OUR AUTHORS

Edwin Canfield’s book, Facts, Fictions, and the Forbidden Predictions of the Amazing Criswell!, is to be released by Headpress Publishing in 2022. It is his first book to be published, but he has a number of projects in the works. From “laid bare” biographies to the true story of a woman murdered by human wolves and the real history of the elusive Jackalope. Canfield’s main goal and desire as a writer is to take the title of “world’s greatest hack” from the late, not-so-great, Leo Guild.

Canfield was born in Oklahoma but currently resides in the desert.

Previous writing credits include:
Filmfax, Spring 2006, “Criswell Predicts: The Life and Prophecies of the Amazing Criswell!”
Find a Death.com, “Jeron Charles Criswell King,” August 7, 1907 – October 4, 1982, bio
The Zwilight Tone, Fall 2020, “Criswell Returns!”

Edwin’s essay, “The Gray Area,” is featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Howard Gershkowitz is 65, married (42 years) with one child (age 34), and has lived in Arizona since 1981. Maintaining a journal for most of his life, he’s accumulated a significant amount of material to write about. To date, he has published a dozen short stories along with a poetry chapbook, Observations. His debut novel, The Operator, was published in October 2018 by All Things That Matter Press. His latest release, Not on My Watch, from the same publisher, is now available on Amazon or his website Gershwriter.com.

Howard’s poems, “The Spaniard” and “Redemption,” are featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Chelsea Harrington was born and raised in Leavenworth, Kansas, though she has called Lawrence home since 2019. Chelsea currently works as a full-time therapist but has always had a passion for the arts and incorporates creativity in her personal and professional life in any way she can, including assisting with starting and taking on the role of Associate Director of an arts-based nonprofit organization. LV Arts, in her hometown. [Read More]

Chelsea’s poems, “A Ticking Time Bomb is the Exact opposite of Freedom,” “This Article on Light Pollution is Reminiscent of my Polluted Thoughts,” and “What’s Glorious and Grotesque in our Endless Quest for Beauty,” are featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Michael Mayes is a teacher of history and former coach who resides in Central Texas. An avid folklorist, he has long been fascinated by the ghostly tales of historical and contemporary Texas as well as mysteries of the natural world. Mayes has authored two books, Patty: A Sasquatch Story and Shadow Cats: The Black Panthers of North America, and is the owner/writer of the Texas Cryptid Hunter blog. Michael can be reached via email at Mikemayes44@yahoo.com or via his website at Michaelcmayes.com.

Michael’s short story, “Rayanne,” is featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Joseph D. Newcomer is an author of speculative and literary fiction and the Founder of DEAD STAR PRESS. He was born in the blue-collar, Northwest Pennsylvania city of Erie in 1980. Currently, he resides in the Arizona desert, where he continues to write his Thought & Other Absurdities blog and follow-up novels to his debut, El Camino Blue, and his second novel, Diminishing Return.

Joseph spends his spare time Photoshopping his daughter, Ari, and his girlfriend, Andrea (the two greatest loves of his life) into art from comic books and curating Ari’s comic book collection. In the future, he hopes to be sucked into The Twilight Zone or an episode of Black Mirror, though he suspects that we already were.


Charles Passman was born or hatched or landed near New Orleans in the late 1980s—and yes, he was “there for Katrina”—stop asking already! Primarily a performer until now, Charles has worked alongside some of Hollywood’s top talent, both in front and behind the camera. He currently resides on the U.S. East Coast where he chews cheap cigars (and sometimes even smokes them) and stares dramatically into the middle-distance on rainy days whenever possible. He can, relatedly, be reached at Luvceegars1@yahoo.com, which he tries to remember to check at least weekly. Usually. He can also be found (now and then) on Instagram under cip59587 as well as Facebook under Charles Isaiah (author’s middle name).

Charles Passman’s essays, “Sempitneralis” and “This Just In” are featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Dan Scamell is a writer of weird and speculative fiction that takes place in a slightly less pleasant version of the world in which we live. His short fiction has appeared in Entropy Magazine and The Molotov Cocktail. His story, “The Changing Room,” is featured in the Charnel River Complex Anthology. He likes cats.

Dan currently lives in NY state, USA, where, in addition to writing, he sometimes draws, creates music, and consistently watches too much professional wrestling. Dan’s short stories, “Drain and Spin,” “Gorman’s Meeting,” “Impolite Evolution,” and “Winston and Raymond” are featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead. We are also proud to announce that Dead Star Press will be publishing Dan’s upcoming novel, Walnut Ridge. The novel is tentatively slated for release in the summer of 2022.


Cyril Serenissima is a card-carrying member of the human race. They are distrustful of social media and being too open about one’s self on the internet. They have too many tabs open in their browser and three different browsers running. Writing is slow and painful for them and at the behest of a muse that is really just a world on fire. Cyril has lived in fifteen different cities on three different continents. Currently, they live in Europe, somewhere. They speak several languages (albeit poorly in each case) and, somehow, misunderstand humanity in each. People tend to think they’re a bit dim, and you can think so too by following them on Twitter at @CSerenissima.

Cyril’s short story, “His Cold Hand,” is featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


Bret Thomas is an Arizona Native. He developed a love for reading and writing at an early age. In high school, one of his short stories was selected to be published in the school’s yearly magazine. In college, several of his screenplays were produced as student films. When he’s not reading and writing, Bret works as a hairstylist and is a dog dad to two spoiled English Bulldogs, Chunk and Otis. He currently lives in Central Phoenix.

Bret’s short stories, “Sakura” and “Seed” are featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.


J. Edward Young was born and raised in the suburban hellscape of Hamilton, Ohio. He spent his summers in the desolate mining towns of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. After spending a few years in the Army, he settled in the urban oven of Phoenix, where he met his beautiful but nagging wife. He has two wonderful teenagers who are quickly turning his hair gray. Find his work at jedwardyoung.com

J. Edward Young’s short story, “Martin,” is featured in the upcoming, first Dead Star Press Anthology, From The Dead.