Amanda M. Blake's Blog, page 2
October 3, 2025
She devil: Friday Update
News:
Nothing this week either.
Works in Progress:
I managed to reach my goal of crossing 40K words before the end of September on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8). I should pass 47K words by the end of the day. It’s still a lot of fun, but although my goal word count is 95K words, I suspect I’m going to go well over due to overwriting issues. This is what happens when I have 1K-word days. It takes me five hundred words to properly get back into the scene, and then it takes me five hundred words again the next day, ad nauseum. However, I’m still very pleased with where it is and where it’s going. The center is holding.
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King
Things I’m Listening To:
Halloween playlist
Things I’m Watching:
Knock at the Cabin
White Noise
Hannibal series
All Creatures Great and Small series
America’s Got Talent series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Halloween Baking Championship series
Poem of the Week:
what do i have to do to get some
eyes in my direction? must i
enucleate the lot, keep them in a
glass jar so that i can direct your gaze?
or would you rather go blind staring
into the sun with cages for your eyelids
so that you cannot blink, only burn?
do i have your attention now?
September 26, 2025
Zombie room: Friday Update
I’m putting up Halloween this week, which is always a good time, and after getting COVID/flu jabs and the accompanying side effects, plus the dog’s gastroenteritis, I needed that little hit of dopamine.
News:
Nothing to share at this point.
Works in Progress:
I miss getting a lot of word count in every week, which allowed me to move forward a lot faster and combat some of my natural impatience, but I’m still glad that the story is working enough for me to cross 30K. I wanted to be halfway through by the end of September, but that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen. I also wanted to be finished before the end of October, but that also doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, which disappoints me. I wanted to be working on We Follow You in the Dark rewrites during Halloween.
But I did get my first chapter in to the publisher so they could put it in at the end of Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) as a teaser, and I sent in the official book information for Never & Forever (M8).
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King
Things I’m Listening To:
Halloween playlist
Things I’m Watching:
Hell Fest
Until Dawn
Nope
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
Abigail
Black Phone
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Halloween Baking Championship series
Poem of the Week:
bleached bones in a seated position
against the bone-dry boulder behind
rusted metal in a vehicle frame
a fitting headstone for the former
person who thought waiting for rescue
was easier than picking a direction
September 19, 2025
Chasing cars: Friday Update
Had the absolute worst cramps I’ve had a very long time yesterday and had to cut my afternoon work short. Since starting this work, I’ve been able to work through the bad cramp days, but this was an 8-9 on my pain scale for about three hours, highly unpleasant, and pain amnesia means it all feels like a dream I had. Fortunately, they’ve receded to manageable or quiet since, but man, it was bad. And now I have to work this afternoon to make up for what I missed. Sigh.
News:
“Eviratum” has been posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon as a finalist for this month’s flash fiction contest on the theme Music Horror. It doesn’t appear to be one of my more popular ones, but I’m still just happy I was able to write it.
Works in Progress:
I’m at 24,025 words on Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), so around a quarter through, and I’m finally at the point that things start getting more interesting (on a supernatural level). I had to pause the writing on Wednesday and Thursday to edit the first chapter and send it in so it could be included as a sneak peek in Tooth & Claw (M7, coming out in October).
I’m still happy with the story, and this is around where I kept getting stuck on all previous incarnations of T&C, so I assume N&F is still a good story to work on, which is such a relief.
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King
Things I’m Listening To:
Halloween playlist
Things I’m Watching:
Stir of Echoes
The Long Walk
The Monkey
The Rookie series (finished)
Matlock series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
Halloween Baking Championship series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
Poem of the Week:
corvid conversations calm me in the morning
mockingbird repertoires incense me at night
and i admire the wrens’ full-throated song
for despite their size they trill like bullets
in the distance the kites call to their mate
while the mourning dove mourns hers
September 12, 2025
Rocking chair: Friday Update
News:
I shared yesterday that I have another book being indie published, this time by Crystal Lake’s extreme horror imprint Torrid Waters, which published my last extreme horror novel, Question Not My Salt, too. In the Dollhouse We All Wait is full novel length around 90K words (QNMS is around 55K), and it is highly unpleasant. However, I devoted all my effort in this novel to unflinching horror, so if you can tolerate the trigger warnings, I hope you (don’t) enjoy yourselves. It should come out in 2026.
When I sign a contract for a long-form piece, I get cake. So I had an impromptu tea party with Erin last week, as you can see.
“Infiltration,” which is one of my favorite horror stories that I’ve written, came out on September 7 through the Sans. Press anthology Out There, about horror beyond boundaries. “Infiltration” is a beautiful seaside love story during a strange red tide. You can get the book in ebook, paperback, and hardback.
I received my final outstanding rejections for poems in A Nightmare for All Seasons. That means that, as soon as I finished my present WIP, I’ll finish out the seasonal horror poetry collection, just in time to enjoy the Halloween Parade. It’s pretty much done, just need to check the extra page matter and get a proof copy to make sure everything’s good.
Works in Progress:
The words sometimes flow better than other times, but I’m keeping up with my word count goals, other than on Monday when I was sick and headache-y. I was really worried I wasn’t going to be able to write it, but though I’m not in love with everything I’ve written so far, it’s a lot easier to fix words that are there versus not there, and I’m still happy with the story itself. Having trouble grounding characterization, but maybe it’ll get easier when I change my characters’ venue.
I’m presently at 17K words, with a general goal of 85K.
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Rose Madder by Stephen King
Things I’m Listening To:
Halloween playlist
Things I’m Watching:
Deadgirl
Will Trent series (finished)
Matlock series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
Halloween Baking Championship series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
Poem of the Week:
i ruminate as i masticate
crisp autumn leaves
anticipating a harvest apple
crunch but this cinnamon
season often disappoints:
a belly of decay and
a throat on fire
September 11, 2025
Introducing…
My very extreme horror novel In the Dollhouse We All Wait has been picked up by Crystal Lake’s Torrid Waters imprint, for publication in 2026. They previously published my other extreme horror novel Question Not My Salt.
A little Criminal Minds meets The Island of Dr. Moreau, the new live-in nanny to a grown-up girl meets her mansion-filling doll collection–including ones that aren’t really dolls.
I didn’t set out to write extreme horror, but the stories lend themselves for that direction sometimes. In the Dollhouse isn’t particularly pleasant and is even more extreme than Question Not, but both QNMS and ITDWAW are frogs-in-boiling-water horror, which I can’t imagine in any way reflects the present state of the world /s. This is not for the squeamish. It is for those who like the darker side of an already dark genre.
If it’s not your thing, that’s okay! I have other works coming out in the next few years that you can enjoy, like Masque in 2027, which is far more mainstream.
(The doll is Erin, and she was mine when I was little. She’s presently enjoying second life with my niblings when they visit.)
September 5, 2025
Seasons in the sun: Friday Update
News:
“Growing Things” tied for first for last month’s Eco-Horror Shallow Waters contest. I believe this should send you to a free-to-read page. No hosting the contest this time. I deferred to the other winner, since I got to host just a few months ago and it was his first time. Still want to do it again, though.
Squirm Books is putting out a queer anthology of beauty and body image called Skin Deep, and my mall story “Changing Room” has found a home on its TOC. Look for it February 2026.
Works in Progress:
I couldn’t put it off any longer (although I had several shorter editing projects to distract me), so I started Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), and while there are weak areas here at the beginning, it’s moving apace and doesn’t involve quite as much pulling teeth as the last novel I tried. I’m at around 9K words of an anticipated 85K. The story itself is simple but the emotional stakes are pretty ambitious. It’ll be interesting to see if I can accomplish it.
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn (finished)
Rose Madder by Stephen King
Things I’m Listening To:
Abyss/Ascent playlist
Nocturne playlist
Halloween playlist (finally)
Things I’m Watching:
The Awakening
Unknown Number: The High School Catfish
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series (finished)
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
NCIS series
Poem of the Week:
what would you give for a life? a lifestyle?
a toe, a heel, an ankle, a delicate stretch
of leg to the knee and beyond?
what is a bribe but a clearance sale
to spare someone far more precious?
such a small thing, your dignity and pride,
your security and safety, your sleep and dreams,
in exchange for one more day, and one more day.
August 29, 2025
A breeze: Friday Update
In reference to the break in heat, not life in general. We usually don’t get this break until mid or late September. I ain’t complainin’.
However, my car battery died last Friday, which means I can’t listen to my chosen tunes while driving for a while (tends to blow the radio fuse). I’m pretty much iHeartRadioing it until I can get the fuse fixed or replaced.
I was lucky, though, that my battery died 1) close to home so my dad could give me a jump and 2) literally across the street from an AutoZone, so I could get it replaced quickly. There was a whole kerfuffle through my work as a result that led to a 24-hour review, but time off unpaid was also time to write. There was some other work-related stress that’s still lingering tightness in my chest, but I’ll get by. It can join all the other stress of watching my country collapse into sadistic, incompetent fascism, so there’s that.
News:
My short storm story “The Glitter of Bile,” set in my hometown and based on a strange cloud I swear I saw once (but might be confusing a dream for memory), is free to read at Cosmic Horror Monthly’s site (originally published May 2024).
Works in Progress:
As usual, things are taking longer than expected. I finished the last short story, a piece meant to be under 1500 words. I completed it at over 3000 words. I knew it was bloated, but after the first two editing passes, things got harder to cut. However, after six full passes, I finally got it under the word count. If it doesn’t get accepted, earlier passes might still be good for longer word-count calls, but I’m happy where it’s at.
Next is starting Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8), which seriously intimidates me, because I haven’t written a full novel since before the election, and I’m not positive I’m able to now. I’ve made promises and have obligations, and that’s a lot of pressure. My word count goals won’t be what they used to be. I hope to finish, though, before end of September, mid-October at the latest.
And if I can get through it, then I can rewrite We Follow You in the Dark as a treat. Honestly, I love the original version; I simply can’t sell it. I anticipate I’ll enjoy it just as much the second time around, from a different angle. I already wrote a novelette in the same universe. I like doing things like that.
Books I’m Reading:
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn
Things I’m Listening To:
Abyss/Ascent playlist
Things I’m Watching: (I’ve been having trouble committing to movies or demanding TV shows lately.)
Will Trent series
CSI series
CSI: NY series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series (finished)
Wear Whatever the F You Want series
America’s Got Talent series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
NCIS series
Poem of the Week: (throwback)
we never look at the stars anymore.
in our defense, most of us can’t
see past the haze of our own light.
and even when every last gleam
has blinked out to the winking stars,
our straining, struggling eyes
can only see our reflections
and cosmic apparitions of the dead.
August 22, 2025
Broken and strewn: Friday Update
News:
Stuff is happening, but nothing that I can share yet.
Works in Progress:
I wrote one short story. It was supposed to be flash, but it’s too long to cut it down that far. I set it aside in the trunk to wait for something more appropriate for it. I’ve started on another flash fiction piece, but because I had stuff I was doing Wednesday, I didn’t get as much done on it as I’d hoped, and I want to get it done before I start Never & Forever (Meridian Book 8).
It doesn’t help that my attention span is still suffering and I seem to be suffering a case of the writer yips. I’m nervous I won’t be able to write the novel that I promised, especially since the last time I tried to write a novel, it didn’t work at all.
Books I’m Reading:
The Fisherman by John Langan (finished)
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn
Things I’m Listening To:
Pop music playlist
Abyss/Ascent playlist
Wonderland soundtrack
The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection by Sarah Brightman
Beauty and the Beast live action soundtrack
The Best Damn Thing by Avril Lavigne
Things I’m Watching:
Weapons
Will Trent series
CSI series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
Hoarders series
The Rookie series
NCIS series
Poem of the Week: (throwback)
it’s important to really
probe at the issue
find the origins of the trauma
let’s really dig deep down
into the meat of things
with a serrated spoon
widen the incision
let the blood and lymph
and creamy pus out
carve your way to the
bottom of your behaviors
and figure out why on earth
you’d be in pain
August 15, 2025
Persist: Friday Update
News:
On August 10, “Growing Things” was posted for this month’s Crystal Lake Shallow Waters contest theme Eco-Horror. It’s available to read for $5/month tiers and up. This is a solid month for entries and a generally popular theme. I’ve really enjoyed reading them so far.
Works in Progress:
I finished the proofreading edit of Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) and sent it back to my editor. As you can see above, it’s available for preorder at Totally Bound and Amazon, for general release October 28—just in time for Halloween. All about a young veteran hunter who learns the facts of life from a vampire and a werewolf. Getting back to my Sanctuary trilogy and Nocturnal Creatures trilogy roots, I guess.
I’m taking a short break to work on two flash pieces and hopefully finish up reading Langan’s The Fisherman. Then I’ll dive into Never & Forever (M8), the last Meridian novel. Hard to believe I’ll have two trilogies, a serial, and two series under my belt with my other name once that’s finished.
Books I’m Reading:
The Fisherman by John Langan
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn
Things I’m Listening To:
Pop music playlist (I’m pretty much just biding my time until I feel comfortable turning on my Halloween/horror playlist, which will be immediately followed by my Christmas playlist after Thanksgiving or whenever I finish my next horror work)
Wonderland soundtrack
Things I’m Watching:
CSI series
Private Practice series
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Home Town: Takeover series (finished)
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
The Rookie series
Poem of the Week: (throwback)
lurking deep
in steaming trench
slumbering
in the womb
of earthen heat
waiting out the cold
tentacles drift
with venting exhalation
the quaking rumble
of its snores
may it continue
its sweet dreams
and never wish
to wake
August 8, 2025
Not too hot for cake: Friday Update
Due to some problems in transit (now I know better how to transport this particular cake, which has unique issues in comparison to others), I had to buy a new cake for my customer, deliver it again (successfully this time), then take the one with significant icing damage home. So I had unpaid time to replace it and paid for the replacement out of pocket, but at least I got cake out of everything. Better than the last few shopping catastrophes.
It’s a tres leches cake, and it’s quite good. But man, I’m exhausted.
News:
My flash fiction “Growing Things” will be one of this month’s Eco-Horror finalists at the Crystal Lake Patreon for the Shallow Waters contest. It should post around August 11.
Works in Progress:
Got some reading done, but not as much as anticipated. My proofreading edit for Tooth & Claw (Meridian Book 7) came in a few days ago, so I’m deep into that right now. I should finish next week, when I’ll write a few short things before tackling Never & Forever, the final book in the Meridian series.
Books I’m Reading:
The Fisherman by John Langan
Raising Loki: A Memoir by Elliot Manarin
Texas Bigfoot by Lyle Blackburn
Things I’m Listening To:
TTW playlist
Drift playlist
Vicious by Halestorm
When It’s All Over by RAIGN
Things I’m Watching:
CSI series
Found series (finished)
9-1-1 series (finished)
9-1-1: Lone Star series
Say Yes to the Dress: Tan France series
America’s Got Talent series
The Rookie series
Poem of the Week: (throwback)
there’s nothing in the bathtub
nothing but bubbles to brim
steaming water and feet gray
needs more sun refraction
angle doesn’t hurt nor
the ankle despite the scab
or white of bone broken through
toenails yellow cracked and thick
nothing in the bathtub sink
beneath brim bubbles submerge
