Friday, October 30, 2026
Beneath the Stains of Time: This Time Forever (1957) by John Glasby
Beneath the Stains of Time: This Time Forever (1957) by John Glasby: In 2021, I reviewed A Time for Murder (2002/13) by John Glasby, a prolific fictioneer of the 1950s and '60s, who produced science-ficti...
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange - Halloween Edition
In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange - Halloween Edition: The deadline is fast approaching to apply for the Barbara Nelly Award from the Mystery Writers of America. Established in 2021, the grants, ...
Publishing News: Santa Rage II: Another Killer Claus Compendium is available to PREORDER!!
With a current planned publishing date of
mid to late November, I am pleased to announce that Santa Rage II:
Another Killer Claus Compendium, edited by Kevin R. Tipple, is now
available to preorder at the publisher, Nazca Press of Misti Media.
https://www.mistimedia.com/product/santarage2/MM/32/
Thursday, October 29, 2026
Annual Cardiologist Appt
Was today with more than an hour trip each way. I am okay, per the doc, and relatively stable.
Leaving the house and going anywhere is getting harder and harder. Am very worn out and in a lot of pain.
Will try to resume normal operations tomorrow.
Thursday Treats: 10/29/2026
Some reading opportunities of interest this week.
Black Cat Weekly #269 is out and the
focus is primarily on Halloween through short stories and more. SMFS
list member Debra H. Goldstein’s short story, “Dating, Dining, and Dying” is
the featured tale. You can pick up the penultimate issue at the website.
SMFS list member Gary Phillips
announced that he was one of a several authors who were asked to “… adapt a
horror short story by Joe R. Lansdale for the comics medium in this tradepaper
collection from Vibrant Graphic Arts. My effort is called “Chompers.” You can
pick up Joe R. Lansdale’s Tales of the Razor here.
Out now is BAM! Stories With A Punch Magazine
Autumn 2026. Edited by Jeffrey R.
DeRego, the read contains short stories by several authors. You can pick it
up in print or digital formats at LuLu.
Janet Rudolph announced earlier this week
that Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries
is now available for purchase. SMFS list members Kaye George (My Ghost
Mystery) and donalee Moulton (Trials
and Tribulations of Researching Life -- and Death -- in 1734) publicly announced
on the list their presence in the read. Lots of other familiar names contributed
pieces to the read. Learn more at the website.
Released at Bouchercon, the new anthology,
The Lines We Cross: Stories of Crime and Mystery is now available
for purchase. SMFS list member John M.
Floyd’s short story, Garden Path, is included. When he publicly announced his
success on the list, he shared the fact that this is his seventh appearance in a
Bouchercon anthology. Published by Level
Best Books, the read of 23 stories which includes other SMFS list members who
did not announce their success on the list as well as other authors is available
at Amazon and other vendors.
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Out tomorrow is the new anthology, The
Power of 13. Authored by members
of The Mesdames of Mayhem, a Canadian mystery writing collective, and published
by Carrick Publishing, the read of 21
stories celebrates their 13th anniversary. The SMFS list members that have
announced their presence in the read via the SMFS list are: J.E. (Jayne) Barnard (13 the Hard Way), M. H. Callway (Amdur's Mouse), Melodie Campbell (An Unlucky
Stiff), Therese Greenwood (A Hard Ticket), Madona Skaff (Lennie
and the 13), Hope Thompson (The
Anniversary), Sylvia Maultash Warsh
(Catalina and Mr. the King of the
Fishes), and Melissa "Yi"
Yuan-Innes (Flamingo Flamenco). It is available for preorder at Amazon and other vendors.
Coming on November 3rd from Murderous Ink Press is the anthology,
Crimeucopia - Objection! Overruled!! SMFS list members in the
read are John M. Floyd (Nothing but
the Truth), and Wil A. Emerson (Three
Strikes—You’re Out). The read is available for preorder at Amazon and other
vendors.
Now out, A Fatal
Affair: The Murder of Helen Grier by Amanda Capper and Judy Penz Sheluk, was released by Superior Shores
Press.
This is a true crime read on the case of the death of Helen Grier. Was it
murder or something else? You can get it in eBook and print formats at Amazon and other
vendors.
One more thing, Santa Rage II is coming
soon. I have seen the cover and it is so very cool. Once the preorder deal is up
and can be shared, I will have a lot more to say. I am very appreciative of Jay
Hartman for all he has done to make this project happen. I am also very
appreciative of the authors who entrusted me with their tales.
Until next time…
Kevin R.
Tipple ©2026
And a final plea to vote. I am not telling you whom to vote for. Though, if you follow me on social media, you have a very good idea how I feel about things. I am asking you to vote and not sit out this election. Voting matters. It is the only way to try and bring about a better world. Not only for ourselves, but for our kids and grandkids.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN NON-FICTION
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN NON-FICTION: Here's my updated Halloween Non-Fiction List . Be sure and check out my 2026 Halloween Crime Fiction List , too. Halloween Non-Fiction...
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 - Paying Markets!
Publishing ... and Other Forms of Insanity: 73 Calls for Submissions in November 2026 - Paying...: This November there are more than six dozen calls for submissions. All of these are paying markets, and none charge submission fees. As alwa...
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY REDUX: RISEN FROM THE GRAVE
Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY REDUX: RISEN FROM THE GRAVE: This first appeared on the blog on October 26, 2013. Erin Roof is eleven years old and in the sixth grade. Erin likes reading, every type...
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Summer Games" by L.C. Tyler
Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: "Summer Games" by L.C. Tyler: In this story the narrator, John Smith, is invited to a country house weekend by an old coworker who he can hardly remember, although he kno...
Short Story Wednesday Review: Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories by Craig Johnson
With the latest holiday short story
collection, Have Courage: Longmire Stories, coming out next Tuesday, I
thought I would I would remind you of Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire
Stories. Also aimed at the holidays, this collection came out in 2014. So
did the below review in late November 2014.
As author Craig Johnson explains in
“acknowledgements” the stories in Wait for Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories
come from his annual holiday treat for his newsletter subscribers. Not only
were they previously published in that sense several were also previously
published in the small 2012 publication titled Christmas in Absaroka
County: Walt Longmire Christmas Stories. Some of the stories are
mysteries or have something a little mysterious going on and others are more
slice of life type stories featuring Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka County,
Wyoming. A fact that is also noted in the introduction written by Lou Diamond
Phillips that follows.
Then it is on to the stories which begin with “Old
Indian Trick.” An award-winning tale that starts off with a routine trip for
Sheriff Walt Longmire and Lonnie Little Bird to Billings so that Lonnie Little
Bird can have his routine diabetes checkup at Deaconess Hospital. They stop for
food and a break at the Blue Cow Cafe on the Crow Reservation. Before long any
chance to go on up to Billings this day is out of the question.
Walt Longmire is also on the road as the next story
“Ministerial Aid” begins. It is just before dawn on January 1, 2000, and he is
headed to Powder Junction located about 45 minutes away from the county seat of
Durant, Wyoming. He is driving the 100 miles round trip to deliver deputy Turk
Connally his paycheck. While delivering the check at the empty station the
phone rings. Instead of letting the phone call roll over to Turk’s rented house
and waking him up on New Year’s Day, Longmire decides to answer the call and
give his deputy a holiday break. It is an impulse he will come to question
almost as much as his clothing choice of only wearing a robe.
A small part of the previous story is the fact that
it has been only a few months since Longmire’s wife, Martha, passed due to
cancer. That situation is a major part of the very powerful tale “Slick-Tongued
Devil.”
New Year’s Eve and Sheriff Walt Longmire are at the
Durant Home for Assisted Living. His old boss and occasional chess opponent,
Lucian Connally, apparently left a space heater to close to the curtains in his
room, causing some damage. Known for his cantankerous ways, Longmire is there
to help keep things calm and peaceful. That is not going to be easy since
Lucian hates having to sit in the communal area with everyone else. It
certainly does not help Lucian’s mood that he is afraid he is losing his mind
in “Fire Bird.”
Mental stability is part of several stories in the
book and aspect of the preceding one. It is also a factor in “Unbalanced” which
also uses Sheriff Walt Longmire on the road traveling to get things started.
Cady is on the way home for the holidays and is scheduled to arrive in Billings
just before midnight. Sheriff Walt Longmire is on the way to the airport with
his always present canine companion, Dog, at his side. He stops as at empty gas station where the
pumps will take a credit card after hours in Garryowen, Montana, to get gas.
Clearly, the young woman sitting on the bench needs help on this incredible
cold night. The question is whether or not she will take it.
The aftermath of a truck crash on the snowy
interstate in “Several Stations” could have been worse. The driver who rolled
the semi did so at slow speed and escaped unhurt though as a precaution he has
been taken to the hospital. The truck and its cargo of toys did not fare so
well on this Christmas Eve. As the snow continues to fall and a wrecker is at
least 45 minutes way, Walt Longmire is left alone to babysit a crash scene that
should remain quiet. One just knows it won’t.
Sometimes folks accidently drive off without paying
for gas. The department has a way of handling those situations in “High
Holidays.” They also have a way of dealing with things when they escalate.
Cady has just arrived for the holidays in “Toys for
Tots.” She wants to make a stop at the local mall in Billings before they head
home. Longmire made the mistake of telling her they could go shopping when she
came home for holidays and now, she is calling him on it.
Unlike many of these preceding stories which are set
around Christmas, “Divorce Horse” is set on the Memorial Day weekend. It has
been few months since Walt nearly died in the Bighorn Mountains chasing the
convicts ,Vic seems to be sticking around, and soon to be married Cady has a
few questions in mind. That is all going to have to take a back seat to trying
to figure out what happened to Tommy Jefferson’s horse.
It is Thanksgiving and Longmire and Dog are at Red
Pony with Bear who is cooking the traditional dinner. They are not going to be
alone for long in “Thankstaking.”
Henry, Dog, and Bear, are coming back from a fishing
trip with a cooler of trout in “Messenger.” They are going to need them to
rescue Ranger Chuck Coon and a civilian from a possible bear attack. Rescuing them will be the easy part.
The book closes with a new story, “Petunia, Bandit
Queen of the Big Horns.” Sheep are involved in this tale that has far more to
do with inner character of people than anything else.
The twelve tales of Wait for Signs: Twelve
Longmire Stories are all good ones. Mysterious in many cases, they all
show various small details of the Walt Longmire character and his motivations
regarding people, animals, and cultures. All of the short stories in the book
are good ones well worth your time as are the novels that began with The
Cold Dish. If you have not read the novels, Wait For Signs:
Twelve Longmire Stories is an excellent introduction to the character
that has garnered so many fans worldwide.
Late last October Lesa Holstine reviewed Wait For Signs: Twelve Longmire Stories and you can and should read her review here.
Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://link.amazon/B0f2xKe5C
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano
Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014, 2026
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Jerry's House of Everything: UNDERAPPRECIATED STINKER: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH (1986)
Jerry's House of Everything: UNDERAPPRECIATED STINKER: CLASS OF NUKE 'EM HIGH (...: Troma Entertainment has been scraping the bottom of the B-movie barrel for 52 years and is now known mainly for its horror comedies, full of...
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries
Mystery Fanfare: Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries: Mystery Readers Journal: Cross-Genre Mysteries (42:3) is now available. Thanks to all the authors, reviewers, and columnists who contribute...
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION // HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES
Mystery Fanfare: HALLOWEEN CRIME FICTION // HALLOWEEN MYSTERIES: Happy Halloween! Halloween so lends itself to crime fiction ! Here's my updated List of Halloween Mysteries (mysteries that take plac...
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