Editor’s Page for Yellow Mama Issue #95 – Dec. 15, 2022

ATTENTION! AS OF TODAY, JANUARY 21ST, YELLOW MAMA WEBZINE IS GOING TO BE CLOSED TO SUBMISSIONS UNTIL AT LEAST MARCH 15TH, 2023, DUE TO THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF STUFF YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY SENT. I AM SWAMPED. I JUST DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET CAUGHT UP. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE, I WILL GET TO MATERIAL SUBMITTED BEFORE TODAY AS SOON AS I CAN...

Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays, all!

Another strange year, right? Covid is still with us, a recession is looming, sickos are still shooting up schools and nightclubs. And, in Ukraine . . .

Still, we’re blessed in so many ways. Each of us has something to be thankful for, whether it’s friends, family, a place to live. This holiday season, let’s give thanks for each other. Our Yellow Mama family is very special.

In fact, YM #95 has a special lineup. For the first time ever, in addition to our full-length and flash fiction stories, this issue features eight (Yes, eight!) holiday stories! Picture a stocking overstuffed with horror and noir tales, all related to Christmas.

In T. Fox Dunham’s “Bless Your Heart, Babbo Natale,” a wiseguy Santa follows in his old man’s footsteps. The “Bad Santa” in George Garnet’s “Entitled” seeks revenge on a soulless banking system. Rick McQuiston’s “Santa’s Playtime” is more like an amusement park ride from hell.

Among other yuletide tales, check out the nostalgic “A Song for Christmas,” by the late Steve Carr (RIP Steve. We will miss you.)

Our regular lineup features Lamont A. Turner’s “The Last Maneuver,” in which a con tries to save his mentally challenged cellie. JM Taylor’s “Et in Arcadia Ego” is set against the backdrop of Boston’s 1913 Arcadia Hotel fire.  Mike Kanner’s “The Devil in Paris” will locate anything you want in 1920s “not-so-gay Paree.” And, in Robert Pettus’s “The Good Folks,” who would believe that hell means not chowing down on hotcakes?  

Other awesome stories include Sandra Arnold’s moving “A Cackle of Hyenas,” and 12-year-old Adelaide Barker’s noir debut story, “Where Is Joy Allen?”.

Our poetry lineup gives you dark winter works by J. J. Campbell, as well as poems by gritty Bradford Middleton, John Tustin, and others.

Full-length and flash fiction stories (and some poems) are individually illustrated by our gifted artists: Kevin Duncan, Darren Blanch (Welcome back, luv!), Hillary Lyon, Steve Cartwright, Michael D. Davis, Henry Stanton, W. Jack Savage, Wayne F. Burke, Sophia Wiseman-Rose, John Sowder, Nancy Soriano, Noelle Richardson, Londyyn Thomas, A. F. Knott, Bernice Holtzman, and our newest artist, Joseph Richkus.

And check out Mike Kerins’s chilling “Blood Moon” cover.

 If you want to submit full-length fiction, flash fiction, or poetry, check out our guidelines page.

Also, please sign our guestbook! If you have comments about Yellow Mama or any stories or poems we publish, you may leave comments there.

And check out our revised Archives, to catch recent stories or poems by your favorite writers you might’ve missed.

 And thanks for reading!