A very big congratulations to the June 2026 WPF graduates!

This residency, our guest speaker was actually an alum of the program! Ethan Joella graduated from Writing Popular Fiction in 2002. He’s gone on to become the bestselling author of A Little Hope, which was a Read with Jenna Bonus Selection; A Quiet Life; The Same Bright Stars; and The Top of the World.

SHUWPF News

• Alum and WPF mentor Jaye Wells was interviewed on the Barred Books podcast to discuss Fahrenheit 451 and book censorship.

• Alum Racquel Sims’ thesis novel, Destiny or Defeat: Book One of The Last Descendants was recently published in June and is releasing in a 3 book deal with Inkd Publishing.

• Alum Iris Matthews shares that two stories have been published: “One Frozen Night” in the anthology Curse of the Sword, and “Sweet Tooth Surrender” in the anthology Harbor Lights & Holiday Nights.

• WPF mentor Gwendolyn Kiste will have a book launch on September 15th, 7pm at Riverstone Books in Pittsburgh for her new book, In These Gilded, Ghostly Hearts. She will be joined in conversation by Kit Frick.

• The very next day (September 16th, 7pm), you will find alum Stephanie M. Wytovich at Riverstone Books as the conversation partner for the launch of Zoje Stage’s latest book.

• WPF mentor Rob Hart attended the Writer’s Digest conference in July and helped represent SHUWPF in addition to participating in conference programming.

  

• Alum Violet Matter shares that her WEBTOON comic The Mafia Nanny was nominated for a 2026 Ringo Award for Best Webcomic. The comic’s third volume also just released in print on August 4th.

• Alum Jeremiah Dylan Cook’s novel Cast a Deadly Spell, based on the screenplay to the classic 1991 HBO movie by Joseph Dougherty, just released today!

• Alum Siera London’s thesis novel A Hard Habit to Break was recently released. Thank you to alum Rachel Holm for sending in some great photos!

Opportunities & Conferences

• Seton Hill’s campus literary magazine Eye Contact is currently open to submissions with a deadline of October 24th. The current theme is “Legacy”

• Cursed Morsels is open to submissions until September 14th for A Food Systems Horror Anthology.

• Moonlight & Magnolias Romance Writing Conference: October 15-17th, 2026

• Bouchercon 2026: October 21st-25th

• Submissions are open for Radiant Dawn: A Queer Hopepunk Anthology with a due date of October 15th

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos or photos of you at conferences/events!

Subscribe now

• Alum R.J. Joseph’s fiction collection, My Monsters Ain’t Like Yours, releases July 15th from Quill and Crow Publishing House

• Alum Meghan Spelbrink’s short story “Monster Smut is Ruining My Life” was released in The Villains Club: A delightfully devious anthology

• WPF Mentor and Alum, Valerie Burns, will have a new book, Murder at First Slice, releasing on July 28th. This is the 5^th book in her Baker Street Mystery series

• Alum Tracy Cross was featured on the Cleveland Public Library podcast for "Horror and Hoodoo with Tracy Cross.” She also had her story “Seed” published in The Horror Zine, has a forthcoming story titled “Mami Wata” in Beltway: An Anthology of Writers of the Washington DC Metro Area by Night Ginkgo Press, and her fiction collection Sinner Man Hand and Other Stories will be published in 2026 with Dark Matter Ink. She also shares that she’s a Washington Writer's Conference Scholar for 2026

• Alum Ivan X. Cruz shares that The NoSleep Podcast recently released an audio adaptation of his story “Beyond the Valley”

• Alum Kristina Elyse Butke shares that her book Son of the Siren was a finalist in the Young Adult Category of the American Writing Awards at the end of the year in 2025. Also, her graduate thesis from SHU has been developed into a trilogy and the first book, The Name and the Key, will be published on July 21, 2026 by Oliver Heber Books

  

• Alum Lynn Slaughter shares that her young adult novel, Missing Mom, has been nominated for an Agatha and is a finalist for CIBA’s Dante Rossetti Award for Young Adult Fiction, as well as a finalist for the Imadjinn Award for Young Adult Fiction! Her debut middle grade fantasy novel, an identity-swapping tale called The Big Switch: Varney and Cedric, released in March

• Alum Kristy Park Kulski’s anthology Silk and Sinew: A Collection of Folk Horror from the Asian Diaspora was recently nominated for a Shirley Jackson Award and a British Fantasy Award

• WPF Mentor Rob Hart shares that the second book in the Assassins Anonymous series, The Medusa Protocol, was just released, and the third installment, Three Hitmen and a Baby, comes out June 16

  

• WPF mentors Priscilla Oliveras and LaQuette will be at the Reader Author Get Together at the Holiday Inn, Cincinnati Airport in Erlanger, Kentucky. The ticketed event runs June 3-6, but there are also two free book signings on Friday, June 5 and Saturday, June 6 from 3-5 pm:

  Event registration link:

  https://readerauthorgettogether.com/registration/

  Book signing info:

  https://readerauthorgettogether.com/book-signing/

  Event info:

  https://readerauthorgettogether.com

• Alum Joy E. Held shares that she did 38 book signings in 2025, and is also thrilled to announce the re-release of her thesis novel Saving Marietta: Journey to Freedom, Book 1 in a revised and expanded two-book series from Headline Books, Inc. (Feb. 24, 2026.) Book 2 releases late 2026

• WPF mentor Gwendolyn Kiste celebrated the release of her new collection, The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own, with a launch party at Riverstone Books in Pittsburgh where she was in conversation with WPF Program Coordinator Sara Tantlinger. Gwendolyn also went on a recent book tour for the collection, which took her to Atlanta, San Diego, and the Philadelphia area

Opportunities & Conferences

• Writer’s Digest Annual Conference in New Brunswick, NJ: July 23-25, 2026

• StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA: June 4-7, 2026

• RWA2026 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, NM: July 15-18, 2026

• Registration for the annual, alumni-run conference In Your Write Mind is open: June 25-28, 2026. NY Times Bestselling Author, Jonathan Auxier, will be Author

  Guest of Honor

• Dark Ink is open for submissions for an “upcoming horror anthology centered on movies, filmmaking, and the act of watching films” (Deadline: July 1st)

• Fairy Tale Review is seeking poetry and fiction with a theme on food (Deadline: July 15th)

• Apex Magazine Flash Fiction Contest

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos or photos of you at conferences/events!

Subscribe now

This past January, we gathered for the first WPF residency of 2026! Eleven students graduated and have now officially joined our alumni — congratulations, everyone! We also enjoyed modules such as How to Write the Perfect First Chapter, Developing Strong Secondary Characters, Solving Crimes with Bloodstains, and more!

Guest author Sarah Langan taught a module on Writing Horror for the Professional Market, took us on a world-building journey, and went over reasons why speculative fiction inspires her.

And finally, we celebrated Dr. Nicole Peeler and her 10+ years of being the Writing Popular Fiction Program Director! She will be our Assistant Director while Dr. Michael Arnzen has taken over as Program Director. Thank you, Dr. Peeler, for all of your leadership!

SHUWPF News

• Alum Rich Stone (writing as Sloan Richman) reports that his thesis novel, Small Town Symphony (in Four Deadly Movements), was released by Solstice Publishing on March 6

• WPF mentor and alum, Valerie Burns, had a new release in the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series: Murder from A to Z. She is also currently serving as the President of Southeast Chapter of Mystery Writers of America

• Recent graduate Katrina P., writing as Siera London, is thrilled to share that her thesis novel A Hard Habit to Break is available on pre-order with a release date of August 11, 2026

• Alum Stacey Rubin had her first memoir piece, “Duty Stations: Nursing Prisoners in Desert Storm” published in VBC magazine

• Mentor Rob Hart’s Detour novel (with Jeff Rake) was released in January

• Mentor Kosoko Jackson will be a guest at AwesomeCon this weekend (March 13-15)

• Mentor, LaQuette, had her novel Janae Sanders’ Second Time Around published in January, and it’s book #2 in the Savvy, Sexy, & Single Club series

SHUWPF is thrilled to see several alums on the 2025 Bram Stoker Awards® Final Ballot! Congratulations to all the finalists!

We have two alums nominated for Superior Achievement in an Anthology!

Kristy Park Kulski, editor of Silk & Sinew: A Collection of Folk Horror from the Asian Diaspora (Bad Hand Books)

Stephanie M. Wytovich, co-editor of HOWL: An Anthology of Werewolves from Women-in-Horror (Black Spot Books)

Alum and WPF Program Coordinator, Sara Tantlinger, is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection for Cyanide Constellations (Dark Matter INK)

Alum RJ Joseph is nominated for Superior Achievement in Short Fiction for “Inheritance” (Full Throttle: A Dark Dozen Anthology, Uncomfortably Dark Publishing)

We’d also like to congratulate friends of the program and recent guest speakers Sarah Langan and Cynthia Pelayo on their nominations!

Sarah is nominated twice for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction for “Squid Teeth” (Reactor) and Pam Kowolski is a Monster! (Raw Dog Screaming Press)

Cynthia is nominated for Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction for her essay “My Mother Was Margaret White” (Why I Love Horror: Essays on Horror Fiction, Saga Press)

Congratulations again to everyone!

Opportunities & Conferences

• Alum Jacqui Gamache is working on a literary journal with a team that includes fellow alum, R. Ruhl, and a current student in the program (Alex Belanger): “Common Folk's new Literary Journal, Lore & Rime, is open for submissions for its Lore fiction imprint. Lore & Rime is an upcoming literary magazine, run by members and friends of Common Folk Artist Collective. We are looking for short stories, flash fiction, and short graphic novels to publish in our Lore imprint! Pieces should be submitted by April 30, 2026, at 11:59 P.M. EST to be considered for publication. Please visit us at https://commonfolk.org/literary-journal or reach out to us at literary@commonfolk.org for more information”

• StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA: June 4-7, 2026

• RWA2026 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico: July 15-18

• Registration for the annual, alumni-run conference In Your Write Mind is open: June 25-28, 2026

• Literally Magazine is open to submissions of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and essays until May 15th

• The Rotting Leaf is looking for eco-themed fiction and is open once per month: For the first week of the month or until 50 submissions are received, whichever occurs first — so submit early during new months!

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos or photos of you at conferences/events!

Subscribe now

• Alum Jeremiah Dylan Cook’s collection A Mythos of Monsters and Madness was released in September by New Pulp Tales

• Alum Allison Miller shares that she was accepted into Murray State’s doctorate degree in English Pedagogy program

• Alum Rebekah Fraser reports that her article “Carrying Jane Austen’s Torch” is out in the September/October issue of Writer’s Digest Magazine. Her thesis novel Refashioned by Love (published as Tara L. Roí) is out from Bee Books. She also reports that her thesis novel seems to be coming to life in Trash to Fashion, the organization she founded in January that produces online media and zero-waste events to teach people how to turn trash into fashion to reduce pollution

• Alum Kristopher Campa’s third book in the Sentinel’s Saga is out now (Sentinel’s Strength), stemming from his WPF thesis, which is the first book in the series

• Alum Lola Rock’s Pack Darling and new duology landed a major deal at auction, in a four-book deal

• Alum and WPF Program Coordinator, Sara Tantlinger, shares that her debut fiction collection, Cyanide Constellations and Other Stories, was released in October by Dark Matter INK

• WPF mentor Gwendolyn Kiste’s forthcoming fiction collection, The Haunted Houses She Calls Her Own, is available for pre-order through Raw Dog Screaming Press

• WPF mentor Kosoko Jackson will be a guest at AwesomeCon in Washington DC, March 13-15, 2026

• Incoming WPF Director, Dr. Michael Arnzen is serving on the jury of the 2025 Shirley Jackson Awards -- an annual prize for outstanding achievement in the literature of psychological suspense, horror, and the dark fantastic. https://www.shirleyjacksonawards.org/. He also recently was published as the featured poet in Katabatic Circus Vol. 2 and wrote a humorous-horror screenplay, Ranchophobia, which is currently in post-production.

January Guest Speaker: Sarah Langan

Join us at the Seton Hill Performing Arts Center on January 6th, 7pm!

Seton Hill’s MFA in Writing Popular Fiction is excited to host guest author Sarah Langan! She is a three-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author, whose novels (A BETTER WORLD, GOOD NEIGHBORS, THE MISSING, etc.) have made best of the year lists at NPR, Newsweek, The Irish Times, AARP, and PW. Her stories have appeared in F&SF, WIRED, Year’s Best Horror, Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror, Year’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy, etc. She has an MS in Environmental Health Science from NYU, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, the writer/director JT Petty, their two daughters, and two maniac rabbits. Her most recent works are the novella PAM KOWOLSKI IS A MONSTER! (RDS, 2025) “Squid Teeth” (Reactor, 2025), and her sixth novel, TRAD WIFE (Tor UK, Atria US, 2026). Along with a keynote and Q&A session, there will be a book signing and reception, with books for sale at the event. Click here to register for free!

Opportunities & Conferences

• Eye Contact, Seton Hill’s literary magazine, is open to submissions for their Genre Flash Fiction Award. The upcoming deadline will be set around February, but find the theme and guidelines here

• Dracula Beyond Stoker is open to submissions until December 31st, 2025, for their Van Helsing themed issue

• WPF Alumni-led Intrepidus Ink is seeking flash fiction and short stories of various genres

• Early registration for the annual, alumni-run conference In Your Write Mind is open: June 25-28, 2026

• StokerCon 2026 in Pittsburgh, PA: June 4-7, 2026

• RWA Traditional Author Weekend (virtual conference): January 24, 2026

• RWA2026 Annual Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico: July 15-18

• Queer Horror Conference (Virtual event): February 6-7, 2026

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos or photos of you at conferences/events!

The June 2025 residency might have been during a heat wave, but that didn’t stop students and faculty from gathering for genre dinners and a veterans & service members lunch, and also attending thesis readings, plus modules like “Spies, Feds, and Snake Eaters”, “Experiencing Forensic Anthropology”, “The Mystery Writers Toolkit”, and more!

We also welcomed guest author Alexander Darwin, who shared great insight on “Writing in the In-Between” and gave an engaging interview with WPF Director Dr. Nicole Peeler. Alexander also taught us about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, signed books from his Combat Codes series, and overall seemed to have just as much fun with us as we did with him!

Congratulations to the new graduates, and welcome to the WPF alumni! Speaking of which, registration for the 2026 In Your Write Mind conference, sponsored by WPF alumni, is now open.

SHUWPF News

• Alum Lynn Slaughter shared that her sixth novel, Missing Mom, a Claymore finalist, came out in January from Fire & Ice, an imprint of Melange Books. Death in the End Zone, a sequel to her adult mystery, Missed Cue, will come out in the spring of 2026

• WPF mentor, Gwendolyn Kiste, won the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel for her novel The Haunting of Velkwood

• Alum Ed Downes had his thesis novel, Frozen Echoes, published in May from Undertaker Books

• Alum Amber S. (writing as Meghan Spelbrink) shares that her thesis manuscript won The Emily Award for Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal Romance category and got a partial request from one of the agent judges

• Alum Corey Niles had his second novel, What Remains, recently release from Crystal Lake Publishing

• Alum Krista H. (writing as Iris Matthews) shares that her short story "Worth the Climb" was accepted into the 2025 Great Lakes Fiction Writer's anthology Dreams and Driftwood. Her first two short stories, "Pocket Parchment" and "Autumn Magic" were published in the 2024 GLFW's anthology Love on the Lakefront

• Alum Stacey Rubin’s debut novel, The Baby Nurse, is out now by Bloodhound Books (London)

• Alum Ethan Joella’s newest novel The Top of the World is scheduled to release in Summer 2026 by Scribner Books from Simon & Schuster

• You can catch mentor and alum, Valerie Burns, in Memphis on August 16th to celebrate her new novel Icing on the Murder

• SHUWPF mentors, alums, students — have news to share? See “Send Us News!” below to learn how to send in your amazing updates!

Opportunities

• A newer publication to keep an eye on: Tractor Beam, focusing on soilpunk and “radical visions of hopeful futures built from the ground up” — Payment: $1000

• Poets & Writers Development & Communications Associate job opening

• Submissions to These Dreaming Hills, original stories rooted in central Appalachia, open August 15th. Payment: .08/word

• Flame Tree Press is looking for romantic fantasy submissions for two anthologies. Deadline: August 24th. Payment: .08/word

• Crepuscular Magazine is open to speculative fiction (currently seeking microfiction under 250 words). Payment: .10/word

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos or photos of you at conferences/events!

Subscribe now

Residency Recap

Last month, we gathered for the January 2025 residency! We had a proper winter on the hill, but it didn’t deter students from enjoying modules on dissecting the plot in a romance novel, exploring the influence of Agatha Christie, discussing the language of fear, or learning more about DNA and how to “Murder Better” with a SHU forensics instructor (just to name a few modules). We also welcomed guest author Cynthia Pelayo, who taught a class on writing as a form of social justice in addition to her lectures and readings.

If you know someone who might be interested in joining the program, we have an info session coming up soon on March 4th: Register here!

SHUWPF News

• Alum Kaitlyn Ambrose’s short story, “Rules” was published in Ghostlight, The Magazine of Terror: Spring 2024

• Alum Corey Niles shares that his debut poetry collection, Death & Other Forms of Devotion, was recently released through Alien Buddha Press

• Alum Joy E. Held’s WriteDay Subscription Box for writers turned one year old last year! Keep an eye out here for open subscriptions: https://mywriteday.com/

• WPF mentor, Gwendolyn Kiste, and WPF Assistant Director, Michael Arnzen, are both nominated for Stoker Awards. Gwendolyn’s The Haunting of Velkwood is nominated for Superior Achievement in a Novel, and Michael’s essay, “Screamin’ in the Rain: The Orchestration of Catharsis in William Castle’s The Tingler” is nominated for Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction

• WPF Mentor Scott Johnson shares that Through the Witches Stone was named a winner of the International Impact Book Award

• Alum Stacey H. Rubin signed a 2-book contract with Bloodhound Books (London). The first book, a women's fiction tentatively titled The Baby Nurse, is scheduled for publication in September 2025

• Alum and WPF Program Coordinator Sara Tantlinger’s debut fiction collection, Cyanide Constellations is open for pre-order through Dark Matter INK’s website

• Alum Lynn Slaughter was featured in an interview with Canvas Rebel

• Alum Racquel Sims reports that Dragon Soul Press published a fantasy charity anthology and a horror charity anthology recently (Infernal Delights and Dragon Flight), and both feature several WPF SHU alumni. All proceeds are sent to the victims of Hurricane Helene and Milton in the Carolinas. Within Dragon Flight, you’ll find alumni Demi Michelle Schwartz, Vicki Erwin, Jessica Lee Minneci, Racquel Sims, and Sierra Jackson. Infernal Delights contains alumni stories from Demi Michelle Schwartz and Katie Craig.

• WPF Mentor Kosoko Jackson’s horror novel The Macabre is available for pre-order

• Alum and mentor Don Bentley’s latest book, Vince Flynn, Denied Access, is also available for pre-order

• Alum and mentor Priscilla Oliveras recently got back from the Love Ya’ll Book Fest and shared some fabulous photos and a recap on her Instagram

Opportunities

• Seton Hill’s campus literary magazine, Eye Contact, is open to submissions until April 4th. Check out the guidelines and read more about the “Experience” theme for this open call, including the rules on the cash prize

• Alum Demi Michelle Schwartz is the guest anthologist for a new anthology titled Kaleidoscopic Quill: An Inspiring Butterfly Anthology, which will be published by Wild Ink Publishing in 2026. Submissions open in March—check out the guidelines here

• In Your Write Mind is slated for June 26th-29th—find out more here

• Digital Assistant, Harper’s Magazine (full-time, in-office job)

• Customer Service Rep/Editorial Assistant, Kirkus Reviews (full-time, New York)

• Book Reviewer, Kirkus Reviews (Remote)

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Subscribe now

Victoria “Vicki” Thompson left behind a powerful impact on her mentees, peers, and colleagues during her time as both a WPF student and later as a mentor. She was with the program from 2000-2023, and it’s clear from the many tributes from her former mentees that she will be remembered as a supportive mentor, a consummate professional, and as someone who provided both wit and joy through her teachings and leadership.

Tributes from Publishers Weekly and Shelf Awareness also demonstrate the reach of her fiction and legacy as a writer. SHU’s Writing Popular Fiction program is grateful we had so many years to continually learn from Vicki.

If you’d like to share a memory or photo, Vicki’s family has a place for online tributes at the following link: https://www.online-tribute.com/VictoriaThompson

Her family will also be live-streaming her memorial service through Zoom on October 5th at 2pm CT: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82085304889?pwd=CNo4wy4yUhnd9oKYRBKKXHVtGfpb1h.1
Meeting ID: 820 8530 4889 Passcode: 470552

Please make sure to check your local time zone: 12pm PT / 1pm MT / 2pm CT / 3pm ET

SHUWPF News

• Alum Joy E. Held’s The Mermaid Riot was published earlier this year by Fire & Ice Young Adult Books and is available for purchase

• WPF Mentor Rob Hart’s Assassins Anonymous was released this summer by G.P. Putnam's Sons and made the USA Today bestseller list; Rob also recently announced that he is co-writing a novel with Jeff Rake, creator and showrunner of Manifest

• Alum and WPF Program Coordinator Sara Tantlinger sold her forthcoming horror fiction collection, Cyanide Constellations and Other Stories to Dark Matter Ink for publication in Fall 2025

• Alum Rebekah Fraser is excited to report that she’s teaching EN551, The Literary Marketplace, at Albertus Magnus College in New Haven, CT this fall. She also had an article published in RWA’s Romance Writers Report in August

• Alum Chun Hyon Lee recently released Extrasensory Overload: an anthology of speculative excess, which features a preface by WPF Assistant Director Dr. Michael Arnzen

• Mentor Don Bentley’s Vince Flynn, Capture or Kill novel was recently released and he’s been out on tour promoting the book

• Alum EV Knight’s latest book, The House on the Cover of a Horror Novel just released through Raw Dog Screaming Press and is now available for purchase

Opportunities

• Job Alert: Assistant Professor, Fiction at Stony Brook University. Deadline: Nov. 1, 2024

• Novelettes: Split Scream, a novelette double feature; seeking horror and weird fiction novelettes of 10,000 - 20,000 words. Submissions will open Sept. 16 - Sept. 30th. Find the submission portal here

• Seton Hill’s campus literary magazine Eye Contact is seeking submissions around the theme of “Innocence”. The deadline for their fall issue is October 25th. For the flash fiction cash prize, the genre is ROMANCE. Read the guidelines here.

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Hi everyone,

We wanted to update the SHUWPF community on the current status of Victoria Thompson, a long-serving mentor of WPF and a beloved alumni. Vicki has been battling cancer for a few years now, and is currently in the hospital in very serious condition. If you'd like to send her a card, feel free to contact Dr. Peeler for the address. We would also invite all of you, if you are so inclined, to show your appreciation for Vicki by pre-ordering her latest novel, Murder in Rose Hill. 

Vicki loved this program, and we love her. She's helped shape WPF through her wise counsel and her generous spirit, and I think this is a lovely way of honoring her contribution. Please keep Vicki and her family in your thoughts.

Dr. Peeler

SHUWPF News

• Alum Lynn Slaughter reports that Missed Cue was named a 2024 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite

• Registration for In Your Write Mind 2024 is open! $60 for the entire conference! Come join us at the Seton Hill campus for classes, panels, pitch sessions, networking and more. June 27-30: https://alumni.setonhill.edu/2024IYWM

• Current student Amber Sumner became the President of the Bay Area Romance Writers group

• Alums Rhonda Schlumpberger and Calie Voorhis send a reminder that Intrepidus Ink is open for submissions! They publish a variety of flash and short stories that examine intrepid culture

• The guest speaker for this summer’s residency is thriller & mystery author, Rachel Howzell Hall! If you’d like to attend her public speaking session and book signing on June 29th, reserve a ticket here (they’re free!)

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Subscribe now

• Congratulations to our January 2024 class! Welcome to the SHUWPF alumni! This past residency, students braved the cold weather, read the common reading of The Maid by Nita Prose, and enjoyed various modules and workshops with mentors, as well as the guest presentations by visiting author, Tim Pratt. We also welcomed new mentors LaQuette and Don Bentley!

SHUWPF News

• Alum Kristina Elyse Butke signed a book deal with the Primera imprint of Oliver Heber Books for her debut fantasy novel Son of the Siren, to be published in 2024.

• Current student, Tracy Cross, shares that her story "Scarlet and I" was featured on the Something Scary Podcast this month-for Black History Month.

• Congratulations to current SHUWPF student Katrina, writing as Siera London, on these two pieces of good news: Her debut Forever Romance title, Fake It Till You Make, releases in April 2024. Also, Siera received a Romance Writers of America Service Award for her board member and mentor contributions.

• Alum Danielle Modafferi is happy to report the release of The Last Phone Booth in Manhattan. In December, the book was selected and featured as Amazon First Reads' Editor's Choice in Romance for December 2023. Danielle says, "It has been beyond incredible to witness its ascent to the list of top 50 Best Sellers on Amazon, achieving the #1 Best Seller and #1 New Release status across several categories, including Women’s Friendship Fiction, Friendship Fiction, and Romantic Comedy. Additionally, the book has garnered over 8k reviews on Amazon in the nearly two months since its feature as a First Read."

• Current student, Christine Rose Elle, shares that she had two articles published in Bella Grace Magazine Issue 39 Spring 2024. One is called “Rekindled”, and the other is called “One Adventure at a Time”. Check out Christine’s website here.

• Alum Kristin Dearborn shared that her novel, Faith of Dawn, was released earlier this month from Cemetery Dance Publications. The book was also recently spotted in the #1 spot for U.S. horror fiction new releases on Amazon.

• Mentor and visiting professor, Kosoko Jackson, recently shared the deal report for his upcoming novel, The Macabre, coming in Summer 2025.

• Congratulations to alums K.P. Kulski and Stephanie Wytovich on their recent Stoker Award-nominations! Kulski is nominated for Superior Achievement in Short Non-Fiction for her essay “100 Livers”, and Wytovich is nominated for Superior Achievement in Poetry for her collection On the Subject of Blackberries.

• Mentor Gwendolyn Kiste kicks off the book tour for her latest novel, The Haunting of Velkwood, in Pittsburgh on March 5th at Riverstone Books.

• Alum Molly Harper recently shared the Publishers Marketplace news that her novel The Wrong Witch to Hex, a spinoff from her Starfell Point series, was sold to Rose Hilliard at Audible Originals in a three-book deal.
  

Opportunities

• In Your Write Mind Workshop: Call for proposals! Interested in being a presenter for this June’s IYWM Workshop? Follow THIS LINK to fill out a proposal form. Proposals are due by May 15th. The IYWM website is currently under construction, but should be up and running soon.

• Eye Contact, Seton Hill’s literary magazine, is taking submissions until March 25th. There is a $250 genre flash fiction prize! Click here for more details. There’s no theme, but the genre for this issue’s prize is horror.

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

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The SHUWPF family is saddened at the loss of alum Lee Allen Howard. Lee first attended Seton Hill in 2004 to complete the then MA program, and returned recently for the “F” for his MFA. He touched many lives along the way, befriending students, critique partners, mentors, and leaving an impact with his writing. Thank you Lee, for your kindness, creativity, and bold work. You are missed.

SHUWPF News

*Overtures, a new poetry collection by alum Lana Hechtman Ayers was recently published by Kelsay Books.

*Alum Lynn Slaughter is excited to share that her fifth novel, Missed Cue, came out in August from Melange Books. It's her first adult mystery, in which a homicide detective, while dealing with her messy personal life, investigates the most complicated case of her career, the suspicious onstage death of a revered ballerina.

*Current student Kaitlyn Ambrose sold her first story, “Rules” to Ghostlight Magazine, which should release in the spring.

*Alum Demi Michelle Schwartz recently signed with agent Michelle Jackson at LCS Literary.

*Mentor Kosoko Jackson was interviewed with Littsburgh on KDKA, and his YA horror novel, The Forest Demands its Due was listed as a USA Today Bestseller.

*Mentor and Assistant Director Dr. Michael Arnzen shared that back in October he was a guest "horror academic" on a podcast associated with Good Morning America from abc news: The Book Case with Kate & Charlie Gibson. His first segment begins on the latter half of the episode featuring author Jennifer McMahon. A second interview was also released, and the last portion of this episode (called "Our Halloween Horror Reading Recommendations”) focuses on his work as a teacher of the genre at SHU.

*Current student Rebekah Fraser (writing as Tara L. Roí), shared the recording from an interview she did with New Haven Independent on WNHH.

*Mentor Barbara Miller recently retired and we wish her much joy! She also shared that her Regency romantic suspense Music Master released in December, and another book, Fortune's Folly, will release January 8th.

*Alum Alexa Grave shares that her novel Dead As Dreams (a dark epic fantasy that was her second thesis novel) is now available.

*Current students Chad Beighley and Katrina Pringle were highlighted in the Seton Hill Forward magazine where they discussed their military careers and the impact of writing.

*Alum Kristopher Campa recently released Sentinel's Blood, Book 2 in the Sentinel's Saga. The first book in the saga was his thesis at SHU and this book continues Arturo's story.

*We’re thrilled to welcome two new mentors starting this January! LaQuette Holmes (our previous guest speaker) and WPF alum Donald Bentley! Donald was also recently featured in a Seton Hill article: Seton Hill’s Writing Popular Fiction Program Helps Veteran Find His Voice in the Military Thriller Genre

*We will be on a break until after the new year. Until then, we look forward to seeing our current students and mentors at residency in a few short weeks! Happy holidays and a happy new year to everyone!

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

*Alumna MaryAnn Diorio is happy to report that her latest novel, The Rabbi and Mrs Goldstein, was released in August. It is Book 2 in her series titled The Wives of Old Cape May.
EBOOK: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCCD4ZSM
PRINT: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1959699075

*Mentor Scott Johnson shared the good news that his book, Through the Witches Stone, has taken the bronze medal in the Readers' Favorite International Book Award contest in the Young Adult-General category.

*Alumna PJ Whiskeyman (writing as Riley Kilmore), had a short story place second in the 2023 West Virginia Fiction competition judged this year by Ann Pancake.

*Alum Sheldon Higdon's debut novel (middle grade) The Eerie Brothers and The Witches of Autumn is now available! In October, Sheldon will be visiting middle schools, libraries, & bookstores in PA & Ohio, as well as virtual events in MT, FL, & NJ. He was interviewed, in-studio, at radio stations WEOL 930/100.3 & Mix, 102.7, WCPZ, and was interviewed by two Ohio newspapers The Morning Journal and The Lorain County Community Guide. 

*Current SHUWPF student Rebekah Fraser (writing as Tara L. Roí) saw the release of the 2nd edition of her book Haven. Books 2 & 3 in the trilogy will follow soon, as well as the print version. She also recently attended and participated in the Elm City LIT Fest. Check out The Arts Paper coverage, which also mentions alumna Briana Smith!

*Alumna Joy Held shared a few pieces of good news! She started teaching in the MFA Creative Writing program for Southern New Hampshire University online. She also sold a young adult historical fantasy novel, The Mermaid Riot, to Melange Books/YA division. She has a new book out from Headline Books, Inc. called Writer Wellness WORKBOOK and GUIDED JOURNAL. It partners with the main book Writer Wellness: A Writer's Path to Health and Creativity also from Headline Books, Inc. (2020). Additionally, she started a subscription box program for writers called My WriteDay. Bi-monthly boxes include a writing craft book, healthy snacks, and other writerly items.

Upcoming Events

*Join SHUWPF faculty Kosoko Jackson and Director Dr. Nicole Peeler on October 12th at Carnegie Library Lecture Hall to discuss Kosoko's newest novel, The Forest Demands Its Due. Tickets are free, but please register here.

*Alumna Joy Held will be at some upcoming book signings with Headline Books:

Friday, September 29, West Virginia Buckwheat Festival, Kingwood, WV
Saturday, October 21, West Virginia Book Festival, Charleston, WV

*Assistant Director Dr. Michael Arnzen, Program Coordinator Sara Tantlinger, mentor Gwendolyn Kiste, and alumna Michelle R. Lane will be joining other local horror writers at a reading on October 19th at the Monongahela Library, 7pm, with free admission.

Opportunities

*Appalachian Heritage Writer-in-Residence; AHWIR Writers Masterclass, with Ann Pancake—2023 One Book One WV Common Read Author. Submission deadline is September 22.

*Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing job opening (University of Iowa)

*Submissions: Planet Scumm; Gamut Magazine; Intrepidus Ink; Wicked Taxidermy Press; Grendel Press

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love book photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

June Residency

Last month, students returned to Seton Hill for the June 2023 residency, which featured modules from exploring forensic anthropology to a critic’s guide to writing an unputdownable novel, writing a series, and more!

Guest speaker and romance author LaQuette held two fantastic speaking sessions and signed books for students and fans.

SHUWPF News

*Alum Lee Allen Howard had a release this month for his horror novel The Covenant Sacrifice.

*Mentor Barbara Miller’s regency romance novel Two Hearts was also released this month, by The Wild Rose Press.

*Alum Jennifer Della'Zanna recently had a nonfiction book release in May -- Making it in Country Music: An Insider’s Look at the Industry, which she co-wrote with Rich Redmond.

*Current student Jeanne Adams saw the release of her novella in the anthology Midsummer Mischief at Caynham Castle, which features novellas by 4 other authors, too.

*Alum Alicia Ellis had book 3 (War of Flesh and Metal) in her Flesh and Metal trilogy release recently.

*Mentors Gwendolyn Kiste and Kosoko Jackson became Lambda Literary Award winners last month! Gwendolyn took home the award for Bisexual Fiction for her novel Reluctant Immortals, and Kosoko took home the Gay Romance award for his novel I'm So Not Over You.

*June also saw a #shuwpf gathering at StokerCon in Pittsburgh! This year, StokerCon was co-chaired by WPF Assistant Director and faculty Mike Arnzen and WPF Program Coordinator (and alumna) Sara Tantlinger, alongside the University of Pittsburgh Horror Studies Collection Coordinator, Benjamin Rubin. At the conference, we saw current students, a ton of alumni, and even some mentors. It's always exciting to see such a strong #shuwpf presence at events.

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Subscribe now

In our previous newsletter, we mentioned the guest speaker for this summer at residency is romance author, LaQuette! If you’d like to attend her public Q&A and Book Signing on June 24th, reserve a ticket here (they’re free!).

SHUWPF News

*Alum PJ Whiskeyman, writing as Riley Kilmore, shares that her novel Shay the Brave will be published in January 2024 by Wild Ink Publishing. Find out more about the book here!

*Alum Christopher Tantillo’s thesis novel was recently released! Check out The Night I Spent with Aubrey Fisher, a Dark YA & Coming of Age Romance

*Mentor Scott A. Johnson’s novel Through the Witches Stone, a Middle Grade, YA Fantasy, is now available!

*Alum Marx Pyle recently had Tales of Monstrosity: Monsters, Myths, and Miscreants release. The anthology also features many #shuwpf names! Dive into the world of the unknown and explore the monsters lurking in the shadows.

*Alum Lana Ayers released a new book of poetry, When All Else Fails, from The Poetry Box. Two more poetry collections are forthcoming in '23 and '24, so keep an eye out!

*Mentor & co-founder of the WPF program, Albert Wendland, recently saw the release of Haunted Stars, the latest novel in his "Mykol Ranglen" science-fiction series. Audio readings by the author of the first three chapters can be heard here. The book was published by Dog Star Books, a division of Raw Dog Screaming Press.

*Congratulations to mentor, Maria V. Snyder, on the release of The Study of Poisons, which is a companion novel to Poison Study! Maria had a release party at Cupboard Maker Books where Mouse the bookstore cat helped out.

*Mentor & WPF Assistant Director Michael Arnzen recently went to Cupboard Maker Books, as well, and sent in some photos with familiar names he spotted at the bookshop:

Gatherings

Hey, we know these cool writers! How fun to see alumni and mentors meeting up at Malice Domestic in Washington DC! 🔍🕵️‍♀️

Thank you Vicki Erwin for sending in this group shot!

A Message from Dr. Michael Arnzen:

CONGRATULATIONS to Bram Stoker Award nominees from WPF alumni and faculty! 

Rhonda Jackson Joseph (alum) for Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection (for Hell Hath No Sorrow Like a Woman Haunted)
Gwendolyn Kiste (faculty) for Superior Achievement in a Novel (for Reluctant Immortals)
EV Knight (alum) for Superior Achievement in Long Fiction (for Three Days in the Pink Tower)
Sara Tantlinger (alum/program coordinator) for Superior Achievement in an Anthology (for Chromophobia: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women in Horror)
Stephanie Wytovich (alum) for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction (for editing the anthology, Writing Poetry in the Dark)

We'll be celebrating their achievements and cheering them on during STOKERCON 2023 in Pittsburgh, June 15-18th, at the Sheraton Station Square! This year’s convention is co-chaired by WPF Program Coordinator Sara Tantlinger and faculty member Michael Arnzen, along with Ben Rubin from the U Pitt Horror Studies Archive. The Bram Stoker Award Banquet is currently sold out, but will stream online.

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. The newsletter is meant to highlight what WPF folks are up to, but we are not necessarily a promotional service. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Meanwhile, February seems like a perfect month to highlight some romance news from WPF students, alums, and mentors!

Romance Spotlight

Congratulations to current #shuwpf student Katy Jakes on placing third in the Contemporary Short Category of the Emily Contest! Go Katy!

Alumna Michelle Renee Lane’s book The Courtship of Nora Fagan, a paranormal romance, was recently released, and is the first in a series!

Mentor Barbara Miller shared the news that Wild Rose Press will publish Two Hearts, a Regency romantic suspense, with more details to come in the future.

Mentor Priscilla Oliveras’ most recent releases are Kiss Me, Catalina, a Taming of the Shrew re-imagining, featuring a “concert tour romance with a Grammy-winning mariachi idol and a talented, ambitious rising star”, and His Perfect Partner, which was also her thesis manuscript! This re-released paperback features “a swoony & sweet romance with a hunky single dad & a Broadway dancer back home in Chicago.”

Check out what Priscilla has coming in 2023!

April 25, 2023: Island Affair (Keys to Love series bk 1) ; re-releasing in mass market; Head to Key West with this fake relationship, beach read romance with a savvy social media influencer & a hunky firefighter-paramedic!

May 23, 2023: Her Perfect Affair (Matched to Perfection series, bk 2); re-releasing in trade paperback; an angsty & sweet friends-to-lovers, surprise-baby romance!

June 27, 2023: Anchored Hearts (Keys to love series, bk 2); re-releasing in mass market; Desires & disappointments collide when a prodigal son returns home to Key West & the woman he left behind but never forgot. 

Some other exciting news is that the guest speaker for the WPF June residency will be romance author, LaQuette! More information is to come, but for now, check out her website and books. We’re so excited to welcome LaQuette to Seton Hill!

January 2023 Residency

Writing Popular Fiction students recently wrapped up another great residency last month. We even had some stickers available this time, thanks to talented Humanities Administrative Assistant, Jessica Lohr. Thank you, Jess!

At the January residency, students discussed the common reading (My Sister, the Serial Killer), participated in writing workshops, listened to guest speaker Kevin Hearne, and took modules on everything from weapons for writers to social media to the business of writing, and so much more.

Prospective students can learn more about the program here.

Send Us News!

We are ALWAYS looking for WPF news to share! If you’re a student, alum, or mentor, please let us know of publications, events, or other writing-related news that we can share in our future newsletters. Remember these will be brief blips of news, but we can include links, too. The newsletter is meant to highlight what WPF folks are up to, but we are not necessarily a promotional service. Send news to shuwpf@gmail.com

We also love photos and links, and of course, any throwback WPF photos!

Subscribe now

Welcome!

We’re excited to feature the news of our alums, current students, and faculty. Those affiliated with SHUWPF have been creating, selling, and publishing so much incredible work. Subscribe to find your next favorite read!