Dark Minds : Horror & Dark Fantasy Writers

Monster slayer Sandra Barlowe ventures to Madrugar, Mexico to investigate the brutal death of a local rancher. While the signs initially point to a vampire, the deeper she dives into her investigation, the more the murder appears to be the handiwork of something else…something much more terrifying.Symbols of a legendary creature start appearing everywhere as graffiti, and as sightings and bodies pile up, Sandra suspects the horrifying cryptid is at the center of it all. In the middle of a labor war and political upheaval, Sandra must hunt the legendary cryptid while navigating a treacherous maze of dangerous creatures and unscrupulous characters.The question looms - is Sandra the hunter, or is the cryptid the predator, stalking its prey? The pulse-pounding hunt is on! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The next high concept horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden.Across Italy there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years.It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives. It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought.There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as The House of Last Resort. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the sun sets over New Orleans, two brothers, John and Wayne Carter, find themselves standing in a French Quarter alleyway, their clothes stained with blood, and their minds foggy. They have no memory of how they got there or what they have done. All they can recall is a new friend, Jacques St. Germain offered them a deal - work for him, and he will give them a home, purpose, and power.While the brothers sink deeper into compelled crimes, they are plagued by nightmares and memories they can't explain. Through a romantic interest of John, the Carters seek the help of her aunt, a voodoo queen, who recognizes their plight and a danger to her own family. With guidance, they unlock memories of their past and learn about the dark deeds they were forced to participate in.The brothers race against time to break Jacques' hold before they are turned and forced to serve him for eternity. But the old vampire is not so easily defeated, and the brothers find themselves in a final showdown with Jacques.Enter the origin story legend and the hidden world of the Big Easy where paths intertwine with serial killers, witchcraft, and a bloodline of the dead that existed well before Prohibition in the Crescent City.Laissez les bons temps rouler. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No Good Deed Goes UnpunishedIn the scorching summer of 1988, amidst the frenzy of the Satanic Panic gripping the nation, private detective O’Keefe finds himself thrust into a trial like no other. As he strives to establish his fledgling agency, the last thing he anticipates is being drawn into a harrowing legal battle. But when Virginia Montrose, “Miss Ginny” to her students and his daughter Kelly’s most beloved teacher, is accused of heinous crimes against her current and former students, O’Keefe faces a moral quandary unlike any before.Despite the risks and the overwhelming stigma, O’Keefe’s encounter with the shadowy child protection figures driving the prosecution sparks a fierce determination to seek truth and justice.In this gripping tale of courage and conviction, O’Keefe's resolve is put to the ultimate test as he confronts the darkest facets of human nature and dares to challenge the prevailing hysteria. O’Keefe must summon every ounce of his strength to uncover the shocking truth while struggling to reverse the relentless tide of injustice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Sino-Nippon war is over. It is 2113 and Japan is crushed under the might of Chinese-Allied Forces. A former Coalition Corps soldier, US Marine Balaam Hendrix is now a feared bounty hunter known as ‘The Reverend’. In the sprawl of NeuTokyo, on this lawless frontier, he must track down the rogue employee of a notorious crime lord. But, there’s a twist. His target has found protection inside a virtual reality construct and Hendrix must go cyber-side to corner his quarry. The glowing neon signs for SIN:THETICA are everywhere, and promise escape from a dystopian reality. But will it prove the means by which this hunter snares his prey, or will it be the trap he simply can’t survive? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2059 two very different groups have their minds uploaded into a quantum computer in Waterloo, Ontario.One group consists of astronauts preparing for Earth’s first interstellar voyage. The other? Convicted murderers, serving their sentences in a virtual-reality prison.But when disaster strikes, the astronauts and the prisoners must download back into physical reality and find a way to work together to save Earth from destruction.The Downloaded debuted in a six-month exclusive window as an Audible Original narrated by Academy Award-winner Brendan Fraser promoted by national TV and radio ad campaigns. This print edition is coming out immediately after Audible’s exclusivity ends and is being supported by a six-city cross-Canada author book tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bram Stoker, his life, his research and writing of Dracula to promote a documentary film called Father of Dracula, being made by an Irish film maker, Jason Figgis, and written by John West.  I have contributed years of research and do the narration on the film. Dracula is the most famous horror character in literature. Over a hundred years after the publication of Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, (1897) the character still has the power to fascinate and horrify us. The image of the undead vampire as a symbol of evil is now firmly embedded in our collective consciousness, thanks to Stoker. Paradoxically, Dracula has also be-come a symbol of forbidden lust thanks to the later portrayals of the character by Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Frank Langella and Gary Oldman etc. etc. But what of Bram Stoker, the man behind the creation? Sadly, he left no autobiography and precious little first-hand source material for us to better understand his life and inspirations for his writing of Dracula. For most, he is a shadowy or un-known figure, a man long since eclipsed by the character that he created. However, by examining his private journals, notes, and the memories of those who knew him, we can piece together an account of his life and learn much about the man who became the father of Dracula. With this documentary, we aim to reveal the man and how he came to create the Prince of Darkness, Count Dracula. Written by author and historian John West and directed by Jason Figgis, an award-winning IFTA-nominated film and TV director, this unique documentary, narrated by Dacre Stoker, the great-grandnephew of Bram Stoker, looks at the life of his illustrious ancestor. It will cover his early life, his mysterious childhood illness, his days as a student in Dublin, his successful career as Sir Henry Irving’s manager at the Lyceum Theater and, of course, how he came to write Dracula. We will  look into how Bram Stoker gathered his research in different libraries and archives and how he utilized the vampire myth that already existed across Europe and North America to bring to life literature’s greatest horror icon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one ever knows what lurks beyond the light until it's too late. And for the unsuspecting victims, their worst nightmares come to life when they venture too far into the darkness. For where light is void, so are all forms of evil and unmentionable horrors. In 'Shadows by Gaslight,' you'll journey through cobblestone streets and opulent parlors to uncover captivating tales that define an era of Victoria lore. From the notorious criminals who haunted the night while authorities rallied at a frenetic pace to unravel mysterious unexplained deaths and missing persons. Here, you'll follow tales of the relentless pursuit of justice by reformers like Dickens and Florence Nightingale. This riveting exploration delves deep into the complexities of Victorian society, where enigmatic figures like Jack the Ripper and other social reformers cast long shadows over an age marked by political turmoil, social unrest, and the paradoxes of progress. While illuminating the legacy of humanity, resilience, and reform, this book invites readers to step into the shadows and discover the enduring mysteries of Victorian true crime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arcane archivist Harper has always been plagued by dreams of grotesque creatures and bloody deaths. When she bumps into a ghostwalker in the Shambles and has a visceral experience of his execution, she knows it’s a foretelling. Yet fear of the Queen’s Guard stops her speaking out. When her vision indeed comes true, the unusual markings on the ghostwalker’s corpse, combined with his neatly excised vocal cords, send a ripple of terror through York.The witch hunt is on. As the body count rises, Harper knows her magic is the only way to find the killer – if she can avoid being hanged as a witch. To protect both human and supernatural, Harper walks the thin line between their worlds. She and her demonhunter foster-sister form a multi-faith team with a forensic scientist, a spirit Harper accidentally summoned, and a techno-witch, to catch the killer before more people die. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tree planters on the run from parasitic insects. A physicist who has become the target of a murderous airline. Teenagers trapped in a museum with an eldritch horror. An escaped pit fighter thrust into a desperate stand at a sagging mountain fortress. And a luckless cowboy sailing across a sea of grass to the bloody resurrection of an elder god. Welcome to Joel McKay's It Came from the Trees and Other Violent Aberrations, a collection of five page-turners as strange, disparate and bloody as their titles suggest.So, grab a stiff drink, turn the lights down low, settle into your favorite reading nook and enjoy this brief but memorable collection of tales from one of the newest voices in Canadian pulp fiction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brigids Gate Press, an indie press established in 2021 by Heather, Clyde, and S.D. Ventura-Vassallo, believes in the power of STORY. We seek to be a forge where new and established talents are refined and developed, and their stories shaped and tempered into beautiful, dark, mysterious, and thrilling tales that will delight readers. Above all, we seek to do our utmost to help and encourage writers on their journeys.Underrepresented authors are welcome. Unagented and agented authors are welcome. Currently, our focus is on horror, dark fantasy, poetry, and romance. We aren't afraid of mash-ups of more than one genre and will go the extra mile to market those books in a way that gets into the right readers' hands. As of now, we use print on demand services via Amazon and IngramSpark. This allows us to keep upfront print costs low while allotting more of the budget to anthologies, art, and marketing. Using print on demand also allows us to take risks on manuscripts that may be harder to place with other publishers. Our goal is to get your story out into the world. Afterall, someone, somewhere, is eagerly awaiting it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Classic horror monsters never die. Like Count Dracula, the Great Old Ones, Scrooge's Christmas ghosts, and the stories of Edgar Allan Poe they continue to haunt readers. Now these legendary characters are going to meet for the first time. And for some, it will be the last time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Classic horror monsters never die. Like Count Dracula, the Great Old Ones, Scrooge's Christmas ghosts, and the stories of Edgar Allan Poe they continue to haunt readers. Now these legendary characters are going to meet for the first time. And for some, it will be the last time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Somewhere in the back of Pastor Tuckers unhinged mind, where murderous thoughts swarmed with contempt for every soul around him, a dark nursery rhyme began to whisper its unpleasantries.And as the blood lust began to boil and overtake the God-fearing Pastor; from somewhere deep down within the holy man’s suppressed memories a familiar tune began to unconsciously join the broken symphony forming in his fractured mind.Its melodious melody and suggestive lyrics began to weave their influential suggestions amongst the crazy man’s homicidal thoughts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 1823, Josiah Hale built his family a grand home in the sultry heat and blinding glare of the Deep South.It wasn’t long before the shadows crept in. Now, two hundred years later, this grand home stands forlorn, abandoned, blank windows reflecting only darkness.Some houses carry lasting impressions of those who have lived and died there.Some places still bear the scars of past tragedies.Some buildings are heavy with the spirits of the dead.Hale House outweighs them all.But wait.The front gate is creaking slowly open, welcoming, beckoning, luring you in…You have been invited.Come tour the most haunted location in the world.Come visit our House of Haunts.23 rooms. 23 ghosts. 23 stories.Will you survive them all?Featuring Stories FromChristy Aldridge * Brooklyn Ann * Simon Bleaken *Jay BowerClay McLeod Chapman * Heather Daughrity * Joe DeRouenWilliam J. Donahue * J-F. Dubeau * Joshua Loyd Fox * Jennifer Anne GordonGage Greenwood * Justin Holley * Jo Kaplan * Ronald KellyMarie Lanza * Caitlin Marceau * D.E. McCluskey * Jeremy MegargeeJoe Scipione * Samantha Underhill * Mer Whinery * Mercedes M. YardleyForeword by Josh MalermanEdited by Heather Daughrity Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The terrifying sequel to the acclaimed New York Times and USA TODAYbestselling novel Chasing the Boogeyman, which was hailed as “genuinely chilling and something brand-new and exciting” (Stephen King) and “unforgettable” (Harlan Coben).A riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman—a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society’s true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer’s web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers—and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something Ancient has awakened on Grove Island.Something has slept for millennia. Patient, wise, and hungry. Something that hunted the forest primeval and howled under black skies. Something that knows the human animal better than any human.Kenny McCord had the American Dream - more than he could have ever imagined growing up in Elton Township. But all of that is over, and he is headed home a broken man. However, Kenny is not the only prodigal son of Elton Township. His childhood best friend has returned as well. A dangerously charismatic man will make Kenny and Elton Township pay for the sins of the past. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bram Stoker: Author of Dracula is an affectionate and revealing biography of the man who created the vampire novel that would define the genre and lead to a new age in Gothic horror literature.Based on decades of painstaking research in libraries, museums, and university archives and privileged access to private collections on both sides of the Atlantic, the private letters of Bram and the reminiscences of those who knew him not only shed new light on Stoker's ancestry, his life, loves and friendships they also reveal more about the places and people who inspired him and how he researched and wrote his books. Bram wrote numerous articles, short stories and poetry for newspapers and magazines, he had a total of eleven novels and two collections of short stories published in his lifetime, but he would only become known for one of them – Dracula. Tragically, he did not live long enough to see it as a huge success.In his heyday as Acting Manager for Sir Henry Irving at the Lyceum Theatre in the West End of London, Bram was a well-known figure in a golden age of British theater. He was a big-framed, ebullient, genial, gentleman, with red hair and beard, who never lost his soft Irish brogue, was blessed with wit, and a host of entertaining stories fit for every occasion. Described as having the paw of Hercules and the smile of Machiavelli, above all he knew what it meant to be a loyal friend. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2023 Alan R Warren & David North Martino Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Japanese Box is a story that blends memoir, creative nonfiction, and the horror of a coming-of-agestory, and a coming of middle-aged story.Imagine growing up with a reflection that is often absent, and a Japanese box that is filled with things thatshould never have been there.Memories.Violence.The Japanese Box is a love letter to anxiety, trauma, grief, and longing. It is a story of a child becomingan adult, and all the ghosts and misfortunes that happen in order to survive.The Lithium Moon: Simone is an artist by day, and an emotionally abused wife at night. She is asuccessful artist with a long history of schizoid effective disorder with bipolar tendencies.When her marriage goes from good to bad, she suffers her first miscarriage. The tragedy coincides with awolf moon—Trauma and magic converge seem to converge in Simone’s head.This story explores sadness, illness, hallucinations, full moons, and the creative process.What Stage of Grief is not a poem, or a song, but a dirge.Fantasy and facts, this poem walks a fine line between nightmares and memories. Grief stories and lovestories. Dogs, and drama. Nightmares, and nevermore. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.