Tag Archives: October
WHAT A NIGHTMARE! Justin Alcala’s “Thrice in One Sitting” available FREE October 30th
Spooktober continues with another freaky-geeky “FREE” short story by yours truly. That’s right, I have yet another spooky tale for you just in time for Halloween. Check out “Thrice in One Sitting” on October 30th, along with twelve other horror pieces presented by the Academy of the Heart and Mind’s online publishing distribution. The Academy of the Heart and Mind is dedicated to writers and their craft. But Justin, can you give me a sneak-peak for your story? Of course!
Faith contains both candor and falsehoods, and is cruel to those unable to interpret the distinction. That’s what the New England witch-hunter, Silas Fear-The-Lord Doddridge, observes when returning to the superstitious village of Pontybridge. Old-world beliefs contributed to false claims in the past, but the puzzling death of a newlywed woman tests to be the devil’s work. The villagers smell a witch in their midsts, and their prime culprit in her aloof husband, Tadhg, whom Silas must get answers from if he wishes payment for his holy services. The only catch, Tadhg claims there’s something living in the woods, and it’s as extraordinary as it is probable.
Thrice in One Sitting is a 2,356 word short horror story which takes place during the seventeenth-century Witch Hunt. It’s a terrifying tale that warns of the dangers of wielding authority in any faith, especially when its true dangers surface. It has a subtle style of horror similar to M. R. James or Robert Aickman, emphasizing the unknown more than guts and gore.
Check out Thrice in One Sitting, and twelve other terrifying tales, October 30th at…
Check Out Justin Alcala’s Spotify Interview on YOUR INNER NERD
Join me on YOUR INNER NERD PODCAST. Let’s talk “A Dead End Job,” writing, history facts and Dungeons and Dragons on Spotify & Anchor. Link in bio or copy/paste the below URL…
Readers Wanted
Book Reviewers: Get an early e-copy of A DEAD END JOB before it hits shelves October 6th. Just drop a message to be the first to read this hilarious urban fantasy book following Buck, the lovable Chicago Hitman, as he interns for the Grim Reaper.
“The Last Stop” Yesterday’s Goosebumps Today!
“What a lame day to die. It was Friday, possibly the best time of the week for any seventh grader, it was ruined. People should die on Mondays. That sounds right.”
-Morrigan, The Last Stop
Morrigan’s family needs out of the city. So they move to suburbia where her special needs brother, Asher, is closer to his treatments. Life in a little town though isn’t what it’s cracked up to be and soon Morrigan grows tired of discourteous classmates, quiet streets and strange neighbors. What’s worse, she and her tag along brother are the last ones dropped off every day on the school bus, dragging out her drab existence. The none day a new bus arrives and Morrigan’s life gets deader than she could have ever imagined.
A…Dead…End…Job…Is almost here
There’s never been stranger urban fantasy than with “A Dead End Job” presented by Parliament House Press. Buck was just a lowlife Hitman trying to make his way through this miserable world when the gun was flipped on him. Now he’s interning for the Grim Reaper in an attempt to dodge eternal damnation. His new job entails taking out “Unmentionables,” those who cheat death. The only problem? When you know how to dodge your final demise it’s usually because you have a few tricks up your sleeve. Poor Buck.
PREORDER “A DEAD END JOB” on #amazonbooks #barnesandnoble and #kobobooks or wherever great books are sold.
A Dead End Job https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LQXMY5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_12EBAT3NR40NPXR68KNN
Preorder “A Dead End Job” Today and Dive Into the Absurd
One of my favorite parts of “A Dead End Job” was taking a classically ominous figure like Death and making him into a funny, likable guy. Early readers seem to love it too. Preorder “A Dead End Job” on Amazon today to guarantee your copy. It’s a wild ride through the absurd.
Death needs a vacation. Badly. But there’s a catch: There are certain people who just seem to cheat the system, always falling through the cracks and not ending up dead like they’re supposed to—who’s going to take care of them while he’s out?
The answer is simple. He needs an intern. So, with the help of his I.T. guy, Jumbo, he starts scanning through a list of potential candidates.
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that one prospect—Buck Palasinksi, a bankrupt hitman with a roleplaying addiction—could have what it takes. After he’s drilled in the forehead by a bullet while scoping out his next target, he falls right into Death and Jumbo’s laps.
If they shove him back into his body, he’ll have a few weeks to prove that he has what it takes to be Death’s right-hand man…That is, if he can take out Public Enemy Number one, John Dillinger, while he’s got a werewolf sidekick and tries to quit smoking.
A Dead End Job https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LQXMY5C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glc_D-E6FbZQJ0SMQ
Unfading Daydream Magazine Presents “Time Will Tell” by Justin Alcala
Unfading Daydream Magazine presents for their October digital and paperback issue, “Time Will Tell.”
When Jasper, a corporate chairman with a guilty conscience, works until midnight, he finds himself starving for a late night meal. Unfortunately for him, protestors have been demonstrating outside of his company’s megaplex because of Jasper’s decision to raise prescription costs. Desperate, he scampers to a local diner, but finds that he’s being followed by a middle aged stranger. Jasper takes refuge within the restaurant, and nearly forgets about his pursuer because of a newscast about linear particle reversal. That is until the stranger enters the diner, confirming Jasper’s worst fears.
Crimson Street Magazine Contracts Short Horror Story “It Dances Now” By Justin Alcala
When Cecil Gibbs’s mind shatters during the American Civil War, he becomes a battlefield horror. The man slips through the shadows, carving the wounded like art as the war’s first serial killer. However, once word of Cecil’s atrocities hits the ears of Union command, they send in a Pinkerton by the name of Oliver Lamb to investigate. Through his perilous tracking of Cecil, Oliver learns that Cecil might not be alone. Witnesses have glimpsed a shadowy figure dancing along Cecil’s side, whispering instructions to the broken surgeon as he continues his onslaught.
“It Dances Now” is a short horror story contracted by Crimson Street Magazine. It hit shelves in late summer of 2019.
“Dim Fairy Tales”Contracted by AllThingsThatMatterPress
Umm…this is awesome. AllThingsThatMatterPress has officially contracted Dim Fairy Tales for publication. This will be my third novel, and second within the Plenty Dreadful Universe. I’m very proud to partner with AllThingsThatMatterPress, who has brought the world great books for over ten years. More to come!
Justin Alcala Writes 