● New book
Brick Built Dad
by Jonathan Gensler
Jim’s beloved son just died in a school shooting incident, and nothing will ever be normal again. Obsessed and swimming in grief, regret, and confusion, everything begins to fall apart until some of his son’s weird friends show up at the funeral with BRICK-ITs. Jim follows these tiny, plastic building blocks down the rabbit hole, lured into a mysterious toy store where the strange old man who runs the place shows him things beyond his imagination. He will soon learn the true nature of play, cursed toys, and familial love as he finds a way to rebuild his life out of tiny, plastic Brick-Its.
Jonathan Gensler (he/him) grew up in a haunted house on the outskirts of a cursed town. He’s published nearly 20 short stories since 2023 in venues such as Cosmic Horror Monthly, On Spec Magazine, and Creepy Pod, and debuted his haunted sea shanty musical, GHOSTS OF THE ESSEX, at the 2026 Hollywood Fringe Fest. An Army combat veteran, recovering entrepreneur, and Active Member of the HWA, he lives and writes in the Rocky Mountains with his wife and three children. You can connect with him online at jonathangensler.com.
● New book
A Pox Upon the Heart
by A.E. Hofmockel
The Grim Reapers Union is going on strike! The Grim Reaper of E. Coli hasn’t had a vacation in over 140 years and is on his union-mandated break when he bumps into Tawny, a barista struggling to keep her life together. This unlikely pair has to navigate a budding relationship while dealing with overpopulating bacteria, accidentally finding a moniker, falling into the Otherside, souls coming apart, and romantic beach picnics interrupted by hordes of crabs. The wholesome tug of their heartstrings has to overcome work-life balance and desperate choices before they can make the ultimate commitment… a second date.
A.E. Hofmockel is a writer, maker, and librarian from Chicago, IL. She writes speculative fiction about dragons, space, love, fear, exploration, and doing the best that you can. When not writing, she collects tiny glass animals, cares for her multiple cats, and attempts to garden.
● New book
Joy Machine
by P.J. Bresnahan
Sign up. Plug in. Indulge. Get paid. Is it really that simple? Myron is about to find out what being a “professional hedonist” is all about. Dr. Rusk and Dr. Fitz are just doing their jobs to monitor the system and the incarcerated test subjects that make up the back end. Prisoner 1-8-5-2, or “Tony” to his friends, is about to embark on a transformative journey from the discomfort of his own cell. What could go wrong?
Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, P.J. Bresnahan is a writer, artist, performer, technician, and Discordian. Often, his works fall under the Speculative Fiction umbrella, with special attention to Bizarro, Science Fiction, and Fantasy. Known for writing and producing short films such as “Spoons” and “Growing Darkness,” he also won the 72-hour film race, where he was responsible for the sound and music for “Role Initiative: a D&D musical.”
Most of his recreational efforts focus on capturing moments where the absurdity of life meets the art of having a good time. Having spent most of his career working as either a bartender or a sound engineer, some would say he listens on a professional level.
● New book
Monoceros
by Bitter Karella
Charlie has big problems — he works a tedious job with a boss always on his back, his overly concerned girlfriend who doesn’t understand him, and he lives in a society that hates fun and imagination. Worst of all, he’s randomly turned into a unicorn right in the middle of a very important therapy session, and now he’s being pursued by both the government and a secret society of all the 12-year-old girls in the world who want to possess him. But as bad as things are, perhaps, just perhaps, being a unicorn might just be the solution that he never knew he was looking for.
Bitter Karella (any pronouns) is a genderfluid goblin and Bizarro horror writer. Her short story “Low Tide Jenny,” originally published in Seize the Press magazine, was a winner of the Brave New Weird award for best new weird fiction of 2022 by Tenebrous Press. His work has also appeared in Bag of Bones’ “Step into the Light,” Tenebrous Press’ “Your Body is Not Your Body,” Ghoulish Books’ “Bound in Flesh,” and From Beyond Press’ “The World Belongs to Us.” Their debut novel, Moonflow, was published by Orbit US in September 2025 and was shortlisted for the 2026 Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. Her sophomore novel, Quaint Folk, is due in October 2026.
