March has been a complicated month for me. I was sick for part of it and four elderly people I know all passed away this month. It’s sadly part of life, but I try to focus on the positives. March is Women’s History Month. March 8 is both my Mom’s birthday and International Women’s Day. As well, it’s Women in Horror Month. A lot of women! So, like I did for Family Day last month, I’m going to write about some female authors who have influenced me personally and in my writing:

Ann M. Martin - As a young girl, I was obsessed with the Babysitters Club, created by Ann M. Martin. It ran for over two hundred books, spawned multiple spin-offs and television adaptations. These books were full of diverse female role models, stories about difficult topics, and of course, babysitting. I have recently introduced my young cousin to them through the recent graphic novel adaptation.

Jane Jensen - Maybe not as widely known as Ann M. Martin, but still an important writer in my life. She has written several novels, but is known mostly for her work on adventure games in the 90s, such as the Gabriel Knight series. I have read all of the work published under her name (she also writes gay erotica under a different name that I don’t read). Her storytelling is intelligent, creative, and full of deep concepts. I wish she were more prolific.

Louise Fitzhugh - Author of Harriet the Spy. Admittedly, I’ve read very little of her work, but Harriet the Spy had such an impact on young me that she has earned a spot on this short list. That is the book that inspired me to want to be a writer in the first place.

Announcements

I am participating in the Narratess Indie Book Sale this coming weekend. There will be tons of indie SFF/Horror books on sale for $1.99 or less, including my collection, Thin Slices. It starts April 5 at midnight and ends April 7, also at midnight.

Writing Update

Updates about my writing progress, stories, etc.

Monthly Posts and Reviews Round-Up

Inspired by some recent controversies, I wrote a short piece/gentle rant about not overreacting when people don’t like the things you like.

I was a bit light this month on new reviews while I was finishing up my Fright Club course writing. I only posted one new review: Every Dark Cloud by Marisca Pichette - a cute story that takes place in a future world of darkness. The worldbuilding is done with such care.

The rest of my reviews were pulled from my archive of old reviews. Some I paired together based on topic or theme:

• Abduction Revelation and Awoken

  • Two unusual books that were fun to read but hard to recommend.

• Equal of the Sun and Daughter of Xanadu

  • Two books about cultures and people very different from me.

• Stolen by Lucy Christopher

  • An exploration of stockholm syndrome through the eyes of a kidnapped girl. This is my go-to recommendation for fans of second person POV.

Horror Tree

• Indie Bookshelf - list of published and upcoming indie books - live each Friday.

• Book Review: The Murder Show by Matt Goldman - a fun mystery that has cemented me as a fan.

• Women in Horror Month Recommendations: Some awesome women in the indie horror community recommended by myself and others at Horror Tree

What I’m…

Watching/Playing this month

Wheel of Time TV Show - Season 3 is out and I am halfway through. While it has taken a lot of liberties, it’s still an amazing adaptation and I hope it gets the run time the series deserves.

This War of Mine - This is a bleak but addictive video game that I’ve been playing way too much of. It takes place in a fictional city that is embroiled in a brutal civil war, except instead of playing as the army, you play as civilians trying to survive. Sometimes the pacing is a bit off, and the game moves slowly, but it’s engaging and thought-provoking.

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