Anthologies
Crimes, capers, and mayhem abound when eleven New England writers turn their talents to the art of the short story. Here we meet an eclectic cast of good guys and bad guys, including a battle-scarred PI who repairs cars when she's not investigting murders, a Jamaican cook who traffics with ghosts, and a Protean temp worker with a touch of larceny in her soul. Whether hard-boiled or humorous, eerie or evocative, these stories explore the dark side of human nature through a variety of genres--mystery, suspense, thriller, and horror. Something for everyone!
Includes the winner of the N.E. Crime Bake’s fifth Al Blanchard Short Fiction Award Level Best Books anthologies are the only collections of stories dedicated to New England writers and their unique vision of crime and its aftermath. This year’s anthology continues the tradition of excellence in short fiction. Quarry is New England with ice storms, ice out, superettes and gun shows. Quarry is gritty streets and rutted roads, criminal ingenuity and personal integrity, madness and motherhood. And taking us on these journeys are writers who together have been nominated for or won all the major awards for crime fiction. Contents: Death is the new sleep / Hollis Seamon -- The gas leak / Mike Wiecek -- Trust to dust / Ruth M. McCarty -- Lights out / J. E. Seymour -- On the house / Hank Phillippi Ryan -- All set / John R. Clark -- Finish the job / Vincent O'Neil -- Where there's smoke / Nancy Gardner -- Don't call me Simon / Alan McWhirter -- The right and left of maintenance / Susan Oleksiw -- Ivory / Nancy Means Wright -- P to Q / Nancy Brewka Clark -- Jimmy says / Kate Flora -- The greatest criminal mind ever / Frank Cook -- Confessions of a telemarketer / Norma Burrows -- Bad trip / Judy Copek -- Devil's dumping ground / Joseph Souza -- Bottled up / Stephen D. Rogers -- The tally / Judy Green -- Little things / Steve Liskow -- Bob's Superette / Woody Hanstein -- The verdict / Glenda Baker.
COMPASSION, CONNECTION, AND INSPIRATION... The path of a writing career can be rocky and twisty and full of dead ends. But it's also well-traveled-and in Writes of Passage, fifty-nine mystery authors offer the secrets that helped them navigate their success. When you're in need of an author's roadmap, "pick up this book," as Hank Phillippi Ryan says in the introduction. "Open it to any page. The sisters of SinC have shared their personal journeys-and they have many tales to tell." These tales reveal the "Writes of Passage" every author encounters, and Sisters in Crime hopes these beautifully told experiences will guide you along your way. Praise for WRITES OF PASSAGE: "Every writer-beginner or bestseller-gets lost sometimes. Some days words don't flow and the path is hidden. Writes of Passage is a magic-box of wise words for those cloudy days. Like a lunch-date with all your funniest, kindest friends, this book will remind you of the joy of writing, inspire you to stick at it and remind you that you're not alone." - Catriona McPherson, Agatha, Macavity and Bruce-Winning Author of the Dandy Gilver Series and the Anthony-Nominated As She Left It "Writes of Passage is that centering book every author needs, whether multi-published or still striving, the one that captures our collective experience as writers with compassion, connection, and inspiration. Its insightful essays will surprise you and renew you every time you open it, for as long as your writer's journey continues." - Laura DiSilverio, 2014 President, Sisters in Crime; Author of the Lefty-Nominated Swift Investigations Series, the Mall Cop Series, and The Reckoning Stones (2015) Books in the Sisters in Crime The Writing Life Collection: WRITES OF PASSAGE: Adventures on the Writer's Journey BREAKING AND ENTERING: The Road to Success SHAMLESS PROMOTION FOR BRAZEN HUSSIES Part of the Henery Press Non-Fiction Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all...
A book that celebrates a cemetery? Like the founders of Mount Auburn Cemetery, who created America's first landscaped burial ground in 1831, Kim Nagy & John Harrison produced Dead in Good Company, the first book about "Sweet Auburn" that celebrates the Circle of Life. Dead in Good Company is a collection of essays and poems by local and celebrity authors; it also includes photographs of the migratory and resident wildlife. Mount Auburn Cemetery is one of New England's Birding Hotspots.
The Malice Domestic cozy anthology series returns with a new take on cozy mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition. Here are 22 original stories (and one modern classic reprint) set at conventions, conferences, and gatherings of all kinds! Included are: Conventional Wisdom, by Marcia Talley Djinn And Tonic, by Neil Plakcy The Vanishing Wife, by Victoria Thompson The Right to Bare Arms, by John Gregory Betancourt Message in a Bottle, by Su Kopil Anonymous, by Kate Flora What Goes Around, by B.K. Stevens The Hair of the Dog, by Charles Todd The Best-Laid Plans, by Barb Goffman A Dark and Stormy Light, by Gigi Pandian The Clue in the Blue Booth, by Hank Phillippi Ryan Wicked Writers, by Frances McNamara Coverture, by KB Inglee Dark Secrets, by Kathryn Leigh Scott Tarnished Hope, by KM Rockwood Not Forgotten, by L.C. Tyler Boston Bouillabaisse, by Nancy Brewka-Clark Killing Kippers, by Eleanor Cawood Jones Elemental Chaos, by M Evonne Dobsonv Outside the Box, by Ruth Moose The Perfect Pitch, by Marie Hannan-Mandel Two Birds with One Stone, by Rhys Bowen A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly Simmon
Winner, 2018 Anthony Award for Best Anthology and Winner, Bronze Medal, 2017 Indie Book Awards for Anthologies, Foreword Reviews. Noir meets diverse voices and transforms the genre into an over-the-top, transcendental psychedelic thriller ride of pulpy goodness in THE OBAMA INHERITANCE , a collection of fifteen stories of conspiracy noir curated by editor and award-winning African-American crime novelist Gary Phillips. In the tradition of satirical works of Swift and Twain, with nods to the likes of William Burroughs, Asimov and Philip K. Dick, these tales contain vigilante First Ladies, Supreme Court judges who can clone themselves, gear-popping robots of doom, and races of ancient lizard people revealing their true master plan … and these are just the tame ones mashed up in the blender of fake news bots, climate change is but a hoax by the Chinese and humans roamed with dinosaurs. In an era where the outlandish and fantastic has permeated our media 24/7, where mind-bending conspiracy theories shape our views, THE OBAMA INHERITANCE writers riff on the numerous fictions spun about the 44th president of the U.S. Although Obama himself does not appear in most of these stories, contributors spin deliberately outlandish and fantastic twists on many of the dozens of screwball, bizarro conspiracy theories floated about the president during his years in office and turn them on their heads. THE OBAMA INHERITANCE editor Gary Phillips is a critically acclaimed author of mystery and graphic novels ( Peepland , Violent Spring , and Warlord of Willow Ridge ). Raised in South Central Los Angeles, Phillips draws on his experiences from anti-police abuse community organizing and anti-apartheid activism. He was the chair of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color committee, and is president of the Private Eye Writers of America. Contributors include famed crime-detective author and essayist Walter Mosley , professor and former Department of Justice attorney Christopher Chambers ( Sympathy for the Devil ), noir raconteur Andrew Nette , actor and novelist Danny Gardner ( A Negro and an Ofay ), former Maine assistant attorney general Kate Flora ( Death in Paradise ), award-winning playwright and novelist Désirée Zamorano , and the Science Fiction Writers of America Grand Master Robert Silverberg.
***Editor's Choice, NEW YORK TIMES *** A literary coup d'etat, that ponders "What would the White House be like if U.S. Presidents of the past were not restricted by the time-honored hallmarks and traditional behavior of the office, leaving them free to do whatever they wanted, anytime and anywhere?" THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT: Nineteen Stories of White House Noir pulls back the curtain on the “new norm” for America’s highest office, with a collection of bizarre new stories by a diverse group of renowned authors that take readers across the chasm of reality into an alternate universe—where Nixon takes a wacky psychedelic trip with Elvis Presley; where a time-traveling renegade targets members of the George Bush administration with disastrous results; where a spy seizes a sudden opportunity for power after Woodrow Wilson’s stroke. The stories are outlandish but—when it comes to the White House of today—no longer implausible. The line-up of award-winning authors includes Eric Beetner , Peter Carlaftes , Sarah M. Chen , Angel Luis Colón , S. A. Cosby , Nikki Dolson , Mary Anna Evans , Adam Lance Garcia , Danny Gardner , Alison Gaylin , Christopher Chambers , Kate Flora , Greg Herren , Gary Phillips , Alex Segura , Travis Richardson , S. J. Rozan , Abby Vandiver , and Erica Wright . In an era where the bar for what is acceptable has shifted beyond what the founding fathers ever imagined, THE FAKING OF THE PRESIDENT is a highly recommended unique creative act of resistance, and a must-have for fans of politics, noir, and speculative fiction.
Lovers and losers. Whether it’s 1950s Hollywood, a scientific experiment, or a yard sale in suburbia, the twenty-two authors represented in this collection of mystery and suspense interpret the overarching theme of “heartbreaks and half-truths” in their own inimitable style, where only one thing is certain: Behind every broken heart lies a half-truth. And behind every half-truth lies a secret. Featuring stories by Sharon Hart Addy, Paula Gail Benson, James Blakey, Gustavo Bondoni, Susan Daly, Buzz Dixon, Rhonda Eikamp, Christine Eskilson,Tracy Falenwolfe, KateFlora, John M.Floyd, J.A. Henderson, Blair Keetch, Steve Liskow, Edward Lodi, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Peggy Rothschild, Joseph S.Walker, James Lincoln Warren, Chris Wheatley and Robb T. White.
HOW WILL YOU REMEMBER THE PANDEMIC? 40 authors from around the world set out to record their innermost feelings-- to offer inspiring, heartfelt, creative takes on the Covid-19 pandemic. Crime fiction, elegant and angry poetry, and gut-wrenching personal essays: all paint a picture of the year and help us make sense of the sacrifices we've made in 2020. Thank you for your generous support: all profits donated to charity. A brainchild of editor Lise McClendon, the anthology was shepherded by her with her co-editors— Taffy Cannon, Kate Flora, and Gary Phillips— to bear witness to the events taking place all around us, and especially within us, as we grapple with disease, isolation, death, and, yes, a healthy dose of chaos. Some writers chose to mine their own psyches and experiences, whether the challenges of life in lockdown or their struggles with productivity and focus. Others felt called to wry, dark fiction or poetry. Across the globe the reactions portray a similar anger, pain, and struggle from writers from the US, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany, Northern Ireland, Spain, Italy, and Romania. Our lives have been forever changed by these times. Whether a chance encounter with a mural on a utility box, to the lockdown in New York City and dystopian fiction, these writers never stopped imagining and exploring their worlds. Stuck at home, watching the news in horror, helping others: these writers' imaginations kept clicking right along (although their productivity sometimes took a hit.) As mystery writers the editors found many of their fellow crime writers willing to contribute, as was the well-known Romanian journalist and writer George Arion, true crime writer Caitlin Rother, German mystery writer Tatjana Kruse, thriller writer Robin Burcell, travel writer Tim Cahill, and many more. Poetry by 92nd St. Y Literature Director Wendy Salinger, Irish poet Paul Jeffcutt, haiku poet Z.J. Czupor, and crime writers Jim Nisbet, Gerald So, and Keith Snyder adds its own special punch between essays and stories. Illustrations are included. STOP THE WORLD Contributors: George Arion Meredith Blevins Eoghan Egan John Shepphird Gary Phillips Adriana Licio Mike Monson Merrilee Robson John Clark Piet Tiegeler Travis Richardson Richard Cass Tim Cahill Jody Jaffe Caitlin Rother Naomi Hirahara Kate Flora Donna Moore Lise McClendon Tatjana Kruse Dan Fesperman Tami Haaland Taffy Cannon Matt Coyle Marian Stanley John Rember J. Madison Davis Sarah M. Chen Wendy Hornsby Robin Burcell Sharan Newman Jacqui Brown Craig Lancaster Z.J. Czupor Gerald So Allen Morris Jones Wendy Salinger Jim Nisbet Paul Jeffcutt Keith Snyder
After seven years clean a man finds himself once again in a police cell; a man commits suicide for no apparent reason; the muscle for a mobster reviews his mentor's life lessons; a longtime widow takes up a life of crime; a librarian proves formidable if occasionally oblivious; a young man escapes the nightmare of a future; a librarian outwits the police; and a killer is trapped—these and other tales of murder, deception, trickery, and rough justice fill the pages of the eagerly awaited anthology, Best New England Crime Stories 2022.