A.F. Stewart's Blog, page 23

#OctoberFrights Day 6: Fairy Tales and Nightmares

Alas, it is the last day of the October Frights Blog Hop, but I hope you’ve had fun. I leave you with an excerpt from my WIP story collection, Fairy Tales and Nightmares, which I expect to publish in 2023. The tidbit is from my Hansel and Gretel retelling. The Witch’s Apprentice Gretel huddled in... Continue Reading →

#OctoberFrights Day 5: Halloween Vigil

Welcome to Day 5 of October Frights, with another flash fiction story. Enjoy. The Halloween Vigil “Help me, please help me.” Jonas knew better than to answer her girlish plea for help; he still remembered what happened to Ricky that Halloween. He did glance towards the abandoned orchard. She crouched on top of the stone... Continue Reading →

#OctoberFrights Day 4: Dark Poetry with Monsters

Welcome to Day 4 and my annual October Frights Dark Poetry segment Shadows in the Mirror Shifting glassin the darkreflectionsof facesthat shouldn’t beMama, mama,he cries out,nightmares are realShush,it was a dreamThere are nomonsters Mama smilesreassuringly Until the morningwhen the lightrevealsa missingchild Within the Woods Like reaching fingersunder moonlightthe branches waveagainst the skyThey are silhouetteswith obscure... Continue Reading →

#OctoberFrights Day 3: Drabble Wednesday With Monsters

Welcome to Day 3 and the October Frights edition of Drabble Wednesday. Enjoy. Don’t Be Curious “Don’t go down into the basement.”The caretaker warned me, but I didn’t listen. The murky space beneath the winding staircase was too tempting. What secrets did it hold? What adventures?I was always the curious sort. Mother said it would... Continue Reading →

#OctoberFrights Day 2: Author Spotlight – D.L. Tillery

Today I’m bringing you a spotlight post on horror author D. L.Tillery and her new short story release Fractals. Fractals The biting cold may leave you wanting… Dallure is excited yet nervous about the upcoming trip with her boyfriend. She is expecting an along awaited proposal. But on the road, Drake is being anything but... Continue Reading →

#OctoberFrights Day 1: Intro and a Story

Welcome to anotherOctober Frights Blog Hop! The Hop runs from October 10th-15th and this year, nine talented author participants will be bringing you posts suited for this creepy, spooky season. I’ll have a few stories, an October Frights version of Drabble Wednesday, my annual Dark Poetry post, plus a couple of other things. This year’s... Continue Reading →

Drabble Wednesday: Frankie and Joni’s Spooky Season

Frankie and Joni return with some Halloween fun. What’s in a Name? I was glad to be back after braving the pumpkin spice fanatics at the local coffee shop for some morning caffeine and snacks. Frankie was not at his desk, so I wandered to the Halloween Slasher exhibit, only to stare at the strangest... Continue Reading →

Drabble Wednesday: Eternal Reckoning

Took a bit of a break from things, but the drabbles are back this week with three stories about eternity and loss. The Lonely Castle On a rocky rise, at the farthest border of a bleak wasteland, a crumbling castle reached towards a grey, washed-out sky. Perched above the edge of a dying world, it... Continue Reading →

Drabble Wednesday: Murder Is In The Air

Three more drabbles for you. The Corpse The candles burned low, hardening wax pooling along the rims and in their holders. The body slumped across a desk stacked with books, a scrap of torn page clutched in its hand. Another book lay on the floor beside the chair.“His heart must have given out, don’t you... Continue Reading →

Drabble Wednesday: The Apprentice

Three drabbles about the worst job interview ever. The Keeper “So you’ve come to learn the secrets of the Archives, young man?” Master Balin sniffed, slightly disappointed. “Give me your name.”The would-be apprentice raised his head, swallowed his fear, and spit out, “Jesper, sir.”“A reasonable name, with merit. It means treasurer. Rather appropriate, if you... Continue Reading →