Dane Erbach
@browntrowsers.bsky.social
Teacher, writer, husband, dad, coffee-drinker, news junkie, aging punk-rock kid.
Coming Soon: MEAT BEES (CLASH Books ‘26)
Now Writing: 🕷️🏨💀
Coming Soon: MEAT BEES (CLASH Books ‘26)
Now Writing: 🕷️🏨💀
Pinned
Dane Erbach
@browntrowsers.bsky.social
· Jan 13
I'm new to Bluesky, so I guess it’s a good time to introduce myself.
I’m Dane. I’m a high school English and journalism teacher from Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
I’ve been writing a lot of horror lately. I have written two YA paranormal books and several spooky stories that I hope to publish soon.
I’m Dane. I’m a high school English and journalism teacher from Chicago’s northwest suburbs.
I’ve been writing a lot of horror lately. I have written two YA paranormal books and several spooky stories that I hope to publish soon.
My Newspaper Class: Squealing about boys, crying about grades, swiping through memes, breaking into spontaneous song, maybe writing or posting stories, but probably just eating Munchkins.
Me: This class is a hot mess.
Student: It's just because this class is a safe space for us.
Me: 😕🥹😭
Me: This class is a hot mess.
Student: It's just because this class is a safe space for us.
Me: 😕🥹😭
November 7, 2025 at 4:38 PM
My Newspaper Class: Squealing about boys, crying about grades, swiping through memes, breaking into spontaneous song, maybe writing or posting stories, but probably just eating Munchkins.
Me: This class is a hot mess.
Student: It's just because this class is a safe space for us.
Me: 😕🥹😭
Me: This class is a hot mess.
Student: It's just because this class is a safe space for us.
Me: 😕🥹😭
Gotta admit: MEAT BEE's cover is gnarly in the best possible way. Props to cover artist Joel Amat Güell and the fine folks at CLASH Books for giving my book the cover it deserves.
I hope the story moves readers as much as the cover does.
I hope the story moves readers as much as the cover does.
November 5, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Gotta admit: MEAT BEE's cover is gnarly in the best possible way. Props to cover artist Joel Amat Güell and the fine folks at CLASH Books for giving my book the cover it deserves.
I hope the story moves readers as much as the cover does.
I hope the story moves readers as much as the cover does.
I love Halloween, and I love dressing up ridiculously at school. I was expecting everyone to know who I was today but, so far, it’s just been a lot of “Who are you supposed to be?”
When I tell them my daughter is a KPop Demon Hunter, some of them figure it out.
When I tell them my daughter is a KPop Demon Hunter, some of them figure it out.
October 31, 2025 at 2:30 PM
I love Halloween, and I love dressing up ridiculously at school. I was expecting everyone to know who I was today but, so far, it’s just been a lot of “Who are you supposed to be?”
When I tell them my daughter is a KPop Demon Hunter, some of them figure it out.
When I tell them my daughter is a KPop Demon Hunter, some of them figure it out.
Reposted by Dane Erbach
As utterly, gloriously bonkers as its cover and title all but screams, @browntrowsers.bsky.social ‘s “Meat Bees,” is a Jaws-Candyman hybrid that stuns with visceral imagery, before planting its mandibles somewhere tender.
@clashbooks.bsky.social AUG ‘26
fanfiaddict.com/review-meat-...
@clashbooks.bsky.social AUG ‘26
fanfiaddict.com/review-meat-...
Review: Meat Bees by Dane Erbach | FanFiAddict
Synopsis: By the time Scarlett Sutton arrives at her dad’s cabin in the Smoky Mountains, two locals have already been eaten alive by wasps. Of course, she d ...
fanfiaddict.com
October 25, 2025 at 3:35 PM
As utterly, gloriously bonkers as its cover and title all but screams, @browntrowsers.bsky.social ‘s “Meat Bees,” is a Jaws-Candyman hybrid that stuns with visceral imagery, before planting its mandibles somewhere tender.
@clashbooks.bsky.social AUG ‘26
fanfiaddict.com/review-meat-...
@clashbooks.bsky.social AUG ‘26
fanfiaddict.com/review-meat-...
And, just like that, I’m 2/3 of the way through my current novel. I’m on track to be done by the end of 2025.
If you like creepy hotels and time traveling and spiders with knifes for legs, this Bud’s for you.
If you like creepy hotels and time traveling and spiders with knifes for legs, this Bud’s for you.
October 23, 2025 at 8:14 PM
And, just like that, I’m 2/3 of the way through my current novel. I’m on track to be done by the end of 2025.
If you like creepy hotels and time traveling and spiders with knifes for legs, this Bud’s for you.
If you like creepy hotels and time traveling and spiders with knifes for legs, this Bud’s for you.
Proud to say that my dad was one of the inflatable tyrannosauruses at our local No Kings rally.
October 19, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Proud to say that my dad was one of the inflatable tyrannosauruses at our local No Kings rally.
My first grader Maeby has been writing "Maeby 2000" on the name line of all her worksheets — totally unprompted, by the way — and I never expected when I became a parent that my children would be so incredibly cool.
October 16, 2025 at 2:13 PM
My first grader Maeby has been writing "Maeby 2000" on the name line of all her worksheets — totally unprompted, by the way — and I never expected when I became a parent that my children would be so incredibly cool.
WHAT?! MEAT BEES is the most requested horror novel on NetGalley right now?! Who knows how long it'll be there, this is an AWESOME milestone, and I'm very proud.
Are you one of the readers who requested it? I hope you love it. Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for reading!
Are you one of the readers who requested it? I hope you love it. Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for reading!
October 10, 2025 at 3:29 PM
WHAT?! MEAT BEES is the most requested horror novel on NetGalley right now?! Who knows how long it'll be there, this is an AWESOME milestone, and I'm very proud.
Are you one of the readers who requested it? I hope you love it. Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for reading!
Are you one of the readers who requested it? I hope you love it. Please let me know your thoughts, and thank you for reading!
Listen: I don't even know if anything I do at my job makes any sense to anyone any more, but I made this meme this morning to remind my Book Club kids of when our next meeting is, and it made me happy.
October 7, 2025 at 4:16 PM
Listen: I don't even know if anything I do at my job makes any sense to anyone any more, but I made this meme this morning to remind my Book Club kids of when our next meeting is, and it made me happy.
*nervous laughter* Uh, MEAT BEES is currently in the top five most requested horror novels right now on NetGalley with some other rad looking books.
I suppose that means you should request the ARC now while you can.
I suppose that means you should request the ARC now while you can.
October 6, 2025 at 1:30 PM
*nervous laughter* Uh, MEAT BEES is currently in the top five most requested horror novels right now on NetGalley with some other rad looking books.
I suppose that means you should request the ARC now while you can.
I suppose that means you should request the ARC now while you can.
Woke up this morning and realized that I have three stories coming out in three different spooky anthologies this month! Like monsters in any good scary story, I suppose they snuck up on me.
The stories include a micro-story, a reprint (with an updated ending), and a story I wrote a long time ago.
The stories include a micro-story, a reprint (with an updated ending), and a story I wrote a long time ago.
October 5, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Woke up this morning and realized that I have three stories coming out in three different spooky anthologies this month! Like monsters in any good scary story, I suppose they snuck up on me.
The stories include a micro-story, a reprint (with an updated ending), and a story I wrote a long time ago.
The stories include a micro-story, a reprint (with an updated ending), and a story I wrote a long time ago.
MEAT BEES has a cover!!! AAAA!!!
😭🤮🫠🫣🥳
😭🤮🫠🫣🥳
October 3, 2025 at 11:13 PM
MEAT BEES has a cover!!! AAAA!!!
😭🤮🫠🫣🥳
😭🤮🫠🫣🥳
Being a writer is hoping that not hearing back from a magazine that normally rejects your short stories pretty quickly is a good thing.
September 28, 2025 at 1:52 PM
Being a writer is hoping that not hearing back from a magazine that normally rejects your short stories pretty quickly is a good thing.
As for today's edition of "An Author's Google History..."
• snowblower engine
• 1986 children's clothing
• popples
• what's a spider's elbow called?
• snowblower engine
• 1986 children's clothing
• popples
• what's a spider's elbow called?
September 17, 2025 at 5:02 PM
As for today's edition of "An Author's Google History..."
• snowblower engine
• 1986 children's clothing
• popples
• what's a spider's elbow called?
• snowblower engine
• 1986 children's clothing
• popples
• what's a spider's elbow called?
RE: The biomechanial spider in my current work-in-progress.
My subconscious mind has drawn inspiration from these two characters, unrelated except for how important they are to me.
How they combine to make a deadly monster that slices up characters and digs wormholes through time, *shrug emoji*
My subconscious mind has drawn inspiration from these two characters, unrelated except for how important they are to me.
How they combine to make a deadly monster that slices up characters and digs wormholes through time, *shrug emoji*
September 16, 2025 at 2:44 PM
RE: The biomechanial spider in my current work-in-progress.
My subconscious mind has drawn inspiration from these two characters, unrelated except for how important they are to me.
How they combine to make a deadly monster that slices up characters and digs wormholes through time, *shrug emoji*
My subconscious mind has drawn inspiration from these two characters, unrelated except for how important they are to me.
How they combine to make a deadly monster that slices up characters and digs wormholes through time, *shrug emoji*
I, uh, just wrote a pretty gory, violent part of my WIP during my lunch break where a charcter gets carved up by a biomechanical spider.
I don’t exactly know how to transition from this to teaching my students how to interview a source effectively.
Being a writer/teacher is weird.
I don’t exactly know how to transition from this to teaching my students how to interview a source effectively.
Being a writer/teacher is weird.
September 15, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I, uh, just wrote a pretty gory, violent part of my WIP during my lunch break where a charcter gets carved up by a biomechanical spider.
I don’t exactly know how to transition from this to teaching my students how to interview a source effectively.
Being a writer/teacher is weird.
I don’t exactly know how to transition from this to teaching my students how to interview a source effectively.
Being a writer/teacher is weird.
I feel like I can go months without hearing about any of my short story submissions.
Then I'll get literally a half dozen rejections in the span of a couple days—and a few more rejections the day after that.
The universe wants to break us writers, I tells ya.
Then I'll get literally a half dozen rejections in the span of a couple days—and a few more rejections the day after that.
The universe wants to break us writers, I tells ya.
September 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I feel like I can go months without hearing about any of my short story submissions.
Then I'll get literally a half dozen rejections in the span of a couple days—and a few more rejections the day after that.
The universe wants to break us writers, I tells ya.
Then I'll get literally a half dozen rejections in the span of a couple days—and a few more rejections the day after that.
The universe wants to break us writers, I tells ya.
Today, I sat in silence for 10 minutes with 18 ninth grade students in the corner of my classroom during a lockdown drill.
The entire time, I thought about how unfair it is for students and teachers and schools to train to mitigate the harm of an active shooter—that it's their responsibility.
The entire time, I thought about how unfair it is for students and teachers and schools to train to mitigate the harm of an active shooter—that it's their responsibility.
September 12, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Today, I sat in silence for 10 minutes with 18 ninth grade students in the corner of my classroom during a lockdown drill.
The entire time, I thought about how unfair it is for students and teachers and schools to train to mitigate the harm of an active shooter—that it's their responsibility.
The entire time, I thought about how unfair it is for students and teachers and schools to train to mitigate the harm of an active shooter—that it's their responsibility.
As of today, I’ve officially been published indie author for a whole year. 😎
July 16, 2025 at 12:55 PM
As of today, I’ve officially been published indie author for a whole year. 😎
Hitting that point in my WIP (around 10K) where I'm simultaneously like, "Dang, this story's writing itself!" and "I can't tell if this story is really bad or not."
Still, I never thought I'd write a story about metallic spiders digging time portals in a failing Holiday Inn Express, but here I am.
Still, I never thought I'd write a story about metallic spiders digging time portals in a failing Holiday Inn Express, but here I am.
July 5, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Hitting that point in my WIP (around 10K) where I'm simultaneously like, "Dang, this story's writing itself!" and "I can't tell if this story is really bad or not."
Still, I never thought I'd write a story about metallic spiders digging time portals in a failing Holiday Inn Express, but here I am.
Still, I never thought I'd write a story about metallic spiders digging time portals in a failing Holiday Inn Express, but here I am.
I can’t find it annoying that Gen Alpha is singing ”Steve’s Lava Chicken” everywhere they go.
After all, I still remember the summer that my generation wouldn’t stop singing (and headbanging) to “Bohemian Rhapsody” because of WAYNE’S WORLD
After all, I still remember the summer that my generation wouldn’t stop singing (and headbanging) to “Bohemian Rhapsody” because of WAYNE’S WORLD
May 29, 2025 at 1:07 PM
I can’t find it annoying that Gen Alpha is singing ”Steve’s Lava Chicken” everywhere they go.
After all, I still remember the summer that my generation wouldn’t stop singing (and headbanging) to “Bohemian Rhapsody” because of WAYNE’S WORLD
After all, I still remember the summer that my generation wouldn’t stop singing (and headbanging) to “Bohemian Rhapsody” because of WAYNE’S WORLD
Okay, I guess I’m going to write this short story then, aren’t I?
May 27, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Okay, I guess I’m going to write this short story then, aren’t I?
Planned to spend my day planning the Next Book—for some reason, I have a tradition of starting novels on June 1 and don't want to break it.
But then I was hit with the inspiration for dark, creepy short story. Do I have the time to write it before my totally unnecessary, self-imposed deadline?
But then I was hit with the inspiration for dark, creepy short story. Do I have the time to write it before my totally unnecessary, self-imposed deadline?
May 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Planned to spend my day planning the Next Book—for some reason, I have a tradition of starting novels on June 1 and don't want to break it.
But then I was hit with the inspiration for dark, creepy short story. Do I have the time to write it before my totally unnecessary, self-imposed deadline?
But then I was hit with the inspiration for dark, creepy short story. Do I have the time to write it before my totally unnecessary, self-imposed deadline?
Student: *submits final, turns immediately toward me* When will you have my final graded?
Me: 🫠💀
Me: 🫠💀
May 22, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Student: *submits final, turns immediately toward me* When will you have my final graded?
Me: 🫠💀
Me: 🫠💀
A couple Fridays ago, my students went ghost hunting at our 100 year old school.
It's a tradition I started with my journalism students a couple years ago to celebrate at the end of another successful school year.
It's a tradition I started with my journalism students a couple years ago to celebrate at the end of another successful school year.
May 16, 2025 at 6:06 PM
A couple Fridays ago, my students went ghost hunting at our 100 year old school.
It's a tradition I started with my journalism students a couple years ago to celebrate at the end of another successful school year.
It's a tradition I started with my journalism students a couple years ago to celebrate at the end of another successful school year.