Hey everybody, M. here,

It’s been another hectic few weeks over here so I have gotten distracted from making this post a number of times, but I’ve got a couple of new developments to share now:

Independent Author Spotlight interview on the DMR website
Last month I had the privilege of appearing in DMR Books’ Independent Author Spotlight in conjunction with my story The Tears of Blood coming out in the inaugural Die By The Sword anthology. I got a chance to get into my background as a writer starting with my very earliest efforts, my influences within and outside of genre fiction, and what it all adds up to, or might add up to, both in my fiction in contemporary settings and in secondary-world dark fantasy. As I mentioned in the interview, I always enjoy reading the DMR Independent Author Spotlight and I was happy to make an appearance. I hope it is an entertaining read for those who want a little bit of insight into why and how I do what I do.

DBTS as a whole has been very well received so far, getting a nice review in Grimdark Magazine and generating some positive commentary on Goodreads. Grab yourself a copy if you have yet to, and get knee-deep or deeper in blood-soaked, sword-swinging supernatural action and adventure!

Eerie River Cosmic Horror anthology on the way in July
I got word not more than a few minutes ago that the cosmic horror anthology from Eerie River Publishing is now scheduled for a mid-late July release, so keep on the look out for more news on that one coming soon, and get ready for my story of urban apartment dwelling and the search for the perfect roommate, A Roommate Named Lazarus Black. It will make you laugh! It will make you scream! It just might even make you barf!

Time for me to try to get some stuff done, take care everyone and stay cool if you’re in a place that is currently hot!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

I’m pretty sure just from seeing the huge response over on Facebook last week that a whole lot of sword & sorcery fans are already well aware of this news, but if you are just happening by my website and have yet to hear the battle cry echoing through the hills — I am thrilled to report that the inaugural Die By The Sword anthology from DMR Books has arrived in print and e-book.

I received my contributor copy of the book the other day and I have to say that the anthology looks even more impressive in real life than even seeing the excellent cover illustration alone (by legendary Garbage Pail Kids creator John Pound) a few weeks ago had prepared me for. The book contains 11 new action-packed, blood-soaked, thrilling tales by both long-timers and new masters of the genre, and I am excited to have my story The Tears of Blood appear among them. As today’s sword & sorcery devotees know, DMR represents the gold standard for fiction being published in the genre these days and I consider it nothing short of an honor to be appearing in this anthology.

As for what you can anticipate from the story, first off you can check out a little teaser from the first page there to get your adrenaline pumping. Introduce yourself to Ulxedomus, Prince of K’Zal, and join him on his action-packed quest for vengeance through a war-torn world filled with: Bizarre creatures! Weird, otherworldly threats! Intricately rendered intrigues! Cryptic forces! And more!

So brace yourself for unexpected twists and turns, death-defying feats of swordsmanship, brutal conflict, and all-around madcap thrill-a-page mayhem. And on top of my story you’ve got another 10 tales to dig into and immerse yourself in–stories brimming with steel clashing against steel, barbarians going to battle, magical, mystical escapades and even heroes in enchanted armor going sword-to-fang with vampyres.

As you can see from the copy on the back cover from publisher/editor/author D.M. Ritzlin, big things are in the offing for this one! If Die By The Sword sells well, word has it there will be a follow up in what is currently being envisioned as a yearly anthology series–so if you can’t get enough of killer new sword & sorcery and have yet to grab one of these, wield thy credit card and order now!

If you read it and dig it, don’t forget to spread the word and put up a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog/website. It cannot be overstated how much thoughtful reviews and public enthusiasm mean to indie authors and publishers! And if indeed you enjoy this first adventure of Prince Ulxedomus, be certain that I have every intention of revisiting the fallen kingdom of K’Zal and the weird world it inhabits. Keep an eye out!

Take care everyone, more news coming soon!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

The other day DMR Books released the cover and table of contents for the soon-to-be released first installment in the Die By The Sword anthology series, so get ready sword & sorcery fans! DMR is one of the premier forces driving the world of contemporary sword & sorcery today and I consider it a true honor to have my story The Tears of Blood appearing among the 11 new tales in this volume. As you can see from the absolutely amazing cover art right there by John Pound, you’re in for the real deal with this one!

As a side note, Pound was the creative force and main artist behind Garbage Pail Kids back in the day. That series undoubtedly played a role in my developing sense of aesthetics and sense of humor when I was very, very young. As if this anthology wasn’t already exciting enough! I must admit I looked a bit like Adam Bomb (or perhaps his twin Blasted Billy) when I found this out.

More on my story later, and you won’t have to wait much longer–the anthology is on the way in May. That means this May will be a month for magic and mayhem like no other! Keep your weapons sharp, your eyes wide open, and prepare for adventure!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

Hot on the tail of the other day’s official announcement about my horror-comedy A Roommate Named Lazarus Black being slated to appear in the cosmic horror anthology that Eerie River Publishing is putting out later this year, I’ve got some more exciting news. Those familiar with editor/author C.M. Muller‘s acclaimed yearly anthology Nightscript may have seen that he has recently launched a new publication called Chthonic Material Quarterly. I am happy to say that my weird horror story Sticky has been accepted to appear in CMQ in one of the 2024 issues.

Since it’s still a ways out I’m not going to say too much about the story, just rest assured that you can look forward to: Exhaustive paranoia! Gloppy weirdness! Distressing imagery! Mysterious fluids! Not to mention a little love (or something like it), a few madcap laughs, and a bunch of other surprises.

So keep your pineal gland primed and pointed at this frequency for more updates on this one as it gets closer to go-time (and follow me over on Facebook while you’re at it for even more shenanigans).

And if you’re looking for some of my other recently published stuff to read while you’re waiting for the new stuff to hit the shelves, don’t forget to pick up the latest issue of Lovecraftiana: The Magazine of Eldritch Horror featuring my tale of weird science and Mythos mayhem, The Study of Worms. Have I mentioned that story contains a scene featuring a five-gallon glass carboy filled with blood? I certainly have, but I can’t repeat it often enough! Get into it!

Take care everyone!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

I’m running out the door right now but I realized that I’ve got a couple of things worth mentioning real quick, first of all I’ve got a…

New Story Forthcoming in an Eerie River Anthology!
I’ve been alluding to this one being on the way for a while, so I am happy as a shoggoth splashing around in its own syrup (and I think we all know how much they love that) to announce that I signed a contract the other day and my new story, A Roommate Named Lazarus Black, will be appearing in the upcoming cosmic horror anthology from Eerie River Publishing and will mark my first appearance in one of their collections. If you have somehow missed them, Eerie River is a Canadian indie horror press and the brainchild of author/editor/publisher Michelle River. Eerie River has been putting out all sorts of excellent and acclaimed books over the past few years and I am stoked to have a story slated to appear in one of them.

I’m also as happy as Nyarlethotep noshing on a Nutty Buddy Bar (well established as that particular Elder God’s favorite snack) to say that this anthology is curated by none other than Tim Mendees one of the most prolific authors and foremost humorists in today’s weird horror world. If you’re not familiar with his work, you should most definitely check out his two short story collections, his goth/industrial radio show (on which yours truly recently appeared as a guest), the festival he just organized in the UK and any of his gazillion other projects. And then get ready for this anthology, which I anticipate being a truly madcap romp of fear and fun! Of grotesquerie and levity! Seriously I can only imagine it’s going to be a doozy.

What can you expect from my story in particular? It’s a cosmic horror-comedy that is, I guess you could say, about dealing with the trials and tribulations of urban renting and the need to find a roommate in a pinch, or at least that’s where things begin–that’s as close to a spoiler as you’re getting. The anthology is slated for a June release, so keep an eye out here and over on Facebook for more information as things develop.

A Dazzling World now available (free) in audiobook form!
Early last month I got an amazing surprise from my buddy Rob, who you may be familiar with as the bassist of prog band Hedgehog and the Fox and the host of the Apocalypse Cinema podcast, that he had done an audiobook reading of my short story A Dazzling World. The story is an odd little sci-fi/horror tale of green goo, aesthetics, and entomological obsessions that initially appeared in print in JayHenge Publishing‘s Professor Feiff’s Compleat Guide to Xenobiology… anthology (which is, by the way, quite good cover-to-cover). The audiobook rendition of it sounds absolutely amazing, so give it a listen here.

Don’t Forget to Grab the Latest Lovecraftiana!
If you’re looking for some new Cthulhu and Cthulhu-adjacent fiction to wrap your tentacles around and you have yet to pick up a copy of the Candlemas 2023 issue of Lovecraftiana: The Magazine of Eldritch Horror, you can still quite easily and economically grab that monstrous volume in print or on Kindle and commence to reading yourself screamingly, frothingly nuts! Featuring a bunch of brand new, weird fiction, a piece of non-fiction by John DeLaughter about the first run of Weird Tales a century ago, and of course my new novelette of odd gods, weird bugs, and mad science, The Study of Worms.

Anyway, I am now officially running late so if there are any typos or poorly constructed sentences/jokes, that’s my excuse. Take care everyone!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

It’s been another beast of a week over here so I am a few days later than I planned to be in posting this and it’s going to be a quick one, but for those who have not yet heard, I am excited to say that the new issue of Lovecraftiana: The Magazine of Eldritch Horror is officially out in print and e-book formats. Among the terrifying tales therein, you will find my story The Study of Worms.  And I’ve got the pictures to prove it! As you can see right there from the cover of the print edition, this issue it is one mind-meltingly amazing looking collection of Mythos madness and mayhem, and it’s got the weird stories inside to match!

So if you did not pre-order one the other day, you definitely should grab yourself one of these at your earliest possible convenience and dig into it — whether you get a physical copy and drive your Amazon delivery guy into frothing madness (assuming he’s not there already), or roast the circuits of your Kindle with an overload of horrors from the abyss (note: the magazine does not actually damage your Kindle).

In case you have missed my posting of these pictures over on Facebook, the following images of the magazine’s ominously pulsating innards should get you in the zone:

Right there you have a teaser from the first page of my novelette, and down below there is a snippet of the TOC.

And as I mentioned the other day this issue is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the release of the first issue of Weird Tales. So make your sacrifices to the germane Elder Gods accordingly.

I should have some more news coming about other weird developments soon, stay tuned! Take care everyone.
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

January has been sort of a blur over here. I ended up doing the first real traveling I’ve undertaken since the pandemic and have continued to try to wrestle myself out of the doldrums of distraction and get back onto an appreciable reading and movie viewing schedule, lest my mind begin to sputter and run out of gas. And that automotive metaphor is as good a segue as any to the first of a few announcements I’ve got lined up today:

The Road Trip God anthology, now available in print
First off I’m happy to share the news that right on schedule, The Road Trip God, which is the first themed anthology from new indie-horror publisher PsychoToxin Press, is out now and available in print. This one contains my flash-horror story Leap of Faith alongside 10 other stories of dark deities out on the road, delivered at a breakneck pace.

I am finding it hard to discuss what the story is about without running the risk of dropping spoilers, as can be the case with a story that clocks in around 1,000 words. Suffice it to say that I meant to make it a tense one. If this story leaves you reaching for a phantom grab handle or slamming your foot down on an invisible brake, then I’ve done my job.

Pick one up today right here and while you’re at you can check out everything else PsychoToxin has been up to lately, they’ve really gotten things off the ground fast for having just launched last year.

Pre-order Lovecraftiana: The Magazine of Eldritch Horror Candlemas 2023 Issue
It’s the one you’ve been waiting for! The official date has nearly arrived for the release of the Candlemas 2023 issue of Lovecraftiana: The Magazine of Eldritch Horror, and as I have mentioned once or twice or a couple more times than that, this issue contains my novelette The Study of Worms, a story steeped in the Lovecraft Mythos, and packed full of weird science, weird gods, weird adventure, plus a bunch of other good stuff, like generational dysfunction and blood by the five-gallon glass carboy.

As you can see from that image right there, the cover looks completely amazing, and this issue is celebrating a full century since the 1923 launch of the original Weird Tales. I am certainly neither the first nor the thousandth person to observe that what that pulp mag started a century ago really has made horror what it is today as a genre. And I don’t mean just Cthulhu Mythos stuff, but a big chunk of the other horror that has appeared on the page and in the theater since then. So it’s a centennial I’m quite excited to have my work included in.

Pre-order your copy today in either print or e-book and get ready! More on what you can expect from the story coming very, very soon.

Startling Stories 2021 reviewed in SFcrowsnest (alongside the other Startling Stories #1s)
I got a pleasant surprise the other day when I saw Mike Chinn share a link over on Facebook from SFcrowsnest containing an in-depth review of not just the 2021 issue of Startling Stories, but the other two inaugural editions of the publication — the 1939 original published by Ned Pines‘ Better Publishing and edited by Mort Weisinger, and the 2006 relaunch from Ron Hanna and Wild Cat Books.

Reviewer Dave Brzeski had some very nice things to say about a number of the stories in the 2021 issue, including my story Payload, Check out the full review here.

And if you haven’t picked either of them up yet, you can still get both the first issue of the new Startling and the 2022 issue. The latter contains my upbeat, off-planet sci-fi detective adventure story Pharmakon, Pharmakon, which is accompanied by an amazing illustration from the legendary Vincent Di Fate (links to get both issues here).

More to come soon, take care everyone!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

Happy New Year! I’ve had a few cool developments pop up over the past few weeks so I’ll jump right into it:

“The Tears of Blood” to appear in Die By The Sword
Excited to say that I signed a new contract and my sword & sorcery story “The Tears of Blood” will be appearing in the upcoming Die By The Sword anthology from DMR Books. The book is slated to hit the shelves in May. Much more to say about this one soon!

Road Trip God Trailer on YouTube
I posted this a while back on Facebook, but in case you missed it — the psychos over at PsychoToxin Press put together this insane trailer for their Road Trip God anthology, which will feature my flash horror story “Leap of Faith.” Take a look:

As mentioned in the video, that anthology should be out near the end of the month, so get ready!

Picture of all my 2022 releases
Here’s another one that I posted on Facebook a bit ago — as you can see, it’s a collage I put together of the magazines and anthologies containing all of the stories I had come out over the year.

One of the many things I have learned over the past few years of getting my fiction published is that it is really difficult to set up a picture like that and get everything into it that you want. So I figured since I put so much effort into taking it, I should also let the whole non-Facebook internet out there see it.

And those publications should all still be available, so pick them up online or ask your local weird bookseller to get them in for you if you’re interested. And you can of course scroll back further down on this blog for more in-depth information on each one of them.

Alright, time for me to go get my weekend started. I should have another announcement coming up soon, just waiting to get some i’s dotted and t’s crossed on before I say anything about it.

Take care everyone!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

I’ve been way busier than I had expected to be over the past couple of weeks so I’m just now getting around to doing a proper update. I’ve had a couple of cool things going on recently that I’ve mentioned over on Facebook but have yet to share here. So here we go:

Strange Aeon 2022: Hopeful Monster contributor copy pictures
A few days ago I received my contributor copy of Strange Aeon 2022: Hopeful Monsters containing my story SONG TO… and I’m excited to have this one in my hand, it’s an excellent looking volume as you can see below (and my relatively limited camera skills do not entirely do it justice — it looks really, really cool).

There are also some very kind words from the editor as an afterword to the story, which was an excellent surprise. As the afterword mentions, the story is much more of a sci-fi/horror dystopia than the stories that it appears alongside, and so I consider it a very big honor to still be included in the anthology despite my story being slightly different than what the editor had envisioned for the book.

You can grab a copy of this one here and check it out if you’re so inclined. I’ve described SONG TO… as a story about what happens when things are finally looking up and the world ends five minutes later, among other things. While it’s not exactly happy, I think it is hopeful, with both the horror and the hope in this one happening on a rather grand scale. I do some stylistic and conceptual stuff in the story that you might enjoy as well, but above all I just hope you dig it. And of course if you purchase the anthology you can also check out all the other stories from an impressive list of authors from all over the world. I’m about to get going reading the whole thing myself.

New story slated for PsychoToxin’s Road Trip God anthology
Last month I received an acceptance from a new indie publisher called PsychoToxin Press. The press really seems to have hit the ground running with a new magazine and a new e-publication, not to mention all sorts of video and audio content coming out across all sorts of platforms.

I’m very excited to be appearing in their first themed anthology, Road Trip God, with a piece of flash fiction about the final moments of a road trip gone awry called LEAP OF FAITH. Hope this one keeps readers on the edge of their seats!

Pick up a copy of 2022’s Startling Stories if you have not!
Just thought I’d throw it in there that the current issue of Startling Stories is still out there for all to enjoy, featuring my story PHARMAKON, PHARMAKON.

I’m making my way through reading the issue right now and am really digging Mike Chinn‘s short novel The Color of Nothing. It’s a perfectly paced, thrill-a-minute space opera brimming with alien bio-technology, covert political intrigue between intergalactic overlords, risky adventures by scrappy space pirates, resurgent ancient evils, Van Vogtian identity bending, arsenals of devastating high-tech weaponry, and a bunch of other good stuff.

Chinn has pointed out that the story recalls his days working on sci-fi adventure comic Starblazer — a comic which I am almost certain I remember seeing mentioned somewhere when I was a kid, presumably in Comic Shop News or something along those lines, though I don’t know if Starblazer actually got distribution in the States or to what extent. So I don’t think I ever read an issue of Starblazer, but I certainly would have loved it if it was like this; I am finding the story to be evocative of a particular vibe of classic science fiction adventure while still being very much its own thing.

So if you have yet to pick up a copy, check it out! And since there’s so much excellent original art to be found alongside the stories in this one, I thought I’d include a better picture of the illustration for my story by Vincent Di Fate than I did in my last post.

Time for me to go drink another cup of coffee and get myself moving. Take care everyone!
-M.

Hey everybody, M. here,

Hope everyone had a solid Halloween! Like many I’m sure, I was out and about more this Spooky Season than I have been for the past couple, though I flaked on doing a costume and, back in my apartment, my horror movie marathon was not quite long enough to be properly considered a marathon. That said, I at least got started on Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities. I am still making my way through it and I’m really enjoying it. I’m a huge fan of the Masters of Horror series, so I get excited about anthology shows that let auteur horror directors do their thing, especially when they’re adapting from short stories. More about that at some point in the future maybe, but suffice it to say for now that del Toro walking out in a Hitchcock-style suit and doing an introduction before every episode is my kind of stuff. Anyway, on to the latest news:

Strange Aeon 2022: Hopeful Monsters out now!
As I’ve mentioned elsewhere on the internet over the past few days, I’m happy to share that the Strange Aeon 2022 anthology is now available in print and e-book. This one is the third anthology in the yearly series, subtitled Hopeful Monsters. It contains my short horror/science fiction story SONG TO…

The anthology features a lineup of authors from around the world and I’m really excited to be appearing in it. I might have more to say about the story later but for now just dig that cover image right there and pick up a copy.

Startling Stories 2022 contributor copy has arrived!
My contributor copy of the 2022 edition of Startling Stories arrived in the mail the other day, containing my story of adventure, danger, and deduction on the weird magnetic planet Rygiat, PHARMAKON, PHARMAKON.

I have to say I was completely blown away to actually see the illustration for the story (by award-winning artist Vincent Di Fate, in the style of the late, great original pulp artist Virgil Finlay) there in black-and-white. You can only see part of it in the picture as I am not very good at taking pictures, but this one is a full-page illustration and looks amazing (you can view the entire image here). And besides the one for my story, there are a ton of other awesome original illustrations to be found therein, including art by Bob Eggleton and Alan Kozlowski.

But the incredible art is just the beginning! The issue really is packed with so much cool stuff that I’m having trouble figuring out what to highlight; you’ve got a new short story from cyberpunk progenitor, musician, The Crow co-screenwriter, and sometimes Blue Öyster Cult lyricist John Shirley not to mention an exclusive interview with him conducted by Darrell Schweitzer. You’ve got a bunch of other brand spankin’ new sci-fi adventures. You’ve got a hard- if not impossible-to-find comic from the original pulp era. You’ve even got a reprint of a classic Feghoot! So grab yourself a copy if you haven’t already and get startled!

It seemed appropriate to picture this issue next to the 2021 issue of Startling — the first relaunch issue — which contains my twisty, turny, virusy, tech-catastrophe-y, German grammar lesson-ey perception bender PAYLOAD, a story that could not be more different in tone from PHARMAKON, PHARMAKON I don’t think, but that is well worth giving a spin if you haven’t read it — it even made the Tangent Online 2021 Recommended Reading List (as did my story BIRTH from Weirdbook #44.)

Anyway that should get us all up to date on what I had going on in late October. Take care everyone!

-M.