A Line of Ink

It’s Been a While, But Let Me Tell You. . .

. . . When it rains, it pours. Why haven't I posted anything for a while? Well, let me tell you all about this Puerto Rican's experience with black ice. On January 11, there had been what my phone's weather app called a "wintry mix" falling since before dawn. I salted the front steps, since I almost slipped and put further cracks in my ass, and didn't want my fiancée to have an accident. Already behind schedule, I got in my car and started the drive to work. Where we live is rural. Farm country with lots of twisty-turny roads through the odd field, but mostly forest, and I had become used to the fact that most days with icy conditions, the roads are already salted. So, when I came to a hill I've traversed hundreds of times since I've lived here, I didn't expect to skid down the slope and into the...

January 23, 2017

Uncategorized

An Election Plus Two Deaths Equal a Retrospective

I've been wanting to write this, but struggled with the words. I mean, I'm a writer! How can a writer be at a loss for words? On November 9th, my fiancée and I sat stunned at the election day results. We had talked about what might happen, and both were convinced it might be very close, but weren't ready for the results. A phone call came. A neighbor who had taken my fiancée's mom to vote let my fiancée know her mom seemed out of sorts. A week sped by in a blur. My fiancée rushed between home and the hospital, while I held down the fort. By the end of that week, I was offering her what scant comfort I could. Let me take a brief pause, here, to share a small detail. Ever since we found it out, my fiancée and I have delighted in the fact our birthdays fall on consecutive days. Hers first on...

December 29, 2016

Uncategorized

Another Acceptance!

I'm glad to say my first pro sale, "Clown Car, Driven Once, Never Emptied" has been accepted for production in the Tales to Terrify podcast! It should be available to hear sometime in April or May. This story first appeared in Unlikely Story's "Clowns: the Unlikely Coulrophobia Remix" at the beginning of the year. I'm very excited to hear how they produce it, and the chance to get more people to hear all about those creepy clowns. . ....

December 13, 2016

Writing

2016 Award Eligibility & Recommendations

I had mentioned in a previous post that I had several things I was thankful for in 2016. Most of what I've been thankful for are my stories published this year. Eligible Work All of my eligible work in 2016 is short fiction: First, my story, "Clown Car, Driven Once, Never Emptied" appeared in Unlikely Story's "Clowns: The Unlikely Coulrophobia Remix" in January 2016. Charles Payseur seemed to like it quite a bit! My second story, "Choices, In Sequential Order" first appeared in Nature in April 2016. Nature also produced a podcast version of the story that sounds amazing. My third story is "Every Orphan Child to a Good Home Must Go" which appeared in Daily Science Fiction in October 2016. My Recommendations My reading has been mostly of short form fiction, but some of the stories I read this year that stood out to me follow. "Things With Beards" by Sam J. Miller. "When You Work for the Old...

December 7, 2016

Fantasy, Science Fiction, Writing

Giving Thanks in 2016

It seems odd to give thanks for 2016. I mean, this was the year we lost David Bowie. The year Prince died. The year many of us sat dismayed at the results of the U.S. Presidential elections. It would seem that there's little to give thanks for in 2016. On a personal note, November has turned out to be pretty awful, but sometimes one must drink the bitter waters to get to the sweet. I went into the hospital yesterday for a small surgical procedure, and am back home with little pain. I'm hoping for a speedy recovery. Looking back over my writing this year, I realized I have much to be thankful for in this regard. As of today, I have: 105 submissions 6 acceptances (3 new, 3 reprint sales) 3 stories in print in 2016: in the "Clowns: The Unlikely Coulrophobia Remix" anthology, Nature and Daily Science Fiction Joined the Science...

November 24, 2016