Literally Lyndsey

February 2023

February 28, 2023

Welcome to the February 2023 instalment of Literally Lyndsey (though, how is it the end of the month already?) Read on for writing news, sub calls, updates, book recommendations, submission calls, folklore facts and more!

Writing News

New story:

  • 'Every Part of You' was published in OOZE: Little Bursts of Body Horror. This is a fiendish and disgusting collection of stories, so if weird horror is your thing check it out! My story is about a body being reconstructed with insects (but it's really a love ever-after story...!)

Coming in March:

  • I have six new stories coming in March: in Hexagon Magazine, Shoreline of Infinity, Quill & Crow Publishing, Janus Literary, Calliope Interactive, and a reprint in Crow & Cross Keys. I did a short Twitter thread of them all here if you want to know more.

  • The first one is out tomorrow, 'The Loneliness of Water' from Hexagon Magazine (or free to read now if you're a Patreon subscriber). I was delighted that my story was selected for the cover art feature too, which was created by Sean Peacock. Check out the full art at the bottom of the newsletter (alongside what Scottish folklore inspired it!)

Story news further ahead:

  • I got a DREAM acceptance from Dark Matter INK's MONSTER LAIRS, edited by Anna Madden, this month. My story 'To Gut a Fish, First Gather its Bones' is inspired by Scottish and Shetland Islands folklore, and features a grandmother seeking revenge against the sea monster that took her family. It will be out in October.

  • I also sold a new sci-fi story that is Ghostbusters in space meets the Alien franchise, a little different than my usual stuff but fun to write - it will be out in June! More details soon!

Have You Decided On Your Question

My copies of my debut novelette from Shortwave Publishing arrived today and I couldn't be more excited!! Here they are in all their glory!

It's also been amazing to see some reviews start to come in too, including this very kind one from Angie Spoto. I'm so excited for it to launch on 4th April! Stay tuned for some plans over the coming weeks. Thank you to anyone who has pre-ordered, I really appreciate the support (and was also very excited that it was on the Hive-UK bestseller list for two weeks running when we launched pre-orders!) You can check out full details and pre-order links here. I'll also be selecting a subscriber at random in March to send an advanced copy...keep an eye on your email!

What I've Been Reading

Books:

  • 'Ascension' by Nicholas Binge - thank you to Nick for the ARC I loved this one! I gasped, cried, turned pages so fast I almost gave myself a papercut...so so good, totally mind-bending, smart, and completely absorbing. Can already tell this one's going to be a big one - it's out in April, and you don't want to miss it!

  • 'The Library of the Dead' by T.L Huchu - this is such a fun and pacy read, and has so many of my favourite things: ghosts, lore, magic, and libraries. This one has been on my TBR for too long, and I'm glad I finally got round to it - I'll be diving in shortly to the next installment!

Short stories and poems I've enjoyed: 

  • 'They Come to Return Home' by Elou Carroll in Hexagon Issue #12 (I share a ToC, and what a beautiful story to be in the company of! I loved the imagery and evocative setting in this one, and it definitely appealed to my eco-nerd side too!)

  • 'The Immortal Game' by Lindz Mcleod in Apex Magazine, a dark and original story with an eerie setting, centred around chess playing.

  • 'Plastic Heart' by Anna Madden in Crow & Cross Keys. This first line immediately drew me in, "Her name is as old as lichen-encrusted rocks and shallow cliffs."

  • 'The Wreck of the Medusa' by Jordan Kurella in Apex Magazine, a fantastic pirate story with dangerous waters, and a creature lurking in the deep...

  • 'All the Bells Under the Sea' by Sarah Jackson in Crow & Cross Keys- a haunting and beautiful poem.

  • 'Your Great Mother Across the Salt Sea' by Kelsey Hutton in Beneath Ceaseless Skies - this was a fairytale-esque story, about a woman with a uniquely magical gift. Beautifully written, too: "Over and over, for the two lonely moons it took to sail across the world, she reminded herself: others, at least, thought her gifts were enough."

Submission Calls

  • Orion's Belt opens on March 1st for literary-leaning speculative fiction and poetry

  • Podcastle opens to general fantasy story subs on March 1st.

  • Weird Horror Magazine also opens March 1st-31st.

  • No Trouble at All from March 1st-15th, an anthology of polite horror.

  • Wilted Pages, an anthology of Dark Academia edited by Ai Jiang and Christi Nogle opens for subs with the excellent people at Shortwave Publishing on March 1st-31st.

  • Robotic Ambitions from Apex Magazine looks amazing, and will be opening for general subs in March

  • Apex Magazine’s monthly flash fiction contest theme for next month will be announced on 7th March, so keep an eye out for that!

  • I may or may not have a special interest in this issue...but mark your calendars now for Shoreline of Infinity's Special Issue call on climate change from 27th-30th April. Also, if you're a Scottish author or based in Scotland, check out Shoreline and Cymera Fest's story prize. Full details for all Shoreline calls are here.

Scottish Folklore of the Month

The folklore feature for this month is the Sea Mither, as I've been reflecting lots on seasonal change and yearning to spend time by the sea (as well as writing some snippets inspired by her for a few different writing projects!)

The Sea Mither or Mither O’ the Sea is mentioned in a few stories in my short story collection. She is a deity from Orcadian folklore with dominion over the seas and is said to be responsible for calming and warming summer waters. She is often connected to the Nuckelavee too (which I'm sure will be featured in a future newsletter!), and could keep the creature at bay during the Summer months, though her power would wane in winter.

'The Loneliness of Water' in Hexagon Magazine, out March 1st, is also how I imagined the Sea Mither may manifest as in a post-climate change impacted world, the woman in the story becoming the “Sea Witch” (check ouut the beautiful art below inspired by the story!)

Other updates

I seem to be waiting for emails on what feels like a million things. But in the meantime, I'm working on new stories and edits for my gothic horror novella, which will be going out on sub soon, along with my Scottish folklore collection.