Eric J. Guignard's Blog, page 11
February 18, 2022
DAY 25 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 25 OF 30: TREVOR JAMES ZAPLE
25. Trevor James Zaple presents “Like Old Rope”
24. Suki Litchfield presents “The Kid in the Ambulance”
23. Liam Hogan presents “In the Devil’s Footsteps”
22. Brady Golden presents “Neon Showgirl”
21. Darren O. Godfrey presents “Discovery of Blanks”
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
an antique store owner finds a mysterious ring and is met by two people asking for its return.
STORY EXCERPT:
In the back corner of the antique store he found a miniature mid-Century American dresser, stained with an expert hand and distressed organically. It was a lovely piece that was likely worth a great deal; Stevie was unsure exactly how much as he realized that he’d never seen it before. He ran a finger along the side; the grain of the wood was exquisite, such that he had no other piece in his collection that he could compare it to. He went back to his desk, found the binder that the piece should have been in, and found that there was no record of it. His heart felt enveloped by a cold tornado. What else did he not have a record of? How accurate were his inventory lists? Was any of it right? He panicked but remembered that he’d just gone through a good chunk of his inventory and this was the first piece that he’d found out of place. Just breathe, Stevie. Everything will be fine. Well, as fine as it was the day before.
He carefully drew out the top drawer of the mysterious dresser and was oddly unsurprised to find a beaten copper ring sitting in its exact middle . . .
—Like Old Rope by TREVOR JAMES ZAPLE
###
ABOUT: TREVOR JAMES ZAPLE
is a Canadian with an M.A. in Political Science whose work has appeared in Across The Margin, , Trigger Warning, and Pif Magazine. His debut novel, Disappearance, was published in 2018 and in that same year he won the Marguerite R. Dow Prize. He currently lives in the second-best London with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and a stuffed moose.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 17, 2022
DAY 24 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 24 OF 30: SUKI LITCHFIELD
24. Suki Litchfield presents “The Kid in the Ambulance”
23. Liam Hogan presents “In the Devil’s Footsteps”
22. Brady Golden presents “Neon Showgirl”
21. Darren O. Godfrey presents “Discovery of Blanks”
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
a paramedic finds a young boy who’s been missing for decades.
STORY EXCERPT:
A woman had called in a kid walking in the dark along the side of a road in the snow. When we arrived he was standing at the edge of the caller’s headlights . . .
He let me lead him around to the back, and at my request he lay down on the stretcher and let me immobilize his head. He didn’t react to being strapped down, or to the rear doors slamming, or to Heather putting on the siren long enough to get us through an intersection. His vitals were fine, so keeping him comfortable during transport was all I could do for him. Privately, I had my doubts about him being okay.
“Where did you come from?” I asked, just to keep up the soothing patter.
He mumbled, “Cold.”
I tried not to react when he spoke. I busied myself reaching for a foil blanket, even though I had already put one over him. “You’re cold?”
“No,” he said, and he pulled his eyebrows into a frown. It was the first facial expression I’d seen him make. “It was cold . . . where I was.
—The Kid in the Ambulance by SUKI LITCHFIELD
###
ABOUT: SUKI LITCHFIELD
Suki Litchfield is an award-winning writer whose stories have been published in Down in the Dirt, on Satireville, and in the anthology Lascaux Prize. She lives in St Augustine, Florida, where she works at a haunted inn.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 16, 2022
DAY 23 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 23 OF 30: LIAM HOGAN
23. Liam Hogan presents “In the Devil’s Footsteps”
22. Brady Golden presents “Neon Showgirl”
21. Darren O. Godfrey presents “Discovery of Blanks”
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “In the Devil’s Footsteps,” Satan’s steed carries a young horseman into nightmare visions of humanity.
STORY EXCERPT:
I turned down the devil’s offer of “best of three?” and claimed my prize: the midnight-black, fire-snorting mount known as Nightmare. For a young man running away from home, a horse seemed just the thing, but the ancient oak that marked the borders of the family farm was barely out of sight over my shoulder before I began to have serious doubts. I wasn’t a natural horseman and it was quickly obvious I wasn’t the one in control. I’d had no particular destination in mind, but that magnificent and terrifying steed took me places I would never have gone by choice.
The thundering hooves left flaming prints in our wake and a swirling cloud engulfed us as we rode, pierced by Nightmare’s coal-red eyes. Little wonder no obstacles dared stand in our path . . .
—In the Devil’s Footsteps by LIAM HOGAN
###
Liam Hogan is an award-winning short story writer, with stories in Best of British Science Fiction, and Best of British Fantasy (NewCon Press). He’s been published by Analog, Daily Science Fiction, and Flame Tree Press, among others. He helps host Liars’ League London, volunteers at the creative writing charity Ministry of Stories, and lives and avoids work in London. More details at http://happyendingnotguaranteed.blogspot.co.uk.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 15, 2022
DAY 22 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 22 OF 30: BRADY GOLDEN
22. Brady Golden presents “Neon Showgirl”
21. Darren O. Godfrey presents “Discovery of Blanks”
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “Neon Showgirl,” a bar owner witnesses murder by a “representative” of the new pharmaceuticals laboratory.
STORY EXCERPT:
She went to the porthole-style window in the door and peered out. Through it, she couldn’t see much, so she pulled the door open. Across the gravel lot, the two cars were parked side by side. Ginny strained to listen. Faintly, she thought she heard something that could have been a foot sliding in gravel, or maybe something bigger.
Keep your head down and your nose out of other people’s business. The easiest way to find trouble is to go looking for it. More words of wisdom from Richie. Maybe some he should have listened to himself.
She could lock up, head out the back door to her truck, and call it a night. Whatever was going on with the journalist and whoever had come to see him was not her business. She could keep her head down.
Instead, she switched on the outdoor lights. Giselle Deschamps flared to life, illuminating everything from the bar’s door to the road . . .
—Neon Showgirl by BRADY GOLDEN
###
Brady Golden lives in Oakland, California, with his wife, crossword constructor Juliana Tringali Golden. His short fiction has appeared in a variety of anthologies and journals. On Twitter, he is @bradiation.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 14, 2022
DAY 21 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 21 OF 30: DARREN O. GODFREY
21. Darren O. Godfrey presents “Discovery of Blanks”
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyo presents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “Discovery of Blanks,” a British gentleman’s social club meets to hear the strange tale of a former member who sought the “blank people within society.”
STORY EXCERPT:
Among the many strange and wonderful tales told at this hearth, gentlemen, this may be the first to involve a former member of the club—yes, your expressions tell me you know. It is time. Time to settle once and for all the rumors, the myths, surrounding the last days of our friend, Nathan Perkins. It is his closing adventure, and his noteworthy doom. The only obstruction to your belief of the tale may be your trust in me. And your trust in Perkins, for you see, most of what I have to tell you was described to me by the man himself.
’Twas by firelight not unlike what we have here. The circumstances were far less restful than these, however: there was no brandy to be had, and scarce little tobacco. There was protection from the elements in the form of walls and ceiling, but I had never felt so exposed in all my life, gentlemen, in the receiving of the knowledge . . .
—Discovery of Blanks by DARREN O. GODFREY
###
ABOUT: DARREN O. GODFREY
Darren O. Godfrey’s “D.U.I” appeared in Volume Six. If you’re an avid fan of other such creepy compilations, you might be aware of his work in The Museum of Horrors, Borderlands 2, Borderlands 5, Borderlands 6, All-American Horror of the 21stCentury, Tales From the Gorezone, and Quietly Now: An Anthology in Tribute to Charles L. Grant. It’s even possible that you’ve encountered his stories in such diverse places as Gorezone Magazine, Black October, Mystery Weekly, and The Art Times.
What you probably didn’t know, though, is that, as a contest winner, Darren came up with the middle name of Cracked Magazine’s nebbish janitor Sylvester P. Smyth. (It’s Phooey, if you’re curious. Or even if you aren’t.)
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 13, 2022
DAY 20 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 20 OF 30: ZOE KAPLAN
20. Zoe Kaplan presents “The Test”
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “The Test,” a man takes on a gameshow challenge to eat ten pineapples in exchange for reward money needed to pay for medical costs.
STORY EXCERPT:
In front of me on the table sat ten pineapples. Ten sets of yellow hexagons fading to green at the bottom, ten majestic crowns of leaves. All I had to do was eat them, and everything would be okay. Laura would be okay.
. . . I finished the first quarter in silence. It was already more pineapple than I’d ever eaten in one sitting, but it was still pretty good. More like a weird food craving day than a punishment. I started in on the second quarter, listening to the rustle of the audience. I found myself wondering why they were here. Personally, I’d never seen the appeal of watching other human beings do awful things to themselves, but I must have been alone in that, because The Test was absurdly popular.
—The Test by ZOE KAPLAN
###
ABOUT: ZOE KAPLAN
Zoe Kaplan (she/her) has been making up stories for as long as she can remember. She has a bachelor’s in creative writing from Appalachian State University and no less than four different swords. Her work has appeared in Flash Point SF, Quantum Fairy Tales, and The Peel. You can find her on twitter @the_z_part.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 12, 2022
DAY 19 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 19 OF 30: COLIN LEONARD
19. Colin Leonard presents “The Burning Heart”
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “The Burning Heart,” an Irish teen watches his brother’s downward spiral into lovesick grief and the occult.
STORY EXCERPT:
We shared a room, my brother and I. Although we were breaking into manhood, we were still only boys really, under our father’s roof. In the summer, we preferred to sleep with the window open for air but that would also let in the insects. I thought it was a wasp that woke me, buzzing and biting. I swatted at my face but it wasn’t the noise of a stinger that had caused me to wake. Sean was kneeling down by his bed, droning low and constant. It was still deep in the night. There was a black candle before him, jammed into a split stone, the flame long and dancing, smoke curling toward the window. He was repeating a sentence to himself. I made out the words fire and love . . .
—The Burning Heart by COLIN LEONARD
###
ABOUT: COLIN LEONARD
Colin Leonard lives in rural Co. Meath, Ireland, beneath the hills from which the ancient Samhain festivals spawned Halloween. His stories have been published in the magazines Dark Tales, Frost Zone Zine, Fudoki, and The Harrow. His flash fiction appears in anthologies from Black Hare Press, Breaking Rules Publishing, and Ghost Orchid Press.
twitter.com/collyleonard and at his website: www.collyleonard.com.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 11, 2022
DAY 18 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 18 OF 30: DAVID AFSHARIRAD
18. David Afsharirad presents “just keep walking”
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “just keep walking,” a man navigates the mournful landscape of reanimated dead.
STORY EXCERPT:
walking.
how long have i been walking?
seems an eternity.
car in a ditch. miles back. turned over. wrecked. useless. had to leave it.
they heard the crash. came from nowhere. as if born from the damp night air.
seatbelt locked. door stuck. couldn’t get out. thought it was the end.
they pawed at the car. smeared filthy hands across the windshield.
so close.
the look in their eyes. familiar. almost human.
they had been. once . . .
—just keep walking by DAVID AFSHARIRAD
###
ABOUT: DAVID AFSHARIRAD
David Afsharirad is an associate editor at Baen Books. He was series editor of The Year’s Best Military & Adventure SF and the anthology The Chronicles of Davids. His short fiction has appeared in various magazines and anthologies. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and family.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 10, 2022
DAY 17 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 17 OF 30: WILLIAM MEIKLE
17. William Meikle presents “Gateway to Oblivion”
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “Gateway to Oblivion,” a private investigator’s case sends him among followers of a dark cult that use houses as “gateways” to cosmic power and horror.
STORY EXCERPT:
The lad couldn’t have been much older than fifteen, and the tears made him appear even younger. He sat in my client’s armchair, almost lost in it, and when he spoke it was a halting, trembling thing that seemed afraid to make itself heard.
“It’s my faither,” he said. “He’s fallen in with a bad lot, and it’s changing him. Now he’s gone walkabout and not been home for a couple of days.”
I didn’t laugh, but the incongruity of it amused me, for I was more used to fathers looking for wayward sons than the other way about.
“What is it?” I asked. “Booze, women, bookies? It’s generally one, two, or all three of those.”
“Religion,” the lad said, spitting it out as if it was a rude word . . .
—Gateway to Oblivion by WILLIAM MEIKLE
###
ABOUT: WILLIAM MEIKLE
William Meikle is a Scottish writer, now living in Canada, with over thirty novels published in the genre press and more than 300 short story credits in thirteen countries. He has books available from a variety of publishers including Dark Regions Press and Severed Press and his work has appeared in a large number of professional anthologies and magazines. He lives in Newfoundland with whales, bald eagles, and icebergs for company. When he’s not writing he drinks beer, plays guitar, and dreams of fortune and glory.
###
AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
February 9, 2022
DAY 16 OF ANNOUNCING! Table of Contents for: +HORROR LIBRARY+ Volume 7
ANNOUNCING: I’m posting all contributors, one-a-day, to reveal the Table of Contents for +Horror Library+ Volume 7, to be published by Dark Moon Books on March 1, 2022!
DAY 16 OF 30: VALYA DUDYCZ LUPESCU
16. Valya Dudycz Lupescu presents “The Tooth Butcher”
15. Gene O’Neill presents “Ring Rust”
14. H. Pueyopresents “Death Republic”
13. Scotty Milder presents “Giant and Child: A Fugue”
12. Lucy Taylor presents “If You Touch Me, I Can Cry”
11. Terry Dowling presents “The Key to Mabella”
10. Christi Nogle presents “The Apartment”
9. Baba Jide Low presents “Pretties / Serpent”
8. Kristi Petersen Schoonover presents “February Thaw”
7. Bentley Little presents “In the Valley”
6. Rex Burrows presents “Skandalopetra”
5. Alex Woodroe presents “Abandon”
4. Cody Goodfellow presents “Hand of Glory”
3. Natalia Theodoridou presents “The Mouth”
2. Jo Kaplan presents “Her. House.”
1. Michael Harris Cohen presents “Never Better”
###
In “The Tooth Butcher,” an amiable and ageless dentist gives teeth to ghosts, a chance for them to reexperience mortality.
STORY EXCERPT:
A record number of ghosts waited outside his office, their hands knocking and nails clawing impatiently at the glass. Several were freshly dead and full of the fearful tension that accompanied those days. At least they stayed outside; they would not enter until invited. Only the oldest and strongest could breach the protections he put in place.
A young man with his mouth stretched wide pressed himself across the glass, attempting to rip it off the frame. Looking closely, Dr. Hamm realized he was missing his teeth and lips and much of his face. Still, the ghostling was not strong enough and only succeeded in rattling the window gently. Dr. Hamm knocked on the glass and bared his own teeth in a predatory snarl that stretched unnaturally wide, startling the ghost off the glass . . .
—The Tooth Butcher by VALYA DUDYCZ LUPESCU
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ABOUT: VALYA DUDYCZ LUPESCU
Valya Dudycz Lupescu has been making magic with food and words for more than 20 years, incorporating folklore from her Ukrainian heritage with practices that honor the Earth. She’s a writer, instructional designer, and mother of three teenagers. Valya earned her MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her poetry and prose have been published in anthologies and magazines that include The Year’s Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, A World of Horror, Kenyon Review, Gargoyle Magazine, Gone Lawn, Strange Horizons, and Mythic Delirium. Valya is the author of The Silence of Trees. Along with Stephen H. Segal, she is the co-author of Forking Good: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place; and Geek Parenting: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent, and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family (Quirk Books). Valya’s graphic novel, Mother Christmas, is forthcoming from Rosarium Publishing in 2022. You can find her at www.vdlupescu.com and on Twitter @valya.
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AVAILABLE HERE!:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Horror-Library-7-Eric-Guignard/dp/1949491390/
Publisher’s Page: http://www.darkmoonbooks.com/Horror_Library_7.html
