Self promotion has never been one of my greatest strengths (it's much more fun to criticize the work of others than to aggrandize my own), but I can't let it go without mention that as 2007 rounds itself out, I'm able to claim my first-ever fiction credits. That's right, a Gothic horror story and poem of mine ("The Desecration of Wintrose Abbey" and "View from the Cliffs of Abernath," respectively) appear in issue 41 of "Black Petals" magazine (sadly their last print issue), which is available for purchase through their site.
But it doesn't end there! I also have the publication of two more stories to look forward to in January. The annual "Champagne Shivers" magazine will present one of my crime stories ("The Truth about Irises"), and a psychological thriller ("Such Bitter Business") will be included in the second "Potter's Field" anthology. Not a bad way to kick off the New Year, I must say.—Pete Mesling