Lovely cover for the Black Static 78/79 Double Issue, which includes my paraforensics & secret histories story “Of Wrath.”
“Of Wrath” in Black Static Magazine
“Nightshift in Strange Rain”
My story “Nightshift in Strange Rain” is out in the February 2021 issue of Mystery Weekly Magazine. From the publisher: “Green blood and trench coats and death in the rain—an old-fashioned murder detective and his coroner ex-flame tackle a newfangled problem in this retrofuture gumshoe tale set in a small town not at all close to you. “
On Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions, or free at one of the 30,000+ libraries and schools worldwide via Flipster.
♥ Huge love to all librarians everywhere.♥
“the girl-shaped jar” flash fiction flashback
Supershort fable “The Girl-Shaped Jar,” written as Camille Alexa, is this week’s flash fiction flashback over at Flash Fiction Online. Watermelons in square jars, man-meat, and a mini interview in which I confesss the toughest author gig of my life was as the guest of an eighth grade English class studying this story…
“Otherwhen” to appear in new Canadian speculative lit mag
In “Otherwhen,” a young woman obsesses over the exact measurement of seconds and minutes to process trauma after seriously injuring a possible time traveller in a highway collision. Look for this one in 2021 from the new Canadian speculative literary magazine Fusion Fragment.
“A Peripheral Vision Sort of Friend” at Campfire Queer Storytime
The intrepid Miss Ruby Lamb will be adding her rendition of my short story “A Peripheral Vision Sort of Friend” to tonight’s virtual edition of Campfire Queer Storytime, which in a less bepandemicked era was hosted at the Vortex Theater in Austin, Texas. Instead the event will be broadcast & archived on YouTube. Sunday, October 11, 2020 from 7-8pm CDT.
Shine on, beautiful distant diamonds.
Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine blog
“Short fiction writers, of all genres, for any number of reasons, surely must universally dread the question: What are your stories about? The smart thing to do (a path one sadly rarely chooses, amiright?) would be to not overthink the business and toss off a quick, “I tend to write crime fiction” (or “historical” or “westerns”—or even “historical crime westerns with hot time-traveling feminist werewolves”*). But such limited answers feel so ungenuine, so inadequate, so lacking the scope of what you write, right?”
*Sadly, there is no story like this in the works, but you can read my personal essay “The Moment Expectations Change” in its entirety over at the Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine blog, where I reminisce (drinks with writer pals in a Portlandian bordello bar! barstool fiddlefaddle and coffee shop philosophizing!) and talk about the joy of seeing short fiction translate to the screen. This one’s in celebration of my sweet petty criminal story “Killer Biznez.”
“killer biznez” in ellery queen’s
A lovely little bumble-crime story of mine in the current issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: “Killer Biznez.” This one’s about weed trays, family bonds, a fictitous fashion app, and an online realtime crime-tip hotline.
“elephant teeth”
Now online: “Elephant Teeth,” a quiet little eco-rage story about animal saboteurs, elephant cults, and new beginnings. Free in audio, as read by the author.
Arthur Ellis finalist
Very pleased to note my short story “The Dead Man’s Dog” is shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award, awarded yearly for excellence in Canadian crime fiction.
two recent(ish) crime shorts
Crime fiction! Both available online.
“Random Blonde”
“I’ve been bitter a long time. It’s like sucking a wedge of lemon on and on and on, pulp disintegrating, everything dissolving until the flavor turns mellow and mild, almost sweet… “
read “Random Blonde“
& “Is a Goodboy”
“Huck is a gooddog. Huck is suchagooddog. Have his people forgotten whatagooddog Huck is?”
read “Is a Goodboy”