Bibliography Updated

I updated my bibliography with three new publications, including "Pagpag" from Apex Magazine #89 and "Penelope's Song" from the 3rd Spectral Book of Horror Stories. Also added a few publications, forthcoming in 2017, to the bottom of the list.

My 2016 Writing Year in Review

By all accounts, 2016 was a good year for my writing. I had a number of originals published, all of which I'm proud of, and tied my all-time record for 11 stories sold in a single year. While my output was low, I did end up extensively rewriting a number of old, trunked stories that eventually sold, and even started my first novel.

Originals:

My absolute favorite is "Pagpag," which appeared in issue #89 of Apex Magazine (October). Paula Guran called it, "A poignant, textured story," and it's free to read at Apex Magazine's website.

That same month, The Spectral Book of Horror Stories Vol. 3 released "Penelope's Song," a sad, but (I think) ultimately hopeful tale about a developmentally disabled girl who must defend her group home from a monster.

"The Last Great Failing of the Light," a dark, second-world fantasy--about hope and loss in a dying world--came out July 16th in Myriad Lands Vol. 2: Beyond the Edge.

"Winter Fever," a horror story inspired by my fever dreams, appeared in the final issue of the great Shock Totem (#10, March 2016). Inspired by my own fever dreams.

"Midnight, San Francisco"--a rare (for me) science fiction story and among the first stories I ever wrote--appeared in Stupefying Stories Showcase on September 16th.

Reprints:

"Multo" was included in The Best of Apex Magazine Vol. 1 (January) and in the Apex Magazine 2015 Sampler (February). "Smart Money" appeared on Evil Girlfriend Media (March). "So Praise Him," my Lovecraft meets Pentecostals horror story, appeared as a Digital Fiction Short Story in June and then again in the Digital Fiction anthology "Largely Deceased" in July. "Multo" also appeared in Expanded Horizons #50 (June). An updated and slightly expanded version of "Burning Men" was published in Sci Phi Journal (August), and "Love in the Time of Alien Invasion" is forthcoming in Fantastic Stories of the Imagination's POC flash fiction anthology (Kickstarter in December, and an ebook in 2017).

Forthcoming Stories:

I also made a few choice sales that will appear next year, including "A Mundane Encounter With a Civilized God" (IGMS, February 2017), "Behind the Walls" (Single Slices, 2017), "Beyond the Reach of Darkness" (Fifth Spectral Book of Horror Stories, October 2017), a newly polished version of "Servant of the Aswang" (Apex Magazine, 2017?), and "A Thing in All My Things" (Pseudopod, 2017).

Pagpag released in Apex Magazine #89

Pagpag was the third, though far from last, story I wrote inspired by Filipino folklore and urban legends. The antagonists in this are based on the aswang, though unlike my previous story "Servant of the Aswang," I've taken some liberties with the folklore to give readers a little something new. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Apex #89

The issue features original fiction by Kristi DeMeester and me, as well as a reprint by Adam Roberts. You can purchase a Kindle version of the issue at Amazon.

Reprint Sale: So Praise Him

Digital Horror Fiction has acquired the reprint rights to "So Praise Him," my H. P. Lovecraft meets Pentecostals horror short. It's one of my favorites and I'll be glad to get more eyes on it. No word yet on when it will be published but, as always, I'll be sure to update when the time comes.

Sales and releases from January to March, 2016

I've been a bit slow on the update, but I plan to fix that now. First, sales:

Pseudopod Podcast accepted a second story from me, this one a slighter piece entitled, "A Thing in All My Things." It originally appeared in Urban Fantasy Magazine. Really looking forward to hearing this one read, but we'll have to wait until at least 2017 for that.

Apex Magazine picked up my story, "Pagpag." This is the third of three stories I wrote that were inspired by Filipino folklore and urban legend and I couldn't be more pleased! The first, "Servant of the Aswang," originally appeared in Penumbra eMag and was recently released on audio by Pseudopod. The second, "Multo, originally appeared in Apex Magazine, was reprinted in The Best of Apex Magazine Vol. 1, was voted Apex Story of the Year for 2015, and was released on audio by The Overcast. No word, yet, when "Pagpag" will be released, but the contract has been signed. Can't wait to see what people think!

Guardbridge Books has accepted my story "The Last Great Failing of the Light," a dark second world fantasy, for their Myriad Lands anthology. Contract signed and already working on edits!

Releases:

The Best of Apex Magazine Vol. 1, including my story "Multo."

Pseudopod #480, featuring my story "Servant of the Aswang."

Shock Totem #10, including my story, "Winter Fever."

The Audio Version of "Multo" is Now Live!

The Overcast and J. S. Arquin just released an audio version of my story "Multo" on mp3, iTunes and Stitcher. Check it out at The Overcast's website!

("Multo" first appeared in Apex Magazine #68, January 2015).

Reprint Sale: Multo

The Overcast Podcast just accepted my story, "Multo," a Filipino ghost story. If everything goes as expected, they plan to release it in time for Halloween! I'm always excited to sell a story, but reprint podcasts hold a special place in my heart. Really looking forward to this one!

2014 Award Eligibility

This is my last year of eligibility for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. In the two years I've been eligible, I've:
1. Sold a total of 15 stories, all to pro or semi-pro markets, including: Apex Magazine, Intergalactic Medicine Show, Shock Totem, Ares Magazine, and Penumbra eMag.
2. Had four stories appear on the 2013 and 2014 Tangent Recommended Reading List.
3. Had a darn good time and wouldn't at all mind a nomination!

The following works, all published in 2014, are eligible to be nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy Award, et al, ad infinitum.

"The Burden of Triumph" - OSC's Intergalactic Medicine Show, November 2014
- Chosen as the audio production of the issue, read by Stuart Jaffe
- Appeared in the Tangent Online 2014 Recommended Reading List
- Author David Farland called it, "Thoroughly engrossing and icky."

"Bittersweet Bedlam" - A Darke Phantastique, Cycatrix Press (2014)

"So Praise Him" - That Ain't Right Anthology (2014)

"The (Zeroes and) Ones We Love" - Ares Magazine #1, July 2014
- Author David Farland called it, "Effective" and "quite touching."

"Splotch of Red" - Darkfuse Anthology #2 (2014)

"Shock" - Bastion Science Fiction Magazine #1, April 2014

"Servant of the Aswang" - Penumbra eMag Vol. 3, #6, March 2014
- Appeared on the Tangent Online 2014 Recommended Reading List

"Stanley P. Strauss, Destroyer of the Universe" - Stupefying Stories Showcase #14, February 2014

"Multo" released in Apex Magazine #68

Issue #68 of Apex Magazine just dropped and it includes my Filipino ghost story, "Multo." I'm absolutely thrilled to have it find a home as prestigious as Apex. Hope you love it!

Special thanks to Aunt Joy for providing new Tagalog translations and for correcting and/or verifying my own sad attempts. This story wouldn't even be half as good without her!

Tangent Online 2014 Recommended Reading List

Two of my stories made the Tangent Online 2014 Recommended Reading List. They are: "Servant of the Aswang" (Penumbra eMag Vol. 3, #6, March 2014), and "The Burden of Triumph" (Intergalactic Medicine Show #42, November 2014). I'm really proud of both stories, so it's nice to see them get a bit of recognition.

My "A Darke Phantastique" Contributor's Copy!

Cycatrix Press, headed by Jason V Brock and his wife Sunni, is a publisher to watch. I purchased a book from them before (The Devil's Coattails) and was floored by the quality of the publication and the stories. Needless to say, to actually be IN one of their releases would be an event to crow about. Enter A Darke Phantastique, which includes my story, "Bittersweet Bedlam."

For this one, I traveled up to Washington State to take part in the official signing party at the University Temple United Methodist Church, a venue of the University of Seattle. Throughout the night I had a chance to meet and greet all of the other contributors, including Sunni and Jason Brock, Wade German, Andrew S. Fuller, Nickolas Furr, William F. Nolan, Greg Bear, S. T. Joshi and W. H. Pugmire.

The two monoliths of genre fiction sat together.

Greg Bear made a point to come down the signing line and shake everyone's hand when he first arrived, and to say goodbye before he left. That's just a singular example of how great everyone was. I'll admit it: as dyed-in-the-wool introvert, I was a worried about being in the company of strangers. But with all of us united by the love of writing, I didn't feel at all out of place.

Special thanks to Olivia, who came to support me and take pictures, and to Chloe who--armed only with an Amber Brown book--did a darn fine job of letting me live the author's dream without a single word of complaint.

Sale: "Winter Fever"

I'm ecstatic to announce my story, "Winter Fever," sold to Shock Totem! I've been told to expect it out in issue #10 sometime next year. Shock Totem is one of the few markets I've been following since I started writing, before I ever even sold my first story. It's an absolute thrill and honor to have been selected, especially considering the caliber of stories that have been published by them before.

My "That Ain't Right: Historical Accounts of the Miskatonic Valley" Contributor's Copy!

Just got my copy of, That Ain't Right: Historical Accounts of the Miskatonic Valley which includes my story, "So Praise Him." This is my second print publication of the year. I'm really digging this trend!

Sweet, sweet print!

"So Praise Him" released in That Ain't Right: Historical Accounts of the Miskatonic Valley

On August 31st, That Ain't Right: Historical Accounts of the Miskatonic Valley was released on Kindle and paperback. This Lovecraft-inspired anthology features 18 tales set in the witch-haunted hills of New England, including my story, "So Praise Him." Here's the full TOC:

• "Come Down, Ma Evening Star" - Sanford Allen
• "Hostel Night" - Brandon Barrows
• "Arkquarium" - Folly Blaine
• "In Defense of Professor Falcrovet" - Darin M. Bush
• "Ride into the Echo of Another Life" - Kelda Crich
• "Goat" - Nathan Crowder
• "Dr. Circe and the Shadow over Swedish Innsmouth" - Erik Scott de Bie
• "The Pull of the Sea" - Sean Frost
• "The Ghost Circus" Phil Gonzales
• "The Reservoir" - Brian Hamilton
• "So Praise Him" - Samuel Marzioli
• "A Dog Named Shallow: The Testimony of Lilya Redmond" - Erick Mertz
• "The Crumbling of Old Walls" - Craig D. B. Patton
• "August and Autumn" - Jenna M. Pitman
• "Passenger" - Evan Purcell
• "The Hill" - Damir Salkovic
• "A Matter of Scale" - Emily C. Skaftun
• "The Laughing Book" - Cliff Winnig

Free fiction from Penumbra eMag!

Musa Publishing has released all Volume 2 issues of Penumbra for FREE! Here's a list of issues that include my stories:

Ray Bradbury issue - "A House in the Woods" (fantasy)

Zombie Apocalypse issue - "Midnight Visitors" (dark fantasy)

H.G. Wells issue - "Burning Men" (science fiction)

"The (Zeroes and) Ones We Love" released by Ares Magazine

After a few months of unexpected delays, Ares Magazine's inaugural issue has finally shipped. Yesterday, I got my copy in the mail and, boy, is it something! Everything about it smacks of quality, from the graphics, to the layout, to the paper stock itself. Consider me a happy contributor.

Ares Magazine features an original playable tabletop game, articles and, most importantly, original fiction in every issue. Here's the TOC for the fiction:

The Zeroes and Ones We Love by Samuel Marzioli
Frojo by Eric Juneau
Man Alone by Drew Arrants
Neanderthal Sunset by A.J. Onia
Darklanders by Matthew Wuertz
The Race by John Buentello and Lawrence Buentello
Disruption of Destiny by Gerri Leen
Salt by Aaron Gallagher
The Fall pt 1 by Kenneth Steven.

Copies of the issue, and subscriptions, can be ordered through their publisher's website: One Small Step Store.

"Splotch of Red" released by Darkfuse

I'm pleased to announce that Darkfuse #2 is now available on Kindle. Here's the TOC, including my story "Splotch of Red":

“Nether Goole” by Richard Farren Barber
“Imago” by F. Charles Murdock
“The Betting Man” by Michael A. Pignatella
“Splotch of Red” by Samuel Marzioli
“Pink Denim” by Brady Golden
“The Eldritch Eye” by Tim Curran

A limited edition HB will be released on August 26th. They are only going to print enough to cover pre-orders so don't wait if you plan to own one! Darkfuse is a class act so the HB is bound to be a thing of beauty! Pre-orders can be made here.

Sale: "So Praise Him"

On Mother's Day, I made a sale that I decided to keep mum about until the deal was finalized. Well, today, I signed the contract so I'm opening the floodgates of information! My story, "So Praise Him," a Lovecraft inspired horror short set in Arkham Massachusetts, sold to That Ain't Right anthology. It'll be available as a limited edition paperback and e-book.

From their Kickstarter description: "That Ain't Right: Historical Accounts of the Miskatonic Valley will collect letters, anecdotes, newspaper articles, and other narratives from the very people who live in this sinister little corner of Massachusetts. From the bustling college town of Arkham to the rickety piers of Innsmouth."

"Servant of the Aswang" Tangent review!

Tangent reviewed my story "Servant of the Aswang" today. Click here to read the entire review, including their take on four other stories written in this, “A Night at the Villa Diodati” themed issue of Penumbra. (Spoiler: "I really liked it!")

Sale: Splotch of Red

Yesterday, I received word my dark fantasy "Splotch of Red" sold to DarkFuse Anthology, an e-book and limited edition HB series. There's still no planned released date, but I'll update my blog as soon as I hear. What I do know is that DarkFuse is a class act with fantastic releases. I'm looking forward to seeing how this one turns out!