Update on short fiction collection, and current reads

It's really interesting to work on multiple projects at the same time. If you know me, you know that short fiction is my true love, and I've been having a wonderful time working and reworking my new short story collection, Things that Cause Inappropriate Happiness. Every time I think I['m finished, and I'm ready to submit it to my editor, I get a middle of the night idea for a story that I think I at least have to try...and then I have to consider whether it fits into this collection, or one in the future, if the themes fit, or the style, or if it seems too similar, etc. I love writing short fiction so much. There's something about the economy of the form, the challenge to get right into the heart of the story, to get to what matters, to figure out what it is for the character that I love so much. I can't wait to share these stories with you. They'll be out in the world in spring 2024-- which is so exciting. Today, I even got to be part of a conversation about launch ideas, and book tour. I can't wait to see you all- and to read from the new collection, and to share what's happening in more detail, hopefully soon.

I've been also reading a huge variety of styles (and subjects) from short literary fiction, to novels, to graphic novels, to great creative non fiction. (Recent fantastic short fiction reads include Kasia Van Schaik's We Have Never Lived on Earth, Kim Fu's Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century, Omer Friedlander's The Man Who Sold Air in the Holy Land (that title story is a total knockout) Carmella Gray Crosgrove's Nowaday's and Loneliner and my current non pictured read, Danielle Lazarin's back talk, which was recommended by one of my amazing students at School for Writers, and what a collection it is) Leah Mol's Sharp Edges is a beautiful, heartbreaking novel, and Kelly S Thompson's Girls Need Not Apply is sharp and smart and wonderful. Tillie Walden is amazing, I love all of her graphic novels, but finally had a chance to read Spinning, and oh, my heart. Katie Green's Lighter than My Shadow is a heartbreaker is beautiful too. (the two have given me an idea for another graphic novel, but I should probably finish the first one first.)

I can't wait until my new books are out in the world too :)