COMING SOON! YELLOW MAMA #110 (April 15, 2025 – Black Petals)
“A Stinging Rebuke”
COMING SOON! YELLOW MAMA #108 (February 15, 2025 – Black Petals)
“Just Like Old Times”
COMING SOON! URBAN LEGENDS (First Quarter 2025 – Chesapeake Chapter Sisters in Crime)
“Revisiting the House of Blue Lights”
COMING SOON! A KILLING at the COPA: Stories Inspired by the Songs of Barry Manilow (February 2025 – Misti Media )
“Getting Even Now”
COMING SOON! GAG ME WITH A SPOON (Fall 2024 – Misti Media )
“That Damn Car”
COMING SOON! SEEDS (January 2025, TEXAS GARDENER)
“Perfect Timing”
COMING SOON! TOUGH (November 25, 2024 – Redneck Press)
“Come Sundown”
COMING SOON! SEX & VIOLINS: An Erotic Crime Anthology (October 31, 2024 – White City Press)
In “Concerto for Harp and Homicide” Millie Mason’s dream is about to come true. She has a date with her idol, harp virtuoso Harry Hannigan. Soon that dream will become a nightmare–but not until after a night of sexual bliss.
KINGS RIVER LIFE WEBZINE (October 23, 2024)
Byrne House has kept its secrets well over the centuries, but when American Fiona visits Ireland during Samhain, she uncovers more than she expected in “The Mystery of the Mirror.”
KRL Review by Alma J. Collins:
“That story was awesome! Thanks!.”
A LITTLE FANTASY EVERYWHERE (October 1, 2024 – Jersey Pines Ink)
In Cordelia’s Conundrum, Cordelia, a human-sized fairy, is given 24 hours to retrieve the spell book belonging to Juniper, the Witch of the Emerald Forest. If she fails, her sister will be auctioned off in the Magical Marketplace.
HOOSIER NOIR SIX (February 20, 2024 – First City Books)
You’ve heard the adage, “Finders keepers, losers weepers.” When Angie comes upon an unexpected stash of cash in “Finders Keepers,” she has no problem embracing it. But by the end of the story, “Be careful what you wish for” might have been a more apt choice.
YELLOW MAMA #102 (February 15, 2024 – Black Petals)
In “A Dish Best Served Cold,” a noir story, when Quinn Elliott decides to murder his wife, the results are mixed, as well as his feelings.
AMBER WAVES OF GRAVES (November 15, 2023 – Speed City Press)
In “The Perfect Martini,” a down-on-his luck con man arrives in his hometown after years away to pull a heist to score some easy money, but his plan soon falls apart in surprising ways.
MALICE, MATRIMONY & MURDER (November 13, 2023 – Marla Bradeen)
In “Wedding Vows and Vipers,” amateur sleuth Casey Kelly must work fast to save the bride from a potential murder rap.
Received a 5-STAR Review from StoryBookReviews on Bookbub
THE PERP WORE PUMPKIN (November 7, 2023 – Misti Media)
In “Making Whoopie,” Dean’s “good deed” backfires on him during his dysfunctional family’s Thanksgiving get-together. This humorous anthology benefits Second Harvest Food Bank, and is edited by J. Alan Hartman.
KINGS RIVER LIFE WEBZINE (August 12, 2023)
“The Good Samaritan” introduces one of my favorite characters – Henry Moody, a curmudgeonly old geezer living alone in the Montana mountains. When a young family moves nearby, bringing danger and donuts with them, his life is changed forever.
KRL Review by Sue Leis:
“I liked the nice little O. Henry twist at the end. The story was enjoyable.”
MIRRORS REFLECTING SHADOWS (July 30, 2023 – Anxiety Press, Outcast Press, and Roi Fainéant Press.)
My story, “Lizards and Other Varmints,” was selected for this anthology benefitting The Trevor Project which helps provide suicide prevention for LGBTQ+ youth. In “Lizards and Other Varmints,” Okey Lawson concocts a fail-proof plan for eliminating his wife’s lover – permanently. But when he hires a “shit for brains” ex-Marine, his plan explodes with unforeseen consequences for everyone.
YELLOW MAMA (June 15, 2023 – Black Petals)
THIRD PLACE WINNER in the 2021 Bould Awards anthology, “Voodoo Wedding” is a creepy horror story. If you’re afraid of snakes, don’t read it. I can’t believe I wrote it! In New Orleans for a friend’s wedding, Camilla must confront her childhood fear of snakes. But this time the stakes are much higher.
WHITE CAT PUBLICATIONS (March 6, 2023)
In “The Girl,” a young girl is murdered in rural Indiana in the 1960s. The mother and stepfather try to incriminate each other, but the sheriff uncovers the truth with a little help from beyond the grave.
CASTAGNETTE (February 16, 2023)
In “Mutual Attraction,” Annabel and “Mr. Sexy” have a far from typical Friday night!
YELLOW MAMA (February 15, 2023 – Black Petals)
“Billy’s First Road Trip” is the harrowing tale of an attempted escape from a relationship gone bad. The abuser holds all the power. Will the victim succeed or fail and accept the punishment that will surely follow?
(Click the story link to access all my archived stories published by Yellow Mama and scroll down until this story appears.)
SEEDS (January 11, 2023 – Texas Gardener)
In “The Healing Garden,” tending a neglected garden heals the twenty-year-old rift between an estranged mother and daughter.
YELLOW MAMA (December 15, 2022 – Black Petals)
When Alice Anne comes up with a plan to get the perfect gift for her boyfriend in “Christmas Shopping Spree,” she gets more – and less – than she bargained for!
(Click the story link to access all my archived stories published by Yellow Mama and scroll down until this story appears.)
TREES (November 18, 2022, Jersey Pines Ink)
In “The Magical Forest,” Adrienne is called back home to settle her parents’ estate. She considers giving up her boring job in the city and staying, because she has fond memories of the magical forest where she played as a child. To survive, though, she’ll have to level the forest for farmland. Soon, strange things – including a tragedy – begin to happen, and her childhood playground appears more menacing than magical.
AWARD WINNER: Trees placed 7th in the 2023 Critters Annual Reader’s Poll for the Anthology category!
HOOSIER NOIR FIVE (October 30, 2022 – First City Books)
One young woman. Four unscrupulous businessmen. In “The Good Girl,” Lena Langtree is on a quest for revenge. How far will it take her? Will she succeed or become a victim once again?
This was the lead story in the collection of short stories!
Praise for HOOSIER NOIR FIVE:
Zakariah Johnson – “Every issue of Hoosier Noir has been good (disclosure: I was in #2). Excited to see it continue to clear a high bar.”
KINGS RIVER LIFE WEBZINE (October 1, 2022)
In “Halloween at the Old Jackson House,” thirteen-year-old Roger witnesses a battle between Good & Evil at the highest level! Which side will win? And will he live to tell the tale?
KRL Review by Pat Marinelli:
“Great Halloween story. Loved it.”
TALES OF THE SEA (September 28, 2022 – Red Penguin Press)
Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairytale, my short story, “The Little Mermaid & The Kraken,” is a traditional fairytale that incorporates the Kraken, legendary sea monsters, and old Norse gods. Will The Little Mermaid triumph and find happiness at last?
YELLOW MAMA WEBZINE (June 15, 2022 – Black Petals)
“Two Little Words” features a young woman who copes with guilt and trauma in a self-destructive way. It was inspired by a reading of Mary Held’s book, Unfreezing Trauma.
(Click the story link to access all my archived stories published by Yellow Mama and scroll down until this story appears.)
THE BIG FANG (April 1, 2022 – Harbor Humane Society)
I wrote “The Parrot from Primrose Lane” especially for this this anthology. The premise: When amateur sleuth Casey Kelly rescues a parrot, efforts to find its owner place her in danger of needing to be rescued herself. All proceeds benefit homeless furry friends.
THE DATING GAME (November 21, 2023 – Red Penguin Press)
What happens when a glitch in an online dating service matches a millennial with three women old enough to be his grandmother? That’s the premise of “The Ageless Art of Dating.”
Amazon Review by Matt McGee:
“Shari Held’s ‘Ageless Art of Dating’ is a charming take on a young man wading through the GILF pool only to find a lovely reward waiting in the deeper end.”
PETS ON THE PROWL (October 30, 2021 – Red Penguin Press)
“The Daring Duo of Shady Elm” features Rufous, an adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, and Penelope, a cranky Blue Point Siamese, who join ranks to save a Shady Elm resident.
Amazon (No longer available.)
BOULD AWARDS 2021 SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY, VOL. 1 (October 28, 2021 – Jake Devlin)
“Wingin’ It” – What if one day everyone in your town suddenly sprouted wings?
“Winner’s Luck” – Mary’s “free” face lift turns out to be quite costly.
“Cinderella’s Escape” – Classic fairytales are no longer popular. Fairytale characters are deserting Fairytale Land in droves, but title characters can’t leave. What does that mean for Cinderella?
THIRD PLACE WINNER – “Voodoo Wedding” – In New Orleans for a friend’s wedding, Camilla must confront her childhood fear of snakes. But this time the stakes are much higher.
BOULD AWARDS 2021 SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGY, VOL. 2 (October 28, 2021 – Jake Devlin)
“Brigette Brown’s Revenge” – What happens when a young ghost returns to the site of her demise to find her killer?
“Nightshift” – If you like sushi, don’t read this story!
“In the Belly of the Beast” – When a machine falls in love with a human, things can get dicey.
“Adventures in Shopping” – Heard about two women fighting over the same dress in a department store? What happens when one is an actual monster?
Amazon (Now available only in Kindle version which incorporates both volumes.)
ASININE ASSASSINS (September 14, 2021 – Smart Rhino Publications)
In “Lizards and Other Varmints,” Okey Lawson concocts a fail-proof plan for eliminating his wife’s lover – permanently. But when he hires a “shit for brains” ex-Marine, his plan explodes with unforeseen consequences for everyone.
TRICK OR TREATS: TALES OF ALL HALLOWS’ EVE (August 15, 2021 – Speed City Press)
Byrne House has kept its secrets well over the centuries, but when American Fiona visits Ireland during Samhain, she uncovers more than she expected in “The Mystery of the Mirror.”
Twitter Review by Jay@Bibliophilopoly:
“I read @ShariHeld’s short story, “The Mystery of the Mirror,” from the Speed City Crime Writers Anthology, Trick or Treats. Nice Samhain tale – and I learnt how to pronounce “Samhain!”
BETWEEN THE COVERS (November 21, 2023 – Red Penguin Press)
Dean mistakenly opens a box wrapped in a plain brown wrapper meant for his new neighbor and neither of their lives will ever be the same in “Boys & Other Toys.”
This is the lead story in the anthology.
HOOSIER NOIR 3 (April 9, 2021 – First City Books)
When Annie Devereux, an eighty-two-year-old widow and personal friend, becomes the victim of a vicious rape and murder, Detective Nick Alexander vows to find her killer in “Sweet Annie.”
Amazon Review by Steve from Japan:
“Standout stories here by the likes of the talented Pettigrew, Campbell, Beatty, and Held. If you haven’t checked out Hoosier Noir, do it NOW!”
MURDER 20/20 (May 21, 2020 – Speed City Press)
A marriage on the rocks, a two-timing lover, an adult entertainment room, and Daring Divas out for a good time – everything unravels when events take a dark turn in “Deception at the Double D Convention.”
CIRCLE CITY CRIME (November 12, 2019 – Speed City Press)
A New York acquisitions editor finds herself involved in a case of mistaken identity, a sex-trafficking ring, and a potential romance when she comes to Indiana to sign up a new writer in “Lost and Found.”
HOMICIDE FOR THE HOLIDAYS (November 1, 2018 – Blue River Press)
The holiday season won’t be so merry for one person In “Murder Most Merry,” a modern, off-beat take on A Christmas Carol.
INDIANAPOLIS INDIANA: A PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT (May 7, 2017 – Twin Lights Publishers)
A look at the sights and scenes of Indianapolis, a city on the move!
THE FINE ART OF MURDER (October 1, 2016 – Blue River Press)
“Pride and Patience” asks the age-old question: Is murder ever justified?