Lee Murray author, editor
Free Reads by Lee
Penny Divers & Other Stories
If you'd like to sign up to my newsletter (using the contact page or the join button above) you'll automatically receive a free ebook collection of dark fiction stories, Penny Divers & Other Stories, not available anywhere else and comprising several award-winning tales. Signing up doesn't get you deluged with spam: I never send more than five newsletters annually, and each newsletter is crammed with information about my latest projects, recent events, free fiction and poetry (and pictures of my dog) -- and, of course, you can unsubscribe at any time and the book is yours to keep.
Lifeblood
My short story story "Lifeblood" which first appeared in Grimdark Magazine Issue 19, has been performed by the fabulous folks at Pseudopod, and you can read (or listen to Heath Miller's narration) for free by clicking this LINK.
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The story also appears in my Bram Stoker Award-winning collection, Grotesque: Monster Stories.
"Lifeblood" is a historical grimdark story of poverty and desperation set in the gumfields of New Zealand. Grimdark Magazine's gorgeous cover image, by artist Jason Deem, was inspired by the story.
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I'm a a full-time writer -- it's how I make my living -- so it would really help if you would buy my books and stories and support the editors and publishers who have invested in my work. However, if you're new to my writing and prefer to try before you buy, or if things are a bit tight for you right now, then please feel free to enjoy the stories on this page, or browse any of the interviews and articles located on this website. I will always do my best to provide digital review copies to reviewers in return for an honest appraisal.
If you're having trouble locating my work, please contact me via this site or ask for my books at your local library.
Permanent Damage
My Bram Stoker Award-winning short story "Permanent Damage" which first appeared in Attack of the 80s, edited by Eugene Johnson (Raw Dog Screaming Press) has been narrated by Avon Shore and produced by Tales to Terrify, Episode 570, and you can listen to for free by clicking this LINK.
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The story has also been translated into Romanian by Eliza Filimon and published in Galaxia 42/ 33 Dec, 2022.
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Into the Darkness
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My short story "Into the Darkness", is a quick-read Taine McKenna adventure, which falls between Into the Mist and Into the Sounds. You can read it for free by clicking this LINK.
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**Sometimes Amazon likes to sneakily put the price up to $1 despite my reminders that the story should be permafree. If you find the book is not free at any time, please contact me via this site and I will forward you a digital copy.
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The story is set in France and full of pulpy military monster horror. I hope you enjoy it!
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Maoriland Blue
My short story "Maoriland Blue" forms part of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Society's prestigious The Terror of Blue John Gap Project (edited by Nancy Holder and Margie Deck.) The work provides backstory for the mysterious Seaton who appears in Conan Doyle's wonderfully haunting folk tale (The Terror of Blue John Gap) while also taking readers on jaunt through time to the historic mining area not far from where I live in Aotearoa's Bay of Plenty. You can read Maoriland Blue for free online by following the link on the project's opening page HERE. The story begins on the right of the page, and continues HERE.
Phoenix Claws
My short story "Phoenix Claws", first published in the Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-winning anthology Black Cranes: Tales of Unquiet Women (edited by Lee Murray and Geneve Flynn, has been published online in both text and audio versions by Pseudopod. Narrated by Amanda Ching and hosted by MM Shill, with production by Chelsea Davis, the story is free to read or listen to HERE or click on the image to access the page.
Peter and the Wolf
My flash fiction piece "Peter and the Wolf", which was first published in the Sir Julius Vogel and Australian Shadows Award-winning anthology Baby Teeth: Bite-sized Tales of Terror (edited by Dan Rabarts and Lee Murray), can be read for free on my blog HERE.
My poem, "Interview with a Goddess", first published in my Bram Stoker Award-winning collaborative poetry collection, Tortured Willows: Bent, Bowed, Unbroken, was a Rhysling Award-nominee in 2022. You can hear me read it for free here by clicking the image.
An excerpt from my prose poetry story, "The Moon Goddess's Granddaughter", which appears in the Pixel Project's Giving the Devil hisDue, is performed by Nancy Yu. You can listen for free here by clicking the link.
Of Horror and Hope
Compiled in collaboration with Angela Yuriko Smith on behalf of the Wellness Committee of the Horror Writers Association, Of Horror and Hope is an anthology of poems, flash fiction, and reflections on mental illness and horror from HWA members. An uplifting and humbling read, this volume is available for free download to the public on the HWA website. Includes a foreword by my HWA Wellness Committee Co-Chair Dave Jeffery and cover art by Australian artist and horror writer, Greg Chapman.
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You can access the work for free HERE.
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HWA Members who would like to be interviewed for the HWA Holistic Horrors newsletter column can access a list of interview questions by clicking the DOC below.
Under Her Eye
Under Her Eye is a women in horror poetry anthology, a follow up to Black Spot Books' acclaimed anthology Under Her Skin, produced in collaboration with The Pixel Project, a non-profit whose aim is to end violence against women and girls. The book includes 114 poems from women (cis and trans) and non-binary femmes with stunning cover art by artist Lynne Hansen.
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You can read my introduction to the collection for free HERE.
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