Should you be in a nominating frame of mind, here’s what’s eligible for awards that I’ve had published in 2024:

A Misfortune of Lake Monsters (July 2024, CamCat Books). A young women is unable to leave her rural PA hometown because her family expects her to take over the family business of secretly impersonating the town lake monster to keep the tourists coming–when she discovers a real monster in the lake intent on eating everyone, she must break the secret to her best friends. For information on reviews and endorsements, head here. Young adult horror.

“The Physic Garden” (September 2024, issue 103, Mslexia magazine). Set in a post-Roe (and maybe a near-future) America, menopausal Naomi gets a visit from two women from the Bureau of Propagation when her period is late–but she is forewarned and prepared to set things right with the help of her garden and her community. Adult horror.

“In The Darkness, We Dig” (December 2024, The Horror That Represents You anthology, Brigids Gate Press). A newlywed discovers a tooth buried in a figurine in the backyard of her new home, setting off a string of discoveries–and revealing the untrustworthiness of her spouse and secret in the basement. Adult horror

“The Stories We Tell Ourselves” (November/December 2024, issue 25, The Vincent Brothers Review). The intersection of stigmatized houses and leftovers from past owners. Adult CNF.