Saddle up for a wild, monster-infested ride through the Old West in my action-packed, award-winning debut book, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger—a genre-bending fantasy western hailed as “fast, furious, and a hell of a lot of fun!” (Jonathan Maberry, NYT bestselling author).
Narrator Ash Aarrestad brings to life this first book in the Monster Gunslinger series. In a desolate frontier crawling with supernatural threats, stoic sharpshooter Melinda West and her charismatic partner, Lance, make a living exterminating monsters, from flying scorpions to mind-controlling insects. But when Melinda inadvertently unleashes a demon, she must face vengeful outlaws, ancient evils and an oncoming war between worlds to save her friends. With vibes of The Witcher, Supernatural, BuffyThe Vampire Slayer and Bonnie and Clyde, this story is ideal for fans of fantastical worlds, supernatural thrillers and complex heroines.
What people are saying
“This fun, imaginative, and confident series opener will be a massive crowd pleaser for general audiences, especially for those who enjoy a wide range of popular weird western offerings.” —Library Journal (full review)
Saddle up for a wild, monster-infested ride through the Old West in my action-packed debut, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger—a genre-bending fantasy western hailed as “fast, furious, and a hell of a lot of fun!” (Jonathan Maberry, NYT bestselling author).
Happy April! I’m excited to share new book promos, interviews, events and more.
Limited time: popular Weird West books available in special promo for readers at StoryBundle
For a limited time, my supernatural western MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (Brigids Gate Press) will be available in a “storybundle” together with some of the biggest fantasy and horror western titles available right now.
StoryBundle offers a jaw-dropping deal for readers: for only $5, you’ll receive the four featured digital books:
There is also an upgraded bundle where you can get all 11 weird west stories shown for a deeper discount. This is a fabulous option if you’re looking for new books and want to explore more of the “weird west” (these are westerns with speculative elements, usually combined with fantasy and horror).
I was also delighted to be a guest on D.C. Gomez’s The Book Corner Amazon show to talk about MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER. You can watch a recording of the live show here.
Upcoming events and appearances
Events:
Book Signing: LAT Festival of Books – Sat, April 22, 1-3pm
Panels: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Nebula Conference – May 13 & 14
Book Signing and Discussion: Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore – Sat, May 20, 3pm
This last month I’ve visited several local bookstores to sign copies of Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger and On social media the book as popped up in bookstore locations ranging Ontario to Kentucky to South Dakota. The book also made its first con appearance (Wondercon), with hopefully many more to come!
The road to writing and publishing is paved with a whole lot of self-doubt and countless rejections. Writers need to celebrate any accomplishment, big or small, to help fuel motivation and bade away the naysayers (internal and external). New Year’s Eve is a good opportunity to pause and take stock of accomplishments of the past year and reflect on upcoming goals.
Personally it’s been a year of firsts, with some accomplishments of note:
Cover feature: My Weird Western tale “Dusty Arrival” was the cover story for the award-winning Andromeda Spaceways Magazine (March 2018 issue). This was a particular thrill: it never gets old to see how talented illustrators interpret your work.
Audio: Another big highlight was a foray into audio storytelling with the acceptance of my reprint story “The Peerlings” for the Tales to Terrify podcast. Much like when an artist visually manifests your story, it is surreal and gratifying to hear a talented voice actor interpret your tale.
In summary, I’ve had 6 publications and 1 author interview this year:
I am incredibly grateful for the writing and editing community, particularly in the areas of genre fiction, which often are misunderstood (e.g., horror = slasher). I am also indebted to friends and family who provide support in this tough craft. I hope the coming year leads to new stories that provide respite, intrigue or food for thought. Happy 2019!
My short scifi horror story “The Peerlings” appears in the terrific British podcast series Tales to Terrify, episode 354.
“The Peerlings” was first published in Beyond the Infinite – Tales from the Outer Reaches (Things in the Well series), edited by Steve Dillon. In the story, members of an off-world colony begin to vanish once elusive creatures–who can only safely be heard, not seen–descend upon their home. The mayor must figure out how to protect her citizens while warding off mass hysteria and a brewing rebellion.
The story begins at 00:21:21 and is read by Amy Paonessa (Twitter), host of The Bloodlust horror review website. She does an amazing job bringing the characters to life and conveying a sense of desolation and isolation throughout the piece.
Funny enough, a few people have mentioned that Netflix’s recently released Bird Box (based on the 2014 British novel) reminded them of “The Peerlings.” Check it out on Tales to Terrify and decide for yourself!
KC Grifant 