In case you’re new here, hi! I’m Courtney. I write contemporary fantasy and horror and make haunted audio fiction. My debut fantasy novel​ came out in October, and my ​cozy horror audio drama series​ (2020-2024) is available free on all major podcast platforms.

You were probably expecting a 2025 Wrapped style newsletter, but I’m trying to break myself of performative productivity. We are more than our to-do (or to-done) lists, more than our wins. And I need to remember that more than usual, right now.

Last month I got a big NO, and I’m not going to lie––I broke down for a minute.

In grad school, I processed big rejections by belting breakup songs at academia. Now, I do the same thing with publishing.

It’s a weird coping mechanism, I’ll give you that. But the industry doesn’t love you back. And the thing about breakup songs is that lots of them are about coming into your own, taking yourself seriously, and moving on to something better, even if you can’t quite imagine what it is yet. (Pssst. There’s a playlist of some of my favorites at the end of the newsletter!)

So I sang out my feelings, then I cued up The Beths’ “Straight Line was a Lie” and Nickel Creek’s “Failure isn’t Forever” and started outlining the secret project I’ve been daydreaming about for a few years. Because I’m not done. Not yet.

Updates

At the end of November, my flash piece, “CoverLetter_Version5” was reprinted at PodCastle as part of their flash fiction extravaganza episode! I’ve wanted to place a story with them for a long time, so I was delighted when they reached out. It was my first solicited story and first reprint all in one.

In other news, I added an events page to my website and there are two events on it already.

I’m very excited to share that:

• I’ll be on the programming at Boskone (Boston, MA) February 13-15, 2026

and

• I’ll be a featured author at Read Freely Fest, hosted by Richland Library (Columbia, SC) March 27-29, 2026!

I’m hoping that my 2026 will be full of opportunities to connect with readers and writers, especially in partnership with libraries and indie bookstores. If you do events management please reach out!

Finally, my Unfortunately… podcast cohost, Mona West, and I recently sat down with the fantastic Jennifer Hudak to discuss academia, writing, crafting and much more.

Unfortunately… It’s Never Gonna Be Perfect is our penultimate season 1 episode, and our final guest interview of the year. We’ll have one last episode before the year ends and then we’re going on hiatus for a while to catch up on other things.

December Recommendations

I posted about this on Bluesky and Instagram, but Laura Cranehill’s Wife Shaped Bodies is a phenomenal read. I highly encourage you to pre-order it or request it at your library!

I stumbled across Beatrice and Walter Crane’s The Procession of the Months while looking for images of snowflakes on Public Domain Image Archive. It's a delightful series, personifying the months of the year in illustration and verse. I love the pre-Raphaelite style and the fact that it’s a father-daughter collaboration. Check the rest of the series out, it’s lovely.

I wish you all warmth and light and a happy new year!

Thanks as always for wallowing with me,

Courtney