News & Blog

Look at that group of exciting, attractive authors up there — and also me! Yes, that’s right, I’m co-teaching another LitReactor class this year as a fundraiser to benefit the Shirley Jackson Awards!

I did it last year, too, and was really blown away by the talent and enthusiasm of the students. So when they asked me to teach again, I said yes right away. My fellow teachers this year will be Sheri Holman, Ian Rogers, and Veronica Schanoes — all exceptionally talented authors!

Go to the LitReactor class page to get all the details and to sign up! You won’t want to miss this, and it helps support a great cause!

Also, now seems like a good time to remind you that Dark Discoveries magazine #34 is available, featuring my story “Whatever Happened to Solstice Young?” I think this particular story is a good example of what the LitReactor class is trying to accomplish: it goes beyond the usual horror tropes (in this case, vampires) and gross-outs to examine the nature of memory, nostalgia, and sexual awakening. Go buy a copy and check it out!

“Whatever Happened to Solstice Young?”, my first brand new story since 2014, will be appearing in Dark Discoveries #34 alongside Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, Laird Barron, Darren Speegle, and many other fabulous authors. The issue is due on newsstands by the end of the month, but apparently you can already pre-order a copy for yourself at the Dark Discoveries website and have it sent right to your door, bypassing any cashiers who might give you a strange look for buying a horror fiction magazine. Don’t miss out!

Pulp Fiction Reviews has finally gotten around to my 2009 novel Hunt at World’s End. It’s a rave review, but kind of a backhanded one. Still, here’s a nice pull-quote:

“Hunt at World’s End” maintains [a] level of excellence with a fast paced narrative, colorful characters and exotic locales. What more could a pulp fan want?

Click here to read the review in full, and you’ll see what I mean about it being a backhanded rave. Still, new and positive attention for a book that first came out a little over six years ago isn’t a bad thing!

I’m pleased to announce the sale of my short story “Whatever Happened to Solstice Young?” to Dark Discoveries Magazine for their forthcoming vampire issue, which should be coming out in April. Amazingly, this will be my first new short story since 2014. (Unlike a lot of other writers, I can’t bang out short stories while also working on novel-length projects. I’m lucky if I can squeeze just a few in.)

When they solicited me for a vampire story, I was a little unsure what to do with it. After all, I’d never written a straight-up, legit vampire story before. The closest I’d come was “Mysteries of the Cure,” which appeared in Shivers V and was reprinted in Still Life: Nine Stories, and at best I’d say that plays with some vampiric concepts rather than being a true vampire story. But “Whatever Happened to Solstice Young?” turned out to be a doozy, one of the best stories I’ve written, if I do say so myself. (Don’t writers always say that about their newest work, though? So fresh and shiny!) I can’t wait for people to read it. I’m very proud of this one!