Super stoked to share that my little story Chicken Bones was published earlier this week by The Molotov Cocktail.

They’re a wickedly cool magazine who have long been on my dream pubs list, so this is a real smile-so-much-your-face-falls-off-but-hey-who-needs-a-face-anyway kind of moment. Huge thanks to Josh Goller and Mary Lenoir Bond for giving my story a home. You can read it here.

Chicken Bones was actually inspired by a tweet I did for a #vss365 prompt. I wrote a bit about the joys of #vss365 right at the start of the year (apparently only eleven months ago), and if you’re inclined towards the lands of micro fiction you can go ahead and play along on Twitter using the #vss365 hashtag—just keep an eye out for the new prompt every day.

He built his #empire from scraps. Chicken bones, toenail clippings, rusted tacks, rotting washers all spread before him-his kingdom in this barren wasteland. When they finally returned to bring him home he fought. They shed blood in waves. He would be king, alone forever. #vss365

— Tam Rogers 🐈👻📚 (@tamrogers) February 13, 2020

In other news, you might have noticed it’s been a bit quiet on the Dust Lounge the last month or so. No excuses, apart from, well, 2020. That said, I have made a start on catching up on writing reviews for some of the fiendishly excellent books I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. First up was Stephanie Ellis’s gloriously creepy The Five Turns of the Wheel—catch the review here if you missed it before—and there’s more reviews set to come over the next few weeks.

In other, other news, is it really December? Already? Finally?

Hope y’all staying safe, well and warm.

Bonus cat pic: Ripley, chilling in the way that cats chill. Possibly dreaming of chicken, bones, or maybe both.