The making of a horror novelist.
The spring 2022 issue of 34 Orchard contains poetry, short stories, and illustrations representing vastly different voices and styles and plots, all united by the theme things we refuse to see. Each work comes with a high-concept idea. The stanzas are emotive, the prose is polished, the artwork is contemplative. Some personal faves: It’s the … Continue reading Review of 34 Orchard, Issue 5, Spring 2022
I love 34 Orchard, and I especially love this issue because it contains my little horror story, "Mollusk Madness"! In this excerpt, it's dark outside, and mollusk expert Katrina is studying her slugs: Back in the garden, I kneel and aim my headlamp at the mulch. The slugs’ crisscross trails of mucus glow pink in … Continue reading Out Today: 34 Orchard Literary Journal, Issue 5!
Yay, my contemporary short story, “Lucretia’s Hum,” was accepted into Rayne Hall’s upcoming Gothic anthology! Woohoo! Hall is a talented short story author, particularly quiet horror and Gothic horror, and I’m stoked that she liked “Lucretia’s Hum.” Stoked isn’t very Gothic. Let's see . . . I’m chuffed to be accepted into Hall’s anthology.:-) Lucretia … Continue reading Short Story Accepted!
For Nanowrimo 2020, my goal was to write four short stories, edit them, and submit them to paying markets. I ended up deleting a story (because it was plain silly), but three out of four ain’t bad. One of the Nano stories I wrote is about slugs, a mom/scientist who knows all about mollusks, and … Continue reading Slug Story Accepted, Happy Dance!
Here’s a snippet from my 2020 NaNoWriMo project. In this (rough draft!) scene, a mom is watching her teenage daughter sleep. Mom gets the creepy mom of the year award for sure. Your bedroom door is open a crack the way you like it. You’ve strung last year’s Christmas lights across your headboard, and I … Continue reading 2020 Nano Snippet
I sold a short story to an anthology. My very first sale! And no, my mom didn’t buy it.:-) It’s a vampire story for a vampire anthology. I feel like dancing in the street. I feel like celebrating! Woohoo! There's a monetary contract and grownup stuff and everything. (Okay, it won’t make me rich and … Continue reading I Sold a Story, Woohoo!
Priscilla Bettis, Author 