Only Southerners know why this gumbo I ate in a Massachusetts restaurant today made me cry. No shrimp or crawfish?? No okra?? 99.9% roux???

Flannery O’Connor is one of my greatest influences, and she died at age 39 of the same disease I have. I’ve read she became less racist toward the end of her life, but she was also a devout Catholic, and we would clash hard over issues of Christianity and colonialism in the South.

Hubs took me to celebrate signing the contract for my second book. A little girl in Arkansas, living in poverty with an alcoholic, who told everyone she would grow up to be a writer, grew into a teenager who thought she couldn’t afford to dream. But dreams are free, and sometimes they come true. ♥️

For Trans Awareness Month, I invite you to be aware of trans authors That's more than just clever wordplay! There are so many amazing trans authors who are unknown outside their small corners of the community. Readers are missing out on some of the best work on the virtual stands today!

Multiple folks telling me after this next book, agents will be seeking ME out. We’ll see who makes the cut. They’ll have to woo me, though.

I have a ko-fi shop where I make and sell bits and bobs. Right now I have a few things available, like handmade pronoun pendants, ghost earrings, and mystery packs of enamel pins and necklaces. It’s been a few weeks since I made a sale, I’d love if you took a look! ko-fi.com/velveteenvam...

Probably the single most important thing when working with children and teens: Don’t promise something you can’t or won’t deliver. Ever. But if you can’t follow through for some reason, apologize, and be sincere. It teaches them more than trust; it teaches them to show up when they make a promise.

Hubs took me to celebrate signing the contract for my second book. A little girl in Arkansas, living in poverty with an alcoholic, who told everyone she would grow up to be a writer, grew into a teenager who thought she couldn’t afford to dream. But dreams are free, and sometimes they come true. ♥️

It has been dark, dark days for so, so long. Today we all dance in the light of a sunbeam.

I just signed the contract for my second novel. This is going to be a big one. More details to come after the New Year, but gosh, I feel lucky as all hell I get to write another one. 🖤

The Twisted Spine in NYC has been open less than 2 months and has already become a beloved fixture in the horror book community. On Oct. 30, they were hit by the remnants of Hurricane Melissa, which resulted in flooding. They need our help now! Please share far and wide: gofund.me/96586c695

My familiar. 🖤

Ah, Trump. The Marie Antoinette of our time.

2025 Awards Eligibility! BLOOD AND OIL, published by @contrarianpublishing.com in BLOOD SWEAT & QUEERS: VAMPIRIC LOVE STORIES on October 7. Oil refinery-worker Darling is obsessed with graphic videos. When her coworker is killed by an ancient Indigenous creature, her obsession finds a new target.

Great news!! @maeisafraid.bsky.social is back on BlueSky! And big things are happening in 2026. Follower the new account to (re)connect 🖤 #HorrorSky

I deleted my account, recreated my account, deleted, remade, got banned by BlueSky, got unbanned… You’re probably not following this account. I’m a bit wishy-washy when it comes to social media. I believe I’m back for good. I have a lot to share soon. Please repost to help folks find me again. 🖤

Recorded a podcast episode with horror_reader_pod on Instagram to celebrate the Nov. 19 anniversary of the release of I’M SORRY IF I SCARED YOU. A deeply personal interview, a deep-dive into the characters, a free therapy session, and notes on supporting indie authors. Keep an eye out. 🖤

Hot recession tip: Anything can be soup.

A friend told me he had been clearing out his gran’s house. The most amazing thing he found there was this knitted effigy of the man who had run off and abandoned my friend’s pregnant aunt. Into the effigy had been stuck twenty knitting needles: one for every year since the man had vanished.

The moral of Cuckoo (2024) is that every trans girl should carry a knife

How incredibly exciting! Congrats to Nat and the Shortwave team!

Watching every day people prepare to support and feed their neighbors as they lose their ability to feed their children, while billionaires continue to hoard their money and pop stars continue to sell out stadiums and hundreds of millions of dollars are poured into film franchises better buried.

Huge thank you to the comedians, musicians, artists and writers who are just as mad and bewildered as the rest of us but are still doing their best to make life worth living for everyone.

I’ve been trying to figure out ways to help raise money for food banks so I’m going to giveaway a 1 year sub to @fangoria.bsky.social (out of my own pocket). Just show me a receipt that you donated at least $10 to any food bank (DMs are ok). I’ll notify the recipient on 11/3! #HorrorFam let’s go!

First-time watch of THE BAD SEED (1956) last night. WOW! It did not disappoint. A stunning performance from child actor Patty McCormack as Rhoda and, I believe, the first psychopathic child onscreen. Suffers one flaw: a more palatable change to the ending from the source material.

I work for an org that serves over 1000 local children. We have a small food pantry and recently started a backpack program in which we send children with families in need home with backpacks of food on Fridays. These initiatives will not be enough to keep our children fed when they lose SNAP.

it's not necessarily a flaw if a story doesn't give you more of what you want from it

When u grow up the way we did ...beauty is a hard won commodity But we fucking earned that shit Mae We fucking earned it

My story THAT SOUTHERN SPIRIT is in this!

I will say, you will be getting another Mae Murray novel. And we will be on that journey from beginning to end together. I can’t wait to bring you along for the ride.

I’m in the contract negotiation stage of my next project—the biggest thing to happen to me in my writing career. I’m bursting at the seams, but I can’t say much. All will be revealed in 2026. I’ve returned to BlueSky because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to share it with you all. ♥️

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The best book I read in... Jan - Kathleen Sully, Shade of Eden Feb - Brigid Brophy, The Finishing Touch Mar - Chester Himes, Blind Man with a Pistol Apr - Thomas Mofolo, Chaka May - Mae Murray, I'm Sorry If I Scared You Jun - David Lodge, Changing Places More later.

I'M SORRY IF I SCARED YOU (2024, #book) An enrapturing, visceral, and *lived* story of a young Southern woman surviving Everything while creating Something in the process. It's personal, it's queer, and boy does it swing hard. cw: omni-trauma; pitch-black scenes h/t: @maeisafraid.bsky.social

"Watching 'Mandy' With Grandma" by Mae Murray in Dread Central www.dreadcentral.com/editorials/4...

Looking for Southern queers fighting cops and rapists with a sentient fetus? Check out my latest review: diversityhorror.com/2025/05/22/i...

I finished I'm Sorry If I Scared You by @maeisafraid.bsky.social while I was away. It's fantastic - wild and gross and angry and sadly far too relevant to our modern hellscape If a queer Southern rape-revenge horror story sounds like your jam, get you this

Read Jessica Conwell Read Emmett Nahil Read Morgan Dante Read C. M. Rosens Read Mae Murray Read Rae Wilde Read April Yates Read Tiernan Blanchard Read Stacy Wayne Read LC von Hessen Read Ria Hill Read Xochilt Avila Read Davis Walden READ QUEER HORROR ALL YEAR 🏳️‍🌈🖤

Look what arrived at Little Ghosts Books… 👀 I’M SORRY IF I SCARED YOU. Signed copies, stickers, and limited edition “Keep Indie Horror Alive” bookmarks available in store! 🖤👻📚

I won't say the horror genre is without sin, but the indie horror scene in particular hosts a wide range of marginalized voices Shout out in particular to writer and editor Mae Murray ( @maeisafraid.bsky.social), who is simply the best #HorrorWritersChat

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I'm Sorry If I Scared You by Mae Murray is an incredible work of Southern queer horror. It's weird, it's gross, it's gay, and it's all too relevant Also I swear that cover will make perfect sense by the time you finish

#HauteCover #StokerCon Love (writing horror) means never having to say I’M SORRY IF I SCARED YOU by @maeisafraid.bsky.social Pub’d by Medusa Publishing Haus 💙📚 🩸📚 13/?

went to see if my local library system had you yet (i’m about to request i’m sorry if i scared you) and also learned you are a vampire?? incredible

Also, @maeisafraid.bsky.social did you know that your book joins my list of 2024 PIE HORROR?

So pleased with my blind book dates from @littleghostsbooks.bsky.social! I think I chose to get queer horror books which was an amazing, specific ask. (That or I just got really, really lucky.) I'm looking forward to supporting this Canadian business again when I make a dent in my TBR. ❤️

If you haven’t been reading @maeisafraid.bsky.social’s Women in Horror Month interviews, please do yourself a favor & check them out! I’ve been enjoying it so much that I asked Mae if I could interview her & she graciously agreed! Check it out here! tiffanymorris.ca/2025/03/31/w...