Wow… hadn’t realized exactly how crazy things had gotten until I discovered it has been eight months since I’ve posted one of these. But by no means has it been eight months since I posted videos. Here’s to getting caught up. I’ll try and do it a little at a time.

Please do Like and Subscribe when you on the playlist enjoying the following videos.

If you are an author and would like to participate in one of these series, please visit the eSpec Books Author Reading Series Facebook page for details.

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The eSpec Books Author Reading Series

Keith R.A. DeCandido reading an excerpt from his novel All-the-Way House, Volume 4 in the Systema Paradoxa series, as featured in Cryptid Crate. https://amzn.to/3tsIOWs (this is an Amazon Associate link.)

There are creatures lurking in our world. Obscure creatures long relegated to myth and legend. They have been sighted by a lucky—or unlucky—few, some have even been photographed, but their existence remains unproven and unrecognized by the scientific community. These creatures, long thought gone, have somehow survived; creatures from our nightmares haunting the dark places. They swim in our lakes and bays, they soar the night skies, they hunt in the woods. Some are from our past, and some from other worlds, and others that have always been with us—watching us, fearing us, hunting us.

These are the cryptids, and Systema Paradoxa tells their tales.

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When there are talks of a monster sighted in the waves off the Atlantic City boardwalk, Coursers Valentina Perrone and Sarah el-Guindi—supernatural hunters-for-hire—are called in by the local Boss to… handle it. But echoes of the past send them into the heart of the Pine Barrens, where more than one secret hides, along with their answers. Will history repeat itself? Or will the monsters find safe haven? Either way, in the end, they discover there is always more than one way to deal with a problem.

About the Author

Keith R.A. DeCandido has written several other tales of Coursers (or Slayers) and their work keeping the world safe from supernatural threats, including the novels A Furnace Sealed and the forthcoming Feat of Clay (both from WordFire Press) and the short stories “Under the King’s Bridge” in Liar Liar (Mendacity Press), “Materfamilias” in Bad Ass Moms (Crazy 8 Press), and “Unguarded” in Devilish and Divine (eSpec Books). His other work includes media tie-in fiction in more than thirty different licensed universes from Alien to Zorro, as well as fiction in his own worlds, including fantastical police procedurals in the fictional cities of Cliff’s End and Super City, as well as urban fantasy tales in the somewhat real locales of Key West and New York City. He also writes pop-culture commentary, primarily for the award-winning site Tor.com, but also for various books and magazines. Recent and upcoming work includes the novels Phoenix Precinct (the next in his series of police procedurals in an epic fantasy setting, from eSpec Books), Animal (a thriller written with Dr. Munish K. Batra, from WordFire), To Hell and Regroup (a military science fiction novel written with David Sherman, from eSpec Books), and the aforementioned Feat of Clay; short stories in the anthologies Pangaea Book 3: Redemption (Crazy 8), Footprints in the Stars (eSpec), Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles (Fantastic Books), and Turning the Tied (a charity anthology from the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers); and new graphic novels from TokyoPop in the world of Resident Evil, tying into the Netflix animated series Infinite Darkness. Keith is also a third-degree black belt in karate (he both teaches and trains), a professional musician (currently percussionist for the parody band Boogie Knights), an editor of many years’ standing (though he usually does it sitting down), and probably some other stuff he can’t recall due to the lack of sleep. Find out less at his website at DeCandido.net.

Jeff Young reading his short story “The Offering” from his single-author collection Written in Light. https://amzn.to/3sVjasg (this is an Amazon Associate link.)

Eighteen stories that span from the near future to the far, from next door to the deeps of space. Meet aliens who struggle to determine if we are a threat or equals. Discover what really makes us happy. Join the war effort to free the outer planets. Find out how far a man is willing to change to gain a true talent. Uncover the gift and the danger of memories.

Includes the Writer’s of the Future award-winning story “Written in Light.”

About the Author

Jeff Young is a bookseller first and a writer second – although he wouldn’t mind a reversal of fortune. He is an award-winning author who has contributed to the anthologies: Writers of the Future V.26, By Any Means, Best Laid Plans, Dogs of War, Man and Machine, In Harm’s Way, If We Had Known, After Punk, In an Iron Cage: The Magic of Steampunk, Clockwork Chaos, Gaslight and Grimm, Fantastic Futures 13, The Society for the Preservation of C.J. Henderson, TV Gods & TV Gods: Summer Programming and the forthcoming Beer, Because Your Friend’s Aren’t That Interesting. Jeff’s own fiction is collected in Spirit Seeker and TOI Special Edition 2 – Diversiforms. He has also edited the Drunken Comic Book Monkey line, TV Gods and TV Gods –Summer Programming and now serves as the CMO for Fortress Publishing, Inc. He has led the Watch the Skies SF&F Discussion Group of Camp Hill and Harrisburg for more than eighteen years. Jeff is also the proprietor of Helm Haven, the online Etsy and Ebay shops, costuming resources for Renaissance and Steampunk.

The eSpec Guest Author Reading Series

Will McDermott reading an excerpt from Chapter One of his novel Soulless Fury, a part of the Necromunda series, by Black Library https://amzn.to/3cVnALq (this is an Amazon Associate link.)

No one knows murder like Mad Donna. Where she goes, death follows – she is a force of nature, leaving devastated settlements and shell casings in her wake. But even Necromunda has its limits for senseless, unsanctioned violence. Scrutinator Primus Servalen, armed with the personal seal of Lord Helmawr – to which no request can be denied and no door barred – is dispatched to bring the misbegotten scion of House Ulanti to justice, but first she has to track her down… and how do you find one murderer in amongst the bloodshed of the Underhive?

About the Author

Will McDermott turned an early love of mystery, fantasy, and games into a career. He has published eight novels and sixteen short stories, and helped create innumerous worlds, characters, and stories for card, board, and video games. His fiction is often set in gaming universes, including Magic: The Gathering, Warhammer 40K, and Mage Wars. He is known for bringing larger-than-life characters alive on the page, including Warhammer’s Kal Jerico and Mad D’onne, Magic’s Balthor the Stout, and the Night Stalker’s Carl Kolchak (who can be found in the pages of Will’s upcoming Night Stalker novel, Strangled By Death, coming in March 2021). Find out more at willmcdermott.com. Follow him on Instagram at @w_mcdermott.

Mike Allen reading an excerpt from his story “The Cruelest Team Will Win” from the Ravencon Fundraising anthology Corvid-19, https://amzn.to/3hYeWwL

In the midst of the 2020 shutdown, Ravencon had to cancel a mere three weeks before their event, after they had spent their budget on the space and supplies needed to run the convention. This anthology will help make up the loss so that the event can return once in-person events are safe.

About the Author

Two-time World Fantasy Award finalist Mike Allen edits and publishes the Mythic Delirium Books imprint. His short stories have been gathered in three collections: his Shirley Jackson Award-nominated debut Unseaming; The Spider Tapestries; and newly-released Aftermath of an Industrial Accident. His novella “The Comforter,” a sequel to his Nebula Award-nominated horror story “The Button Bin,” has just appeared in an anthology of four dark long-form tales, A Sinister Quartet. He’s also a three-time winner of the Rhysling Award for poetry. You can follow Mike’s exploits as a writer at descentintolight.com, as an editor at mythicdelirium.com, and all at once on Twitter at @mythicdelirium.