My brain feels sparkly and settled after some afternoon art time, including playing with watercolors for the first time in a while.

Horror folks, it's the middle of September, and the Stoker Recommended Reading List is looking extremely small. If you're a member of the HWA, go recommend something you've read that you loved! horror.org/awards/curre...

Y'all: HIM was incredible. It's visceral and surreal, with haunting visuals. It washes over you, smothers you. See it in the theater, if you can. Tyriq Withers and the entire cast drew me in, but Marlon Wayans is uncomfortably compelling and terrifying.

@maryrajotte.bsky.social did an excellent job of summarizing the Stoker eligibility process and recommending rules: maryrajotte.com/blog/2021/09...

Today's the day! I'll be part of the Poet Showcase at Spinster Abbott's in St. Augustine. Fill up your depleted heart with poetry, and join the community open mic afterwards. Spinster Abbott's has a wide selection of adult and NA beverages, and the Hot Box food truck is delish.

Happy birthday to the glorious @nytebird45.bsky.social. Linda's writing always moves me, whether it's shifting perspectives, squeezing my emotions, or wobbling the ground underneath me.

The HWA Diversity Grants is open for applications until October 1 (midnight EST). Membership in the HWA is not a requirement for application. @horrorwritersassoc.bsky.social Please share. horrorscholarships.com/diversity-gr...

A slow sunset in the woods as the world spins round. Perfect poetry.

I missed tonight's @storyhour.bsky.social live webcast so I listened to an earlier one featuring @victorianations.bsky.social & @premeemohamed.com, w/ guest host @rebelsam94.bsky.social Two beautifully quiet but decidedly weird stories. youtu.be/j3BBQLNw9Kk

August showers bring September tadpoles for the labs 🐸

THE HONEYS by @ryanlasala.bsky.social is delicious and enthralling. I love Mars as a character, and this exchange was supremely satisfying. I also love the "summer camp with secrets" vibe that pings my nostalgia for THE GROUNDING OF GROUP SIX by Julian F. Thompson.

The beach at night, breeze heavy with water and salt

The 19th Amendment was ratified on this day in 1920, barring voting discrimination based on sex. But for women of color, the right to vote wasn’t fully realized until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 105 years later, we're still fighting for equal ballot access for all.

TONIGHT

🛸we’re open🛸 some things you might send: strange ships, lush worlds, disrupted timelines, borders edges and no man lands, untraceable lights, wrong waters, problematic orbits, upsetting rocks, windowless palaces, threatening foods, unfamiliar implements 🛸pro pay www.annareser.com/night-shades...

My abandoned waterpark midlife monster story is out today in @nightshadesmag.bsky.social! #horror 📚🩸

💥 THREE huge wins for equality & freedom in ONE week—thanks to the courts and local leaders who are standing up to extremist overreach from Tallahassee & Washington. 🏳️‍🌈 🧵 Let’s celebrate & keep the momentum going ⬇️

September 13! The Sing Out Loud Festival Poet Spotlight, hosted by Chris Bodor, FL Beat Poet Laureate, is coming to Spinster Abbott's. Check out @ancientcitypoets for more details. The Poet Spotlight starts at 7:00 pm, followed by a community open mic at 8:00 pm (sign-ups start at 6:30 pm).

Deep into my (10th?) re-read of THE STAND by Stephen King, and eagerly anticipating THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT, edited by @cgolden.bsky.social and @briankeene.bsky.social. I can't wait to explore this world further.

Today I have a rant about how we shelve books about books and I use @sadiehartmann.bsky.social and my upcoming books as an example: raforall.blogspot.com/2025/08/nonf...

Thunderstorm outside the library, immersed in a friend's story inside.

Just @maryrajotte.bsky.social @kathleenpalm.bsky.social and I hanging out at World Market.

OUR NEW HOURS

"3. No listen ppl who say u have to 'get out! see the worlb!' to write. Not true. U can write good and win awards et setera if u just stay home with cat and no leave house."

Prosecco, sorbet, and "lawter" day. I've shared so much with three girlfriends I've known for nearly 45 years. I'm grateful we are still swimming, laughing, and sharing what's in our hearts.

💼 JOB OPENING 💼 The Andrea Brown Literary Agency is seeking a part-time assistant to provide light support to several agents on our team and to assist with running our social media accounts and website. Check out the full job posting, including key responsibilities and qualifications, here

#BookSky Folks, make sure you click through and send your choices to NPR. My TBR is getting longer and longer bc I love the books y'all are posting.

#BookSky: What book should every high schooler read _now_? 📚

Due to popular demand, Vortex is now doing weekly eBay auctions: www.ebay.com/usr/vortexbo...

Reading beachside, and I love this description of a mouldering museum in THE PALEONTOLOGIST by @thenewdumas. I want to explore the creepy, rotting corners of the place even more now.

Gorgeous morning at the beach, but had to head home midday. 92F, with a "feels like" of 106 F.

It’s me! With some really cool news! I’ve joined the Haven Spec team and I couldn’t be more excited. Keep sending in your work because I truly love reading it!

The Submission Grinder launched about twelve and a half years ago! In that time, 712,809 submissions have been recorded by 12,436 users. Of those, there were 42,894 acceptances have been recorded by 5169 of those users. So the overall acceptance rate of submissions records on the site is 6.0%.

We lost our little kitty today, Nell. Her middle name was Street Cat, for how she showed up in our yard, and Percey, our boy cat, adopted her. She never lost her taste for gas station donuts. We'll miss her something awful. ♥️

Democrats call for the closure of “Alligator Alcatraz” after touring the controversial pop-up tent immigration detention center that DeSantis quickly assembled in the Everglades.

I just left the Everglades Immigrant Interment Camp. No, I’m not using their ridiculous name. It was a very tough to witness humans in those cages. Every Floridian should be ashamed that our taxpayer money is being used for this.

FL lawmakers have been trying to to get access to the Everglades immigrant detention center for a couple weeks. A group were turned away, and once they sued, they were given a short, curated visit yesterday. I'm grateful we have a group trying to get information on this inhumane boondoggle.

Thanks, Gabino! I have a new Victorian gothic novella coming out next Tuesday, July 15th, from @rdspress.bsky.social! www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...

This week, the Senate will vote on the Rescissions Act of 2025, which aims to cut all current federal funding for public media. We urge you to take action now to help save public media. Hear from some of our impacted members below and call your senators TODAY!

Dark fantasy, Mexican folklore, and superstition - yes please! 🇨🇦

The FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards return to honor the best horror movies of the year! Find the full list of nominees right here. Voting is NOW OPEN!

Article: libraryjournal.com/story/Horror... - Horror Renaissance | Genre Preview| by @raforall.bsky.social @libraryjournal.bsky.social

VAMPS IN THE VILLAGES #UnhingedPit #A #H #Q (for queer and querying) Queer vampire exes and their blood-drenched unlife of: 🦇1980s Goth clubs ❤️‍🔥Monstrous femme sexy times 👵 Quirky retiree villagers ⛪️ Apocalyptic evangelicals 🕺🏻 Bad decisions that come back ♾️ Life and love everlasting

#UnhingedPit VAMPS IN THE VILLAGES Reluctant Immortals X Lost Souls #A #H #Q (for queer and querying)

Seven Sins Resort & Casino OK, it’s really Beetlejuice but with sapphic witches, a haunted Florida island resort, mean mommies, and coven politics. Oh and a Hispanic FMC 🔮. Pls enjoy my terrible book trailer—hand drawn and everything. #Unhingedpit #Q #A #F #Sapphic #H

It's #UnhingedPit day! Prepare for too many wacky memes about my novel. VAMPS IN THE VILLAGES Reluctant Immortals X Lost Souls #A #H #Q (for queer and querying)

Happy #UnhingedPit day everyone! Now let's see those pitches 🔥

GOOD FOR HER is out in the world - and you can grab it direct from the Bat store! Want stories of women's rage from @rjacksonjoseph.bsky.social, @haileypiperfights.bsky.social, MJ Mars, @aijiang.bsky.social and many, many more? They can be yours!

Book people: the following small presses have just lost funding from the National Endowment for the Arts. Please consider supporting them! A Thread.