I’ve been very fortunate to see my stories appear in many issues of the Fiction River anthology series. Fiction River: Editor Saves, however, marks the first issue to include two of my stories. “City of Sin Strangler” is a suspenseful, crime story set in “Lynn, Lynn, the City of Sin,” while “Makonde: Tree of Life” is a fantasy that splits […]
New romance story in Heart’s Kiss
My latest romance short story, “From a Dry, Bitter Stream Comes the Sweetest of Fountains,” in now available in Heart’s Kiss magazine. The editors call this story, “a great story about female empowerment in a time when women had no voice unless they met the right partner.” Romance fans, do yourself a favor and get this terrific […]
Best American Mystery Stories 2018 released, includes “Serengeti”
I’ve been buying this anthology for twenty years, but this year’s volume includes a special treat: my story “Death in the Serengeti.” This is the fulfillment of one of my earliest writing dreams, to appear in a Year’s Best anthology. I’m alongside some of the biggest names in the field: Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Connelly […]
Derringer Award presentation
This was the thrill of a lifetime, a dream come true. I received the Derringer Best Long Story award for my story “Death in the Serengeti.” The Derringers are awarded by the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and were presented at the World Mystery Convention (Bouchercon) in St. Petersburg, Florida. I’m having technical problems uploading the […]
Bouchercon panel appearance
At the World Mystery Convention (known as Bouchercon), I appeared on a panel about writing in multiple genres. I had been really excited about this assignment, since I “peanut-butter” myself across almost all genres, and it was a good time. I believe the audience was entertained and informed. (left to right) Karen E. Olson, Carla […]
Humor story collection released
I’m very proud to release my first short story collection, Shimmers and Laughs: Eight Wildly Hilarious Tales. Available now in ebook and print versions at all major online outlets, it features my funniest stories, including “Little Blue Fuzzy,” “She’s No Shimmer,” “Beloved,” “Tiffany Gets Her Boobs,” “One-Night Stands for Love and Glory,” and others. From a little […]
30 days of free fiction
July 12 is Day One of a special thirty-day promotion I’m running on Amazon that will feature six stories, each free for five days. This is exclusive to the Kindle–sorry to users of all other e-readers–but if you don’t have a Kindle, you can get the Kindle app for devices like your smart phone or […]
My first writing hero has passed
Harlan Ellison, whose short stories inspired me to become a writer, has passed away. He was 84 and had been in poor health, but it still comes as a shock. When I got the news last night, I just sat there, sad beyond belief, for a very, very long time. Ironically, just a day earlier, […]
Appearance on The Creative Penn podcast
Joanna Penn interviewed me for her exceptional podcast for writers, The Creative Penn. We talked for almost an hour about my book, How to Get Your Book Into Schools. If you aren’t already subscribed to the podcast, check it out here. Video is available on The Creative Penn’s YouTube channel here.
“Death in the Serengeti” selected for Best American Mystery Stories!
“Death in the Serengeti” has been selected for Best American Mystery Stories 2018! When I first began writing, I dreamed of one of my stories someday appearing in a Year’s Best anthology. It seemed impossible, but this fall that impossible dream will come true! I’ve been reading Otto Penzler’s Best American Mystery Stories for decades; this […]