Short Story News Galore!

Happy February! It’s been snowy here in North Carolina–-my son’s college classes haven’t met in person in two weeks, and I’ve barely gotten out of the house. Looking forward to some warmer weather soon (hopefully).

But one thing that did warm my spirits recently was seeing my short story, “The Elder Goths,” published in The Blotter magazine. The Blotter is a long-running print publication that you can find in locations throughout the South. It’s always an honor to see your work in print, and it’s thrilling to have a story in a high-profile publication like this.

“The Elder Goths” was inspired by a Peter Hook & the Light show I attended last summer at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro, NC. Most of the fans in attendance were, like me, middle-aged folks who discovered post-punk music as teenagers in the ‘80s and early ‘90s. Here’s the skinny on the story….

Music brought Janet Harmon and Stacy Gorham together as teenagers. The post-punk and goth sounds of the early ‘80s have provided the soundtrack to Janet and Stacy’s friendship for more than 40 years. But now, the two women face major life changes, and through these difficulties, they lean on two things: Each other, and their enduring love of music.

Click here to read “The Elder Goths” in The Blotter magazine (go to page 5).

But wait…there’s more! I also have gotten acceptance notices on four (!) upcoming short stories:

• “Hall of Mirrors” will appear in the inaugural issue of The Cabochon Review. The theme of this issue is “Carnivals,” and my creepy little tale is set at a North Carolina fair.
• “The Tulip Farm” is a straight-up romance story for the Spring 2026 edition of KissMet Quarterly. The story centers on a blind date at a pick-your-own tulip farm.
• “The Revealing Ringtone”. This creepy story is a modern-dayreimagining of Poe’s classic “The Tell-Tale Heart”. It will be published in an upcoming anthology honoring late horror writer M.G. (Matt) Mason, and all proceeds will benefit a cancer charity.
• Finally, “A Siren’s Choice” has been selected for Saltwater & Ash, a paramythromantasy anthology published by Micromance Magazine. No, I’d never heard that term either! But it means a paranormal, mythical romance story–in this case, involving sea creatures (sirens, mermaids, etc.) or dragons. In my story, a siren falls for a human man—and her undersea relatives aren’t happy!

I’m grateful for all of these opportunities to share my stories. I’ll post links here as they publish.