“Pocket Full of Posies, Shadow Children” – CHILDREN’S HORROR ANTHOLOGY!

Posted on August 25, 2025

Pleased to announce I have a new novelette of gothic horror (a period piece) in the latest Wicked Shadow Press anthology, Pocket Full of Posies – Shadow Children! This is children’s horror, so it is themed. Think adolescent monsters. Think kid vampires. Think werewolf cubs. Think zombie teenagers. This anthology is all about horrific minors, and they’re not to be trifled with. There are actually three books in the Pocket Full of Posies series. The other anthologies are “Paper Tombs” and “Silent Cradle.” I’m in Shadow Children, so remember that. My story takes place in a monster hospital with nuns (and there’s more to this hospital than meets the eye). Read my lengthy tale, “The Nursery Floor.” Pictures and links to everything will be down below, as always.

Pocket Full of Posies – Shadow Children Anthology

Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring Dagstine story: “The Nursery Floor”

Featuring work by Armand Rosamilia, Chad Anctil, Donovan Douglas Thiesson, MORE!

Where to order Pocket Full of Posies Shadow Children

Available in USA and India – Click links, be redirected:

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty-and-rasiika-sen/pocket-full-of-posies-shadow-children/paperback/product-w47k78j.html

ePub: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty-and-rasiika-sen/pocket-full-of-posies-shadow-children/ebook/product-yvg5gdw.html

Wicked Shadow Press on social media:

Like WSP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow WSP on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Be a part of Wicked Shadow’s Facebook group to get regular author-related info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7867933553277077/

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Critical Blast Publishing: “Gods and Services New Location” – ANTHOLOGIES!

Posted on April 13, 2025

I have a novelette out in the recently released anthology from Critical Blast Publishing, Gods and Services New Location. I’m appearing beside 9 or 10 other authors, with stories on the subject of objects related to mythological gods or deities that you might acquire from a curiosity shop. They could be a good deity, or a bad deity. The presence of these gods could be related to statues, chandeliers, ancient artifacts, books. Hence the title and theme. Imagine walking into an antique dealer and finding an object for your home that once belonged to a god. The book is edited by R.J. Carter, and Critical Blast Publishing does a lot of these themed anthologies. They also do a lot of comics, graphic novels, and some illustrated genre fare and their products can be found at vendor tables at various conventions around the country. The name of my story is The Barn Cupid, and it’s about a possessed Cupid statue. It’s a horror-love story, obviously. It is available in paperback, on Amazon or Barnes & Nobles. I will provide all links and pics below.

GODS AND SERVICES NEW LOCATION

Published by Critical Blast Publishing – Edited by R.J. Carter

Featuring Dagstine story: “The Barn Cupid”

On Amazon (sample it, buy in print paperback):

Or buy it at Barnes & Nobles (click link, be redirected):

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gods-services-r-j-carter/1147212287

ISBN-13: 9781967199914

Critical Blast Publishing Homepage:

https://www.criticalblast.com/content/publishing

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Farthest Star Publishing: “Small Favors” by Lawrence Dagstine (chapbooks)

Posted on April 1, 2025

I’m pleased to announce that my latest chapbook Small Favors (a horror story of revenge set in the 1980s) has been released by Farthest Star Publishing. Farthest Star is also the publisher of my vampire tale about a paralyzed man, The Paraplegic. The Paraplegic was released in 2024 to some pretty good sales numbers in its debut weeks. I’m hoping Small Favors does just as well. Farthest Star puts out a lot of these digest-sized chapbooks which are primarily novelettes and novellas, or what is considered quick reads. Meaning, you can finish them in one day. Not only that, they are available in a cool, collectible looking print format reminiscent of the kind of fare you’d find in 1990’s Forbidden Planet, or maybe at a small comic con vendor table. Or get them on your mobile phone or Kindle. So you’re in luck if you prefer digital, because you can read them on your daily commute. Anyway, without further ado, my latest title, Small Favors. All pics and ordering info will be below. Cheers.

Small Favors by Lawrence Dagstine

The latest chapbook release from Farthest Star Publishing

READ SAMPLE OR BUY NOW ON AMAZON (Kindle or print chapbook format):

http://www.fartheststarpublishing.com

(the website sells a bunch of these chapbooks in android/Mobi/ePub formats)

Also available from Farthest Star: THE PARAPLEGIC

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”

PIRATE BOOKS: “The Black Beacon Book of Pirates” – Pirate & Horror-Themed Anthology

Posted on June 21, 2024

It’s with great pleasure to announce that I am headlining a very major pirate and horror-themed anthology with a brand new tale which borders on novelette length, and has just the right touch of the Golden Age of Piracy to it (from a historical point of view), and just the right Lovecraftian feel to it (where Cosmic Horror is concerned). But it’s not all about tentacles and eerie and ominous abberations from the deepest corners of the Seven Seas or Hades itself. Presenting, “The Black Beacon Book of Pirates.” Edited by Cameron Trost. Available in the USA, UK, Australia, Amazon, or obtain it from Black Beacon themselves. They have a website, and I will put links, pictures, the table of contents, and any miscellaneous information down below or to the side column. My story, which I first started working on in 2022 and didn’t finish till 2023, is called, “The Mutineer.”

Without giving too much of the story away, The Mutineer is an unsettling tale full of despair, the story of an imprisoned buccanner named Frederick March, who is in service to an evil monarchy and their power-hungry armada. March, who is the Mutineer and witness to everything on this scary voyage, tells his tale of oceanic, cosmic mayhem of how he is sent to the Caribbean to hunt down a Cthulhu-like apparition with great power. This manifestation of ill-omen is known only as The Boatswain. But March soon finds out the merry band of pirates he leads gets a little bit more than they bargained for when they invade the Boatswain’s island habitat and learn he comes from a race of beings and worshippers just like himself. Who will survive? Because you only get one chance. Only one! With the Boatswain… in The Mutineer!

THE BLACK BEACON BOOK OF PIRATES – Edited by Cameron Trost

Published by Black Beacon Books

Featuring BRAND NEW Dagstine story: “The Mutineer”

BLACK BEACON BOOKS WEBSITE (click link):

https://blackbeaconbooks.blogspot.com/

ORDER ON AMAZON (sample below):

Table of Contents:

Personally, I would even go as far as to say The Mutineer is one of my three best horror stories of my life. It’s definitely up there with the likes of Thursday’s Children (which can be found in The Nightmare Cycle), and my tale of vampires and one man’s paralysis, The Paraplegic.

Time will tell.

Oh, the cover art is by the legendary Daniele Serra.

Edited to Add: The Black Beacon Book of Pirates is now available at Books-A-Million.

LINK: https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Black-Beacon-Book-Pirates/Lawrence-Dagstine/9780645247183?id=9202635427834

New Entries: “Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”

Vampire Stories: “The Paraplegic” – Farthest Star Publishing

Posted on April 1, 2024

I’m pleased to announce that Farthest Star Publishing has acquired the rights to my vampire novelette, The Paraplegic. The Paraplegic started out as a self-published ebook and went on to see several printings, including Serial Magazine. Making the front cover years ago. Farthest Star now holds reprint rights to my tale of one man becoming paralyzed from the waist down, coping with this new way of life, and a handful of ghastly beings visiting him in the middle of the night. Read my novelette The Paraplegic now, in 2024, direct from Farthest Star. Pictures and links below.

THE PARAPLEGIC – VAMPIRE NOVELETTE

by Lawrence Dagstine – Published 2024 by Farthest Star Publishing

Link to purchase (click below):

https://www.fartheststarpublishing.com/product-page/the-paraplegic-by-lawrence-dagstine-paperback

Or on Amazon:

Farthest Star Publishing Website Page:

https://www.fartheststarpublishing.com

Synopsis:

"Herbert Holtzman’s life takes a drastic turn after a horrific incident leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. Struggling to come to terms with his new reality, Herbert finds himself grappling not only with physical pain but also with existential questions about his identity and purpose. As he lies in the hospital bed, tethered to tubes and machines, Herbert's mind is consumed by a whirlwind of emotions - fear, anger, and despair. But amidst the darkness, a sinister presence lurks, a vampire who sees in Herbert an opportunity for a twisted experiment. 

Herbert's journey is one of resistance and acceptance, as he battles against both his physical limitations and the insidious influence of his vampire captor. With each passing day, he grapples with the conflicting desires within him - the longing for his old life, and the seductive allure of immortality and power. As Herbert navigates the treacherous terrain of his new existence, he encounters allies and adversaries alike, each with their own agendas and motivations. From the compassionate nurses who tend to his physical needs to the enigmatic doctor who holds the key to his fate, Herbert must navigate a labyrinth of intrigue and betrayal. 

But ultimately, “The Paraplegic” is a story of resilience and redemption, as Herbert discovers that true strength lies not in the body, but in the spirit. With courage and determination, he embraces his newfound identity, forging a path forward in a world where the lines between humanity and monstrosity are blurred."

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Serial Magazine: Issue #12… (appearances)

Posted on August 12, 2019

My vampire novelette The Paraplegic has finally found a proper home, and in both print and digital form, in the fairly new pulp fiction publication, SERIAL MAGAZINE. I appear in Issue No. #12, Late August 2019. I believe it is a biweekly. You don’t see too many biweekly publications anymore. Great artwork, great interior layout, has that real gritty 1950s feel to it, the kind of magazine you’d find legends Fritz Leiber and Ray Bradbury hanging out and about with their lurid genre classics. I even made the front cover! It is edited by the very talented Tanya Ferrell. I will leave pictures and links down below so you can order a copy, direct from Serial Publishing (the print version is even discounted for the month of August 2019, so hurry).