New Weird Western Story -- The Legend of the Screamin' Skulls. An 1880s "Nameless, Texas" spook story!

 Folkses!

Just in time for Halloween, a story I've been working on for two years. In addition to my modern day "Nameless, Texas" short mystery stories, I also write weird western stories set in 1880s Nameless! The coming of Halloween inspired me to ease a bit into the folklore of Jack-O'-Lanterns. If it's supernatural AND a tall tale, I love it.

 I finally got a cover I love, and that shrieks "fun, campy, slightly vintage and very weirdly western," y'all!  It's FREE on Kindle Unlimited right now, so go get it! And if you have a chance, please leave a short review there. Thank you!

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The Legend of the Screamin' Skulls

In Nameless, Texas, some legends just won't stay buried!

It's the 1880s in the dusty little frontier town of Nameless, Texas, where strange things happen, tall tales grow taller, and the locals know better than to dismiss an old legend. When rumors of mysterious flying skulls begin making the rounds, travelers and townsfolk alike discover that the Texas frontier holds more than rattlesnakes, outlaws, and tumbleweeds. Are the screamin' skulls merely an old superstition, or is something downright peculiar stirring in the night?

Inspired by old legends and folklore, The Legend of the Screamin' Skulls is a quirky Weird Western tale filled with supernatural mischief, frontier humor, and just enough spookiness to make you look over your shoulder.

The first in the Nameless, Texas Weird Western Spook Tales series—where history meets folklore, and the West gets wonderfully weird!

A short, spooky read for lovers of ghost stories, strange legends, and old-fashioned tall tales.

And there you have it!

Spooky trails!

bobbi c.

Spooky Little Halloween Story -- An Oldie but Goodie!

 Originally published in Kings River Life magazine, here's a short little spooky Halloween story for your shivery enjoyment! Happy Trails from Nameless, Texas!

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One night while laying in a cold, dark hospital room I spied the Angel of Death or was it the Grim Reaper? wisping down the hallway and into the room across the way, the inhabitant a white haired grandmother  who had gone in for a routine procedure.

Never mind that I was stoned out of my mind on morphine, prescribed by the doctor, that wonderful stuff that took the edge off the pain after my surgery and never mind that it was 3 a.m. and there wasn’t another soul except for her and I (alive, anyway)  on that whole corridor when I saw that horrible visage of death with the eyeless face in the black and drapey robe  with great dark cowl or dare I call it a shroud?

Nurses pooh-poohed my imagination and turned up the volume on the meds and told me to stay in bed where I belonged even though the doctor told me to get up and walk they said I didn’t have any business wandering around the hallways in the dead of night.  No telling what might happen, they warned.

They were too busy taking their smokes outside the door in the cold night air and didn’t want to be bothered with someone who wouldn’t behave, someone who saw dark figures lurking about the halls at night and insisting that at 3 a.m. someone had been there.

But I found out, almost by accident,  after I noticed that her room was empty and when I asked after her health  that the elderly woman who had been across the hall from me died at precisely 3 a.m. on that very night and how could I have known that? And it occurred to me then that the dark figure  got his signals crossed, and went into her room instead of mine.  THE END

Artwork © Copyright 2026 by Bobbi A. Chukran

Black Cats and Jack-o'-Lanterns for Halloween--Enjoy!

 

Artwork by Bobbi A. Chukran

Halloween Thirteen--A Collection of Spooky & Strange Short Stories UPDATED!

 Dear friends,

Back in 2012, I published my first collection of short stories, HALLOWEEN THIRTEEN for the Kindle. I was finally able to upgrade the cover (BIG upgrade!), do a few tweaks and edits and reissue it for Halloween 2026! Available this week on Amazon. I hope to offer it in paperback, too, soon.

Slip into the shadows…Some Halloween tales are frightening. Some are funny. 

And some are just plain strange.

Step into a world where ordinary takes an unexpected turn—where a lonely highway can lead to a café you were never meant to find, where cats become creatures of the moon, and where the magic and mischief of Halloween can transport you straight back to childhood.

From dusty West Texas roads and haunted places to moonlit nights, mysterious creatures, mischievous children, and things that go bump in the darkness, Halloween Thirteen is a collection of spooky tales with a wicked sense of humor and a touch of nostalgia.

There are stories for readers who remember the thrill of paper costumes, wax lips, jack-o’-lanterns, candy-filled plastic buckets and the delicious anticipation of Halloween night.

Turn the page, if you dare.

The lights may go out.

The shadows may move.

And you never know what might be waiting just around the corner.

Thirteen stories. Thirteen twists. One wonderfully spooky collection.

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

Traditional Gothic Ghost Story Published for Halloween 2026!

Hello friends!

I just finished uploading my most recent short spooky tale to Amazon for the Kindle. It's a traditional gothic ghost story set somewhere in England in a haunted (maybe) manor on a rocky coast. Yes, proper spooky! 

The dead rarely speak. But sometimes they return to be heard.

Years after the death of his wife, Eleanor, Thomas Sutton lives alone in a crumbling manor by the sea, haunted by memories—and by a secret he has carefully kept buried.

Everyone believes Eleanor died during the cholera epidemic.

Everyone is wrong.

At midnight, as Thomas sits before a dying fire with his silver pocket watch in his hand, the scent of lavender drifts through the room. A figure appears beside the window.

Eleanor has come home.

Atmospheric, melancholy, and quietly chilling, The Spectre of Eleanor Sutton is a traditional Gothic ghost story of love, guilt, betrayal, and a past that refuses to remain buried.

If you're a fan of historical supernatural or ghostly fiction, you should like this one. It's available on Amazon now. Please give it a look, and check out the rest of my strange, quirky and spooky stories there! Thank you!

 Hellooooo friends! We are doing some updates, re-arranging and re-vamp-ing here on Ye Olde Blog!

Please stay with us! We have new stories to come, new vintage style pulpy artwork and more. Alas, no one to do the confounded blog except ME. Dangit. Anyway, hope you have a wonderful fall and Happy Halloween!

This lovely fellow is a tease for an upcoming story! Stay tuned! 

Happy trails!

New Kindle Short Story Cozy Mystery Cover

 New cover reveal! Here's a story I published way back in 2014...one of my first Nameless, Texas short mystery stories featuring some of the main characters...Kendra Louise Harper, Jeremy Clifford, and Lolly, the owner of Do-Lolly's Downtown Cafe.

The first cover was all right, I guess, and featured one of my original photos. Over the years, I was told by friends that I needed a cover that "screamed" cozy. LOL. That one didn't. But it wasn't until I got some help, some new illustration skills, and some new software that I was able to do better with it.

I love this, and even did some interior illustrations. Unfortunately, Amazon wasn't havin' it today when I tried to upload them. So, I'll try again. But for now...here is the AFTER cover for this story.

I still have to tweak the Amazon page for the reviews, etc. but it's a start...I do plan on revamping some of my other older covers.

I'll post some of the interior drawings I did for this one, too. In another post.

Another in Black Cat Weekly, #162

 I'm a bit behind, but wanted to announce the publication of my Halloween story, "Ol' Crowbait," in Black Cat Weekly #162. Still available at their website and all over the web!

Black Cat Weekly #162

New Author Portrait

 Continuing in my new exploration of some new tools. A portrait to match all my new "Weird Western" stories coming up! (Next one should be in Black Cat Weekly at Halloween!)

Black Cats, Books and Jack O' Lanterns! What's not to love?

 Playing with a new artwork program. So much fun! 

Yes, I know it's early. What can I say, I love Halloween!

Happy trails!

Want to Read a Spook Story? Angels and Saints, now available!

 UPDATE: No longer available as a free story, but here's a good review of it.  We are now back in Texas and settling in our "new" 1974 home. Hoping to get more writing done now! Happy trails...bobbi c.

https://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2024/08/short-story-wednesday-angels-and-saints.html

Dear friends and readers! It's been a while since I've updated here. Getting settled back in Texas has taken a bit out of my desire to write much. But I'm back at it, and have a string of new stories coming out between now and the end of the year.

Just wanted to mention one of my newest stories that came out yesterday from Undertaker Books. "Angels and Saints" is a bit of a departure for me from my "Nameless, Texas" short stories I've been writing over the last six years or so. It's a "weird western" story, with what might (or might not) be, a ghost. It will also be appearing in a printed anthology early next year.

I have several other "weird Western" stories out there now, and I'm having a blast writing them.

This is a free download once you sign up, so take a look! 

By the way, the carved wooden angel on the cover is from my collection. Rudy and I bought it 35 years ago on our honeymoon to Santa Fe. We made the loooong trek to Taos and visited the woodcarver's studio, where I bought this and a free-standing santo carving.

Happy trails from the Oasis of West Texas! 

https://undertakerbooks.com/products/angels-and-saints

 

Back in the Saddle, Again!

 Howdy, folks! It's been a while since I posted here. I am still writing. Sort of. Recently I announced I was sick and tired and decided to retire. Well, I'll tell you what! Several GREAT friends threatened to tie me up, smear me with molasses and sit me in a bed of fire ants.

SO! I am not retiring. Changed my mind. LOL!!

If you look at the pile of papers that appear on the top photo here, you'll see what I'm going through now. Yep, unfinished short stories, bits 'n bobs of novellas, plays and notes for other projects.

I did manage to finish one story that's been sitting here, collecting dust, and sent it out. I have good feedback so far from it, so fingers crossed.

Short update -- We moved to Las Cruces, NM, a little over six years ago and spent a lot of that time locked down during Covid. Yep, I got the monster, because I decided to help a poor sick lady in the Wal-Mart pharmacy find aspirin. I tell you what! I won't do THAT again. Just kidding. I might. ;-)

Anywho, I survived, barely. I do have residual lung issues and diminished desire to help little old ladies. Heh. In the meantime, I got an inoperable macular hole in one eye, a probably diagnosis of Sjogren's Disease and got banged up badly in a fall in my garden! For cryin' out loud! 

After our sojourn in Las Cruces, I decided I wanted to move back home, to Texas, where your eyeballs don't get blasted by the high UV rays from the very high altitude every.single.time. you go outside. Plus, there's No rain there! None! Ugh.

We visited San Angelo, Texas, thirteen years ago and always said we'd go back. Well, we did. And we're stickin' here. It's beautiful and very green here, in spite of being in West Texas. AND it RAINS! They don't call it "The Oasis of West Texas" for nuthin'.

Did I mention I'm starting to write again?

Can't beat that with a STICK!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

The beautiful Concho River

Free-to-Read-Online Christmas Ghost Story Published in Kings River Life

 Dear friends,

I'm happy to say that my short story "Aunt Jewel and the Christmas Spirits" has just been published online at Kings River Life.

https://kingsriverlife.com/12/18/aunt-jewel-and-the-christmas-spirits/

It's a light-hearted look at how Christmas traditions can still remain, even in the time of a worldwide pandemic. 

And honoring the tradition of telling ghost stories at Christmas time...well, let's just say that Aunt Jewel, Kendra and Jeremy have a surprise guest.

Join the wacky denizens of Nameless, Texas again as they plan an old fashioned Christmas!

My grandmother Jennie Neal's recipe for Green Tomato Mincemeat.

Happy Holidays!

bobbi c.

Inspiration for my Story, "Family to the Bone"

 Dear friends,

Years ago, my husband and I took a day trip as we often did to a nearby small Texas town, Jarrell. Some of you might remember the great Jarrell tornado that wiped out a lot of the town back in 1997. It's one of time-warp places that still has a lot of the old houses, churches, etc. intact, although abandoned.

We happened on this old place. Beside it was an old Aerator windmill, water tank and fire truck.

My aunt had lived in a house much like this, with a horrible old storm cellar for tornadoes and to store winter veggies and canned goods. I wondered, does this old house have one, too? I wasn't able to find one because many of the entrance doors were buried under years of dirt. And snakes were always a possibility!

My writer imagination started whirring and before long, after going home, I'd written the story, Family to the Bone.

It was quickly accepted by Dark Moon Press for their e-magazine, Dark Eclipse and published as my first "horror" story in November 2014.

A few weeks ago, while going through old photos, I found the house pic. I found the old story, re-edited it, and with some Photoshop magic I turned my original photo into the cover for a new Kindle e-short.

I hope you enjoy the story and that it gives you a few frissons and shivers. 

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Bone-Texas-Gothic-Horror-ebook/dp/B09HST7HL4

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

 
All photos Copyright 2021 Bobbi A. Chukran

New Short Story Published in Black Cat Weekly #6!

I'm happy to announce that my short story, The Passing of Big Mama Mayhall, has just been published in Black Cat Weekly Magazine, #6!

The story is what I call one of my "macabre Texas farmhouse noir" mystery stories, a bit Hitchcockian and with a bit of black humor. Although BCW is usually a reprints market, this is a brand new story.

Other stories in the 400+ page issue (!) include a great new ghost story by Barb Goffman and a traditional type zombie story by John Gregory Betancourt, publisher of BCW, and two full novels.

BCW is a relatively new zine from Wildside Press, the company that also publishes Black Cat Magazine, Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Weirdbook and an amazing array of classic story reprints in their "megapacks."

The issue is only $3.99!

https://bcmystery.com/bcw6/

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

 Dear friends,

It's been forever since I updated this blog. Today, I worked on my publications list and although the links aren't all there yet, the list is pretty much up-to-date.

https://bobbichukran.blogspot.com/p/publications.html

You can find all of my in-print books and Kindle stories (including my "Nameless, Texas" series) over on Amazon.com, on my Author's Page.

https://www.amazon.com/Bobbi-A-Chukran/e/B005UK1P7M

Take a look!

Happy trails from the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico!

bobbi c.

Short Stories! The dessert in a great meal of fiction!

Hello from the desert of New Mexico!

After wrestling my blogs back from the black hole of the 'net, I'm back.

Over the years, I've written all lengths of things---from a 300,000 word resource guide, to a 50-word flash fiction story, and everything in between. I'm most comfortable with short stories of less than 5,000 words and novellas, which are usually less than 40,000 words.

As a reader, I'm finding that I read a lot more short stuff and less very long novels.

Now, given my attention span and interest, I'm mostly writing short stories. And I love it.

50% off thru July 31st at Smashwords!

Interestingly enough, I got back into short fiction after writing a slew of ten-minute plays and monologues for youth theatre, many of which went on to be published, produced and win awards. 

Some of them were then turned into short stories. Writing short stuff seems to suit me well.

Thing is, I've heard people who are avid readers say that they "never read short stories." Or "I only read novels because there's a character arc." Or there are others who read an occasional short story.

I wonder, what would entice you, as a reader, to try more short stories? There's a lot of great short fiction out there these days--from literary stories with ambiguous endings (LOL) to all kind of genre stuff.

And if you have a favorite novelist, chances are somewhere they also have a collection of short stories, or stories in an anthology.

Think of fiction like a good meal. The novels can be the main course, and the short stories can be the dessert. :-)

Why not try one?

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

New Thanksgiving Humorous Mystery Anthology Available!

I’m pleased to announce that I have a short Thanksgiving caper story, "Nameless Turkey Trot of Terror" in The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos!

The fifty volume of this new anthology of humorous Thanksgiving murder mysteries is now available for pre-order in paperback and hardcover from the publisher's website. The current release date for print is October 17th, but if you pre-order through these links you will definitely get your copies before that.

If my friends order through the publisher's website, then the authors get quite a bit more from the sale. Just sayin'. LOL.

Also, you can purchase and download the ebook version RIGHT NOW from their website in PDF, Kindle or EPUB formats. In fact, all you have to do is purchase the book once and you can download all three formats at any time. You can also use the special tool on their website to send the ebook version directly to your Kindle or Nook.

The ebook can currently be preordered through Amazon or Apple’s iBookstore, but if readers want it RIGHT NOW they can only get it from the Untreed Reads store or through their exclusive early release with DriveThruFiction.com. Readers who preorder the ebook at Amazon or Apple will receive the title on October 17th.

Here are the links:

TKWC5 At The Untreed Reads Store (print and ebook): https://goo.gl/vLckVX
TKWC5 Ebook At DriveThruFiction (EPUB, KIndle, PDF): https://goo.gl/kPBfyh
TKWC5 Ebook Preorder at Amazon: http://amzn.to/2g04t4O

I hope everyone enjoys the anthology!

Happy trails!

bobbi c.

bobbi a. chukran

New publication! Yay!

I'm excited to announce that one of my recent fun stories, The Nameless Turkey Trot of Terror, will be published in Untreed Reads THE KILLER WORE CRANBERRY 5!

There have been four volumes of these popular FUNNY Thanksgiving-time murder mystery anthologies, and I'm pleased to add my name to the list.

Will post pics of the cover ASAP!

Happy trails,

bobbi c.

Where the heck have I been?

Dear friends,

Poppin' in to say that yes, I'm still alive! Barely. One year ago I went in for a "routine" surgery and eleven days later, was diagnosed with a life-threatening (shall we say "flesh eating bacteria?") infection and rushed back into emergency surgery. I had two more surgeries over the next two days. Infected tissue was removed and a horrible Borg-like device was attached to my lower abdomen--a wound vac.

I ended up with an incision about 14" long and 4" wide.

For many, many months after I was able to go home from the hospital, I had visits from home-health-care nurses three times a week for very painful changes of dressings/sponges and the application of a huge sheet of adhesive film holding it all together. I carried around a vacuum pump with  me.

Bottom line, a year later I'm "healed," they say. I have a horrible scar and my belly button is off center. Psychologically, I have good days and bad days. Yes, they admitted I got the infection in the hospital. Yes, I could sue them. Still thinking about that one.

In the meantime, I have a helluva lot of ideas for stories. After all, I do write horror stories, science fiction AND murder mysteries. :-)

bobbi c.