Coming May 19, 2026, Beneath the Bluebonnets: Tales of Terror by Texas Women is the spiritual successor to the Road Kill: Texas Horror by Texas Writers anthology series. Chilling tales from Texas women shine a light on the terrors of womanhood and the power of womanhood in the face of evil.
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. I’ve waited a whole year to get to talk about this story, and I can’t wait to share it with you!
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.
Leanna Renee Hieber, award-winning USA Today Bestselling author of America’s Most Gothic and A Haunted History of Invisible Women, had this to say about Beneath the Bluebonnets:
“A visceral, haunting collection that punches between beauty and terror, gore and catharsis, fury and justice. A harrowing indictment of our current times. With stories as diverse and variegated as the experience of womanhood itself, this [is] a collection that refuses to go quietly. Not easily contained, each voice demands attention, so settle in and brace yourself.”
For those in the Austin area (or willing to drive there), you can attend the book launch party on May 26! Keep an eye out for a book signing here in the panhandle and more across Texas!
Thanks for reading!
Subscribe for new stories, sneak peeks, book reviews, and updates delivered to your inbox and social feeds.
Summer’s Latest
The Hopeful Wanderer
Wander a world driven from mundane to magical by a secret hidden at its heart.
A slow apocalypse has corroded a distant planet, with the uncanny living in uneasy commune alongside those remaining. On a forgotten quest from the stars, the Wanderer roams among them, through crumbling societies and vibrant wildernesses, navigating a murky path toward an incredible past.
While helping and receiving help-or hindrance-from strange denizens of unusual destinations, the Wanderer must finish righting a wrong that threatens to extinguish the universe itself. Should memory of the responsibility return at all.
Featuring
- 100 Hopeful Wanderer tales
- 20 new short stories
- 10-episode revelatory ending
- 100% revised and expanded
A far-future science fantasy with sub-tones of soft-apocalypse and climate change, this hopeful adventure combines exploration, eeriness, and wonder across 100 short tales.
Join readers who loved the web series and journey alongside them in discovering the Wanderer’s wondrous past and hopeful mission to save the stars.
Woven through with themes of acceptance, kindness, beauty in difference, and the wonder and strangeness of nature, this story will charm and delight readers of Mushishi by Yuki Urushibara and fans of The CryptoNaturalist and Strange Animals by Jarod K. Anderson.
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.
Show Your Support
If you enjoy my writing, please consider leaving a tip. All amounts welcome!
One thought on “Beneath the Bluebonnets Horror Anthology Cover Reveal”