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!