Here is the cover of the February 2012 Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in which my new Haxan story appears. Of course, I don’t have the cover story, but this should help you locate the magazine on a newsstand or something if you go looking for it:

I have been thinking about all the milestones we hit as writers. First story ever written, first story sold, first novel written, etc. There are a lot of goalposts and depending on the writer some are more important than others.

Every story I have ever sold or placed is important to me.  But once I do that I move on. What I mean is, I forget about that story and start thinking about the next story. I don’t  do this because I think the last story is unimportant or has become less in my eyes. I do this because as a writer I am only as good as my last story. Which means if I want to move ahead I have to write another and another and another….

It’s enough to make you freak out!

Writing is all about “what have you done lately?” when it comes to how we are judged. Sold a story to EQMM? Nice. What have you done lately?

It’s a brutal fact about this profession but one we have to meet head on and accept. Writing is not easy. It’s not cupcakes. It’s hard work. Which is fine. I never thought it was anything but hard work. I have never thought writing was easy. Oh, there are lots of things about it that are easier to me now than when I first started. That, too, is expected. I have been doing this a long time. Even a blind hog can root up an acorn now and then. Same for me. I have learned a lot, but I am under no illusion I know all there is to know when it comes to writing.

That’s one part about this job I do like. I am always learning. That, more than anything else, keeps me interested.