The final three Kindle titles in our Tales from New Pangea series are now available! On a world that mirrors Earth comes a vision of what would happen if humans and dinosaurs lived side by side. Classic-style writing in the vein of Doyle, Burroughs, and Wells set with traditional storytelling will transport you into a detailed ecosystem that is the hallmark of great science fiction. Combined with action and adventure, you’ll find these to be page-turning stories of survival, wit, and high stakes danger.

These stories can be enjoyed in any order and won’t cost you more than a couple bucks! Welcome to New Pangea, where you are the invasive species. Enjoy your stay, if you survive!

The Rations at V-City – Orphaned brothers Jack and Felix are constantly on the move, until they meet a scrappy and independent teen named Nina in the abandoned settlement of Victoria. The ghost town has food, supplies, and shelter, and in spite of its dark past, “V-City” might make the perfect home–if not for prowling Dilophosaurus. But even if these young survivors manage to outrun the predators, their traumatic pasts might still drive them apart. “The Rations at V-City” is a tale of loss, young love, and hope in the savage world of New Pangea.

Thunder Bunker & Tunnel 31A – In twin tales of nesting predators and lost innocence, the humans of New Pangea grapple with what it means to build a home in dinosaur territory. “Thunder Bunker” tells a harrowing survival story set on a coastal island estate, in which a teenage girl must avoid the aggression of territorial Tarbosaurus and retrieve life-saving medicine for her grandmother. In “Tunnel 31A,” a pair of medics descend into the maze of sewer tunnels beneath the compound city of Triassica to rescue an injured worker from swarming predators.

Charting New Pangea – Kairos Ali has received funds to travel to New Pangea uncharted Geothermal Zone to learn more about its geysers and perhaps harnessing their power for clean energy. His rich benefactor is sending along his son as Kairos’s assistant, an eager but impetuous young man. They both learn that fighting angry Triceratops and stalking Dakotaraptors might change their fate and turn this expedition into a fight for survival.

We now have a total of 8 kindle exclusive sci-fi singles set in New Pangea world where humans and dinosaurs co-exist and compete for survival. It’s been a ton of fun to write these stories and I’m super grateful to Dark Owl Publishing for getting them out there.

If you have a chance to read any of our New Pangea stories, we’d really appreciate a quick, honest review. That goes a long way to help us keep doing what we love!

My Tales from New Pangea Kindle series from Dark Owl Publishing has taken off like a rogue T. rex! Inspired by writers like Michael Crichton and Arthur Conan Doyle, this is the dinosaur sci-fi saga I’ve always wanted to write, so if you’ve never read a New Pangea story, pick whichever .99 cent title sounds most exciting and enjoy! You can read the stories in any order.

Baryonyx Crossing

When her son goes missing, Jessie Harding is sure he is in dangerous territory known for the presence of a truly fearsome predator, the Baryonyx. A hunter of the creatures herself, she must go find him before it’s too late.

What Remains

Tate Jackson receives a letter from a woman in his past who lovingly tells him she’s pregnant. Knowing very well he could lose his life, Tate decides to brave the extreme dangers of New Pangea–including bloodthirsty Megalodon and titanic pterosaurs–to find her again.

Scavenger’s Path and Other Tales of Innocence Lost

Three stories of innocence lost in New Pangea revolving around themes of temptation, family, the struggle to survive: “Sawyer’s Dimetrodon,” “Good Morning Iguanodon,” and “Scavenger’s Path.

Raptor Dance and Other Trials of Humanity

Four tales of primal romance, dinosaurs, and deceit illustrate the trials of humanity in the savage world of New Pangea: “Raptor Dance,” “Tyrannosaur Dreams,” “The Scrape,” and “Winged and Wild.”

The Butcher of Jurassica

In a cutting edge dinosaur slaughterhouse on the primordial continent of New Pangea, mighty Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, and Stegosaurus are butchered daily, but corruption and greed rise to the top of the menu.

More dinosaur adventure to come in 2024 too, so keep an eye on this blog and Dark Owl’s website. We’ll have a new story every month!

Psst… There’s Also a Novel!

If you like the short stories, there’s also a full-length New Pangea novel. In Carnivore Keepers, the mining settlement Columbia struggles against a barren environment, fearsome Deinonychuses, and scavenging pterosaurs. If only the dinosaurs were the deadliest threat.

Happy holidays, readers! I’m wrapping up 2024 with a slew of new publications.

Dinosaur Adventure

Our Tales from New Pangea series continues with What Remains in December, described by one reader as a “page turner with heart.” It features two of my favorite non-dinosaur prehistoric animals–the Megalodon and Quetzalcoatlus!

Scavenger’s Path and Other Tales of Innocence Lost is set for January 5th, showcasing Dimetrodon, Iguanodon, and a certain thagomizer-wielding herbivore. And Tyrannosaur Dreams and Other Tales of Survival is slated for February 5th (with a little dinosaur romance–no joke!) Look forward to more New Pangea stories well into 2024.

Holiday Horror

Head over to the Horror Tree’s Trembling With Fear Holiday Edition to read my 2023 Christmas Terror Tale “Cinema Chill” set at Chicago’s historic Music Box Theater.

Something Literary

Finally, my literary flash fiction “Greener Pastures” has been published in issue 13 of 10 By 10 Flash alongside my fellow La Grange writer Marie Anderson’s excellent story “Bonding.”

More to come in 2024, and as usual, if you like what you read (or even if you don’t), please remember to review! Word of mouth helps other readers discover new writers, and it helps writers discover new readers too!

Thanks again for those reading and enjoying my recent anthology The Misery King’s Country. Continuing with my “Behind the Misery” author notes, here are some behind the scenes tidbits on 5 more tales! Check out PART 1 if you missed it.

Carefree Parenting (2019)—This 100-word drabble, first published by The Horror Tree, is sort of my apocalyptic take on the song “Que Sera, Sera.” I think sometimes in life we get a lot of well-intended “let your hair down and be wild and crazy” advice when we’re younger, and I suppose I’m parodying that here.

It Watches (2019)—First published by Tell-Tale Press. The idea of the “eye monster” came first as a sketch I did while waiting for a writers group meeting to start. As I sat down to write the story, I used it as a challenge for evoking the setting of the mid-1990s. Chance’s story about a female Knight is based on a story that I wrote in middle school. I wonder if there’s still a copy of that story in my parents’ attic. The scene in the bank vault is inspired by my days working as a teller. I never got robbed in my banking days, but we were well-instructed on how to handle it.

Ice Cold Lemonade (2021)—Another Horror Tree story! This one started as a cool title in a brainstorming list. I figured the titular beverage suited a hot, summer, daytime horror story, and what’s a lemonade stand without a couple of creepy kids? If you want to check out another “creepy kid” story, go read “Ink” in The Misery King’s Closet.

The Gray Man’s Promise (2022)—Previously published by Dark Recesses Press, the Gray Man is my creepy, Tim-Burtonesque take on the Tin Man. Check out that absolutely killer illustration of the Gray Man by artist Vincent Bailey from the original publication. However, as much as I like the monster, for me, the human characters and their family dynamic are the core of this story. The narrator Traci is one of my favorite “middle-child” protagonists holding her family together. Of course, for the ultimate “middle-child” novel written by a middle-child, check out my middle-grade adventure book Grayson North: Frost-Keeper of the Windy City. Grayson will be getting a second edition in 2024, but if you’re having trouble finding a copy, please reach out to me on social media.

Can’t Unsee (2018)—Not much to say about this 100-word drabble, previously published by The Horror Tree, except that I’m pretty good at cracking eggs, and to date, I have never seen anything gross or horrific come out of one. For another “beware of eggs” story, check out my New Pangea dinosaur tale “Scavenger’s Path,” which will also be seeing a reprint in 2024 (more New Pangea news on the horizon).

Anything else you want to know about these or any of my stories? I’d would love to hear from you! Comment below or reach out on social media!

People like to ask how writers come up with ideas, so I want to continue sharing “behind the scenes” tidbits! Here are fun facts on stories featured in my new anthology The Misery King’s Country. While I won’t divulge huge spoilers in this blog, be advised, it’s more fun to read the story before you read “behind the misery.”

The Misery King’s Country (2023)—NEW to this anthology is the titular tale, which serves as my Rod Serling-style flash fiction intro. This is a sibling story to “The Misery King’s Closet,” which kicked off my previous collection. Fun fact: I confess that I hadn’t initially realized I was co-opting the name “King” and pairing it with one of Stephen King’s most famous works Misery. I consider it a happy, subconscious, accidental homage to the first adult horror author who I gravitated toward as a young reader—though I admit as of this writing I haven’t read Misery (shame on me). The first King novel I ever read in 6^th grade was The Dead Zone, which absolutely captivated me. I haven’t locked in the theme of my next Misery King Anthology, but I’m considering The Misery King’s Courtship, The Misery King’s Machine, The Misery King’s Christmas, or The Misery King’s Halloween. If you have a preference, let me know!

Chickenscratch (2016)—First published in Double Feature Magazine, this story was born from a “six-word” writing exercise at the Brookfield Writers Group. Every writer in the group submitted a word and six were chosen at random. I can’t recall all six words anymore (“honeycomb” and “bubbles” are still in there), but the story never would have materialized without the Brookfield group. My Brookfield colleagues were also instrumental in having the story workshopped (and re-workshopped!) Chickenscratch is also one of the few “zombie” stories I’ve written. Given how much great zombie fiction is out there, I try only to write a zombie story if I feel like I’ve got an interesting or unexpected angle. Chickenscratch also reflects an odd trope in my writing in which someone skewers something with a pitchfork in a barn. I don’t know why that scenario keeps coming up in my stories, but if you want to read a very different story about a pitchfork stabbing, check out “She’s Comin’ With Me” in Valentine Terror Tales!

Axman’s Bridge (2019)—This 100-word drabble, first published at The Horror Tree, is tied to an urban legend I heard as a high-schooler in Chicago’s South Suburbs. Go ahead and Google “Axman’s Bridge Crete IL” because the real story is certainly creepier than mine, but it made for a good basis for a short shocker where ghost hunters bite off more than they can chew.

Knife Salesman (2023)—First published by Rooster Republic Press as part of their Two-thousand Word Terrors. I first came up with the salesman character, and he and his case of deadly instruments clattered around my brain for a few years before the rest of the tale came together. I originally envisioned this as a short film, so here’s hoping someday someone will make one!

That’s all for today, but I’ll share more “Behind the Misery” notes in the coming weeks. THANK YOU to everyone who has picked up a copy of The Misery King’s Country. I greatly appreciate the readership and look forward to hearing what you think. Remember to review!

September, 2023–Author Kevin M. Folliard’s 2023 horror anthology The Misery King’s Country is now available. Past blood-soaked shores, beyond a desolate wasteland, the Misery King sits upon his throne of suffering and shares stories of isolation, madness, and corruption.

Sink into this sinister collection featuring 27 works of rural and urban horror. Cunning cryptids, warped subway tunnels, infected livestock, and slippery snake oil salesmen permeate these tales previously featured by The Horror Tree, Sinister Smile Press, The Dread Machine, and more.

The collection features horror tales for an adult audience which range from 100-word drabbles to longer pieces, including four debut stories “The Misery King’s Country,” “Last Stop,” “Trouble the Water,” and “Emmitt’s Pack.”

The Misery King’s Country is available through Amazon and expanded distribution channels.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kevin M. Folliard is a Chicagoland writer whose fiction has been collected by The Horror Tree, The Dread Machine, Demain Publishing, Dark Owl Publishing, and more. His recent publications include his NEW horror anthology The Misery King’s Country—available October 2023—his YA fantasy adventure novel Grayson North: Frost-Keeper of the Windy City, and his 2022 dinosaur adventure novel Carnivore Keepers. Kevin currently resides in the western suburbs of Chicago, IL, where he enjoys his day job in academia and membership in the La Grange Writers Group. You can learn more about his writing at www.KevinFolliard.com!

Purchase The Misery King’s Country on Amazon!

Summer is winding down, autumn is gearing up, and I’m rounding up my recent publications:

• My sci-fi story “Normalcy Protocol” has been collected in Monstrous Futures by Dark Matter Press!
• My dark romance tale “Shades of Dorian” was collected in Grendel Press’s anthology The Devil Who Loves Me.”
• My Unholy Trinity (three 100-word drabbles connected by a theme) “Whispers, Signs, and Signals” was featured at The Horror Tree on 5-7-2023!
• My story “Deep and Dark” has been reprinted in Mirrors Reflecting Shadows, a themed LGBTQ charity anthology benefitting The Trevor Project, which has worked tirelessly on suicide prevention among LGBTQ+ youth.

MORE upcoming publications are slated for 2023 too, including my Halloween tale “Haywire,” coming from Sinister Smile Press this October.

Finally, the Misery King has vacated his closet to cause coast-to-coast chills in my new horror anthology The Misery King’s Country! Enjoy this sneak peek at the beautiful cover art by J.T. Molloy! This book will feature 27 works of rural and urban horror, collecting many of my stories together for the first time, and including several never-before-published tales!

I look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.

Read or Purchase Kevin M. Folliard’s Books on Amazon!

I need more book reviews! So, I’m making the following titles FREE for Kindle on the following dates:

• Valentine Terror Tales — FREE for 5 mystery days between now and Valentine’s Day!
• Christmas Terror Tales & MORE Christmas Terror Tales — Jan 23 through Jan 27
• The Misery King’s Closet — Jan 30 through Feb 3
• Matt Palmer and the Komodo Uprising — Feb 6 through Feb 10
• Jimmy Chimaera and the Temple of Champions — Feb 13 through 17
• Jake Carter and the Nightmare Gallery — Feb 2-20 through 2-24
• Violet Black and the Curse of Camp Coldwater — Feb 27 through Mar 3

And here are some One-Stop links for info about my books.

Author Website: http://www.kevinfolliard.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kevin-Folliard/e/B0097S7T0A%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5266996.Kevin_M_Folliard

Even if you’ve already read a title, please be sure to grab the FREE Kindle version before writing an Amazon review, because that makes it a verified review. A review does not have to be long, complicated, or time consuming. Just take a moment to rate and write a sentence or two about what you liked or didn’t like. Many thanks for your support!