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!
To read more, purchase Cosmic Horror Monthly’s March 2022 issue here!
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, 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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UPDATE – July 2022: CHROMOPHOBIA is now available in trade paperback HERE! Early reviews are already raving.
“Extraordinary tales of terror that are as grim as they are delightful.” — Kirkus Reviews
“… clever, unsettling stories … push the boundaries of conventional horror.” — BookLife Reviews (Editor’s Pick)
My mean girls/creature feature story, “The Color of Friendship,” will appear in the forthcoming CHROMOPHOBIA: A Strangehouse Anthology by Women in Horror from Rooster Republic Press. It’s described by the editor as having “major CREEPSHOW vibes” and I could not be more pleased!
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Edited by Stephanie M. Wytovich, the Horror Writers Associations presents their eighth annual Poetry Showcase, featuring original dark poetry. With cover artwork by Robert Cabeen and poetry judges Sara Tantlinger and Angela Yuriko Smith, this year features the first Crystal Lake Poetry Contest winner and poems from members of the Horror Writers Association.
I’m honored that “A Woman’s Weapon,” my poem about an obsessive biologist with a dark secret, debuts in this collection!
This collection is now Available in Print and on Kindle – click here to check it out.
**Update 2022** I am beyond thrilled“A Woman’s Weapon” made the recommendations list for the upcoming volume of Ellen Datlow’s esteemed Best Horror of the Year! You can peruse the full list here
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***Update! You can purchase the anthology or read reviews at these links: Publisher’s Shop | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads.
My short climate fiction story, “From Sea to Shining Sea,” appears in Dread Stone Press’ FIELD NOTES FROM A NIGHTMARE anthology.
Description from the editor: Pollution. Extinction. Warming. Sea Levels rising…Mother Nature heard our crimes and found us guilty. Field Notes from a Nightmare is an anthology of ecological horror, containing 18 stories from some of the strongest voices in indie horror. Edited by Alex Ebenstein with a foreword from New York Times-Bestselling author Tim Lebbon. Cover art and interior illustrations by David Bowman.
Read more about the anthology from Dread Stone Press here.
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.
KC Grifant 