The 54th Delusion
Burnout is real!
I think I burnt out on writing. Naw, I think I burnt out on publishing. Yeah, that’s more like it. It happens, I suppose. It all just sort of got to me. I’m not going to get into it here, but I had to take a few days off. And even with that I worked on publishing stuff every damn day. I took time away from writing. I wasn’t feeling it. I’m still not feeling it as I write this. But I plan on getting back to it tomorrow.
On a personal note, my son has recently started driving on a permit. That’s one of those things that hits hard, a sure sign that not only is he growing up, but he’s growing up really damn fast. Time really does slip through our fingers like sand. I wasn’t sure how he’d manage, but everything is going great. He’s cautious and attentive and doing very well driving up to the store and on small errands. By the time his birthday comes around in March he’ll have no problem taking his driving test. Once he gets his license his mother and I will be nervous wrecks when he’s out driving on his own. Such is life.
News
Mickey and Mo dominated in August! Thank you to everyone who grabbed a copy. So far reviews have been great. I had no idea what to expect from this one. On one hand, it’s really hardcore and nasty, which seems to be popular at the moment in indie horror. On the other hand, it’s a collaboration with an author I have not worked with before. I feel like we put out a good bit of trailer trash fuckery.
A comment I have been getting from readers is that they weren’t expecting THAT scene. Good. I like that.
This weekend I will be vending at TBRcon here in Knoxville, Tennessee. There is a huge list of authors who will be there. If you are in or around eastern Tennessee you should check it out.
On October 18 I am signing books at The Dark Market: Halloween Edition at Hi-Wire Brewing Knoxville. I have never done this event before, so I am excited to see what it’s all about.
Recent Reads from Hell
I finished Lovely, Dark and Deep by Megan Stockton and loved it. I’m finding that I really like stories set in seaside towns or islands. Maybe that’s from growing up in Sam Diego and spending so much time at the bay when I was young. Who knows. I’d previously read Megan’s Bluejay, which is an extreme horror novella, but this one goes in the very opposite direction, leaning on dread and atmosphere rather than violence and gore, which I can appreciate. Horror comes in many flavors and this book shows us that Megan knows what the fuck she’s doing.
I’m currently reading Soulless Lonesome by Dan Shrader and Cold Moon Over Babylon by Michael McDowell.
Closing Words
I wrote the intro to this newsletter last week. I have gotten back into writing little by little since. I’m not rushing into things. Turns out I have other publishing stuff that demands my attention. Maybe that’s what my brain was trying to tell me, that I needed to step away from writing for a moment and catch up. Who knows. One thing I do know is that my publishing schedule for the rest of the year is filled and I’m getting an Infected Voices book edited for 2025 already, so I have nothing to fucking worry about. I can take some time away from writing if I want to, damn it!
But I kinda don’t want to.
Until next time . . .