Monthly Archives: April 2019

Spring 2019 Updates: Appearances, New Releases, & Maidens Who Rust!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted any blog updates about my goings-on, so I figured I should probably use this site for that very task. 2019 has already ushered in many new and exciting developments, so let’s dive right in, shall we?

THE RUST MAIDENS

Everyone who follows my social media already knows this, but since I haven’t announced it yet on the blog, here goes: The Rust Maidens is an award nominee! And twice over too!

First, back in February, the Bram Stoker Award nominations were announced, and The Rust Maidens made the cut for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Then just last week, the book was nominated for a This Is Horror Award in the category of Novel of the Year. Seriously. These are real things that happened! The Stokers will be announced on May 1th in Grand Rapids, and you can still vote for the This Is Horror Awards over here!

It’s all cliche and whatnot to talk about how much this means to me, but let me say it again anyhow: it absolutely means the world to me that this book has found an audience. So thank you to everyone who’s read, reviewed, and supported The Rust Maidens. I can’t fully express my deep gratitude to all of you. Having a first novel has been a wild and humbling ride, without a doubt.

NIGHTSCAPE PRESS

Now for another first! My very first novelette will be coming out later this year! The Invention of Ghosts is a surreal exploration of friendship, the occult, and what it means to be haunted. As part of Nightscape Press’s Charitable Chapbook series, the paperback version will feature original illustrations and will have a highly limited run, with one-third of all sales going to the National Aviary, which is among my favorite places on Earth. The release for The Invention of Ghosts is slated for November 26th, and a pre-order page should be up shortly. For the Charitable Chapbook series, each paperback copy goes for $30 while ebooks are $5.

(Also, there had been some online discussion recently about the breakdown of the chapbook pricing, so feel free to check that out over here if you’ve got any questions at all. This is a truly wonderful project from Nightscape editors Robert and Jennifer Wilson, and it’s an honor to be involved.)

But that’s not the only thing I’m doing with Nightscape Press this year. I’m beyond thrilled to have written the introduction for The Yellow Wallpaper, which is being released through their Classic Chapbook series. And check out that glorious cover by the talented Luke Spooner! It’s almost too beautiful to believe. *swoons* That pre-order page is up now, so please support the incredible work that Nightscape is doing, and consider picking up a copy!

APPEARANCES

Now onward to places where you can see me hanging out in the shadows! From May 9th to May 11th, I’ll be in Grand Rapids for my second StokerCon! As always, I’m really looking forward to this event. I’ll be posting my full schedule here at the blog in the next week or two, so check back to find out where I’ll be and what I’ll be doing. It’s sure to be a fabulous time!

And in case you didn’t catch my many Facebook and Twitter posts about it last month, I also appeared in Atlanta on March 22nd and 23rd at The Outer Dark Symposium. By far, this was one of the best times I’ve ever had at a convention. Anya Martin and Scott Nicolay are doing an awesome job of fostering an inclusive and welcoming community in weird fiction and horror, and it was so cool to be a guest at the event. Over the coming months, they’re compiling all the programming from the symposium on The Outer Dark podcast, and you can check out the first episode now, which features a panel I moderated on weird fiction and nature.

If you didn’t make it to The Outer Dark—and can’t make it to StokerCon either—and you still want to hang out with me, I’m planning one or two additional appearances this year, so stay tuned for more details on those in the coming months!

RECENT RELEASES

Okay, one last section, and then I’ll be done with updates! So far this year, I’ve had a couple new short stories and two nonfiction articles released!

In the fiction department, my dark fantasy tale, “Tips for How to Deal With Your Daughter When She’s Become a Monster,” made its debut in the phenomenal anthology, Gorgon: Stories of Emergence, edited by the amazing Sarah Read at Pantheon. Then last month, my Gothic trope-twisting story, “The Woman Out of the Attic,” appeared in the beautiful Haunted House Short Stories anthology from Flame Tree Press. I’m very proud of both these stories, and I look forward to hearing from readers as copies make their way into the world!

Finally, in nonfiction, my article, “Magic, Madness, and Women Who Creep: The Power of Individuality in the Work of Charlotte Perkins Gilman,” appears in the new issue of Vastarien. This article was such a joy to write. I got to discuss one of the coolest classic female horror authors, and I even managed to work in a reference to Literary Witches, a beautiful book that I highly recommend.

And if you’re still in the mood for a little more nonfiction, then please do check out my article, “Violence and Violins: 60 Years of Psycho,” in the recent issue of Unnerving Magazine. It was also a lot of fun to write, so hopefully, it will be a fun one to read as well. After all, it’s about time I make use of all that Hitchcock knowledge I amassed as a kid.

So those are all my latest updates for the moment. Busy days over here, and as always, expect more interviews and Submission Roundups in the weeks to come. Never a dull moment in the life of a writer, that’s for sure!

Happy reading!

Springtime Stories: Submission Roundup for April 2019

Welcome back for this month’s Submission Roundup! Another great month for submission calls, so if you’ve got a story looking for a home, maybe you’ll find a place to send your words in the links below.

But first, a word from your blog sponsor (as in, me): I am not a representative for any of these markets; I’m merely the messenger. For questions on any of these calls, please contact the respective publication. And with that, onward with this month’s Submission Roundup!

Submission Roundup

Non-Binary Review
Payment: .01/word for fiction and nonfiction; $10/flat for poetry
Length: up to 5,000 words for fiction and nonfiction; up to 3 pages for poetry
Deadline: April 22nd, 2019
What They Want: The current issue of Non-Binary Review is seeking submissions inspired by the work of H.G. Wells.
Find the details here.

Hatchet Job
Payment: .02/word for reprints; .04/word for original fiction (query first)
Length: up to 10,000 words
Deadline: April 30th, 2019
What They Want: A horror anthology with stories about axe murderers. The editor is seeking primarily reprints, though original fiction might be accepted, providing you query first.
Find the details here.

HWA 2019 Poetry Showcase
Payment: $5/flat
Length: no more than 35 lines
Deadline: April 30th, 2019
What They Want: Open to HWA members only, this year’s Poetry Showcase is edited by Stephanie M. Wytovich, Cynthia Pelayo, and Christa Carmen. They’re seeking all varieties of horror poetry.
Find the details here.

Nox Pareidolia
Payment: .06/word
Length: up to 6,000 words
Deadline: April 30th, 2019 (June 30th for black authors only)
What They Want: Nightscape Press is seeking ambiguous weird and horror fiction in the style of Robert Aickman.
Find the details here.

Tiny Nightmares
Payment: $100/flat
Length: up to 1,200 words
Deadline: May 1st, 2019
What They Want: Open to very short horror stories that push the boundaries of the genre.
Find the details here.

Across the Universe anthology
Payment: $200/flat
Length: 1,000 to 4,000 words
Deadline: June 14th, 2019
What They Want: Speculative fiction stories about the Beatles.
Find the details here.

Happy submitting!

Love and Death: Interview with Serena Jayne

Welcome back for our first interview of April! Today, I’m thrilled to spotlight Serena Jayne. Serena is the author of Kiss Me Dead along with numerous short stories, and she’s also a frequent reviewer and incredible supporter of her fellow writers.

Recently, Serena and I discussed her new book as well as her inspiration and her future writing plans.

A couple icebreakers to start: when did you first decide to become a writer, and who are some of your favorite authors?

Reading has always been a passion for me. I dreamed of becoming a writer, but pursued science, while taking every single writing class offered in college. After a few years doing laboratory work, I turned my focus to technical writing and eventually management. By 2009, I was burned out. After too many moments like the one in Eat Pray Love where Elizabeth Gilbert describes sobbing and lamenting the course of her life on her bathroom floor at three AM, I knew I needed to make some changes. With a new determination to follow my dreams, I sought out online writing communities, joined the Romance Writers of America, and enrolled in Seton Hill University’s MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction. I met a bunch of phenomenally talented people whose belief in me helped me foster belief in myself.

Some of my favorite authors include Jim Butcher, Laurel K. Hamilton, Randall Silvis, Kresley Cole, Don Winslow, Rainbow Rowell, Blake Crouch, and Sara Wolf. I loved your short story collection, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, and your novel, The Rust Maidens. Your other works are at the top of my To-Be-Read list.

Congratulations on your new book, Kiss Me Dead! What was the inspiration behind this story?

I took an outstanding intensive course on using tarot cards in writing taught by Devon Ellington. I drew the death card for my protagonist and my reaper hero was born. My draw for the story included a number of major arcana cards, including the magician, the star, and the hanged man. I expanded the story by adding in elements from Greek Mythology and Death’s personal assistant.

I absolutely love Matt Andrew’s art for your cover! What can you tell us about how that cover artwork developed?

As a huge fan of Matt’s art and writing, I was thrilled when he agreed to do the cover. His attention to detail makes his work shine. We both love retro-style pinups and his vision brought the elements of horror and romance together in a fun and sexy way. He absolutely captured the heart of the story with his stunning artwork. I couldn’t be more pleased.

Your work spans numerous genres, including horror, dark fantasy, noir, mystery, and romance. Do you have different approaches to a story depending on which genre you’re writing?

The genres tend to put me in different emotional headspaces. With romance, I know the main characters are going to end up in a good place. With noir, horror and other dark genres, happy ever afters aren’t necessarily in the cards. One of my professors at Seton Hill taught me that paranormal/dark romance is a subgenre of horror. Everything is connected and life is a mix of all the things—and I want to write about them all.

With all my stories, I tend to come up with the situation or the protagonist or some other seed and let it stew in my mind until I know enough to get started. My process tends to be different depending on the length of the piece, rather than on the genre. For shorter works, I’ll brainstorm a bit and then get writing. With longer works, I need to plot more. It’s not enough to have a beginning and end. I need a more detailed map or else I tend to get lost. My go to move when I am stuck is to hop in the shower. There’s nothing like some hot water and suds to get my subconscious cooking.

In addition to your fiction work, you’re also a reviewer. What inspired you to become a reviewer, and has it changed your approach to fiction writing at all?

Reviews are crucial to me, both as a reader and as an author. I’ve one-clicked books based on reviews or recommendations from friends. Book seller algorithms make books with numerous reviews easier to discover. A friend got me hooked on NetGalley. Advanced reader copies are the best. I wouldn’t say it’s changed the way I write fiction, but becoming a reviewer has taught me the importance of blurbs. When I find a book on NetGalley that looks interesting, if the blurb doesn’t grab me, I won’t request it.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process: crafting dialogue, developing characters, or creating a sense of setting?

My favorite part of the writing process is developing characters and those precious ah-ha moments when things start to gel. I’ve found each story to be unique. Some are easier to write, while others need to be scraped out of my brain and heart in tiny, bloody chunks.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on several horror short stories and a noir novel. There’s a romantic comedy novel series featuring generation-X characters bouncing around in my brain. I’m hoping to get the first installment written this year, while I’m submitting my thesis, an urban fantasy novel, to publishers. I haven’t published anything 20,000 words or longer yet. I’m hoping to change that soon.

Tremendous thank to Serena Jayne for being part of this week’s author interview series! Find her online at her website as well as on Twitter and Instagram!

Happy reading!