Here's your first taste of Ha-Ha! Horror from the masterful Monstermatt Patterson.

Who is Monstermatt? He's a horror artist and illustrator who does monster portraits and masks, and a nominee for Best Painter in the Artvoice 2013 Best of Buffalo Awards. He narrates 'The Monster Minute' on the 6' Plus podcast, which is either the best or worst minute of the show. He is the wizard of bad monster jokes, and will soon be sharing them with you. 
 
Ha-Ha! Horror will soon be available from Mystery and Horror, LLC.

Monstermatt's blogs are at:

http://hahahorror.gravediggerslocal.com/ (you can see some of his material there)
http://monstermattpatterson.wordpress.com/

The 6' + podcasts:
http://6ftplus.gravediggerslocal.com/

An anthology of mystery stories set during Mardi Gras. We expect the majority of the stories to be set in New Orleans, but it is not mandatory. The holiday, its celebration, and its depredations should set the stage. Paranormal elements (e.g. Louisiana Voodoo) are acceptable if they are appropriate to the traditional Mardi Gras locations and events.

We're seeking stories that are 2000 - 8000 words in length. Query about reprints. We will accept multiple submissions, but not simultaneous submissions. Open submission period: October 21, 2013 - January 5, 2014.

All contributors will receive a free trade paperback copy of the book, plus a $5 advance on royalties. Contributors will also be able to purchase more print copies at a 50% discount on the cover price. Please see our Guidelines and Payment page for further information on the rights we ask for and the compensation we offer.

• Click above to hear a great story from Strangely Funny for free! Leave a comment on the YouTube page to be entered for a trade paperback copy of the book. Drawing is on August 11th.
  

• Our Goodreads giveaway! Three copies are up for grabs! 
  

• Plus: Interviews galore!
  

Profile: Catriona McPherson

Laura Huntley says: Zombie Me

Meet John Lance

The Gardening Gloria Alden

Say hello to Suzanne Robb

Meet Leslie Carmichael

Below the All-Seeing Eye: Ed Ahern

Editor: Sarah Glenn

Publisher: Gwen Mayo

Our first publication, Strangely Funny, is out in print today and we're celebrating! We'll be posting interviews, recipes for party food guaranteed to be calorie-free in the virtual world, and offering several giveaways! Our first is through Goodreads. We're giving away three print copies; click on the button below to enter the drawing.

Strangely Funny is available in e-form from Amazon and Smashwords... and, now, in print! 

Only about a month left to submit to All Hallows' Evil!

All Hallows' Evil is an anthology of mystery stories set during Halloween, OUR "most wonderful time of the year". Paranormal elements are acceptable as long as they are in keeping with the Halloween theme and the central story is a mystery.

We're seeking stories that are 4000 - 8000 words in length. Query about reprints. We will accept multiple submissions, but not simultaneous submissions.

The submission period ends July 15th, 2013.

Please see our Guidelines and Payment page for further information on the rights we ask for and the compensation we offer. 

Less than a month is left in the reading period for our first anthology, Strangely Funny. I've read a lot of stories during that time - enough to fill two books - and I'm pleased with the results. Most of the stories were well-written and creative.
 
Decision making has been difficult, but I've accepted several stories and rejected others. If you received a rejection from me, it's been for one of the following reasons:
 

1. You may have written well, but other, similar stories were more polished.
   
2. You wrote so cleverly, but also so cryptically, that I got a headache. Headaches are not funny.
   
3. Your story didn't fit the theme of the book at some level. Either it wasn't funny, or it wasn't paranormal in some way.
   
4. I got a bunch of stories that had the same basic storyline, and I liked someone's else's version better than yours.
   

 
I still have openings in the anthology. You have time to get a story in. If you're interested in submitting, here are some helpful things to know:
 

• I have a lot of subs about Martians/aliens visiting Earth who discover that humans are just too much for them to handle. I don't need more of them.
• I have a good number of zombie and vampire stories. I could use more werewolves. I don't have anything with mummies or Mi-Go.
• Please, please use standard double quote marks (" ") in conversations. I can do Search and Replace, but it gets annoying, even if the story is great.  :)

 
 Thanks to everyone, and keep writing!

Sarah

Here is the cover for Strangely Funny, our first anthology. We're still open for submissions, so break out the undead rubber chickens and boot your laptop!

Your story must contain paranormal elements (ghosts, psychics, vampires, etc.) and be funny. Think Addams Family, You Suck: A Love Story, or Love at First Bite.  We're looking for stories that are 2000 - 5000 words in length, but have accepted a few that are a little longer. We will also accept black and white cartoons if submitted in electronic format. 

Check our Submissions and Guidelines and Payment pages for more information. 

An anthology of humorous paranormal stories. All stories must contain paranormal elements (ghosts, psychic abilities, vampires, etc.) and be funny. Think Addams Family, Zombieland, or Love at First Bite. They should not contain gratuitous violence, gratuitous sex, or excessive foul language. We're seeking stories that are 2000 - 5000 words in length (firm). We will also accept cartoons if submitted in electronic format. No reprints. We will accept multiple submissions, but not simultaneous submissions. Open submission period: March 1 - June 10th, 2013.

Please see our 'Submissions' page for the rest of our guidelines.

All contributors will receive a free trade paperback copy of the book. We're seeking first world rights in English to publish in print and electronic format for 12 months, beginning on the date of publication. All rights revert back to the author after one year.

Publisher's note: Mystery and Horror is a market that welcomes LBGTQ, multiethnic,multinational, nontraditional, and unusual fiction. We are concerned with well-written stories involving well-developed characters.