On episode #17 of Josh’s Worst Nightmare, host Josh Schlossberg rolls up his pant legs with Jennifer Trudrung, screenwriter of THE NEST, to try not to get bitten by everyone’s favorite arachnid parasite: ticks.
Stream or download HERE.
Month: September 2021
The Gatekeeper’s Burden
by Josh Schlossberg
As a horror author who submits fiction to publishers, I often find myself standing in the cold outside the gates of the City of Readers. As an editor who gets submissions for anthologies, I’m also someone who decides who gets to come in.
In other words, I’m both a “gatekeeper” and someone who is “gate-kept.” So a question I’m always pondering is: What is the role (and responsibility) of a gatekeeper?
Over the years I’ve submitted my work to hundreds of editors and agents. In my experience, about half of them never respond at all. Many of the rest send a form rejection, usually months to even years later. Only a small percentage get back to me within several weeks to tell me they’ve passed on my work or not, and a handful of those will explain why.
Turns out, every gatekeeper I’ve interacted with has taught me how to become a better gatekeeper myself, sometimes by example, often by teaching me how not to behave.
Continue readingMALINAE Audiobook Out Now!
Love books? Hate reading? My cosmic elder folk horror novella, MALINAE from D&T Publishing, is out now via Audible, narrated by Harry Shaw!
https://www.amazon.com/Malinae/dp/B09GZZNWM1/
JWN Podcast #16: Fungus Among Us (with Cory Swanson)
On episode #16 of Josh’s Worst Nightmare, host Josh Schlossberg goes mushroom hunting with Cory Swanson, author of GEMINUS, to find the finest of fungi.
STREAM OR DOWNLOAD HERE.
Cover Reveal: THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR
Horror is part of the human condition, but few peoples across the ages know it quite like the Jews.
From slavery to pogroms to the Holocaust, the “Chosen People” have not only endured hell on Earth, they’ve risen above it to share their stories with the world.
Whether it’s pirate rabbis or demon-slaying Bible queens, concentration camp vampires or beloved, fearless bubbies, THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR offers you twenty-two dark tales about the culture, history, and folklore of the Jewish people.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
An Orchard of Terror: Scary Stories and the Jewish Tradition by Rabbi John Carrier
Origins of The Jewish Book of Horror by Josh Schlossberg
Torah-Fying Tales: An Introduction to Jewish Horror by Molly Adams
On Seas of Blood and Salt by Richard Dansky
The Last Plague by KD Casey
The 38th Funeral by Marc Morgenstern
Same as Yesterday by Alter S. Reiss
How to Build a Sukkah at the End of the World by Lindsay King-Miller
Demon Hunter Vashti by Henry Herz
The Horse Leech Has Two Maws by Michael Picco
The Rabbi’s Wife by Simon Rosenberg
Ba’alat Ov by Brenda Tolian
Eighth Night by John Baltisberger
Bread and Salt by Elana Gomel
In the Red by Mike Marcus
A Purim Story by Emily Ruth Verona
Catch and Release by Vivian Kasley
Phinehas the Zealot by Ethan K. Lee
The Wisdom of Solomon by Ken Goldman
Welcome, Death by J.D. Blackrose
Forty Days Before Birth by Colleen Halupa
The Hanukkult of Taco Wisdom by Margret Treiber
The Divorce From God by Rami Ungar
The Hand of Fire by Daniel Braum
Bar Mitzvah Lessons by Stewart Gisser
JWN Podcast #15: The Demon Alcohol (with E.C. Hanson)
On episode #15 of Josh’s Worst Nightmare, host Josh Schlossberg gets intoxicated with E.C. Hanson, author of ALL THINGS DEADLY, as they fall under the influence of alcohol.
Stream or download HERE.
Praise for MALINAE
“The questions of sanity, insanity, horror, and reality create a compelling first-person narrative…Thoroughly engrossing reading that incorporates twists and turns even avid horror readers won’t see coming.”
-Midwest Book Review
“An incredible book about growing old with the one you love…well-crafted and fine enough to be placed in my collection of cosmic horror…”
-Lovecraft eZine
“[M]asterful blend of horror…I cannot praise Josh Schlossberg enough for this incredible story…reminiscent of when I was reading Ira Levin’s ROSEMARY’S BABY with a hint of the feel that Robert Bloch gave off in PSYCHO. Josh’s writing is eloquent, and completely engrossing!…This is a must read of 2021.”
-Andy’s Honest Reviews
“A disturbing story that masterfully weaves a large helping of horror into an already terrifying take on aging and Alzheimer’s.”
-Uncomfortably Dark
“The story is intricate and woven together beautifully. Josh is a master storyteller, and MALINAE is the proof…This is a story that will tug at your heart on many levels. Highly recommended.”
-William Holden, author of JACK and ALL MORTAL FLESH
“Carried along on a dive to terrifying depths where nothing is quite as it seems, MALINAE has everything we could hope for from a story: suspense, horror, sex, and biting humor.”
-JoAnn Chaney, author of WHAT YOU DON’T KNOW and AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE
“Haunting, harrowing, and beautiful, MALINAE is one of those books that sticks with you long after the last chapter. A seaside tale of love and terror, the sunset years have never been more frightening or visceral than in Josh Schlossberg’s deft hands.”
-Matthew Lyons, author of THE NIGHT WILL FIND US
“Fast paced and compelling, MALINAE is a cautionary tale about the dangers of negativity in an already tumultuous world. At its core it’s a love story, surrounded by unspeakable horror.”
-Claire L. Fishback, author of THE BLOOD OF SEVEN
“MALINAE is a thought provoking and horrific ride, one that will reverberate in your memory long after you turn the last page.”
-Gary Robbe, educator and horror writer
Josh's Worst Nightmare 