It’s Been A While…

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…and for that, I apologize. Life has been very. very busy this year, and between work craziness and writing craziness and trying to feed the LinkedIn and the Patreon and some secret projects I can’t talk about, I have been shamefully neglectful of this site.

What I can promise going forward is that late this summer, the site will be getting an overhaul that will integrate it more fully with my online store and various other bits of my online presence. And that means more updates, and fewer weird alert messages popping up. I’ll keep everyone posted.

In the meantime, here’s a quick list of everything that’s happened since the last time I posted something here:

  • I hosted my first-ever episode of renowned horror podcast PseudoPod.
  • I gave a talk on the uses of game narrative at the NarraScope 2026 conference in Albany, NY.
  • I sold a story to the upcoming Monster Aristocracy anthology.
  • I sold a story to an anthology I can’t talk about yet.
  • I sold a big story to a market I can’t talk about yet but which I am very excited about.
  • I sold my story “A Fall of Ash” to The House of Long Shadows.
  • I wrote and submitted a novella about an obscure North Carolina cryptid to a publisher.
  • I finished and pitched my Reb Palache novel God’s Forsaken Shores to a publisher at StokerCon in Pittsburgh.
  • I’ve worked on several video games.
  • I made a return to writing for TTRPGs with a contribution to Curseborne: Covenant for Onyx Path.
  • I may have some other TTRPG stuff coming down the pike that I can’t talk about yet.
  • The Nevermore TTRPG, which I wrote the opening fiction for, got released.
  • I joined a super secret project that I can’t tell you about, but it’s really cool.
  • Wrote an essay on Avengers: Age of Ultron for a book of film criticism.
  • I signed a contract to write a book on video game narrative, called Everything You Think You Know About Game Narrative Is Probably Wrong.
  • I’ve done local shows and library events in Lee County, Morganton, and other places.
  • I severed my connection to GDC after 20+ years as an advisor to the narrative content for the show.
  • I won the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award from the IGDA Game Writing SIG for game writing.
  • I agreed to contribute to more non-fiction books on game writing, movies, and other stuff.
  • Did a signing at a bookstore whose mascot is a dog named Aleister Growley.
  • Hosted a horror writing workshop at Moon Dog Meadery.

I think that’s pretty much it, though I’m sure a few things fell through the cracks. No matter, though. It’ll do for now.

Until next time!

 

Post AuthorCon, Pre Cruise

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Just a quick check-in and a hello to folks who’ve just discovered this place!

I’ve recently returned from AuthorCon, which was delightful and let me chat with friends new and old about all sorts of things writing related, as well as several obscure 1970s baseball players (don’t ask). Tomorrow I’m off to get my prog rock on as I journey to Miami for Cruise to the Edge. And when I get back, I am going to bury myself in writing because I have an avalanche of deadlines, self-imposed and otherwise, waiting for me.

Sadly, I don’t update this place as often as I would like, but I do churn out a steady stream of writing (I hate the word “content”. Wood pulp is content. Oatmeal is content. I deal in writing.) over at my Patreon, and twice a week at LinkedIn.

In other news, my ninth novel, Ghosts of Smoke and Flame is now available at amazon and my online store. It’s Good Omens meets The Amityville Horror, and I swear, the cat lives.

And my airport taxi arrives at 6AM, so I’m going to get myself some sleep. See you on the other side!

 

Ghosts of Smoke and Flame

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I am more than happy to announce that my new novel, Ghosts of Smoke and Flame, will be released on February 19th! A story of rookie ghosts, a lovesick angel, a demonic cell phone, a possibly psychic cat, and more it’s proof that even if you think your family is Hell, things can always be worse…

You can pre-order the eBook here. In the meantime, gaze in wonder at the awesome cover by renowned comics artist and author Matthew Dow Smith!

Noir At The Bar, Holiday Style

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I’ll be doing 3 readings this holiday season.

December 11th, I’ll be at the legendary Noir at the Bar at Yonder in Hillsborough, NC.

December 12th, I’ll be at Eastern NC Noir at the Bar at Larema Coffeehouse in Wilson, NC.

And December 20th, I’ll be hosting and reading at Spirits Of The Season, at the mighty Moon Dog Meadery in my home town of Durham.

(I promise, if you show up for all 3, you’ll get a different story each time, including at least one world premiere.)

See you there! (and there, and there…)

 

 

PhilCon!

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I am off to the land of my upbringing, which is to say the greater Philadelphia area, to participate in PhilCon! I’m doing a reading, a signing, and 6 panels evenly split between horror writing and games. Hope to see you there!

 

August Recap

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So here’s what went down last month. I:

  • Attended GenCon as part of the Writers Symposium, where I moderated 8 panels, met and hung out with lots of great folks, and had a wonderful time. Also, I got to go on a small private tour of the Ray Bradbury Archives and was able to both touch his writing desk and hold his (replacement) Emmy for The Halloween Tree.
  • Started a Patreon. There’s free content, there’s paid content, there’s all sorts of content!
  • Went down to local festival Pop!-Con and had a great time. Sold books, talked to folks, and met a tiny owl named Galadriel who had apparently ridden against her will from Nebraska to North Carolina trapped in the front grill of a semi. That’s one tough bird.
  • Got published in issue 1o of legendary noir magazine Dark Yonder with my first true non-supernatural noir story, “Competitive Advantage”. I’m pretty sure that’s also the only piece of fantasy baseball-themed noir ever written, much less published.
  • Set up a couple of talks in New York State for September, one at RPI and one in Utica.
  • Agreed to speak at IGDC in Chennai, India in November.
  • Did the launch party for The Video Game Writer’s Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You at Yonder Cocktail Bar in beautiful Hillsborough, NC, Had a full house of wonderfully supportive friends and readers, and I am thrilled with how it went.
  • Launched The Video Game Writer’s Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You to what is apparently a really strong audience response. Last I checked, it was the #1 New Release in Game Design at Amazon, and was top 10 (as high as #2) in one specific category and top 50 in two others.
  • Finally got the ongoing piddling refrigerator saga dealt with.
  • Attended and sold books at legendary local music festival ProgDay, where I got to hang out with, among other people, the guy who’s played keyboards for Renaissance for the last 8 years.

Pretty sure there was other stuff in there, but I think that’s a good start.

Now, deep breath, and then September.

Oh Look I Have A Patreon Now

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Big news!

I just launched a Patreon!

Here’s a sample of what you can find over there. Content will be pretty much steady at least five days a week, with me talking about everything from game development to Sasquatches to writing to, well, pretty much anything.

Looking forward to seeing you over there!