Seattle Teaches Me A Lesson

Hello, my friends. I have fallen into the rabbit hole and emerged into a land of creativity.  I’m bombing around in my old home, Seattle, and it feels fantastic. I didn’t write much when I lived here.  I was surrounded by this bustling, artistic city and I was focused on schooling.  Being a (kind of) newlywed.  Figuring out what to … Read More

Shock Totem Issue #2

Issue #2 of Shock Totem is coming out on July 1st.  I can’t tell you how excited I am!  It will be the first issue out since I was on staff, and I can’t wait to see it.  Here is the illustrious TOC: * To Be Titled: An editorial, by K. Allen Wood * The Rat Burner, by Ricardo Bare … Read More

“Be Mysterious: Writers in Masks” features Matt Betts

So, not the traditional sort of mask here. I’ve been growing a beard – for no reason really. It started out as shear laziness – not wanting to shave over the winter holidays and just went from there.   Sometime in the new year I hit that point where I actually had to start doing maintenance on it: trimming it … Read More

Heaven is Full of Writers and Werewolves

Well, my friends!  The time has finally come!  Remember when I hinted to this anthology? Well, John Skipp just officially released the Table of Contents, and I fell over in a dead faint of delight.  I am so humbled to be in such a great anthology with writers that I secretly stalk in my dreams. Or not so secretly, anymore. THE COMPANY … Read More

So What’s Your Excuse?

I really, really want to write every night, but it ain’t happening.  I try to get in five or ten minutes during the busy day, but it’s nigh impossible.  Why, you ask?  Because school is out and my home has turned into a miniature Yoo Hoo bar fight.  Spindly arms and legs are everywhere as the children tussle over who … Read More

“Be Mysterious: Writers in Masks” features Amie Boudreau

  I love Masks, and mostly African Masks.   I became fascinated with African art and culture in college when my chorale did a piece called O Sifuni Mungu and I fell in love with the sounds of African music.   While living in New Orleans I fell in love with the art I found in the open market stalls … Read More

Small Town Girl

I had two funerals in three days this week.  I found myself in my husband’s home town. There was no smog and I could see the stars.  I awoke to the sound of birds, cows, and sheep.  Cotton floated through the air.  I wore shorts, low pigtails, and didn’t have a stitch of makeup on my face.  I sat on … Read More

The Curse

My friend John turned me on to this song by Josh Ritter today.  I think it’s exquisitely lovely and heartbreakingly sad.  In other words, I think that it’s perfect.  I love this marriage between happiness and tragedy.  This is the type of feeling that I would like to invoke in my writing.

Deer In The Headlights: An Interview

Once upon a time there was a nice British bloke named Steven Pirie.  We were in an anthology together that butchered our names mercilessly: I was something like Merbcebes and he was Seven.  Thus a friendship was born.  He’ll be Seven to me for the rest of our lives. Anyway, Seven interviewed me on his blog. It was my very first … Read More