Flash and Bang Launched

© by Gerald So | geraldso.blogspot.com | 1:00 P.M.

Published October 8 by Untreed Reads, Flash and Bang is the Society's first member anthology. Available in paperback (ISBN 9781611878295) and ebook, it features nineteen new short (1,500–3,000 words) and flash stories (300–1,000 words) containing either a flash or a bang:

• "The Conflagration at the Nameless Cotton Gin" by Bobbi A. Chukran
• "The Perfect Crime" by Herschel Cozine
• "Don't Let the Cop into the House" by O'Neil De Noux
• "Fireworks" by P.A. De Voe
• "Rosie's Choice" by John M. Floyd
• "The Wrong Girl" by Barb Goffman
• "Murder on Elm Street" by Su Kopil
• "Silent Measures" by B.V. Lawson
• "Don't Be Cruel" by JoAnne Lucas
• "A Simple Job" by Andrew MacRae
• "Arthur" by Sandra Murphy
• "Thor's Breath" by Suzanne Berube Rorhus
• "Beautiful Killer" by Judy Penz Sheluk
• "A Day Like No Other" by Walter A.P. Soethoudt (translated by Willem Verhulst)
• "The Raymond Chandler Con" by Earl Staggs
• "The Bag Lady" by Laurie Stevens
• "Fractured Memories" by Julie Tollefson
• "The Fruit of Thy Loins" by Albert Tucher
• "Sierra Noir" by Tim Wohlforth

Individuals: If you purchase the paperback ($16.00) and ebook ($4.99) at the same time from the Untreed Reads store, the ebook cost will be subtracted from your total. Also, in October, Flash and Bang is part of Untreed Reads' 30% off sale on horror and mystery titles.

Retailers and Libraries: Email Jay Hartman (JHARTMAN at UNTREEDREADS dot COM) about carrying copies. Standard retailer/library discount is 40% on returnable copies, 50% on nonreturnable copies. On orders of ten or more, the discount on returnable copies goes to 43%.

Reviewers: Email Jay Hartman (JHARTMAN at UNTREEDREADS dot COM) for ebook review copies.

Independent bookstores carrying copies:

• The Mysterious Bookshop, 58 Warren St., New York, NY 10007

The Society had long considered anthology ideas, but it wasn't until March 2014 that one finally got off the ground. As vice president at the time, I received approval from President Tom Sweeney to create the SMFS Anthology Plans Yahoo! Group, where interested members could explore anthologies without disrupting the main Shortmystery Yahoo! Group.

I didn't steer Antho group discussion, but as facilitator, I wrote the pitch to Jay Hartman to publish the first Society-themed anthology. Jay came up with the flash-or-bang guidelines and opened submissions to all Shortmystery members. I couldn't be prouder to see this plan come together.

Now having read the finished product, I most enjoyed the stories by Bobbi Chukran, O'Neil De Noux, and Barb Goffman, but as the Society represents all of mystery & crime short fiction, Flash and Bang has something for every taste: from cozy to hardboiled, historical to contempory, amateur and animal sleuths to police and private detectives.