New Release: A Spooky Story for Halloween

When my publisher suggested I try to write a spooky story for an anthology, it wasn't difficult to convince me. My love of literature started with now classic horror from Stephen King and John Saul. Halloween is my second favorite holiday (behind Valentine's day).

My short story, "You're Not Welcome Here" is written from an unusual perspective, because sometimes the dead have tales to tell. It appears in Volume 5 of the anthology "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep," released today in honor of Halloween.

Nine other spooky tales, along with a standalone novella also appear as part of this anthology, giving you over 300 pages that will give you the creeps.

Book Review: El Deafo

The graphic novel, "El Deafo" is an autobiographical story about author Cece Bell's experience with going deaf at age 4. Written from the perspective of Cece, we get an inside peek at how it felt for this young girl to confront her loss of hearing, the strategies presented to her, and friendships. She adopts a secret identity as El Deafo when she decides the contraption she must use to hear her teacher is a super power. She often calls on her inner superhero to navigate difficult social situations.

The story is sweet, and relatable for anyone who is or has been a kid dealing with embarrassment, fitting in, and a first crush. The hearing loss details are a bonus.