I have a new story, “Locks and Keys and the Truth at the Heart of It,” in Pulphouse #17. I’m super-excited about this one because when the story came to me, it was in a different style than I’ve tried before. I trusted my subconscious and went for it. So happy to see this one get a home.
It falls on the literary side of things, perhaps magic realism? but I’m calling it fantasy for ease of filing.
Available Now
An Ocean of Secrets in Her Eyes
The 1940s. A time when Hollywood studios owned their talent.
Which included making sure the talent avoided scandal.
Shining star Tabitha St. Claire has a secret. PI Sam Belmont accepts the job to learn what that secret is.
To devastating results…
A standalone story in the popular Nikki Ashburne series, “An Ocean of Secrets in Her Eyes” originally appeared in Fiction River: Chances, 2021.
Whether you’re in cold and rain (here in OR), or under snow (I hear you, friends in MN!), or dealing with heat (CA, Australia…), maybe you crave holiday stories. Not just Christmas stories, but Thanksgiving and Hannukah and Solstice and more; not just plain holiday stories, but ones that intertwine with crime or romance or fantasy and magic.
I certainly do.
Plus, short stories don’t take a lot of time to read. On your phone while you’re standing in line at the Post Office or the grocery story. While you’re waiting for the oven to preheat. A few stolen minutes before you fall asleep.
Hopefully dreaming of dancing sugarplums (whatever they are).
If you’re like me, then let me tell you about a wonderful Storybundle of eleven holiday collections—which comes out to a whopping seventy-two stories.
For $5, you get four ebooks; for $15 or more, you get all eleven.
You can also donate to a special charity, AbleGamers: “Creating opportunities that enable play in order to combat social isolation, foster inclusive communities, and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities.” This is so important during the pandemic shutdown, and especially during the holidays.
My collection, Winter Wonderlands: Ten Tales of Holiday Magic is only available through this project. I’ll probably put it up for sale next holiday season, but that’s eons away.
But hurry: this Storybundle vanishes like Santa at the end of December!
For more information and to purchase this amazing deal, check out Storybundle.
If that’s not enough holiday cheer for you (is there ever enough?!), then check out the WMG Holiday Spectacular. It’s an advent calendar of stories, one appearing in your In Box every day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day.
Yes, I know it’s the middle of December already! It doesn’t matter. If you subscribe between now and December 27, you’ll get an email of every story you missed. If you wait until after December 27, you’ll get the email on January 3 (but what’s the point of reading all the stories after the holidays?).
Either way, you’ll also receive The Holiday Spectacular #3 ebook compilation, which includes all thirty-eight stories and introductions, in July 2022.
In this advent calendar of stories, I have a sweet Solstice romance set in Wales. I have no idea on which day it’ll appear…but that’s part of the fun!
(Hint: Both of these make great last-minute holiday gifts for the readers on your list.)
Left Behind, She Waited
When petty criminals Angela and Mike stumble across an abandoned coal mining facility in a Tennessee forest, they plan to stay for the night.
The next morning, Angela finds Mike and all their possessions gone.
And she learns why the mining company closed its doors, and what haunts its halls….
Eerie and unique, “Left Behind, She Waited” will give you chills and make you think twice about redemption.
“Left Behind, She Waited” originally appeared in Unexpected Heroines (Kydala Publishing, 2020).
Custard: A Romeo and Juliet Story (Sort Of)
Brownies—not the little girls or the fudgy treat kind, but the Scottish pixie kind—help take care of households by being superior with household chores.
Agnes and Neil, from different brownie clans and working at different manor houses, both pride themselves in their custard. Custard, which requires the best, freshest eggs.
A chance meeting over a favorite clutch of eggs starts Agnes and Neil on an adventure, and the chance to create something new.
Their story will never be forgotten.
Editor Dean Wesley Smith says of “Custard,” “Dayle Dermatis…is a storyteller whose compelling and playful prose I will follow down virtually any path.”
“Custard: A Romeo and Juliet Story (Sort Of)” originally appeared in Pulphouse Fiction Magazine, 2021.
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Enjoy the urban fantasy stories of the Uncollected Anthology: Alchemy now collected in this bundle.
Learn the secrets of a ghostly businessman or enjoy your perfect friends. Sip some very special booze and change a patron with love. Find a magical keepsake in a stoppered bottle of potion before jetting to ponder a special wall in Rome.
Explore the Uncollected Anthology with Alchemy!
My story in this issue is “Protected in Every Way.”
Amabella: intelligent, inquisitive, artistic, sporty. She leads a perfect life, with perfect friends.
Until she discovers something terribly, frighteningly wrong with her friends.
Surely there must be someone real Amabella can trust?
Gripping story “Protected in Every Way” is part of Uncollected Anthology 24: Alchemy.
“Dermatis has a love of lush language….” – Tangent Online
Dark and deadly passions fuel crime. Often violent crime. The stories in this compelling volume traverse an emotional rollercoaster. Some revenge stories uplift, while the very darkest stories shine a light on the disturbing underbelly of human nature. But heroism—or at least an attempt to do the right thing—provides hope. So, brace yourself for a swirl of emotions—and some dark and deadly passions.
My story, “Zero Tolerance,” is another in my series about justice-seeking Brittani Menchin, a not-quite-six-feet-tall math nerd, bank geek, and high school Fixer.
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I’m able to continue writing and publishing thanks to my wonderful supporters on Patreon.
When the head of their local HoA tries to impose new rules on the annual Winter Solstice ritual, the four reigning witches of the gated community resolve to fight back.
A war consisting of both paperwork and magic.
All without breaking a fingernail.
Don’t mess with this coven!
Buy “The Real Housewitches of Calafia County”
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I’m able to continue writing and publishing thanks to my wonderful supporters on Patreon.
Enjoy the urban fantasy stories of the Uncollected Anthology: Beasties now collected in this bundle.
Discover how to deal with raising chickens and feathered serpents or enjoy some tasty ice cream with a side of monsters. Rid your apartment of something small and…blue? Commute with the dogs or take a strange-looking bird to the vet.
Explore the Uncollected Anthology with Beasties!
My story, “Telling the Bees,” is another Holly and Willow Hedgewitch tale. Enjoy!
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My YA SF story “Get Inside” is the lead story in Fiction River Presents: Among the Stars! This is a reprint anthology (“Get Inside” originally appeared in Fiction River: Feel the Fear) and I had no idea it was going to be reprinted, much less be the lead story in a volume. Hurrah!
Even better, Among the Stars is currently part of the Space Opera Storybundle that just went live. Get TEN ebooks for just $15! That means you can get Among the Stars and nine other space opera books. That’s a helluva deal.
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I don’t make playlists for all my novels. Some just don’t seem to need them. Or I just find myself wanting to listen to one song, which gets me in the mood for a particular novel or story.
Other novels demand them. Once while listening to Florence + the Machine’s Ceremonials, I thought, Woah, this song perfectly fits that gothic I’m planning to write! Wait, this one does too. And this one! In the end, I realized the album is the soundtrack to the novel (along with some Welsh music and a few other songs). (That novel, With Soft Whispers Laden, is on the To Do list, but not before Shaded and Spectered, the next two Nikki Ashburn books.)
But I’m here to talk about music and Ghosted.
Ghosted is set in Hollywood and nearby environs, an area saturated in music throughout its history. Recording studios, concert venues, the sunset over the gleaming blue Pacific providing inspiration…. So the playlist for the novel is full of California songs, as well as ghost songs and…well, just check it out. Maybe listen to some of the songs while you’re reading the book?
And if Ghosted makes you think of any other songs, let me know!
Ghosted Playlist
California Dreamin’ – Shaw/Blades
Caroline – Concrete Blonde
Celluloid Heroes – Blackmore’s Night
City of the Angels – Gowan
Come To Be My Friend – Shaw/Blades
Estonia – Marillion
Free Fallin’ – Tom Petty
Going to California – Led Zeppelin
Haunted – Evanescence
Hello (Turn Your Radio On) – Shakespear’s Sister
Lonely in Your Nightmare – Duran Duran
Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinéad O’Connor
Our Farewell – Within Temptation
Relax – Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Road to Dead – Paula Cole
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – Soft Cell
The Smile Has Left Your Eyes – Asia
Stay – Shakespear’s Sister
Ventura Highway – America
Walking on Broken Glass – Annie Lennox
Watching You Without Me – Kate Bush
Welcome to the Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses – U2
Why – Annie Lennox
And a reminder: if you’ve been waffling about getting the Sorcery & Steam bundle containing Ghosted and nine more fantasy books by amazing women writers, the offer is ending very soon. Help our project go out with a bang, and while you’re at it, help support our charity, AbleGamers.
Click here for more info!
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