Pulling Strings: Friday Update
News:
My story “Footprints” will be streamed through podcast The Other Stories this Saturday on Twitch and uploaded to YouTube. When I have more direct links and the official podcast recording, I’ll post those, too.
Since the MRI, I seem to have re-torn or torn something new, so I’m back in the support boot, getting compensation injuries, and shuffling around, wondering what’s wrong with me. I have an appointment with an orthopedist next Monday. I’m not positive they’ll have answers, but maybe we’ll get on the path to them, or at least on track to healing properly.
After completing Phase 3 of the MCU, I made it my mission to finish other things I’d started. So far, I’ve finished Squid Game and Devil in Ohio, and I’m on my way to finish Nine Perfect Strangers. I hope to finish outstanding thrillers before October so I can start watching more horror-y leftovers.
Works in Progress:
I’m trying not to get too giddy about the short story collection call from Cursed Morsels, which opens up October 1. My horror collection has been ready for two months, so I’m really excited to finally get it out there. If this press doesn’t bite, I’ll give the collection until about February or March before I start trying to sell the parts, with the hope to eventually put the collection out myself. Several presses open up to longer works in January, if I remember correctly.
Puppeteer (Thorns 4) is pretty much finished. I’ve got the interior files ready to go, just need to get the wrap for the paperback done, and I can’t do that until I finalize the back cover copy, which I’d completely forgotten to write. I came up with some verbiage, but I’ll let it sit for a few days to decide whether I like it. Then it’ll be in the works for publication. Less fanfare with this one, even though I’m tremendously proud and scared of it at the same time. It’s the fourth book, so the excitement is really only relevant if you’ve read the first three.
If you’re interested in starting Thorns but you’re unsure about taking on an unfinished series, I just want you to know that the end of Book 5 functions as a mini series conclusion, although there are more books to come after. Book 5 has been sent it out to beta readers and editors. That means that if you start now and finish on book five, you wouldn’t be left hanging. Basically, if I died after Crooked House (Thorns 5) was published and never put out another book, it would be a satisfying end.
I’m now working on my other name‘s Meridian series book 4 edits. Doesn’t look like I’ll finish before the end of the month, so I don’t know if I’ll be able to fit both the for-fun short novel and novella into October, but we’ll see.
Books I’m Reading:
IT by Stephen King
Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire
The First Five Minutes of the Apocalypse edited by Brandon Applegate
Music I’m Listening To:
Halloween playlist
Puppeteer playlist
Lily Kershaw
Ruelle
Hozier’s first album
Things I’m Watching:
The Grudge 2
The Batman
Queer Eye series
Halloween Wars series
Halloween Baking Championships series
Outrageous Pumpkins series
CSI series
CSI:Miami series
Murder, She Wrote series
Buffy the Vampire Slayer series
Squid Game (finished)
Devil in Ohio (finished)
Scream Queens
Nine Perfect Strangers
Poem of the Week:
it takes bravery
to walk the fuck away,
courage to let a strike
fall on my face
without retaliation,
but god help me,
i’m just too weak
while I shatter your
full mouth of teeth
over my linoleum.
if i give you bleach
will you clean the
bloodstain?
