PUB DROP: A Long Overdue Update of Recent Publications by Lori D. Johnson

My apologizes for being so lax when it comes to adding new blog posts or sharing

news about my latest publications.  In some respects, my life these days resembles one

huge juggling act with balls dropping, left and right.  Even though most time I’ve

managed to keep a smile on my face, I can’t say that I’m always having fun.

But enough with the sob story.

I am proud and pleased to announce the following:

1) My short story “Shepherd’s Hell” is the lead story in Coolest American Stories 2022, an anthology that’s scheduled for publication in January of 2022.  Coolest American Stories includes stories by such heavyweights as S.A. Cosby (author of Blacktop Wasteland), Frances Park (When My Sister Was Cleopatra Moon) and Lee Martin (The Bright Forever).  The collection of cool stories is currently available for pre-order via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Itascabooks.

To be honest, I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that a story of mine

is included in the lot.  A recent review of Coolest American Stories by Wayne Coster Cooper on the

College Standard includes a few highlights and descriptions of a few of the stories in the collection,

my contribution “Shepherd’s Hell” among them.

2) In May of 2021, An excerpt (chapters 2-3) from my unpublished novel

A LITTLE LIGHT was selected as one of 5 winners in the Novel Slices 2021 Contest.  You can read a portion of my excerpt as well as the excerpts of the other winners on Novel Slice’s website. 

The full excerpts are also available for purchase--$12.00 for Issue #2.

3) My essay  “Future, Past Present, And All of the Days of Infamy and Grace In-between” appeared in the May 15, 2021 issue of Adelaide Literary Magazine. 

4)  My essay “Loss of Contact” appeared in the March 3, 2021 issue of Storyboard Memphis. 

The essay is the same one that placed third in a 2019 nonfiction contest sponsored by The Charlotte Writers’ Club.

Have I covered all of the bases?  I think so.  If not, or if any additional late publication wins appear in my in-box, I will meet you back here with another update.