Hey, how are ya?
I hope you're all having a lovely week and making the most of the daily free chapters from The Haunting of Holland House.
That one's been a real page-turner, am I right?
Yes?
No?
Well my mum liked it. I mean she liked what she read of it. About half of it. She’s busy, so…
Anyway, the third book is going to be launched early on here, Patreon and maybe Medium for paying members at least a month before the book is published.
If you’re into that Early Access stuff, something to think about.
As for me, I've been diving headfirst into some seriously twisted horror fiction lately. You know how it is – sometimes you just need a break from the real-world nightmares and lose yourself in some good old-fashioned terrifying tales.
This week, I've been tearing through a couple of novellas that have left me equal parts disturbed and in awe of the authors' skills.
I’ll get around to publishing reviews soon, I haven’t already because… Well…
I'll be honest, folks – I've been struggling with a nasty case of imposter syndrome this week. You know how it goes: staring at the blank page, convincing yourself that everything you've written is utter drivel, and questioning whether you have what it takes to keep pushing forward. It's a vicious cycle, and one that's all too familiar to most writers, I'd bet.
But here's the thing: we all have our own unique voices and perspectives to offer.
Sure, there will always be authors out there who make us feel like rank amateurs at times, but that's no reason to throw in the towel. If anything, they should inspire us.
So, while the demons of self-doubt may be nipping at my heels this week, I'm doing my best to use it as fuel.
To channel that sense of being outmatched into something productive.
Because at the end of the day, that's all we can do – keep writing, keep reading, and keep striving to create stories that will leave a mark on those brave enough to venture into the shadows with us.
Anyway, that's enough soppy-bollocks for one week. I'll leave you to it, but not before reminding you to keep an eye out for those daily Holland House chapters.
Until next time...
ON WITH THE NEWSLETTER!
AVAILABLE NOW
WELCOME TO LOOMIS FALLS…
Todd Flanagan is living the dream.
Once a nerdy outcast obsessed with the paranormal, Todd has shaken off his past and become a high school football star with growing popularity.
But that dream becomes a nightmare.
When Todd's old friends mysteriously vanish one by one after investigating the creepy old abandoned Holland House, Todd must make a choice: sit and do nothing or save the friends he turned his back on.
And Todd can't face the evil of Holland House alone.
He's going to need the help of Shirley James, a reclusive, eccentric and washed up paranormal investigator.
Together, they must enter the nightmarish walls of Holland House and face a terrifying evil that neither are prepared for.
Enter the world of THE GHOST HUNTERS APPRENTICE, a young adult horror series that will leave you living in fear of that shadow in your closet, that bump under your bed...
Trust The Few. Fear The Many. FOLLOW THE LEADER.
Lilith's idyllic life in the countryside is shattered when a group of masked men invades her home on a bone-chilling winter night.
When her daughter is snatched away before her very eyes, Lilith is left with no choice but to embark on a journey into the frozen wilderness to save her precious child.
As Lilith navigates the treacherous landscape, she realizes that the men who abducted her daughter are no ordinary kidnappers, and she must use all her wits and strength to evade them and rescue her child before it's too late.
The journey is fraught with peril, and Lilith must overcome her deepest fears if she is to succeed, and she realizes that there is more at stake than just her daughter's life.
Follow the Leader is a spine-tingling horror novella that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Lilith's journey into the frozen wilderness is a journey into the unknown, a journey that will test her limits and force her to confront the darkest aspects of humanity.
Will she be able to save her daughter and stop the cult, or will she succumb to the same darkness that threatens to consume them all?
With its dark and atmospheric setting, heart-stopping horror, and unexpected twists and turns, FOLLOW THE LEADER is a story that will haunt you long after you turn the final page.
The world crumbles as a plague of the undead ravages the land. Evelyn, a former medic, leads a group holed up in Dunstaffnage Castle, facing a dwindling future. But venturing out risks capture by the sinister Edgefield compound, where survivors are lab rats. As tragedy strikes, Evelyn must navigate horrors from ghouls to bandits, wrestling her own demons, to reach sanctuary.
The world as we know it has crumbled.
An unstoppable plague of the walking dead stalk the land, driven by an insatiable hunger to infect the last pockets of survivors.
Evelyn, a former Army medic, has become an unwilling leader of a ragtag group holed up in the ancient Dunstaffnage Castle in the desolate Scottish Highlands. With dwindling supplies and an ever-growing horde of shambling corpses banging at the gates, Evelyn must make the ultimate gamble - risk venturing out into the lawless wasteland to scavenge for salvation, or be condemned to a slow, agonizing demise within their crumbling fortress.
What Evelyn and her people find beyond the castle walls is even more terrifying. A militarized research compound called Edgefield has captured survivors to use as lab rats in their twisted experiments, all in the name of developing a cure. Escaping their clutches means facing a hail of gunfire and a seemingly endless onslaught of the undead.
When tragedy strikes Evelyn's group, she must navigate a gauntlet of horrors, from hordes of flesh-hungry ghouls to bloodthirsty bandits, all while wrestling with her own personal demons.
Can Evelyn reach the rumoured sanctuary of Gulmaren Monastery before her own humanity is consumed by the darkness?
Or will she too fall victim to the remorseless, all-consuming apocalypse?
Packed with white-knuckle action, gut-wrenching emotional twists, and a glimmer of hope in humanity's darkest hour, this epic post-apocalyptic saga will leave you breathless.
Hold on tight - the end of the world has only just begun.
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
Prepare for a chilling thrill ride that will leave you sleeping with the lights on.
Daniel Sandberg is barely holding it together.
As a substitute teacher struggling to keep his students in line, he's already having a miserable day. But when a vengeful spirit from the past begins to terrorize him, Daniel's tenuous grip on reality starts to slip.
Plagued by visions of a decaying, grinning child's corpse, he's convinced the school is haunted.
Todd, still reeling from a previous paranormal encounter, starts to suspect there may be truth to the teacher's supposed delusions.
Joined by the curious and persistent Imogen, Todd decides to investigate the haunting, against his better judgment.
Their quest brings them face-to-face with a dark entity that refuses to be ignored.
Pulled into a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the vengeful spirit, Todd must confront his own fears if he hopes to survive the nightmarish ordeal.
Can Todd stop The Dead Boy before it's too late?
Or will he fall victim to the icy touch of the grave?
Creepy, suspenseful, and action-packed, THE DEAD BOY blends the thrill of a paranormal mystery with the authentic drama of teenage life.
This chilling novel will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final, spine-tingling conclusion. An absolute must-read for fans of young adult horror and supernatural thrillers.
HORROR WRITING NEWS
The Ghost Hunters Apprentice Book Three - Final draft. Be prepared…
The Ghost Hunters Apprentice Book Four - Still outlining. Sorry.
The Have Nots - Page one rewrite (it is my precious!)
The Crawl - Early in the outline stage