November News

Hello, friends! For those who celebrate, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. I myself am still in a food coma.

It’s the season for gratitude, and I am grateful every day, not only for the editors and readers who believe in me, but for the time I am able to pour into my craft. 

My poem, "Priestess," has been nominated by Lothlorien Journal for a Pushcart Prize! This is my third Pushcart Prize nomination. I know thousands of writers are nominated every year, so the odds of winning are slim to none, but the nomination truly is honor enough for me. My deepest gratitude to editor Strider Marcus Jones, and congrats to my fellow nominees. 

“Priestess” was originally published in February with a four other pieces by me. 

Also this month, my poem, “Water Street” appeared in the Rye Whiskey. Many thanks, as always, to editor John Patrick Robbins. 

Next month, I will be one of the featured poets on the Verse Virtual poetry reading series on December 18, followed by an open mic-- slots still open for those who'd like to join us. Otherwise, I hope you will tune in for some good words. 

Stepping up my short story game was one of my 2021 goals, so I'm thrilled to share that I've written FOUR WHOLE SHORT STORIES (plus a handful of microfic pieces). I know it's not much, but if the number of short stories you usually write is zero, then four ain't too shabby. I'm hoping to knock out at least one more before the year is over.

 

In the meantime, I'm THRILLED to share that my horror story, "The Second Shadow," appeared in The Abyss Magazine. It's about a houseless man named David with a history of mental health issues who suddenly finds not one, but two shadows trailing him, and begins to hear a demonic voice. The Abyss is another literary venue helmed by John Patrick Robbins, and I cannot thank him enough for his support of my work. Two of the other short stories I wrote this year are scheduled to be published in the next few months. 

Finally, speaking of prose, I was overjoyed to see this nice Tweet. 

Many thanks, DB! Last I heard, they were on Book 2 and enjoying it. I hope they find all six books equally fantastic.  

Thank to all of you for reading. Please feel free to leave a comment below or shoot me a message somewhere in the social mediaverse. I’d love to hear from you.