Hot Off the Crossroad Press

In partnership with

FROM THE EDITORS

We are into the fall months, the year winding down the creepy road toward Halloween. When October arrives, we’ll be featuring our spookiest stories, Halloween-themed titles and horror. This newsletter has a diverse group of authors, titles, and subjects. We are focusing a bit more on introducing people not only to books, but to the creators, and to an entire body of work, rather than a single title.

Again, if there is something we could include, a different type of format, like video or audio, interviews with authors and narrators and artists… whatever. We are listening. We’ve always had a newsletter, but it was so spotty and poorly formatted it became basically useless. This marks several weeks in a row of sticking to a schedule, and we expect this to continue…

Let’s get to the books!

NEW RELEASES

A Walking Shadow Paradise Investigations #2

Teel James Glenn has killed hundreds and been killed more times-- on stage and screen as he has traveled the world for forty plus years as a stuntman, fight choreographer, swordmaster, jouster, illustrator, storyteller, bodyguard, actor and haunted house barker.

He appeared in all the New York Soap operas, Spenser for Hire and in more movies that show up on Showtime and Cinemax then he wants to admit.

His stories have been printed in over a hundred magazines from Weird Tales, Mystery Weekly, Pulp Adventures, Spinetingler, SciFan, Mad, Black Belt, Fantasy Tales, Pulp Empire, Cirvosa, Sherlock Holmes Mystery, SciFan, Crimson Streets, AfterburnSF, and Blazing Adventures.

His novel Cowboy in Carpathia: A Bob Howard Adventure won the BEST NOVEL for 2021 in the Pulp Factory Award. He was also the winner of the 2012 Pulp Ark Award for Best Author.

His website is: TheUrbanSwashbuckler

Don’t miss book one in this series: Not Born of Woman, or the stand-alone novel Faire, Foul & Fatal.

The Bloodgold Queen – Morgan Sylvia – Book 2 of The Aris Empire – Series synopsis: When Stiva and her twin brother, Chandris, inherit the troubled throne of Aris, the populace grows uneasy, and with good reason. The twins, estranged for years after a bitter feud, are dynamic opposites. Stiva takes after their mother, a Reonih bard from the primal mushroom forests of distant Shadri, while Chandris favors their father, a hardened warlord, commander of the mighty Selin army.

Morgan Sylvia is a metalhead, an Aquarius, a coffee addict, and a work in progress. A former obituarist, she is now a full-time freelance writer. She is the author of two novels, Abode, which was recommended by the Library Journal, and Dawn: Book 1 of the Aris Trilogy; two novellas; a short story collection; and four poetry collections. Her work has been published in dozens of places, including Pseudopod, Wicked Witches, Northern Frights, Haunted House Short Stories, Endless Apocalypse, Under Her Skin, In The Cold, Cold Ground, and The Final Summons. Her second poetry collection, As the Seas Turn Red, was nominated for an Elgin Award. She was one of the writers for the award-winning audio drama Undertow: Blood Forest, as well as its follow-up Undertow: The Pulse. Sylvia belongs to several writers’ groups: the HWA, the SFWA, the New England Horror Writers, Horror Writers of Maine, and Tuesday Mayhem Society.

Universal Link Author Page

SPOTLIGHT

Charles L. Grant (The Master of Quiet Horror) taught English and history at the high school level before becoming a full-time writer in the ’70s. He served for many years as an officer in the Horror Writers Association and in Science Fiction Writers of America.

He was known for his “quiet horror” and for editing the award-winning Shadows anthologies. He received the British Fantasy Society’s Special Award in 1987 for life achievement; in 2000, he was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from HWA. Other awards include two Nebula Awards and three World Fantasy Awards for writing and editing.

Charlie died from a lengthy illness on September 15, 2006, just three days after his birthday. He lived in Newton, NJ, and was married to writer/editor Kathryn Ptacek for nearly twenty-five years. Crossroad Press has been honored to keep his books available in eBook, print and unabridged audio. Visit his Universal Link Page. His works include The Oxrun Station Series, The Black Oak Series, The Universe of Horror Trilogy, The Kent Montana Series, Short Story Collections, the Lincoln Blackthorne Series, The Quest for the White Duck Trilogy, Young adult novels, and a pile of stand-alone novels.

COMPLETE SERIES RELEASES

The Miniature Series – Camille Minichino - The world of cozy mysteries lost a great talent recently when Camille passed. Camille had her PhD in Physics. This series features Geraldine Porter, a woman who loves creating Victorian shadowboxes and tiny furniture but always manages to get mixed up in murders and mysteries. Also – do not miss her Sophie Knowles Mysteries! The latter is available in unabridged audio – performed by Chris Kenworthy – and the first two Miniature books are available – performed by Jennifer Pickens. Visit the author’s Audible page.

Once everything is settled, we believe her royalties will go to the Sisters in Crime and that there may be an award set up in her honor.

Author Universal Link

RE-RELEASES – These include Universal book links to all available eBook markets

The Fall of the House of Escher & Other Illusions – David Niall Wilson - This is the very first collection of short stories written by author David Niall Wilson. It was originally published as a signed, limited edition trade paperback in 1995. This book includes many early stories that have never been reprinted, and two—notably “On the Third Day,” and “A Candle Lit in Sunlight”—that were later expanded to full-length novels. One novelette was reprinted in Year’s Best Horror XIX by Karl Edward Wagner.

This collection includes vampires, magic, Lovecraftian horror, and religious fable. The introduction is by the late grandmaster of horror and fantasy, Hugh B. Cave.

NEW AUDIO

The False Ones – Tim Jeffreys – Produced by Dylan Thomas - An ancient evil inhabits the moors that surround Dobcroft. And it wants to come in from the cold. When Julie Swann flees her husband and job in the city, she thinks she’s leaving her problems behind. But the small Yorkshire village she escapes to has some terrifying secrets. When romance blossoms with old school friend Aaron Carter, Julie finds herself drawn into the horrors he’s unwittingly stumbled into. And now…anyone they know could be one of them.

Skip School, Make Dragons  - Richard Roberts – Performed by Beau Soleil - Artifact Forge doesn't make monsters. She's a bioengineer. She creates exotic magical livestock, upgrades cats into witches' familiars, and can turn you into a goblin if you accept the risks. She's also thirteen, and has arrived in Goblita to learn her uncle is dead, she's inherited his business, and has a demonic cousin her age. Don't worry, Artifact can handle it. She's a prodigy! Give her a bioengineering challenge and she'll make you something better than you wanted…which is the problem as her messenger dragon turns into a ravening chimera, her new cousin gets her involved in a burglary, and the kids at school drag her into their dungeon crawling hobby. With all that plus running a business and household like an adult, will Artifact have time to actually attend classes? Ask her again after she saves the city from the disasters she caused.

Clan Novel Giovanni: Book 10 ofthe Clan Novel Saga - Justin Achilli – Produced by Klye Maraglio - Benito Giovanni has vanished. Enter Chas Giovanni Tello, Mob strong-arm and part of the New World Giovanni. Chas finds himself ordered to Las Vegas where he meets the Old-World scion of the necromancers' clan, Isabel, who shares his interest in locating the missing Benito. Soon, though, the mismatched pair find themselves embroiled in affairs beyond both of their reckoning. The search for Benito must take a back seat to the impending clash between sects in Boston. Thereafter, an even greater threat looms–one that surfaces from the family's treacherous past and threatens the very existence of Clan Giovanni.

FREE AUDIOBOOK DOWNLOAD CODES FOR AUDIBLE

Here is our second list of books we are offering free download codes for.  We are trying to build reviews, and while we don’t require a review for a free download, even just a rating on Audible or Amazon can make a huge difference in visibility. Beneath the new books are those from last week, because all still have some codes available for US and UK listeners. We will offer them to the first five who request them, and only one title per requester.

Honeysuckle Moon – by Nancy Bacon – Performed by Melissa Kay Benson –  Romance

Tulpas – by Rob MacGregor – Narrated by Fred Filbrich – a battle for reality with a parallel universe.

Dangerous Curves – Book 2 of the Rebecca Moore Mystery Series (this is a SERIOUSLY underappreciated series) – written by Judith Skillings and performed by Suzanne Barbetta.

LAST WEEK

Calamity: Being an Account of Calamity Jane and Her Gunslinging Green Man - By J. D. Jordan. This is narrated by Naomi Rose-Mock, and it is a personal favorite. It’s one of the best sci-fi western books I’ve ever read, and easily the best audio.

Blood Kin by Ronald Kelly, performed by Gary Noon – Southern horror from a master, and narrated by one of the best new voices in audio.

Burning Bright by Melissa Scott – performed by Naomi Rose Mock – Sci-fi adventure and showing off the talents of an award-winning author and very versatile narrator.

REVIEW COPIES

There is a form on our website for requesting review copies of any of our titles, but you can also do so by emailing us at [email protected] – Let us know which of our many books you’d like to read and review. Provide us with the places you will post your review, and let us know if you’d like to be added to our list of reviewers to hear about all upcoming titles.

THAT’S A WRAP!

Thanks to everyone who made it to the end of the newsletter. Remember to share, and check out all our titles, available on most eBook platforms.

David & David

 Wilson & Dodd

Make “portfolio chaos” a thing of the past

Tired of spending hours updating your portfolio or losing your work samples to site shutdowns?

Authory automatically creates a beautiful, self-updating portfolio page that showcases your work effortlessly & backs up everything you've ever published.

Keep your work samples safe, searchable, and ready to share at any time.

Join more than 10,000 freelance writers who already use Authory to impress potential clients and employers.

Get your free portfolio today