It's okay to eat fish because they don't have feelings.

Now that that's out of the way, an update.

My old ass just turned 24 yesterday. God. Talk about a kick in the ass to get some important things done with my life. A lot of people say 24 is too young to talk like that, but I remember my 12th birthday like it was yesterday. So, pretty soon, I'll be 36, 48, 60, 72, 84... You see where I'm going with this. Get it while it's good, ladies and gentlemen. As Drake once said, "Yolo."

RJ (my editor, the great guy that he is) is sending my manuscript to me on September 17th. Really looking forward to him tearing me a new ass.

A more somber update; Beyond Imagination Magazine and Beyond Science Fiction Magazine have closed to submissions, both magazines releasing their final issues on September 1st. I've worked with Dayne Edmonson since March of this year, and I think we really got out some great issues in the last six months. His reasons for their discontinuation are completely personal, and I'd like to thank him for the experience that I garnered from being their editor for the last half-year.

Finished a few short stories, edited them, and have them waiting with a few different anthologies. Waiting on them to tell me I suck so that I can send them somewhere else.

I think that's it. Here's the coolest GIF ever.

Cover art for a new anthology I'm featured in, coming out September 30th. Trippy.

I'm now a proud Affiliate of The Horror Writers Association!

Go me, huh?!

Sanitarium's 35th issue has been released!

My story "Beyond Redemption," my self-proclaimed darkest story yet, was published in this issue, so don't hesitate to buy it (no pressure)! Here's the link to all of the places you can get your hands on one of these bad boys. http://sanitariummagazine.com/blog/2015/07/30/sanitarium-magazine-issue-35-is-out/

Seriously, check it out!

Just a few updates on my life. Nothing too interesting.

I recently tried my hand at ghost-writing. This wasn't a satisfactory experiment by any means. It was very short-lived. I discovered that if I'm not writing it, it's not one of my ideas, and/or I don't like what I'm writing, I'm not going to write it. I tried, but my brain told me, "Craig, you've got too much shit in your own head to try to write other people's ideas. Focus on you. Do you, mate." I said, "Thanks, brain," and decided to cut my short-lived ghost-writing career, well, short. I'm feeling really good about this. No deadlines to worry about now, and I can focus on my own work. Feels good, man.

Also, got my short story "Pieces Of Me" published with Creepy Campfire Quarterly. This is old news (if you follow me on any other kind of social media, that is), but I somehow forgot to share the news on my website. My apologies. Also, the amount of money I'm making from this sale is enough to get me into the Horror Writer's Association at the Affiliate level. So, yeah. Neat.

My editor, the esteemed RJ Cavender, is still working on my full-length novel and he should have it back to me by the middle of September. I'm very stoked for this. This guy has worked with/for every badass in the horror genre and I can't wait to see what he does with my work.

Until next time, friends. This has been Craig Steven.

Hot Heck!

All right, everyone! Some big news is in order, so why not share it with y'all?

First off, I have a short story appearing in an anthology that was just released! The anthology is called 'Growing Pains,' and it was released by Horrified Press. My short story "Shook Ones" is featured in it, and yes, it IS named after the song by Mobb Deep. A quick synopsis of the story: Dealing with both his parents' divorce and his constant bullying at school, Travis is content to roll with the punches, quite literally. One day, however, he snaps, and with the help of an odd street-side merchant, Travis fights back. Quite well, too.
You can purchase it from Lulu.com from this link (Right here), or you can purchase it from Horrified Press's website directly, which saves you about $5 since you don't have to pay shipping (Right here; scroll down to the middle of the homepage, and it's on the right). So yeah, there's that.

I finished my full-length novel! I know what you're thinking;

Truth be told, though, I'm right back at square one. I've gone through and done a massive edit on it. Do I still think it's not ready for publication? Of course! Nowhere near it! It's my baby, so I hate saying that, but it needs some work done. So I've contacted several professional editors, and after that, I'll be sending it out to a publishing house. Then I have to play the waiting game which, while I'm the most impatient person in the world, is a dire necessity one needs to grow used to when chasing down this dream.

Uhh, what else...... My flash fiction story "May This Be Love" is due to be published with 'Theme Of Absence' on July 10th. It's free to read, so definitely don't miss that. It'll also have an interview posted where I answer some important life-or-death questions.

During my downtime, I'm currently busting out several short stories for several anthologies/collections with nearing deadlines. It's fun to get back into the swing of short fiction after focusing on my full-length for the last month or so.

I'm pretty sure that's it. Thanks for reading, everyone, and remember, if you have any questions, concerns, or even if you just want to tell me how cool I am, hit my 'Contact' tab at the top of the page. Thanks for the love, everyone. 'Til next time.

My favorite song ever.

Published!

Good deal! Just found out that my short story, "Mess," will be published in an anthology from Horrified Press, entitled "Fugitives" sometime this year!

Crazy to think that I was bragging about this just 8 months ago. I now have 26 short stories, a novelette, and a novella under consideration. Suck on that, Craig from 8 months ago.

Seven short stories under consideration for publication right at this moment. You read that right. SEVEN.

— Craig S. Herndon Jr. (@WriterCraig) September 11, 2014

"The common room was rowdy. There was gambling, raucous laughter, and sexual harassment. It was a two star online review kind of inn."

— Awful Fantasy (@AwfulFantasy) September 16, 2014

It's a good idea to say "I know you can talk" to every animal you meet, just in case.

— mindflakes (@_mindflakes) March 13, 2015

Lord...

RED RIDING HOOD: Grandma what big ears u have, what big teeth u have BIG BAD WOLF: Wtf kid I'm all self-conscious now. Ur grandma's dead btw

— pat tobin (@tastefactory) April 28, 2015

This post is so accurate that I almost want to cry.

http://thescalexwrites.tumblr.com/post/116938607022/writing-a-book-is-so-easy

Unrelated GIF is unrelated.