“There is something at work in my soul which I do not understand.”
~Mary Shelley
Author, Frankenstein
Release update
Things Are as They Should Be and Other Words To Die For
THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE and Other Words To Die For is here!
Blood Simple meets Eve’s Bayou with a dash of Skelton Key, this interconnected short story collection blends psychological horror with the ambiguous morality of crime noir.
Amazon Kindle & Print
Barnes & Noble
Publisher Print
Visit Uncomfortably Dark Horror
Grand Prize Winner!
Sunvale Screenplay Grand Prize Winner
“A Pretty Smile” was awarded the Sunvale Screenplay Grand Prize. You can find the short story of the same name its based on in THINGS ARE AS THEY SHOULD BE and Other Words To Die For.
The script was also a Semifinalist for the Killer Shorts Screenplay Competition and is included in their Script Directory as well as an Honorable Mention in the Frights! Camera! Action! Screenplay Contest!
Upcoming release!
THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2026
P.M. Raymond’s short story, “Double Dutch Dare”, from the anthology, THE MOST DANGEROUS GAMES, was selected for THE BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE 2026! One of the most prestigious short story anthologies in the U.S., this highly respected annual collection of the best crime and suspense short stories published each year, is curated by editor Steph Cha and this year’s guest author, Megan Abbott. The anthology is published by Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins.
Upcoming events !
Killer Shorts Film Review
Other Stories
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Writer's Digest (Jan/Feb 2026)
Navigating a critique group while keeping your mental health intact
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Writer's Digest (Sept/Oct 2025)
Crafting an Interconnected World One Short Story at a Time
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The Most Dangerous Games
Double Dutch Dare
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Malice, Matrimony, & Murder
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The Entitled Life and Untimely Death of King Booker
Dark Yonder, Issue 1
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Rent Party
Punk Noir Magazine
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Illicit Motions
Unnerving Books
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The John Hughes Guide to High School Girl Transformations
Pyre Magazine
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The Day The Music Died
Rock, Roll, and Ruin: A Triangle Sisters in Crime Anthology
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Adventures in Babysitting
The Furious Gazelle
2022 Halloween Contest Finalist -
Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (Sept/Oct 2025)
Rage Ritual
Reviews
Splendid. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I look forward to reading more of your work!
~Hannibel Lecter
From “Backward and Forwards”,
Flash Fiction Magazine
Ooh. Love this. Playing with language, psyche. And the twist, right at the end. Well crafted.
~Paulene B.
From “Backward and Forwards”,
Flash Fiction Magazine
Events
Stay tuned!
*Image courtesy of Louis Maistros from Old Arabi Lighthouse reading
The Author
P.M. Raymond is an award-winning author and aspiring screenwriter living on the East Coast with 27 cookbooks and an imaginary dog named Walter.
