“The Unpleasant State of Beginning” in Vastarien; 2021 lists; 2022 upcoming

December is an appropriately cold time to bring my final short story of the year. “The Unpleasant State of Beginning” is only the first story in an incredible table of contents for Vastarien, Volume 4, Issue 2. After a young woman learns a recent murder victim bears her exact likeness, she journeys north searching for answers, into a cold forgotten past. Right now Grimscribe Press is offering digital copies as pay what you can, so check it out: Vastarien volume 4, issue 2

My short story collection, Unfortunate Elements of My Anatomy from The Seventh Terrace, recently appeared on the New York Public Library’s 2021 list of 100 Best Books for Adults.

Also, my first novel, Queen of Teeth from Rooster Republic, appeared on Library Journal’s list of Best Horror of 2021, one of ten superb horror books to release this year.

Finally, with the year soon coming to a close, I wanted to share some of what’s coming in 2022. I can’t say all the short stories, as some haven’t had their TOCs announced yet:

“An Engine of Pain” in Tales from Between (February 2022)

“We Frolic Within the Leviathan’s Heart” in The Book of Queer Saints (February 2022)

“Blame, Pain, and Selfishness” in A Woman Built by a Man (2022)

“Anything to End the Loneliness” on The Wicked Library (2022) (a new novelette!)

“Pleasant Guests with Better Games” in Planet Scumm #13 (Spring 2022)

“Sable’s Bestiary for Those Who Remain” in Chiral Mad 5 (2022)

“The Turning” in Other Terrors (July 2022)

And more to come.  As for books, while no concrete release dates have been announced (updates will sprinkle in as we do release dates and cover reveals), here’s a general look at what’s next:

Quarter 1, 2022: Cruel Angels Past Sundown, a Splatter Western novel from Death’s Head Press

Also Quarter 1, 2022: The Worm and His Kings Spanish edition will release from Dilatando Mentes

Quarter 2, 2022: Your Mind Is a Terrible Thing, a space horror novella from Off Limits Press

Quarter 4, 2022: No Gods for Drowning, a horror/noir mystery/dark fantasy novel from Polis Books

That should do it for 2021. It’s been an incredible year, and I’m grateful for everything that’s come, and everything still to come. Thank you for reading.