Apologies for the long delay in new newsletters. Life decided to intervene in a myriad of ways. Had some health issues to sort out (mostly there), and I got really busy in my work and other writing life. I am resurrecting my lost newsletter, but the solid end of month schedule might a little loose for a little bit longer. Thank you for your patience.

Announcements

During my unplanned hiatus, I have had two short stories published:

Aphrodite’s Promise - a twist on the Trojan War’s Judgment of Paris in a book all about Aphrodite from Flame Tree Press as part of their Myths, Gods & Immortals series.

Safe Passage - a ghost story based on a true event that happened to me while stranded in a blizzard on a highway in Noncorporeal III from Inkd Publishing.

Writing Update

The biggest thing eating my time has been writing. I wrapped up the Moanaria Fright Club short story workshop and rolled right into Crystal Lake’s Author’s Journey Novella Workshop. I am a good 20K+ words deep into a novella retelling the myth of Sysiphus and his time in the Underworld. It’s been absolute blast to write, and my brain is already cooking up other mythological figures for potential future novellas.

I have temporarily paused work on my thriller, and I have decided to also pause shopping around Lookout Point, my murder mystery. I am going to let it rest for a while, then dive into a massive rewrite before submitting it again. I feel that I have really grown as a writer since I declared it finished and want to come at it with more experienced eyes.

Monthly Posts and Reviews Round-Up

Even though my newsletter has fallen behind, I have still be writing reviews and even a couple of articles. Here is a sampling of what I’ve been up to:

Horror Tree

Along with running the Indie Bookshelf, I am still writing reviews. You can see a list of my recent work at Horror Tree here, but one article I want to highlight is the piece I wrote about Margaret Atwood. When the site wanted someone to cover the award she recently won, I eagerly raised my hand to learn more about this famous Canadian author and write about her.

Ginger Nuts of Horror

I have only written two recent reviews for GNoH: A Palace Near the Wind by Ai Jiang and The No-End House by Jeremy Bates. Two enjoyable, but very different, stories.

Melody Writes

On Melody Writes, I have still been reviewing books. I am also trying out something new for the month of July - setting goals around which books I intend to read this month. I think this may be a feature going forward instead of my usual random on-a-whim choosing of books.

Again, I thank each and every one of you for continuing to subscribe and support me in this small way. I also thank you again for your patience as I continue to navigate all these writing courses and some personal struggles.

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