Here are the stories in my upcoming short story collection, Heartbeat. Heartbeat will be released on March 14.
Collagen: A woman has found the secret to preventing aging, and the girl tied up in her home is going to help her.
Gates to Hell: Two boys are trying to find the Gates to Hell in York, PA, for their YouTube channel. The boys are disappointed when they only meet a sweet lady named LeLe, but she knows more about the Gates to Hell than expected. (Dedicated to my Aunt LeLe)
Hemigranea: After a bad incident with an Ouija Board, Maribel develops a migraine that never goes away. And now, her soul is at stake. (Originally published in Phantom Menagerie)
Captain Viator: A group of sunken ship experts discover La Reina, the ship that belonged to legendary pirate Captain Viator. But after a hurricane hits Tampa, FL, residents will soon find that the hurricane brought more than wind and rain.
Putrefying Malediction: At a high school football game, Dan meets the most beautiful girl, Denise. Denise gives his daughter a doll as a gift. But the day after, Dan and his son, Laurent, develop a mysterious illness. (Originally published in Scraps)
A Willing Sacrifice to Dagon: Alora is at maturity but doesn’t want to mate with the other lame mermen. No, she would rather mate with a god, specifically Dagon. After finding his lair, Alora gets more than she bargained for.
Ariza Overtaken: Ariza was once a peaceful village until a cult called the Khirs invaded the land and kidnapped all the residents. It will take one brave woman, her warrior daughter, and their faun friend to save the town. (A story I wrote when I was 16)
Evisceratum: A groupie couldn’t pass down the opportunity to sleep with her favorite black metal band, Evisceratum. She thought she was kinky…until they pulled out a severed pig head. (Originally performed at the 2023 Gross-Out Contest)
58 Years: On the outside, Conrad seemed like a self-made man. But 58 years after making a deal with Lucifer, Conrad must repay his debt.
Pluto and the Plague: When strange men accuse Pluto’s mother of witchcraft and burn her at the stake, Pluto knows the best way to get revenge on the humans. (Written from the POV of a cat, dedicated to my cats Pluto and Luna and the lives of CC and Tigro)
Lady Kidney: A young woman’s body was discovered at the U.S.-Mexico border. Her kidneys were removed, she had no ID, and she was only wearing a pair of purple socks. Detective Bernardo Gonzalez gives her the name “Lady Kidney.” While working on the case, Detective Gonzalez uncovers a trafficking ring in the U.S. and Latin America. But Detective Gonzalez’s only priority is to give Lady Kidney her name back. (Dedicated to my Mom Mom)
Liquid Bits: One man has a strange fixation with what his cat, Ms. Meowington, does in the litter box. (Originally performed at the 2024 Gross-Out Contest)
Heartbeat: Erica is pregnant after being raped. Because of the heartbeat bill in Texas, she can’t get an abortion. After several failed attempts to get abortion medication and travel out of state, she finally takes matters into her own hands.
Postpartum: Mary was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after having her first child. But she isn’t lying when she tells her husband that God is speaking to her—and she fears him more than she loves him.