I spent the weekend grateful for the fact that I live in Oregon and enjoying the natural splendor of the Oregon Coast. It was unseasonably warm (for the coast) at 80 degrees and sunny. There was a light breeze blowing instead of the usual cold wind from the 50-degree ocean water. It was truly lovely.
We’ve had a long, long winter here (like, it seems like it just ended a few days ago…), so this taste of summer was glorious.
I spent a good bit of time at my favorite overlook (on a cliff about 100 feet above the beach) enjoying the weather and the view and the sound of the ocean. And I was reminded of how much I used to enjoy reading a book on the beach when I used to live on the East coast.
The ocean and beaches are different there. You can read physical books because the winds are calm. And you can go in the water because it’s warm.
But as I sat in the rocking chair that one of the locals has placed at my favorite overlook, I realized I can read on the beach here, too. I just need to use my e-reader instead.
And no matter what type of fun summer activity you have planned, be it a visit to the beach or the pool or a mountain river or even the desert, we’ve got plenty of reading material for you to enjoy.
This week, we have a Pulphouse double feature: one magazine and one book.
Up first is our Christmas in July special (okay, Christmas in June), the newest Pulphouse book Jingle My Bells.
Here’s the synopsis:
Love the holiday seasons?
Of course you do. Full bellies and the joyful promise of a new year make for good stories and fun reading.
Add some twists and weirdness, Pulphouse-style, from some of the greatest fiction writers working today, and you have Jingle My Bells, the best weird holiday stories from Pulphouse Fiction Magazine.
Enjoy reading this collection any time of the year, but especially during the holidays!
Includes:
“Dreaming of a Carboniferous Christmas” by Robert Jeschonek
“Spells for the Holidays” by Ray Vukcevich
“A Menagerie of Messed Up Shorts” by Mark Leslie
“An Ideal Husband” by Jerry and Kathy Oltion
“Fatal Plot Device” by Kelly Washington
“Severed Ties” by R. W. Wallace
“A Blood-Soaked Christmas Wish” by David Stier
“Virtching Merry” by Kent Patterson
“Naughty Children” by Mary McKenna
“Nutball Season” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Click here to order.
And on Thursday, Pulphouse Fiction Magazine #18 publishes. Here’s the synopsis of that one:
A three-time Hugo Award nominated magazine, this issue of Pulphouse Fiction Magazine offers up twenty-one fantastic stories by some of the best writers working in modern short fiction.
No genre limitations, no topic limitations, just great stories. Attitude, feel, and high-quality fiction equals Pulphouse.
Includes:
“The Problematic Navigation of the Vessel Clayton Booker” by J. Steven York
“The Forgiving Execution” by Rob Vagle
“How Fred the Opossum Mobilized the Microbes and Saved the Universe” by Mary Jo Rabe
“Cards on the Table” by Adam-Troy Castro
“Big Green Man” by Don Webb
“The Wall” by Lisa Silverthorne
“He Who Howls” by O’Neil De Noux
“The Train in the Ladies’ Room” by Kent Patterson
“The Secret of Catnip” by Stefon Mears
“Ashes to Ashes” by Jerry Oltion
“The Short Life and Horny Times of a Teenage Mantis” by David H. Hendrickson
“The Pillow of Disappointment and What Was Found Beneath It” by Scott Edelman
“Love the Way She Saw It” by C.H. Hung
“Erwin or Ralph” by Ray Vukcevich
“Gossamer Ghosts” by Robert J. McCarter
“Far From Home” by R.W. Wallace
“The Devil Went Down to the Sunset Strip” by Dayle A. Dermatis
“Like a Hole in the Head” by Jason A. Adams
“Shadows on the Moon” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
“The Last Julian” by Annie Reed
“Voyage of the Dog-Propelled Starship” by Robert Jeschonek
Click here to order or here to learn more about subscribing to be sure you never miss an issue.
You just can’t go wrong with Pulphouse. It’s guaranteed to distract you from whatever you need distracting from these days.
Allyson Longueira is publisher of WMG Publishing. She is an award-winning writer, editor and designer, working mother, and brain tumor survivor.