Time for an update.

Last time I posted I was able to share the incredibly exciting news that my novel HEALERS is being published by Adelaide Books – an independent publishing company based out of NY.

Well the world got a little crazy after that. Good thing is that people still need and love books. I know during my time at home, I’ve been able to read a good bit. Plus having a newborn at home, reading helps to pass the time when you’re up all hours of the night.

With this time at home, I’ve thankfully had time to work on the novel. I’m using this time to read through each and every chapter one last time to improve areas that I feel are week. I’m also in the process of collecting book blurbs and writing my Acknowledgement and Dedication pages. In the next coming months, the book will also go through a copyedit process.

I’m excited to get through the edits so I can work on the next project – whether that’s more short stories or a new book…that’s undecided at the time. I have a few ideas floating around that need to be fleshed out. While previously I could sit down and just crank out a short story, life is much busier with a toddler and newborn around. So I’m shifting to the planning approach, using a notebook to jot down ideas and outlines so when I do have a few hours, I can be productive and get a big chunk of words onto the page.

Now for the big update, we have a tentative publication date…or at least month.

FEBRUARY 2021

So be on the lookout for more updates. Next big thing will be working on the cover art which I’m very excited to see. I think seeing the cover of my book with my name on it will make it all real.

Stay tuned and I hope you all enjoy the book. It’s a book that blends neo-noir, fantasy, and the transgressive into a dark rollercoaster of a tale filled with humor, tragedy, and more importantly HOPE. Because in times of uncertainty, we could all use a little hope.

As always, thanks for reading.

So I did a thing. I wrote a book. Over 2 years ago. I even took a course afterwards through Litreactor on how to write Query Letters. I sent some letters out, but not enough. Gave up. Let the book sit. Figured it would just be something I said I did but never took it anywhere.

Life got busy. Our family grew and is about to grow again.

But then, an opportunity presented itself. A literary magazine that my work has been named a finalist before in their annual short story contest mentioned that they publish manuscripts. So I took a chance, sent it in, and got the good news.

My manuscript is becoming a book. It will be available in physical print as well as e-book format. I couldn’t be happier. It’s another push to keep trying, keep experimenting, and ultimately keep writing.

As the process moves along, I will provide lots of updates.

Thanks for reading and be ready for A BOOK!!!

Well, life sure does have a way of shifting priorities and redistributing precious time. But things are finally settling down and a sort of system or schedule is beginning to form that will hopefully lead itself to some new writing material soon. Goodness knows there are plenty of ideas brewing, just need to transfer them from the idea journal to the actual page.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a link. Several months back, I was featured on the Charlotte Reader’s Podcast – a wonderful venue that lets writers read and share their own work. The podcast is thriving, thanks to all the hard work from its creator, and is set to enter into it’s 3rd season. Recently it highlighted Season 1 again and I wanted to share that podcast to anyone still reading this that hasn’t listened to the podcast yet.

So give it a click and stick around to listen to other seasons and other episodes. It is time well spent.

Charlotte Readers Podcast

Write what you fear. That was the assignment from award winning horror writer Gemma Files that prompted this story. I took an online course with her where we explored our own fears and experiences and used them to develop a story. The fear that led to the best story at the time was my personal fear of parasites. Not necessarily the idea of parasites in general (afterall, I deal with them during everyday life as a Veterinarian) but the idea of being controlled by something unknown. I was scared to write this story at first because there are so many parasite stories out there in the horror genre. So naturally, I found a way to make it different. Using my knowledge base and my love of writing “body horror” this is what came up. Thankfully it was picked up by a great magazine that was getting a reboot – Sanitarium. Click on the links below for the magazine and give some love to the other authors and the magazine itself. As always, thanks for reading my work.

Sanitarium Issue 1 – Print Edition

Sanitarium Issue 1 – Kindle Edition

An oldie but a goodie…well not exactly. A story I previously had published in December of last year was a finalist for Adelaide 2018 Literary Award in is published in their 2018 Anthology. Knick Knack Wars is that story. It’s a short little piece about an old man in a nursing home and his feud with a fellow neighbor. It contains bits of humor in a little heartfelt piece – quite a different piece from typical horror stories but still a fun read. You can find it at the link below or check out my website for a link to the original publication in Defenestration Magazine.

Knick Knack Wars – Adelaide Lit Award Anthology

My podcast episode is finally live…

Looking for some scary stories to get you in the mood for Halloween? How about a story where a trip to the dentist takes a turn for the worst. Maybe you’d enjoy a story about how a man’s obsession with culinary perfection takes a turn. Or a story featuring a new cinematic experience that is almost too realistic. All of these stories have been previously published but now they are available in audio format.

This is the first time I’ve read my stories out loud for an audience and now I can’t wait for others to listen. Check it out at the link below. And for all those Charlotte area North Carolina folks, support local and check out the other episodes of the Charlotte Readers Podcast.

Charlotte Readers Podcast

As a member of the Charlotte Writers Club, you tend to meet a wide variety of incredibly talented writers. It was through this club that I met Landis Wade. Landis is a lawyer and author who is in the process of starting up the Charlotte Readers Podcast, a podcast to feature Charlotte area writers and to allow them to read their work. Can you think of a better way to showcase some local talent? I can’t.

The podcast is set to air in the beginning of October and will feature a different author each week. I am slated for the Halloween Edition! That episode will feature me reading 3 of my already published short horror stories. Hopefully hearing them out loud will provide a great media for these stories to come across.

So, how can you listen?

Well episode 1 is available NOW. Just check out iTunes and search for Charlotte Readers Podcast. It features an introduction to season 1 and all the authors that will appear as well as features Landis Wade himself reading one of his published stories.

Be sure to also check out the website which is currently under construction but will be available soon. Click on the link below

Charlotte Readers Podcast

Thanks again and I hope you check out the Podcast. There are some incredibly talented authors out there right in our neighborhood.

As always thanks for reading (and I guess listening to) my work

Finally, I can make the announcement. My story “Toxoplasmosis” will be published in the next issue of Sanitarium Magazine in late September. Sanitarium Magazine is the best sort of magazine – from an independent publishing house and dedicated to horror. What more could you want, especially with Halloween rolling around the corner. The magazine will be available through Amazon on Kindle. I will of course make another post when it goes live.

A little about the story…

Toxoplasmosis was written for a class where we focused on finding our own fears and using them. I personally hate the thought of being eaten alive. I also hate the thought of losing control or being controlled by someone/something else. What better way to use these fears than a parasite story. Toxoplasmosis does take a little different spin on your typical parasite horror story. It also allowed me to use what I am best at…body horror and using my career as a veterinarian. The story also happens to be the longest short story I have completed to date – about 5700 words.

So be on the lookout for the story.

Also be on the lookout for some exciting news regarding Podcasts and my recording debut.

As always, thank you for reading my work.

It’s been awhile since my last post. Thankfully, I am back. I took a short writing hiatus with the arrival of my mini me. But now that things are getting back into a routine, I am back to writing. I look forward to see how being a mother may change my writing (hoping to add a new perspective without losing the horror/dark literary touch). I’m also excited to share all my favorite books with my daughter and hope that books are as big a part of her life as they are for both her mother and father.

I do have an exciting upcoming publication. My story Toxoplasmosis was picked up. It is the first publication where the editors have asked me to keep it a secret until they have notified all other authors of their decision. All I can say now is that it will be available through Kindle and print. Pretty exciting stuff. Official announcement coming soon.

I’m also still playing with getting my novel published (that’s right, I wrote a book). Originally I was shopping for agents but now I am looking into smaller independent publishing groups. After all, not looking to make it rich, just want the work published.

Other than that, I am back to writing and attempting to time manage as much as possible. If I can crank out a few hundred words while the baby sleeps, progress has been made.

Maternity has been great for catching up on reading. The lastest book I finished was BIRD BOX by Josh Malerman (soon to be a major motion picture later this fall staring Sandra Bullock, Sarah Paulson, and John Malkovich). If you haven’t read it, check it out. I’m interested to see what they are going to do with the film as the true horror lies in what you cannot see – obviously difficult to show on film.

That’s it for now.

As always, thank you for reading my work.

My most recent published story is available now through Dark Alley Press in Ink Stains Volume 8. It is available through Amazon and can be purchased for print or Kindle. It is the story of a young girl named Riley growing up on her family ranch in New Mexico. When one of the livestock gets tangled in a fence and must be put out of its misery, Riley travels to the local auction to learn from her father how to select replacement animals. But all is not what it seems…

This story dives into psychological horror themes.

Check it out

Livestock Auction