2025 Recap

Rounding Up 2025

After a successul 2024 and the launch of my first book, I went into 2025 with an intention to submit more and work on trying to publish a large cache of – what I think – are great stories. This year, I believe I reached that goal with twelve total publications, including reprints and a few pieces of microfiction not listed above.

Let’s start with my two appearences at the Simultaneous Times Podcast with my first publication of the year. “Proceed to the Route” was inspired by the devices that direct us when we’re driving. I imagined a slightly funky future of robotic rebellion and the fantastic narration by Jenna Hachey impressively hit just the right tone. Jean-Paul would accept another one of my stories late in the year, “Skeletal” which was written for an AANPress call, but didn’t make it. Glad it found a perfect fit here.

One of my favorite publications of the year is the sex-positive time-travel romp, “This Story Isn’t About You” published at the literary mag, Silly Goose Press. They are a great bunch of writers and editors and I’m glad to be among the flock.

I’ve found some kindred spirits at Bulb Culture Collective who happily published two of my stories this year. I love their mission, to reprint stories that were once available online but due magazines folding and not paying to keep domains active, those stories go dark, but BCC shines a light.

I was honored they re-printed “All My Memories Are You” from the missed offbeat lit mag, perhappened and, in their Chandelier eZine, they also reprinted an early story of mine, “Do What You Desire” which was originally published in an issue of Say… back in 2007, reprinted online in 2017, went dark again soon after but was now available again to be read, for free. (And, in a bit of news, I’ll be back at BCC again in March 2026 with another older story of mine.)

This next one was really touching. My short hybrid CNF piece about fatherhood and genies, “If Wishes Were Dishes” was selected by the students at Youngstown State University to be in the latest issue of their literary mag, Jenny.

I was delighed to get an acceptance from Does It Have Pockets, one of the most fun lit mags working today. My story, “An Unfinished Sentence” was written for a Flash Frog guest-edited issue, the incredible short story writer Aimee Bender. It didn’t make it far in that process, but the editors at Does It Have Pockets were positively smitten. I don’t think they’d mind me quoting the acceptance letter where they said, “We usually don’t like writing about writing, but if you are going do it, do it like this.”

Next up is my submission to the third of the Cozy Cosmic series at Underland Press. I wrote a much different type of story for my initial submission to this holiday-themed book. My imagination took the story in a science fiction direction and it didn’t fit the book. Thankfully I got the rejection early and was able to bang out a flash piece about bugs and Christmas lights, “Deep and Dark” before the window closed. Thanks, as always, to Mark Teppo for believing in my work.

And, finally, I placed four drabbles (100-word stories) in two books by Shacklebound Books. Proud of those little one-page stories.

In 2026, I am hoping for another great year. I’ve got a number of projects lined up, things I’ve been working for a while this year and should be released next year. I’ve got some appearences with the library here in Miami scheduled for January and I’ll keep writing and submitting. Thank you for coming on this journey with me!