Still coughing, still fatigued as all hell, but also still alive. Not COVID, not the flu, not pneumonia, so apparently it’s some uncool fourth thing that, like, no one’s even heard of. Slower week on the writing and day job front though, so if I had to pick a time to be sick…
Nah, scratch that. It still sucks.
Without further ado, here are some highlights from the week that was…
The Children’s Horror Hype Train Rolls On…
I was absolutely thrilled and honored to receive the above endorsement from the Slasher Troubadour himself Brian McAuley. Not only an incredible writer of film and prose AND a swell singer and guitar player but ALSO a genuinely kind, warm, friendly soul, Brian is someone I am proud to call a friend as well as a colleague.
If you haven’t read his Curse of the Reaper or his Shortwave Killer VHS offering Candy Cain Kills (with Candy Cain Kills Again coming this Fall/Winter!!), then please remedy that ASAP.
The Children’s Horror is out July 16th from Northern Republic Press. 10 short stories inspired by the kids’ TV I watched with my own rugrats during the height of the pandemic. It’s a weird, undefinable beast of a project and one I am immensely proud of.
Sneak peek: “Rat Suit King”
One of the stories featured in The Children’s Horror debuted a little earlier than the collection. “Rat Suit King” appears in the Summer 2024 issue of Chthonic Matter Quarterly. It’s always a pleasure to appear in a publication from fellow Twin Cities purveyor of the Weird CM Muller and having this story in the summer issue of CMQ is no exception.
Inspired in part by the panhandling mascots in Times Square NYC (and other major metropolitan areas), “Rat Suit King” is a dark story and a weird one to boot. It’s available now from the publisher and on Amazon.
NOTE: CMQ is currently open for submissions. While payment is only in contributors’ copies, the Chthonic Matter publications do tend to reach a wide audience in the Weird/Horror spaces. My recommendation? If you have a story you really believe in but that hasn’t worked via the for-pay markets, then consider trying it with CMQ.
Updates, etc.
And One Day We Will Die
The forthcoming Neutral Milk Hotel-inspired anthology which yours truly is editing is proceeding apace. All edits have been sent to the authors and we have just about finalized text. Foreword from Adam Clair should also be wrapped up soon.
Night of the Witch-Hunter
My primary writing work at the moment has been all witch-hunting all the time. Currently about 2/3 through the first draft. I’m excited that this book will be following Brian’s Candy Cain Kills Again. I don’t think y’all are ready for the one-two punch of Candy Cain and Goodman Pryce.
JK-LOL
Locked in the final cover wrap for my January 2025 novella from Mad Axe Media. Looking forward to sharing it (and some additional blurbs/reviews) with y’all in the week’s ahead.
ARCs are available, so if you are a reviewer or BookTuber or BookTok’er or just a cool person, reach out if you’d like to give it an early look.
Well…
Crawling back into my sickness cave to sleep and drink fluids. Stay cool out there, my friends.
The Children's Horror sounds very interesting! Hope you feel better soon.
Feel better soon! There's a few respiratory viruses make their rounds, glad it's not Covid or the flu. Keep on, keeping on and get well soon!