“Firefly” accepted by The Remington Review

My short story Firefly has been accepted by The Remington Review for their Fall 2023 issue. It’s a simple story about a young girl who captures a firefly in the back yard to help cheer up her ailing sister.

Missy caught the firefly in mid-air, cupping her hands around it to form a tiny, dark cave. She could feel the insect’s delicate footsteps tickling her skin as it wandered across her palm, searching for a way out.

“Got you!” she whispered, victorious.

“Set For Life” accepted by Radon Journal

My dark sci-fi story Set For Life has been accepted by Radon Journal. The story is about a man’s first day on the job picking up bodies for Syntech and the disturbing secret about where they come from. 

Andy loaded the body into the back of the van, then slammed the door.

“Last one,” he called out, knocking on the rear door with his knuckles. The van’s engine started up with a roar. Its tailpipe shuddered, enveloping Andy in a swirl of exhaust. He coughed and waved the noxious fumes away from his face. “Thanks, asshole,” he thought.

“From Below” selected for the ParSec In Print anthology

My eco-horror short story From Below has been selected for the ParSec In Print anthology by PS Publishing, a curated collection of stories chosen from ParSec’s digital editions to appear in print.

In the flooded remains of Old Manhattan, the wealthy stay dry and well-fed in their penthouses, while everyone else is left to fend for themselves against the unseen horrors lurking just below the surface.

You can also hear the audio production of From Below on the Horror Hill podcast.

“They Say Crows Can Remember Faces” accepted into the “A Coven of Witches” anthology

My short horror story They Say Crows Can Remember Faces has been accepted into the A Coven of Witches anthology by West Avenue Publishing. When a bully kills one of Ava’s favorite crows, he quickly learns that some birds never forget a face.

The stone hit Ava in the back of the head. She stumbled and fell, spilling her schoolbooks out of her arms and onto the dirt road in front of her. Gravel dug into her palms as she threw out her hands to break her fall. Her knees skidded painfully across the ground.

“Have a nice trip!” a boy’s voice called out from behind her, to a chorus of laughter. “See you next fall!”

“Coherence” accepted by Amazing Stories

My sci-fi story Coherence has been accepted by Amazing Stories. Set in the same Syntech universe as Override, Set For Life, and A Free Man, Coherence tells the story of a synthetic assigned to replace an elderly widow’s deceased husband, and what happens when it refuses to replicate the bitter resentments of a loveless marriage.

I’m this way because Sam was this way, and because this is how Rose expects me to be.

“Breathtaking” accepted into the Wild Weather anthology

My historical horror story Breathtaking has been accepted into the Wild Weather anthology by Smoking Pen Press (final title TBD).

Set in 1930s Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl, Breathtaking tells the story of a young girl and her brother who see a mysterious woman in white screaming outside their house during a dust storm.

Banshee,” I whispered, mouthing the words as I read. “A spirit in the form of a wailing woman who appears to members of a family as a sign that …” I trailed off. I felt my stomach tighten. Icicles formed down the center of my spine. “That one of them is about to die.”

“A Thing of Beauty” accepted into Beautiful Darkness: Volume Two

My body horror story A Thing of Beauty has been accepted into the Beautiful Darkness: Volume Two anthology by Dragon Soul Press. It’s a story about a fleshcrafter who learns that revenge can be a beautiful thing.

You can also listen to the full-cast audio production on The Storyteller Series podcast.

Content warning: sexual assault (implied), bullying, gore

The body hanging from the ceiling began to writhe, straining against the inside of the translucent, teardrop-shaped sac in which it was encased. The sac stretched and distended, pressing outwards in all directions as the figure inside struggled to break free. 

“One Last Step” accepted by Dark Matter Magazine

My sci-fi horror story One Last Step has been accepted by Dark Matter Magazine for their special Halloween issue. It’s a story about a little girl stalked by an unseen shadow-thing across a post-apocalyptic landscape.

“Will it hurt?” I watched my father roll the sewing needle between his fingers, its tip glowing orange-red in the heat of the flame. My eyes welled with tears.

“Just a little,” he replied.

The flickering candlelight sent eerie shapes dancing around the cluttered attic where we were hiding for the night. Outside, the screeching calls of the shadow-things rose and fell like whale songs made from rusted metal. They sounded close.