New Dark Breakers collection, poetry in Ghoul Vol. 2, et al

I finished second-drafting a new story for my new(ish) Dark Breakers collection yesterday. I think I’m changing the title to “Longergreen.” It’s a Gideon and Analise story, essentially.

It’s 1000 words more than I wanted it to be (8500 instead of 7500), but I haven’t even attempted an edit yet.

First, this afternoon, I will read the RIGHTEOUS MESS to my mama, Sita. Then I send it to Patty, who asked for it. Maybe read it to Carlos tonight, and email it to him for his BIG RED MARKS. Maybe read it to Caitlyn, if our mutual mood is right. (It’s a story melancholic in its aspect. BUT QUITE LOVELY, if I say it myself.)

By the time ALL THAT IS DONE, I think I’ll have a working story!

In the meantime, later today, I will start again on the first draft of “Salissay’s Laundries,” modeled somewhat in structure after Nellie Bly’s famous exposé, and kindled in fury and sadness by the horrors I read about in several articles regarding the Magdalene Laundries. This was a topic of interest that started with Joni Mitchell’s song of the same name, and later with the movie The Magdalene Sisters.

But the story will be set in my imaginary city of Seafall. So, like, with goblins.

That, too, is gonna go in the collection.

After that, I’m going to finish revising and expanding the original The Breaker Queen and The Two Paupers novellas, both of which I previously self-published, and then went on to have second lives in Lightspeed Magazine and Rich Horton’s Year’s Best respectively.

My deadline to turn the manuscript in to Mike at Mythic Delirium is the end of April. Eep!

So. Yeah. Watch out, world. >.>

Also, I cannot WAIT to show you the new Brett Massé cover.

If you don’t know Brett Massé’s work… WELL!

Here is his website. He did my cover for the new Witch in the Almond Tree and other Stories (both the ebook and audiobook). And he did the interior design work for A Sinister Quartet, giving all of our stories individual black and white illustrations for our title pages. MINE HAS EYEBALLS. And DIAMONDS. For Alizar. And for Bellisaar. He’s VERY CLEVER.

What’s more, a new issue of his zine Ghoul—Ghoul Vol. 2!–is forthcoming, and pre-orders are available, and I have THREE POEMS IN IT!