Hello, friends!

It’s been so long since we hung out. I almost forgot I had a blog. Terrible, I know, but here I am, back at the writing and hoping the insanity out there slows to a dull roar soon.

I haven’t been doing much on the social media marketing front lately, so I thought now would be a good time to let you know I’m still kicking and still plugging away at this writing thing (albeit, much slower than usual).

Next month (July), my novella BLOOD LAKE MONSTER will be released by Unnerving as part of the REWIND OR DIE series.

 

When she finally solves the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, Anya realizes she’s the only one who can put an end to the Blood Lake Monster. Is she willing to sacrifice everything for the town that ruined her life?

 

 

 

 

I’m pretty excited about this 80’s/90’s slasher style story. I based it in Tweed (although everything except the location and the small town flavor of the characters is fiction), on our beautiful Stoco Lake. I hope you’ll check it out. In the meantime, you can check out, ANOTHER PRETTY FACE, my contribution to the first Rewind or Die book, MIDNIGHT EXHIBIT, which also includes stories by Eddie Generous, Philip Fracassi, and Stephen Graham Jones.

I’ve also contributed a wee sexy story series to Unnerving Magazine, called BLACK BROTHEL. You can catch the first installment in Issue 12. I’ve got a couple more waiting in the wings for future issues. Subscribe to Unnerving to be the first to get these and more awesome writings from a wide range of dark fiction authors.

Recently, I signed with Bloodshot Books to publish my horror/sci-fi novel, CLUSTER. No release date yet, but I’ll keep you posted. Look for it sometime in 2021.

In 1848, a fire sweeps through a midwestern plantation. Crops flourish later that year, and residents believe the incident is a gift from God.

Until they start dying.

Years later, a developer breaks ground where the plantation once stood. Within weeks of discovering human remains, Dr. Morris Jenkins identifies a cluster of “suicide headaches,” but patients aren’t just harmful to themselves, they’re violent toward others. Before he can identify the cause, the CDC takes over, and Morris is infected as well.

Dr. Catherine Fairchild works feverishly to develop a treatment for the deadly migraines, but her work is halted by a government agent who claims the parasite is alien in origin and must be eradicated, not treated.

But they might be too late, because the deadliest patient, Charles, is about to be set free.

I’ve also finished a novel that I’ve written and rewritten many times over the past six or seven years. I was going to sub it, but (once again) I’m not sure it’s ready for publication. It’s a mystery/sci-fi/horror thing that includes a mad scientist, a secret organization, a rogue agent, and a deadly game of Survivor. I really like the story, but it’s had so many transformations over the years, I might be over it. Still can’t just toss it, though.

We’ll see how that goes.

I’m also working on a project called RETAIL, which is a series of stories that make up a larger story, based on my experience working in, you guessed it, retail. It’s dark, bloody, hilarious (I hope) and a little weird. The best part, I think, is that many of the scenes (except for the murders and maimings), include events that actually happened. And a lot of them are definitely stranger than fiction.

And finally, I’m working on a creature story set after this whole Covid mess. I decided I can’t not acknowledge recent events in future novels, even if I don’t really want to use it as the basis for anything, so we’re going to fast forward in this book, and use the virus as a starting point for a different kind of horror. My creature in this one (which doesn’t have a title yet) is man-made and the bloodshed and havoc it wreaks is the result of bad judgement, big egos, and terrible timing. Or something. It’s still a very loose outline, so things could change.

Other than that, I’ve got a handful of short stories that are a long way from finished. I haven’t been subbing much, because it’s been difficult to find chunks of time to properly edit anything. I’ve been working a lot more, because people have lost their fucking minds, and instead of my dream of one, very well behaved dog, I have three lunatics that don’t like the sound of typing. Seems to be their signal to act like savages. We’re making progress. I mean, this blog post only took two days to write. That’s pretty good, considering I couldn’t manage more than fifty words at a time last month. I need an office. Someone tell the writing fairies to work on that. Thanks.

That’s it. The only other good news I have is that I’m healthy, maybe a little tired, and grateful that I live in an area that doesn’t see a lot of action (aside from the action I see too much of at work). I have a pretty good life, great friends and a family that loves me, so all in all, I’m doing all right. I hope all of you are safe as well and you’re taking care of yourselves physically and mentally. It’s tough to see the positives when you watch the news or take a walk through social media, but it’s important to remember all the reasons you have to be grateful, even if they don’t seem significant. I know, that sounds disgustingly close to feelings kind of talk, but I think it needs to be said. When shit gets so real it feels like you’re in a nightmare you can’t wake up from, I remind myself of at least one thing in my life that makes me smile. If your thing is as simple as a steaming hot cup of coffee, then embrace that cup (careful you don’t spill) and let yourself enjoy every last drop.

Okay, done with the feels. Next time, I’ll have a good and proper rant for you all.