I’m beyond excited to reveal the cover of MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER, coming in February 2023 from Brigids Gate Press. I have always been a fan of UK-based Carrion House’s artwork, so I was thrilled to see how Luke would interpret the vibe and story (check out more of his amazing artwork here). Aside from the compelling, creepy imagery, the intriguing font also immediately drew me in. Needless to say, I couldn’t have imagined a better cover for this story!
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My Weird Western story, “Old Habits,” is now available in Queer Weird West Tales (QWWT)! Edited by Julie Bozza, the anthology is a diverse collection of international Weird West adventures.
To save her girlfriend from a monster’s infectious venom, Topaz must confront her tumultuous past and ask the last person in the world she wants to see for help—her ex.
Topaz is a side character in my upcoming novel MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER. She was so dynamic and intriguing, she practically demanded a spotlight in her own story. This tale focuses on Topaz’s adventures after the novel, expanding on her newfound love as she faces a reckoning with her past.
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My short fantasy flash story “Death Felt Fine” is available to read for free over at Dread Stone Press‘s Dose of Dread series. At 1000 words, it’s a quick tale, and follows Death’s mission to deal with the latest apocalypse even as he yearns for something more.
I love reading various interpretations of the Grim Reaper and Death. Probably one of my favorite depictions is from the Sandman series. In this tale, I pictured Death as a somewhat moody, nostalgic figure stuck in an eternal task along with his fated brothers and sisters.
Here’s a brief excerpt:
Hope you enjoy! For more of Dread Stone Press offerings, my short eco-horror story, “From Sea to Shining Sea,” appears in FIELD NOTES FROM A NIGHTMARE.
“…stories featuring delicious twists, eerie creatures, and visceral imagery.”
“…stories that deliver shocks and ghastly plot turns.”
“Extraordinary tales of terror that are as grim as they are delightful.”
Read the full review at Kirkus Reviews
The horror color-themed CHROMOPHOBIA anthology from Rooster Republic Press is now available for paperback order and early reviews are glowing! Edited by Stoker Award-winning author and poet, Sara Tantlinger, the anthology features dozens of spooky and disturbing tales by renowned and up-and-coming women writers.
The anthology includes my mean-girls, creature feature story “The Color of Friendship.”
[This story has] major CREEPSHOW vibes, the kind of story that ought to be introduced by the Cryptkeeper…Grifant’s gnarly ode to fractured friendship is the first story to feel as though it could’ve been ripped out of the pages of an old EC horror comic.”
Editors
KC Grifant’s “The Color of Friendship” conjures impressive atmosphere as a woman continually looks for whatever is swimming in a nearby lake during her friends’ weekend getaway.
Kirkus Reviews
…Four friends escape on a scenic getaway to a lakeside cabin, but simmering about the gray-green water are unresolved grudges and petty jealousies, the stench of which quickly becomes “rotten…bordering on putrid.” Grifant makes hearty use of the verdant setting as her protagonist discovers a strange and ravenous creature…In the isolation felt within a pack of mean girls grown up, there is a monster lurking just under the surface, both literally and metaphorically.
Read an excerpt from “The Color of Friendship” here: https://roosterrepublicpress.com/chromophobias-15th-entry-is-a-full-blown-creature-feature/.
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Sley House Publishing presents its first-ever scripted audio drama, my weird horror short story, “U-Train.” I could not be more pleased with the voice actors and production. Big thanks to Sley House and the team! Read below for links to listen for free and a story description.
Four strangers find themselves on a New York subway platform, waiting on a train that shouldn’t exist. But as they try to find out why they’re there and how they might escape, they realize that when the train arrives, a fate worse than death might be waiting for them.
The story was inspired by far too many hellish city commutes and what felt like eternal waiting for transfers!
“U Train” will also be available in Halloween Tales of Sley House 2022 later this fall along with other spooky stories. You can also listen to more of Sley House’s podcast, Sley Bits, on all things horror and fantasy – https://sleyhousepublishing.podbean.com.
If you are interested in discovering more weird horror stories, including receiving FREE short stories, sign up for my monthly newsletter: https://kcgrifant.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe
Dark Matter Magazine‘s “symbiosis” themed issue 010 is out, with jaw-dropping standard edition and variant covers by Jeff Aphisit, as well as intriguing story artwork.
My scifi horror story, “Odd Colleagues,” about an insecure scientist and her encounter with an alien, debuts. The art accompanying my story gives “Invasion of the Body Snatcher” vibes!
(more…)I am thrilled to announce my first book deal!
MELINDA WEST: MONSTER GUNSLINGER will be coming out in February 2023 from Brigids Gate Press.
The book is an adult “Weird Western” adventure featuring gunslingers, diverse characters and a menagerie of nightmarish monsters, with Bonnie & Clyde + Witcher + Supernatural vibes.
Original pitch: When monsters roam the Old West, there is one gunslinging couple who can tilt the odds in favor of humanity. Stoic sharpshooter Melinda and her easygoing partner Lance are pros at fighting everything from giant flying scorpions to psychic bugs. But when they accidentally release a demon that steals souls, they find themselves caught in a supernatural war. Melinda and Lance must battle a menagerie of monsters and hunt a notorious outlaw to save their friends and stop hell on Earth.
Melinda and Lance are two characters I have featured in several published short stories and I am ecstatic that they will star in their own book soon. Aside from creating a fun, escapist horror adventure, my goal for this speculative world is to reframe some of the typical depictions of the Old West and build a world where women and diverse characters take center stage.
If this sounds like your cup of tea, sign up here for updates. Pre-orders will start in the fall.
I am so grateful to my family for providing early feedback and to my HWA colleagues and fellow writing colleagues for their support. The road to publishing can be a lonely one, paved with a billion or so rejections, so their guidance and encouragement is invaluable.
Thank you for reading, and stay tuned!
KC Grifant 