Writer & Translator
It's July and I'm in Sweden visiting family. It's a hot, hot summer for once, and everything is blue skies and sunshine. A few days ago we visited Bjuröklubb, and there, near the water, I saw the open door of an old root cellar. Framed by two pines, it makes a pretty striking image, and… Continue reading A root cellar and a story
I shared pictures of this bread, and it's so good I figure I better share the recipe too.
I have a new story out this month in Flash Fiction Online. It's called "The Ghost in Angelica's Room", and one of the things I deal with in this story is suicide. "The Ghost In Angelica's Room"- read it / buy the issue / support FFO on Patreon. The initial inspiration for this story goes way… Continue reading Read my new story “The Ghost In Angelica’s Room”, story notes + some talk about suicide [TW: suicide]
Some Mondays are better than others, and today is a most excellent Monday! My new monthly column at Barnes & Noble's Scifi & Fantasy blog debuts today! I will be doing a monthly roundup of speculative short fiction there, and I am so grateful to be able to spread the word about all the excellent… Continue reading I have a new monthly column at B&N Scifi & Fantasy Blog!
Ursula K. Le Guin has died. I've written about her and her books a lot on this blog through the years. She meant the world to me as a writer, as a reader, and as a person. She shaped me, and influenced my writing in ways I can't even really put into words. I read… Continue reading This one hurts
It's the first of advent today, so of course I made glögg. Glögg is kind of like Swedish mulled wine. Except it tastes better and smells better. And no, it is absolutely NOT like the syrupy concoction they sell and sometimes serve at IKEA. That is not glögg. If I was in Sweden I'd just… Continue reading Happy 1st Advent & have some glögg, please
In November, I posted a list of my award eligible stories for 2017. It always feels a bit strange, tooting my own horn like that, but it's been a great year for me as a writer, and sometimes a list is a nice way to reflect on that, no matter whether it's awards season or… Continue reading Writerly recap of October & November – stories published & sold, interviews & more
This was my second year attending the wonderful Surrey International Writers' Conference (SIWC) at the Sheraton in Guildford. I love this event because a) it's so close to home that I can go home every night, and b) because the workshops and the atmosphere are fantastic. Check out SIWC's website if you want to find… Continue reading Recapping my weekend at Surrey International Writers’ Conference
'Hare's Breath', now available in Shimmer, was a difficult story to write. All stories are difficult to write on some level, but this one was hard for me to get a grip on, partly because I couldn't figure out the point of view I needed to tell it from. Spoiler alert / trigger warning: This… Continue reading Extended story notes for ‘Hare’s Breath’
My story 'Hare's Breath' is now available to read online in issue #39 of Shimmer. It is set in Sweden, and blends a Swedish Midsummer's Eve, friendship, tragedy, and folklore with a dark chapter in Swedish history. Read 'Hare's Breath' for free I am so grateful to the wonderful team at Shimmer for giving this… Continue reading My story ‘Hare’s Breath’ is now available to read online in SHIMMER
August, and especially September, seem to have gone by in a flash. September is always a bit of a muddle, with the kids going back to school and me trying to get the hang of their schedule and trying to get back into my own schedule of writing, writing, and reading (and then more writing).… Continue reading Writerly recap of August & September, 2017 – stories published & sold + bits & bobs
My story 'The Wayfinder & His Sister' is now live at Cast of Wonders! It is part of Banned Books Week, and I wrote it specifically for this year's theme, Text Against Tyranny: "the stories some would silence, and the power of literature, in all its forms, to enlighten humanity’s darkest hours." I was so… Continue reading Story-notes for my new story ‘The Wayfinder & His Sister’ at CAST OF WONDERS
Awesome fellow author Chloe N. Clark was kind enough to interview me for her lovely TinyLetter. Check out the interview! Chloe is an amazing author of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction, and this week you can check her out at Nerd of a Feather where she writes a new column on horror: Horror 101 - An… Continue reading Read an interview with me in Chloe N. Clark’s TinyLetter
You can read my science fiction story 'The Gates of Balawat', originally 'Balawats portar', in the brand new issue of Samovar Magazine. Also in the issue: poetry by Salik Shah, a column by Rachel Cordasco, and fiction by Stamatis Stamatopoulos. (Next week, you will also be able to listen to the story read in both English… Continue reading Read my story ‘Balawats portar’ / ‘The Gates of Balawat’ in SAMOVAR MAGAZINE
It's Banned Books Week - an annual celebration of the freedom to read, and also a time to highlight the many books that have been targeted for banning and even burning through the years. The wonderful YA Podcast Cast of Wonders is running a series of stories for Banned Books Week, between September 24th and… Continue reading Banned Books Week – at Cast of Wonders & elsewhere
Podcast master R.B. Wood has just published a brand new episode of the Word Count Podcast. This is episode #70 and the theme this month was very, very Poe-ish. The story prompts were the month of September, and this photo of Poe and his raven. Listen to episode 70 My story 'Buried' is inspired by… Continue reading Listen to R.B. Wood’s (Poe-ish) Word Count Podcast #70 & my new story ‘Buried’
This is a new thing for me and pretty darn exciting: I interviewed the very talented Macushla, a very talented and creative photographer, and that interview is now in Huf Magazine. And may I say... it looks amazing. Macushla talks about her work, and her life (she's worked as a model, she's travelled the world,… Continue reading Read my interview with photographer Macushla Burke in Huf Magazine
The new episode of The Word Count Podcast just went live, and that means you can now listen to my new flash fiction story 'Hidden' Listen to the episode. The story prompt this month was this photo and the month of August. I confess I might have cheated somewhat when writing this story, because… Continue reading Listen to R.B. Wood’s Word Count Podcast #69 & my new story ‘Hidden’
My Goodreads giveaway - for three paperback copies of 'Odin's Eye' (my collection of science fiction short stories) - has just concluded. Thank you so much to everyone who entered! 1,440 people entered the giveaway, and three people will be receiving a copy of the book in the mail very soon! I'm especially happy because… Continue reading Thanks to everyone who entered my Goodreads giveaway!
June and July have been very good to me: a lot of good things happened, after a spring when I occasionally felt like it was difficult to write, or at least difficult to know if the words I was stringing together were good words. It made me think of one of my favourite Stephen King… Continue reading Recap June / July – stories published, stories sold, reviews & more
