So excited to announce the release of the new middle grade anthology, 15 Spooky Campfire Stories for Kids!
Edited by Angela Yuriko Smith, this antho contains my story “Leftovers,” a quirky story about a middle school boy and his mom whose refrigerator is on the fritz.
Click on the image to grab your copy today!
I had the pleasure of reading an advanced reader copy (ARC) of Meg Ripley‘s debut novel, NECROLOGY.
I *loved* this book: a post-Salem witch trial alternate history with vivid imagery and excellent prose. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you love witches and Salem, wonderfully rendered characters and beautiful relationships, make sure you grab a copy (available 9/24/24).
I also have the pleasure of discussing NECROLOGY with Meg at a pre-launch party at Stanza Books, in Beacon, NY.
I hope you can join us for this event. It supports, not only this fantastic up-and-coming author, but an amazing, community-minded (and horror-loving) book store.
Where: Stanza Books, 508 Main St., Beacon, NY
When: Saturday, 9/21/24 at 8pm
RSVP here.
Grab your pants, get your witch on, and join us!
(image – Meg Ripley)
I do a lot in the horror writing community, including writing fiction and non-fiction, as well as working with the Horror Writers Association as the Vice President.
Sometimes, however, it’s nice to take things in a different direction.
And last week, my first children’s book (non-horror), Milk the Cat, was released!
From the back cover:
Milk the Cat and Nellie did everything together.
They played. They danced. They cuddled.
But one day, Milk the Cat did not make it home with Nellie.
Was he lost?
Did he run away?
Will he ever see Nellie again?
Join Milk and Nellie in a story about being lost and found and loved.
Milk is based on a true story told to me by one of my best friends in the world.
The fabulous art is by Ogmios. Og offered so many thoughtful suggestions to make this book the best it could possibly be. And many of the pages he created for certain scenes were exactly how I envisioned them as I was writing the story. Not only is Og a talented artist (you should see what he can do with a dragon…), he is a kind and wonderful person. I am grateful to him for saying yes to this project.
With Og at the Friday night Meet the Authors Party (NECon).
Milk the Cat is published by YAP Jr, and imprint of Haverhill House Publishing — and the first book by this imprint. HHP is headed by the amazing (and hilarious) John McIlveen. I’m so thankful to Mac for giving me this opportunity. He is a true pleasure to work with.
Og, Mac, and I know each other from the horror writing community. We met at NECon, a small but loving convention for horror writers and artists. A place full of some of the most fun and generous people I know. Because of this, we felt it was important to have the book release there this past weekend*. Our friends and the broader community were so supportive, and we are grateful to them.
Mac, me, and Og
Milk is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Google Books, and many other places.
In the Dealers Room at the Haverhill House table, with Milk!
*hoping to blog more about NECon 41 soon…
I recently chatted with Craig Brewer on his show, the Weird Christmas Podcast.
We had a great conversation about Charlotte Riddell, which was followed by a reading of her story, “A Strange Christmas Game.”
We also talked about the amazing Lisa Morton; Lisa Kröger & Melanie Anderson’s book, Monster, She Wrote; and Tom Monteleone/Borderlands Press‘s Little Book Series — and the one I edited: The Little Purple Book of Sharp Wit.
Have a listen here!
A prolific blogger I am not. But a lot has happened in the past month or so that’s worth noting.
Number 1:
At the end of June, I spent a week at my alma mater, Colgate University, at their annual Writers Conference. It was, in a word (or three), awesome … and enlightening … and rejuvenating. The conference itself offers a wide range of workshops, covering fiction and poetry, as well as memoirs and playwriting. I spent the week with nine brilliant participants in John Gregory Brown‘s Jumpstarter Workshop, “So the Story Begins: Using Prompts to Find Your Way Forward.” We used many types of prompts (verbal, visual, etc), to create a number of different stories.
I sat through a lot of helpful and informative Craft Talks by JGB and the other instructors. The panel discussions on agents, as well as writing through challenging times, were fascinating and engaging. And the phenomenal instructor readings caused my TBR pile to double! I was impressed with the other participants, as well: the quality of their readings—both the writing and delivery—was outstanding.
To be honest, between covid times and personal obligations, I’d been struggling with my writing. So much so, I wasn’t even sure I should go to Colgate. But a half-day in — in the middle of writing to my first prompt — I knew I’d made the right decision to go. Being at Colgate — creating on its beautiful campus, among talented and knowledgeable people — reminded me why I write and why I love it as much as I do. I came home rejuvenated and inspired. Plus, I got to have dinner and catch up with one of my best friends in the world.
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Number 2:
On July 1, the ghost anthology, Even in the Grave was released into the wild! Edited by James Chambers and Carol Gyzander, EITG contains my short story, “In the Machine,” a humorous tale about a grandmother trapped between worlds.
So happy to share the TOC with Marc Abbott, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.
Purchase your copy here.
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Number 3:
On August 13, A Little Purple Book of Sharp With by Charlotte Riddell – edited by me!— Signed, Numbered, Limited Edition will be released.
If you’ve never heard of Charlotte Riddell, check out this book. She was a past master of the horror genre, who knew how to tell a phenomenal ghost story.
I’m thrilled to be a part of one of Borderlands Press‘s Little Book series. I had an amazing time researching Charlotte Riddell and reading her stories, as well as working with Tom Monteleone. I also had a number of enlightening conversations with Lisa Morton, who helped me figure out the intricacies of some of CR’s stories.
Pre-Order your copy here.
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Number 4:
Last, but definitely not least, my poem “How Do I Tell Her?” was accepted into the Horror Writers Association’s Poetry Showcase, Volume IX.
Getting into the Showcase has been a mini-white whale for me, so I am thrilled to be a part of it.
This volume is edited by Angela Yuriko Smith, and she worked with judges Lee Murray, Maxwell I. Gold, and Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito to choose the 50 poems that make up the TOC.
This year’s featured poets are Stephanie M. Wytovich, Geneve Flynn and Naomi Simone Borwein.
The following poets have also been selected to have their work included in this year’s showcase: Mary A. Turzillo, Christina Sng, Alessandro Manzetti, Victoria Nations, K. H. Vaughan, Cassondra Windwalker, Jacqueline West, Carina Bissett, Hillary Dodge, Lucy A. Snyder, Colleen Anderson, E. F. Schraeder, Sara Tantlinger, Ann K. Schwader, Corinne Hughes, Monica S. Kuebler, Janine Cross, Kathryn Ptacek, Holly Lyn Walrath, Gary Robbe, Marge Simon, Stephanie Ellis, R. Leigh Hennig, Austin Gragg, M. Lopes da Silva, Denise Dumars, Gordon Linzner, Saytchyn Maddux-Creech, Ross E. Lockhart, Teel James Glenn, Bruce Boston, John Claude Smith, Roni Stinger, Dan B. Fierce, Madison McSweeney, Steven Clapp, Rook Riley, Timothy P. Flynn, Dianthe West, Lori R. Lopez, Terrie Leigh Relf, Lisa Becker, Donna K. Fitch, Ai Jiang, J.E. Erickson, and Gerri Leen.
This volume will be available for purchase soon.
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My latest story, “In the Machine,” comes out this spring.
It will be in Even in the Grave, a ghost-themed anthology, edited by James Chambers & Carol Gyzander and published by eSpec Books.
“In the Machine” is definitely on the lighter side of the horror spectrum. Much lighter. A granddaughter IMs her dead gramma, who’s getting drunker by the minute…
This amazing cover is by Lynne Hansen. I love her work.
I had a fun time doing a 5-minute reading of the opening of the story.
Some of the other contributing authors did readings, as well. They can be found here.
I also did an interview with eSpec books about the story.
Pre-order your copy today!
From the back cover: “Haunted from the other side, these stories roam from modern cities to the shadowed moors to feudal Japan to the jungles of Central America, each providing a spine-chilling glimpse into the shadows not even death can restrain.
Do you dare open these pages and peer into the darkness they reveal?
Stories by Marc Abbott, Meghan Arcuri, Oliver Baer, Alp Beck, Allan Burd, John P. Collins, Randee Dawn, Trevor Firetog, Caroline Flarity, Patrick Freivald, Teel James Glenn, Amy Grech, April Grey, Jonathan Lees, Gordon Linzner, Robert Masterson, Robert Ottone, Rick Poldark, Lou Rera, and Steven Van Patten.”
This past fall, I had gone to my daughter’s school to do my scary story workshop with her class. You can read more about it here and here. We had a lot of fun, and the kids wrote some amazing stories.
Three years ago, I had done the same thing for my son’s class and decided to put the stories in a book for them.
Thanks to the generosity of Michael Bailey at Written Backwards.
Not wanting to be accused of loving my son more than my daughter, I knew (even 3 years ago), that I would have to do the same thing for her.
Below is the culmination of her class’s hard work:
This book was made possible by the dynamic duo over at Burial Day Books: Cynthia & Gerardo Pelayo.
Before I approached Cynthia about this project, I’d had minimal interaction with her. Just the occasional like or retweet on Twitter. But she seemed great, and Burial Day’s books looked amazing.
I only hoped they’d be willing to take on this tiny project (12 stories, 7500 words).
With one of my new philosophies in mind (If you don’t ask, the answer is always “no”), I sent Cynthia an email.
She got back to me right away with an enthusiastic “yes,” and we got to work.
After typing all the kids’ handwritten stories into Word…
ohmygod that was so much pressure! Any typos/mistakes are all mine.
…I sent the document over to Cynthia.
You never know what’s going to happen when you begin a project with someone new, but working with Cynthia was a dream. She had great ideas, always got back to me in a timely manner, and ultimately produced a beautiful book.
She and Gerardo generously donated their time and energy to this project, as well as the unbelievable cover by Kealan Patrick Burke.
I can’t thank them enough for their kindness, enthusiasm, and generosity.
Last week, I returned to my daughter’s class. They had no idea why I was there. When I gave them the books, they were so excited, and more than one of them said, pride in their voices, “I’m a published author!”
It was exciting to see: the power of writing, of creating. I hope they carry that excitement and pride with them as they continue to learn and grow.
I am grateful to have been a part of that process, and I am grateful to have made some fantastic new connections in the horror community along the way.
Thank you Cynthia, Gerardo, and Kealan!
I’m excited to announce that my story “Am I Missing the Sunlight?” has made the Final Ballot for the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards®.
It’s an honor and a privilege to be on this list, among these talented writers.
“Am I Missing the Sunlight?” appears in Borderlands 7, edited by Olivia Monteleone & Tom Monteleone. Thank you to Olivia and Tom for including my story in their amazing anthology.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
The 2020 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot (from http://www.thebramstokerawards.com/)
Superior Achievement in a Novel
Jones, Stephen Graham – The Only Good Indians (Gallery/Saga Press)
Katsu, Alma – The Deep (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Keisling, Todd – Devil’s Creek (Silver Shamrock Publishing)
Malerman, Josh – Malorie (Del Rey)
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia – Mexican Gothic (Del Rey)
Superior Achievement in a First Novel
Hall, Polly – The Taxidermist’s Lover (CamCat Publishing, LLC)
Harrison, Rachel – The Return (Berkley)
Jeffery, Ross – Tome (The Writing Collective)
Knight, EV – The Fourth Whore (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Petty, Kate Reed – True Story (Viking)
Superior Achievement in a Graphic Novel
Archer, Steven (author/artist) – The Masque of the Red Death (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Brody, Jennifer (author) and Rivera, Jules (artist) – Spectre Deep 6 (Turner)
Douek, Rich (author) and Cormack, Alex (artist), and Birch, Justin (letterer) – Road of Bones (IDW Publishing)
Holder, Nancy (author), Di Francia, Chiara (artist), and Woo, Amelia (artist), and Foster, Laurie (inker), Molina, Sandra (colorist), and Temofonte, Saida (letterer) – Mary Shelley Presents (Kymera Press)
Manzetti, Alessandro (author) and Cardoselli, Stefano (artist/author), and Stucci, Alessio (letterer) – Her Life Matters: (Or Brooklyn Frankenstein) (Independent Legions Publishing)
Niles, Steve (author), Simeone, Salvatore (author), and Kudranski, Szymon (artist), and and Mauer, Thomas (letterer) – Lonesome Days, Savage Nights (TKO Studios)
Superior Achievement in a Young Adult Novel
Cesare, Adam – Clown in a Cornfield (HarperTeen)
Kraus, Daniel – Bent Heavens (Henry Holt and Company/Macmillan)
Snyman, Monique – The Bone Carver (Vesuvian Books)
Thomas, Aiden – Cemetery Boys (Swoon Reads/Macmillan)
Waters, Erica – Ghost Wood Song (HarperTeen)
Superior Achievement in Long Fiction
Iglesias, Gabino – Beyond the Reef (Lullabies for Suffering: Tales of Addiction Horror) (Wicked Run Press)
Jones, Stephen Graham – Night of the Mannequins (Tor.com)
Kiste, Gwendolyn – The Invention of Ghosts (Nightscape Press)
Landry, Jess – I Will Find You, Even in the Dark (Dim Shores Presents Volume 1) (Dim Shores)
Pinsker, Sarah – Two Truths and a Lie (Tor.com)
Superior Achievement in Short Fiction
Arcuri, Meghan – “Am I Missing the Sunlight?” (Borderlands 7) (Borderlands Press)
Fawver, Kurt – “Introduction to the Horror Story, Day 1” (Nightmare Magazine Nov. 2020 (Issue 98))
Malerman, Josh – “One Last Transformation” (Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors) (Written Backwards)
O’Quinn, Cindy – “The Thing I Found Along a Dirt Patch Road” (Shotgun Honey Presents Volume 4: Recoil) (Down and Out Books)
Ward, Kyla Lee – “Should Fire Remember the Fuel?” (Oz is Burning) (B Cubed Press)
Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection
Koja, Kathe – Velocities: Stories (Meerkat Press)
Langan, John – Children of the Fang and Other Genealogies (Word Horde)
Lillie, Patricia – The Cuckoo Girls (Trepidatio Publishing)
Murray, Lee – Grotesque: Monster Stories (Things in the Well)
Taborska, Anna – Bloody Britain (Shadow Publishing)
Superior Achievement in a Screenplay
Amaris, Scarlett and Stanley, Richard – Color Out of Space (SpectreVision)
Green, Misha – Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 1: “Sundown” (Affeme, Monkeypaw Productions, Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television Studios)
Green, Misha and Ofordire, Ihuoma – Lovecraft Country, Season 1, Episode 8: “Jig-a-Bobo” (Affeme, Monkeypaw Productions, Bad Robot Productions, Warner Bros. Television Studios)
LaManna, Angela – The Haunting of Bly Manor, Season 1, Episode 5: “The Altar of the Dead” (Intrepid Pictures, Amblin Television, Paramount Television Studios)
Whannell, Leigh – The Invisible Man (Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions, Goalpost Pictures, Nervous Tick Productions)
Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection
Manzetti, Alessandro – Whitechapel Rhapsody: Dark Poems (Independent Legions Publishing)
McHugh, Jessica – A Complex Accident of Life (Apokrupha)
Pelayo, Cynthia – Into the Forest and All the Way Through (Burial Day Books)
Sng, Christina – A Collection of Dreamscapes (Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Tantlinger, Sara – Cradleland of Parasites (Rooster Republic Press)
Superior Achievement in an Anthology
Bailey, Michael and Murano, Doug – Miscreations: Gods, Monstrosities & Other Horrors (Written Backwards)
Murray, Lee and Flynn, Geneve – Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women (Omnium Gatherum Media)
Kolesnik, Samantha – Worst Laid Plans: An Anthology of Vacation Horror (Grindhouse Press)
Tantlinger, Sara – Not All Monsters: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women of Horror (Rooster Republic Press)
Yardley, Mercedes M. – Arterial Bloom (Crystal Lake Publishing)
Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction
Florence, Kelly and Hafdahl, Meg – The Science of Women in Horror: The Special Effects, Stunts, and True Stories Behind Your Favorite Fright Films (Skyhorse)
Heller-Nicholas, Alexandra – 1000 Women in Horror (BearManor Media)
Keene, Brian – End of the Road (Cemetery Dance Publications)
Peirse, Alison – Women Make Horror: Filmmaking, Feminism, Genre (Rutgers University Press)
Waggoner, Tim – Writing in the Dark (Guide Dog Books/Raw Dog Screaming Press)
Wetmore, Jr. Kevin J. – The Streaming of Hill House: Essays on the Haunting Netflix Adaption (McFarland)
Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction
Joseph, Rhonda Jackson – “The Beloved Haunting of Hill House: An Examination of Monstrous Motherhood” (The Streaming of Hill House: Essays on the Haunting Netflix Adaption) (McFarland)
Pelayo, Cynthia – “I Need to Believe” (Southwest Review Volume 105.3)
Robinson, Kelly – “Lost, Found, and Finally Unbound: The Strange History of the 1910 Edison Frankenstein” (Rue Morgue Magazine, June 2020)
Sng, Christina – “Final Girl: A Life in Horror” (Interstellar Flight Magazine, October 2020)
Waggoner, Tim – “Speaking of Horror” (The Writer)
(I mean … it’s a worn out adage, but it’s worn out for a reason.)
2020 was pretty much a disaster.
Globally speaking, 2021 hasn’t had a great start, either.
But, personally and professionally — after a bit of a dry spell — things have started to pick up.
I feel fortunate to be able to make the following announcements:
Story Acceptance
I’m pleased to announce my story, “Because You’re Mine,” was accepted by Kristi Petersen Schoonover, editor of 34 Orchard.
Fun fact: Kristi accepted it in 23 minutes … my fastest acceptance ever. Thanks, Kristi!
It will be released April 25, 2021.
In the meantime, please head over to 34 Orchard and see what’s going on over there.
Preliminary Ballot for the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards®
I’m excited to see my story, “Am I Missing the Sunlight?” on the Preliminary Ballot for the 2020 Bram Stoker Awards®. I am surprised and honored by this recognition.
“Am I Missing the Sunlight?” appears in Borderlands 7, edited by Olivia Monteleone and Thomas Monteleone.
Voting for the final ballot is happening now.
Best of luck to all those appearing on the ballot!
A Story Featured on Brian Keene’s Patreon
In celebration of Women in Horror Month, the awesome, talented, and all-around good guy, Brian Keene, has featured one of my stories, “Worse Ways,” on his Patreon.
“Worse Ways” first appeared in Chiral Mad 3, edited by Michael Bailey.
Brian is featuring a number of women on his Patreon this month, including Linda Addison, Hailey Piper, and L. Marie Wood. With more to come.
Check it out here if you are so inclined.
A Bumper for The H.P. Lovecast Podcast
Nicholas Diak and Michele Brittany graciously asked me to do a bumper (like a mini-intro) for their podcast, The H.P. Lovecast Podcast. The bumper occurs before their episode featuring the amazing Lee Murray.
Thanks so much to Nicholas and Michele for this fun opportunity.
And if you have a second, take a listen to the episode.
A Piece in the StokerCon2021 Souvenir Book
As the Vice President of the Horror Writers Association, I was asked to write a piece for this year’s StokerCon2021 Souvenir Book. Titled, StokerCon™ 2021 Souvenir Anthology: The Phantom Denver Edition, the book is edited by Josh Viola, over at Hex Publishers. Josh has been working tirelessly on this fantastic anthology, and although StokerCon is going virtual this year, the book will be available to all attendees.
A Reading
In celebration of Women in Horror Month, Jim Chambers and Carol Gyzander (of HWA-NY) have asked me to join Kaaron Warren, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Nancy Lambert to be part of their Galactic Terrors reading series.
Thursday, February 11 at 8pm EST.
More information here.
You can watch on YouTube or on Facebook live — in either case, be sure to chat with us and ask questions!
Please join us if you can.
Another Reading
Another celebration of Women in Horror Month! This time, Jessikah Chautin of the Syosset Public Library has asked Linda Addison, Carol Gyzander, April Grey, and me to join her for an evening of readings, Q&A, and fun.
Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021
Time: 7:30 – 8:45 pm EST
Attendee Link: https://Zoom.us/J/92979703639
Hope you can join us for this, as well.
How many times have I been to Borderlands Boot Camp?
Honestly, I’ve lost count. (You can read about previous times here.)
But each time I go, I leave the weekend a better writer than when I arrived.
Truth be told, I’d been struggling with my writing. I don’t know exactly what it was, but a slew of rejections and the resulting loss of confidence probably had something to do with it. So when the opportunity to attend Boot Camp arose, I almost didn’t go. My heart wasn’t quite in it.
If I hadn’t gone, however, I’d have never experienced:
I’d have never connected with Tracy Cross, Linsey Knerl, Jeff Marsick, and Nicole Wilson.
I’d have never reconnected with Terry Emery, Elizabeth Crowens, Corey Cone, and Can Wiggins.
Weekends like this have a way of inspiring. Of jump-starting your mind. Of reminding you why you started doing this in the first place.
I walked away with more confidence, more optimism, and more connections.
And I’m so glad I went.
Thanks so much to Tom, Paul, Doug, Ginjer, Chet, and all my fellow grunts. Here’s to stories without eye color. Stories with runaway ferris wheels. Stories where things get worse.
This is the only pic I got of the weekend. And Doug took it.
meghan arcuri 