Thin Ice for the Kitchen Witch

I once received a rejection letter from a publisher informing me that "the world would be a much better place without men like me". Sure I was disappointed the story was a little too dark for her tastes, but a simple "not interested" would have sufficed. Interestingly enough, a similar plot line made its way into an episode of FX's show Nip Tuck a few years later. So I hope that publisher didn't buy the DVD Box set of the show. And just as a heads up, she might also want to skip over my short story "The Kitchen Witch" if she buys a copy of the latest Level Best Books crime anthology, Thin Ice, due out this fall.

Let's face it, everyone has different tastes in what they like to read. There's nothing wrong with liking lighter, less creepy stories. Matter of fact, I enjoy those types of stories too. I've even preferred writing cozies and humorous women's lit for the past seven years or more. Every so often though, I get a dark idea for a story that I just have to write. "The Kitchen Witch" is one of those stories.

Anyway, I hope to see everyone at book signing events for the upcoming anthology. Maybe I'll bring my kitchen witches along. For anyone unfamiliar with kitchen witches, there's no need to be afraid. They're actually supposed to bring good luck in the kitchen. Then again, I'm not sure if the same applies to book stores. So if you're the superstitious sort, you may want to bring your lucky rabbit's foot along -- just in case.