| I’m a sucker for a few things: cats and cat-related apparel, anything lemon flavored, scary stories, things containing or frosted with fudge, and nearly anything to do with witches. So obviously, I couldn’t resist writing a story for the Salt City Genre Writers horror anthology, The Witching Time of Night. At first, I thought I would write something overtly witchy where the witch was the heroine (which I ended up doing for a story I finished last week and submitted to a different anthology). But I had this other character in my head who just wouldn’t shut up. That happens sometimes. When they’re adamant like that, it’s best to listen. I called her Maeve, because there was a copy of Tara Road by Maeve Binchy on my desk and “Maeve” felt like the perfect name for a little girl who is kinder, braver, and more loyal than the people around her deserve. She seemed like the little sister of some of my favorite Maeve Binchy characters, like Benny and Kit in Circle of Friends (and if you recognize the name Kit—yep. Katarina “Kit” Dyedov in Donn’s Hill is 100% named after the character I most related to when I read Circle of Friends a dozen times in junior high). Because The Witching Time of Night is a horror anthology, I had to put my little Maeve into a pretty terrifying situation. Then, because I’m me, I had to up the ante from “terrifying for an 11-year-old” to “terrifying for adult Caryn.” There’s family drama, a creepy clock, and a character I think you’ll love to hate. I hope you’ll take a chance on this anthology. It includes stories from seasoned authors and first-timers alike, and there’s just a ton of talent in the group that put it together. It’s available now on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08M5MPS8T |
Also, if you’re a writer of genre fiction and you’re looking for a group to help hold you accountable to your productivity goals, I really recommend joining the Salt City Genre Writers. We’ve gone fully virtual because of the pandemic and have members across the country who chime in on our Discord server or join our Saturday morning meetings and workshops. Learn more at https://www.saltcitygenrewriters.com/