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.