Janet Alcorn

Janet Alcorn

Suspense | Horror | Romance

  • Home
  • Blog
  • Writing
  • About
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Writing
  • About
  • Contact

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?…

read more
December 31, 2022

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…

read more
December 21, 2022

My poem won a prize!

Back in September I shared that my poem, “The Future Held in Store,” was a finalist in the Arizona Authors Association annual literary contest. Well… it won third place! I’m…

read more
November 12, 2022

Archives

Posts by category

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

  • Flower of the Day,  Garden

    Ebb Tide rose (#FOTD)

    May 10, 2022 /

    For Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge, I present to you: Ebb Tide. This floribunda rose is supposed to be purple (see this catalog picture for reference). Mine isn’t, but it’s still gorgeous and currently so covered in blooms, I worry it will collapse under the weight of them. To my subscribers, I hope you’ll forgive the more frequent posts. It’s such a beautiful time in the garden, and I can’t resist sharing a little of that beauty with the world. Happy Tuesday! What’s beautiful in your world?

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Closeup of velvet pod mimosa blooms in various stages, from buds to bright pink open flowers to faded light pink flowers

    Velvet-pod Mimosa (Mimosa dysocarpa)

    August 16, 2021
    Closeup of buds and one open flower on the top of a fishhook barrel cactus. Flowers are yellow with orange stripes. Open flower has a mostly orange center.

    Photos from Sabino Canyon Recreation Area (#FOTD)

    August 1, 2021
    Rose with red, yellow, and white stripes, yellow closer to the center and whiter at the edges

    Maurice Utrillo rose in my Tucson garden (#FOTD)

    March 29, 2022
  • Flower of the Day,  Garden

    Unknown pink rose (#FOTD)

    May 8, 2022 /

    I bought this rose last summer as a rooted cutting from a guy selling them on a street corner here in Tucson. He said he and his wife brought the mother plant from Ohio decades ago. It struggled last year, probably because I planted it in the summer, but now it’s thriving and just bloomed for the first time. Shared as part of Cee’s Flower of the Day photo challenge. What’s blooming in your garden on this lovely Mother’s Day?

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Spiny cactus with 2 pink flowers and one red bud emerging from top and sides. Petals are light pink around the edges with a dark pink stripe in the middle. Center of flowers is yellow with a green frond-like thing sprouting from the center.

    Pincushion cactus flower in Sabino Canyon outside Tucson, Arizona (#FOTD)

    August 10, 2021

    Ebb Tide rose (#FOTD)

    May 10, 2022
    Rose with red, yellow, and white stripes, yellow closer to the center and whiter at the edges

    Maurice Utrillo rose in my Tucson garden (#FOTD)

    March 29, 2022
  • Garden,  Photos,  Travel,  Weekend Coffee Share

    New Orleans and Spring in the Garden

    May 7, 2022 /

    Good morning! Happy Saturday! I’m still trying to clear the fog after a whirlwind 3 days in New Orleans for my first in-person work conference since the before times. It was wonderful! It was exhausting! And, me being me, I ate my weight in beignets, because: And: But before we get to my New Orleans gluttony travel photos, welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s visit the Big Easy.

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Closeup of red and white striped rosebud against blurry background

    Rock and Roll Rosebud (#FOTD)

    November 13, 2021

    Gambel’s quail family returns to my backyard

    July 8, 2022

    Long-Suffering Husband catches a backyard serial killer, and I meet some deadlines

    July 1, 2022
  • IWSG,  Writing

    How to receive feedback on your writing without letting it crush your soul

    May 4, 2022 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Letting people read and comment on my work is terrifying. It’s like I’m offering another human a piece of my soul to critique. (Jeez, overdramatic much?) But if we want to become better writers, we have to put our work out there and ask for feedback–and not let that feedback crush us. It’s IWSG Day! But before we get into that: Happy IWSG Day! In case you’re new here, I participate in the monthly IWSG (a/k/a Insecure Writers Support Group) Blog Hop, which happens on the first Wednesday of each month. We offer words of encouragement to our fellow writers and share our doubts, fears, struggles, and triumphs. Some of…

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    When to start a writing career? The second best time is now (#IWSG)

    January 5, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    The importance of being influenced (#IWSG)

    February 2, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    My story became an audio drama (#IWSG)

    April 6, 2022
  • Arizona,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Tucson Botanical Gardens + April review + a fresh batch of memes

    April 30, 2022 /

    Good morning and happy Saturday! It’s the last day of April, a good time to look back at the month that was. Also on tap: art and blooms from Tucson Botanical Gardens, memes, and various bits of personal news. But first: welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! Pull up a seat, grab a drink, and let’s chat.

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Sweetwater Trail, flower pics, and a fresh batch of memes (Weekend Coffee Share #34)

    April 15, 2022
    Pink cactus flower with white center

    Saguaro National Park 2: Critters and Flowers

    September 2, 2022
    Cabin with orange-tan walls, redwood-colored trim, and a porch with 2 white chairs, trees behind and 2 garden beds in front

    Dispatch from Up North, Part 1: Salt River Canyon and Rainbow Lake

    September 23, 2022
  • Books and Reading,  Garden,  Weekend Coffee Share,  What's On Your Bookshelf

    Website woes, garden pics and books

    April 24, 2022 /

    Good evening! I’m a couple of days late getting this post up, because Friday morning my website decided to stop loading. I finally made time to contact tech support this morning–after verifying that no, the site still wouldn’t load. The support analyst said it loaded for him. I tested again, and of course it worked perfectly. I remember when I used to do tech support in libraries, and staff would ask me to stand next to their computer so it would start working again. Apparently I’ve either lost my tech support devil magic, or it doesn’t work with cloud-hosted websites. Dammit. Update: right after I typed that paragraph, the site…

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    7 things I love about reading (and writing) crime fiction

    October 4, 2022

    A few books, a few memes… and a big deadline

    October 21, 2022

    Fire near my old neighborhood, books, and more memes

    June 18, 2022
  • Arizona,  Garden,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Sweetwater Trail, flower pics, and a fresh batch of memes (Weekend Coffee Share #34)

    April 15, 2022 /

    Good morning and happy Friday! It’s an abso-freakin-lutely gorgeous morning down here in Satan’s Anus–54 and sunny, heading for a high of 88. But it looks like Weather Bragging Season is just about over–we’re supposed to hit 96 on Monday. *sigh* I’ve had a pretty routine week so nothing exciting to share, just the usual: desert pics, garden pics, and a steaming hot pile of memes. But before we get to all that: Welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer. She has flower pix this week too, and they are *gorgeous*! Grab a drink, pull up a seat, and let’s get to it.

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Sentinel Peak, Enchanted Hills, and Valentine’s Day nonsense (Weekend Coffee Share #25)

    February 11, 2022
    Black greyhound with white and grey muzzle curled up asleep on a dog bed

    Bisbee pics and saying goodbye (Weekend Coffee Share #10)

    October 15, 2021
    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
  • Arizona,  Garden,  Photos,  Weekend Coffee Share

    Spring has sprung! (Weekend Coffee Share #33)

    April 8, 2022 /

    Good morning, happy Friday, and welcome to the Weekend Coffee Share, hosted by Natalie the Explorer! It’s 59F and sunny right now, so let’s chat in the garden. Garden pictures Spring is in full swing out there, so I snapped a few pics before the inevitable hot weather wilts everything. The garden is a work in progress–and looks like it. This area was entirely covered in gravel when we bought the house in fall 2020. As you can see, we’re still constructing and planting, but at least it contains some green things: Some of those green things are actually blooming. The rose covered in flowers is Camille Pissarro. I’ve showed…

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Joshua Tree Forest, writing news, books, and more pandemic memes (Weekend Coffee Share #30)

    March 18, 2022

    Late summer in Tucson–it’s hot and there are bats

    August 5, 2022

    Dispatch from Up North, Part 2: Bootleg Lake, Arizona

    September 30, 2022
  • IWSG,  Short Stories,  Writing

    My story became an audio drama (#IWSG)

    April 6, 2022 /
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    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…

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

    Literary genres that are not for me

    September 6, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    No, I don’t want to live in a fictional world

    July 5, 2022
    Insecure Writer's Support Group badge

    Where do I draw the line? (#IWSG)

    October 6, 2021
  • Featured,  Short Stories

    “A Christmas Duet” is published in Harmony Magazine

    April 5, 2022 /
    Cover of 2022 issue of 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…

    Read More
    Janet Alcorn

    You May Also Like

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

    December 27, 2021
    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
34567

Facebook

Facebook

Twitter

My Tweets

Instagram

I’m off work this week, so I’ve been walking more. I saw these rock hearts on the Rillito River Park Trail here in #tucson and they made me smile.
My latest blog post includes more info about my interview on the Mysterious Goings-On podcast (link in bio). Host @alexginkc and I talk about getting started as a fiction writer, using short stories to advance your writing career, and lots more.
Seen at the Red Cross blood donation center in #tucson . I think they took a little too much from this guy. Seriously, give blood if you can. You might save a life.
The Bellagio outdid itself with this conservatory display. Simply stunning.
Stopover in #kingmanaz on our way to Vegas. #route66
Buds on fishhook barrel cactus in #orovalley #arizona. So much beauty in the #sonorandesert
© 2026 - All Rights Reserved.