We took my older dog to the Farmers’ Market earlier and browsed for a shepherd’s pot pie, and Kalamata olives, and a make-your-own flower bouquet and such things. We also bought a pretzel and candied cashews because my dog loves to share those two items and this week we received some medical news about him that, while not unexpected for a 10+ year dog, is still sad. But we weren’t sad while we sat on the bench and ate snacks and people watched.
Then, in glamorous style, we moved all the furniture out of our bedroom to hunt dust bunnies via the vacuum-then-mop approach. Luckily, I had plans with my friend Lyn so that gave me an excuse to leave after the hunt was over but before we could expand the dust bunny search to other rooms in the house. While in Lyn’s sunroom, I had the chance to share about some of my recent stories. First, I’m thrilled to have another story placed with Air and Nothingness Press. The books are absolutely beautiful works of art and my story “Interview with a Time Traveler…Again” is in wonderful company with other talented authors playing with memory and how memory is corrupted on an individual or societal level.
I’m also excited to be part of a fundraiser for cat rescues by donating my story “Strangely Familiar.” Here’s the “official” description from eSpec Books:
This charity anthology of speculative fiction stories and real-life accounts has been organized and contributed to by those with a heart for these hard-luck cases. All profits from sales will 100% be donated to cat rescue organizations dedicated to finding home for these kitties, where possible, or giving them the care that they can-medical or Trap, Neuter, and Release-before returning them back into the wild.
Can you help us, help them?
Featuring stories donated by Sherri Cook Woosley, Lisanne Norman, James W. Bates, Patrick Thomas, Rigel Ailur, Amber Davis, Will McDermott, Jacob Jones-Goldstein, Sharon Lee, Marc L. Abbott, Kris Katzen, Danielle Ackley-McPhail, Eric V. Hardenbrook, Charles Barouch, Brad Jurn, F.R. Michaels, Grace Bridges, Nancy Jane Moore, Christopher J. Burke, and Anton Kukal.
The continuation of A Future for Ferals! The Kindle version is available now and the print version will be available within days. Purchase link
My BIGGEST news of all? An anthology of 16 of my stories…with 8 illustrations! Many of the stories have been published in esteemed venues like Abyss & Apex, Dreamforge Magazine, and Flash Fiction Magazine. Others are brand new and this is their first release. I’m giddy to have one collection with so much of my work gathered.
What does the name mean? Well there’s a poem called “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti about two sisters who are tempted by goblins selling this forbidden fruit. The story is what happens when one sister becomes addicted to the enchantment and the other sister has to save her and the price she must pay. I read it in grad school and have never forgotten it so my first story involves the mythology of Goblin fruit and the metaphor extends through the rest of my stories.
This upcoming week is, of course, filled with commitments and dental visits and my teaching two evening exercise classes after teaching high school classes all day. But these stories are to be shared. Maybe around a campfire, maybe as a Yuletide gift, maybe just because. And when you share these stories, you will be sharing my whimsy and I hope it sparks your own.
I will have copies of these books, and more, at the Authors and Artists Sale at the Armory in Bel Air, MD on November 1st.
My last scheduled appearance this year will be Philcon in Philadelphia from November 21-23rd.
It’s been a tumultuous couple of months here in the US. The constant news headlines have made it hard to find a creative space to let my imagination wander, but I told a group of students last week that this is an important time to put our thoughts to paper, to wrestle with our characters, to emphasize through the conflict in our stories what we as humans believe is right and good and truthful. Because truth comes across in fiction — not a literal truth but a truth so deep that our souls recognize it.
I’m excited to have a new market: The Atlantic Journal. My story, “Sunday Reverie” was published and met a warm reception at the launch party.
The story begins: “When I was a child, we played hide’n’seek among the tombstones of the Southern Baptist graveyard. While our parents were inside studying the mysteries of religion, we were feral children running our hands along the rough tops of the markers and along the smooth fronts, our fingers picking out lines that formed letters and noting numbers that had no meaning, no heaviness.”
From the Launch Party at Bird in Hand, Baltimore
I was also glad to partner with my friend Jen Chandler, an educator in Harford County, who put together a Future Focus Day at a local high school. I was one of the speakers and I had an opportunity to speak to two sessions of youth who’d signed up to learn about what it means to pursue a career in writing. We talked about AI and how marketing is changing, whether readers can separate art from artist, and how to get started. Some asked specific questions about their own work and others wanted to know whether they had to live more, experience more, before they could tell a story. (Spoiler: No)
The only thing that we didn’t touch on that I’m currently obsessed with is Severance. My family (well, my oldest has watched the entire thing. She’s the one who recommended the show) is watching it together and it is really mind-bending.
I have a couple of appearances coming up. I’ll share them here because cons and festivals are always nicer when you know someone. And, if you see me, I will talk about more than Severance. Probably.
Shore Leave 2025 July 11-13th Lancaster, PA Wyndham Resort and Convention Center
Book Fair at Bel Air August 23rd Bel Air, MD Bel Air Armory (37 N. Main Street)
*I’ll be sharing a table with author Tim Baldwin
Bel Air Festival for the Arts September 14th, 2025 Bel Air, MD Shamrock Park (39 Hickory Avenue)
*I’ll be sharing a table with author Xenatine
That’s all I’ve got for now. Feel free to reach out if you’d like me to be a guest speaker for your group or activity.
This is my absolute favorite time of the year. I may be “basic” according to my students, but I love the changing leaves, I love the crisp mornings, I love pumpkin spice lattes, corn mazes, Homecoming football games and dances, firepits. The only thing I don’t love is how fast the season goes.
I had a fantastic time at FrightReads Festival.
I was able to connect with Liz from Caprichos Books and share a table with author Tim Baldwin. Richard Chizmar was there with his latest Stephen King collaboration and the Ghostbusters were walking around keeping people safe from Slimer and I got a chance to speak with author John French who wrote for the same collection as my “Mother’s Instinct.”
I have two more live events to offer my newest Cozy Monster books (“Mother’s Instinct” and “Postcards from a City of Monsters”) : Authors and Artists Holiday Sale at the Armory in Bel Air on November 2nd. It opens to the public at 10AM and goes to 3PM. Books and Brews on November 17th from 12-4 at 203 Market St. in Havre de Grace.
If you don’t feel like attending a live event, the books are available wherever books are sold. Caprichos Books (which used to be behind the Armory) is now in Ocean City, but Liz will ship them to you. Barnes & Noble (in Bel Air) doesn’t currently stock copies of my books, but they can order them. (If they receive enough orders then they will stock them). Finally, I haven’t gone through the process to donate copies to Harford County Public Library (or your local library), but if people ask then they will buy them. Librarians rock that way.
Note: I’m happy to meet up to sign any of my books for a personalized gift for the holidays. Note 2: Thank you to everyone who purchased either of these books. If you’ve ordered a book I am SO APPRECIATIVE. But I need reviews to boost my credibility before the shopping season commences. Please write a one-sentence honest review and post it. It means a lot to myself and the small publishers who are publishing beautiful books.
Have a wonderfully fantastic Autumn and I hope to see you at one of the next two book events!
August has been very exciting because I had TWO books release and they were both about cryptids, a monster from folklore.
Postcards from a City of Monsters is intended for children and their families or friends and is fully illustrated and was released by Improbable Press. Available here.
Mother’s Instinct is a different beast (I’m sorry). eSpec Books produces the books for Cryptid Crate, a quarterly subscription series that includes a t-shirt, a Challenge Coin, a stackable figure, and my book.
I had the pleasure of writing about a Dobhar Chu. Not sure what that is? I wasn’t either. Even though my Master’s Capstone was about Irish mythology, I had not heard of this “otter-alligator” that lives in both fresh and saltwater, is protective of their young, and will attack humans without fear. Once I had the setting: a mysterious island off the west coast of Ireland, and the characters: a mother researching for her dissertation and a young daughter with a special connection to animals, the plot began coming together.
I talk more about it in my interview with Paul Semel here
The book is available wherever books are sold, including from eSpec books here.
If you are local, I’m happy to sign your book. Also, I’ll be at the Bel Air Festival for the Arts on Sunday, September 15th in Shamrock Park and will have copies for sale. Thank you for the support!
Hey! I hope you are enjoying the pool, eating ice cream from a local dairy, and reading some intriguing books. I recently read The Pilgrim (thriller) by Terry Hayes and I’m about halfway through Godkiller (fantasy) by Hannah Kaner. I post my progress on both Goodreads and Storygraph like I’m a hunter and the books are my prey.
Mid-July and I’ve recovered enough optimism to start planning again! I’m excited to share that Mother’s Instinct will be released August 21st by e-Spec books and Postcards from a City of Monsters will be released August 29th by Improbable Press. Mother’s Instinct was fun to write because it was a What If? novel. Many people know that my Master’s Capstone centered on the role of women in medieval Irish and Welsh mythology. Okay, so what if I’d stayed in academia? What if I got to pursue sightings of an actual creature still haunting a remote Irish island? What if I took my daughter with me and she developed a connection with this deadly cryptid?
Postcards has been a long time coming. If you’ve followed me then you know I first started posting over two years ago. The publisher nominated this story for a Pushcart prize (yaayyyy!!) back when it was included in the anthology Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging and it represents an important part of my life….when my daughter’s cancer treatment affected everything. So this story draws on both my experience of living in Prague (I went there to be an English teacher when I was 19 years old) and being a mother of a child with cancer. But the story is about a boy who wants to escape the hospital and the gargoyle who helps him. The illustrations by Elena Moroz are fabulous. Simply breathtaking in the way she captured what was in my imagination.
Each publisher chose the date so it is a coincidence that they are releasing only a week apart. For Postcards, the publisher is timing the release to coincide with Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month. This is also right as I’m starting a new school year… so I’m trying to promote the books now. What does that mean? Well, pre-orders are WONDERFUL THINGS. Preorder Here If you purchase a copy of Mother’s Instinct NOW then it pushes my book higher on the release day so that more people see it. If more people see it, then more may buy it. If more people buy it then my publisher is happy. If my publisher is happy then they may invite me to write another project for them. Then, and only then, do I get to be happy.
I’ll post again when Improbable Press has their preorder page up — should be at the end of July.
In the meantime, I’ve also put together my schedule of appearances for the rest of 2024:
Fri. July 26th/Sun. July 28th Shore Leave 44 Lancaster, PA
Sat. September 15th Bel Air Festival of the Arts Bel Air, MD
Sat/Sun September 28-29 FrightReads Millersville, MD
Sat., November 2nd Authors & Artists Bel Air, MD
Sun. November 17th Books and Brews Market Street Brewery Havre de Grace, MD
Nov 21-24 National Council of Teachers of English Boston, MA
Finally, I sold another story to Abyss & Apex and that story about kelpies will be coming out online on January 1st, 2025.
For fun: a throwback to the summer that I taught Goat Yoga.
I had an opportunity to travel to Europe with my family this summer for three weeks and we went to Switzerland, France, Germany, and Italy with our niece, Izzy. The trip was full of many adventures and memories, but we are now back to reality — newly inspired for short stories and novels.
This was a fun moment where we stopped in the middle of the Swiss Alps for expresso and chocolate during the return from Milan.
Now I’m on my way to Shore Leave 43 as an author guest and I’m looking forward to speaking on panels and seeing author friends!
On Saturday, August 26th I’ll be selling books at FaunFest in White Hall, MD.
And, on Saturday, September 30-Sunday, October 1st, I’ll be returning to sell books at FrightReads Book Festival in Millersville, MD.
If you’re local, please come out to support authors and artists!
I had a fantastic weekend at Balticon in the Inner Harbor of Baltimore (this is exactly what gets burned down in my book Walking Through Fire, by the way). It was nice to see people again, to snack on cannolis in Little Italy and enjoy a paleta, a Mexican frozen treat made from strawberries and then dipped in chocolate.
My panels (and fellow panelists) were fun and we had spirited discussions.
I moderated: Keeping Your Anitheroes Likable
I moderated: What Should I Read Next
I was a panelist for: Magic in the Ancient Mediterranean
I was a panelist for: Gods as Characters
I also had a reading and chose to read from “Swan Dive” in Musings of the Muses and then the first chapter of my upcoming novel, Ashes of Regret.
One note about reading the first chapter. I asked certain of my high school students to critique the content and I was pleased as an author to receive the feedback about what was confusing or what could be changed, but as a teacher I couldn’t have been more proud. Seriously, I’m amazed by my students and the skill and energy they bring to working with language and determining the elements of a story.
So, without further ado, here is the cover for Ashes of Regret. I will launch the novel at Shore Leave this July.
And, maybe, from my first novel, Walking Through Fire, since the second book (Ashes of Regret) will be releasing this summer. Or should I read from Ashes as a preview?
Hope to see familiar faces and meet new friends this weekend!
I love this time of year! Friends, family, and food are the heart of the holiday and I appreciate the emphasis on gratitude and the opportunity for me to grow by choosing to focus on the good and not the setbacks. For example, this year has been the year of anthologies for me. I have short stories in: Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day, Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2021, Once Upon a Dystopia, Dark Cheer: Cryptids Emerging, AND an acceptance for an anthology forthcoming in Spring, 2022.
Check out this beautiful cover!
My short story “Gargoyles of Prague” is being included in the anthology DARK CHEER: CRYPTIDS EMERGING Volume Blue. The story is based on my experience of being a mother of a child with a life-threatening illness and the year I spent teaching English in Prague, Czech Republic. It will be released in early December by Improbable Press. Please enjoy this excerpt:
When the hospital door closed behind his mothers, Toby stepped closer to the window. In the gloam, the urban landscape had morphed from buildings into mysterious shapes. Grit – rock against brick – scraped outside his seventh story window. Curious, Toby leaned his forehead against the cold glass to see better. No locks on windows this high; only solid panes.
Suddenly gray claws came into view and dug into the brick wall to find purchase. Wings the same shade smacked against the window. Then a gray face, chiseled, filled the window. A feline face with carved nose, eyes, and whiskers. Wings pressed tightly to its back. Sharp teeth and a tongue that hung out in mid-pant. A statue. One of the creatures that decorated so many of Prague’s ancient buildings.
“Come out,” the gargoyle said. The voice sounded like it looked: coarse and solid.
Toby’s hands trembled. “I don’t know how.”
“Yes, you do.”
More good news! Improbable Press has chosen to turn my short story into an illustrated children’s book! I will share details soon, but I’ve seen the artist’s portfolio and I can’t wait to see what she does with Toby and my gargoyle and the incredible Charles Bridge.
AND…I have another story acceptance for an anthology centered on Greek mythology and history.
For those who have stuck with me after reading my novel Walking Through Fire, I have the rights back from the publisher and I sent off the draft of ASHES OF REGRET (Book 1.5 that features Tamaki) for a final editorial readthrough. I’m also working with a graphic designer for the cover and a map!
Finally, I had the opportunity to be a guest on MOUTHFUL OF GRAFFITTI, a podcast for musicians and authors hosted by Brad Cox. Take a listen here as I talk about our pandemic chickens, local festivals, and more about the inspiration for “Garygoyles of Prague.”
I have a lot of plans for 2022 in the works and I can’t wait to share them with you as we get closer.
Comment on this blog or sign up for my author newsletter here and you’ll be automatically entered into the drawing for a copy of THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS 2.
BONUS: The first person to figure out the discrepancy between the release picture and my Western story will win a copy of Thrilling Adventure Yarns 2021 AND a $25 Amazon gift certificate. Email taste of sherri @ gmail. com (no spaces) with answer. Ann Hanlin won this part of the contest. The story is a Western, but I had an ENGLISH saddle in the picture.
*The GIVEAWAY lasts until midnight (EST) Sunday, April 25th. US only.
I’m very excited to interview my friend Kelli Fitzpatrick! We roomed together at Taos Toolbox, a two-week writing workshop, in 2018 and have been friends ever since.
Outside of MeowWolf with our other two roomates. Kelli is wearing red and I’m wearing grey. The robot smelling a flower is also red, but was not attending the workshop with us.
Sherri: So, we should have had a chance to catch up at Farpoint Convention this year, but unfortunately the con had to be virtual due to the pandemic. What have you been up to?
Kelli: My tie-in story for 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea just released in the Turning the Tied charity anthology from the International Association for Media Tie-In Writers. The Star Trek Adventures Shackleton Expanse sourcebook for which I was a contributing writer will be releasing this summer from Modiphius Entertainment.
Sherri: Nice! Let’s talk a little bit about your experience as an author for Star Trek. As a fan, who are some of your favorite characters and why?
Kelli: My favorite Star Trek character is Captain Janeway since I grew up watching her and was inspired by her leadership. I also love Voyager’s EMH for his quirky personality and the themes of personhood the show explores with his character. Other favorites include Jadzia Dax on DS9, and Discovery’s Jet Reno and Captain Pike.
Sherri: Captain Janeway was certainly an inspiration! As an author, how is writing for Star Trek different than, say, writing an original story?
Kelli: When writing tie-in fiction for a franchise like Star Trek, I must fit my story into existing canon, which means doing research and adhering to that universe’s established values, history, and laws of physics. Tie-in fiction also requires capturing each canon character’s unique voice. For example, I wanted the Doctor Crusher in my Strange New Worlds story to sound exactly like the Doctor Crusher fans know.
Sherri: That makes sense. What changes have you seen in the newer series? How is that a reflection of society?
Kelli: The new Star Trek series have given us solid representation of marginalized identities both on screen and in the writers’ room, resulting in a refreshing absence of male gaze and a distinct focus on the themes of justice and consequences. I think this updated perspective reflects our evolving society, especially in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the increasingly unavoidable fallout of unchecked capitalism and runaway climate change. Science fiction is a commentary of the moment in which it is written, and Star Trek continues to be a compelling example.
Sherri: You’re an author and an educator. How do you see these roles interconnecting?
Kelli: Teaching and writing are both about guiding people into strange new worlds. For teaching to be effective, teacher and student must cooperate to accomplish growth, and the same is true of author and reader: they create shared meaning together in a beautifully collaborative act. In both of my careers, I see a common thread of hope for the future—I write Star Trek stories because I believe a better world is possible. I teach the next generation to make that possibility into reality.
TAOS TOOLBOX with Nancy Kress and Walter Jon Williams as instructors and many new author friends
Sherri: What authors do you admire and why?
Kelli: I really admire the works of Ursula K. Le Guin, Octavia Butler, Brooke Bolander, and Amal El-Mohtar. Their stories all engage with concepts of gender, justice, unorthodox love, and the best and worst of human nature, often from unexpected or subverted angles. Their prose is engaging and filled with striking imagery.
Sherri: If you were teaching a “Literature of Science Fiction” class, what novels and short stories would you use?
Kelli:
Novels:
The Fifth Season (2015) by N. K. Jemison
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet (2014) by Becky Chambers
A Fire Upon the Deep (1992) by Vernor Vinge
Dawn (1987) by Octavia Butler
The Dispossessed (1974) by Ursula K. Le Guin
Novellas:
This is How You Lose the Time War (2019) by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
The Only Harmless Great Thing (2018)by Brooke Bolander
Short stories:
“Number Thirty-Nine Skink” (2017) by Suzanne Palmer
“How the Damned Live On” (2016) by James Sallis
The Golden Apples of the Sun (1953) collectionby Ray Bradbury
Serialized audio dramas:
The Sea in the Sky (2020) by Jackson Musker
Steal the Stars (2017) by Nat Cassidy
No lineup could encompass the full diversity of sci-fi literature, and there are certainly problematic elements in some of these works, but I think these texts would serve as useful conversation points for analyzing the myriad ways sci-fi stories function, whose voices are being represented, and how the genre of “what if?” has evolved and will continue to evolve over time. Hopefully I’ll get to teach this class someday!
Sherri: I’d love to teach that class, too!
RELEASE PICTURE!!!
Sherri: I’m also happy to share that both Kelli and I have stories in the newly released anthology THRILLING ADVENTURE YARNS 2021. TAY 2021 is an array of 27 stories in the classic pulp style, replete with action and adventure, chills and thrills, mystery, Westerns, and much more! It can be purchased here, or you can enter the GIVEAWAY. Kelli, what was your inspiration for your story?
Kelli: My sci-fi noir story is titled “The Shadow Lady of Docktown” and it follows the adventures of a mercenary spy and her flying robot sidekick who uncover a police conspiracy. The story is set in the shadow of a great bridge, and a good chunk of it takes place inside a cathedral. I wanted to create a setting that channels the high-contrast aesthetic of noir as well as a kick-ass female anti-hero readers could root for.
Sherri: Awesome! Where can people find your stories? Where can folks sign up for your author newsletter or find you on social media?
Kelli: All of my stories are listed on the Publications tab of my website KelliFitzpatrick.com, with links to view or purchase. There is a newsletter sign-up box on the bottom of the home page of my website, or you can sign up for my newsletter here. You can find me on Twitter: @KelliFitzWrites.
Taste of Sherri 