A Touch of Noir

A Touch of Noir is a collection of short stories written in "noir" style, featuring immoral, desperate, and sinister characters set in the foggy, shadowy and hilly landscape of post-WWII San Francisco, as well as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Manhattan, and Chicago.  The stories are primarily told in first person, using language typical of 1940s-1960s.

**Update: A Touch of Noir was released in paperback and ebook format on Amazon (+Kindle), Barnes and Noble (+Nook), iBooks, Kobo and Googleplay. Six new tales not available on Channillo are available in this version.

Extreme Esteem

"Think of it as your weekly pick-me-up, with no caffeine added. Each week, Murray will provide thoughtful and practical insights and advice to help build your self-esteem and uncover your true potential."

A deep dive into the challenges of living successfully in our "overly processed" world with strategies, insights and secrets. Stop merely surviving, start thriving and begin living with Extreme Esteem.   

Ghosts of Eagle Valley

Ask anyone in Eagle Valley, Virginia, and they’ll be happy to tell you the history of their little town. After all, it’s a fascinating story. Way back in the 1700s, some of the town’s bravest young men marched off to fight in the Revolutionary War. Later, Eagle Valley’s mill brought the American Dream right to their doorsteps. During the Civil War, families were split between staying loyal to Virginia or re-joining the Union. Even as recently as World War II, Eagle Valley locals fought for victory half a world away. The town of Eagle Valley is proud of its long history, and even more proud of the ancestors that built their town.

Of course, if you ask the ghosts that still haunt Eagle Valley’s streets, you just might hear another side of the story. In this four-story collection, the ghosts of Eagle Valley set the record straight. Every town has its secrets, and these skeletons are ready to come out of their closets.

Ghosts of Eagle Valley is the companion short story collection to Ellen Smith’s debut novel, Reluctant Cassandra. Available only on Channillo for Charity, proceeds from Ghosts of Eagle Valley will benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. 

2015 Short Story Contest Finalists

This is a monthly series featuring the 12 finalists of our 2015 Channillo Short Story Contest. The stories will be released in random order as follows.

"Green Means Stop" by Opher Goodwin    

"Under the Cover of Dreams" by Lynn Forest

"Beverage Therapy" by Eliza Leone

"The Scar" by Tom Farr

"The Slush Pile" by Ryan Lackey

"Gas Station Flowers" by C.E. Stokes (3rd Place)

"Monster Mash" by Julia Patt (1st Place)

"New Age Digital Hero" by Joe Prosit (2nd Place)

"Hair Dying" by Melissa Algood

"Visitation" by Devan Burton

"The Cricket Breeder" by Justin Overton

"The Children of Muspell" by Katie Drake

**Subscribing to this series will not count toward your subscription limit. This is a bonus series created by Channillo.com

Waite Community Announcements (from a Neighboring Dimension)

"...the lab equipment is missing. A heavy, cloying smell chokes us as we enter the room."

It's 1922 and the school year has just begun at Waite College, a women's institute just outside of Arkham, and peculiar events are happening all over campus. The sister school to the infamous Miskatonic University, Waite is no stranger to unusual stories about men going mad or missing. But for the first time evil appears to have crept into their dormitories and offices, to the horror of faculty and students alike.

Consisting of found documents including journal entries, incident reports, evaluations, official memos, and graffitied messages, Waite Community Announcements will trace the events leading up to the school's mass disappearances in 1923--which to this day historians do not quite understand.

 20% of the proceeds from subscriptions will be donated to Sweet Briar College, recently saved from closure in June 2015.

Miss Exclusive

     Everyone wants their 15 minutes of fame, right?  Well, almost everyone. 

     They call me "Miss Exclusive."  People just seem to want to tell me their stories, and I print them in my newspaper column of the same name.  I've talked to some really interesting and amazing people, and you never know who's going to come out of the woodwork to tell me their story...or when the story will tell itself.

Unfixed Timelines

Secrets buried under the sands of Turkey, the murder of a small-town sheriff, zombies at Vicksburg, otherworldly entities recruiting at a high society ball, and a daring escape from pirates. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction, and in these five stories, the two are blended into tales of alternate history. Short stories appear every other week, and essays on the historical events related to stories are posted in the intervening weeks.

The Art of Ascendance

Meditative collections of experience.

Heartbreak, healing, A new feeling.

It can be impeccably difficult to break the mold. This collection is my knowledge of perserverance through adversity using the means of creativity.

I love you.

You should love yourself too. 

Stolen Moments

A series of short stories composed over the years, ranging from horror, to character studies, speculative fiction and a lot in between. ;-)

Tortum: A Modernization of Old World Fables

Tales of the old world brought back to life. Tortum gathers a series of short stories that explore fables and legends from around the world. From Czechoslovakia to Japan, Norway to Nepal, rediscover the mysteries of fables from every corner of the world as they are brought back to modern society with dark and horrifying new twists.

Bang to Begin.

Bang to Begin is a collection of short stories unrestricted by time, place or genre.

Each tale will be unique, themed only by their outsets and by subtle associations, spread finely throughout the series.

They may begin with a bang, but will they end with one too?

The Gulmohur Tales

East meets west in these tales of honor, intrigue and humor as the lives of everyday characters intersect only to become inextricably intertwined. The result is a tapestry celebrating one humanity.

1. Hooghly's Child
A young member of a growing Indian resistance finds himself and his toddler stalked by assassins in 1876 Calcutta as a Swedish couple seeks distraction from a sorrow that unites them.

2. The Appointment
It is 1987 and seven-year-old Niyaz has the chance to emigrate to America. The future holds endless possibilities.

3. Bus To Triplicane
John Perry and his local guide, Asif, take a bus ride in the Madras metropolis of South India. John runs into a spot of trouble.

4. A Mall Encounter
Vinod Belchada sees the killer of his parents in a shopping mall, or so he imagines.

5. Lunch On Lower Wacker
Little Zeenat makes a trip to the mosque downtown to join her Girl Scout troop in packing lunches for the homeless. She has a heart-warming experience as she gives away the last of the lunches.

6. The Wager
Young India is finding its voice in this little story set in 1904. William Mortimer makes a wager with his wife, but the Indian boys he engages to win his bet have a wager of their own.

7. A Change Of Heart
A suicide bomber in a Chicago cafe has a change of heart, but his plan is set in motion and his body is trained to execute. 

8. Living
Age and mental illness have taken their toll on a veteran, but he still recognizes love and service when he sees it.

9. The Sound Of Bangles
Matthew Lambton is robbed of his merchandise and left wounded on a dirt road in 1763 Agra, India. A sweet village girl takes him to her home where Lambton matches wits with the girl's grandmother and finds himself at a loss for words.

10. For Here Or To Go
A young and bright programmer experiences the stresses of American acculturation on his first day in the States.

Channillo Holiday/Winter Series 2019

A collection of holiday or winter themed essays, poems, and stories by various authors.

2017 Short Story Contest Finalists

This is a monthly series featuring the finalists of our 2017 Channillo Short Story Contest. The stories will be released in random order as follows.

"Last Man to Die" by Rudy Koshar

"The Trail" by Melissa Algood

"Versions of You" by Joe Prosit (3rd Place)

"The County Fair" by Sasha Lauren (1st Place)

"Draw the Other One" by Adam Cook

"Presence" by Rudy Koshar

"The Wish" by Jae Mazer (2nd Place)

"Seconds" by Chance Webb

"Bacia" by Isabelle Reid

"Rum and Tears" by Simon A.C. Martin

"Reunion" by Melissa Algood

Thirteen Moons

Thirteen Moons is a collection of short stories portraying a side of life that is at times inexplicable, and at times remains unspoken. Embracing the magic of everyday life, these stories show a world grounded in a reality healthily skewed by fantasy.

Can You Hear Me Now?

Can You Hear Me Now?

They call it The Rocket, this streetcar, but nothing could be further from the truth. It’s a slow boat, a barge on its way down the Limpopo, steamy in summer; in winter, gritty underfoot and rank with the smell of wet wool. On rainy days the windows blur and water from boots and umbrellas pools on the dirty floor.

On this long, long journey across the city I’m with you, though you don’t know me. You’re talking on your phone. About your mother, your date last night, what you want for dinner. Or maybe you’re talking about your next court date, your drug problem, your divorce. Your recent sexual enlightenment, the pain in your leg (or your heart) that won’t go away. Can you hear me now, you ask, when your phone cuts out for a second. You’re not talking to me.

But I hear you. I’m listening. Here are some of the stories you’ve told me.

The Last First Date

Beth Mulligan is single and kinda, maybe, possibly, ready to mingle. The recently divorced English teacher is all set to spend her summer relaxing and repairing her broken heart, but her friends and family have other plans. Her best friend Jen sets her up on one awkward blind date after another. Her well-meaning brother tries to hook her up with some of his friends. Even her dad suggests she sign up for a dating app.

As Beth spends the summer meeting and going out with new guys, her dates don’t always go as planned. In fact, most of the dates are awkward, comical, and downright disappointing. Still, once Beth gets back into the dating game, she’s hopeful that the next guy is the right guy and that their first date… will be her last first date.

The Moon is Crying

What monsters lurk in your mind? Why does The Hollow One wait? Who made the stars dance?

The Moon is Crying is a collection of contemplative microfiction with a touch of magic. Stories are bite-sized (under 1,000 words) and aim to explore the depths of human nature. Elements of fantasy and horror may be included.

The Moon is Crying is a Channillo for Charity series.

Wilderhark Talettes

Spreading vast and ever watchful since before “once upon a time…”, the forest of Wilderhark has seen its share of magic, adventure, and truest love. Now, in these stories inspired by the reader-acclaimed Wilderhark Tales novellas, journey beyond the forest for tales never before told. Some faces and places may prove familiar. Others may be all-new.

The world of Wilderhark awaits. Go forth and be enchanted.

Everyday Adventures

What if you could be a different person every day? A sister with a ghost for a brother, the last human left on Earth, or a fugitive on the run from boarding school. Everyday Adventures is a collection of micro fiction and short stories that explore multiple genres and the art of story telling. 

Crossing the Streams

Non-human romance. Tarot-powered difference engines. The bureaucracy of the gate to Hell. These and more appear in this anthology of strange stories by Jeremy Zimmerman. This anthology collects five genre-bending tales from fantasy to steampunk to cyberpunk.

“I won’t spoil the ending, but I will offer that the imagery in this tale is so wonderful that the settings sometimes transported me away from the main character’s conflict. The scenes in this story, like Impressionist art, consist of ordinary subjects displayed in mesmerizingly vacillating light. Whereas I usually care most about plot and about character development, these descriptions were so robust that I would gladly read additional pages of Zimmerman’s work just to reimmerse myself in his language.”
– KJ Hannah Greenberg, Tangent, regarding “A Crazy Kind of Love”

“Unchained Melody is a sharp, beautiful blow to the heart. Zimmerman wrote a heroine who is recognizable; a woman who is defining herself, on her terms.”
– Lillian Cohen-Moore, author of The Imperial Companion, and Hatavat Chalom

2016 Short Story Contest Finalists

This is a monthly series featuring the 12 finalists of our 2016 Channillo Short Story Contest. The stories will be released in random order as follows.

"The Waitress" by Allison Walters Luther

"Beyond the Grave" by Katharina Klamt 

"Love Over Coffee" by Marie Scampini

"The Sin Eater" by Holly Tellander (1st Place)

"One-Eyed Undertaker" by Carrie Connel-Gripp (Tie for 3rd Place)

"A Sleepwalker's Nightmare" by Nicole Gantz

"Let's Go" by Malissa Greenwood

"The Oppenheimer Curse" by Chris Waltz

"Dead Bespoke" by Philip Ridgers

"Dr. Google" by Brooke Reynolds (2nd Place)

"The Painted Castle" by Karen Murdarasi (Tie for 3rd Place)

"A Note For When She Wakes Up" by David Just

**Subscribing to this series will not count toward your subscription limit. This is a bonus series created by Channillo.com

Land of Wishes

Welcome to Aramond, the land where fantasy creatures live together in... well, what used to be harmony. 

After generations of living together in peace, it has come to the attention of three sisters that the world is in need of healing. 

Follow Narissa as she works to strengthen the bonds between creatures in her world, and bring back the unity they once enjoyed. 

The Blackbird Chronicles: Volume One

Are you a fan of otherworldly stories that make you examine ordinary things and situations in a new, strange light? If so, The Blackbird Chronicles: Volume One​ is for you. Ten distinct tales to make you think and chill your bones.

Enjoy!

Welcome Home

Sarah was adopted at birth and knows nothing of her biological family. She receives a letter from a grandmother she's never met along with an inheritance check and invitation to come live on the family's farm. Will she finally get the answers to the questions she's been harboring her whole life?

Coffee and Criticisms

A look into gender roles, resistance and the journey so far-over a cup of fresh brewed coffee.

Super

What if your best intentions cost the lives of innocents? Follow Fletcher, a Muay Thai fighter, as he becomes a crime fighting vigilante in order to keep his brother safe in a dangerous city. And share the burden of this young man as his actions turn him from a do-gooder to a criminal and murderer.

Female Anonymous

Humorous short stories depicting female characters.

An Opera In Space

The year is 2157, and the crew of ASC Fermata has, like so many others following the destruction of Earth, taken to the stars in search of work. Follow this ragtag crew of singers and musicians (and a kitsune) on their quest to stage their original opera, The Y2K Chronicles, while repeatedly finding themselves in baffling, humorous situations among colorful worlds.

This series updates on Fridays. Be sure to drop by the Discussion page and share your thoughts and ideas!

Disfigured Liberty-Six Short Stories

Absolution

Karl made a mistake, a mistake that he will take to his grave. After experiencing profound loss, a loss that his wife cannot bear, he is compelled to carry on, unable to follow his family, unable to let go of the pain, unable to break his promise or to ease his grief.

Cured

In the confines of a psychiatric institution, Rhys attempts to deal with the abuse he has suffered. The hospital is not above shelling out its own abuse however and Rhys finds that after all the medication, after all the counseling, there is a much faster and more appealing way to appease his demons.

Savior

After being involved in a terrorist attack, an attack so full of gore and grief that will it change all those who witnessed it, a father and son, haunted by shame and regret, attempt to get passed the experience in entirely different ways.

Elegy

Martin's life of self promotion, his hunger for fame, and ultimately a drunken night of debauchery, force his wife into the arms of another man. Martin joins Charlotte, his psychotic sister-in-law to prevent this love affair from taking place and to win his wife back.

The Child Catcher

Paul, a schoolboy, is tormented by the wild man next door who drinks and curses at the moon, who watches him, who follows him. Morbidly afraid, Paul refuses a gift that he will regret forever. 

Disfigured Liberty

Kate longs to recapture the fumbling excitement of her youth. After finishing her marriage by e-mail she stumbles across a rock star whose legend and hedonistic lifestyle leads her to discover the truth about his death, the message he was trying to communicate--all roads lead to Hornsey Lane bridge.


 

Riding in the Car With Children and Other Travesties of Adulting.

As a father of four children ranging in ages from 12 years to 21 months, Christopher Stanley is....tired. Riding in the Car with Children and Other Travesties of Adulting is a collection of short stories detailing the awful, stressful - and humorous - trials and tribulations in which parents and caregivers find themselves at the end of each day as they tenuously cling to their last bits of sanity. 

Exasperating as these situations can be, these stories also convey a tender overarching message to enjoy these days while we can, as they will surely be gone in the blink of an eye. Sit back and enjoy one family's chaotic tale of life, love and despair. Welcome to adulting. 

Fortier: Blood & Moon

Fortier is the story of Alfred Zeidan, a vicious, deadly and renowned vampire that secluded himself away from everyone for hundreds of years, until a message reaches him from his father calling for his return. 

Part of him knew that this was about the Bertrams, another family of vampires that are fierce rivals and sworn enemies of the Zeidans, in fact the sole reason why he shunned the world he grew up with was because of the fighting and long standing feud between the two families.

But alas, he returns... for better or worst.

The Devil, You Say

Thomas Carlton, wealthy man about town, and his faithful companion, Grace Glass, don masks to fight crime in 1930s Cobalt City as Devil Cat and Imp. 

This book collects together three tales of pulp heroism, pitting the Diabolical Duo against threats that are out of this world.