Like most of my stories, Cast Away Stones started as a seed about superstition and ancient practices. Originally, when I set out to write a story based in folklore surrounding winter, I remembered some research I’d done on the Cailleach, an ancient winter goddess associated with the grain harvest in Scotland and Ireland. There was much folklore attached to her, with rural agricultural communities relying upon her for their prosperity. Not only did they worship her and try to keep her happy, they also revered her, believing their very livelihoods, and th[...]
Category
New Release
0 Months and months ago, I don't remember exactly when, a call for tales inspired by Krampus for Burial Day Books' sixth volume of their Gothic Blue Book went out across this wide writerly world. Great glowing Christmas lights! I desperately wanted to write a Krampus story and, though I didn't think I stood a chance, submit it. I had to try. When faced with a submission call, one problem must be dealt with...the blank page, leaving the mind swirling with dark ideas and thoughts. So many. Too many. My mind latched onto one thing, the final scene of the mov[...]
I am always looking for ways to horrorize any holiday. This can obviously be displayed by the horror writing and illustration showcases I’ve run for Pen and Muse, for Halloween or Christmas or just because. I put out a horror publication called Halloween Night: Trick or Treat this last October. I’ve also written a few of my own. Can you tell that I love horror short stories? Recently, I heard about a new anthology coming Leap Books and I was SO excited! It’s called Fright Before Christmas: 13 Tales of Holiday Horrors. What is even cooler, is that there's[...]
The verse about Lizzie Borden goes like this: Lizzie Borden took an ax And gave her mother 40 whacks. And when the job was nicely done, She gave her father 41. I remember skipping rope to this very verse, and it's one that isn't really kind to Lizzie--I mean, she was acquitted of the murders. Since then, there have been various retellings of this story, but none quite like the YA version Trisha Leaver and Lindsay Currie are releasing TODAY. Sweet Madness tells the Lizzie Borden tale as seen through the eyes of Lizzie's Irish maid. I was lucky enough to receive a[...]
