Category Archives: Horror Stories
Announcing the TOC for 34 ORCHARD’s Spring 2022 Issue 5!
In wall-bound creatures, leucistic birds, and murderous gardens and forests; in natural disasters and terrifying hauntings; in everywhere from modern-day skyscrapers to the Old West, the upcoming issue of 34 Orchard’s twenty-five artists focus on the things we refuse to see, and what that might mean.
I’m excited to announce 34 Orchard‘s Table of Contents for the Spring 2022, which will be released on April 25—and thanks to several generous donations, this issue is even larger than our last one! We’ve even arranged for an exclusive Read the rest of this entry
Free Facebook Live Writing Craft Discussion THIS Thursday night, February 3
Grab your favorite beverage for a special cocktail hour! Author Katherine Silva and I will be discussing Character Driven Horror at 8 pm Thursday, February 3, on Facebook Live. The discussion will last about an hour. It’s free and open to the public.
If you’re not familiar with a Facebook Live event, it’s the easiest thing out there—it’s just like watching television. If you’d like to attend, you simply click on this link at 8pm ET on that day, and the video will play right on the page—you do not have to register, sign up, or login to anything except your Facebook (and most of us stay logged in to that anyway). You will not see yourself on screen, and no one will know you’re there.
W-interview Series 1: Episode 4 – Character Driven Horror with Kristi Petersen Schoonover
https://www.facebook.com/events/532611934501325/?ti=ls
I hope you can join us for what promises to be an interesting chat!
“Floor Song Tango” accepted to OUT OF TIME: TRUE PARANORMAL ENCOUNTERS!
My house from hell.
I’m thrilled to announce that my piece, “Floor Song Tango”—a short memoir about the powerful grip the haunted house I grew up in had on me for most of my life—has been accepted to and will be published in Timber Ghost Press’ upcoming anthology Out of Time: True Paranormal Encounters!
As painful as this was to write–talk about things you’d rather forget? Um, yeah–this was cathartic. I was finally able to get this place to stop haunting me and put it where it belongs: in the past.
I’ll keep you posted on the publication date, which will be later this year.
“Mating Call” now available in PARabNORMAL
It’s here! How pretty are these copies of parABnormal Magazine’s December 2021 issue? The issue contains my story “Mating Call”—I don’t want to spoil anything, but I will say there are angry bird ghosts involved!
This is the only place you can get this story, so if you’re on the hunt for something new of mine, you can order a PDF or print direct from the publisher.
PRINT–$12.00– https://www.hiraethsffh.com/product-page/parabnormal-magazine-december-2021-edited-by-h-david-blalock
Or on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3Kx4h9H
(Note: You’re better off ordering from the publisher’s website. They are faster and more efficient, in this case, and the printed books come beautifully packaged in nice brown paper—at least, my four that I ordered did. It was really a nice experience).
My copies arrived professionally-wrapped in sturdy, high quality brown paper. It was like receiving an antique book. Beautiful!
It’s GENERATION X-ED Pub Day!
I’m not so thrilled about that god-awful sweater I’m wearing in that photo, but I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that Generation X-ed, which contains my short story “Nothing to See Here,” is now available in dust jacket hardcover, paperback, Kindle, and audiobook!
Crammed with all sorts of throwback goodies and the original collection written completely by those of us who lived through them, this should definitely be on every GenXer’s shelf (and makes a great gift for that impossible-to-buy-for GenXer in your life because JARTS are hard to find)! Here’s a look at the stellar TOC!
In From the Cold – Adrian Ludens Read the rest of this entry
Three Good Flicks for Haunted House Junkies
It’s stating the obvious: haunted house movies—even not so good ones—are scary, because, on a metaphorical level, what they’re really about is what happens when someplace we deem safe isn’t really safe at all. The house is the stand-in for that secure thing—an actual home, a family structure, a romantic relationship, a job, our physical health—and the “haunting” is the stand-in for anything that threatens it: fire, foreclosure, death, infidelity, unfair treatment, terminal illness. In the end, why haunted house movies are effective—and popular—is because they prey on our fear of destabilization.
This is probably why so many of them have the same tropes—but if you’re a junkie like me, who’ll give any haunted house movie a fair shot until it proves otherwise—you’re used to that; in fact, you expect it.
That said, here’s a couple of recent ones on Netflix Read the rest of this entry
GEN-XER? Show your pride with SWAG ahead of the release of GENERATION X-ED!
Me, rockin’ my GenX-ed T-shirt!
The release date of Dark Ink Books’ Generation X-ed —which contains my short story “Nothing to See Here”—is almost here! Hardcover, paperback, Kindle and Audiobook will be available January 26, and if you want to pre-order the print editions, you can do that here: https://bit.ly/GetGenXed
Since it’s the first (and I think, only) anthology featuring GenX horror stories written by real GenX-ers, if you’re a GenX-er (or even if you’re not and you want to know what it was really like?), then this is a must-own for your shelf (yes, even if you’re not a big reader). It’s chock full of references to all things GenX: from rotary phones to the Challenger, from Satanic Panic to leg warmers, it’s all here.
However—here’s something even cooler: show your GenX pride and get some swag! Beer and shot glasses, coffee mugs, stickers and T’s—fun for you or the GenX-er in your life (because they make great gifts). Check it out on the anthology’s official store here.
You can get a mug with all the writers’ names on it, or you can get a mug with just the logo.
Know a GenX-er hitting 50 this year? What’s better than the book, some swag, and maybe one of those great old snacks we used to have that are still around, like (Jeno’s, now Totino’s) Pizza Rolls, Cool Ranch Doritos, or microwave popcorn? Just a thought!
You can also visit the official Generation X-ed page, which has all sorts of treats like advanced reviews, way-back memories from the writers, links for purchase in several countries, trailers, and other goodies. Check that out here: https://rowlandbooks.com/generation-xed
“Wish Bones” accepted for Timber Ghost Press’ DEAD STARS AND STONE ARCHES: A UTAH HORROR ANTHOLOGY
The beloved trilobite fossil that my husband, Nathan, gave to me the night before we got married. He made special arrangements with the Howe Caverns gift shop to have it ready for me in my Howe Caverns Motel room. There’s actually a whole story behind why this is important, but I’ll save that for another day. Pen and notepad in photo for scale.
I’m beyond thrilled to announce that my short story, “Wish Bones”—a cosmic horror piece set in 1873 Utah—has found a home in Timber Ghost Press’ Dead Stars and Stone Arches: A Collection of Utah Horror!
I don’t want to give any spoilers, so the only thing I’ll say beyond this right now is that this is an anthology you won’t want to miss—especially if you enjoy the burgeoning subgenre that is Old West Horror. I will tell you that this was my very first attempt at writing in this genre, and since TGP specializes in this, I was quite surprised and honored that the story was accepted.
I’m also really happy with how I smashed the state’s early religious history and well-known paleontological discoveries together to create something even I wasn’t expecting. And a very special shout-out goes to my friend Bruce Shillinglaw–my very helpful dinosaur expert, without whom I wouldn’t have had my facts straight.
I will keep you posted on the release date!
Gild the Holiday Weekend with the KINDLE release of COLOUR OUT OF DEATHLEHEM for charity!
Happy Christmas Eve! The Kindle Edition of Grinning Skull Press’ holiday horror anthology Colour Out of Deathlehem, which contains my story “Feeding the Babies” (if you know what Treevenge is, you’ll love this!) is now available—best of all, 100% of the $4.99 purchase goes to The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
This is a very worthy cause, and I worked long and hard on a brand new story just for you in the hopes that you’d all lend a hand!
The true spirit of Christmas is really in giving. If you’ve got $4.99 to spare, have a Kindle or the app on your phone or PC and love scary Christmas stories? Consider treating yourself while giving to someone else.
Edited by Harrison Graves and Michael Evans, here’s what’s in store:
Welcome back to Deathlehem, where… Read the rest of this entry
Give us an hour, we’ll show you new worlds — today at 5pm!
Hello all!
End your work day right — a Strong Women-Strange Worlds Quick Read is happening today at 5pm!
**6 Authors * 8 Minutes Each!** Check out the line-up of fabulous women and non-binary science fiction, fantasy, and horror authors at this VIRTUAL live reading. Bring a beverage, relax, and let them entertain you. There will be prizes/giveaways as well. You won’t want to miss this! The program is FREE via Zoom, but you must sign up here: https://bit.ly/3aOXDuR
I’ll be sharing the beginning of “Attempted Delivery,” which appears in The Shadows Behind.
One randomly chosen winner will get a free copy of Shadows, and anyone who attends and signs up for this blog will get a randomly chosen chapbook–which I only send out to my Holiday mailing list (if you’re already signed up for this blog and you attend, no worries, I’ll send you one too!) All writers are offering prizes, so this is a great opportunity to find something new or grab a gift!
Give us an hour, we’ll show you a new world. Hope to see you there!
