I have so many new writing updates that I'll present them to you in lightning-round format. Ready? Let's go!

1. What Lies In Wait will be the title of my upcoming collection of short stories, and I'm aiming for a mid-2015 release. I'm extremely happy that all fifteen stories are now finished, or finished enough for beta readers to finally give them a look. There's still tweaking and proofing to do, but the final lineup is set and it feels like a relief. All fifteen tales share elements of apprehension, fear, and a challenge to face, whether it's something out there in the dark or something within that must be put down. Half are straight-up horror, while others blend mystery, noir, and survival tropes into tales that fall between literary and genre-driven stories. I'm looking forward to feedback, and I'm always open to new test readers!

2. The Lit Pub has posted a new review of Lantern Lit, Vol. 1, which is a tri-author chapbook collection of poetry published by Dog On A Chain Press. My mini-chap in the collection is "The Darkest Bomb," which Paul Fauteux of The Lit Pub says are "...urgent poems, which live resolutely in the modern landscape. There’s a quality of resilience about them, of vivacity in spite of urban decay." Thank you Paul for the excellent review! Copies are still available at Amazon.com.

3. My poem "Ties" now appears in The Aurorean, which is finally available for purchase. The Aurorean is an excellent literary journal out of Maine and tends to focus on New England themes and aesthetics. You can find copies HERE.

4. Now that my short story collection is rounding into shape, I plan on shifting my focus this November toward finishing my noir/mystery novel tentatively titled The Girl In the Mountain, based on a real missing person case from 1945. I hit the halfway point in July but health issues came up, as well as a few new creative projects that needed my attention, but now I'm ready to dive back in. Can't wait!