Saturday, January 30, 2021

Friday, January 29, 2021

LitReactor: “If You're Not Going To Be Honest, Don't Bother Writing.” — An Interview with Stephen J. Golds

LitReactor: “If You're Not Going To Be Honest, Don't Bother Writing.” — An Interview with Stephen J. Golds

Cam-Writes: Guest Interview: Jack Bates

 Cam-Writes: Guest Interview: Jack Bates

SMFS Member Publishing News: Stephen J. Golds

Today is publication day for Stephen J. Golds’ new book, Always The Dead. Illustrated by Craig Douglas, the read is available in print and eBook formats from Amazon and other vendors.

 

Synopsis:

Los Angeles, California. 1949.Scott Kelly is a World War Two Marine veteran and mob hitman confined to a Tuberculosis sanatorium suffering from consumption, flashbacks and nightmares from his experiences of The Battle of Okinawa and a botched hit for Bugsy Siegel. When his movie actress girlfriend disappears, he bribes his way out of the sanatorium to search for her. What follows is a frantic search, a manic murder spree, stolen contraband, and a briefcase full of cash. A story that stretches from the war torn beaches of Okinawa, all the way to the playground of the rich and famous, Palm Springs, California.An exploration into the depths of L.A crime, PTSD and twisted love. A semi-fictional novel based around the disappearance of Jean Spangler.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

SMFS Member Publishing News: Margaret S. Hamilton

SMFS list member Margaret S. Hamilton’s short story, “Killer Weeds” appears in the January 20, 2021, issue of the weekly newsletter Texas Gardener’s Seeds. You can read it online for free here.

SMFS Members Nominated for the 2021 Edgar Awards

The nominees for 2021 Edgar Awards, so named to honor Edgar Allen Poe, have been announced by the Mystery Writers Of America. Winners will be announced on April 29, 2021. There are twelve categories in fiction and nonfiction and SMFS list members have been nominated this year in two categories.

 

The nominated members and their categories are:

 

Best Short Story 

Leslie Elman for “The Summer Uncle Cat Came to Stay," published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine: January/February 2020 issue. 

Joseph S. Walker for "Etta at the End of the World," published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: May/June 2020 issue. 

James W. Ziskin for “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement,” in the anthology, In League with Sherlock Holmes: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon.

 

 

The G. P. Putnam’s Son Sue Grafton Memorial Award

James W. Ziskin with Turn To Stone: An Ellie Stone Novel published by Seventh Street Books. The book is also under consideration for a Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel.

 

 

SMFS salutes our list members in this accomplishment and wish them all the best as they represent the SMFS. The full list of all the nominees can be found on the MWA website.

Monday, January 25, 2021

SMFS Member Podcast News: Ang Pompano

The latest KRL Podcast features the mystery short story, “The Bucket List” by SMFS list member Ang Pompano.  You can listen for free to the KRL Podcast here.

 

 

From the site:

This episode features the mystery short story The Bucket List By Ang Pompano. It is read by local actor Teya Juarez. The Bucket List was first published in Best New England Crime Stories: Red Dawn, Level Best Books (2015) and later in Kings River Life. You can learn more about the author on his website. In each episode, we share with you mystery short stories and mystery novel first chapters read by actors from the San Joaquin Valley.

If you enjoyed this episode please review or rate it as that helps more people be able to find us! Also, consider subscribing so you never miss an episode-both to this podcast, and to the podcast newsletter. You can find more mystery fun on our websites Kings River Life Magazine and KRL News and Reviews. We now also have a Patreon where you can help support the podcast and the magazine and get special perks! We also have a new Redbubble store if you would like to purchase Mysteryrat's Maze Merchandise!

SMFS Member Publishing News: David Goudsward

SMFS list member David Goudsward edited and annotated the new book, Old World Footprints by Cassie Symmes. Published by Bold Ventures Press, it is currently available in paperback and hardcover at the publisher.

 

Publisher Synopsis:

Preface by H.P. Lovecraft (ghosting for Frank Belknap Long)

Edited and annotated by David Goudsward; Foreword by Bobby Derie

In 1928, Mrs. William B. Symmes published a 32-page travelogue. The 300-copy run was privately distributed by Mrs. Symmes among her friends and family. The book's publisher was amateur pressman W. Paul Cook and his Recluse Press imprint. Mrs. Symmes' nephew, Frank Belknap Long is credited for the preface, actually ghostwritten by H. P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft proofread the book for Cook, and may have edited it as well. The involvement of Cook, Long, and Lovecraft transforms an unremarkable travelogue by Cassie Symmes into one of the rarest of Lovecraft-related publications.

Bold Ventures Press proudly presents a new edition, edited and annotated by Lovecraft scholar David Goudsward. It is illustrated by photos and period postcards, and includes a foreword by pulp scholar Bobby Derie and Cassie’s biography.

Art Taylor: A New Semester: Short Story Collections

 Art Taylor: A New Semester: Short Story Collections

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Little Big Crimes Review: The Underneath by Stephen Ross

Little Big Crimes: The Underneath, by Stephen Ross:  "The Underneath," by Stephen Ross, in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, January/February 2021.  This is the second appea...

2021 SMFS Lefty Award Nominees

Several SMFS list members are up for the 2021 Lefty Awards. There are four categories in total with 23 books. SMFS list members are competing in two different categories regarding books first published in 2020. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the winners will be announced online on April 10, 2021. The SMFS list members and their books in the respective categories are:

 

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel

Jennifer J. Chow, Mimi Lee Gets a Clue (Berkley Prime Crime)

Cynthia Kuhn, The Study of Secrets (Henery Press) 

 

Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel (The Bruce Alexander Memorial for books covering events before 1970)

James W. Ziskin, Turn to Stone (Seventh Street Books)

 

For a full list of all the books and their authors under award consideration, go to the official Left Coast site at 2021 Lefty Awards: The Unconvention

SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #8

Several SMFS list members have short stories in Black Cat Mystery Magazine #8. Published by Wildside Press, the read is currently available in eBook format at Amazon as well as print, and at other vendors.  The SMFS members in the issue are:

 

Editor Michael Bracken with his editorial, “From The Cat’s Perch.”

 

John M. Floyd with “The Big Picture.”

 

Barb Goffman with “An Inconvenient Sleuth.”

 

M. A. Monnin with “St. Killian’s Choice.”

 

Elizabeth Zelvin with “An Artist In The Harem.” 

 

Amazon Synopsis:

The first Black Cat Mystery Magazine of 2021 presents 7 compelling original tales, plus a classic reprint by Donald Barr Chidsey. Included are:

TRIP UP ON HIGH STREET, by John Hegenberger

ST. KILLIAN’S CHOICE, by M.A. Monnin

YOU LOSE, WE FIND, by Jon Matthew Farber

THE BIG PICTURE, by John M. Floyd

AN ARTIST IN THE HAREM, by Elizabeth Zelvin

PLANTED IN MIDAIR, by D.V. Bennett

AN INCONVENIENT SLEUTH, by Barb Goffman

"Just Another Bum," by Donald Barr Chidsey

SMFS Member Publishing News: John Floyd

SMFS list member John Floyd’s mystery driven short story, “The Warden’s Game” appears in the in the recently released anthology, Winter’s Vindication. Published by Summerstorm Press, the read is available from the publisher and Amazon. John is also interviewed in relation to his story and more here at the publisher.

 

Synopsis:

In these nine stories of frost and snow, join a collection of survivors as they fight to overcome nuclear winter, 100 years of ice, elder gods, frozen deities, a town ruled by thugs, and more. This premier anthology from SummerStorm press features the writing of C. Marry Hultman, Christine Watts, Erin Fanning, Thaddeus Rutkowski, John M. Floyd, David Green, Derek Power, Louise Pierce, and Abigail Linhardt.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Bev Vincent

SMFS list member Bev Vincent’s short story, "Tupilaq" appears online at  The Cemetery Gates Society as a winner in their flash fiction contest. The story can be read for free here.

SMFS Members Published in Pulp Modern: Volume Two, Issue Six

Several SMFS list members are published in the new Pulp Modern: Volume Two, Issue Six. Published by Uncle B. Publications / Larque Press, LLC, the  read is available in both print and eBook formats at Amazon. Edited by SMFS list member Alec Cizak, the latest issue includes short stories by several other SMFS list members. Those other SMFS list members are:

 

John Floyd with “Twenty Minutes in Riverdale.”

 

Stephen J. Golds with “Hari-Kari.”

 

Stephen D. Rogers with “With Hindsight."

 

Louise Taylor with “Tall Tales.” 

 

Synopsis:

The greatest multi-genre fiction digest of the 21st century returns with eight stunning short stories by John M. Floyd, Stephen J. Golds, Matthew X. Gomez, Stephen D. Rogers, Louise Taylor, Dustin Walker, and Patrick Whitehurst. This issue features a non-fiction article by Anthony Perconti. Bob Vojtko provides more entertaining cartoons. Art director Richard Krauss and illustrator Ran Scott have worked their tails off making this the most stunning issue yet. Chief editor Alec Cizak simply allowed all this talent to come together and create yet another gold standard for independent fiction digests.


Saturday, January 23, 2021

Monday, January 18, 2021

Little Big Crimes Review: Just A Little Before Winter's Set In by Larry Tyler

Little Big Crimes: Just A Little Before Winter's Set In, by Larry Tyler: "Just A Little Before Winter's Set In," by Larry Tyler, in Masthead: Best New England Crime Stories, edited by Verena Rose, Ha...

SMFS Member Publishing News: Frank Zafiro

Today is publication day for Sugar Got Low by SMFS list member Frank Zafiro. The short story collection is available in print and eBook at Amazon and other vendors. You can learn more about the book at Mr. Zafiro’s website.

 

Synopsis:

SUGAR GOT LOW contains a tale of grifters, a prequel story to the well-regarded Ania series, several trips back to River City and one to La Sombra, Texas. Enjoy a Walter Mitty homage set in San Francisco and a deadly day in Roman Britain, the heartbreaking story of a junkie and the suspenseful one of a murderer in a black car. And at the end of it all, you'll experience the dark but inspiring title story of perseverance that was only made possible because of a misunderstood lyric.Four-time Derringer finalist Frank Zafiro weaves a lucky thirteen tales drawn from throughout his career with one thing in common - characters you may love or hate, but will certainly feel.

Victoria Weisfeld: The Short of It

 Victoria Weisfeld: The Short of It

Saturday, January 16, 2021

Monday, January 11, 2021

SMFS Member Podcast News: Frank Zafiro

 SMFS list member Frank Zafiro is interviewed at the podcast, “You Really Shouldn’t Have.” In Episode 39, he discusses his journey as a writer and his River City novels as well as bad gifts. The podcast is on the Spotify subscription service and can be heard here.

Sunday, January 10, 2021

SMFS Member Publishing News: Stephen D. Rodgers

SMFS list member Stephen D. Rogers has released two short story collections on Amazon. They Stalk Because They Can and Three More PI Stories came out at the end of December. That was followed approximately a week later by the companion book, The Man Wore Motley and Three More Crime Stories. Both books are part of the and Three More Series available in eBook format at Amazon.

 

Synopsis for They Stalk Because They Can and Three More PI Stories

The private investigators in this collection of four stories will never be mistaken for knights in shining armor.

 

Synopsis for The Man Wore Motley and Three More Crime Stories

When you don't have access to the benefits of privilege, you find other ways to get by.

Little Big Crimes Review: Cahoots by C.C. Guthrie

Little Big Crimes: Cahoots, by C.C. Guthrie: "Cahoots," by C.C. Guthrie, in Cozy Villages of Death, edited by Lyn Worthen, Camden Park Press, 2020. Alan Peterson is a banker, ...

Saturday, January 9, 2021

SMFS Members Published in Mardi Gras Mysteries

Several SMFS list members have short stories in the recently published anthology, Mardi Gras Mysteries. Published by Mystery and Horror, LLC, the read is available at Amazon in print and eBook. The SMFS list members in the read are:

 

Tom Andes with "Keep Your Head Up."

 

Nancy Brewka-Clark "Unholy Beads.”

 

DG Critchley with "The Brass Menagerie."

 

John Floyd with “Spell Check.”

 

Synopsis: 

By popular demand, we present the sequel to Mardi Gras Murder. Mardi Gras Mysteries offers seventeen tales of crime, mayhem, and murder set during the celebration and licentiousness of Carnival.

For a savory sample of New Orleans lore, take a sip of “A Prayer to Momus” by DJ Tyrer or “Carnival Carnage” by John Kiste. For a dish of redemption and revenge, returning author and Louisiana native Nathan Pettigrew serves up “The Steel Pelican.” Is a mystery with a literary flavor more to your taste? Try “The Brass Menagerie” by DG Critchley. If you prefer a racier seasoning, there’s “Unholy Beads” and “Gussy Saint and the Case of the Three-Boobed Woman.” For the deepest bowl of intrigue, we end with “Keep Your Head Up,” a thriller by Tom Andes.


Tuesday, January 5, 2021

SMFS Member Publishing News: Bev Vincent

SMFS list member Bev Vincent’s novella, The Ogilvy Affair: A novella is now out. It is available in eBook format at Amazon.

 

Synopsis:

First came the warning note.

Then someone took a shot at Clifford Ogilvy, publisher of the Harrisville Dispatch. The would-be killer missed, but he or she will likely try again.

Enter Quentin Sawyer, a private detective from Houston who responds to Ogilvy's request for an investigator to find out who's trying to kill him. Sawyer is a fish out of water at the luxurious Ogilvy mansion and in small town Harrisville. He soon discovers that his problem isn't finding someone who has a motive to murder his powerful client. Just about everyone in town has a reason to dislike Ogilvy.

Sawyer needs to narrow down the long list of suspects before the killer tries again.

Little Big Crimes Review: Camberwell Crackers by Anthony Horowitz

Little Big Crimes: Camberwell Crackers, by Anthony Horowitz:    "Camberwell Crackers," by Anthony Horowitz, in California Schemin', edited by Art Taylor, Wildside Press, 2020. This is a v...

The First Two Pages: “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement” by James W. Ziskin

 The First Two Pages: “The Twenty-Five-Year Engagement” by James W. Ziskin

SleuthSayers: Birthplace of a Story by Barb Goffman

SleuthSayers: Birthplace of a Story: Most anyone who's had their fiction published has likely been asked this question: Where do you get your ideas? It's a common enough...

Sunday, January 3, 2021

Judy Penz Sheluk ---Behind the Scenes: My BookBub Promotion

 Judy Penz Sheluk ---Behind the Scenes: My BookBub Promotion

Gateway Drugs: Great Short Stories

 Sadly there are some people in the world who haven't discovered the joys of short fiction.  We invited members of the Society to list stories they thought would make a great introduction to the field, and here  are their suggestions. Most but not all are mysteries.  We have compiled sources for each story but we will have to put them in a separate note.

Allingham Margery The Villa Marie Celeste
Barrie J.M. The Adventure of the two collaborators
Barthelme Donald The Joker's Greatest Triumph
Bierce Ambrose An  Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Bierce Ambrose A Horseman in the sky
Borges Jorge Luis Borges and I
Boyle TC Achates McNeil
Bradbury Ray The  Fruit at the bottom of the bowl
Bradbury Ray The Jar
Bradbury Ray The Whole Town's Sleeping,
Brown Fredric Voodoo
Cecil Henry Proof
Chan Christopher Six year old serial killer
Cheever John The Enormous Radio
Child Lee Guy walks into a bar
Christensen Jan Artie and the long-legged woman
Collier John Thus I refute Beelzy
Connell Richard The most dangerous game
Dahl Roald Lamb to the Slaughter
de Maupassant Guy The Necklace
Dick Philip K. The Box
Dinesen Isak Babette's feast
Doyle Arthur C The Adventure of the Speckled Band
du Maurier Daphne Don't look now
du Maurier Daphne The  Birds
Eliot George Lifted Veil
Ellison Harlan Soft Monkey
Ellison Harlan Jeffty is five
Fitzgerald F. Scott A Diamond as big as the ritz
Galsworthy John Under the Apple Tree
Garcia Marquez Gabriel Death Constant Beyond Love
Gilman Charlotte Perkins The Yellow wallpaper
Glaspell Elizabeth A Jury of her peers
Grafton Sue A Poison that leaves no trace
Hall James W. Crack
Hardy Melissa The Uncharted Heart
Harvey WF August Heat
Heker Liliana Stolen Party
Hemingway Ernest Hills Like White Elephants
Henry O The Gift of the magi
Henry O The  Ransom of red chief
Hill Joe 20th century ghost
Holding James   Second Talent
Jackson Shirley The  Lottery
Jackson Shirley The Possibility of Evil
Jacobs WW The Monkey's Paw
James  PD Great Aunt Allie's Flypapers
Kemal  Yashar Dirty Story
King Stephen Mrs Todd's Shortcut
King Stephen Last Rung on the Ladder
Knight Damon The Country of the Kind
Lansdale Joe R The Night they missed the horror show
Lardner Ring Haircut
Lehane Dennis Running out of dog
Lippman Laura Crack Cocaine Diet
Matheson Richard Disinheritors
Melville Herman Benito Cereno
Oates Joyce Carol Where are you going, where have you been?
O'Connor Flannery A Good Man is hard to find
Pachter Josh The Odds are Good
Poe Edgar A The  Murders in the Rue Morgue
Poe Edgar A A Cask of Amontillado
Rinehart Mary R Lipstick
Ritchie Jack The Green Heart
Russ Joanna My Boat
Sa'edi Gholam-Hossein Game is over
Saki
Reginald
Slaughter Karin Remmy Rothstein Toes the Line
Spark Muriel The Portobello Road
Sturgeon Theodore A Way of Thinking
Symons Julian The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring 
Taylor Art    English 398: Fiction Workshop
Thurber James W. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Wilhelm Kate The Funeral
Winslow Don San Diego Zoo
Wodehouse PG Crime wave at Blandings

Gateway Drugs: Sources for Great Short Stories

 Here are sources for the stories mentioned in the other entry.  In some cases there are books; in some websites.  Many of the stories are available from various sources. Enjoy!


The Villa Marie Celeste Allingham Casebook
The Adventure of the two collaborators http://www.diogenes-club.com/collab.htm
The Joker's Greatest Triumph Collected Stories

An  Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/375
A Horseman in the sky https://tinyurl.com/y79vu3mz
Borges and I Dreamtigers

Achates McNeil New Yorker, June 26 and July 3, 1995
The  Fruit at the bottom of the bowl The Golden Apples of the Sun
The Jar October Country

The Whole Town's Sleeping, Dandelion wine

Voodoo From these ashes

Proof Portrait of a Judge

Six year old serial killer https://tinyurl.com/y8qz88bh
The Enormous Radio Stories of John Cheever
Guy walks into a bar https://tinyurl.com/y724o2qn
Artie and the long-legged woman https://tinyurl.com/ybbratx8
Thus I refute Beelzy Fancies and Goodnights
The most dangerous game https://tinyurl.com/ydaaare4
Lamb to the Slaughter Lamb to the Slaughter
The Necklace https://tinyurl.com/y8ehfz2m
The Box The Little Black Box
Babette's feast Modern Classics

The Adventure of the Speckled Band https://tinyurl.com/k39ruun
Don't look now Don't look now

The  Birds Don't look now

Lifted Veil Gateway to Great Books
Soft Monkey Angry Candy

Jeffty is five Shatterday

A Diamond as big as the ritz Gateway to Great Books
Under the Apple Tree Gateway to Great Books
Death Constant Beyond Love Collected Stories

The Yellow wallpaper https://tinyurl.com/pjhgczm
A Jury of her peers troubled daughters, twisted wives
A Poison that leaves no trace Kinsey and me

Crack Best American Noir of the Century
The Uncharted Heart Best American Short Stories 1999
August Heat https://tinyurl.com/hc9frhs
Stolen Party Other Fires: Short Fiction by Latin American Women
Hills Like White Elephants Complete short stories
The Gift of the magi https://tinyurl.com/j4pmocp
The  Ransom of red chief https://tinyurl.com/y8mgu3tn
20th century ghost 20th century ghost

Second Talent Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories to Stay Awake 
The  Lottery https://tinyurl.com/y6b3b3ap
The Possibility of Evil Just an ordinary day

The Monkey's Paw https://tinyurl.com/gmk3of9
Great Aunt Allie's Flypapers International Treasury of Mystery & Suspense
Dirty Story Anatolian Tales

Mrs Todd's Shortcut Skeleton Crew

Last Rung on the Ladder Night Shift

The Country of the Kind In Deep


The Night they missed the horror show By Bizarre Hands

Haircut https://tinyurl.com/ybjzd5g6
Running out of dog Best American Noir of the Century
Crack Cocaine Diet https://tinyurl.com/y7ee4953
Disinheritors Collected Stories vol 1
Benito Cereno https://tinyurl.com/yb8bqmph
Where are you going, where have you been? Where are you going, where have you been?
A Good Man is hard to find A Good Man is hard to find
The Odds are Good https://tinyurl.com/ybmxj2t5
The  Murders in the Rue Morgue https://tinyurl.com/y98z2km9
A Cask of Amontillado https://tinyurl.com/ycsmrw53
Lipstick Crime Book

The Green Heart Little Boxes of Bewilderment
My Boat Zanzibar Cat

Game is over Dandil


Reginald https://tinyurl.com/y7jxmw2e
Remmy Rothstein Toes the Line https://tinyurl.com/y7qa6ebm
The Portobello Road Stories of Muriel Spark
A Way of Thinking E Pluribus Unicorn

The Flowers That Bloom in the Spring  A New Omnibus of Crime
English 398: Fiction Workshop The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty https://tinyurl.com/ya6kg9g2
The Funeral Infinity Box

San Diego Zoo Broken


Crime wave at Blandings Wodehouse on Crime

 


SMFS Members Published in Mystery Weekly Magazine: January 2021

Several SMFS list members are published in the Mystery Weekly Magazine: January 2021 issue. The read is available in both print and eBook from the publisher and at Amazon. The SMFS members in this issue are: 

 

Peter DiChellis with “A Conventional Murder.” This is the “A-You-Solve-It” story for this month with the conclusion appearing next month.

 

R. T. Lawton with “The Clean Car Company.”

 

Alan Orloff with “Auditions Can Be Murder.”

 

Josh Pachter with “The Night Movers.”

 

Synopsis:

At the cutting edge of crime fiction, Mystery Weekly Magazine presents original short stories by the world’s best-known and emerging mystery writers.

The stories we feature in our monthly issues span every imaginable subgenre, including cozy, police procedural, noir, whodunit, supernatural, hardboiled, humor, and historical mysteries. Evocative writing and a compelling story are the only certainty.

Get ready to be surprised, challenged, and entertained--whether you enjoy the style of the Golden Age of mystery (e.g., Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle), the glorious pulp digests of the early twentieth century (e.g., Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler), or contemporary masters of mystery.

 

Our cover story, “The Dark Side Of The River” by Brendan DuBois, discovers how far one man will go to help a brother whose earlier betrayal sent him to jail.“The Clean Car Company” by R.T. Lawton: When you offer a brand-new type of start-up business to the criminal element, you can't always depend upon them to be trustworthy. Even when they pay half upfront.In “A Day At The Office” by Anne Swardson, a Paris pickpocket who loves high fashion has something a high-rolling drug dealer urgently wants.“Auditions Can Be Murder” by Alan Orloff: Professional theater can be a cutthroat business, and everyone is just playing a role, heroes and villains, alike.In “Stakeout” by Caleb Coy, five people stakeout a hotel room, unaware that they are having the same bizarre conversation.“Why Do They Have To Make It Easy?” by Mike McHone: When the man who was sent to prison for killing Hal Richards' wife shows up on the Detective's doorstep, old wounds are reopened and secrets revealed. But is the escaped convict there for a more sinister reason?“The Night Movers” by Josh Pachter: When you're looking for a clean break and a fresh start, the Night Movers are there to help …In “Going Out To Sea” by Vy Kava, Jake Walsh received a free ticket from the Gallagher Museum of Art to view an art collection and soon learned that nothing ever comes free.“The Recidivists” by Mark Feggeler Bryan Waller is murdered one morning on his way to work. Things only get worse when it happens again the following day.The issue finishes with a You-Solve-It mystery “A Conventional Murder” by Peter DiChellis.Custom cover art by Robin Grenville Evans

Saturday, January 2, 2021

BTAP Webzine | Jeff Esterholm | Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town

BTAP Webzine | Jeff Esterholm | Uh-Oh, Love Comes to Town: January 2021 short story

SMFS Member Publishing News: John Floyd

SMFS list member John Floyd’s short story, “Nobody’s Business” appears in the new special holiday issue of The Strand Magazine. The issue is available at the website.

KRL: Stealth: A Mystery Short Story by Merrilee Robson

 KRL: Stealth: A Mystery Short Story by Merrilee Robson 

SleuthSayers: A Blurb in the Hand by John Floyd

SleuthSayers: A Blurb in the Hand:    For several weeks now, writers have been blogging about their 2020 accomplishments and whatever writing goals they might've set for...

Friday, January 1, 2021

SMFS Members Published in Mystery Tribune: Issue No. 14

SMFS list members have short stories in Mystery Tribune: Issue No. 14. The recently published issue is available on the website in print and eBook Formats. The SMFS members in the issue are:

 

Tom Barker with “Payback is a Bitch.”

 

Brian Silverman with "Cow Foot."

 

Synopsis:

Issue Nº14 features:

A curated collection of short fiction including stories by Lori Roy, Brendan DuBois, Reed Farrel Coleman, Brian Silverman, Charles Salzberg, Chris Knopf, Duncan Birmingham, David Berger, Robert Kostanczuk, and Emily Ruth Verona.

Interviews, Essay and Reviews by Tobias Carroll, Scott Adlerberg, Dana Robbins, William Ryan, and MJ McGrath.

Art and Photography by Vyacheslav Ivanov and more.

This issue also features a preview of the new graphic novel Rivers of London Volume 8: The Fey and the Furious by Ben Aaronovitch, Andrew Cartmel, and Lee Sullivan.

NY Times Bestselling author Reed Farrel Coleman has called Mystery Tribune “a cut above” and mystery grand masters Lawrence Block and Max Allan Collins have praised it for its “solid fiction” and “the most elegant design”.

An elegantly crafted quarterly issue, printed on uncoated paper and with a beautiful layout designed for optimal reading experience, our Issue Nº14 will make a perfect companion or gift for avid mystery readers and fans of literary crime fiction.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Joseph Benedetto

SMFS list member Joseph Benedetto has two short stories in two different recently published anthologies. 


His short story, “The Dead Men on Asteroid 3-19 Delta” appears in Asteroids!: Stories of Space Adventure. Published by Lagrange Books, the anthology is available in both print and ebook formats at Amazon.

 

Synopsis:

 

 Tiny specks in the void, devoid of life, inhospitable to visitors—asteroids are the ultimate expression of stark implacable reality. A big enough asteroid can scour the life from entire planets, if any are unlucky enough to cross its path. Yet as humans reach out into space, asteroids beckon with the lure of untold riches.Rediscover the wonders of space as you read short stories ranging from the whimsical to the thrilling. Journey into the last frontier in search of wealth. Put down roots and raise a family alongside some unusual neighbors. Explore the surprising beauty of secret places and ancient rock. Seek justice for lonely miners murdered for their claim. Cut one last desperate deal to escape a planet on fire.Experience the cosmic awe of asteroids.Asteroids! Stories of Space Adventure features the following short stories:“The Dead Men on Asteroid 3-19 Delta,” by Joseph Benedetto“Fabio-14 (ETC.),” by T.E. Ackerson“Fragile,” by Misha Burnett“The Shot Launched Around the World,” by Geoffrey Hart“Resonance,” by Kenneth B. Chiacchia“The Planetoid of Doom: A Rory Rammer, Space Marshal Adventure,” by Ron N. Butler“Rumblings,” by Roy Gray“Bad Egg: A Sundog Tale,” by Bruce F. WebsterWith an introduction by editor Oren Litwin.More anthologies from Lagrange Books!Ye Olde Magick Shoppe: Stories of Magic for SaleThe Wand that Rocks the Cradle: Magical Stories of Family 

 





His short story, "Murder, and a Multitude of Other Sins" appears in the anthology, Fark in the Time of Covid: The Fark 2020 Fiction Anthology. Published by Fark.Com, the read is available in print and eBook formats at Amazon.

 

Synospis:

From across the far reaches of the internet, the community at Fark.com presents . . . Fark in the Time of Covid: The 2020 Fark Fiction Anthology.Our editors have worked feverishly to bring you the best short fiction of 2020 from the minds and imaginations at Fark, the online community where snark is king and wit reigns supreme.Time travel. Murder. Vampires. A basement apartment for rent. More vampires. Zombies. Aliens. Even more vampires! Whatever that thing was. And last but not least, Florida.And even better, for the fifth year in a row, all proceeds from the sale of this anthology will benefit an excellent children’s charity chosen by the posters at Fark.com.Mask up your squirrel and sanitize the slatted chair of woe, because this is Fark in the Time of Covid.