The News from Stately Wilson Manor

What’s Happening

This is one of those up and down years where the downs seem to be having a field day. Since January we lost our TV, Refrigerator, HVAC system, had a fender bender in the car, had a big leak rot wood around a front window and now I’m looking at my day job (maybe) putting me part time if I don’t find an alternative. We survived all of it so far, but with the money we borrowed to get our last kid through college and the crazy hard to believe financial journey that has been, things are going to be tight, and serious for a while. On top of that, we lost Nanabootz and Mr. Crowley, two of our cats, this year. Nanabootz was nearly 17, but Crowley was only four, and both were most closely bonded to me. We still have a lot of cats. (11). Sam Francisco, an older rescue and Didi (a clueless long-haired girl) have assumed ownership of my chair and I. We only get to share with them a little while, but the depth of that connection is so strong.

I am not one to wallow in the shadows, but NGL, this year… It sort of goes without saying that buyin and reading any of my books at this time would be appreciated beyond the norm.

I am currently auctioning off several books from my personal collection with many more to come. None of our kids is really a reader except Katie, and she leans more toward Poppy Z. Brite than the older authors. I would rather these find a good home and honestly, the shelves look crazy with the ridiculous number of books weighing them down.

I’m sure I mentioned that I signed with Cherry Weiner as my agent a while back. My dark thriller Tattered Remnants is on the market with some interest, and the pitch is a two to three book series, so hopeful on that. Cherry also sold my collection, Hickory Nuts and Bones, to a new publisher that does not want me to announce yet for a good price, so things are moving along.

What I’m writing

There is a lot in the works right now. My main project is a novel that is currently titled Coyne House, but that is a working title. It’s sort of haunted house novel, 104,000 words so far, but here’s the thing. If you were to choose a horror trope and ask me – is that in the book? The likelihood that the answer would be yes is not a small one. That was the original goal, as many horror tropes in one book as possible, but I’m pleasantly surprised that it has not kept me from creating an intriguing story with some dark parts, a little science fiction… I hope to have the first draft done this month.

I have a short story that might possibly be a novella aimed at an upcoming anthology I’m excited about. It is dark science fiction and will be one of the first times I’ve tapped into my day job of IT and cybersecurity to create something meaningful, but where the tech is a little too believable.

Sometime within the next year, for sure, there will be stories for two upcoming Lovecraftian anthologies, one featuring stories involving Shoggoths, and the other stories involving Dagon. Stay tuned for more details on those but there are other irons hovering over fires. Always writing, even when it’s just in my head.

What Has Come out Recently

In June, my novel Closing Time at the Sunny Side Up was released by Shotgun Honey Press. This one has gotten good reviews. It’s sort of a dark, strange chase novel with pseudo-science, crazy characters, muscle cars, and a lot of folks who need killing getting what they need. You can order it almost anywhere… Here are the links to the PUBLISHER and AMAZON

What I’m Reading

Currently Reading And One Day We Will Die an anthology of stories inspired by the music of Neutral Milk Hotel edited by Patrick Barb. This is a very “literary” leaning anthology with some gorgeous writing. More when I’m finished, I’m about 45% through.

Previous read was The Queen of Saturn and the Prince in Exile by Errick Nunally – this is a young adult sort of coming-of-age book that feels like the beginning of a series. My review is HERE.

What I’m Watching

With our daughter Katie back in college, we took a couple of nights to watch movies she would not have liked… Nonnas, and Heads of State. Both were funny and fun, which is what we need right now. Alongside that we completed and loved the new season of Wednesday and are nearing the end of Butterfly. Both are well done, very well cast, and recommended.

What I’m Listening to

I go through a lot of audiobooks. Currently I am listening to Nights Master by the late Tanith Lee, performed by Susan Duerden, which I read long ago along with the rest of the series. If you are one of those mourning the Sandman author fiasco, you should read these. They are lush, beautiful, darkly erotic and clearly an influence on so many other books and authors.

Most recently read audiobooks reviewed here: Backyard Starship by J. N. Chaney – narrated by Jeffrey Kafer, and King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby, performed by Adam Lazarre-White.

What I’m Drawing

I used to draw a lot, then, things just took over and I stopped. Now I’m doing it again for relaxation, so I thought I’d share.