35-42

I received eight acceptances this morning, my 35th through 42nd acceptances of the year. Three were for original stories and five were for reprints.

34

I received my 334th acceptance this morning, this time for a bit of noir crime fiction.

Published 2x: "Auto Erotic" and "Closing Cases"

"Auto Erotic" and "Closing Cases," a pair of erotic short stories, were released on audio today by House of Erotica.

33

I received my 33rd acceptance of the year this evening, this time for a fantasy short story.

Published...almost: "Backlit"

My story "Backlit" appears in Blood Work (Down & Out Books), which officially releases later this month.

26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32

Email today brought word of seven acceptances. One is for a new bit of crime fiction, the other six are for audio/reprint rights to stories first published long ago.

Published

I just learned that my story "West Texas Winter" was published in March. Neither the editor nor the publisher of the anthology Cowboy Up notified me of its publication (another contributor did), and payment, due within 90 days of publication is now several weeks past due.

Thirteen

I completed and submitted my thirteenth story of the year this evening. This one's a 3,000-word mystery I started May 1.

Published: "Fissile Material"

My erotic spy story "Fissile Material" has been published in audio format: https://www.storytel.is/books/565463-Fissile-Material.

Published 2x: "Good Girls Don't" and "Decision"

My story "Good Girls Don't" appears in the current Pulp Modern and my story "Decision" appears in the Summer 2018 Flash Bang Mysteries.

Twelve

I completed and submitted by twelfth short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 2,300-word bit of crime fiction I started writing on November 5, 2017.

Reviewed

In "Short & Sweet," his column in the Summer 2018 issue of Mystery Scene, Ben Boulden reviews the March/April issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Though he provides in-depth discussions of other stories in the issue, he ends with: "There are excellent contributions from R.T. Lawton, Michael Bracken, and Robert Lopresti." If our stories are going to be summed up in one word, I think R.T., Robert, and I will all agree that "excellent" is exactly the right word.

25

I received my 25th acceptance of the year this afternoon, this for a private eye story.

24

I received my 24th acceptance of the year this evening, this time for a bit of noirish crime fiction.

Eleven

I completed and submitted my eleventh short story of the year this evening. This one's a 4,600-word noirish Christmas story I started on February 21.

Interviewed

Richard Krauss interviewed me for the June 2018 issue of The Digest Enthusiast. The wide-ranging interview fills 17 pages, reveals my pseudonyms, and touches on work written in a variety of genres. And, yes, that's me on the cover.

Published: "Too Close to School"

My romance "Too Close to School" is the lead story in A Wink and a Smile, now available from Smoking Pen Press.

Ten

I completed and submitted my tenth short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 2,100-word bit of crime fiction I began on January 23.

Though my acceptances are on track for the year, my production is not. I will need to kick my writing into high gear if I hope to complete 52 stories by year-end.

23

I received my 23rd acceptance of the year this morning, this time for a PI story.

19, 20, 21, 22

I woke this morning for find four acceptances awaiting me, my 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd acceptances of the year, all for erotic fiction.

18

I received my 18th acceptance of the year this afternoon, this time for a bit of crime fiction.

16, 17

I received my 16th and 17th acceptances of the year this afternoon, these for an erotic spy story and an erotic paranormal story.

Reviewed: "My Sister's Husband"

Michael R. Brown reviewed Pulp Adventures #27 at ThePulp.Net. Here's what he had to say about my story:

“My Sister’s Husband” by Michael Bracken is a strange little romance tale.

Read his review of the entire magazine here.

15

I woke this morning to find my 15th acceptance of the year waiting in my in-box. This is for yet another bit of crime fiction.

14

I received my 14th acceptance of the year this morning, this time for a bit of crime fiction.

13

I received my 13th acceptance on Friday, but am only now recording it. It's a bit of crime fiction originally submitted to a magazine, but Friday the editor asked if he could instead use it in an anthology he's putting together. Of course, I said he could.

10, 11, 12

I received my 10th, 11th, and 12th acceptances of the year this afternoon, all for short crime fiction.

Unacceptance

Two days ago I received my first unacceptance of the year. An anthology editor who accepted one of my stories in 2016 announced that the project is dead. Because it was a themed anthology, that means several good stories with the same theme will likely be hitting the slush piles of publications in the appropriate genre.

I wonder, at times like this, if it is better to resubmit immediately to try to beat the rush or to wait several months until the rush has passed before submitting.

Published: "Itsy Bitsy Spider"

"Itsy Bitsy Spider," a new story featuring Waco, Texas-based private eye Morris Ronald "Moe Ron" Boyette, was published today at Tough. Read it here.

Reviewed: "Harlot Road"

Kevin P Hallett reviewed Weirdbook #38 at Tangent and had this to say about my story, "Harlot Road":

A land ruled by a despotic king is the setting for this short fantasy. An experienced prostitute hates the King’s government and his brutal soldiers. She uses her wits to keep a low profile and stay out of their way. 

Then one day she helps a thief accused of stealing the King’s jewels and in the process becomes embroiled in a possible revolution. She finds herself walking a fine line between protecting what is dear to her and her increasing frustrations with the King’s administration.

At times the prose was deliberate, but the overall intrigue and danger kept the story engaging.

Read the entire review to learn what he thought of the other stories.

Nine

I completed and submitted a 500-word bit of flash noir this evening. I wrote the first half on January 25, and the last half today.

Published: "Harlot Road"

"Harlot Road," a story perhaps best described as an alternate history mystery, appears in Weirdbook #38.

9

I received my 9th acceptance of the year this afternoon, this time for a hardboiled bit of crime fiction.

8

I received my 8th acceptance of the year this afternoon. This one's for a private eye story. The editor doesn't like the title, so I've spent the afternoon trying to come up with something better. So far: Nothing.

7

I received my 7th acceptance of the year this evening, this one for a mystery submitted to an open-call anthology.

Reviewed: "The Mourning Man"

On her blog, Catherine Dilts reviews four stories from the March/April Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and has this to say about my story "The Mourning Man":

The story Mourning Man by Michael Bracken is a touching tale wrapped up in a dangerous game. Cab driver Johnny Devlin is pressured into driving for a robbery when he can't pay a loan shark back for the money he borrowed to pay for his wife's funeral. You can read about the author's inspiration for this story here.

6

I received my 6th acceptance of the year this afternoon, this for an essay.

5

I received my 5th acceptance of the year this afternoon. This is for a a noir story I started on February 20, finished and submitted on March 2, and revised to editor specifications on March 3.

Eight

I finished and submitted my eighth short story of the year this evening, an 1,800-word noir crime story.  I started the story on February 20, actually finished it a few days ago, but hadn't added it to the count until now because I had to find an appropriate market.

Seven

I finished and submitted my seventh short story of the year this evening, a 2,200-word bit of noir I started February 24.

Reviewed: "Dixie Quickies"

In "Short & Sweet," his column in the just-arrived Winter issue of Mystery Scene Magazine, Ben Boulden reviews the first issue of Wildside Press's Black Cat Mystery Magazine, devoting two paragraphs to the issue, and singling out two stories for closer attention, including my "Dixie Quickies," which he calls "a thriller dressed as a straight crime story where a dead cartel gangster, a motel clerk, and a motel room maid, are all caught in the same gravitational pull."

Six

I completed and submitted my sixth shorty story of the year this evening. This one's a bit of crime fiction I started November 20, 2017.

Published: "My Stripper Past" and "The Mourning Man"

My story "My Stripper Past" appears in Pulp Adventures #28, and my story "The Mourning Man" appears in the March/April Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.

Five

I finished and submitted my fifth short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 5,600-word private eye story I started January 16.

Published: "Plumber's Helper"

My story "Plumber's Helper" was published today on The Saturday Evening Post's website: http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2018/02/16/post-fiction/contemporary-fiction-art-entertainment/plumbers-helper.html

Published: "Poster Child"

Today I write about all the mystery publications that have come and mostly gone, and about how publication in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine ties short story writers to the genre's history in a way publication in no other magazine does, in my guest post, "Poster Child," at Something Is Going to Happen: https://somethingisgoingtohappen.net/2018/02/14/poster-child-by-michael-bracken/

Note: I also now blog as one of the SleuthSayers. My posts appear every third Tuesday at SleuthSayers.org.

4

I received my 4th acceptance of the year this afternoon. This one's for an essay.

Best American Mystery Stories

My story "Smoked," first published in Noir at the Salad Bar, has been selected for inclusion in this year's The Best American Mystery Stories.

Published: "Texas Hot Flash"

"Texas Hot Flash" appears today at Tough.

Published: "Skirts"

"Skirts" appears in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #2, released at the tail-end of last month.

3

I received my 3rd acceptance of the year last evening, this time for a reprint.

2

I received my 2nd acceptance of the year yesterday, this one for a romance.

Four

I wrote and submitted my fourth short story of the year today. This one's a 250-word dark-crime/horror flash.

1

I received my first acceptance of the year, this for a short romance. My two previous appearances in this publication were short pieces of humor published in 1980 and 1982.

Three

I finished and submitted my third short story of the year this morning. This one's a 5,000-word bit of crime fiction I started October 1, 2017, and it's the third (and final story) I found in nearly complete form when I cleaned off my desk this past weekend.

Lesson learned: Don't let things pile up!

Two

I completed and submitted my second short story of the year this morning. This one's a 3,700-word bit of crime fiction I started writing May 4, 2017, and it's the second one I found on my desk this past weekend that only needed a good proofread before being ready for submission.

2017 in review

37 acceptances (vs. 45 in 2016).

40 rejections (vs. 35 in 2016).

33 original short stories published and two reprinted (vs. 40 in 2016), and no articles/essays published (vs. 4 in 2016). (Even so, I did write some guest blog posts and became a regular contributor to SleuthSayers.org.)

I completed 32 short stories (vs. 56 in 2016).

I completed (to final draft) 130,600 words of short fiction (vs. 169,430 in 2016).

That's an average story length of 4,081 words (vs. an average of 3,026); the shortest story was 1,100 words; the longest was 6,700 words.

I completed and submitted an average of .62 short stories each week (vs. an average of 1.08 each week in 2016).

(I only track completed short fiction word counts, not words written for incomplete projects, nor words written for other forms of writing.)

Observations:

1) The decreased number of completed stories and the increase in the average length of my stories is partially attributable my not writing any stories intended for Woman's World, a market I have never cracked. 

2) Two magazines, responsible between them for 21 of 2017's published stories, ceased operation mid-year. This negatively impacted the number of acceptances and the number of published stories, and it put a crimp in my productivity.

3) Some publications do not send rejections. Non-responses are not included in the rejection count.

2018 Goals

For the past several years, my annual goals have been:

1) To complete and submit an average of at least one short story each week.

2) To receive an average of at least one acceptance each week. (Reprints and non-fiction pieces count for this goal.)

3) To continue to have one or more short stories published each and every month, as I have for several years now.

Given that I've lost two of my primary markets, these goals may no longer be realistic. So, my primary goal this year is to rebuild and re-establish myself as I move into new markets and/or new genres.

One

I completed my first short story of the year this afternoon. This is a 1,200-word horror story I found in nearly complete form when I was cleaning off my desk yesterday. I began work on it March 27, 2017, and all it needed was a final proofread. So, it's finished, but I don't yet know where to send it.

Found on my desk

I often email myself story ideas when I'm out and about. While cleaning off my desk, I found this one from October 2014:

Giant alien slugs invade Earth. They appear about to take over everything until our hero discovers that their kryptonite is a common seasoning.

So, how were they killed?

With a salt rifle.

There's a drought in Texas

Two months have passed since my last acceptance, a sales drought I haven't experienced since sometime in the previous century.

I've received only five rejections during the past two months, so it isn't that my work is getting kicked back. Rather, my submissions are just sitting.

Sometimes, this is a good sign. With some markets, the longer the editor holds a story the more likely an acceptance is forthcoming.

On the flip side, long delays sometimes mean submissions were never received. A few times this year I've followed up after long delays only to discover my original submissions were never received or had gone into an editor's spam folder. (This happens most often with submissions sent to gmail accounts.) Following up has led to at least two acceptances, but most often the follow-up also receives no response.

So, I'm hoping the new year brings a flood of acceptances because this drought is killing me.

Thirty-two

I completed my thirty-second short story of the year this morning, but I have not yet submitted it. Because I did not write it for a specific publication or to fit a specific call for submissions, I'll have to spend some time looking for appropriate markets.

Thirty-one

I completed and submitted my thirty-first short story of the year this morning.

"Three Typewriters and a Desk"

Today, in "Three Typewriters and a Desk," I discuss my mother's long-term impact on my writing: http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2017/12/three-typewriters-and-desk.html

Published: "My Sister's Husband"

"My Sister's Husband" was published in the Fall 2017 issue of Pulp Adventures.

First Two Pages: "Dixie Quickies"

After B.K. Stevens' passing, Art Taylor stepped forward to host "The First Two Pages," essays by selected writers about the opening pages of their stories and novels. Today, he presents my essay about the opening two pages of "Dixie Quickies," published in the debut issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. Read it here.

Reviewed: "Dixie Quickies"

in the January 2018 issue of The Digest Enthusiast, Richard Krauss reviewed Black Cat Mystery Magazine #1. Here's what he had to say about "Dixie Quickies," my contribution to the magazine:

"A southwestern no-tell motel with hourly rates is the scene of the crime in 'Dixie Quickies' by Michael Bracken. Bodies are bad for business, so when Maria, one of several illegal immigrants who keep the sheets fresh, gives night manager Tiny Campella the news, he takes over the clean-up duties without bothering local authorities. Of course, that's just foreplay for the action to come. Bracken's mini-bio proclaims he's the author of over 1200 short stories, and his impressive pedigree shows throughout this sterling example of his dandy work."

 Krauss concludes the review:

"My favorites were those by Michael Bracken, Kaye Gorge, and Fletcher Flora; but I lean toward the dark side."

To read the entire review (as well as the other great articles in this issue), purchase The Digest Enthusiast on Amazon. To read "Dixie Quickies" and the other great short stories in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, you may also purchase the magazine on Amazon.

Ripples

Ted Newsom's 1982 rejection of one of my short stories was instrumental in launching my decades-long fiction writing career. Find out why in "Ripples," today's post at SleuthSayers: http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2017/12/ripples.html

Thirty

I finished and submitted my thirtieth short story this evening. This one's a 4,700-word bit of crime fiction I started October 31 in response to an open anthology call for submissions.

Published: "A.K.A. Bob Jones"

My story "A.K.A. Bob Jones" appears in Snowbound (Level Best Books).

37

I received my 37th acceptance of the year this morning, this—after a minor revision and some small tweaks—for the crime fiction story I submitted a few days ago.

Smooth Criminal

Today I confess to the literary crime that led to my first professional fiction sale in "Smooth Criminal," my debut post as a member of the SleuthSayers group blog: http://www.sleuthsayers.org/2017/11/smooth-criminal.html.

Twenty-nine

I completed and submitted my twenty-ninth short story of the year. This one's a bit of crime fiction I started November 5 in response to an anthology invitation.

Published: "Montezuma's Revenge"

My story "Montezuma's Revenge" appears in the 2017 Bouchercon anthology Passport to Murder (Down & Out Books), edited by John McFetridge.

35, 36

I woke this morning to find a pair of acceptances awaiting me--my 35th and 36th of the year. They are for a pair of romances, accepted by the same publication.

Twenty-eight

I finished and submitted my twenty-eighth short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a dark crime/non-supernatural horror story I started October 26.

34

I received my 34th acceptance of the year earlier today. This one's for another bit of crime fiction.

33

While attending a panel of Anthony Award-nominated short-story writers at last week's Bouchercon, I received an email from a mystery magazine editor...for my 33rd acceptance of the year.

Twenty-seven

I completed and submitted my twenty-seventh short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 6,700-word fantasy I began February 15, 2016.

Published: "The Last Butt"

My story "The Last Butt" appears in the October issue of Flash Bang Mysteries. Read it here.

Reviewed: "The Uninhabited"

Sandra Seamans at My Little Corner had this to say about "The Uninhabited" (Tough, September 26, 2017):

"What I loved the most is the fact that it reminds you that nothing is ever what it seems."

Read her full comments here.

Reviewed: "The Princess and the Swineherd"

Dee at Love Bytes reviewed "The Princess and the Swineherd" and had this to say:

"If you like being told a tale without the story being heavy on angst this could be just the ticket. However, if you enjoy being pulled in by character development and emotions (The feels) then perhaps you should pick this one up when you’re looking for a quick escape."

Read the the entire review here.

Published: "The Uninhabited"

My story "The Uninhabited" was published today as the story of the week in Tough. Read it here: http://www.toughcrime.com/2017/09/the-uninhabited-fiction-by-michael.html?zx=434f1605a36f3b0a.

32

I received my 32nd acceptance of the year this morning, this time for a piece of flash crime fiction.

31

I received my 31st acceptance of the year this afternoon, this time for a story that straddles the line between dark crime and non-supernatural horror.

30

I received my 30th acceptance of the year this morning, this time for a bit of crime fiction that won't be published until January/February 2019.

Twenty-six

I completed and submitted my twenty-sixth short story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 4,400-word bit of crime fiction I started July 19.

Writerboy at 60

Today, I turned 60. This is an unexpected accomplishment. Neither my father nor either of my grandfathers survived their 50s.

A quadruple heart bypass in September 2008 probably added the extra years to my life, but it isn't the only factor in my unexpected longevity. I've set goals for myself over the years, but my overriding objective since bypass surgery has been to be happy.

And I am.

Three new mystery periodicals

At least three new digest-sized mystery magazines launched this year, each with a different editorial focus, but all deserving the support of mystery readers.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine debuted this month. Published by Wildside Press and edited by Carla Coupe, the first issue offers the most diverse selection of fiction among the three magazines, with original stories by Alan Orloff, Art Taylor, Josh Pachter, Barb Goffman, Meg Opperman, Dan Andriacco, John M. Floyd, Jack Halliday, Kaye George, and Michael Bracken; reprints by James Holding and Fletcher Flora; poetry by Josh Pachter; and a single piece of non-fiction, the editorial by publisher John Betancourt and editor Carla Coupe.

The publisher, Wildside Press, is a well-established book and magazine publisher that also publishes Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine.

Order a single issue or a subscription directly from the publisher at http://wildsidepress.com/magazines/BCMM/.

The magazine has not yet posted submission guidelines but expects to soon and should be open to submissions beginning in October. UPDATE: Guidelines are now posted at: http://bcmystery.com/guidelines-for-black-cat-mystery-magazine-epub-kindle-pdf/.

To learn more about Black Cat Mystery Magazine, read contributor Barb Goffman's interview with editor Carla Coupe at Sleuthsayers.org.

(Note: I have not yet seen the physical magazine. However, I'm a contributor and read uncorrected proofs about a month ago.)

Down & Out: The Magazine debuted this summer. Published by Down & Out Books and edited by Rick Ollerman, Down & Out: The Magazine offers original fiction by Reed Farrel Coleman, Eric Beetner, Michael A. Black, Jen Conley, Thomas Pluck, Rick Ollerman, and Terence McCauly; a reprint by Frederick Nebel; non-fiction by J. Kingston Pierce; and an editorial by Rick Ollerman.

The fiction in Down & Out: The Magazine is less diverse than in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, skewing toward hardboiled.

The publisher, Down & Out Books, is an independent publisher founded in 2011.

Subscription packages are not yet available. Order the first issue at Amazon.

Submission guidelines are available at http://downandoutmagazine.com/submissions/.

Mystery Tribune debuted earlier this year, and Ehsan Ehsani serves as both editor and publisher. The second issue, dated Summer 2017, features original fiction by Rob Hart, Dan J. Fiore, Aaron Fox-Lerner, David James Keaton, and Teresa Sweeney; non-fiction by Elena Avanzas Alvarez, Reed Farrel Coleman, Shawn Corridan, Anne Rothman-Hicks and Kenneth Hicks, and an interview with Haylen Beck; photo layouts by Tommy Ingberg and Heather Byington; and an editorial by Ehsan Ehsani.

Mystery Tribune offers an experience beyond the text, visually more like art magazines than traditional fiction periodicals, with extensive color photography throughout. The fiction is the least diverse among the three magazines, leaning toward noir.

Order a single issue or a subscription directly from the publisher at https://www.mysterytribune.com/subscribe/.

Submission guidelines are available at https://mysterytribune.submittable.com/submit/79921/guidelines.

***

Note: I have a relationship with Wildside Press that stretches back many years. They have published most of my books, including novels, short story collections, and anthologies. I also have a relationship with Down & Out Books. They have published my stories in two anthologies and I am editing an anthology for them. I do not yet have a relationship with Mystery Tribune. I would love to change that.

Withdrawal symptoms

When editors fail to respond to submissions, and then fail to respond to status queries, it's time to formally withdraw ms. from those editors. I've done it several times over the years, most often withdrawing stories from publications that were new or new to me. A few times lately, I've even withdrawn stories from publications where I suspect the editors never saw my submissions (or my withdrawal letters) because they don't monitor their spam folders.

But last night was different.

Last night I withdrew 15 ms. from a pair of markets that have been exceptionally good to me over the years.

Monthly publications, they haven't published an issue since July, haven't paid for several months, and haven't responded to emails from me or from other writers I know. So, even though the publications might be dead, I went through the process of identifying and withdrawing everything in their slush pile.

The two publications represented the last of a dying genre, and the unpublished stories I wrote for them will be difficult to place elsewhere. So, it is time to move on, to write more in other genres while seeking appropriate places to submit these 15 withdrawn stories, and to move forward rather than look backward.

"Dixie Quickies" in debut issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine

Black Cat Mystery Magazine debuts today, and it includes my story "Dixie Quickies."

To order: http://wildsidepress.com/magazines/black-cat-mystery-magazine

29

I received my 29th acceptance of the year this afternoon, this for a bit of crime fiction.

Starred review

Just seen on Bouchercon 2017's Twitter feed: "@PublishersWkly gave #Bcon2017 antho a Starred Review!!"

My story "Montezuma's Revenge" is in this anthology, and I, along with several other contributors, will be signing copies of Passport to Murder at Bouchercon in Toronto this October.

Read the entire review here.

Published: "The Princess and the Swineherd"

My lesbian fairy tale "The Princess and the Swineherd" was released today as a standalone short story. Find it at Amazon and Smashwords.

28

I received my 28th acceptance of the year today, this time for a bit of crime fiction.

Ninety-Eight Years of Fallen Women

Rebecca McCarthy discusses the history of confession magazines in "Ninety-Eight Years of Fallen Women" at The Awl. The timing of the article is, perhaps, ironic given that True Story and True Confessions haven't published an issue since July 2017.

The last paragraph of the article mentions my story "Spring Job Fair."

In “Spring Job Fair” from the March 2017 issue of True Confessions, the heroine is about to finish college and works nights as a waitress at a truck stop. During an interview for an unspecified office job, the interviewer begins to hit on her. In most of the MacFadden confessionals, this would be the start of a great romance; the day she met The Man Who Rescued Her From The Truck Stop. But instead, she leaves feeling anxious, she thinks he’s a creep. And that’s all. She graduates, gets another job, and does not date that guy. It’s an entirely unremarkable story, but it feels like a victory.

I don't know if the story was "entirely unremarkable," but the story summary doesn't describe the story I wrote. And, yes, for the protagonist of that story, graduating college and landing a job working  in the office of a trucking company was a victory.

Published: "The Great Train Robbery"

My story "The Great Little Train Robbery," first published in the June 1985 issue of Mike Shayne Mystery Magazine, has been reprinted in the August 19 issue of Kings River Life as "The Great Train Robbery." Read it here.

This story was my seventh published mystery and my fourth story in MSMM.

Twenty-five

I completed and submitted my twenty-fifth short story of the year this evening. This one's a 4,100-word bit of crime fiction I started March 7.

Twenty-four

I finished and submitted my twenty-fourth short story io the year this evening. This one's a 4,900-word bit of crime fiction I started July 17.

Reviewed: "Smoked"

Robert Lopresti reviewed "Smoked," my contribution to Noir at the Salad Bar, at Little Big Crimes, and sums it up:

"The story takes place in modern Texas but it has the feeling of an old-fashioned Western, with the bad guys getting closer and the townsfolk having to decide where they stand. A good story."

Read the entire review here.

Twenty-three

I completed and submitted my twenty-third short story of the year this morning. This one's a 3,800-word bit of holiday crime fiction.