According to legend, there’s a tree somewhere in London that’s perpetually on fire. And despite my general fondness for vegetation, I’d rather not extinguish this particular blaze. Mostly because I don’t want to risk ruining a good thing.

See, Flame Tree Publishing has bought more of my stories than any other publisher. Maybe that’s because they like my ideas. Maybe they just appreciate my voice. Or maybe they’re printing out my stories to use as fuel for the ongoing fire, because they’re operating under a centuries-old curse and will suffer horrible consequences if the tree stops burning. Whatever the case, they’ve been really great to me, and have recently continued with their unending generosity by buying more of my work.

“Snakes and Stones, We’ll Break Their Bones” will appear in Flame Tree’s Medusa anthology. This is one of the first books (along with Odin) in their newest series: “Myths, Gods and Immortals.” If you’ve always wanted to read a cyberpunk/Frankensteinian/screw-the-patriarchy story about everyone’s favorite snake-haired lady, then you are in luck. Look for Medusa in October 2024!

Of course, Flame Tree’s giving doesn’t stop there. They’ve also picked up one of my stories for their Moon Falling Short Stories anthology–another book in their positively gorgeous Gothic Fantasy series. My contribution is a short piece (just a little over two pages), called “Rising Tides, Waning Love.”

Thanks, Flame Tree, for publishing so many of my stories. I hope you never stop burning. (Assuming that’s, y’know–what you want. I have no idea how arboreal arson works.)

In other news, my humor story “A Rat, a Root, and a Big Orange Fruit” is now available in Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars–just in time for Halloween! (It’s a Halloween story. About a rat. The whole thing is so ridiculous it’s basically a cartoon, which makes it one of the best humor stories I’ve had published.) You may want to consider checking this one out, especially if you’re looking for a new October tradition to supplement your annual re-reading of the Roger Zelazny classic A Night in the Lonesome October. (My all-time favorite book!)

-Z