Archive for the ‘books’ Category

I am thrilled to share the cover of Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen, which will be out on May 29, 2025 from Brigids Gate Press! Carrion House is the artist behind this stunning cover. Along with the cover reveal, I’m happy to share that Brigids Gate Press is offering the book for a preorder sale of only .99! If you preorder before May 29, 2025, you can get it at this low price.

Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen (Brigids Gate Press, 2025)

In an alternate Old West, monsters rule the land—but one deadly duo is humanity’s last hope. 

Melinda West is a sharpshooter with a steady hand, a cool head and a no-nonsense attitude. Her partner, Lance, brings the charm—and the firepower. Together, they’ve made a living hunting supernatural threats. But when a strange illness leaves a trail of corpses in its wake, they realize they’re about to face their greatest challenge yet.

As the bodies pile up, a swarm of gremlins—smarter, faster and deadlier than anything they’ve encountered before—are hellbent on destruction. Unless Melinda and Lance can uncover the truth behind these mysterious creatures, everything they know will be torn apart.

Fast-paced, gritty, and packed with supernatural thrills, Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen blends the rebellious charm of Bonnie and Clyde with the high-stakes action of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

LIMITED DEAL! Preorder Melinda West and the Gremlin Queen for only .99!

This is book two in a standalone interconnected series—ideal for both new readers and returning fans looking for dark fantastical westerns with a twist. 

Get ready! Order the first Melinda West book, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger, here.

Reviewers can sign up to be considered to receive an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) here.

I have stories out in a few new anthologies this month! If you’re looking for creepy and fantastical reads, check them out: 

 TALES OF THE SLEY HOUSE 2024

Description: An anthology of horror stories and poems.

Includes my story “Blessed,” about an alien invasion tale with a twist.

At the Edge of Darkness (Shotgun Honey)

Description: Shotgun Honey Presents volume 6 brings together a spooky group of authors for this special Halloween crime/horror anthology. Including contributions by Libby Cudmore, Andy Davidson, KC Grifant, Elizabeth Guilt, Mackenzie Hurlbert, Caden Kalfin, James Kinslingbury, Nick Kolakowski, Ethan K. Lee, Andrew Majors, Luciano Marano, Joey R. Poole, William Steffen, Casey Stegman, Gabriela Stiteler, Thomas Trang, Wendy N. Wagner, Benjamin B. White, Gordon B. White, Grant Wamack, and Paul Tremblay. Guest editor is best selling author Keith Rosson (Fever House, The Devil By Name). All profits from this edition will go to a local Portland, OR charity to benefit foster children.

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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!

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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.

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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!

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In addition to my debut short story horror collection SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY (vibes of Tales From the Crypt + Twilight Zone + adult Goosebumps) I’m thrilled to share several short stories coming up soon in exciting anthologies.

Legend of the Spiderwalker (Weird West)

“Sometimes it’s easier to persuade them away or distract them with something. Especially if they ain’t the dying type.” “Most are the dying type.” Melinda unholstered her revolver…

”Legend of the Spiderwalker,” an original Melinda West story, will appear in ZEHLREG A. GRINDSTONE’S SPECTACULAR WESTERN ODDITY EMPORIUM. This anthology of Weird West short stories, flash fiction, & poems blend Wild West tropes with themes from across the Fantasy spectrum. The Kickstarter is ongoing until Sunday – support it here on Kickstarter (and check out those awesome rewards!)

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I am thrilled to share the stunning cover for my debut collection of short stories, SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY (Dragon’s Roost Press).

Carrion House, a UK-based artist, did an amazing job capturing the monsters that haunt these pages!

SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY, is a mix of my previously published short stories as well as new ones. These cosmic and weird stories are about horrors that lie below the surface, ready to bubble up and disturb the veil of our everyday lives.

Vibes = CREEPSHOW, TWILIGHT ZONE, BLACK MIRROR 

Preorder begins June 1!

In the meantime, you can add to your Goodreads page here. Reviewers can also get ARC review copies on Netgalley here.

There is nothing quite like holding a physical copy of a book baby! I shared my unboxing video on social media below:

Stay tuned for preorder information coming soon!

I’m delighted to share that my debut collection of short stories will be forthcoming from Dragon’s Roost Press this summer!

The collection, called SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY is a mix of my previously published short stories as well as new ones. These cosmic and weird stories are about horrors that lie below the surface, ready to bubble up and disturb the veil of our everyday lives. From the bowels of NYC to the mind-warping outer reaches of space, SHROUDED HORROR shows what happens when ordinary people bump against the hidden terrors that sit at the boundaries of reality.

You can sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive early updates, as well as a chance to win a free copy: https://mailchi.mp/a9f0d76bba28/welcome

On the one-year anniversary of my debut book, I am thrilled to announce that my second novel, MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN, will be coming out in May 2025 from Brigids Gate Press!

This action-adventure supernatural western is part of the Melinda West series, in which a stoic monster hunter and her partner encounter a brutal gremlin species set on spreading a psychic disease and taking over the Old West. 

MELINDA WEST AND THE GREMLIN QUEEN is an adult “Weird Western” featuring gunslingers, diverse characters and monsters galore, with Bonnie & Clyde + Buffy + The Witcher + Supernatural vibes.

Melinda and Lance are two characters I featured in several published short stories before the first book. They were very well received in MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER (see reader reviews here). Aside from creating an escapist adventure, my overarching goal for this speculative world is to reframe some of the typical depictions of the Old West.

Interested readers can sign up here to request receiving an Advanced Reader Copy: https://forms.gle/BMZhBLRtJMfZzVDh7. You can also sign up for my newsletter to get exclusive early updates, as well as a chance to win a free copy next year: https://mailchi.mp/a9f0d76bba28/welcome

2023 was a banner year for weird west fiction, particularly horror westerns. This genre–which blends fantasy, horror and/or sci-fi elements in a western story–has been gaining steam for the last few years. It was an honor to have my debut supernatural western book, Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger, join a truly epic list of 2023 weird western books.

These are a few of my favorite new releases, as well as ones high on my to-be-read list. There are many new weird westerns beyond this shortlist; check out some of the profiles of amazing authors at Weird West Fiction for additional recommendations.

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