’m still charmed. I’m really fond of this piece. There’s something about the writing that tickles my brain. I think it’s because the alt-history style allows me to embellish and play without being as jarring as in contemporary.

20 pages in 2-3 days is not going to cut it if I want to make the deadline, so I have got to buckle down. Could this country not have a crisis for a few weeks, please?

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

Old Favorite Playlist
Delain
Cindy Morgan
Let’s Talk About Love by Celine Dion
Live Around the World by Queen + Adam Lambert
Live for You by Rachael Lampa
Lost Whispers by Evanescence
Love and War by Fleurie
Lover by Taylor Swift
Lover. Fighter. by Svrcina
Mean Girls Original Broadway Soundtrack
Midnight in the Garden by Lily Kershaw
My December by Kelly Clarkson

Things I’m Watching:

Home Town Takeover series
Say Yes to the Dress series
Spring Baking Championship series
Elsbeth series (finished)
NCIS series
CSI series
The Equalizer series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series

Pulling the strings: Friday Update

09 Friday May 2025

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News:

Nothing this week.

Works in Progress:

Did some decent work on Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) the last two days. Hope to finish the first round of edits by the end of the weekend, which makes finishing Masque‘s second round of edits by the end of the month a little dicey, but I’ll buckle down. I don’t have anything I have to write this month, just a piece of flash fiction to edit. Body is gearing up for an early period, so I’m not sure what the next few days are going to be like, writing- and work-wise.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

Old Favorite Playlist (basically everything I listened to in college)
Legally Blonde Original Broadway Cast
Les Miserables movie soundtrack
Let Go by Avril Lavigne
Let Yourself Go by Kristin Chenoweth

Things I’m Watching:

Jeopardy Masters series
Home Town series (finished)
Ghosts (US) series (finished)
Will Trent series
Elsbeth series
NCIS series
CSI series
The Equalizer series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series

The endless poison: Friday Update

02 Friday May 2025

Posted by in A Few Thoughts, Novelettes/Novellas, Poetry, Short Stories, Writing

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News:

A Coup of Owls announced their 2025 line-up of novelette collections, and my raw, grimy, sexy story “Glory to God,” about a displaced goddess at a gloryhole, comes out in their Halloween 2025 collection featuring Othered horror romance. This is a story I conceived of over fifteen years ago but didn’t have the inspiration or guts to write until I was initially putting together my bathroom horror collection.

My body horror poem “Exhibit” is featured in this issue of Memento Mori’s free newsletter Morsus Vitae.

I did an interview roughly a year ago with the Merry Writers Podcast, and they posted it earlier in April, but I missed it. You can find it at a number of podcast places, but also here on YouTube. I talk a little about Question Not My Salt but mostly about my writing process and my love of the horror genre.

In addition, although “Turning Tail” didn’t win anything last month, my story “The Devil’s Bathtub” is a finalist in this month’s Crystal Lake Shallow Waters flash fiction contest, featuring the theme Fools. It should post for $5/month tiers and above on May 12. This one is a story I’ve wanted to write for a while, loosely based on a place on my grandparent’s land in the Ozarks.

Works in Progress:

I’d hoped that gig working during the afternoons and early evenings and being too tired during the nights would lead to more focused work during my mornings and my Wednesday ‘weekend.’ This has not been the case. I’m sorry, but this administration (federal and state) is soul-sucking, and the anger and helplessness I feel all the time is not conducive to productivity. When logic, reason, and compassion don’t work as arguments, my brain gives a near constant 404 error. It’s not good for me.

I’ve managed to make a dent on the first round of edits on Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7), but not as big of a dent as I would have wanted. My plan to finish the first round before doing second-round edits on Masque, however, remains. But I have to remember that Texas Frightmare is this month, and that takes at least three days off my schedule for writing. I want the world to be a better place so I can do my work, damn it.

Concerned that tariffs will eventually lead to less gig work for me as it finally hits inventory or to skintier tips (which we’re heavily dependent on, so remember to tip your gig workers).

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

Old Favorite Playlist (basically everything I listened to in college)
Svrcina
It’s No Secret Anymore by Linda Eder
Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection Soundtrack
Joanne by Lady Gaga
Josh Groban by Josh Groban
Kaleidoscope by Rachael Lampa
The Last Five Years Original Cast Recording

Things I’m Watching:

Mufasa: The Lion King
Talk to Me
Ghosts (US) series
Will Trent series
Watson series
Elsbeth series
NCIS series
CSI: NY series
CSI series
Criminal Minds series
Slasher: Guilty Party series
The Equalizer series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
The Bondsman series

Alone in my wanderings: Friday Update

25 Friday Apr 2025

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News:

Nothing professional this week.

I think my gig work is getting to me. I’m so focused on my tasks, which is the part I enjoy, but I think shopping and driving hit me with a lot of stimulation that I don’t consciously process. I started feeling really overwhelmed and despairing on Tuesday, couldn’t concentrate on my editing, so I went out and did a few more jobs that night to feel like I could accomplish something and ended the day feeling dead inside. Then, on Wednesday, which is my ‘weekend’ but I still couldn’t concentrate, I went to bed early (for me) and set my alarm an hour later. I slept nine hours total and felt a little better afterward. I’m still not a hundred percent, but I think I need to remember to prioritize my sleep. I’m also still having a medical recurrence. It’s not dire, just uncomfortable.

The heat isn’t helping either, and since my car A/C is struggling above eighty degrees, it probably needs repairing before we head into ninety and hundred degree days (this summer is forecast to be even hotter), which isn’t helping my stress levels. Depending on the repair, it’ll cost two weeks’ work or a month and a half’s work. I’m supposed to be rebuilding savings here, but my car’s demanded a lot of my money lately. I believe it’s tax deductible, since I work contract delivery, but since I’m poverty-level already, I’m not sure that helps much.

Works in Progress:

I finished the first flash piece and submitted it. Then I wrote the second, but just as I was ready to submit it, I reread the sub call and discovered that the deadline was two days earlier, not the end of the month like I thought. That really took the wind out of my sails, which might have been a contributing factor to the above. I was super proud of both pieces, and I just had to put the second one in the trunk. I don’t know when I’ll have the opportunity to use it, since horror sub calls have gone down considerably.

Once I was able to concentrate again, I got back into editing Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7). I’m only a fourth of the way through the first round. I don’t think I’ll finish edits by end of the month, but I’ll complete the first round of edits, then pause and do the second edit of Masque so that I can submit it to the Quill & Crow sub call for novels coming in May. Then I’ll finish up T&C (M7).

I’m also playing with ideas for Meridian Book 8. I feel like I have a good concept, but not a story yet. I’ll continue turning it over in my head.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

Agnes Obel
Svrcina
Hadestown Original Broadway soundtrack
Halestorm by Halestorm
Heart of a Hurricane (Extended) by Beyond the Black

Things I’m Watching:

Oddity
Wolf Man (2025)
Sinners
Celebrity Jeopardy series (finished)
Ghosts (US) series
Will Trent series
Watson series
Elsbeth series
CSI: NY series
Slasher: Guilty Party series
S.W.A.T. series (finished)
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
The Bondsman series

With the undertow: Friday Update

18 Friday Apr 2025

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News:

My cat story “Turning Tail” has been posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon as a finalist for this month’s Shallow Waters theme of Old School (Creature Feature). These stories are available to read and vote on if you’re in the $5/month tiers or higher.

Works in Progress:

I finished the final edits for Tattered & Torn (Meridian Book 6) and the final edits of the first chapter of Tooth & Claw (M7) that will be included as a teaser at the end of T&T, so that’s done and dusted and sent off to my publisher with a sigh of relief. Tattered & Torn is already available for preorder, if you’re interested in a story about a fallen angel with empathic powers.

I had trouble getting started on a flash piece yesterday, but I’ve tackled a lot of it today. I don’t know if I can finish tonight, but I’ll try for end of tomorrow morning at the latest. I want to do another piece of flash for the month, but meeting my self-imposed editing deadlines might be hard enough to accomplish.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin

Things I’m Listening To:

Evanescence
Emilie Autumn
Rossini’s Stabat Mater by the Wiener Philharmoniker
Resist (Instrumentals) by Within Temptation
Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson
Broadway My Way by Linda Eder
Church of Scars by Bishop Briggs
dont smile at me by Billie Eilish
Evita movie soundtrack
Falling into You by Celine Dion
Fear & Fable by Fleurie
The Fifty Shades movie soundtracks
For the Throne album (music inspired by Game of Thrones)
Fumbling Towards Ecstasy by Sarah McLachlan

Things I’m Watching:

Geostorm
Smile 2
Celebrity Jeopardy series
Watson series
Elsbeth series
The Hunting Party series (finished)
CSI series
Slasher: Guilty Party series
S.W.A.T. series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
The Bondsman series

As the world keeps burning: Friday Update

11 Friday Apr 2025

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News:

None to share this week.

Works in Progress:

I edited the first chapter of Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) and sent it in, and I got the final edits of Tattered & Torn (Meridian Book 6) back, so I’m working on that now. It’s moving quickly, but I had some car issues yesterday that means I didn’t get to do any edits at all. As soon as I finish with T&T, I’ll write some quick flash, then go back to working on T&C, shooting for sending it in by the end of the month.

Because Quill & Crow Publishing put up their novel submission call for this year, and it opens next month and closes June 1, which means I now have a hard deadline for getting dark alt-history Masque edited and submitted. I’ve trained for this.

Gig economy is exhausting and basically minimum wage after travel costs, but it’s still more than I reliably make writing, so it continues to be worth my time as a stop gap until I can finally get a steadier job (what a time to be looking). I am not looking forward to working in a Texas summer. I’m already melting like candle wax in the afternoons, my car A/C works but struggles, and we haven’t even cracked 90. I hate sweating.

But for now I still have free mornings (barring car troubles that send me to the mechanic), and I’m making sure to take a day off every week for my sanity and to get ahead on my writing. Trying to be more efficient with the time I have, but politics continue to make that difficult.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (finished)
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry

Things I’m Listening To:

The Mist soundtrack
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark soundtrack
Knowing soundtrack
The Best Damn Thing by Avril Lavigne
Brave Enough by Sara Bareilles

Things I’m Watching:

Reacher series (finished)
Celebrity Jeopardy series
Abbott Elementary series
Ghosts (US) series
Watson series
Elsbeth series
The Hunting Party series
Criminal Minds series
S.W.A.T. series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
The Bondsman series

Since the troubles started: Friday Update

04 Friday Apr 2025

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News:

My flash piece “Turning Tail” is one of the twenty finalists for this month’s Shallow Waters flash fiction contest, theme Old School (creature features), at Crystal Lake’s Patreon ($5/month and up tiers). If everything goes the way it should, it’ll be posted on April 19.

My sweet-and-sour clown story “Exile” is out today in Undertaker Books’ Carnival of Horror. You can purchase it here. There have been a few reviews so far, and “Exile” is reviewing well so far.

I started in the gig economy earlier this week. The first day did not go well. The second day went better. I have things I really do not like about it and things I really do. What is clear is that it’s not a viable long-term option, so I’m continuing to send out resumes. But it should cover health care costs, at least. And the things I do like about it make it worth the while for now.

Works in Progress:

I finished the first publisher’s edit of Tattered & Torn (Meridian Book 6) and sent it in. I’m working on the Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) edits now, but they’re going to be even slower now that I’m gigging. I’ve got to be more efficient with my available time.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry

Things I’m Listening To:

Abyss/Ascent playlist
Knowing soundtrack
Top 40 radio

Things I’m Watching:

Wicked
Mystery Island: Winner Takes All
Meltdown: Three Mile Island series (finished)
The Residence series (finished, highly recommended)
The Irrational series (finished)
Reacher series
Watson series
Elsbeth series
Criminal Minds series
S.W.A.T. series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series
Kitchen Nightmares series

All boys, except one, grow up: Friday Update

28 Friday Mar 2025

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News:

A reminder that I’ll be participating in a virtual Horror Talent Showcase tomorrow, March 29, 8-10 PM EST, which you can sign up for here. I’ll be reading “Venus,” a narrative poem from the Verdant with Splinter and Thorn vicious spring section of seasonal horror poetry collection A Nightmare for All Seasons. I’ve done a virtual reading before for Queer Saints II, and it was a lot of fun.

Book & Candle (Meridan Book 5) by my other name is out in ebook.

Some good news on the medical front, but I’ll talk about it more when the labs get back. However, due to medical stuff, I’ll have to wait until next week before I start my venture into the gig economy. I’m excited and nervous in turns.

Works in Progress:

I finished the two short stories and decided to save the third for next month, because I had a lot of real-life things distracting me this last week. However, I also received the first edits for Tattered & Torn (Meridian Book 6) from my publisher, so I’m getting on that. I’m hoping to finish by end of the weekend or Monday. Then I’ll turn around and start my double edits on Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7).

During a walk, I thought of a juicy concept for a Meridian Book 8 that makes me excited about trying to write in that world again. It may be something I play with after Masque edits. I think eight books in a series feels more complete than seven, and it’ll address an important recurring theme in the other books.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Alien Secrets by Annette Curtis Klause (finished)
Playlist of the Damned edited by Willow Dawn Becker and Jess Landry

Things I’m Listening To:

Svrcina
Eurielle
Lily Kershaw

Things I’m Watching:

The Substance
Ma
Twisters
The Twister: Caught in the Storm
Meltdown: Three Mile Island series
Celebrity Jeopardy series
Watson series
Ghosts (US) series
Abbott Elementary series
Elsbeth series
The Hunting Party series
CSI: NY series
CSI series
Criminal Minds series
Spring Baking Championship series
Reacher series
Grey’s Anatomy series
The Equalizer series
S.W.A.T. series
Brooklyn Nine-Nine series

Deeper and deeper we go: Friday Update

21 Friday Mar 2025

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News:

I had a really excellent phone and in-person interview this week that unfortunately did not yield fruit. So it looks like gig economy starts for me next week. I’m also having some medical issues piling on me all at once, and it’s uncomfortable and embarrassing and frustrating (and hopefully harmless). I could use a break.

I do have a little bit of good news on the publishing front, but I can’t give details at this time.

My fifth Meridian book under my other name is going wide on March 25, but you can pre-order it now. Book & Candle is a witch’s magic shop in mystical hotspot Meridian, TX. Her partner is stolen by succubi unknown, so she hires a dangerous veteran demon hunter to help her go scorched-earth to find him again. If you like tropes, it features enemies to lovers and age gap between older characters. You do not need to have read any of the other Meridian novels; they’re stand-alones. Tattered & Torn (Meridian 6) is also already available for pre-order.

Works in Progress:

I sent Tattered & Torn in to my publisher earlier this week and apologized profusely for being late from what I promised. She should get back to me by end of next week to do the first round of edits from her side. I don’t anticipate that these should take a long time to take care of.

I wrote some flash fiction and am in the middle of writing another short piece. I might write one more before going on to Tooth & Claw (Meridian 7) edits. I’ve also been mulling over a potential new book 8, created wholly from scratch rather than anything in my series notes, although I wouldn’t want to do anything about it until I finished my Masque edits.

Books I’m Reading:

The Fisherman by John Langan
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Alien Secrets by Annette Curtis Klause

Things I’m Listening To:

Svrcina
Singer-songwriter playlist

Things I’m Watching:

Trap
Venom: The Last Dance
Heretic
CSI: NY series
CSI series
Criminal Minds series
Spring Baking Championship series
Slasher: The Executioner series (finished)
Reacher series
Grey’s Anatomy series
The Equalizer series
S.W.A.T. series