The Words of February

Welcome back. I’ve said this before, but this time it feels true. This year things are turning around some for me as an author. I have a new novella due in August from Shortwave Publishing. I have another short novel or novella under consideration by another publisher. I have a story that I have been waiting to share with the world for years due in another anthology later this year (can’t announce that one yet, but it’s coming) and I have another Cletus J. Diggs / Lovecraft Pastiche in the works. The audiobook of The Devil’s in the Flaws & Other Dark Truths will be out very soon, voiced by the amazing Joshua Saxon. I expect to publish another collection this year – and possibly a book of poetry, because it’s been a very long time since I concentrated on that at all. Let’s take this slowly.

My novella “When You Leave, I Disappear,” will be out in August. More details on that soon, but this book was a revelation to me. It’s nothing like anything I’ve written before. It’s complex and I owe huge thanks to a beta reader who saw it first at about the ¾ point and helped me understand it, to a friend who posted a snippet of lyrics from The Sisters of Mercy that gave me the title and broke the writer’s block that nearly ended it, to Trish for extra careful copy-editing and to Shortwave Media and their editor who said all the mean things I needed to hear, and then, on the second pass, truly seemed to love the story. To Ray Garton for an early blurb, Ray being one of my long-time friends who only recently got around to reading my work and loved it. I could go on, but I will end with this. If you have not directly-ordered a book from Shortwave Publishing, and you love collectible books, beautiful design, and presentation, you are missing something special. Alan Lastufka is a genius in this area, and cares about every single title he publishes. The books are remarkable when ordered from other retailers, but the extra mile he goes with his direct sales is phenomenal.

“A tale that will haunt you long after you’ve finished reading.” —Ray Garton, author of Live Girls

I can’t tell you the home of the second story I mentioned, or the third. One is part of a bigger project that will likely not appear until 2025. The other is going to be in a series of anthologies I’ve been in several times, but that has not been announced. That story, “Hickory Nuts and Bones,” is one of my best. It ties deeply into childhood memories, and Trish, who said it was wonderful, also said… so sad… And it is. It’s not a happy story, but I believe it will leave an impression.

I love working with Joshua Saxon on audio because, beyond his talent with voices, accents, and pacing, he is a reader. He loves literature. He recently narrated The Odyssey: A Modern Sequel, by Nicos Kazantzakis, and previously that same author’s The Last Temptation of Christ. A while back he narrated my novels Darkness Falling and Jurassic Ark. He has done the works of Kathe Koja and Poppy Z. Brite and is the voice behind most of the catalog of Brian Lumley. If you like audiobooks, and you’ve not listened to one he has narrated, you are denying yourself a singular pleasure.

That’s enough about the current writing, except to say I’m working on a short story titled “The Feller in Yeller,” that is a Hastur inspired Cletus J. Diggs story. I went with the original Ambrose Bierce story as my inspiration, instead of Chambers. We’ll see how that works out.

I just finished the audio of The Bone Pendant Girls, by Terry Friedman, Rachel Fulginiti (Narrator), Danny Campbell (Narrator), Jesse Vilinsky (Narrator) – which was a fun listen. Paranormal with a hint of romance. Sometimes it is very dark. My Goodreads review will follow soon. This year I have read eight of the fifty books I hoped to finish. Some of it was finishing books that were already underway, but it’s a Goodreads thing so I’m taking it. The best this year was 3-Body Problem. I know the author has political issues, but I don’t’ begin to pretend I understand his world, or the pressures that might be involved. It’s one of the most amazing books I’ve ever read.

I usually show pictures of my cats, but a quick report. Nanaboots, who is about 15 years old and my muse for many years, is recovering from nearly wasting away. I had no idea why she was not eating, but was so thin, and I was scared. She is currently eating like a horse, but still very thin. I will keep you posted, even though you may not care, because it’s what I do.

Until next time. If you find this useful, or intersting, please share.

-DNW