Available from Amazon.com,Amazon.co.uk, and Black Bed Sheet Books 4 out of 5 stars 17-year-old Penny is on the run from something — herself. Suffering from ghoulish nightmares (and perhaps waking nightmares / hallucinations), she agrees to a temporary job managing a Fright House in California during the Halloween season. Tory Jackson is the director of Paranormal SceneContinue reading “Review: Fright House by Fred Wiehe”
Tag Archives: horror
Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe
3.5 stars out of 5 Available from CLASH books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com This modern, feminist, short Gothic horror fiction collection will bring you out in goose-bumps. A CREAK IN THE FLOOR, A SLANT OF LIGHT – There were some quirky details that put me in mind of Holly Black’s work. The tale had a delightfully gory legend about three girlsContinue reading “Another Review: Les Femmes Grotesques by Victoria Dalpe”
Dracula’s Guests (curated by Dr. Chris McAuley)
Available from HellBound Books, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.com 4 out of 5 stars This collection of vampire horror tales in celebration of Dracula’s 125th birthday will sate your bloodthirst. These are the stories that stood out for me: Dracula in Recovery – Michael Zemecki: I loved this darkly humorous story featuring all the characters from the original Dracula inContinue reading “Dracula’s Guests (curated by Dr. Chris McAuley)”
Review: Bleak Midwinter: The Darkest Night
Edited by Damon Barrett Roe and Cassandra L. Thompson Available from Quill & Crow Publishing, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com 4 out of 5 stars This collection of dark Gothic horror tales will make your skin creep off your flesh and slither under the door to hide somewhere – in a GOOD way. The Utburd, Robyn Dabney – A disgraced nature photographerContinue reading “Review: Bleak Midwinter: The Darkest Night”
Review: Blood Coven (Blood Bound series Book One) by Sabrina Voerman
Available from Quill & Crow Publishing & Barnes & Noble Sabrina Voerman’s stunning novel “Blood Coven” is set in a believable world where we see the story of Red Riding Hood stretched and distorted and grown into something other, both the main characters – Red, an abused child and descendant of a witch, and Matthias, also the son ofContinue reading “Review: Blood Coven (Blood Bound series Book One) by Sabrina Voerman”
Final Part of The Dark Rider and Who Was Morgan Le Fey?
“The summer evening passed in a slow, bad dream for Warren. He suspected it was like pushing through the heavy sludge of a nightmare for all of them. Gran had been the one to help Iain into a standing position and support him into the kitchen, where she let him collapse into a chair. WarrenContinue reading “Final Part of The Dark Rider and Who Was Morgan Le Fey?”
The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…
“The storm rumbled on throughout the night until it was directly over the farm, coughing and bellowing and sending vibrations through the furniture. It had pelted with rain hard enough to sound like lead pellets being shot at a tin roof and hail fell in the early hours. All the family were heavy-eyed and irritable,Continue reading “The Dark Rider part 7 (excerpt) and some good news…”
All About the Plentyn-Aderyn
One of the oldest and most mysterious of the tribes of wandering, outlawed mages roaming Thosea’s Northern wastes, especially in the region of Karak (or World’s End), their favourite haunt being the shimmering, nebulous Hiraeth mountains, which tend to flicker between worlds in response to loud noises. The mages take this odd existence inContinue reading “All About the Plentyn-Aderyn”
I am still alive… I think.
I am recovering — slowly — from abdominal surgery, which happened at the end of December. Having a connective tissue disorder, this caused problems with having retention and needing to be catheterised, but as I am resistant to local anaesthetics it took them over an hour to get it in and I was screaming. PrettyContinue reading “I am still alive… I think.”
Update: Reading, Reviews, and the Ethics of AI
What has been going on over the past few weeks? In my capacity as main editor (and sole editor, though it hasn’t anything to do with flatfish) of Once Upon A Crocodile e-zine, I have been reading and writing reviews of people’s books (usually anthologies, though I am open to novels / novellas too). UnlikeContinue reading “Update: Reading, Reviews, and the Ethics of AI”
All About the Muryans
The Muryans are an ancient race of beings who came into existence shortly after the birth of Noran’s world (the Empire of Dal-Rhiatah). They first lived in the planet-wide, sentient forest named Panko – before Homo sapiens began – and they had a symbiotic relationship with the plants and trees, and later on, withContinue reading “All About the Muryans”
What and Where are the Hiraeth Mountains?
Hiraeth is a word in the Old Tongue (and it is a Welsh word on Earth), loosely translated as “homesickness.” This name is fitting as Logan Bartholom spends most of his time wanting and wondering about a home he once had but can no longer remember. This extensive range of mountains in Karak (sometimesContinue reading “What and Where are the Hiraeth Mountains?”
WHO AND WHAT ARE THE HIGH MADRE?
These three prophetesses are the leaders and main teachers of the Kendra, a convent of egoless prophetesses who revere Saint Agrimond, along with the ancient benevolent magic that their world was created with – Foundational magic. Somewhat inspired by the Fates from Greek myth or the three witches from Macbeth, these three women are aContinue reading “WHO AND WHAT ARE THE HIGH MADRE?”
WHO AND WHAT IS ULFRYD SPIRN?
A minor character in “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” who goes on an almost fairytale-style quest and meets an unfortunate end. An apprentice to a travelling merchant, Ulfryd is fourteen years old and having an affair with a girl at an inn when an old song people are singing in the marketplace enters his head,Continue reading “WHO AND WHAT IS ULFRYD SPIRN?”
Who and What is Uncle Edwyn?
Noran Cadwallader‘s Uncle Edwyn is a best friend, benevolent authority figure, and mentor to the boy from birth until age six, when something very unfortunate happens to the old man. He and his wife, Noran’s Aunt Adyah, keep a small farm on the outskirts of Little Beddin, amongst the hills. Aunt Adyah is a practical,Continue reading “Who and What is Uncle Edwyn?”
A Dark Heritage: The Documentary
Many of the characters from “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” have been (ahem…) “interviewed” alongside the author (um, me) in a series of little videos. The first five are on this playlist on YouTube: Here’s one as a taster: Other than the frequent forays into social media (which can be a distraction from writing, IContinue reading “A Dark Heritage: The Documentary”
All About The Kendra
On the continent of Thosea, where magic and the use / teaching of it is still legal, there stands an old, ruined abbey on the banks of the river Eridan. This river is a mysterious remnant of something that poured out of the constellations, and its waters burn like acid, possibly because of its trueContinue reading “All About The Kendra”
All About the Griny-Plinth
These anthropomorphic beings first came to me in a dream. They were eccentric and fascinating, yet dangerous in a concentrated, stubborn, hive-mind sort of way, and they were galloping after me upon tiny, prehistoric horses, trying to catch me. They looked like the Leptictidiums from the non-fiction TV series “Walking with Beasts” – like kangarooContinue reading “All About the Griny-Plinth”
All About the Nephisiati
Throughout the lands of Ossyan, Thosea, and Dal-Rhiatah, stories and myths of the Nephisiati echo down the generations. No one has clapped eyes on them and lived to tell the tale, save for a select few who lost their minds and were institutionalised as a result. In some legends, they look like hideous monsters withContinue reading “All About the Nephisiati”
All About the Selki
Selki are a half-legendary, half-prehistorical terror of the oceans. They are rarely seen, but there are tales of them aplenty among travelling merchants, smugglers, pirates, and other people who make a living on the high seas. There is always someone who returns from sailing with a missing hand or leg who swears it was bittenContinue reading “All About the Selki”
All About The Cetians
The Cetians are an ancient humanoid race that lives in the extreme depths of the White Ocean. Their city is encased inside a gigantic, magical air-bubble, as they mostly breathe oxygenated air. However, they did evolve with gills as well as lungs, although their gills can’t function so well. Their underwater appearance is frightening, theirContinue reading “All About The Cetians”
All About The Forysrhacos
This gigantic and ancient bird is the stuff of myth, prehistory, and legend. Humans from Earth would likely recognise it as The Phoenix, a bird that lays its egg in a nest of flames and is then reborn from the ashes. However, The Forysrhacos (known as “The Foe” in old texts found in the underseaContinue reading “All About The Forysrhacos”
All About The Llewmayn
This type of Ghost has been briefly mentioned towards the end of The Book of Nighthunting, which has just been completed* over here or you can watch the clipshow of it here: [*Edit to add: There may be further entries slotted into it at a later date, but the main structure of it is obviousContinue reading “All About The Llewmayn”
August Update
Still grinding away on social media promoting “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” by reading out excerpts and doing short “character spotlights” using the Face Dance app, as well as spreading it around through word-of-mouth and flyers. What else do you do to promote your work if you have a disabling health condition and you’re aContinue reading “August Update”
Book Update
Since being published as an ebook on Amazon, “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” briefly shot down to 8000 in the listings for Dark fantasy books, but in the space of a couple of days, it’s shot up to 1000. I’m choosing to think of this as a positive sign. On other writing-related topics, I’m currentlyContinue reading “Book Update”
A proposition for you
“A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter” has been available as an ebook on Amazon for a few weeks now. It would be a dream come true if it sold well enough to maybe get into physical print, but in order for that to happen it needs to be seen. Which is where some reviews left onContinue reading “A proposition for you”
So, it begins…
The first slew of videos and social media posts has begun, promoting “A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter.” So far there aren’t any reviews on the book’s Amazon page, so if you can leave a review for it that would be enormously great. In fact, for every review that is posted I will film myself readingContinue reading “So, it begins…”
Cover Story
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at what went into the cover design of A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter. One of my hobbies is making digital collages from photographs (either my own or from websites such as pixabay.com and pexels.com, where photos are free to use and not copyrighted). I started doing this when producing illustrations forContinue reading “Cover Story”
IT’S HERE, IT’S HERE, IT’S FINALLY HERE!
A Dark Heritage: The Nighthunter was published by Golden Storyline Books today on Amazon. UK Amazon link here. A little bit of blurbage: “A Dark Heritage is a dark fantasy novel set in a magical world where prehistoric animals coexist with humans and the Dead return as different species of Ghost. Logan Bartholom, Nighthunter toContinue reading “IT’S HERE, IT’S HERE, IT’S FINALLY HERE!”
THE HANGED NUN
This is the inn Logan Bartholom, Nighthunter, stays in at the start of the first book (A Dark Heritage). Before the onset of his Ghost-initiated amnesia, he journeyed into Little Beddin and decided to rent room five in the upper floor of the Hanged Nun, because he sensed something extra-natural Haunting that room. He meetsContinue reading “THE HANGED NUN”
Pages from the Book of Nighthunting: The Wraith
…empty red eyes, a mouth full of blood, and small, serrated teeth. Weaknesses: Witchward children, cats, and sunlight. Update on the Novel Situation: A Dark Heritage, the first Nighthunter book, has been through its editing stages and is now having a book cover designed for it, based on something I knocked up a few monthsContinue reading “Pages from the Book of Nighthunting: The Wraith”
Yet Another Update
The second round of edits for A Dark Heritage have just been completed. It involved downloading Kindle Previewer and opening the manuscript on that, which shows you what the ebook will look like on Kindle readers, tablets, and phones, which was all very interesting. The recent freebie for email subscribers was sent out on JulyContinue reading “Yet Another Update”
Pages From The Book of Nighthunting: The Mnemon
… Just in case you haven’t been updated about the changes to the original story post here. We are now going through the second round of edits / formatting for A Dark Heritage. I am not certain of the release date yet, but it might be towards the end of this year. Over at onceuponacrocodile.weebly.com,Continue reading “Pages From The Book of Nighthunting: The Mnemon”
Another Book Update
Things are progressing well. The publisher sent me a galley proof of what A Dark Heritage will look like (it will be an e-book) and I combed through that to check for typos. Meanwhile, I am still adding “pages” to the Book of Nighthunting story post here, doing digital collages with photos from Pixabay andContinue reading “Another Book Update”
The Book of Nighthunting
Update: Writing Stuff
The latest issue of OUAC (Once Upon A Crocodile) ezine, which I run and edit, is coming out VERY SOON — May the 30th, to be precise. It will feature old favourites such as Lynn White and rp Verlaine, as well as some new faces: Sara Corris, DJ Tyrer, LN Hunter, Daniel Tarker, and MattContinue reading “Update: Writing Stuff”
Who and What is Finglas Snudd?
One of the last Nighthunters to walk the path between the Living and the Dead. This man was the one who took on Logan Bartholom as his apprentice, buying the vulnerable five-year-old from his destitute mother. He was capable of appearing kindly and generous, but this was just a disguise hiding the real terror ofContinue reading “Who and What is Finglas Snudd?”
Who and What is Cailte?
We meet this child in the first book of the Nighthunter series, trapped in a tight spot in a hotel kitchen in Cybrith Port. On discovering that their ship to Thosea is delayed, Logan and Noran also find that Cybrith Port has been infiltrated by a sinister New Religion, and a strange being that callsContinue reading “Who and What is Cailte?”
Who and What is the Witch of Mount Wanslo?
No human person knows Her true name or is exactly sure where She came from, but this Witch, the oldest and most evil of all Dead things, lurks in a cave on Mount Wanslo, a mountain that is close to the Hiraeth chain of mountains near World’s End. She has been there for centuries, luringContinue reading “Who and What is the Witch of Mount Wanslo?”
Who and What is Noran Cadwallader?
A complicated character and the anti-hero of the first book in the Nighthunter series. Noran is given the gift of magecraft (or magic) through his dreams by an ancient Witch whose goal is to corrupt him and drain his life — or any life She can find — to ensure her already legendary longevity. TheContinue reading “Who and What is Noran Cadwallader?”
Who and What is Logan Bartholom?
This human man — if he is a human man — is the main protagonist of the Nighthunter novels, is a form of exorcist, has recurrent amnesia, and suffers from a type of lycanthropy. He also has the rare ability to travel to different worlds and times, though he doesn’t usually have control over whereContinue reading “Who and What is Logan Bartholom?”
Who is Anthea Blackthorn?
The oldest witch in existence. One of the main characters in the Nighthunter book four, she is the leader of an undercover coven of kindly witches in Ely, Cambridgeshire, England. She has a long and murky past, as is the case with anyone who lives long enough to need to adopt fresh identities in orderContinue reading “Who is Anthea Blackthorn?”
Possible book cover for Codex Corvidae
This is a collection of short stories I’m working on, featuring a mythic figure who is involved in the ancient legends of Ossyan and Dal-Rhiatah. It would be a bonus for whoever buys the first book of the Nighthunter series.
Possible cover image for The Nighthunter Book One: A Dark Heritage
Recent map of Ossyan
I still have no idea how I’m going to slot the maps and other artwork I have planned into the finished book, but we shall see how it goes… I highly recommend YouDoodle as an app for sticking bits of different photos and drawings together or just drawing over the top of images. (This isn’tContinue reading “Recent map of Ossyan”
Finding Your Place
Work on the world maps is underway! To start with I have been developing a map for the island of Ossyan using MapHub, which is a free, easy-to-use website. It always gives you real-world maps to work with though, so I’m having to utilise a map of the Wash in England and stick new placeContinue reading “Finding Your Place”
WORLD MAP OF THE DAL-RHIATAN EMPIRE
(rough draft)
So, it begins…
Albins! as a pair of certain turtles would say should you find yourself suddenly beached on the shores of Thosea. Welcome to the Nightwalks blog, a place where you can glean info about the Empire of Dal-Rhiatah and its surrounding environs, the people who live there, and all kinds of other cool stuff. You’ll findContinue reading “So, it begins…”
Nightwalks 