Tales From New Pangea–Dinosaur Adventure for your Kindle

My Tales from New Pangea Kindle series from Dark Owl Publishing has taken off like a rogue T. rex! Inspired by writers like Michael Crichton and Arthur Conan Doyle, this is the dinosaur sci-fi saga I’ve always wanted to write, so if you’ve never read a New Pangea story, pick whichever .99 cent title sounds most exciting and enjoy! You can read the stories in any order.

Baryonyx Crossing

When her son goes missing, Jessie Harding is sure he is in dangerous territory known for the presence of a truly fearsome predator, the Baryonyx. A hunter of the creatures herself, she must go find him before it’s too late.

What Remains

Tate Jackson receives a letter from a woman in his past who lovingly tells him she’s pregnant. Knowing very well he could lose his life, Tate decides to brave the extreme dangers of New Pangea–including bloodthirsty Megalodon and titanic pterosaurs–to find her again.

Scavenger’s Path and Other Tales of Innocence Lost

Three stories of innocence lost in New Pangea revolving around themes of temptation, family, the struggle to survive: “Sawyer’s Dimetrodon,” “Good Morning Iguanodon,” and “Scavenger’s Path.

Raptor Dance and Other Trials of Humanity

Four tales of primal romance, dinosaurs, and deceit illustrate the trials of humanity in the savage world of New Pangea: “Raptor Dance,” “Tyrannosaur Dreams,” “The Scrape,” and “Winged and Wild.”

The Butcher of Jurassica

In a cutting edge dinosaur slaughterhouse on the primordial continent of New Pangea, mighty Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, and Stegosaurus are butchered daily, but corruption and greed rise to the top of the menu.

More dinosaur adventure to come in 2024 too, so keep an eye on this blog and Dark Owl’s website. We’ll have a new story every month!

Psst… There’s Also a Novel!

If you like the short stories, there’s also a full-length New Pangea novel. In Carnivore Keepers, the mining settlement Columbia struggles against a barren environment, fearsome Deinonychuses, and scavenging pterosaurs. If only the dinosaurs were the deadliest threat.

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December 2023 Publications Round-Up

Happy holidays, readers! I’m wrapping up 2024 with a slew of new publications.

Dinosaur Adventure

Our Tales from New Pangea series continues with What Remains in December, described by one reader as a “page turner with heart.” It features two of my favorite non-dinosaur prehistoric animals–the Megalodon and Quetzalcoatlus!

Scavenger’s Path and Other Tales of Innocence Lost is set for January 5th, showcasing Dimetrodon, Iguanodon, and a certain thagomizer-wielding herbivore. And Tyrannosaur Dreams and Other Tales of Survival is slated for February 5th (with a little dinosaur romance–no joke!) Look forward to more New Pangea stories well into 2024.

Holiday Horror

Head over to the Horror Tree’s Trembling With Fear Holiday Edition to read my 2023 Christmas Terror Tale “Cinema Chill” set at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theater.

Something Literary

Finally, my literary flash fiction “Greener Pastures” has been published in issue 13 of 10 By 10 Flash alongside my fellow La Grange writer Marie Anderson’s excellent story “Bonding.”

More to come in 2024, and as usual, if you like what you read (or even if you don’t), please remember to review! Word of mouth helps other readers discover new writers, and it helps writers discover new readers too!

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November 2023 Publications Round-Up

The weather outside ain’t frightful, but Christmas Terror is on the horizon! Before the year wraps up, just wanted to shout out these recent publications and upcoming events.

DINOSAURS: First up, I’ve teamed up with Dark Owl Publishing to bring you Tales from New Pangea, monthly installments of sci-fi adventure where humans and dinosaurs collide! New stories will hit Kindle on the 5th of each month, including a few reprinted tales you may have missed, as well as brand new tales. November’s story is “Baryonyx Crossing!”

SOMETHING LITERARY: My short story “Principle at the Pump” is FREE to read over at the Penmen Review, a great academic fiction publication!

HOLIDAY HORROR: Check out three of my reprinted tales in Macabre Minima’s HO HO HO anthology. This is a really nice book of short, sharp 100-word spooky Christmas tales that’ll make a great gift for the horror fan in your life! My Halloween story “Haywire” has been included in If I Die Before I Wake Volume 8 from Sinister Smile Press. My other Halloween story “Last Call for Candy” is included in the Happy Hellidays anthology from HellBound Books!

LOCAL EVENT: Are you an Illinois local hoping to get some signed books for stocking stuffers? Good news! I’ll be at the Krampus Dark Christmas event, hosted by Paranormal Chicago. The event will be at the Thornton Distilling Co. on Saturday, December 9, from 12 – 9 PM Central, and it’s just $1 to enter!. Check out the event page here!

Of course if you can’t make Krampus’s event (or you you’re understandably wary of him), you can get all my books on Amazon. Don’t forget to grab my newest horror anthology The Misery King’s Country, and please write reviews. Writing a short, honest review on Goodreads and Amazon is the BEST way to support an indie author you know!

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Behind the Misery – PART 2: Eyeballs and the Unseen!

Thanks again for those reading and enjoying my recent anthology The Misery King’s Country. Continuing with my “Behind the Misery” author notes, here are some behind the scenes tidbits on 5 more tales! Check out PART 1 if you missed it.

Carefree Parenting (2019)—This 100-word drabble, first published by The Horror Tree, is sort of my apocalyptic take on the song “Que Sera, Sera.” I think sometimes in life we get a lot of well-intended “let your hair down and be wild and crazy” advice when we’re younger, and I suppose I’m parodying that here.

It Watches (2019)—First published by Tell-Tale Press. The idea of the “eye monster” came first as a sketch I did while waiting for a writers group meeting to start. As I sat down to write the story, I used it as a challenge for evoking the setting of the mid-1990s. Chance’s story about a female Knight is based on a story that I wrote in middle school. I wonder if there’s still a copy of that story in my parents’ attic. The scene in the bank vault is inspired by my days working as a teller. I never got robbed in my banking days, but we were well-instructed on how to handle it.

Ice Cold Lemonade (2021)—Another Horror Tree story! This one started as a cool title in a brainstorming list. I figured the titular beverage suited a hot, summer, daytime horror story, and what’s a lemonade stand without a couple of creepy kids? If you want to check out another “creepy kid” story, go read “Ink” in The Misery King’s Closet.

Read “The Gray Man’s Promise” in The Misery King’s Country

The Gray Man’s Promise (2022)—Previously published by Dark Recesses Press, the Gray Man is my creepy, Tim-Burtonesque take on the Tin Man. Check out that absolutely killer illustration of the Gray Man by artist Vincent Bailey from the original publication. However, as much as I like the monster, for me, the human characters and their family dynamic are the core of this story. The narrator Traci is one of my favorite “middle-child” protagonists holding her family together. Of course, for the ultimate “middle-child” novel written by a middle-child, check out my middle-grade adventure book Grayson North: Frost-Keeper of the Windy City. Grayson will be getting a second edition in 2024, but if you’re having trouble finding a copy, please reach out to me on social media.

Can’t Unsee (2018)—Not much to say about this 100-word drabble, previously published by The Horror Tree, except that I’m pretty good at cracking eggs, and to date, I have never seen anything gross or horrific come out of one. For another “beware of eggs” story, check out my New Pangea dinosaur tale “Scavenger’s Path,” which will also be seeing a reprint in 2024 (more New Pangea news on the horizon).

Anything else you want to know about these or any of my stories? I’d would love to hear from you! Comment below or reach out on social media!

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Behind the Misery – Author Notes on 4 Stories!

People like to ask how writers come up with ideas, so I want to continue sharing “behind the scenes” tidbits! Here are fun facts on stories featured in my new anthology The Misery King’s Country. While I won’t divulge huge spoilers in this blog, be advised, it’s more fun to read the story before you read “behind the misery.”

The Misery King’s Country (2023)—NEW to this anthology is the titular tale, which serves as my Rod Serling-style flash fiction intro. This is a sibling story to “The Misery King’s Closet,” which kicked off my previous collection. Fun fact: I confess that I hadn’t initially realized I was co-opting the name “King” and pairing it with one of Stephen King’s most famous works Misery. I consider it a happy, subconscious, accidental homage to the first adult horror author who I gravitated toward as a young reader—though I admit as of this writing I haven’t read Misery (shame on me). The first King novel I ever read in 6th grade was The Dead Zone, which absolutely captivated me. I haven’t locked in the theme of my next Misery King Anthology, but I’m considering The Misery King’s Courtship, The Misery King’s Machine, The Misery King’s Christmas, or The Misery King’s Halloween. If you have a preference, let me know!

Chickenscratch (2016)—First published in Double Feature Magazine, this story was born from a “six-word” writing exercise at the Brookfield Writers Group. Every writer in the group submitted a word and six were chosen at random. I can’t recall all six words anymore (“honeycomb” and “bubbles” are still in there), but the story never would have materialized without the Brookfield group. My Brookfield colleagues were also instrumental in having the story workshopped (and re-workshopped!) Chickenscratch is also one of the few “zombie” stories I’ve written. Given how much great zombie fiction is out there, I try only to write a zombie story if I feel like I’ve got an interesting or unexpected angle. Chickenscratch also reflects an odd trope in my writing in which someone skewers something with a pitchfork in a barn. I don’t know why that scenario keeps coming up in my stories, but if you want to read a very different story about a pitchfork stabbing, check out “She’s Comin’ With Me” in Valentine Terror Tales!

Axman’s Bridge (2019)—This 100-word drabble, first published at The Horror Tree, is tied to an urban legend I heard as a high-schooler in Chicago’s South Suburbs. Go ahead and Google “Axman’s Bridge Crete IL” because the real story is certainly creepier than mine, but it made for a good basis for a short shocker where ghost hunters bite off more than they can chew.

Knife Salesman (2023)—First published by Rooster Republic Press as part of their Two-thousand Word Terrors. I first came up with the salesman character, and he and his case of deadly instruments clattered around my brain for a few years before the rest of the tale came together. I originally envisioned this as a short film, so here’s hoping someday someone will make one!

That’s all for today, but I’ll share more “Behind the Misery” notes in the coming weeks. THANK YOU to everyone who has picked up a copy of The Misery King’s Country. I greatly appreciate the readership and look forward to hearing what you think. Remember to review!

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The Misery King’s Country Press Release

September, 2023–Author Kevin M. Folliard’s 2023 horror anthology The Misery King’s Country is now available. Past blood-soaked shores, beyond a desolate wasteland, the Misery King sits upon his throne of suffering and shares stories of isolation, madness, and corruption.

Sink into this sinister collection featuring 27 works of rural and urban horror. Cunning cryptids, warped subway tunnels, infected livestock, and slippery snake oil salesmen permeate these tales previously featured by The Horror Tree, Sinister Smile Press, The Dread Machine, and more.

The collection features horror tales for an adult audience which range from 100-word drabbles to longer pieces, including four debut stories “The Misery King’s Country,” “Last Stop,” “Trouble the Water,” and “Emmitt’s Pack.”

The Misery King’s Country is available through Amazon and expanded distribution channels.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin M. Folliard is a Chicagoland writer whose fiction has been collected by The Horror Tree, The Dread Machine, Demain Publishing, Dark Owl Publishing, and more. His recent publications include his NEW horror anthology The Misery King’s Country—available October 2023—his YA fantasy adventure novel Grayson North: Frost-Keeper of the Windy City, and his 2022 dinosaur adventure novel Carnivore Keepers. Kevin currently resides in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, where he enjoys his day job in academia and membership in the La Grange Writers Group. You can learn more about his writing at www.KevinFolliard.com!

Purchase The Misery King’s Country on Amazon!

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Recent Publications and a NEW BOOK for Fall!

Summer is winding down, autumn is gearing up, and I’m rounding up my recent publications:

  • My sci-fi story “Normalcy Protocol” has been collected in Monstrous Futures by Dark Matter Press!
  • My dark romance tale “Shades of Dorian” was collected in Grendel Press’s anthology The Devil Who Loves Me.”
  • My Unholy Trinity (three 100-word drabbles connected by a theme) “Whispers, Signs, and Signals” was featured at The Horror Tree on 5-7-2023!
  • My story “Deep and Dark” has been reprinted in Mirrors Reflecting Shadows, a themed LGBTQ charity anthology benefitting The Trevor Project, which has worked tirelessly on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.

MORE upcoming publications are slated for 2023 too, including my Halloween tale “Haywire,” coming from Sinister Smile Press this October.

Finally, the Misery King has vacated his closet to cause coast-to-coast chills in my new horror anthology The Misery King’s Country! Enjoy this sneak peek at the beautiful cover art by J.T. Molloy! This book will feature 27 works of rural and urban horror, collecting many of my stories together for the first time, and including several never-before-published tales!

I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

Read or Purchase Kevin M. Folliard’s Books on Amazon!

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Read “Knife Salesman” & “Aiden’s Confession”

Good news! I’ve got two newly published horror stories–both about courageous women in dire predicaments–for your eager reader eyes!

People like to ask about how writers come up with their ideas, so I thought it would be fun to start sharing behind the scenes tidbits on newly published stories here at my blog going forward.

“Knives have so many uses!”

First up is a slice of life called “Knife Salesman,” collected by Rooster Republic Press as part of a nifty online complication called Two-thousand Word Terrors. I came up with the outrageous door-to-door salesman character first, and he and his case of deadly instruments clattered around my brain for a few years before I figured out whose antagonist he actually was. I had originally envisioned this to be a short film, but pitting the sadistic salesman against a reclusive woman in the middle of nowhere compelled me to write the prose version, and I’m glad I did. Thanks to my friends in the Brookfield Writers Group who helped me refine and revise this tale.

“What I really wanted was to see past those eyes, far past them, and know everything, no matter how much it hurt.”

Next, we have a dark romance called “Aiden’s Confession” at The Horror Tree’s weekly Trembling with Fear feature. Is it possible I had been watching too many Investigation Discovery “Who-the-Bleep-Did-I-Marry?” type shows on Hulu at the time I wrote this one? Perhaps. But once again Brookfield Writers Group helped me push this story beyond its premise, and the Horror Tree’s editorial staff helped me polish it up.

These stories only take minutes to read, so I hope you’ll check them out, along with the other excellent tales you’ll find by my fellow horror writers at both publications. Share these stories with your horror pals, and please comment or reach out to let me know what you think! I would love to hear from you!

Kevin M. Folliard’s Books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Folliard/e/B0097S7T0A/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

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January and February Kindle Giveaways

VTTCoverI need more book reviews! So, I’m making the following titles FREE for Kindle on the following dates:

And here are some One-Stop links for info about my books.

Author Website: http://www.kevinfolliard.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Folliard/e/B0097S7T0A%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5266996.Kevin_M_Folliard

Even if you’ve already read a title, please be sure to grab the FREE Kindle version before writing an Amazon review, because that makes it a verified review. A review does not have to be long, complicated, or time consuming. Just take a moment to rate and write a sentence or two about what you liked or didn’t like. Many thanks for your support!

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Carnivore Keepers on Sale NOW!

CarnivoreKeepersDraftFrontCoverAugust 15, 2022 – Author Kevin M. Folliard’s sci-fi adventure novel Carnivore Keepers is now available from Dark Owl Publishing!

In the primordial world of New Pangea, the mining settlement Columbia struggles against a barren environment, fearsome Deinonychuses, and scavenging predators. If only the dinosaurs were the deadliest threat.

A pack of raiders who bond with carnivores plague the town with relentless attacks, murdering innocents and plundering resources. The raiders capture Ambassador Niles Stanton, a visiting diplomat, alongside Caleb West, a though-as-nails orphan. Because the alpha raider mistakenly believes that Caleb is Stanton’s son, he agrees to train the boy as one of their pack – so long as Stanton fulfills and undisclosed favor.

As they plot their escape, Stanton and Caleb must maintain their ruse, live among their enemies, and survive bloodthirsty carnotaurs. But countless lives hang in the balance when Stanton learns of the Alpha’s plot, involving complete devastation throughout Columbia and perhaps all of New Pangea.

Set in the tradition of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, Carnivore Keepers explores the steep cost of survival when human societies compete against nature… and each other.

Learn more about Carnivore Keepers at the official Dark Owl page:
https://www.darkowlpublishing.com/carnivore-keepers

Purchase Carnivore Keepers from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Carnivore-Keepers-Kevin-M-Folliard/dp/1951716299/ref=sr_1_2?crid=23AJHOI3ORN4U&keywords=Carnivore+keepers&qid=1659044832&sprefix=carnivore+keepers%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-2

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin M. Folliard is a Chicagoland writer whose fiction has been collected by The Horror Tree, The Dread Machine, Demain Publishing, Dark Owl Publishing, and more. His recent publications include his horror anthology The Misery King’s Closet, his YA fantasy adventure novel Grayson North: Frost-Keeper of the Windy City, and his 2022 dinosaur adventure novel Carnivore Keepers. Kevin currently resides in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, where he enjoys his day job in academia and membership in the La Grange Writers Group.

NEW_PANGEA_1_copy_JTVersion

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