This small business Saturday, I invite you to explore the work of several writers, artists, and publishers who have impressed me with both their work and their kindness, friendship, and support:
​

• Sara Tantlinger

Sara Tantlinger is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author The Devil's Dreamland: Poetry Inspired by H.H. Holmes, the novella To Be Devoured, and Love for Slaughter.

She can be found at http://SaraTantlinger.com

• Gwendolyn Kiste

Gwendolyn Kiste is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Rust Maidens, The Invention of Ghosts, the short story collection And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, and many more.

She can be found at http://GwendolynKiste.com

• Michael A. Arnzen

Michael A. Arnzen is a four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Grave Markings, Freakcidents, Proverbs for Monsters, Gorelets: Unpleasant Poetry, and many more.

He can be found at http://Gorelets.com

• Nelson W. Pyles

Nelson W. Pyles is the executive producer, former host, and voice of The Librarian on The Wicked Library Podcast. He is the author of Demons, Dolls, & Milkshakes, Everything Here Is A Nightmare, and Spiders in the Daffodils.

He can be found at http://TheWickedLibrary.com

• Don Noble

Don Noble is a writer, artist, and co-founder of Rooster Republic Press. His artwork has been seen on books such as Horror for Raices and Nox Pareidolia from Nightscape Press, My Bff Satan by Kyle Rader, The Devil's Dreamland by Sara Tantlinger, and many more.

You can purchase art from him at http://www.RoosterRepublicPress.com/Design-Services/

• Stephanie M. Wytovich

Stephanie M. Wytovich is the Bram Stoker Award-winning poet who authored collections such as Hysteria, The Apocalyptic Mannequin, Sheet Music to my Acoustic Nightmare, and many more. She is the editor for the Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase: Volume VI.

She can be found at http://stephaniewytovich.blogspot.com

• Michelle R. Lane

Michelle R. Lane is the author of Invisible Chains whose short fiction has appeared in various anthologies such as The Monstrous Feminine, Dark Holidays, and Terror Politico.

She can be found at http://MichelleRLane.com


As well as inviting you to explore the creepy creations of those listed above, I invite you to share the work of those that inspire you in the comments below this post!

Happy Small Business Saturday, everyone!

What lies in the devouring reflection?

August discovers how closely her family is tied to the thing in the Sunset Motel. Her father learns that she's discovered it . . . 

For the month of October, I'll be offering up a digital copy of my short speculative horror story The Incident at Shore Run Road for just $0.50. Cover artwork for the story will be included in the digital package. 

A quick look inside The Incident at Shore Run Road:

The square body of a dark SUV could be seen through the window. The driver’s side door flung open, and the hazard lights flashed. A silhouette, tall and broad shouldered, emerged from the vehicle. The driver’s door slammed with a muffle thud. He could see a gun in his hand and listened to him call into the dark. A single word that he couldn’t make out. Maybe a name. 
     The man headed toward the motel. 
     Charlotte whispered something inaudible. 
     Unconcerned with her thoughts, Richard stood. He approached the door. 
     “Richard!” called Charlotte. 
     He stopped, turning to look. 
     “You’re not going out there to confront him, are you?” 
    “Depends on what he’s going out there to do,” he replied, shrugging. “Doesn’t look like anything good.” He walked out of the diner. 

Please include your email address with your payment so I can send you the digital package!

“I will understand the bitter animals who have marked me out as one of their own. I have to understand . . .”
 
This story, itself, is a descent into madness, and I found myself easily devoured by the narrative. Sara paints twisted images into your mind with skillful brushstrokes of terrifying prose, beautifully poetic and painfully clear. I found myself ensnared by Andi’s quick spiral into the depths of insanity, her obsession with being accepted by the vultures, with her girlfriend Luna, and the resulting episodes of black out violence. To Be Devoured can be described as an essential piece to be ingested by any fan of the Psychological Horror subgenre, with a crazy written so convincingly that it could rival the work of Edgar Allan Poe.

To Be Devoured can be purchased HERE for Kindle, or read for free with Kindle Unlimited and in paperback. See you at the dinner table!

You can find out more about Sara Tantlinger and her written work at SaraTantlinger.com.

The Night Worms August package, Summer Vacation, brought me summer shivers of excitement and fear, arriving promptly after the release date. This was my first Night Worms subscriber package, so just the e-mail notification that it had been shipped was enough to rattle my bones. 

My front porch was dimmed by its beautifully dark, and therefore enticing, packaging. The bonfire of my excitement accentuated shadows just begging to be explored the moment I arrived home from work to lay eyes on it. I snatched the package and headed to my kitchen, where I dug into it with my claws. 

This unique company provides a comfortable home, filled with ghosts and ghouls and spooky goodies, for the lover of the horror genre. To top things off, Ashley and Sadie are exceptionally responsive, friendly, and welcoming to their fans, customers, and friends. As a subscriber, I feel like I've become part of a community. 

"What lurks inside a Night Worms subscriber package?" you ask. Here's a look inside Summer Vacation:​

This package came with three tomes of terrifying narratives:

The Toll by Cherie Priest
"State Route 177 runs long the Suwannee River, between Fargo, Georgia, and the Okefenokee Swamp. Drive that route from east to west, and you'll cross six bridges. Take it from west to east, and you might find seven.
"But you'd better hope not.
"Titus and Melanie Bell are on their honeymoon, and have reservations in the Okefenokee Swamp cabins for a canoeing trip. But shortly before they reach their destination, the road narrows into a rickety bridge with old stone pilings, with room for only one car.
"Much later, Titus wakse up lying in the middle of the road, no bridge in sight. Melanie is missing. When he calls the police, they tell him there is no such bridge of State Road 177 . . ."

Fat Camp by James Sabata
"They came to lose weight . . . And lost so much more
"Since 1985, over 500 overweight teenagers have come to Camp Wasicu, looking to lose weight, gain self-confidence, and turn their lives around.
"Phillip McCrackekn arrives, weighing in at almost 400 pounds, but the baggage he carries from the past affects him much more deeply than the numbers of the scale.
"When a homicidal maniac hell-bent on revenge attacks, Phillips will be forced to either find the courage to save the people around him or fall victim to his own self-doubt . . . and possibly a machete.
"A coming-of-age  tale cleverly disguised as a Slasher Film in paperback form, Fat Camp delivers horror, humor, and a little stab of nostalgia for anyone who grew up even slightly afraid of the dark."

Shock Totem: Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted, Issue #10
"Shock Totem Publications (commonly referred to as Shock Totem) is an American small-press publisher specializing in dark fantasy and horror. It was founded in 2008 by author K. Allen Wood and John Boden. They are assisted by Mercedes M. Yardley, Chad Lutze, Sarah Wood, and Billie and Tom Moran.

"The debut issue of Shock Totem Curious Tales of the Macabre and Twisted, a digest sized magazine of fiction and non-fiction, was first published in 2009. To date, ten issues have been released, as well as three special holiday issues (Christmas 2011, Valentine's Day 2014, and Halloween 2014)."

This month's featured publisher was the Horror Writers Association, an organization founded in 1985 dedicated to the support of authors and readers of dark literature.  The Horror Writers Association has been awarding the prestigious Bram Stoker Award to writers for superior achievement in several categories.

This package included, as pictured above:

- An informational pamphlet from the Horror Writers Association detailing the organization's mission, how to join, and information about membership tiers and yearly dues.

- A Horror Writers Association pen!

- A laminated card from Shock Totem with a redeemable code for a free download of their entire digital collection.

- A discount code from the dark fiction-themed soy candle company, GET FICTIONAL, for 20% off from 8/1/2019 - 9/30/2019.

- A Decomposition Notebook, a beautiful miniature composition notebook made entirely from consumer waste paper and printed with soy ink. (I know I'll be carrying this with my daily and jotting story ideas into it with my HWA pen as they come to me!)

- A promotional flier for Remains by Andrew Cull.

- An art print from Fat Camp with a written message on the back from James Sabata, the author, as well as a sticker sporting James's signature!

- A Night Worms/Horror Writers Association bookmark, listing the winners of the 2018 Bram Stoker Award winners on the back.

- A promotional flier from TheNecronomi.com, a Podcast Exploring Horror as Social Commentary.

- A Night Worms Summer Camp Self-Defense Merit Badge sticker! (This would be fun to stick to your bookshelf!)

And,

- BUG SPRAY, a Night Worms blend Room/Body spray. 

In conclusion, I would recommend subscribing to Night Worms to anybody that already enjoys reading dark fiction, or those that are considering exploring the dark and terrifying aspects of life through the written word. Being a subscriber and receiving monthly Night Worms packages is a great way to keep up with what's going on in the world of horror fiction, get perks for amazing art, books, and shops, and enjoy a new book you may have yet to hear about! I know I'm barely able to wait to sink my teeth into the sold-out September Package, A Storm is Coming!  

I dare you to CLICK THIS LINK and consider subscribing!

On July 24, the news exploded that Elizabeth Massie's young adult horror anthology series, Ameri-Scares, will soon come to television screens across the states in which these stories find their settings. Margot Robbie and her production company, LuckyChap Entertainment, alongside Assemble Media and Warner Horizon, will adapt the book series for either a streaming service or traditional television.

I am excited and beyond honored to have had the chance to speak briefly with Elizabeth about her book series, Ameri-Scares, and the recent deal.
 
Elizabeth Massie is a two-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of horror novels and short fiction. Her fiction has appeared in Best New Fantasy and Horror, Best New Horror, Splatterpunks, Inhuman Magazine, Grue, Hottest Blood, A Whisper of Blood, and others! Additionally, she has written historical fiction for young adults, mainstream fiction, media tie-ins, and non-fiction for American History textbooks and educational readers, and for testing programs.
 
She had the following to say about Ameri-Scares and the upcoming television series:

"I’m so very excited regarding the new television deal with Warner Horizon (Warner Brothers), LuckyChap (Margot Robbie’s production company), and Assemble Media regarding my book series, Ameri-Scares!"
 
Can you tell me a bit about the Ameri-Scares book series?

EM: Here’s how it all began . . . Back in the 1990s, I came up with an idea of a book series for middle grade readers, a series in which each story is inspired by or based on an actual legend, folktale, or historic event from that state. The series was called American Chills. The first book, Maryland: Ghost Harbor, came out from Kensington in 1995. It was well received and even was a featured book in the Troll Book Club. Then Kensington dropped the series as they moved away from publishing for younger readers. I got the rights back to that book from Kensington, and then sat on the concept for a number of years as I worked on other novels and short stories. Then Crossroad Press expressed an interested. I was back in the saddle! I revised the Maryland book a bit, renamed the series Ameri-Scares, and was up and running. Since then, 9 Ameri-Scares books have been released, with two by author Stephen Mark Rainey who came on board to help. I’m currently working on Montana and Mark is working on another one, as well.

 
​How did you find out that Warner Brothers and Margot Robbie’s production company, LuckyChap, were interested in adapting Ameri-Scares for television?

EM: Brendan Deneen of Assemble Media submitted the series concept to a number of producers and writers, and the paring of LuckyChap and Warner was the ultimate choice! I’m beyond thrilled that these incredibly talented and creative people are coming together for Ameri-Scares!
 
When can we expect to see this series? Is there a production schedule? Is there a projected premier date?

EM: As to when a show might appear or on which network, I have to say that with television deals, you never know until you know. From my end it seems that things are moving in the right direction and it’s looking good! So, I’ll say this, “Stay tuned! There’s more to come on this front and I’ll certainly announce new updates when I have them.”
 
Where can people find the Ameri-Scares series while we wait for it to air?

EM: In the meanwhile, people can catch up with Ameri-Scares by checking out the book series. Each book is available in print or for Kindle, with most of them also in audio book format. See:
 
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ameri-scares+paperback&i=stripbooks&ref=nb_sb_noss
 
or
 
https://crossroadpress.com/?s=Ameri-Scares&post_type=product
 
You can find more about Elizabeth Massie and her work at:                                                                                            https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Massie and https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90413.Elizabeth_Massie                                                                                                                                                                                                  
​

Disgusted by the treatment of immigrant families coming to the United States to seek asylum, horror writers such as Ramsey Campbell, Paul Tremblay, Gwendolyn Kiste, Laird Barron, Christopher Slatsky, Paul Michael Anderson, plus more, and cover artist Don Noble band together for an emergency charity anthology. This anthology will be edited by Robert S. Wilson and Jennifer Wilson of Nightscape Press.

Individuals that donate $10 or more to the Official GoFundMe Page will receive an uncorrected e-book of the anthology as early as August 2019. The trade paperback will become available shortly thereafter. 

All net proceeds from the anthology's sales will go directly to RAICES. Founded in 1986 as the Refugee Aid Project, RAICES is the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.  As a 501(c)(3) non-profit agency, they are dedicated to providing free and low-cost legal services to immigrant families and refugees. The organization boasts a large team of attorneys, legal assistants, and representatives that have successfully closed over 51,000 cases at no cost to the client.

At every $500 raised by the GoFundMe, a new contributor to the anthology will be announced. If you're passionate about justice for those that deserve it and about the work of these generous, amazing horror writers, you should consider donating and sharing direct links to the GoFundMe page on your social media channels.