Happy Friday the 13th

Keeping things spooky all year long.

Hi, everyone. I just couldn’t let this day go without a newsletter.

TRIVIA QUESTION: What 1907 book is often credited with giving Friday the 13th its really bad image? The answer is at the end of this newsletter.

THE SHADOW DANCERS OF BRIXTON HILL ARE STILL DANCING: In mid-August, I entered my historical circus horror novella The Shadow Dancers of Brixton Hill in the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS for short). I found out this week that it’s now a semi-finalist. Woohoo!

Screw false modesty: I love this little book so much, and I feel like it never got the attention it deserved. I’m thrilled to see it move ahead in SFINCS and read the lovely things the judges said about it. I don’t know how much further it’ll go in the competition, but I’m delighted to see it getting some recognition at long last.

I’m also grateful to the people behind SFINCS for giving those of us with speculative fiction novellas from small presses (or self publishers) another chance to show off our little books.

And if you haven’t read it yet? You are missing out. It’s even free on Kindle Unlimited. https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dancers-Brixton-Hill-ebook/dp/B0C4C19Q2L/

HOLIDAY STORY SAMPLER: Some of you know I used to participate in The Weekly Knob, a weekly flash fiction challenge on Medium. Several of my stories were Christmas-themed, and I collected a few of my favorites here if you’re in the mood for some holiday horror. Please keep in mind that these were all written in less than a week, and I’ve tried to stay true to the spirit of the challenge and not go back to edit them. If they seem a little rough, that’s why.

A pleasant holiday game takes a dark turn in Ball of Confusion: https://hinged.press/ball-of-confusion-969307746194

After the witch from Hansel and Gretel gets smoked, her sister is left to pick up the pieces in The Gingerbread Woman: https://hinged.press/the-gingerbread-woman-32eb5afa0f13

Winston Porter’s marbles control the world. And now he must win a game against a sinister entity to recover his stolen Devil’s Eye marble in Winston Porter Rolls the Dice: https://hinged.press/winston-porter-rolls-the-dice-576ffd5fa221

THE KEEPER OF THE KEY IS A KINDLE MONTHLY DEAL: THE KEEPER OF THE KEY is still $1.99 in December! If you haven’t read my Bluebeard-inspired gothic YA horror, treat yourself now and save a bundle. If you have read it, you can gift eBooks to other horror fans for a great virtual stocking stuffer. Get it here: https://www.amazon.com/Keeper-Key-gothic-horror-novel-ebook/dp/B0CQFG8XWZ/

And when you’ve finished reading it, PLEASE leave a review. Positive, negative, or meh—they all matter.

TRIVIA ANSWER: In Thomas Lawson’s novel Friday the Thirteenth, a stockbroker picks that particular day to trigger a massive stock market crash. The book was popular enough that it may have helped spread the idea that Friday the 13th was a cursed day. Of course, this is far from the only possible cause of that superstition. Others are the Bible and Norse myth. You can read more here: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/537446/facts-about-friday-13th

Thanks so much for reading, and if you know anyone who might be interested in my work, please feel free to pass this along to them.

Stay spooky and safe,
Nicole