Announcing the release of hardback editions of the first three books in The Crime Files of Katy Green series!

Announcing the release of hardback editions of the first three books in The Crime Files of Katy Green series by renowned and multiple-award winning author Gene O’Neill!!

These are gorgeous cloth-hardback editions with wraparound dust jackets, each a flattering companion to the already-released paperback and ebook versions.

ADDITIONALLY, this is a precursor for what is to come… a FOURTH volume in the series by O’Neill, A STICK OF DOUBLEMINT (coming, June, 2020 from Dark Moon Books)!!

Buy them here:

DOUBLE JACK (book 1)

ISBN-13: 978-1-949491-20-3

https://www.amazon.com/Double-Jack-Crime-Files-Green/dp/194949120X

SHADOW OF THE DARK ANGEL (book 2)

ISBN-13: 978-1-949491-21-0

https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Dark-Angel-Crime-Files/dp/1949491218

DEATHFLASH (book 3)

ISBN-13: 978-1-949491-22-7

https://www.amazon.com/Deathflash-Book-Crime-Files-Green/dp/1949491226

Excellent audio review of my short story collection THAT WHICH GROWS WILD

Sharing an excellent (20 minute!) audio review of my short story collection THAT WHICH GROWS WILD. I don’t think I’ve ever had a live review of one of my books where the reviewer spent so much time analyzing the stories. Very appreciative of the time and work he put into discussing this!!

“… the book dripped originality and style… stories that are real and freshly frightening.”

Thanks so much to @WellReadBeard!

Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CzTKTLoBT4

Offering review Desk Copies for Writing Instuctors

ATTN: CREATIVE WRITING INSTRUCTORS

If you are involved in a creative writing program, I’m offering complimentary desk copies of books that might be of interest.

I’m involved in two series of books that are being published and made for students in mind (along with libraries) that discuss horror or dark fantasy in broad, low-level terms, as accompaniment to fiction works, i.e. adding value to classrooms/ students of creative writing (high school or college).


###

PRIMERS: EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION

The first is my PRIMER series, EXPLORING DARK SHORT FICTION. Each volume explores modern masters of literary dark short fiction through a selection of short stories, each with commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD, and beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich, along with author essay, author interview, and more.

The scholarly portion is nothing too in-depth or ivory tower, but meant for the average reader to develop a deeper understanding of writing, both in terms of creativity and in meaning.

The volumes so far include:

#1: Steve Rasnic Tem (July, 2017)
#2: Kaaron Warren (May, 2018)
#3: Nisi Shawl (December, 2018)
#4: Jeffrey Ford (September, 2019)
#5: Han Song (Scheduled later for: 2020), which will be original translations of his Chinese work
#6: Ramsey Campbell (Scheduled later for: 2020), England’s most prestigious horror author

These books are (or will be) available in Hardback, Paperback, and E-book.

And more about the series is listed on my website here: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/primers.html


###

HAUNTED LIBRARY OF HORROR CLASSICS

The second series is the Haunted Library of Horror Classics through SourceBooks. Leslie S. Klinger and myself co-edit this series, rereleasing classic horror literature books from over the past 250 years.

Each volume includes the original text, as well as classroom discussion questions, light text annotations, a suggested further reading list, and more.

This series has just started, but here are the first 12 volumes planned for 2020-2022:

1. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (January, 2020) with introduction by Nancy Holder
   
2. The Beetle by Richard Marsh (April, 2020) with introduction by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
3. Vathek by William Beckford (July, 2020) with introduction by Joe R. Lansdale
4. The House on the Borderland by William Hope Hodgson (October, 2020) with introduction by Ramsey Campbell
5. The Parasite and Other Tales of Terror by Arthur Conan Doyle (2021) with introduction by Daniel Stashower
6. The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers (2021) with introduction by Nic Pizzolatto
7. Of One Blood: or, The Hidden Self by Pauline Hopkins (2021) with introduction by Nisi Shawl
8. Ghost Stories of an Antiquary by M.R. James (2021) with introduction by <TBA>
9. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole (2022) with introduction by <TBA>
10. The Mummy! by Jane Webb (2022) with introduction by <TBA>
11. Fantasmagoriana (2022) with introduction by <TBA>
12. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (2022) with introduction by <TBA>

These books are (or will be) available in Paperback and E-book.

And more about the series is listed on my website here: http://ericjguignard.com/haunted_library.html


###

Additionally, I’ve published two other anthologies that are meant to broaden horror fiction in different ways. Both of these following books are available in Hardback, Paperback, and E-book.


The first is A WORLD OF HORROR, which promotes diversity in reading horror fiction from authors in different nations.

A WORLD OF HORROR
Released: September, 2018

A World of Horror is an anthology of all new dark and speculative fiction stories written by authors from around the world.

“This breath of fresh air for horror readers shows the limitless possibilities of the genre.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A fresh collection of horror authors exploring monsters and myths from their homelands.”
—Library Journal

Publisher’s Link: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/world_of_horror.html



The second anthology book is THE FIVE SENSES OF HORROR, which is an interaction of horror fiction with the five human senses, along with psychological analysis of what this means, as well as how it ties into creative writing, and more!

THE FIVE SENSES OF HORROR
Released: July, 2018

The Five Senses of Horror is an anthology of horror and dark fantasy stories, along with psychological and literary commentary, that explores the relationship and inspiration between fiction and the five senses. (The fiction stories are reprints, but the non-fiction is all original to this anthology).

Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/five_senses.html


###

If you’d be interested in receiving desk copies of any of these books that have come out, or if you’d like to be slated to receive a copy of future releases, please email me at: eric.guignard@gmail.com

Book Reviews (March, 2020)

I haven’t posted Book Reviews in awhile, so here’s a bunch I wrote up for ones I’ve read within the past few months!

Each of the following books may be purchased through any large book store or online through www.amazon.com.

###

REVIEWED: The Shining Girls
WRITTEN BY: Lauren Beukes
PUBLISHED: June, 2013

A clever and gritty, complex novel of a time-travelling serial killer. Well written all around by author Lauren Beukes. By its very nature, this is the type of book where one must suspend their disbelief, even if some of the more “mundane” happenings still made me wonder “what?” The book is also built around horrific violence against women, although often, the killer, Harper, is also brutalized. Amazing twists and turns throughout, and best to know in advance that this book is non-linear, jumping back and forth between time eras and character viewpoints. I oddly felt a little bored at times, mostly in the relationship building scenes of Kirby and Dan Velasquez, but then it would be nested between badass other scenes, in which I wanted to know more about the tragic evil growing inside Harper. More than that, WHAT WAS THE DEAL WITH THE HOUSE?? More back story or description on that, as the portal that draws in wayward men with sin in their heart and gives them their desires, wrapped in riddles.

Four-and-a-half out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Shining-Girls-Novel-Lauren-Beukes/dp/0316216860

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shining-girls-lauren-beukes/1113600114?ean=9780316216869#

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16131077-the-shining-girls


###

REVIEWED: The Troop
WRITTEN BY: Nick Cutter
PUBLISHED: February, 2014

I had a tough time with this book… technically, it was well written. There are no complaints about the plot or flow; setting, character arc, etc. Loved the premise, but I just disliked the execution. The writing involved scenes of animal cruelty and torture, and also teen torture (self-mutilation) and death… It may be I’m getting more sensitive in my older years, especially have young children *and* being involved in Boy Scouts, but this book made me cringe too often (not in a good way). THE TROOP is like LORD OF THE FLIES, but much, much gorier and traumatic. Talented author though, to be sure!

Three out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Troop-Novel-Nick-Cutter/dp/1501144820

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-troop-nick-cutter/1114818664

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17571466-the-troop


###

REVIEWED: Sixteen Ways To Defend a Walled City
WRITTEN BY: K. J. Parker (AKA: Tom Holt)
PUBLISHED: April, 2019

Love, love, loved this book! Funny, inventive, unique; VERY smart, quirky, fun tale of intrigue and ingenuity during castle siege, written in a snarky and unreliable narrator’s voice. Like a literary GROO.

Added bonus: My 11-year-old son is a tireless reader, burning through multiple books at a time, although unless they are youth books, his higher-level reading titles are recommendations or from prodding by me or his teacher, etc. For the very first time, he saw an “adult” book I was reading, and said, “Dad, I want to read that when you’re done.”

That was this book, so additionally, family bonding over: SIXTEEN WAYS TO DEFEND A WALLED CITY by K. J. Parker (AKA: Tom Holt)

Five (plus more!) out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Sixteen-Ways-Defend-Walled-City/dp/0316270792

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sixteen-ways-to-defend-a-walled-city-k-j-parker/1129617617?ean=9780316270793

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37946419-sixteen-ways-to-defend-a-walled-city


###

REVIEWED: Best Ghost Stories of J. S. LeFanu
WRITTEN BY: J. S. LeFanu
PUBLISHED: 1964

Love these stories, to revisit Sheridan LeFanu. Beautifully written, ornate, imaginative, and horrific, all penned over a century ago, and still engrossing today.

Five out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Best-Ghost-Stories-J-LeFanu/dp/0486204154

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-ghost-stories-of-j-s-lefanu-j-sheridan-lefanu/1018194078

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17211228-best-ghost-stories-of-j-s-lefanu


###

REVIEWED: Ormeshadow
WRITTEN BY: Priya Sharma
PUBLISHED: October, 2019

Elegantly-written novella of a young boy’s coming-of-age in the farmland of Ormeshadow, in which a boy deals with cruel family issues while dreaming in the shadow of a folk legend of a dragon sleeping underground. The book is a ”slow burn,” cautiously exploring the introspections and experiences of Gideon Belman. It’s also rather despairing, as he undergoes morose tragedy after morose tragedy… but it’s also very thoughtful, Gothic in its lonely village-like atmosphere. It’s a very literary tale, with no speculative elements aside from the recalling of myth and the dreams, until the ending of the story—and the ending is magnificent. Wraps up nicely, the long, circuitous journey to get there.

Four out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Ormeshadow-Priya-Sharma/dp/1250241448/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ormeshadow-priya-sharma/1131003017?ean=9781250241443

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44581536-ormeshadow


###

REVIEWED: Burning Sky
WRITTEN BY: Weston Ochse
PUBLISHED: September, 2018

A reality-bending novel of military horror from a contemporary master of such genre. BURNING SKY is a mix of action, PTSD, and philosophy, as a group of soldiers try to understand and defeat the mystical god-like daeva (or their human priest counterparts!) while self-containing in an underground cavern. It’s a bizarre roller coaster, to be sure, but well worth the dizzying loops and dives it takes you through, from gun fights to astral projection!

Five out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Sky-Weston-Ochse/dp/1781085293

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/burning-sky-weston-ochse/1127951404?ean=9781781085929

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38643809-burning-sky


###

REVIEWED: To Be Devoured
WRITTEN BY: Sara Tantlinger
PUBLISHED: July, 2019

Dark, dark, so very dark is this novella, TO BE DEVOURED! Anything involving ingestion of terrible things always gives me the willies, which this tale does quite a bit. Poet-author Sara Tantlinger takes risks in pushing boundaries, and it pays off in emotional and frightful plot twists.

Four out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Devoured-Sara-Tantlinger/dp/1989206255/

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-be-devoured-sara-tantlinger/1132670487?ean=9781989206256

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45463236-to-be-devoured


###

REVIEWED: The Passage
WRITTEN BY: Justin Cronin
PUBLISHED: June, 2010

Epic Vampires vs. Humanity novel I have such mixed feelings on this book… On one hand, it is incredibly well-written, very complex and layered… on the other hand, it’s heavily weighed down by chapters-long descriptions and back story that gets tedious. Additionally, the author spends an immense amount of time building up these elements, only to close them out immediately and move along to something else, which I found frustrating. I’d give this book five stars alone for the author’s technical knowledge and strength in writing prose (which is magnificent)… but the decisions he made in the Arc are subjectively questionable. I also read this without knowing it was Book 1 in a trilogy… I must have gotten a first edition as there was no mention of this story to be continued, so by the ending (OVER 750 PAGES!!!), there was such a throw-up-the-arms cliff hanger, that I nearly threw the book across the room. Overall, just too weighty of a tome to invest my time further into reading Volumes II and III, although I would love for someone to tell me what happens!

Four out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Passage-TV-Tie-Novel-Trilogy/dp/0525618740

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/passage-justin-cronin/1015070765?ean=9780345504975

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6690798-the-passage


###

REVIEWED: The Forever War
WRITTEN BY: Joe Haldeman
PUBLISHED: 1974

Classic Military-Science Fiction novel—one of the genre definers. The novel spans galaxies and centuries as soldiers deal with the unprecedented relationship challenges of waking from hyper-sleep a generation in the future, just to fight a battle, and then returning to hyper-sleep to travel the cosmos in order to fight the next battle (also deals heavily with identity of gender and sexuality).

**Spoiler alert: Touching-sweet ending!

Five out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Forever-War-Joe-Haldeman/dp/0312536631

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forever-war-joe-haldeman/1100649605?ean=9780312536633

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21611.The_Forever_War


###

REVIEWED: Strange Weather
WRITTEN BY: Joe Hill
PUBLISHED: October, 2017

I didn’t quite like this collection of four novellas as much as I expected to… meaning, there’s nothing wrong with it, but just a sense of personal deflatement from anticipation. The stories were all fine, although none of them overly “thrilled” me.

"Snapshot" = Good premise, just seemed to go on way too long.
"Rain” = Good apocalyptic tale, that served more as a backdrop for a mystery. Hated the decisions the main character did throughout, as well as her dialogue/ inner voice.
"Aloft" = My favorite of the book, mostly because it was the most imaginative.
"Loaded” = non-speculative story about gun violence. A lot of back-and-forth twists, and had the best (most unexpected) ending in the collection.

Four out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Weather-Four-Short-Novels/dp/0062663127

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/strange-weather-joe-hill/1125531430?ean=9780062663122

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34066621-strange-weather


###

REVIEWED: Where Carrion Gods Dance
WRITTEN BY: Brad C. Hodson
PUBLISHED: October, 2019

I’ve enjoyed author Brad C. Hodson’s short fiction for years now, so reading this collection was a pleasant mix of revisiting favorite tales from the past, as well as discovering new gems. Some of my favorites were “Il Donnaiolo”, “Breathe”, “Thousandth Hell”, and “The Other Patrick” (which was very sweet, dark yet satisfying). Great collection overall.

Five out of Five stars

https://www.amazon.com/Where-Carrion-Gods-Dance-Hodson/dp/0578585006

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/where-carrion-gods-dance-brad-c-hodson/1134214133?ean=9780578585000

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/48421735-where-carrion-gods-dance?

The Haunted Library of Horror Classics is off with a blast!

The first volume of the Haunted Library of Horror Classics, being The Phantom of the Opera, is already published, and volume 2, The Beetle, is scheduled for early next month.

Reviewed by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, and more! Read more on my website about this groundbreaking series I am putting out with co-editor, Leslie S. Klinger, through SourceBooks!!!

OR HERE: http://ericjguignard.com/haunted_library.html

###

Series editors Eric J. Guignard and Leslie S. Klinger bring back seminal titles of the horror genre from over the past 250 years, making them easily available to modern readers.

The Haunted Library of Horror Classics editions are quality trade paperbacks (and ebooks), carefully curated to follow the definitive text of the original publications, while being presented at reasonable prices for a mass market.

Each volume of this series includes:

• introduction by a renowned contemporary horror writer, editor, or scholar
• annotations and/or endnotes to define or give context to obscure words and phrases
• a teacher’s guide of discussion questions for classroom use
• an author biography
• a list of similar titles for suggested further reading
• …and more!

Read more here: http://ericjguignard.com/haunted_library.html

 

March, 2020 Dark Fiction Short Story Markets

HWA L.A.: March, 2020

New or Reopening Market Listings/ Notes
At Minimum Pro-Paying (5 cents+ per word)

Unidentified Funny Objects, Volume 8 (ed. by Alex Shvartsman)
https://alexshvartsman.com/ufo-unidentified-funny-objects
Payment: 10 cents a word
Story Length: 500-5000 words
Deadline: April 1–April 30, 2020
Reprints?: No
Response: 1 week
Description: All styles and sub-genres of speculative fiction stories with a strong humor element. Think Resnick and Sheckley, Fredric Brown and Douglas Adams. We welcome quality flash fiction and non-traditional narratives. Take chances, try something new, just make sure that your story is funny. This volume to include stories by Esther Friesner, Mike Resnick, Jack Campbell, Jim C. Hines, and Ken Liu.


Historic Fantasy (anthology)
https://87bedford.com/anthology-historic-fantasy
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: 1,000–5,000 words
Deadline: April 30, 2020
Reprints?: No
Response: 1 month
Description: Stories that offer a riveting reimagining of a historic time period imbued with fantasy and magic. We prefer stories with a literary quality built upon strong characters, spellbinding language, and believable world-building.


Bronzeville Books anthologies (2 separate markets, Similar guidelines)
http://www.bronzevillebooks.com/writers/anthology-submissions/

Both anthologies:
Payment: 8 cents a word
Story Length: up to 3,000 words
Reprints?: No
Response: unknown

1. Rigor Morbid 2
Description: Horror tales for Halloween.
Deadline: June 6, 2020

2. Happy Hellidays
Description: Twisted, unexpected holiday stories. Don't limit yourself to Christmas -- we're looking for all kinds of special occasions gone awry.
Deadline: July 11, 2020



Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
http://www.alfredhitchcockmysterymagazine.com/contact-us/writers-guidelines
Payment: 5-to-8 cents a word
Story Length: up to 12,000 (but the shorter, the better)
Deadline: Intermittent
Reprints?: No
Response: Up to a year (though tracking status is utilized)
Description: Fiction Mystery: stories of detection of the classic kind, police procedurals, private eye tales, suspense, courtroom dramas, stories of espionage, and so on. Story must be about a crime (or the threat or fear of one). Sometimes accept ghost stories or supernatural tales, but those also should involve a crime (fresh, well told, and absorbing).


Fireside Fiction Company
http://firesidefiction.com/about/#submissions-guidelines
Payment: 12.5 cents a word
Story Length: up to 4,000 words (flash fiction preferred)
Deadline: Open only April 13–April 17, 2020
Reprints?: No
Response: Unknown
Description: To publish great speculative fiction storytelling, regardless of genre (ex. Neil Gaiman); unique voices.


Thrilling Words
http://www.thrillingwords.com/about-us/submissions
Payment: $160 flat rate for TWO flash fiction stories
Story Length: Two stories to total no more than combined 2,000 words
Deadline: None listed. Currently open (unknown if to be continuous or intermittent)
Reprints?: No
Response: 45 days
Description: Episodic fiction; multiple flash fiction stories written by the same author. Stories that are connected by author, theme, or fictional universe (but not serialized—each to be a standalone). Spec Fiction stories: fantasy, sci-fi, superhero or just plain surreal is not important, the more important thing is to have fun with the story. And it’s this last point, having fun, that’s the most important stylistic element. We are looking for stories that trace their heritage more from pulp traditions than literary. Stories that make you feel more than make you think.



***Non-PRO-Paying Market, but Eric J. Guignard’s “Pick of the Month”

In Darkness, Delight: Fear the Future (published by Corpus Press, edited by Evans Light and Andrew Lennon)
https://www.corpuspress.com/call-for-submissions
Payment: 3 cents a word (up to $150)
Story Length: 2,500–4,500 words (soft range)
Deadline: November 15, 2020
Reprints?: No
Response: By November 30, 2020
Description: Terrifying stories that deal with futuristic themes, set in the near future or far. Tales can be Earth-based or extraterrestrial, perhaps featuring technological or social upheavals that have frightful implications for individuals or society at large; as examples, the ongoing erosion of privacy and enduring nature of online activity, artificial human enhancement via DNA manipulation or implants, impact of emerging technologies on developing children, and so on. (Think bigger than stories about an interesting app, even though that might be where thoughts go first.) NO Post-apocalyptic stories.


Black Static Magazine (TTA Press)
http://ttapress.com/blackstatic/guidelines
Payment: 3 cents a word (ESTIMATE, as it can vary)
Story Length: up to 10,000 words
Deadline: ongoing
Reprints?: No
Response: usually within 2 weeks; but up to 3 months
Description: Non-themed, general audience, thoughtful horror.