Janet Alcorn

Janet Alcorn

Suspense | Horror | Romance

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  • Blog
  • Writing
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Contact Janet Alcorn
  • Featured,  Short Stories

    My short story, “Woe is Me, Poor Child, for Thee,” is published!

    December 27, 2021 /

    My Christmas horror story, “Woe is me, Poor Child, for Thee,” is published in the 2021 Deathlehem anthology! One foggy Christmas Eve, an ex-con mall Santa seeks camaraderie in a California Delta watering hole—and learns that the spirits of the season don’t always rest easy. Billy Foraker had it all: lovely family, big house in the ‘burbs, good job making good money. Then he lost it all and traded the American dream for a prison cell. Now he’s a free man again, trying to rebuild his life, but his past is still out there, waiting for him in the Delta tule fog. The Colour Out of Deathlehem contains 24 holiday…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Orange bridge like a smaller version of the Golden Gate disappearing into grey fog. Setting for my award-winning mystery short story, "Walk Me Home."

    Check out my award-winning mystery story, “Walk Me Home”

    December 21, 2022
    Stable and horse fencing in a field of dry grass with a mountain in the background, taken outside Flagstaff, Arizona. This place inspired my short story, "Proof Text."

    Short story “Proof Text” published in Kings River Life

    March 11, 2025
    Cover of 2022 issue of Harmony Magazine

    “A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine

    April 5, 2022
  • Short Stories,  Weekend Writing Warriors

    Snippet from “Open House,” my newly-published short story

    October 2, 2021 /

    Good morning, and welcome to this week’s Weekend Writing Warriors post! Today’s snippet is the first 10 sentences of “Open House,” my 80s haunted house story that JUST GOT PUBLISHED on the Storyteller Series podcast! Why yes, I am just a wee bit excited. Yes, I did squee all over this blog announcing it. Those of you who are veterans may shrug, but this is a big ol’ deal for little ol’ me. OK, on to the snippet: The woman in the Nike jacket was staring at Kim Idlewood’s husband. Oh, she was trying to be discreet about it—they usually tried to be discreet, unless they were young, hot, and…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Desert wasteland with post-apocalyptic settlement

    Snippet from “Collateral Damage” (WeWriWa #1)

    September 4, 2021

    New short story published in Trouble in Tucson

    March 9, 2023
    Text reads: Tucson Sisters in Crime Anthology Writers Panel on Big Blend Radio: Eva Eldridge, Elaine A. Powers, Cheryl Ryan, Lynn Nicholas, Conda Douglas, Amber Leffler, Kris Neri, Minerva Raz, Janet Alcorn." Graphic includes Trouble in Tucson book cover and photos of the authors.

    Catch me on the Big Blend Radio podcast

    June 15, 2023
  • Featured,  Short Stories

    Open House is published on the Storyteller Series podcast!

    October 1, 2021 /

    It’s up! It’s up! It’s up! SQUEE!! Ahem. Let’s try that again. I’m delighted to announce that my short story, “Open House,” is published on Night Shift Radio‘s The Storyteller Series podcast. The Storyteller Series presents original short stories (like mine! SQUEE!) as audio dramas with a full cast of voice actors. Check it out on Spotify (use the player above) or your favorite podcast player (and while you’re there, check out the other great stories on the podcast. I especially liked Tom Witkowski‘s, “The Guardian Devil”). So why am I squeeing all over the place? Because I’m a teenager trapped in a 50-something body (Get me out of this…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Cover of 2022 issue of Harmony Magazine

    “A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine

    April 5, 2022
    Part of cover image for Deathlehem 2022 holiday horror anthology showing skeletal monster in Santa suit sticking clawed fingers into Santa's eyes

    Holiday horror short story published in Deathlehem anthology!

    December 31, 2022
    Cardboard box sealed with strip of plastic tape

    My poem won a prize!

    November 12, 2022
  • Short Stories,  Weekend Writing Warriors

    Beginning of an as-yet-unnamed Christmas horror story (#WeWriWa #2)

    September 26, 2021 /
    Foggy scene with evergreen trees in foreground and blurred house in background lit with Christmas lights

    Good morning, and welcome to my second post for the Weekend Writing Warriors blog hop (see all my Weekend Writing Warriors posts here). Right now I’m revising the first draft of a Christmas horror story I hope to submit to the Deathlehem anthology–if I can get it done quickly enough. I’m horribly slow at revising. Here are the first 10 sentences: Lully, lullah, thou little tiny child.Billy Foraker lifted the little boy off his lap, gave him a half-hearted, “Ho, ho, ho,” and rubbed his temples.Bye bye, lully, lullay.Ugh, that song again. He’d heard some version of it at least six times since his shift started at Stockton Galleria Mall.…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Flatbed truck with missing engine compartment and doors on ridge above Uranium Springs postapocalyptic town. In front and to right of truck is a small building made of plywood scraps and sheet metal with faded sign above boarded-up door

    Uranium Springs postapocalyptic town and pre-enactment site (plus the usual news and memes)

    May 27, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    My favorite thing I’ve written–and the terrifying real-life event that inspired it

    October 5, 2025
    Looking down on the US-Mexico Border, a black fence across a desert basin

    2024 is off to a strong start: the January recap

    January 27, 2024
  • Short Stories,  Weekend Writing Warriors

    Snippet from “Collateral Damage” (WeWriWa #1)

    September 4, 2021 /
    Desert wasteland with post-apocalyptic settlement

    Welcome to my first post for Weekend Writing Warriors! Yes, I’m joining yet another blog hop. If this keeps up, I’m going to have to find a support group for people addicted to blog hops. Anyhoo, I’m especially excited about WeWriWa, because it involves sharing snippets of writing, published or unpublished, and since my search for an agent is about as successful as New Coke (if you’re under 40, ask your parents), these posts might be the only time anyone outside my critique group gets to read my work. For my first post, here are the first 10 sentences of my postapocalyptic short story, “Collateral Damage.” This story won first…

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    Janet Alcorn

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    Text reads: Tucson Sisters in Crime Anthology Writers Panel on Big Blend Radio: Eva Eldridge, Elaine A. Powers, Cheryl Ryan, Lynn Nicholas, Conda Douglas, Amber Leffler, Kris Neri, Minerva Raz, Janet Alcorn." Graphic includes Trouble in Tucson book cover and photos of the authors.

    Catch me on the Big Blend Radio podcast

    June 15, 2023

    New short story published in Trouble in Tucson

    March 9, 2023
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Author Envy, or Damn, I Wish I’d Written That

    February 28, 2023
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