Kwe!

That's one of the few Mi'kmaq words I know. It means "hello." I just started taking language lessons this week. It's gonna be a long road, but any word I learn is a huge level-up, considering I only knew two or three words to begin with.

I had a couple of acceptances yesterday, but I'm not going to count them because their acceptance letters were shady AF. Most of the letter was promotional material, urging me to buy multiple copies of the anthology ahead of time, plus stuffed toys, and, if I am lucky, I might win a prize. While I believe someone will get the prize money, the way this is being run is straight-up scam. Publishers ought not to get all their money and all their product from authors/artists. That is low. So no, I will not be sending more work to Polar Expressions Publishing, and I suggest you avoid it, too. I can see how this would win over someone new to publishing, but your work is worth more than this.

The erotic eco-horror anthology Silk and Foxglove launched yesterday and is available in e-book or trade paperback format. My story "All That Came From Our Lips Were Lilies" is within.

I want to share some of the stories I've been reading with you:

The Cost of Living by Jen Cornick. Creepy tale about the horrors of the working poor. I got to be a beta-reader for this, and it's delicious.

Proof By Induction by José Pablo Iriarte. A thought-provoking story about mathematical proofs, uploaded memories, and grief. This was a Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award finalist.

Love is the Plan the Plan is Death by James Tiptree Jr. This is a surreal story from a unique POV. Who is speaking? WHAT is speaking? And what does it have to say about the nature of love?

And then there's this wonderful Inuit tall tale about Sermerssuaq, the strongest, strangest Inuk woman, ever.