It’s incredible to think that a year ago, on this very day, at exactly 6pm, my precious daughter entered this world. I was filled with excitement to finally meet her. As soon as I set my eyes on this tiny, breathtaking miracle, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. I knew at that moment that my life was about to change because of her.
Having my little girl by my side has made my journey to sobriety much more manageable than before. I quit counting the days. I focused on her months and accomplishments.
Today, she turns one! My little monster is one! Around Halloween, I affectionately call her Oogie Boogie, and this year, we’re eagerly looking forward to going trick or treating together.
Funny thing is, when she was born, tornado warnings blared, and a fierce storm swept through the county for about 30 minutes. Talk about a good omen.
I’ve been reflecting on where I was a year ago with my writing. I was a new dad and had the desire to publish a book, but I had very little knowledge about it. In April 2023, I took the plunge and went online using the pseudonym Sutter_Cain on Royal Road. Even though the site didn’t primarily feature horror stories, I uploaded some well-known ones that are currently available: Eyesore, Casper, My 7th Death, From the Gutters, and Soulless Lonesome. However, these versions differed greatly from what they are now.
I had to remove a lot of content, including incest and other extreme horror elements, to fit the site’s guidelines.
I actually met a wonderful writer on there: Marcellino Hernandez (pseudonym) and we became friends. When I left the site in October of last year, I continued to keep in touch with him. He has left too and published in a Body Horror anthology I was in through Unveiling Nightmares.
He has a book releasing this month called “The Howling Between Worlds” by E.M. Otero. It is available on Amazon, and I highly recommend it as an incredible Mech horror novel.
So, there I was, a brand-new dad, filled with enthusiasm to publish my work. As soon as I arrived home with my little bundle of joy, I began talking to Matt Wildasin about publishing. He graciously shared some valuable insights with me. The guy is top-notch and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. We both were new dads and bonded over our love of horror and parenting.
Around the time we were chatting he had released an amazing book titled “GORE” and if you haven’t read it you need to! I was fortunate enough to get a copy and even had him autograph it for my daughter. Speaking with Matt instilled in me the confidence to reach out to Candace Nola, who has become a remarkable mentor and dear friend in my life. Her opinion holds significant weight, and I still find myself seeking her guidance by asking many questions. I think a lot of times I just annoy her. But she makes time for my shenanigans.
I was crazy for taking on two big life changes at once. But I couldn’t have done it without my wife, Alex, who has been my biggest fan. She is always behind the scenes, putting up with me and my crazy ideas. There isn’t anything I can’t do without her.
But today is so important to me because of her too. She showed me a beautiful new life that I never knew I wanted.
BOOK UPDATES: WIPS
My 7th Death: Edited. Formatted. Date will be announced this week. This was originally published in THOSE WHO LIVE IN DARKNESS Vol 1. but I feel it's such a good story I wanted to showcase it on its own. If you read the original one this version is slightly different and more of a REMASTERED edition.
Secret Project: coming along. Think Hellraiser meets Cabin Fever with Evil Dead. That's all I'm gonna say at the moment.
Full Nasty III (The Deeper the Hole, Darker the Soul) will release in October. More backstory, more blood, more shit, more vile perverse antics from the Phuck Brothers and their Master Satanic Bill. This one will be very unhinged!
Working on a short story for an anthology dropping later this year. It's got some heavy hitters in it so be on the lookout.
OTHER NEWS
Working on FULL NASTY merch (shirts, hats, stickers)
So many of you have reached out with a lot of interest in this stuff.
Details will be released next month, hopefully.
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