Join 2000+ armchair travelers on a journey to strange new worlds—fictional and non—in this weekly dispatch from sci-fi writer Jessie Kwak.
"The best ghost story I've ever read." 🥰 👻
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Hey there! I was at a writing conference a couple weekends ago when a friend from Seattle came up to me with a very serious expression. "I was hoping you were going to be here," he said. "I wanted to talk to you about your story in Muddy Goose." Because my brain works the way it works, I immediately braced myself for whatever came next. Was my story riddled with typos? Did I write something offensive? Was he annoyed by my choice of setting? After all, the anthology he was talking about, The Muddy Goose Guide to the Pacific Northwest, was supposed to be filled with stories set in iconic Pacific Northwest locations. I had set mine in my second favorite junkyard. A wonderful trip down memory lane for me, but hardly iconic to anyone else. "That story," he said. He paused, gathering his words. "That was the best ghost story I've ever read." I was floored, particularly because I don't think of myself as a horror author. But I am damn proud of that story, which is titled "The Ravine." I dug deep in terms of my craft and storytelling skills, and I think it turned out really well. It's definitely the best ghost story I've ever written. But is it the best ghost story you've ever read? You can let me know. In honor of spooky season, I included "The Ravine" along with two other previously uncollected ghost stories into a small collection titled Three Bites: a Trio of Spooky Stories. I'm selling it for a song—and for a limited time only. So if you're in the mood for an evening's worth of spine-tingly entertainment, go grab your copy here. (If you're a member of The Crew, check your email! Your free copy was sent to you last night.) Happy (spooky!) reading, Jessie (PS, in case you are—like me—not a big horror fan, let me just assure you that none of these stories are particularly gruesome. Think of them more in the vein of classic ghost stories rather than things meant to shock and horrify. Here's that buy link again. ;) |
Misadventures in the Multiverse
Join 2000+ armchair travelers on a journey to strange new worlds—fictional and non—in this weekly dispatch from sci-fi writer Jessie Kwak.
Hey there! This is a bit of a departure from my usual reader-focused email, but I know a good number of you on this list are also writers. (And I also know a lot of readers who appreciate a chance to get a look behind the scenes at an author's process. For free!) Which is why I'm excited to tell you about this event. Starting tomorrow (Oct 17th), Daniel David Wallace's annual plot summit is coming back—for year seven! Escape the Plot Forest is a great learning experience for writers and...
Hey there! I've been waiting to type these words for ages: Book 1 of the Danica Burns series—Ashes to Ashes—is available to preorder! You can grab your copy here. She burned her family's cult to the ground once. She'll do it again in a heartbeat. A beauty influencer turned cult leader has burned to death in her own group's spring ritual bonfire. Her followers say she Ascended, but local law enforcement is calling it murder, and they’ve invited Special Agent Danica Burns in to consult. Danica...
Hey there! I'm sending out my newsletter a little early because I don't want you to miss out on your last chance to get Last Roll of the Die. I've already sent a few emails about what this shorty story collection is, how high the value and quality are on it, and how you helped me to win the unofficial competition with the other authors at the start! This email is about two simple things: the last roll call for Last Roll of the Die, and what Twice Burned means to me. Unlike many crowdfunding...