I love making blankets. I love everything about them. I love choosing the prints, touching the fabrics, and sewing the pieces together. But I just took on the most difficult project I have ever faced. A very dear woman, whom I adore, lost her husband. She sent me two of his shirts and asked me if I could make something … Read More
Miss Murder Gets Candid
Shane D. Keene interviewed me on Shotgun logic, and it was a blast! Oh, wait. That was a terrible and unintentional pun. Anyway, I really dug the interview. I didn’t have my filter on and talked about grief, the horrors of writing Little Dead Red, my excitement about Gamut, and how I don’t like being told to girlie up an anthology. I … Read More
An Open Letter: Alobar Holoprosencephaly
Dear Beautiful Stranger, You found my blog by searching for the phrase “should i hold my holoprosencephaly baby after birth”. My heart goes out to you, love. I’m pretty sure that your heart is breaking right now. I know you’ve been researching the diagnosis like crazy. I’m also pretty sure that you were as terrified of the pictures as I … Read More
The Grief Plant
Loss and loss and loss. I’m ready for a respite. But here’s something beautiful. When my grandmother passed away in December, my husband’s work sent him a houseplant to assuage his grief. The Grief Plant, as we called it, quickly became mine. And I have to admit that I felt no small amount of terror, because I have a black … Read More
Moon Bunny: The Murder of Magic
My Moon Bunny? I didn’t think she would stay. I didn’t expect it, not really. I thought she’d go slipping off into the night in the same ethereal, mysterious way that she appeared. That isn’t what happened. The owner of the house next door, who rents it out, came by to mow down the lawn. He found Moon Bunny there. … Read More
A Safe, Warm House
Yesterday was an emotional day. One of my roommates received some devastating news. I’m still bruised myself. So we all stayed inside of our safe, warm house yesterday, leaving only to get more Coke Zeros, snacks, and dinner. Do you know what it feels like to be loved? To have people who genuinely care for you gathered around? It feels … Read More
Monarchs and the Mississippi
We flew out at 6 am today, which means that we were driving to the airport at 4:30. The phrase “Don’t talk to me until Texas” was thrown around a couple of times. Neither Mason, Matt, nor I are fabulous morning people. I bought at Diet Coke for $3.50 in the Houston airport. I nearly wept. The house in New … Read More
World Horror Con, Grief, and White Rabbits
I’m leaving for World Horror Con in New Orleans, tomorrow. I’m going with part of my writer’s group and I’ve been hopeful about it for quite a while. It’s my first World Horror. And in NOLA! Woo! On the other hand, I’ve been exceptionally sad for the last few months and I don’t know if I have the internal fortitude … Read More
A Newborn Field Mouse
I have to be honest; It’s still difficult to be here. I want to get back onto the writing/blogging horse. After the birth of one daughter and the death of two more, I feel like I’m a newborn field mouse, stumbling around in the meadow. Some days I’m absolutely full of laughter. Some days I wonder if I’ll ever stop … Read More
Lightning Strikes In Las Vegas
We had the most amazing storm last night. It was about 3 AM and I was up with the little Cyborg Ninja. I heard the storm coming closer, and it made me happy. The lightning was stunningly bright and flashed so often that I didn’t need to turn on any lights. Wind. Rain. Thunder so loud that I thought I’d have little … Read More