As always, I’m a little late to the party on this, but hey, here we are: another year, another Award Eligibility post! As everyone seems to mention in their eligibility posts, this always feels a little weird, but at the same time, it’s nice to take stock of a year’s accomplishments, if only to remember: look at that! I did something with these past twelve months. So here goes…

In big news, 2018 saw the release of The Rust Maidens, my debut novel. The book came out through Trepidatio Publishing, an imprint of JournalStone, on November 16th, and it still feels so surreal to say I’m a novelist. But I am, as this beautiful cover art by Daniele Serra proves…

The Rust Maidens has been well-received (so far anyhow!), with Booklist calling it a “dramatic and absorbing story,” and Gordon B. White at Hellnotes saying “this is radioactive storytelling.” It’s also appeared on some readers’ top ten lists including Nick Cato at The Horror Fiction Review who praised it as “a fantastic debut novel.”

As for my non-Rust Maidens accomplishments, here’s a complete list of the rest of my fiction published in 2018. As these things go, if you’re considering for awards, and you would like a copy of any of these stories or my novel, please drop me a line, using the info over at my contact page.

“Garden of Grudges” (Bracken, December 2018)
Two daughters must cope with their mother’s anger, as it grows into uncontrollable sentient grudges and threatens to destroy their whole lives. It was a pleasure and an honor to appear in Bracken again, and it was also wonderful to end the year with this particular story, which combines magic realism with fairy tales and a dash of botanical horror.

“In Her Flightless Wings, a Fire” (Chiral Mad 4, October 2018)
Ballet, witchcraft, and sisterhood in turn-of-century Saint Petersburg and Paris. This novella was co-written with the magical Emily B. Cataneo, and I’m so very proud of having collaborated on a truly unusual story that ultimately appeared in such a fabulous anthology.

“An Elegy for Childhood Monsters” (Suspended in Dusk II, July 2018)
Alternating between their terrifying childhood and an uncertain present day, two sisters must face the monster that’s been after them since they were very young. This is a personal favorite of mine, one of the stories of which I’m most proud, and Suspended in Dusk II is such a fantastic anthology that I encourage everyone to check it out. If not for my story, then for a litany of other incredible tales.

“In the Belly of the Wolf” (Kaleidotrope, April 2018)
A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, only with the Big Bad Wolf as a jilted mother who’s determined to get back her daughter. A lyrical flash fiction piece that’s a little bit Angela Carter but with an extra helping of rage.

“Moving Day” (The Lift, March 2018)
Part of The Lift shared universe, a widow must deal with leaving her beloved home, and she soon comes to a crossroads that only a certain little pigtailed girl that lives in an enchanted building can help her with.

“To Blaze a Sweet Heretic’s Heart” (Mantid 3, February 2018)
Witches, girlhood, and rage. Truly, all the best things in the world! This one incorporates folk horror and fairy tales into a story of stolen freedom and fighting back.

In addition to my fiction, I also had a number of nonfiction pieces published at venues including Nightmare, Unnerving Magazine, and the Clash Books blog. A personal favorite of mine is “W is for Witch,” which was featured as part of The H Word column at Nightmare, and is available to read for free online. I’m also particularly proud of “The One Who Survives: The Final Girls of Film and Fiction,” an article that was in Unnerving, and is available to purchase here.

And that’s been my 2018! Next year is looking pretty positive so far with five short stories slated for publication already, along with a couple nonfiction pieces and a one-act play that will be produced as part of the National Endowment for the Arts’ The Big Read, marking my seventh consecutive year of being a playwright for the program. Plus, I’m hoping to finish up several more short stories, a novelette, and yes, very possibly another novel. Those are the goals anyway. We’ll see where everything ends up. I tend to be overly positive about my ability to complete projects, but hey, a writer can dream, can’t she?

I hope everyone has had a productive and happy end to 2018, and here’s to making 2019 a truly wonderful year!

Happy reading!