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AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, Editing, publishing, Reading, SNAFU

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – AARON BEARDSELL

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Well, lookee here! Another Aussie kicking back on Cohesion Press’ Author Spotlight stage for SNAFU: Contagion! Maybe we’re the contagion… it’s been said. Yeah-nah, we’re too laid back for all that nonsense. Seems too much like hard work. No? Just me?

Aaanyway, moving on.

TEN! That’s where we’re at with the Author Spotlights, so let’s have Aaron tell you more about himself, it’ll likely make much more sense than my intro!

Aaron Beardsell fell in love with writing at a young age, starting out with a totally-not haunted typewriter obtained from a church yard sale. Since then, Aaron’s stories have been published in a wide variety of anthologies.

For SNAFU: Contagion, there’s a high probability that Aaron used his totally-not haunted typewriter for FUNGICIDE – Special delivery: tactical nuke.

You can find Aaron on Instagram.

Additionally, Aaron’s debut novel, Dead Station, is available now. Full of sci-fi horror, you won’t be able to put it down. And if you enjoyed Fungicide, keep your eyes peeled for the first ever novel set in the same universe! Discover how the War began…

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, Editing, publishing, Ramblings, SNAFU, Writing

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – RPL JOHNSON

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We’re edging close to halfway with our Author Spotlights, with me wanting to spotlight every two days before print publication (ebook and Audible are already available)… which means I’m gonna have to ramp up the blog frequency – the math just ain’t mathing (if you know me, that will come as no surprise).

So, moving on from my clear lack of numeric aptitude…  We’ve another Aussie stepping onto Cohesion Press’ stage for Author Spotlight #7, and he’s someone you’ve likely read before. Richard has been in a number of SNAFU editions – the man knows how to freak us the fuck out, and his tale for SNAFU: Contagion is no different.

But let him tell you a little about himself while I skulk off and cry into my calculator…

Richard Johnson is an award-winning short story writer and independent novelist. He won the Gold Award at Writers of the Future in 2011 and the Jim Baen Memorial Award in 2012 and has been a finalist in the Aurealis  Awards with one of his many stories for the SNAFU series of military horror anthologies from Cohesion Press.

In addition to his novels and short stories, Richard has also worked closely with Blur Studios in the USA on the Amazon Prime TV show Secret Level, the video game Exodus, and an as yet undisclosed feature for Warner Bros.

He lives in Melbourne, Australia with his wife and two sons.

For SNAFU: Contagion, Richard showed us the fragility of reality with: CONSENSUS BREAK: The hospital wasn’t an asylum, it was a prison for those who—

(See what I did there? 😏)

You can find Richard on his website, Facebook, and Twitter.  

If you want to read more of Richard’s work (you really should!) he has a YA sci-fi novel The View from Infinity Beach (I’ve read it, it’s excellent!), and a short story collection, Skull Candy.

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, publishing, Reading, SNAFU

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – DAVID MCLACHLAN

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NUMBER SIX!

Let’s Sesame Street our way out of that intro and into the next in Cohesion Press’ Author Spotlight for SNAFU: Contagion with David McLachlan stepping onto the stage. It’s a vast stage, filled with much horror and macabre – some viscera here, a scatter of bones there, a sprinkling of fingernails just so… and maybe some fairy lights (who doesn’t love fairy lights!).

Right, so that’s enough from me (as you’ll likely all agree), So, I’ll hand you all over to David for a far more lucid introduction. Hit those lights!

David McLachlan is a disabled veteran author who lives and works in Northern California, a place that inspires much of his fiction. Ever since he was a child he has had a voracious love for Horror and Weird literature. In 2023, he received his MFA in Fiction at Warren Wilson College. Since then, his stories and poems have been published (or are forthcoming) in various magazines. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association.

For SNAFU: Contagion, David penned us a hella read: VAST PURE SPACES: Basic survival or supreme sacrifice? These are the choices we make in the vast dark.

You can find David on his website, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky.

David is currently hard at work on a Small Town Horror novel taking place in a small Northern California town. So, keep an eye out for what I know will be a creepy AF tale.  

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, Editing, publishing, Ramblings, Reading, SNAFU, Uncategorized

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – DYLAN DEMASI

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Brrring! Brrring!

Brrring! Brrring!

This is Cohesion Press calling for the next in our SNAFU: Contagion Author Spotlight!

(Stop rolling your eyes. As much as I love onomatopoeia, sometimes it reads ridiculously, but let me have this! There’s method to my madness! I swear.)

Moving on…

Today, we’re up to Author Spotlight #5, and dialling it in with Dylan Demasi! So, rather than me trying to pun my way through the rest of his intro, I’ll hand you over to the man himself…

Dylan Demasi is a US writer and digital marketer based in Los Angeles. A lifelong storyteller, he began his writing career in comics, first as a proofreader, then as a ghostwriter, and eventually as a credited author for Kickstart Entertainment/Kickstart Comics. His professional work includes leading digital marketing campaigns in the entertainment industry for brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, HBO, and America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Outside of writing, Dylan is a lifelong horror fan, a frequent visitor and supporter of big cat sanctuaries, and a brief, accidental voice actor in late-night cult favorites like Sharknado 2.

He is currently at work on his debut novel.

Dylan’s most excellent sacrificial offering for SNAFU: Contagion is: THE RED PHONE: The outbreak was a nightmare. The military response was worse.

(The beginning of this post makes sense now, yeah? Doesn’t make it good, just has it make sense… right? Right?)

 You can find Dylan on Facebook and Instagram.

As you noticed at the end of Dylan’s intro, he’s working on his debut novel, and if The Red Phone is anything to go by, then watch that space!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, Editing, publishing, Reading, SNAFU

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – L.J. VISSER

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FOUR!

That’s the Author Spotlight number we’re up to for Cohesion Press‘ SNAFU: Contagion, and we’re kicking this Spotlight off with our second Aussie in the series, he of the very cool name: Loki (L.J.) Visser!

Now, before we go any further, there’s been a bit of an update on the publishing side for this edition, with Audible currently available for listeners, the ebook being released tomorrow (October 8), and print on Halloween. This means we can now reveal that Loki’s tale is our opening story for SNAFU: Contagion.

All that being said, I’ll now pass the microphone over to LJ so he can tell you a little somethin’ somethin’ about himself.

L. J. Visser is a Melbourne-based author who writes at the edge of psychological suspense, dystopian noir, and science fiction horror. His stories unravel in the shadows where control, obsession, and survival collide – whether through the eyes of haunted paramedics, grieving fathers chasing conspiracies, or soldiers battling horrors in corporate research facilities. A lifelong Dean Koontz devotee and collector of vintage sci-fi paperbacks, he lives with his partner, two daughters, and the family ragdoll, Dixie. When he’s not writing, he dives into open-world RPGs, supports local charities through Freemasonry, and advocates for child protection and mental health. His work draws equally from a fascination with the strange and the scars of his own past, offering readers dark, immersive worlds where nothing is ever as it seems.

For SNAFU: Contagion, LJ Visser sliced and diced for us: IRON ROT: When an ice-world research outpost goes dark, a catastrophic containment breach changes the game.

You can find LJ on Facebook, and via is Amazon page.

He also has a science fiction thriller short-story, Future Shadows, where a grieving father, obsessed with uncovering the truth behind his daughter’s death while infiltrating a powerful corporation, is pulled into a conspiracy that blurs the line between memory, identity, and the machinery of control. Which is out-now on Kindle.

Whispers of a paramedic thriller have also been drifting our way, so keep an eye out (or both eyes – you do you!) for LJ Visser’s imaginings!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Editing, publishing, Reading, SNAFU, Writing

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – AYSLINE MCGRATH

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Roll up, roll up!

Our third Author Spotlight for SNAFU: Contagion is here, and we’re trotting over to the other side of the globe to meet Aysline McGrath. I mean, I’ve met her (virtually, of course), and she was brilliant to work with. Now you get to meet her. Huzzah!

So, without further ado, give Aysline a big round of applause as she takes the stage…

Aysline McGrath is an author who calls a quiet Belgian town home, where she crafts stories that span from heart-warming romance to spine-chilling horror. Already established in the Dutch literary scene with a published thriller and feel-good novel, Aysline is expanding her reach with her highly-anticipated English debut.

Her new adult romance, released September 21st, marks an exciting milestone as she introduces her storytelling to English-speaking readers. But romance is just one facet of Aysline’s repertoire. Drawing from a lifelong fascination with action and horror that began in childhood, she seamlessly weaves between genres.  

October 2025 will see the release of Echo, her cosmic horror novel that promises to take readers into the darkest corners of the unknown. Whether she’s crafting tender romantic moments or heart-pounding scenes of terror, Aysline McGrath brings the same passion and dedication to every story she tells, proving that the best authors are those unafraid to explore the full spectrum of human emotion and experience.

For SNAFU: Contagion, Aysline very much pulled from horror fascination with her offering: ONE BULLET: An impossible choice – contain an ancient contagion or become the monsters you’re fighting to stop.

You can find Aysline on Instagram, Facebook, and her website.

Her cosmic horror novel Echo is due out at the end of October, and can be preordered here.

Go take a look, you know you want to!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Cool stuff, publishing, Reading, SNAFU

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – BENJAMIN SPADA

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Look who’s back in town!

Not only our next Author Spotlight, but the man behind it. Benjamin Spada is currently squatting in Australia. We’ve allowed it. He writes good stuff. Ben’s up north a-ways for a time. It’s hot and there are crocs (the reptilian kind, not the shoes), so we’ve given him temporary Aussie-status while he’s here. If he correctly applies the ‘yeah-nah’ and ‘nah-yeah’ patois, we’ll stamp him Aussie good and proper.

But I digress (I do that a lot).

Some readers might be familiar with Ben as he’s written a few stories for Cohesion Press’ flagship series SNAFU, and he upped the ante with his tale for SNAFU: Contagion (which you can pre-order here).

Right, so now my little introduction is done, we’ll let Ben introduce himself and all that he’s about.

Born and raised in California, Benjamin Spada had a lifelong passion for storytelling.

He is a dedicated taco aficionado, self-described ‘Professor of Batmanology’, proud Fil-Am and lumpia enthusiast, and has made a career as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. He has been a Martial Arts Instructor, been assigned as a Section Leader in the Wounded Warrior Battalion for our nation’s wounded, ill, and injured, and served overseas to train our foreign military allies in defense against chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons. He has trained Marines, Sailors, Federal Agents, and other friendly forces in individual survival measures for everything from nuclear attacks to deadly nerve agents. Despite these grim assignments, he has carried on with equal amounts of sarcasm and stoicism.

When out of uniform, Benjamin is an avid sci-fi and horror movie fan, tattoo collector, comic enthusiast, and two-time holder of the Platinum Trophy in Elder Scrolls: Skyrim.

Benjamin lives with his wife and their four daughters in Oceanside, California.

Ben’s oblation for SNAFU: Contagion is: A CASE OF THE GIGGLES: They say laughter is the best medicine, but in this case, it’s fatally infectious.

You can find Ben on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (the now stupidly-named X), and his website.

Want to read more of Ben’s work? (You really should.) He has two books available in his Black Spear series: FNG and The Warmaker. His third entry in the series, Project Darkheart, is due for release this upcoming January.

Get it in your eyeballs!

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT, Editing, publishing, Reading, SNAFU, Writing

SNAFU: CONTAGION AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT – MARTIN LIVINGS!

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Hola!

The countdown for the release of SNAFU: Contagion has begun! And in the lead-up for the October 31 spawning, Cohesion Press is gonna fan-girl (yes, Geoff too) our way through the amazing authors who’ve made Contagion what it is – fucking awesome! (Yes, I do the swears. They’re verbs.)

With SNAFU: Contagion being the biggest edition to date of our flagship series with over four hundred pages of kick-arse military horror and wickedly-cool monsters, there’s much for you to sink your teeth into (toothpicks not provided). And as per my previous post about this tome being nothing without its storytellers, the first of our Author Spotlights is here.  

(Just a quick note: the order of the Author Spotlight doesn’t reflect the Table of Contents order – this is more your author lucky dip… and I may just have to rethink that phrasing…)

Ahem.

So.

Making their way to the stage is the first of our Australian authors. So, please give a hearty welcome to MARTIN LIVINGS!!!

Perth writer Martin Livings has had over a hundred short stories in a variety of magazines and anthologies both locally and internationally. His first novel, Carnies, was initially published by Hachette Livre in 2006, and was nominated for both the Aurealis and Ditmar awards, and his short story – collection, Living With the Dead, was published in 2012. Both are now available from Amazon, along with the follow-up collection Light Falling From a Long Dead Star, novellas Rope and The Final Twist, along with his novels Skinsongs, Sleeper Awake, An Ill Wind, The Temp and The Obituary.

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Martin’s sacrificial offering to SNAFU: Contagion is MOLOTOV ANGELS: What malignancy burns deep in the cold heart of Afghanistan?

You can find Martin on Facebook and Instagram and over at his website.

Martin’s horror novel, The Obituary, was released (or escaped!) earlier this year, and is a steal at just 99c on Amazon.

Go read his stuff!

Editing, publishing, Ramblings, Reading, SNAFU

A LITTLE BIT OF SPRUCING AND A TOUCH OF CONTAGION

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<<clears out cobwebs; side-eyes spiders as they pack their bags in a huff (that squeal wasn’t me, I swear…)>>

<<dusts bookshelves, trying not to summon demons (it’s touch and go)>>

<<taps mic, winces at feedback, *sighs*, assesses life choices>>

<<TAKE TWO!! (Shh, that other post was a figment of your imagination…)>>

Well, it’s been a while, folks. Had a crazy-busy year with much happening on the home and work front. Also, how is it almost October already? Someone is most definitely stealing my days (months, they’re stealing my months.)

As someone who is particularly shite at social media, this was one of the easiest things to let slide this past year (gotta say, it did wonders for my stress levels, but that’s a post for another day). That being said, I’ve put on my big-girl pants because SNAFU: Contagion from Cohesion Press is coming out at the end of next month, and I’m immensely proud of the authors and the stories within… not that we’ve trapped the authors inside the pages – I’m pretty sure that’s illegal (and I don’t have the right alchemy).

It’s been quite the ride to get to this point, more so this time around as we had to factor in audio-processing time, and with a slush pile that was filled with plethora of incredible stories, it had the decision-making process one of the most difficult in the SNAFU series to date.

(Oooh, look! Shiny new cover! Like, the right one this time. Shh. It’s been a long day…)

This is reflected in the size of the tome. SNAFU: Contagion is packed with eighteen stories, coming out at over a whopping 400 pages. Yep, you read that right. Over. Four. Hundred. Pages. This baby packs a punch! (And much pew pew pew!)

This is the biggest SNAFU of Cohesion’s flagship series since inception, and we’re extremely chuffed to have a Joe Ledger Adventure Tale from the esteemed Jonathan Maberry, that features the one-and-only Mr Church, and the kick-arse Grace Courtland. Alongside this novella, are amazing stories from authors around the world: Australia, Germany, US, UK, Belgium, India… it truly is global.

In the lead-up to release, we’re going to Author Spotlight our amazing writers so you can get to know them a little better, see what they’re up to on the writerly-front, and have them give you a little somethin’ somethin’ about the SNAFU tale they penned for us. Without our authors, there is no book, and we can’t thank them enough for entrusting their stories to us, and allowing us to present them to you all.

So, starting in October, this blog will get quite the work-out as we introduce you to some new names while getting you reacquainted with a few of our stalwarts.

You can pre-order SNAFU: Contagion here, and if you’re not familiar with the series and want to see what it’s all about, you can go to Cohesion Press’ website, and sign-up for the newsletter (we will not spam you, we understand how that can suck), and you’ll get a free copy of SNAFU: Comms, which is only available on sign-up. No pressure, of course. But… free book!

With that out of the way, all I can say is that with SNAFU: Contagion, you’re in for a hell of a ride. So, lace up your combat boots, prime your weapons, make sure your gas masks are secure and sealed…

…We’re about to breach…

Reading, Reviews

Review: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo

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Wow, where to start with this novella? The easiest part: I fucking loved this tale!

I read The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo over three nights, and I was enamoured with it. There is so much to love about it: the divine prose, the evocative imagery, the characters (both current and historical), but most of all, how it resonated with me both during the reading and afterwards.

Someone referred to the book as a ‘gift’, and they’re not wrong. It reminded me of the party game, ‘pass the parcel’ where each layer unwrapped lay a gift, only this time all the gifts were for  me, and there was one on each turn of the page. Each of these a clue to what was coming, taking your mind and imagination to both wonderful and heart-wrenching places. There are lines throughout that will stay with me always.

‘…the war was won by silenced and nameless women.’

It’s a story about war, history, upheaval, friendship, a story about the place (or no place) women have in this world and the strength and courage we all have to forge that path anew. It’s an ode to these strong women, these strong people, who break the bonds that shackle them in the most subtle and powerfully resonant ways.

This is a feminist tale, regaled by the elder, Rabbit (sold by her parents to the palace), to nonbinary monk Chih through a series of vignettes where history is not so much told, but actively learned. Chih and her hoopoe companion, Almost Brilliant, are the living memory of the world, wanderers gathering history before it’s lost amongst the detritus of time. It’s the story of Empress In-yo, forced into marriage for an alliance, then banished after providing the emperor a heir, she refuses to go lightly into that dark night.

‘…angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves.’

It’s not just In-yo’s story, but Rabbit’s as well, and the threads that bind both empress and handmaiden was a joy to uncover as Rabbit slowly peels back the pages of her life and that of the woman who changed it and her forever.

I cannot recommend this book enough, and while it is a novella, I would happily have read an entire novel set in this world.

Empress of Salt and Fortune

Eleventy stars.

And that cover? Oh, how I love that cover! This is the sort of cover art that has your books forward-facing on the shelves.