Wendy N. Wagner

This week brings so much exciting news, friends!

For one, I’ve got a new workshop coming to both Zoom AND real-life in October. I’m co-teaching with Gordon B. White a class about writing horror! It’s a 3-hour, in-depth workshop on the genre, and you know it’s going to be a great time. For more information, check out the Cascade Writers’ website.

I have a new story coming out this season: “No God of Bread or Debts.” If you like fiction about obsession and unhappiness, this anthology is for you! It’s called Morbidologies, and my story in it is set in the 1950s in the bowels of a science building on the University of Oregon campus. I’m really excited to share it.

And here’s something else that’s fun! A few months ago, I adapted my novella The Secret Skin into a screenplay. For fun, I entered it into the screenplay contest for the H.P. Lovecraft Festival. And guess what???? MY SCREENPLAY IS A FINALIST!!!! I couldn’t be prouder. I also can’t wait for award ceremony on October 8th. My fingers will be crossed!

When David Agranoff contacted me to let me know that he loved The Secret Skin and wanted to chat about it on his podcast, I jumped at the chance! I had very briefly met David at HP Lovecraft Film Festival about a decade ago, but I’d never gotten a chance to really talk to him. It turns out David is a terrific reader (and writer!) who had lots of great insight into not just my novella but lots of other great reads. I got off Zoom with about a million books to add to my to-read pile! If you haven’t checked out his podcast, you ought to.

You can check out video of the podcast on YouTube or listen to it on iTunes.

I can’t believe it!! The Secret Skin has made the 2021 Locus Recommended List! It feels like some kind of miracle.

I am also super excited that Nightmare had four stories make the list and Lightspeed seven. It feels so good to see the authors I work with get some recognition.

To see the full list, check it out here.

Here’s wishing you and yours a fantastic new year—and a terrific time saying goodbye to the old one. If you’re a cocktail tippler, the good folks at Lit Reactor put together a fun list of cocktail recommendations to go with delicious books. If you wondered what The Secret Skin might taste like as a cocktail, be sure to check out this great post!

LitReactor’s cocktail and horror novel pairings

I might be in this business for the joy of writing, but it sure is nice to see my work getting shout-outs like this:

Sadie Hartmann reviews books all over the place, including the celebrated horror magazine, Cemetery Dance. Not only did she give The Secret Skin a stellar review over at the magazine, she put it on her list of favorite 2021 horror releases.

But that wasn’t the only Best Books of 2021 The Secret Skin made! Back in November, The Washington Post compiled their list of the year’s best SF/F/H novels and The Secret Skin made the cut! That post is behind a paywall, but you can check out the full list on Locus.

I can’t tell you how terrific it is to hear that readers I really admire have enjoyed this novella! I hope it continues to connect to people, because this little book means an awful lot to me.

It’s kind of weird to have another book out just two months after the most recent one, but that’s the way publishing works sometimes! But I’ve got to say that I’m incredibly excited about this novella. I started it ten years ago, and I think it’s probably the prettiest thing I’ve ever written. So I’m thrilled that The Secret Skin is out today!

The always-awesome Paul Semel interviewed me for his website, where we talked all about “gothic sawmills” and all things booktacular. You should check it out!

You can preorder my Gothic novella The Secret Skin during my publisher’s Kickstarter campaign (which runs during the month of May). There’s a price break over buying the novella when it releases in October, plus, you can get cool candles, pins, and all the other novellas in the series.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/davering/neon-hemlocks-2021-novella-series

The Secret Skin is a sawmill gothic that begins with June Vogel’s return to Storm Break, her family’s estate. Things in the great house aren’t what they used to be. Doors slam in the night. Faucets turn on, untouched. Something is always watching, whatever June does. And when her brother returns with his new bride, deceit and betrayal threaten to destroy everything she loves.

Wendy N. Wagner

Tag Archives: the secret skin

Screenplays & stories & workshops, oh my!!!

I love meeting new book people!

LOCUS. RECOMMENDED. LIST.

Happy New Year!

Acclaim for THE SECRET SKIN!

Happy birthday, Novella!

Preorder The Secret Skin