"Twisted: Tainted Tales" by Janine Pipe

"Twisted: Tainted Tales" by Janine Pipe

Being tasked with what seems to be one of the most banal assignments, Jill finds herself rooting through an old property at the behest of her boss at the Jeffery, Yardly and Marshall legal firm. Though at first she took on the job with dismay, now her interest is peaked. After rifling through a locked desk drawer she discovers what appears to be tattered papers and an old mixtape. The papers are scrawled with the fictional drabbles of the previous resident, the same person who went missing without a trace.

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Mistakes I Made With My Self-Published Book Covers

Mistakes I Made With My Self-Published Book Covers


I’ve committed the worst sin of self-publishing. No, not failing to hire an editor (well, okay, I did that one, too. A bunch of times). No, not falsely representing myself to try and get my books on digital platforms used for library checkouts (wait, I TOTALLY did that one, and I won’t apoogize).

I must confess: I made my own covers.

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Latinx Horror Author Roundtable

Latinx Horror Author Roundtable

As a Latinx poet and writer that often writes within the horror space, I have been pleased by the growth of Latinx representation in the genre.

I wanted to talk to several new, emerging, and widely published Latinx horror authors to understand what being a Latinx horror writer means to them, and find out what they hope to see in the future of Latinx horror.

These writers represent just a small sampling of Latinx voices writing horror fiction.

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A Conversation with Joshua Mohr About Mortality, Cheery Nihilism, and His New Memoir 'Model Citizen'

A Conversation with Joshua Mohr About Mortality, Cheery Nihilism, and His New Memoir 'Model Citizen'

Photos courtesy of the authors

In 2017, novelist Joshua Mohr released the memoir Sirens, about his years of substance abuse, getting clean, fatherhood, and the congenital heart defect which led to a series of strokes that almost killed him.

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Cynthia Pelayo: Writing in 2021 as a Badass Woman in Horror

Cynthia Pelayo: Writing in 2021 as a Badass Woman in Horror

Author Photo courtesy of Cynthia Pelayo

When I think about a badass woman in horror, there are many names that fit the bill, but Cynthia Pelayo is the first author that comes to mind. Don't get me wrong, she is very approachable and kind. That's not what I'm getting at. I've been following her work as a writer for some time now, and it's her dedication and work-ethic in the writing community that makes her stand out amongst the other fierce woman writing dark fiction.

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Ruminations on Humanity, Escape and Sexiness: Recent Works by Kelly Kay, Leesa Cross-Smith and Alice Kaltman

Ruminations on Humanity, Escape and Sexiness: Recent Works by Kelly Kay, Leesa Cross-Smith and Alice Kaltman


I want to tell you about my experience reading the books Crushing by Kelly Kay, This Close to Okay by Leesa Cross-Smith and dawg towne by Alice Kaltman.

I do, and I will, there's just a lot going on.

Yes, there is hope that COVID may yet run its course with vaccines now widely available. The new administration is talking about climate change. There is justice for George Floyd.

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11 Poetic Forms Ranked

11 Poetic Forms Ranked

It's National Poetry Month in the U.S., which (of course) means it's time for an opinion-based list article. Today, I'm going to rank a variety of poetic forms. Some of these you're certainly familiar with while others may be new to you.

Because I am ranking these forms based on my personal experience and preferences, there's nothing "true" about this list. Hopefully, though, the examples and thoughts I share will introduce you to some new regions of the poetic landscape.

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How To Write Your Novel in 20 Easy Steps

How To Write Your Novel in 20 Easy Steps

Original image by Andrea Piacquadio

I once wrote a ten-step guide to writing your novel, but that was missing a lot of crucial steps, and some writers died or got seriously injured while following it, so I decided to expand it and create the definite guide to writing a novel. Enjoy!

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Why You Didn't Finish Your Novel During COVID

Why You Didn't Finish Your Novel During COVID

It’s been too long since I’ve heard a really bizarre conspiracy theory about COVID.

And when the wacky theories about something dry up, you know it’s coming to an end.

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Remembering Wanda Coleman: The Unofficial Poet Laureate of Los Angeles

Remembering Wanda Coleman: The Unofficial Poet Laureate of Los Angeles

It’s hard to imagine the fierce voice of Wanda Coleman comfortable with the slighted title of The Unofficial Poet Laureate of Los Angeles, but the backhanded relegation was the best CBS could offer when memorializing the trailblazing American poet working entirely on her own terms. She’s been called many things: the L.A. Blueswoman, Mad Dog Black Lady, or “hateful and hilarious, heartbroken and hellbent,” as author/poet Mary Karr described Coleman’s Wicked Enchantment: Selected Poems (Black Sparrow Press, 2020).

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