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2023 is off to a weird start
I had lots of plans for Winter Break and the start of 2023. Travel! New look for the blog! Lots of progress on my writing! Late brunches and desert hikes and lots of lounging in my PJs. Well… some of that happened. Long-Suffering Husband and I drove to Vegas right after Christmas (he won, I didn’t–as usual). I worked on the Blog Refresh from Hell that I started last Winter Break. I flew to Sacramento, drove to my hometown, hung out with friends, visited some places near and dear to me. Flew home ready to finish up the website refresh, work on my novel, and have those late brunches and…
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Holiday horror short story published in Deathlehem anthology!
“The Fine Print,” my newest horror short story, is published in ‘Twas the Fright Before Christmas in Deathlehem, the 2022 holiday horror anthology from Grinning Skull Press! What’s it about? Thanks for asking! In the year since his daughter died on Christmas morning, Josh Fogarty has barely held himself together. As he weeps at her grave on Christmas Eve, a stranger offers him a sympathetic ear–and a tantalizing deal. It’s available in print or Kindle formats from Amazon. Grab a copy and ring in the new year with a good scare (or several). As with previous Deathlehem anthologies, proceeds support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. And while you’re there,…
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Check out my award-winning mystery story, “Walk Me Home”
I have an award-winning mystery short story! My story, “Walk Me Home,” won the 2022 Jim Martin Memorial Short Story Contest from Arizona Mystery Writers. SQUEEEEEE!!! Hey, I did warn you of incoming SQUEEEEE-laden announcements. What’s the story about? Thanks for asking! Rachel, a nerdy, socially awkward college freshman, wants Robert. And tonight she just might get him.
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Writing news and the monthly book post
I have writing news! And I read some books! And it’s cold in Tucson! C’mon, at least pretend you’re excited. My delicate writer’s ego bruises easier than an overripe heirloom tomato. And if you humor me, you get memes. OK, fine, you get memes anyway. Let’s get this party started before I make a bigger idiot of myself. Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer, and the What’s On Your Bookshelf Challenge, hosted by Sue, Donna, Jo and Deb. Grab a treat, have a seat, and let’s get to it.
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Are holidays for rest or productivity?
I’ve spent the last few days on holiday planning. I’m an academic, and my university shuts down from just before Christmas till just after New Years, giving me ~10 days off during which I don’t have to monitor email or think about work in any way. I don’t have much family, so I don’t have holiday houseguests, and I’m not expected to travel anywhere. Yet I manage to stress about Winter Break every year. Why? Because overthinking is one of my superpowers (the others are being so lazy my FitBit thinks I’m dead and eating my body weight in Extra Toasty Cheez-Its). Before we get to my overthinking of Winter…
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My Christmas horror story will be published!
My new Christmas horror story, “The Fine Print,” will be published in the 2022 Deathlehem holiday horror anthology! Actual footage of me seeing the acceptance hitting my inbox: I signed the contract this morning and am now basking in the warm glow of external validation. Also basking in the warm glow of a stomach full of pumpkin pie. Mmmmm… Now I need a nap. But before I take one: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a slab of pumpkin pie and let’s chat!
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Lockett Meadow, writing news, memes, and more
Good afternoon, and happy Saturday! It’s a balmy 100F here in Satan’s Anus, which is a helluva lot better than the 108 we endured yesterday. In this week’s missive, I bring you some pretty pictures of Lockett Meadow in the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, my writing progress (such as it is), a few interesting dribs and drabs I found on the internet when I should have been writing, and a fresh batch of memes I also found on the internet when I should have been writing. But first: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a treat, pull up a seat, and let’s get…
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Uranium Springs postapocalyptic town and pre-enactment site (plus the usual news and memes)
In this week’s update, we’re going to visit Uranium Springs, a postapocalyptic town outside Holbrook, Arizona. Uranium Springs is the site of the annual Detonation festival, a postapocalyptic “pre-enactment” (read: cosplay) event. Long-Suffering Husband attends every year, along with a few hundred other Mad Max maniacs who are much more optimistic about the postapocalyptic aesthetic than I am. Attendees at Detonation, and its larger, better-known cousin, Wasteland Weekend, make the woman on the left look drab. I’m kind of fascinated by the whole postapocalyptic pre-enactment thing, and I love a good postapocalyptic story. I even wrote one: “Collateral Damage,” first-place winner in the Arizona Authors Association 2020 literary contest (learn…
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My story became an audio drama (#IWSG)
It’s the first Wednesday of the month, also known as IWSG Day. For those of you who are new to my warped corner of the interwebs, IWSG=Insecure Writers Support Group, a wonderful online community of, well, insecure writers. Once a month we organize our insecure selves into a blog hop, where we (you guessed it) share our insecurities. Or in my case, some of them. If I were to share all my insecurities, I’d fill a warehouse the size of that one at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark: If you’re as impatient as I am, skip to about 1:10 in the video above to see the warehouse…
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“A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine
My short creative nonfiction piece about my mother’s last Christmas, “A Christmas Duet,” was just published in Harmony Magazine! I wrote the first draft right after visiting my mother on Christmas Day 2018. After a little revision and a lot of tears, I’m thrilled that this story has found a home. Harmony Magazine is a visual arts and literary journal published annually by the Medical Humanities department of the University of Arizona College of Medicine. Issues are available free online. You can find my story in the 2022 issue beginning on page 12. Note that it’s written under my real name, so now y’all know my not-so-secret identity. What’s “A…
Janet Alcorn
Suspense | Horror | Romance
