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Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label supernatural. Show all posts

Monday, October 19, 2026

The Story Behind Ludovico: A Tale from the Royal Academy of Arts by Walter Rodriguez + excerpt

Some books start with an idea. Mine started with a place I had never seen.

I wrote the first notes for Ludovico years before I ever set foot in London. I was living in Buenos Aires then, and Britain was calling me. I can't fully explain it. The history, the literature, the art. Art, above all, is the root of everything for me. I studied it, specialising in drawing the human figure, painting technique and sculpture, and I fell in love with a culture I had only met through books and films. So I did what writers do. I wrote my way towards it.

A sculptor who really lived
The narrator of Ludovico is John Flaxman, and he was a real man: one of the great sculptors of his age, a member of the Royal Academy, someone who walked those rooms when they were lit by candles.

When I started researching, I found him and knew I had my voice. Who better to tell a story about art that refuses to stay still than a man who spent his life giving shape to stone?

My Flaxman is not the historical one, not exactly. I took liberties. This is a Gothic tale, not a biography. But his spirit is there: the patience, the devotion, the quiet belief that making something beautiful is worth a lifetime.

The idea that wouldn't leave me alone
Once I had done the reading and learned all I wanted about the Royal Academy, it was time to find the idea for the novel. And the idea simply came. I don't know why, but suddenly I couldn't stop thinking about it: “What happens when a creation won't obey its creator?”

There is something I always do with my stories, published or not. I need to have the whole book complete in my head before I sit down at the computer. I need it clear, start to finish, before I type a single word.

This story arrived that way, from beginning to end. I love mystery. I love quality horror, the kind with a reason to exist.

In the story, Flaxman becomes assistant to a mysterious professor at the Academy, Ludovico Sarti, a man whose paintings seem almost alive. Then, one day, they stop seeming.

I have always loved that moment in Gothic fiction when wonder turns into something darker. Mary Shelley knew it. The old ghost-story writers knew it. Admiration and dread are neighbours. We stand in front of a great painting and feel something looking back. I wanted to push that feeling until it broke.

And because this is a Gothic story, it goes where those stories go. Creation turns violent, and the most dangerous experiment of all is the one Sarti never finished: a clergyman, left incomplete. I'll say no more about him. 

Writing it around a day job
People sometimes imagine authors in quiet cottages with endless mornings. That was never me. I wrote Ludovico the way I have written all my books, in the gaps: evenings after work, weekends, the hours other people spend watching television.

I work in tech, and I like my day job. But the stories don't care about my schedule. They arrive when they arrive, and I have learned to keep the door open. Small chapters, written one by one, growing from a simple summary of what has to happen. Slow work, but it adds up.

 The strangest chapter of all

Then life did something I couldn't have written.

Years after those first notes in Buenos Aires, I moved to London. The culture that had been calling me became my home.

One of the first things I did in the city was spend a good amount of time at the Royal Academy. I took every visitor from Argentina there. For me each sculpture has a special meaning. Sir Joshua Reynolds, the Academy's first president, is part of my story too, and standing in front of his statue, I got goosebumps.

This year I wondered whether the novel could find a place in the Academy's own library. It did. The Royal Academy accepted a copy of Ludovico for its shelves.

Think about that. A story I dreamed up about that building, from thousands of miles away, now sits on a shelf inside it. Flaxman went home.

If that isn't the best argument for writing the thing you're afraid to write, I don't know what is.

Ludovico: A Tale from the Royal Academy of Arts is out now, published by ETMW Publishing. If you like your galleries candlelit and your paintings restless, it's waiting for you.


Ludovico: A Tale from the Royal Academy of Arts

by Walter Rodriguez  
November 13, 2025
Genre: Gothic, supernatural
132 pages  
The Regency Era. A time of elegance, refinement, and secrets best left unspoken.

Amid London’s candlelit galleries and marble halls, whispers spread of a foreign artist whose portraits seem almost alive. His name: Ludovico Sarti.

To his students, he is a visionary.
To his rivals, a danger.

But beneath the glow of oil lamps and the perfume of turpentine, something stirs — something bound to the heart of his art itself.

As one man seeks to uncover the truth behind the painter’s brilliance, he will enter a world where inspiration and insanity intertwine, and where every masterpiece demands a price.

A gothic tale of art, mystery, and the perilous beauty of genius.


EXCERPT
The warmth struck me immediately, as always, and the air carried that heavy scent of oil and ash. The room was in disarray. Brushes scattered, rags stained with pigment, a half-filled cup of turpentine left to stagnate. Yet it was the canvas on the central easel that stopped me cold.
It depicted a clergyman, seated in profile. His robes of black trimmed with fine silver, the folds painted with exquisite precision. The light across the fabric was soft and divine, the hands delicate and alive. But the face. The face was wrong.
"I kept looking at the figure about to be finished," I wrote later.
For the eyes were missing. Not merely incomplete, but absent. Two pale ovals where life should have been. The effect was chilling. The painting seemed to wait, as though aware of its own incompleteness.
Just then, I heard footsteps behind me.
 
 
About the Author:
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Walter Rodriguez is the author of three novels: Venus, a techno-thriller; Away: Family, Betrayal, and the Price of Dreams; and Ludovico: A Tale from the Royal Academy of Arts, a Gothic novella. He began writing in Buenos Aires and now lives in Epping, Essex, where he writes around a day job in tech. His love of British culture brought him to the UK eight years ago, and Ludovico, already in the works before the move, is his love letter to it.

Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Haunted Holiday (The Holiday Chronicles, #3) by Lindsey Gray + giveaway

by Lindsey Gray
September 29th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance, Supernatural
Everyone in Clarkstown believes they know who killed firefighter Zane Gravenhurst.

His girlfriend, Jillian, sits behind bars, accused of leaving him to die after a rainy night ended in tragedy. The case is all but closed.

Only Zane’s younger sister, Molly, knows the truth isn’t buried because she can communicate with his ghost.

Molly needs help to get justice for her brother.

Her shy neighbor, whom she’s crushed on since high school, Duncan, comes to her aid.



EXCERPT:
Molly
“Molly! Wake up!”

Molly groaned and rolled over to check the red numbers on her bedside clock. She wanted to jump back into the dream she’d been having before the voice rudely awakened her. In that dream, her thoughts lingered on her neighbor, Duncan, the one with the scar etched across his ear. Something in the scene comforted her; she wished to slip back into that warm haze and forget all the chaos that surrounded her.

“It’s five am, Zane. I’m not making you breakfast this early.” Her older brother, Zane, tended to work odd hours as a firefighter, but Molly spent three days climbing out of the grip of the flu going around the high school where she taught theater. She had no desire to indulge her brother’s cravings.

“Molly Gravenhurst. Please wake up. We need to talk,” the new voice pleaded.

The voice of her grandmother, Dawn, reached her foggy brain. Her dead grandmother.

Molly jerked up in bed and focused on the two ghosts that stood at the end. The appearance of her grandmother didn’t surprise her. What her grandmother called her “second sight” made her capable of communication with earthbound spirits. Genuine shock and abject horror slammed into her when she saw her brother, Zane. The night before, he’d been alive and kicking.

“No,” Molly whispered in utter terror. A simple, horrifying truth struck her. If her brother were a ghost, then he was dead.

Molly could see ghosts, a gift she possessed since toddlerhood. Three years ago, when her grandmother died, she and Zane inherited her house and the care of their grandmother’s ghost. While he lived, Grandma Dawn’s ghost remained invisible to Zane. Now, a ghost himself, he could finally see her.

“I know this is a shock, Molly, but Zane needs you to pull yourself together.” Grandma Dawn’s tone snapped Molly out of her silence.

“Wha-wha-what happened, Zane?” Molly fisted her blanket while she tried to gather herself.

“Jillian dropped me off at Paddy’s. He wanted to continue the Halloween party back at his house. After Paddy and I walked into the garage, everything is blank. I appeared in the kitchen here, where I found Grandma.” Zane spoke with clinical precision, not an ounce of emotion. She understood the pain of death since she dealt with the pain ghosts experienced every day.

“Where’s Jillian?” Molly grabbed her cell phone from her bedside table. “I need to call her.”

“She’s asleep on the sofa.” Zane’s voice cracked at the end of his statement. “I just peeked for a second. I can’t go …I don’t …”

Grandma Dawn took Zane’s hand in hers in a gesture of comfort and compassion.

Molly struggled with what to do next. She’d barely adjusted to her grandmother’s death. How could she live without her brother’s hugs, his teasing slaps, or witnessing his love and devotion for Jillian?

“What do I need to do?” Grandma Dawn died in her sleep. She found her in the primary bedroom of the very house she lived in. Where was Zane’s body? If it were at Paddy’s house, Paddy would have called her by now? He was Zane’s best friend. He’d had her number since the day she got it thirteen years ago.

Before Zane or Grandma Dawn had a chance to answer, Jillian burst into Molly’s attic space.

“You’re awake. Thank God.” She burst into the room and threw herself onto Molly’s bed, her blonde hair pulled back into a crooked ponytail. “Zane hasn’t come home yet. It’s still pouring outside. Visibility is shit. What if he got in an accident? What if he and Paddy are in a ditch? What if he tried to walk home and got hit by a car? I’ve called him five times and texted him six times. He hasn’t responded.”

Jillian’s frantic questions made sense, but she couldn’t confirm anything because she didn’t know whether any of those possibilities were correct. Neither did either of the ghosts.

“Let’s think.” Molly pushed away the knowledge of her brother’s death and gathered her thoughts. “You all went to that big Halloween party downtown, right?”

“Yeah. Paddy invited a bunch of us over to his house, but I told Zane I needed sleep. My sinuses have been getting worse. I think I caught whatever you have.” Congestion clogged Jillian’s voice, and tears or illness left her eyes red and bloodshot. Molly’s heart sank. The same symptoms had stalked her for the past several days.

“You dropped him off at Paddy and Lucky’s house, then?”

Jillian nodded. “It started to rain a few minutes before I got here. Now it’s pouring.”

“Let’s call Paddy first. Who else came to the party?” Molly scrolled through her numbers in her contacts to find Paddy’s number.

“Barb Sterling and her husband, Rhett.” Jillian dialed the number on speaker. “Then Marty and Ellen Culver. Maybe Grant Hannah. I think Paddy’s little brothers and a bunch of their friends were in town and staying with him for a while.” Voicemail answered after five rings. “It’s Jillian and Molly. Zane isn’t home. Is he with you, or do you have any idea where he went? Call me.”

“I’ve got Barb’s number.” Molly dialed and placed it on speaker.

“Molly?” Barb answered with a yawn. “What’s going on? It’s the butt crack of dawn.”

“Zane never came home from Paddy’s last night. Did he stay over? We can’t contact Zane or Paddy.”

“Wait a minute.” The sound of sheets and blankets shifting came through the speaker. “Jillian’s car pulled up outside Paddy’s house, but neither of them came in. I tried calling and texting Zane after her car left, but I never got an answer. We left here around two.”

“We need to look for him. I dropped him off and came back to his house,” Jillian’s voice carried extreme anxiety, burgeoning into mania.

“Jillian?” Barb yawned again on her end.

“What’s going on?” Molly heard a sleepy Rhett ask on the other end of the line.

“Jillian said she dropped Zane off at Paddy’s. I never saw him, did you?” Barb asked her husband.

“No. I thought it was weird you said you saw Jillian’s car, but they didn’t come in. But I started singing karaoke with Marty and lost track of everything.” Molly imagined the sound of strangled cats coming from Marty. None of Zane’s friends had a lick of musical or theatrical talent as she did.

Every wasted second ratcheted up Molly’s anxiety. They were no closer to answers. She looked to Zane for any suggestions while Jillian threw out scenarios left and right. Zane shrugged as he watched his girlfriend torment herself with grim what-ifs.

Barb decided she would come pick up Jillian, and they would search around town. Molly agreed to stay home in case Zane made his way back.

Molly knew for an absolute fact that November 1st would be the worst day of her life.
 
 
About the Author:
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Lindsey Gray is a writer, an over-thinker, and a chronic list-maker, but her passion for writing stories you'll love always tops the list. Her author journey began in 2010 with the publication of her first novel, and she has spent the last decade creating worlds for readers to play in. In addition to her own work, Gray uses her skills in novel formatting for other authors and hosts the weekly show Gray Matters on TMV Cafe Internet Radio. She lives and writes fueled by iced tea, her handsome hubby, and the beautiful chaos of mothering her children. 



Wednesday, April 22, 2026

Riley Doesn't Want To Fight Evil by D. R. Mills


Riley Doesn't Want To Fight Evil
by D. R. Mills
October 13, 2025
Genre: thriller, supernatural, dark humor
Riley Thomas is the main character of this story – whether he likes it or not.

Riley Thomas has always been a normal, regular, average guy. He has a crappy job, a few friends, and a boring homelife–and that’s just fine with him.

Unfortunately for Riley, fate has other plans.

Death gods, immortal psychopaths, haunted dolls, and serial-killer neighbors are only a handful of his problems. So far, he’s managed to sidestep his responsibility as the main character, but all that changes when he finds himself wrapped up in a prophecy that holds the fate of the world in the balance.

An ancient force of Hell is rising up. Reckoning is coming.

The path of a hero is a hard one, but with enough tenacity and quick thinking, Riley might be able to stay completely out of it. Or at least, he’s going to try.

 

About the Author:
D. R. Mills is a young-adult horror author who is currently hard at work on his debut series, MONSTERS. He was born and raised in Wyoming, where he’s still lurking around somewhere. When he isn’t writing, he’s playing video games a borderline unhealthy amount or spending time with his beautiful wife.








Monday, February 23, 2026

Six and Twisted: Six Tales of Supernatural and Apocalyptic Horror

Six macabre, supernatural, fanatical, and dystopian tales all brought to you by the minds of six brilliant authors, each bringing their version of spellbinding storytelling in one anthology. Prepare to be fascinated by their unique perspectives, as they weave intricate stories that blur the lines between reality and the surreal. 

Six and Twisted: Six Tales of Supernatural and Apocalyptic Horror 
by D. Thomas Jerlo, David Boiani, Jenna Greene,
Simon Parker, Phil Thomas, Char Baker
Genre: Horror / Speculative Fiction
Publisher: Vitality House
Date of Publication: Feb.2.2026
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1970504002
ISBN-10: ‎ 1970504005
ASIN: B0GL3ND4CR
Number of pages: 360 Paperback
Cover Artist: Dawné Dominique / DusktilDawn Designs
Six visions of horror, each more unsettling than the last.

In Something Neighborly by D. Thomas Jerlo, a gremlin’s mischievous tricks twist everyday life into a nightmare.

In The Breezy Ridge Inn by David Boiani, an idyllic Vermont getaway hides sinister secrets behind its prayers.

In Consumed by Jenna Greene, the tolling of bells marks the countdown to sacrifice in a dystopian world.

In The Year of the Dead by Simon Parker, one man faces his last Christmas as humanity falls to the plague of the undead.

In The Clairvoyant Connection by Phil Thomas, a psychic on the 1986 boardwalk foresees a death she cannot stop.

And in Fortune Favours by Char Baker, a team of supernatural agents uncovers a deadly conspiracy of demons, shapeshifters, and betrayal.

Together, these stories explore mischief, faith, fate, and apocalypse — six doors into terror, each waiting for you to step through.

Amazon.ca-Amazon

Friday, February 6, 2026

JuJu Justice by T.E. Lane + giveaway

In the mystical world of voodoo culture, justice is not always black and white

JuJu Justice
by T.E. Lane
February 17, 2026
Genres: Supernatural Thriller
JuJu Justice is a gritty suspsense drama set in the belly of the New Orleans voodoo culture, pitting a juju priestess against her dangerous childhood nemesis in a war between good and evil. This much anticipated new drama is T.E. Lane's second novel, based on their award-winning screenplay. Fans of mystery, crime, paranormal, and action/thrillers will love this book!

Deep in the Louisiana river bottoms, the legendary "swamp witch" Mama Moo must decide who to share her juju with—the white light voodoo priestess or the black magic criminal mastermind. Her seemingly obvious choice is complicated by long-buried secrets that will determine who lives or dies.

June Mae, a white-light practitioner, faces off against her childhood nemesis, Mister—a well-connected criminal who practices the dark side of voodoo. When June’s straight-laced sister April drops into town for an unplanned visit, she quickly understands the dangerous world that June inhabits. As the sisters reconcile past traumas and reconnect, June must overcome her fears to face Mister in a voodoo battle to save their lives. Their mentor, the “swamp witch” Mama Moo, faces a perilous choice which will determine who lives or dies.


The screenplay has won five script awards:
*Semifinalist Your Script Produced 4th Edition 2025
*Semifinalist Los Angeles International Screenplay Awards
*Official Finalist NYISA Best Feature Screenplay Award
*Second Rounder Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition
*Quarterfinalist Manchester Film Festival
What readers are saying:
“JuJu Justice spins a tale that is both intriguing and culturally rich . . . JuJu Justice enthralls viewers with a combination of magical intrigue and Southern Gothic drama." - NYISA

"JuJu Justice creates a supernatural stage filled with spirits, ghosts,murder, and deception . . . with a skillful blend of supernatural elements with deeper themes of family and responsibility." -Austin Film Festival 
**New Release on February 17!**








About the Author:
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Every T.E. Lane story begins with family at its core and spirals into mystery, action, and a touch of the supernatural. It’s a place where magic always feels possible, the coincidences may not be so coincidental, and the line between reality and something more is always worth crossing.

T.E. Lane writes screenplays and fiction. A fan of action, thriller, mystery, and literary fiction, the author enjoys blending aspects of many genres into a single work, creating a unique reading experience that will keep you turning the pages. Connect with the author on social media @telane_author.


Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 giveaway!
Enter the JuJu Justice Giveaway Here

Monday, February 2, 2026

Quiet Spells (Spells of Life and Death, 2) by Isa Agajanian + excerpt

“This dark contemporary fantasy has a mesmerising blend of high stakes drama, magic and rivals-to-lovers romance” ―Cosmopolitan

Quiet Spells (Spells of Life and Death, 2)

by Isa Agajanian
February 3, 2026
Book 2 of 2: Spells for Life and Death
Genre: paranormal mystery, witches, supernatural
Ghosts passed through the cottage sitting on the peak of Townsend Hill like passengers in a train station. Some, Teddy Ingram knew, stayed longer than others.

More than half a year has passed since the disappearance of Gemma Eakley and Teddy Ingram still has no clue as to whether she is alive, dead or something worse. With Gemma's young daughter left in his care Teddy haunts the rural haven of Townsend like one of its many spirits.

But then Aurelia – his beloved ex-rival – returns with the news that her own mother is dead – and a ghost forms from the pages of her farewell to give the would-be lovers a message: They won’t let me rest.

One coven's efforts to reverse the looming extinction of witches involves resurrecting the dead. Meredith's old coven wants to know what secrets she took with her to the funeral pyre; did she have the key to fixing their botched attempts at necromancy?

From the acclaimed author of Modern Divination comes the dark and magical concluding part of the Spells for Life and Death duology.

Excerpted from QUIET SPELLS by Isa Agajanian, published by Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan. Copyright © 2026 by Isabel Agajanian.
Water pooled around Alaric’s leather shoes, trickling towards the front door of a humble – rather bleak – South London flat. It descended from each step of a rickety staircase before him with a faint hiss. The caretaker lowered himself to one knee, enough for the hem of his trousers to droop into the water but not his kneecap. Rolling up his shirt sleeve, Alaric let the water pass through his fingers and made a note to himself: Clear.

Then again, diluted with so much of it, he’d miss even the darkest colour of witch’s blood.

A soft, distinctly male whimper trickled down from the flooding loo.

So, his witch was still alive. This, Alaric had not expected. He smothered a spiteful urge growing in his stomach.

Mercy, mercy.

He was bound to this man’s survival, to being abundantly forgiving, which wasn’t much of a stretch from his general unwillingness to overexert himself on a job. Alaric rose again, throwing his shoulders back to protest against the ache in his body. He’d endured far too many years of this profession. The caretaker role would have long since drained any good man. Who could blame him for wanting one easy job when his muscles ached as much as they did – when he’d been carrying the weight of this thankless role for as long as he had.

Much of it was tedious. His days consisted mostly of paper- work, inventory, making sure that every borrowed magical artefact was within arm’s reach and returned to his care promptly. Sometimes, a low-ranking offshoot of the royal family would call upon him with a hush-hush task like demon banishing or divinatory reconnaissance, and he would have to pretend he hadn’t been singing songs about the downfall of the British monarchy every night straight through his youth.

This particular excursion, which had him skulking cautiously around every corner, should have been rarer. But fate had been rather unkind to him lately, and the only person he knew who could have ever truly made sense of it had disappeared eight long months ago.

He knew fate favoured patterns. One peculiar house call became two, then three; and this one, which was not technically a house call because it was a flat, marked the eighth visit of the past two months. Certainly the first that would follow him home.

And spell trouble for all of them.

At least it would be quick. Alaric’s silence on the matter of the witch in question meant he wouldn’t stand any trial with the council. He’d kept the peripheral details of the shapeshifting witch Leona Sum’s case as quiet as he could. He explained with the confidence of a man past the need for concern that Leona Sum had come and gone and left little mess to clean up.

What he did not say was that his town’s resident diviner, Gemma, was still gone, and her family, waiting for her back home, were reluctant to believe that Leona worked alone. He did not divulge the specificities of Theodore Ingram’s lying low on account of the accidental shattering of London’s Tate Modern Museum, though the council had begun to take interest in the influences stealing Alaric Friedman away from his work all the time. He was hiding something – they were all sure of it – but he remained seemingly, stubbornly oblivious to any and all inquiries regarding the current instability plaguing the witches of England due to Leona Sum’s violent harvesting of magic.

Which was a difficult balance of omission on both sides. The council was eager for Alaric to devote more to them – to give his unwavering commitment, sacrifice his loves, and divulge his dirty secrets, which included the large cover-up for Townsend’s new resident reaper. On the other hand, the boy grew restless in Townsend whenever Alaric left for too long, asking for his whereabouts when Alaric wanted to keep him as uninvolved in council assignments as possible.

He’d always had a soft spot for Gemma’s family, and Teddy Ingram was no different, woven into the sordid bunch with an invisible stitch. But there was only so much he could give in reassurance that he was doing everything in his power to find Townsend’s missing matriarch and bring her home.

Trust me, thought the caretaker as he pushed himself onto the last step, I’m tired too.

A limb, hidden past the elbow, poked out from behind the bathroom door. Alaric reached for the inner pocket of his leather jacket, tracing the ridges of two bronze bangles through the fabric.

He cleared his throat. The man’s wrist twitched in response, and he choked something unintelligibly. Alaric answered presumptuously.

‘Alaric Friedman. Your resident council seat—’

The witch pitched forward as a mucus-drowned cough leaked out. Bile spilled from the corner of his mouth. He’d been poisoned. Perhaps, he’d poisoned himself. Everything Alaric had learned about the man subverted whatever his former expectations had been, and he turned from villain to victim to vulnerable. In any circumstance, he should not have been the type of person who would drink his own draught of destruction.

The caretaker crossed over the body, twisting the shrill tap until the water stilled. Surely, the man wouldn’t care for Alaric’s title, or his duty, or the fact that he was bound by magical decree to keep the man alive. More likely, the man wanted to curse him for the intrusion, for what Alaric knew that the man did not want discovered.

It was too late for the man to have secrets when those secrets affected his family.

Alaric slipped the bangles from his pocket and shut them around the man’s wrist, the pooling over of bathwater back crawling up his trousers fully. Whatever curse sat on the edge of the man’s tied tongue fizzled out ineffectively while his dark, quivering wrists were circled in those flimsy bronze bands. They were small enchantments that would stifle even the darkest spells.

There was no struggle, which gave Alaric a stricter sense of urgency. Up until now, he’d taken his time, built himself up for a slow interrogation; the man would live, after all. And from what Alaric knew of him, the suffering in-between was not entirely undeserved. He had been watching, studying him, from a safe distance, the periphery of known existence. From a shadow wedged between dimensions. And though the man had walked a careful path, Alaric knew it was because the man had created a monster.

The caretaker would concern himself with that later. The monster in question was dead now, and her maker was in too poor a state to withstand even the gentlest questioning.

The man forced a response, mustering up the strain of a hundred crushed breaths. ‘Here to . . . kill me?’

‘No, Mr. Sum.’ Alaric propped the man against the side of the tub with a groan. The man didn’t seem fazed by the sound of his surname in a stranger’s mouth, though Alaric suspected he lacked the energy to seem much of anything at all. The care- taker clasped the man by his chin, examining his eyes, then his teeth, before delivering his verdict. ‘You’re not going to die today.’

About the Author:

website
(they/them) is a writer and illustrator in the United States. Raised in California and spirited away to Florida, then Oregon, Isabel is never writing in one place for too long. They are joined in their pursuit of good stories by a hefty grey cat named Mosse and at least one roommate at a time. Modern Divination is their first published novel at the crux of a hundre
d unpublished stories

Monday, January 19, 2026

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

Three siblings. One missing brother. A ghost who says: Come home.

A Box Full of Darkness
by Simone St. James
January 20, 2026
Genre: Supernatural Suspense/Horror
Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings—Violet, Vail, and Dodie—the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother—he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues.

As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years.

And now after two decades running from their past, it’s time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don’t get to them first.

A Box Full of Darkness is another propulsive thriller from the author of The Broken Girls and The Book of Cold Cases, a surprising horror story from a writer who is “particularly gifted at doling out twists” (The New York
Times).
PRAISE FOR SIMONE ST. JAMES’ NOVELS
“From the book’s chillingly creepy setting, which previously appeared in The Sun Down Motel (2020), to a nerve-jangling plot that effectively borrows from a mix of genres to the writing itself, which shimmers with a dazzlingly sharp sense of wit, everything about St. James’ latest is done to perfection.”-Booklist (starred review)
“Fast, chilling, entertaining, unexpectedly touching, and with two broken, memorable characters at its core, this might be St. James’s best novel yet.”—The New York Times Book Review

“From its nerve-shredding start to its thrilling end...it's a trip well worth taking.”—Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author

“As creepy and unsettling as a rain-faded wreath and teddy bear found by the side of the road to mark a missing person, Murder Road lingers like a ghost long after it’s finished.”—Grady Hendrix, New York Times bestselling author 
 
About the Author:

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Simone St. James is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel and The Broken Girls. Her debut novel, The Haunting of Maddy Clare, won two RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada.

Simone spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives just outside of Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled rescue cat. 

Tuesday, November 4, 2025

Supernatural Mystery Graphic Novel Kickstarter: The Return of Cyrus Perkins by Dave Dwonch

The Return of Cyrus Perkins
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the original series with the Haunted Taxi Cab Hardcover of the original four-issue series and the long-awaited sequel, Cyrus Perkins and the Death Brigade #1.
Kickstarter

Hard to believe it's been 10 years since I reviewed Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab by Dave Dwonch!

Dave is one of my favorite comic writers. All four issues of Cyrus Perkins got 5 sheep from me. You can read my reviews here:
If you missed this awesome supernatural mystery comic the first time around, you can support the Kickstarter and get the original story and the first issue of the sequel.
Join the Kickstarter




After a young boy named Michael Bernbaum dies in his taxi cab, driver Cyrus Perkins must solve the boy's murder... or be haunted by the spirit trapped in his car! But as Cyrus digs into the mystery surrounding Mikey's death, he uncovers something even more sinister than murder.  
 
Drawn by Anna Lencioni (storyboard artist: Amphibia, Hazbin Hotel, Luck) and written, colored and lettered by Dave Dwonch (The Loose End, Jenny Zero, The Automaton), Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab has been hailed as:  
"Accessible to horror newcomers while retaining an ever present air of spookiness that old fans have come to love." Fangoria.com




About the Author:

Linktree
Dave Dwonch has been a comics writer and artist producing indie titles for over a decade. Recently he penned several titles, most notably Jenny Zero for Dark Horse comics (with co-creator Brockton MccKinney, Cyrus Perkins and the Haunted Taxi Cab, Vamplets (with Gayle "My Little Pony" Middleton), and CBR's Top 100 series, Double Jumpers.

He has also worked in other media, working with the narrative team for Playful's Nintendo Switch game, New Super Lucky's Tale, as well as creating properties for the NFL, UFC and more.

Monday, October 6, 2025

Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell

Severance meets Beetlejuice in this fall’s cheekiest horror novel: COLIN GETS PROMOTED AND DOOMS THE WORLD by Mark Waddell (Ace Trade Paperback Original; October 7 2025). Perfect for anyone who’s ever been willing to make a deal with the Devil to get away from their dead-end job, this laugh-out-loud satirical tale proves that a little ambition—or maybe too much—can potentially be a bad thing.
Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World

by Mark Waddell
October 7, 2025
Genre: Horror, Paranormal Fantasy, Action &Adventures
WARNING! Under no circumstances must employees strike a deal with unauthorized personnel on Dark Enterprises property. Such behavior may result in death…or the end of the world.

Colin is a low-level employee at Dark Enterprises, a hell-like multinational corporation solving the world’s most difficult problems in deeply questionable ways. After years of toiling away in a cubicle, he’s ready to climb the corporate ladder and claim the power he’s never had.

The only problem is, he’s pretty sure he’s about to be terminated. Like, terminated. That’s tough, because his BFF has just set him up with a great guy. In fact, maybe he’s a little too great. And asks a lot of questions . . .

When Colin meets a shadowy figure promising his deepest desire in return for a small, unspecified favor, he can’t resist the urge to fast-track his goals. He asks for the one thing that will improve his life: a promotion.

But that small favor unleashes an ancient evil. People in New York are disappearing, the world might be ending, and Management is starting to notice. Getting to the top is never easy, and now it’s up to Colin to save the world. It’s the ultimate power move, after all.


About the Author

website
Mark Waddell grew up on the cold, windswept prairies of western Canada and later earned a Ph.D. in the history of science, medicine, and technology from the Johns Hopkins University. After teaching at Michigan State University for fifteen years, he and his husband moved to Vancouver Island. When not writing, he plays the viola in the Civic Orchestra of Victoria, walks his dogs on the beach, and slays fearsome monsters in Dungeons & Dragons.

Saturday, September 27, 2025

Interview: Horror Author Danielle Gomes + excerpt + giveaway

What is something unique/quirky about you?
My first job after college was a belly dancer at The Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas where I also learned to walk and dance on stilts.

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?
I didn’t grow up knowing that I wanted to be a writer, it happened by accident. I was always obsessed with stories, movies first and then as I got older, I became a reader. When I was getting my Master’s Degree in Media and Journalism Studies, we had to take a graduate course outside of our degree focus. I thought I wanted to be a film critic so I took screenwriting as my outside course. The only assignment for screenwriting was to pitch and write a full-length screenplay. So, I pitched and wrote a screenplay about my dad’s life story. He had been an investigator for the Nevada Gaming Control Board in the 1970’s and uncovered the skim portrayed in the movie casino. The class loved the story. The pitch was supposed to be around twenty minutes, but I ended up talking for the entire class period which was about an hour and a half. I ended up turning that screenplay into a treatment, getting an agent, and writing my first book—Hit Me! Fighting the Las Vegas Mob by the Numbers. In that process, I found that I loved writing and couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Who is your hero and why?
My parents are my heroes. They both had incredible careers and raised my siblings and me with so much love and support. My dad was a law enforcement agent and then went into the casino business and became one of the most successful casino executives in the industry. He passed away about ten years ago, but there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. His motto in life was “Love is the most powerful force in the Universe.” He truly believed that. He helped so many people. My mom was a professional dancer and ballerina. She’s the epitome of grace and beauty. Now in her 70s, she recently launched her second career. She invented and patented a new nail care tool. She’s incredible and so filled with love.

What inspired you to write Roll Them Bones?
I grew up in the casino business. When I was about twelve, we even lived in a casino for almost a year. When my family moved from Las Vegas to Atlantic City and our house was being built we lived at the Taj Mahal (now Hard Rock) Casino. Then later in my dad’s career, he worked at Resorts Casino Hotel. While he was there, I learned about the history of the building, I toured the basements, saw the twelve-and-a-half floor, and heard all of the ghost stories. The building has such an incredible history and trust me when I tell you, the basement is creepy! I thought it would make the perfect setting for a horror.
 

Convince us why you feel your story is a must read.
Roll Them Bones is inspired by a real place with an incredible history. The Chalfonte-Haddon Hall Hotel, which is now Resorts Casino Hotel, was built in the 1920s. During World War II, the hotel was converted to the Thomas England General Hospital which was the largest surgical hospital during that time. Roll Them Bones takes the history of the building and infuses it with the true history of the occult, some conspiracies from that era, and merges it with a modern spin. Roll Them Bones is a spine-tingling read with a unique setting. At its heart it’s the origin story of a new female anti-hero, Lillith, that will leave you craving more of her.

What is your advice to new authors?
I will give new writers the same advice that I received and led me to write Roll Them Bones—write what you know. I know the casino business and as a trained researcher and journalist I know how to do research. With Roll Them Bones, I started with a strong foundation built on what I know. This foundation allowed my imagination to run wild and create a completely off-the-wall, fun, terrifying story that’s grounded in fact.


 Winning at this casino can be HELL   

Roll Them Bones
by Danielle Gomes
Genre: Supernatural Thriller, Horror
A gripping supernatural thriller where the house always wins—unless you’re willing to burn it all down.

When Lilith Umbra flees Las Vegas for a fresh start at the Golden Sands Casino in Atlantic City, she thinks she’s escaping her tragic past. But some fates can’t be outrun.

Strange occurrences plague the crumbling casino: phantom sounds, impossible shadows, and visions that feel disturbingly real. Local journalist Sharp insists the building is cursed, while her charismatic boss Amon dismisses such claims as nonsense.

But when Lilith uncovers a mysterious book detailing the rituals of a powerful occult organization, she realizes the truth is far more sinister than any ghost story.

As ancient prophecies collide with modern ambition, Lilith discovers she hasn’t stumbled into evil’s path—she’s been guided there. With allies who may be enemies and time running out, she faces an impossible choice that will determine not just her fate, but the fate of humanity itself.

Perfect for fans of supernatural thrillers who love unreliable narrators, shocking twists, and stories where nothing is as it seems.

Some games are rigged from the start. But sometimes, the only way to win is to change the rules entirely.

Edgeweaver Books-Amazon-Apple-B&N-Google-Kobo-Bookbub-Goodreads

Excerpt from Roll Them Bones by Danielle Gomes

“How big is the basement area?” I ask, a weak attempt to dispel the quiet.

“It’s very large. The shipping dock unloads to an underground warehouse, so we have some storage areas. Facilities has a few offices down here. Then everything’s connected by these tunnels. It’s very safe, just don’t explore alone ‘til you really learn your way around.”

“I don’t plan on spending much time down here.”

“The tunnels can be very confusing. Some lead nowhere. They used to run under the street and connect multiple buildings, but most of those buildings have been torn down and the tunnels closed off.”

I have to jog a little to keep up with Peter, he’s moving so quickly . . . for which I’m grateful. We take a quick left, followed by a right, and another left—I think.

“Am I going too fast?” Peter yells back to me.

“Nope,” I say as my heel catches and I stumble, nearly going down. As I regain my balance, I turn to look for whatever caught my heel. It felt like a trick kids do to each other, but I don’t see anything that could have tripped me.

“Sorry,” Peter says. “I should’ve told you to wear your walking shoes.”

“I should know better than to wear shoes like this to work.” Mom’s insistence that heels belong in a workplace hadn’t considered a basement tour. The lights flicker then go dark. It’s pitch black. “Peter!” I grope at the darkness, searching for something to hang onto. My fingers brush across something soft—Peter’s sweater. I grab on. The dark is so absolute that my fingers instinctively tighten into a frenzied clutch, as though this sweater is the only thing that anchors me to the real world. “I’m sorry,” I say.

“Did you say something?” His voice is much too far away. Whatever I’m holding onto, it isn’t Peter’s sweater. Immediately, I let go and swallow as a current of cold, dense air pours down on me. “Peter?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” he yells from up ahead.

“Where?” I know someone is right by me and it’s not Peter. My scalp tingles like thousands of ants have poured out of the darkness and are working their way through my hair. As I gasp for air, I’m hit with the acrid aroma of old fabric, wet and rotten. Part of me wants to thrash my arms, wildly fighting off whatever is close, but the other part wants to shrink back and hide in the dark.

“Just a little farther up. It’s very dark. Hold on.”

I freeze. Even my breath becomes shallow. Tears burn.

I’m completely and utterly paralyzed.

Something inches closer.

About the Author 
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Danielle Gomes is an accomplished author, freelance journalist, and brand development specialist known for her dynamic, cinematic storytelling and ability to blend real-world themes with suspenseful narratives. She holds a Master of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), a foundation that supports her diverse work in nonfiction, fiction, and media. Gomes gained recognition with Hit Me! Fighting the Las Vegas Mob by the Numbers, a gripping true crime book co-authored with Jay Bonansinga that chronicles her father’s efforts to dismantle mob influence in 1970s Las Vegas. She later ventured into science fiction with EVE-0 and Lucien, a high-stakes thriller series exploring genetic engineering and global pandemics. Her work has earned critical acclaim, including a Telly Award and a Videographer's Award of Excellence for a documentary short on homelessness. She is a member of the Authors Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Horror Writers Association. 

Giveaway
Choice of print or ebook of Roll Them Bones,
$20 Amazon/Paypal – 1 winner each!
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

Sunday, September 14, 2025

Gifts Between Us by C.C. Adams

 
by C.C. Adams
August 29, 2025
Elderly Londoner Augustus has lived a long, miserable life. Having driven his few remaining loved ones away years ago, he now whiles away his time drinking rum and hoping for the end.

One night his death wish is nearly granted by a mugger, but a local youth called Michael intervenes. Much to the old man’s horror (and fascination) Michael promptly begins to devour the mugger’s body.

Slowly, Augustus and his mysterious saviour form an unlikely friendship, one built on sharing the gifts of trust, camaraderie, and acceptance.

And one last gift: a secret. It is the cause of Michael’s cannibalistic nature. And, perhaps, a reason for Augustus to go on living…





Wednesday, August 13, 2025

Graphic Novel: Under York from Image Comics

FIVE POWERFUL COVENS OF WITCHES CONTROL NEW YORK IN THE UPCOMING GRAPHIC NOVEL UNDER YORK PAPERBACK HITTING SHELVES THIS NOVEMBER

New York's destiny is written in its depths
Acclaimed French writer Sylvain Runberg (Watchdogs, Warship: Jolly Roger) and superstar Harvey Award winner Mirka Andolfo (Sweet Paprika, Unnatural) deliver a fascinating tale—where urban fantasy takes root in the bowels of the world's most famous city—in Under York. This thrilling new graphic novel will hit shelves this Winter from Image Comics and will be the first US printing of this early work by Andolfo.


Under York
Series: Under York
(ISBN: 9781534335660)
Wednesday, November 26
Image Comics
Two universes—the mundane, bustling streets of a New York City that we know and its secret, magical counterpart known as “Under York”—collide in the destiny of a young witch on the run.

Alison Walker is a promising young painter in Manhattan. But she has a secret: she's also a witch. Alison and her family belong to the world of Under York, a mysterious, underground New York where five powerful covens of witches have reigned for centuries. These families with their strict codes of life, practice magic as powerful as it is dangerous.

Once hunted and driven underground, the covens have not vanished—they've adapted. Today they quietly manipulate the world that once cast them out. Their vengeance? To steer the fate of the very society that tried to erase them. This is the world Alison Walker was born into. A world she thought she’d escaped for good. But some powers can’t be outrun forever… and sooner or later it will catch up with her.