Well, well, well… It’s been some time since I’ve written here and I’m kicking myself a bit. I used to love blogging; it was a great way to organize my thoughts, keep my writing brain firing on all cylinders and feel like I was informing the masses (the three of you who read this, haha) of all I’ve got going on. 2026 has been bolting right out of the gate and every time I sit down and think about sending a newsletter, my pulse quickens with dread. Not because I don’t enjoy writing but just from the sheer mass of EVERYTHING GOING ON.

I want to update you all more regularly, I do. But I’m still figuring out how best to prioritize my time between projects and now that we’re galloping into spring, it feels as though that time is growing thinner.

But, here’s some highlights on big things going on. More in depth recaps of events and other what-have-yous are going to be omitted in this one I’m afraid, but you can still check out any past posts on my socials if you’re wanting that.

Book number 19, Into The Darkening Dust, comes out in T-Minus 10 days. It’s a bit surreal, to be honest, just like it is with every other book I put out. This one is a return to the quiet, existential horror of the first book where we explore who Janet has become vs. who she used to be. For those of you who don’t know, ITDD is the first in a new series but picks up after the ending of Nothingland: Book 3 of the Deadlands. Several characters from the series make reappearances and there are spoilers from the previous books including Vulpine Curse and The Deadlands Omnibus.

This book is available to pre-order in hardcover and in ebook. Ingram gave me quite the runaround for three weeks by keeping my ebook in processing for the entire time but it has since been released from their stronghold. If you’re interested in picking up a copy you can pre-order a signed hardcover here or pre-order ebooks or unsigned hardcovers here.

If you are a reviewer interested in an ARC epub copy, fill out this form here.

Narrator @jesswrightaudio did a beautiful job navigating the darkness, the light, and the hope in this story, bringing to life every character. I've loved listening to it and absolutely can't wait until you all get your hands on it.

Grab your copy here.

*If you are a book reviewer who prefers audio vs. digital, and would like a copy for review, send me a message!*

I’m honored to have various 2025 books up for either nomination or on suggested reading lists this year for awards. If you have read BOREAL, Vulpine Curse, or Where The Soul Goes, they are eligible for any of the following awards during their voting periods:

OUTWRITE Scary Awards (run by Slashic Horror Press): Voting period ends May 30th. Vulpine Curse is nominated in the Novella, Gay Representation, and Splatterpunk categories. Where The Soul Goes is nominated in the Novel, Ace Representation, and Grief categories.

Indieverse Awards: Where The Soul Goes is nominated in Best Dystopian, Mystery, or Thriller, Chosen One I’m Glad Was Chosen, Found Family I Wish Found Me & Favorite Read Set In Another Time. BOREAL is nominated in Best Anthology, Gives Me Goosebumps & Favorite Niche Read. For more information about the awards, visit their about page here.

British Fantasy Awards: The British Fantasy Awards are open for voter and juror applications until May 3rd! Both BOREAL (Anthology) and Where The Soul Goes (Horror Novel) are among the fabulous books on the suggestions list. Voting is for members of the British Fantasy Society or Fantasy-Con ticket holders. Visit their website for more info!

I'm scheduling editing projects for the next couple months which means if you've got a story between 100 and 90,000 words, I'm your gal! I'm offering work for developmental editing, proofreading, and interior formatting on paperback books.

For more information on me and what projects I take, please visit the Services page of my website.

2026 is off to a roaring start. I tend to get a little over my head in the first few months because I try to read something from each of my guests on Winterviews (if I haven’t already read them). This year, I ended up having six books going at the same time (which I don’t recommend). I’m down to four at the same time now (still don’t recommend), but I’m clearing them one by one and having a blast doing it.

Some books I’ve read in 2026:

Books I’m currently reading:

I also have a book I’m reading for a blurb as well as projects I’m currently editing!

Winterviews Series 5 has wrapped! I had eleven amazing authors on this season (Amanda Headlee, Chris Panatier, Renee DeCamillis, Cat Delani, Tanya Pell, Grace R. Reynolds, Jason Alexander, Briana Morgan, Alyssa Alessi, Chris DiLeo, and Kyle Winkler.) If you missed any of our live episodes, make sure that you pop over to my YouTube channel and watch all of them there.

I’m plugging away on a new project called “Dichotomy” right now which combines a rainy spring evening, dark academia, feminine rage, and running for your life. I’m digging this book SO MUCH right now. Hoping to finish it up by the end of May so that I can leap into the next project.

I had to put “Drown Town” on a back burner recently because I realized that I would have to restart the book from the beginning. I was stumbling through it hoping it would find its way but I’ve now realized that with the additional research I’ve done, I’m going to need to go back and give this one some fresh energy. I likely won’t start in again until after my two shorter projects are done.

SORROW EATER is still being queried to agents and is out on-submission with a few presses. I won’t lie: the querying process has been bittersweet. We have hit the landmark of 50+ rejections by agents/presses.

On one hand, I’m jazzed about the opportunity to have this story be read by so many amazing people in the industry. On the other, I’m sad about the two years that have elapsed since I first started sending it out. I’m adamant that it will find its place but I’m so much more motivated at this point that it not sink into obscurity. This story meant so much to me when I wrote it as I was still coming to terms with understanding my asexuality and processing my own grief surrounding that.

I’ve sold two short stories so far this year. The first, “Rivals of Abandon” will be published in Fall of 2027 by 34 ORCHARD. The second story, “Night Sounds”, is due to be published by Fwd: Museums for their Afterlives Issue. I’ve still got a few more stories out in the void that I’m waiting to hear back on and hopefully will put a couple more out for calls soon.

I’ve been taking in a lot on the film/tv front but never as much as I’d like. While I’m in full-on writing mode, I don’t often watch a ton of stuff in the horror genre. When I do, it’s often with the intent to analyze it and break it down in my brain to understand its story, visuals, and intent on the director’s or screenwriter’s part. Mostly, I’ve been watching things that I can relax to so that I can dissociate with the world and all of its awfulness.

Some films/tv I’ve enjoyed recently:

Currently listening to:

Spring is finally here…maybe. I add the “maybe” because about an hour ago, we had hail. Strange hail that manifested out of NOWHERE after a sunny morning, fell for about twenty minutes, and now it’s sunny again. That’s what the weather is like in Maine. It makes no damn sense.

I’m hoping to get outside this afternoon and finish raking out the garden. Raking has never been my favorite outside chore but I’ll admit that it feels really nice to be outside in the sun after all of this cold weather and rain we’ve had. I have some Dahlias to plant as well and I’m looking forward to seeing them come up in a few months.

The car is in need of fixing and new tires. I’m trying to take on some extra editing and formatting gigs to help pay for all of the fixes. Thankfully, we don’t have any major trips in the works until August and September but I’m hoping it won’t take that long to get everything squared away. We’re also trying to get boards on our deck replaced this year, possibly landscape to put in a stone patio and try to cultivate the side yard into a garden so we don’t have to mow it. We have a huge section of the yard that gets so much moisture that it’s mostly moss. The problem is that grass tends to grow through it anyway and with our tick problem here in Maine, it needs to be managed regularly.

Not much fun with a push mower. We’re trying to figure out how to make it easier on ourselves.

Well, that brings us to the end of our April newsletter. I’m going to attempt to make these a more regular thing. Hopefully weekly. If not weekly, then bi-weekly because I know that not everyone is on social media nor wants to deal with that.

Until next time, friends:

Kat