Author: J.W.
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JW’s Writerly Outpost – October 2026
Welcome back for another issue of JW’s Writerly Outpost. I hope you are all doing splendiferous out there. Myself? I’m doing well and keeping ultra busy as usual. Most of my attention lately has been on running Dark Forest Press. Things have been picking up on that front as we roll into spooky season. Just…
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Find That Critique Group
Happy New Year! How is everyone doing out there? I’m doing well. Keeping busy as always. I’m working on a handful of projects between my personal writing and publishing projects for Dark Forest Press including fresh edits on a handful of short stories for my own collection coming out in 2026. Busy busy. Today, I…
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Linghun by Ai Jiang: A Review
‘WELCOME HOME. Follow Wenqi, Liam, and Mrs. in this modern gothic ghost story by Chinese-Canadian writer and immigrant, Ai Jiang. LINGHUN is set in the mysterious town of HOME, a place where the dead live again as spirits, conjured by the grief-sick population that refuses to let go.’ The horror genre is filled with stories…
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Benefits of Secular Tarot: Self-Exploration
Everyone has at least heard of Tarot, that esoteric system of cards used by new age people to tell fortunes. At least, that’s how they are generally depicted in pop culture. But this isn’t the full story of Tarot. Tarot is not only a tool used for divination by the more spiritual population, it can…
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StokerCon, Pittsburgh, 2023 – A Retrospective
It was another great year at StokerCon. In fact, it was even more fun than last year in Denver. I made even more new friends and met many of my online horror writing buddies. It is great to be in a setting where you can discuss the most morbid topics in public and everyone all…
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Joe’s Three Aspects Tarot Spread
In my recent post On Secular Tarot, I promised to share the spread I use most often. I call it my 3 Aspects Spread. I mostly use my Alleyman’s magpie deck with this spread, but any tarot or oracle deck will work. (In the future I’ll do a post on my ever-changing magpie deck.) You’ll…
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Dark Forest Press and Publishing Services is back!
What? Dark Forest Press is my own brand which I do all my professional publishing services under. I offer book formatting, cover design, editing, and webmaster services at affordable rates. Not cheap, but affordable and of high quality. Why? Well, because there is a need for it in the writing community. With the massive rise…
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On Secular Tarot
So, why on earth do I have such a soft spot for tarot? It’s a tough question, especially considering I’m an atheist with no real spiritual leanings. But despite all that, there’s something captivating about tarot that keeps me coming back for more. I’ve always been intrigued by the esoteric and occult, albeit from the…
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Book Review: Beach Bodies by Nick Kolakowski
“This billionaire’s luxury doomsday bunker has everything: spectacular ocean views, a full-service kitchen, three bedrooms, a broadband connection, and concrete thick enough to keep any kind of horror out. Today, the bunker’s caretakers are about to discover those concrete walls are good—too good—at keeping them trapped with the horrors inside. Twenty feet below the world’s…
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Story Study: Shattered Sidewalks of the Human Heart
Welcome to the second installment of Story Study! Where I and a few friends plan to read a story out of a Year’s Best anthology, and discuss what makes that story tick. The first anthology I’m taking on is Paula Guran’s The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy and Horror Volume 1. Fellow authors Evelyn Freeling (https://www.evelynfreeling.com/)…