J.A.W. McCarthy

@jawmccarthy.bsky.social

2x Bram Stoker & 2x Shirley Jackson Award finalist. Author of SLEEP ALONE and SOMETIMES WE’RE CRUEL. Stories: Best Horror of the Year Vol 13, PseudoPod, Vastarien, Split Scream 3, more. Cat & lipstick enthusiast. She/Jen. Rep: Lane Heymont. jawmccarthy.com

A few very pointed thoughts on "that" op-ed from the HWA newsletter: An organization with a published anti-AI statement should know better than to publish an inflammatory, antagonistic, racist, poorly researched, poorly argued, pro-AI op-ed in their newsletter. I have seen the statements that...

I apologize for the blatant self-promo, but I'm still looking for a job and so shares on this would be much appreciated! I have a couple copies of MIDNIGHT ON BEACON STREET and SHIVA left that can be signed and personalized. I also have three different poetry prints I wrote and designed myself.

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I will be bumping all my links here in the hopes to make some $$ so I can pay my cat sitter and eat food while I’m away next month. So like, check out my inprnt store! I’ve got prints from the past 6+ years available

Evangeline Gallagher@egallagher.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Some of the prints I have available 🫶 these are often on sale and they're on sale now too! and if you don't see the piece you're looking for here I'm happy to list it www.inprnt.com/gallery/evan...

I’m extremely honored to be participating in The Pixel Project 12th annual Fall Edition of the Read For Pixels campaign! Join me for a live YouTube reading and Q&A at 6.00pm PT, Saturday September 5th 2026 (YT 🔗 in bio). It’s time to stop violence against women together!

The Pixel Project@thepixelproject.bsky.social · 2w ago

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY: The Pixel Project will be kicking off the 12th annual Fall Edition of the Read For Pixels campaign on 4 September 2026 with Horror author Angela Sylvaine doing a livestream with us at 6.00pm PT, 5th Sep 2026. For more details: tinyurl.com/ASylvaineR4P

What a week. Sick cat (he’ll be okay!), ER vet and reg vet bills, and now my surgery bills are triple what I was quoted. (Buy my books please?) I did get to see some cool secret stuff, though 😍

Not all art has to be good. What matters is it's true. Or playful. Or energetic. Or striving. That's why sometimes we love things labeled bad. And maybe we encounter them at just the right intersection of time & growth where something ridiculous is made profound only in the privacy of our heart.

Power outage today, but before that I got to see art for a secret project and I can’t believe how perfectly rendered these characters are. First time seeing an artist interpret this bunch and I’m a little emotional about it 🥹

*gently grabs your face* listen to me LISTEN TO ME y'all need to start buying the rights to Horror books written by women instead of trolling Reddit for scraps of creepypasta. There are SO MANY BOOKS that would make great movies just sitting there, complete with PLOTS and THEMES and CHARACTER ARCS.

Brainstorming different werewolves for a commission I'm working on. I've never been able to decide if I'm more of a "wolf man" fan or a "full-on wolf" fan. Both have their perks I guess.

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“Dina had never seen her dad cry until the day he left.” Playing Tricks by Angela Sylvaine Narrator: Laura Pearlman Host: Scott Campbell Audio Producer: Graeme Dunlop pseudopod.org/2026/07/10/p... C/W: mental illness, gaslighting, child abuse

PseudoPod 1037: Playing Tricks

Dina had never seen her dad cry until the day he left. His face was puffy and wet with tears when he leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you soon, okay, Button?” Dina stared at the scarred wood…

pseudopod.org

Muñeca, my queer witchy historical Gothic book dropped 5 weeks ago today -- my birthday! My wish is this: if your library doesn't carry the book, today would be a wonderful day to request it. If you liked the book and want to sing its praises, please sing them, wherever/however you would like.

“I know why you’re stuck in your bed. I know why you’re stuck in your body. The doctors couldn’t see it, because this won’t show up on their tests. And they can’t fix it, but I can.”

Just turned in info for an exciting project!This is going to be so cool and I can’t wait to share it when I can. It’s been a nice distraction while I’m recovering and my imagination is running wild with how this is going to turn out.

One thing you as a writer can do to distinguish yourself as human? Be divisive. Slop is sycophantic; it grovels & apologizes as it tries to give you what you want at all times. You're not a sniveling slop bot. You're an artist. So stop trying to tell readers what they want to hear. Give them art.