Time is ticking by

Morning darklings,

I'm a person who says she'll try anything once. It's not exactly true, of course. There are some things that sound too painful or scary or unnecessary or gross or… you get it. Those things won't make my list of try a thing once. But things that sound exciting or big or maybe even insurmountable seem to find their way, and often, they move to the top of the list.

Clocks was one of those things. I'd conquered an anthology already. Claw Machine was wonderful and complicated and wearing. I'd curated those stories, though. I’d sought out the authors, we talked about content, and some even sent me second drafts to confirm they were on the right track. I hadn't done open submissions. That felt new and exciting. So for my next anthology, I’d thought I should give it a try. I hadn't planned on getting more projects in between, hadn't planned on getting sicker and moving and having another fatigue relapse. I also hadn't planned on coming up with two new project ideas and a whole art collection that made my heart sing. So you could say I didn't plan on being as busy as I was—er, am.

When the stories started coming in, I worried. I worried I wouldn’t get enough to make a whole anthology, that they wouldn’t be cohesive, that I’d have a flare or relapse in the middle of editing, that I’d ruin it all somehow, that people would realize I’m not the publisher they wanted, that I’d get too many stories and not be able to handle them. I was a whirling dervish of worry.

But it came together. I was close to having Too Many. I am always close to a flare or relapse. The rest? Well, it was for nothing, for no one.

The stories created their own shape, the authors saw (and are still seeing) my value, and I am handling it—imperfectly, to be sure. Missing a self-made deadline by two days, forgetting to send things for a day or two. That’s just being human, though, isn’t it? Imperfections are part of the general it-ness of being alive.

So, despite my spirals, I have a wonderful collection for you to enjoy. The art and cover are on their way. The Kickstarter is in March. But the stories are ready. The hardest part is done. Because it’s the holiday season, I thought would give you a sneak peek.

I don’t just have my usual new and established authors in this collection, there are international and US-based authors. From Australia to the UK to right here in the PNW, there are writers who truly took the word clock to a whole new level.

Here are the authors and their stories in alphabetical order. Trust me that you want to read them, you want to read them by these authors, and you want to read them in the order they’re actually in the book (a surprise for the Kickstarter).

Clocks: the who and what and why—

and maybe when

Chantell Saunders—”Chimes at Midnight” / you think you know what a time loop is

Charlotte Van Ryswyk—”Memory Jars” / nothing like a storm

Courtney Raines—”Time Together” / is more time really more time?

Erin Hall—”You Can't Go Home Again” / what is time and is it what matters most?

J.S. Mercer—“Time's Up” / some things cannot be predicted

James Carraghan—“Checking the Time” / how much knowledge would you really want?

Katherine Quevedo—”Gearheart” / be careful who you tinker with

Katrina Jax—”Second Hand” / morals can be tricky

Madi Haab—”The Wind-Up Heart” / what if metaphors?

Mia Dalia—”Tick Tock” / you never know what’s real on the internet

Niyyah Ruscher-Haqq—”Grandmother Clock” / nothing is what you expect

Raymond Brunell—”Seventeen Calls” / liminal spaces hold so much

Reign Reeves Pearson—”Counting You” / the fluidity of time can be haunting

Sarah Walker—Title incoming / I can’t wait to tell you

Susan E. Rogers—”Clockmaker” / good deeds can go unpunished

So, you see why you need to follow the Kickstarter.

and lil note

For I’d let those of you who didn’t already know that I’ve taken Joyce’s Amazon pre-order down. They’ve put in some dubious AI things in regards to their ebooks, and though I’ll be putting most of my other work there (and leaving most of it up too), Joyce is different. I don’t want AI to muck up disability rep by answering a question about chronic fatigue incorrectly.

So the pre-order will be everywhere else (including my website) in the coming days or week or so.

To say I’ve been moving and doing and thinking and doing some more still feels like an understatement. I’ve not had a moment alone to breathe, save the hour and ten minutes with my therapist—the ten extra minutes being necessary, as there has been just so much overwhelm in life, I worry the steam building in me will burst from my eyes and my nose and my mouth, and I will resemble a person being smited. So hopefully I’ll be able to drop it in the Christmas mood board but only energy will tell. Keep your fingers crossed for me. ❤️ 

and now, a lil board

Until next time, harness the Little darknesses and embrace the Little things.