When I finally joined the whole internet nonsense three years ago one of the things that happened is that I found out about writer Gwendolyn Kiste.

Her name would pop-up on Facebook from time to time, always with people I went to school with at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. I quickly deduced (’cause I’m schmaht like that) that she was married to a former schoolmate who, perhaps wisely, has eschewed social media. He was one of the 1400 Bills that were there at the time. Largest concentration in the nation in 1991.

Well, turns out Gwendolyn was a writer. And being a reader, I read some of her stuff and really dug it and let her know and… KAPOW, internet friendship was born. Well, acquaintance anyway. I don’t want to speak for her.

So over the past few years she has been productive as all get out and last year released her first collection of stories, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe.

Today the final ballot for the 2017 Bram Stoker Awards was announced and in the category of Superior Achievement in a Fiction Collection is that book. That is pretty. god. damned. fantastic.

I wish Gwendolyn the best of luck and no matter what happens (you goin’ down, Joe Hill!) she has a reader for life in me.

Get this collection. And her recent book Pretty Marys All in a Row. You won’t regret it.