Cuddles

For any other Goosebumps superfans out there, I have a short little story in Oddball Magazine about my childhood obsession with the series. It's called "Cuddles" (titular evil hamster pictured above) and it's really cute. I hope you like it.

Cuddles is a character from the second (and best) Monster Blood book. For the record, I have extremely mixed feelings about the Monster Blood quadrilogy. None of the books are top-tier, and the fourth one is probably one of the worst (non-chicken-related) books in the original Goosebumps line. 

BUT it stars a redhead named Evan, so obviously I have a personal connection. Anyway, head over to Oddball for a blast of 90s nostalgia and self-deprecation. Or, I don't know, Cuddles will nibble you to death...

Equivalent Retribution

Another season, another dreaded call of the siren! That's right! It's finally springtime, which means some Easter celebrations, family barbecues, and lots of pollen-related allergies. Good stuff.

It also means that we have another issue of Sirens Call, the (free) horror magazine with a little bit of everything. For this one, I went out of my comfort zone and wrote a sci-fi story (my first since that Golden Girls spoof about alien Betty White hanging out with a squid. Don't ask.)

This one's a lot darker. It's called "Equivalent Retribution" and it's about a woman who accidentally pisses off an alien and has to figure out how to make things right. The first draft was more of a comedy, but I ended up rewriting it with gnarlier EC Comics vibes. 

Mama Mermaid

 

So a little girl wishes that her mom would turn into a mermaid. The results are absolutely horrifying.

That's the premise for my short story "Mama Mermaid" in the Elemental Cycle 3: Water anthology. I absolutely LOVED being a contributor for this collection. All the stories are creepy and wildly different. Eerie River Publishing absolutely kills it with everything they publish.

We even got to do a little YouTube live-reading before the book's launch. 

If you're squeamish, TONS of content warnings for this one. Too many to list, really. But it's a great anthology. Very spooky. And honestly a bit more "literary" than a lot of my stuff.

Estelle Harrow Gets Lucky

 

I introduce to you... Hell Hath No Fury, a brand-new anthology from the premier publisher of pulp, Pro-Se Productions.

Estelle Harrow uses her connections to the ghost realm to solve murders, but her adventures never go as planned. This time, she's up against the Irish mafia, a powerful organization that may or may not be smuggling leprechaun blood for their own nefarious purposes. As Estelle comes face-to-face with dangers that she couldn't imagine, will she be able to survive fistfights, drunken gambling rings, and a six-year-old ghost who's finally gotten fed up with her pesky seances?

I am so excited to have my story kick off this new anthology. It's honestly really wild, and I can't wait to hear what you think!

The Sirens Call

 The nights are getting longer and the days become cold...

Speckles of snow fall through the air, obscuring the dark, hidden things that wait just outside our vision...

It's wintertime, baby! And what better time to curl up and enjoy some dark fiction?

I present to you... The Sirens Call, a free magazine with dozens of stories that are strange, unnerving, and altogether perfect for the winter season.

My nasty little number is called "Dinner with Mama." Zombies are involved, and it's actually more heartwarming than you'd think. I wrote this a while back, and it was included in a horror anthology that has since gone out of print. I've always loved this twisted little tale, so I'm happy that it's found its permanent home with the sirens.

Kids Are Hell

 

An abandoned warehouse. A girl with a tail. Screams in an orphanage. 

My newest story "Nameless Child" is finally out. The anthology Kids are Hell is the latest anthology from Hellbound Books, and I couldn't be more excited to be a part of this collection.

The Great Miss Sampson... Again!

 

My family dramedy The Great Miss Sampson has just been selected in the Christian Family Film Festival, coming this August in New York!

This is its third festival placement, after the Faith in Film and the International Christian Film and Music Festivals. All good things ahead!

And Now... Snow White!

I'm really getting into the podcast world lately. I just posted about my Lovecraftian radio drama for Horrifying Tales of Wonder (please check it out if you haven't). I was lucky enough to be a part of Life on Pause Season 2, which was a total, total blast.

And now, I'm writing ten episodes of a new kids podcast that's a little bit Snow White, a little bit Buffy, and a whole lot of crazy. It's an adventure with chicken monsters, a wicked witch, some karate, and even a little music! Fun stuff!

Here's an early look at Snowii, one of our young leads:

The team at Streamin' Services is halfway through the recording sessions now, and I can't wait to see what they come up with. The first episode drops soon on Spotify, so be prepared for a crazy time!

The Same Old Lake

 

I finally wrote an old-time radio podcast. This one is for the Horrifying Tales of Wonder series, which merges classic radio with Lovecraftian goodness. It's right up my alley, basically.

So if you're down for a little creeping dread, check out "The Same Old Lake." It was such a joy to write and the actors really knocked it out of the park.

Remember: Filming Soon!

For those who've had at least one conversation with me within the last two years, you've probably heard me go on and on about my horror screenplay. Well, it's finally a reality! We go into production this June and I couldn't be more excited.

It's called Remember, and it's a horror movie about a group of young people who go to a cabin in the woods and start getting murdered one by one. Yeah, you've probably heard that set-up before, but this isn't something you've ever seen before. After each kill, the surviving characters forget that the victim existed. Each murder is a reset, and with every change, the characters shift in their personalities, relationships, and abilities to survive. Our friends and lovers shape us in so many indescribable ways, and when their memories are gone, what do we have left?

Remember is low budget. It's wild. It's filming in June! And if you want to be a part of this awesome project, search for "TheRememberFilm" on all of the socials. The producers are still looking for investors to join the team so check out the Remember website to see how you can help! 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Kindness Matters

For those of you who know me, it might come as a surprise that I'm part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul franchise. And yet...

This is my third story for them. It's a nice little mini-memoir from my time in Nepal. The topic is "Kindness Matters." And honestly, I'm really happy to be a part of this. I've used some of these Chicken Soup stories with my ESL students and they're always so charming. Little bit-sized bits of comfort.

(Cute, right? Kind ducks.)

And as far as publishers go, working with the Chicken Soup team has been amazing. They give you a bunch of advanced copies and offer all kinds of support. If anyone is an aspiring writing out there, Chicken Soup is a great outlet. (And every person out there has at least one real-life story that they could share.) Check out their calls for submissions. Seriously.

This story specifically was a bit hard for me, because I had to cut down a 3,000-word experience into something much smaller. Left out some specific details but kept all the big stuff.

Out of the three anthologies so far, I think I like this one the best. It has the biggest variety of funny/cute/dramatic/heartwarming stuff. Not sure how my story fits in that spectrum. Perhaps you could check it out for yourself.

And for the record, the other collections I was in were Life Lessons from the Dog and Grandparents, with one of my stories even included on their awesome podcast! 

Letterboxd

People, I've FINALLY joined Letterboxd! I just started using it, so not many friends yet, but add me if you have an account. I love to discover new movies by lurking on other people's profiles. 

Today, I was supposed to work on a podcast script, but I procrastinated for probably four hours writing little reviews and ranking horror movie franchises. If you want to see some hot takes on 90s Whoopi Goldberg movies, check me out.

Listen to Cannibals!

 I just saw the new Texas Chainsaw movie. Great stuff. A lot of people have some major problems with some of its choices, but I dug it all around. Wild and gruesome stuff.

Anyway, I figured now would be the perfect time to let you all know that my CANNIBAL short story is now in audio form. I love hearing wildly talented narrators take a crack at some of my horror stuff. For a refresher, this is the anthology:

It's from the fine folks at Red Cape Publishing, part of their A-Z of Horror series. (They're about halfway through the alphabet by now.) There are a bunch of meaty stories in this one. Mine's about a farmboy. That's all I'll say.

Anyway, I am so, so happy with how this audiobook came out, so I wanted it share it with y'all.

And if you're interested in my opinions on the Texas Chainsaw series, head over to Letterboxd. I have some hot takes.

Kunzum Reading Corner: My Interview!

I got interviewed! The awesome people at Kunzum Bookshops in India have reached out to talk to me about my Karma Tandin: Monster Hunter series. It was a pleasure to answer the questions (Thanks, Shruti! You're awesome!) including one particularly difficult question about representation that I found quite interesting.

(Even I get scared sometimes.)

Anyway, I love, love, love talking about monsters, and I hope you like my answers!

Evan Gets Literary!

 As you probably know, most of my writing is pretty genre-heavy...

BUT I'm also a serious author (kind of), so it's important to branch out. For the first time in years, I've written something non-horror/scifi/fantasy/romance, and it's included in the second issue of the Blydyn Square Review. It's under a paywall, so you'll have to subscribe, but these guys publish some great, eclectic content.

AND, even better, two of my awesome students right here in Kazakhstan are also included. I helped them with the submission process, but the stories are all theirs. This specific issue is based around the general theme of "reading," so everything about this project is very close to my heart.

Banshee Girl at the Austin Film Festival!

Big news! I just found out my animated musical pilot script "Banshee Girl" made it to the second round of the Austin Film Festival! I am so excited, 1) because AFF is the coolest film festival in America, and 2) because I am so, so proud of this project.

Here's the premise if you're interested: After saving a human marked for death, a banshee girl is stripped of her powers and forced to team up with this (monster-hating) boy to find her way back to the magical world.

It's funny and weird, with wacky monsters and morbid musical numbers packed into its 30-minute runtime. One day, I'm going to make this! Mark my words. And in the meantime, if you're interested, PM me and I'll send you a copy of the script. I love getting feedback.

And this AFF news comes on the heels of a couple other film festival placements for my li'l banshee. It was a quarterfinalist for the Inroads Fellowship, Shore Scripts, and Fresh Voices contests.

 

Underground Monsters

Underground creatures. Everyone loves 'em... from Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers to, I don't know, molemen. The concept of weird beings living just under our feet has been the premise for several of my stories, including a particularly gnarly yarn in the San Cicaro anthology.

But this new one is a real doozy. The collection is called "Underground" from COLP, the eclectic magazine from Gypsum Sound Tales. Man, these stories are wiiiiiiild. Mine is called "Rosemont Hills Primary School" and it's about a little girl whose first day of first grade goes horribly, horribly wrong.

This one is not for the squeamish (or anyone with asthma).

I'm on the Red List!

Happily Destroyed started out as my entry in the 3-Day Novel Contest (top-ten finalist, baby!). After a BUNCH of revisions, the short novel was finally published direct to Amazon, and I'm quite proud of it. 

It's a sci-fi/fairy tale mash-up about THE HAPPILY, a paradise dimension where everyone is royalty... where every meal is a feast... where your loyal clockwork subjects burst into song at pre-scheduled intervals... and where you can never, ever leave.

It's a trip. And as of this morning, it's ranked #9 in the fantasy manuscript category of the Red List, Coverfly's ranking of hot new projects! It first got on Coverfly's radar thanks Screencraft, and it's in consideration for a couple more contests right now. Fingers crossed!

Evan Gets Interviewed (Kid Reporter Edition)

Check out this ultra-charming review from a very professional young reviewer. I made this as part of a writing workshop thing I did for preteens. Man, it was fun.

Sitcom Girl

If you know me personally, you've probably heard me go on and on about "Sitcom Girl," a comedy webseries I wrote. If you don't know me, here's the gist:

A washed-up former child star tries to get her life back on track, but her big comeback is derailed when the fictional sitcom character she once played shows up on her doorstep. It's raunchy and fun, and for me it's a great outlet for my unending passion for cheesy retro sitcoms.

(shoutout to MadTV)

Anyway, this project has had a wild ride. I sold the pilot to an indie company that was all set to make it. Wrote a ten-episode season and worked closely with the producer guy before he pulled the plug on the whole project. Then COVID happened. Then my depression set in.

I still think this show has a bunch of promise, and I've been trying to get it out there as much as possible. It just got honored by Table Read My Screenplay (woo-hoo!) and Wiki: The World's Fastest Screenplay Competition. Not the biggest names in screenplay contests, I know, but still exciting.

So basically what I'm saying is that if you're interested in making a webseries with me, let me know. I figured that if no one's gonna buy this thing, I might as well do it myself.

Kotka and His Friends

I just had to share this. My friend Marina published her first English-language book. It's a short story collection about a cat named Kotka who goes on adventures throughout his little neighborhood. I was lucky enough to help her with edits and translations, so I've read through these stories several times. Always charming.

The ebook is out now!

 

Karma vs. the Evil Twin

 

Karma Tandin Is In Trouble

Everyone in Jakar knows that Karma has always defended his village from monsters. But suddenly his friends and neighbours are angry with him and accusing him of crimes he knows he didn't commit.

Karma suspects he has a doppelgänger who is terrorizing the town, but no one believes him. His friends Chimmi and Dawa and even his mother do not seem to trust him.

But with every monster in Bhutan suddenly turning up in Jakar, will he be able to stop his adversary in time?

The third book in the Karma Tandin, Monster Hunter series, set in Bhutan, is a rollicking adventure that will keep you riveted till the very end!

Hear Me Say Stuff

You guys, this was SOOO much fun. You can watch the video here.

I got to do a live reading to a very fun group of students and moms. We talked a bit about monsters, which is (of course) my favorite topic.

Now Is the Best Time to Read Monster Stories

Wow! What a cool write-up. Last week, I was interviewed by the fine folks at The Hindu. The story they came up with is a representation of Karma and why I write. Love it love it.

The Devil You Know

Have you ever seen Needful Things? What about Bedazzled? Devil's Advocate? Every third episode of The Twilight Zone?

In The Devil You Know, the devil comes in all forms and in every genre of story. Mine is set in a primary school. That's all I'm going to say.

Check it out, and don't make any deals without reading the fine print. (Except when it comes to pre-ordering on Amazon. I'm sure their fine print isn't too damning.)

Karma Meets a Zombie!

Karma's back, and this time, he has to face down an army of zombies. It happens.

This is #2 in the Karma Tandin, Monster Hunter series through Penguin, and this one's a doozy. People turn into salamanders. Body parts fly off. A giant blob of zombie limbs threatens to take over the village.

Check it out at your local bookstore!

Cannibals Are Here!

Mark your calendars! On June 24, a new horror anthology is coming out. It's all about cannibals. I'm so exciting that my short story "Bert" is included. I wanted to write something extra-weird for this one. Please check it out. Preferably on an empty stomach!

ENTER NOW!

Ghost Stories for Starless Nights

Ghost Stories for Starless Nights. If you're in the mood for something spooky right before summer, check these out. I'm so excited to have my story included amongst a pretty wild collection of ghosts and spirits and wandering travelers. Sit down beside the campfire and prepare to get the chills!

People. It's what's for dinner.

CANNIBALS! You know you love 'em. I sure do.

The glorious weirdos at Red Cape Publishing are releasing a series of horror anthologies. They're on letter C right now, which is where my cannibal story comes in. It's called "Bert," and it's about a chubby, little farmboy who has suspicions that his dad might be planning to eat him. Try to guess the twist ending, because I'm sure you won't.

This collection is very dark, very funny, and very... delicious? Can I say that? Sure. Why not? It's my blog.

The point is, check out C IS FOR CANNIBALS when it's finally served on June 24. And bring your appetite!