Shorts

       Between novels, I really enjoy writing short stories filled with suspense, humor and good old fashion romance with happy endings.

        2023 is proving to be an outstanding year for story sales! So far, I've had several published in anthologies, with at least three more upcoming. I'm still writing, so who knows what the rest of the year will bring.

       Below, you'll find covers (where I have 'em) and brief descriptions. Of course, ordering/ reading links are included!

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Now available: Dark Yonder: Issue 4, containing my short story A Strange Request at a Piano Bar. Moments before he died, their father made one request. His passing anticipated, the sisters promised they would do their best to abide by his wishes. They didn’t expect him to say, “It’s about your mother,” and then he added, “Don’t share our story.”

Dark Yonder: Issue 4 -- Truth in the Shadow -- Betrayal, compassion, dark humor, friendship, love gone wrong, and the enduring devotion of family: Issue 4 of Dark Yonder highlights the range of human emotion in ten original, unforgettable neo noir short stories.

In addition to A Strange Request at a Piano Bar., you'll also find "Good People" by Simon Berry, " Quiz Bowl" by Scott Blackburn, "Will I See the Birds When I Am Gone" by Stanton McCaffery, "Sweet Chin Music" by Joshua Murray, "Twenty-One Turquoise Beads" by Estelle Phillips, "No Voices in the Sky" by Emilee Prado, "Blunt Multiple Karma" by Andrew Riconda, "Burglary Down East 'by Austin Treat, and "The Least Interesting Man in the World" by Mike Zimmerman. Issue 4 also features a special cocktail recipe for the Fall of 2023 — The Black Widow — along with commentary by editors Eryk Pruitt and Katy Munger.

Click here to Order

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Available on 14 November 2023: CRIMEUCOPIA: CRANK IT UP! anthology from Murderess Ink Press (a UK-based publisher), featuring my short story The Road to Reconciliation (The Driver’s New Assignment). Limo driver Michael Lafferty, whom I first introduced in The Driver, a short story in the anthology CRIMEUCOPIA: CARELESS LOVE, is back -- and so is the crooked congresswoman he describes as pure evil. The worst woman he'd ever encountered. The one who had him in a vise . . .

CRIMEUCOPIA: CRANK IT UP!: In July 1886 the newspapers reported on the first public outing of the three-wheeled Benz Patent Motor Car, model no. 1 — a mere 6 months after filing the patent in January of that year. Since then the race has been on for the Bigger-Faster-Better-More product that has become a variety of symbols over the decades, with the C3 Corvette Stingray repeatedly stated as being purchased almost exclusively as a middle-age crisis mobile. So, to honour motor transportation in some of its many roles in the crime fiction genre, we have gathered together a fine collection of short pieces that we hope, in one way or another, will crank up your adrenaline and get your emotions racing without making you blow a gasket or strip a gear.

As with all of these anthologies, we hope you’ll find something that you immediately like, as well as something that takes you out of your regular racing line comfort zone — and puts you into a completely new one. In other words, in the spirit of the Murderous Ink Press motto: You never know what you like until you read it.

Click here to Order

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Available 13 November 2023: Malice, Matrimony, & Murder, a new anthology edited by Marla Bradeen, featuring my short story Marriage, Neighbors and Best Friends, and including a bonus short story of mine, Carolina Blue Sky Eyes.

The bride wore an orange jumpsuit...

Everyone loves a good wedding--and a good mystery. Combine the two and what do you get? Malice, Matrimony, and Murder!

Over two dozen authors have teamed up to offer you this wedding-themed collection of brand-new cozy mystery and cozy crime fiction stories that will keep you wondering whodunit and what's next from the first page to the last. Between bad bridesmaids, conniving caterers, greedy guests, ill-mannered in-laws, savvy sleuths, and vengeful villains, this anthology has it all! All of the stories are clean and fun, with a general feel-good tone. If you read to be entertained, surprised, and uplifted, then this collection is for you!

Plus, the anthology as a whole contains an overarching wedding whodunit woven throughout. As you're reading, collect the clues, identify whodunit, and access a special ebook filled with bonuses and extras. Inside you'll find recipes, character interviews, bonus stories, and more!

If you're drawn to shorter mysteries that are light on gore and language, and high on humor, entertainment, and happy endings, then you don't want to miss out on Malice, Matrimony, and Murder. But this collection is only available for a limited-time, so grab it now before it's gone forever!

Authors included: Joslyn Chase, Charlotte Morganti, P.M. Raymond, Paige Sleuth, Teresa Inge, Sally Milliken, Rebecca Olmstead, Nikki Knight, Shari Held, Barbara Howard, Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, KD Sherrinford, Stephen D. Rogers, Elaine Togneri, Lynn Hesse, Margaret S. Hamilton, Stella Oni, Robert Petyo, Pamela Kyel, Karen McCullough, Wil A. Emerson, Jack Bates, J. Aquino, Sharyn Kolberg, and Becky Clark

Click here to Order

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Appearing in the 25 October 2023 issue of Kings River Life, a Seattle publisher: Scot Free, a short story featuring twin sisters, a rogue husband, and a combination high-school reunion and Halloween party. Willy's under the table. What will Lizzie and Betsy do?

You can read it here

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NOW AVAILABLE: Thrill Ride – Unlikely Partners, a new magazine edited by M.L. “Matt” Buchman, featuring my short story Huey and Madelyn: Dead Heat.

Thrill Ride – Unlikely Partners contains ten Tales of Unlikely Partners. Thrown together by chance, assignment, or circumstance. Driven apart by skills, personality, or they just don’t trust each other. Until their lives are on the line and their only options are to cooperate—or die.

My story, Huey and Madelyn: Dead Heat, was created after a harrowing week with a couple who were decidedly ill-matched. From the get-go, one or the other shared ways to fix their problem. From a homeowner’s viewpoint, there’s nothing better for ‘fixing’ than the good old Ace Hardware man. Thus this writer, on a whimsical fictional jaunt, created a challenge for the couple. Who would outsmart the other? Human interest stories are full of intrigue, thrills, mystery. Huey and Madelyn proved to be full to the brim on all counts.

Huey and Madelyn: Dead Heat Excerpt: "The problem is Huey you are a brown nose. Ripe to please. Isn’t it time to change course? Branch out on your own?”

Huey McPherson looked at his wife and sighed. Madelyn’s anger flared again. No doubt because of his pending out-of-town trip. Again. What more could he do? He didn’t like the meeting date either. Game weekend, Browns and the Panthers. Fist-a-cuffs. They fought even in practice. God only knows why he put money on the Panthers. Down and out team, just the way he felt too often.

Thrill Ride – the Magazine (BTRM) Quarterly gathers together the best and newest voices in original thriller and high-tension action-adventure short fiction. Each issue is themed. Each high-stakes story is: character-driven, crisis-driven (personal, regional, or global), and a wild-fun ride. .

Click here to order!

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Be on the lookout for “Blue Suede Shoes," the story of two private eyes who face off against a wily blond and a mob of egotistical gangsters will be appearing in MORE GROOVY GUMSHOES: PRIVATE EYES IN THE PSYCHEDELIC SIXTIES, from Down and Out Books.

MORE GROOVY GUMSHOES: PRIVATE EYES IN THE PSYCHEDELIC SIXTIES -- The Sixties were a time of great cultural upheaval, when long-established social norms were challenged and everything changed: from music to fashion to social mores. And the Leave It to Beaver households in Middle America didn’t know what to make of it all.

In the midst of this, private eyes tried to understand and bridge the generational divide while providing their clients with legal and extra-legal detecting services.

From old-school private eyes with their flat-tops, off-the-rack suits, and well-worn brogues to the new breed of private eyes with their shoulder-length hair, bell-bottoms, and hemp sandals, the shamuses in More Groovy Gumshoes—a follow-up to the far-out original Groovy Gumshoes—take readers on another rollicking romp through the Sixties.

Contributors include: Michael Chandos, Wil A. Emerson, Jeff Esterholm, John M. Floyd, Nils Gilbertson, Wendy Harrison, Dave H. Hendrickson, gay toltl kinman, Lynn Maples, Jarrett Mazza, John McFetridge, Robert Petyo, Graham Powell, Bev Vincent, Joseph S. Walker, and Stacy Woodson.

Please click here to read an excerpt of Blue Suede Shoes

Please click here to order from Amazon

Please click here to order from Down & Out Books -- Order the trade paperback, and get the ebook versions free!

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New in April 2023: CRIMEUCOPIA: STRICTLY OFF THE RECORD anthology from Murderess Ink Press (a UK-based publisher), featuring my short story Unsolved Mystery.

Unsolved Mystery: Are there people who are entirely deceptive? Duplicitous lives for good or evil? Your neighbor, the grocery--one may never know. When you believe you are on the ‘right’ side, you’ll do anything to set the record, won’t you?

Excerpt: "Murder comes easy for me. Either I see an opportunity to advance an agenda, strike an agreement and follow orders or I go the traditional route and kill to right a wrong. A snake in the grass or a soldier? Doesn't a farmer strike with a shovel to chop off the head of a venomous beast?"

CRIMEUCOPIA: STRICTLY OFF THE RECORD: With 16 vibrant authors, a wraparound paperback cover, and pages full of crime fiction in some of its many guises, what's not to like? Authors include: Anthony Diesso, Brandon Barrows, E. James Wilson, James Roth, Jesse Aaron, James Guigli, John M. Floyd, Kevin R. Tipple, Maddi Davidson, Michael Grimala, Robert Petyo, Shannon Hollinger, Tom Shehan, Wil A. Emerson, Peter Trelay, and Phillip Pak.

Click here to order!

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Yellow Rose of Texas is featured the February 2023 issue of Texas Gardener's Seeds. Gardening news is slow at the beginning of the year, with many gardeners unable to work outside in their gardens during the winter. The editor thought his readers might enjoy a change of pace during this slow season, and chose my gardening-themed short story to present for their enjoyment.

"I was a little more than anxious about the visitor coming to meet me at the end of the week. A special visitor, at that. My husband called to tell me his father was on his way home after a yearlong commission in the South Pacific. Stopping in Dallas before heading north. I was excited for Danny. He hadn’t seen his father in more than a year. Knowing the two were bonded like a cowboy to his saddle, I wasn’t about to say, “Hey, what about me?”

. . ."But this unexpected visit wasn’t a good time. Danny didn’t understand his father’s visit was right smack in the middle of prime time to take care of my roses. New in-laws mixing with the fear of unpredictable weather coming our way? What were the odds of it going well?"

Please click here to read in its entirety.

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Unfurled is featured in Volume 1 of the the anthology . UNSPEAKABLE -- a two-volume collection of short stories by various authors writing in multiple genres, all centred on or featuring a character who has committed some unspeakable crime. In my story, Unfurled, a dead man, who used to be a pilot, recounts his sobriety success and the hardships faced by his wife to mirror his sober, unsocial lifestyle. This anthology is published in India, so I am now an internationally- published author!

Please click here to order.

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Alley, featured in Punk Noir, an online magazine. "Punk Noir Magazine is purportedly an online arts and entertainment magazine that looks at the world at its most askew, casting a bloodshot eye over films, music, television and more. There are interviews, reviews, news, poetry, fiction, micro fiction, and flash fiction. And some other stuff too, I’m sure. Indeed, a veritable cornucopia of carryings on."

The challenge: write a story about the assigned picture (left). The catch? It can only be 300 words long. The result: Alley, a fun, fast read. Love gone wrong, redemption or revenge? The surprise: it was accepted for publication. You can read it here:

Click here to read "Alley"

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Black Cat Weekly #32 features my short story "Insieme" in the April 2022 issue. "Insieme" is a story about Detectives Chadwick Hamilton and Denzel Lewindowski who are not pleased with working together. However, the ritualistic death of a young woman brings them closer to resolving their dislikes as they match intuitive skills against brutal facts. "Insieme" reveals working together has its advantages.

Black Cat Weekly showcases the best short mysteries and is published by Wildside Press LLC and its sister publication Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine. Submissions to Black Cat is by invitation only. I am pleased to be on the Black Cat author’s list.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Please click here to order.

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ASININE ASSASSINS, published by SmartRino Publications, includes my short story "Just Call Wally, " which has been nominated for a Derringer Award.

Click here to read an excerpt.

ASININE ASSASSINS was released in digital format and trade paperback on 14 September! Please click here to order.

About the anthology:

Simpletons & Suspense - Welcome to ASININE ASSASSINS. Inept, brainless, daft, harebrained, loony, witless, lunkheaded, just plain stupid. Not exactly attributes you seek when employing a hired gun, right?

We asked our authors to write stories with an "asinine" element critical to the plot—we preferred dark humor, but we also considered anything comedic, zany, or surreal. The stories could be any genre, but they had to fit the anthology’s theme. We were intentionally broad here and asked the writers to stretch their imaginations. They paid off in spades!

This is NOT your typical crime fiction. If you love a wonderful blend of suspense, humor, and general weirdness, expect to be surprised and entertained by these 23 great stories.

Please click here to order.

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AVAILABLE NOW in both e-book format and trade paperback: CRIMEUCOPIA: CARELESS LOVE, an anthology from Murderess Ink Press (a UK-based publisher), featuring my short story "The Driver," which has been nominated for a Derringer Award.

Click here to read an excerpt.

About the anthology:

"Oh Baby, Baby, How Was I Supposed To Know… Is Love ever perfect? Or is it an obsession that remains rather than just a passing phase? And who’s to say that Revenge isn’t, in fact, a dish best served hot from the flames of passion?

"Fifteen writers tell us about affairs of the heart – some with humour, some with a darker intent, and others that are never quite exactly what they seem. Is it all about manipulation? Can there be more than one agenda? And does Love really conquer all, even when it’s supposedly blind? Or maybe Love is just an old Devil, looking for mischief?

"Hitchcock may well have said Dial M for Murder, but we say Dial C for Crime, extension L for Love.

"Featuring material from: Steve Sneyd, Ange Morrissey, James Roth, Michael Wiley, Gustavo Bondoni, Matthew Wilson, Peter W. J. Hayes, Wil A. Emerson, Brandon Barrows, Bern Sy Moss, Michael Anthony Dioguardi, Russell Richardson, Robert Petyo, Sam Westcott, Bryn Fortey and Vicky LaPerso – all of whom take us on roller coaster rides through a fictional Tunnel of Love.

"So, while the jury’s always going to be out regarding Love’s guilt or innocence, we hope you’ll find something or someone that you immediately like, as well as something that takes you out of your comfort zone – and puts you into a new one.

"And in the spirit of the Murderous Ink Press motto: You never know what you like until you read it."

Order CRIMEUCOPIA: CARELESS LOVE

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BOULD* Awards 2021 Short Story Anthology (*Bizarre, Outrageous, Unfettered, Limitless, Daring): This is always a fun publication, and I was lucky enough to have FIVE of my stories included again this year: "What Mary Did to Daniel ," "Come Uppenance," "Nano Second, Nano Sorry," "Sweet It Is," and "An Unexpected Reunion."

"An Unexpected Reunion" is a finalist for the 2022 Short Mystery Fiction Society Derringer Award! Please click here for more info!

The 2021 edition was delayed slightly, due to a fire that destroyed the editor's home. Needless to say, he has had other things on his mind, but it is availble to order NOW!

Please click here to order.

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BOULD* Awards 2020 Short Story Anthology (*Bizarre, Outrageous, Unfettered, Limitless, Daring): This is a fun publication, and I was lucky enough to have three of my my stories included this year: “No Matter”, which won third place; "Mama's Boy -- The Tale of Edward and Sophia," and “Honor Amongst the Rigid Loyals 2."

About the anthology:

"Are you an adventurous, daring reader? Like to explore new frontiers? If so, this one's for you.

"In this third edition, you'll find 53 of the weirdest, most outrageous, wackiest, scariest, puzzlingest (is that really a word?) short stories submitted for this anthology in 2020. (There were 21 in the 2018 edition, 40 in 2019, all selected by a panel of independent judges.)

"You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be shocked, scared, and maybe even perflutzed by some of the stories you'll find inside, in many different genres and styles. But with nearly every story, we know you'll be surprised.

"We expect the 2021 edition to be BOULDer (no relation to the city in Colorado), and that'll raise the bar even higher for the 2022 edition. We might wind up changing “Limitless” to “Loopy” if writers can really let their inhibitions go and let their haywire creativity.

"But now it's time for you to quit reading these promo bits, brace yourself and dig in. Have fun!"

Order Kindle format   *   Order Print version

As a sample -- here's a link to “No Matter,” the 3rd place winner in the Bould Award Anthology. It’s not your usual mystery or romance. Meant to fall into the category of Bizarre, Outrageous, Unfettered, Limitless, Daring….

Read "No Matter" for free (pdf)

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BOULD* Awards 2019 Short Story Anthology (*Bizarre, Outrageous, Unfettered, Limitless, Daring): This is a fun publication, and I was lucky enough to have two of my my stories included: “Oh, Henry” and “Honor Amongst the Rigid." (Just click on the titles or scroll down for details on those!)

About the anthology:

"Are you an adventurous, daring reader? Like to explore new frontiers? If so, this one's for you.

: In this second annual edition, you'll find nearly 40 of the weirdest, most outrageous, wackiest, scariest, puzzlingest (is that really a word?) short stories submitted for this anthology in 2019. That's nearly twice the number of stories in the 2018 edition, our first.

" You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be shocked, scared, and maybe even perflutzed by some of the stories you'll find inside, in many different genres and styles. But with nearly every story, we know you'll be surprised.

"These stories have all been anonymously selected by a panel of independent judges. . . . But now it's time for you to quit reading these promo bits, brace yourself and dig in. Have fun!"

Order Kindle format   *   Order Print version

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Honor Amongst the Rigid, approx. 3160 words. From their celestial place, Cornic, the ruler of the Other domain, and his devoted wife Beguile, share love, honor and duty. Unlike many in their homeland, they are devoted to one another and believe in eternal love. Life's force has brought them together to care for each other, bear children and foster others. But Cornic is nearing the latter stage of strength and vitality and demands Beguile have more children to insure proper care in longevity. Will Honor and Duty prevail, if she mates with another? This is a tale of love in an unearthly place. The mysteries of their universe unveiled, rules and regulations written by the Masters. Will loyalty prevail?

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Oh Henry, approx. 5136 words. Independence didn't come easy for twenty-two year old Henry Weinstein. But now that's he got a job at Metropolitan Hospital in Detroit, he comes and goes as he pleases. As a night shift orderly, he can entertain himself while he does his chores. He loves music and his favorite singer, Sweet Lady Jesus sings to him all night long. And he's a collector...well let's not talk about his latest treasures. What can be wrong with a guy who does his job and never complains. Oh Henry, we'd like to know!

Oh Henry and my novel Fatal Mistake were featured at the 2015 Bouchercon World Mystery Convention! (For more information on the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, please see: http://www.bouchercon.info/)

Available:

Chocolate and Vanilla, approx. 7472 words. April's constant companion is her dog Tobler. Who would ever think the large brown lab would fall in love with a wisp of a dog like Cotton? The two are as opposite as their owners. The odd couples can't help but run into each other and before long, chocolate and vanilla becomes the best mix in town.

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Temporarily Detained, approx. 2737 words. What if you invented a device that could stop an individual in his tracks? Detained a convicted criminal or save a patient with Alzheimers from wandering away from home? What would you do if the wrong people got there hands on it? Kidnapped...and no where to go. Will the device save you or destroy the U.S.? (NOTE: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under.)

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Dear Hunting, approx. 3684 words. Love and marriage...Not always made in heaven. Grace and Ted are working out their differences one snowy night in Northern Michigan. It's legal to hunt for deer and fill plates with the rich, warm meat until spring returns. Will Ted be the first hunter out before the sun breaks over the horizen? Or will the deep snow cause Ted to crawl back in bed and hope his wife takes a few more shifts at the diner to pay for his next case of beer? Grace has her mind set on resolving their problems... hunting season has just begun and this season she's not going to worry about meat on the table. (NOTE: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under.)

Read for free (pdf)

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Bone Music, approx. 4904 words. A walk in the park isn't what it used to be. A madman murderer has a knack for butchering his victims and leaving the parts in plastic boxes for strollers to find. During a hot, steamy summer, Mike and Dan have to stop this killer before the city is shut down. But it's the wit and gile of a clever reporter and her mom who find music is at the heart of the matter. (NOTE: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under.)

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Three Strikes...Out, approx. 8300 words. Danny Parker has been accused of murdering his beloved wife. Theresa Brown, who works at the Cooney Bar and Grill with Danny and his wife, has been called as a material witness for the defense. Of course, she'll tell the truth. Danny was devoted to Sara. But will her testimony set Danny free? She knows who killed his wife and justice must be served. (NOTE: This book contains content considered unsuitable for young readers 17 and under.)

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