Chris Riley

My new novel, WENT MISSING, will be pubished in February of 2024. This is my first book in a series involving a character by the name of Sam Nolan. It’s also my first novel in the more traditional thriller genre.

My second novel, titled THE BROKEN PINES is now officially published. It’s available in bookstores and online, and in print and digital. And just in time for holiday shopping!

My second novel, titled The Broken Pines, will finally see the light of day, come November 3rd. I’m excited to share this story with the world, because, like everything I write, there’s a piece of my own life in there. That’s one of the coolest things about writing, by the way. To make something of yours permanent–immortal. Unless, of course, a huge asteroid comes along and blows us all away. Ha – Ha. But on that note, The Broken Pines definitely delves into a somewhat darker realm than where The Sinking of the Angie Piper took us. In some ways, at least. But like my first novel, this next one also has an emotional punch to the gut, particularly toward the end. Can you handle it?

2022 is off to a good start. I recently had a novel accepted with a publisher, and the release date is slated for this November. This is another stand alone novel, similar in genre to The Sinking of the Angie Piper. So glad to have found a home for this story.

My debut short story collection has recently been accepted for publication with the esteemed isolationist publisher, Mount Abraxas Press, an imprint of Ex Occidente Press, located in Bucharest, Romania. ‘Publisher of fantastic and decadent literature,’ Mount Abraxas offers to the literary world nothing short of exquisite works of collectible art–limited run hardcover volumes, printed in the finest quality, sealed with cloth boards, textured dust-jackets, and illustrated endpapers. With definite clarity, this marks another milestone for my writing career, as I join the ranks of fine authors such as Mark Valentine, D.P. Watt, John Howard, Karim Ghahwagi, and Damian Murphy, to name but a small few.

The collection is titled OF WOODLAND TEXTURES AND CHARNEL DELIGHTS, and is an assemblage of unsettling tales, loosely woven together with themes comprising of sylvan inflections, lyrical beats, and European settings. In addition to the aforementioned traits, one story in particular–When the Wood Comes Calling–contains a verse I contrived at the start of my literary adventure, some thirty odd years ago; thus drawing a complete circle, and one with a momentous circumference.

With excitement, I look forward to the fruition of this latest project. And, with anticipation, I look forward to the final design surrounding my debut, single author collection. More to come on this…

To begin, over a year ago I started a new novel, with a theme that is very close to my heart. I’ve since completed the story, and have signed with a new literary agent–the legendary Jacques de Spoelberch. Needless to say, I’m excited, nervous, and quite hopeful with what this writing future holds.

As for the new story, I won’t reveal much, not even the title, but for those of you who liked “The Sinking of the Angie Piper”, you just might love this next one. The image above offers a clue, and so does the title of this post. And for one more tantalizing piece of EVIDENCE, consider this: Who’s the Hide ‘n’ Seek champion of the world?

I woke this morning thinking about how blessed I am to be able to follow a “bliss” that is so inherently magical. I literally cannot count how many times I have felt the real-life sorcery that unfolds during the process of crafting a story. And when this magic occurs, it is like an unseen force suddenly takes over; as if a spirit from a different realm has been summoned by me, and for me. This, is the wizardry that comes with being a writer.

Later, I was explaining this supernatural benefit to my most lovely wife of nearly twenty years, while we were having a “date” at Starbucks, and that’s when I decided I should also share this piece of insight as a post. Of course, this perspective is nothing new to all my writing friends. We even have a name for this magic: The Muse.

But to any of you who have never experienced this surreal event, I encourage you to pick up a pen and paper and to just go for it, just start writing. If you have a hard time getting started, begin with something easy, such as, “Today I will…,” or, “That was when I first learned how to…,” or perhaps, “The minute I looked that old crone in the eyes, I knew I would…” Just try it, I encourage you. It’s been over seven years now, since I first unlocked this magic. And I have yet to let it go.

I’m not going to preach about this image, but I will say that this is the kind of reality that makes me want to be a better person–to be a person like Danny Wilson, that’s for sure. I guess that’s the little bit of Ed in me talking.

For my part, my family and I do our best to avoid buying plastic, and we certainly take the measures to dispose of our trash in the proper place. Also, we’ve stopped buying plastic water bottles, and use reusable containers when appropriate. But sometimes I don’t feel like what we do is enough. On that note, what are some things you do, to help keep our planet clean…?

On a similar note, I’ve swam in the ocean plenty of times myself, and I know how challenging it can sometimes be. I couldn’t imagine doing so while surrounded by a bunch of tangling garbage!

An author I know once told me that nothing in the publishing industry moves quickly. Truer words have never been spoken, as I have experienced the harsh reality of that statement more times than I would like to count. Be that as it may, for the creative wheel within this author (yours truly) has not failed to stop turning. I hesitate to announce all of the good news that sits on my horizon of literary endeavors at this time, but I will say that, at a minimum, the short stories keep on coming!

Of particular note, my story Soft Bellies Made of Flesh and Stone and Oodles of Love has been accepted at Humboldt State University’s very own literary journal, TOYON. This story will be published this March, and it goes without saying that, as a HSU Alumni, I am most proud of this achievement.

Also, for those readers (and listeners) who enjoy a good old fashioned horror story, two of my chillers have been recently published as well, in audio format: The Dead of Night, showcased at The Nosleep Podcast; and White Noise, over at Tales to Terrify . . . sleep tight!

I had a great time touring the Pacific Northwest, seeing old friends, and signing copies of my book. Only some of the highlights are showcased below…

 — Giving the talk at Northtown Books, Arcata, CA. —

— Two wonderful friends … and two “inspirational” characters —

— Signing a copy for Todd … this guy makes real boats! —

— Good to see Baxter, after so many years —

— Even Bobo took a break from his Squatching schedule to get a copy! —