I was honored to be published in 7 anthologies over the past 12 months! Six short stories and one poem. Here they are, along with links on how to buy them:
“Knock Five Times,” a ghost story (based on true-life experiences), in Yay! All Queer (in paperback) (in ebook)
“Monsieur Marais at the Puppet Museum,” my story of waking dreams, a talking cat, and a creepy lighthouse, in Effigies and Incantations: An Anthology of Supernatural Terror, edited by D.C. Phillips (in paperback) (on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited)
“Need to Know,” my first werewolf story (also with ghosts!), in Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell: An LGBTQ+ Horror Anthology (in paperback) (on Kindle)
“Ephriam,” my Appalachian zombie story, in We Bite Back: A Queer Charity Anthology benefitting the Human Rights Campaign (in paperback) (in ebook)
“A Very Lovely Murder,” my light-hearted story of graverobbing and murder, in Appalachian Strong, a Charity Anthology for Hurricane Helene Relief, from Falstaff Press (in hardcover) (in paperback and Kindle ebook)
“The Pink Revolver,” a crime story featuring two gay hit men, in Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors:Dying for an Answer (in paperback) (in ebook) (this story is a sequel to “Squatch and Behr: Not a Love Story” which appeared in the previous anthology Pink Triangle Rhapsody)
UPDATED JANUARY 27, 2025: I’m very proud to announce that my Appalachian zombie story “Ephriam” has been published in We Bite Back, edited by Sage Moon, a charity anthology from Pride With a Bite to benefit the Human Rights Campaign. Click here to buy it in ebook, paperback, or hardcover. APPALACHIAN ZOMBIES FOR THE WIN!
I will also have a queer ghost story (this one is set in the Wild West) in the upcoming anthology, Don’t Ask, Ghosts Tell, from Tundra Swan Press. Expected publication date is June 2025. And I’ll have a humorous crime fiction story “The Pink Revolver” in yet another anthology, with an expected publication date of April 2025. More details soon!
And here is my most recent online publication: “Judgment Call,” a “grit lit” noir story set in Georgia in 1987, during the AIDS epidemic. Based on a true story. Here’s the link to the story.
See you online! Here are all my links to social media and other online places I haunt: https://linktr.ee/dzgrizzle
Two new short stories by me, both of them queer ghost stories, have been accepted for publication in upcoming anthologies, one with an expected publication date of December 2024 and one in the Summer of 2025. More details coming soon!
Here is my most recent publication, a “grit lit” noir story set in Georgia in 1987, during the AIDS epidemic. Based on a true story. Here’s the link to the story.
And here is where I’ll be at DragonCon, August 29 through September 2, 2024, in Atlanta. Hope to see you at the con!
THURSDAY 8/29/24 at 8:30 pm Horror vs. Terror: Which Approach Works Best For You? Authors tackle the eternal question: which is more effective: horror or terror? Shock and awe or creeping dread? The panelists will share their approaches, exploring the benefits and challenges of each method. Panelists: Cherie M. Priest, Alexander G. R. Gideon (M), Brent Abell, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Jessi Ann York Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 10:00 am Igniting the Horror Muse Authors are always asked where they get their ideas from. Join us as we pick the brains of our horror author panelists to learn how they get in the right mind to craft their fiction and unleash their chilling tales. Panelists: Jessi Ann York (M), Darrell Z. Grizzle, Elizabeth Donald, L. Marie Wood, Trisha J. Wooldridge, J. E. Schleicher Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 4:00 pm Children of Dorian Gray: LGBTQIA+ Themes in Horror A celebration of LGBTQIA+ contributions to the horror genre. Panelists: Jessi Ann York, Jarvis Hammer, Darrell Z. Grizzle (M), Dusty Gannon (Vision Video), Daniel Alexander Lyman Location: Centennial I Hyatt (1 Hour)
FRIDAY 8/30/24 at 10:00 pm The Disembodied: Spirits & Ghosts in UF Ghosts & spirits in Urban Fantasy take many forms & have a variety of goals & purposes. Our panel will discuss those they employ in their work, as well as others they admire. Panelists: Todd J McCaffrey, Cherie M. Priest, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Leanna Renee Hieber, Carol Malcolm (M), Beth Dolgner Location: Chastain 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
SATURDAY 8/31/24 in the morning I’ll be donating blood at the annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” Blood Drive
SATURDAY 8/31/24 at 2:30 pm 100 Years of Ed Wood Celebrate the centennial of the iconic filmmaker Ed Wood, known for his passionate and eccentric approach to cinema. Our panelists will discuss his cult classics like Plan 9 from Outer Space and explore his legacy. Panelists: Bill Mulligan (M), Daniel Griffith, Laurie Norris, Thomas Mariani, Darrell Z. Grizzle, R. E. Carr Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
SATURDAY 8/31/24 at 10:00 pm 101 Fascinating Ways to Kill off a Character Readers love a good killin’ – if it’s done in an interesting way. Panelists discuss some not-so-common ways they’ve killed characters or favorite authors have killed characters. Panelists: John Robinson (M), L. Marie Wood, Darin Kennedy, Darrell Z. Grizzle, Bob McGough, Elizabeth Donald Location: Embassy EF Hyatt (1 Hour)
SUNDAY 9/1/24 at 11:30 am Unearthing Your Literary Horror Niche Embark on a frightful journey to uncover the intersection of your deepest, darkest fears and find your writing voice. Explore different dark corners in horror fiction with our panel while you face your fears and learn to unleash your inner darkness on the page. Panelists: Jessi Ann York (M), Darrell Z. Grizzle, L. Marie Wood, Tony Sarrecchia, Anya Martin, Tom Vandermolen Time: Sun 11:30 am Location: Peachtree 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
SUNDAY 9/1/24 at 4:00 pm AUTHOR READING SESSION I will be reading with special guests Jessica Nettles and Jessi Ann York Location: Hyatt Learning Center, Atrium Tower, Ballroom Level (1 Hour)
MONDAY 9/2/24 at 1:00 pm A Heady Mix: Magic & Academia in Books & Media Our panel will take a close look at the fascinating & very popular Dark Academia literary subgenre, focusing on those examples that feature magic practitioners of various types operating within schools, libraries, & other academic institutions. Panelists: Valerie Dawn Hampton, Darrell Z. Grizzle, JM Paquette, K. N. Lee, Carol Malcolm (M), John Hartness Location: Chastain 1-2 Westin (1 Hour)
I’m very proud to have a “grit lit” story in Reckon Review, the online journal of Southern literature and culture (“Dirt Road Driving, Jelly Jar Sipping, Dollar General Shopping”). Previous authors published by Reckon Review include Brian Panowich, S.A. Cosby, and Gabino Iglesias. My story, “Judgment Call,” is set in Georgia in 1987, during the AIDS epidemic. Based on a true story. Here’s the link to the story.
The Atlanta-area premiere of Moonlight Sonata, with Scissors, the short film by Chris Ethridge based on my story, was awesome! The film was very well received, and the audience laughed at the right places and gasped in horror at the right places. You can read my original short story in my collection, I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult. Chris made several changes in adapting the story to film, including making the main character female instead of male, but all changes were made with my approval and they all worked out well.
It was such an honor for the film to be screened at the Renegade Film Festival on March 4, 2023! The film is still making the rounds in the film festival circuit, with several screenings in other states still to come. Here’s a photo from the red carpet:
L-R: artist Lynne Hansen, authors Bridgett Nelson and Jeff Strand, me, filmmaker Chris Ethridge
Also, I’m honored to announce that I will be an Attending Professional at DragonCon 2023 (August 31 to September 4) and I’ll be an Author Guest at Multiverse 2023 (October 20-22), both in Atlanta!
I’ve also had several publications since my last update:
The Werewolf and the Vampire Priest, a flash fiction story in the anthology Clarity from Queer Sci Fi
Ghost Child of the Creek, a poem in the horror anthology Georgia Gothic
Squatch and Behr: Not a Love Story, a homoerotic crime fiction tale in Pink Triangle Rhapsody, an anthology of pulp fiction by gay writers (this was especially cool since I was on the same Table of Contents as David Gerrold, one of my literary heroes!)
Selfie in the courtyard of Cool Beans Coffee Roasters on Marietta Square, during the Renegade Film Festival, March 4, 2023. Behind me is the Kennesaw House, one of the most haunted buildings in all of Georgia.
My story “What My Family Should Know in the Event of My Demise,” which originally appeared in Daily Science Fiction, is one of the stories on the Planet Raconteur podcast. It’s the second story in episode 2. Check it out!
2018 was a great year for me as a budding author! I did my first two author readings, moderated my first-ever DragonCon panel, got to be on two DragonCon panels with my friend James Tuck, and was on a panel at Monsterama for the first time. I had 4 story publications, and I released my first collection of short stories, the horror/crime chapbook, I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult and Other Stories.
Reading my story “The Curse of the Spider” at Scary Fireside Stories for Halloween, on October 27th at the Lake Clair Land Trust in Atlanta. Good times and s’mores were had by all! Authors reading their spooky tales were (L-R): Lynne Hansen, Nancy Collins, me, Michael Wehunt, Gini Koch, Peter Salomon, Jessica Nettles, Jeff Strand, Amanda DeWees, and Brian Kirk.
Being on the Occult Detectives panel at Monsterama with Amanda DeWees and John Hartness:
Being on a DragonCon panel with my literary idol Katherine Kurtz:
According to Goodreads, I read 104 books in 2018. Several were multiple books by the same author: 2 by Amanda DeWees; 2 by E.J. Stevens; 2 by Katherine Kurtz; 2 by M.C. Beaton; 4 by Bobby Nash; 6 by Gail Z. Martin and her pen name Morgan Brice; and most disturbingly, 13 by Jeff Strand. A spookily large percentage of these books were ghost stories.
Here’s a preview from my upcoming short story collection, “I Never Meant to Start a Murder Cult and Other Stories.” Two of the stories will be illustrated by one of my favorite artists, Brian MacGregor from Savannah. Here’s one of Brian’s awesome illustrations! The collection will be a chapbook of horror and crime fiction: four short stories and five flash-fiction stories. All of the stories have been previously published except for one, a brand new ghost story set in the Victorian era. The collection will be available in paperback as well as eBook. I’ll post links as soon as the book is available (sometime before the end of August).
My latest flash-fiction story is all dialogue. This is my second appearance at the crime fiction site, Near to the Knuckle. Check it out here: “Gun, Hypothetical.”
Shadow Haunted 