KJK Publishing's THE HORROR COLLECTION: CHRISTMAS EDITION II

KJK Publishing has released another in its long-running The Horror Collection series, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy, and this time, it's the Christmas Edition II, now available in ebook, with the trade paperback on the horizon. This one features my tale, "Red Rage," which I hope will turn your blood to ice, along with 18 other tales of Yuletide terror (see the table of contents below).

"Red Rage" originally appeared in Christmas Horror Volume 1 (now out of print) from Dark Regions Press in 2015.

From the Publisher: A child makes thirteen snow angels and waits for an old Christmas tradition to answer his prayers. A sinister ornament turns a troubled husband into a killer. Krampus comes to a juvenile detention centre. A grieving mother discovers that her new home has a terrible Yuletide tradition. A Christmas reunion brings an old friend back from the dead. In a remote church, an exorcist faces a demonic evil that may already be among those he trusts.

And that's only the beginning...

Across these nineteen stories, Christmas becomes a season of demons, ghosts, monsters, murderers, ancient spirits, family secrets and supernatural vengeance. There are cursed traditions, impossible visitations, deadly bargains, haunted memories and Christmas Eves that will never be forgotten.

From quiet psychological dread to brutal supernatural horror, from the intimate terror of a family Christmas to nightmares that threaten entire worlds, these stories prove that the most wonderful time of the year can also be the most terrifying.

This Christmas, the ghosts are waiting, the demons are hungry, and something ancient is coming home.

Now all that's left is to survive Christmas.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• "Good Will Toward Men" by Jeffrey Thomas
• "Krampusnacht in Cell Block J" by Cody Goodfellow
• "Red Rage" by Stephen Mark Rainey
• "The Thirteenth Day of Christmas" by Paul Carro
• "The Christmas Cracker" by Valerie B. Williams
• "This Labyrinth of Absurdities" & "Never Again" by George Daniel Lea
• "When the Elves are no Longer on the Shelves" & "Behind a Painted Smile" by Ian Taylor
• "The Demoniacs" by Nenad Kojčić
• "As the Distant Bells Toll" by Aleksandar Žiljak
• "Last Merrily Encore of Richie Graves" by M.P. Norman
• "Billy Jenkins" by Steve Stred
• "Coming Home" by Mark Morris
• "The Christmas Reunion" by Bill Davidson
• "The Dead of Winter" by Andreas Hort
• "Yuletide Spirit" by Jim Donohue
• "Merry Christmas Kim" by Veronica Smith
• "It’s a Miserable Life" by Ryan Colley

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Order THE HORROR COLLECTION:
CHRISTMAS EDITION II from Amazon.com

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It's Getting to Be THAT Season...

L: "Notebook Found in a Deserted House" art by Matt Fox; R: "Sticks" art by Lee Brown Coye

The other day, friend and fellow writer Joe Maddrey sent me a note wondering if I might have some short story recommendations apt for the Halloween season. More than I can count, actually, but I figured I'd focus on a couple of stories I found pivotal in my descent into horror madness.

My perennial favorites are probably Karl Edward Wagner's "Sticks" and Robert Bloch's "Notebook Found in a Deserted House." Both are among the most atmospheric, dread-laden tales I can think of.

"Notebook Found in a Deserted House" may be the most memorable because it's the story that drew me to Lovecraftian/cosmic horror in the first place. When I was a senior at the University of Georgia, a good friend had a pile of the old H. P. Lovecraft/Cthulhu Mythos paperbacks, which he thought I might like. I said I'd take a look, so he gave the lot of them to me. At the time, I lived out in the sticks in a fairly secluded house with five other people, and the night I started delving into those books, I was the only one at home (which was exceedingly rare). "Notebook" was the first of the stories I read, and I was smitten. I stayed up most of the night reading those books because — for the first time since I was a kid — I didn't like the idea of turning off the light and trying to sleep.

It was around that time that I read "Sticks" as well. Another friend of mine at college, Lew Hartman (a fantasy artist), was a devoted Wagner fan and introduced me to Karl's work. "Sticks" stood out as my favorite, but I read his Kane books and stories, and later, many of his other tales. Back when I was producing Deathrealm magazine, I got to know Karl, as he wrote a column for the magazine. In the early 90s, Karl, Lew, and I were all guests at a convention in South Carolina, so it was a real pleasure to introduce Lew to Karl in person, especially since he'd introduced me to Karl's work. Sadly, my friend Lew died a few years after Karl did.

There are plenty of other great stories for the Halloween season — just about any of Lovecraft's classics (my favorites include "The Dunwich Horror," "Call of Cthulhu," "The Whisperer in Darkness," "Dreams in the Witch House," "Haunter of the Dark," and numerous others), Manly Wade Wellman's "The Desrick on Yandro," Michael Shea's "Fat Face," Jeffrey Osier's "The Encyclopedia for Boys," and F. Paul Wilson's "The Barrens," just to name a few. These don't even scratch the surface, but as far as I'm concerned, a damn good start.

THE HORROR COLLECTION: OBSIDIAN EDITION Is in the Wild

KJK Publishing has released another in its long-running The Horror Collection series, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy, and this time, it's the Obsidian Edition, now available in ebook and trade paperback formats. This one features my story of Appalachian horror, "Willow Bend," along with 16 other tales of stone-cold terror (see the table of contents below).

"Willow Bend" was originally slated to appear in 2018, in an anthology titled Voices in the Darkness from Ulthar Press, but following the sad, untimely passing of Ulthar's owner, Sam Gafford, the book never happened. So, I'm mighty pleased that the story will at last see the light of day in an awesome new anthology. The Amazon ordering link is posted below.

I still have more frightening fiction forthcoming from Mr. Kennedy and KJK Publishing, so... beware the future, my friends!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• "The Pale Mother" by Mladen Stanisavljević
• "A Demon in Bed" by Tom Blicq
• "Lips Beneath the Ice" by Nenad Mitrović
• "The Reunion" by J. Rocky Colavito
• "984" by Željko Obrenović
• "Buried at Sea" by C L Raven
• "Purity Ball" by Cody Goodfellow
• "The Gauntlet" by Mark Towse
• "Fix the Problem, Doctor" by Viggy Parr Hampton
• "Servile" by Jeffrey Thomas
• "Gashapon" by Ryan Colley
• "Willow Bend" by Stephen Mark Rainey
• "At the Water’s Edge" by Richard Clive
• "Offspring" by Brian Moreland
• "Appetite for Life" by David O’Mahony
• "Heartsick" by Brian Hodge
• "The Confression" by Shaun Hutson

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THE HORROR COLLECTION:
OBSIDIAN EDITION at Amazon.com

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Well Worth a Read: FUGUE DEVIL: RESURGENCE Review

"This is one of the best collections I have read this year. If you love dark fiction in short story form as much as I do, you need to add this to your shelf."

"In 'Fugue Devil,' the new kid in town is told the local legend about a musician who summoned a demon that now reappears every 17 years. If you know about it, it knows about you! This is the year it is supposed to return. Is it real or just a myth? Two curious teens aim to find out...

"In its chilling sequel, 'The Devil's Eye,' a filmmaker has nefarious reasons for wanting to produce a movie about the Fugue Devil with the brother of one of the possible victims..."

A lovely review of Fugue Devil: Resurgence by Irene Cole at "Well Worth a Read." Read the whole review here.

KJK Publishing Presents THE HORROR COLLECTION: SPECIAL EDITION

On the heels of KJK Publishing's The Horror Collection: Fear Edition (see my blog entry of 24 July 2026), holy cowz, we have The Horror Collection: Special Edition, a new anthology of horror novelettes. Mine is titled "The Crimson Wood" and is a sequel to H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds (one of two that I've written, the first being "Before the Red Star Falls," available in my collection, Legends of the Night).

 

Here is what one reviewer says about "The Crimson Wood": "This story alone is worth five stars: "This is a sequel to the novel War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. In the novel, the Martians were defeated by the bacteria on our planet. However, in Rainey's story, some of them survived. These tentacled aliens are taken right out of the novel... and then Miskatonic University and Ben Cain. (This is a reference to Dan Cain from the film Reanimator; In the short story by Lovecraft, the narrator is unknown.)"

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• "Cat Daddy Fever" - Ronald Kelly
• "The Face of an Unlikely God" - Gord Rollo
• "Your Only Fan" - Ryan Colley
• "Blacktop" - William Meikle
• "Ms. Lost" - Josh Davis
• "The Burgers of Calais" - Graham Masterton
• "Night-Mare" - Brian Moreland
• "Nesting Instincts" - Brian Hodge
• "The Crimson Wood" - Stephen Mark Rainey
• "Baggie" - Elizabeth Massie
• "The Char-Lee" - John Everson
• "The Story Of April And Her Colours" - Mark Morris
• "The Arms of the Sun"- Jeffrey Thomas

Edited by Ann Keeran with cover art by Michael Bray

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THE HORROR COLLECTION:
SPECIAL EDITION at Amazon.com

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THE HORROR COLLECTION: FEAR EDITION Now Available

KJK Publishing's The Horror Collection: Fear Edition, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy is now in the wild! This volume includes my story, "Awakening," along with 18 other fearsome tales. The list of authors whose work graces this one tells me I'll be in some damned fine literary company. Despite the fact I've overcome the arachnophobia that has afflicted me for most off my life, this cover image pretty much gives the creeps. I like that.

I'll have stories in other upcoming editions of The Horror Collection series, and yes, these will surely make you shake and quake (or least squirm a little). So, keep your eyes open!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS: 

• "The Nipples in Dad's Toolbox" by Ronald Kelly

• "Intruder Alert" by Devin Cabrera

• "Prey Drive" by Andreas Hort

• "Just a Spider" by Anthony Leibs

• "Grillfingers" by Bray Mattheson

• "Like A Good Family Should" by Josh Davis

• "Hunting in the Badlands" by A.M. Symes

• "J is for Jesusphobia" by William Meikle

• "Anniversary" by John Everson

• "Wailing Mona" by Tom Deady

• "Flagellum Dei" by Nenad Mitrović

• "Lost and Found" by Mark Morris

• "Voices" by Željko Obrenović

• "Awakening" by Stephen Mark Rainey

• "Pluck A Silken String" by Matthew R. Davis

• "Before It Comes Again" by Graham Masterton & Karolina Mogielska

• "Let the Sego Lilies Bleed" by Bryan Stubbles

• "Lost in Shinjuku Station" by Ryan Colley

• "Our Turn Too Will One Day Come" by Brian Hodge

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Order The Horror Collection:
Fear Edition from Amazon.com

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Another Horror Collection — Obsidian Edition

KJK Publishing has announced another in its long-running The Horror Collection series, and this time, it's the Obsidian Edition, to be released later this year, most likely in the fall (ebook and trade paperback editions). This one will feature my story, "Willow Bend," along with 16 other tales of stone-cold terror (see the table of contents below).

"Willow Bend" was originally slated to appear in 2018, in an anthology titled Voices in the Darkness from Ulthar Press, but following the sad, untimely passing of Ulthar's owner, Sam Gafford, the book never happened. So, I'm mighty pleased that the story will at last see the light of day in an awesome new anthology. As always, I will post additional details and ordering information when those become available.

I still have more fiction forthcoming from KJK Publishing, so... beware the future, my friends!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS:
• "The Pale Mother" by Mladen Stanisavljević
• "A Demon in Bed" by Tom Blicq
• "Lips Beneath the Ice" by Nenad Mitrović
• "The Reunion" by J. Rocky Colavito
• "984" by Željko Obrenović
• "Buried at Sea" by C L Raven
• "Purity Ball" by Cody Goodfellow
• "The Gauntlet" by Mark Towse
• "Fix the Problem, Doctor" by Viggy Parr Hampton
• "Servile" by Jeffrey Thomas
• "Gashapon" by Ryan Colley
• "Willow Bend" by Stephen Mark Rainey
• "At the Water’s Edge" by Richard Clive
• "Offspring" by Brian Moreland
• "Appetite for Life" by David O’Mahony
• "Heartsick" by Brian Hodge
• "The Confression" by Shaun Hutson

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IN THE MEANTIME, The Horror Collection: Crystal Edition, which includes my story, "Magic Eye," is currently available, and you can pick it up here.

Coming Soon — The Horror Collection: Fear Edition

I reckon this is something to look forward to in the new few weeks: the release of KJK Publishing's The Horror Collection: Fear Edition, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy. New entries in The Horror Collection series hit the streets about once a month, and this one includes my story, "Awakening," along with 18 other fearsome tales. The list of authors with stories in this one tells me I'll be in damned fine literary company. I will, of course, post any additional relevant details, as well as ordering links, when the book is available. In the meantime, you can shrink from this cover in fear and awe. Despite the fact I've overcome the arachnophobia that has afflicted me for most off my life, this thing pretty much gives the creeps. I like that.

I'll have stories in other upcoming editions of The Horror Collection series, and yes, these will surely make you shake and quake (or least squirm a little). Keep your eyes open!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS: 

• "The Nipples in Dad's Toolbox" by Ronald Kelly

• "Intruder Alert" by Devin Cabrera

• "Prey Drive" by Andreas Hort

• "Just a Spider" by Anthony Leibs

• "Grillfingers" by Bray Mattheson

• "Like A Good Family Should" by Josh Davis

• "Hunting in the Badlands" by A.M. Symes

• "J is for Jesusphobia" by William Meikle

• "Anniversary" by John Everson

• "Wailing Mona" by Tom Deady

• "Flagellum Dei" by Nenad Mitrović

• "Lost and Found" by Mark Morris

• "Voices" by Željko Obrenović

• "Awakening" by Stephen Mark Rainey

• "Pluck A Silken String" by Matthew R. Davis

• "Before It Comes Again" by Graham Masterton & Karolina Mogielska

• "Let the Sego Lilies Bleed" by Bryan Stubbles

• "Lost in Shinjuku Station" by Ryan Colley

• "Our Turn Too Will One Day Come" by Brian Hodge

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New Edition of FUGUE DEVIL: RESURGENCE

By way of an agreement with Black Raven Books, the original publisher of my short fiction collection, Fugue Devil: Resurgence, I have reacquired the rights to it and created a brand-new edition of the book, both paperback and ebook. It's the same collection, with essentially the same packaging, apart from minor decorative changes and a slightly smaller font for the interior (plus a few typo corrections). The price for both the paperback and ebook remains the same ($15.99 and $7.99, respectively).

ABOUT
FUGUE DEVIL: RESURGENCE...

If you know about the Fugue Devil, it knows about you.
If you see the Fugue Devil, it will come for you.

Many decades ago, summoned by the power of music, the Fugue Devil — a dreadful, malevolent entity from another place — entered our world. Every seventeen years, it reappears to satiate its hunger for unsuspecting souls.

Author Stephen Mark Rainey’s terrifying novelette, “Fugue Devil,” originally appeared in his first fiction collection, Fugue Devil & Other Weird Horrors, in 1992. Now, Fugue Devil: Resurgence features the original novelette; its sequel, “The Devil’s Eye,” and ten more tales of horror and mind-bending terror.

“The Fugue Devil”: A thrilling midnight adventure turns into a dawning horror for two boys.
“Threnody”: A dirge for the dead; if you hear it, it’s too late.
“Night Crier”: A terror in the night that echoes through the years.
“Hell’s Hollow:” Hell is just a stone’s throw away.
“Masque of the Queen”: To read the play brings on madness, to perform the play…
“Somewhere, My Love”: Her music cast a spell because, of course, she was a witch.
“When Jarly Calls”: In this wine lies the darkest truth.
“Messages From a Dark Deity”: When the stars are right, the sky will fall.
“Short Wave”: Voices from the static hint at horrors to come.
“Escalation”: “I am John, your host. I have much to look forward to,” he said with a grotesque smile.
“Pons Devana”: Something inhuman from the future lurks in the shadows of the past…
“The Devil’s Eye”: Will capturing the image of a devilish horror render it powerless? Or simply draw its inescapable gaze to you?

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Order FUGUE DEVIL: RESURGENCE from Amazon.com

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Have You Found the Yellow Sign?

A FREEBIE! Submitted for your approval: a sampling from my short story collection, Fugue Devil: Resurgence... a tale of eldritch horror titled “Masque of the Queen.” This one originally appeared in In the Court of the Yellow King (Celaeno Press, 2014), a volume of stories inspired by Robert W. Chambers’ “The King in Yellow” — a play that brings madness, despair... or death... to anyone who reads it.

“Masque of the Queen” follows a young actress slated to play Queen Cassilda in an off-Broadway production of “The King in Yellow.” Unaware of the play’s dreadful reputation, she finds herself desperate to escape the clutches of something intent on dragging her into a realm of madness and horror.

It’s downloadable as a PDF or ebook (epub file) from my website.

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“MASQUE OF THE QUEEN”
PDF or EPUB File

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New Freebie: "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story"

I've put up a new freebie on my website — "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story," a tale of cosmic horror set in the Pacific during WWII. This one originally appeared in the Dark Tales anthology Dead But Dreaming in 2001. (There are also several other stories on the site you may check out if you wish.) Available as a PDF or ePub file.

 

This story is a companion piece to another WII story, titled "The Children of Burma," which originally appeared in The Spook magazine, also in 2001. I have made it available as a freebie in the past, and I'll no doubt do so again in the upcoming days.

If you enjoy these tales, please let me know. Use the "Contact Me" link at my website — The Realm of Stephen Mark Rainey (www.stephenmarkrainey.com).

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Grab "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story" here

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CRYPTIDS... Thar She Blows!

KJK Publications has just released the latest anthology in their "Classic Monsters" series, Cryptids, and it includes my story, "The Devil Flies in Strix," a wicked tale of inhuman goings-on set in the Old West. At the moment, it's available only as an ebook, but the paperback is on the way very soon.

 

From the publisher:

They have always been there. Just beyond the the treeline. Beneath dark water. In the places humans don’t map.

In this chilling eighth installment of the Classic Monsters series, editor/publisher Kevin J. Kennedy turns his attention to the unknown beasts that haunt global folklore as well as current news reports, delivering a collection of relentlessly powerful horror stories.

A hiking expedition becomes a desperate flight from intelligent, pack-hunting predators that move like something almost human. A rancher locked in a brutal war with a blood-drinking creature learns that monsters do not always choose the guilty. In the aftermath of war, a broken soldier is drawn toward ancient beings that may offer salvation — or something far older and more terrible than peace.

In a quiet lake, betrayal awakens a sleeping horror that does not forgive. In isolated corners of the world, grief, guilt, and fear serve as bait for entities that feed on what makes us human.

From shapeshifting killers that predate civilisation, to underground civilisations that blur the line between human and beast, to entities that mimic sound, speech, and emotion with unsettling precision.

Cryptids are not myths. They are warnings. And once you see them, they never stop looking back.

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Order Cryptids from Amazon.com

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The Devil Flies in Strix

For reasons I really can't detail here, I'm just going to say that this has been one of the worst weeks of my life, and I'm feeling a little broken. The only reason I'm mentioning this here is because there's a certain catharsis in putting it out there. I'm sure that, given time, I'll be all right, although, in its way, this is a life-changing situation. Physically, I'm completely fine, though for right now, I will not deny that I'm feeling a bit of a wreck.

That said, this week I received a most-welcome acceptance from KJK Publishing for my story, "The Devil Flies in Strix," to appear in their upcoming Cryptids anthology later this year. It'll be my second cryptid-themed story to see publication this year; the first — also a "devil" story — titled "The Devil of Transylvania County," appeared in the recent Myths Reborn anthology from October Nights Press. KJK Publishing previously published my story, "Magic Eye," in their Horror Collection: Crystal Edition, in February 2025.

And in other decent news, I'm getting to the last leg of my sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond, which I'm pretty sure will be titled Broken Barriers. The cover art has been acquired from artist J. Edward Neill, whose art also appeared on the cover of The House at Black Tooth Pond and Deathrealm: Spirits.

And speaking of spirits, hopefully, next entry, mine will be better.

MYTHS REBORN Is in the House!

Yay! My contributor copy of Myths Reborn: Modern Tales of Cryptids & Dark Folkore has arrived from October Nights Press. Edited by Kelly A. Hearty, this new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

From the Publisher: Can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home? Within the pages of this anthology, encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a new collection of reenvisioned, recontextualized myths.

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Order Myths Reborn from Amazon.com

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MYTHS REBORN Is in the Wild

NOW AVAILABLE: Myths Reborn, from October Nights Press, edited by Kelly Hearty. This new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

"You’ll ask can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home?

"In this anthology, you'll encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a unique collection of re-envisioned, re-contextualized myths."

"The Devil of Transylvania County" is set in the mountains of North Carolina and is based on one of the creepiest legends from the region, which I learned about when I was a kid at summer camp—and I hope this tale will terrify you the way the original legend did me.

As of today, Myths Reborn is available in paperback and ebook. 

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Order Myths Reborn here.

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KOLCHAK ERAS Is in the House

My contributor copy of Kolchak Eras has arrived from Monstrous Media. This one features my story, "Up From the Underground," along with a dozen more escapades of the inimitable Carl Kolchak from the classic Night Stalker TV series starring Darren McGavin.

FROM THE PUBLISHER: "Carl Kolchak has faced more than his share of monsters throughout his infamous career. Now, Monstrous Books presents 13 short stories chronicling the intrepid reporter's exploits from his time in World War II until his semi-retirement in the 1990s. Kolchak's luck runs out during World War II. Devils in the outfield stir up trouble in the '50s. A road trip with editor Tony Vincenzo in the '70s takes a turn for the worse. Lovecraftian horrors escape from the beyond in the '80s. A dead cult leader threatens to return in the '90s."

This is fun stuff...and scary!

 

Edited by James Aquilone, Kolchak Eras includes tales by James Chambers, James Aquilone, Bobby Nash, David Avallone, Will McDermott, Natching T. Kassa, Owl Goingback, Jim Beard, Lev Butts, Charles R Rutledge, Lisa Morton, and Simon Bestwick

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Order Kolchak Eras at Amazon.com here

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MYTHS REBORN: Author Profile for the Old Dude

Mark Scioneaux, of October Nights Press, is posting author profiles in advance of the release of Myths Reborn, which is now available for pre-order. Here is mine, so read it and weep!

Myths Reborn Author Showcase:

Cryptid: The Wampus Cat

Stephen Mark Rainey is here with a tale that blends supernatural terror with primal fear titled "The Devil of Transylvania County."

In the misty woods of Transylvania County, North Carolina, two men make a gruesome discovery and a mysterious barrier hiding unspeakable horrors. Haunted by a creature from Cherokee folklore known as the Wampus Cat, they confront a nightmare that echoes a tragic encounter from decades past. Stephen Mark Rainey's chilling tale blends supernatural terror with primal fear in a gripping modern monster story.

Stephen Mark Rainey is the author of numerous novels, including (but not limited to) The House at Black Tooth Pond, The Nightmare Frontier, Blue Devil Island, The Lebo Coven, and Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark. He has written six short story collections, over 200 works of short fiction, and the scripts to several Dark Shadows audio productions. For ten years, Rainey edited the award-winning Deathrealm magazine. He has also edited various anthologies, notably Shortwave Publishing’s best-selling Deathrealm: Spirits. Rainey lives in Martinsville, Virginia, with his wife, Kimberly, and a passel of precocious housecats.

Myths Reborn, edited by Kelly Hearty, will be available in ebook, paperback, and hardback on 1/23/26.

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Pre-order Myths Reborn here.

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Coming Soon—MYTHS REBORN From October Nights Presss

Coming in early 2026—Myths Reborn, from October Nights Press, edited by Kelly Hearty. This new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

"You’ll ask can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home?

"In this anthology, you'll encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a unique collection of re-envisioned, re-contextualized myths."

"The Devil of Transylvania County" is set in the mountains of North Carolina and is based on one of the creepiest legends from the region, which I learned about when I was a kid at summer camp—and I hope this tale will terrify you the way the original legend did me.

Myths Reborn is now available for pre-order, and is slated for release on January 23, 2026.

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Pre-order Myths Reborn here.

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FREE FICTION! "Sky of Thunder, Island of Blood"

Sad that Halloween is over? We had a really nice one, so I sure am! So, I thought, why not offer up some free, monster-ific fiction? "Sky of Thunder, Island of Blood" is a short story I wrote some years ago, which originally appeared as an Amazon Shorts, which — sadly — no longer exists. This one is a thrilling World War II tale with a touch of the outré. The link below will take you to a Google folder where you can access either Epub or PDF files, whichever is your preference.

For the cover art, I picked up a royalty-free photo of a Messerschmidt Bf109, took a photo of one of my Rodan monster figures, and did a little Photoshopping.

Hope you enjoy the tale!

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Download "Sky of Thunder, Island of Blood" FREE!

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Witches & Witchcraft for Halloween!

My contributor copy of the new anthology, Witches and Witchcraft: An Anthology of Stories, Poems, and Essays, from Hippocampus Press, is in the house! Edited by Katherine Kerestman and S.T. Joshi, this lovely volume features my story "Foragers," a frightful tale of the American Revolutionary War, and the horrors that a company of General Cornwallis's men encounter while marching toward the Battle of Guilford Courthouse.

Witches and Witchcraft also features contemporary works by Ramsey Campbell, Debra K. Every, Wade German, Simon MacCulloch, Darrell Schweitzer, John Shirley, and others, plus classic stories and essays by L. Frank Baum, Frank Belknap, Long, Cotton Mather, William Shakespeare, Clark Ashton Smith, and many more.

 

The genesis of "Foragers" comes from a local legend, which I used as the backstory for a few of my geocaches in Greensboro, NC...except that it's not really a legend. It was a quick bit of fiction about a witch named Lillian Gadwick that I came up with to hopefully enrich the experience of hunting geocaches in the woods at night. This faux legend was apparently convincing enough to lead some geocachers to believe it was actually based on local folklore, so when I was invited to contribute a story to Witches and Witchcraft, I decided to re-imagine and embellish the tale.

 

I think it worked.

You can check out the original story of Lillian Gadwick in the cache description at Geocaching.com here.

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Witches and Witchcraft at Hippocampus Press

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