Miguel Gonçalves's Blog, page 5

Nightmare Ink #4

INTRO

Welcome to another issue of Nightmare Ink, your source for everything… me!

This was possibly the most tiresome week I had in a long time, and that shows in the stuff I was able to do. But judge for yourselves.

Some quick news.

The audio version of “The Scarecrow Man” went live last Friday in Into the Gloom Podcast. It’s one of the things I saw happening to my little story that I’m amazingly proud of. Thomas Gloom does an amazing job narrating it and it was an honor to have him do it. You can hear it here!

The Portuguese anthology “Os Melhores Contos da Fábrica do Terror” was released, also, last Friday at the MotelX Festival. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend but I’ve seen some of the photos, and from what I heard everything went well. I can’t wait to share this anthology with you.

Here’s a sneak peek at the header of my story on it.

The header for the story “Writer’s Block”

I don’t have a lot more to say as an intro so let’s head on straight for the good stuff.

WRITING UPDATES

Writing per se was in a bit of a rut, but I managed to add some words to the old word-count board.

I didn’t get to write that much for PROJECT: Shovel (or any other PROJECTS, for that matter) but I got a flash on how I want to end it. And by that I mean the actual sentences I want to use. Like, literally.

I also started and finished a story that you’ll have the pleasure of reading down below. “Unknown Sender” is the first Ink-Drenched Chill I’m sending out in the world and, to be honest, I think it turned a bit longer than what I should be doing here.

Also, I must say I suck when it comes to getting titles to my stories. I struggled a lot and just decided on the title now (and by “now” I probably mean twenty minutes after writing these lines. Or, the second right before hitting send on the newsletter. And “now” the newsletter is out and I thought of a more awesome title for it…).

BOOK REPORT

Really sorry to inform you that I made little to no advancement when it comes to “Hearts of Monsters”. I hope to end it on my next day off. I’m a little mad at myself because I was truly enjoying how the story was developing and I had to stop…

PULL LIST

Not that many new comics to speak of here as we just get comics once a month here in Portugal. Nevertheless, I always have stuff to share with you guys thanks to my TBR comic pile.

Horror Comics - Black & White #01 to #03 (Marcelo Bondi & Various / Antarctic Press) - This three-issue miniseries/spin-of of Horror Comics had just some amazing stories. In its basis, it serves as an anthology of some of the works of Italian writer Marcelo Bondi which were translated for this. I enjoyed reading these; the eerie feeling they convey is just what one looks for in a comic horror anthology. Each issue is made up of four or five stories some more out there, others more grounded but all surely out to send some shivers down your spine.

The Empty Man (Cullen Bunn & Vanessa Del Rey / Boom Studios) - This is more a reread I did because I really want to watch the movie adaptation and I wanted to have the original source fresher in my head. So guess what movie I’ll be talking about next week? Haunting and mysterious, with cults, creepy deaths, and out-of-this-world entities this is just one of those stories that won’t leave your head after you read it. And the art… I really enjoy Del Rey’s work and this, along with Redlands, is one of her best.

ON-SCREEN

I was in the mood for something lighter and I had this one on my watchlist for some time, so I decided it was the time for it.

It was interesting a quite a nice premise. It wasn’t horror per se but a nice combination of mystery and dark comedy with some “scary” moments amongst the general chaos.

I really enjoyed the game-like structure that the movie follows, which makes sense because games are the basis for the plot of this one. The writing and acting are on point for a movie like this and I can say that I ended the hour and a half that it takes to play out happy and with some fresh ideas.

I have kept with my Supernatural marathon and I’m on the first couple of episodes of the third season at the moment.

I remember this one having some problems (and being cut short) due to a strike, and that it reflected on the quality of some episodes, but rewatching it I can say it has its moments. I’ll talk more about it when I finish the season, But I should say that Dean’s carefree attitude about his pact implications is, in a way, the most human reaction to something like that.

PLAYLIST

Unfortunately, I don’t have anything new to show you here… I almost only listened to music on my drives to work and Beautiful Mess is the playlist usually playing so it’s a, well, mess.

But I want to leave you with a song so I’ll go quickly to Spotify and hit shuffle on the playlist and I’ll share whichever one comes out.

THINGS I’M HYPED ABOUT

I was really hyped about my releases and all that came with them and now I’m crashing.
I’m still hyping about some of the things I told you in previous issues like Jamie Stewart’s “Something Wicked, Something Dark” which comes out next week and is now on preorder.

Another thing I can’t wait to start is a “sword & sorcery” anthology called “Swordplay”, which mixes the traditional fantasy trope with unconventional approaches. I bought it mostly because of one of the names in the table of contents, but from what I’ve seen from handling the book I think I’ll adore all the stories.

I almost forgot, “The Fall of the House of Usher” has a trailer out! It will probably reunite various of Poe’s works under that title, instead of an adaptation of the title story, but I’m still hyped.

INK-DRENCHED CHILLS

And now what you all have been waiting for, Nightmare Ink’s first original story.

Hope you enjoy it and next week there will be another poll to decide what I should write.

Sit back, and let the ink flow through you…

“Unknown Sender”

David's day had started like any other. He groggily reached for his smartphone, swiping away the alarm that had rudely interrupted his sleep. As he prepared to embark on his daily routine, he noticed something odd. A message from an unknown number, just a string of random characters as the sender's name.

The new message read: "Beware of the subway, take the bus instead."

David frowned, dismissing it as a random spam message. But then, as he headed for his morning commute, he couldn't shake the eerie feeling that someone, or something, was watching him. Without even thinking about it, he turned left instead of right and went for the bus instead, and just as he settled into his seat, he heard about a subway derailment on the news. The ominous message had saved him from a grizzly death or at least serious injuries and trauma.

Over the next few days, the cryptic messages continued. Each time warning him of dangers he would encounter during that day, providing precise instructions on how to avoid them. David began to trust these messages, even though he couldn’t phantom who was sending them.

One message told him to avoid the coffee shop he usually went to. When he heeded the warning, he watched from a distance as it was engulfed in flames moments later. Another instructed him to take the stairs instead of the elevator in his office building. The elevator malfunctioned, trapping several colleagues inside.

As grateful as he was for these messages, David couldn't help but feel a creeping sense of dread. Why was he being singled out for these warnings? Who could be sending them to him? And why were these disasters happening to others?

One evening, as David sat in his apartment watching TV, his phone buzzed. The message simply read: "Set off the alarm in the chemical plant." The message made no sense, but he felt compelled to follow it, they had never steered him wrong before. He hacked into the plant's security system and triggered the alarm, causing city-wide chaos as a result.

Minutes later, the news flashed images of the plant's catastrophic explosion, leveling entire city blocks. The ominous messages had led him to cause destruction on a massive scale, and he realized that innocent lives had been lost because of his actions.

Torn by guilt and remorse, David, for the first time, replied to the unknown sender, demanding answers. A message promptly arrived: "You were the chosen one, David. Your actions have triggered an irreversible chain of events. Hope you enjoy the future."

The next day, David awoke to a world in chaos. Cities were in ruins, and the sky was thick with ash. Panic and despair had gripped the survivors. The messages had not been warnings but directives to bring about the apocalypse, he did not doubt that. The world lay in ruins, and David was utterly alone.

As he wandered through the desolation he had created, he couldn't shake the doubt that gnawed at him. Had he been a pawn in a cruel game? Was there any way to undo the damage he had unwittingly caused? The cryptic messages haunted him, as did the knowledge that he had been the instrument of his own undoing.

In the eerie silence of the post-apocalyptic world, David clung to the last message he had received. "Hope you enjoy the future," it had said. But as he gazed upon the bleak landscape before him, it was clear that there was nothing to enjoy in his, new, nightmarish reality.

Days turned into weeks, and David struggled to find food and shelter amidst the wreckage. Occasionally, he would come across another lone survivor, all of whom looked at him with distrust in their eyes. He wondered if any of them knew the part he had played in this global catastrophe. If it was because of that they kept their distance.

One day, as he scavenged for supplies in what used to be a bustling shopping district, he heard a faint voice, calling for help. Following the sound, he found a young woman trapped beneath a pile of debris. After some time and with great effort, he managed to free her. She introduced herself as Emily.

Emily was a survivor like him, having lost her family in the chaos that followed the chemical plant tragedy. After some days together, as they sat in the ruins, David shared his story with her—the mysterious messages, the warnings, the terrible choice he had made. Emily listened to everything, her eyes wide with astonishment, never interrupting.

"You don't understand," she said, her voice trembling, as he finished his tale. "I received those messages too. They saved my life countless times, just like they did for you. They were different but they directed me too."

David stared at her, aghast. He had assumed he was the only one chosen to receive these messages, the only one responsible for the destruction that had befallen the world. Now he second-guessed all he thought he knew.

"We were both chosen," Emily continued, her gaze fixed on the horizon. "But not to save ourselves. We were chosen to witness the end and to bear witness to the consequences of our actions. Those were messages from God," she said raising her eyes to the reddish sky. “It was His words that guide us to these moments, it was His voice made text.” Her voice was reaching a higher pitch as she talked. “The sender ID was His name, and His name wasn’t meant for human eyes, that’s why we couldn’t understand it.” She looked David straight in the eyes, and her voice lowered to a reverent drawl. “We may have lost in this life, but we followed His guidance, and we shall be rewarded. Like He wrote, all we need to do is just enjoy the future.”

David wasn’t sure about Emily’s take on the messages both had received, it wasn’t that he wasn’t a believer it was that he just didn’t believe God, any god, would do something like this. “Then again there was the flood,” he would think in the moments he let his mind wander to that.

Ideologies and reasoning aside, he and Emily kept each other company, scouring the remnants of civilization, searching for answers and maybe a way to atone for their unwitting role in the apocalypse.

One night, a few days after finding each other, as they huddled around a campfire, David's phone buzzed with a new message. It was from the same unknown sender, the string of random characters as the sender's name.

The message was simple but chilling: "It's time to face the truth."

David's heart pounded as he read the message aloud to Emily. They knew that this was the moment they had been dreading and waiting, the moment when they would have to confront the entity behind the cryptic messages.

With trepidation, they followed the coordinates provided in the message to an abandoned underground facility. As they descended into the darkness, the air heavy with the stench of decay and the walls covered in strange symbols, they could feel their uneasiness growing.

In the depths of the facility, they came face to face with the sender of the messages—an otherworldly being, neither human nor machine. It spoke to them in a voice that echoed through their minds, explaining its purpose.

"I am the Keeper of Balance," it said. "I exist to maintain equilibrium in the universe. When humanity's actions threaten to disrupt that balance, I intervene, using individuals like you as my instruments of change."

David and Emily listened, one in horror the other in awe, as the godlike being revealed the true extent of their manipulation. They had been chosen not to save the world but to bring about the apocalypse, a necessary sacrifice to reset the balance of the universe.

Their work finally done, the being offered them a choice—to join its ranks as part of him or to be released to their burdens, free to live out the remainder of their days in the devastated world they had helped create.

David and Emily try to make their decision together but soon came to the realization that they both want different things. “A decision has been made,” The being uttered in their minds. As Emily made her way to it, a final message echoed in David’s mind.

"Hope you enjoy the future."

He reached out, trying to touch Emily, to convince her that it was no god and there would be no redemption, but his hand slipped through her as if she were nothing more than a ghost. She turned to face him, her form growing translucent. "David, you need to wake up," she whispered as her voice faded into the darkness.

The room around him started to blur and distort, the symbols on the walls swirling and shifting. David felt a profound sense of disorientation as reality itself seemed to crumble around him.

And then, he woke up.

David found himself lying in a sterile, white room, the harsh fluorescent lights above casting a cold, clinical glow. He tried to move, but restraints held him firmly in place. Panic surged through him as he realized where he was—a psychiatric institution.

A middle-aged nurse entered the room, her expression kind but cautious. "You're awake," she said gently. "How are we feeling today, David?"

David's mind was a whirlwind of confusion. He couldn't discern what was real and what was a dream. "Where's Emily?" he asked, his voice trembling.

The nurse exchanged a worried glance with a colleague who had entered the room. "There is no Emily, David," she said gently. "You've been here for quite some time. You've been experiencing delusions. I’ll call Dr. Morgan. She’ll explain everything."

As the days turned into weeks, David underwent intensive therapy and treatment. Dr. Morgan had explained to him that he had had a mental breakdown and had been found muttering about text messages and how he had brought the end of the world into existence. He struggled to come to terms with the fact that Emily had never existed, that the cryptic messages had been a manifestation of his own fractured mind. He had been living in a world of his own creation, a world of chaos and destruction.

Slowly, David began to rebuild his shattered reality. He learned to differentiate between his delusions and the truth, to let go of the guilt and remorse that had haunted him for so long.

In time, under close observation, he was released from the psychiatric institution, his mind on the path to recovery. The world outside was far from the apocalyptic nightmare he had experienced in his delusions. It was a world of healing, of rebuilding, and of hope.

As David stepped out into the sunlight, he couldn't help but wonder about the nature of reality and the power of the human mind to create its own horrors. The messages from the abyss had been a journey into the darkest recesses of his psyche, a journey that had nearly consumed him.

But now, as he looked ahead to the future, he was determined to embrace the real world, to find his place in it, and to leave behind the shadows of his past. The nightmare may have been his own creation, but the opportunity for redemption was very real, and he was determined to seize it.

It was a morning as any other, and David groggily hit the radio on his bedside table, a bulky black device with neon green numbers on its face which he now used having forsaken cell phones, turning off the alarm clock and switching it to radio mode in one movement. The soft chords of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Burnin’ for You” morphed into something that chilled him.

He recognized the voice he was hearing, and it wasn’t Donald Roeser’s. It was a female voice from his past, a voice that shouldn’t exist. And her words? “Hope you enjoy the future.”

LAST WORDS

This is it for the week.

Can’t wait to see what you think about “Unknown Sender” and what suggestions you make for next month’s short story.

Just get in the comments and speak your mind. Whatever you have to say, good or bad, I want to hear it.

Don’t forget that there are signed copies of The Scarecrow Man available for sale, if you want one you know where to find me. It pairs really well with the season we’re in!

Keep good and spooky and we’ll meet again next week.

Until then, let the ink of nightmares flow.

Thanks for reading Nightmare Ink! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Nightmare Ink #3

INTRO

What a week!!! (Also, sorry for being a bit late this week)

Apart from being a bit chaotic at work (the start of the busy season at the hotel), it was a week full of things happening and some stressful ones too.

This week saw the release of my short story mini-book, which was the cause of the stressful things I mentioned before, but it taught me some stuff about publishing with Amazon and how to plan when it’s time for the next one.

To clarify, Amazon tells you that it will take up to 72 hours for the book to be live. Sounds good, I was counting on that when I pressed “publish”. What I wasn’t expecting, was an email saying something along the lines of “Now it might take up to three days for it to be available in your primary marketplace and up to five days in all others”…

That kicked me in the nethers…

And then, the book started to appear in the marketplaces but masked as unavailable… Then it was available but I could only order author copies from Australia… I was a little (or maybe gigantic, is a better term) ball of stress…

And out of nowhere, the book was available everywhere and I could order it from the marketplace nearer to me.

And that’s how I learned that I should hit publish more or less five days before the day I want everything to be ready and out.

I think this intro is already too long so all that other stuff will be mentioned throughout the newsletter.

Have fun with this one!

WRITING UPDATES

During the last year, I wrote some short stories for the website Fábrica do Terror, a webpage dedicated to horror made in Portugal (and mostly in Portuguese). This page, the creation of three great people (Sandra, Pedro, and Ricardo) Has done wonders for a genre that supposedly didn’t exist in Portugal. Guess what? It exists and it’s here to stay.

I was contacted by the creators about having one of the stories I made for them in an anthology featuring the best stories of the year. Of course, I couldn’t say no to something like that and so, it’s with great honor that I announce that “Os Melhores Contos Vol. I” (as some of you might know if you follow me on social media) will be released on the 15th. It features great stories, and my contribution to it will be “Bloqueio de Escritor” (Writer’s Block in english). The edition and design are just amazing and this will be a great addition to any collection. If anyone is interested in buying the book but doesn’t know how to read Portuguese I’m thinking of some solutions for my story.

Can’t wait to contribute with more stories to this amazing endeavor.

Cover and ToC for the Portuguese edition of “Os Melhores Contos vol. I”

When it comes to the writing itself I’m still invested in Project: Shovel which is evolving quite nicely and I also rewrote the first part of what I’m now calling Project: Ghosts (spoiler: it has to do with ghosts) and not only that I also did some world-building for the setting I want this story (and maybe others?) to take place. Let’s say this one needs some rules.

This week I’ll probably focus on writing the short story for the next newsletter (see Ink-Drenches Chills below) so both projects I mentioned before will get a little hiatus.

The Scarecrow Man just got its first reviews on Amazon and I wanted to thank everyone who took the time to write something about my story! It’s really special to see how people react to something that you created and invested so much time in.

If you are one of those, thank you. If not, thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter and do you know that my short story is available on Amazon?

BOOK REPORT

I started “Hearts of Monsters” by Jeremy Megargee and I’m loving it. The way he constructed the story and the voice he gives to each character is so unique that you know who you are reading even if you don’t look at the header of the page.

A quick overview of the book, four distinct characters, each with their supernatural affinities, are drawn to a house that “shows” them their hearts’ desires.

And this is as much as I’ll go for now, for two reasons:

I haven’t finished yet and I don’t want to, or even can’t, jump to conclusions;

I don’t want to spoil anything in case you want to read this one too.

Unfortunately, as I said, I haven’t finished it yet because you know… time… but I will finish it in the next few days.

PULL LIST

I was able to read some comics this week, not as many as I liked but I did okay. I’m also trying to get on track with the new X-Men saga but I won’t bother you with details from that especially because I haven’t read them yet.

The ones I read, though, revolved around the same universe. If you don’t know these series I highly recommend both of them and to be honest, SIKTC is one of my favorite comic titles at the moment.

Something is Killing the Children #31 & 32 (James Tynion IV & Werther Dell'Edera / Boom Studios) - The beginning of a new arc but still connected to the previous one. The story is getting one of their most important moments in my opinion and things might turn out on their heads as the arc draws to an end. Tynion and Dell’Edera are one of the best duos at what they do and you can see that in the story they tell, as the writing and art complement each other at each single panel.

House of Slaughter #15 (James Tynion IV & Werther Dell'Edera / Boom Studios) & 16 (Sam Johns & Letizia Cadonici / Boom Studios) - The end of an arc and the beginning of another. As this series leans more to the expansion of the lore and the characters you get to see some shifting of the creative focus. But that’s not to say that it’s a bad thing. The cliffhanger of #15 will haunt me until it’s revealed and the flashback pages on #16 are an amazing piece of lore that tells a lot about the overreaching story.

House of Slaughter 15 & 16 and Something is Killing the Children 31 & 32 coversON SCREEN

I’ve been keeping on my Supernatural marathon and I’m making my way through season two and the main plotline is developing steadily as the episodes pass. I vaguely remember things getting hasted on season three because of a writer’s strike but I’m enjoying how the story goes and how the brotherly relationship between the Winchester boys develops. The soundtrack is still amazing and there are some good supporting characters, even some that will be important later on.
One thing I didn’t remember was all the problems that would come because of the shapeshifter that copied Dean on the first season. I guess that’s forgotten later on. Or maybe I’m wrong?

I also got to finally watch Smile and it was just as good as I thought it would be with one exception. It has a great idea as the basis for the plot, in the form of a “haunting” smile, but then it relies a bit too much on its jumpscares. It doesn’t make it less psychologically heavy in its themes, though. The direction, cinematography, and visual effects are also very pleasing, as a whole.
I might say that if I see someone smiling at me in the next few days I will be profoundly traumatized.

PLAYLIST

In between listening to the usual mess that is my driving playlist, I’ve ended up listening to the soundtrack of the first seasons of Supernatural, and I was recommended an artist by a friend.

The artist in question is A. A. Williams and I must say that I am a bit obsessed with her music. It’s dark, melodic, and heavy all at once and in a way everything I needed at this moment.

Here’s a video for one of the songs on her latest album.

THINGS I’M HYPED ABOUT

There will be great news tomorrow regarding The Scarecrow Man (you must be thinking “Doesn’t he get tired of talking about that story???”) that I’m really excited about but can’t reveal yet. But, it’s a dream come true to be part of something like that and a step closer to another dream (which now that I think about it, should be happening the other way around). Can’t wait to share this with everyone. Just keep your hears open and you won’t miss it…

This will be so great!

INK-DRENCHED CHILLS

So, the poll is done and the theme for next week’s story will be… [drum roll] Messages from Another Dimension!
The idea for what I want to do is set, so now I have to see If I can do it in a week. I don’t think it’s going to be hard because this was the one I was secretly hoping would win.

Poll result for next week’s short story

LAST WORDS

It’s all done for now and I truly hope you enjoyed another issue of these little ramblings I send into your email box.

If you want to suggest themes for next month’s short story poll just get in the comments and say what you would like to see. I’ll pick the three that I enjoy the most!

I will leave you today with a quote from “Hearts of Monsters”. It’s the first page and I think that it’s one of the best first pages I ever read as a whole, one of those that if you read it at a bookstore will make you want to close the book and run to the cashier because you want to read it at home. It’s that good. If you don’t think so, tell me. Also, you’re wrong. Kidding.

“the snakes copulate in pits, writhing madness it's for they slither, just a show for a crone, breeding in return for the bleeding.

i’m a crone only in the sense of mental maturation, for the glamour of youth still holds sway over me.

borrowed youth, or maybe you'd call it stolen, but a pretty face is mine to wield in times of necessity. the new age, witchcraft to wicca, the old ways falling to the new trends. I am a remnant of the trials, the burning times. Salem's sins, sins of fathers, mothers, daughters, and sons...

villages became towns. towns became cities. cities of nesting insects, polluted fog, an overpopulation of flesh and blood producing more flesh and blood. i watch alone, roof of straw, floor of mud, walls timber from long dead trees.

how long can it last? this world they've made? this world they've profaned and defiled. the soil weeps. the trees droop. the sky becomes a bruise, and soon the rain will drip down red. it's abuse. it's cruel, thoughtless abuse.

don't they see?

why can't they see?”

Until then, keep safe and let the ink of nightmares flow.

Thanks for reading Nightmare Ink! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Nightmare Ink #2

INTRO

Man, so many things I want to share with every one of you, I don’t even know where to start…

Because of that, as intros go, this one will be short.

It was a hectic week, between my work at the hotel and the stuff you’ll read below but I manage to get stuff done.

There’ll be big announcements on this one so keep your peepers open!

Let’s cut the chit chat and get to what matters.

WRITING UPDATES

First, PROJECT: Shovel is going well, and I managed to get some more words in. I might say that this is the project I most actively writing, and I think it’s going to be a good addition to my story portfolio and for the shared universe I’m trying to create.

I had a breakthrough, well more like an idea I really liked, for another project while brushing my teeth and I can’t wait to see if it works as I imagine it.

And now for some big news (straightens himself in the chair and look serious at the screen).

Nightmare Ink, in association with Dark Pine Publishing, proudly announces The Scarecrow Man, by, well…, me.

Cover illustration by Gonçalo Fernandes and design by Michael Goodwin

This will be a mini book with the story that previously came out in Devil’s Rejects, along some illustrations from Gonçalo Fernandes, an amazing Portuguese artist. I’m really proud of this story both because it was my first try at a submission call, my first rejection and then my first published story. I loved all the other stories that kept it company in the anthology but it’s such an amazing feeling to see it stand by itself.

I just hit the “publish” button and according to Amazon it can take up to 72 hours for it to be available, but people tell me it usually just takes 24. So, until then, just look for Scarecrow Man and my name. I’ll post a link when I have it (and probably updated it here too).

There will also be more news about The Scarecrow Man in the next few days, so be on the lookout here and on Instagram for the updates. Believe me, you don’t want to miss them.

BOOK REPORT

Slow week when it came to reading… But I finished I Will Devour You and Other Promises by Spencer Hamilton. A bunch of incredible stories, some of which I was already a fan like “Smile and Say Your Prayers”, a Smileyland tale and I love Smileyland tales. There was also “Evidence Locker VHS Tape #6” formerly known as “The Cursed” and one of The Scarecrow Man’s bedfellows from Devil’s Rejects. And then there are the new ones… I loved “The Tweeted Confession of Mariam Thornwood” in all its construction and theme (and how it reminded me of Joe Hill’s “Twittering from the Circus of the Dead”), and I dived headfirst into “You Are Beneath It All” and “The Ones Who Watch”.

I won’t get in full reviewer mode, but this is a 5-star anthology and you’re missing out if you don’t get yourself a copy.

PULL LIST

This week was slow when it came to comics too… I was just able to read two issues:

Tenement #3 (by Jeff Lemire & Andrea Sorrentino & Dave Stewart / Image Comics) - The third instalment of The Bone Orchard Mythos (following The Passageway and Ten Thousand Black Feathers) Tenement tells the story of a (haunted?) building and the people who live there. This issue is a perfect example of how to move a story forward. The feeling of dread and uneasiness on this one is up the scale, and the last words are just chilling

Grim #12 (by Stephanie Phillips & Flaviano / Boom! Studios) - We get to know a bit more of Jess’s past and the circumstances about her birth. For those who don’t know the series, this one follows a Reaper with no memory of her past while she was alive, and what mysteries lie in that past. It’s not really horror but the concept is interesting, and the art is really good.

Covers for Tenement #3 and Grim #12ON SCREEN

There’ll be no movie here this week, unfortunately.
The only think I was able to watch was some episodes of Supernatural, which I’m trying to rewatch when I have the time (mostly lunch/dinner breaks at work). I still remember some episodes fairly well, while others it seems I never watched them, and I did.

I just finished season 1 and I really liked it when it was just a monster of the week basis with just some background instead of the other way around.

So, one down fourteen to go…

Also, how good was this series soundtrack, right?

PLAYLIST

Just a random cacophony as I’ve been mostly listening to my Beautiful Mess playlist while driving and one never knows what can come next. Really, it’s true. It has many different things, but you don’t need to take my word for it. Go check it out for yourselves.

THINGS I’M HYPED ABOUT

First and foremost, my story being published by itself. I’m really hyped about that, but it’s not like this newsletter is about me so let’s move on.

Just a little more than a week for the Crowdfundr project for issue two of the “In the Dust of Our Planet”, a comic book in magazine format by my friend Daniel da Silva Lopes and Gorila Sentado. He told me some of the ideas he has for this project, and I can’t wait to see them materialize on paper and to know what everyone thinks about them. Check it here or here for the Ko-fi store.

Into The Gloom podcast announced its second season! I loved Thomas Gloom writing and then he launched his podcast featuring interviews with independent horror writers and I couldn’t miss an episode. He also makes special episode where he reads parts or short stories from his guests and his voice is amazing. Scissors: A Love Story, by Kalvin Ellis, was one of my favourite stories he did. You can listen to it here. It’s both a great narration and a great story by itself.

INK-DRENCHED CHILLS

Time for the monthly piece of writing poll recap. At the time I’m writing this, Messages from Another Dimension is up ahead in the poll, followed by The Ghost Ship Adrift and then by Folklore Monsters Come Alive.

If you want to get your vote in go to NI #1 and choose what you think should be the theme for my story in two weeks. The results will come out next issue. I’m already playing with ideas in my head…

LAST WORDS

Hope you’ve enjoyed this little issue. It was a bit smaller than the previous one because I wasn’t able to read that much but I think the big news make up for that.

Before I leave you, I still have two things for you. One is related to the book release and was made by the incredible Marcus Hawke. It’s a small teaser for the book and will hit the social networks later today or tomorrow, so consider this a sneak peek because you follow the newsletter.

The second one is a little excerpt from another one of my favourite stories that are part of I Will Devour You…. It’s titled “Smile and Say Your Prayers” (and I talked about it before).

“Night had fully descended. The moon gazed at the clearing from above, bloated and bloody. And Cinthy was no longer alone.

Standing in a circle around the boulder, as if they'd been there waiting this whole time, were several tall, cloaked figures. Their robes were velvety and voluminous, their faces hidden deep in the shadows of their hoods. Cinthy screamed.

One of the figures spoke. "She sees. Let us proceed."”

Hope you had a great time with this issue of NI, and I hope to hear from you all.

Don’t forget to vote on the prompt for the next moth story and, if you can, take a peek at my book. Both it and me will appreciate it.

It means the world to me to have you on this journey, and I can’t wait to be here with you again next week.

Until then, keep safe and let the ink of nightmares flow.

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Nightmare Ink #1

INTRO

Welcome to the official first issue of Nightmare Ink!

If you read Issue Zero, glad you’re keeping your faith in me. If it’s your first time, well, hope you get what you paid for… Oh wait… This is free… Sorry guys, I can’t promise anything then…

Thanks for reading Nightmare Ink! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

So, in this one you’ll have some great stuff including a very special annoucement about my writings and the, using the term loosely here, brand that is Nightmare Ink.

One announcement that was going to be here, but I decided to let it run in the wild a bit early was the creation of a Nightmare Ink discord server. If you follow NI on Instagram, you probably already seen something about this if not, here’s the link.

Without further ado, let’s get on with the good stuff… Oh, I forgot one thing. I changed the name of one of the sections. Movie Night is now called On Screen. I’m thinking of using the previous name for something else…

NOW, let’s go!

WRITING UPDATES

If I can be honest, I really hoped to do more writing this week than I did…

I have three projects that I’m juggling at the moment. Let’s call them Kids, Shovel and Cell. Of these the one I’ve been most actively working on is Project: Shovel (I totally ripped this naming process from Cullen Bunn…), which also as the distinction of being the newest one with a little more than a week in existence. I could get into more details about this story but it’s a bit early for that. As I’m writing this it’s a bit shy of 16k words… But what yhis story made was make me start thinking harder in the idea of a shared place where my stories are located. I already have a name and as soon as I’m completly sure and satisfied with it I’ll share it with you people.

And now for a writing related piece of news…

I already told you guys that I wanted NI to be more than just a newsletter. So, in a fit of madness I turned it into a kind of imprint. I will use this when I can in my stories whenever I publish them in my own name or whenever I get authorisation to use it in a publication. And the first one might be sooner than you expect…

What do you think of the amazing logo for the imprint?

Nightmare Ink imprint logo by Daniel da Silva LopesBOOK REPORT

This week was a good one when it comes to reading.

I read a short story mini book, a novella and started reading a short story anthology.

The short story mini book was “There are Worse Things” by Michael R. Goodwin. It’s a really great story about a music afficionado who collects tapes from the dollar bins at stores. Goodwin’s writing is on point, and I made a quick read of this one. Also, he always has the most amazing covers for his books and this one is no exception.

Then I went to “Grey Noise” by Marcus Hawke. A tale revolving about nostalgia for a time long past and memories of movies and TV. Marcus knows what is doing and the buttons to push to get you an emotional response to the things he writes. Also, you can see that he lived through the years the main character is trying to bring back to his life.

Guess I was in a nostalgia wave too because both this books had that retro feeling, be it the audio tapes in “There are Worse Things” or the VHS tapes on “Grey Noise”.

I also started reading “I Will Devour You and Other Promises” a short story anthology by Spencer Hamilton. I been a fan since I read the first Smileyland short story a few years ago and he’s one of my instant buy authors, so as soon as this one was available, I ordered it. Also, fyi, Spencer Hamilton is the author of one of the most treasured books in my small.

This collection includes a wide range of new stories along some reprints, mostly ones that were part of unavailable anthologies. I recognized some by name, but I’ll re-read them anyway, and I’ve been told I will recognize one when I read it.

PULL LIST

This week I didn’t read a lot of comics, but the ones I read were really good.

The Curse of Cleaver County #1 & #2 (by Garrett Gunn & Kit Wallis / Source Point Press) - Really great start for a serial killer/urban legend of a small town. I really enjoy the way the story and art. The beginning of Source Point Press horrorverse looks promising.

Children of the Comet #1 (by Damian Connelly & Gabriel Kikot / Sumerian Comics) - Welcome back to Kolosimo. Set in the universe of You Promised Me Darkness and Follow Me Into The Darkness, we get to see how the story continues and we are met with more oddities and strange occurences than in the first two collections. I don’t really want to give spoilers so this one is really hard to explain…

Nightwalkers #5 (by Cullen Bunn,Colin Johnson & Joe Bocardo / Source Point Press) - Thestory is getting to its turning point I can just feel it!!!! Can’t wait to see how this one will develop. Amazing art and story, one can feel the dread and desperation these people are feeling.

Horror Comics #6 ("All Is Silver Blue" by John Chance and Emilio Utrera,“Boabhan Sith” by Alex de Luca & Richard Becke and "Respect Your Elders" by John Chance and Ron Joseph /Antartic Press)- I order this on a whim to see what this was about. I recall ordering the lowest available this (back)issue and now I’m ordering all of them. This issue is made of three short stories, each with its own horror undertone.

Covers for The Curse of Cleaver County #1 and 2, Chidren of the Comet #1 (Variant by Damian Connely), Nightwalkers #5 (Virgin Black cover) and Horror Comics #6ON SCREEN

So, I finally got to watch the 2018 version of Suspiria. I’ll admit, I was afraid but it was highly recommended by a friend and so I watched it… And I liked it. It was a completly different movie from the original Argento version, although it kept the core elements of it, but it was a really good one. It has two dance scenes that are amazing both in choreography and the way they were directed.

Suspiria (2018) movie posterPLAYLIST

Nothing that special here this week unfortunately…

Started listening to a Lore Podcast spin-of called Lore Legends that I haven’t picked up yet and it’s been interesting. You should give it a try if you like spooky weird stuff.

I’ve been listening to September Mourning mostly when I write, but just because I got obsessed with one song not because it has to do with the writing itself.

Also, Thomas Gloom announced that Into the Gloom, his podcast where he interviews indie horror authors, is coming back for season two. I already listen to all of season one episodes and will be back for the next season. I strongly encourage everyone to listen to it.

THINGS I’M HYPED ABOUT

The Fall of the House of Usher. The Fall of the House of Usher. The Fall of the House of Usher. The Fall of the House of Usher. The Fall of the House of Usher.
Can you tell I’m hyped about Mike Flanagan’s new project? Let’s see what he’ll turn Poe’s work into…

The Fall of the House of Usher Poster

There are also some books I really want to get my hands on. “Something Wicked, Something Dark” by Jamie Stewart and "“Displacement” by Cullen Bunn are at the top of my list at the moment.

Covers for Something Wicked, Something Dark and DisplacementINK-DRENCHED CHILLS

For my first try with this I came up with some themes that I might be able to turn into a small short story. I’ll let this go for about two weeks, that means this and the next newsletter for voting, I’ll reveal the theme two newsletters from now and then the story will be out.

The themes I came up with were as follow.

LAST WORDS

That’s all for now. I really hope you enjoyed this issue.

Before I say goodbye I wanna leave you with a quote from “Grey Noise” that really stuck with me. Sorry if it is too depressing but as Marcus Hawke stated in the dedication this book will not make you feel better.

“Good does not triumph over evil, love does not conquer all, and not

everything works out in the end. In this world, Will Hunting continues to

mop the floors of MIT, never knows what could have been, and dies a

lonely, bitter man. E.T. never returns home and winds up dissected in some

secret government experiment. Bender returns with his dad’s gun and kills

the rest of the Breakfast Club. Sarah Conner is terminated on the first try,

and all hope for humanity along with her. The Empire prevails. Biff rapes

Marty’s mom. And no dogs go to Heaven. That’s the world we live in.

Viewer depression advised.”

Let me know your opinions, which one of my projects has you more curious, whatever you want. I’ll be glad to hear from every one of you.

And as I said before I advise you all to keep your eyes open for the next issue of Nightmare Ink, there will be exciting news.

Until then, keep safe and let the ink of nightmares flow.

Thanks for reading Nightmare Ink! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Nightmare Ink #0

INTRO

Welcome to the first issue of Nightmare Ink, although this one feels a lot more like issue 0 (as the title says…)!

Glad to see you here.

Nightmare Ink is this little adventure that I've been thinking about embarking for quite some time and I finally decided that the time was now, or it would be shelved forever.
This issue will be serving mostly as an introduction, of what this project is, of myself and what I do.

The idea is for this to be a weekly project, but it doesn’t mean that in-between the regular programming an extra one won’t be released if the need for it arises.

So, as you scroll down, you’ll find out a breakdown of all the stuff I’ll be touching every time one of these goes out.

Of course, there may be weeks when not all the things I’m going to show you make an appearance, and in others some other topics might pop up, but these are the ones that I planned for a weekly cameo.

Sorry if this one is a bit massive and a bit of a info dump… I promise (this means I’ll at least try) to be lighter / funnier / interesting in the coming issues.

And off we go:

PREVIOUSLY ON MIGUEL GONÇALVES

Before anything else I think I should introduce myself.

My name is Miguel Gonçalves and I’m from Portugal, more specifically from Porto.

I’m an indie author – it still feels strange to refer to myself as that but I’ll go with it– who mostly writes horror short stories.

Although my formative years were built on fantasy books, which I still read, I quickly fell in love with the horror scene both in its written and screen format.

I’ve been writing since I can remember but I never shared anything except to a handful of people, and a participation in a small project by a dear friend of mine1.

All that changed during the pandemic, well maybe a bit before but for sure during the pandemic.

With the need to occupy my time I started finding indie horror authors on instagram and ended up talking with some of them. From them I started finding submission calls that they shared and one day i thought “What the hell, let’s give this a try” and send my first story to the open world. And it came back home like the biblical prodigal son… And I received it with open arms, heavy heart and a bottle of bourbon…

But I decided that i wouldn’t stop and a couple of years later I have some stories going around (although only one in a printed media). Let’s take a look at them:

Youth, Interruped - I really like this story. It’s about a young boy, a memory from his youth and revenge. It was published online and was supposed to come out in printed format but it never came to fruition;

Last Moments - “Trembling with Fear” is Horror Tree’s (THE place for finding horror submission calls) newsletter and they publish stories in it. I had the pleasure of having a 100-word story on their pages. To read it you have to scroll down a bit when you got to the page;

The Scarecrow Man - my first published story in a physical format. It’s part of the “Devil’s Rejects” anthology, an amazing project that gave rejected stories a second chance at life. Mine is about a guy that makes scarecrows and takes them to harvest festivals. This one you can find in whichever Amazon marketplace strikes your fancy. Just type the anthology title and scroll until you see that beautiful cover;

Grito, Bloqueio de Escritor, Acordares - these three 1k word stories were released on the Fábrica do Terror website. They are in portuguese but maybe one day they will be translated to english;

Author interview to Fábrica do Terror - this interview was made for the “Devil’s Rejects” release and has two versions, a portuguese one that was the original version and a english version so that everyone can read it.

And this is all that is… at least for now…

There might be some news in the next newsletters so you might want to keep an eye out for them…

NEWSLETTER BREAKDOWN

And now for the boring part…

This will be a quick summary of the stuff I’ll try to keep you posted about. I’ll try to be brief and the headers will speak for themselves so please bear with me.

INTRO

This will be a quick review of everything you’ll get on that particular newsletter.

If you read this you’ll be updated on my comings and goings (kinda) and from there you can read it all or just jump to the parts you really want to read. Truthfully I hope you want to read the all damn thing.

WRITING UPDATES

Quick updates and heads up on all things related to my writing. Maybe an excerpt of something I wrote just to see what your feedback is and to test the waters with some new ideas.

BOOK REPORT

Just me telling you about the books I’m reading. This won’t be full fledged reviews just my thoughts on my last reads. Maybe this will help me get back on track and out of my reading funk…

PULL LIST

The same as above but for comic books. I thought in doing both books and comics in one section but decided against it. It’s a good change of pace and you’ll find some good stuff here, different too, even if you are not that into comics.

MOVIE NIGHT

Not really a movie night but just me yapping about the stuff I’m watching. Be it TV shows or movies this is where I’ll spill my guts about them. But if you want to plan a movie night just say the word, it my be something cool to do.

PLAYLIST

From the music in my head to the soundtrack I’m writing to, here I’ll post everything that’s music related. I’ll link music videos and songs to make you as obecessed as me (or not) about the tunes that just wont leave me at peace.

THINGS I’M HYPED ABOUT

The moment in Nightmare Ink where I hit total randomness. Anything goes here. The only requirement is that it’s something that is still to come. You’ll just have to go with it.

INK-DRENCHED CHILLS

And now the tricky bit. I wanted to give subscribers something special once in a while and being an author the logical thing is a bit of writing but I wanted you to have some input on what.

So I was thinking…

What if in on of the newsletter i made a poll and I would wait a couple of weeks (I’ll try not to make it more than a month) and I would publish a small text with the theme that won the poll? You can even just get in the comments and give your own suggestions.

And this is what I have planned for you guys if you decide to accompany me in this adventure. If you guys think I can improve on something just say the word, I’ll be glad to hear your opinions.

LAST WORDS

And this is it for now, I hope you enjoyed this little rundown of what’s to come.

I promise that issue 1 will bring some interesting news and surprises, so it would be a pleasure to have you there for it!

Until then, keep safe and let the ink of nightmares flow.

1

This was a mini book that came out with a mini CD (remember those?) which in turn was a stand in for a mixed tape (remember those? damn, I’m old…)

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