In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: On September 12, Writers Online, Writing Magazine , and Alex Davis Events are teaming up for Make Crime Pay, a lively online (via Google Mee...

Thursday Treats: 8/20/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week. Yes, it is a little light this week as that is the way of publishing. 

The new issue of the online publication Yellow Mama is now out. Yellow Mama #117 includes short stories by SMFS list members Armand Rosamilia (Breaking the Chains), John A. Tures (Eureka), and Marty Zeigler (Dinner Plate Writer). You can read the issue online, and for free, here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #259 is out and includes short stories by SMFS list members Teel James Glenn (The Gift of Song), Paula Messina (Once Hot, Always Hot), and A.L. Sirois (Paul Is Dead) . You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

A reminder that that my short story, A Plan Comes Together, is in issue 254. Folks seem to have really enjoyed it too. If you have not read it yet, go here, and grab a copy. I am very proud of this tale which was partly inspired by real life events here and what Sandi believed. It also stands as proof of a basic fact that many writers know in their bones---  a rejection just means that you have not yet found the right market. When it hits the right market, and is read, and liked, you know you have done good.

 
There are series that I keep meaning to start and then the author gets yet another book out. Such as the Detective Nathan Parker series by James L'Etoile. The fifth book in the series, Darkness Falls: A  Detective Nathan Parker Novel, is now up on Amazon for preorder. Published by Level Best Books, the read is scheduled to be released on August 25^th.

 

The latest read from author, D. V. Berkom, False Dawn: A Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller, was released earlier this week by Duct Tape Press. You can pick up this first book of the planned three book series at Amazon and other vendors.

 

A reminder that the upcoming new anthology, Capital Crime Writers Presents: A Capital Mystery (Volume 2) is coming later this month. Edited by Bernadette Cox and Mike Martin, these short stories take readers back to Ottawa, Canada, and follows the first book, A Capital Mystery. Available at Amazon now for preorder, it will also be on Kindle Unlimited when it releases on August 31^st.

 

Also, later this month, The Tipping Floor, comes out. This is the latest in the 509 Crime Stories series by Colin Conway. Published by High Speed Creative, LLC., the read is available for preorder on Amazon.

 

 

Until next time….

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Thursday Treats: 8/13/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

SMFS list member Scott McKinnon announced that his tale, The Proposition, went up earlier this month at The Yard: Crime Blog. You can read it for free here.

 

The latest issue of Starlight Pulp Review is now out. Starlight Pulp Review #8 features 13 short stories, including one by SMFS list member Mark Coggins (Liverjack). Available at the publisher website as well as at Amazon.

 

Speaking of SMFS, President Joseph S. Walker has compiled the latest publishing news post of the membership. Lots of news regarding short stories, books, and more can be found here on the SMFS blog.

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Black Cat Weekly #258 is out and includes the cover short story by SMFS list member N.M. Cedeño (The Case of the Cabochon Ring) and more. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

A reminder that that my short story, A Plan Comes Together, is in issue 254. Folks seem to have really enjoyed it too. If you have not read it yet, go here, and grab a copy.

 

As I said before, I have long been a fan of Larry D. Sweazy. He has announced on Facebook that the Literary Garage is publishing his short story, A Knock at the Door, on August 13^th. So, today! And go get his books. Great reads.

 

I have also long been a fan of the Sheriff Hank Worth Mysteries series by Claire Booth. I knew the new one was coming and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival on NetGalley. That finally happened last week. Hidden Currents: A Sheriff Hank Worth Mystery is now up for preorder at Amazon. It comes out in September 1^st and will also be part of their Kindle Unlimited program. Published by Severn House, it is also available on other platforms.

 

By the way, the Kindle Unlimited program is a great deal. The downside is that one is limited to twenty titles out at a time. When you share the account, as I do with Scott, that is limiting. At the same time, that could be for the best as we both tend to see a book, --oh, shiny--- and add it to the pile. Which is why I have 100 titles here that are checked out from the Dallas Library. He has 90.

 

 

The Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine: September/October 2026 issue is now out and includes short stories by SMFS list members. Nick Guthrie  (The Silent Partner) and Floyd E. Sullivan (The Wedding Photographer) are in the issue as is past SMFS President Robert Lopresti (Was That So Hard?). I have long been a fan of the work of Dallas area author Harry Hunsicker. His short story, The Basement Girl, also appears in the issue. Mr. Hunsicker also has a new book, Mother May I, coming out in October from Oceanview Publishing. The book is up for preorder at Amazon.

 

 

The Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine: September/October 2026 issue is also now out. It includes short stories by SMFS list members Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (Sabotage Can’t Stop de Shower), Richard Helms  (The Million Dollar Legs Matter),  Anna Scotti (When Bright Angels Beckon) and Dave Zeltserman (Julius Katz’s Ex Returns). Joseph Goodrich, Josh Pachter, and Anna Scotti have essays in the  85^th anniversary issue. Mr. Pachter also has another short story, Farewell to Baytown, in collaboration with the late William Bankier.

 

Last week, after my previous column was set up, I got an email alert from the publisher that Four on the Floor: A Shane Cleary Mystery by Gabriel Valjan was available. Published in late July by Level Best Books, the mystery read is available at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken, Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun: Private Eyes in the Material World, is again in print. The new publisher is Crimson Gate Books.  Also in the read are SMFS list members, John M. Floyd (Redwood Creek), Debra H. Goldstein (Who Shot J.R.?), Kathleen Marple Kalb (Diana and the Princess), and SMFS President Joseph S. Walker (The Right Size of Favor). The read is available at Amazon.

 

I find out about stuff on Facebook because friends on there share the news. Such as the news Kevin Burton Smith (The Thrilling Detective) shared about the upcoming new anthology, Capital Crime Writers Presents: A Capital Mystery (Volume 2). Edited by Bernadette Cox and Mike Martin, these short stories take readers back to Ottawa, Canda, and follows the first book, A Capital Mystery. Available at Amazon now for preorder, it will also be on Kindle Unlimited when it releases on August 31^st.

 

Also, later this month, The Tipping Floor, comes out. This is the latest in the 509 Crime Stories series by Colin Conway. Published by High Speed Creative, LLC., the read is available for preorder on Amazon.

 

 

Until next time….

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: This Saturday, August 8, award-winning short crime fiction writers Barb Goffman, Josh Pachter, and Michael Bracken will lead the free online...

Thursday Treats: 8/06/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week... 

 

My flash fiction piece, Consequences, went up at Guilty Crime Story Magazine Flash earlier this week. It can read it for free here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #257 is out and includes cover short story by SMFS list member Anne Swardson (Lost in Paris) and others. You can pick up the latest issue here. 

 

I have long been a fan of Larry D. Sweazy. He has announced on Facebook that the Literary Garage will publishing his short story, A Knock at the Door, on August 13^th. So, next week. And go get his books. Great reads.

 

Speaking of being a fan, I also have long been a fan of the works by Russ Hall. Especially the Al Quinn novels. His latest in that series, Gold in Them Texas Hills, was reviewed here last week by yours truly. He has a new two book series just out featuring Brett Crutherstone and private investigator Ketch. You can pick up this small-town Texas suspense series on Amazon.

 

This month marks another resurrected book from author Beau Johnson. Shotgun Honey has now released, All of Them to Burn: Stories. Part of the Bishop Rider series, the read is available at the publisher and Amazon.

 

 

SMFS list member Michael Bracken also announced on Facebook that the anthology, Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun: Private Eyes in the Material World, will once again be in print. The new publisher is Crimson Gate Books and the read is up at Amazon for preorder. Pub date is August 10th. Also in the read are SMFS list members, John M. Floyd (Redwood Creek), Debra H. Goldstein (Who Shot J.R.?), Kathleen Marple Kalb (Diana and the Princess), and SMFS President Joseph S. Walker (The Right Size of Favor).

 

 

Edited by SMFS list members, Editors Gigi Pandian and Tom Mead, All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles, has been released.  According to the synopsis, the anthology will feature 14 short stories by “Victor Bonini, James Scott Byrnside, Shelly Dickson Carr, S.A. Cosby, Anne van Doorn, Martin Edwards, Sulari Gentill, Paul Halter, Christopher Huang, Vaseem Khan, Josh Pachter, Masaya Yamaguchi, Ovidia Yu, and a brand-new collaboration from the editors.” Available from the publisher, Crippen and Landru, and Amazon, the read was reviewed here earlier this week by Aubrey Nye Hamilton.

 

As Gigi Pandian posted to the SMFS list recently and I quote: “We've got several SMFS members in the anthology. Josh mentioned his story, "The Allegory of the Five Senses," which is terrific. Tom Mead and I wrote "The Problem of the Poison Garden" as a nod to our favorite author, John Dickson Carr. I had no idea co-writing could be such fun!”

 

Finally, as you may have already seen on Facebook, after more than two decades of being bandied about on the SMFS list, something very cool comes this way. This October will see the first issue of SMFS Mystery Magazine. Not only did I suggest the title to Publisher John Connelly of Murderous Ink Press (Crimeucopia series), but I also have a couple of pieces in this first issue. The plan is for 3 issues a year that will have short stories, essays, and interviews, with all the material involving the world of crime fiction and mysteries. It should be very cool. More details on where and how to buy are coming, and it should be available at Bouchercon.

 

Until next time…. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Thursday Treats: 7/30/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

SMFS list member Armand Rosamilia announced that his flash fiction short story, Coffee And A Glazed Donut, was published online at The Yard: Crime Blog. You can read it for free here.

 

SMFS list member Chuck Brownman announced that his short story, Rendering the Truth, was released as Episode 13 of Season 9 of the Mysteries to Die For podcast anthology series. You can listen for free at https://m2d4podcast.com/. As is done at the close of the season each year, a book will be generated of all the episodes and available at a variety of vendors.

 

Black Cat Weekly #256 is out and includes short stories by SMFS list member Michael Bracken (Satan’s Wings) and others. You can pick up the latest issue here. 

 

SMFS list member James W. Ziskin  latest novel, The Prank, is now out. “Set in Christmas 1968, a thirteen-year-old sociopath befriends his teacher, unaware she loved the man his prank accidentally killed.” Published by Level Best-Historia, the read is available in both digital and print formats at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Also now out is the new anthology, What the World Needs Now: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Music of Burt Bacharach. SMFS list members Joseph Goodrich (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and Josh Pachter (Me Japanese Boy) are included in the charity anthology edited by Martin Edwards. Funds raised are for autism charities in the US and UK. It is available at Amazon.

 

 

Speaking of musical themed anthologies, In Too Deep: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Genesis, is once again released into the world. Edited by Adam Meyer, the new publisher is Audecyn Books. The read contains short stories by Kathleen Barber, Eric Beetner, Michael Bracken, Austin Camacho, Barb Goffman, Debra H. Goldstein, James A. Hearn, Smita Harish Jain, Hugh Lessig, Adam Meyer, Tom Milani, Alan Orloff, Josh Pachter, Rob D. Smith, Joseph S. Walker. You can get it at Amazon or other vendors.

A reminder that by this time next week, another anthology will be out. Edited by SMFS list members, Editors Gigi Pandian and Tom Mead, All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles. According to the synopsis, the anthology will feature 14 short stories by “Victor Bonini, James Scott Byrnside, Shelly Dickson Carr, S.A. Cosby, Anne van Doorn, Martin Edwards, Sulari Gentill, Paul Halter, Christopher Huang, Vaseem Khan, Josh Pachter, Masaya Yamaguchi, Ovidia Yu, and a brand-new collaboration from the editors.” It is currently available for preorder at the publisher, Crippen and Landru.

 

As Gigi Pandian posted to the SMFS list recently and I quote: “We've got several SMFS members in the anthology. Josh mentioned his story, "The Allegory of the Five Senses," which is terrific. Tom Mead and I wrote "The Problem of the Poison Garden" as a nod to our favorite author, John Dickson Carr. I had no idea co-writing could be such fun!”

 

  

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Thursday Treats: 7/23/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

SMFS list member Mia Dalia announced that her short story, B Minor, was published online at The Sunlight Press. You can read it for free here.

 

SMFS list member James Patrick Focarile announced that his short story, What Whiskey Won’t Cure, was published online at The Saturday Evening Post. You can read it for free here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #255 is out and includes short stories by SMFS list members N. M.  Cedeño (Mirror Life Meltdown), Stacy Woodson (She Loves You), and others. You can pick up the latest issue here. 

 

SMFS list member James W. Ziskin announced that his latest novel, The Prank, comes out on the 28^th. “Set in Christmas 1968, a thirteen-year-old sociopath befriends his teacher, unaware she loved the man his prank accidentally killed.” Published by Level Best-Historia, the read is available in both digital and print formats at Amazon and other vendors.

 

As I told you earlier this month, Level Best—Level Short is scheduled to release on the 28^th the anthology, What the World Needs Now: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Music of Burt Bacharach. SMFS list members Joseph Goodrich (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and Josh Pachter (Me Japanese Boy) are included in the charity anthology edited by Martin Edwards. Funds raised are for autism charities in the US and UK. The digital version is up for preorder at Amazon.

 

Coming early next month. and edited by SMFS list members, Editors Gigi Pandian and Tom Mead, All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles. According to the synopsis, the anthology will feature 14 short stories by Victor Bonini, James Scott Byrnside, Shelly Dickson Carr, S.A. Cosby, Anne van Doorn, Martin Edwards, Sulari Gentill, Paul Halter, Christopher Huang, Vaseem Khan, Josh Pachter (The Allegory of the Five Senses), Masaya Yamaguchi, Ovidia Yu, and a brand-new collaboration from the editors. It is currently available for preorder at the publisher, Crippen and Landru.

 

And, finally, for something completely different, the fantasy novel, Immortalized Memories of the Omniverse: Rise of the Draconic Hero, by Alex Rosen  is now out. Epic Fantasy and more are present in this read. I am reading more than one book right now, always a dangerous practice on my part, and this is one of them. I am not one for fantasy these days, but I am enjoying it. Sent to me by the publisher, you can get it at Amazon or many other vendors.

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026