SMFS Member Publishing News: Tales in the Shadows: A Kaye George Collection by Kaye George

SMFS list member Kaye George’s new book, Tales in the Shadows: A Kaye George Collection, was recently published. Released by Untreed Books in digital format only, the mystery short story collection is available at Amazon.

 

Amazon Description:

Fourteen collected tales by Kaye George.

Some more shadowy than others, all intensely entertaining.

Some extra spooky.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Stroke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery by Kaye George

Today is publication day for SMFS list member Kaye George’s new book, Stroke: An Imogene Duckworthy Mystery. Published by Untreed Reads, the new mystery in this long running mystery series is available in digital and print format from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors.

 

Publisher Description:

When Imogene Duckworthy is invited to the wedding of her mother’s cousin in East Texas, and the groom is murdered just before the ceremony, does she get involved? Will swindled rancher Sydney Harbor succeed in laying the blame for the murder of the groom on Eccles Justice, the bride’s father, who is Sydney’s old nemesis—or will Immy shake up the complacent East Texas police force of Slap Out, find out who really killed the groom on his wedding night, and show everyone Imogene Duckworthy can be a real detective in a real case?

SMFS Member Publishing News: Life Saver by Bev Vincent

SMFS list member Bev Vincent’s short story, Life Saver, appears in the recently published Still of Winter: An Unsettling Reads Anthology. Published by Untreed Reads in digital and print formats, is available at Amazon.  

 

Amazon Description:

In winter, there’s a stillness—a silence. As wet snowflakes fall, sounds are muffled. A hush lingers in the air. Bare trees reach upward from the frozen ground, grasping with their spindly branches. Swaying in the frigid breeze, brittle bark creaks and moans as the trees whisper ancient secrets to one another. Sentries, standing in the stillness. Watching. Learning new stories to share with each other long after we have gone.

This winter, we want to celebrate these majestic beings and what happens when the stillness is disturbed.

Within these pages are works by authors, poets, and photographers from around the world, each with a unique perspective on fantasy, horror, and sci-fi genres. We are humbled by the pieces we received from so many talented people, and we are proud of the works we are sharing with you. It is our sincere hope when you’ve finished reading, you’ll add a few new creative individuals to your arsenal.

SMFS Member Publishing News: Death in the New Land: A People of the Wind Mystery Book by Kaye George

Today is publication day for Death in the New Land: A People of the Wind Mystery Book by SMFS list member Kaye George. This series began with Death in the Time of Ice which was followed by Death on the Trek. Published by Untreed Reads in print and digital formats, the book is available at the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors.

 

Synopsis:

Enga Dancing Flower and her tribe have reached a place they can stay in safety. Or have they?

It's clear the groups of other settlers in the area do not want more neighbors, and this is made even more evident when a male of Enga's tribe is murdered, and a baby is kidnapped.

The future of the tribe is immediately put into question. Can Enga and her people find the killer and rescue the baby? Or will the security and bright future the tribe has dreamed of fall to pieces?

SMFS Members Published in The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Sixth Scandalous Serving

Multiple SMFS list members appear in the recently published anthology, The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Sixth Scandalous Serving. Published by Untreed Reads, the anthology is available in both print and eBook format from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS members in the book are: 

 

Bobbi Chukran with “Nameless Adventure of the Red Carbuncle, or Who Snatched Aunt Jewell’s Jewell?” 

Herschel Cozine with "Let's Talk Turkey." 

Lesley A. Diehl with "A Fowl Play Holiday." 

Trey Dowell with “A Very Darwin Family Thanksgiving.” 

C.C. Guthrie with “The Pecan Pie Sacrifice.” 

Steve Liskow with "Cranberry Beret.” 

Steve Shrott with “Some More Good Times.” 

Joseph S. Walker with “Dinner With The King.” 

 

Synopsis:

 

Everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving-themed mystery anthology is back for a sixth outing, celebrating not just the best in murder-most-fowl short stories (not a turkey among them), but also ten years of Untreed Reads Publishing!In addition to enjoying the holiday magic that is bumping off family members we don’t like, this year’s Killer also honors the dedication to the writing world by the late TKWC contributor Earl Staggs.Serving up a sixth season of stories are the following dinner guests: Bobbi A. Chukran, Bert Paul, C.C. Guthrie, Catina Williams, Herschel Cozine, J.B. Toner, Joseph S. Walker, Kari Wainwright, Lesley A. Diehl, Steve Liskow, Steve Shrott and Trey Dowell. Lisa Wagner returns with all-new recipes, helping you to fill your stomach and tickle your funny bone at the same time.So have a seat, grab a plate of food (we wouldn’t try the stuffing if we were you), and get ready to laugh until you’re cranberry in the face!

 

One Day Sale: Flash and Bang: A Short Mystery Fiction Society Anthology

For one day only, Flash and Bang: A Short Mystery Fiction Society Anthology is on sale for just $2.00 at DriveThruFiction.com. It’s available there in EPUB, Kindle and PDF formats. Regularly priced at $4.99, this is the perfect time for you to pick up a copy and show your support for SMFS!

Just head to DriveThruFiction.com and you’ll find the ebook smack dab on their homepage.

Want a paperback or hardcover copy? Those are 15% off every day when you purchase through The Untreed Reads Store (http://bit.ly/flashandbang). We even offer a large print paperback edition! Spend $20, get free shipping (you can combine ebook and paperback purchase to get the free shipping).

Synopsis Supplied by Jay Hartman, Untreed Reeds:

From Jan Christensen’s introduction to the book, here’s the author matched up with their title:

There are nineteen short stories by nineteen amazing authors all in one volume. Here’s a peek inside:

1. “The Perfect Crime,” a rhyming flash by Herschel Cozine, proves that crime writers can write the perfect crime story.

2. Was the fire at the old cotton mill arson? If so, who could have set it? Find out the surprising answer in “The Conflagration at the Nameless Cotton Gin” by Bobbi A. Chukran.

3. There’d been a “Murder on Elm Street” years ago, and the house had remained empty ever since. Until the power went out and two strangers moved in. A real mystery by Su Kopil.

4. In “Fireworks (From Judge Lu’s Ming Dynasty Case Files)” by P.A. De Voe, what was supposed to be a celebration turns deadly.

5. If you like surprise endings, you’ll love “The Bag Lady” by Laurie Stevens.

6. In “Sierra Noir” by Tim Wohlforth, the stakes are hot and high. A fire almost burns down a whole town, but a young woman loses her life to gunshots, not the fire.

7. Suzanne Berube Rorhus tells an unusual tale of two inventors that takes place in ancient times in “Thor’s Breath.”

8. Sandra Murphy provides laughs and surprises in her flash story, “Arthur.” Don’t miss it.

9. In “Fractured Memories” by Julie Tollefson, more than fireworks go off at a Fourth of July celebration.

10. “Don’t Let the Cop into the House” by O’Neil De Noux is a powerful story about two police officers having an intense discussion, and what follows.

11. In “Rosie’s Choice” by John Floyd, the suspense builds to unbearable heights while an old woman confronts two gangsters offering “protection.”

12. A retro, atmospheric story about unrequited love is JoAnne Lucas’s offering, “Don’t Be Cruel.”

13. Andrew MacRae’s “A Simple Job” involves a detective, a beautiful female CEO and blackmail.

14. Another flash story, “Beautiful Killer,” by Judy Penz Sheluk is a moving tale of love and loss.

15. There’s Diana, the smart hooker whose heart of gold is a bit tarnished in “The Fruit of Thy Loins” by Albert Tucher.

16. Earl Staggs’s story, “The Raymond Chandler Con,” stars a smart sheriff and a brave best friend who disagree about how to catch a murderer.

17. A satisfying, flash revenge story is short and not so sweet—“The Wrong Girl” by Barb Goffman.

18. Then there’s “Silent Measures” by BV Lawson, a heartwarming tale of a little deaf boy being lost, then found. 19. Walter Soethoudt's story, “A Day Like No Other,” closes out the anthology with a look at a police lieutenant in Antwerp whose social intolerance leads to a very bad day.

Little Big Crimes Review: Free Man in Paris by Brendan DuBois

Little Big Crimes: Free Man in Paris, by Brendan DuBois: "Free Man in Paris," by Brendan DuBois, in The Beat of Black Wings, edited by Josh Pachter, Untreed Reads, 2020. On occasion I ...

Little Big Crimes Review: Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire by Donna Andrews

Little Big Crimes: Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire, by Donna Andrews: "Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire," by Donna Andrews, in The Beat of Black Wings, edited by Josh Pachter, Untreed Reads, 2020. A...

SMFS Short Story Saturdays: Earl Staggs

Each Saturday, we feature a SMFS list member whose work can be read online for free. These short stories are at least a year old.  

For SMFS Short Story Saturdays today, list member Earl Staggs shares the 2014  short story, “Turkey Tuesday” archived at his site. It was originally published in the anthology, The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fourth Meal of Mayhem published by Untreed Reads.

If you would like to be included and are a member of the SMFS list at groups.io, email the link to your story to KevinRTipple at Verizon dot net. If you are not a member, this would be a good time to check us out at https://groups.io/g/shortmystery

Writers Who Kill: Editing a Themed Anthology by Jay Hartman

Writers Who Kill: Editing a Themed Anthology: Jay Hartman of Untreed Reads returns to give us a little more information on the process of coordinating and editing an anthology. ...

SMFS Member Pubication News: Gail Farrelly

I have two Christmas stories available.

The first, "It's a Dog's Life," is about a mysterious dog and a lonely woman. The story is at the Yonkers Tribune. http://www.yonkerstribune.com/2017/12/its-a-dogs-life-by-gail-farrelly

The second, "The Christmas Exception," is about a woman who discovers just before Christmas a major secret about herself. This 2011 story is published and sold by Untreed Reads, but Jay Hartman was nice enough to allow it as a free read at Kings River Life Magazine. Lorie Ham was nice enough to publish it. I'm grateful to both of them. http://kingsriverlife.com/12/19/the-christmas-exception/

Merry Christmas!
Gail Farrelly (@gailfarrelly on Twitter)

Writers Who Kill: Editing an Anthology: Five Stages of Grief

Writers Who Kill: Editing an Anthology: Five Stages of Grief: Today J. Alan Hartman of the publisher Untreed Reads tells us about his experiences as editor in putting together his most recent Thanks...

SMFS Members Published in The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos

Recently published in eBook and print, The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos features short stories from a number of SMFS members. The book is available by way of the publisher, Untreed Reads, Amazon, and other vendors. The following members who have reported their stories in this edition are:

“Ginger Snapped” by Betsy Bitner.

“The Nameless Turkey Trot of Terror” by Bobbi Chukran.

“Kid Kelly” by Herschel Cozine.

“Death For Dessert” by Dave Goudsward writing as DG Critchley.

“A Family Affair” by Liz Millron. 

“Turkey Underfoot” by KM Rockwood.

“Stakeout In A Maple Tree” by Earl Staggs. 

“The Mac Salad Killer” by Albert Tucher.