ON SPEC 2026: New Canadian Literature of the Fantastic

Posted on March 17, 2026 by admin

The On Spec Anthology Kickstarter is now live! Until April 15, you have a chance to help fund this anthology of Canadian speculative fiction, featuring the following anchor authors: Candas Jane Dorsey, Marcelle Dubé [Hey! That’s me!], Michèle Laframboise, Fiona Moore, Douglas Smith, Hayden Trenholm, and Liz Westbrook-Trenholm. Once the Kickstarter funds, there will be an open call for submissions, and the anthology will launch at Can*Con: Ottawa’s Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Convention in October. Thanks to Shadowpaw Press, our wonderful On Spec Magazine will live on.

The cover art is by Calgary artist James Beveridge, who has created many covers for On Spec Magazine, and the interior will include, as is On Spec tradition, a cartoon by Lynne Fahnestalk.

There are some amazing rewards, including SFF novels and collections, and signed artwork by Lynne Fahnestalk.

Check out the Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/edwardwillett/on-spec-2026-new-canadian-literature-of-the-fantastic

Help bring the project to life!

BARNEY’S DINER

Posted on February 24, 2026 by admin

I have a short story in the March/April 2026 Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. “Barney’s Diner” tells the story of a young waitress who is alone in a diner late at night in the aftermath of a blizzard when her greatest fear comes to visit her. As well, I discuss how the story came to be in Trace Evidence, the AHMM blog.

This is my eighth story in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.

In a Christmas mood…

Posted on December 14, 2025 by admin

Occasionally, I write short stories set at Christmas time. It’s the only time I ever get romantic in my writing–at least, as romantic as I get. I have four to offer. Note that “McKell’s Christmas” is free until after Christmas.

Here’s where to find them:

Running Away from Christmas: https://books2read.com/u/b6Z7LZ

A Yukon Christmas: https://books2read.com/u/bPdDrb

Trepalli’s Christmas: https://books2read.com/u/m2vDp7

McKell’s Christmas: https://books2read.com/u/brWJ8w (FREE!)

A podcast!

Posted on July 14, 2025 by admin

My short story, “No Title, No Clout,” which was originally published in the Jan/Feb 2025 Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, is now on The Mystery Hour podcast, read by the fabulous Rabia Chaudry. You can find it on your favourite podcast platform. I listened to it for free on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-title-no-clout/id1581854514?i=1000716490599