Darkest Before Dawn Newsletter – Summer 2020
Greetings from foggy Northern California! I trust you’re doing well in your part of the world. That you’re reading voraciously and enjoying this final month of summer in all its chaotic splendor.
The world has become a funny place these past few months, has it not? As a writer of imaginative fiction, my goal is to always tell a good tale that nudges up against the speculative. Yet like many, 2020 has thrown me for a loop. I spent half of 2019 researching and writing a pandemic story focused on linguistically transmitted mind-viruses that alter reality. Then came COVID-19. With truth being so pliable these days I can’t quite bring myself to add more plagues to the canon. So, into the drawer that project has gone.
But it’s not all abandonment and trunked stories. If you’ve purchased my collection, GRIM HORIZONS: TALES OF DARK FICTION for your Kindle, you should notice an update. I’ve added three new stories to the collection: You Are Not a Metaphor, A Brief Treatise on Market Ecologies, and We Will Build a Haunted House (which is also featured in the recent edition of Lamp Light – A Quarterly Magazine of Dark Fiction).
Individually, the stories are 99 cents on Amazon (and free to read on BN, iBooks, Kobo and my website… but Amazon insists on soliciting for the Jeff Bezos Retirement Fund). If you haven’t checked out GRIM HORIZONS, give it a peek.
Also, on August 9th – 11th my horror novel about haunted paintings and dark family secrets, FORSAKEN, will be discounted to 99 cents through Bookbub. If you’re an avid e-reader, BookBub is a great service to follow. I always find some gems there for my Kindle.
On the personal side August is a special month as my wife and I are coming up on our five year anniversary. That she’s managed to stand my presence under quarantine is a testament that truth is stranger than fiction. When we first met we bonded over a shared love of thrilling books. For the past nine months we’ve been reading aloud each night for thirty minutes. Reading aloud has quickly turned into one of the true joys of our days; I encourage everyone to give it a try. Some of our favorites have been:
Recursion, by Blake Crouch
The Reddening, by Adam Nevill
My Best Friend’s Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix
One Word Kill, by Mark Lawrence
Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis
Dune, by Frank Herbert
On the glowing screen we enjoyed rewatching DOCTOR SLEEP and IT: CHAPTER 2. We always end out discussing the movies for hours that follow, and we both came to the conclusion that neither of these films are strict horror, but more like dark fantasy. It’s neat to see the genre evolving. RELIC was another excellent film that rumbled around my mind’s attic long after it should have left. With all the options on streaming it’s not a matter of choice but time and quality. I have to careful with my attention, but if you’ve found a good show or movie I’d love to hear.
And speaking of time, I hope you, dear reader, are getting a chance to make the most of this strange time in human history. It’s not often that a virus puts the world on pause. Six months ago I was applying for teaching positions at several universities. Now higher ed is withering, many students opting to avoid college for a year. It’s a wise choice on their part; I can’t blame them. So, instead of bemoaning lost opportunity I’ve forced myself to pick up a new skill: at age 40 I’m learning guitar. It’s not pretty, but then again learning a fresh skill never is. But it’s a permission slip to get better, day by day, and I hope that’s one thing we can take away from this pandemic. Perhaps I’ll post a video of my strumming on social media. I promise I won’t play Wonderwall.
Be well, and have a glorious summer’s end.
Cheers!
—Andrew Van Wey
P.S. I’m always on the hunt for a few astute beta readers. If you’re interested, please drop me a line.
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