Just here today real quick to announce that my latest horror collection, The Nightmare Cycle, from Dark Owl Publishing, is available in Barnes & Nobles. Not just Amazon or horror specialty stores and conventions. You can obtain it online or through “select physical stores.” Probably the ones that have a horror section. If they don’t have it in stock, it can usually be obtained within two business hours (this can also mean one day). I’ll leave ISBN info down below, in case you want your local B&N brick and mortar to get it in for you. While I love the ease of Amazon and ereaders, personally, I prefer going and sitting with a cup of coffee or tea in a physical bookstore. Call me old-fashioned, but I will never tire of it. I’ll throw up the Amazon link as well. Cheers.
So today is here. Today is the day of my third official story collection: THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE, from Dark Owl Publishing. It is available in print and digital formats (Paperback and on Amazon Kindle). And as the year goes on, straight thru 2024, will be available at book fairs, from various literary vendors, horror and comic-themed conventions, the odd novelty or specialty store, or wherever other fine horror books or goods are sold. I will keep you updated on this website. The spooky fun starts in Arizona first and New York second.
A short story collection is a book of tales by one single author, where an anthology is a book of stories usually centered around a theme from not one but many authors, from many different states or countries or diverse backgrounds. The Nightmare Cycle was an idea for a book that came to me one day in a dream (go figure), but is not about being in a dream. It gets its title from every single story being “A Nightmarish Scenario,” one warped tale leading into the next (the theme of cycling and unending), and then the one thereafter. There is no finality. Just horrific circumstance after circumstance. Undulated terror. Beginning, middle, end. Think Rod Serling’s The Night Gallery, but modern day, my take.
THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE by Lawrence Dagstine
From Dark Owl Publishing – NOW AVAILABLE worldwide
You have mostly new stories between the pages, but you have some obscure offerings as well. Tales from my humble beginnings as a horror author. The 2000s era. There are stories like Thursday’s Children. Imagine pitting zombie youth against each other the same way people hold backroom cockfights for money. The Adopted, where werewolf adoption in Southeast Asia is more complex than you think. Human Transfer, a very dark and dystopic tale of population control, and betrayal by the people you thought you knew and trusted most.
There are Dark Owl exclusives, tales which are theirs and theirs only, such as The Thing about Eden. Imagine Mars in the future where life under one dark leadership only becomes concerning, overbearing, and darker with the next. The Acrylic Man, about a painter of spectral portraits who captures his love interests with not just grace but permanence. The Show Must Go On, a story about a sharpshooting djinn and her western travels, but also her wretched past.
You have new offerings such as Princely Homecoming, a unique take on Snow White, who longs for her long dead prince. There is Pet, a tale set during the backdrop of the Nixon era, which puts a twist on just “who” or “what” constitutes man’s best friend. Genetically speaking, of course. There is Our Family Awaits, a witch’s tale unlike any other, about foster care and deep dark secrets. This is one which will have you clutching the blankets. And there is so much more; there’s even a novelette within The Nightmare Cycle’s pages.
AMAZON KINDLE “EBOOK” VERSION:
(Sample a few pages below, or shoot for the paperback version)
Here’s the horror convention calendar for Dark Owl Publishing and The Nightmare Cycle. This calendar will obviously grow. I will be away in July (after the 4th), but I will have my netbook with me, keep in touch via social media. Dark Owl will also have some of their horror wares and anthologies available from a talented stable of other authors as well, so be sure to keep tuning in to this link below:
Oh, by the way, the fabulous cover art was done by Fernando JFL (Giotefeli), who is a professional horror illustrator and death metal artist from South America. He takes a rather retro, vintage approach to his work. If you are looking for an artist, might I recommend him: https://www.instagram.com/giotefeli, and https://giotefeli.tumblr.com/
The book is available first on Amazon, then Terror Trader second (Arizona’s Number One Horror Marketplace). Then it will go to the usual vendors and themed cons, and through the usual distribution channels/networks.
Coming Spring 2023. A new collection, with mostly new stories. Along with some of the best and most obscure tales from the author’s earliest years as a horror writer. Thirteen stories that transcend the meaning of sleeplessness. Each story a nightmarish scenario or circumstance, one after the other, from beginning to end. From Dark Owl Publishing. THE NIGHTMARE CYCLE.
Prepare yourself for a LOT of bad dreams and restlessness.
Happy Halloween 2022! I am pleased to announce that I am in yet another anthology this autumn, this time again from Culture Cult Press. And it’s a horror short inspired by “real life events.” The name of the story is: The Nightmare of Bayhurst. And you can find that short story along with 33 other fabulous authors weaving their own little tales of haunted mansions, manors, houses, dwellings, apartments, what-have-you. My story centers around the time I first moved to Brooklyn, New York City between 2000 and 2001. Hard to believe that was so long ago. I was in my twenties, it was my first place, and I had lived in the basement of a few-story walk-up (what some in NYC would call a very small, dinghy six-apartment tenement). It was close to subways, a movie theater, drug stores, a baseball card store, parks, and shopping. The rent was fantastic. I paid around 650 to 700 per month. You’ll never see that kind of rent again in New York. But there was something eerie and ominous coming from the boiler room, which I just happened to live next to. And the super/owner, as well as a few of the tenants knew about it too. Strange sounds, strange occurences. Like a young girl moaning. Well, now you can read a fictional account of those events in the Halloween Book, ‘HAUS: AN ANTHOLOGY OF HAUNTED HOUSE STORIES.’ That is basically the theme, and like my last anthology from Culture Cult Press (I Cast You Out!), this is also edited by Jay Chakravarti. It is available in paperback, and sold in the US, UK, and India. I will put any and all necessary pics, banners, links, book covers below or to the right-hand side for your convenience. It is on Amazon right now, matter of fact.
It appears I’ve not only been shortlisted but accepted by a half-dozen or more print anthologies by various presses with themes over the next twelve months. Some of these themes range from werewolves and vampires to dark speculative fiction and the Apocalypse. One of these anthologies, and it’s a pretty thick one at that, is by the fairly new Pill Hill Press (www.pillhillpress.com). I’m not quite sure, but I think I’m headlining a 25-author anthology of tales about these furry, fanged beasts who come out whenever there is a full moon. I even recognize a few names, like Rob Rosen, Scott Sandridge, and Matthew Dent. Still, this is a MUST HAVE Collection!
Edited by Jessica A. Weiss ISBN-13: 978-0984261093
Werewolves… Werewolves… Werewolves… MORE Werewolves…!
Well over 110,000 words worth of Werewolves
Just check the “Books & Anthos” section; or click on the picture/link
The Adopted–Lawrence R. Dagstine
The Beast Within–Frank Summers
Rise of the Animal–Carl Hose
Twin Moons–Christopher Jacobsmeyer
Grandma, What Big Teeth You Have– Rob Rosen
Exodus–Jessy Marie Roberts
Running With The Pack-Mark Souza
Shilak’s Gift–Scott Sandridge
Roadkill–D. Nathan Hilliard
Forces of Evil–Edward Mckeown
Blood Drops and Mercury–Stephanie Morrell
Arcadia–Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
The Mystery of St. Mary’s Morgue–Matthew Dent
The Werewolf Spell–Kiki Howell
The Trojan Plushy–David Bernstein
The Bane of Existence–Marianne Halbert
Caffeine Fix–Fiona Titchenell
The In Crowd–Patricia Puckett
Uninvited–Kelly Metz
By The Cycle Of The Moon–Dylan J. Morgan
Runaway–J.Leigh Bailey
Once Upon A Crime–Jay Raven
Azieran: The Templar’s Chalice–Christopher Heath
Without Remorse–Ben Langhinrichs
Springing The Wolf–Dale Carothers
Author’s Note: Available on Kindle and all other digital readers come Late September 2010.
The Adopted–Lawrence R. Dagstine
The Beast Within–Frank Summers
Rise of the Animal–Carl Hose
Twin Moons–Christopher Jacobsmeyer
Grandma, What Big Teeth You Have– Rob Rosen
Exodus–Jessy Marie Roberts
Running With The Pack-Mark Souza
Shilak’s Gift–Scott Sandridge
Roadkill–D. Nathan Hilliard
Forces of Evil–Edward Mckeown
Blood Drops and Mercury–Stephanie Morrell
Arcadia–Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
The Mystery of St. Mary’s Morgue–Matthew Dent
The Werewolf Spell–Kiki Howell
The Trojan Plushy–David Bernstein
The Bane of Existence–Marianne Halbert
Caffeine Fix–Fiona Titchenell
The In Crowd–Patricia Puckett
Uninvited–Kelly Metz
By The Cycle Of The Moon–Dylan J. Morgan
Runaway–J.Leigh Bailey
Once Upon A Crime–Jay Raven
Azieran: The Templar’s Chalice–Christopher Heath
Without Remorse–Ben Langhinrichs
Springing The Wolf–Dale Carothers
You can now purchase the PDF version of FRESH BLOOD: Tales from the Speculative Graveyard, downloadable to PC or Macintosh computers, Amazon KINDLE, and Sony eReader among other devices for only $3.50! That’s right, own 160 pages, all short stories for an affordable price. Fresh Blood, my 2009 debut collection, from Sam’s Dot Publishing. Â Electronic Format! Â Available at the War Gamer Vault. Â Link below. Â Or just click on the picture.
FRESH BLOOD by Lawrence R. Dagstine
Published by Sam’s Dot Publishing – Now a PDF!!
ORDER FRESH BLOOD – PDF for your Computer or Readers:
In other news, certain Sam’s Dot Magazines will not only be available in print on their regularly released basis, but they too will eventually go into PDF format where you can download the publications to your readers (such as Cover of Darkness). Â I’ll be in a decent number of their pubs this year, so stay tuned for that. Â Also, I’ve had a lot of luck in the anthology department as of late. Â Anthologies, which can be found in the Books & Anthos section of this homepage, will now be released under “New Anthology” or “New Antho.” Â Also, expect “New Releases” and a Dagstine application andimprint. Once again, whatever can be purchased in print will be attainable for reading devices. Nothing overnight, but stay tuned.
Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “eBooks & Kindle”
My 2009 debut short story collection, FRESH BLOOD, filled with 160 pages of dark science fiction stories and twisted horror tales is now coming to PDF/e-Format. Â You can get it from one of the largest RPG retailers on the Web. DriveThruRPG.com! Or, for just a few dollars more, you can splurge for the print copy and see what all of last summer’s buzz was about. Just do a search for “Sam’s Dot Publishing”. Â It might take a while for the publisher’s page to go up.
Or… The BEST WEEKEND EVAH! Thank you sooo much to everyone who stopped by my booth and picked up copies of my books, pulp magazines, and other wares. Many of you told me you’ve never read genre before, many of you took my card, and a couple of you even stood in line and actually waited. You don’t know how good that made me feel. Thank you again. Here I thought folks don’t read anymore (well, that was before this weekend, assuming I now have new readers – I really hope you enjoy the tales and stay tuned to this spot).Â
ISBN: 978-0-9819696-2-6
Good news: I’ll be back next weekend.  Some marketing, diversifying, and injecting the right pitches clearly doesn’t hurt, I see.
Bad news: If you’re new here, I’m temporarily sold out of Fresh Blood. I only have five copies left, and at the moment I need to mail out to review venues. I will, however, still have a few copies of other books and pulps on hand. But these will be sparse.
Technically this should be part 2, but since it laps into the following week, I’ll leave it as is, because it will be 3. I’m coming back! I’ll be signing copies of FRESH BLOOD at Flea by the Sea on the weekends in Coney Island, New York. I’ll have copies of obscure pulp mags on hand (with stories of mine in it), hardcovers, other books, and you have Famous Nathan’s Hot Dogs just up the street. So come say hi, pick up a book or two by yours truly, go to the beach or amusement park, and on the following dates below.
With that said, August 2009 will be a pretty low-key month. That and my laptop screen is falling apart at the edges. However, be here in September and October. Autumn time, as usual. Because I’ll have a plethora — and I do mean a handful — of new publications and new stories you’ll want to check out. Own a Kindle? An iTouch? Or Sony eReader? Well, my first e-title debuts in September from DAMNATION BOOKS, and at Killercon 2009.
VISITATION RIGHTS – A different kind of ghost story
Come join prolific short story writer, Lawrence R. Dagstine – scifi, fantasy, horror and more! — at Coney Island’s Festival by the Sea. Books, books, and more books.
Brooklyn Author, Lawrence R.  Dagstine will be signing copies of his new short story collection FRESH BLOOD, rare hardcovers, anthologies, and obscure pulp magazines and more at FLEA BY THE SEA!
For details on transportation by subway, bus, or car, see website above. There will be amusement park rides, entertainment, food, and thousands of people are expected to attend. There will also be arts & crafts, photography vendors, jewelry and clothing merchants, and tons of other stuff!
Come join prolific short story writer, Lawrence R. Dagstine — scifi, fantasy, horror and more! — at Coney Island’s “Summer of Signings”. Twice a week, every other week this summer at Thor Equities’ new DREAMLAND! — Festival by theSea…
Brooklyn Author, Lawrence R.  Dagstine will be signing copies of his new short story collection FRESH BLOOD, rare hardcovers, anthologies, and obscure pulp magazines and more at FLEA BY THE SEA! Stay tuned for booth locations and exact dates.
Stay tuned for times and dates.  Transportation by subway and other details can be found on the site. Times are usually weekends, 12pm to sundown (or 9pm)! Off-peak dates will be updated here depending on booth availability.
I’m pretty new at this, and since I’ll be soliciting a few more reviews over the course of the year, I decided to number them accordingly. I also felt that would be easier.  For example, Fresh Blood Reviews 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.  Today we have Nick Cato, reviewer, long-time horror fan and reader, and author of the soon-to-be released zombie-mafia crossover DON OF THE DEAD (www.coscomentertainment.com).Â
Fresh Blood in a nutshell: “SciFi and Horror meet… DRUGS!”
Dagstine’s writing is quick and to the point, and the stories flow quite well despite the genre jumping. A solid, entertaining collection – Nick Cato, author DON OF THE DEAD.
Author’s Note: Fresh Blood is published by Sam’s Dot Publishing.  This review will also premiere in June’s HORROR FICTION REVIEW.Â
To kick off the FRESH BLOOD summer 2009 tour, this post goes out to Sam’s Dot Publishing’s graphic artist, Mitchell Bentley (www.atomicflystudios.com), who did the cover for the book you see below, along with many other great Sam’s Dot authors: Lawrence R. Dagstine, Joel Arnold, Rick Novy, Armand Rosamilia, Tyree Campbell, Edward Cox, John Lance, Maggie Bonham, and MORE!
Love zombies and space stations? Whether it’s a coffee mug, a T-shirt, a tote bag or a hat, or who knows, maybe even a skateboard, Mitchell Bentley will design it for you… And he’ll do it to perfection! You can also view some of his artwork at the same link.Â
 
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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