Posts Tagged ‘authors’

Now available! Audiobook of Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger

Posted: November 18, 2025 in Announcement, audio, books, horror, Melinda West, podcast, Weird West, writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Dive into the action!

Kobo
Audible
Apple
Libro.FM
Google Play
B&N
Hoopla
Spotify
Audiobooks Now

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, Buffy The 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) 

(more…)

New Audio Book – Melinda West: Monster Gunslinger

Posted: October 17, 2025 in Announcement, audio, books, horror, Melinda West, podcast, Weird West, writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Out November 18, 2025!

Kobo
Audible
Apple
Libro.FM

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).

(more…)

Dread Coast: SoCal Horror For a Cause

Posted: August 22, 2025 in Announcement, anthology, books, horror, writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Today’s the day!! DREAD COAST: SoCal Horror Tales (No Bad Books Press), is officially out! This collection of Southern California horror short stories is co-edited by me and Dennis K. Crosby. I am so proud of this project and all of the stories. Plus, proceeds go to support the vital long-term recovery work from the Palisades and Eaton fires.

Order signed print copies from SoCal local bookstores!

Order from Mysterious Galaxy
Order from Artifact Books
Order from Warwick’s

If you prefer digital copies you can order from the usual suspects here or on Amazon.

(more…)

SHROUDED HORROR is out today!

Posted: July 11, 2024 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Weird West, writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

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.

Order Now!
(more…)

Book preorder update and news roundup

Posted: July 3, 2024 in Announcement, author interview, books, horror, Weird West, writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

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…)

An epic tweet

Posted: July 15, 2023 in Announcement, horror, writing
Tags: , , ,
0

This is outside of my usual posts, but too cool not to share.

After a horror author event I moderated at the lovely indie bookstore Verbatim Books in downtown San Diego last month, I tweeted a picture of the panelists next to a cut-out cardboard of Stephen King.

Imagine my surprise when he retweeted it!!

For those who aren’t on Twitter, King is pretty active and often comments/likes/retweets his audience. As the “patron saint of horror” who paved the way in the genre and is an inspiration to so many authors, it’s a big deal indeed.

Recent guest articles – Horror Tree, Authority Magazine and more

Posted: November 23, 2022 in Announcement, author interview, Tips, Weird West, writing
Tags: , , , ,
2

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.

TikTok for Authors and Writers: A Guide on How to Create Engaging Videos and Top Tips For Getting Started (Updated 2024)

Posted: August 24, 2021 in Tips
Tags: , , , , ,
0
Introduction

Updated Jan 2024

When any new social platform comes along, authors ask themselves: should I join? With a day job in communications/marketing/PR, I’m always intrigued by the latest technologies and trends. So when “elder millennials” like myself started joining TikTok, I gave it a try. Like many, I was skeptical at first but since joining I have found myself enjoying TikTok more than any other social media app. It is a dynamic platform and a great wat to connect with others, especially as BookTok—the community of book lovers on TikTok—continues to grow. 

Most marketers would agree with a resounding “yes” that TikTok has become a hot spot for promoting your business. But what about authors and writers? Given that there’s a huge community of like-minded individuals on TikTok, it’s absolutely worth an author’s time to test it out. If you’re ready to take the plunge, I’ve gathered my top 5 tips on how to use TikTok efficiently as an author, writer or reader, and the potential benefits. But first, a bit of background on TikTok and what to expect.

(more…)

2020 in Review: Writing and Publishing

Posted: December 31, 2020 in Announcement, writing
Tags: , , , ,
0

2020. I don’t think any more needs to be said about the year that will haunt many of us for a lifetime. Here’s hoping we can bring about a healthier, safer and kinder world in 2021.

This was a productive year of writing for me, even though it didn’t feel like it. Writing was an escape from the news and world events; writing was the only way I felt like I was able to survive this year’s chaos and uncertainty without completely losing my mind.

I wrote seven new short stories (down 50% from last year), mostly at the beginning of the year. Though I wasn’t able to attend workshops or conferences this year, and skipped NaNoWriMo, the time at home let me focus on some bigger projects I had on the back burner. Once the pandemic hit and I started working from home full-time and having a toddler home all day (read more about how having a kid helped me with writing in last year’s recap here). I switched to tackling two novels I’ve had in the works and finally finished them (!). I also made progress on a new one and had several acceptances of new stories and reprints.

(more…)