Thrilled that On Fire and Under Water is a Finalist for the Best Anthology Derringer Award!Congrats to the other five well-deserving finalists also! This is an honor and I’m so happy for everyone at @rhppress.bsky.social and our 15 contributors for making this anthology such a great success.

Five ‘70s flicks that you love and return to time and again: CHINATOWN ALL THAT JAZZ JAWS BADLANDS THE OUTLAW JOSIE WALES

Get those stories ready and send them in starting 2/01. I’ll be nursing a drink and listening for the sound of something going wrong….bad ideas….worse intentions… Waiting for trouble to start.

Happy birthday to The Greatest - MUHAMMAD ALI, who was born 84yrs ago today. One of my heroes….always (I have a signed copy of this photo that hangs over my desk) "The will must be stronger than the skill”

ICYMI-Our new Project Announcement: "Bad Intentions" — a crime fiction anthology inspired by the songs of Warren Zevon. You know you've got a Zevon-inspired story just screaming to be told....now's the time. Submissions open 2/01/2026 For more details go to: literarygarage.com

Big love for life in Philly. We're cool. Plus, we got The Eagles, The Flyers, The Phillies (yeah...the Sixers too). #fishtownphilly #philadelphia #philly www.venturephilly.com/blog/fishtown/

Night driving. Bad decisions. A voice that won’t shut up. A psychological road-noir with supernatural overtones, in the tradition of Stephen King’s darker short fiction. Check out "Death Drive" by David August at the Garage: literarygarage.com/death-drive 🎸📚 #fiction

Excited to share that my short story “Goin’ Down,” inspired by the Monkees song of the same name, is part of this upcoming anthology. I took a wild, joyful track & followed it somewhere darker. Grateful to the editors for accepting it. Cannot wait to read all these stories by some cool writers.

Proud to be part of this submission call for “Lawyers, Guns, and Bad Intentions” - crime fiction inspired by the music of Warren Zevon. Head over to @literarygarage.bsky.social for more details.

Love your family. Love your friends. Love the ones who matter. Love the people you disagree with and who might not see the world the same way you do. Then go make a difference and make the world better. Merry Christmas. 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄😎

Joe Ely was Texas without waving a flag, poetic without being precious, and rebellious without being loud. Think that says it all… www.countrythangdaily.com/joe-ely-coun...

AVAILABLE NOW: Some say the world will end in fire or flood. 15 short stories from some of the best crime fiction writers today, including @kmwriter01.bsky.social. Guest-edited by Anthony winning author @curtisippolito.bsky.social. Order your copy today: bit.ly/4nOVXoK

For the rush hour crowd sitting on a train or a bus (not those of you in a car - wait 'til you get home). It's late, daylight's fading - perfect time to settle in with this story from @scribblerotoole.bsky.social Read it: literarygarage.com/the-big-man

This morning's story from @scribblerotoole.bsky.social is taut, cinematic, and steeped in atmosphere. It reads like pure McKinty meets le Carré: morally gray, procedural, and emotionally tight. You can read it here: literarygarage.com/the-big-man 🎸📚 #fiction #writing #shortstory

FFF28012025 The Story Teller by Michael Downing @kmwriter01.bsky.social #FlashFiction #writingcommunity #flashfiction #shortfiction #fiction #writing #writers freeflashfiction.com/fiction/the-...

We’re beginning the week with a warm, funny, tender and quietly devastating piece from Lynne Curry (lynnecurryauthor.com) It’s an intimate story – close enough that you can feel its breath and heartbeat. Check it out here: literarygarage.com/the-dogs-app... 🎸📚

Today we're featuring a sharp, funny, observant, self-aware, & thematically layered story from @charliekondek.bsky.social. It lives at the intersection of satire, metafiction, & near-future social commentary. Head over to the Garage to read: literarygarage.com/sincerely-n-... 🎸📚

AVAILABLE NOW: How will the world end, fire or flood? 15 of the best crime fiction writers today have an idea, including @kmwriter01.bsky.social. Guest-edited by Anthony winning author @curtisippolito.bsky.social. Order your copy today: bit.ly/4nOVXoK

For the Friday night crowd- Roll into the weekend with this great story from @meproctor.bsky.social - retro noir in an stylish voice that blends Chandler, John D. MacDonald, & Ross Macdonald. The pacing in this one is superb with sharp dialogue, sensory richness, and emotional subtlety

I’m over at @literarygarage.bsky.social this morning with a short story about revenge. If you have time please give it a read. literarygarage.com/no-tears-for...

ICYMI: I have a website. No, I didn’t code it—some days turning on the coffee machine is peak tech for me. It’s live, it’s gritty, & it has my short stories + SAINTS info. Fair warning: no snacks, treats, or pet pics. Just stories. downingfiction.com

A topless bar. A day drinking Stroh’s. A tarot-reading girlfriend who may or may not be psychic. Dan Delehant looks back on a Detroit afternoon in the 80s and the woman he loved, lost, and maybe never deserved in the first place. New today at Lit Garage. literarygarage.com/inkster

Big thanks to Pistol Jim for publishing my story "Night Move" as part of the NAILS IN THE COFFIN series. I really had a lot of fun going back to my noir roots with this one and weaving it into an Atlantic City setting. Kind of like going home again… open.substack.com/pub/pistolji...

We're back with a story that hits the high end of gritty American realism from @mikemchone.bsky.social Love the fatalism, the stripped down moral compass & cinematic flow in a distinct, hardboiled neo-noir voice Check it out for yourself: literarygarage.com/i-stand-at-t... 🎸📚 #flash #fiction #noir

The Walton family (owners of Wal-Mart) & Jeff Bezos (Amazon) are worth around 400 billion each. They'd be worth less if they paid their employees good wages or, at the very least, a living wage plus benefits; but they'd still have billions. There would be far fewer people on SNAP & Medicaid.

Every word of this is point on…filet mignon? Shit, lucky to get spaghetti-o’s. Oreos? Generic store brands. Cans of Carnation evaporated milk. Yeah, Coke and Pepsi cause carbs were cheap. I’m old enough that we didn’t have an EBT card-had actual food stamps…remember my mom at the checkout doing math

Need to catch up? Do so! Great essays by @kendallbrunson.bsky.social and @kmwriter01.bsky.social about how they approached their stories for On Fire and Under Water. arttaylorwriter.com/the-first-tw...

Fantastic news from @caseystegman.com !!!!! Congratulations!!!!!

In my quest to dominate social media this week (kidding…kind of…maybe), I’m over at @literarygarage.bsky.social today with my story “The God of War” - part of their Gods and Heroes feature. If you have a moment, please check it out. literarygarage.com/the-god-of-war

Man. This story by @kmwriter01.bsky.social grabs you by the throat from the start and doesn’t let go. An emotional, excellent read.

AVAILABLE NOW: Some say the world will end in fire or flood. 15 short stories from some of the best crime fiction writers today, including @kmwriter01.bsky.social. Guest-edited by Anthony winning author @curtisippolito.bsky.social. Order your copy today: bit.ly/4nOVXoK

AVAILABLE NOW: Some say the world will end in fire or flood. 15 short stories from some of the best crime fiction writers today, including @kmwriter01.bsky.social. Guest-edited by Anthony winning author @curtisippolito.bsky.social . Order your copy today: bit.ly/4nOVXoK

A fantastic review of On Fire and Under Water in King River Life Magazine by Sharon Marchisello. Check it out! There’s also a giveaway for a free copy. www.krlnews.com/2025/10/on-f...

Some say the world will end in fire. Some say flood. 15 excellent short stories about climate change (including one by me), guest-edited by Curtis Ippolito. Crime fiction that matters. Don't take my word for it- listen to Jordan harper and order your copy

Today we're featuring @raymondbrunell.bsky.social's story "The Black Lung Gospel" in our Short Fiction section. The story has a strong, distinctive voice that combines Appalachian Gothic, Southern noir, & gritty American realism. Check it out below: literarygarage.com/the-black-lu...

AVAILABLE NOW: When the dog makes the heist. When life gives you a chance to make a connection after all these years. One swing of the machete solves all your problems . . . Best eaten cold? Small-town revenge stays hot for years. Order your copy of RHP #15 today: amzn.to/4peTqW6

What starts as a simple convenience-store robbery morphs into so much more in @kmwriter01.bsky.social’s “The Way It Works.” If you’re not reading Michael’s work, you’re truly missing out. His broken characters and gritty settings make for some of my favorite noir stories in recent memory.

This week in #NOLA. If you're going to #Bouchercon, stick around until Sunday AM & check out our panel on "Short Stories- Creating Memorable Characters". Grab your coffee & a few beignets, then settle in for a fun panel #Bouchercon #crescentcity

What a lineup of great authors including friends @libbycudmore.bsky.social @magonzales.bsky.social @kmwriter01.bsky.social @mikemchone.bsky.social and more greats in the new @rhppress.bsky.social

This week’s new short story has a Jim Thompson meets Jordan Harper feel. Gritty, sparse noir with the cold logic of violence from @mikemchone.bsky.social Check it out - we think you'll love it: literarygarage.com/an-american-... #Fiction #IndieLit #NoSafeStories #shortstory

Today’s the day!! It’s release day for WHATEVER KILLS THE PAIN, 12 crime stories of heartbreak, violence, and revenge. Now available in ebook and paperback! #releaseday #crimefiction

"The times are tough now, just getting tougher." Springsteen 24 hours left to grab a free copy of SAINTS of the ASPHALT - for readers who like fiction raw, real, & gritty. Basketball too... We’re giving away 50 copies. Enter Here: www.goodreads.com/giveaway/ent... #bookgiveaway #Springsteen

Tomorrow: 7/18 is the release of @cwblackwell.bsky.social ‘s WHATEVER KILLS THE PAIN…been waiting for this one & I can’t wait to tear into it! Grab your copy!!!

Thanks Gabino- A fallen basketball star. A broken hometown. One last shot at redemption. Saints of the Asphalt is a raw, emotional & unflinching story about redemption, resilience & the fight to reclaim your future when the past won't let go. Amazon: a.co/d/iuksWQ9

Thanks, Gabino! WHATEVER KILLS THE PAIN drops in two weeks! “In this gritty collection of crime stories, award-winning author C.W. Blackwell mourns an America lost to the shadows, exploring a broken economic system that has given rise to rampant inequality, violence, and darkness.”

New trailer for SHE RIDES SHOTGUN. The book was fantastic - one of my favorite reads- and the movie looks just as great. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Check out the trailer then read the book again (or the other way around), then go wait in line at the movie theater (if people still do that): youtu.be/U9OkHjOnQPg

Even the dog can’t stop barking about it…SAINTS of the ASPHALT is out now…a story about lost dreams, second chances, love & basketball. Grab a copy today (no bite marks on the paperback copies, promise). Grab it on Amazon: a.co/d/9HDyEDK #saintsoftheasphalt #bookrelease #basketball

Today's the day - Out Now: SAINTS of the ASPHALT A fallen basketball star. A broken hometown. One last shot at redemption. Before you pour yourself another cup of coffee, grab a copy on Amazon for $1.99 a.co/d/a77HtQu #bookrelease #basketball #SAINTSoftheASPHALT

Happy pub day to @kmwriter01.bsky.social Looking forward to his novel, SAINTS OF THE ASPHALT, out today. #crimefiction