I’ll be at C2E2 again this year, along with other members of the HWA at booth WB-28 in the Writers Block area. On Saturday I’ll be part of the “Fear Not” panel. Here’s what it’s about: “From slush piles to publishing deals, and even how to navigate doing it yourself. Join the Chicago Chapter of The Horror Writers Association as they answer questions and discuss all the ways to publish horror in 2026.”

#C2E2 #HWAChicagolandChapter #bookstodon #books #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #DavidRider

Happy Read an Ebook Week! You can find my book #GrandpaBillysClowns available now at #Smashwords at a promotional price to help you celebrate. How does FREE sound?!

Find my books and many more at https://www.smashwords.com/sale from March 1 - March 7! #ebookweek26 #bookstodon #books #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #DavidRider

Come to #ImperialOakBrewing in Brookfield, Illinois for the first Local Author Palooza on March 21. The fine folks from #NewBookJoy are hosting the event. Several of us from the #HWAChicagolandChapter will be there, along with a score of other excellent authors. I’ll have a stack of anthologies and novels and assorted swag. Free stickers and handshakes for anyone who buys me a pint! (Disclaimer: All my stickers are free anyway.)

#bookstodon #books #DeadSkyPublishing #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #DavidRider #WeAreVanHelsing #AncasUndeadPlaylist

I received my author’s copy of the horror anthology If I Die Before I Wake: Tales of Cryptid Chaos featuring my story “We Bring Our Monsters.” For those keeping track, I now need two hands to count the number of Sinister Smile Press books I’ve contributed to.

#bookstodon #books #SinisterSmilePress #CrystalLakePublishing #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #DavidRider

Stopped by Krampus’ Secret Bookshoppe to chat with indie horror author #AlecoJulius at #TwoBrothersRoundhouse in Aurora

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Sinister Smile Press has released Tales of Cryptid Chaos, featuring my new story “We Bring Our Monsters.” This marks my third appearance in Sinister Smile’s If I Die Before I Wake anthology series. I’ve written a chiller about a girl named Mal who takes a summer job at an Oregon mall who soon finds herself being stalked by a mythical creature from Filipino folklore. This was one of those stories where the research was as much fun as the writing. Not only are cryptids real, they’re chaotic as all hell. 👣

#bookstodon #books #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #SinisterSmilePress #CrystalLakePublishing #DavidRider #CryptidChaos #cryptids

https://getbook.at/IIDBIW10

Back in January 2024 when I saw #DeadSkyPublishing would be accepting submissions for an anthology of cold-themed horror, I started work on a new story. It would be a fictionalized version of something that really happened to me in my hometown of Calumet City, Illinois. When I was around eleven, a man in a sedan offered me a ride to my friend’s house. I didn’t take the bait…but what if I had? I soon learned that writing about what *might’ve* happened if I’d been abducted really creeped me out.

“Find a Boy” begins with a kid named Dan escaping from his abductor’s car, but he’s in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard. The story gets increasingly dark from there.

Absolute Zero from Death’s Head Press is now available in bookstores. Get it before the weather turns colder—but maybe read it by the fire.

I’ve included a picture of me at that age, with a street view image of the actual location where the person offered me the ride. Seeing the area again as an adult is chilling because it makes me wonder if the creepy guy found a different kid that day.

#AbsoluteZeroAnthology #bookstodon #books #IndieAuthor #HorrorAuthors #IndieHorror #SupportIndieHorror #HorrorCommunity #DavidRider