Malinae

VOTE for Me in the 666 Awards?

/ joshsworstnightmare / Leave a comment

I hope you’ll consider voting for some of my titles in Godless Horror’s 666 Awards. Totally fine if you don’t, of course. Just remember that I know where you live (and what time you go to bed).

“Best Novella”: MALINAE (by me)

“Best Anthology/Collection”: THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR (edited by me)

“Best Short” category: (any of the stories from THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR)

*The 666 Awards makes you vote in every category to submit your vote, and we encourage you do so. But if you’re not familiar with any options in the other categories, feel free to put N/A.

VOTE HERE

Praise for MALINAE

/ joshsworstnightmare / Leave a comment

“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

Horror Author or Narcissist? You Be the Judge!

/ joshsworstnightmare / 2 Comments

Pimping my book is turning me into a narcissist.

“What else is new?” some of you might be asking. In that case: It’s turning me into MORE of one!

Here’s why: It’s the only way to get my shit out there. Allow me to explain.

I happen to have been blessed with an excellent and generous publisher, D&T Publishing. Despite being a small press, D&T has done more to promote my debut cosmic folk horror novella, MALINAE, than the “Big Four” presses do for most of their authors. For that I am eternally grateful and, indeed, it’s the main reason the book has gotten out there as much as it already has, which is quite a bit.

However, in the sales world, we all know that a tiny percentage of products get the vast majority of buys. Take Coca Cola for instance, which snags half of the soda sales in the U.S. Is Coke really the best carbonated sugar water in the country? Not even close (not counting its cocaine-laced days, of course)! Hell, I’ve probably drank fifty different small batch colas better tasting and less horrible for you than Coke. But you’ve only heard of a few of them, and barely, at that. Because it’s not just about the product—which does have to be adequate—it’s about the marketing.

Let’s take this into the horror world. Stephen King alone gets the vast majority of horror fiction reads. Now, before going any further, I’m not here to shit on “the King.” I cut my literary teeth on the man and found him formative in my teens. Today, I still enjoy many of his stories and novels and think he’s a formidable storyteller.

But is he the best horror author in the world, the way sales suggest? Not even close! Hell, I’ve probably read at least fifty horror authors who are better writers and storytellers than him. But you’ve only heard of a few of them, and barely, at that. Because it’s not just about the product—which does have to be adequate—it’s about the marketing.

So what’s my point? That people should stop drinking Coke and reading King?

Of course not. Simply that the playing field is far from level, and we authors don’t have the luxury of simply writing good books and expecting them to fly magically into the hands of readers.

Continue reading →

Midwest Book Review on MALINAE

/ joshsworstnightmare / Leave a comment

Midwest Book Review on MALINAE!

“As Malinae evolves, 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.

“The astute descriptions of little daily changes that lead to bigger, life-changing situations will especially resonate with anyone who has lived with a loved one suffering from a degenerative condition that poses new changes and challenges on a daily basis.

“Malinae is especially recommended for fans of Lovecraft-style horror; but it’s also a special pick for those interested in supernatural-tinged fictional accounts of living with disability and the ravages of old age.”

READ FULL REVIEW at Midwest Book Review

DENVER WESTWORD: What’s Scary? Josh Schlossberg on MALINAE, Denver Horror and More

/ joshsworstnightmare / Leave a comment

I blackmailed Westword, Denver’s alt-weekly, to write a piece about me, and they fell right in line.

It wasn’t the pandemic that provided the inspiration for Denver horror author Josh Schlossberg’s new novel, Malinae, a yarn of biological horror about growing old…and perhaps growing in terrifying ways, too. But the pandemic did provide the time in which he could write it.

“The book’s biggest overlap with the pandemic is the isolation the protagonist experiences, cooped up in his house thanks to a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis and unable to participate in the activities he used to take for granted. And, as many of us have learned over the coronapocalypse, the long-term effect of isolation is an increasing alienation with humanity as a whole,” Schlossberg says. “Or maybe that’s just me.”

READ MORE at Westword