Recovering from StokerCon I made some assumptions when I went to the Horror Writers Association's StokerCon last week. One was that the drive to Pittsburgh wouldn't take an entire day. Another was that Pennsylvania rest areas are just like New Jersey and New York rest areas and have restaurants…

A Year Later: The Chilling Effect of Supreme Court’s Mahmoud v. Taylor Decision www.slj.com/story/The-Ch...

Why scary is good Reading or watching a horror story is like riding a roller coaster. No, hear me out. It's scary. There are unexpected twists and turns. There's a horrific drop and your stomach leaps into your throat. You close your eyes, you don't want to look. You think this…

Where and How Book Censorship Is Impacting Children’s Publishing Right Now. Publishing imprints for young readers are shuttering thanks to a softening school and library market. That's a result of book censorship, and it impacts you wherever you live. bookriot.com/book-bans-an...

My latest article for @slj.com: www.slj.com/story/LGBTQI...

I had such fun writing my Mary Morstan/Irene Adler adventure story and am so happy it found a home in this anthology: www.amazon.com/Steel-Blade-...

Still debating Here's what it means to be a minority religion/culture within a majority society: Every time something is scheduled on one of your holidays, you have to decide whether it's worth the pushback. Purim began on Monday night (all Jewish holidays start at sundown, as does Shabbos). I…

New story announcement Write what you know. It's good advice but so easy to misinterpret. Taken to the illogical extreme, writers wouldn't be allowed to write anything beyond their own lived experiences, and that would kill a lot of good writing. You can create whole worlds with a decent amount of…

I got this acceptance on New Year's Eve, which was a cool way to end the year. Happy* reading! *Note: This might not be the right word.

An announcement, and a message I had the call for submissions up on my screen when my 16-year-old walked in and said excitedly, "Is that an Odyssey anthology?" Like any standard fantasy nerd, my 16-year-old is having a Greek mythology phase. Mine started in grade school (Clash of the Titans!). My…

So excited to announce I have a story in this Flame Tree anthology! Stay tuned for my Greek-mythology horror tale: blog.flametreepublishing.com/fantasy-goth...

Superpowered in Delaware Getting short fiction published can feel like it's all in your head. You get an emailed acceptance, you get emailed a contract and edits. Getting your copy of the anthology or magazine (or the publication link) is proof that the acceptance was real and your name is in…

🎉 LAUNCH PARTY ANNOUNCEMENT! 🎉 Come join us at @captainbluehen.bsky.social on November 15th at 6pm EST to celebrate the release of our latest anthology: WHERE LEGENDS WALK! You can grab a copy of the book early, meet some of the authors, and help support our fabulous local comic shop!

Back online briefly to share this! Can't wait to see my copy!

Writing in these times I check the news every day. Several times a day. Yes, I am perpetually frustrated and outraged. No, it's not great for my mental health. (Or for the actual physical health and safety of so many other people. Worry about them, not me.) At the end of the day, at the end of the…

My latest article for @slj.com:

I love this essay and I love having a story in this anthology.

Things are changing There's change for the bad, and for the good. And sometimes both. The worst part of losing a pet is having to make the decision. I kept hoping Theo would die peacefully in her sleep, but even as she lost her appetite and her ability to walk, she kept hanging on until we brought…

Please admire Jennifer Marang's cover for this superhero anthology I'm featured in. Then check out the Kickstarter! www.kickstarter.com/projects/odd...

My latest article for @slj.com: www.slj.com/story/Studen...

My second-place-winning story in On the Premises magazine is up! onthepremises.com/issues/issue...

Despite the storm We were in the Poconos recently on a family trip. Rain was threatening, and thunder rolled across the lake. My son and I sat on the balcony of our hotel room, casually chatting, while the thunder got louder and the rain poured down and lightning flashed around us. A strange…

Excited to announce my story "Her Mother, Reflected" won 2nd place in the On the Premises short story contest! Look for the issue on 6/15.

Starting over, again One of the hardest parts about baking—bread, biscuits, cookies, whatever—is trying not to overmix the dough. Knowing when the ingredients have more or less come together and that you haven't whisked, mixed or kneaded them into stiffness, because otherwise the dough won't hold…

Authors talk about their experiences having their books banned. www.theheadlightreview.com/highbeams/ba...

“The Library of Congress is by its very mission nonpartisan. Throughout its history it has served the pursuit of knowledge by and on behalf of all Americans. For a president to break this sacred trust is a bridge too far.” —Mary Rasenberger, CEO of the Authors Guild authorsguild.org/news/ag-cond...

Getting neurodiversity wrong I put our Passover Seder together in a hurry last weekend* because we were on a college campus for most of it, attending an accepted students' weekend for our son. Our autistic son. I don't talk about my kids much online, because they're entitled to their privacy. But…

Majority of attempts to ban books in U.S. come from organized groups, not parents.

#NationalLibraryWeek kicks off today! It’s a time to celebrate the places that welcome everyone, spark curiosity, and strengthen our communities. This week, take a moment to discover—or rediscover—what makes your library special. What draws you to the library? ilovelibraries.org/national-lib...

Happy National School Librarian Day! We ❤️ school librarians! Sending heartfelt thanks today and every day for inspiring kiddos to be readers, thinkers, and dreamers! 📚 #NationalSchoolLibrarianDay #kidlit #EduSky #Skybrarian

How Will the IMLS Cuts Impact Your Library? SLJ wants to share the stories of how the loss of funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services—including Laura Bush Foundation grants —will impact your library and community. www.slj.com/story/newsfe...

Just the words Sometimes I think it's the pen. My favorite for a while was a white pen that said Walt Disney Resorts on it in gold. The pen always wrote smoothly. I'd never run out of words. (It was probably just a white Bic pen in fancy clothes, but I liked to pretend otherwise.) Sometimes I…

Support member @as-king.bsky.social AND the rights of libraries, readers, & writers by showing up for the event in Hershey, PA. We keep each other safe by showing up.

Library patrons in Greenville, South Carolina, with help from the ACLU and ACLU of SC, have sued the county over library policies restricting and banning LGBTQ+ materials. bookriot.com/greenville-s...

My latest article for Real Estate NJ: re-nj.com/pickleball-u...

Lawmakers in Texas are seeking to impose harsh criminal penalties on school librarians and teachers who provide award-winning works of literature to students www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

Sometimes, one good book can supercharge your professional development. That was the experience of these district librarians, who say they were motivated by particular titles to refocus their work or their advocacy. Here are the books that inspired them and why.

We love libraries because libraries connect communities. What are your #ReasonsToLoveLibraries? —@NHVfREADomv (NH-V Intellectual Freedom Fighters

It's not just the content of news or government press releases we need to pay attention to. We need to pay attention to the sources of information before sharing it, too. The importance of citing and verifying sources + this week's book censorship news: bookriot.com/how-to-ident...

Winning a Newbery, Caldecott, or Printz Awards can boost sales. But restrictive laws and opposition to diversity could impact availability of these titles in school libraries. "Legislation, Soft Censorship Could Keep YMA Winners Off School Shelves" www.slj.com/story/Legisl...

Sometimes, one good book can supercharge your professional development. That was the experience of these district librarians, who say they were motivated by particular titles to refocus their work or their advocacy. Here are the books that inspired them and why

Day by day Every day is a study in contradictions. I take our oldest on college visits while wondering whether student loans will still exist. I ask the kids about their school day while also asking whether anyone is harassing or bullying them (not so far) and worrying whether they're about to…

To defend religious freedom from the Trump administration, we need to fight book bans. Today, I'm honored to have @raushenbush.bsky.social writing for Literary Activism on the need for people of faith to engage in anti-censorship work. bookriot.com/religious-fr...

My latest article for @slj.com: www.slj.com/story/career...

"The bans show a clear pattern of targeting authors of color, women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Books that educate about racism, gender and history are most often the recipient of relentless censorship attempts." www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

"A key reason to love libraries is they are critical community partners, working with local, regional, and even national partners like these to bring about initiatives that simply would not exist otherwise." - Noah Lenstra

The librarians are on it. Use your library. Stand up for your local library. teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2025/02/02/s...

"My elementary school librarian provided for me a space to be me. Her name was Mrs. Runyan. She didn’t care how many times I checked out Shark Lady or played on the computer. She laughed at my bad jokes & allowed me to “help”. I felt safe & I felt needed. I needed the space & it needed me."

While invoicing, I accidentally typed Jan. 31 as Jan. 312, and honestly that seems right.

“When they go after the books, what they’re really going after are those kids who come into my library looking for a safe space...” We need more of this kind of reportage and exposure of what's happening in our schools and libraries. www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ja... #uniteagainstbookbans