Stephen Kozeniewski's Blog

Hi everyone!

Well, it's that time of year again.

No, not Spooky Season (we're past that and we have to begrudgingly accept it). No, not Thanksgiving...no, I'm not talking about the religious holidays either...stop asking me about all th-

I'm talking about Awards Season, you guys. Nominations and opening and awarding bodies are waiting for your suggestions, and it's a time of great excitement and opportunity for authors and readers alike.

I MIGHT have a few eligible works, and if you've read any of these and deem them worthy of a nomination, I can't tell you how much I'd appreciate your support. Here are the categories and what I've released that fits them...

'Best Novel' or 'Best Horror Novel'

LOONEY!

(by Gavin Dillinger and Stephen Kozeniewski, from French Press Publishing)

Best Short Story (or Best Short Horror Story)

"Blackfish"

(from STRANGE NEW MOONS, ed. Kayleigh Dobbs and Stephen Kozenewski, French Press Publishing)

Best Anthology

STRANGE NEW MOONS

(ed. Kayleigh Dobbs and Stephen Kozeniewski, French Press Publishing)

Your support of my work really means the world to me, and an extra thanks to those of you that also support my press, French Press Publishing. To find out which works the press has eligible for Awards Season, check out THAT BLOG HERE.

You're all awesome, thank you!

Hey everyone,

This weekend, I'll be in Brighton (in not-sunny England) for World FantasyCon. This will be my second time in the UK for a book/author convention, and I'm hoping to see my British and Irish friends again.

As well as hanging out with my new friends, I hope to meet some new ones, and also spend some time with French Press Publishing's newest authors, C.C. Adams and Kit Power. We're not trading in the dealer's room this time, but Kit and C.C. will be around and some little birdies tell me that they might have copies of their new books with them...

I'm not trading but I will be participating in a few scheduled events! See below for full details. Hope to see you all there!

Where:

Double Tree by Hilton BrightonKings RdBrighton and HoveBrighton BN1 2FUUnited Kingdom

When:

Friday through Sunday October 30 - November 2

Panels:

Thursday 8:00 pm - "French Press Publishing Pitch Session" (w/ Kayleigh Dobbs) - OsborneFriday 7:00 pm - "Publishing Demystified" (w/David Thomas Moore - M, Donna Scott, and Amanda Rutter) - BuckinghamSaturday 9:00 pm - Reading (w/Gary Couzens, Ivor K. Hill) - Gloucester

Hey, gang.  I'm excited to announce that my house, French Press Publishing, is actively acquiring (completed!)novels, novellas, and collections.  And you can sitdown for a pitch session with me at the World Fantasy Convention this year.  

“What is a pitch session?” youconveniently ask, dear straw man reader?

 

Well, I’m glad you asked!  A pitch session is your opportunity to sitdown with an editor or agent and sell them on one of your manuscripts.  Now, for the 5 Ws of this particular event:

 

Who? 

 

You, with your completed,ready-for-primetime manuscript, will have the opportunity to meet me, StephenKozeniewski, or Kayleigh Dobbs.  What arewe specifically looking to acquire?  Wewill consider novels, novellas, and collections.  Broadly speaking we like horror and sci-fi,but click on the “About Us” section of this blog for a little more info.  You can also watch our past open callannouncements during the Buzz Book Expo (2023, 2022) to get a better feel for what we like.

 

What?

 

You should be prepared to:

 

- introduce yourself like a human being,for Christ’s sake

 

- give the editor a one sentence elevatorpitch (think the teaser on a movie poster)

 

- elaborate on your story (think the back jacketof your book once it’s on the shelf)

 

- answer questions if prompted

 

Bear in mind this all has to beaccomplished in about five minutes, so polish your pitch until it shines like adiamond.  You don’t have to be a robot,repeating a carefully memorized routine by rote.  (In fact, that would kind of defeat thepurpose of an in-person pitch session.) But if you punctuate every other word with “um” and trail off mid-sentence,we’re going to mark you down as “that flop sweat-soaked wretch” instead of“that author I desperately want to work with.”

 

Then, if we’re interested, we’ll ask tosee more, so you’d better not be pitching us some glimmer in your eye.  Make sure your manuscript is ready to go.

 

Where? 

 

World Fantasy Convention

DoubleTree by Hilton Brighton Metropole

Kings Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN12FU, United Kingdom

Gloucester Room

 

When?

 

Thursday, October 30, 2025

8:00 pm

 

Why? 

 

I don’t fucking know.  You’re the one that wants to getpublished.  You tell me.

 

But for real, we have so far published 16books, including the Imadjinn award-winning You’re Mine by Somer Canon, and KitPower’s British Fantasy Award Finalist novella, Millionaires Day.

 

 

How? 

 

E-mail us at frenchpresspub (at) hotmail(dot) com to express your interest.  Wewill assign slots on a first come, first serve basis.  However, if you’re not one of the twelve orfifteen authors we’re able to guarantee slots to, you should still get yourpitch ready anyway.  If the conventiondoesn’t immediately kick us out of the room we may be open to seeing morepeople.  Or we can set up a time to meetlater, or you may be able to pitch us as you see us around the con.  However, if any of you try to pitch me while I’m:

 

a) on the toilet (or “loo” as it’s calledin the UK), or

 

b) while I’m having a private dinner

 

I swear to God you’ll be blackballed frommy publishing company for life.  And Idon’t even have a blacklist yet.  You’dbe the first one on there.  Goahead.  Peek over that bathroomstall.  See how it works out for you.

 

As for the rest of you, we’re excited tohear about your work.  See you inBrighton!

Hi everyone,

As you guys know, we released our werewolf anthology STRANGE NEW MOONS  a few months ago, and now I'm excited to tell you that it's available as an audiobook!

You can hardly swing a dismembered deer carcass these days without hitting a “No vampires, no zombies, and no werewolves” sign on an anthology. Well, to that we say “Pshaw!” And also, “Awooo!”

Because what readers really don’t like are dull werewolf stories. So, we tasked the horror community with writing the weirdest, wildest, most creative, utterly bonkers tails (ha!) of lycanthropic lunacy possible.

And did they ever deliver! Wait until you read:

- a brutal, boneshattering peek at the kind of “dogfights” the super-wealthy watch to amuse themselves

- a story of two inquisitive city employees trying to find out who (or what!) keeps pooping on a local landmark

- a ride along with a delusional cop trying to prevent the total werewolf apocalypse. Werepocalypse!

Plus werewolf Frankenstein! And werewolves in space! This book is all gore and no bore.

With a line-up running the gamut from brand, spanking new cubs to heavyweight timber alphas, you’d have to be the weakest elk in the herd not to slobber all over…

STRANGE NEW MOONS

Featuring Original Stories From:
Somer Canon, Simon Clark, Matthew R. Davis, Kayleigh Dobbs, John Durgin, Amanda Headlee, Stephen Kozeniewski, Tim Lebbon, Keawe Melina Patrick, Rebecca Rowland, Mary SanGiovanni, EJ Sidle, Rose Strickman

Every story in this anthology is original and printed for the first time right there in those dark, bloody pages, and now you can close your eyes and absorb them thanks to the talent of our narrator, Kenneth Murdock.

If you'd like to check it out in any format, including the BRAND NEW AUDIOBOOK, it's available from Amazon.

Remember, it's "werewolves, not swearwolves"!

Hi everybody!

Next up for my event circuit in 2025, we've got Gen Con this weekend. I'm really looking forward to it for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's a long weekend, running from Thursday to Sunday (who doesn't love to get away for a few days?) Secondly, instead of trading, I've been asked to run some events and classes, and participate in a number of panels, which is huge honor.

On Thursday you'll find me participating in:

So, You Want to Make an Anthology...A panel that discusses the ins and outs of creating an anthology.
The Panel That Gets Everybody SuedA group of us divulging our worst professional experiences - everything from convention disasters, to contract difficulties, to publishing nightmares.
Meet the ProsHang out with a huge group of writers, get your books signed, and revel in convention debauchery with us.

On Friday you'll find me participating in:

Coffee Klatch with Tim Waggoner and Stephen Kozeniewski (hey, that's me!)Bring a drink, settle in, and let's talk!
All Good Things Come to an EndA writing-focused event that focuses on closing out stories and character arcs.
Revision 101Trouble with editing and revising your own work? No problem! Join us as we cover this process.

On Saturday, you'll find me participating in:

Writing Horror When the Real Word Is HorribleWhy do we flock to horror when the real going gets tough? We might have some answers for you!
Ask me Anything - PublishersA panel of publishers are here to answer any questions you have. About publishing, that is. Don't ask about my sleeping habits or anything weird...
From Battles to FisticuffsWe're here to help you with constructing physical conflicts in your stories.
How to Create When the World is On FireKeeping a hold of that elusive muse when the real world around us smells like it's burning.

When: Thursday July 31st through Sunday 3rd August.Where: ICCLOS, 100 S. Capitol Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46225

It's going to be a great weekend, and although I won't have a trading table this time, you'll still be able to grab books off me and get your copies signed. I hope to see you there!

Hi everybody!

You might remember that a short while ago, I released WE ALL LIVE IN A FASCIST POLICE STATE NOW, THANKS TO THIS ONE FUCKING GUY. It weirdly feels more relevant than ever, but I'm not psychic or anything. Oh, by the way, avoid that third house on the left on December 3rd.

Anyway, the book! First I wanted to terrorize you through your eyes, and now I'd love to disturb you through your ears. WALI is now available as an audiobook!

It happened here. Fascism came, wrapped in the flag and carrying a Bible.

Nobody much noticed.

Sure, a few traitors like to whine about their missing "rights," but it's up to the heroes of the Federal Bureau of Patriotism to silence them.

When someone starts spilling FBP secrets, Captain Leo Nergali is assigned to track him down. But wait, Leo himself *is* the mole? Record scratch!

Buy this fucking book to see how Leo censors the arts, disappears his enemies, and perhaps even finds jackbooted love.

(Originally published as a Kindle Vella original.)

This isn't as talked about some of my other books because it's not my "usual" style, but I hope you'll give it a shot!

If you'd like to get a copy (in either audiobook, print, or eBook format), it's available HERE.

See ya!

 

Now available from:
Amazon

Around the Internet:
GoodreadsA review on Fabulous and FunAn inclusion on Malevolent Dark's Top 25 ListAn interview on Erica Robyn Reads with my co-author Gavin DillingerAn interview on Erica Robyn Reads

Hey everyone,

I have a new audiobook out, and I'm extra excited about it because the narrator I have on board is spectacular. Adharsh McCabe has been a performer for his whole career (you might already know him from his decades of work with exotic animals), and lucky for me, he has turned some of his attention to audiobooks!

YES, I AM A VAMPIRE is my recently released collection of short stories AND autobiography, and now you get to ingest it through the Adharsh's dulcet tones.

 The Collected Short Fiction and Autobiography of Stephen Kozeniewski, 2013-2016

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I swear I am not a vampire. Cross my heart and…eh, nevermind.
Just trust me, there are no vampires within these pages. Plenty of zombies, though. One of the short stories in this book features a zombie caveman, for instance. And another is called Exploding Shit Zombies. You can probably guess what that one’s about.
Not every story is zombie-themed, of course. I’ve also got a monster under the bed piece that’s pretty fucking scary. And in another, a bunch of little alien goblins take over a farmstead.
This isn’t just a short story collection, either. Half of it’s my autobiography. I guarantee you’ve never seen those two styles mashed together before.
I also guarantee you’ve never seen any fucking vampires before. Not here. Not anywhere. So let’s just drop it.
What do you mean, bloodstains all over the book? Don’t worry about those. Just wipe the gore off your fingers and dive in to…
Yes, I Am A Vampire


YES, I AM A VAMPIRE is for sure one of my more unique books. Whether that's good or bad...well...you decide! You can get it in paperback, eBook, and now audiobook from the link below:
I'M DEFINITELY NOT A VAMPIRE BUT HERE'S THE LINK FOR MY BOOK CALLEDYES, I AM A VAMPIRE

Hi everyone!

A few years back, I gave you THE GHOUL ARCHIPELAGO. It's one of my favorites of my own work, and heavily features zombies (the best monster, obviously). And now, the good folk at GODLESS have given it an extra home!

After ravenous corpses topple society and consume most of the world's population, freighter captain Henk Martigan is shocked to receive a distress call. Eighty survivors beg him to whisk them away to the relative safety of the South Pacific. Martigan wants to help, but to rescue anyone he must first pass through the nightmare backwater of the Curien island chain.

If you missed it on it's original run, you can now get it from GODLESS for only $2.99 as an eBook. If you prefer a paperback or audiobook, however, don't fear! It's still available in all formats through AMAZON too.

I hope you'll join my terrifying, screeching, shambling, sea-bound adventure!

Hi everyone!

For this month (and this month only), if you live in the USA, UK, Canada, or Australia, you can grab a copy of BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS for only 99c! What is this Cloneasaurus, I hear you ask?

 

If you're unsure, for the low LOW price of only 99c, I'd say it's worth the gamble. But why take my word for it? Here's what some of the reviewers are saying:

"The thoughtfulness of not only the concept of the story but its execution speaks to Stephen Kozeniewski's talent as a writer. I love a good, gritty dystopia. This was a sweet fix to a craving for traditional dystopia. I was blown away."

----- Dacia Arnold, Uncomfortably Dark

"Dark, haunting, and blisteringly satirical, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is the story of one "man's" attempt to finally become an individual in a world of copies."

------bookoftheday.org

"The unusual title and quirky premise caught my attention right away. As an avid science fiction reader, I was fairly certain I knew how this plot would unfold. I couldn't have been more wrong. One of the things I appreciate the most about this author's writing style is how skilled he is at keeping me on my toes. Mr. Kozeniewski always seems to have one more trick up his sleeve that doesn't reveal itself until the last possible moment."

-------Long and Short Reviews

If you're in the USA, UK, Canada, or Australia, BILLY AND THE CLONEASAURUS is available until the end of this month for the sweet, almost-nothing price of 99c from AMAZON.