Tomorrow is the third and final online reading of this year’s nominees for the Rhysling Award for Best Short Poem.  Presented by the SFPA, and hosted by Akua Lezli Hope, these events have been a great way to hear a variety of speculative poets reading their work.  I’m looking forward to participating. 

In other poetry news, I’m very pleased to have a poem forthcoming in the anthology Triangulation: Energy.  I’ve also got a couple of poetry reprints and a new essay due out soon—and yes, the essay is about poetry.  In fact, it’s a continuation of my series for Sidequest on crafting video game poetry.

Still pinching myself to make sure this isn’t a (very good) dream, but I’ve sold a story to Nightmare!  Fittingly, it’s a horror story based on a nightmare I had.  It’s called “Until It Has Your Reflection.”  More details will be forthcoming, but I wanted to share the news—before I wake up, ha.

Lookie what I recently got: copies of Wyngraf and the 2022 Rhysling Anthology.  Gorgeous covers, right?  I know I’m biased, but I really like the contents as well. 

Also, I have new story news to share soon.

Hot on the heels of my cozy fantasy story in Wyngraf, I’m pleased to share that my horror flash story “Bone Chill of a Too-Wide Smile” has been reprinted in Medusa Tales.  This story first appeared in Thrilling Tales (behind a paywall), so this is the first time it’s been available in a couple years, and it’s free!  Of course, if you’d like to savor this whole digital magazine about dehumanizing transformations, a theme I particularly enjoy, there’s also an option to purchase the issue.

The day has finally arrived!  It’s time for cozy fantasy, courtesy of the inaugural issue of Wyngraf.  My story in the issue, “A Petrified Heart,” has its roots in my childhood, growing up in a neighborhood filled with oak trees with lots of acorn halves all over the ground.  You can see the influence very early on in the story.  I used to gather some of them with bits of bark, fallen rhododendron flowers in our backyard, and even a berry or two from my mom’s bushes to set up little fairy place settings. 

I also always loved the piece of petrified wood pictured here, which my parents kept on a shelf. 

Needless to say, I really enjoyed the worldbuilding on this one.

I’m delighted that The Hyacinth Review has reprinted my poem “Sea Grass Supplication.”  They always pair their selections with lovely art, and I’m very pleased with the image they’ve chosen for mine as it reminds me very much of the knoll that inspired this poem.  “Sea Grass Supplication” originally appeared in The Curator Magazine. 

As for one of my other poems, the 2022 Rhysling Anthology is available – and speaking of lovely art, I think the cover is gorgeous.

It’s official, my story “Midnight for Clementine” is due out later this year in the anthology Christmas Gothic from Flame Tree Publishing!  This gathering of new and classic holiday stories is slated for release in August for the UK and in October for the US and Canada.  Stay tuned for more details as the publication approaches. 

If you’re looking for some ghost stories to tide you over in the meantime, I participated in a reading of Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters, for the podcast Kaidankai: Ghost and Supernatural Stories.  You can hear a variety of readers bringing to life the varied voices from these linked poems.  I narrated Russian Sonia and Lillian Stewart in part 2.  You can listen to part 1 here. 

In other news, my story “Bone Chill of a Too-Wide Smile” will be included in the upcoming issue of Medusa Tales, and I can hardly wait for “A Petrified Heart” to come out in Wyngraf in just over a week!

The inaugural issue of Wyngraf, a brand-new magazine of cozy fantasy, is now available for preorder.  It’s due out on May 1^st and includes a range of stories featuring family and community, adventure and comfort, and a whole lot of magic—including my novelette “A Petrified Heart.”  I’m super excited to be contributing to this subgenre in the company of these amazing stories.

My story “The Locket and the Thinning Veil” is available to read on Page & Spine.  I wrote this at a PDX Writers retreat last summer in response to a prompt where we each reached into a bag of cut-up lines from poems, grabbed some, and wrote for 15 minutes.  The three snippets in my handful that spoke to me the most mentioned a uniform pocket, remembrance, and two people in love. 

Reminder, I’m gearing up for Flights of Foundry next weekend.  Hope to see you there!

You can find my poem “Lanterns at Dusk” online now at Kingdoms in the Wild.  I’ve always found lanterns so lovely, with their diverse shapes and materials.  And to be honest, a lot of this poem came from me dealing with feelings of entrapment during the pandemic.  I’m glad this work is out in the world. 

Save the date:  I’ll be reading a selection of my stories and poems on April 8^th at the Flights of Foundry online convention.