J.R. Roth is a writer of suspense and horror. His career in international affairs spanned work with U.S. non-profits and the U.S. government overseas. He now lives in Northern California with his wife and two teenagers.
J.R. Roth’s writing has been featured in The Raven Review and 101 Words. He is currently querying his thriller/horror novel, The Silent Arrival.
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Today, my new story “Last Dance with Mr. Brownstone” is live in The Raven Review (Vol. VII, Issue II).
While writing this, I came across the concept of Ikigai—a reason for being—and wondered what happens when that reason leads you down a path you can’t come back from.
Read more ›If you know me, or if you know anyone who knows me, then you probably are aware that I like to write stories with a twist. Some stories are gross, some are weird, and some are poignant.
Read more ›When is a door not a door? When it is ajar.
When is a story about a shipwreck not about a shipwreck? When it’s a metaphor.
Read more ›For all of you who love this spooky time of year, I present my short story “My Death in Baltimore.”
Read more ›On June 6, 2025, the good people at 101Words.com published one of my stories.
As their title suggests, 101Words.com publish stories of 101 words in length. Not 102 words. Not 100 words. It is a fun and challenging exercise to tell a whole story using that amount of words.
In this horror story, I tried to create an emotional whiplash that would stun the reader.
You can read my short story “An Unexpected Trip”
Go read it now!
The Raven Review published my short story “I Used to Love Spring.”