Category Archives: Dayle A. Dermatis

Living With the Past

By DayleMarch 20, 2017Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Short Stories, Soul's Road PressGhosted, Nikki Ashburne

Former Hollywood party girl Nikki Ashburne sees ghosts—in fact, many of them are her friends. Okay, they’re kind of her only friends. Most ghosts stick around because they’re happy here and have no desire to move on…but sometimes, they need help.

Like when a decades-dead Marilyn Monroe impersonator wants Nikki to find her granddaughter. In Los Angeles.

Yeah. That’ll be easy.

Another story in the Ghosted urban fantasy series featuring Nikki Ashburne, “Living With the Past” originally appeared in Fantastic Detectives (Fiction River, 2014).

Buy it at any of these fine online retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iBooks

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Haunted Bundle is 30% off!

By DayleFebruary 23, 2017Bundle, Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Short Stories

Sorry to keep flinging news at ya’ll, but I’m not responsible for all these deals and deadlines. I’m not complaining about them, mind you—I just didn’t choose to have them hit all at once!

The Haunted Bundle is currently part of a promotion at Kobo Books, where you can get it for 30% off by using the code 30BOX when you check out.

It’s normally $3.99 for 20 short stories, which is dead cheap already, and 30% off is…uh, math. Cheaper. An even better deal. A steal!

But you only have until Monday, February 27, to get the deal, so gogogo!

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Run away with the Escapist Bundle!

By DayleFebruary 23, 2017Bundle, Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Mystery/Thriller, Novels, Soul's Road PressStorybundle, Waking the Witch

I feel like a kind of lame writer right now because I’m running out of ways to say I’m delighted, happy, chuffed, squeeing, running around the house without pants on flailing my hands about some piece of good news.

I am all of those things over the fact that I’ve been invited into to participate in Storybundle’s Escapist Bundle.

This bundle is based around the Fiction River anthology Recycled Pulp. The stories in the anthology (which is included in the bundle) were all inspired by pulp-like titles, but none of the stories are pulp. They run the gamut of genres, and they’re all unusual and a great read.

The authors in the anthology were asked to include a longer work of fiction that related to our short story. That was tough for me, because my story, “The Imperfect Otter Empire,” is a odd but touching story about a woman watching the otters at the Santa Barbara Zoo (and then Stuff Happens). I don’t have any novels quite like that.

So I suggested Waking the Witch, a gothic mystery with a hint of romance, and the bundle coordinator was on board with that. I think it makes sense. You tell me after you’ve read the story and the novel, okay?

Of the novels and collections in the bundle, I’ve read a few, and they’re marvelous. I’ve read at least something by every author in the bundle, and I’ve loved their work, so I’m pretty confident it’s all wonderful.

This bundle is available for only three weeks, so hop on board now, while you can. You can get any ebook format, worldwide.

For a mere $5 (less than $1/book), you get…

Waking the Witch
Recycled Pulp
Isabel’s Tears by Lisa Silverthorne, a novel about a magical inn
The Pale Waters by Kelly Washington, the first novella in a four-part epic journey
Hot Waters by Erica Lyon, a steamy sea adventure novel

For $14, you get a bunch of bonus reading material:

Rebecca Senese’s ten-story science fiction collection Tales of Possibilities
Thomas K. Carpenter’s Revolutionary Magic, a historical fantasy and the first in the Dashkova Memoirs
Annie Reed’s A Death in Cumberland, a moody police procedural
Nebula Award finalist Cat Rambo’s Neither Here Nor There, a double collection of alt-world and real world fantasy stories
New York Times bestselling author Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s The War and After, five historical fantasy stories of magic and revenge
USA Today bestselling author Dean Wesley Smith’s The Slots of Saturn, the origin story for his fan-favorite superhero Poker Boy.

You can pay more, of course, if you think 20 novels/novellas/collections are worth more than $14 (seriously, just round it up to $20, why don’tcha?)—and you can choose how much of that gets donated to the charity SMART (Start Making a Reader Today), which promotes the love of reading for children in Oregon. That is a charity I can get behind one hundred percent.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to run around the house without pants on flailing my hands, then curl up and read some seriously good fiction. I hope you do, too. The reading seriously good fiction in the bundle part. But feel free to run around the house without pants on flailing your hands too.

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Heart’s Kiss, a new romance magazine

By DayleFebruary 16, 2017Dayle A. Dermatis, Romance, Short StoriesHeart's Kiss

I meant to post this by Valentine’s Day (the official day to post about romance, even though romance readers are the most voracious of any genre and devour romances all year long, hurrah! And I am one of them.), but our home Internet went out, and Life. (Don’t talk to me about Life.)

I am thrilled to be in the inaugural issue of the brand new Heart’s Kiss, a magazine devoted to short romance. It’s edited by Denise Little, one of the top editors working today. She had her own imprint at Kensington, was the executive editor for Tekno Books (during which time she edited approximately a bazillion anthologies for Daw Books), and worked as a national buyer for Barnes & Noble). She’s also one of the funniest people I know.

But I’m here to tell you about Heart’s Kiss. The first issue has an interview with and a story by Mary Jo Putney, and more fiction from Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Christina F. York, Laura Resnick, Diane A.S. Stuckart, Petronella Glover, Casey Chapel, and Neesa Hart, plus some nonfiction as well.

You can get it for your Kindle or buy the hard copy, and even better, you can subscribe and never miss an issue (it comes out bimonthly). (Psst, I can tell you I have a story in an upcoming issue, too. I’m not officially announcing it ’til I sign the contract, but Denise has asked for the story, so it’s almost a done deal.)

My story in the first issue, “Then & Now,” was inspired by true circumstances, although I changed both the decade(s) and the outcome. It’s a lost love found again story, a second changes story, and it’s sweet and…well, you can read it and see. I hope you like it!

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The Haunted Bundle is spooky good fun!

By DayleFebruary 6, 2017Author, Bundle, Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Short Stories, Soul's Road Press

The other day I watched a trailer for a horror movie on my computer. I use a standing desk, and by halfway through the trailer, I had backed up until my back was against a wall, as far away from my monitor as I could get. I knew what I was doing, and I was laughing out loud at my own ridiculousness…albeit it was a nervous laughter because I knew something was going to scare me in that trailer. It was just a matter of when.

Point is, most of us liked to be scared—in controlled environments. I might like spooky gothics, you might bloody slasher flicks, but there’s no denying the horror genre is here to say.

Which is not to say the stories in the Haunted Bundle are all scary. Mine isn’t. (I don’t think. It’s got a little suspense.) I haven’t read all of them yet, so I can’t say. The one thing they are all about is fantastic writing. I love the authors I’m in this bundle with!

Here’s the blurb:

Have you ever felt as though someone was watching you, but when you turned around no one was there?

How many times have you been unable to find something, then it later turned up in the exact place you’d searched over and over?

Why does your cat act as though it’s staring at something, even though you can’t see anything?

Just because you can’t see anything doesn’t mean there isn’t something there…

But don’t worry. Ghosts aren’t real.

Or are they?

And look at all these authors:

You can purchase the Haunted Bundle at any of these fine online retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks | Bundlerabbit

And check out the Goodreads page!

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A nice review of Tempest, the new Valdemar anthology

By DayleJanuary 13, 2017Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Kudos, ReviewsValdemar

Here’s a thoughtful review of Tempest: All-New Tales of Valdemar, the latest Valdemar anthology, with a specific mention of my story, “Unraveling the Truth” (warning: there’s a minor spoiler in the review, so you might want to read the story first).

And here’s a link to Tempest on Amazon, if you’re so inclined. (It’s available via any bookseller.)

Happy reviews mean happy authors! It’s always such a thrill to be included in these volumes, too!

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Uncollected Anthology, Issue 10: Fabulous Familiars

By DayleNovember 2, 2016Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Soul's Road Press, Uncollected Anthology

Witches and familars go together like shortbread and tea or cheese and wine, and so Fabulous Familiars is the theme of our 10th issue. It doesn’t seem possible that we’ve put out 10 issues already. Thank you, dear reader, for being a part of this project!

Fabulous Familiars required an equally fabulous guest author, and we found just the person in Valerie Brook. Her story is a whole new take on the idea of a familiar, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, as well as all the others. I hope you do, too.

“Hedging the Witch”

An honest politician: far more rare than hedgewitches, at least in Portland, Oregon.

When one such politician asks hedgewitches Holly and Willow to investigate whether his rival employs a magical advantage, Holly’s familiar, Cam, must support Holly through a treacherous investigation…or risk losing her forever.

The first story in a spellbinding new urban fantasy series by the author of the Nikki Ashburne Ghosted stories.

Buy it at any of these fine online retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iBooks

The other incredibly fabulous authors—go check out their stories!

“In the Matter of Snake Vs. Stone,” Michele Lang

Something wicked walks in Buffalo…

Rikki Pollard, a divorce lawyer for the down and out in gritty Buffalo, NY, makes a living out of rendering asunder what the Lord had brought together. Despite her unholy trade, Rikki never expected to encounter Old Scratch himself in open court.

But now she has to rescue her young client, Chance Stone, from a fate worse than death. It’s Rikki vs. damnation in a courtroom custody case like no other. To save Chance, she will have to outwit the devil himself, with only a little voodoo-related backup. A supernatural courtroom adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“Un-Familiar,” Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Winston’s familiar Ruby, a small black cat, avoids dogs whenever possible. So when Winston finds her in cahoots with a toy poodle-Chihuahua mix, he wants to know why.

Ruby, usually so vocal, says nothing. Her silence, that dog, and a storm in the Oregon Coast community of Seavy Village all combine into one of the most memorable days of Winston’s life.

“Rusch is a great storyteller.”
—RT Book Reviews

“The Mouse Who Laughed,” Leah Cutter

As a familiar, Ina expected to bond happily ever after with a single master or mistress.

Not two.

And certainly not three.

But when her current Master turns on her, attacks her, she breaks the bond and flees for her life.

What’s a poor mouse to do?

If you need a pick-me-up, “The Mouse Who Laughed” fits the bill nicely as a warm fantasy about learning to stand on your own two (or four) feet.

“The Reveal Within,” by Rebecca M. Senese

Eed graduates from an insect familiar to a raven familiar, but his first pairing with a pushy warlock ends in disaster. Eed barely escapes before the warlock enslaves him, breaking the rule of cooperation between witch and familiar.

But when Eed tries to return to the raven clan, he finds himself blacklisted. Facing enslavement to the warlock or getting busted back to insect, Eed turns rogue.

How can Eed clear his name before the raven clan catches up?

Guest Author

“Aunt Fabulous and the Talking Tattoo,” Valerie Brook

Magnificent Maggie Fontaine has been around the mysteries of magic all her life. But when she wakes up with an underage hangover and a talking press-on priestess tattoo on her arm, all Mag wants is for both things to go away. When Aunt Fabulous turns out to have vanished overnight, and it’s up to Mag to find her guardian, will the strange talking tattoo be a help or a hindrance?

Want More?

We do have a website and a newsletter, for the sole purpose of telling you when the next batch of stories is available. Check them out!

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Hauntingly Good Publications!

By DayleOctober 31, 2016Dayle A. Dermatis, Fantasy/SF, Fiction River, Mystery/Thriller, Romance, Sales

So much good news to impart!

First, a new publication: Haunted, an anthology from Fiction River edited by the fantastic Kerrie Hughes, is now available. It contains my story “Land of the Living,” a Nikki Ashburne/Ghosted short story.

Rubicon: less rehab, more luxury spa for the ultra-rich elite of Hollywood.

Nikki Ashburne: less recovering from an accidental OD, more hiding from the world and grieving for her beloved grandmother.

Nikki’s Rubicon roomate: less alive, more ghost.

Nikki’s choice: less hiding away, or more living?

Available in ebook format from these fine establishments:
Amazon | all other retailers

TWO BUNDLES

Magical Tales of Witches!

I have a story in a frightfully luscious bundle of Witch stories!

For only $2.99, you can get 20 short stories of witches and spells. That’s a mere $0.15 per story. Way cheaper than the mocha frappuccino I had in an airport recently to keep me awake on the flight (I had work to do, don’tcha know).

I read all of the stories this month and let me tell you, they are delicious—some spooky, some funny, and all witchy goodness.

My story in this bundle is “This is the World Calling”:

Tansy and Ki come from two of the most powerful witch dynasties—and the feud between their families puts the Hatfield and McCoys to shame. So why, then, did their parents not care when the two would run off and play as children, lost in their own little world?

When they meet again as adults, Tansy and Ki’s mutual attraction makes it vitally important that they find the answer to that question.

Note that the price will go up to $4.99 on November 2, so strike while the witchy iron is hot!

Available in ebook format from these fine establishments:
Amazon | K obo | iTunes | Barnes & Noble

Pulse Pounders!

This one’s called Pulse Pounders, and it’s a bundle of novels and anthologies. Coincidentally, one of the books is the anthology Pulse Pounders, which contains my story “The Scent of Amber and Vanilla” (which was an honorable mention in the The Year’s Best Crime and Mystery Stories 2016). So if you haven’t bought the story already, here’s your chance to have it along with a bunch of other nail-biting, roller-coaster-ride stories.

Plus, the the anthology is bundled with 10 other books, all for only $15 (you can pay more if you want the novel authors, anthology editors, and/or the charity to get more). That’s a pretty sweet deal…just don’t blame me for your sleepless nights because you couldn’t put the books down.

Available in ebook format from S torybundle

SPEAKING OF GHOSTS…

What Beck’ning Ghost
a gothic romance novel

Touch not the cat bot a glove…

The MacPherson family crest above the door gives Rachael de Young, genealogist and psychic, an unexpected chill. She doesn’t know that by crossing the threshold, her life will change forever. Because the MacPhersons are a family cursed by jealousy, betrayal, and fire….

Rachael grows closer to the truth even as she grows closer to the ghost of Jordan MacPherson, who died in the tragic fire…and could very well be the person sabotaging her research. But she must trust Jordan’s love in order to find the strength to face her own fears, break her one cardinal rule, and stop a madman before he can kill again.

Available from these fine establishments:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | A llRomanceEbooks

Waking the Witch
a gothic novel

Four boys confess to the murder of a woman who died a hundred years ago…

The violent encounter Rowan Everly survived in college jolted awake her psychic power to see past images while holding a related object. At the behest of a friend, she comes to the privileged prep school town of Millburn, New York, to investigate the current rape and murder, and hopefully clear her friend’s son’s name.

Rowan’s not sure she’s up to the task. Her deeply ingrained mistrust of men makes her question where her loyalties lie. The deeper she investigates, the less anything makes sense. The boys seem truly horrified by what happened—almost as if they hadn’t had control over it.

Her initial encounter with sheriff Toby Candusco isn’t pleasant for either of them. But his calm support of her, and his unwavering desire to see justice done, gives her the strength to not only face her fears, but to reexamine the core beliefs that shape who she is.

Only then can she face and destroy the real menace…and save everyone around her.

Available from these fine establishments:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

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Writers! Here’s a great opportunity!

By DayleOctober 31, 2016Dayle A. Dermatis, Fiction River, Short Stories

Writer friends! Want to write for professional short story markets and experience in real time how the selection process works, while hanging out with a whole slew of smart, savvy, creative, and fun writers and editors?

If you’ve known me for a while, you know I attend an Anthology Workshop on the Oregon Coast every year, and have sold a number of stories to both DAW Books anthologies and, more recently, Fiction River anthologies. This coming year, I’ve been invited to be one of the editors.

I’m told there are a few slots still open in the upcoming workshop, so let me tell you all about it.

Editors this year are Dayle A. Dermatis (me), Leah Cutter (a fabulous writer), Allyson Longueira (editor of Fiction River: Presents), Kristine Kathryn Rusch (multiple-award-winning writer and editor), and Mark LeFebvre from Kobo Books. Kristine will be editing two very special volumes, so the writers attending will be writing six stories for six anthologies.

Attendees will write two stories in early December, then four stories in four weeks in January. You get the anthology theme on Monday, and the story will be due the following Sunday. Lather, rinse, repeat. The anthologies will be different genres, so writers will get to stretch their wings as well as write in genres they already enjoy. (I challenge myself to write a story for every anthology, no matter how I feel about the theme. I have sold stories to themes I loathed—much to my surprise and delight.)

Anyway. This year, stories will also have two other special project chances:

A story, if not picked by an editor for an anthology, will have a chance for that editor to pick it for a special “Editor’s Saves” volume of Fiction River. That’s seven anthologies every story will have a chance to be in.

On top of that, WMG Publishing is bringing back Pulphouse Magazine, edited by Dean Wesley Smith. This will be an invite-only magazine, with stories only from this workshop, not open to outside submissions. Dean intends to fill the entire first year of Pulphouse Magazine, four issues, at the workshop.

Doing the math (ow), that means the six stories written by attendees will have a chance at seven anthologies and four issues of Pulphouse Magazine. This is way more than previous workshops, and I’m super excited!

WMG pays professional rates for stories, and you will have the chance to review the contract before you commit to selling them your work.

Plus there are lunches with editors and other writing/publishing professionals, and so many amazing talks every evening. The Uncollected Anthology project, for example, came from some late-night brainstorming sessions.

Dates are February 25 to March 5, Lincoln City, OR.

For more information, see http://www.deanwesleysmith.com/workshops/ (The website says the workshop is full, but I’ve been told there are still a couple slots available. At worst, you’ll be put on a waiting list, and you’ll know by the time the first story assignment is sent out whether you’re in.) If you’re interested, contact Dean Wesley Smith via his website. I’m also happy to answer questions about the workshop and my experiences with it over the years.

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