December 17, 2025 –
My short story, “Mesmeric Repudiation”, has been published in Shadows in the Raven’s Eye: A Reimagining of Poe’s Tales by Zombie Works Publications. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Shadows in the Raven’s Eye: A Reimagining of Poe’s Tales (paperback) from MythMart
Shadows in the Raven’s Eye: A Reimagining of Poe’s Tales (paperback and epub) from Amazon
It is an honor to work with Zombie Works Publications for many reasons, not the least of which is that they are a paying market for newer writers. As part of my publishing agreement, this story will not appear on this website for at least a year, so if you would like to read it, please pick up your copy of Shadows in the Raven’s Eye today.
November 26, 2025 –
My short story, “A Desert Caravan”, has been published in Unholier Than Thou: Original Sin by Wicked Shadow Press. My story in this book is based on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, “Ozymandias”. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
My short story, “A Desert Caravan”, has been published in Unholier Than Thou: Original Sin by Wicked Shadow Press. My story in this book is based on Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem, “Ozymandias”. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Unholier Than Thou: Original Sin (paperback) from Lulu
Unholier Than Thou: Original Sin (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “A Desert Caravan” on the Short Stories page.
November 10, 2025 –
My short story, “A Desert Caravan”, was accepted by Wicked Shadow Press for inclusion in it’s anthology, Unholier than Thou: Original Sin. It is scheduled for publication in mid to late November, and I will post links here when it does become available.
Also, Signus Magnolia made its first convention appearance! Fellow writer and Signus Magnolia member Chad Anctil appeared at Rhode Island Comic Con, and promoted our books along with several other of his own works, including the first book in his series, Providence Supernatural Crime Unit (which I highly recommend)! A big thanks to Chad for helping spread the word about our publications!
October 24, 2025 –
I am very excited to announce that my short story, “Mesmeric Repudiation”, will appear in Shadows in the Ravens Eye: A Reimagining of Poe’s Tales, by ZombieWorks Publications. This has a few extra layers of meaning to me, most of all because Poe and Lovecraft are two of the authors that drew me to this kind of writing. I contributed the story “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” to Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume by CultureCult Press, which is a collection of works inspired by Lovecraft. With this new acceptance, I am able to pay tribute to both of these authors that inspired me.
“Mesmeric Repudiation” was based off of Poe’s tale, “Mesmeric Revelation”, which you can learn more about by following this link (scroll halfway down the page for the story beginning). It is one of his lesser known tales, and frankly, though I liked the premise, the story itself is nearly incomprehensible. My version is a new take on this idea, with a much different ending. I think Poe would have approved of it. Purchase links for Shadows in the Raven’s Eye will appear here once it has been released, and you can still find “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” on my Short Stories page.
Other big news! I was interviewed for a column called “Is That Write?” by Michael Coulombe. Follow the link below to read it:
https://mcoulombewrites.substack.com/p/joshua-vise
October 14, 2025 –
Bewitched Whispers – An Anthology of Dark Folklore and Fairytales is now available at retailers everywhere! Visit the link below for more information about this exciting new title, and for purchase links:
Bewitched Whispers – An Anthology of Dark Folklore and Fairytales
Folklore is no stranger to horror. Every culture has its monsters, its ghosts, its unexplainable creatures. Old secrets and beasts whispered about in legend. These stories passed on around campfires, in the dark of night, to ensure safety. To instruct. Whether to celebrate how the world came to be or to warn of perils, the lessons have been passed down time and time again, their knowledge wrapped in story.
By twisting old legends that were not horrific into such or exaggerating the macabre elements inherent in a tale, we alter the message. But the warning remains clear: there is danger in the world. Sometimes the monsters come from things we cannot understand; sometimes they are a familiar face whose true personality is finally revealed. Our past deeds will come back to haunt us, and there is rarely a reward.
Featuring works by Donovan Douglas Thiesson, Dibyasree Nandy, Michael Kellichner, F. Malanoche, Jessica Gleason, Chad Anctil, Morgan Chalfant, Ricardo D. Rebelo, Joshua Vise, Cliff Hansen, and Michael Paige.
September 24, 2025 –
My short story, “So Much, You’re Nothing”, has been published in Metrics: The Money Trap by CultureCult Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Metrics: The Money Trap (paperback) from Lulu
Metrics: The Money Trap (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “So Much, You’re Nothing” on the Short Stories page.
September 8, 2025
More press! I am happy to report that I will be featured on Michael Coulombe’s SubStack “Is That Write?”. I will be featured in his Writer’s Wednesday section, which he publishes every other Wednesday. My interview will be released on October 22nd. It will be available by following this link:
“Is That Write” by Michael Coulombe
August 23, 2025
I am thrilled to announce that my story “The End of a Lineage” now appears in The Triumvirate: A Journal of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror vol. 6. This is an exciting publication to be included in, and one that I think will gain quite a following within the genre. Click here to discover this wonderful quarterly publication for yourself: The Triumvirate.
I am also happy to report that my short story, “So Much, You’re Nothing”, will appear in Metrics: The Money Trap by CultureCult Press. I will post links here when it becomes available.
August 4, 2025
Earlier in the year, I had a wonderful conversation with Horror Realm’s Travis Bruce about Signus Magnolia, collaborative publishing, and AI. It is always a blast talking with him. I hope you enjoy it as well.
August 1, 2025
I am beyond excited to report that one of my earliest short stories, “The End of a Lineage”, has been accepted for publication in David Allen Kling’s sci-fi journal The Triumvirate volume 6. This journal is up-and-coming, but has all the hallmarks of being a huge player in the genre. I will have purchase links available here.
You can still find “The End of a Lineage” in the Short Stories section of the site.
July 30, 2025 –
My short one-act play, “The Clown Within”, has been published in First Folio by CultureCult Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
First Folio (paperback) from Lulu
You can also find “First Folio” on the Short Stories page.
July 21, 2025 –
Here is an advance peek at the cover of First Folio, a book of short plays by CultureCult Press. My stage play “The Clown Within” is featured within, the very same play that won the 2013 Pohang 10 Minute Theater Contest. Releasing soon!
July 21, 2025 –
My short story, “Midwestern Tunnel Rats”, has been published in Dead Man’s Land: Shell Shock by Wicked Shadow Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Dead Man’s Land: Shell Shock (paperback) from Lulu
Dead Man’s Land: Shell Shock (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Midwestern Tunnel Rats” on the Short Stories page.
July 16, 2025 –
I am happy to report that my short story, “Midwestern Tunnel Rats”, will appear in Dead Man’s Land: Shell Shock by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post links here when it becomes available.
Signus Magnolia’s second anthology is well on its way to fruition. Because I want this project to be as much of a true collaborative effort as possible, our group pitched different themes, and then voted on them in May. This new anthology will focus on dark fairy tales, including reimagined versions of famous fairy tales, as well as originals written in the style of fairy tales.
I’ve passed on editing duties to Michael Kellichner, who is in the process of reading and editing our submissions. During our summer break, I will be designing the cover, and Cliff Hansen will be hard at work drafting the interior design. The tentative release date is early October. Be sure to check back for more details as this project unfolds.
May 31, 2025 –
My short story, “River Roast”, has been published in Flash of the Dead – Reloaded by Wicked Shadow Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Flash of the Dead – Reloaded (paperback) from Lulu
Flash of the Dead – Reloaded (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “River Roast” on the Short Stories page.
May 28, 2025 –
Two more acceptances! My short story “River Roast” will appear in Flash of the Dead: Reloaded by Wicked Shadow Press. Here is a look at the cover:
Also, a 10-minute play I wrote in 2013, “The Clown Within”, was accepted for First Folio, CultureCult’s first book of short plays. I am very interested to see how they format this book, given that plays look much different on the page compared to prose. This one should be out in July, though no official date has been announced yet.
May 14, 2025 –
Abandoned Altars has been available for a little over three weeks now. I am very happy to state that it managed to crack the top ten bestselling list of New Releases for Horror Anthologies on April 27th! This list seems to update daily (if not more frequently!) so we bounce around on it, but it is a real pleasure seeing us listed so high, especially with our first release! Thank you to all who have purchased a copy, and please consider leaving a review!
April 30, 2025 –
Abandoned Altars is finally here! It took a lot of work, but I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results! Here are the links to places where it can be purchased:
Amazon (paperback and epub versions)
Apple Books (epub)
Kobo (epub)
Nook (epub)
For the first time ever, I am not making one of my stories available on the Short Stories page. My story, “Hope Eternal”, is one of the best that I’ve written, and at 17,000 words, one of the longest. If you’ve enjoyed my stories on this site, please consider picking up your copy of Abandoned Altars.
April 19, 2025 –
Good and bad.
First the good: my short story, “The Show Must Go On”, has been published in Circus of the Dead by Wicked Shadow Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Circus of the Dead (paperback) from Lulu
Circus of the Dead (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The Show Must Go On” on the Short Stories page.
And now, the bad news:
Abandoned Altars is delayed until mid-May. PubShare got back to me, and said that the algorithm that processes Amazon Paperbacks submissions would likely reject the Abandoned Altars book design because it was recognizing some of the design elements outside of the margins as text. Fixing this problem is going to be a really laborious issue, because it basically affects every page, so rather than force Cliff Hansen (the designer) to bust his butt over a weekend to meet an arbitrary deadline, I decided to push the publishing date back a month. I would much rather him take his time and do it right than risk making a mistake just because we said “April” in December.
It would be easy to be bummed by this, but I actually see it as a positive: Cliff is doing something really cool and unconventional, and the lazy AI that Amazon uses to approve book designs saw it and said “This isn’t something I’ve ever seen before, therefore it must be a mistake.” I have full faith in his abilities, and know that you will feel the same when you see it.
April 2, 2025 –
Three bits of news:
Firstly, my short story, “Destroy, Erase, Improve”, has been published in #Genocidal by CultureCult Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
#Genocidal (paperback) from Lulu
You can also find “Destroy, Erase, Improve” on the Short Stories page.
Secondly, my short story, “The Show Must Go On” was accepted into the anthology Circus of the Dead by Wicked Shadow Press. This is an extra special anthology to be included in because my writing brother-in-arms Chad Anctil edited this anthology, just like I edited the Wreckollections anthology. I’m so happy that we have both been able to support each other and point each other towards opportunities. It makes a solitary activity like writing much more interesting to have a comrade or two.
Finally, Signus Magnolia’s Abandoned Altars anthology is on schedule for a late April release. Here is a sneak peak at the cover!
Travis Bruce, host of the podcast Horror Realm has agreed to give a blurb for the back, which I am super happy about! Once we receive that, all that is left to do is upload our cover and interior to our production service, and then it will be released upon the world! I’ve been beyond happy to work with such great writers and artists. In particular, Cliff Hansen deserves extra recognition for his work on our book interior design. I am very excited to share this work with you this month!
March 18, 2025 –
I am happy to announce that my story, “Destroy, Erase, Improve”, has been selected for publication in #Genocidal by CultureCult Press. It should be published in just a few weeks, and I will post purchase links when it is available.
March 11, 2025 –
My short story, “Terminal Performance”, has been published in Blink of an Eye by CultureCult Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Blink of an Eye (paperback) from Lulu
Blink of an Eye (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Terminal Performance” on the Short Stories page.
February 28, 2025 –
I am happy to announce that my story, “Terminal Performance”, has been selected for publication in Blink of an Eye by CultureCult Press. It should be published in just a few weeks, and I will post purchase links when it is available.
Also, the Signus Magnolia project is moving ahead! All of the collaborators have submitted stories to me, and the editing is complete. We now send the collected stories to our book interior designer. Meanwhile, I am working on completing the cover, which is a completely new skill set for me, but is turning out pretty well. Our goal is to release our first anthology, Abandoned Altars, in April. You can check back here or at http://www.signusmagnolia.com to keep up with that project’s progress.
February 15, 2025 – The wait is over!
After a long wait, the Wreckollections collection is finally here, edited by yours truly. It was a wonderful experience to have been able to read and hand select stories for this anthology, and I am very proud of the work Wicked Shadow Press put into making this project come alive. Links are available below:
Wreckollections – Invasive Ideas of a Nightmare (paperback) from Lulu
Wreckollections – Invasive Ideas of a Nightmare (epub) from Lulu
Wreckollections – Restrained Cries of the Past (paperback) from Lulu
Wreckollections – Restrained Cries of the Past (epub) from Lulu
You can also find my editor’s introduction to these anthologies on the Short Stories page.
January 28, 2025 – Two in a row!
My short story, “The Pillars of Poplar Street”, has been published in Haunted Haus by CultureCult Press. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Haunted Haus (paperback) from Lulu
You can also find “The Pillars of Poplar Street” on the Short Stories page.
January 27, 2025 –
My short story, “Moon Bears of the DMZ”, has been published in Petting Boo!: A Zoological Anthology of Horror Stories by Wicked Shadow Press. This is my first publication for 2025, and more happily, marks the return of Wicked Shadow Press after a brief hiatus. You can find paperback and ebook versions of this release here:
Petting Boo! (paperback) from Lulu
You can also find “Moon Bears of the DMZ” on the Short Stories page.
I’ve spoken to members of the WSP team, and they have told me that Wreckollections will be published in February. Excited to see that project move forward!
January 17, 2025 – Random updates.
It’s been a while since I posted, so I wanted to put out a few random updates.
Signus Magnolia is going really well so far. All of the collaborators are working hard on their individual stories, and our current timeline has us releasing our first book in April, 2025. It should be an exciting time, and a wonderful learning opportunity.
Wicked Shadow Press and CultureCult Press have both put out cryptic messages on their Facebook pages suggesting they will be getting back into publishing. I have no other information beyond that, but hopefully this means that the Wreckollections anthology and other books that were slated to be published are actually going to see the light of day.
Finally, a hearty congratulations to Chad Anctil on his interview with Horror Realm. Chad is a talented writer, and a member of our Signus Magnolia group. I am excited to read what he comes up with for our book, and I am looking forward to the release of the first book in his own series, Providence Supernatural Crimes Unit. Follow the link below to see the interview:
Interview With The Author Of Providence Supernatural Crimes Unit.
December 23, 2024 – The birth of something new.
I’ve not been privy to too much inside information concerning the death of Wicked Shadow and CultureCult, but rumor has it that they won’t be putting out the anthologies that they’ve announced in the past, including the Wreckollections anthology I edited. So it goes.
However, the editing experience was not a complete loss. I met some really wonderful writers, and together we have decided to work collaboratively to put out our own short story anthologies in the future. Of course, I will also be writing and submitting to other publishers as well, but working in this way ensures that I will still be able to put out a few stories each year through my own efforts instead of of waiting on another publisher to accept, edit, and publish my work.
So without further ado, I am proud to announce Signus Magnolia, a collaborative writing and publishing group. It is named after my story “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” (which you can find on the short stories section of this site). We have launched a website, www.signusmagnolia.com, though it is still under construction. Please feel free to visit in the near future, meet some of our collaborators, and see what we have planned.
November 25, 2024 – The End of an Era.
Today, I awoke to find news online that both Wicked Shadow Press and CultureCult Press, with whom I have published the great majority of my short stories, have decided to stop their publishing activities.
While I am happy that the Wreckollections anthology will still have a chance to see the light of day, that is a very small consolation when compared to the loss that many of us newer writers will experience with the folding of this wonderful pair of publications. I don’t know the details behind their choices, and the “considering the true nature of the arts…” message is quite a bit more cryptic than many of us would have liked it to be. Still, whatever their reasons for folding, their loss will be felt immensely among a community of writers that really valued the opportunities that each of their submission calls gave. I can guarantee that I wouldn’t have written the number of short stories that I did without their quick acceptance rate and fast turnaround time. These factors were very motivating in the face of an industry where it often takes 4-6 months of waiting just to be told that you have been rejected.
For those interested in print or epub versions of any books I have appeared in, you can find links to these publications on my short stories page. As these presses are folding, the chance to pick these books up may not be around for much longer, though I hope they will still be available long into the future.
Best of luck to all of the editors and publishers at Wicked Shadow Press and CultureCult Press. Thank you for the many chances to share my ideas with the world, and I hope you find success in whatever endeavors you choose to take on in the future.
November 21, 2024 – A few updates!
Two new anthologies are slated to come out in the very near future. My story “Moon Bears of the DMZ” will appear in Petting Boo by Wicked Shadow Press, and “The Pillars of Poplar Street” will appear in Haunted Haus by CultureCult Press. Here is a sneak peak at their cover designs.
Also, I have finished editing the Wreckollections anthology. A big thank you to all of our wonderful submitters! There are a few things to finalize with the publisher, but as of now it will be two volumes, with a release date of late December or early January, 2025. I will of course have more information available here, so check back often!
October 29, 2024 – Happy Halloween!
My short story, “The Porcelain Ghoul”, has been published in Halloweenthology: All Hallows’ Eve by Wicked Shadow Press. It is part of their Halloweenthology Trilogy, so definitely consider picking up one or all of this set!
Halloweenthology: All Hallows’ Eve (paperback) from Lulu
Halloweenthology: All Hallows’ Eve (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The Porcelain Ghoul” on the Short Stories page.
I’ve finished reviewing the submissions for the Wreckollections anthology, and am very happy with the number of submissions and the quality of the content! The publisher and I have a few details to parse out, and so acceptance letters to the submitters should go out in about two weeks.
October 9, 2024 – Two announcements:
Firstly, my flash fiction “Mandatory Overtime” has been published in Flash of the Dead: Halloween ’24 by Wicked Shadow Press.
Flash of the Dead: Halloween ’24 (paperback) from Lulu
Flash of the Dead: Halloween ’24 (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Mandatory Overtime” on the Short Stories page.
Secondly, my short story “The Porcelain Ghoul” has been accepted for publication in Halloweenthology: All Hallows Eve by Wicked Shadow Press. It should be published in just a few days, and I will post purchase links when it is available.
October 4, 2024 – A big thanks to Exquisite Death ezine for featuring my short story, “Tombo”, in their October edition! There are so many authors vying for exposure these days, so it is an honor to have been selected. Please support them!
October 3, 2024 – Some Musings on Being A Writer
On August 4th, 2023, I posted my first short story on this site. The reasons for me writing it escape me. If I had to take a guess, I think it was because my university (I teach English as a Second Language to college students) had just let out for the summer. Whenever we have these long summer and winter breaks, I find myself with way too much time and not enough money. In that regard, writing is the perfect hobby for me, as it requires a lot of time but not much money at all. It also seems to be something that I’m good at, though I doubt myself constantly.
When I uploaded “Stephen’s Climb” to my website, I included this message:
“I decided that it was more important to me to just get this story out there and see what people think, rather than just waiting around for a publisher to accept it…. Though I would love to be able to share my work through a variety of different publications, my idea of success at this point would be able to write stories that I think are unique, interesting, and that test my abilities as a writer.”
On October 14th, 2023, nearly a year ago, “Stephen’s Climb” was accepted for publication in a Halloween anthology. More than just feeling excitement at seeing my work in print, my inclusion in that anthology was my first step towards the nebulous goal of “becoming a writer”.
Geez, what does that even mean? Was I now a writer since I had been published? Will I never be a writer if I treat it as a hobby? If I never make a cent from it? If nobody really reads my work or responds to it? Should I start trying to “look” like a writer? And if so, which one? Hemmingway has one hell of a fine-looking turtleneck.
Absent a definite answer, I decided to draft my own idea of what it would take for me to feel comfortable calling myself a writer. Doing so would give me a sense of purpose, and help me define my goals.
But in creating a rubric that would outline my ideas, I needed to be aware of just how much is actually within my control. People like Stephen King, as talented and hardworking as they are, are the beneficiaries of an incredible amount of luck. Even if I made all of the right moves, success of that magnitude comes about from external forces that are out of an individual’s control. If I use too many of these types of markers to guide me, any success that I do experience would feel more like luck than a result of my own efforts. Saying “I am going to sell a million books” at this point sounds as freakishly impossible as saying “I am going to grow a million toenails”.
So I need something meaningful, quantifiable, and within my own control. That’s when, like with a good story idea, inspiration struck:
Edgar Allan Poe. Short story writer extraordinaire. His influence is undeniable. And yet, his entire writing legacy spans just 69 short stories. Moreover, he was a broke-ass freelance writer who made just $9 ($277 in today’s dollars) for “The Raven”.
Now THAT is something I can achieve. No, not being broke, as that is more of a lack of achievement than an achievement itself. Not an influential legacy, which is one of those things dictated by outside forces. Rather, it is this:
If I can write and publish 70 short stories, I am ONE better than Poe.
I mean, I already have him beaten on several fronts; my house has lightbulbs and running water. But to be ONE better than Poe…more if possible, but at least ONE better…
In the almost-year since “Stephen’s Climb” was published, the following has happened:
- 15 short stories published.
- 3 short stories accepted and awaiting publication.
- 1 podcast interview.
- Editor for the anthology Wreckollections, due out in late November/early December.
That seems like a good start. 18 stories in just under a year. I may not be able to quit my job. I may never make any kind of money from this enterprise. But with 52 to go before I catch that cousin-marrying reprobate, I feel as motivated as ever.
When I originally introduced “Stephen’s Climb” on my site, I ended my introduction with a sentence I would like to restate for the record:
“I am doing this for myself, but if you enjoy these stories, then I am doing it for you, too.”
Please enjoy!
October 3, 2024 – I am very excited to announce that my short story, “The Pillars of Poplar Street”, has been selected for publication in the upcoming anthology of fiction Haunted Haus by CultureCult Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released..
September 30, 2024 – My short story, “A Single Foundation in Cahokia”, has been published! It now appears in Mono No Aware by CultureCult Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Mono No Aware (paperback) from Lulu
Mono No Aware (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “A Single Foundation in Cahokia” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting CultureCult Press by picking up your own paperback or EPUB version of the book today!
This is the short story that I submitted to the 2024 Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Competition. You have a chance to read it before the results are announced!
September 27, 2024 – I am absolutely thrilled to announce that Wicked Shadow Press has invited me to act as a guest editor for their new anthology Wreckollections, with an anticipated release date of December, 2024. I will be reading submissions and selecting the absolute best for inclusion in this anthology. I encourage everyone to apply!
If you are interested, please visit the following link in order to read specific submission details.
Wreckollections Submission Guidelines
September 27, 2024 – I am very excited to announce that my short story, “Mandatory Overtime”, has been selected for publication in the upcoming anthology of fiction Flash of the Dead: Halloween ’24 by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released, which will be sometime in early October.
This one is especially sweet because it is a Halloween collection, and it also marks my one-year anniversary of pursuing short story writing. My very first story, “Stephen’s Climb”, was published in a Halloween anthology almost one year ago.
September 19, 2024 – I am very happy to announce that my short story, “Moon Bears of the DMZ”, has been selected for publication in the upcoming anthology of fiction Petting Boo by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released, which will be sometime in November of this year.
September 17, 2024 – I am very happy to announce that my short story, “A Single Foundation in Cahokia”, has been selected for publication in the upcoming anthology of fiction Mono no Aware by CultureCult Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released. As with all of my stories, this one will be available on my Short Stories page as soon as it is published, but I hope you consider picking up your own print or EPUB copy of Mono no Aware!
I have also entered “A Single Foundation in Cahokia” into the 2024 Zoetrope: All-Story Short Fiction Competition. Results will be announced December 15 and in the Spring 2025 edition of Zoetrope: All-Story. I’m looking forward to seeing how far this one little tale can go!
September 9, 2024 – I am excited to announce that my short story, “Tombo”, has been selected to appear in Exquisite Death, a monthly ezine publishing stories of the macabre in October. Here is a description from their About page:
Providing an online resource for authors and musicians. Exquisite Death aims to bring a voice to the voiceless for dark fiction and music. Originally started in 2003 by Taylor Dahlen and Sarah Kelderman and brought back from the dead 20 years later, Exquisite Death aims to reclaim their role of macabre weavers of dark imagination for the masses.
If you enjoy my work, please consider visiting Exquisite Death ezine online and browsing their monthly publications. Of course, “Tombo” is still available on my Short Stories page as well as through Wicked Shadow Press.
September 8, 2024 – My short story, “The Regretful Climb”, has been published! It now appears in Children of the Dead: Shadow Playground by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Children of the Dead: Shadow Playground (paperback) from Lulu
Children of the Dead: Shadow Playground (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The Regretful Climb” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own paperback or EPUB version of the book today!
August 24, 2024 – My interview with Horror Realm is now up on YouTube! Thank you Travis Bruce for the opportunity, and I hope everyone enjoys watching it. You can find the video at the link below:
Interview with Horror Author Joshua Vise – Horror Realm
If you enjoyed that interview, please consider checking out other videos with Travis Bruce and Horror Realm.
August 16, 2024 – My story, “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” has been published! It now appears in Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume, by CultureCult Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume (paperback) from Lulu
Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume!
August 7, 2024 – Here is the cover for Eldritch Encore: The Innsmouth Volume, which will be released later this month. My story, “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia” will be appearing in it. This is a special volume of works inspired by the work of H.P. Lovecraft, and I am so excited to be a part of it!
July 24, 2024 – What a month! Three published stories, one acceptance for future publication, and three more submissions for consideration!
My short story, “The Last of the Kwatalo’s Pride”, has been published! It now appears in Dead Girls Walking: The Purple Volume by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Dead Girls Walking: The Purple Volume (paperback) from Lulu
Dead Girls Walking: The Purple Volume (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The Last of the Kwatalo’s Pride” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Dead Girls Walking: The Purple Volume!
July 22, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “The Horror of the Signus Magnolia”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Eldritch Encore: Volume Innsmouth, by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
This anthology is a collection of modern horror stories inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, which makes inclusion in this volume extra special! I hope everyone is able to pick up a copy when it comes out.
Also, I have some big news to share in the next few weeks, but I can’t share anything until it is finalized. Keep checking back for more!
July 17, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “The Last of the Kwatalo’s Pride”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Dead Girls Walking: The Purple Volume, by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
July 12, 2024 – My short story, “Tombo”, has been published! It now appears in Spectral Spectrum, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Spectral Spectrum (paperback) from Lulu
Spectral Spectrum (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Tombo” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Spectral Spectrum!
July 10, 2024 – Speak, and it shall appear!
My short story, “Punctuated Equilibrium”, has been published! It now appears in A Stitch in Spacetime, by CultureCult Press. You can pick up your copy here:
A Stitch in Spacetime (paperback) from Lulu
A Stitch in Spacetime (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Punctuated Equilibrium” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting CultureCult Press by picking up your own copy of A Stitch in Spacetime!
July 8, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “Tombo”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Spectral Spectrum, by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
I’m still waiting for the publication of A Stitch in Spacetime. The original announcement was that it was coming in June. Not sure why this one is delayed, but hopefully it will be released soon. As with “Tombo”, I will post purchase links after it is released.
June 10, 2024 – I’m very excited to announce that I will be appearing on the podcast “Horror Realm”, hosted by Travis Bruce! The interview will take place in August, and I will post a link to our specific broadcast as soon as I am able. Until then, please check out the “Horror Realm” podcast, and consider liking and subscribing to it. Supporting new and up-and-coming writers is so important, and a simple thing like an email of support goes so far!
You can find the Horror Realm podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@Horror-Realm
May 30, 2024 – My short story, “The Incident at the Fairfield”, has been published! It now appears in Flash of the UnDead, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Flash of the UnDead (paperback) from Lulu
Flash of the UnDead (epub) from Lulu
I was surprised and delighted to find that my story is the first one in the book! It feels great to be able to lead off this collection of short stories, even if it happens to just be a coincidence.
You can also find “The Incident at the Fairfield” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Flash of the UnDead!
May 27, 2024 – Just saw the cover for Flash of the Undead, by Wicked Shadow Press. Looks like another great one!
May 25, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “The Incident at the Fairfield”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Flash of the Undead, by Wicked Shadow Press. It is due out in early June, and I will post purchase links here after it is released.
May 1, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “Punctuated Equilibrium”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in A Stitch in Spacetime, by CultureCult Press. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
April 25, 2024 – My short story, “Enemy in Potentia”, has been published! It now appears in Masks of Sanity: Hidden in Plain Sight, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Masks of Sanity: Hidden in Plain Sight (paperback) from Lulu
Masks of Sanity: Hidden in Plain Sight (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Enemy in Potentia” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Masks of Sanity: Hidden in Plain Sight!
April 20, 2024 – My short story, “To the Top, Cowboy!”, has been published! It now appears in Creatures of Habit: An Ode to Oddity, by CultureCult Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Creatures of Habit: An Ode to Darkness (paperback) from Lulu
Creatures of Habit: An Ode to Oddity (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “To the Top, Cowboy!” on the Short Stories page (It’s the second link from the bottom), though I do hope you consider supporting CultureCult Press by picking up your own copy of Creatures of Habit: An Ode to Oddity!
April 15, 2024 – I’ve just found out that my short story, “Enemy in Potentia”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Masks of Sanity: Hidden in Plain Sight, by Wicked Shadow Press, and is scheduled for publication late April or early May. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
April 3, 2024 – My short story, “To the Top, Cowboy!”, has been selected for publication! It will appear in Creatures of Habit: An Ode to Oddity, by CultureCult Press, and is scheduled for publication this April. I will post purchase links here after it is released.
You can also find “To the Top, Cowboy!” on my Short Stories page.
March 17, 2024 – My short story, “Barotrauma”, has been published! It now appears in Soulmate Syndrome: Box Full of Darkness, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Soulmate Syndrome: Box Full of Darkness (paperback) from Lulu
Soulmate Syndrome: Box Full of Darkness (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “Barotrauma” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Soulmate Syndrome: Box Full of Darkness!
February 25, 2024 – Exciting news on several fronts!
Firstly, my new short story “Barotrauma” has been selected for publication in the anthology Soulmate Syndrome: Box Full of Darkness by Wicked Shadow Press! No release date yet, but I am excited as always.
Secondly, my flash fiction story “Agent 49” appears in the anthology Femme Fatale Flashes, which has just been released by Wicked Shadow Press!
Femme Fatale Flashes (paperback) from Lulu
Femme Fatale Flashes (epub) from Lulu
You can find “Agent 49” on the Short Stories page, and Barotrauma will also be posted there after it is published, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by purchasing their print or epub versions of their anthologies at the links above!
February 7, 2024 – My story “The End of a Lineage” can now be found in audiobook format on Youtube! Narration was done by my very talented friend Paul Lawley-Jones. Follow the link below, and give it a listen. Be sure to check out his wonderful performances of other stories as well.
“The End of a Lineage” – Performed by Paul Lawley-Jones.
January 15, 2024 – My first flash fiction short story, “In Good Company”, has been published! It now appears in Flash of the Dead: Requiem, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Flash of the Dead: Requiem (paperback) from Lulu
Flash of the Dead: Requiem (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “In Good Company” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Flash of the Dead!
January 4, 2024 – My short story, “The End of a Lineage”, has been published! It now appears in Apocalyptales: Judgement Day, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
Apocalyptales: Judgement Day (paperback) from Lulu
Apocalyptales: Judgement Day (epub) from Lulu
You can also find “The End of a Lineage” on the Short Stories page, though I do hope you consider supporting Wicked Shadow Press by picking up your own copy of Apocalyptales!
January 3, 2024 – Wicked Shadow Press just released the cover for their Flash of the Dead: Requiem collection of flash fiction. Another great one, in my opinion.
I’ve only been pursuing writing seriously for the last six months, and it is extremely hard to find publishers that 1) accept story submissions without resorting to making it a contest in which there is a fee to submit, 2) produce high-quality print editions of their work, and 3) respond in a reasonable amount of time to submissions (i.e. a month rather than six months). I am very lucky to have stumbled upon Wicked Shadow Press so early in my writing career, and look forward to working with them in the future.
December 5, 2023 – My short flash fiction story, “In Good Company” has been selected for publication in Flash of the Dead: Requiem by Wicked Shadow Press! Flash fiction stories are under 1,500 words, so you can think of them as bite-sized tales. The story I submitted was something that I wrote as a college student (I don’t remember why or what for…it was almost 20 years ago), but I found it on my drive and decided to submit it. Glad that they picked it up, even though it isn’t exactly a horror story per se.
Check back for links to the anthology when it is released, and as always, you will be able to read it here in the short stories section after it is published.
December 1, 2023 – Here is a sneak peak at the cover for Apocalyptales: Judgment Day, by Wicked Shadow Press! So excited for this one!
November 16, 2023 – I just received an email that my new short story, “The End of a Lineage”, will appear in Apocalyptales: Judgment Day, by Wicked Shadow Press. I will post links to the publication when it is released next month, and follow it by posting my story on this site. Even after I post it here, I hope you will pick up a copy (or an ebook) and support Wicked Shadow Press!
October 15, 2023 – My short story, “Stephen’s Climb”, has been published! It now appears in Halloweenthology: Jack-o’-Lantern, by Wicked Shadow Press. You can pick up your copy here:
HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: JACK-O’-LANTERN (paperback) from Lulu
HALLOWEENTHOLOGY: JACK-O’-LANTERN (epub) from Lulu
And of course, you can still find “Stephen’s Climb” on the Short Stories page!
August 10, 2023 – I’ve just posted another story “To the Top, Cowboy!”, on the Short Stories page!
This story was one that I recently submitted to several short story contests, but didn’t seem to get anywhere with them. Competition for those things can be fierce! Anyway, I enjoyed writing it too much to just leave it on my computer unpublished, so I’m sharing it with you.
The story itself is a composite of several very short blurbs that I had written, but had never finished. Many of the events are based on actual incidents that happened to me while living abroad as a study abroad student in Thailand and as an ESL teacher in South Korea, where I still live.
August 4, 2023 – I’ve just posted my first short story, “Stephen’s Climb”, on the Short Stories page! I hope you enjoy it!
Initially, I was trying to submit this story to several different publishers, but was rejected, usually on the grounds that it “just didn’t fit what they were looking for”. Maybe that is a polite way to brush someone off, though it just as well could be “We loved it, but it doesn’t fit our publication requirements.” In the publishing world, competition is fierce, and responses are vague at best.
I decided that it was more important to me to just get this story out there and see what people think, rather than just waiting around for a publisher to accept it. In the end, the internet is a great leveler, and stories I post on this site have the potential to reach just as many people as an e-zine. I’m not delusional, though. Publishers have a built in audience and an ability to market themselves that I don’t currently have. Though I would love to be able to share my work through a variety of different publications, my idea of success at this point would be able to write stories that I think are unique, interesting, and that test my abilities as a writer. I am doing this for myself, but if you enjoy these stories, then I am doing it for you, too.
June, 2023 – I’m currently submitting my first short horror story, tentatively titled “Stephen’s Climb”, to several online publishers. If accepted, you will find information about how to read it here. Please check back often!
Joshua Vise 