2022 Writing In Review and 2023 Projects

Okay, yes, I am tardy with my 2022 writing review and previewing what I can about what’s coming in 2023. I was hoping to share more news about some of my 2023 projects than I am able to right now, but instead of postponing further I am going to go ahead with what I can.

The biggest event in 2022 was my Kymani Jones story “A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite” appearing in the anthology SECRETS IN SCARLET from Aconyte Books. The character and situations are based on Fantasy Flight Games’ new addition to their ARKHAM HORROR role-playing game, and it was very gratifying to see how well “Forty Grain” and Kymani were received by many fans of the game and of Lovecraftian horror in general.

Another cool thing about “A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite” is that it is my second story to be available on Audible, in this case as part of the SECRETS IN SCARLET audio book. Narrator Jennifer Jill Araya did a terrific job reading the story and I really can’t recommend it and the entire anthology enough!

Caliber Comics also completed their reissuing of my H. P. LOVECRAFT’S WORLDS individual adaptations and graphic novels. It took some time but now all the interior artwork has been cleaned up, all the editorial material has been re-edited and updated with new information, and the “Dagon” adaptation even includes an incredible new cover by artist Sergio Cariello.

My short story homage to Amicus portmanteau horror films “Expiration Date” was anthologized for the second time! First in 2019 in THE MONSTERS WE FORGOT, VOL. 1 from Soteira Press and now in Castlebridge Media’s CASTLE OF HORROR, VOL. 7: LOVE GONE WRONG. I was unable to place this story anywhere for several years so it is very heartening to now have it accepted by two such distinguished publishers.

Last but not least I attended my first comics show as a creator since the pandemic . The inaugural COMICS CURING CANCER show in November was also my first comics show in Utah and I am looking for to attending again later this year.

Which brings us to 2023.

There is no date set yet for the next C3 comics show but I will be attending OGDEN CON – VOL. 1 on April 15.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend MICROCON III in Minneapolis on April 8^th, which will represent the end of the road for the truly incredible MSP ComicCon. For 34 years now the MSP ComicCon has been a shining example of how excellent and fun a fan-run comic book show can be and I eagerly awaited attending each May. MSP was a place where you could go to remember and enjoy the simple and innocent wonders of comic books, but unfortunately, like Rocky Balboa said, “You know, the older I get, the more things I gotta leave behind. That’s life.” I just wish this part of my life could have gone on a little bit longer. To everyone who was a part of MSP thank you for what you did and for letting me be a very small but appreciative part of it.

What part do you think this building on London’s Oxford Street plays in my latest Sherlock Holmes pastiche “The Adventure of the Absent Crossing Sweeper”?

No surprise here, I’m sure, but my relationship with Sherlock Holmes and H. P. Lovecraft continues starting with “The Adventure of the Absent Crossing Sweeper.” This Holmes pastiche will appear in the latest installment of THE MX BOOK OF NEW SHERLOCK HOLMES STORIES edited by Sherlockian extraordinaire David Marcum. I will share more about this story after the publication date is announced, but I am proud to say “Crossing Sweeper” marks my fifth appearance in this marvelous anthology series.

Next up is “The Adventure of the Immutable Scourge” in the latest Belanger Books anthology SHERLOCK HOLMES: ADVENTURES IN THE REALMS OF H. P. LOVECRAFT. Again I will share more after the publication date is announced, but if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Holmes and Watson tried to solve the strange deaths from Lovecraft’s story “The Alchemist” this pastiche is for you! (And if you’re unfamiliar with this story you can check out Blue Oyster Cult’s musical version of it here:)

As for what could be coming in 2023:

One of Trey Baldwin’s pages from our upcoming adaptation of “The Call of Cthulhu”!

As of this writing I just finished a submission for Castlebridge’s next CASTLE OF HORROR anthology and I am waiting to hear back. I wish I could say more than this because this should be a really cool and super fun and very different horror anthology, but if and when I can reveal more I will do so.

Last year I mentioned a story I wrote for a new anthology featuring an overlooked pulp hero created by one of the medium’s most popular authors. Hopefully this anthology will be announced this year but until then all I can say about it is that it will absolutely be worth the wait!

Work continues on “Call of Cthulhu,” the second Lovecraft adaptation by me and artist Trey Baldwin. When it comes to Lovecraft’s stories it doesn’t get any bigger than this tale and Trey and I are doing everything we can to make sure this is one knock-out comic. Like all my Lovecraft adaptations “Call of Cthulhu” will be published by Caliber Comics.

I may or may not write some more short stories this year, but right now my plan is to concentrate on two new novels that I very much want to submit before year’s end. That should keep me busy for the duration, but it’s hard to predict what opportunities life will throw my way… so who knows?

That’s all for now!