2023! It’s one more than 2022! Reviewing 2022 and new #amwriting goals for 2023

Happy New Year 2023

Every New Year’s Dayish I review the previous year and make new goals. Last year I posted a stock photo of a silly sheep, as well. No ewe this year.

2022 review

2022 had a lot going on. Job changes, moving, first-time homeownership—all this, to say nothing of writing-related goals. But we’re here to say something of the writing-related goals. So let’s get to it. What were my 2022 goals?

  • Finish Gobbler of Fire —Yes, though not nearly as early as I planned.

  • Write another adult novel —Not even close.

  • Write another short story or two — Yes, and it is… interesting.

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“We Suckle” makes The Saturday Evening Post’s Top 10 of 2022 👀

The Saturday Evening Post’s Most Popular New Fiction of 2022 – Number Ten Might Surprise You 👀

The Saturday Evening Post has rounded up their Most Popular of 2022 in various categories. Last night I was surprised and happy to see that “We Suckle” snuck into their top ten short stories!

(Can’t figure out why my screenshots are turning out with such poor resolution, sorry)

Thanks to everyone who read and shared this story. It is only because of you that it made this list. If you haven’t read it yet, find it here: https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2022/10/we-suckle/

🔥🔥🔥

#thesaturdayeveningpost #topten #top10 #horrorauthor #horrorwriter #wesuckle #weirdhorror #shortstories #shorthorror #augustusvalley

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas from me, Emily, and Poe. We wish peace and joy on you.

For a child will be born for us,
a son will be given to us,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
He will be named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (CSB)

Make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on onepurpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,

who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
For this reason God highly exalted him
and gave him the name
that is above every name,
so that at the name of Jesus
every knee will bow—
in heaven and on earth
and under the earth—
and every tongue will confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:2–11 (CSB)

“AV_NEST.CASEFILE” on Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror #14 long list

Every horror writer hopes for their story to be selected for one of Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year anthologies. While I still haven’t achieved that honor, her recently posted long list of works considered for volume 14 contains several stories from Dim Shores Presents Volume 2, including my own “AV_NEST.CASEFILE”. I’m very proud to be listed alongside many other talented friends and colleagues. Ellen Datlow is a legend. Check out her list at https://ellendatlow.com/category/news/.

(In case you missed this one, buy a copy of Dim Shores Presents Volume 2 to read it yourself!)

Let’s hang out tomorrow!

Saturday, October 22nd (tomorrow), I’m going to be in Durbin, WV, doing a Meet & Greet at the Durbin Community Library! Come on by at 2:00 pm and let’s hang out. I’ll have copies of Unknowing, I Sink to sell and sign. I haven’t been able to get restocked on my other books, though, having sold out of all my copies recently at the West Virginia Library Association Fall Conference. If you already own any of my books that need signing, by all means bring them by.

Sorry for the late notice—I sort of lost track of which week it was. What happened to October? This is the best month, and for some reason this year it seems awfully short.

I hope to see you there!

New #OctoberReads Short Story: “We Suckle” in THE SATURDAY EVENING POST

October is my favorite month for so many reasons, but here’s a new one: my short story, “We Suckle,” has been published online at The Saturday Evening Post. Click here to read about a young family that moves to Augustus Valley to ease their financial burden and finds something strange happening in their basement. Rather, they think there’s something weird going on, but they can’t ever quite remember what

# spookymonth #NewFictionFriday #TheSaturdayEveningPost #SatEvePost #shortfiction #shorthorror #octoberreads #shortstories #spookyreads #horrorfiction #horror #weirdhorror #weirdfiction

Listen now to “Animals” on Tales to Terrify

Tales to Terrify is coming at you again—this time, with my short story "Animals." Just released today, Episode 556 of the Tales to Terrify podcast will get you where you need to be, if where you need to be is creeped out and revolted. Might be a good one to listen to while you get dinner ready; just my suggestion. Or maybe sitting by yourself in the shed out back. Keep an eye out for rats.

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Meet me @ the Lewisburg Literary Festival this weekend

It’s back, baby!

One of my favorite events of the year, the Lewisburg Literary Festival, is finally happening, after, as with many things, a long COVID-related hiatus. I’m so happy to be seeing my friends again and meeting new ones. Headline speakers this year are CBS Sunday Morning correspondent (and native West Virginian) Conor Knighton, record-breaking Appalachian Trail thru-hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis, and Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau. If you’re a writer, you’ll want to check out the free workshops from thriller novelist S. G. Redling and poet/professor Elizabeth Savage. Anybody familiar with the LLF will know that there’s also much more that will be happening all around town… A full schedule should be posted to LewisburgLiteraryFestival.com this week, but just trust me, if you’re anywhere close, you should make plans to come see it (it’s free).

Let’s meet face to face

Of course, I’ll be camped out in the vendor’s area in the GBV visitor’s center, along with other great authors you can meet and buy signed books from. Along with my novels, I’ll have some of the last available copies of the out-of-print first edition of my weird horror novella, Unknowing, I Sink. So don’t miss out; let’s hang. Can’t wait.

#lewisburgliteraryfestival2022 #lewisburgwv #greenbriarcounty #hashtaglewisburg #downtownlewisburg #wvwriters #garrytrudeau #conorknighton #jenniferpharrdavis #lewisburgliteraryfestival #books #HashtagWV