Some exciting news . . . I’ll be releasing my first collection of stories with the fine folks at PS Publishing, a very prestigious press out of the UK. It won’t be until late next year, possibly even early 2009, but I’m so stoked about it that I wanted to share the news. It’ll be part of their PS Showcase series, which puts out “mini story-collections – priced as per our novellas at £10 / $20 (approx.) for the hardcover and £25 / $50 (approx.) for the signed, jacketed hardcover – from writers whom we believe are deserving of more attention.” And judging by the first one they released, they really look like they’ll be incredible books.
Tentatively titled A WEB OF BLACK WIDOWS AND OTHER TALES OF LOVE AND LOSS, the collection will most likely feature four all new tales and two reprints. The reprints, “Front Row Seats” and “The Woman Coughed Up By the Sea” appeared in the excellent online magazine Chizine several years ago, so they have never before appeared in print form. They also both received honorable mentions in the Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror.
The title novelette is a dark tale involving a grieving tattoo artist on a cross-country road trip to see the Pacific Ocean as a way to pay tribute to his deceased wife, who meets a pregnant woman on the run from her disturbed husband and strikes an unusual friendship. A little bit of suspense, a little bit of horror, and a little bit of magic realism thrown in for good measure — this one doesn’t fit neatly into any category, and I’m thrilled it will be the focal point of this collection.
The other tales will all involve love and loss in its various forms, all of them set in the modern world with a bit of a fantastic twist — a great purchase for a little Halloween reading. Or Valentine’s day, if you’re feeling a little blue and all the red hearts and candies aren’t doing it for you. I’ll post more details on the website as the collection comes together.