Gypsum Sound Tales: “Thuggish Itch – BEAR!” – Themed Publications

Posted on September 28, 2026

For my next publication I’m appearing in a literary book series/journal series based out of Sydney, Australia. They are themed. In past editions they covered such story themes as Las Vegas, Amusement Parks, Devils, and Birds Have Teeth. What they mean is stories set in or around those subjects. So long as the story is speculative in nature, too. The theme this time is bears. From Gypsum Sound Tales Down Under comes THUGGISH ITCH – BEAR. I will leave links below, where to order and read a copy. My story is about a relic hunter and a mystical bear. It takes place post-World War 2. Oh yeah, and the Nazis are in it. If you’re into Indiana Jones-type fare, this lengthy tale might be up your alley. Read: “Bear of the Hidden Monastery.”

GYPSUM SOUND TALES in Australia presents…

Thuggish Itch: BEAR – Anthology Collection Series

Featuring Dagstine novelette: “Bear of the Hidden Monastery”

SAMPLE OR BUY ON AMAZON (on Kindle and in paperback):

WHERE TO BUY THUGGISH ITCH BOOK SERIES:

https://www.gypsumsoundtales.com/thuggish-itch.php

GYPSUM SOUND TALES MAIN WEBPAGE:

https://www.gypsumsoundtales.com

DETAILS ABOUT THUGGISH ITCH BEAR (copy-pasted from Amazon): “In Thuggish Itch: Bear, every story begins with one simple requirement: somewhere in there, there has to be a bear. From ordinary situations that gradually become unsettling to encounters that veer into horror, science fiction and somewhere in between, these stories explore what happens when something familiar suddenly changes the rules. Sometimes the bear is recognisably a bear. Sometimes it becomes something else entirely. And sometimes the bear is barely the problem at all. Dark, strange and often funny, this collection is filled with people trying to deal with impossible situations while still worrying about work, cars, relationships and the ordinary mechanics of everyday life. Because when reality starts to come apart, your first thought probably won’t be profound. It will be something more like: What the hell is that? Welcome to Thuggish Itch: Bear, where sometimes the bear is the least of your worries.“

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

MODERN FICTION: “Mono No Aware” – Anthology on the Fleeting Nature of Beauty

Posted on October 3, 2024

Pleased to announce I have a fiction piece in the modern fiction anthology from Culture Cult, Mono No Aware. This is not a genre piece. While I’m mostly known for scifi and horror and a small touch of humor, I don’t always write to the beat of a specific drum or “formulaic forms” in fiction (per se). While Mono No Aware is chock full of fantastic fiction, it is a book of forty-five stories by forty-five very talented authors on the subject of nature and beauty, as depicted from a particular saying in Japanese. The fiction in this book is literary and modern. My story just happens to take place in Japan, where a young boy relocates with his mother. The child suffers from a terrible stutter (a speech impediment), and he’s able to conquer this disability by befriending the seals of the region. Check out Mono No Aware, An Anthology of Fleeting Nature and Beauty. Be sure to read my tale, “The Seal Whisperer.”

Mono No Aware – Anthology of Modern Fiction

Stories on the Fleeting Nature of Beauty

Featuring Dagstine Story: “The Seal Whisperer”