Every year I recap the writing triumphs and disappointments of the previous twelve months. Every year I feel like I haven’t done enough, but that was especially true in 2019. The year started strong, then I got consumed with revising Angelus Rose. I wish I’d had the energy to hustle more. Hopefully 2020 will be more productive.

Book publications:

Tales for the Camp Fire: An Anthology Benefiting Wildfire Relief came out on May 2, 2019. Since then, it’s raised $2200 for survivors of the Camp Fire, which devastated Paradise, California in November 2018.  Every aspect of assembling the book — from the glorious cover art to the stories donated to the events the local Horror Writers Association did to promote it — exceeded my expectations. I am extremely proud of this book. If you haven’t gotten a copy yet, pick one up at Amazon: https://amzn.to/35h9yMy.

Short fiction publications:

“Something in the Water,” an Alondra DeCourval story set in San Francisco’s Academy of Sciences, appeared in Occult Detective Quarterly #5, published January 15, 2019.

“In the Pines,” inspired by the blues song of the same name, appeared in The Siren’s Call, published on February 26, 2019. You can read the whole issue for free here: http://www.sirenscallpublications.com/pdfs/SirensCallEZine_February2019.pdf

“The Arms Dealer’s Daughter,” featuring Ariel Shaad and Raena Zacari from my space opera trilogy, appeared in Space & Time #133, published on March 20, 2019.

A new version of “Still Life with Shattered Glass” appeared in Tales for the Camp Fire, published by Tomes & Coffee Press in April.

“Silence of the Sirens” appeared in Shallow Waters, Volume 1: A Flash Fiction Anthology edited by Joe Mynhardt, published by Crystal Lake Publishing on June 24, 2019. Check the ebook out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/37vtwF9

“Rock Faces” appeared on the Ladies of Horror Flash Project on October 29, 2019. You can read it for free at this extremely long link (sorry!): https://spreadingthewritersword.com/2019/10/29/ladies-of-horror-flash-project-horror-author-loren-rhoads-morbidloren-sotet_angyal-loh-fiction-3/?fbclid=IwAR0etgf1Gr-qxdieJN1ILk2Xe5vEorBdza5DxV3PQpLNLQLfxXmbbM7j8No

Short fiction sales:

Nothing upcoming. I wasn’t great about sending stories out in 2019. I only got 4 rejections last year, but I’ve got 5 stories out that I haven’t heard back on yet. Hopefully one of them will land.

Short Nonfiction Publications:

Mental Floss was so happy with how many of you read my 2-year-old cemetery travel piece that they published a new & improved version on October 10: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/504942/5-cemetery-road-trips-ultimate-taphophile

My essay “Fire Season,” about my brushes with wildfire in California, was published on Hook of a Book to promote TALES FOR THE CAMP FIRE on June 28: https://hookofabook.wordpress.com/2019/06/28/loren-rhoads-talks-about-california-wildfires-and-the-charity-horror-anthology-to-raise-money-for-relief-tales-for-the-campfire/

My essay on “What Every Writer Needs” was published on No Wasted Ink on May 17, 2019: https://nowastedink.com/2019/05/17/what-every-writer-needs-by-loren-rhoads/

My essay “Overlooked Elements of Promotion” went up at the HorrorAddicts.net Online Writers Conference or #HOWConference on February 24, 2019.

I only managed 4 columns for the Horror Writers Association newsletter in 2019. I tried to quit the column, but the editor is very persuasive (read: extremely complimentary). I really should give it up since I continually miss the deadlines. Maybe this year.