You are my write or die, so to heck with AI...

New novella announcements, a Shirley Jackson Award nomination, and... my neurosis!

Hey. So… I think I’m going to keep doing this? There was a lot of support for my first foray into substacking, so I’ll forge ahead. I just want to say thank you, really, truly, to everyone who took the time to read and respond and offer feedback. Means a lot to me.

Okee-doke. Here we go. I’ll share some news, events, and some self consciousness…

New novella BODIES OF WORK (aka serial killers are so icky)

The fine folks at Fangoria Magazine did a lovely cover reveal and chapter excerpt for my new novella that just got announced. It’s titled BODIES OF WORK and, well… it’s a serial killer story. Sorta kinda. I’ve wanted to write a serial killer story for a while, but I also wanted to interrogate why I’d want to tell a story like that in the first place.

More than anything, though, I’ve wanted to tell a story inspired in/directly by folk artist Henry Darger. I’ve been fascinated by Darger’s life and creative process for years. Years. Even though this story isn’t his real life… at all… I feel like it's a chance to explore the aspects of Darger that I find so compelling. And unnerving. And scary.

It may be the darkest thing I’ve ever written? I don’t know… We’ll all see together when it releases in April 2026. Read the Fango article here. And preorder please!

STAY ON THE LINE IS NOMINATED FOR A SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARD

Stay On The Line, originally published by Shortwave Books, has been nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award for Outstanding Achievement in a Novelette. Do you know how wild that is? I’m trying to understand how something like this happens… Like, how did they find the story? How did they decide on their nominees? What was it about this story that spoke to them? What did I do? As someone who doesn’t get nominated for things, this, along with Kill Your Darling’s Stoker nomination, is throwing a wrench into my sense of self. I’ve perfected a certain self image that didn’t include things like award nominations, and now I have to reevaluate who I am. Do I say I’m a Shirley Jackson/Bram Stoker nominee now? Is that something that pops up in my bio? On book covers? Do these things define me? What’s changed, if anything?

I guess, if anything, I’m trying to understand what awards… do. Do they sell books? Give the writer a self confidence boost? Horror writers, if they’re lucky, really lucky, become “New York Times bestselling author of…” or “Bram Stoker nominated author of…” I’ve only ever been the “Author of…” and now I’m wondering if I want to add this extra bit of titleage or if it’s OK to keep things simple and just stick with “Author of…”

Is this silly? Probably. But it’s something I wonder about. Here’s the list of nominees.

It’s got to be said, again and again: Thanks to Alan at Shortwave and illustrator Trevor Henderson for bringing this novelette to life. This book is something special to me.

STOKERCON, STOKERCON, STOKERCON…

I had the good fortune to attend Stokercon. I got to sit on a lot of panels and give a reading from Kill Your Darling and sign books, not to mention meet readers and chat with fellow writers… and that’s pretty much the best thing in the world. Then on Friday, in the middle of the day, I think I just got in my head and had a hard time getting out of it. How do you climb out of your own thoughts when you’re surrounded by so many people you admire? Like, holy shit, there’s John Langan. There’s CJ Leede. There’s Adam Nevill. How do you make the most of this time together? And who am I through it all? Where do I fit in to all of this? What’s my place amongst these people?

Kill Your Darling was nominated for a Stoker. I attended the ceremony and probably didn’t move, didn’t speak, didn’t breathe, for the duration of the night. I am not a good person to sit next to during awards ceremonies, I’ve learned. I was one with my chair.

CHATTANOOGA FILM FESTIVAL:

For years now, since 2018, I’ve had the good fortune to be a guest at the Chattanooga Film Festival. It’s such a blast every time… I brought Wake Up and Open Your Eyes this time around, do a reading for about fifty fine folks, and oh my lord, halfway through, I felt like I was getting so light-headed, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to finish it. I wasn’t about to pass out, per se, but man… I think I need to take a break from reading from this book. It takes a toll. I think I’m getting old? Too old?

SELF CONSCIOUS CORNER:

I’ve had something Gabino Iglesias said rolling around my head for weeks now. It’s mutated a bit, but on Threads, Gabino wrote something that has really stuck with me.

His original post was:

“I don’t want to “streamline” my writing. I don’t want to “increase my output.” I don’t want to “write a novel with one click.” I want to write stuff only I can write. I want to read and write novels with soul and heart and a unique voice. Fuck AI. Long live real writers.”

Okay. So. I can get behind that. But the part that really hit home with me was “I want to write stuff only I can write.” Do you know how long I’ve had that running through my head? Nearly every day, I’ve asked myself: “What is something that only I can write?”

How do I write something that is unique to me? How do I find and nurture my voice?

I’m skidding away from Gabino’s original point, which is about the horrors of AI… but when I think about what I’m doing, what I’ve been given the opportunity to do, to tell a story, to write something only I can write… how do I know how to be me? My voice?

How do you write something like nobody else can? How do you write like… you?

In relation to AI, but also a little away from it… I think we’re at a place where maybe, just maybe, it’s okay for writers to be a little more raw. Perhaps sloppy. But honest. Maybe that emotional honesty is what becomes a writer’s voice, because they’re writing/speaking from their own heart, imbuing their story with that raw honesty… I don’t know. But it’s a question I can’t get out of my head, however many days later.

Thanks to Gabino, I’ve been asking myself: How do I write like me? How do you discover your own voice… and then trust it? How do you find faith in yourself?

UPCOMING EVENTS:

June 26th (8 PM/ET): FEARMONGERS W/ DANIEL KRAUS

Daniel Kraus will be our next guest on my lit salon/podcast series Fearmongers. We’ll discuss his phenomenal new novel ANGEL DOWN. Register via Zoom here.

June 29th (12:30 PM): ALA

I’ll be at the American Librarian’s Association annual conference, speaking on the Crossing Thresholds: The Rise of Transgressive Horror panel alongside Eric LaRocca and Hailey Piper, moderated by Becky Spratford. Click here for details.

July 11th/12th: BLOBFEST

I’m going to be a guest at Blobfest! Come see me where they filmed the original Blob!

July 16th (7 PM): ASTORIA BOOKSHOP W/ NAT CASSIDY

In celebration of the recent release of Nat Cassidy’s new novel When The Wolf Poops On Your Doorstep, I’ll be in conversation with The Wolf Man himself. Details here.

July 18th: SOMETHING SOMETHING

There may be something that includes (cough cough) Rachel Harrison and (cough) Nat Cassidy (cough) but they haven’t given me details yet so just hold the line.

July 19th: THE SHIRLEY JACKSON AWARDS

I think I’m going to go? I’ve never been to ReaderCon before, so… this is my first.

BOOK RECS:

Here are a few books I’ve read recently that are really clinging to my craw…

COFFIN MOON by Keith Rosson. Look, I truly believe Keith is a punk poet at heart. His prose bleeds with such beauty. He writes violence like it’s nobody’s business.

BLACK FLAME by Gretchen Felker-Martin. Cursed celluloid, blessed reader. This is my catnip. Any time I can get my hands on a haunted film story, I’m so in. Glorious.

GIRL IN THE CREEK by Wendy N. Wagner. Here’s some sporror that leaves you feeling soggy all over. Wagner’s got a gift for getting under your skin. It seeps in.

PLEASE BUY MY BOOKS SO I CAN LIVE TO TELL A STORY ANOTHER DAY:

ACQUIRED TASTE: September 9th: Spooky short stories! Click here to find a copy.

SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE: November 11th. YA sci-fi horror! Click here to find a copy.

NIGHT & DAY (edited by Ellen Datlow): September 2nd. New horror fiction anthology featuring my short story “trash night.” Click here to find a copy.

TWISTED TALES TO TELL IN THE NIGHT: A HALLOWEEN ANTHOLOGY: September 16th. Features my story “booger sugar.” Click here to find a copy.

WHY I LOVE HORROR (edited by Becky Spratford): September 23rd. Essay anthology featuring my essay “Why I Am Horror.” Click here to find a copy.

FEVER DREAMS (edited by Mark Morris): October 14th. New horror fiction anthology featuring my short story “silent wounds.” Click here to find a copy.

THE BLACK CROW BOOK OF BEST NEW HORROR VOL 1: October 7th. New horror fiction anthology featuring my story “backsliding.” Click here to find a copy.

LAST THOUGHTS…

Still here? Still with me? Okay, so… the pattern seems to be this: I’ll post whenever I’ve got some exciting news to share, but I’m also going to feel obligated to counter it with my own self doubt. That’s an appealing recipe for posting, yeah? Let me ask you…

What would you want more of? What can this space offer?

And just to say it, again and again… Thank you for reading. Means the world to me.

CMC