I am always full-on shocked when editor Ellen Datlow takes notice of something I’ve written–so when I say that I very literally clutched my chest today when I discovered that two of my short stories were chosen for the Best of Horror #14 long list that she puts together each year, well, believe it. I gasped and clutched my chest like an offended Victorian lady… except that I was super thrilled, not offended.

The collection comes out tomorrow (November 29), and I always spend an inordinate amount of time with it–not just reading the excellent stories that made the table of contents, but also poring over the notable book and stories section to look for people I know and stories I’ve read over the last year. You might remember last year I was flabbergasted to see a short story of mine getting a mention. And considering how slow this publishing year was, I’m even more flabbergasted now! Really, this is such an early holiday gift for me.

The stories that made the long list are:

“Footnotes to the Travel Guide.” Dreamland: Other Stories (Black Shuck Books), August 2021

“Imaginary Friends.” The Half That You See anthology (Dark Ink Books), March 2021