Railroad and Vine
Originally published by First City Books in the crime magazine: "Hoosier Noir: TWO"; 2020
Edited by J. Travis Grundon.
This issue is full of gritty Indiana-centric crime stories. Find out what my protagonist, Fey, is up to in this Hoosier Noir tale.
Losers Weepers
Originally published by Speed City Press in the anthology: "Circle City Crime"; 2019.
I've been a member of a local writing critique group, In Mysterious Company, for many years. One of our members, Suzanne ("S.M.") Harding had always wanted us to put out an anthology and call it "Circle City Crime." Sadly, she passed away. We published this in honor of her legacy and memory.
Original stories in Cold Comforts
The Fourth Movement
My daughter was in marching band in high school, and in her junior and senior year, her band won "Grand Nats". Like all marching band kids, they worked incredibly hard. She inspired this story and helped me with technical details so I'd get it right. Those kids put their heart and souls into those competition performances.
Hey, Karen
I got the idea for this one while on vacation years and years ago. A stranger walked up to me and kept calling me "Karen" as though we knew each other. He was pretty insistent that he had my name right. Ummm...
A Bone to Pick
This is the backstory of one of my characters in my novel/work in progress, "The Lady's Pocket". She's a little odd, but I have a fondness for her. I hope you will, too.
Housing the Hollygobs
Originally published by Necon E-Books in the anthology:
"Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep: A Charity Anthology Benefitting the Jimmy Fund / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Necon Anthologies Book 5)"; 2017
Edited by P.D. Cacek and Laura J. Hickman
I got the idea for this one when my girls were little and we used to go camping. Their troop leader had them build little houses for the forest sprites who would otherwise steal our shoes for shelter. I always wondered what would happen if you didn't have shoes to steal?
I was so honored to be on Ellen Datlow's "Honorable Mentions" 2017 - Best Horror of the Year Volume 10 as one of three stories that got a shout out for "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep". Congrats also go to Tony Tremblay and Doungjai Gam Bepko. I'm in good company!
"Housing the Hollygobs" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
The Firetower
Originally published by The Horror Society in the anthology:
"The Horror Society Presents: Abandoned Places"; 2015
Edited by Henry Snider
I've been going to McCormick's Creek State Park (in Indiana) with my family almost every year for as long as I can remember. It's one of my favorite places, and holds a lot of fond memories. The firetower, however, has always intimidated me. Now I know why. This story is definitely on the weird side.
I was pretty excited to share a table of contents with William F. Nolan ("Logan's Run").
"The Firetower" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Invidia
Originally published by The Four Horsemen LLC in the anthology:
"Anthology: Year Three, Distant Dying Ember"; 2015
Edited by Tim Deal
All authors in this collection had attended the writers' conference "AnthoCon" at some point.
Papa's Wrench and the Wind Chime
Originally published by Mocha Memoirs Press, LLC in the anthology:
"The Grotesquerie"; 2014
Edited by Eden Royce
I was thrilled to be invited to submit a story to Mocha Memoirs Press for this anthology. They wanted stories that were atmospheric and unsettling. This one launched in February of 2014 in honor of Women in Horror Recognition Month, and all 22 stories are written by women.
"Papa's Wrench and the Wind Chime" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
This story is on PseudoPod, Episode 776.
Luxor Decanted
Originally published by Great Old Ones Publishing in the anthology:
"Canopic Jars: Tales of Mummies and Mummification"; 2014
Edited by Gregory L. Norris
This was Great Old Ones Publishing's very first anthology. This was an invite-only anthology, and it was the first time I'd been invited to submit a story. I tapped into my inner Lovecraft for this one. It was launched at AnthoCon in November 2013.
"Luxor Decanted" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Murder Confit Originally published by the Four Horsemen LLC in the anthology: "Anthology: Year Two: Inner Demons Out"; 2013 Edited by Johnny Morse Anyone who had attended AnthoCon (an annual speculative fiction and art conference which used to take place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire) was eligible to submit. It includes a variety of dark fiction, poems, and art by some of today's best. "Murder Confit" was included as a reprint in the Blue River Press anthology: "The Fine Art of Murder"; 2016 Edited by Brenda Stewart and Diana Catt |
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Give and Go
Originally published by Blue River Press in the anthology:
"Hoosier Hoops and Hijinks: 16 Mysteries Set Amongst Indiana Hardcourts"; 2013
Edited by Brenda Stewart and Tony Perona
All stories in this collection are basketball-themed mysteries, and were written by members of the Speed City Chapter of Sisters in Crime. It was released in October 2013.
"It's only a game, you say? Don't you believe it. After that final buzzer, these stories reveal, it may be the games are only beginning. When it comes to Hoosier Hijinks, not everyone plays by the rules. And that's what makes it irresistible."
--from the Introduction by Hank Phillippi Ryan.
The Creepiest House on Witch Hazel Nook
Originally published by Mystery and Horror, LLC in the anthology:
"All Hallows' Evil"; 2013
Edited by Sarah E. Glenn
Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, the sounds, the food, the movies, everything about it. I had a lot of fun writing a story for this Halloween-themed anthology.
Adverse Possession
Originally published by Grinning Skull Press in the anthology:
"From Beyond the Grave: A Collection of 19 Ghostly Tales"; 2013
Edited by Michael J. Evans
"Adverse Possession" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
When Betsy Whispers
Originally published by The Four Horsemen LLC in the anthology:
"Anthology: Year One"; 2012
Edited by Mark Wholley
Like the others in this series, anyone who had attended AnthoCon was eligiblie to submit a story. I was pretty excited that mine was the very first story in the table of contents for this one.
It seems a lot of states name their electric chair, "Old Sparkey". In Indiana, she's "Old Betsy".
Can you hear her whisper?
"When Betsy Whispers" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Conjuring the Corpse Candles
Originally published by Static Movement in the anthology:
"Fall Shudders"; 2011
Edited by Dorothy Davies
For this one I wanted to make a seemingly benign object scary. Hubby suggested the hoop from the old-fashioned hoop-and-stick game. Challenge...accepted.
"Conjuring the Corpse Candles" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Dark Cloud Rising
Originally published by James Ward Kirk Fiction in the anthology:
"Indiana Science Fiction 2011"; 2011
Edited by James Ward Kirk
My family enjoys hiking at Indiana state parks. White-nose syndrome began impacting bat colonies, and to prevent the spread of this disease many caves became off-limits. This story is where my mind went.
Like Riding a Bicycle
Originally published by Evil Jester Press in the anthology:
"HELP! Wanted: Tales of On-the-Job Terror"; 2011
Edited by Peter Giglio
Was thrilled to be included with so many talented authors in this one.
"Help! Wanted is a rollicking, creepy, crazy, and thoroughly unnerving collection of work-related horror stories by the cream of today's horror crop. Each story is as stingingly fresh as a razor cut!" -- Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of DUST & DECAY and PATIENT ZERO.
"Like Riding a Bicycle" is also included in my collection "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Perfectly You
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"The ePocalypse: emails at the end"; 2011
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
"Perfectly You" was co-written with Seattle-based author Mark Souza.
All stories in the collection have at least two authors, and all are told in e-mail format as the world is ending. I had so much fun writing this one!
The Stalker Diet
Originally published by Wicked East press in the anthology:
"Ransom: Give Me What I Want and I'll Go Away (Maybe)"; 2011
Edited by Jessica A. Weiss
How can you pay when the ransom is your peace of mind?
This one is dedicated to Steve, for keeping all of my other stalkers at bay.
The Scalper
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Daily Flash 2011: 365 Days of Flash Fiction"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Stuck in traffic to the Indy 500 one day, my husband and his friend were discussing the guys they knew who could get tickets to anything. Anything? Seriously? Let's just see about that.
This one is dedicated to Mike. Great seats, Man.
The Fiend of the Sixth Dimension
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Bloody Carnival"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
What's the scariest thing you can imagine happening to you at an amusement park?
The Ghost Walk
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Flesh and Bone: Rise of the Necromancers"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
In my town (Carmel, IN) there are these very life-like statues along Main Street and the surrounding area. They're very cool, and may have provided a bit of inspiration for this story.
'Neath Fallow Ground
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Back to the Middle of Nowhere: More Horror in Rural America"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts and Jessica A. Weiss
If you've ever been present when a periodical cicada brood emerges, you'll understand how I was inspired to write this one.
"'Neath Fallow Ground" is also included in my collection, "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink.
Upon Further Reflection
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Patented DNA: A Catastrophic Clone Collection"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Can we ever truly separate ourselves from our own evil nature?
The Last Spectre
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Haunted: An Anthology of the Supernatural"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
This Gothic tale delves into the depths of friendship and loss, and the consequences of revenge and regret.
"The Last Spectre" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
The Bane of Existence
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Silver Moon, Bloody Bullets: An Anthology of Werewolf Tails"; 2010
Edited by Jessica A. Weiss
This is my first werewolf story. "The Bane of Existence" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
Seizure Sundays
Originally published by Todd Robinson in Issue 37 of ThugLit; May/June 2010
Was really honored to have this gritty crime fiction story appear in ThugLit.
"Seizure Sundays" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
A Crowd Pleaser
Originally published by Blue River Press in the anthology:
"Bedlam at the Brickyard"; 2010
Edited by Brenda R. Stewart and Wanda Lou Willis
This anthology was a finalist for the 2011 "Best Book of Indiana Award in Fiction".
"This compilation of wistful and diabolical short stories proves that women not only challenge men as race drivers today, but as auto racing storytellers, too. They really know their way around the oval and across the keyboard." -- New York Times best-selling author James Alexander Thom.
"A Crowd Pleaser" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
And if anyone at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway saw a group of little girls tossing m&m's over the top of the bleachers in the mid 70's, it was NOT my sisters and me.
A Used Infinity
Originally published by Stygian Publications, LLC in the magazine:
"Necrotic Tissue: Issue 10"; 2010
I borrowed my husband's car once. The talking GPS freaked me out. We went out to dinner that night, and over a bottle of Pinot Grigio and countless oysters on the half-shell, we plotted out the idea of a guy going through a mid-life crisis who buys a used car with a haunted GPS system.
Creepy and poignant, this is the only story that appears in both of my collections, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy" and "Cold Comforts" published by Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink. It'd be a heartache to give her up.
Proof Beyond a Shadow
Originally published by Pill Hill Press in the anthology:
"Love Kills: My Bloody Valentine"; 2010
Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
This is one of my favorites. It's a courtroom murder mystery. In the courtroom, I relished the art of persuasion. This story made it to the top 16 in a national call for submissions with Mystery Writers of America before finding a home in "Love Kills: My Bloody Valentine".
This one is dedicated to my mom, for all her support, and because she loves this story so much.
"Proof Beyond a Shadow" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
The Bellwether Effect
Originally published in "Midnight Screaming" literary horror magazine, Volume 1, No. 3; 2009
Edited by Kara Ferguson
This one attempts to explain the seeming increase in the prevalence of food allergies, and where our race is heading.
"The Bellwether Effect" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
The House of Abandoned Characters
Originally published in the anthology:
"Coach's Midnight Diner 2: The Back from the Dead Edition"; 2009
Edited by Coach Culbertson
At critique group one night, my fellow authors were chiding me for creating cool characters, and then abandoning them. I said not to worry, they'd keep each other company in my House of Abandoned Characters. This one has a Twilight Zone feel.
This one is dedicated to my daughters, Olivia and Chloe. May they always be the authors of their own story.
"The House of Abandoned Characters" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
Invisible Fences
Originally published by New Century Publishing in the anthology:
"Indiana Authors 2007: Inspirations from the Heartland"; 2007.
This was the first short story I wrote for publication. My daughters slept a few feet away from me, while we were visiting an Indiana state park.
"Invisible Fences" is also included in my collection, "Wake Up and Smell the Creepy".
