Promo: The Damned

Good morning, squiders! I have a teaser for you this morning, for an anthology coming out soon! Just in time for spooky season!

 

Anthology Stories Include:

 

The Drain, The Enforcers, The Fog, On a Spring Day, and The Trial.

 

Flash Fiction, Horror

Date To Be Published: September 23, 2023

 

Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by thirteen authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles from Storm Lomax, Jonathan Reddoch, Zari Hunt, Kellee Kranendonk, Andreas Flögel, Simon Clarke, Jacek Wilkos, Ferenc K. Zoltán, Vanessa Bane, C.L. Hart, Natascha Eschweiler, Angela Zimmerman, and J.E. Feldman.

 

Excerpt

The Drain

Professor Vladimir Reed-Field wished he had never taken the job at Miskatonic University. He’d never had problems like this when he was teaching at the University of Hawaii. A volcanic eruption would be  a welcome change over the sound coming from that damn kitchen sink.

The plumber from Blizzard Pipeworks could find nothing wrong with the drain. She’d scoped it, snaked it, and performed a full flush. She said that sometimes the plumbing in Arkham’s old houses just made odd noises.

The problem wasn’t the pipes themselves. It was the thing inside the pipes that kept whispering the professor’s name.

 

Purchase Your Copy Today

 

 

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

 

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

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Promo: Pirate Gold

Good morning, squiders! I’ve got a pirate-themed anthology for you guys today! (I love pirates. I’m going to write a pirate novel some day.) Take a look!

Action and Adventure, Paranormal Fantasy,  Lovecraftian, Anthology

Date Published: July 31, 2023

Publisher: Dragon Soul Press

 

 

Treasure is within reach.

Nineteen original tales of swashbuckling glory are at your fingertips in this anthology. From pirates lured into traps, treasure hunting gone wrong, and epic battles on the open sea. From vengeful ghosts to gruesome mutinies. Living on the edge comes with high costs.

 

Featuring stories by Paulene Turner, James Romag, Maeve A. Baird, Matthew Fryer, Isa Ottoni, Bianca Breen, Charles Kyffhausen, Allison Tebo, Douglas Allen Gohl, Edgar Mahaffey, Jennifer Strassel, Stephen A. Roddewig, Robert Allen Lupton, K. Anders, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Melody Bowles, and C.L. Hart.

 

The Quest for Captain Sammy’s Treasure

 

Five centuries ago, Captain Sammy buried his treasure in an unlikely location before letting the sun burn his body to ash to avoid becoming a vampire. Now the spectral pirate is back in the Jungle of Kled to reclaim his treasure, accompanied by two unusual friends.

Rilpu is a young sorceress born as a serpent but transformed into a humanoid female by a spell. The wizard Zkauba hails from the doomed world of Yaddith. They are soon joined by an impressive companion: Yadira, the daughter of Nyarlathotep. However, it is possible that even Nyarlathotep’s daughter may not be able to defeat the abomination standing in the blighted clearing under the pedestal where Captain Sammy’s treasure is hidden.

Do the ghostly pirate captain and his friends have a chance of reclaiming the treasure and continuing their mission to save the Cosmos from destruction or are they destined to fail?

  

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

Readers Roost Book Blog

Readers Roost Facebook

Readers Roost Twitter

Naughty Netherworld Newsletter

 

Purchase Link

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Excerpt:

(My apologies, squiders, I think the excerpt they sent me got oddly cut off. Enjoy what I have!)

Darkness and ominous silence dominated the Jungle of Kled. Strange towering trees moving in ways that defied explanation cast shadows that shimmered and danced. Each rustle in the darkness represented a potential threat, and every shadow teemed with unseen danger. A network of twisted vines snaked through the underbrush, their thick tendrils blocking any light that might have penetrated the canopy above.

A palpable sense of dread filled the air as strange and terrifying cries echoed from the shadows. The flapping of massive leathery wings could be heard as monstrous creatures ascended into the dark green sky. Insects of enormous size buzzed and crawled across toxic flowers. The feeling of being watched was ever-present, a sense of malice stalking every step.

It was into this scene that three peculiar travelers fell from an ovoid of light the color of key lime pie filling. Despite the bumpy landing, the first of the trio seemed unperturbed. This sturdy, mature gentleman quickly righted himself, doing a jaunty jig in the air, his silver and gold curls bouncing as he moved.

Cover Reveal: L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future Volume 39

Good morning, squiders! I’ve got a cover reveal for you today! This yearly anthology contains some of the best scifi and fantasy stories from new writers, and this is the volume for 2023.

 

Science fiction and fantasy anthology

 

From vampires and werewolves to space exploration and time travel, you will love these 12 original and diverse stories because they were selected by some of your favorite authors.

 

In the world of speculative fiction…

Your favorite authors…

Have selected best new voices of the year.

24 Award-winning Authors and Illustrators

3 Bonus Short Stories by Kevin J. Anderson • L. Ron Hubbard • S. M. Stirling

Art and Writing Tips by Lazarus Chernik • L. Ron Hubbard • Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Edited by Dean Wesley Smith • Jody Lynn Nye

16-page color gallery of artwork • Cover art by Tom Wood

 

Check out the stories Brandon Sanderson, Orson Scott Card, Nnedi Okorafor, Robert J. Sawyer, Kevin J. Anderson, Jody Lynn Nye and others chose as the best of the best.

Be amazed. Be amused. Be transported … by stories that take you by surprise and take you further and deeper into new worlds and new ideas than you’ve ever gone before….

Twelve captivating tales from the most exciting new voices in science fiction and fantasy accompanied by three from masters of the genre.

 

A miracle? An omen? Or something else? One day, they arrived in droves—the foxes of the desert, the field, the imagination….—“Kitsune” by Devon Bohm

When a vampire, a dragon and a shape-shifting Chihuahua meet on a beach in Key West, fireworks go off! But that’s just the background.—“Moonlight and Funk” by Marianne Xenos

The Grim Reaper, trapped in an IRS agent’s dying body, must regain his powers before he dies and faces judgment for his original sin.—“Death and the Taxman” by David Hankins

In a metaverse future, a woman who exposes falseness in others must decide what is real to her—the love she lost or the love she may have found.—“Under My Cypresses” by Jason Palmatier

Vic Harden wasn’t lured by glory on a daring mission into the reaches of outer space—he was ordered out there by his editor.—“The Unwilling Hero” by L. Ron Hubbard

Dangerous opportunities present themselves when an alien ship arrives in the solar system seeking repairs.—“White Elephant” by David K. Henrickson

With her spaceship at the wrong end of a pirate’s guns, a former war hero must face down her enemies and demons to save Earth’s last best chance for peace.—“Piracy for Beginners” by J. R. Johnson

Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., faces one of his funniest and most perplexing cases ever—an enlightened ogre, a salamander with low self-esteem, and a raging fire dragon terrorizing the Unnatural Quarter!—“Fire in the Hole” by Kevin J. Anderson

Years after the Second Holocaust, the last surviving Jews on earth attempt to rewrite the past.—“A Trickle in History” by Elaine Midcoh

When I said I’d do anything to pay off my debts and get back home to Earth, I didn’t mean survey a derelict spaceship at the edge of the solar system—but here I am.—“The Withering Sky” by Arthur H. Manner

High-powered telescopes bring galactic life to our TVs, and network tuner Hank Enos figures he’s seen everything—until the day an alien boy stares back.—“The Fall of Crodendra M.” by T. J. Knight

Knights, damsels and dragons, curses and fates foretold—the stuff of legends and stories, but unexpectedly perverse.—“Constant Never” by S. M. Stirling

Determined to save his wife, Tumelo takes an unlikely client through South Africa’s ruins to the heart of the Desolation—a journey that will cost or save everything.—“The Children of Desolation” by Spencer Sekulin

When a terrorist smuggles a nuclear weapon into London, a team regresses in time to AD 1093 to assassinate a knight on the battlefield, thereby eliminating the terrorist a millennia before his birth.—“Timelines and Bloodlines” by L. H. Davis

The Grand Exam, a gateway to power for one, likely death for all others—its entrants include ambitious nobles, desperate peasants, and Quiet Gate, an old woman with nothing left to lose.—“The Last History” by Samuel Parr

 

You will love this collection of the best new voices in science fiction and fantasy because, as Locus magazine puts it, “Not only is the writing excellent…it is also extremely varied. There’s a lot of hot new talent.” 

 

 

 

Writers of the Future Judges

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Stuck on Horror

Hi, squiders! How are you? I’ve got the small, mobile ones’ Pinewood Derby cars finished finally (they did most of the work, I just had to attach the wheels and the weights, but we haven’t had time to work on them because we’ve had rehearsal every day for hours on end and impound is TODAY and aghhhhh) so that’s one thing that’s really been stressing me out done.

(Assuming they get checked in okay. A friend is taking the cars to impound because we have dress rehearsal tonight and can’t go. I’m trying not to worry too much.)

And, yes, it’s dress rehearsal tonight, and we open tomorrow, and Saturday we’ve got the Pinewood Derby, a Girl Scout cookie booth, AND the show, so that will be madness.

But it’s got to be better than my spouse being in the hospital and me having to go back and forth between the hospital and performances, like last show (Feb 2020). So, hey! I’ll take it!

Anyway. Enough of that.

Over at Turtleduck Press we’re working on an anthology project. We each provided artwork and/or photos as prompts, and using those, we’re going to write short stories on the theme of “connection.”

So I’ve been trolling through my idea files and looking at my prompts, and I finally came up with a story idea and wrote an outline.

But, let me tell you, it was SO HARD not to go horror with it. I actually had to set a guideline for myself that the plot could not involve ghosts or connections across death in any way.

It was kind of surprising, actually, how difficult this was, and it made me realize that so much of what I’ve written lately is horror. There’s my scifi horror novella, and the Gothic horror novella I just finished, and I wrote that murder mystery (a cozy, though, so not too horror-y), and even a lot of my short fiction lately has had horror elements if not been fully horror.

And it made me realize that, hey, maybe this is how I’m coping with the pandemic and everything else that is falling apart around me. Horror is a genre based on fear, after all.

That being said, I don’t want to write just horror, though. I do like horror–though I think I like writing it more than reading it–but I also like more traditional forms of science fiction and fantasy, and I would like to get back to writing more of that.

Anyway, I guess we’ll see how this goes.

Wish me luck!

Announcing The Best of Turtleduck Press, Volume II

How are you, squiders? I am exhausted.

But I come bearing good news, or at least a book, which is basically the same thing.

In celebration of our tenth anniversary over at Turtleduck Press (holy carp!), we’ve put out The Best of Turtleduck Press, Vol II.

(In case you’re wondering, The Best of Turtleduck Press, Volume I came out in 2013, on our third anniversary.)

This was a fun exercise for our anniversary, since we got to read back through all the stories we’ve written for the past six years or so (and more, in some cases) and see which were our best. Each author has two stories included–one voted on as their best by everyone else, and the one they felt was their best.

(As an aside, both my stories are from the last few years, which, to me, is a good sign, because it means I’m getting better over time. Hooray!)

The anthology is currently ebook only, and only $.99. If you’d like some great shorts to read, you should go and get it.

I hope you’re doing well despite all the turmoil in the world, squiders. Regular posting returns next week.

Announcing Of Metal and Magic, Compendium One

First, in terms of logistics, I wanted to let you know that I’m taking next week off (I mean, there is the off chance I will draw a landsquid and post it, but I’m not making any promises).

Anyway, I wanted to let you know about a new anthology that I’ve got a story in! This was a lot to fun to do–it’s a shared universe, which you guys know I love. And the compendium is neat because it mixes short stories with “historical” documents and the beginnings of longer stories to come.

Here’s the description:

Forged from the abyss by the elder gods, the history of Soria spans over 10,000 years. In this time, the people of the world have seen bloody wars, the rise and fall of divine empires, pitched struggles between dragons and unicorns—the very children of the gods who created men. Though the seed of civilization was planted on the continent of Elitor, people crossed the wide oceans to other lands, and to divergent evolutions. Today the world revolves around two great powers: Telsemar in the east, and Drumnaught in the west. It is from the dusty volumes in the duty halls of these cities’ grand depositories, that we look back on the tumultuous history of Soria and the tales of Metal and Magic. 

It’s available here: ( paperback | Kindle )

If you don’t hear from me otherwise, I hope you have a lovely whatever you celebrate (or just a nice week), and I’ll see you right before we roll over into the new year (goodness!).

Announcing Love Shines Through

Hooray! It took a ton of work, but Love Shines Through: A Fractured World Anthology is now available!

Here’s the blurb:

The world was whole before the war.

But war is a terrible thing, and terrible things are done in the name of defense and protection. And this war tore the world apart, fractured it, separated families and lives and dreams. The reasons why no longer matter, but the effects still linger. They cause pain, though the war is over.

But despite the monsters and the poisons and the despair, there is a glimmer of light. And hope and love are not gone from the world.

These four stories, set in the Fractured World, explore how light can make it through the darkness. How hope can conquer fear. And most of all, how love can still flourish, even when the world is bleak.

A young woman braves monsters to see the sky.
A reluctant man chooses forgiveness over suffering.
Lovers reunite to save a child and their community.
Best friends risk everything for each other.

Come see the light for yourselves.

I’m so glad to see this done and out! Love Shines Through is available through Amazon in paperback or ebook form, or in your favorite format through Smashwords (and hopefully soon through your favorite ebook distributor).

I had a great time writing my story for this anthology–it was fun looking at Briony’s ancestors and thinking about what could have led them to the point they’re at in City of Hope and Ruin. (Oh yeah, this anthology takes place about 400 years ahead of CoHaR.) And I’m glad to see it come to fruition. The Fractured World was always supposed to be a shared world, so it was great to have some new authors write in it.

I hope you guys have a chance to check it out!

Release Party Aftermath (and a Video)

So, the Necro-Om-Nom-Nom-Icon release party on Saturday was interesting! It was held in a combo coffee shop/bar (I don’t know about where you live, but here in the Mile High City and surrounding areas, we’ll combine a coffee shop with anything. Or a bar with anything. Really, it was inevitable.) which we took over most of and confused the general patrons.

They had a toast (I promptly spilled my champagne on myself, very embarrassing, would not recommend) and did some readings, and we all signed each other’s copies and also copies from the general public. And my sister showed up and brought me an alpaca, which she got me after I expressed jealousy over the one she got the smaller, mobile one for Easter.

(Mine’s the purple one.)

One of the other authors did interviews with everyone. Here’s mine, where you can see me fail at reading as well as try to spell Cthulhu on the fly, and the whole series is here.

All in all, it was interesting, though a bit stressful, because while I knew some of the other authors, I didn’t know anybody particularly well. One of the publishers told me that they’ll be doing a second one closer to home soon, and I’m not sure whether or not I’ll go. (Though it will probably depend on schedule more than anything.)

Still no buy links on the anthology, but I hear we’ll have them soon.

How’s your April going, squiders?

 

Out Today: To Rule the Stars

Happy Tuesday, Squiders! It’s my pleasure today to announce the release of To Rule the Stars, an anthology of space princess stories.

Who says fantasy should get all the princesses? Here’s the blurb:

Meet the princesses.

A trained diplomat, kidnapped by an alien race desperate for justice, and its dashing leader…

A political pawn, on her way to meet her betrothed, who stops in the asteroid belt to answer a call for help, and finds a princess both beautiful and brave…

A captive raised to believe that the greatest evil is magic, when it—and the handsome ship’s engineer who wields it—are the one thing that might save her…

Here are their stories.

I just got to say, I’m super pleased with my story in this one. (Mine’s the one with the trained diplomat up above.) AND we have it on special release price in ebook form for now, at $0.99, before it goes up to its normal price. There will also be a print version (which will be $7.99, I believe) but it hasn’t gone live yet.

For now, you can get it here: ( Amazon | Smashwords )

The Turtleduck Press page will get additional buy links as they go live.

So go check it out while it’s cheap! You get three awesome novelette/novella-sized stories for less than a dollar. Besides mine, which I am understandably biased about, I’m also super jazzed about Siri’s Ship of Thorns, which has a very cool tone to it that I won’t spoil for you. (You may remember Siri as my co-author for City of Hope and Ruin.) Erin’s story, which wraps up the collection, is also an interesting look at evaluating your beliefs and what’s acceptable (but don’t worry, it’s not preachy). You also get a preview for TDP’s next release, which is Erin’s Ever Touched, the third book in her science fantasy Fey Touched series.

So what are you waiting for?

Otherwise, I hope things are going relatively well for you, Squiders. Let me know if you’ve got anything awesome going in your corner!

Under Her Protection Now Available!

Turtleduck Press’s new anthology, Under Her Protection: Stories of Women to the Rescue, is now available! Go here or here to purchase this collection, or here for more information!

This anthology was a joy to write for, and I’m actually already planning a novel based off my story for it. I think you’ll really enjoy it too, so go give it a look!