🍒 Cherry Kills 🔪

Introducing my debut novella...

Last night, my daughter asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up. I looked at her thoughtfully, but before I could say anything, her face lit up, and she shouted, “Oh wait! You’re already a writer.” See to her, writing isn’t a hobby. She sees the joy it brings me. She sees my dedication and passion—this isn’t just what I want to be, to her it’s what I already am.

And now she sees the results of my tenacity: Cherry Kills. My first book.

Cherry Kills wants to be left alone.

Unfortunately, her Alternates: an overprotective lug, a happy-go-lucky child, and a mute rabbit the size of a man, have other plans. They’ve haunted her since her father’s violent death, following her from grimy punk clubs to the TV-static halls of her apartment building. The doctor calls them hallucinations, symptoms of trauma.

But when her Alternates start interacting with the world around her, Cherry realizes it might not be all in her head.

Pre-orders for my novella Cherry Kills open January 22, 2026 now! Brought to you by Tiny Worlds Publishing.

Character art comes from Butcher Billy. Interior and cover design are by Shane Bzdok. The book was edited by the one and only S.E. Reid.

Art by Butcher Billy, based on characters created by Sean Thomas McDonnell.

“…This book is a potent mix of fantasy, noir mystery, cosmic horror, and a dose of mythos. As the reader you will find yourself questioning what is real, and what is just in her head. Normal, sane, crazy, it's all the same in the world of Cherry Kills.” - J.R. Phillips

Origins.

Back in Feb 2024, Macabre Monday held a live writing event in which each participating author created a character and joined a virtual dinner party in a G-doc. I know what you’re thinking, that would be utter chaos, and it absolutely was. The dinner party lasted multiple days and had an entire menu, complete with custom cocktails. Several of your favorite writers were there, including, Jon T (as the maitre d'), Bridget Riley (as Lilith Hart), and Scoot (as Cpt. Harland Elson).

The character I created for the event was an amalgamation of Big Edie, Margot Tenenbaum, and Bette Davis. Her name, Cherry Kills.

Cherry Kills (v1), from 2024:

CHERRY KILLS: 30 something. Bleached hair, fried. She wears thick eyeliner, inspired by Vivien Leigh’s version of Cleopatra, and high arched brows inspired by Claudette Colbert’s Cleopatra. Her dress is as light as a kitchen curtain blowing in a summer breeze, and when she moves, the flowery dress follows her around like a needy child. She has a tattoo of a hummingbird on her right forearm, its beak travels all the way up her arm, vanishing up the sleeve of her dress. She comes off as disinterested, but she’s always watching, listening. Mulling. On the table in front of her is a cigarette case. She’s American, but she doesn't care to admit it. Hates politics. Hates religion. Loves religion. Loves to talk about music but doesn’t care for musicians. Kleptomaniac, but never keeps the stolen item for long.

The Cherry that ended up in my book shares some of these same attributes, but not all of them. She’s younger in the novella, and she doesn’t give back what she steals.

When I decided to write the novella, I reached out to an editor I’ve worked with on several projects, the one and only, S.E. Reid. Sally and I walked through my outline and first chapter. We identified several holes and things that felt off. When we finally had a direction, I put on my writing cap and got to work.

S.E. Reid is terrific. If you’re thinking about writing a book, I highly recommend her. She’s empathetic, has a keen eye for detail, and is easy to work with. Slide on over to Talebones and check out her rates and, while you’re there, read a couple of her fantastic stories.

After several drafts, I sent the book off to early readers. The feedback I received was immensely helpful—I even resurrected a character based on said feedback! Thanks, EJ Trask!

If you’re a fan of the 90s, Buffy, unlikely superheroes, and found family, this novella could be for you. It’s a fun book.

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ART.

Before I had even written half of Cherry Kills, I commissioned an artist. The decision to put the cart before the horse was less faith in myself and more a forcing function—now I’d invested not only time and energy, but moola.

Butcher Billy was my top choice, and although it seemed a bit ridiculous to go all in for my first novella, I thought, fuck it, carpe diem and all that. And what a blast it was collaborating with such a skilled artist! I gave him a description of the characters, told him what colors I was thinking, and dude made Cherry and the crew pop off the page. Even if you don’t end up liking my story, the art is scorchingly sick. There’s no denying that!

Check out Butcher Billy's IG for more of his work.

Or check out his site.

“AI art is revolting in lots of ways, but I’m not worried it’s going to take over my job. Global warming will make the planet burst and become a ball of fire before that happens, so I’m pretty relaxed about it.” - Butcher Billy in an interview with RetroFuturista

Design.

I had this fantastic art, but having a good cover doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a good looking book, for that I went to Shane Bzdok, who wow’d a lot of people with his design skills in the first Midnight Vault anthology, as well as his work on the covers of Miguel S. | The Fiction Dealer’s debut novel Quietus, Stephen Duffy’s dark thriller Fragile Steps, and Tiny Worlds Volume Two by J. Curtis.

Shane Bzdok is a phenomenal artist, designer, and writer. If you’re considering the print version of Cherry Kills, you won’t regret it. It will easily be one of the best looking books on your shelf. It’s like a candy grenade—YUM and BOOM!

If you’re interested in working with Shane, which I’m sure you are, hit him up!

“Designing and writing. I’m not sure which one I’m more passionate about, and when I have the opportunity to combine the two—to design writing—well, it doesn’t get much better than that, now does it?” - Shane Bzdok

Publishing.

Now let’s talk about Tiny Worlds Publishing. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with J. Curtis on several projects. The first was the hit Substack event, The Midnight Vault. He also helped publish the horror anthology Blood in the Yolk.

J is a fantastic writer, amazing publisher, and an all-around wonderful chap. I’m deeply honored to have Cherry Kills be the first book published under the Tiny Worlds imprint. Go subscribe to Tiny Worlds to stay up-to-date!

“It sets the tone for what this is meant to be: strange, deliberate, carefully made work—backed by a structure that doesn’t vanish the moment a book enters the world.” - J. Curtis on Cherry being the first book published under the Tiny Worlds imprint.

Truly yours is a butt that won’t quit.

Closing.

Thank you to everyone who has read my work and shown encouragement along the way. I’d write for myself if I had to, but I prefer your company.

ARC reviews are sliding in, check them out!