It’s been a busy summer, with lots of updates. Let’s dive in!
Read the rest of this entry »Listen for free to short story “U TRAIN,” winner of horror podcast competition
Posted: July 15, 2022 in Announcement, flash fiction, horror, Lovecraft, podcast, science fiction, short storiesTags: fiction, horror, podcast, radio, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, writing
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.
Listen for free:
- Apple podcast – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kc-grifants-u-train/id1580649232?i=1000570001918
- iHeart – https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-sley-house-publishing-pres-85758270/episode/kc-grifants-u-train-99450379/
- Podcast App – https://podcast.app/kc-grifants-u-train-e315014645/
- Or find the episode (36 mins) wherever you listen to podcasts! (Search for “Sley House LitBits.”)
“U Train” 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
Alien horror story “Odd Colleagues” available in DARK MATTER Magazine
Posted: July 6, 2022 in Announcement, horror, science fiction, short storiesTags: fiction, horror, magazine, science fiction, Science Fiction Horror, short stories, speculative, writing
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!
Read the rest of this entry »New Book Deal Announcement: Weird West Horror Adventure!
Posted: May 29, 2022 in Announcement, books, horror, Weird WestTags: author, book news, fiction, gothic western, historic fantasy, horror, Weird West, weird western, western, writing
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!
Tribute to Anne Rice Anthology Now Available
Posted: May 22, 2022 in Announcement, anthology, horror, short stories, writingTags: Anne Rice, anthology, graveyard, horror, short stories, speculative, vampires, writing
I’m honored to be a part of DANCING IN THE SHADOWS, a tribute to one of my writing inspirations and favorite authors, Anne Rice. This anthology features dark and gothic stories inspired by her writings.
Edited by Elaine Pascale and Rebecca Rowland, all the proceeds from the anthology go Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO), an organization created and dedicated to the rescue and aid of abandoned and homeless animals in the New Orleans area.
My quiet horror story “Unrest,” is about a violent tragedy at the local cemetery that needs to be avenged.
In the engrossing “ Unrest” by KC Grifant, the career and the life of a serial killer are abruptly stopped by a paranormal intervention.
–The British Fantasy Society
Story excerpts and more for CHROMOPHOBIA!
Posted: April 9, 2022 in Announcement, anthology, art, books, horrorTags: anthology, horror, short stories, writing
As the release date of the horror color-themed CHROMOPHOBIA anthology from Rooster Republic Press nears, art and story excerpts are now available, including a bit from my lake-house themed story, “The Color of Friendship.”
The editors write:
KC Grifant’s “The Color of Friendship” gives us major CREEPSHOW vibes, the kind of story that ought to be introduced by the Cryptkeeper, and we mean that as high praise. There have been a few otherworldly critters to show up in previous entries, but 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. So, you want a monster? Well, here you go…
You can read an excerpt from “The Color of Friendship” here.
Read the rest of this entry »Weird Horror Short Story “Crab Man” in Cosmic Horror Monthly
Posted: April 9, 2022 in Announcement, horror, Lovecraft, short stories, writingTags: horror, Lovecraft, short stories, speculative, weird fiction, writing
My short horror story “Crab Man” is now available in the March 2022 issue of the delightful Cosmic Horror Monthly magazine.
“Crab Man” is a tale of a city courier who crosses the wrong cult. A writer instructor likened the first draft to the kind of fever dream you might have after eating expired gas station sushi. If that’s not an endorsement for a weird story, I don’t know what is!
Excerpt of Crab Man
To read more, purchase Cosmic Horror Monthly’s March 2022 issue here!
Free Cosmic Horror Story “The Circus King” in Typehouse Literary Magazine
Posted: March 19, 2022 in Announcement, short stories, writingTags: horror, magazine, short stories, writing
My quiet cosmic horror story, “The Circus King,” is now available in Typehouse Literary Magazine issue 24, which you can download and read for free here (pdf) or purchase a paper copy here.
After a sentient circus captures Evelyn and turns her into the Circus King, she must find out how to access her memories and escape the psychic hold of the entity that rules the show.
Typehouse Literary Magazine is a writer- and artist-run literary journal based in Portland, Oregon and founded in 2013. Edited by Val Gryphin, they aim to offer a fresh, unique perspective of the human experience, with a focus on underrepresented voices.
Excerpt:
Read more in Typehouse Magazine issue 24!
MUSINGS OF THE MUSES anthology available for preorder
Posted: February 3, 2022 in Announcement, anthology, horror, short stories, writingTags: anthology, fiction, greek mythology, horror, short stories, speculative, writing
MUSINGS OF THE MUSES, an anthology of Greek myth-inspired stories from Brigids Gate Press, is now available for preorder!
My short story “The Serpent Queen” is a horror tale centered around a girl forced to make an impossible choice in an ancient, snake-centric ritual. This is a character that’s been in my head for a long time, inspired by many childhood summers exploring the ruins of Crete. I’m excited she’ll be out in the world soon!
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KC Grifant 