Category Archives: Lawrence Dagstine 2024

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

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.

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

SCIENCE FICTION DIGESTS: “The Triumvirate, Vol. #5” – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

Fellow genre readers. I have a brand new story of despair and hardship set after the troubling events of the War in Iraq in the latest, book-sized edition of David Oliver Kling’s speculative fiction journal, The Triumvirate. Volume Five. The Triumvirate features tales of science fiction, fantasy, horror, even the occasional essay. It is available for your Amazon Kindle (digitally), or as a paperback in the $10.00 range. It is one part anthology-magazine, one part journal (but I consider it more a beefy digest). This is Mr. Kling’s labor of love, which I highly recommend if you are enthusiastic about old school genre. Kling started the magazine back in 1985 at the tender age of fifteen. Links and cover picture below (and in side column). This is my second appearance with The Triumvirate, and the name of my story this time around is: “After the Soldiers go Home.”

THE TRIUMVIRATE Volume #5 – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

Edited and compiled by David Oliver Kling

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine story: “After the Soldiers go Home”

TABLE OF CONTENTS/STORIES & AUTHORS FEATURED:


In “Earth-697,” Mark Mackey introduces us once again to Ambrosial Decarva, the dragon slayer of Dystonia.

Lawrence Dagstine’s “After the Soldiers go Home” takes us to a post-war Iraq plagued by both disease and despair.

Nicholas Hurst’s “You Can Almost See The Shininess” provides a lighter, yet equally enticing, exploration of military life.

In “Back From the War: A 1920’s Vampire Tale,” Mark Mackey transports us to a post-Great War America where Bram Collinwood faces supernatural horrors upon returning home.

Paul O’Neill’s “Mister Sleep” brings terror to the quiet town of Balekerin, where a sleepover turns into a nightmare.

Robert Henry’s “Fall into the Sky” takes us on a mythic journey with Ragnar, a father desperate to save his son.

Larry Johnson’s “The Under People” follows Lew Brown’s unsettling encounters with mysterious workers.

In “Amen” by Ed Perratore, high school senior Walter’s Halloween prank leads to a grim fate.

Finally, in David Oliver Kling’s essay, “What Dreams May Come: A Pastoral Care Perspective,” he provides a thoughtful analysis of the 1998 film “What Dreams May Come.”

Amazon Purchase Link (or sample below):


Also be sure to check out Volume #4. I’m in that edition too!

Other New Entries: “Magazines”

Wicked Shadow Press: “Masks of Sanity – The Monster Within” – ANTHOLOGIES!

Let it be said Wicked Shadow Press is slowly dominating the horror anthology market! Their anthologies focus on a particular theme, keep to that theme, they make their books beautiful both inside and outside, some times with art, give each title collectible value (I saw one book fetching $95.00 on Ebay few months back), and they have heavy exposure in India. The next title is no exception, and I have a story within its pages which I first wrote in early 2004. Twenty years ago, and it’s nice to see my tale within this next book. Wicked Shadow Press presents: “Masks of Sanity The Monster Within: Stories of Secret Psychopaths”

This is the perfect year for psychopath stories too, with Joker 2 due out in the Fall with Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga. My tale is called, “The Scourge of Nine-Rah.” It’s about an investigative writer who gets mixed up in an whole underground cult of psychopaths who do the most horrific things. Think Charles Manson mentality. Heavy on the horror, just as uneasy on the suspense, be sure to check out Masks of Sanity: The Monster Within. Pictures and links below or off to the side (scroll down).

MASKS OF SANITY – THE MONSTER WITHIN

STORIES OF SECRET PSYCHOPATHS

Featuring Dagstine Cult-Psychopath story: “The Scourge of Nine-Rah”


Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/masks-of-sanity-the-monster-within/paperback/product-kv98726.html

Epub/Ereader: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/masks-of-sanity-the-monster-within/ebook/product-yvnzr4n.html

All India Free Delivery! Whatsapp 9830652666 to order your copies now!

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

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Alien Dimensions #26: Space Fiction Short Stories – “Mars Colonization Edition”

Pleased to announce that I have a Martian-themed short story in the current edition of Alien Dimensions, No. #26. “Mars Colonization, The Red Planet,“ and the 2030s and Beyond is the theme. It is all new, and it is available on Amazon Kindle and in a thick print paperback format (to my knowledge). This would be my third appearance with Alien Dimensions over the years. Last time I showed up was in the super successful No. #24. Alien Dimensions features interplanetary stories and space tales that harken back to an era when scifi was astounding and thought-provoking. My story could best be described as a 28-Days Later like tale about a contagion. But will the Martian doctors come to the rescue of the human race? Read my short story, The Pathogen in Alien Dimensions #26. Alien Dimensions could best be described as an Anthology-Magazine (the best of both worlds).

ALIEN DIMENSIONS No. #26 – Edited by Neil Hogan

Mars Colonization, Martian Theme – featuring Dagstine story The Pathogen

ALIEN DIMENSIONS HOMEPAGE (or click further below for Amazon):

http://www.aliendimensions.com

AUTHOR LINE-UP:

Mars City Space Port by David Castlewtiz

The Trouble with Truffles by Humphrey Price

The Nerine Seven by Zachary Taylor Branch

Birthing the Unborn by Kellee Kranendonk

The Pathogen by Lawrence Dagstine

High Seas by Frank Dumas

The Great Deception by Lawson Ray

Guardian Friendship by Geoffrey Hugh Lindop

Limbo on Elysium Mons by Mary Jo Rabe

It’s a Lot Simpler from Orbit by Siv Art

Sustained Life on Mars by Jon Cox

Mars Orbit 2033 by Neil A. Hogan

Also check out Edition No. #24 (it’s big). I’ll put links and pictures off to the side, or the usual places.

Edited to add: I just wanted to give a big thank you to everybody who read and purchased the current edition of Alien Dimensions. We hit number one in New Releases for science fiction short stories.

New Entries: “Books & Anthos, Magazines, and Digital Credits.”

Moonday Mag: Untouchable – Spring 2024, Issue No. #02

I have a short story appearing in the fairly new magazine, Moonday Mag. I’m in Issue No. #2, Spring 2024. It is available on Magcloud as a beautifully put together print format or read it free digitally. Edited by Caridad Cole, Moonday Mag could best be described as a magazine of experimental fiction: experimental forms and prose, speculative fiction, some magic realism and literary too. There’s gorgeous artwork and poetry within its pages, and creative nonfiction to boot. The best way to describe this very colorful 64-page production is ecclectic. I’ll leave links below and file this under magazines. And I’ll be seeing you on the next one.

Moonday Mag: Untouchable – Spring 2024

BUY THE PRINT OR READ THE DIGITAL FREE (on MagCloud):

https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2799525

New Entries: “Magazines”

Vampire Stories: “The Paraplegic” – Farthest Star Publishing

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”

Days of the Dead Horror Convention: “The Nightmare Cycle” – Dark Owl Publishing

It’s with pleasure to announce that small press Dark Owl Publishing and my 2023 book, The Nightmare Cycle, will be coming to ‘DAYS OF THE DEAD Horror Convention.‘ Dark Owl Publishing will be an official vendor, they will have a booth, and it will be in Phoenix, Arizona on the following days: June 28th thru June 30th 2024 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. You can book flights and hotel reservations now, it’s going to be a major event. A lot of dealer tables, and a lot of actors and actresses and authors and horror artists. Such famous names as Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange), Michael Ironside (Starship Troopers), Heather Langenkamp (Nightmare on Elm Street), Michael Biehn (Aliens & Terminator), and so many more! Including, to my knowledge, the cast of George Romero’s 1968 Night of the Living Dead. There will be autograph opportunities, cosplays, contests, you name it! Just click the links below for the guest list so far.

DAYS OF THE DEAD – Major HORROR Convention:

June 28th to June 30th 2024 – Sheraton Phoenix Downtown

LINK 1: http://www.daysofthedead.com

LINK 2: https://www.daysofthedead.com/phoenix/

Vendor/Publisher: Dark Owl Publishing

Copies on hand of The Nightmare Cycle by Lawrence Dagstine

I’ll also be appearing around that time period in an anthology with a brand new, lengthy tale of cosmic horror set during the golden age of piracy. Will keep you all updated.

New Entries: “Conventions”

SCIENCE FICTION MAGAZINES: “The Triumvirate, Vol. #4” – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

I have an obscure science fiction story (entitled, My Own Private Earth) in the latest edition of David Oliver Kling’s speculative fiction journal, The Triumvirate. Volume Four. The Triumvirate features tales of science ficiton, fantasy, horror, even a little bit of poetry. It is available for your Amazon Kindle (digitally), or as a very affordable paperback in the $7.00 range. It is one part anthology-magazine, one part journal. This is Mr. Kling’s labor of love, which I highly recommend if you are enthusiastic about old school genre. Kling started the magazine back in 1985 at the tender age of fifteen, a teenage lover of spec-fic like myself, and he has revived it in the 21st century. Links and cover pic below (and off to the side). We seriously need more journals like this!

THE TRIUMVIRATE Volume #4 – Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror

Edited and compiled by David Oliver Kling

AUTHOR LINE-UP for VOLUME #4: David O’Mahony, Lawrence Dagstine, Nicholas Hurst, Mark Mackey, Robert Henry, Ann Ross, David Oliver Kling. Poetry by Joy Yin. 127 pages.

New Entries: “Magazines”

POST APOCALYPTIC BOOKS: “Apocalyptales, Judgment Day!” – Wicked Shadow Press

NOTE: This anthology was late to press because of the holidays. The book will most likely have debuted January 2024. Hence the tardiness of this website post plugging it.

It’s most likely safe to say this is my last story appearance of 2023. And what a year it has been. A small press book deal, two professional-identifying markets, and a TON of print and ebook anthologies. 2023 marked my return to science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It was also the year I wrote the most fiction in a very long time. What better way, I say, than to end the year with a disaster of epic proportions. I’m talking stories of doomsday, the near future, and what fictitious calamaties just might await us. I have a story in the latest illustrated anthology from Wicked Shadow Press, called: “Apocalyptales – Judgment Day!”

Apocalyptales is a book of stories featuring nothing but post-apocalyptic fiction, and my story is about a peculiar weather phenomenon that threatens to bury all of mankind. I originally wrote The Big Dirt Nap (the name of my tale contained within) in early 2010. It took me almost fourteen years to find a home for it. Here we are, late 2023, and it finally has a home. I like to call tales like The Big Dirt Nap “Attic Stories.” Attic stories are hard to place, you sit on them for more than a decade, dust it off when the correct themed market comes along, send it on in. Any way, Happy New Year.

APOCALYPTALES – JUDGMENT DAY Anthology

In Epub or Illustrated Paperback – published by Wicked Shadow Press

Featuring post-apocalyptic Dagstine tale: “The Big Dirt Nap.”

ORDERING INFO/LINKS TO BUY:

Order the illustrated paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/apocalyptales-judgment-day/paperback/product-v8829zp.html

Order the epub: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/apocalyptales-judgment-day/ebook/product-rmmk8g6.html?page=1&pageSize=4

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Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

HORROR ANTHOLOGIES: “Memento Mori – Remember the Dead…”

Pleased to announce I have a new short story of high seas thrills, chills, and undulating terror. A story about a gloomy and ominous siren entitled, “The Songstress.” It’s just one of the tales gracing the pages of Culture Cult (Pulp Cult’s) new horror-themed anthology, MEMENTO MORI: REMEMBER THE DEAD. I’d say the story fits the theme quite well too. I’ve been published with Culture Cult about eight or nine times now, and I find their books get fantastic sales and exposure in India of all places. Since I’ve been with Pulp Cult/Culture Cult, I’ve had a few Hindi or Desi readers/fiction enthusiasts reach out, and appreciate the kind words. I know there are a lot of descriptions for those races in India, so I will just use Hindi and Desi here. The book is edited by Jay Chakravarti. I’ll put pictures, wraparounds, ordering links, all that necessary stuff off to the side or way down below. And I will see you on the next one.

MEMENTO MORI: REMEMBER THE DEAD Anthology

Published by Culture Cult/Pulp Cult Press – Edited by Jay Chakravarti

ORDER DIGITAL OR PRINT VERSIONS (US or INDIA) DIRECTLY BELOW:

Order Paperback from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/memento-mori-remember-the-dead/paperback/product-2m2z4kk.html

Order Epub from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/memento-mori-remember-the-dead/ebook/product-yv7wyz9.html

Order Paperback from Pothi (INDIA ONLY):

https://store.pothi.com/book/jay-chakravarti-ed-memento-mori-remember-dead/

Order the Ebook from Pothi (INDIA ONLY):

https://store.pothi.com/book/ebook-jay-chakravarti-ed-memento-mori-remember-dead/

Follow Culture Cult at their socials:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress

Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturecultpress

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/CultureCultPub

Visit them at: https://CultureCult.co.in

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

HALLOWEEN BOOKS: “Halloweenthology Jack O’ Lantern” – Wicked Shadow Press

Happy Halloween 2023! Chills and thrills, and ghosts and goblins to all horror readers out there. This next anthology from Wicked Shadow Press is holiday-themed, and the very lengthy story I have within its 240+ pages is BRAND NEW. Never to be reprinted in print. There are familiar story writers such as Don Money, Brian Smith, not just myself. There’s even a new young girl making her horror writing debut, which I think is fabulous. HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: Jack O’ Lantern is available for Amazon Kindle or in glossy, beautiful looking paperback. And on Kindle retails at only $3.99, the price of a Starbucks coffee. While most stories might harbor around All Hallow’s Eve, my tale is a devastating one of loss. My story is about Cupid and Love. Unrequited love. A love that you really can’t dismiss. I’ve never written about Cupid before. I will be closing the book out with a story close-to-novelette length. Read, “The Barn Cupid” in Wicked Shadow Press’s new holiday reading extravaganza, HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: Jack O’ Lantern! Links and pics below!

HALLOWEENTHOLOGY JACK O’LANTERN – HALLOWEEN 2023 ANTHOLOGY

from Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring exclusive Lawrence Dagstine horror story, “The Barn Cupid.”

ALL Links where to purchase in paperback or digital (Amazon box is above):

Buy HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: JACK-O’-LANTERN (the paperback) from Lulu:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/halloweenthology-jack-o-lantern/paperback/product-w45we2q.html

Buy epub version of HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: JACK-O’-LANTERN from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/halloweenthology-jack-o-lantern/ebook/product-yv7kjeg.html

Halloweenthology: Jack-o’-Lantern is coming soon to Pothi TOO (India only)!

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

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ANTHOLOGIES: “It’s All In My Mind” – Culture Cult Press

I’m pleased to announce I have a brand new flash fiction piece of around 600 words in length in the 230-page Kindle and print “Psychological Thriller” anthology, “It’s All In My Mind.” This is a book featuring a whopping forty-four stories by over forty authors worldwide! It’s a book of “very short fictions” you could say, tales which you could read real quick before bed, when you are stuck waiting at the doctor’s office, or just on your daily commute to work by bus or subway and getting off in a few stops. That is what “flash fiction” or “extremely short stories” are. Very quick reads, which are mentally easy and satisfying to digest.

Or are they, as this is an anthology focused primarily on the psyche! The theme: Psychologically thrilling shorts. All links will be below (as always), and book covers to the sides (also as always).

IT’S ALL IN MY MIND – VERY SHORT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLERS

Edited by Jay Chakravarti of Culture Cult/Pulp Cult Press in India

Featuring flash fiction tale “The Approach” by Lawrence Dagstine

BUY ON AMAZON KINDLE OR AS A PRINT PAPERBACK (click box above).

CULTURE CULT/PULP CULT PRESS Socials…

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress
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Visit them at https://CultureCult.co.in

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