KC Grifant, Author

@kcgrifant

~Award-winning author of horror, fantasy, scifi & weird west stories in podcasts, mags & Stoker-nominated anthos ~Creator of Monster Gunslinger series & game ~UCSD writing instructor ~HWA San Diego co-founder/chair ~SFWA mentor

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KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· 28d

“I have long held the position that every woman should face the patriarchal world with a gun in her hand. This anthology proves me right. A tremendous addition to the Western genre.” —C.S. Humble, author of the Amid the Vastness of All Else Saga

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 10

#ComicCon attendees, mark your calendar for the first public signing of WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST with me, Jennifer Brody, Deborah Daughetee, Sarah Faxon, Jendia Gammon & Mathilda Zeller on Thurs July 23 from 3:30-4:30 PM. I might have swag 👀 #sdcc #sdcc2026 #sandiegocomiccon #weirdwest #sandiego

Signing is Thurs July 23 at table AA04 from 3:30-4:30 pm.

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 9

My Comic Con schedule 🦸🏼‍♀️ Can’t wait!! I’ll also be at our annual Horror Writers Association networking event that Saturday at 4:30pm. Message me for details if you’d like to stop by! #SDCC #SDCC2026 #SanDiegoComicCon #scifihorror

SIGNING: A signing of Women of the Weird West with me, Jennifer Brody, Deborah Daughetee, Sarah Faxon & Jendia Gammon on Thursday July 23, 2026 at table AA04 from 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM.

SIGNING: A signing for the panel “When The Void Screams Back: The Latest in Sci-Fi Horror” with me, Peter Clines, author, Jendia Gammon & Scott Sigler on Thursday, July 23, 2026 at table AA06 from 05:00 PM - 06:00 PM.

PANEL: “When The Void Screams Back: The Latest in Sci-Fi Horror”--Science fiction promises us the stars, while horror reminds us to be careful how far we venture. Join bestselling and award-winning authors and editors Peter Clines (God's Junk Drawer, The Broken Room), Jendia Gammon (Doomflower, Dungeon Crawl at the Haunted Mall), Jean-Paul L. Garnier (Space Cowboy Books, Simultaneous Times), Scott Sigler (Beasts Beyond the Rivers, Slay: Hatchet Man) and moderator KC Grifant (Monster Gunslingers, Shrouded Horror) for insights into sci-fi horror stories that resonate, whether about the terrors of space, insidious technologies, or biological processes gone monstrously wrong. 7:00PM - 8:00PM Room 6DE

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 8

#ComicCon announcements tomorrow!! You’ll be able to find me at four events this year, details coming soon 🦹🏻‍♀️ #SanDiegoComicCon #SDCC #SanDiego

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 7

I’ll be on 7 panels and leading a writing workshop at the premier sci-fi conference, LAcon V Worldcon! I can’t wait to share details soon. A hint of some of the panel topics: 🤠😱🎲👩🏻‍🏫🧪🤦🏻‍♀️🔪✍🏻 Join us in Anaheim, CA at the end of August! More info: www.lacon.org #laworldcon #worldcon #scifi

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 6

Looking to elevate your fiction by increasing tension & stakes? This class is for you! My virtual workshop “Tension & Terror: Evoking Fear To Elevate Your Fiction” is happening this Saturday ✍️ Whether you write fantasy, literary fiction, sci-fi or other genres, this interactive

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 3

Big thanks to one of my favorite writers, Gwendolyn Kiste, for these kind words on WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST (out now from Brigids Gate Press)! scifiwri.com/women-of-the... #weirdwest #newbook

“A vital entry into the Weird West canon, and one that leaves a powerful and lasting impression. These are the strange and haunting Western tales I've always yearned for. Read this book as soon as you can.”
—Gwendolyn Kiste, Four-time Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Haunting of Velkwood and Reluctant Immortals

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jul 1

#CreepawayCamp: horror trivia, ghost stories, workshops, panels and good company in the woods! #horrorcommunity #horrorauthors #horrorwriters

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 28

Bookmail! So pleased to be a part of this stellar horror anthology from @starsandsabers.bsky.social ! My story, “Worship,” features a grieving widower whose Puritan town is haunted by a mysterious “goddess” that may be able to ease his suffering.

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 24

Shane was instrumental in helping to shape WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST. And was kind enough to give this lovely blurb! “This anthology is a beautiful, screaming bullet shot straight into the heart of every clichéd cowboy. Before you lie the dusty remnants of that dead cowboy as a torrential rain washes

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 24

📣 San Diego, save the date! You’ll be able to get signed copies of Women of the Weird West, snacks & swag while @jendiagammon.bsky.social @Sarah Faxon & I discuss inspirations behind this anthology. @mystgalaxybooks.bsky.social can ship signed copies as well👇

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 22

There’s two spots left and still time to enroll! The next semester of my virtual course kicks off this week. Join in for a 10-week deep dive into sci-fi, fantasy and horror through University of California San Diego’s Extended Studies. Students will learn to:

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 17

“Women of the Weird West is powerful on every level! Great stories by terrific writers, each bringing a unique perspective that makes the Old West come alive! Highly recommended!” I’m so grateful for this blurb from Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of Red Empire and Bewilderness!

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 17

Evening appreciation post! Big thanks to @brigidsgatepress.bsky.social the amazing contributors, Kasey Lansdale who wrote the foreword & the authors who took time to provide blurbs for Women of the Weird West!! 🙌🏻 In this bold reimagining of the Old West, (1/)

Promo graphic for Women of the Weird West

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 16

It is publication day for Women of the Weird West!! 🥳 What a journey! This anthology published by Brigids Gate Press and edited by me is near and dear to my heart. I am grateful to the authors for their fascinating tales spanning far-flung galaxies to classic Old West settings.

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 15

WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST is out tomorrow! 🤠🤠🤠 Thank you Rae Wilde for the blurb! “The stories of the West we’ve always deserved.” —Rae Wilde, author of Happily Ever After the Murders Preorder whenever you buy books: scifiwri.com/women-of-the... #weirdwest #newbook #bookrec #fantasybook

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 13

WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST is out in 4 days!! Thank you Stephanie Ellis for the kind blurb for my anthology 🤠 Preorder whenever you buy books so you can dive into these brilliant authors’ fascinating stories: scifiwri.com/women-of-the... #weirdwest #newbook #bookrec #fantasybook

“Women of the Weird West is a ride into a world you won't forget. Whether battling vampire, fae, or inner demons, it is a book which celebrates both independence and sisterhood. In this West, strong women stand proud, as they so surely did in history, but here their voices are heard. Immersive and heartfelt, their stories are both an escape and a wonder, a treasure trove with a difference.”
—Stephanie Ellis, author of A Fragile Thing and Harrowfield

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 12

I’m so excited to be attending Midsummer Scream on Sat Aug 8! I’ll be giving a workshop (details TBA) and signing books at the HWA table. See you there, #SoCal! #sandiego #horror #horrorcommunity #midsummerscream

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 8

What I got at #StokerCon2026 - ARCs, bookmarks, temporary tattoos, friendship bracelets, lovely moments with friends, tidbits of insights & lots of good memories. Til next time! #Stokercon

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 7

#Stokercon hallway encounter with artist extraordinaire @dlbowman76.com!

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 6

Free book drop at #Stokercon by panels!

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 4

#StokerCon2026 swag bags are stuffed this year! HUGE thanks to our volunteers & to all the publishers, authors & editors who contributed books 🙌🏻 Attendees: We will be doing ARC drops morning/lunchtime/late afternoon each day at the freebie tables,, so check back for more books! #StokerConSwag

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 3

The ebook preorder is up for WOMEN OF THE WEIRD WEST! 🥳 Get your copy whenever you buy books. More links and the print preorder options will be coming soon 🙌🏻 Can’t wait for everyone to read it on June 16! scifiwri.com/women-of-the... #newbook #weirdwest #bookrelease #westerns

About the book:
In this bold reimagining of the Old West, dive into haunted canyons, frontier towns hiding cosmic horrors, vast deserts, and far-flung worlds where women take center stage.

Women of the Weird West features 25 original speculative poems and short stories set in landscapes both familiar and strange. Gunslingers, outlaws, dreamers, and survivors face overwhelming forces both human and supernatural.

Subversive and genre-bending, this anthology captures the wonder, violence, and resilience at the heart of the Old West while featuring women all too often left off the page.

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· Jun 2

Looking for new techniques to level up your fiction? On Saturday, July 11, 2026 I’ll be teaching “Tension and Terror: Evoking Fear To Elevate Your Fiction” at San Diego Writers, Ink! The virtual workshop will be from 10am-12pm PST. writeyourstorynow.org/classes-work... #writing #writingtips

Class Description
This interactive workshop will cover suspense and horror techniques to elevate your storytelling. Whether you write fantasy, literary fiction, sci-fi or other genres, you’ll learn strategies to evoke fear, build tension, create suspenseful scenes, deepen emotional stakes and sharpen pacing. You’ll also develop a compelling antagonist (human or monstrous) that haunts the reader long after the last page.

The workshop will cover:
-The value of suspense and horror
-Ways to evoke visceral reactions from your readers and heighten tension
-Strategies for pacing, foreshadowing and effective reveals
-How to balance dread and shock for maximum impact
-Methods for creating unforgettable monsters and villains

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 29

It’s coming! Sign up for my monthly newsletter to enjoy freebies, exclusive news, updates, memes & more! mailchi.mp/a9f0d76bba28... #authorcommunity #horrorcommunity #writers #indieauthor

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 28

My updated schedule for #StokerCon! I’ll also be participating in the Monster Mash event Thursday at 11pm. Stop by for a deviously delightful face-off as teams discuss which monsters will reign supreme. (It’s like debate club but for monster nerds!) 😈🧛🏻‍♀️👻 #StokerCon2026

KC Grifant at StokerCon 20206:

THURS
4pm - “Meet Your HWA Chapter Chairs”

10pm - “A Decade of StokerCon”

11pm - Monster Mash

FRI
12pm - “Publishing and Promoting on a Shoestring Budget”

SAT
4pm - Reading with LC Allingham & Jamie Flanagan

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 26

As Weird West month draws to an end, you can stay up to date on weird west books, recs, articles and more with the “Arcane Saloon” newsletter 🤠 Sign up: weirdwestfiction.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=... #weirdwest #gothicwestern #westerns

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 21

I’ll be teaching “Tension and Terror: Evoking Fear To Elevate Your Fiction” at San Diego Writers, Ink this summer! DATE: Saturday, July 11, 2026 on ZOOM TIME: 10 AM – 12PM PST More info: writeyourstorynow.org/classes-work... #writing #writingtips #writingclass #genrefiction #sandiego

💫 About the course 💫
This interactive workshop will cover suspense and horror techniques to elevate your storytelling. Whether you write fantasy, literary fiction, sci-fi or other genres, you’ll learn strategies to evoke fear, build tension, create suspenseful scenes, deepen emotional stakes and sharpen pacing. You’ll also develop a compelling antagonist (human or monstrous) that haunts the reader long after the last page.

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 20

My #StokerCon schedule! Can’t wait to see everyone! 🙌🏻 #StokerCon2026 #horrorcommunity #horrorauthors #horrorbooks

🧟‍♀️ “Meet Your HWA Chapter Chairs” - Thurs 4pm

🧟‍♀️ “A Decade of StokerCon” - Thurs 10pm

🧟‍♀️ “Publishing and Promoting on a Shoestring Budget”- Fri 12pm

🧟‍♀️ Reading with LC Allingham & Jamie Flanagan - Sat 4pm

🧟‍♀️ “So You Want To Edit an Anthology” - virtual

KC Grifant, Author@kcgrifant· May 19

This was such a fun interview with @finereads.bsky.social!! We talked Women of the Weird West, writing & much more: youtu.be/HWQQXRQf4cA?... #newbook #weirdwest #authorcommunity #bookblogger