I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Joel McKay explores the cosmic, haunting horrors of the world in his collection, “It Came From the Trees: And Other Violent Aberrations”.
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The Synopsis
Tree planters on the run from parasitic insects. A physicist who has become the target of a murderous airline. Teenagers trapped in a museum with an eldritch horror. An escaped pit fighter thrust into a desperate stand at a sagging mountain fortress. And a luckless cowboy sailing across a sea of grass to the bloody resurrection of an elder god. Welcome to Joel McKay’s It Came from the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations, a collection of five page-turners as strange, disparate and bloody as their titles suggest.
So, grab a stiff drink, turn the lights down low, settle into your favorite reading nook and enjoy this brief but memorable collection of tales from one of the newest voices in Canadian pulp fiction.
The Review
This collection of stories did an incredible job of simultaneously capturing the essence of terror and pulp fiction. Each tale expertly weaves the haunting atmosphere the author’s writing evokes with the mounting tension that the genre is infamous for.
The creepy settings and the horror-filled narratives perfectly complement the rich characters that populate these stories. The way these characters are thrust into these evolving bouts of terror and the unsettling nature of the horrors they face brings to mind the works of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft and the horror classic The Great God Pan by Arthur Machen.
The Verdict
Chilling, atmospheric, and engaging author Joel McKay’s “It Came From The Trees: And Other Violent Aberrations” is a must-read horror and pulp fiction collection. The cosmic horror setting and the grounded character development will keep readers interested and invested in the author’s work now and in the future. If you haven’t already be sure to check out this book today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Joel McKay is an award-winning writer. He calls Prince George, B.C. home, where he lives with his wife and two daughters. Wolf at the Door is his first novella, which won the 2022 Global Book Award gold medal for horror. His most recent published fiction was the short story Number Hunnerd in Tyche Books’ anthology Water: Selkies, Sirens and Sea Monsters, and the splatterpunk western short story Hands, which was published in Brigids Gate Press’ anthology Blood in the Soil, Terror on the Wind.
The inspiration for his fiction is drawn from the landscapes and people of British Columbia, particularly the province’s vast, untamed and often misunderstood north. It’s the small towns and the people who call them home that inspired the good ol’ boys featured in Number Hunnerd, or the cool, crisp evenings and early sunsets of October that planted the idea for werewolves at a Thanksgiving feast.
Joel is passionate about Canada, its history and the history of the peoples who have called it home since time immemorial. As far as he’s concerned, New England has got nothing on Northern B.C. when it comes to perfect settings for supernatural tales.
In his spare time, Joel is an avid fly fisherman, mountain biker, hiker and reader. His work as an economic development professional, public relations specialist and journalist has earned him numerous national, provincial and local awards and recognitions.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Edo Van Belkom shares the 25th Anniversary Edition of one of the most compelling collections of horror stories in the book “Death Drives a Semi”.
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The Synopsis
Keep one eye on the road ahead and another on the rearview mirror.
Because, like the legendary phantom semi of this book’s titular story, these stories will creep up on you and overtake you without warning.
Edo van Belkom twists his unique perspective and droll, black sense of humor into twisted observations of the sad, violent, and ironic sides of life in this special 25th anniversary release of a compilation of his most beloved horror stories.
With a voice and range that has drawn comparisons of Robert Bloch, Richard Matheson and Stephen King, van Belkom takes the reader down a most unique highway that breaths new life into classic horror tropes, all the while maintaining the essence of the best of a combination of “The Twilight Zone” and the old E.C. horror comics of the 1950s.
The Review
The stories found in this collection were both profound and haunting all at once. The chilling imagery the author infuses into the stories found within is shocking and engaging, and the heart and emotion put into these horror stories ground the characters enough to keep the reader invested in each and every story.
The heart of this narrative was the quick pace of the stories and the emotional depth of the characters that helped to highlight the horrors of the story. One story that stood out to me immediately was The Basement, which not only highlighted the strong cultural elements of being an Italian immigrant in Canada but played on the protagonist’s emotional state to elevate the terrifying realities of this mystery basement, making this a story readers will be drawn to time and time again.
The Verdict
Thoughtful, entertaining, and masterfully written, author Edo Van Belkom’s “Death Drives a Semi: 25th Anniversary Edition” is a must-read horror short story collection. The atmosphere and tension of each story when blended with the dynamic character growth really brought me back to Stephen King’s Night Shift and Everything’s Eventual, two collections that defined the horror genre for so many. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Edo van Belkom is the author of three novels, including the best-selling Wyrm Wolf and Lord Soth. He has also compiled Northern Dreamers: Interviews with Famous Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Writers and edited Northern Horror, an anthology of new stories. “Rat Food,” a short story in Death Drives a Semi, won the Bram Stoker Award.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Mo Moshaty terrifies readers in the best way possible with a collection of short stories that will show the horrors that await when love becomes deadly in the book “Love the Sinner”.
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The Synopsis
According to Dante, a sin is the misdirection of love – the human will, or essentially, the direction of our beings. Love the Sinner is an examination of just how those sins can kaleidoscope into horrific consequences creating a distorted and deadly landscape. These stories stand stark before you in full glaring misstep and macabre to show the human psyche in all its twisted reality.
From grief and its rage to medical meddling to ensure a new world order to bloody revenge within a quantum leap, these stories seek to solidify one absolute truth: man is the scariest monster.
The Review
The author did a tremendous job of crafting compelling stories that felt whole and complete, no matter how long or short the stories lasted. The imagery and atmosphere were immediately felt in the book’s opening chapter, playing into the theme of sin and love quite beautifully. The tension builds quickly and intensely in this book and allows the reader to really hone in on the settings of these stories immediately.
To me, the stories found a great balance between heartfelt character development and intense themes. The stories each found that battle between sin and love and character to embody that juxtaposition of darkness springing forth from light. The story Maddalena really stood out, as what started out as a passionate and romantic encounter turns into a truly terrifying moment of horror that will stick with readers long after the story ends.
The Verdict
Intense, heartfelt, and chilling, author Mo Moshaty’s “Love the Sinner” is a must-read horror short story collection you won’t want to put down. The twists and turns in this collection and the way the author is able to craft characters the reader can identify or engage with made this a compelling read. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Mo Moshaty is an Afro-Latina screenwriter, author and producer. Raised within the clash of her mother’s Yaqui heritage and her father’s strict Southern Baptist upbringing, Mo’s work contains worlds in which characters of color strive for identity, sentiment and belonging within the comedy, horror, and sci-fi genres.
Co-producer and member of Nyx Horror Collective, she’s partnered with Stowe Story Labs to provide a fellowship for women genre writers over 40, and has also partnered with horror streaming giant, Shudder Channel, to co-produce the 13 Minutes of Horror Film Festival 2021 and 2022.
Still engaging with her first love, short horror literature, her work can be found in “A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales”, by Brigid’s Gate Press and “206 Word Stories” by Bag O’ Bones Press. “Love the Sinner”, a psychological horror collection of short stories will be released by Brigids Gate Press in July 2023 as well as “Clairviolence: Tales of Tarot and Torment Vol 1 & 2” by Spooky House Press in 2024.
Mo has lectured on Trauma in Cinema with Prairie View A&M Film & TV Program, Horror Studies BAFSS Sig, and the University of Sheffield in the UK.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Shari Lopatin shares a collection of both fiction and non-fiction stories, as well as essays and poems, to share the story of a young woman trying to find herself in the book “The Condemned”.
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The Synopsis
In this special memoir told through a collection of earlier works including fictional short stories, non-fiction essays, and poetry, Shari Lopatin tells the story of her younger self—a millennial coming of age through the 1990s and 2000s while fighting to make sense of a world rapidly changing amidst The Great Recession and September 11. Touching on themes still relevant today, Shari shares deeply emotional pieces from her formative years about mental health, the search for home, the awkwardness of dating, love and heartbreak, and the effects of Antisemitism.
Included in this hand-selected collection are the fictional short stories “Pomegranates” about the power of kindness and connection; “A Call from Paris” about a young marriage falling apart; “Stone from HELL” about the effects of a monstrous society; and the namesake of this book, “The Condemned” about finding self-acceptance. Shari also included other personal essays and poems never before seen.
Ultimately, The Condemned: A memoir told through selected early works of short stories, essays, and poetry reveals one young woman’s struggle to find herself within a confusing and sometimes ostracizing world, and the messages of love, hope, and truth she now brings to others.
The Review
What an emotional and captivating collection of stories. The author found a great balance between her fiction and nonfiction works, with each story doing an exemplary job of conveying the raw emotions and pivotal moments that defined her life. The imagery and the heart that the author poured into the story and essays were remarkable, really bringing the reader into these moments and in the case of the fiction work, allowing the reader to embrace the characters outright.
The poetry was also so moving and conveyed the honesty and passion of the author’s writing so eloquently. The quick pace of the book and the variety of the collection gave the author ample opportunity to really connect to a wide range of different readers and gave an intimate look into the author’s life in a creative and moving way.
The Verdict
Insightful, thoughtful, and engaging, author Shari Lopatin’s “The Condemned” is a memorable and thought-provoking memoir filled with creativity and heart. The powerful messaging of the stories in this collection brings to life a beautiful and emotional story of triumph in the face of adversity, and the journey to find life and purpose. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Shari Lopatin tells stories that matter. An award-winning journalist in her earlier years, she now writes novels that tie into modern-day social issues, short stories, serialized fiction, essays, and poetry. Shari has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, public relations professional, social media manager, and earned the title of “Cat Mom of the Year.” Read more of Shari’s work and get updates on her latest books by signing up as a free or paid subscriber for her Substack newsletter, Rogue Writer, at sharilopatin.substack.com.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Francesca Maria takes readers on a journey into the depths of darkness to explore the shadowy nature of fear and control in “They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark”.
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The Synopsis
Who are we if not for the monsters that we keep?
They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark collects thirteen chilling tales that weave through the shadows, exploring the nature of fear, powerlessness, and control.
– A series of murders in a New England colony
– An untamed beast in pre-revolutionary France
– A mysterious stranger who invades 18th-century Ireland
– A traveling circus that takes more than the price of admission
– A gathering of the Dark, telling tales on the longest night of the year, and more.
Come play with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, ghouls and the devil himself. Make sure you check under the bed and don’t turn out the lights.
The Review
The author does such an incredible job of weaving together a moving yet horrifying collection of stories. The way each story flowed smoothly and kept a great pacing, while still allowing the tension to build and the chills to build up in the reader’s mind made for a truly compelling and captivating collection.
To me, it was the author’s use of both emotional storytelling and shocking horror moments that made each story shine. Some of my favorite stories in the collection touched upon the dark side of some of my favorite things, from ancient Egyptian mythology in the story “Imhotep”, to the shocking real story of Christmas in “Spreckles” and the gasp-worthy finale in the story “Wendigo”, each story wove between the horrors and emotions of reality with the twisted nature of the strange and the bizarre side of our world and cultures.
The Verdict
Memorable, entertaining, and thrilling, author Francesca Maria’s “They Hide: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” is a must-read collection of horror short stories that is one of my favorite short story collections of 2023 thus far! The suspense, drama, and heartfelt connection readers make to the characters of these stories and the rich world-building that the author employs throughout this collection will keep readers engaged and eager for more as the last story ends and a new one begins. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Francesca Maria writes dark fiction surrounded by cats near the Pacific Ocean. She is the creator of the Black Cat Chronicles, a true horror comic book series narrated by a mystical black cat. And her short story collection; They Hide: Short Stories to Tell in the Dark will be out in April 7, 2023 from Brigid’s Gate Press. Her short stories and essays can be found in Crystal Lake Publishing’s Shallow Waters series and anthologies and Death’s Garden Revisited.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Jerry Roth brings a haunting collection of short fiction filled with tales that will creep, haunt, and terrify readers in the book “Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection”.
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The Synopsis
Throwing Shadows is a collection of 9 creepy stories that have something for everyone.
A woman develops an unhealthy obsession with a scarecrow. A boy plays with a Ouija board and receives a terrifying warning of murder. A down-on-his-luck father learns what happens when you die in your sleep. These stories and six more frightening tales await the reader within the pages of Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection.
Throwing Shadows will feed that hungry dark side that lives in your cellar.
* This collection of horror, thriller, and science fiction has something for all readers seeking tales of suspenseful fiction. With a vintage paperback feel, along with with a modern sensibility, these short stories will take the readers down a dark path of pulp dread. Throwing shadows: A Dark Collection will feed that hungry dark side that lives in your cellar.
The Review
The author does an incredible job of crafting each story to fit into the depth of darkness that the overall narrative holds. The level of world-building and setting that the author was able to build upon in each story was remarkable to behold, as each story’s world felt vibrant and alive in the narrative. The imagery that the author utilized in the writing allowed the reader to really feel the tension that kept each of these stories flowing smoothly.
Yet it was the atmosphere and tone that the author was able to achieve in each story and how they played into the narrative, theme, and character development that really drew my attention as a reader. The themes of parenthood, the darkness in our own lives, and the chilling nature of reality itself were well-represented by very relatable and captivating characters who made the reader feel seen and represented in a very real way.
The Verdict
Captivating, entertaining, and haunting, author Jerry Roth’s “Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection” is a must-read novel of 2022 for the Fall/Halloween season. The chilling narratives take readers to the darkest depths of the natural and unnatural world, and the pulpy, almost noir element of the storytelling felt like a great nod to the old Hollywood style of horror that paved the way for authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and so many others to tell their tales. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this book on October 25th, 2022!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Jerry Roth is an award-winning author of Bottom Feeders, from Sunbury Press. Following up with this success, he released a psychological thriller, On the Tip of Her Tongue, one year later. The author currently lives in a converted 1908 Catholic church in Ohio.
His writing career began with his award-winning screenplay, Gray Matter. Switching gears, Jerry created the critically successful Disc Golf website, Inkslingers DG and wrote for the Disc Golf Pro Tour in 2017.
His influences for writing can be traced backed to authors such as Anne Rice and Stephen King. Jerry’s upcoming literary projects include: a Gothic novel, Wish it away, a YA Fantasy, Into the Aether: Miscreant’s Rise, and a Short Story novel, Throwing Shadows: a dark collection— Due this year.
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?
This is my first book and my initial intention was to publish in French, which is my first language. However, I stumbled upon a writing contest for micro fiction and French was not one of the languages in which you could submit your work. I ended up submitting 2 stories but I had almost fifty that I was not using. That’s when I decided I would publish them and that’s how my collection ended up being in English.
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2) What inspired you to write your book?
Short stories have always been my favorite type of fiction. Two of my favorite authors, Françoise Sagan and Chimamanda Adichie, write with so much emotional intensity. I was inspired by their work and wondered, what triggers intense emotional reactions for me? This is what motivated me to write the stories in my book.
3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?
I hope they appreciate the deep inner workings of the human mind. Things are not always what they seem at the surface, and it is almost impossible to read other people’s minds. When you are not in someone else’s shoes, you just never know what is going on for them.
4) What drew you into this particular genre?
I enjoy novels in general and I think short stories simply give me the impression that I am getting even more out of an author. Great short stories leave you with a sense of awe and wonder because the length leaves you wanting more. I would love to create that feeling in my readers.
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5) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?
I don’t use much social media. Maybe I should. I use the old fashion social networks, i.e. word of mouth!
6) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?
The author Hala Alyan states that she allotted 30 minutes a day to her creative writing as she was working on her doctoral thesis. I decided to try it out and soon 30 minutes a day became 1 or 2 hours. That is how I got my book written and published in a year.
7) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?
I would like to keep writing and publishing short stories for the moment. I feel I need the practice before I devote time to a full novel. My next collection of short stories will be in French!
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About the Author
Philippa c. Jabouin has authored many articles and short stories under her name and as a ghostwriter. As a recovering ex-lawyer, she now spends her time writing as a freelance journalist, editor, and consultant. This is her first published collection of short stories. She lives in the Ottawa/Gatineau region of Canada.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Author Philippa C. Jabouin’s “Short Shorts on Family and Other Issues” helps readers take a journey into the everyday and seemingly mundane experiences that can reflect on the issues and problems that can arise in our everyday relationships.
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The Synopsis
In these thirty snippets of everyday life, Philippa c. jabouin offers vignettes of seemingly trivial moments of her characters’ interactions with themselves and others.
Through deep reflection, existential questions, misunderstandings and eloquent silences, the stories offer quick snapshots of the complexity of the human mind and its dynamics.
The Review
This was a profound and moving read. The author did an incredible job of layering these short little vignettes and stories with a healthy balance of theme and story-driven narrative. The way the author included pages adjacent to the stories for readers to write down their reflections on the lessons and themes they picked up on in the stories themselves was just incredible and made for a more personal and interactive reading experience.
What stood out to me and made the lessons stand out, even more, was the way the author framed each story’s “characters”. The obscurity of the characters allowed the reader to hone in on the messages and themes of the stories far more, allowing them to place themselves into the narrative in place of a more elevated “character”. The themes that focused on family, friends, romantic relationships, and so much more really brought an emotional depth and allowed the reader to connect to the stories themselves in a more personal manner.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, personal, and engaging, author Philippa C. Jabouin’s “Short Shorts on Family and Other Issues” is a must-read short story collection. The fast-paced read and brilliant storytelling will hook readers instantly, and the way the author writes will allow readers to able to see themselves in the narratives and connect on a much more personal level. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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About the Author
Philippa c. jabouin has authored many articles and short stories under her name and as a ghostwriter. As a recovering ex-lawyer, she now spends her time writing as a freelance journalist, editor, and consultant. This is her first published collection of short stories. She lives in the Ottawa/Gatineau region of Canada.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
Twenty sci-fi authors come together to tackle the very real threat of climate change and use their creative skills to find a solution to our current and future threats to our world in the collection “Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet”, part of the Writers Save the World Series!
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The Synopsis
Twenty ways to fix the planet.
Modern building on the island.3d render
Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of water in less than 24 hours. Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead and see a hopeful future.
We asked sci-fi writers to send us stories about ways to save the world from climate change. From the myriad of stories we received, we chose the twenty most amazing (and hopefully prescient) tales.
Dive in and find out how we might mitigate climate change via solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation, and acts of change both large and small.
The future’s not going to fix itself.
The Review
This was a fantastic and highly creative collection. The themes of climate change and the impact it’ll have on everything from worldwide pandemics to coastal cities being overrun and so much more were thought-provoking, to say the least. The imagery and detailed storytelling that went into the narrative really painted an image in the reader’s mind.
What stuck out in each story in this collection was each author’s ability to naturally infuse the themes of this narrative into their stories and still manage to implement a very human and emotional depth of character into each story. From a young woman seeking more of not only her life but the life of everyone on Earth, to a teenage boy separated from his mother and forced to make a new home for himself, each story adds so much emotion and heart to the more broad climate struggles that make this such an engaging story.
The Verdict
Heartfelt, entertaining, yet striking in its delivery, the short story collection “Save the World: Twenty Sci-Fi Writers Save the Planet” is a must-read book and a great continuation of the Writers Save the World Series! The balance of emotional character growth and stark yet hopeful themes of climate change and the progress needed to fix it all make this one collection readers won’t be able to put down. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!
Rating: 10/10
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Other Worlds Ink has a new book out in the hopepunk cli-fi Writers Save the World anthology series: Save the World. And there’s a giveaway.
Climate change is no longer a vague future threat. Forests are burning, currents are shifting, and massive storms dump staggering amounts of water in less than 24 hours. Sometimes it’s hard to look ahead and see a hopeful future.
We asked sci-fi writers to send us stories about ways to save the world from climate change. From the myriad of stories we received, we chose the twenty most amazing (and hopefully prescient) tales.
Dive in and find out how we might mitigate climate change via solar mirrors, carbon capture, genetic manipulation, and acts of change both large and small.
The future’s not going to fix itself.
About the Series:
“Writers Save the World” is an annual hopepunk anthology from Other Worlds Ink, featuring hopeful stories by sci-fi writers about ways to solve the world’s problems.
No one ate for a full day. At night, they sat around their fires and counted the stars, their boats bobbing in the quiet, dark waters. No electricity was permitted. The drones were shelved. The holo-projectors unplugged. Even the radios were shut off. The next morning, they washed in the invigorating cold of the ocean, and beat their bodies with branches.
This was what Edgard instructed. And what Edgard instructed, everyone obeyed.
The waters seemed bright that morning, despite the depths below. Small dots of sea foam dotted the surface, reflecting the eager light of the new day. The weather was calm, and the ocean peaceful. It was an auspicious morning.
Jason leaned against the rails, elbowing between his crew mates as everyone shuffled for the best view. There was laughter and chatter, some singing, a few rude jokes. The ocean was alive that morning, all the ships of the tribe lining up, energy buzzing across the wide decks.
Then the drumming started, and silence fell. People leaned forward, craning necks.
The canoe emerged from between boats, paddled by a small crew, its painted bow slicing through the water. At the front was Edgard, standing tall. Jason felt someone nudge him, and as he looked over at Amelia, she nodded at the cloak draped over Edgard’s shoulders. The Thunderbird.
The canoe stopped, and Edgard placed a hand in the water. As he rose, he started to sing, lighting a bundle of dried cedar, and waving the smoke over his harpoon. He removed the muscle-shell hooks and wrapped them in cloth, tied rocks around the yew shaft, and placed it in the water. As it sank, his song ended. Edgard turned to face the ships, opened his arms wide, and smiled.
The crews erupted.
It was done.
The harvesting was complete.
—From “Thunder on the Ocean,” by Christopher R. Muscato
Author Bio
Gustavo Bondoni is novelist and short story writer with over three hundred stories published in fifteen countries, in seven languages. He is a member of Codex and an Active Member of SFWA. His latest novel is Lost Island Rampage (2021). He has also published three other monster books: Ice Station: Death (2019), Jungle Lab Terror (2020) and Test Site Horror (2020), three science fiction novels: Incursion (2017), Outside (2017) and Siege (2016) and an ebook novella entitled Branch. His short fiction is collected in Pale Reflection (2020), Off the Beaten Path (2019) Tenth Orbit and Other Faraway Places (2010) and Virtuoso and Other Stories (2011).
J. Scott Coatsworth lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were. He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends. A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is a full member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and the head of its self-publishers committee.
Rachel Hope Crossman is an ex-fry cook, ex-substitute teacher and retired Montessori teacher. Her childhood year in Athens, Greece left indelible imprints of olive groves, pomegranates and the sparkling, turquoise blue of the Mediterranean upon her mind. She is the author of SAVING CINDERELLA: FAIRY TALES & CHILDREN IN THE 21ST CENTURY, (2014) The Apocryhile Press, which examines the world-wide Cinderella story as an archetype and explains the symbolism of rings, knives, birds, pumpkins and more. Her personal heroes are Harold (and his purple crayon), Peggy Hill and Nancy Pelosi.
Jana Denardois Queen of the Geeks (her students voted her in) and her home and office are shrines to any number of comic book and manga heroes along with SF shows and movies too numerous to count. There is no coincidence the love of all things geeky has made its way into many of her stories. To this day, she’s still disappointed she hasn’t found a wardrobe to another realm, a superhero to take her flying among the clouds or a roguish star ship captain to run off to the stars with her.
Derek Des Anges is an emerging cross-genre author working in London, who consistently fails to stick to a single format or genre but does at least really consistently write about the queer experience (or some of them, anyway). He’s into fungi, industrial and experimental music, and trying to avoid the climate apocalypse actually flooding his flat too many times, because he has far too many books to consider moving out.
CJ Erick’s stories have appeared in anthologies from WMG Publishing, WordFire Press, and others. He won the FenCon short story competition in 2015. He writes in multiple genres, publishes novels in a space fantasy series, and dabbles in poetry. He’s an MFA student in creative writing at Lindenwood University, and an editorial assistant for the Lindenwood Review. He lives in Dallas area with his wife and their rescue superhero dog Saber-Girl, calls his sourdough bread starter “Ursula” (K. Le Guin), and cooks crazy-good Cajun food for a Midwest Yankee.
J.G. Follansbee’s short stories have appeared in several anthologies, including Others Worlds Ink’s Fix the World. Other publications include Bards and Sages Quarterly, Children, Churches and Daddies, the collection Still Life 2018, and the speculative fiction anthologies Satirica, After the Orange, Spring Into SciFi 2019, Rabbit Hole II, and Sunshine Superhighway. He is the author of the series Tales From A Warming Planet and the trilogy The Future History of the Grail. He has won several awards in the Writers of the Future contest, and he was a finalist in the inaugural Aftermath short story contest. He also has numerous non-fiction book credits. He lives in Seattle.
Geoffrey Hart: Startled by an aggressive dictionary late in her pregnancy, Geoff’s mother was delivered of a child with a precocious antipathy towards users of words. Over time, he transformed this antipathy into a more functional, if equally passive-aggressive, editorial career. After nearly 35 years, the flame burns brightly as ever, leading to an errant, semi-evangelical career ranting against the evils of words from pulpits at any editing or technical writing conference that will have him, seeking new recruits for his cause. In his spare time, he roams the globe, entertaining locals with creative and unrestrained interpretations of their linguistic conventions. He also commits occasional fictions, and has sold 46 stories.
M. J. Holt lives with her husband on their 60-acre family farm with many animals on a peninsula in Puget Sound. She is horrified that the entire world isn’t working to decrease pollution of all kinds. When she was a teenager, she and her mother sat under an ancient crabapple tree and read Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring. Her mother told her that future generations would pay the price for the sins of past generations. That price has increased and now several generations later, some not yet born, will pay the price. Lightning struck that crab tree decades ago. It grew on land her great grandfather bought in 1892. Her great grandmother farmed the land and had the current house, started in 1900, built. The farm passed to her grandfather, and then to her mother. She lives in that house amid the surviving bits of her ancestors’ lives. This generational continuity informs her fiction. Her crime thriller novels, The Devil’s Safe (2021) and its sequel Making Angels (2022) can be found on Amazon. Recent short stories have appeared in the anthologies Black-Eyed Peas on New Year’s Day: An Anthology of Hope, Low Down Dirty Vote Volume II, Alternate Theologies, and her poetry may be found in the poetry anthologies 300K, Timeless Love, and other periodicals. She earned separate undergraduate degrees in History and English Literature, and a Masters in English Literature. She is a member of SFWA, MWA, and other writing organizations.
Jennifer Irani lives and works in southern California. Her story, “Graft,” was inspired by the recent fires in California, Greta Thunberg, and generation Z. A version of this story first appeared in Writing in Place: Stories from a Pandemic. Her work has been published in the anthology Dove Tales Empathy in Art: Embracing the Other. She has published essays in Orange Coast magazine. Her essay, Regeneration, received honorable mention in the Writers Challenge 2021 on Medium.com. Her poem, “Cool Colors Warm the Soul,” was selected for the Connecting Through Color, Art and Poetry exhibit. She is a member of Barbara Demarco’s Literary Posse.
Andrew Rucker Jones was born and raised in Falls Church, Virginia. No muse heralded his birth, and he has not been writing novels since he was in diapers. He received his Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University in mathematics with minors in computer programming and German. He has always loved reading, so when the time came to choose a new career after twenty years in IT (programmer, system administrator, manager), he decided writing looked like fun. If only it paid. He now lives in Mannheim, Germany, with his Georgian wife, who actually earns money, and their three children, the eldest of whom also earns more than he.
Micháel McCormick likes to write stories in his Batman pajamas. He and his wife also enjoy travel, hiking, Tai Chi, and perplexing cats. They split their time between Saint Paul, Minnesota and Lake Superior. Mike’s work has appeared in Arcanist, Daily SF, DreamForge, Frozen Wavelets, Grievous Angel, Metastellar, Talking Stick, and elsewhere.
Christopher R. Muscato is an adjunct history instructor and writer from Colorado, as well as the former writer-in-residence for the High Plains Library District. He has published over a dozen short stories and is thrilled to be a part of this project.
Masimba Musodza was born in Zimbabwe, and has lived most of his adult life in the United Kingdom. His short stories, mostly in the speculative fiction genre, have appeared in periodicals and anthologies around the world. He has written two novels and a novella in his first language, ChiShona. His collection of science-fiction stories, The Junkyard Rastaman & Other Stories, was published in 2020. Masimba also writes for stage and screen.
M.D. Neu: Growing up in an accepting family. internationally award-winning author M.D. Neu always wondered why there were never stories reflecting our diverse queer society. Surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, he decided to change that and began writing, wanting to tell epic stories that reflect our varied world. When not writing, M.D. Neu works for a non-profit in Silicon Valley, and travels with his husband of twenty plus years.
Jennifer R. Povey: Born in Nottingham, England, Jennifer R. Povey now lives in Northern Virginia, where she writes everything from heroic fantasy to stories for Analog. She has written a number of novels across multiple sub genres. Additionally, she is a writer, editor, and designer of tabletop RPG supplements for a number of companies. Her interests include horseback riding, Doctor Who and attempting to out-weird her various friends and professional colleagues.
NRM Roshak is an award-winning Canadian author and translator. Their stories have appeared in various anthologies and magazines, including Galaxies SF, Daily Science Fiction, and Future Science Fiction Digest, and has been translated into several languages. They live in Ontario, Canada, with a small family and a loud cat.
Holly Schofield travels through time at the rate of one second per second, oscillating between the alternate realities of city and country life. Her stories have appeared in Analog, Lightspeed, Escape Pod, and many other publications throughout the world. She hopes to save the world through science fiction and homegrown heritage tomatoes.
Lisa Short is a Texas-born, Kansas-bred writer of fantasy, science fiction and horror. She has an honorable discharge from the United States Army, a degree in chemical engineering, and twenty years’ experience as a professional engineer. Lisa currently lives in Maryland with her husband, two youngest children, father-in-law and cats. She is a member of the Horror Writers Association and a Futurescapes 2021 alumnus.
Heather Marie Spitzberg is an environmental author, scientist, and lawyer who lives in New York’s Hudson River Valley with her family. Her writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
