I can’t post this announcement until after Christmas, because this is a super secret big surprise for my parents, so I’m scheduling this post to go up the day after.

But as of writing this in mid-November, I’ve just ordered the proof copy for The Hopeful Wanderer!

It is…it’s going to be real. I’m going to hold this book in my hands.

I spent just about every minute of the past week and a half formatting and formatting and freaking formatting the interior and the cover. No compromises, I wanted it to look so good. I’ve loved the Wanderer. You’ve loved the Wanderer. They deserve the very best.

My parents are getting the first copy ever for Christmas. They’ve shared something like half the Wanderer posts from my blog, told me how much they love the stories, and nudged me and nudged me to create a print copy. This project is for me, but it’s also for them.

Cover reveal coming soon! (aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!!)

P.S. Want a sneak peak into the book? Check out the updated and expanded release of “Evidence of a Struggle” straight from the upcoming novel-in-stories!

Thanks for reading!

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Summer’s Latest

Beneath the Bluebonnets: Tales of Terror by Texas Women

Read my eco-horror short “Well Being” in this fabulous new anthology, in which a mother follows strange impulses from tainted water to find her daughter.

From Mary Shelley to Tananarive Due and Mariana Enríquez, women have long shaped horror—often without equal recognition. Living closest to the genre’s edge, women know these fears firsthand: lost autonomy, violence, childbirth, survival.

Set in Texas, a land of haunted histories and increasingly restrictive laws, Beneath the Bluebonnets emerges from the raw intersection of terror and endurance. Written by twelve Texas women writers: R. J. Joseph, Lauren Oertel, L.H. Phillips, Kathleen Kent, Madison Estes, Jess Hagemann, Emma E. Murray, Jae Mazer, Iphigenia Strangeworth, Jacklyn Baker, S.G. Baker and edited by Carmen Gray, this collection is urgent, unflinching, and deeply haunting—stories that refuse to look away.

Writing the Mother Road: Texas High Plains Writers Celebrates Route 66

Route 66 isn’t just a highway—it’s a legend.

In Writing the Mother Road, the Texas High Plains Writers invite you to travel America’s most iconic stretch of pavement through a rich collection of short works inspired by the sights, stories, and spirit of Route 66. Inside these pages, you’ll find essays, memoirs, historical reflections, whimsical adventures, and imaginative tales ranging from science fiction to fantasy—all tied together by the culture and charm of the Mother Road.

For generations, Route 66 has fueled livelihoods, sparked creativity, and shaped the towns and travelers who crossed its path. Now, as the road approaches its centennial, this anthology celebrates the enduring heartbeat of the Texas Panhandle and the unforgettable road that helped define it.