New things are happening – although that doesn’t include moving, the house sale is progressing slower than a snail on a bad day, even a sloth would move faster. So what’s new? Well, I’ve created a newsletter which will get sent out at the end of each month and I am currently training myself to remember I’ve done this so that the first isn’t the one and only! If you want to sign up for it, you can do so here: Steph’s Newsletter!
I have also made the step up to Active Member status of the Horror Writers Association, which is something I’ve been working towards for a long time. To meet the sales requirement is tough in such a competitive market. But I’ve done it – yay!
And I have also created an Instagram account – again. I was on before, deleted my account because I didn’t use it, set it up again last year, forgot about it and now I’ve set up another. If I try and delete the old one it keeps looping me to my current one so I think it is going to be there for eternity, abandoned and unloved. If you want to find me, I am stephanieellis7963.
My work over at Horror Tree on their zine, Trembling With Fear is easing a little as we have a new co-editor onboard to take over the Serials, Unholy Trinities and Specials. As a by-the-by, I’m also responsible for the Indie Bookshelf Releases post which appears each Friday. It’s a free bit of promotion for writers. If you’ve got a book due out, send us the link to order it and its cover or the cover and a link to the blogpost or similar about the book (we update to the purchase link later). This is a continually evolving page where you’ll also find a place to plug a kickstarter or event, or for those who are struggling financially and/or need a boost to their work, we can include their details to promote their services.
Amongst a few rejections (nice ones, I’ll admit), I can also announce a new story out in the Autumn in S.D. Vassallo’s Were Tales: A Shapeshifter Anthology which features my tale ‘Snowbound, Bloodbound’ revolving around the myth of the Berserker.
Steve has created a new press, Brigid’s Gate Press, which he will be running along with his wife. Having his own publishing house has been a long-held dream of theirs and it is a huge privilege to be included in one of its inaugural publications. Look out for them in the future. I wish them every success. If you’d like to see what Steve’s up to, you can connect with him here @diovassallo
This will come out next year and is still currently open to submissions. Why not have a go? Note, I only sent one poem in but you can submit up to three.
I am delighted to appear alongside some fantastic poets.
Continuing the poetry vibe – it is National Poetry Month after all – I am currently working on my submission for the HWA Poetry Showcase Volume VIII. I wonder if I can get in this year and make it a hat-trick, who knows.
This isn’t the entry, obviously, but it’s my contribution to Day 2 of National Poetry Month and is created via a challenge I set myself last year but never got round to, ie creating a found poem from the blurb of books. All these books grace my shelves and are highly recommended.
Reborn, the follow up to The Five Turns of the Wheel, is still moving along nicely. I had a vision of its ending so jumped to the final chapter and wrote that before returning to the earlier sections. My method of writing is a bit loop-the-loop rather than linear! Don’t judge me.
I’ve got a few shorts and a poem out for consideration and I’m waiting eagerly alongside the thousands who are going to submit to Crystal Lake Publishing’s Classic Monsters anthology. The weight of numbers are against me but you never know. Regardless, I enjoyed writing the story and using a classic trope. I do, however, need to remember to send it in when subs open! Good luck to everyone who’s having a go at this one!
Stephanie Ellis 
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