What I've Been Up To

Hello Strangers! It's been months since I reached out, and that's no way to treat people who said they wanted news of my writing life. 2018 had a lot of personal life in it: a daughter who went to college, another who entered middle school, house renovations, etc.

It was also a big year for in-person author events. Illogicon, Mysticon, Ravencon, ConCarolinas, ConGregate, Ravencon 13.5, Conapalooza as well as my usual First Monday Classics Book Club hosting and a few Hillsborough-local events.

But I have been writing!

I've been working all year on a new novel, Thursday's Children, which I hope to release in early 2019. It's near-future dystopian, with a great new cast of characters.

If you found me through my Menopausal Superheroes, though, don't despair! I've got the fourth in the series underway and will have some exciting news about the series to share soon (hopefully in January).

Follow me via the links below for more in-the-moment updates and news. In the meantime, check out my 2018 releases!

Anthologies!

I love writing for anthologies. It's a great way to play, trying out new styles or themes. It also lets me connect with other authors. You can read more of my thoughts on that in this guest post.

In 2018, my work was included in 3 anthologies: Pen and Cape Society's The Good Fight 3: The Homefront, Off the Beaten Path 3, and Beyond the Pane.

"Coming Out as Leonel"

My story in Homefront, features crowd-favorite Linda-Leonel Alvarez shortly after the transformation, when the news breaks among the women of the neighborhood, including Linda's best friend, Marisol.

I loved getting to focus on Linda and explore how her unexpected gender change played out in her personal relationships. Of course, there's someone to save as well, and Linda doesn't let us down.

Off the Beaten Path 3

This collection of paranormal stories came out just in time for Halloween, but will give you a good shiver at any time of year.

"The Girl in the Pool" is a daylight ghost story, exploring one of my favorite themes: creepy children.

This one is paper only, but you can get it here.

Shared Opening Line

All the stories in this anthology share an opening line:

"There was something not quite right about the window."

Despite all starting in the same place, the stories are diverse!

My story, "Ashes," is a bit of southern Gothic, with shades of Dorian Gray.