Happy Hallowe’en!

Welcome to my first newsletter! Again, thank you for signing up. October has been a good month for me. I spent most of September sick from a cold, so being healthy again has made everything brighter. Plus, October is my favourite month of the year (my birthday! Thanksgiving! Fall!). Not only is it my favourite month, it is a popular one for fiction.

Several years ago, I pointed out to my brother that a lot of stories begin in, or close to, my birthday. He thought it was just confirmation bias, but over time, he also noticed this was true. I don’t have any concrete stats, but it definitely feels like most stories start in the fall, with summer being a close second. I think this is because autumn is a time of change. Summer is drawing to a close and winter is on the horizon. School in Canada and the States begins around this time, which makes it a perfect beginning for YA and other school-based stories. And of course, Halloween is a prime setting for spooky tales.

Personally, I feel like September/October are perfect months for beginnings. I stayed in school until my late 20s and then taught for a few years. September has felt more like the start of the new year than January for me, and I often get strange looks when I say “next year” but really mean this fall.

What about your favourite stories? Do they take place in the fall? Do you love autumn or prefer another month?

Writing Update

I lost a lot of writing time being sick in September, so I’ve been focusing on getting back on track. I find that writing for me is like working out, I can get out of shape and have to work my way back into it. My current WIP, a thriller with the working title “Rescued” is chugging along and has reached 21,000 words. This will be my first non-speculative work and that has been interesting to work with.

My (hopeful) debut novel, Lookout Point, is still looking for a publisher, and I’ve begun work on its sequel, Cosgrove Manor. Lookout Point is a haunted murder mystery about a young man, Gary, who investigates his brother’s mysterious death. He initially fled his hometown, unable to face his grief, but when a second boy dies the same way, he comes home to find out the truth and confront his past.

Blog/Reviews Update

Posting has been a bit light this month. I’ll blame my September sickness again. I did write one review for Horror Tree: The Night Guest. I’m also still in the process of moving my old reviews from Goodreads to my blog a few at a time and I posted a couple of short story collection reviews on October 1.

What I’m …

Reading:

This month, I have been catching up on Clarkesworld short stories - a monthly science fiction magazine that always has a high calibre of stories. Some recent favourites include:

• Eddies are the Worst by Bo Balder - Issue 206

• I Will Meet You Where the Artifacts End by Amal Singh - Issue 214

• The Time Capsule by Alice Towey - Issue 215

Playing:

Hades is a Greek-myth themed roguelike game that came out in 2020 from Supergiant Games that I loved. Earlier this year, the sequel was released in early access. In October, there was a major update, so most of my gaming time has been spent on that. Both games have fun gameplay and an engaging story, but also a deep knowledge and respect for Greek Myth. I can’t recommend them enough. Even though Hades 2 is in early access, it still has a lot of content worth playing.

Thin Slices - Free Story

And now, what you have all been waiting for, another free story from my upcoming collection, Thin Slices! This month, on my blog,  I revealed the cover, designed by the talented Ruth Anna Evans.

I thought it was appropriate to share one of my Halloween themed horror drabbles, originally published in Halloween Frights by Black Ink Fiction:

Just A Trick

Eggs crash against my house, waking me in the middle of the night. I head outside to curse them.

“Just a trick, Ma’am.”

“Good one,” I smile instead. “Come, I have something for you.”

They hesitate, but can’t resist the lure of candy. I invite them in for more and they eye me warily. But their greed propels them forward.

I lock the door behind them.

The brats scream when they see the creatures I keep as pets. I wait on the porch until they fall silent.

“Just a trick,” I say as I head back inside to my bed.