Now that Comic Con is over, I am continuing to celebrate the release of my debut collection, SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY, with several virtual and in-person events this week. I hope you will join in!
(more…)Archive for the ‘author interview’ Category
SHROUDED HORROR is out today!
Posted: July 11, 2024 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Weird West, writingTags: anthology, author, authors, fiction, horror, science fiction, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, Weird West, writing
Happy book birthday to my debut collection, SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY out today!
Huge thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered or read/reviewed an advance copy; it means the world to an indie author like me. I am so grateful to the readers, reviewers, supporters and my publisher, Dragon’s Roost Press, for bringing this collection of weird, cosmic and monster tales to the world.
See what people are saying about SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY (Dragon’s Roost Press) at Amazon and Goodreads.
(more…)Book preorder update and news roundup
Posted: July 3, 2024 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Weird West, writingTags: anthology, author, authors, fiction, horror, science fiction, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, Weird West, writing
If you are looking for spooky stories, look no further! My short story collection SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY is now available for preorder! Thank you to everyone who has read an advance copy and reviewed already; it means the world to an indie author like me.
SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY (Dragon’s Roost Press) is officially available for preorder, with a release date of July 11, 2024. I am so excited to share this collection with the world!
(more…)Book anniversary, events and more May news
Posted: May 2, 2023 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Melinda West, writingTags: fiction, horror, Weird West, writing
Happy May!
I can’t believe it’s been 3 months since MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER debuted from Brigids Gate Press. My supernatural western adventure was more well-received than I’d hoped. Putting a book out there is incredibly vulnerable. Some people will love it, others will hate it. In the end, it doesn’t truly matter. Most of us write as a way to survive/thrive/rebel/reflect/exist in this chaotic, complex world. Nevertheless, I am deeply grateful for everyone–friends, booksellers, reviewers, editors, publishers–who helped make this lifelong dream come true.
One big highlight for me this past month was attending the Los Angeles Times Book Festival for the first time. It was a traffic-filled drive up from San Diego to LA on little sleep, but completely worth it to attend the largest book festival in the country. Tents and vendors stretched as far as the eye could see under a baking sun on the University of Southern California campus. I joined the Horror Writers table to sell copies of MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER and was utterly delighted when writing legend Joe Lansdale and his daughter Kasey Lansdale stopped by to say hi and purchase a book. Check out photos over on my Facebook page or Instagram. Thank you to everyone who stopped by!
May is stacked with lots more bookish events in Southern California, including the Nebula Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers (SFWA) conference in Anaheim. I will be there signing books, moderating panels and diving into all things SFF. I hope you can join one of the events below.
(more…)April news – book promo, appearances, free short stories and more
Posted: April 3, 2023 in Announcement, anthology, audio, author interview, books, horror, Melinda West, podcast, science fiction, short stories, submissions, Tips, Weird West, writingTags: anthology, author, free story, gothic western, horror, magazine, podcast, science fiction, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, Weird West, writing
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:
- The Devil’s Revolver by V.S. McGrath
- Gnome on the Range by Tammy Salyer
- Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger by KC Grifant
- Bodacious Creed by Jonathan Fesmire
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).
Get the bundle, or learn more about it, here: https://storybundle.com/weird. And consider signing up for Storybundle notifications for future scifi, fantasy and horror-themed book deal bundles.
Recent appearances
I was delighted to join the excellent Sley House Presents podcast to talk books, X-Men, short stories, serial adventure and more. Ways to listen:
I spoke with the Let Fear Bounce last month. Tune in to hear tidbits on imposter syndrome, writing as a side gig, and more. Make sure to check out the other episodes for more uplifting stories about #writing and #publishing: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/PQ9Pk5RHbyb
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
- Book Signing: Warwick’s Books – Sun, May 21, 12pm
- Book Reading and Interview (VIRTUAL): Space Cowboy Books – June 13, 6pm PT Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/547947083477
Podcast interviews:
- A Podcast Without A Name
- Murder, Mystery & Mayhem Laced with Morality
- Grim and Bloody Podcast
- The Con Hour Podcast
- E-Reads Podcast
- Inside the Minds of Authors Amazon Podcast
For details on appearances, please visit https://scifiwri.com/appearances/.
Book sightings!
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!
Guest articles
You can read my article “How to Create Compelling Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories” in Authority Magazine. This piece includes 5 critical tips for new writers in the genres.
For Women in Horror Month 2023, I shared supernatural western book recommendations from some of my favorite fellow weird western authors. Read more at The Horror Tree: https://horrortree.com/wihm-2023-saddle-up-5-supernatural-westerns-by-women-for-your-tbr/
Bonus article: Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger was featured in a piece for The Line-Up’s celebration of Women in Horror month.
“Welcome to the Weird West” covers an introduction to the genre and why I love to write in it. You can read it for free at the March/April issue of Uncaged Magazine: https://issuu.com/cyreneolson/docs/uncaged_book_reviews-_marchapril23-final/100.
For your reading pleasure: two recent free short stories
If you’re looking for a quick hit of monster fiction, I’ve had 2 short stories out in the last month that you can read for free:
“Just Another Apocalypse” at Two Thousand Word Terrors (Rooster Republic Press) https://roosterrepublicpress.com/just-another-apocalypse-by-kc-grifant/
“The Sighting” at Stupefying Stories: https://stupefyingstories.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-sighting-by-kc-grifant.html
To receive monthly email updates, sign up here and, as always, happy reading!
2022 year-end summary
Posted: December 31, 2022 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Melinda West, short stories, Weird West, writingTags: anthology, fiction, horror, magazine, science fiction, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, Weird West, writing
2022 was quite the ride for me, writing-wise! I had my first book deal and a bunch of other “firsts,” highlighted below. These types of year-end posts are helpful for authors to stay accountable and celebrate successes in a path paved with a billion rejections.
My biggest writing milestone this year was announcing my first book deal in May. The book will publish less than a year later: MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER will be available in February 2023 from Brigids Gate Press. This adult “Weird Western” adventure features gunslingers, diverse characters and a menagerie of nightmarish monsters, with Bonnie & Clyde + Witcher + Supernatural vibes. Author milestones including seeing the incredible cover by Carrion House; holding the physical ARC in my hand for the first time; and reading early reviews, which have been positive so far. I am so very grateful to Brigids Gate Press, the indie horror writing community, early readers and supporters, and many others for helping to bring this book to life.
I also published more short stories this year than I have any year prior. 13 of my short horror/sci-fi/weird west stories were published in anthologies, magazines and/or podcasts, and I’ve signed contracts for 5 more appearing next year, including an audio version of my gothic horror tribute to Anne Rice, “Unrest,” by the excellent Tales to Terrify podcast.
(more…)Recent guest articles – Horror Tree, Authority Magazine and more
Posted: November 23, 2022 in Announcement, author interview, Tips, Weird West, writingTags: authors, fiction, horror, Weird West, writing
The fall is always a busy and fun time for horror writers. I wanted to share some of the guest interviews and articles I was honored to recently be part of.
→KC Grifant On The 5 Things You Need to Know to Become a Great Author
In this interview with Authority Magazine on Medium.com, I share my path to writing, thoughts on the Weird West genre and writing tips.
→What Scares Horror Authors: Interview with Reader’s Entertainment Magazine
This was a fun, short interview with Reader’s Entertainment Magazine on “what scares horror authors.”
→Guest Post at The Horror Tree
My article, “5 Tips to Writing a Horror Weird Western,” was featured on the Horror Tree. It was also highlighted as one of the “5 Must-Read Horror Articles” in October by This is Horror.
Visit this page for a full list of interviews/guest articles.
2018: Year in review
Posted: December 31, 2018 in anthology, audio, author interview, short stories, writing
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:
International: This year I broke into the Australian (Andromeda Spaceways Magazine, COLP, and Things in the Well series); Canadian (Renaissance Book Publisher); and British (Tales to Terrify podcast) marketplaces.
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:
- Andromeda Spaceways Magazine issue 70 (cover story): “Dusty Arrival” – Weird Western/horror
- Andromeda Spaceways Magazine issue 72: Authors Unearthed – author interview
- Beyond the Infinite anthology: “The Peelings” – scifi horror
- COLP magazine Sky’s the Limit issue: “Night Call” – dark speculative fiction
- We Shall Be Monsters anthology: “Wanting” – scifi horror
- Tales to Terrify podcast episode 354 : “The Peelings” – scifi horror
- Trembling with Fear: Year One anthology from the Horror Tree: “Turning Tides” – horror flash fiction
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!
KC Grifant 