BEAT to a PULP: Hardboiled 2 follows the blood-soaked trail left behind by the 2011 award-winning collection, edited by David Cranmer and Scott D. Parker, and pumps out another thirteen knuckle-breaking, crime tales. With writers from the 1930s and 40s golden era of pulp (Paul S. Powers and Charles Boeckman) and modern hardboiled masters (Robert J. Randisi and Wayne D. Dundee), this wild bunch is set to blaze a rat-a-tat sweep across the pulp fiction landscape. Keeping the body count high are top-shelf stories from Jedidiah Ayres, Eric Beetner, Jen Conley, Matthew C. Funk, Edward A. Grainger, BV Lawson, Tom Roberts, Kieran Shea, and Jay Stringer.

BEAT to a PULP: Hardboiled 2

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Randisi, Robert J.

Dundee, Wayne D.

Beetner, Eric

Conley, Jen

Ayres, Jedidiah

Boeckman, Charles

Cranmer, David

Funk, Matthew C.

Mystery

BEAT to a PULP

THUGLIT, one of the most award-winning crime publications on earth IS BACK with another issue filled to the brim with eight hardboiled short stories that will scorch your eyeballs. IN THIS ISSUE OF THUGLIT: THREE-LARGE by Nik Korpon PIPE by Jen Conley JUST LIKE MARIA by Mike MacLean MONSTER by Marc E. Fitch PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY by Katherine Tomlinson THE CARRIAGE THIEVES by Justin Porter THE NAME BETWEEN THE TALONS by Patrick J. Lambe SPELLED WITH A K by Buster Willoughby PLUS: Part II of Thuglit's exclusive first look at the upcoming novel by Todd Robinson, THE HARD BOUNCE from TYRUS BOOKS

THUGLIT Issue 2

Korpon, Nik

Tomlinson, Katherine

Porter, Justin

MacLean, Mike

Fitch, Mark E

Lambe, Patrick J

Willoughby, Buster

CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform

Zip up yer mouth holes and strap-on your. . . reading glasses. It’s THUGLIT time. Eight brand-spankin’ new tales of crime fiction that will rough you up in ways you never knew you liked. FEELING GOOD by Max Sheridan REDLINE by Eddie McNamara CATCH AND RELEASE by Harry St. John PIMP GAME '76 by R.J. Martin Jr. HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT NEW YORK BAGEL by Rob W. Hart VISITOR AT COPENHAGEN STREET by Jen Conley THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART by Adam McFarlane SHE DIED WITH GRACE by Stuart Smith &amp; Stephen Zippilli

THUGLIT Issue 9

Smith, Stuart

McFarlane, Adam

McNamara, Eddie

Sheridan, Max

St. John, Harry

Martin Jr., R. J.

Hart, Rob W

Zippilli, Stephen

The loose-cannons of crime fiction over at Thuglit Magazine bring you CRUEL YULE! Featuring: THE SANTA CON by Rob Hart CHRISTMAS MORNING COMING DOWN by Jordan Harper MISTLETOE by Hilary Davidson LETTERS TO SANTA by Thomas Pluck OKEECHOBEE by Ed Kurtz FELIZ NAVIDEAD by Brace Godfrey (as discovered by Johnny Shaw) THE BRASS COIN by Justin Porter A VERY BLACKY CHRISTMAS by Angel Luis Colón FORK by Jen Conley UNHOLY NIGHT by Terrence McCauley ‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE… by Todd Robinson Eleven stories of crime fiction to get you in the holiday spirit—as long as your holiday spirit is kindled by copious amounts of illicit drug use, murder, robbery, hand grenades, hand-removals and holiday handjobs… BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL IN THERE! EDITOR'S NOTE: Consider yourself warned. So when you stuff this collection in Granny's stocking, don't come complaining to us when you find her keeled over by New Years, her copy of CRUEL YULE clutched between her cold fingers, a horrified expression locked onto her mug for all eternity. Capiche?

Thuglit presents: CRUEL YULE: Holiday Tales of Crime for People on the Naughty List

McCauley, Terrence

Davidson, Hilary

Shaw, Johnny

Hart, Rob

Kurtz, Ed

Robinson, Todd

Harper, Jordan

Colon, Angel

Like some born killers, this pairing of crime stories and the songs of Bruce Springsteen is a natural one. Each of the accomplished authors in this unique anthology chose a Springsteen title as a starting point, and in the criminally inclined spirit of the Boss, drove headlong to wherever that inspiration called. The destinations are as wildly diverse and far-reaching as the songs that influenced them. Some arrive at hope and redemption; others end up smoking in a ditch. One thing's for sure: you sign up for this ride, and Trouble in the Heartland will transport you somewhere unforgettable. Lynne Barrett (Dancing in the Dark) Eric Beetner (Up All Night) Richard Brewer (Last to Die) Jamez Chang (This Little Light of Mine) Jen Conley (Hard to Be a Saint in the City) Mike Creeden (Something in the Night) Lincoln Crisler (Born to Run) Hilary Davidson (Hungry Heart) Chris DeWildt (Glory Days) Les Edgerton (The Iceman) Peter Farris (What Love Can Do) Paul J. Garth (Nebraska) Jordan Harper (Prove It All Night) Chris F Holm (Mansion on the Hill) Chris Irvin (Death to My Hometown) David James Keaton (The Ghost of Tom Joad) Isaac Kirkman (Streets of Fire) Chris Leek (Candy’s Room) Dennis Lehane (State Trooper) Benoit LeLievre (Atlantic City) Ezra Letra (Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street) John McFetridge (Spare Parts) Lela Scott Macneil (Darkness on the Edge of Town) Court Merrigan (The Promised Land) Brian Panowich (Wreck on the Highway) Rob Pierce (Rosalita) Tom Pitts (Local Hero) Keith Rawson (My Best Was Never Good Enough) Chuck Regan (Radio Nowhere) Chris Rhatigan (Wrecking Ball) Todd Robinson (We Take Care Of Our Own) Ryan Sayles (Highway Patrolman) Gareth Spark (Straight Time) Richard Thomas (Because the Night) James Tuck (I’m on Fire) Steve Weddle (Meeting Across the River) Chuck Wendig (Queens of the Supermarket) Dyer Wilk (Dry Lightning)

Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Fiction Based on the Songs of Bruce Springsteen

Literature & Fiction

BREWER, Richard J.

Short Stories & Anthologies

Gutter Books

A hard-hitting addition to the Gutter Books Rock Anthologies series, nominated for an Anthony Award! No one personifies the FTW rock-and-roll ethic better than the Man in Black. Johnny Cash’s music can be captured in that one iconic photograph. Guitar slung off his shoulder, sneer on his lips, middle finger extended to let the status quo know what he thought of it. Which is why Cash’s music speaks to so many of the marginalized, the forgotten, the misunderstood, the disen-franchised. Featuring some of today’s best crime fiction writers, Just to Watch Them Die is a kick-ass collection of wronged men and women who, like Johnny, walk the line every day, fighting for what they believe is right.

Just To Watch Them Die: Crime Fiction Inspired By the Songs of Johnny Cash (Gutter Books Rock Anthology Series)

Corbett, David

GRADY, James

Barrett, Lynne

United States

Gutter Books LLC

Nominated for the 2017 Anthony Award for Best Anthology/Collection Here you are in New Jersey, but not Soprano-land New Jersey, this is central Jersey, the edge of the Pine Barrens, where the everydayness of life is interrupted by devils and angels, murderers and saviors, cheaters and music fans. Bobby Kovacki adores his married girlfriend but is compelled to search for Janine, his hard-partying former classmate who has gone missing. Metalhead Marty, odd-looking and shy, has the chance of a lifetime when he joins the band Dark Beast. Tyrell Colton uses a two-foot-long pipe to avenge himself from a bully. Eleanor Webb, eighty-four, deals with her low blood pressure and a violent neighbor. In the title story, scrappy soccer player, Jade, veers down a path in the woods and stumbles upon a trio of terrifying drifters. And in several different tales, police officer Andrea Vogel, widowed and quietly brokenhearted, attempts to rescue the elderly, help an old boyfriend out, and connect with a young rape victim. Brutal and fierce, the characters in these linked stories search for meaning in their lives but more importantly, they search for the humanity in themselves. “Jen Conley has the rare ability to imbue her stories with an emotional heft that is both subtle and powerful within the darkness. Amongst the other writers with that similar (and extremely rare) skill set, none do it as well as she does.” —Todd Robinson, author of The Hard Bounce “Far from the concrete wasteland of the Turnpike lies the dark heart of the Garden State, and Cannibals carves it out still beating. Jen Conley writes with the soul and poetry of Springsteen, pure blue collar Jersey Gothic. These stories take a big bite out of you.” —Thomas Pluck, author of Blade of Dishonor

Cannibals: Stories from the Edge of the Pine Barrens

Down & Out Books

We know a healthy appetite for well-written short stories exists and we want to help make things better. Our goal with Down & Out: The Magazine is to be a little different than other magazines by standing on the shoulders of the giants that have come before us, or at least tiptoe along the arrows in the backs of the pioneers of modern magazine publishing. Each issue will feature a story based on a series character like this issue’s brand-new Moe Prager story by Reed Farrel Coleman. If you’re a fan of Moe, who is now retired, you’ll want to read this fantastic story. We also have new tales by established and well-known writers. This debut issue includes series stories by Eric Beetner, Michael A. Black, Jen Conley, Terrence McCauley, Rick Ollerman, and Thomas Pluck. J. Kingston Pierce, fresh off his former beat from Kirkus Reviews, introduces “Placed in Evidence,” his non-fiction column only to be found here. Finally, we’ll take a bit of the long road as we answer the question of what happened to crime fiction after Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler moved on from the pulps in “A Few Cents a Word.” This issue we re-introduce Frederick Nebel with the first of his Donahue series, “Rough Justice.” This is a fun one. For fans of good writing, good literature, and good crime...welcome.

Down & Out: The Magazine Vol 1, Issue 1

Coleman, Reed Farrel

Pluck, Thomas

Ollerman, Rick

Pierce, J. Kingston

Black, Michael A.

Nebel, Fredrick

Clowns are like politics; everyone has an opinion on them. In this collection of short stories you’ll find numerous takes on the world of the painted harlequin entertainer. Often maligned in today’s day and age, the institution of the clown means something to everyone. And sure, most of these clowns are armed. They’re less than concerned about the moral ramifications of their actions. Hell, they might be demonic. We’ve got it all. Clown cars, rodeos, adultery, robbery, mayhem, balloon animals, self-immolation, big red noses, cremation chambers, a funeral and kids’ TV shows, just to name some. But for a dad who dresses as the most infamous clown ever to sneak into his son’s party or a woman who uses her costume as a ruse to rob and cheat to a man who’s lifelong companion is a clown apparition, the hair and make-up are just a means to an end. An untimely end. Edited by Ryan Sayles and featuring stories by Patricia Abbott, J.L. Abramo, Jen Conley, Jeffery Hess, Grant Jerkins, David James Keaton, Ed Kurtz, R. Daniel Lester, Marietta Miles, Warren Moore, Chuck Regan, Scotch Rutherford, Liam Sweeney, Richard Thomas, James R. Tuck, and Lono Waiwaiole.

Greasepaint and 45s

Humor & Entertainment

Sayles, Ryan

Hess, Jeffery

Keaton, David James

Jerkins, Grant

Abbott, Patricia

Abramo, J.L.

Lester, R. Daniel

Miles, Marietta

Humor

Danny Zelko, 13 going on 14, needs to get rid of his mom’s boyfriend, Harry. The guy is a creep. Drinks too much, locks Danny out of the house, gets in Danny’s face and calls him Danielle. Of course everyone blames Danny. It’s his fault he gets into fights at school. It’s his fault he can’t control his anger. It’s his fault Harry is such a jerk. Danny isn’t such a bad kid—he has his own lawn business, makes his own dinner, even takes out the garbage and closes up the house without being asked. All he wants is for his mom to be like she used to be—a real mother who acted like one. Because Harry makes her stupid. When she gets around him, she forgets about her kids. Disappears with him, doesn’t stick up for her own son. And the prospect of spending another day with this man makes Danny feel helpless and broken. So when Danny’s sister, Lisa, reveals that Harry and their mom are getting married, Danny, never the one to cower, decides to do something. That’s right, one way or another, he will get rid of Harry. Set in 1983, New Jersey, Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry is packed with Danny’s friends and enemies, a few fist fights, heartbreak and fury, and a little humor too. Praise for SEVEN WAYS TO GET RID OF HARRY: “Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry is a poignant nostalgia trip to being thirteen in the 1980s that also has a sharp bite. It tugs at your heart-strings while making you laugh out loud. Never has the attempt to get rid of your mom’s evil boyfriend been so charmingly portrayed. A must read!” —Lee Matthew Goldberg, author of The Mentor and the Desire Card series “Jen Conley brought me back to my childhood with this gripping debut. Danny Zelko battles with his mother’s abusive boyfriend amidst the helplessness, confusion, and tumultuous friendships of his formative thirteenth summer. Sometimes harrowing, often funny, this is a great and necessary read for anyone who wants to understand what it’s like for boys in that liminal stage, when faced with the challenge of a bad role model.” —Thomas Pluck, author of Bad Boy Boogie “Very few writers can do what Jen Conley does, striking the perfect balance between voice, character, and setting. But technical proficiency isn’t what makes the book so special. Her story of a screwed-up kid learning to live without his father is heartbreaking, hopeful, at times hilarious, but above all, flat-out powerful. This book will be placed in the YA section, but it is so much more. Maybe it’s because, with this book taking place in 1983, Danny Zelko would’ve been born the same year as I was. Maybe it’s because I, too, had problems with authority, fitting in, and loved all things Pink Floyd. All I know is I couldn’t put the book down. The story and dialogue are strikingly authentic, and the prose zips along. Mostly, though, I just wanted to put my arms around the kid and tell him that, yeah, thirteen sucks, and, no, I’m not gonna lie; it doesn’t necessarily get better. But the bastards won’t always be able to keep you down. As long as you keep fighting, kid.” —Joe Clifford, author of the Jay Porter thrillers “Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry is a dark, heartfelt and hard-to-put-down novel. Conley’s stark, realistic prose transports readers to a time and place when we were all 13 going on 14, and crafts the kind of YA story that feels exceedingly real and unique with a healthy dose of noir. Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry is the kind of book that slithers into your brain and never leaves.” —Alex Segura, author of Dangerous Ends and Blackout

Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry

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