Another New Year (for whatever it's worth)

As always, I am slack to post on this blog and it feels like a broken record, but I would like to say Happy New Year and I've recently had my first publication of the year: My poem, "Vengeance", has been published in the Winter 2025 issue of Black Petals! 

Also of note, I have completed my registration to join Learned League for its upcoming season (in February).

I might work on changing the style of this blog when I have time (and feel like it).

A Few Things, A Couple Publications

I don't know why I find it such a huge task just to post in this blog. I tend to wonder if anyone reads it since most folks are more into social media. I really don't know how authors can belong to so many social media platforms and have to repost the same thing everywhere over and over again.

Anyway...

This past week has been hard. A good friend of mine passed away unexpectedly and I don't know when I'll be released of that shock. Just so much loss this year.

I can find solace in my writing. I've had two publications within the last week:

First, are four poems in the latest issue of THE HORROR ZINE, a wonderful site that I have the honor of being published in several times since its inception.

Also, my story, "Pastels", has been published in THE DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND: A Horror Charity Anthology for Drug Addiction, released by Dark Moon Rising Publications. You can find it on Amazon in both paperback and e-book. Lots of great writers in this one.

On the trivia front, I hope to be joining Learned League soon. I am currently on the wait list. Both nervous and excited about this. I've been in sort of a trivia withdrawl since my favorite PAR site has been down. Actually, I miss playing PAR reallly bad. I learned so much.

CARNAGE HOUSE

My story, "Legion", is featured in the new issue of Carnage House. I feel like this is an important turning point in a way, especially since right after I got an acceptance for an upcoming charity anthology (more on that later).

"Legion" is a personal story. It's a story about dealing with chronic pain. What do you do about pain? Do you separate yourself from it? Do you deal with it some how? Or do you make yourself one with the pain? 

It seems like my personal stories do well (look at "Alice in a Blue Dress" published in The Horror Zine. That was partly inspired by my own mother's cancer. Luckily, my mom survived and I did not turn into a demon).

Facing demons, right? 😈

The Horror Zine

This Summer seems to have flown by (as most Summers do). But this this season has felt like some odd dream, part nightmare, part fever dream of being swept off my feet (literally) by ghosts. My father sadly passed away in June and time has been surreal.

I'm being driven, however, as if those ghosts are speaking to me, to write more, to have that need inside me, and not just see it as a daily task. I wish I could write more fiction and I'm trying to get back into that. Not just the novel I've been trying to write for years, but I did start a new short story not long ago.

In the meantime, I had four poems accepted by The Horror Zine, which are set to appear in the December issue of the online 'zine, but are also featured in the Fall 2024 print issue, now available on Amazon!

ILLUMEN

I can't believe it's taken me this long to have my first publication of the year, but I am quite proud to have more poetry in Illumen. Please consider purchasing a copy and supporting this lovely publication.

The Literary Hatchet

Proud to have two poems published in the latest issue of The Literary Hatchet. The issue is available as a free PDF download until the next issue comes out. 🪓

CARNAGE HOUSE, A New Venture in Extreme Horror

My story, "Audrey in the Box", has been published in a new webzine called Carnage House. The site, as the editors like to say, is currently undergoing its "soft launch" and encourages the readers to look around and see what works and what doesn't. So, please do so. I would like to thank the editors for giving me a chance with this story, as it's been rejected a number of times, probably because of the revenge plot.