Category Archives: New Releases

Petting Boo! Zoological Anthology of Horror – Wicked Shadow Press

Pleased to announce I have a story in the latest horror-themed offering from the fine folks at Wicked Shadow Press. This one is an “animal” and “pet”-themed anthology of thrills and chills. Think rabid werewolves, dogs, cats, lions, tigers and bears (oh my!). Or even paranormal pets such as ghosts, poltergeists, and imps. Anything goes so long as it fits somewhere into the theme. Hence the very clever title, PETTING BOO! Zoological Anthology of Horror. I’m sharing a TOC with some talented names again too such as Don Money, Joshua Vise, J. Rocky Colavito, Chad Anctil, and Lavern Spencer McCarthy. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty, available in India and the United States. I’ll put all pictures and links in their usual places. It’s a beauty of a cover. And I’ll be seeing you on the next one.

PETTING BOO! An Anthology of Zoological Horror

Published by Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Where to order in the United States or India (click links below):

In “Petting Boo!”, thirty-six stories prowl the razor’s edge between wildlife and the wyrd. This isn’t your standard ghost story collection—it’s a zoological nightmare where every growl might be a spectral warning and every wicked shadow could conceal something that was never truly alive.

Buy American Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/…/paperback/product-e75g9qz.html

Buy American ePub: https://www.lulu.com/…/petti…/ebook/product-dyz2v2g.html

The tales featured in this anthology, from a troupe of worldwide authors consisting of both emerging and seasoned storytellers, reimagine supernatural horror through claws, fangs, and fur. Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty and published by Wicked Shadow Press, “Petting Boo!” transforms the animal kingdom into a twilight realm where the living and dead play a terrifying game of predator and prey.

Not for the faint of heart—or weak of paw.

INDIA ONLY Purchase Links:

Paperback: https://store.pothi.com/…/edited-parth-sarathi…/

eBook: https://store.pothi.com/…/ebook-edited-parth-sarathi…/

ALL INDIA FREE DELIVERY. Whatsapp 9830652666 to order!

Just click social media links below to be redirected.

Wicked Shadow on Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Wicked Shadow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Wicked Shadow on X: https://twitter.com/wickedshadowpub

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

To The Dogs: 31 Very Short Stories About Man’s Best Friend – Altitude Press

Are you a keeper of canines? Are you a poodle person or pitbull enthusiast? Do you carry your pooch around with you everywhere you go? Are you a dog lover at heart? Then you’re definitely going to want to check out the latest fiction anthology from Altitude Press, and Editor Nicole McInnes, entitled, To The Dogs: 31 Very Short Stories About Man’s Best Friend. Featuring thirty-one authors of flash fiction (and slightly longer) about canines. Most of the stories in this book fall in the 1000 to 2000-word range, and they are entirely devoted to everybody’s favorite pet. There’s fantasy, popular, literary, and a brand new scifi story by yours truly about dogs of the future and space travel (and one pesky cat!). Read my story set aboard a spaceship, “Every Cosmos Has A Ruling Class.” Links and details below.

TO THE DOGS: 31 VERY SHORT STORIES ABOUT MAN’S BEST FRIEND

Edited and Compiled by Nicole McInnes – Published by Altitude Press

Featuring Dagstine story: “Every Cosmos has a Ruling Class”

Author Lineup and Details (copy-pasted from Amazon)

Celebrate humanity’s canine companions with To the Dogs, a collection of 31 dog-themed stories written by authors from all over the world. Whether it’s literary fiction, speculative fiction, science fiction, mystery/suspense, spooky/paranormal, or myth/folklore/allegory you love most, you’re sure to find plenty of short tales (tails?) within this anthology to enjoy and share. Woof!


Stories by: Hidayat Adams, Chad Anctil, Marie Anderson, Dominic Andres, Diana Ashman, Phil Barnard, Juliette Beauchamp, Anthony Boulanger, R.C. Capasso, Gemma Church, Michael A. Clark, Lawrence Dagstine, Wendy Eiben, Zary Fekete, E. Florian Gludovacz, Jenna Hanan Moore, Laurie Herlich, Robert D. Hill, Valerie Hunter, Fiona M. Jones, Shashi Kadapa, Richard Lau, Angela M McCann, Harding McFadden, Bob Smith, Victor Sootho, Mariah Southworth, Jake Stein, Lisa Timpf, Sue Walsh, and John Weagly

AVAILABLE ON KINDLE OR PAPERBACK FORMAT

ALTITUDE PRESS SOCIALS/WEBSITE (for further info):

Our Projects

Altitude Press X/Twitter: https://x.com/AltitudePress

Altitude Press Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altitudepressbooks/

Altitude Press Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltitudePress/

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

FLASH FICTION: “Flash of the Dead Halloween ’24 Anthology” – Wicked Shadow Press

I have a flash fiction piece in the latest seasonal/Halloween-themed anthology from Wicked Shadow Press. And the book features well over 60-plus authors, with short works ranging from 500 to 1500 words in length; my short is exactly 1000 words. And that’s what flash fiction pretty much is. It’s a very quick snippet of writing, a very short and concise piece of literature, something maybe to consume when in a doctor’s office, or on a daily commute, or when falling asleep in bed. Flash of the Dead Halloween 2024 is actually a sequel of sorts to the original (and successful) Flash of the Dead Anthology from back in 2022. I had a story in that entry as well, called Saving the Dead. This time, however, for Halloweeen 2024, my miniature tale is called, “Angel Hunter.”

FLASH OF THE DEAD Halloween ’24 – Flash Fiction Anthology

Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty & Rasiika Sen

Published by Wicked Shadow Press

Featuring Dagstine flash piece: “Angel Hunter”

Flash of the Dead Halloween ’24 Ordering Links and WSP Socials:

Order the Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/flash-of-the-dead-halloween-24/paperback/product-e7rj6n2.html

Order the Digital Version: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/flash-of-the-dead-halloween-24/ebook/product-yvj9k6m.html

Wicked Shadow Press on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Wicked Shadow Press on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Wicked Shadow Press on X: https://twitter.com/wickedshadowpub

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

SCIENCE FICTION ANTHOLOGIES: “Far Futures, Book Three…” – Edited by Robert Mendenhall

Pleased to announce I have a brand new science fiction short story in the latest anthology in the Far Futures Book Series from Blue Planet Press. Edited and compiled by Robert Mendenhall, Far Futures is an on-going series of “space stories” or “interplanetary tales” set on far off worlds, or in faraway universes. The kind of stuff that made science fiction great back in the 1960s and 70s. Only for a modern audience. I highly recommend this book, a lot of thought was put into my tale. It’s one of FOUR new tales within the science fiction genre I have coming out between Fall/Winter 2024-2025. As of October 8th it’ll be available in paperback and ebook formats on places such as Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, even Apple. I’ll put all links, pictures, details below (and off to the right-hand side). And check out my story, “Round Trip.”

FAR FUTURES BOOK THREE – Science Fiction Anthologies

Published by Blue Planet Press – Edited by Robert J. Mendenhall

Featuring brand new Dagstine story: “Round Trip”

Author Line-Up and Details (copy-pasted):

Tales of broken generation ships and malfunctioning holograms. AI enhanced humans fleeing the solar system. Alien abductees taken light-years away. A NASA spacecraft highjacked in a perilous first contact scenario. Pirates and scavengers and more. These stories are all different, yet all answer the same fundamental question “What… or who is out there?”

The latest edition in the Far Futures anthology series is now available for order. Far Futures Book Three is scheduled for an Oct. 8, 2024 release in both eBook and paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, and more.

With stories from talented and rising authors in science fiction representing the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, including: Glynn Owen Barrass, Stephanie Bedwell-Grime, Lawrence Dagstine, Caroline Misner, Charles Nadolski, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Robin Pond, and James Pyles.

BLUE PLANET PRESS WEBSITE (click link):

https://blueplanetpress.net/

BARNES & NOBLES/NOOK VERSION (click link):

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/far-futures-book-three-robert-j-mendenhall/1146336393

AMAZON PURCHASE (click below for Kindle):

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

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

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”

Published by Culture Cult Press of India: http://www.culturecult.co.in

Edited by Dibyasree Nandy

ORDERING LINKS AND CULTURE CULT SOCIALS (click below):

Order the paperback version: https://www.lulu.com/shop/dibyasree-nandy/mono-no-aware/paperback/product-gj8djzr.html

Order the digital version: https://www.lulu.com/shop/dibyasree-nandy/mono-no-aware/ebook/product-95k8549.html

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress

Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturecultpress

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

Visit Culture Cult at: https://CultureCult.co.in

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

TIME TRAVEL ANTHOLOGIES: “The Trouble with Time” – Three Cousins Publishing

It is with pleasure to announce that here starts a busy couple of weeks, as I have a lot of new material coming out in the “speculative fiction” genre. Books and anthologies in hardcover, paperback, and either Epub or Kindle formats. In the case of the book below, an upcoming audiobook. All these short stories are brand new, never published. From West Mesa Press, via Three Cousins Publishing, comes an anthology on time travel and the troubles or dilemmas that go with it. The Trouble with Time. Edited by Robert Allen Lupton, and it lands at a whopping 316 pages. The cover art is by Mark McConnell. For this book, think of stories related to The Butterfly Effect or Looper. That theme. And read my new story, “Past and Present Company Excepted!”

The Trouble with Time Anthology – Edited by Robert Lupton

Featuring Dagstine Story: “Past and Present Company Excepted”

Details from Amazon (copy-pasted):

Everyone at one time or another has wished that they could go back in time and change something. Perhaps to prevent a world tragedy, kill a despot, or tell an ancestor not to drive to town on a certain day. Perhaps the journey backward would be to obtain foreknowledge about the lottery, the presidential election, the stock market, or even the World Series. The reasons to wish for time travel are legion, but if the truth be told, if we could go back in time, the first thing most of us would do would be to punch our younger selves square in the face.

Changing time can have unexpected and dire results. Think “The Butterfly Effect,” or “A Sound of Thunder.” The scales have to balance. Good intentions often have unintended consequences and even the most benign attempts to intervene are likely to make things worse, far worse.

Twenty-two stories about time travel by talented writers from around the world, each of whom fearlessly explores the dangers and joys of time travel uniquely. Come along for the ride. There’s plenty of time – or is there?

West Mesa Press Official Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/p/West-Mesa-Press-100054216802897/

I’ll file this under Books and Anthologies.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction, September 2024 No. #32 – Hobb’s End Press

This is basically a repeat of my last magazine plug, but only uploaded within a few days of each other. Basically, I am appearing with two different stories at the same time in two different Hobb’s End Press publications. Last time it was Black Sheep Magazine. Today, if you look at the cover and links below, is Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction – September 2024 Edition. Issue #32. Hobb’s End has a few of these pulpy looking “anthology-magazines” available on Amazon, in both Kindle and print formats. The magazines feature a very diverse smorgasbord of science fiction, fantasy, horror, action-adventure, and weird tales. My story for Dark Horses is a 20-year old story. An obscure repro of biblical proportion. Noah from Mars. The story is a retelling of the famous flood, but only on the Red Planet. What if Noah and his family left Mars to come to Earth? What if he brought two of each animal from Mars to our planet? What if the Ark was a massive spaceship rather than a sea barge? It’s a retold fairy tale (depending on what your faith is). If you are new to my fiction, if you weren’t alive twenty years ago, check it out. This’ll probably be the last time I submit it (will retire it). Pictures and links below, or off to the side column.

Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction

Published by Hobb’s End Press – featuring Lawrence Dagstine

September 2024 Edition/Issue – No. 32 of 32 Anthology-Magazine

Author Lineup

TAP TAP TAP
Elsa Loftis

ALL THE SINGULARITY GIRLS
Glenn Dungan

THE BATTLE FOR ASHGROVE ROAD
Hugh A.D. Spencer

DESPERATE TO REVIVE
Mark J. Schultis

X-RAY RIDER (PART TWO)
Wayne Kyle Spitzer

DR. SORBY’S AMAZING AQUATIC MENAGERIE
Olivier Faivre

FORTY MILES OF BAD ROAD
Rick M. Clausen

JUNE BUG SEASON
Sarah Wilson Gregory

NOAH FROM MARS
Lawrence Dagstine

THE WILD HUNT
David Newkirk

Check out ALL Hobb’s End Press genre magazines HERE (click link):

https://darkhorsesmagazine.mystrikingly.com/

That Black Sheep Magazine info/post I mentioned is HERE (click link):

Black Sheep Magazine, September 2024 No. #15 – Hobb’s End Press

Edited to Add:

Pleased to add that after I was done playing a video game over the Labor Day Weekend, I checked up on Dark Horses Magazine (the print edition, in particular). It reached Number One in New Releases. In the “Science Ficiton & Fantasy” categories. This would be the second time in 2024 I was part of an anthology-magazine that reached Number One on Amazon (the first being Alien Dimensions No. #26).

Other New Entries: “Magazines” and “Digital Credits”

H.P. LOVECRAFT: “Eldritch Encore” – Lovecraftian Horror Anthology by Culture Cult Press

I haven’t written weird fiction or what I call the “Weird Tale” in a hot minute. Probably since around 2008 to 2010, the days of The Willows Magazine, when I was headlining magazine covers. And the next book I’m in can definitely be considered weird, and inspired by none other than H.P. Lovecraft and many of his tales set around oceanic settings, abyssmal sea gods, waterside cults, and ominous places like Innsmouth and Dunwich. The name of the Culture Cult Press anthology is, “Eldritch Encore – The Innsmouth Volume.” It is a two volume book set. I’m in the first book, Innsmouth (the other volume is called Dunwich). Many of the stories are Eldritch Tales, by definition, but mine is a weird tale set at sea about a Fish-Woman and a Sea Captain caught in a horrible storm. It’s also part love story and, I suppose, in some ways a mermaid tale in disguise. Read my brand new short story, Ocean’s Return, in Eldritch Encore Innsmouth.

Eldritch Encore: Innsmouth Volume – published by Culture Cult Press India

H.P. Lovecraft inspired – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine weird tale: “Ocean’s Return”

Available to order HERE, by clicking the direct links below:

Glossy Paperback from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/eldritch-encore-the-innsmouth-volume/paperback/product-zmkpgdz.html

Digital Version from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/parth-sarathi-chakraborty/eldritch-encore-the-innsmouth-volume/ebook/product-gjgw7w9.html

Order Paperback from Pothi (India only): https://store.pothi.com/book/parth-sarathi-chakraborty-editor-eldritch-encore-innsmouth-volume/

Order ebook from Pothi (India only): https://store.pothi.com/book/ebook-parth-sarathi-chakraboparthrty-editor-eldritch-encore-innsmouth-volume/

Follow Culture Cult on Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress

Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturecultpress

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

Visit at: https://CultureCult.co.in

I’ll try to have a few print copies of Eldritch Encore Innsmouth on hand at my book table when I do my signing in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. No guarantees. Here are some of the books I will have on hand. It’s mostly a meet and greet. Two days.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

GHOST STORIES: “Dead Girls Walking” – GREEN Volume… Wicked Shadow Press

I am pleased to announce yet another spooky anthology offering, this time a paranormal tale to the latest Wicked Shadow Press series of anthologies (part of a three volume set), called: Dead Girls Walking. My story is in the second book, the GREEN volume! There is also a purple volume and a red volume in the series, which collects about 100 authors in all. This is a series of paranormal books where the central characters, whether ghost or zombie or vampire or whatever, are women. You really will want to collect them all. My ghost story is one part mystery. If you’re into Amelia Earhart, you might be into this yarn of mine. It’s about a 747 pilot who always sees the spirit of a 1920s classic aviator pilot. But she’s always following his jumbo jet. She’s always staring inside his 747 window. What is she trying to tell him? How far will the 747 pilot go to learn the mystery behind her aviation past? Find out in my story, “GHOST PILOT” …In Dead Girls Walking (the Green Volume).

DEAD GIRLS WALKING – THE GREEN VOLUME

From Wicked Shadow Press – Edited by Parth Sarathi Chakraborty

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine story: “Ghost Pilot”

Purchase Links (Worldwide):

Paperback: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/dead-girls-walking-the-green-volume/paperback/product-45mgzkm.html

Epub (digital): https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-parth-sarathi-chakraborty/dead-girls-walking-the-green-volume/ebook/product-45mgwjj.html

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

Follow Wicked Shadow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress


Follow Wicked Shadow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress
Follow Wicked Shadow on X: https://twitter.com/wickedshadowpub

Be a part of the Facebook group to get author-related info from Wicked Shadow and other publishers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/7867933553277077/

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

TIME TRAVEL BOOKS: “A Stitch in Space Time: Time Travel Stories” – Culture Cult Press

The next book I’m in, and I believe this is my 6th anthology acceptance of 2024, is time travel themed. I have a lot of stuff floating out at time travel markets at the moment. It seems like every few years the subject of time, the mechanics and physics surrounding it, being able to travel backwards and forwards to a specific era and meet somebody historically important, becomes popular again. However, for Culture Cult Press’s latest book, A Stitch in Space Time, I decided to submit a fairy tale-style “mashup,” where Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson), uses H.G. Wells time machine and tech to travel through a surreal but alternative version of Wonderland. And from a scientific point of view, it involves the Queen of Hearts. What I like most about Culture Cult Press — besides their stellar covers, immaculate interior design, and major distribution throughout India — is that a portion of the proceeds goes to help street animals without owners in Kolkata. Be sure to check out my time travel-themed story in A Stitch in Space Time Anthology, entitled: “Lewis Carroll and the Time Machine.” Links and pics below, and in the side column just to the right.

A STITCH IN SPACE TIME Anthology – published by Culture Cult Press

Edited by Jay Chakravarti – 22 Stories revolving around time travel

Featuring Dagstine Story: “Lewis Carroll and the Time Machine”

AVAILABLE IN PRINT PAPERBACK or as a DIGITAL EPUB (direct links):

Order the Paperback Book from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/a-stitch-in-spacetime/paperback/product-e786k52.html

Order the Digital Version from Lulu: https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/a-stitch-in-spacetime/ebook/product-2m5898q.html

Culture Cult Press Socials:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress
Instagram: https://instagram.com/CultureCultpress
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/CultureCultPub

Homepage: https://CultureCult.co.in

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

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.

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”

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!

Like Wicked Shadow Press on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow Wicked Shadow Press on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow Wicked Shadow Press on X: https://twitter.com/wickedshadowpub

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.”

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

FOLLOW WICKED SHADOW PRESS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Follow Wicked Shadow on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow Wicked Shadow on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wickedshadowpress

Follow Wicked Shadow on X: https://twitter.com/wickedshadowpub

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

Cursed Books: “An Ancient Curse” – Anthology of Ancient Curse Stories

My latest short story appearance comes to a “cursed book.” Not just one volume, but two… I’m in the first. Book One is where my story can be found, but I recommend both. I will supply pictures and info below, as well as little book photos to the right-hand side. Culture Cult Press (imprint of Pulp Cult) presents: “An Ancient Curse.” – An anthology featuring stories about ancient curses. My tale, as I said, is in Volume One, and it is a different kind of story about vampires and vampiric curses. If you enjoy horror stories involving strange phenomena, horror, and curses turned into fiction form, why not check it out? My story is, “The Curse of San Guadeloupe.” – 220 pages, available in paperback. Direct links at the bottom of this post.

An Ancient Curse – Anthology of Ancient Curse Stories

Edited by Jay Chakravarti – Culture Cult/Pulp Cult Press

VOLUME ONE CONTENT:

MALEDICTUS by Andre Schuck

SHETANI by J. Agombar

SPEAK OF THE DEVIL, AND THE DEVIL APPEARS by Frederick Pangbourne

SÉANCE AT PATHARUGHAT by Arun Hariharan

ELISA by Fariel Shafee

BRING OUT THE DEAD by Gina Easton

MALEDICTIO ANTIQUA by Fernando E. Silva

BURIED by Josh Poole

KITAB AL-EANAKIB by Dwain Campbell

AT THE ALTAR by Dibyasree Nandy

THE BLACK VALLEY by David Crerand

STITCHED by Ashley Cooke

SEA HAGS OF EL CALEUCHE by Maggie D Brace

THE CURSE OF SAN GUADELOUPE by Lawrence Dagstine

A CURIOUS CASE OF COLONIAL CANNIBALISM by Con Chapman

THE MASK by Christopher Michael Blake

FOR VOLUME 2, below (I recommend both):

BUY VOLUME 1 PAPERBACK (featuring Lawrence Dagstine): https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/an-ancient-curse-vol-01/paperback/product-nkm2rr.html

BUY VOLUME 2 PAPERBACK (other talented authors, such as Ken Goldman and J Rocky Colavito): https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/an-ancient-curse-vol-02/paperback/product-748r56.html

Edited to Add: An Ancient Curse is indeed available on Amazon Kindle (Volume 1 and 2), and for only $3.99; the price of a large coffee. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Curse-Vol-Anthology-Stories-ebook/dp/B0C9S731PN/

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

NEW BOOKS: “Lost, Stories of Missing People and Things” – Culture Cult Press

My latest appearance comes to a new anthology by Culture Cult Press, who I have been published with around three times before. They have very good distribution in India, and some of the proceeds from their books goes to help animals. So if you are an animal lover like myself (I have a pet turtle), and love to read, it is for a worthy cause. It is a themed anthology, and available in TWO volumes. Not just one book, but two. I have a story in the first one. I’ll put links all the way down below, like usual, and book pics off to the side.

The name of the anthology, LOST: A book of missing people and things. My story fits the theme perfectly. It is about a missing alien. It is speculative fiction. And the owner of this alien has to go looking for his adopted creature from another world. It is both heartwarming and satirical. Be sure to check out my story, “I Want My Alien Back.” Only in Volume One. Cheers.

LOST: An Anthology by Culture Cult Press

Volumes One & Two – Edited by Jay Chakravarti

Volume One featuring Dagstine story: “I Want My Alien Back.”

LULU purchase link for Paperback VOLUME ONE: 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/lost-vol-01/paperback/product-2km58d.html

LULU purchase link for Epub VOLUME ONE: 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/lost-vol-01/ebook/product-v689p5.html

POTHI (India Only) purchase link for Paperback: 

https://store.pothi.com/book/jay-chakravarti-ed-lost-vol-01/

POTHI (India Only) purchase link for Ebook (Epub and PDF): 

https://store.pothi.com/book/ebook-jay-chakravarti-ed-lost-vol-01/

LULU purchase link for Paperback VOLUME TWO: 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/lost-vol-02/paperback/product-rnme22.html

LULU purchase link for Epub VOLUME TWO: 

https://www.lulu.com/shop/jay-chakravarti/lost-vol-02/ebook/product-em78mr.html

POTHI (India Only) purchase link for Paperback: 

https://store.pothi.com/book/jay-chakravarti-ed-lost-vol-02/

POTHI (India Only) purchase link for Ebook (Epub and PDF): 

https://store.pothi.com/book/ebook-jay-chakravarti-ed-lost-vol-02/

PUBLISHER INFO/CULTURE CULT on Social Media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CultureCultPress
Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturecultpress
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CultureCultPub

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

Just a quick reminder, that a portion of the anthology proceeds (as well as many other Culture Cult book projects) does go to help animals in India (charity). My story, about a lost alien, is in Volume One. The first book. I’m not sure if it’s coming to Amazon or not, because Amazon has become very expensive (they went up again) due to the state of the economy. But if it does appear on Amazon, I’ll drop a link down here.

Oh, the turtle in the picture is “Bowser” by the way.

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”

“The Nightmare Cycle” by Lawrence Dagstine – Dark Owl Publishing

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)

AMAZON LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Nightmare-Cycle-Lawrence-Dagstine-ebook/dp/B0C27TTD24

DARK OWL LINK: https://www.darkowlpublishing.com/the-nightmare-cycle

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:

https://www.darkowlpublishing.com/our-schedule

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.

http://www.terrortrader.com

And finally, here is some early praise for the collection from horror-themed review sites such as The Sinister Scoop:

https://www.thesinisterscoop.com/post/the-nightmare-cycle-lawrence-dagstine

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

NEW HORROR ANTHOLOGIES: “Quarantine” – Red Polka Books

It is with great pleasure to announce that I’ve nabbed my fifth “Zombie-themed fiction” acceptance in the last year, and it goes to the new publishing outfit Red Polka Books. The name of the anthology this time is called QUARANTINE, and it is a book of short stories featuring many different authors from many diverse backgrounds. I am headlining the book (I’m actually the first short story as soon as you open it up). And it is a book centered around deadly viruses, pathogens, and pandemics. Even worse than Covid-19. It will be available in the States on platforms such as Lulu (Amazon later), should you want a print or digital copy for your daily commute to work, and will eventually creep its way into other countries such as the UK and India. My story is based off a deadly pathogen, and military scientists have to actually shut down a school with kids inside. Undead children who have become victim to HOS (a hostile pathogen with a science behind it, and yeah, some goofiness as well). Read my short story in Quarantine today, entitled, “Classroom of the Dead.”

QUARANTINE – Anthology of Modern Pandemic/Horror Tales

Featuring Lawrence Dagstine’s: “Classroom of the Dead”

QUARANTINE – DARK LOCKDOWN TALES for the 21st Century

Edited by Simon Dubois & Rasiika Sen – for RED POLKA BOOKS

COMING TO AMAZON WORLDWIDE VERY SOON!

DIGITAL VERSION: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-simone-dubois/quarantine/ebook/product-ywjjkm.html

PRINT VERSION: https://www.lulu.com/shop/rasiika-sen-and-simone-dubois/quarantine/paperback/product-pryy5y.html

Red Polka Books on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Redpolkabooks

Red Polka Books on Instagram: https://instagram.com/redpolkabooks

Red Polka Book on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedPolkaBooks

In the event you want to try Amazon down the road, here is my Amazon Author Page with all Bestselling Anthologies (those still in print as of 2023). This page will only grow bigger: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Lawrence-Dagstine/author/B001K8UG5K

Other New Entries: “Books & Anthos”