Here's to 2026!
Sending holiday love and cheer to my WTF Was That? Brigade (otherwise known as my subscribers)!
Hi, cherished friends! Welcome to the sixth official Too Sweet To Write This Stuff newsletter!
Happy New Year! Hope you’ve all had a wonderful holiday season.
I honestly don’t even know where to start this time. The past six weeks have been insane. We’ve had a book launch (Karma), family visiting from Germany and West Virginia, we celebrated milestone birthdays for both Jeff and me, we dealt with all the typical Thanksgiving and Christmas kerfuffle, and we’ve completely spruced up our home.
Interspersed between the chaos were quiet moments of love and joy. As I write this, I’m sitting in a dark room with only the light of the Christmas tree glowing in the corner, waiting to ring in 2026. Our family is watching the latest Brad Pitt movie, Jeff is sitting beside me, and a goofy Golden Retriever named Jupiter is sprawled across us. Life is good.
2025, though, has certainly had its ups and downs. I posted this on Facebook, but it’s so easy to miss things on social media these days, I thought I’d share here too.
Professionally:
1. I wrote and released my first original novel, Karma, which I’m super proud of.
2. I had my best ever bookselling day and month.
3. There were two nibbles of interest regarding film rights for Red Inside.
4. I wrote at least six blurbs and one foreword.
5. I made the top 32 in the BoH Short Smack with A Bouquet of Viscera.
6. I wrote a flash fiction piece inspired by a piece of art by Frank Walls for an upcoming book.
7. My very first Thunderstorm Limited Edition, Blossoming Decay, sold out in less than twelve hours.
8. I wrote a death-metal song for an Australian band, which was super fun.
9. My first ever novelization, Deadgirl, was published by Encyclopocalypse Publications, and I’m now friends with all the actors and the screenwriter. In fact, we’re invited to have lunch with Noah and Shiloh when we visit LA next year.
10. Jenny Spain, who portrayed Deadgirl in the film, made multiple videos about the novelization (and me!), and mailed me a Deadgirl poster, which included a signed behind the scenes photo.
11. A reviewer said I wrote, “Splatterpunk with a heartbeat.” I loved that so much!
12. Red Inside got a BookBub deal.
13. Red Inside made the Final 8 in the BoH Indie Brawl.
14. Book sales are up 222% from 2024. (THANK YOU!)
15. Kindle Unlimited page reads are up 193% from 2024. (THANK YOU AGAIN!)
16. I launched my on-line store, Bridgett Nelson Horror, with merch included.
17. I finally started sending out this monthly newsletter, Too Sweet To Write This Stuff.
18. I went on a writer’s retreat in Two Harbors, MN, with Jeff, Justin, Ali, and Rena.
19. Embracing the Profane, the collection I released this year, is a finalist for Best Collection in the Haunted Minds Book Club Awards. (Keep reading for a live update!)
20. I only wrote two short stories for anthologies, as I wanted to focus more on my longer works. “Now That’s A Spicy Meatball” was included in GabaGhoul, published by October Nights Press and “Valencia” was included in the exclusive Tales from Ghostland, published by Crystal Lake.
Personally:
1. Jeff and I got tattoos together.
2. We took Autumn to Niagara Falls.
3. I turned 50.
4. From May to October, Jeff and I spent a ton of time writing at the lakeside cabin. Most of Karma was written there.
5. We saw Dude Dad on tour. Such a great show.
6. We saw the theatrical production of Waitress, which I loved.
7. I went to my first smelt fry in Beaver Bay.
8. I discovered my love of Dubai chocolate.
9. Jeff and I saw movies at the theater nearly every week.
10. I got influenza A. (Ugh.)
11. I read 49 books.
12. I started a monthly massage schedule, which is wonderful and much-needed.
13. Jeff and I bought our first furniture together and redecorated our home.
14. I got to spend Christmas with my daughter.
15. I lost three of my doggies: Harlow, Sal, and Dexter. The grief has been overwhelming.
16. We took Autumn to her favorite haunted house, Fear Columbus.
17. Jeff and I added a new family member...to be revealed soon! (Actually, I think you guys already know about Floyd the Dumeril’s Boa Constrictor.)
Autumn flew back to West Virginia yesterday after a weeklong visit. I already miss her. Here are a few photos we took while she was here.
She’s following in her momma’s footsteps and becoming a registered nurse. Classes start in a couple weeks. I bought her a new Littman stethoscope, a pair of bandage scissors, hemostats, penlights, and a variety of other essentials. I’m excited for her, and I think she’ll be a fantastic nurse when the day comes.
As for the photos of our new living area, I promised you those, didn’t I? Not one to go back on my word, here you go! We got a new sectional sofa, an area rug, end tables, a desk/desk chair, a credenza, several lamps, a room divider, thermal curtains, tons of throw pillows, and a couple storage shelves for the bathroom. I love our sofa so much. It’s so comfy and soft. I may replace the area rug. No matter what we do, it wads up. Chaos made sure he was in many of the photos.
The color scheme is white, beige, taupe, and mint green. And horror. Always horror. :)
My birthday is on December 12th, and Jeff’s is December 14th. Both fell on the weekend this year, so we had a four-day extravaganza. On Thursday, the 11th, he took me to VUE North, a lovely resort restaurant just north of Two Harbors. The restaurant was lovely (though mostly empty during the off-season), and the food was quite good. Afterward, we saw Fackham Hall, a genuinely funny film. On my birthday, I got a massage, compliments of Jeff’s mom, then we went out to my favorite Mexican restaurant for lunch. That evening, we had our usual Friday movie night, and it was lovely. On Saturday, our family came together to celebrate, and Jeff’s mom made us shrimp Alfredo and red velvet cake, per Jeff’s request. I’m not personally a fan of red velvet cake, or any cake, really, but Jeff loves it. On Sunday, we went to one of Jeff’s favorite restaurants, Ichiro, for ramen and sushi. Only ramen for me. I’m not a sushi fan either. Regardless, it was a beautiful weekend. I rang in 50 with a bang!
The first photo was taken at VUE North, and the second at the movie theater.
So, holy shit!
I literally, at this very moment, just won a Haunted Minds Book Club Award for Best Collection with Embracing the Profane!
Was NOT expecting that, but what a way to start 2026!
Thank you to everyone who nominated this collection I’m so proud of, and thank you to the jury (Leigh, Rowland, and Nick…maybe Dan?) for giving a Splatterpunk/extreme collection a chance!
I’m so happy!
If you haven’t read it yet, please give it a glance! Signed copies are available at my store.
CURRENTLY WATCHING: The Housemaid (in theaters), and we just finished Survivor: Season 49 (Paramount+)
CURRENTLY READING: Unseen Gods by Justin Holley
CURRENTLY LISTENING: Instrumental cello music
And that’s a wrap on newsletter #6! Indie the Ball Python says “Hi hoomansss! Ssstay ssscaly!”
