Surprise Publication & more

Newsletter of DOOM! December 2025

Dec 23, 2025

Happy Holidays to all of those out there who celebrate for any reason this time of year. I hope the end of 2025 is treating everyone well, and that the new year starts off in an awesome fashion for all.

Zine News

I’ve been busy here at DFP. I’m almost done with the next issue of Scattered which is due to come out in only a little over a week. Here is the awesome cover. P.L. McMillan always does amazing work:

As always, the ebook version will be available most places ebooks are sold and the physical copy will only be available direct for DarkForestPress.com.

A Surprise New Release

But the big news is that I published something new! Out today is a republish of my novelette The Pigeon Lied.

This was originally published as part of the HOWLS from Hell anthology back in 2021 from the HOWL Society Press. (Again, note the awesome art by P.L. McMillan) Now it available as a separate ebook. For the next 90 days the ebook will be exclusive to Amazon, but after that it will be everywhere ebooks are sold. Also, just like the Scattered zine, you can only get a physical copy by ordering direct from Dark Forest Press.

Bedtime Stories with Ranger JW Podcast

Another ongoing project at DFP is our podcast, Bedtime Stories with Ranger J.W. Tonight episode 15 comes out for all of the DFP Patreon members, and episode 14 will become available to the world over at Spotify:

For Episode 15 I will be reading my own story, “I Wake Up”, which was originally published on the Creepy Podcast. Be sure to subscribe on spotify to keep up with the episodes. Or, if you’d like access as soon as they come out, you must become a Dark Forest Press Patreon member! As a DFP Patreon member you also get each new digital issue of Scattered: A Dark Forest Press Zine as they come out plus access to weekly Tarot creativity boosts, monthly new fiction from J.W. Donley, and random patreon exclusive oddities and surprises.

https://www.patreon.com/c/darkforestpress

Upcoming DFP Publications

First up we have Cairn: Voices from the Cold book 2 by Clay Vermulm. This is due out in May of 2026.

Next is my (J.W. Donley) own collection! I am currently working on editing a pile of short stories. The plan is to release this one for my birthday in July of 2026.

There is also a mystery project I am working on with Leslie Edens.

Also, Kenneth Meyer and I are working on a special anthology showcasing the fiction talent based in the city DFP calls home: Bellingham, WA.

Of course, there will be a new issue of Scattered every three months full of weird, horrifying, and wonderful things, and I have a handful of other projects cooking as well.

There is always something new in the DFP library.