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
"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”
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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.”
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:
And after the release of my new book, The Nightmare Cycle, comes a short story of oceanic terror that will leave you at the edge of your seat. I have a story in the latest Skywatcher Press anthology on Amazon, THE DEPTHS UNLEASHED BOOK #2. I know there is a Kindle version, not sure if a print version is in the works. All links will be down below, and book pics off to the side as usual. Skywatcher Press is well known for their bestselling undead anthologies, and similar fare, such as Pandemic Unleashed and The Dead Unleashed. I’m sharing a TOC with some familiar names too, like Jeff Parsons and Gregory Norris, who you might recognize from short story magazines of the 2000s era. The name of my story is: “The Underwater Menace.”
Remember, I’m in BOOK 2. The one with the horrific fishy and diver staring it down.
THE DEPTHS UNLEASHED VOLUME 2
Anthology of Underwater Horror – Featuring my story:“The Underwater Menace”
ORDER ON AMAZON KINDLE (preview below, be redirected):
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.
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 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.
I am quite pleased to announce that I’ve got a new, exclusive story appearing in the recently-released paperback anthology, “I CAST YOU OUT: Stories of Possession.” Featuring 27 different authors from around the globe (including India), touching down on the psychological and horrifying effects of demonic possession. At this time it is only available on Amazon. I am not sure whether it will see a digital release. So this might be print only. I’ll put all the usual links to the right hand side or pictures in this post, should you be interested. Edited by Jay Chakravarti. 336 Pages.
My tale, which comes in around 5100 words, is called “Trevor’s Nagging.” Location-wise it takes place in a mental hospital with a psychiatrist figure, and a young lad named Trevor…but just what is nagging at him? If you are a fan of movies such as The Exorcist or The Exorcism of Emily Rose, this story and many of the others contained within may be up your alley. Just make sure to read with the lights on.
You can order the anthology DIRECT from Amazon below:
Also, if you would like to follow me on a modern day reader, tablet, or android device, or keep up-to-date whenever a new anthology featuring my works of speculative fiction and horror come out, I have an author page here:
You can also find me on Twitter (my social media of choice the past 13 years), where I not only talk about fiction literature, but talk shop on video games, toys, comic books, pop culture, Doctor Who, and art: http://www.twitter.com/ldagstine
I am pleased to announce that the Weird Western Anthology, Something Wicked This Way Rides, is now out from Dark Owl Publishing. It is available on Amazon, in digital and print paperback formats. And it should arrive at various other retailers and the convention scene come 2022. Covid-19 has caused delays in the publishing world, one might say.
This book also marks for me ’25 Years’ as a Published Author/Freelance Writer. I will be retiring from the written word next year (most likely), as I want to pursue comic book art, something I also dreamed of accomplishing in the 1990s. Still, be sure to check out my previous fiction credits and other anthologies I have to offer. See book images on right-hand side, scroll down, click, go to Amazon. And let me tell you, there is a LOT of short story talent in this one giant book. Western tales that mix science fiction, horror, even steampunk, into a rich and fresh storytelling formula. My tale takes the reading audience back to frontier days. It is about a sharpshooting Djinn with a ‘mysterious’ past. You know what they say, The Show Must Go On…
I will appear with a werewolf story in the late May digital anthology, CREATURES, by Tell-Tale Press. Edited by Andrea Dawn. There will be two versions to this anthology. A short story edition and a novelette edition. I’m in the short story edition. It will be free to read on the Tell-Tale Press website, then available in ebook format from Amazon in the event you own a Kindle. The book, along with various other titles from Tell-Tale Press, will also be available on May 23-26th at Phoenix Fan Fusion Comic Book Convention. They will have a table there. So if you live in the Arizona area, be on the lookout for CREATURES ANTHO with my story in it, and many other talented authors. I will leave pictures, links, author lineup below. Just click on them (be redirected).
With Horror Stories By: Oreoluwa Arowobusoye, Kenneth Bykerk, Lawrence Dagstine, Danielle Davis, Dan Fields, Eric J. Guignard, A.M. Harte, Isabella Hunter, Jennifer Loring, Nicola Lombardi, Matthew Lyons, Jamie Mason, Jason McCuiston, Gregory L. Norris, P. R. O’Leary, D.C. Phillips, Mark Silcox, Melissa Watkins Starr, T.J. Tranchell, Joseph Walker.
A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I have a BRAND NEW short story for late 2018 in the Left Hand Publishers’ Anthology: ‘Suspense Unimagined.’ Anthology of Suspense, Thrillers, and Nightmares creeping past the boundaries of your imagination. Edited by the very talented Karen T. Newman, and featuring over two-dozen talented authors. The name of my story is “COMPETING FOR ROSES.” It is a dark tale set in World War One, and around roses (the flowers). It is available in paperback. I will add book cover pics and the two links I could find to order it (below), such as Amazon.
For my twentieth year involved in short stories, I’d like to announce a 2016 release, a literary horror anthology that recently hit various conventions and online bookshops like Amazon and B&N. The fine folks at Nosetouch Press produced this immaculate 400+ page monster, brimming with spark, intelligence, imagination and much speculation, that doesn’t just focus on Broomsticks and Cauldrons. It is available in hardcover, paperback, and ALL eBook/Android/Mobile formats (for those on the go). Personally, I’d go with the hardcover or paperback myself. Introducing, WAX & WANE: An Anthology of Witch Stories. Thirty stories by thirty fantastic authors, some up-and-coming. Big book, kind of weighty, if I do say so myself. Links, pictures, adverts, and author list below. Cheers.
Authors appearing with short fiction in Wax & Wane:
Stephen Blake
Tanya Bryan
Stephanie Burgis
Diana Corbitt
Jonathan Cromack
Lawrence Dagstine
Dave Dormer
Spinster Eskie
Kevin M. Folliard
Flynn Gray
Silas Green
S.K. Gregory
Coy Hall
K.A. Hardway
Liam Hogan
Heddy Johannesen
J.T. Lawrence
Jennifer Loring
Dara Marquardt
Cooper O’Connor
Virginia M. Mohlere
Tiffany Morris
D.T. Neal
Megan Neumann
Jeff Parsons
Mike Penn
Lori G. Petroff
Joseph Rubas
Cynthia Ward
Jo Wu
Updated Cover Art POST 2020:
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Autumn is almost here! And September is suspense month! If you like taut thrillers in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock and Mary Higgins Clark, then for the next 40 days you might like my family dynamic-inspired novella, Family Reunion. But only from August 20th thru September 30th (up till midnight), and only through Smashwords (Mobi, Epub, etc.). After that, Family Reunion goes back up to the already low price of $1.99. Own a Kindle or a Nook? Just enter the following coupon code at Smashwords.com: BS62W …And meet “Howard” for free, the man who would KILL to be a husband and father, and for forty days and forty nights. Most of all, happy reading.
FAMILY REUNION
A Family-Based Suspense Thriller
FREE for Aug/Sept. 2013, FREE thru Smashwords
SMASHWORDS COUPON CODE: BS62W
When Kendra was a teenager, she got raped and knocked up more than once. When she finally found the courage to run away with the children, she went back to school, got a job, and set up a nice life for herself far away. The children are now eight, and Howard has come ‘home’ for what he feels belongs to him. He swears he’s a changed man, he wants to get married and be a dad. Even if it kills! He wants this reunion to be one that Kendra and the kids will never forget… should they live to tell about it.
Other Ebooks Available:
Lawrence Dagstine on Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, Smashwords, and the Apple iTunes Store:
For only 99 cents, you can now own my vampire novelette, The Paraplegic. Available at Smashwords. Just click on the picture below, or, see what other low-cost titles I have available. I even have a free science fiction story you could try out, and in the coming months I will be downloading more stories at no cost (usually under 5,000 words); I’ll also be coming to Kindle, Nook, Apple, Sony, Kobo and Nexus. Novelettes and novellas will always be at the right price. Quality, plot-driven stories, characters we care about: because that’s what matters first and foremost. Science fiction, fantasy, horror and more in Mobi, ePub, PDF, and a variety of other formats. You’ll be able to order them direct from here (eBooks & Kindle), or be redirected. Also be sure to follow me on social media platforms such as Facebook & Twitter. There will be cool contests in the coming months and free reading material will go out to my 5,000th Facebook follower and my 500th Twitter follower. Cover art by Bob Veon.
THE PARAPLEGIC
Now Available at Smashwords – ONLY 99 cents!
When Herbert was told he had amnesia, he knew things were bad. When he couldn’t feel anything below the waist, he got scared. When the doctor told him he’d be paralyzed for life, he got depressed and wanted to die. After all, no one wants to be a paraplegic. But what made him crippled so suddenly? Did somebody do this to him? And if so, why? Now in the hospital, undergoing intensive surgery, little does Herbert know that the force responsible isn’t done with him, not by a long shot! Something’s coming back. There’s a little unfinished business to take care of, and it comes in the form of vampires.
Get your favorite Dagstine stories in under a minute. Click below:
Only five to six months away till the release of Family Reunion, my suspense novella — an “exclusive” eBook available for download in 2013 — for you readers of horror and suspense out there. Now if you thought Norman Bates was a creep, wait’ll you meet Howard. Better yet, ask yourself this question: how far would you go to get your family back? It’s the plot that will keep them guessing. So if you like alternative genre stories about marriage, divorce, relationships, children, adoption, and the like (what I call Family Dynamics; my particular niche), then you’ll definitely want to be here next spring. Cover art by Bob Veon.
Coming in 2013
Coming to Amazon, coming to eBooks & Kindle
If you do like such stories, be sure to check out some of my old science fiction and horror within the same category, tales from real-life experience, tales like Visitation Rights, Our Family Awaits, Planned Parenthood, and For the Love of a Corpse.
Coming to Kindle, Nook, Sony, Apple, Kobo, and via booksellers like Smashwords!
– DIGITAL STORYTELLING: WHERE THE FUTURE IS NOW! –
The Golden Age makes its return in digital format. So does the Industrial Revolution, Neo-Victorian Horror, and lots of other spooky historical tales. Come one, come all to Steampunk Tales! Where many adventures, horrors, and mysteries await. Some of the best short stories by short story giants and rising stars in the field. On my eBooks & Kindle page you too can order my brand new stories alongside many other talented authors within the Steampunk genre. And at a very affordable price. Behold the future of fiction magazines! Read them anytime, anywhere! Previous editions have featured such authors as Jay Lake, Catherynne M. Valente, G.D. Falksen, Jillian Venters, Phil Brucato, Brenda Cooper, and myself, among others.
Lawrence Dagstine Coming to Steampunk Tales Issue #6
First, a Healthy and Happy New Year to those who follow this blog homepage. Next, I’m starting off 2010 with the latest issue of Withersin, No. #3.3, themed: Arsenic. Published three issues per year by Misty Gersley, Withersin is a glossy, beautiful art-filled mag of horror and non-fiction relating to the paranormal and more. You can find it in some chain bookstores, or pre-order the issue by following the link below.
Nothing says Christmas 2009 better than a good old-fashioned eBook, Digital Short Story, or Amazon Kindle title by Lawrence R. Dagstine. Less than $5.00!
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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