Sunday, December 31, 2023

SMFS Members Published in Mystery Magazine: January 2024

 

SMFS list members are published in the Mystery Magazine: January 2024 issue. The read is available at the publisher and at Amazon. The SMFS list members that reported their presence in the issue are:

 

Joslyn Chase with "Something Like Happiness.”

 

 Martin Hill Ortiz with “Spinning Monkey Thriller.”

 

Josh Pachter, translation of Arend Smits’, "Jake Brown's Anomalies.”

 

Amazon Description:

At the cutting edge of crime fiction, Mystery 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.

 In this issue 

In our cover story, “Jake Brown’s Anomalies” by Arend Smits: In his small Nebraska town, Jake Brown sits on his porch and watches the world go by. When he begins to notice anomalies in the passing scene, though, his observations lead to the solution to multiple murders. …

“Spinning Monkey Thriller” by Martin Hill Ortiz: While awaiting his assignment, a hitman has a potentially life-changing encounter.

“Something Like Happiness” by Joslyn Chase: In 1925 Bavaria, Rein Werner seizes a chance to avenge his brother's death and sabotage a corrupt Third Reich official rising to power. He puts together a crack team of criminals to make it happen.

In “What The Boy Said” by Wynn Quon, two partners-in-crime are angling for their next assignment. Their rich client is supposed to meet them but why hasn't she shown up?

In “Freezer Burn” by April Kelly, two larcenous country boys find out the hard way that there are cold cases and then there are—

“The Good Neighbor” by Martin Rosenstock: Sitting in a Berlin cafĂ©, an American tourist sees a woman he knew years ago in the Gulf. Back then, she got into trouble with the police and he lied for her, without understanding the cause of her predicament. The mystery is about to be solve

In our You-Solve-It mystery, “Orange Cones And Alibis” by Kate Fellowes, a construction project's power cut sets the scene for an unlikely burglary. Can you guess who did it?

Custom Cover Art by Robin Grenville Evans.
 

Saturday, December 30, 2023

SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Weekly #122


SMFS list members are published in Black Cat Weekly #122. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is available here in digital format. The members and their stories are:

 

Elizabeth Elwood with "All Decked Out for New Year's Eve."

 

Nikki Knight with "No Angels Here."

 

Website Description:

This is the last issue of the year—which explains why we have a New Year’s story from Elizabeth Elwood (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). We also have original mysteries from Mark Troy (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Nikki Knight (a new Grace the Hit Mom story), plus a complete short story collection by Edgar Wallace, plus a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles.

   Five classics this time on the science fiction & fantasy front, from some of the great short story writers of the field: Robert F. Young, Jack Sharkey, Harry Harrison, Thomas M. Disch, and August Derleth (one of Derleth’s rare excursions into science fiction, in fact…in this case, a robot story.)

   Here’s the complete lineup:

 

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

  • “Your Table’s Waiting,” by Mark Troy [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
  • “The Hot Car,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]
  • “All Decked Out for New Year’s Eve,” by Elizabeth Elwood [Barb Goffman Presents short story]
  • “No Angels Here,” by Nikki Knight [short story, Grace the Hit Mom series]
  • Mrs. William Jones—and Bill, by Edgar Wallace [short story collection]

 

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

  • “Lord of Rays” by Robert F. Young [short story]
  • “The Smart Ones,” by Jack Sharkey [short story]
  • “Down To Earth,” by Harry Harrison [short story]
  • “Utopia? Never!” by Thomas M. Disch [short story]
  • “The Maugham Obsession,” by August Derleth [short story]

Friday, December 29, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: Two Short Stories by Joan Leotta


SMFS list member Joan Leotta’s short stories, Christmas Stocking Surprise, as well as, New Year Omen, were published today at Sharon Knutson's blog, Storyteller Poetry Review. You can read the stories for free here.

SMFS Member Publishing News: 10 Tips for Submitting to an Anthology by Judy Penz Sheluk


SMFS list member Judy Penz Sheluk’s essay, 10 Tips for Submitting to an Anthology, is published online in the Killer Nashville Magazine: December 2023 issue.  You can read it for free here.

Sunday, December 24, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: Laughing All the Way to Hell by Glen Bush


SMFS list member Glen Bush’s non-Christmas short story, Laughing All the Way to Hell, was published at Close to the Bone. You can read the piece for free online here.


SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Weekly #121


SMFS list members are published in Black Cat Weekly #121. Published by Wildside Press today, the issue is available here in digital format. The members and their stories are:

 

John M. Floyd with “A Christmas Movie.”

 

Robert Jeschonek with “The Luckiest Man in the World.”

 

Anne Swardson with “The Spice of Death.” 

 

Website Description:

This is our final issue of 2023.

   We have original stories from Robert Jeschonek, John M. Floyd, Anne Swardson, and Phyllis Ann Karr, plus a recent tale by Anna Tambour. Classic reprints from Keith Laumer, Piers Anthony, Raymond F. Jones, and Hal Meredith. Plus, of course, a solve-it-yourself puzzler.

   On a personal note, I have a short story (a collaboration with Leigh Grossman, a great friend from college; we met in an English class and I soon joined his fantasy role-playing group) in the current issue of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and my first novel in more than a decade will be out in early 2024. (It’s called The Things from Another World, and quite obviously is a sequel to John W. Campbell’s “Who Goes There”—which was filmed by Howard Hawks as The Thing from Another World, and then John Carpenter as his masterpiece, The Thing.) So I guess you can say I’m writing more regularly now.

   Here’s to an even better 2024!

   As for this issue: here’s the complete lineup—

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

“The Luckiest Man in the World” by Robert Jeschonek [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

“The Garage Sale Mystery” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]

“A Christmas Movie” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

“The Spice of Death,” by Anne Swardson [short story]

“The Ancient Monk,” by Hal Meredith [short story, Sexton Blake series]

 

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

“The Witch of La JĂ­cara” by Phyllis Ann Karr [short story]

“The Tin and the Damask Rose,” by Anna Tambour [short story]

“The Walls,” by Keith Laumer [short story]

“Quinquepedalian,” by Piers Anthony [short story]

“Stay Off The Moon!” by Raymond F. Jones [short story]

SMFS Member Publishing News: The Cat Who Loved David Duchovny by James Blakey


SMFS list member James Blakey’s short story, The Cat Who Loved David Duchovny, was published in Impossible Worlds Magazine IV. You can purchase the PDF here.

 

Publisher Description:

Just in time to stuff someone's digital stocking! Six stories of wonder, amazement, and just straight up oddities! From a cat obsessed with Duchovny to government interference in spatial anomalies, this 4th edition of Impossible Worlds is sure to please any SFF Fan! Buy it now or support our Patreon to help us make even more next year! Includes the following stories.

The Day My Mum Chucked a Bloke From the Government Into a Wormhole in our Garden- by Michelle Ann King

The Third Apocalypse- by Liam Hogan

On Arrow- by Beth Dawkins

The Cat Who Loved David Duchovny- by James Blakey

Charismatic Megafauna- by Sarah Morgan 

The Singing Dogs of Lord Stainerau- by Anne Karppinen 

Cover art by Tom Nel 

Interior Illustrations by Garth Von Ahnen 

Edited by Stephen Wright & Chase Stowell

Saturday, December 23, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: We've Been Trying to Reach You by Carl Tait

 

SMFS list member Carl Tait’s short story, We've Been Trying to Reach You, was published at Rising Action Review. You can read the piece for free online here.

SMFS 2023 Black Orchid Novella Award Winners


SMFS congratulates SMFS list members Libby Cudmore and Paul A. Barra for their wins in the 2023 Black Orchid Novella Award.


Libby Cudmore's novella, Alibi in Ice, won first place and is scheduled to appear in the July/August 2024 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine.


Paul A. Barra's novella, Death of a Papist, collected an Honorable mention.


Presented by The Wolfe Pack and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, the news was announced on December 2nd at the 2023 Black Orchid Banquet in New York City. More about The Wolfe Pack: The Official Nero Wolfe Literary Society can be found at their website. More about the award can also be found at the AHMM website.

 

Thank you to past President, Robert Lopresti, who brought this important news to the attention of the SMFS list.

SMFS Arizona Mystery Writers’ Jim Martin Memorial Adult Short Story Contest Winners


SMFS congratulates SMFS list members, Patricia Remick, Janel Alcorn, and Thomas Andes on their Arizona Mystery Writers’ Jim Martin Memorial Adult Short Story Contest wins. The awards were announced by the Arizona Mystery Writers earlier this week. You can learn more about the group at their website, download and read the winning stories, as well as see the full list of nominees and winners. Our members and their placement in the contest this year are:

 

1st Place: Patricia Remick for "Arlene in a Pickle."

 

2nd Place: Janet Alcorn for "The Fourth Man."

 

3rd Place: Thomas Andes for "Death Gets in the Nostrils."


Friday, December 22, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: Gift Wrapped by M. E. Proctor


SMFS list member M. E. Proctor’s short story, Gift Wrapped, was published at Shotgun Honey. You can read the piece for free online here.

SMFS Members Published in Pulphouse Fiction Magazine: Issue 24

 

Several SMFS members are published in the recently released, Pulphouse Fiction Magazine: Issue 24. Published by WMG Publishing, the read is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported being in the issue are:

 

David H. Hendrickson with "Scrooge and Marley."

 

Robert Jeschonek with "It's a Wonderful Death."

 

Annie Reed with "First Chair."

 

 

Publisher Website Description:

The Cutting Edge of Modern Short Fiction

A three-time Hugo Award nominated magazine, this issue of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine offers up ten fantastic stories by some of the best writers working in modern short fiction.

No genre limitations, no topic limitations, just great stories. Attitude, feel, and high-quality fiction equals Pulphouse.

“This is definitely a strong start. All the stories have a lot of life to them, and are worthwhile reading.” —Tangent Online on Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, Issue #1

Includes:

“First Chair” by Annie Reed

“Scrooge and Marley” by David H. Hendrickson

“Krampus and His Theoretical Heart” by Rob Vagle

“Santa Sata-ni-fied” by Stephannie Tallent

“Desperate Housewitches” by Dayle A. Dermatis

“The Pain” by O’Neil De Noux

“What Fits” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

“Harsh Expectations” by R.W. Wallace

“It’s a Wonderful Death” by Robert Jeschonek

“Up On the Rooftop” by Kristine Grayson

“Minions at Work” by J. Steven York

SMFS Members Published in Curators of Crime: Holiday Sketches: Portraits of Deception


SMFS list members are published in the recently released anthology, Curators of Crime: Holiday Sketches: Portraits of Deception. Published by Curators of Crime, you can pick up the book at the publisher and Amazon. The SMFS members that reported being in the read are:

 

M. A. Monnin with "The Glamour Girls Strike Out."

 

Lane Stone with “Art and Enemies.”

 

Nina Wachsman with "The Right Spin."

 

Amazon Description:

This is the first collection of mystery short stories, with a holiday theme, by the Curators of Crime—Connie Berry, M. A. Monnin, Lane Stone and Nina Wachsman. We all write mysteries involving the fascinating and sometimes nefarious world of art, antiques, and antiquities. The gems in this collection feature major and minor characters from our books:
"Lady Barbara's Christmas Miracle," features characters from the Kate Hamilton mysteries by Connie Berry, such as The Shadow of Memory and Mistletoe and Murder.
"
The Glamour Girls Strike Out" follows Rita and Lauren, from Death on the Aegean in M. A. Monnin'sIntrepid Traveler mysteries, as they encounter the criminal element on their holiday in Venice.
In "Art and Enemies", the title sums up the behind-the-scenes intrigue of the art world in The Big Picture mysteries of Lane Stone, featuring Emma Kelly, in The Canvas.
"The Right Spin" is set in seventeenth century Venice, where the elite courtesan Belladonna, from Nina Wachsman's Venice Beauties series, must once again rely on her wits to defend herself from powerful men, as she did in The Courtesan's Secret.
With these mini-mysteries, the reader gets a sampler of the art mysteries written, enjoyed and collected by the Curators of Crime.

Thursday, December 21, 2023

SMFS Members Published in Thrill Ride: The Magazine #4: Betrayal


Today is publication day for Thrill Ride: The Magazine #4: Betrayal. Published by Buchman Bookworks, Inc., you can pick up the issue at the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS members in the issue are: 

 

KT Bartlett with "It's The Least I Can Do."


Editor M. L. Buchman with "Left Hand."

 

Diana Deverell with "Rotten Apple."

 

Marcelle Dubé with "Sins of the Past."

 

David H. Hendrickson with "Too Many Idiots, Too Few Boats."

 

Description:

13 Tales of Betrayal

The coin-toss side of honor. Where faith in others is misplaced. When the most trusted should have been the least.

Betrayal, at the worst possible moment, can leave you dangling in the wind, facing the wrong end of the gun, or dead.

Unless you move FAST! 

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: Jolly Fat Man by Michael Bracken

 

SMFS list member Michael Bracken’s Christmas mystery short story, Jolly Fat Man, was published at Kings River Life Magazine. You can read this never before published piece for free online here.

Monday, December 18, 2023

SMFS Member Podcast News: Santa's Helper by John M. Floyd

 

SMFS list member John M. Floyd’s Christmas mystery short story, Santa's Helper, is featured this week at Mysteryrat's Maze podcast. Produced by Kings River Life Magazine, the podcast can be heard here.

 

Website Description:

This episode features the Christmas mystery short story Santa's Helper by John M. Floyd. It is read by local actor Ren Burley. Santa’s Helper was published in Kings River Life in 2022. 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. Our theme song was written and performed by Kevin Memley. 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 our podcast newsletter.

If you would like to help support this podcast and Kings River Life financially, and get some fun rewards, check out our Patreon Page. You can also make a one time donation through Paypal and you can purchase some fun Mysteryrat's Maze merchandise on Redbubble.

You can find more mystery fun on our websites Kings River Life Magazine and KRL News and Reviews. 

Sunday, December 17, 2023

SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Weekly #120


SMFS list members are published in Black Cat Weekly #120. Published by Wildside Press today, the issue is available here in digital format. The members and their stories are:

 

Eve Fisher with "The Four Directions."

 

Joseph S. Walker with “A Right Jolly Old Elf.”

 

Website Description:

This issue, we have four original tales to entertain you—mysteries by Eve Fisher (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken) and Joseph S. Walker (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman)—and science fiction by Janice Law and Alan J. Wahnefried. Three stories are Christmas-themed, and the holiday comes up in passing in a few other stories as well. Plus we have classics by Robert Silverberg, Ron Goulart, Evelyn E. Smith, ,and Sir Anthony Quiller-Couch, plus a solve-it-yourself puzzler from Hal Charles. Great fun!

Here’s the complete lineup:

 

Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:

  • “The Four Directions,” by Eve Fisher [Michael Bracken Presents short story]
  • “A Christmas Surprise,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]
  • “A Right Jolly Old Elf,” by Joseph S. Walker [Barb Goffman Presents short story]
  • “My Christmas Burglary,” by Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch [novelet]

 

Science Fiction & Fantasy:

  • “The Argo,” by Janice Law [short story]
  • “Garrison Is Dead,” by Alan J. Wahnefried [short story]
  • “The Yes Men of Venus,” by Ron Goulart [short story]
  • “Mr. Replogle’s Dream,” by Evelyn E. Smith [short story]
  • “There Was an Old Woman—,” by Robert Silverberg [short story]

SMFS Member Publishing News: Helen Wheels by Bev Vincent


SMFS list member Bev Vincent’s short story, Helen Wheels, appears in the recently released anthology, The Binge-Watching Cure III: An Anthology of Short Science Fiction Stories. Published by Claren Books, the book is available at Amazon.

 

Amazon Description:

You know you want to read more. You remember losing yourself in books. You recall how exciting the adventures were, how late you stayed up following your favorite characters, and how you cried, gasped, or bit your nails. But how to start reading again when binge-watching TV is so easy and - let's be honest - fun? You start slowly, of course. Baby steps. First, with a story that's only twitter-sized in length. Then the next, a mere seventy-five words. Then a few hundred words, followed by progressively longer tales until you're reading novels without even knowing it.

The first edition of The Binge-Watching Cure encompassed a range of genres. The second edition of The Binge-Watching Cure was all about the things that scare us, a collection of petrifying tales, each longer and more frightening than the one before. This third edition of The Binge-Watching Cure is a menagerie of creatures and worlds reaching from one side of the galaxy to the other. In this all-Science Fiction book, you'll navigate the stars, explore alternate histories, see impossible realities, and ask yourself 'what is humanity's place in the great, cosmic expanse?' So, kick off your shoes, cure your binge-watching, and watch out for the ghost in the machine.

SMFS Member Publishing News: The Gardener's Mystery by Lisa Morton

 

SMFS list member Lisa Morton’s short story, The Gardener's Mystery, appears in the recently released anthology, The Reinvented Detective: Tales of Futuristic Crimes & Mysteries Beyond Time. Published by CAEZIK SF & Fantasy, imprint of Arc Manor, the book is available at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Amazon Description:

The evolution of crime, punishment, and justice in the future.

What happens when time and technology change the definition of crime and punishment?

Science fiction often focuses on future technology without considering the society housing it. Social norms may change as tech changes — or not. What will criminals, investigators, judges, and juries look like in a complicated future of clones, uploaded intelligences, artificial brains, or body augmentation? What stories emerge when we acknowledge the possibilities of new laws, new police methods, and the birth of sentient Artificial Intelligence, as well as all the ways they can clash or combine?

The Reinvented Detective presents stories that complicate law and order as well as the concept of criminals, detectives, punishment, and justice for all by showing how shifting technology, the rise of sentient AIs, and shifting social attitudes may affect what is not only acceptable, but expected, within both real world and digital communities—and everything in-between. These stories reinvent detective and true crime tropes, recasting them for the 21st century, and above all, experimenting, astonishing, and entertaining.

Saturday, December 16, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: Seaonsal Sabotage by Liz Filleul

 

SMFS list member Liz Filleul reports that her short story, Seaonsal Sabotage, appears in the December 25th issue of Woman's World. The solve-it-yourself mystery in the new issue is available in grocery stores, newsstands, and at Woman’s World.

Friday, December 15, 2023

SMFS Member Publishing News: The Sleuthing Silvers and The Mystery of the Missing Reading Glasses and Other Stories by Ron Katz


SMFS list member Ron Katz announced today publication of his short story collection, The Sleuthing Silvers and The Mystery of the Missing Reading Glasses and Other Stories: Baby Boomer Detective Short Stories, Where Age is an Edge. Released late last week, the book is available at Amazon and other vendors. 

 

Amazon Description:

The Sleuthing Silvers and The Mystery of the Missing Reading Glasses and Other Stories

This short story collection of cozy mysteries is written of, by and for Baby Boomers.

Barb and Bernie Silver are a Baby Boomer detective couple, a/k/a The Sleuthing Silvers. Imagine one of the Hardy Boys married to Nancy Drew 50 years later…

They specialize in cases where their age gives them an edge, for example going undercover at a retirement community. Although they live in a Millennial world, they often find a way to deflect remarks like “OK, Boomer” and transform the dismissiveness of younger generations into intergenerational ingenuity.

SMFS Members Published in Dark Waters Vol 1


SMFS list members are published in the recently released anthology, Dark Waters Vol 1.  Published by Dark Waters, the read is available at Amazon and other vendors.  The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are:

 

Victor De Anda, with "Two Day Rental."

 

C.W. Blackwell with “Bearing Serpents.”

 

Nils Gilbertson with "Sticky Stuff."

 

Amazon Description:

A man fresh from prison meets a new group of friends...

A painter grapples with a dark and troubling power...

The Great Lakes are rising, and bringing more than just water...

The team behind the Dark Waters Podcast brings you a collection of noir, horror, and thrilling tales that remind readers to always look beneath the surface.

With stories by

Jacob Close, Kyle Tam, Brian Gatti, Ashley Erwin, Nils Gilbertson, Victor De Anda, James Hadley Griffin, and Keith J. Hoskins, as well as Derringer Award winner C.W. Blackwell and Bram Stoker Award winner Robert P. Ottone.

SMFS Members Published in Yellow Mama Webzine: Issue 101


SMFS list members are published in the just released, Yellow Mama Webzine: Issue 101. The issue is online and a free read here. The SMFS list members in the issue are:

 

Michael Bracken with "Homecoming."

 

Abe Margel with "Bouncer Beware."

 

Merrilee Robson with "Like Mama Used to Make."

 

Martin Zeigler with "I-Man."

 

Elizabeth Zelvin with the short story, “Retrouvaille,” and the poems, "Cherish" and "Who I Am."