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!