I AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL
The following list is filled with amazing, wonderful publications gracious enough to provide a platform for my stories to be read, and for that I am eternally grateful.
Dread Mondays: A Whisper House Press Horror Anthology
From the fluorescent-lit boardroom to the desolate isolation of a lonely spacecraft, Dread Mondays collects stories transforming the abstraction of mundane repetition into tangible nightmares. Featuring Bram Stoker Award winners, ‘best of’ authors, and fresh voices from around the globe, this anthology, in three parts, exposes the horrors we working stiffs confront in pursuit of a paycheck. “Retail Hell” highlights some of the awful truths of customer service and its forced smiles. “Institutional Terror” explores the discomfort lurking in structured environments like libraries and schools. And “Corporate Nightmare” finds ambition, technology, and alienation birthing a perfect storm of horrific speculation-because sometimes, the quarterly reports are the least of your worries.
This international collection offers a chilling and darkly humorous exploration of workplaces, where the ordinary mutates grotesquely and each profession’s unique set of horrors is well-lit and impossible to ignore. Forget monsters under the bed: the real ones await you at your desk.
Weird Tales to Haunt Your Reptilian Brain
Feel that tingle in your brain stem? Well, after reading these weird stories you’re sure to recall a simpler time. A time with no screen to stare at. A time with no buildings or man-made structures. A time where your brain was so tiny and focused on survival that there was no consciousness over-analyzing the surrounding world. Kill or be killed. Eat or die. A time when nature was deadly and reptiles ruled the earth.
These weird tales will leave you with a memory you cannot shake. They’ll haunt you while you sleep and terrify you when you awake in the darkness for unexplainable reasons, rationales that make no sense. In the age of AI, try to recall what it was like to have no consciousness. Come, read these stories and remember what it felt like to be truly frightened with no ability to fully understand why.
Blood Lust: Where desire burns hot and fear runs deep
Art critic David Daersh has never seen paintings so vividly mesmerizing as those crafted by a reclusive artist. He unravels the secrets to her brilliance and learns her masterpieces come at an unspeakable cost. When she asks, “Can I make you a painting?” — he will regret his answer for the rest of his life.
Don’t miss BLOOD LUST, an electrifyingly erotic anthology with haunted haunted longings, cursed encounters, and wicked desires.
Dark Horses: The Magazine of Weird Fiction No. 20: September 2023 (Dark Horses Magazine) “Into the Pot”
A late-night road trip to Orchard Bay Boardwalk lures Megan and her friends into an eerie, abandoned amusement park. Their adventure quickly spirals into a nightmare as they uncover dark secrets and face unimaginable horrors.
“Dark Horses” is a stylish and chilling magazine with other great authors and features – be sure to order your copy now here.
Dark Dispatch Issue #2: Deadly Love “Holy Maria”
In the vibrant chaos of a cantina, Jesse’s infatuation with the town’s purest soul, Maria, takes a sinister turn. As the night unfolds, a series of terrifying events reveal the darkness within Jesse, leaving him haunted by the question: “Oh Jesse, what did you do?”
Discover “Holy Maria” and other tales in this exceptional magazine.
The Swirl: A Who’s the Daddy Game Show
Los Angeles couple, Barbara and Amanda, bemoan the long process of the adoption and uncertainty of the artificial insemination process. “I don’t even know if I’ll want a kid by then,” Barbara quips.
Television-connected-friend, Poppy, dreams up The Swirl, a fantastic television that will deliver them baby. A magnificently bizarre array of men come together to concoct a cocktail to impregnate Barbara, allowing her and her wife to start a family.
The bullpen of men include: a nutty movie star, a narcissistic rapper, America’s premiere Olympic swimmer (and his officious manager), a Danish runway model, a flashy but effeminate fashion designer, the smartest-man-on-the-planet-astrophysicist; a slightly smarmy, completely awkward, totally ubiquitous hand model; Barbara’s bitter, lost-in-life ex-boyfriend; and a comedian famous for being completely average in every way.
The show rumbles through challenges where the men race shopping carts in pregnancy suits, put diapers on penguins, sing lullabies to unimpressed babies, discover their own family histories through DNA, and are discarded by the episode until only the father remains.
The couple started out meek and hopeful, but the show swells heads and transforms their lives. Relationships are strained, old relationships are reconsidered, and the camera never blinks.
The Swirl is fun and ridiculous, with a dynamic stable of studs who compete for genetic superiority to provide a child for a lovingly fractured couple and a hit show for an over her head, ambitious television producer.
Night to Dawn 38 “Evergreen Terrace Apartment Review”
Evergreen Terrace Apartments seem perfect: cozy, secure, and beautifully insulated. But behind the friendly facade and thick walls lies a darker story. Missteps with parking lead to far more than just angry notes, revealing the chilling truth that sometimes, the nicest places to live can also be the most dangerous places to die.
Barbara Custer does an amazing job with Bewildering Stories, as well everything at bloodredshadow.com. Issue 38 of NTD houses many great stories by amazing authors; purchase your copy here.
Daylight Dims: “Sweat Like Honey”
Ryan’s search through the vibrant streets of Olongapo for a girl he met earlier leads him into a surreal and terrifying encounter. Amidst the chaotic nightlife and alluring promises, he finds himself trapped in a haunting reality.
“Daylight Dims” is a sweet little book filled with many gripping stories promising to enthrall and unsettle you – purchase your copy here.
Infernal Ink Magazine (vol. 2 issue 3 for October 2013): “Devonah”
In the heart of Los Angeles, John is lured by the sultry voice of Devonah, a virtual temptress who promises passion and salvation. As he navigates the city’s seedy underbelly, his devotion to Devonah drives him to extremes, culminating in a shocking, surreal encounter. When the fantasy ends and reality sets in, John is left questioning the boundaries between love, lust, and madness.
Fantastic magazine with original stories and artwork. Purchase your copy here.
Bewildering Stories: “Ferris Wheel” [PART 1]
Steven Ferris, battling terminal illness, pushes himself to rake the yard, wanting to leave a lasting memory for his son. As the pain intensifies, his resolve strengthens, driven by love and determination. In the end, a shocking procedure by Dr. Wen leaves Steven’s family with an unexpected replacement, turning his sacrifice into an eerie twist of fate.
Bewildering Stories houses many great stories by amazing authors; find my story here.
Bewildering Stories: “Ferris Wheel” [PART 2]
Steven Ferris, battling terminal illness, pushes himself to rake the yard, wanting to leave a lasting memory for his son. As the pain intensifies, his resolve strengthens, driven by love and determination. In the end, a shocking procedure by Dr. Wen leaves Steven’s family with an unexpected replacement, turning his sacrifice into an eerie twist of fate.
Bewildering Stories houses many great stories by amazing authors; find my story here.
Sanitarium Issue #2 (2012): Sanitarium Magazine Issue #2 2012 edition “The Eviscerator”
A doctor is stunned to learn about a purifying device called the Eviscerator used to restore purity and righestousness to both body and soul. As his investigation unfolds, the good doctor experiences the device’s horrifying power firsthand. This haunting tale of faith, science, and self-mutilation will linger.
Sanitarium is an amazing publication with great stories and fantastic art – purchase your copy here.
Darkfire Magazine: “A Touch of Loving Madness”
Cassandra saves a man’s life, igniting a and dangerous obsession. As love turns to madness, Cassandra’s past horrors resurface, driving her to a desperate act of violence. Cursed by a touch that brings only chaos, her plea for salvation leads to a chilling meeting with someone unexpected.
Surreal Grotesque: “Cruciphixiation”
As the world succumbs to an apocalyptic haze, a man reflects on his final moments with Petra, the love of his life. Amidst the decay and despair, their journey to a desolate church becomes a haunting exploration of faith, love, and the end of humanity. Beautiful melancholy is all we have left when the end is inevitable and there’s nothing left to do but die.
Surreal Grotesque is an amazing publication available online through ISSUU. An account (free) is required. Find it here.
Short.Story.Me “Disquiet Teen”
Thomas, a man guided by his teen’s mischievous spirit, struggles with the consequences of impulsive decisions that leave his life in disarray. Compulsive ideas lead him into one disastrous situation after another, culminating in a night of drunken chaos and horrifying realization. In the end, he confronts the grim source of his inner turmoil, revealing a chilling truth that changes everything.
Short.Story.Me. is a repository of amazing stories. “Disquiet Teen” is available online, no purchase required.
Liquid Imagination: “Read This Again Please”
Victor Stevens, the acclaimed horror writer, pours his soul into every page, bleeding plots and hemorrhaging irony until he is hollow. But when he encounters an alluring fan, his own dark creations blur with reality, revealing a chilling twist on love and madness. In the end, Stevens learns that his fictional horrors might not be as contained as he believed.
Available online, no purchase required. Liquid Imagination is a fantastic repository of great horror. My story is available and ready here.
