Today’s episode features a short story read by the author, Robert E. Stahl. Hungry Waters was originally published as the winner in the November (Halloween) 2024 issue of Flame Tree’s Flash Fiction Newsletter Contest https://www.flametreepress.com/newsletters/flame-tree-fiction-newsletter-november-2024-monster-masquerade/ Robert E. Stahl recently released his first collection of short stories! We chat about the publishing process, the world of short (and long) story writing, horror movies, and m...
Jul 08, 2025•30 min
Why Substack is a no-brainer for fiction writers I came to Substack when MailerLite began charging me after I passed 1000 subscribers. Who knew how much AWESOMENESS I would find on this platform? Please take a peek at my short video, but here are the highlights * Your newsletter is delivered for free. And your podcast. Win. Win. * Discoverability! Substack is the new cool place to hang out for authors. My list doubled in just a few months. * Pretty dang simple to use. (Hey, if I could figure it ...
May 12, 2025•2 min
How do you win Writers of the Future and what happens in Hollywood? This podcast features a short story read by the author, Robert F. Lowell. A Monstrous Bid was originally published in Flash Fiction Online in Feb 2024, can be read here: https://flashfictionmagazine.com/blog/2024/02/19/a-monstrous-bid/ Robert F. Lowell (Fred) is a friend from my writing group, and he just returned from the Writers of the Future gala because his story was a winner and can be found in Volume 41, which was just rel...
Apr 25, 2025•44 min
This episode originally aired on Read Me A Nightmare 3 years ago! But I am sure many of you missed this magical and fun performance. Rachel Luttrell is not only an award-winning actor, but also my very best friend. Listen to the story and stay tuned afterward for a conversation about acting, life, and our friendship. NOW for the story: Wyatt is having the baddest of all bad days... And when he gets sucked into a magical world, it's about to become wildly worse. Read by Rachel LuttrellThis story ...
Dec 23, 2024•38 min
Welcome to (drum roll please) episode 50 of Read Me A Nightmare! Betty might be forgetful lately, but she KNOWS her daughter-in-law would never leave her son. Can she find Angel before it’s too late? Today, we are featuring a story starring one of my most popular protagonists, Betty, a detective battling dementia. (Based on my fierce mother-in-law, Linda Fawns). “Losing Angel” continues the tale that first began in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine with my very first pro sale, “Three Calendars.” “Lo...
Dec 14, 2024•29 min
What’s that dark spot on the wall? Ink was written by Akis Linardos and first published in Maul Magazine in September 2022. Sadly, Maul Magazine is defunct. Then I bought the story and reprinted it in my Cursed & Creepy anthology. Check out Cursed & Creepy In a cove of a Greek island, Akis was born a sane infant but has since then grown to enter the chaotic world of adults--a choice he deeply regrets. His stories delve both into epic worlds and ones of extreme darkness. Find him at Apex,...
Nov 23, 2024•18 min
Welcome to Episode 48 of Read Me a Nightmare, I’m Angelique Fawns, your host. Today I’m sharing a creepy tale featuring a Haunted Circus and a bloodthirsty clown. Peggy’s Hungry Haunted Clown first appeared in It Was All A Dream 2: Another Anthology of Bad Horror Tropes Done Right, released this August by Hungry Shadow Press. This is a gorgeous anthology with custom art for each story and I share the TOC with some phenomenal writing friends of mine, including Yelena Crane and Amanda Cecelia Lang...
Nov 11, 2024•23 min
This guy tried to pick up the wrong witch… Body Count was written by myself and recently published in DreamForge’s Dark Visions magazine, its annual Halloween treat. You can read the story for free here: https://bit.ly/Body-Count-A-Fawns Body Count is read by Kelly Pidgeon, one of the best voices in the business. No one does a tough guy character like he does. Kelly is also a member of the band, Boats Against the Current . You can listen to their music here: https://boatsagainstthecurrentmusic.b...
Oct 27, 2024•22 min
A ghost story at an all-girls boarding school just in time for Halloween… The Matron of Hawthorne Hall was written by myself, and inspired by my time working at an exclusive boarding school in the countryside outside of London England. The story is read by Kristi Stewart, a professional voice actor and frequent performer for this podcast. The Matron of Hawthorne Hall is published in the current issue of Max Blood’s Mausoleum HERE. Max Blood’s Mausoleum: A Home for the Weird and Terrifying Max Bl...
Oct 03, 2024•23 min
What are those dark shadows in the trees? You may never camp again… PLUS - Building a career with short stories. This episode features a short horror story by Mark Leslie called The Shadow Men, read by himself. Would you love a print version of this tale and other creepy offerings? Mark Leslie is in the last days of a Kickstarter for his updated and illustrated anniversary collection ONE HAND SCREAMING. Don’t miss out! KICKSTARTER Mark Leslie has published more than 25 books. He has a comedy hor...
Sep 06, 2024•32 min
Episode 44 - Treats and an Interview with Robert Stahl Sticky Pumpkin Guts and Unlikely Ghouls… Read Me a Nightmare presents “Treats”, written and read by Robert Stahl. Stay tuned after this short horror romp for an interview with the author where we talk about the writing process, life as a horror writer, rescue dogs, and the pros and cons of writing long. Treats was first published in Oct 2019 in Rigor Morbid: Lest Ye Become , and reprinted in Cursed & Creepy in Nov 2023. Learn more about ...
Aug 09, 2024•51 min
Even Scarecrows love a carnival… Our episode today features Christopher Henckel and his short story "Remember the Gallscream." I bought this tale for Book #1 of the HorrorLite Anthologies CURSED AND CREEPY. Born in the backwoods of West Virginia, Christopher Henckel is a country boy down to his molecular structure. He now lives in New Zealand with his lovely partner, Annaliese, and two equally lovely daughters, Avery and Coco. His stories can be found in Galaxy’s Edge magazines and various antho...
Jun 24, 2024•49 min
Jingle, Jingle. Any time of year is a good time for Christmas Horror. R.J.K. Lee not only reads his own story, "Memo From the Jolly Overlords", but also sticks around for a candid interview. Are you addicted to short stories? Desperately trying to figure out how to make money writing? Yup. Hang out for the chat afterwards. Memo From the Jolly Overlords was first broadcast on the Weird Christmas Podcast in December of 2020 and then published in Book #1 of the HorrorLite Anthologies CURSED AND CRE...
Mar 19, 2024•28 min
You never know what you might find-- or lose-- in an antique shop. Our episode today features Shannon Fox and her short story "The Garden Party." I bought this tale for Book #1 of the HorrorLite Anthologies CURSED AND CREEPY. "The Garden Party" was originally published in September 2019 in the anthology Cursed Collectibles. If you are interested in learning about a great writing conference and the pros and cons of indie versus trad publishing, you will enjoy the interview after the story. Shanno...
Mar 16, 2024•51 min
This tomato is spicy! "Minny and the Mutant Tomato" is an original story written by Angelique Fawns for the anthology Cursed and Creepy . Minny Brown wants to win the local fair and she’ll do anything to make sure her tomatoes are the biggest on Pelee Island. Including stealing her dad’s ultra-secret growth serum. The new formula works too well. A mutant tomato pops up and he's not about to fill a bottle of ketchup. Can Minny stop the tomatopocalypse? Bill Wiesner is our reader for this episode....
Jan 26, 2024•12 min
Not all snakes are reptiles. "A Cold Slither Killing" first appeared in Heavy Metal Nightmares anthology by Phobica Books March, 2023. This story is voiced by Kristi Stewart. She is a regular performer for Read Me A Nightmare. Her career has taken her from the newsroom, as an associate producer, a promotions director in country radio as well as a public relations manager for a not for profit, and, sponsorship manager for Rogers TV Toronto… all the while keeping her fingers in the entertainment f...
Nov 21, 2023•24 min
If you go into the woods today... Beware the Zaggamung. James Hancock is a writer/screenwriter of comedy, thriller, horror, sci-fi and twisted fairy tales. A few of his short screenplays have been made into films, and he has been published in print magazines, online, and in anthology books. He lives in England, with his wife and two daughters. And a bunch of pets he insisted his girls could NOT have. Zaggamung is a short atmospheric horror story written byJames Hancock and performed by Karen Shu...
Aug 21, 2023•51 min
So you're a shark, and you are looking for the best place to hang. What if there was a Trip Advisor for sea life? On today's episode, Pete Lead, a fellow author and improv actor presents his own story, "A Review of Bondi Beach, written by Henry the Shark." Pete Lead is a writer, narrator, and facilitator who currently calls New Zealand his home. You can learn more about him at www.petelead.com Stay tuned after the reading for a conversation about looking at writing as a business and strategies f...
Jul 28, 2023•30 min
What is the secret behind the skull of the Peking man? Plus, how does one become the most famous sci-fi writer in Canadian history? Robert J. Sawyer is our guest today and he reads his award-winning story, "Peking Man." Robert J. Sawyer is one of only eight writers — and the only Canadian — to win all three of the world's top Science Fiction awards for best novel of the year: the Hugo , the Nebula , and the John W. Campbell Memorial Award . He’s also won more Aurora awards than anyone in history...
Jun 16, 2023•1 hr
Who is the ghost you see everyday? A gothic cautionary tale. This episode features a flash fiction piece by Amanda Cecelia Lang called "The Woman in the Churchyard". It was first presented by Manawaker Studio’s Flash Fiction Podcast in June 2020. Our retelling is brought to life by Karen Shute, one of the biggest horror experts I know, and a regular performer on this podcast. Amanda Cecelia Lang is an author and aspiring recluse from Denver, Colorado. She writes weird novels and short fiction, t...
Jun 05, 2023•35 min
How do you win Writers of the Future? Coordinating Judge Judy Lynn Nye answers a selection of questions put together by the Wulf Pack writing group. ADDED BONUS. Jody Lynn Nye also reads her story "Superstition." Superstition first appeared in Furry Fantastic an anthology featuring otherworldly animals published in October 2006. You can also find this story in her collection Cats Triumphant. Jody Lynn Nye is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of fantasy and science fiction books a...
May 20, 2023•56 min
Beware! If you enter this bookstore... Plus how can you build a career and sustainable income with short stories? This episode features a short horror story by Mark Leslie called Browsers, read by Eric Bryan Moore. Mark Leslie has published more than 25 books. He has a comedy horror series featuring a Canadian Werewolf, several standalone thrillers and horror novels, a set of paranormal non-fiction books, and guides that help authors navigate publishing. You can find him at markleslie.ca After t...
May 18, 2023•53 min
How do you win Writers of the Future? What are the steps to growing a successful writing career? PLUS how do you retire from dragon slaying? David Hankins has returned from the Writers of the Future Awards Gala. His story "Death and the Taxman" was a winner and can be found in L. Ron Hubbard presents Writers of the Future Vol. 39 . For this episode we are presenting another story of his. "The Last Quest of Corbin the Coward" is written and performed by David Hankins and was originally published ...
May 03, 2023•38 min
Anita Brown has just met the sexiest man in London. Why has he given her an Iguana? "The Guanche, the Iguana, & the Kidnapping of Anita Brown" was first published by Allegory Ezine in their Spring/Summer 2022 issue. This episode features an interview with Brandon Case, author and erstwhile government cog, who fled reality to live in unsettling worlds of science and magic. He has recent work in Escape Pod, Death Knell Press, and Air and Nothingness Press, among others. You can catch his alpin...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 12 min
There's nothing quite like a bucket list with a body count. TRIGGER WARNINGS: Profanity, violence, vigilantism. Eda Obey (pen name EH Obey) reads the first two chapters of her novella KILLER RV. Buy From Amazon Baltimore housewife Delilah is thrilled to make friends with her new neighbor Peggy, who has terminal cancer, a vicious little dog, and an RV with a gimp drawer. https://www.lastgirlsclub.com Stay tuned after the reading for a candid chat with Eda. This is our third interview on this podc...
Jan 20, 2023•54 min
Cosmic Horror lurks in Arizona. Can one ex-military recluse save the world? "Kutulu in the Desert" first appeared in DreamForge Magazine's Halloween edition Dark Visions on October 17th, 2022. This episode features an interview with Jane Noel, the designer who created the art work for this story. Jane talks about fiction as an inspiration for art, and her journey with DreamForge Magazine. We get into the weeds with technology and techniques. Jane Noel is the artist and designer at DreamForge who...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 2 min
How far would you take your wedding vows? "Till Death Do Us Part" was written by James Hancock and first published in the anthology Broken Promises. He narrates his own story. James Hancock is a writer/screenwriter of comedy, thriller, horror, sci-fi and twisted fairy tales. A few of his short screenplays have been made into films, and he has been published in print magazines, online, and in anthology books. He lives in England, with his wife and two daughters. And a bunch of pets he insisted hi...
Dec 12, 2022•39 min
Try Floatation Therapy. It will be relaxing. We promise. "MgS04" was written by Angelique Fawns and first broadcast on The Other Stories in March 2020. If this story doesn't scare you, Karen Shute's true life experience in a floatation chamber will 100 % -- stay tuned after her reading to hear a story so unbelievably frightening that I wish I wrote it! Karen Shute is an editor, producer, voice actor, and all-round horror fan. We also talk about the BEST horror Christmas movies available for your...
Dec 05, 2022•31 min
Ogri is an Osset from Oberon. His dream is to be a dancer. But his destiny is in the rodeo ring... " Ogri Trips the Light Fantastic " was written by Angelique Fawns and published November 15, 2022 on dreamofshadows.co.uk . Dream of Shadows is a London based website that features monthly horror and fantasy stories. Ogri Trips the Light Fantastic is a science fiction flash that features an extraterrestrial creature who finds a way to makes lemonade when he’s given lemons. Bill Wiesner is our voice...
Nov 15, 2022•10 min
How far would you go to live in a crime-free world? And what are you willing to forget? "A Time To Forget" was written by Angelique Fawns and first published in the anthology Pulp Modern: Tech Noir by Pulp Modern and publisher Alec Cizak. AN ENSEMBLE CAST PERFORMANCE (in order of appearance) Frank- The CFO - Kelly Pidgeon Betty - The Scientist - Karen Shute Honour - Pleasure Provider - Kristi Stewart Isla - Rescue Worker - Brooke St. Onge Angus - Paramedic - Luke Fawns Emily - The Wife - Rachel ...
Sep 23, 2022•36 min
