Happy New Year. I’m back with horror stories in some new anthologies. This time with a novelette, and published by the fine folks at Campfire Publishing. The name of the book is: After Dark, Volume #2. This is the second book in a series, and much of it is filled with novelettes and short novellas. There is quite the stable of literary talent here. My tale falls under the “historical vampire” category. It takes place in a POW camp in 1960s Vietnam. I’d been sitting on it for a while, but thanks to the editorial filter of publisher Aaron Crocker, it’s ready to see the light of day. It’s a big book, with stories running the gamut of 7500 to 20,000 words in length. Read Campfire Publishing’s latest anthology, After Dark, Volume #2. And my new story for 2026: “The Code of Conduct.” I’ll provide book pics and clickable links below. There’s also a Hugo/Nebula nominee in here, and a Star Trek writer.
Campfire Publishing presents…
AFTER DARK, Volume. #2 – Edited by Aaron Crocker
Featuring new Dagstine novelette:“The Code of Conduct”
Sample it out on Amazon – Available in Kindle AND print formats
Edited to Add: I am pleased to announce that, pre-order wise, After Dark Volume #2 is breaking Amazon Sales numbers. It’s moving up the algorithm in sales. The release date is January 27th for the ebook, February for big-and-thick print if physical media is your thing.
Other New Entries:“Books & Anthos” and “Digital Credits”
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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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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
My vampire novelette The Paraplegic has finally found a proper home, and in both print and digital form, in the fairly new pulp fiction publication, SERIAL MAGAZINE. I appear in Issue No. #12, Late August 2019. I believe it is a biweekly. You don’t see too many biweekly publications anymore. Great artwork, great interior layout, has that real gritty 1950s feel to it, the kind of magazine you’d find legends Fritz Leiber and Ray Bradbury hanging out and about with their lurid genre classics. I even made the front cover! It is edited by the very talented Tanya Ferrell. I will leave pictures and links down below so you can order a copy, direct from Serial Publishing (the print version is even discounted for the month of August 2019, so hurry).
You can now find the revised version of my vampire story, Geraldine’s Addiction, in the new issue of Dark Moon Book’s Stoker-nominated horror magazine, Dark Moon Digest. No. 12, July 2013. In a future entry I’ll have a short interview about where I got the inspiration for Geraldine’s Addiction. Available on Amazon or where horror magazines are sold.
Featuring scary fiction by Lawrence Dagstine, Grant Matthew Frazier, Erin K. Coughlin, Arthur Carey, Kaitlyn Travis, Jason Cramblett, Samantha Combs, Aric Sundquist, Ruth Hopkins, Patrick Tumblety, Carie Juettner, and an exclusive piece by Stoker winning novelist, Joe McKinney.
Memorial Day weekend through June 30th 2013 is FREE vampire month. As promised earlier this year on Facebook and Twitter, I am celebrating summer and vampires by making my novelette, THE PARAPLEGIC free to download. Just go to Smashwords and enter coupon code: GW38Q
At checkout you will obtain it at NO CHARGE. But ONLY for late May up until June 30th at midnight, 2013. July 1st it goes back to 99 cents. Simply click the picture or button at the bottom and be redirected. Also, check out my other titles in the ebooks & Kindle section of my website or while you’re perusing Smashwords.
FREE EBOOKS
FREE VAMPIRE FICTION
MAY/JUNE 2013 ONLY
ONLY ON SMASHWORDS
COUPON CODE:GW38Q
“Doc, I’m telling you. I just woke up in a hole in broad daylight. No memory!”
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.
With stories and poetry by: Martin Turton, Thom Gabaldon, Aurelio Rico Lopez III, Lawrence Dagstine, John Grey, roibeard Ui-neill, Patrick Thomas, TJ McIntyre, Daniel C. Smith, Deborah P. Kolodji, W. Gregory Stewart, Jean Davis, Richard Harland, and MORE!
Nurses and babysitters taking care of vampires and werewolves during The Great Depression? President Herbert Hoover striking financial aid deals with monsters? Compassion for a vampire child from another era? Who came first? The monsters or the humans? The year is 1930… and Lawrence Dagstine is just one of your Feature Authors for a very weird novelette. It all takes place in the latest issue of Sam’s Dot Publishing’s digest-sized magazine, Cover of Darkness. Edited by Tyree Campbell. Published semi-annually.
A Time And Place For Monsters – 1930
Written by Lawrence Dagstine
Weaver of the Historical Weird Tale…
COVER OF DARKNESS – MAY 2010
Order Lawrence Dagstine’s novelette in Cover of Darkness:
Also featuring Novelette-length work by Lawrence Dagstine:
COVER OF DARKNESS – NOVEMBER 2009
Get both issues for a discounted postage price at The Genre Mall.
Other Authors & Poets: Mark Anthony Brennan, Tyree Campbell, Virginia Mohlere, Jonathan Wolf, Edward Cox, Ferrel D. Moore, Marc Colten, Lawrence Dagstine, W.K. Tucker, Jennifer Sparlin, Hillary Bartholomew, Eric Obame, Thom Olausson, Marge B. Simon, Peter Layton, K.S. Hardy, Cathy Buburuz, Gary Every, Ash Krafton, and finally, W.C. Roberts.
Vampires get your fangs ready! I’ve got a story in the latest issue of Hungur Magazine, No. #9. Fall 2009. Edited by Terrie Leigh Relf, and published by Sam’s Dot. If you think the Obama Administration or any administration is safe from a vampire threat, think again! It’s an issue you won’t want to miss. Because this issue… The Vampires are running the show.
Bloodletting works by: Tyree Campbell, Lawrence Dagstine, Scot Coon, William Marden, Lawrence Barker, Dev Jarrett, John H. Stevens, Donald Jacob Uitvlugt, Jared W. Vickery, J. Jay Waller, Lawrence Buentello, Allan Wise, Marge Simon, Brian Rosenberger, G.O. Clark, Debby Feo, Terrie Leigh Relf, Tom Galusha, Justin Bohardt, and illustrations also by Marge Simon.
It would appear I have a short in the premiere edition — available as a free ebook download — of THE VAMPIRE MANIFESTO, Issue #1. Edited by A.D. Dawson. It features some spot poetry, too. If you’re all about vampire fiction, this might be up your alley. It’s free, so why not give it a try…
Featuring Fiction & Poetry by: Mike Philbin & Alex Severin, Dominic McDonagh, Amanda Lawrence Auverigne, Lawrence R. Dagstine, Gary J. Beharry, David Byron, Chris Meekings, Kristine Ong Muslim, and two-three book/movie reviews by Brian Rosenberger and Mike Philbin.
Also, a rather interesting article here: “VAMPIRES AMONG US, Actual and Imagined Vampirism in Contemporary Society.”
Lawrence Dagstine: Author 
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