Well, here we are. As you can see, I finally made the plunge and updated the website from the old, discontinued template to a new one . . . which is still an older template and so it will probably be discontinued any day now that I’ve chosen to use it for my site.

I’m not completely happy with the design, some elements don’t work (like I haven’t figured out to get rid of the “Add a comment” text all over these blog posts; I don’t have commenting turned on, so I’d like to get rid of that text), and some pages aren’t complete yet. And, my little Cthulhus need to be changed because they look weird standing in that little white divider bar. So as you pop back for visits, there will be changes and upgrades, but at least it’s a start.

School is back in session, so writing progress has been slow. I did manage to write up a fun little piece of vampire flash fiction and get that sent off, but most of the writing work in January was resubmissions and biting my fingernails as not one, but THREE of my short stories were shortlisted. I’m still waiting to hear back on the third one, but the first two didn’t quite make the cut for the publications they were submitted to. As I’ve said before, I have a love/hate relationship with shortlisting: it seems if I’m told my story has been shortlisted, it’s like a curse and the work is rejected; if there’s no shortlisting (or I’m not told about it), then my work is accepted. It’s the “always a bridesmaid” for writers, I guess.

I read (or listened to) three long-form works of fiction in January:

• Huckleberry Finn (yes, it was for class, but if I have to slog through it, I’m counting it!);
• The Utterly Uninteresting and Unadventurous Tales of Fred, the Vampire Accountant, by Drew Hayes (Cute and funny, sort of like Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, but with vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures);
• Chernobyl 01:23:40: The Incredible True Story of the World’s Worst Nuclear Disaster, by Andrew Leatherbarrow (there are two nonfiction topics where I read *everything* I can get my hands on: biohazards and nuclear accidents).

Here is the list for this month’s #500Stories500Nights. I recently discovered Third Flatiron Publishing has a podcast, so you’ll be seeing those pop-up in next month’s reading list. Though all the stories on the list are good, the single asterisk means the story stood out to me in some way; a double-asterisk means it *really* stood out and I really enjoyed it (and probably wish I had written it, lol).

• Jan 1: “The Thames Valley Catastrophe,” by Grant Allen (Pseudopod 665)
• Jan 2: “Hunger,” by Daniel Willcocks, (The Other Stories 3.1)
• Jan 3: * “The Miner’s Door,” by Daniel Willcocks (The Other Stories 1.4)
• Jan 4: * “Sugar and Spice,” by Jennifer R. Donaohue (Overcast 99)
• Jan 5: ** “All the Hidden Places,” by Cadwell Turnbull (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, Mar 6, 2019)
• Jan 6: ** “Small Medicine,” by Genevieve Valentine  (LeVar Burton Reads 52)
• Jan 7: “A Night of Many Months,” by CL Holland (Pseudopod 681)
• Jan 8: “Doll Re Mi,” by Tanith Lee (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, May 15, 2013)
• Jan 9: “Stitched Wings,” by Beth Cato (Overcast 27)
• Jan 10: “Rubber Jungle,” by John Crinan and Hannah Mariska (The Other Stories 47.4)
• Jan 11: “Pupae,” by Ben Errington (The Other Stories 12.3)
• Jan 12: ** “Cannibals,” by Joe Maggio (Tales From Beyond the Pale Ep 14) (note: if you’re a Vincent D’nafrio fan, you’ll be able to “see” his face throughout this whole story. . .so awesome)!
• Jan 13: * “Sea Girls,” by Daniel Wallace (Levar Burton Reads, 7-31-18)
• Jan 14: “The Flier,” by Joseph O’Neill (New Yorker The Writer’s Voice, 11-5-19)
• Jan 15: “Frozen,” by DJ Tyrer (Flame Tree Fiction Newsletter, Jan 2020)
• Jan 16: “Someone Decorated My House for Christmas,” by Brandon Faircloth (Nocturnal Transmissions Ep 66)
• Jan 17: “Peripheral Work,” by CC Smith (Tales to Terrify 415)
• Jan 18: “You-Go-Back,” by Elise Fourier Edie (Gallery of Curiosities 12-31-16)
• Jan 19: “Daddy’s Girl,” by Eleanor R. Wood (Overcast 33)
• Jan 20: “The Eight People Who Murdered Me,” by Gwendolyn Kiste (Nightmare Magazine podcast, 11-20-19)
• Jan 21: ** “Yiwu,” by Lavie Tidhar (LeVar Burton Reads 10-2-18)
• Jan 22: ** “Missing, Presumed Dead,” by R. T. Raynaud (Nocturnal Transmissions Ep 64)
• Jan 23: * “Lambing Season,” by Nicole J. LeBoeuf (Tales to Terrify 413)
• Jan 24: “Pomegranate, Pomegranate,” by Jack Westlake (Pseudopod 682)
• Jan 25: ** “The Infamous Bengal Ming,” by Rajesh Parameswaran (Nocturnal Transmissions Ep 60)
• Jan 26: “Rotting Pumpkins,” by Max Lobdell (Nocturnal Transmissions Ep 61)
• Jan 27: “Next,” by David Greske (The Wicked Library TWL 915)
• Jan 28: “Full,” by Seras Nikita (Tales to Terrify 416)
• Jan 29: * “Gentlemanly Horrors of Mine Alone,” by Donald J. Bingle (Gallery of Curiosities 11-20-19)
• Jan 30: ** “Cold Reading,” by Glenn McQuaid and April Snellings (Tales From Beyond the Pale 15)
• Jan 31: “DST, INC,” by Robert McCammon (read by the author himself: https://www.robertmccammon.com/2019/11/26/robert-mccammon-reads-a-new-story-dst-inc/)

Next months’ reading list will probably have a few more text-based (rather than podcast-based) stories because it is Bram Stoker Awards time, so I’m reading with an eye as to which I’m going to vote for. It’s also been a situation where I’ve learned something: the best way to share/get something widely read is to use the path of least resistance. By this, I mean that some authors share a link to their work, often in Dropbox, so you can download it. Most authors share an email address where you can contact them for a copy. Guess which one I do more often? Food for thought!

That’s it for this month! Until next month, stay spooky!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I love a new year and all the possiblities it holds. We all have so much optimism at the beginning of the year . . . but usually my optimism runs out by March, lol.

#500Stories#500Nights Update

As will probably be the case most of the time, my list is skewed toward audio. I can listen to half a dozen stories a day via podcasts or audible, but I have a hard time chiseling out the time to read even one text-based story. So if you’re thinking, “Sheesh! Why is the list mostly podcasts?!” it’s because the format is easier to consume in great quantities. And why these particular podcasts, aside from they have an awesome variety? The more frequently listed podcasts (like Overcast and Pseudopod) make their stories available to the major podcast feeds; some mags create a podcast but only make the cast available on their website. Visiting individual websites is something I don’t have time to do because I’m usually listening at work.

I’ve put an asterisk by the stories I particularly enjoyed, and a double asterisk by the stories I *REALLY* enjoyed or found interesting.

Dec 1: “The Curfew,” by Roddy Doyle (The New Yorker: The Writer’s Voice, Nov 26, 2019)

Dec 2: *“Bulletproof,” by J. Askew (The Other Stories, 46.3)

Dec 3: “For your safety and Comfort. . .” by Michelle Ann King (The Overcast 111)

Dec 4: *“The Crusted Depths,” by Daniel Willcocks (The Other Stories podcast, Oct. 20, 2019)

Dec 5: “Well Enough Alone,” by Holly Schofield (The Overcast 112)

Dec 6: *“The Bleeding Maze: A Visitor’s Guide,” by Kurt Fawver (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, Aug 7, 2019)

Dec 7: *“The Lesser of Two Evils,” by Shane Halbach (The Overcast 113)

Dec 8:  *“Antripuu,” by Simon Strantzas (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, July 10, 2019)

Dec 9: *“In the Walls,” by Robert Reed (Daily Science Fiction, 12-6-19)

Dec 10: **“The School,” Donald Barthelme (Read this one. Seriously) https://www.npr.org/programs/death/readings/stories/bart.html)

Dec 11: *“The Vaults of Yoh Vombis,” by Clark Ashton-Smith (Pseudopod 611)

Dec 12: “The Night Princes,” by Megan Arkenberg (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, June 5, 2019)

Dec 13: “Mofongo Knows, by Grady Hendrix (Pseudopod 612)

Dec 14: “Mastiff,” by Joyce Carol Oates, read by Louise Erdrich (The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, Nov 2, 2013)

Dec 15: “Figure 8,” by E. Catherine Tobler (Pseudopod 614)

Dec 16: *“Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island,” by Nibedita Sen (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, May 15, 2019)

Dec 17: *“Different Kinds of Darkness,” by David Langford (LeVar Burton Reads #19)

Dec 18: **“Eternity Plus Package, 89.99/Month,” by Michael Milne (Overcast 118)

Dec 19: “The Lottery,” by Shirley Jackson, read by A.M. Homes (The New Yorker Fiction Podcast, Nov 12, 2008) (Of course, this is a given absolute favorite)

Dec 20: *“The Solstice,” by Kev Harrison (The Other Stories 47.1)

Dec 21: “The Fliers of Gy,” by Ursula K Le Guin (LeVar Burton Reads podcast, 6-19-18)

Dec 22: *“A Fate Worse Than Death,” by Matthew Butcher (The Other Stories 3.2)

Dec 23: “Dimensions,” by F.I. Goldhaber (Overcast 104)

Dec 24: *“Malotibala Printing Press,” by Mimi Mondal (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, May 1, 2019)

Dec 25: “How to Date a Brown Girl (Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie),” Junot diaz (The New Yorker: Fiction, podcast, Jun 1, 2007)

Dec 26: *“Soft Mary’s Flood,” by Steven Pirie (Overcast 100)

Dec 27: “58 Rules to Ensure Your Husband Loves You Forever,” by Rafeeat Aliyu (Nightmare Magazine Podcast, Feb 20, 2019)

Dec 28: *“Jackalope Wives,” by Ursula Vernon (LeVar Burton Reads 32)

Dec 29: **“Fyrewall,” by Stefani Cox (LeVar Burton Reads 31)

Dec 30: “Blue Christmas,” by Jessica Levai (Overcast 119)

Dec 31: *“Terry Rowlings, Success Coach,” by Luke Kondor (The Other Stories 3.3)

What Else I’ve Been Reading

During mornings at my day job, I’ve been listening to the short story podcasts. During the afternoon, I’ve been listening to audiobooks. I started with Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse. This one is interesting because, in my opinion, it fits in three genres: Native American fiction, fantasy fiction, and new adult fiction. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to try it because I avoid young-adult and new-adult fiction like the plague (not that there’s anything wrong with it; I just know from experience I don’t enjoy YA & NA at all). I dabble in fantasy, but it’s not my go-to genre. On the other hand, Native American fiction is my jam.

It was good, and I can see why it has received so many accolades, but it was also very YA-NA and wasn’t my taste. However, if you enjoy the genre, I would highly recommend it. It’s like if Bella was Native and a fiercely independent monster hunter (watch out Edward!); or if Hermoine was!

My second audiobook didn’t quite work out, either, though I thought I’d made a solid choice: Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury. I’ve read this one before when I was a kid, and it illustrates the danger of revisiting a beloved story/movie/etc from the past. I love Bradbury, and I remember loving this story back in the day. But this time around, the story felt incredibly dated. The dialogue was way too Leave it to Beaver for me. “Aw, Gee Wally, that’d be swell.” And every word out of Mr. Halloway’s mouth seemed contrived and forced. His dialogue just didn’t seem natural. Then again, this is really YA too, so maybe that’s part of it. I just have no taste for the genre at all anymore. So now I’m all disappointed that I don’t like the story anymore.

2019 Goals Update

I actually did really well on my goals this year. I’m pretty damn proud of myself.

Update the website: Nope. Okay, so this one didn’t work out so much. Carrying it forward. Hope I can do it this year.

Send out 8 new short stories (which implies *writing* eight new short stories): CHECK (on a technicality). I began eight new pieces of short fiction this year, but I only finished and sent out seven. The reason the eighth didn’t get finished is because my English class required 10 short papers, 3 long papers, and a group project. So, for that class, I wrote and edited over 35 pages. My short stories are usually only 8-10 pages. So I’m counting all that writing for the English class as the eighth story.

Make a decision on four older, as-yet-unpublished stories: trunk or fix. CHECK! I ended up working on them a bit and sending them out again…only to have them rejected. I’m probably going to trunk them in 2020.

Resubmit at least four previously published stories to reprint markets. CHECK!

Read one long form work every month. CHECK! Did it, and then some, and added the:

Read #500Stories500Nights. Started a long-term short story challenge. CHECK (so far, so good, anyway).

2020 Goals

Update the website. I’m not giving up on this goal!

Write and send out eight new short stories again. I’m going to use lessons learned from my 2019 attempt to make reaching this goal easier this coming year.

No goal related to the four or five older, unpublished stories I have lying around. I’ll probably just trunk them and concentrate on new stories and reprints.

Resubmit three previously published stories. This goal is slightly reduced from last year in order to give me more time for new stories.

For a reading goal, I’m going to stick with #500Stories500Nights.

And for something totally different: dabble in horror poetry. It’s so VERY different from what I normally do that I don’t even want to set a “send out X poem(s)” goal; I’d just like to try to write one horror poem, just for kicks.

That’s it for this month! Until next month, happy reading!

Oh, brother, am I ever SWAMPED with things I need to get done before the end of the year. Here it is, winter already, and I’ve got so much school, work, writer, and home stuff that is still left undone. How did this happen? The next few weeks are going to be chaos for me.

There’s no time to hide under my desk and cry. There’s also no time for a decent blog post for you, dear readers. Instead, go read this:

My story, “Spring Fever,” available in Dark Moon Digest!

If I’m lucky, I’ll have made some progress and December’s blog post will be a wee bit longer. Maybe I’ll even finally finish the antho I’ve been TRYING to read, and I’ll be able to give an update.

Until next month (hopefully), Stay Spooky!

Summer went by way too fast, but at least it means the most wonderful time of the year is here: fall! All three days of it, here in North Dakota! I guess I shouldn’t complain, though. Usually we’ve had a solid killing frost by now, but our temperatures have been pretty mild. Montana is in the middle of a snow emergency as I write this, so I guess it could be worse! It won’t stop raining, though. Here are Abby and Murphy wistfully looking out the upper-deck patio door while it pours outside. Murph doesn’t mind the rain, but Abby doesn’t like to get wet.

Though I fiddled around with a couple of stories I’m working on, I didn’t finish anything or start anything new from scratch. I also haven’t finished reading The Best of The Best Horror of the Year. I blame my class for that. It was totally NOT because I’m a procrastinator who sometimes gets in moods where I can come up with the so many trivial tasks that need to be done instead of sitting down to write.

Speaking of which, I got more unpacking done. I mean, we’ve only been in this house a year, right? In our chaotic move, we had a lot of stuff that just got shoved into storage to deal with later. Crawling under the house and unpacking those dusty boxes was definitely more important than writing.

And working on the gating system within and around the house was also a very important taks. My house is starting to be more elaborate than the temple in Aliens vs. Predator. Of course, it’s all in the name of dog safety. Well, some of it is in the name of “let’s not have puppy pee in these areas, okay?” Like my writing room. I’m a monster, and untrained puppies (and Abby when she had her brief problem with incontinence) aren’t allowed in. It’s okay. Murphy is chill. He’ll just sleep right outside the gate. Meanwhile, we’ve got gates to keep them in the designated potty area, gates to keep them off the deck, gates to keep them on the other deck; gates to keep them upstairs, gates to keep them downstairs, gates to keep them out of the gym, gates to keep them out of the writing room….

It wasn’t ALL crickets on the writing front, though. I did receive notice that one of my short stories has been accepted at Dark Moon Digest. Links will be forthcoming!

And something that landed in my inbox that you writers might find interesting is one of the latest “What’s the Score” postings from Autocrit. Autocrit is one of my favorite editing programs. In addition to pointing out problems (generic descriptions, etc.), it gives your piece a “score” based on the problems in the text. Periodically, they run a famous work through the software, so you can see how it stacks up. One of Autocrit’s latest “What’s the Score” tests was on Stephen King’s Pet Semetary. It’s fascinating, and it also kind helps battle some of that “imposter syndrome” so many of us face. It’s great to see where the problems lie in published works and do a score comparison. You can check it out here:

What’s the Score: Pet Semetary

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Next Up: I need to get those three started stories finished in these last three months of the year in order to meet my goals. Think I can do it? Stay Tuned!