J.A.W. McCarthy
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jawmccarthy.bsky.social
J.A.W. McCarthy
@jawmccarthy.bsky.social
2.8K followers 550 following 1.1K posts
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
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jawmccarthy.bsky.social
J.A.W. McCarthy @jawmccarthy.bsky.social · Nov 8
Hey, new friends, about me:

I’m the author of the sex, drugs & rock & roll, queer succubi novella SLEEP ALONE, the collection SOMETIMES WE’RE CRUEL, & numerous horror stories involving monstrous women and Thai folklore. I like it dark, sad, & decadently deranged. Prose 🖤er. Beauty in the grotesque.
My books Sleep Alone and Sometimes We’re Cruel, surrounded by matching bookmarks and stickers. Stuff I bring to cons.
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
emilyrverona.bsky.social
All the cool kids are doing it so I guess it's time to share my awards eligibility list! This year, I have two short stories and two essays out. The second story and essay will be released next month. I'm very proud of everything I've published this year. Would be honored if you'd check them out. 🖤
November 10, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
khoreo.bsky.social
🚨 November submissions are OPEN! We're seeking bold, subversive fiction on:

🔁 Cycles of revolution

💥 Revolution as a starting point

🌿 Quiet revolutions & resistance

📢 Disability, class & revolution

Submit now! www.khoreomag.com/submissions-...
Image of hand holding a megaphone. Overlayed text reading: Submissions open on November 1st to 30th, under the theme of Revolutions.
November 9, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
dubonicplague.bsky.social
You can search by zip code and a lot of places have wish lists set up on Chewy so you’ll be able to see exactly what they need and have it sent direct to them. Couldn’t be easier.
linnybobinny.bsky.social Linny @linnybobinny.bsky.social · 3d
if you are food insecure for both the humans and pets in your household there is a tool called Pet Help Finder that can help locate pet food banks nearby and other free or reduced price assistance and supplies for pets.
no one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, should have to give up their pet bc of this.
November 9, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
saratantlinger.bsky.social
Hi all!

I am on the programming team for StokerCon 2026, and I’m happy to share a little guide we’ve put together on proposing panels. Whether you’re new to panels or have a lot of experience with them, we’re hopeful the tips here will be helpful.

www.stokercon2025.com/programming
PROGRAMMING | StokerCon 2026
www.stokercon2025.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
renbolger.bsky.social
Zombie miners 🧟
Dark Fantasy 🐉
X-Files vibes 👽
Romance 🌹
Sometimes you can have all four of those. Not always, but sometimes.
malarkeybooks.com/store/barre-...
Cover for The Barre Incidents by me (Lauren Bolger). A statue’s face with a graveyard superimposed behind it. Cover art is by Matt Revert!
November 7, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
havenspec.bsky.social
Our general submission window is now open!

We want stories and poetry with a strong voice and a sense of adventure, stuff that makes us feel things, stuff that lets us use our hearts and our brains and leaves us wanting more!

For our full guidelines and schedule, visit:
www.havenspec.com/submit/
November 1, 2025 at 1:20 PM
jawmccarthy.bsky.social
YES. The closest I’ll ever get to sinking my teeth into that tempting wax.
mikedrucker.bsky.social Mike Drucker @mikedrucker.bsky.social · 10d
“Eating candy corn feels like eating wax”

Yes! Good! Exactly! Do you know how many scented candles I’ve had that I’ve desperately wanted to eat?
November 1, 2025 at 5:03 AM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
joshrountree.bsky.social
Need a ghost story for Halloween Night?

How about this one?

psychopomp.com/product/summ...
Summer in the House of the Departed | Psychopomp
Forty-four years after his grandmother and an entire West Texas town vanished, Brady returns to his childhood home, hoping to follow in her footsteps.
psychopomp.com
October 31, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
mariahaskins.com
My latest What to Read column at Ruadán is all about ghosts and haunted houses! ruadanbooks.com/what-to-read...
What to Read – Ghosts and Haunted Houses - Ruadán Books
by Maria Haskins The very first ghost story that made an indelible impression on me was Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost, as read by famed Swedish actor Stig Järrel. This audio version was first…
ruadanbooks.com
October 30, 2025 at 3:56 PM
jawmccarthy.bsky.social
Absolutely love this collection. Give it a try—you won’t be disappointed.
October 29, 2025 at 9:21 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
dubonicplague.bsky.social
Got some killer star sparkle today! I’ve been dying to get my hands on @saratantlinger.bsky.social’s collection since she announced it and the wait is finally over! Cyanide Constellations has arrived.

Order your copy here: darkmattermagazine.shop/products/cya...
A skeleton whose bones are made of disco ball mirrors lounging in some plants with CYANIDE CONSTELLATIONS by Sara Tantlinger on its lap.
October 29, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
ivygrimes.bsky.social
Be sure to preorder while it's still around 13 dollars (not including shipping)! You will save just over five dollars, the cost of a jug of salsa.
apexmag.bsky.social Apex Magazine and Book Company @apexmag.bsky.social · 18d
We're thrilled to announce that preorders for Violet Lichen's first novella are LIVE! Welcome to the world of @ivygrimes.bsky.social folk horror, THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR 🔮🪆🌌

Full Announcement HERE: www.apexbookcompany.com/blogs/frontp...

Preorder HERE: www.apexbookcompany.com/products/the...
The ARC cover of THE CELLAR BELOW THE CELLAR: A Folk Horror Novella by Ivy Grimes: a forest of dark pines, silhouetted against a sky full of auroras. "A playfully dark, coming-of-age folk horror inspired by the Russian fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful," set beneath a blazing sky of endless auroras." FOR FANS OF: Olga Tokarczuk, Kelly Link, Karen Russell, Barbara Comyns, Ottessa Moshfegh, Leonora Carrington
October 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
cursedmorsels.bsky.social
For many folks, money is tight and about to get tighter with the manufactured SNAP benefits crisis. As such, between now and the end of the month, I'm donating all Cursed Morsels store proceeds to @supplydepotmpls.bsky.social. Buy a book and support unhoused folks:
www.cursedmorselspress.com
Home | Cursed Morsels Press
www.cursedmorselspress.com
October 27, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
apexmag.bsky.social
There's only ONE WEEK LEFT to fund Apex Magazine in 2026, and we JUST unlocked our 70% reward!!

The Apex editors will host a live affirmation critique of the Internet's most beloved amateur horror stories! 📸🌲🥩

🎃 Help us reach our funding goal and donate TODAY! www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Cow getting sucked into UFO tractor beam. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 7 DAYS Needed for Liftoff: $5,669 $14,331/$20,000 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!" 70% UNLOCKED! Lesley and Rebecca will be reading CreepyPasta stories selected by our followers and doing a small affirmation critique of the story. This live event is sure to be hysterical!
October 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
jawmccarthy.bsky.social
This book is such a treat for all, but especially for people who were kids/teens in the ‘90s. An excellent Halloween season read 🎃 🍬
emilyrverona.bsky.social Emily Ruth Verona @emilyrverona.bsky.social · 19d
If you love spooky season and vintage vibes, a reminder that my novel 'Midnight on Beacon Street' is set in October 1993 🎃🍂

www.harpercollins.com/products/mid...
October 23, 2025 at 3:12 AM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
apexmag.bsky.social
We're 8 DAYS AWAY from the end of our Kickstarter! ⏰❗❗

These final days will decide whether we can publish in 2026. YOUR support is what keeps us going, AND what keeps the great stories coming to your inbox!

Help Apex thrive and join our Kickstarter TODAY! 💜👽 www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Cow getting sucked into UFO tractor beam. "Kickstarter Countdown: T-Minus 8 DAYS Needed for Liftoff: $6,364 $13,636/$20,000 Click the link in our bio to help us fund the next year of Alex Magazine!"
October 22, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
emilyhughes.bsky.social
do you have a horror/horror-ish book coming out in 2026? tell me about it here, please! I'm working on the 2026 horror list and while I'm very good at sniffing out new books, I still miss things - help me help you!

forms.gle/KxLNwVDVbbRS...
2025-2026 Horror Master List Book Submissions
Because I'm out of my mind, I maintain a running list of the year's new horror releases. If you're an author/editor/marketer/publicist/agent who'd like one of your books included, please fill out the ...
forms.gle
October 21, 2025 at 6:22 PM
jawmccarthy.bsky.social
A favorite book with a gorgeous new cover. It’s an honest and nuanced depiction of living with loss that made me an instant @laurelhightower.bsky.social fan. CROSSROADS is a must read.
shortwavebooks.bsky.social Shortwave Publishing @shortwavebooks.bsky.social · 22d
Cover reveal time for CROSSROADS, the incredible novella from @laurelhightower.bsky.social!

This is the first cover reveal for our 2026 titles.

Cover art, design, and typography by @alandistro.bsky.social

CROSSROADS will be published in April 2026.
shortwavepublishing.com/catalog/cros...
October 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
jacobstevenmohr.bsky.social
The second story in THE JOINING is a hungry guest. She'll whet her appetite on wedding cake for now, but she's looking for more than that pleasant full feeling. Get what I mean?

Thanks to @jawmccarthy.bsky.social for providing this story. THE JOINING comes out in 2 months!

@crystallake.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 1:26 AM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
apexmag.bsky.social
We're only 10 DAYS AWAY from the end of our Apex Magazine 2026 Kickstarter! It's scary cutting it so close at only $11,985/$20k so far, but Apex is used to scary! We have a fancy new banner, a WHOLE CATALOG of rewards, and earnest optimism!

Let's get to 20k! 💜👽 www.kickstarter.com/projects/ape...
Graphic with current Kickstarter funding: $11,985 Story/Excerpt Critiques E. Catherine Tobler (up to 5,000 words) Spencer Nitkey (up to 7,500 words) A.C. Wise (up to 8,000 words) Aimee Ogden (up to 6,000 words) Anne Gresham (up to 10,000 words) Lindz McLeod (up to 5,000 words) Risa Wolf (7,500 words) Slush Reader Critique Cool Offerings Tarot card affirmation by Los Mei-en Kwa Marie Vibbert Tuckerization Apex Appreciation Online Workshop "World-building from the Inside Out" Ebooks The Death of Mountains by Jordan Kurella Turducken by Lindz McLeod Disgraced Return of the Kap's Needle by Renan Bernardo Shadows on Glass and Other Stories by Jamie Lackey The Jen Donohue catalog The Best of Apex Magazine edited by Lesley Conner & Jason Sizemore ChloroPhilia by Cristina Jurado (trans. by Sue Burke) Do Not Go Quietly: Stories of Resistance edited by Lesley Conner & Jason Sizemore Apex Magazine: 2021 edited by Lesley Conner & Jason Sizemore Robotic Ambitions edited by Lesley Conner & Jason Sizemore The Map of Lost Places edited by Sheree Renee Thomas & Lesley Conner The Kraken Sea and The Grand Tour by E. Catherine Tobler Strange Libations edited by Marissa van Uden Strange Locations edited by Marissa van Uden Strange Machines edited by Marissa van Uden Strange Anthology Bundle edited by Marissa van Uden Apex Magazine Subscription
October 20, 2025 at 3:31 PM
jawmccarthy.bsky.social
Delighted to be a part of the festivities with my story “Severed Blessings,” based on an old northern Thailand wedding tradition and what happens when fear, shame and societal prejudices drive a woman to break her vow. As usual (in my stories), someone is very very hungry.
October 17, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
shortwavebooks.bsky.social
Our 2026 Subscription Book Boxes are NOW LIVE!

Get 15 great new Shortwave books delivered to your door automatically and save $80 over purchasing individually. Campaign ends November 16th.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/ala...
A graphic featuring our 13 authors for 2026 titles, including Jamie Flanagan, Laurel Hightower, Johnny Compton, Philip Fracassi, Gemma Amor, Nikki R. Leigh, Nat Cassidy, Annie Neugebauer, Christoph Paul, Tyler Jones, Maxwell I. Gold, J.A.W. McCarthy, and Gemma Files.
October 17, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
angelasylvaine.bsky.social
For Halloween, my publisher is offering 20% OFF preorders! Head over and get COLD SNAP, the sequel to FROST BITE, for some scifi horror comedy wackiness 🫎🍹❄️
(Discount added at checkout)

darkmattermagazine.shop/products/col...
October 16, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
carsonwinter.bsky.social
COVER REVEAL AND RELEASE

WE WILL SPEAK AGAIN OF THE RED TOWER is a tribute anthology of stories inspired by Thomas Ligotti’s “The Red Tower” and it’s out NOW: dl.bookfunnel.com/zum1k2dg9b
October 16, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by J.A.W. McCarthy
jacobstevenmohr.bsky.social
Cover reveal tomorrow! I've put in almost a year getting THE JOINING - SCENES OF WEDDING TERROR ready for your eyeballs, and now it's almost here!

Featuring stories from @horrorsong.blog, @jawmccarthy.bsky.social, @gordonbwhite.bsky.social, @jacklothian.bsky.social, Scott J. Moses, and Rae Wilde!
October 16, 2025 at 2:18 PM