IWSG - New Releases, Auroras, & Podcast Appearance

It's time for the December Insecure Writer's Support Group.

The IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh to provide a place to discuss our insecurities and lend each other support. It occurs the first Wednesday of each month, and anyone can join. Just click on Alex's name and put your blog on the linky list.

The co-hosts this month are Tara Tyler, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, Liza, and Natalie Aguirre.

Optional question: As a writer, what was one of the coolest/best gifts you received?

Man, I've received some great gifts, but my husband is probably at the top of the list as the gift giver. He made a giant book cover for me with velcro stick-ons saying "Signed by the Author" and "Now in Session Author Meet and Greet Book Signing" for my first ever book launch. He also got me my formatting software and installed it. For someone who doesn't enjoy reading, he is great at supporting me as a writer.

Speaking of book launches, I released my newest short story collection in November, with the paperback coming out this Thursday. This is the first time I've done the tiered approach (e-book first, then paperback), so we'll see how that goes. I'd love to say it was intentional, but I was in the middle of a personal crisis and just did things in the order I could in the timing that was available to me. I also did pretty much no marketing. What I should have done is delay the release, but I'd already delayed it from the October release I'd planned for. So yeah, my insecurity this month is how this release will ultimately go. 

I'm hoping to release two books in 2026, possibly three, so we'll see how that goes!

Gather in and stoke the fire for a chilling collection of 21 dark tales ranging from a stolen kiss to a deadly delusion, from the western plains to the stars. Here you'll find a child coming to terms with her secret night parents, a woman driven to the edge by cabin fever, a shrink who's been pushed too far, a rental house hiding a sordid history, a woman's greatest fear brought to life, a basement of horrors, a secret society slipping into the nightmares between worlds, and more. These are the stories that bring to life the afflictions we face.

Available in e-book and paperback! This is the universal link. Individual links to various markets can be found on my Publications tab.

And the first accepted story I've written since quitting the job from Hell is coming out December 9! It's a mystery in an anthology of female detective stories.

Historically, it would be tricky to define exactly when the concept of the Female Private Investigator first appeared in fiction. But The Female Detective and Revelations of a Lady Detective--both published in 1864, independent of each other--proves that it was a genre whose time had come. And while Miss Gladden may have been the first by all of 5 months, it's Mrs. Paschal who is more the not-so-frail ground breaker--and it should be noted that Conan Doyle was only 5 when these ladies hit the streets.

 So what better way to present the modern female investigator than by gathering 15 top class authors and letting them tell you all about the exploits of their creations.

Featuring: Debra H. Goldstein, John B. Elliott, Steve Liskow, Sandra J. Cady, Debra Bliss Saenger, Kathleen Marpie Kalb, Wil A. Emerson, Karen Odden, John W. Salvage, Michael J. Ciaraldi, Shannon Lawrence, Elle Higgins, Bonnar Spring, N.M. Cedeno, and Adam Meyer.

Available at Amazon in e-book and paperback. *Note that the Amazon link is an affiliate link, which means I may get a percentage of the sale without raising the price (it gives me part of Amazon's cut).

I was interviewed on the Book 101 Review podcast. Here's the YouTube link.

I was interviewed yesterday for another podcast and he even had a specially made theme song about me that played at the beginning and end. Very cool! He thought it would likely go live right before Christmas, but I'll post about that in the January post. I'll be on some other podcasts, as well since I recently got some invites, but news on those when they happen/post!

Finally, I taught a workshop on doing events as a writer. If I can figure out how to share the link without sharing the one they gave me directly, I'll do that, probably next month. 

Oh! And I saw the aurora down here in Colorado! So exciting. 

November Submission Stats:

0 submissions

1 acceptance

0 rejections

6 currently on submission

That was all a lot, but I've been busy this month.

Did you see the aurora (and where are you)? What are your current insecurities? Have you been submitting?

May you find your Muse.