Once again, we have several contestants in this annual poll. This year, however, two of our books are competing in the same category: Anthologies.
Strangely Funny VII, the latest in our funny horror series, is vying against Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon, a collection of mystery stories and articles celebrating Kentucky's signature liquor.

We also have books competing in other categories. Please support them!

We also have authors competing against authors in the Short Story category, and you might find familiar names cropping up elsewhere as nominations are still being made. Thank you for any support!

We're making another of our books FREE ON KINDLE from December 3rd through December 7th, courtesy of another generous author. Monstermatt Patterson is offering free downloads of his new book to make the holidays better. Hear it right from the punmaster himself, below!

Download your copy of the Ha!-Ha! Horror! Collector's Edition today!

By the grace of Gareth Barsby, this book is free on Kindle through December 1st. This isn't your typical Christmas story, but 2020 isn't a typical year. 
​
Santa Claus never lived at the North Pole; he lives and operates in Purgatory. He brings presents to those that have not yet ascended to Heaven in order to give them hope. His elves and reindeer are the spirits of those who died during Christmas.

Meet his newest recruit, Randall, a Christmas-loving human turned into a confused and curious reindeer. It’s bad enough for Randall that he now has to live in a world where happiness and saccharine is forced onto him daily, but then he learns that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come has history with Santa, and a crooked man is practicing necromancy so as to ruin Santa’s operation.

Can Randall thwart the evil plan and save the holiday he loves?

Download Reindeer now and find out! Here's the Kindle UK link for our friends across the pond, and it should be free everywhere else on Kindle, too.

When did you begin writing your own stories? What inspired you?
I've been writing since I was little. I'm disabled, so my body didn't always work well for me to do other hobbies. Writing just kind of ... was the only thing I could do.

Tell us about Love & Bubbles! How did this anthology come about?
I don't know exactly how it came about, but I can tell you how I got involved. Jaylee James was the first editor to ever publish my work, and we became friends. Around the time he was working on Love & Bubbles, I got the idea to work on my own anthology and I asked him for advice. He took me on as an assistant.

How did editing an anthology change your process of writing? 
We got so many good stories that were the classic "mermaid meets human, falls in love" story. The ones that were different instantly got our attention. So no matter how good the story is, I've learned that it's always a good idea to go for the weird, the 'out there.'

What is your current project, and can you share some information about it with us?
I've got stories in a couple anthologies coming out soon, but I'm not sure how much information I can share right now. So let me promote my other anthology I co-edited with Brian McNett:
​Space Opera Libretti.
Space Opera ... emphasis on the opera. 20 stories, poems, and even an actual opera script fill the pages of this comedic and musical science fiction anthology.
Time traveling cats! A song that never ends! Invisible bears! All that and more from first-time authors and award-winning veterans.

​Kelly Gould lives and writes in Oregon with his wife and children. He is an avid fan of the Chicago Bears and Van Halen (w/ Sammy Hagar). When he isn’t writing he is usually enjoying good whiskey and bad horror movies.
His work has been included in anthologies from Lycan Valley Press, A Murder of Storytellers, Deadman’s Tome, Lycopolis Press, Aphotic Realm, and Weirdbook. His story, "Hopelessly Devoted," was a part of the anthology, Stories of the Dead: A Tribute to George Romero.

​How did you choose the genre you wanted to write in (if it was a deliberate decision)? 

I don’t think I ever made a conscious decision about genre. I write what I’d like to read. I’ve always been drawn to horror with a tinge of weird (or weird with a tinge of horror). Twilight Zone, Amazing Stories, and Tales from the Darkside shaped my childhood as much as Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, and Creepshow.

Who is your favorite author, and what really strikes you about their work?

No surprise with this answer. Stephen King. The guy made me want to write. He’s best known for horror, but his work is truly genre-spanning. His mammoth novels get most of the attention, but I prefer his short stories/novellas. The Long Walk and The Mist are must reads.

Tell us how you came up with the idea for "Platinum VIP". Have you ever been on a tour like this, minus the time travel?

No, I can’t say I’ve ever been on a tour like the one in this story. One of my favorite movies, Stand by Me, was filmed near where I live and I’ve toured some of those locations. I’ve done a few meet and greets at conventions and my wife has staked out a Wahlburgers to meet Donnie Wahlberg (she got a hug and a selfie).

The initial idea for "Platinum VIP" came when I read about Anna Kendrick starting out her career on Broadway as a 12-13 year old. That got me thinking. Nowadays there are all sorts of VIP experiences available to those with the means to purchase them. Imagine being able to interact with your favorite actor/athlete/politician/author before they became a household name. Watch Michael Jordan play basketball in high school. Buy women’s shoes from George Clooney. Bump into a teenage Elvis Presley and have a peanut butter and banana sandwich. Time travel doesn’t have to be such a serious proposition.

A prequel to "Platinum VIP" (or is it a sequel? With time travel it’s hard to tell.) was published in the magazine, Aphotic Realm #3: Classified. 

What is your current project, and can you share some information about it with us?

Out later this year, I have a story included in On Time, an anthology from Transmundane Press.

Recently, I finished the first draft of my first novel (there’s a sentence I never thought I’d write). Editing is now the bane of my existence. 

In your bio, you say that you watch a lot of bad horror movies. What is your favorite bad horror film, so bad it's great? (Mine is Vampire Hookers.)

I probably should stop calling them “bad” horror movies. B movies? I don’t like calling them guilty pleasures. Maybe 'Movies-that-I-appreciate-but-others-might-not' would be more accurate. There are tons of these movies I enjoy but I know my wife would not. Return of the Living Dead, Chopping Mall, and Maximum Overdrive are the ones that immediately come to mind. I saw Maximum Overdrive at a drive-in when I was a kid. Freddy and Jason never really scared me (although I still love those movies) but the opening scene of Overdrive on the drawbridge haunted me.

Plotter or pantser?

More pantser than plotter. I usually have a an ending figured out before I start, but getting there from Chapter 1 can be interesting.

When did you know you wanted to become a writer?

About ten years ago, I wrote my first fiction story to entertain my young sons. It turned into quite a project. We ended up self-publishing it, and I discovered my love of writing for children. I've authored 11 traditionally published children's book titles. In the last year or so, I've started writing short stories for adult anthologies. I've enjoyed being able to address more mature themes and leverage higher vocabulary.

Who is your favorite author, and what really strikes you about their work?

That is a Sophie's Choice. There are so many great authors from which to choose. Among my favorites are J.R.R. Tolkien, Kevin Hearne, Maggie Stiefvater, Isaac Asimov, and Lloyd Alexander.
 
Your story is funniest for people familiar with the Beatles. Are you a huge Beatles fan, or did you come up with the idea and then research the details? Tell us about your fandom and/or creation of "Four Fab Physicists."

I admire the Beatles' music, but I'm not a mega-fan. I simply got the idea to write about a group of people who were famous for one thing, but had a hitherto unknown secondary skill. Not unlike Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I also find incongruous mashups amusing, so this story is The Beatles meet Big Bang Theory, with a touch of This is Spinal Tap.
 
What is your current project, and can you share some information about it with us?

I have several adult horror, fantasy, and sci-fi short stories on submission (including my first steampunk and western horror stories). For kids, I have a sci-fi middle grade novel and short story on submission. To be published later this year and next, I have a contemporary magical realism early chapter book (The Magic Spatula), a narrative nonfiction picture book (I Am Smoke), three short stories for Highlights for Children and one for Ladybug (Cricket Media). My website is www.henryherz.com

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Sorry, I don't understand the question.  :)

Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon from the Derby Rotten Scoundrels is an anthology that celebrates Kentucky's finest spirit: Bourbon. Ranging from historical adventure to gritty realism, the eighteen crime stories included in this anthology are all fermented in the history and culture of Kentucky bourbon, distilled through the imaginations of our authors. Interwoven with the stories are articles covering the history of bourbon, from Prohibition, moonshining, and medicinal alcohol, to profiles of distilleries and the booming Whiskey Row district in downtown Louisville.

Who Are the Derby Rotten Scoundrels?
The Scoundrels are an eclectic group of writers (and readers) who get together to share their writing. The group was formed in 1992, starting as primarily a reading club. Over time, they became more focused on writers, especially new writers, and how to help them hone their skills and get published. The founders of Mystery and Horror, LLC were among those writers.