Newton Webb's Blog, page 14
May 3, 2023
Newt's Update #84
Newt's Update
News
Horror Story Compilations
Recommended Stories
Bibliography
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NEWS
I rewatched PHANTASM using my experience as a horror veteran to break it down and understand the complex narrative structure. Sadly, at the end of the movie I was still none the wiser as to what was going on. I really enjoyed it nevertheless. If any of you have replica silver balls then sent me pictures!
I’m on Substack Notes! Notes is a new space on Substack for us to share links, short posts, quotes, photos, and more. I plan to use it as a replacement for the more traditional social media, mainly because I really don’t enjoy using or approve of FB, Instagram or Twitter.
How to joinHead to substack.com/notes or find the “Notes” tab in the Substack app. As a subscriber to Newton’s Tales of the Macabre, you’ll automatically see my notes. Feel free to like, reply, or share them around!
You can also share notes of your own. I hope this becomes a space where every reader of Newton’s Tales of the Macabre can share thoughts, ideas, and interesting quotes from the things we're reading on Substack and beyond.
If you encounter any issues, you can always refer to the Notes FAQ for help. I’m looking forward to seeing you there!
WHAT AM I WORKING ON NOW?
Still on HS2, protestors, and DRAUGR. It’s well into novella territory now, so will be slightly longer form than most of my stories. The clue is in how long I’ve been mentioning it. I’m looking forward to sharing it with you.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Probably another trip to the 18th century... It will either be historical or space opera. I have done quite a few contemporary ones recently and want to flex my imagination.
We had a bank holiday this weekend, which involved celebrating BELTANE. This was relaxing, but scarcely productive.
The bank holiday next weekend is looking vastly more promising for productivity, as it’s just to celebrate the ascension of our latest monarch. I shall celebrate it by ensconcing myself in my house, curtains drawn, avoiding the crowds, and when I’m not busy writing, watching THE HOLLOW CROWN and IRONCLAD.
UPCOMING EVENTS
5th May! I release the free short story, THE POWER WITHIN. A paranormal story of family, retribution and murderous dachshunds.
7th June - NESTOR LYNCH. Murder and revenge abound in this techno thriller. The debut novel of Newton Webb. ARC copies available.
10th June, NESTOR LYNCH. Book launch, Saturday, 18:00–22:00. Project Orange, Clapham Junction, London, England.
5th July, THE DRAUGR. Hacking their way through ancient woodlands, construction workers unearth a long buried crypt with murderous results.
6th September, TALES OF THE MACABRE, VOL. 2 is released. The sequel to the bestselling horror short story compilation.
Horror Story CompilationsFREE SUSPENCE, THRILLER, AND HORROR BOOKS. Featuring 103 free horror stories. Including: TREV RIDES FORTH and 12 MINUTES.
CREEPY THRILLERS. Featuring 84 horror stories. Including: THE HORROR AT HARGRAVE HALL and TALES OF THE MACABRE, VOL. 1.
SPINE CHILLING READS. Featuring 77 free horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, THE IRON DOOR, THE ENIGMATIC SKELETON, TREV RIDES FORTH, 12 MINUTES and WELCOME TO PARADISE.
DARK VILLAINS, DARK WORLD. Featuring 63 free horror stories! Including: TREV RIDES FORTH and 12 MINUTES.
FREE HORROR READS. Featuring 35 horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, TREV RIDES FORTH.
Recommended StoriesTHE SHADOW HOST, by River Starling, free to download.
Can Sinopa and her family defy the odds and make it through the jungle to the rumored safe haven in the valley? Only the desperate would attempt this journey. But trying is not succeeding – or even surviving.
OASIS, by Joan De La Haye, free to download.
A family of civilians, guided by a squad of soldiers who have seen more action than they can handle, must make their way to the safety of a UN base at the South Pole called New Atlantis. But can they make it to this oasis alive or will they only reach it as the undead?
WITHDRAWAL, by Bradley Lejeune, free to download.
When the enigmatic but powerful Koru unexpectedly abandon their embassy on Proxima Centauri, Vik—a one-time activist and war hero—and his shadowy friend Copeland attempt to find out if this is a prelude to a war that would prove disastrous for humanity.
DEMON KING: A SUPERNATURAL THRILLER, by Erik Henry Vick, available for purchase or free on Kindle Unlimited.
Each of them paid a terrible price and had to survive as best they could—wrapped in fantasy, the comfort of amnesia, or the silence of self-imposed isolation. Twenty-eight years later, they are drawn together to once again face the town's horrible secrets--the horde of demons infesting Oneka Falls.
DEAD BY MORNING, by Kayla Krantz, available for purchase or free on Kindle Unlimited.
After a classmate disappears, Luna is haunted by violent nightmares so real they leave her traumatized. Terrified, Luna begins to question her sanity until a call from a long-lost friend warns her of things to come.
Does Chance’s seemingly perfect exterior hide an unhinged evil?
BRIGHTSIDE, by Mark Tullius, available to purchase for free.
Joe hates his life. His ability to read minds gets him thrown into Brightside, a prison town far from society. Sure, he gets a new girlfriend, but the oppressive environment combined with their exposed thoughts increasingly wears at their relationship over time.
After a horrible tragedy, some of the telepaths decide to make their escape. But they’re up against a vicious pack of guards who see the prisoners as dangerous freaks. Can the group’s unique abilities free them from Brightside's oppressive confines, or are they doomed to live in captivity and slowly lose their minds?
DON'T TELL THEM I'M ALIVE, by Tim Kizer, available for purchase or free on Kindle Unlimited.
In August of last year a superyacht named Lady Athena disappeared with 27 people on board. Twelve months later, plastic surgeon Natalie Finlay meets a man who looks exactly like one of its passengers. What she doesn't know is that he is a vicious killer.
THE FEMALE BREEDERS, by Melanie Bokstad Horev, available for purchase.
Young brilliant scientist, Neen Salvek of genetically enhanced Clan Triverser is assigned to screen imprisoned males of the Dome, to assess their mental and emotional fitness before breeding season. Her task is crucial to protect the breeding women, and continue the development of their genetic enhancements. As she embarks on her mission she finds more than she bargained for – a system of brutal mutilation and slavery that condemns any male who doesn't make the cut in the breeding competition to death.
Thanks for reading Newton’s Free Horror! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Newton Webb BibliographyAvailable on AmazonCollected WorksContemporary2022 – The Heir Apparent, Novella
2018 – The Morrígan, Novella
2017 – Nestor Lynch, Novel
2013 – Festival of The Damned, Novella
2012 – The Platinum Service, Novella
Historical1958 – The Black Fog, Short Story
1864 – Smoke in the Sewers, Novella
1832 – The Horror at Hargrave Hall, Novella
1818 – The Ballad of Barnacle Bill, Novella
1194 – Hunted, Short Story
Read a collection of free short stories by Newton Webb on his website.
April 26, 2023
12 Minutes by Newton Webb
Tommy stared at his phone in horror. “No...” he murmured.
“Give me that,” Laurie snatched the phone from his hands. He looked up at her, eyes wide and glistening with tears. “Don’t you dare–don’t you dare look like that. I wish you hadn’t seen it, but now that you have, you need to keep it together, do you hear me? Just act happy for the next twelve minutes.”
“Laurie, I…”
Laurie jabbed her finger towards him. “No! It’s New Year’s Eve. I won’t have you ruin it for the kids. Do you hear me?”
Tommy nodded, wiping his eyes.
“It’s just—” she checked her phone. “—eleven minutes. Then it’s all over.” Holding out her hand, she helped him up and escorted him to the living room where their two daughters, Marylin and Audrey, were watching Die Hard. Picking up her glass of rosé, she filled it to the brim and took a deep gulp.
“Is Daddy okay?” Marylin asked.
“He’s fine,” Laurie snapped, then plastered a giant grin on her face. “He just needs a cheeky drink, that’s all. Who wants to grab Daddy a little lager from the fridge?”
“Me, me, me!” Both girls yelled simultaneously, jumping up and dashing towards the kitchen, missing Bruce Willis’s iconic monologue.
“Keep it together,” Laurie said, looking into her husband’s eyes. “Can’t you act normal for eight minutes?”
Tommy looked at her. “How can you?”
Laurie lit two cigarettes and passed one to Tommy. “Because we have to.”
The girls arrived, each with a lager, and presented them to Tommy.
Laurie laughed and tousled her daughter's hair. “Looks like someone is having a party…” She took a deep drag of her cigarette and leaned back on the sofa. “Drink up, babes,” she said, regarding Tommy sternly.
Tommy forced a smile. “Thanks, girls.” He sat with a bottle in each hand and stared bleakly at the wall.
“For God’s sake,” Laurie muttered, drinking half her glass.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?” Marylin asked again.
“He’s fine. Look, tell you what, why don’t we do our family tradition? A selfie with Hans Gruber!” Laurie put down her cigarette after a long drag and slapped Tommy on the thigh. “Get up, you big lug.”
The four of them assembled in front of the TV while Laurie fast-forwarded to the end of the movie and Hans Gruber’s dramatic fall from the Nakatomi Plaza. “Come on, come on.”
She checked her phone.
Five minutes…
“Here we are!” she exclaimed. “Everyone gather in.” She adjusted Audrey’s hair, which had fallen across her face, and her unicorn jumper, which had ridden up, exposing her belly. “That’s better now—Tommy, look at the camera! Now then, everyone say cheese!”
“SAUSAGES!” the girls bellowed, erupting in peals of laughter.
“Oh, you naughty little monsters,” Laurie said, drawing them all in for a giant hug. “One more time. This time remember to smile, Tommy.”
They clustered around the TV again, and Laurie held out the phone. Jostling for position, she tried a few photos and then handed it to Tommy. “Go on then, put your big, gangly arms to use.”
“I can’t do it, Laurie.” He slowly struggled to his feet. “I’m sorry, not even for the girls.”
“Don’t be sad, Daddy,” Marylin said. The two girls wrapped their arms around his legs. “We love you,” Audrey added.
“I… love you so much, too.” Tommy said, breaking down into tears.
“Right. Enough of that. Daddy needs some air.” Laurie took Tommy’s arm. “Give us a moment, girls.” She led Tommy out onto the patio, where he turned and held her close.
“I never thought it would come to this.” He sniffed.
“Well, it has, all because of that prick.” She kissed him on the lips. “I didn’t mean to bully you, but the girls don’t need to know.”
Tommy looked at his wife fondly. “I know. I wish I was as strong as you.”
Laurie passed him another cigarette. “Says the six-foot-six builder.” She jabbed him in his ample belly.
“I wanted to see them grow old, raise families,” Tommy muttered.
“Well, we can’t.” Laurie rested her head on his shoulder. “We’ve…” She checked her phone. “Two and a bit minutes left with them.” She patted his arm. “Let’s make the most of it, shall we? Girls! Come on out and watch the fireworks!”
The girls came running out. Tommy and Laurie were seated in their favourite white plastic chairs. “Fireworks? But it’s not dark yet.”
“These are special fireworks,” Laurie confided. “Hey, hey, Mummy’s wine.”
Marylin ran in and returned with the nearly empty bottle.
“Thank you, Marylin.” Laurie filled her glass with the last of it. “Come and give us all a hug, you beautiful little angels.”
“Which way is London, Tommy?” Laurie asked, downing her glass in one go.
Mutely, Tommy pointed over the trellis.
“Look over there, girls.” Laurie checked her phone. Another text from the UK government’s COBRA committee. “One minute to go.”
“Goodby—”
“Don’t say that.” Laurie snapped, then gave him a pained smile and a hand squeeze to apologise.
Laurie pulled Marylin up to her lap, and Tommy did the same with Audrey. They stood watching… Nothing happened. She checked her phone; two minutes had passed. “Ha, it must have been a mistake, even Putin couldn’t be that—”
The first mushroom cloud appeared on the horizon.
If you enjoyed this free short story, then please consider Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1. My first collected works on Amazon containing sixteen short stories and novellas by Newton Webb.
April 19, 2023
Newt's Update #83
Newt's Update
NEWS
The celebrations for TALES OF THE MACABRE, VOL. 1 are over and I’m back at work again. There was a distraction when the Chaos Dwarf DLC came out that hopefully won’t correlate with a whole host of short stories about evil bearded midgets being written.
WHAT AM I WORKING ON NOW?
I mentioned I was working on a story that includes HS2, protestors, and DRAUGR. Well, I am STILL about halfway through it as the launch distracted me. This has resulted in me coming back and wanting to write about thirty other stories that I’ve thought of in the meantime, so I’m forcing myself to knuckle down and get back to work.
WHAT'S NEXT?
No no, don’t ask me this, please, for the love of god. I have so many answers, but I don’t want to think about it until THE DRAUGR is finished.
BUT, I’m dabbling with space opera horror again. Every attempt so far has ended in my trash folder. Either I’ll eventually crack it, or I’m doomed to repeat my mistakes.
UPCOMING EVENTS
26th April, TWELVE MINUTES. Released as a free short story.
3rd May, THE POWER WITHIN. Probably released as a short story, might be released as a novella. Just finishing it up at the moment!
7th June - NESTOR LYNCH. Murder and revenge abound in this techno thriller. The debut novel of Newton Webb. ARC copies available.
10th June, NESTOR LYNCH. Book launch, Saturday, 18:00–22:00. Project Orange, Clapham Junction, London, England.
5th July, THE DRAUGR. Hacking their way through ancient woodlands, construction workers unearth a long buried crypt with murderous results.
Free Story CompilationsWICKED READS. Featuring 87 horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, THE IRON DOOR, THE ENIGMATIC SKELETON, TREV RIDES FORTH.
HAIR RAISING READS. Featuring 76 horror stories! Including: FESTIVAL OF THE DAMNED, SMOKE IN THE SEWERS, THE BLACK FOG, THE HEIR APPARENT, THE PLATINUM SERVICE, THE BALLAD OF BARNACLE BILL, THE MORRÍGAN.
FREE HORROR READS. Featuring 36 horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, TREV RIDES FORTH.
TUNNEL. Featuring 60 horror stories, free to those with Kindle Unlimited. Including: SMOKE IN THE SEWERS, THE HORROR AT HARGRAVE HALL.
Recommended StoriesCONTROL, by C.J. Weiss, free to download.
Unwitting actors forced into their roles. Six short stories of speculative fiction themed around 'Control' from multiple genres.
PROTECTORS OF DARKNESS, by Alice Longo, available for purchase or free on Kindle Unlimited.
In a tyrannic post-apocalyptic world led by a psychopath, everyone bears genetic modifications, and babies are only lab-made.
No one even remembers how humans used to reproduce.
SHADOWS, by Joan De La Haye, available for purchase.
What if you thought you were losing your mind?
What if all those nightmares were real?
Could you survive a demon bent on torment and death, a nightmare feeding on your fear?
A BUNCH OF FIVES, by James Flynn, available for pre-order.
A Bunch of Fives smacks you straight in the face with a mighty handful of horror fiction. It packs a punch with five hard-hitting short stories, all of which will leave you stunned and dizzy in a delirious stupor.
Within these knuckled pages you will find a professional hitman taking on more than he bargained for, a strange creature roaming a Vietnamese island, a nymphomaniac in the midst of a breakdown, a futuristic society obsessed with social media, and much more.
Thanks for reading Newton’s Free Horror! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Newton Webb BibliographyAvailable on AmazonCollected WorksContemporary2022 – The Heir Apparent, Novella
2018 – The Morrígan, Novella
2017 – Nestor Lynch, Novel
2013 – Festival of The Damned, Novella
2012 – The Platinum Service, Novella
Historical1958 – The Black Fog, Short Story
1864 – Smoke in the Sewers, Novella
1832 – The Horror at Hargrave Hall, Novella
1818 – The Ballad of Barnacle Bill, Novella
1194 – Hunted, Short Story
Read a collection of free short stories by Newton Webb on his website.
April 12, 2023
Newt's Update #82
Newt's Update
NEWS
TALES OF THE MACABRE, VOL. 1 has finally been released! Just $0.99 for ONE week only. I wanted to release it last week, but had some administrative issues which were a pain to resolve. Sales have blown me away. Thank you so much everyone! They’ve eclipsed all my previous books, becoming the number one bestselling new release horror anthology. I am so proud that everyone has enjoyed my debut collected works. Thank you so much for your support. I am beyond happy. I promise you, the next one is coming soon!
The book launch was a tremendous success at PROJECT ORANGE. Thank you to everyone who came. It was great meeting such a dedicated crowd of horror fans!
Happy Easter everyone! In the UK, we got two bank holidays giving us a four-day weekend. What movies / books did you enjoy over the festive period? I watched PREY TO THE DEVIL. It wasn’t bad, a suitable accompaniment to our pizza and wings. I do wish the protagonist had more agency. Technically, had she just not got involved, then nobody would have died.
WHAT AM I WORKING ON NOW?
I mentioned I was working on a story that includes HS2, protestors, and DRAUGR. Well, I am about halfway through and loving it.
WHAT'S NEXT?
I need to chart out the release of NESTOR LYNCH so it is less chaotic than the TALES OF THE MACABRE, VOL. 1 book launch. Organisation doesn’t come naturally to me.
UPCOMING EVENTS
26th April, TWELVE MINUTES. Released as a free short story.
3rd May, THE POWER WITHIN. Probably released as a short story, might be released as a novella. Just finishing it up at the moment!
7th June - NESTOR LYNCH. Murder and revenge abound in this techno thriller. The debut novel of Newton Webb. ARC copies available.
10th June, NESTOR LYNCH. Book launch, Saturday, 18:00–22:00. Project Orange, Clapham Junction, London, England.
5th July, THE PRICE OF PROGRESS (needs a better title). Hacking their way through ancient woodlands, construction workers unearth a long buried crypt with murderous results.
Free Story CompilationsWICKED READS. Featuring 87 horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, THE IRON DOOR, THE ENIGMATIC SKELETON, TREV RIDES FORTH.
HAIR RAISING READS. Featuring 76 horror stories! Including: FESTIVAL OF THE DAMNED, SMOKE IN THE SEWERS, THE BLACK FOG, THE HEIR APPARENT, THE PLATINUM SERVICE, THE BALLAD OF BARNACLE BILL, THE MORRÍGAN.
TUNNEL. Featuring 60 horror stories, free to those with Kindle Unlimited. Including: SMOKE IN THE SEWERS, THE HORROR AT HARGRAVE HALL.
DISCOVER WHAT WAITS IN THE WOODS. Featuring 42 horror stories!
FREE HORROR READS. Featuring 36 horror stories! Including: THE COCONUT KILLER, TREV RIDES FORTH.
Recommended StoriesECHOES OF INSANITY, by R.A. Goli, free to download.
Crude treatments, patients being beaten or being tied to beds, others ignored and left to wear soiled clothing, all pale compared to the unnatural things Emily witnesses during the nights at Shady Glen Hospital for the Insane.
MORSALS OF MAYHEM: THREE HORROR SHORT STORIES, by Mark Tullius, free to download.
With these stories, you will find yourself:
An overweight father ignored by his family.
A gang member breaking into a neighborhood church.
A cameraman who finds himself in a hopeless situation.
An aging author who’s paying the price for a reckless past, doing all he can to repair his brain.
BLANCHLAND BLUES, by Tom Dell'Aringa, available for purchase or free for those with Kindle Unlimited.
After crashing his ship on the Moon, John finds himself in debt to a shady lawyer who makes him an offer he can’t refuse: Locate teenage runaway Meryl Amelson and bring her back—or rot in jail. John knows whatever they want her for can’t be good—but what choice does he have? At least that’s how he feels until he meets his target.
THE RAIN, by L.A. Frederick, available for purchase or free for those with Kindle Unlimited.
As blood and chaos stain the streets, one man stands against the tide of destruction…
Reinhardt is determined to unravel the corrosive corruption. Mutant humans burst into existence while mysterious water falls from the sky, and the lone vigilante uses his enhanced abilities to hunt down the putrid sludge infecting his home. But after he draws the attention of a psychotic scientist, he himself becomes the prey of a monstrous enforcer.
Clawing back territory from a power-hungry mayor and an infamous gang, Reinhardt teams up with a journalist searching for answers to explain the nightmarish rain. And when they discover a lab filled with grisly experiments, he fears the fight against the rising horror will end with his own gory death.
Can Reinhardt survive the sadistic showdown without staining his soul?
GHOSTS OF GRIEF HOLLOW, by Shawn Burgess, available for purchase.
Reeling from a string of brutal murders in the small Appalachian town of Harper Pass, Brooks Raker and friends try to put the horrors of the summer behind them but soon realize their nightmare is far from over. The evil they thought they vanquished remains as unburied as their dead friends.
HANGING HOUSE: AN EMMIE ROSE HAUNTED HOUSE MYSTERY, by Dean Rasmussen, available for purchase or free for those with Kindle Unlimited.
An unsolved murder. A reluctant psychic. Hanging House never sleeps, and neither will you.
Emmie just wants to get as far away from her psychic past as possible. Who can blame her? Seeing dead children isn’t a “gift,” it’s heartbreaking terror.
But once she loses her job in the big city, there’s only one place for her to go. Back into the heart of her trauma and fears. Her childhood home.
Hanging House.
Thanks for reading Newton’s Free Horror! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
Newton Webb BibliographyAvailable on AmazonCollected WorksContemporary2022 – The Heir Apparent, Novella
2018 – The Morrígan, Novella
2017 – Nestor Lynch, Novel
2013 – Festival of The Damned, Novella
2012 – The Platinum Service, Novella
Historical1958 – The Black Fog, Short Story
1864 – Smoke in the Sewers, Novella
1832 – The Horror at Hargrave Hall, Novella
1818 – The Ballad of Barnacle Bill, Novella
1194 – Hunted, Short Story
Read a collection of free short stories by Newton Webb on his website.
