Thursday Treats: 9/17/2026

 Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

The news is starting to appear across social media. DEATH CAMAS: Best New England Crime Stories 2026 is scheduled to be released in early October from Crime Spell Books. As always, the anthology includes short stories from numerous SMFS list members. Sone of those members are: Nikki Knight (Milk. Bread. Homicide.), Steve Liskow (A Deed without a Name), Edith Maxwell (Cough Lasagnas and Salty Memories), Ruth McCarty (I Hereby Bequeath), Ang Pompano (The Angel of Sachem Creek),  Susan Oleksiw (All’s Well That Ends . . .), Stephen D. Rogers (A Scene of Salt and Sea), and Leslie Wheeler (The Wound Clinic). It can be preordered now at Amazon and elsewhere.

 

Also coming in October is the latest book by Dallas area author Harry Hunsicker. I have long been a fan over the decades and now doubt will enjoy the thriller, Mother May I. You can learn more about the book, and where to preorder it, at Mr. Hunsicker’s website. If you are not already reading him, you should be and there is a lot of really good stuff to read.

 

Just a few minutes before I was setting up this post on Tuesday afternoon, fellow SMFS list member Nikita Costiuc, and welcomed frequent commenter here, announced that he is in the inaugural issue of Betascape as is fellow SMFS list member A.L. Sirois. This is a free to read publication aimed at, according to the website, “speculative, crime, and genre fiction” pieces and readers. They also generate editorial comment on the stories by highlighting certain segments. You click on that and you get information on story structure, character development, pacing, etc. Nikita Costiuc’s short story, A Narrative Concerning the Allocation of Assets, as well as  A.L. Sirois’ short story, The Cage, can be read here in this first issue.

 

SMFS list member Aimee Kluck announced the publication of her short story --Late, But Right on Time—was published ay Shotgun Honey. You can read the tale online, for free, here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #263 is out and includes the short story, The Raven Messenger, by Teel James Glenn of the SMFS. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

And, now for something completely different--- as they used to say on a certain show when I was growing up. I have long been a fan of the science fiction and fantasy works by author Terry W. Ervin II. He has a lot of stuff out there and I am always behind. I just found out that his latest book, Relic Shield: Book Three of the Crax War Chronicles, is now out. You can pick it up on Amazon where it is also available through the KindleUnlimited program.

 

I now pause to remind you, that as we have discovered the hard way, the KindleUnlimited program, in fact, is very limited. You are limited to no more than twenty titles at a time. Makes as much sense as telling me the buffet is unlimited and then I get one serving of three things and can do no more. If you share the deal, as I do with Scott,  you are even more limited. Boo.

 

Coming in early October is the anthology, The Speculative Detective Agency: Case Files of the Supernatural and Fantastic. Published by Diversion Books, the read is available to preorder at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Back to crime fiction and mystery reads…

 

Punk Noir Press announced on Twitter that FAFO—A Punk Noir series that the second installment of the new series is available to  read. Four more stories are here.  You can also still read, for free, the first group here.

 

 

SMFS list member, and editor, Michelle Kubitz recently announced that Shotgun Honey Books will be releasing the new anthology, Daydream Believer: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees!. The book includes a short story by fellow SMFS list member Alan S. Orloff as well as tales by numerus other folks. Proceeds go to American Library Association. You can preorder the book now at the publisher or at Amazon. September 29^th is the planned release date.

 

I have been a fan of author Frank Zafiro for quite a few decades now. His latest read in his River City police procedural series, The Quick of the Night, is now out. Assuming everything with Amazon and Kindle worked right. Published by Code 4 Press, the read is available now for preorder at Amazon and will be part of the Kindle Unlimited program at time of publication.

 

Also now out is the latest read from fellow SMFS list member and author, C. W. Blackwell. The Cold Dark Forever: A Novel, published by Shotgun Honey Books, is a crime fiction read set in 1942. The read is now available  at Amazon.

 

Additionally, now out is the young adult read, It Should Have Been You: A Novel by Lynn Slaughter. Now published by Picarones Press, an imprint of Misti Media Publishing, the book is available at the White City Press.

 

 

Back last June, professor and author John A. Tures did a guest post here on the blog about his book, Branded, published by Huntsville Independent Press. His next book, Independent Thought, is now out with the same publisher. This sequel deals with the possibility of a third-party presidential candidate and more. 

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026