I was delighted when editor Ann Wycoff got in touch out of the blue and said she had loved my story in Under Twin Suns so much that she needed a story from me for this anthology! My flash story, “He Gets Hungry Sometimes,” seemed to be a perfect match. It’s a huge book with many great stories! Here’s the blurb:
Welcome, mortal. You have finally discovered that place they told you about where hope crawls off to die.
This unclean tome runs the gamut of horror and weird fiction across space and time—from surprising terrors in Chernobyl and India to lethal curses in Japan and Greece. From instructions on how to become a successful zombie to a laughing exorcist who is stranger than the execrable demons he dispatches. From calloused gravediggers of Victorian England to a civilized battle between malevolent yet polite sorcerers in present day New York City, and so much more.
Enjoy this malignant collection of stories created by a diverse cabal of thirty-nine authors from around the world.
Available at https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Librarians-Grave-Madness-Adventure/dp/1956917004/
I’m delighted to announce the new weird historical fiction anthology, Under Twin Suns: Alternate Histories of the Yellow Sign, from Hippocampus Press, edited by James Chambers. It explores the madness of those under the sway of the Yellow Sign in the classic work of weird fiction, The King in Yellow, written by Robert W. Chambers in 1895 (note, no relation to the anthology editor!).
Chambers wrote four stories that outlined the strange world of Carcosa, parallel to our own, that was ruled by the King in Yellow, who was in decline. The stories refer to the play of the same name; if you read the full second act, you go mad. Also, there is a mysterious symbol called the Yellow Sign, which calls people to the play and their subsequent madness.
One of these stories, “The Repairer of Reputations,” shows the megalo-maniacal ravings of Hildritch, who tried to get his cousin Louis and his love, Constance, out of the way from inheriting an alleged empire. It’s set in an alternate history in 1920’s New York City where subway stations were seen as suicide chambers.
The primary characters in the story are all men; it was, after all, written in 1895. I take a look at it from the women’s point of view in my story, “The Yellow Crown.”
I did an online reading Feb. 25 with Syosset Public Library and HWA NY Chapter (more about that under the Appearances tab above). Readers were Linda D Addison (an HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient), plus three writers from HWA-NY: Meghan Arcuri, April Grey and me.
Each of us made a list of five women in horror that we’d recommend for you to check out. I put them into a little video, and the list is below so that you don’t miss any names!
1. Jessica McHugh – THE TRAIN DERAILS IN BOSTON (Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing)
2. Ania Ahlborn – SEED (47North) — or anything else by her
3. Helen Phifer – THE GOOD SISTERS (HQ Digital) — or any of her detective/haunted house books
4. Darcy Coates – THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR: A Ghost Story (Black Owl Books) — or any of her haunted house books
5. J. K. Rowling, pseudonym Robert Galbraith – The Cuckoo’s Calling – Cormoran Strike series (Mulholland Books) — Or, anything by Charlaine Harris (had to sneak her in!)
Another fun creepy story makes its way onto the page! This one is continuing the theme of eco-vengeance that I started in the last anthology by wonderful editor, April Grey. So many cool stories in here!
(From the HWA NY Chapter website at HWANY.com, Feb. 3, 2021)
Carol Gyzander
HWA-NY is pleased to announce the appointment of Carol Gyzander to the role of Chapter Co-Coordinator, joining James Chambers in leading the New York Chapter. Since Carol joined the Horror Writers Association in 2017 she has gone above and beyond to help with organizing and running our readings, convention appearances, and many of the HWA-NY’s most celebrated reading series, including Women in Horror Month, Night Terrors, and the recently launched online reading series, Galactic Terrors. Our chapter wouldn’t be the same without her, and we’re excited for her to receive this well-deserved recognition.
When Galactic Terrors was in the planning stages, Carol took the lead in investigating the technical details of various streaming platforms to find the best fit for the chapter’s needs. She’s also responsible for pulling together much of the information required for each episode and even learned how to make video clips to introduce each reader, but reports she is quite relieved that Lou Rera has taken over this task and immensely improved it. Carol also co-hosts Galactic Terrors with James Chambers on the second Thursday of each month, streaming new episodes live via YouTube and Facebook.
Earlier in 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic made in-person chapter meetings impossible, Carol reacted swiftly, researching online meeting platforms for safety and accessibility before pivoting the group to an online venue. She also added a series of mid-month check-ins to ensure that HWA-NY members felt supported and connected during those first brutal months of lockdown.
Carol is also a gifted author and editor. Her stories appear in a dozen anthologies including Stories We Tell After Midnight from Crone Girls Press; Across the Universe: Tales of Alternate Beatles from Fantastic Books (amidst stories by Cat Rambo, Spider Robinson and David Gerrold); Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse from Camden Park Press; and The Devil’s Due: Nothing is Ever as it Seems from Valhalla Books (payment is due for deals you make!). She also has stories in Hell’s Highways: Terrifying Tales of Tormented Travels and Hell’s Mall: Sinister Shops, Cursed Items and Maddening Crowds from Lafcadia Press.
As editor and co-founder of Writerpunk Press, she’s edited four anthologies of punk stories inspired by classic tales including Merely This and Nothing More: Edgar Allan Poe Goes Punk and Hideous Progeny: Classic Horror Goes Punk. She and James Chambers are also co-editing the forthcoming charity anthology, Even in the Grave, which will raise funds for the HWA-NY Chapter to support events and help cover expenses for their reading series and other activities.
“The HWA community, and HWA-NY in particular, has been so friendly and welcoming,” Carol said. “I’m delighted to be able to help serve and promote such a supportive group, and to work with Jim who is a tireless resource and advocate for our Chapter and HWA overall. I’ve been particularly excited about the way our new online platforms help reach members who are a bit farther away in our chapter, and I look forward to seeing those continue in some way in the future.”
With deep appreciation for her many contributions to the New York chapter, as well as the larger horror writing community, please join us in congratulating Carol Gyzander and welcoming her in her new role as HWA-NY Chapter Co-Coordinator.
Halloween is the perfect time for this anthology of Faustian stories to enter the world. I’m delighted that this initial offering from Valhalla Books includes my story, “Face It.”
Nothing is ever as it seems; ill-begotten wealth, fame, and glory come at a high price. Featuring award-winning authors and Horror Writers Association members, The Devil’s Due offers enthralling horror stories of underhanded deals gone awry.
My inspiration for my own story, believe it or not, comes from an adult film from back in the 70’s called The Devil in Miss Jones — which was in itself a very Faustian tale. But no, mine is not an adult story of that genre.
Instead, I drew upon my own life experience of caring for my parents through their Alzheimer’s and what the strain of that can cause someone to do. When editor Adam Messer approached me to do a story, I wanted to give it that extra twist and I hope you can tell me whether or not I succeeded.
The Devil’s Due includes these great stories from terrific writers, some known and some new:
“Dante’s Tenth” – Bobby Nash
“Identity Theft” – Rachel Brune
“The Resurrection and the Life” – Jude Reid
“The Black Rock” – Alledria Hurt
“Here Comes Mr Herribone!” – Tim Jeffreys
“Genevieve and the Owl” – Mark Allan Gunnells
“The Plan” – Josh Vasquez
“Mary’s Secret”– Winfield Strock III
“Saddie’s Choices” – Ravyn Crescent
“The Devil You Know” – Shane Nelson
“Good Samuel Rittan” – Samuel R. Grosse
“Face It” – Carol Gyzander
Check it out today and be one of the first to read The Devil’s Due anthology!
What do people do in
tough times? They run to cat memes.
I’m delighted to
announce CATS!, a StoryBundle that is the written equivalent of cat videos.
Only better, longer, and with more plot! You’ll find all kinds of cats—cats who
save the world (using magical powers), cats who solve mysteries (simply by being
observant), cats who facilitate romance (because that’s what cats do, mostly to
keep us from bothering them too much). Aloof cats, cuddly cats, mysterious
cats. If you want a cat, you’ll find one right here. (And six of the books –
including CAT LADIES OF THE APOCALYPSE, in which I have a story – are exclusive
to this bundle. You won’t find them anywhere else.)
Recently, #QuarantineCats was trending on Twitter, not because cats need to be quarantined, but because cats are stuck with their shelter-in-place humans and are sometimes not happy about it. Especially since humans are practicing social distancing these days, and as a result, cats are getting more hugs.
Cats hate hugs… unless
they’re on the cat’s terms.
In addition to promoting
the bundle, we’d also like to put some emphasis on the associated charity,
AbleGamers.
Now that most of us have
unwillingly spent weeks inside, unable to socialize, we have a sense of what
many disabled folks contend with each and every day. AbleGamers helps them
participate in online games by providing equipment tailored toward their needs.
Sometimes the online community is the only community available to people who
are housebound (as many of you learned this year). Dreams are important for all
of us, as is being social, so please, if you decide to purchase this bundle, add
a donation to AbleGamers.
Cat videos give people thirty seconds of enjoyment. This bundle gives readers days (maybe weeks) of enjoyment and helps disabled people socialize while stuck at home.
And, here is the anthology in which I have a story!
Cat Ladies of the Apocalypse cover
My story, “Runt of the Litter” features a midwife who travels between post-apocalyptic settlements with her (pregnant) Maine Coon cat, Artemis. Take a peek at the cat on the bottom right of the cover!
I am honored that my newest story, “Deal with the Devil” is in this Fab 4 anthology, Across the Universe, just released by Fantastic Books on December 3, 2019!
It’s the Beatles tour for which you never thought you’d get a front row seat, with speculative fiction stories examining other galaxies, worlds, professions and existences John, Paul, George and Ringo might have experienced … or maybe they did ….
Contributors: Nancy Holder, Spider Robinson, Jody Lynn Nye, Charles Barouch, Gordon Linzner, Lawrence Watt-Evans, Allen Steele, Sally Wiener Grotta, Ken Schneyer, David Gerrold, Cat Rambo, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Bev Vincent, Patrick Barb, Carol Gyzander, Pat Cadigan, Gail Z. Martin, Barbara Clough, Eric Avedissian, Alan Goldsher, R. Jean Mathieu, Beth Patterson, Christian Smith, Gregory Frost, Matthew Amati, Gregory Benford, Randee Dawn, Michael A. Ventrella
We’ve been getting some awesome reviews! Publishers Weekly says:
“Ranging from trippy fantasy to hard science fiction and zombie apocalypse mash-up, the stories in this anthology send the members of the Beatles on wild adventures through alternate timelines and universes. In Allen M. Steele’s “Come Together,” artificial intelligences named for each of the Fab Four identify so strongly with their namesakes that they jeopardize their space probe’s mission when they begin to fall out with one another, mimicking the breakup of the band. An idealistic George Harrison tries to teach transcendental meditation to Richard Nixon with disastrous geopolitical results in Sally Wiener Grotta’s “The Truth Within.” Gregory Frost’s “A Hard Day’s Night at the Opera” plugs the band members into the plot of a Marx brothers movie to hilarious effect. It’s clear that each of the 25 contributors are true fans, filling their tales with references to Beatles history and, in the case of David M. Gerrold’s “The Fabtastic Four,” so many song lyrics that readers will be tempted to sing along. Beatles aficionados and fantasy fans will enjoy this affectionate, speculative homage.”
Library Journal gave the book a starred review, saying:
“The Fab Four are reimagined as wizards, robots, hockey players, zombies, the Marx Brothers, and more in this anthology from Ventrella (Big Stick) and Dawn (Home for the Holidays). … VERDICT This anthology will be mostly of interest to Beatles fans, but even non-fans will find stories here that will move and surprise them.”
I am absolutely so tickled to read Spider Robinson’s blog post (#30) about his story in Across the Universe, the new speculative fiction anthology about the Beatles… in which I also have a story! Yeah, I just have to read that line a few times.
Also, I am absolutely so tickled to read Spider Robinson’s blog post (#30) about his story in Across the Universe… in which I also have a story! Yeah, I just have to read that line a few times. 🙂 http://www.spiderrobinson.com/blog.html
My cyberpunk novella, “Mac,” is inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth and appears in the first Writerpunk Press anthology, Sound & Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk Volume 1.
It’s set in a near future, post-apocalyptic world where behavior and ambition are controlled by use of brain moddy chips. See what happens to Mac when his ambition is released! Note this is a standalone story that takes place in the same world as “Hank” in Volume 2.
Sound and Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk Volume 1
Airships and sky pirates! Brain Modification chips! Technologically enhanced nymphs!
We have taken the plays that audiences have enjoyed for hundreds of years and reinvented them as cyberpunk, dieselpunk, Teslapunk and steampunk tales.
Featuring comedies and tragedies as well as a wide variety of punk genres, this collection has something for everyone. A spirit of subversive fun is strongly encouraged. Sound and Fury: Shakespeare Goes Punk is our first anthology of stories based on the Bard’s work.
This cyberpunk story, “Hank” was inspired by Shakespeare’s play, “Henry V.” It’s in the second volume of ‘punk genre stories inspired by the bard, Once More Unto the Breach: Shakespeare Goes Punk 2 from Writerpunk Press.
The first of two stories in the same dystopic, near-future world, Hank must make some tough choices as he takes over his father’s corporation. The second story is “Mac,” in Shakespeare Goes Punk Volume 1. Yeah, I know – that’s backward – but each is a stand-alone story!
Once More Unto the Breach: Shakespeare Goes Punk 2
Cover blurb:
Welcome to the world of Shakespeare Goes Punk, where the Bard is remixed and nothing is sacred. Our fearless writers are back by popular demand to give you a ride on the punk train. Five punked-up tales and three sonnets inspired by Shakespeare. All profits to charity. As You Like It The Tragedy of Livingston (Coriolanus) Blast the Past: Fae and Far Between (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) Dogs of War (Julius Caesar) Hank (Henry V) Clockpunk Sonnets (18, 105, 127)
