Published December 6, 2022 by Cinnabar Moth Publishing LLC

The parents knew it had been a mistake to have a girl. At birth, the girl's long, elegant fingers wriggled and grasped forward, motioning to strangle the very air from her mother's lungs. As she grew older, she grew more like her father, whose ancestors would dream of those soon to die. She walked and talked in her sleep, and her parents warded themselves, telling the girl that she was evil, unlovable, their burden to bear only until her eighteenth birthday released them.

The average person on the streets of Los Angeles would look at the girl and see a young woman with dark chocolate eyes, curly long hair, and tanned skin of her Filipina heritage. Her teachers praised her for her scholarly achievements and extracurricular activities, from academic decathlon to cheer.

The girl knew she was different, especially as she grew to accept that the other children's parents didn't despise them. Her parents whispered about their pact as odd and disturbing occurrences continued to happen around her. The girl thought being an evil demon should require the skies to bleed, the ground to tremble, an animal sacrifice to seal the bargain, or at least cause some general mayhem. Did other demons work so hard to find friends, do well on their homework, and protect their spoiled younger brother?

The demon was patient. It could afford to wait, to remind the girl when she was hurt that power was hers to take. She needed only embrace it. It could wait. The girl's parents were doing much of its work already.

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Victory Witherkeigh is a female Filipino/PI author originally from Los Angeles, CA, currently living in the Las Vegas area. Victory was a finalist for Wingless Dreamer’s 2020 Overcoming Fear Short Story award and a 2021 winner of the Two Sisters Writing and Publishing Short Story Contest. She has print publications in the horror anthologies Supernatural Drabbles of Dread through Macabre Ladies Publishing, Bodies Full of Burning through Sliced Up Press, and In Filth It Shall Be Found through OutCast Press. Written during NaNoWriMo, Victory’s first novel, set to debut in December 2022 with Cinnabar Moth Publishing, has been a finalist for Killer Nashville’s 2020 Claymore Award, a 2020 Cinnamon Press Literature Award Honoree, and long-listed in the 2021 Voyage YA Book Pitch Contest. Find out more about her at: https://teikitu.com/

Published October 18, 2022 by Weird House Press

As the nights draw in and the temperature plummets, beware the witch's curse. And stay out of the shadows, for far more lurks there than you could ever imagine...

Two witches, burned for their evil centuries earlier, now hellbent on revenge. A woman who seems to step out of an old Hollywood movie, and a castle with a murderous past. A seer whose lost and deadly prediction was hidden away for a future generation. A mysterious portrait that is far more deadly than mere paint and canvas. An old woman only the foolish would ridicule, for she knows the secrets of the land and how to harness its power.

All these and more abound, and you would do well to remember…

When the seeds of revenge are sown, beware the harvest.

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What attracted you to the genre(s) you write in?

As a child, I always enjoyed reading scary stories - starting with The Monkey's Paw by W.W. Jacobs. I love the tingling feeling of being watched from dark shadows, of knowing there is something strange and sinister in that old, Gothic house and of seeing something indeterminate flit past the corner of my eye... Atmosphere. I love it. The dark and more brooding the better. As a result, I am compelled to write about it.

What's your favorite "bad review" that you've gotten?  

One person said they 'didn't order this book' and gave it one star! I found that rather amusing.

What comes first for you - the plot or the characters?

It can be either but it's usually the plot. Sometimes the location takes precedence, as with The Malan Witch (in this collection) where I had this urge to write a story based in South West England. Given that there is a wonderful Museum of Witchcraft in Boscastle, Cornwall, it had to be a story about witches. Everything else fell into place after that.

Do you have any writing superstitions?

No.

Is there a word you find yourself using too often when writing?

The usual suspects I'm afraid - 'just', 'now' are two major culprits. Luckily these are generally edited out so they don't make the final cut

A lot of authors have a soundtrack while writing. Are there songs you had on repeat?

I rarely listen to music when I'm writing as I find it a distraction. I prefer to transport myself wherever I am in the story. I have made a couple of exceptions though - one for The Malan Witch where I played a soundtrack of waves crashing on the shore, while seabirds called overhead. Another exception was for a short story called 'Grandfather's Clock' where I played a track of a ticking longcase clock.

Do you have a favorite line that you've written? What is it and why do you like it?

One is from a short story in this collection, called The Oubliette of Elie Loyd: 'She came out of nowhere. Didn’t belong. Not to the time and place where I met her. Maybe that should have warned me.' 

I like it because, as the first line of the story, I feel compelled to read on. I believe first lines are a critical hook to any story. I am always reminded of the famous first line in Daphne du Maurier's 'Rebecca' - 'Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again'. Irresistible.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

Don't listen to people who tell you that you can't be a writer, work hard and just do it.

What advice would you like to pass on to aspiring writers that is unconventional but true?

We all know that in order to grow and improve their craft, writers need to pack in a lot of reading but don't simply read your own genre, read widely. Learn from writers in other fields. You'll be surprised at what you pick up once you take off your blinkers!

Do you have a WIP? If so, can you tell us anything about it?

I have a new collection of original short fiction coming out from Weird House Press next spring and a new novel from Flame Tree Press in the summer. The short fiction collection (title to be announced) contains stories of a ghostly and sinister nature. The novel is called The After Death of Caroline Rand and takes place in the Sixties and the present day. It centres around a legendary folk-rock singer (Caroline Rand) and the strange, ghostly and scary events that surround her life...and death

Which of your characters was your favorite to write and why?

In The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings, one of my favourites was Miss Constantine - the main character in Daft Old Bat. She seems like a frail old woman but she has hidden depths and some people are really scared of her. Another was the main character in Sour Grapes - Charlotte. I love her feistiness.

You've watched a movie 50 times and you still aren't tired of it. What movie is it?

Murder by Death - it's a hilarious parody of fictional crime detectives and I have watched it countless times.

Which animal (real or fictional) would you say is your spirit animal and why?

No doubt about it. A cat. Any cat really. There has almost always been a cat in my life since the day I was born.  I appreciate their independence, their loyalty and their air of superiority coupled with their compassion. My cats have always known when I most need a hug and they supply it in the form of purrs, licks and snuggles. I feel akin to them

Would you rather live in a haunted mansion or a cottage surrounded by fairytale creatures?

Haunted mansion please, complete with interesting ghosts. I am not a pink unicorn-type person.

What is in your internet search history (researching for your book) that you would want someone to wipe if you were under suspicion from the police?

Methods of poisoning people, perfect murders, dark arts rituals... the usual sort of thing - oh and 

You wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. What was it?

Being chased by some nameless, faceless, indeterminate creature. I immediately have to write about it, of course.

What movie completely scarred you as a child?

Bambi. Enough said.

If animals could talk, which one would be the rudest?

Camels. They do their best anyhow. They spit at people.

Which of the Golden Girls is your personality most like?

Charlotte in Sour Grapes is probably most like Sophia Petrillo 

What are your SM links? Can we follow you and pretend we're besties? 

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Following a varied career in sales, advertising and career guidance, Catherine Cavendish is now the full-time author of a number of paranormal, ghostly and Gothic horror novels, novellas and short stories. 

Her first fiction collection – The Crow Witch and Other Conjurings – is out now from Weird House Press, and a new collection will be coming out in 2023

Cat’s novels include Dark Observation, In Darkness, Shadows Breathe, The Garden of Bewitchment. The Haunting of Henderson Close, The Devil’s Serenade, The Pendle Curse and Saving Grace Devine. 

Her novellas include The Darkest Veil, Linden Manor, Cold Revenge, Miss Abigail’s Room, The Demons of Cambian Street, Dark Avenging Angel, The Devil Inside Her, and The Second Wife 

She lives by the sea in Southport, England with her long-suffering husband, and a black cat called Serafina who has never forgotten that her species used to be worshipped in ancient Egypt. She sees no reason why that practice should not continue. 

December's a quiet month for horror releases but there are still some solid stories being released.

Get ready to pad your TBR, here are just a few of December's releases!

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Mine: An Anthology of Body Autonomy Horror

Roxie Voorhees ed. Nico Bell ed.

Expected Publication: December 1, 2022 by Creature Publishing, LLC

Bodily transformation. Possession of the body. Forced disembodiment. A baby consumes its mother in utero. Unrealistic postpartum expectations turn deadly. A witch avenges the voiceless. These 16 original horror stories explore the ownership and control-or lack thereof-that we have over our bodies.

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Bad Dolls by Rachel Harrison

Expected publication: December 6, 2022 by Berkley

In this stunning new collection of four horror stories, Bram Stoker Award nominee Rachel Harrison explores themes of body image, complicated female friendship, heartbreak and hauntings.

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Holy Ghost Road by John Mantooth

Expected publication: December 6, 2022 by Cemetery Dance Publications

Some roads are haunted by the past. Some by ghosts. Some are even haunted by demons. The one Forest must travel is haunted by all three.

When she discovers Pastor Nesmith praying to a demonic entity in her family’s barn, Forest knows she must run. Enraged at the possibility of having his true allegiance exposed, Nesmith pursues Forest as she flees on foot, hoping to reach the one person who will believe her—her grandmother. Unfortunately, Granny is forty miles away, and Forest has no car, no phone, and no friends. To reach her, Forest will have to learn to see the world true, even as the demonic and the sacred wage war for her soul.

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Out of Aztlan by V. Castro

Expected publication: December 6, 2022 by Creature Publishing, LLC

An ancient goddess rises up from an inverted temple in a lake of blood to purify the earth. Two pearl divers plot revenge against the Spanish merchants who enslave them. A mutant species of jellyfish fueled by garbage heaps wreaks havoc on beachgoers. Aided by mermaids, a pirate known as The Scorpion and her all-female crew challenge a corrupt king. And back on dry land, a mother avenges the daughters of her community with a very special batch of ancho chili salsa.

V. Castro's spirited characters come alive in her uniquely playful, fiery style, from a vengeful lobster to a mother willing to put her life on the line for justice. In these and other stories, the descendants of Aztlan-the mythical homeland of the Aztec people-work to overthrow their oppressors and usher in the dawn of a new world.

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 Published June 5th 2022 by Birchwood Press

All Charlotte Deerborn wanted was a nice Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends. Too bad for her no one else wanted to be there. By the time the turkey is carved, old grievances, bad behavior, and crass remarks have transformed her dinner party into a disaster. And then a werewolf shows up to do some carving of its own.

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Wolf at the Door has all the delightful family drama of the Thanksgiving table in a nutshell. Disapproving inlaws, a divorce on the horizon, jealousy, envy, oh it has all of it. That's certainly enough for one day but then it gets hairy. Like really hairy. No one invited the werewolf for turkey and gravy but he's there huffing and puffing and blowing the little house down. Okay, enough puns. I love werewolf stories. As far as tropes go, it's at least in my top ten. A werewolf ripping and tearing its way through the entire Days of Our Lives dysfunction should have been a blast but the novella didn't deliver on some aspects for me. 

This is not a book where you pick that one character to enthusiastically want to see them escape the clutches of evil. I didn't like any of the characters. Head ripped off? Cool. Survived the night? Whatever. I didn't have any strong feelings for or against any of them meeting their ghastly end at the hands, er...paws of the wolf. That also means there is no underdog to root for to make it out alive. Now obviously that's on purpose as all the characters are constructed with all their faults at the forefront. Liking a character doesn't automatically equate to a great read. However, I expected to be more invested in the characters and it didn't happen.

Still, there's an abundance of innards becoming out-ards and all kinds of squelchy goodness.  If you want a quick read where the walls run red, McKay certainly delivers the splatter. I'd say that people who don't typically read horror would have fun with this novella but most seasoned horror readers are going to want more developed characters and a more nuanced plot. 

Published October 15, 2022 by Grinning Skull Press

Martin "Wags" Wagner, an aging catcher relegated to a minor-league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, is offered a new assignment—take a promising young pitcher under his wing and show him the ropes. Martin's manager is cagey about the new player, giving only his name, Andrei Dinescu, and his country of origin, Moldova. Despite the mysterious circumstances, Martin accepts the assignment, hoping to earn a return to the big leagues.

After his first bullpen session with the new pitcher, Martin is stunned by Andrei’s lack of physical ability and his unfamiliarity with baseball. However, with each passing week, Andrei’s strength and skill grow exponentially, and his miraculous leaps in both ability and pitch velocity frighten Martin. His fear is compounded by the organization’s obvious attempts to keep Andrei separated from the rest of the team.

When Martin discovers the shocking truth about Andrei Dinescu, he realizes his path back to the big leagues is one stained with horror and blood.

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Know a catcher by his knees, Martin Wagner thought as he taped bags of ice to his. He'd become an expert in the application of cold to torn ligaments and inflamed joints. As he ministered to his aching knees, he watched young men in their prime strut around in perfect injury-free bodies, laughing and joking, utterly confident in their indestructability. Martin tried not to hate them. Not easy for a thirty-seven-year-old catcher at the ass-end of his career who had to pop two Percocet to even get on the field, let alone play at something resembling a professional level. The aging athlete is a resentful creature.

 

Martin leaned against his locker. It was too small and too close to the others. Not like the cavernous, walk-in closet-sized joints in the big leagues. But he was not in the big leagues anymore. He'd been relegated to the minors last season, and in the minors, you made do with less. His head brushed the black-and-gray Sacramento Stars uniform hung above his locker. The Stars were a minor-league affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Not so long ago, he'd worn the black and orange of the big team. Not so long ago, a big-league salary helped alleviate the pain in his knees, back, and neck. League minimum, sure, but that six-hundred grand let him pay his alimony and hang on to enough to live comfortably. Now, exiled to Triple-A, he made a fraction of that. He was two payments behind on his alimony, living in a one-room shit box—he couldn't bring himself to share a place with one of his embryonic teammates—his big-league career a swiftly fading memory. Veronica, his ex, was sympathetic to his predicament and let him slide on the alimony. Her magnanimity somehow made him feel worse about himself. The aging athlete is also a dumping ground for toxic male hang-ups

Aeryn Rudel is a writer from Tacoma, Washington. He is the author of the baseball horror novella Effectively Wild published by Grinning Skull Press and the Acts of War novels published by Privateer Press. His short fiction has appeared in Dark Matter Magazine, On Spec, and Pseudopod, among others. Aeryn is a heavy metal nerd, a baseball geek, and knows far more about dinosaurs than is healthy or socially acceptable. Learn more about his work at www.rejectomancy.com or on Twitter @Aeryn_Rudel.