Category Archives: Writing

Four New Stories (Shadows Over Main Street, Tales From the Lake, Unnerving Magazine, Crime Syndicate)

November 1, 2017admin, Blog, Writingcrime syndicate, shadows over main street, tales from the lake, unnerving magazineMax

This month has been hectic as hell. I’ve been reading submissions for my new anthology, Lost Films, putting the finishing touches on upcoming PMMP titles, and working on my next novel. The novel, currently titled Who Will Survive and What Will Be Left of Them, just hit the 50k mark, which I think will end up being the halfway point for this particular book. It’s hard to tell when you don’t outline. I’m also shopping around my latest finished novel, Carnivorous Lunar Activities.

But also, I’ve had four new short stories published this month, and I’ve neglected to do my part promoting them. So I thought I’d make a quick blog post here and tell you a little about them.

First up, we have…

“Disintegration is Quite Painless” published in Shadows Over Main Street Vol. 2

SOMS2-COVER

Featuring stories by: Joyce Carol Oates, Gary A. Braunbeck, John F.D. Taff, Lucy A. Snyder, Joe R. Lansdale, Max Booth III, Jay Wilburn, Suzanne Madron, C.W. LaSart, Ronald Malfi, Eden Royce, Damien Angelica Walters, Douglas Wynne, Michael Wehunt, Erinn Kemper, James Chambers, and William Meikle. With a foreword by Laird Barron and stunning illustrations by Luke Spooner.

Check out Spooner’s kickass interior illustration for my story:

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“Whenever You Exhale, I Inhale” published in Tales From the Lake Vol. 4

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Featuring stories by: Jennifer Loring, Joe R. Lansdale, Kealan Patrick Burke, T. E. Grau, Damien Angelica Walters, Sheldon Higdon, Max Booth III, Bruce Golden, JG Faherty, Hunter Liguore, David Dunwoody, Timothy G. Arsenault, Maria Alexander, Timothy Johnson, Michael Bailey, E.E. King, Darren Speegle, Cynthia Ward, Michael Haynes, Leigh M. Lane, Mark Cassell, Del Howison, Gene O’ Neill, and Jeff Cercone.

“Boy Takes After His Mother” published in Unnerving Magazine Issue #4

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Issue #4 of Unnerving Magazine is the biggest yet, loaded with monsters, devils, ghosts, the undead, rotten sons ‘o… and so much more. Gwendolyn Kiste offers up literary Halloween costume ideas while Stephen Graham Jones and Mark Allan Gunnells chat life’s most important holiday.

“Below the Angels” published in Crime Syndicate Issue #3

Issue Three Cover FINAL

Crime Syndicate Magazine is back with ten fantastic crime fiction short stories from some of the top crime writers on the market today. Guest-edited by Eryk Pruitt, this issue has a little something for everyone: Work out your drugged-out marital problems and feed your family from the East Texas countryside in Eryk Pruitt’s “The Deplorables. Find out if you’re being detained, and what depraved results the answer might hold in Kevin Z. Garvey’s “Good Cop Bad Cop.” Reach for the sky and fall through the floor in Max Booth III’s “Below the Angels.” Can you escape a schmuck’s fate in Dennis Day’s throwback historical noir story “Schmuck?” Help your new college bestie murder a New Orleans local “god” in Nina Mansfield’s “Gods and Virgins in the Big Easy.” Think twice before you front on an old schooler in S.A. Cosby’s “Slit the Belly.” Take in the beard cream smell while you take down some skinny jeans in Travis Richardson’s “Hipster Pantsin’.” Show off your new racist jail tat while you dredge up demons from the past in Paul Heatley’s “The Whitest Boy on the Block.” Get your trap music murder on in Allen Griffin’s “Dirty South of Heaven.” “Take down career criminals and the ghosts from your past in David A. Anthony’s “The Contractors.”

Just to Watch Them Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by Johnny Cash

September 4, 2017admin, Blog, Writinganthologies, crime fiction, gutter books, joe clifford, johnny cashMax

New from Gutter Books, edited by the very talented Joe Clifford: Just to Watch Them Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash.

This anthology includes my own short story “Understand Your Man” inspired by the song—you guessed it—”Understand Your Man.”

Other authors you’ll find in Just to Watch Them Die:

Rob Hart — “Like the 309”

Jen Conley — “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”

David James Keaton — “One Piece at a Time”

Lynne Barrett — “A Boy Named Zoe”

David Corbett — “Rusty Cage”

Tom Hazuka — “The Ballad of Forty Dollars”

Mike Creeden — “Sunday Morning, Coming Down”

Nik Korpon — “Rose of my Heart”

Sarah M. Chen — “Missouri Waltz”

Terrence McCauley — “Hurt”

S.W. Lauden — “25 Minutes to Go”

Gabino Iglesias — “Want to Go Home”

Danny Gardner — “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town”

James Grady — “Rings of Fire”

Renee Asher Pickup — “Thirteen”

Hector Duarte Jr. — “Ain’t Gonna Work Tomorrow”

Ryan Leone — “Folsom Prison Blues”

James R. Tuck — “Walk the Line”

Angel Luis Colon — “Jackson”

Jennifer Maritza McCauley — “I Don’t Know Where I’m Bound”

Steven Ostrowski — “I Still Miss Someone”

Terri Lynn Coop — “Man in Black”

Heath Lowrance — “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”

Purchase a copy here.

Roller Canary (Hard Sentences)

July 26, 2017admin, Blog, Writinganthology, crime fiction, hard sentences, short storyMax

Hard Sentences, an anthology consisting of crime fiction inspired by Alcatraz, is now available from Broken River Books. Edited by David James Keaton and Joe Clifford, this anthology includes short stories by folks like Nick Mamatas, Jedidiah Ayres, Matthew McBride, Nik Korpon, Gabino Iglesias, and many others. It also includes my story “Roller Canary”, which is about the infamous Birdman of Alcatraz.

Read Keaton’s hilarious introduction to the anthology over at LitReactor, then go pick yourself up a copy on Amazon.

Blood Dust

April 22, 2016admin, Blog, Writingchuck palahniuk, jack ketchum, michael bailey, modest mouse, short stories, stephen kingMax

Chiral Mad 3 is now available as an ebook, paperback, and limited edition signed hardback. Edited by Michael Bailey, this anthology includes what I consider to be my best short story (so far): “Blood Dust”. It’s about dogs that eat trash. Other things happen, too. I think. I don’t know, it’s been a while since I wrote it.

But I can say it was directly inspired by a Modest Mouse song called “Wild Pack of Family Dogs”. I recommend listening to the song before and after reading the story.

If you wanted a signed hardback, looks like there’s only 13 left. After that, you’re out of luck. Get one here. You can also buy an ebook or paperback from the same link. Or you can shop on Amazon, if you’re one of those…types.

Here’s a photo of my contributor copy, along with a print of Glen Chadbourne’s beautiful illustration that accompanies my story.

Also included in this massive, glorious anthology:

Introduction: Observations on Horror Burnout – Chuck Palahniuk

Fiction:
01. The Poetry of Life – Richard Chizmar
02. The Last Rung on the Ladder – Stephen King
03. A Rift in Reflection – Hal Bodner
04. Windows, Mirrors, Doors – Jason V Brock
05. Prayer – Mort Castle
06. The Agonizing Guilt of Relief (Last Days of a Ready-Made Victim) – Paul Michael Anderson
07. The Black Crow of Boddinstraße – Emily B. Cataneo
08. A Flash of Red – Erinn L. Kemper
09. Red Runner vs. The Surgeon, Issue 18 – Jessica May Lin
10. The Dead Collection – Mercedes M. Yardley
11. Watch Me – Meghan Arcuri
12. The Bigger Bedroom – Josh Malerman
13. That Perilous Stuff – Scott Edelman
14. Know Your Code – Ramsey Campbell
15. 3-Dot People – Gene O’Neill
16. Silver Thread, Hammer Ring – Gary A. Braunbeck
17. Those Who Watch From on High – Eric J. Guignard
18. Blood Dust – Max Booth III
19. The Offering on the Hill – Richard Thomas
20. The Whipping Girls – Damien Angelica Walters
21. Seconds – Jack Ketchum

Poetry:
01. Fair – P. Gardner Goldsmith
02. Fail-Safe – Jonathan Balog
03. Folie à Deux – Sydney Leigh
04. Reflecting on Reflections – Bruce Boston
05. Mirror Image – Marge Simon
06. Black River #1 – Elizabeth Massie
07. Prescience – Rose Blackthorn
08. The Speed of Sound – Ciarán Parkes
09. Welcome Home, Darling – Stephanie M. Wytovich
10. Whisper #1 (A Warning) – Erik T. Johnson
11. Whisper #2 (A Prophecy) – Erik T. Johnson
12. Put Me to Dream – Stephanie M. Wytovich
13. Recognizing Trees – Ciarán Parkes
14. Arbitration – Rose Blackthorn
15. Black River #2 – Elizabeth Massie
16. Reflections Through the Raven’s Eye – Marge Simon
17. Beyond Symmetry – Bruce Boston
18. Folie à Plusieurs – Sydney Leigh
19. Insomnia in Reverse – Jonathan Balog
20. Promise – P. Gardner Goldsmith

BUY CHIRAL MAD 3

New Hotel Horror Story: “Darling”

November 5, 2015admin, Blog, Writinganthologies, horror, hotel, short storiesMax

My short story “Darling” is now available in Gothic Blue Book V: The Cursed Edition. It is about a night auditor who takes a sudden liking to one of his new guests. It’s a good mix of Gothic and body horror.

Also included in the anthology are the following wonderful people:

“Some Divine” by Maria Alexander
“Darling” by Max Booth III
“Catholic Guilt” by Ryan Bradley
“Beneath” by J.M. Cole
“Slug” by Lance Davis
Collected poems by Ashley Dioses
“Chatterbox” by Phil Hickes
“To Rot” by Mariah Huehner
“Carlyle” by B.C.G. Jones
“Dead and Breakfast” by K. Trap Jones
“Knitting Away Eternity” by Christian A. Larsen
“Robert Did It” by Kerry G.S. Lipp
“Just Like Everything Else” by Stephen Millard
Collected poems by K.A. Opperman
“A Witch’s Tale” by Jennifer A. Smith
“The Procession” by Sean Wofford
Collected poems by Stephanie M. Wytovich

Thanks to Christian A. Larsen for compiling all those author links on his own blog post, which I shamelessly stole.

Buy the paperback HERE or purchase the kindle HERE.

How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers is Now Available to Burn

July 28, 2015admin, Blog, Writingbizarro pulp press, journalstone, weird fictionMax

The paperback of my third novel, How to Successfully Kidnap Strangers, is now available on Amazon from Journalstone’s weird fiction imprint, Bizarro Pulp Press. It’s a very short book about a small press dealing with the unwanted kidnapping of one of their worst reviewers. I am told the kindle version should be available in the next week or two, but fuck that noise, you need the paperback version of this book. For one thing, the interior formatting by Lori Michelle is goddamn beautiful, and another, the jacket design by Matthew Revert is sexy enough to make Jesus Christ himself ejaculate in his holy slacks.

You can buy the paperback here.

Or if you want a signed copy, email me at maxboothiii@gmail.com.

Available Now: QUALIA NOUS

August 31, 2014admin, Writingashlee scheuerman, christian a larsen, dj cockburn, eilzabeth massie, emily b cataneo, erik t johnson, erinn l kemer, gary a braunbeck, gene o neill, ian shoebridge, james chambers, jason v brock, john everson, john r little, jon michael kelley, lori michelle, lucy snyder, marge simon, mason ian bundschuh, max booth iii, michael bailey, pat r steiner, pater hagelslag, patrick freivald, paul anderson, qualia nous, rena mason, richard thomas, stephen king, stephen king the jaunt, thomas f monteleone, usman t malik, william f nolan, written backwardsMax

Michael Bailey’s newest anthology, Qualia Nous, is now available on Amazon. Along with stories by Stephen King, William F. Nolan, Gary A. Braunbeck, and many others, it also includes my own short story, “The Neighborhood Has a Barbecue”. Qualia Nous is an anthology blending both science fiction and horror. It’s a 120,000 word tome consisting of 25 short stories, 2 poems, and 4 novelettes.

Buy your copy HERE.

00. The Jaunt – Stephen King [ novelette ]
01. The Vaporization Enthalpy of a Peculiar Pakistani Family – Usman T. Malik
02. The Shaking Man – Gene O’Neill
03. Dyscrasia – Ashlee Scheuerman
04. The Rondelium Girl of Rue Marseilles – Emily B. Cataneo
05. The Angel Chaser – Erik T. Johnson
06. Psychic Shock – Ian Shoebridge
07. Peppermint Tea in Electronic Limbo – D.J. Cockburn
08. Second Chance – John R. Little
09. The Effigies of Tamber Square – Jon Michael Kelley
10. Shades of Naught – Lori Michelle
11. The Price of Faces – James Chambers
12. Simulacrum – Jason V Brock [ novelette ]
13. Shutdown – Marge Simon [ poem ]
14. Lead Me To Multiplicity – Peter Hagelslag [ novelette ]

15. Cataldo’s Copy – Christian A. Larsen
16. The Neighborhood Has a Barbecue – Max Booth III
17. Tomorrow’s Femme – Marge Simon [ poem ]
18. The Jenny Store – Richard Thomas
19. Night Guard – Erinn L. Kemper
20. A New Man – William F. Nolan
21. Voyeur – John Everson
22. Kilroy Wasn’t There – Pat R. Steiner
23. In the Nothing-Space, I Am What You Made Me – Paul Anderson
24. Dura Mater – Lucy A. Snyder
25. Ruminations – Rena Mason
26. Good and Faithful Servant – Thomas F. Monteleone
27. Twelve Kilos – Patrick Freivald
28. Breathe You In Me – Mason Ian Bundschuh
29. 18P37-C, After Andrea Was Arrested – Elizabeth Massie
30. No fixed Address – Gary A. Braunbeck [ novelette ]

…

Also, my new novel, The Mind is a Razorblade, is now available to pre-order. So click HERE to check that out, too.

Dear Writer

April 26, 2014Blog, Writingauthor, jobs, procrastination, writingMax

You are not special.

You do not deserve leniency.

You are an employee of the mind. You wanted to work, well here’s your chance to work. Now work.

You are no different than the kid who flips burgers at McDonald’s.

You are the garbage man outside your house.

You are the person scraping road kill off the side of the highway.

You do not get a speed-pass to skip ahead in line. There is nothing remarkable about you that differentiates you from any other soul out there trying to make a dollar.

You are a person with a job to do. You either do your job, or you’re fired. You sit around, fucking off, complaining about your job enough, then we’ll just find someone else to do it.

You don’t feel like writing? Too bad. Do you think the waitress feels like busting her ass off, listening to your problems, only for a two dollar tip? No, but she does it anyway. Why? Because she has a job to do. She wants to get paid. Your worries are pathetic in her eyes. She doesn’t sit around and wait for something to inspire her to refill your coffee.

Every second you aren’t writing is another second you’re wasting on the clock. What are you even doing here?

You may not have a spatula or a box cutter, but you do have a pen, you do have a keyboard. Your tools may be different, but it doesn’t change the fact that your shift isn’t even close to over.

Dear writer, either piss off or do your fucking job.

Table of Contents Revealed for Jamais Vu #1

December 11, 2013admin, Blog, Writingadam shaftoe, adam-troy castro, andrew j wilson, antiviral, bruce boston, cameron suey, dan simmons, dark roads, donal jacob uitvlugt, gary braunbeck, harlan ellison, jamais vu, jessica dwyer, jessica mchugh, jon towers, kenneth w cain, kt jayne, lydia peever, marge simon, mary a turzillo, matt moore, max booth iii, michael kelly, only god forgives, paul anderson, paul f cockburn, post mortem press, ramsey campbell, sandra odell, son of kali, spider baby, stephanie wytovich, the last revelation of gla'aki, toxicity, william d carlMax

Table of contents for the debut issue of Jamais Vu have now been revealed, with a couple of great surprises, such as the inclusion of my short story, “Video Nasties”. But also, editor Paul Anderson announced Harlan Ellison will have a column included as well. Wow, huh?

In case you haven’t heard yet, Jamais Vu is the new pro-paying quarterly horror journal published through Post Mortem Press (who will be publishing my debut novel, TOXICITY, next year). My story, “Video Nasties”, explores the kind of influence horror films may have on young children. “You made me grab my daughter and hold her close after reading this,” said Jamais Vu’s managing editor, Paul Anderson, upon the story’s acceptance.

But my story isn’t the only thing in this journal. Check out this insane line-up for the debut issue:

POETRY

1. “The Moors” – Marge Simon
2. “Death of the Crossing Guard” – Bruce Boston
3. “Eventually, You Become Immune” – Stephanie Wytovich
4. “Procrastination’s Joy” – Matt Moore

NONFICTION – ARTICLES

1. “I Had a Thought Today…” Harlan Ellison
2. “The Strange & Uncanny In DOCTOR WHO” – Paul F. Cockburn
3. “The Medium As the Mirror” – Lydia Peever*
4. “Twisting Our Values: Culture & the Medium That Shapes It” – KT Jayne*
* Articles 3 and 4 are a point-counterpoint special to this issue.

NONFICTION – FILM REVIEWS
1. “Only God Forgives” – Jessica Dwyer
2. “Antiviral” – Adam Shaftoe
3. “Spider Baby” – William D. Carl

NONFICTION – BOOK REVIEWS
1. “Dark Roads: Selected Long Poems – 1971-2012” by Bruce Boston – Mary A. Turzillo
2. “The Last Revelation of Gla’aki” by Ramsey Campbell – Andrew J. Wilson
3. “Song of Kali” by Dan Simmons – Donald Jacob Uitvlugt

FICTION
1. “Photo Captions” – Gary Braunbeck
2. “Another Friendly Day In the Antique Trade” – Adam-Troy Castro
3. “Shiva” – Cameron Suey
4. “Bait” – Michael Kelly
5. “The Hydra Wife” – Sandra Odell
6. “Another Pleasant Valley Sunday” – by Jessica McHugh
7. “Video Nasties” – Max Booth III

As well as comics by Kenneth W. Cain and Jon Towers!

Jamais Vu #1 is scheduled to be released January 14, 2014.

“His Girl in Red” to be Published in WE WALK INVISIBLE

October 22, 2013admin, Blog, Writingbarry rosenberg, charie le marr, christine morgan, christopher nigro, chupa cabra house, invisible, james dorr, james s dorr, john barker, john s barker, juliet niehaus, k trap jones, ka magrowski, mackenzie hurlbert, mark mellon, mark slade, max booth iii, melissa osburn, michael shimek, nightmare illustrated, steve newton, tales from the booth, timm tayshun, we walk invisibleMax

Chupa Cabra House has announced they will be publishing my short story, “His Girl in Red”, in their upcoming anthology, WE WALK INVISIBLE, to be released this November. If you enjoy my occasional hotel stories on Facebook and my blog, then you might want to check this one out. My story “His Girl in Red” is about a hotel night clerk with a fetish for watching people sleep.

Check out the cover and table of contents (not in any official order) below, and keep an eye out for this baby next month…

We Walk Invisible cover art 1 — Cover design by Timm Tayshun

“His Girl in Red” by Max Booth III
“Martin Miles and the Murder at Cherry Hill” by Juliet Niehaus
“Nil” by Barry Rosenberg
“Amputations and Phantom Sensations” by Mackenzie Hurlbert
“Thin” by John S. Barker
“Invisible People” by James S. Dorr
“Happiness is an Unseen Variable” by Christopher Nigro
“Of the Utmost Discretion” by Christine Morgan
“Wreckage” by Steve Newton
“Fifty” by Charie La Marr
“Creepy Creatures” by Michael Shimek
“Half a Dozen” by Mark Slade
“The Occultation Suit” by Mark Mellon
“Haunted” by Melissa Osburn
“Invisible” by K.A. Magrowski
“Hour Redemption” by K. Trap Jones