There is nothing quite like seeing your story teased in a magazine to make your head spin, and the current issue of Fantasy & Science Fiction has a little squib about my upcoming short, "Umbrella Men."

And there is nothing that brings you back to earth faster than a good proofreader. Just finished and sent off the edits, and boy, am I sloppy with commas. Sigh. It's always a humbling experience, and I'm deeply grateful for those sharp editorial eyes.

No matter how many stories I write, I will never, ever, lose my sense of wonder at the process. There's a large measure of slack-jawed amazement that I get to have this much fun, and it's coupled with a deep sense of how much I owe all the people who helped me get here: my parents, my teachers, the friends who put up with a million amateur words, and my amazing workshop colleagues who keep me from making (more) dumb mistakes. And of course, Karen, always my first reader.

Story should be out in January. Sure, you can pick up a copy of F&SF at the bookstore, but why not buy a subscription? Like your texts digital? You can get a sub on your Kindle. That's how I read it, and it works great.