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Celebrating Friday the 13th: A Visit from the Reaper ...

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Greetings all! We all love a good Friday the 13th, but when is it better than when it happens to fall in the hallowed month of October?!? To celebrate, I’m giving you all a peek at the title story of my soon-to-be-released anthology, “Reaper” from Stitched Smile Publications. Enjoy! “Full house.” “Dammit, Thana! Fuck you.” I grin at my twin as she tosses her hand onto the table and folds her arms across her chest. Reaching over, I drag the pile of assorted bills and coins toward me and dig through it. “Is this a Roman Denarius?” I hold the coin up to the light and squint, trying unsuccessfully to make out the illegible script. “I don’t know. Probably.” “Sweet!” That’s the best part of beating Karen at cards: I never know what gems I’m going to find in the pool. She’s always tossing in random and rare bits of money—a bronze obol here, a Willow Tree Threepence there—whatever happens to be in her pockets, or if we’re playing for higher stakes, the multitude of glass jars
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Why I Spend Sundays Watching Football

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My writing is very personal. Even though it's fiction, it's born from the dark recesses of my mind and personal experiences. It comes from a place that the people around me can't get to. Don't get me wrong; I have an amazing support system, and therefore am better able to handle my depression than a lot of people. But when I go deep into myself in order to write, I don't take anyone with me. And while it needs to be that way, it can be lonely for me and isolating for my closest loved ones. So come fall, I spend my Sundays watching football. My husband is a die-hard Chicago Bears fan. Raised by a Chicagoan, I also grew up cheering for the Bears. Granted, when I met my husband, I knew little of the nuances of the game; I knew when the Bears scored a touchdown, and I got mad when they lost, but that was about it. Nearly 8 years into marriage now, however, football's become a big deal for me. Why? Because it's something I can share with my husband. It
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Spree

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He’s after me. The errant thought makes no sense. He can't be after me. He doesn't know me. Still, I run. My sneakers skid on the ancient tile, the squeal a harsh grate against the whining ping of ricocheting bullets. Slicked with cold sweat, my hand slips off the door knob. I fumble, manage to finally twist it. The door swings open. I reel through, turn, slam the door. Grope for the lock. Shit! The lock. Where’s the fucking lock? I spin around, my gaze darting frantically, searching for somewhere--anywhere--to hide. I have to hide! With no better option, I duck under the professor’s desk. My breath saws through my chest, its jagged teeth ripping at my ribs. Not so loud. He’ll hear. He’ll find you. He’s going to find me anyway. I bowled over Shelley. On my mad dash toward this illusion of safety. I heard her fall, but didn’t stop to look back. I should have looked back. Why didn't I look back? For fuck’s sake, why didn't I d
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The Reaper's Getting Her Sexy On

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That's right. The Reaper's gotten a promotion. I can officially say that I am now the Head of Dark Persuasions, the dark erotica/horrotica division of Stitched Smile Publications! That means I'm now in charge of acquisitions, promotions, anthology creation and submissions, and contracts. I am extremely excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to get started!  That being said, I can say that Dark Persuasions is officially open for submissions. We're looking for works of dark fiction with some added spice; not hardcore smut, but rather stories with intelligent plots, memorable characters, skin-crawling horror, and a good amount of heat to pull it all together. For more details on our submission requirements, please visit: http://www.stitchedsmilepublications.com/dark-persuasions.html. We also have our first anthology open for submissions: Open Call: Arousing Suspicions, a Dark Persuasions Anthology What we’re looking for: Nothing--and no o
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Guest Blog: How Do You Live When You Want to Die? by Tim Miller

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Sorry for the click bait headline, but I needed to get your attention. I've debated for a long time whether to go public with this. It's not something that is easy to talk about. However, I feel so many people struggle with it, and are ashamed, that it's time public figures like myself come forward to take away the stigma of mental illness. It's no secret that I've made that well known over the years. However, last year I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Things came to a head for me last fall at San Angelo Comic Con. It was a fun show and I was happy to see all my friends. However, I'd been under a lot of stress that year. Id had a string of shows that hadn't done well, book sales had been slow and I had just been struggling with all around fears of failure. I learned later, these kinds of negative thoughts are normal. About halfway into the show on Saturday, I suffered what I thought was a debilitating panic attack. I learned later this was
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A Slow Pace

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I write at a slow pace. I'm not always thrilled by that fact, but it's a fact nonetheless. I write at a slow pace. There are a couple reasons for this: The first is that I'm the mother of three; the oldest is not yet seven, and the youngest is two weeks away from her first birthday. Between bus schedules, homework, visits to Grandma, resetting the modem so Netflix works, dirty diapers, bottles and finger foods, night terrors, and lullabies, it's amazing some days if I find the time to jot down a sentence or two, let alone crank out several thousand words. And that doesn't even touch on housework, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. The second is that I deal with chronic pain issues, and as I've mentioned several times before, live with depression and anxiety. Often there are days when I simply am not in the proper frame of mind to write; my brain just won't cooperate. I can sit there--in my bed, on the couch, or at my desk--and lecture myself on how I shou
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Teaser Tuesday: Baby Grand

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That's right! A new story is coming your way, and here's a taste, just a little tease, to whet your appetite. Six years ago, Rhianne made a careless mistake with devastating consequences. Stalked by guilt and an ever-present anger she can't evade, she takes each day as it comes, while maintaining a civil, but distant, relationship with her mother. And all the while, she is haunted by the presence of the baby grand and its deafening silence.  When Rhianne is pushed past her breaking point and forced to face her demons, will she find the redemption she so desperately seeks? Or is her past too deadly to escape? Keep your eyes peeled! A release date is coming soon!
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