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Midnights in October – eerie nightly escapes
Midnights in October is a collection of 31 tiny tales, each just fifty-five words, crafted to match the eerie, mystical mood of every October night. Each story aligns with a calendar day in October, some rooted in real-world observances and others purely imagined. The book doesn’t follow a linear plot but rather unfolds like a haunted advent calendar, with each entry offering a flash of the supernatural, a flicker of fear, or a jolt of dark whimsy. Ghosts, witches, misfits, rebels, and spirits lurk behind every page, waiting to whisper their fifty-five-word truths into the reader’s ear.
I wasn’t sure what to expect at first. I’ve seen microfiction before, but never quite like this. The tight word limit could’ve been a creative straitjacket, but Bossano wears it like armor. Each story punches harder because there’s no room to soften the blow. The writing is sharp, vivid, and almost lyrical. It dances between poetic and unsettling without getting bogged down in over-explanation. I found myself rereading many entries just to let the mood sink in again. One second, you’re smirking at a sly jab; the next, you’re genuinely creeped out. It was like sipping thirty-one shots of moonlight and ink, each with a different burn going down.
What I liked most, though, were the ideas hidden behind the shadows. There’s anger here. Power. Longing. Justice. Loss. Bossano doesn’t just want to scare or amuse you, she wants you to see something. Sometimes it’s political, sometimes it’s personal, sometimes it’s just raw. Stories like “¡Salud!” and “Uprising” stirred something deep and real. Others, like “It’s My Party Day” or “National Cat Day”, brought a strange tenderness to the eerie. It’s rare that something so short can carry so much weight, but these stories do. They sneak up on you. You’ll feel a little haunted afterward.
Midnights in October is a perfect companion for dark, quiet nights when the wind starts to rattle the windows and you want something strange to keep you company. I’d recommend it to fans of flash fiction, lovers of all things spooky, and anyone who craves clever, offbeat storytelling that doesn’t overstay its welcome. If you enjoy Halloween vibes with a side of soul-searching, this is for you.
Pages: 39 | ASIN: B0FJMVJF85
A Sentient House
A Madness Unmade follows the last guardian of a crumbling sanctuary for restless spirits, who must navigate a world of necromantic power and unravel the haunting mysteries of her father’s death. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A whole slew of inspiration hit me at once: within a matter of days, I consumed S.L. Prater’s Street Witch trilogy, followed by Charlie N. Holmberg’s Spellbreaker duology, both of which made me want to write Victorian-inspired fantasy and then, while watching an old episode of Survivor, I got hung up on the word “soliloquy” and began dreaming up a character who talked to herself all the time — no, wait, she wasn’t talking to herself, but to ghosts! Then I decided we needed more friendly ghosts in literature, saw an opportunity to incorporate a sentient house (something I’ve always wanted to do), and it snowballed wonderfully from there.
Laurel Rumbroom is a complex character shaped by grief and burdened with responsibility. How did you approach developing her character arc, and what were the biggest challenges in writing her journey?
There is a lot of myself in Laurel; though I didn’t realize it, in writing her character I was exploring the way my own mind worked, both in the sort of shunting-aside of grief, the almost aggressive forgetting of it, as well as in the struggling to make sense of how the world works and the difficulties faced in learning when you have any sort of attention or information-processing disorder. Sometimes the simplest tasks are the hardest, and I wanted to see that reflected in a character, but without slipping into the clichés or misconceptions about attention disorders — that was the most challenging part, especially since I’m still learning about neurodivergence and all its nuanced forms.
The Underhallow is a beautifully haunting setting with rich gothic elements. Can you share your creative process behind building this unique sanctuary for spirits?
Really, the setting came to life on its own! When starting the story, I was reading a lot of Victorian/gaslamp fantasy, and knew I needed a sprawling old manor. I also knew my main character, Laurel, was mildly agoraphobic and would not be leaving the manor — thus, the idea of a “sanctum” was twofold, as it’s not just a sanctuary for ghosts, but for her as well! It needed to be as cozy as it was gothic, which was a fun dichotomy to experiment with.
In the Victorian era, a large manor such as the Underhallow would typically require a dedicated team of people to maintain its upkeep, but in this case, we have a lone young woman who has no idea how to run a household (nor does she have the desire to), and that was another fun element to incorporate. I did a lot of research on how they did these mundane but necessary things in the eighteenth century. Super intense stuff.
When and where will your book be available?
A Madness Unmade will be released on March 3, 2025, in both print and digital formats, and will be available from most online book retailers!
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Instagram | Amazon
Since the institution of the Revenant Accords, which prohibits ghosts from freely haunting the country, the Rumbrooms have acted as Guardians to the ghosts seeking refuge at their sanctuary. But when Laurel’s father suddenly passes, leaving her orphaned, the Underhallow falls in danger of losing its sanctions.
Bewildered by the mysterious deliveries of dead moths, starting to question her grip on reality, and gradually realizing the precarious position of her home and the questionable circumstances surrounding her father’s death, Laurel begs the help of the Underhallow ghosts animated by her powers, struggling to come into her own and unmake her madness.
With humor, whimsy, and elements of gothic mystery, A Madness Unmade is the first book in the Victorian-inspired Deathly Inheritance Duology, perfect for fans of Charlie N. Holmberg and S.L. Prater.
The Girl in the Whispers
David K. Wilson’s The Girl in the Whispers is a haunting exploration of grief, sanity, and the supernatural, centering on a mother’s desperate fight against forces both seen and unseen. Catherine Devereux, still reeling from the devastating loss of her young daughter, reluctantly follows her husband to his family’s crumbling estate in Louisiana. Once there, her fragile emotional state is shaken even further as she begins hearing whispers and seeing the unsettling apparition of a little girl. These ghostly encounters blur the line between reality and madness, forcing Catherine to question her own mind. Seeking refuge in Delphine, the enigmatic housekeeper, she finds herself drawn deeper into the estate’s sinister past, uncovering dark secrets that make her question everything she knows.
Wilson masterfully blends psychological suspense with supernatural mystery, drawing readers into Catherine’s escalating paranoia. Her unraveling sense of reality is depicted with a skillful touch, immersing the reader in her growing fear and confusion. The eerie presence of the ghostly girl not only heightens the tension but also adds a profound layer to Catherine’s grief, creating a chilling atmosphere that lingers throughout the novel. One of the novel’s strongest elements is how Wilson navigates different genres. At its core, this is a ghost story, but the author ingeniously incorporates aspects of a police procedural without disrupting the supernatural tension. This fusion of elements gives the story an unexpected complexity as the investigation into the hauntings unfolds alongside Catherine’s psychological descent. Wilson manages this delicate balance with remarkable precision, keeping both the eerie and investigative aspects of the plot tightly intertwined. Despite its many strengths, there are moments where the pacing falters. Some plotlines, particularly those revolving around the family dynamics, feel underdeveloped and could have been given more attention to add depth to the emotional landscape. These instances, however, do not significantly detract from the overall impact of the story.
In The Girl in the Whispers, Wilson delivers an emotionally charged and suspenseful thriller, weaving together psychological tension and ghostly mystery with finesse. It is a compelling read that will keep readers captivated until the very last page.
Pages: 230 | ASIN : B0DH31VKXF
Adventurous Spirit
What Happens in Montana follows a seasoned chef and gardener whose quiet life at a retreat is disrupted by the arrival of a group from Las Vegas, leading her to confront past heartaches and the resort’s supernatural secrets. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
The inspiration came from my real group of girlfriends who I met in Las Vegas at a Mommy and Me Playgroup twenty-one years ago. These friends really do exist! They were so helpful in crafting dialogue. I could just ask myself what one of them would say in a certain situation, and I could hear their response. As for the crazy, run-down, haunted retreat, it exists as well, and I was brave enough to stay there by myself. It was just for one night, but that was more than enough! I wasn’t really sure I believed in ghosts, but after staying there, it is a definite possibility. I found the place quite by chance. My husband and I were driving to the lake a few summers ago and there was a detour that brought us near this retreat. It looks so majestic from the road, so I asked my husband about it because he has lived in Montana for over thirty years and so he knows almost everything about it. He told me its history as a place for celebrities back in the 20s and 30s. He also knew that its current owner turned it into a holistic retreat free of alcohol and that she had only had enough money to fix part of it up. Guests really do stay in just a small grey building next to the massive stucco building. The picture on the cover of my book is the real place, but you have to look closely at the spine and back of the book to find the part where guests stay. It is very strange! I thought it would bring out the adventurous spirit in the friends in my book, and I think it worked.
As for the ghost, it is said to be haunted by Simone. I used her real name, but all that is known about her is that she was a prostitute who was murdered there. I had a blast making up the rest of her backstory with the help of a ton of research. I was shocked to learn that eighteen percent of Montana’s original homesteaders were single women. I can’t imagine coming to Montana alone and building a little homestead, learning to farm, ranch, and survive in this harsh climate back in the late 1800s. Simone’s backstory adds a historical element to the book which I truly enjoyed learning about.
Can you share more about your process for creating such intricate and complex characters, especially Maude and the women from Las Vegas?
Well, I suppose I already talked about my girlfriends from when I lived in Las Vegas. We do reunions every couple of years, and while we’ve never actually done one at that retreat, we have gotten together in Montana and Vegas. They are the kind of friends where we don’t have to see each other often to know how much we care about each other. I also think that those friends you make when your children are small are very special friends. You go through so much as a new mother; loss of identity, loss of sleep, fear of failure, to name a few, that those people who are right there with you and support you are your lifeline. Like they say, “Write what you know.” So, these friendships allowed me to write authentically about how important these bonds are. As for Maude, I just love quirky characters. My grandmother was a spunky, tell-it-like-it-is kind of lady, so I thought quite a bit about her when writing Maude. She was spunky till she died at age 96. Unfortunately, she had a series of mini-strokes toward the end of her life, and she would be unconscious for up to ten minutes. When she woke, she said, “Am I still here?” She was a crack-up and so full of life up until her last day. I wanted an older voice of reason for the ladies at the retreat to balance what I knew would be a wild ride for them, so my grandma fit the bill. I also thought of Betty White for Maude’s character because I loved her spunk as well. The idea for Maude to be friends with the ghost just made sense to me because she is a loner, but even loners need someone to talk to, so her dog and the ghost were perfect for her.
How did you develop the supernatural elements in the story, particularly the character of Simone, the resort’s ghost?
Well, in addition to the historical research I did to make her character authentic, I did quite a bit of research about haunting. I wanted to know more about how and why ghosts haunt. I really didn’t want my novel to be hokey, though. It’s a fine line with the paranormal, I think. I love the idea of a ghost, but I didn’t want her to be overwhelming or unbelievable. I wanted the ghost’s presence to be subtle, just enough to keep it interesting. I wanted her to tell her story because that period in history is fascinating, especially the women’s side of the story, which hasn’t been told much. So, since I find strength in telling stories, I thought the ghost might, too. It was fun to imagine what it might be like to be a ghost and what she might want. How would she get these living people to do what she needed? It was a fun puzzle to solve.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
Despite quite a few of my early readers asking for more of these characters, that is not the direction I’m headed, at least not for this next book. Instead, I am doubling down on my love of quirky, initially unlikeable characters, and my love of writing dialog. This next one is called Harriet Hates Lemonade. Harriet is cranky, set-in-her-ways, and very opinionated. She is also quite funny, much to her dismay. She is the way she is because she was unwittingly abused by her husband. I am aiming to show the insidious side of emotional abuse in as light-hearted a way as possible. It will be big on character, especially Harriet’s, but also big on transformations, heart, and learning to find your way when you didn’t even realize you were lost.
Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon
At a hot springs retreat in Montana, whiskey-swigging Maude, the nearly eighty-year-old chef, longs for the glory days when the retreat hosted martini-sipping celebrities instead of long-haired hippies who refuse to wear deodorant. Brooke, feisty, adventurous, and a bit reckless, proposes a reunion at the retreat with her best friends to get away from the chaos of her life with teenagers and the emotional aftermath of her postponed wedding. One of those friends, Tracy, has devoted her life to her children and her husband despite her excruciating boredom. But a long-held secret could cost her the most important friendships in her life. Haunting the place is a ghost who, in life, dealt with tragedy by turning to prostitution which led to her murder over 100 years ago at the very place they all are staying.
What Happens in Montana explores friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness with blunt truth and witty insights. Together, these friends learn to navigate empty nests, infidelity, deception, and poltergeists. Most importantly, they learn their friendship is strong enough to get them through it all.
A Surrender to Friendship
Someone Died in My House follows a man with a home inhabited by paranormal entities who has his balanced life torn apart while on a search for truth and justice. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
There is so much speculation about our mortal energy, as well as the power of real, genuine love sustaining itself, and whether or not both transcend this ‘earthly’ world. There have been countless, true stories of hauntings (my old ship-builder’s summer home in Nova Scotia was haunted by a friendly, residual spirit that I coaxed into walking towards the light, and it did.) The ‘bones’ of a house – its childhood, youth, adult life, and old age contain so many secrets that I couldn’t resist diving into a whole lot of research that in the end chilled me, made me laugh, and ultimately cry. I still cry when I think of the characters.
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
I wanted my characters in their desperation and failings to find kindness, compassion, and acceptance. All characters suffer and heal, but the way they heal is through a surrender to friendship, love, and self-belief. I treasure children more than anything; so, while in many stories children do suffer needlessly, I needed Annie not to be pushed into a life-threatening, dark place. There was enough suffering in my characters without dragging Annie into it. But I do want my readers to feel what the characters feel, and if possible, what I felt when writing it.
What intrigues you about the horror and paranormal genres that led you to write this book?
This is a great question. I tend to lean more toward mystery/thriller in soft S/F, but I would have to say I was more submerged in the initial murder (covered up) that reached out to Ben’s loss and creativity and sense of justice in order to discover the tragedy. I felt there might not have been a haunting if someone else had lived there. Rigo, the artist, knew Ben would be the one to listen and reunite him with Lexi. First and foremost to me was that this was a ‘love story’ wrapped up in everything else.
What is the next book you’re working on, and when can your fans expect it out?
I have final-drafted two works hopefully for release in 2024: When Bones Call Out (a mystery/thriller set in 2008 in Montreal) and KOVU (a chiller/soft SF set in 2023 near Toronto).
Author Links: Goodreads | Amazon
Graphic novelist, Ben Needham wakes up every day braced against something in his house, something that won’t leave. He works hard to create a near-perfect life for the three of them – himself, his daughter, Annie, and their dog, da Vinci. But when these disturbances blow out of control, Ben finds a team of forensic paranormalists who perform an autopsy on Ben’s house. Together they wade into its soulless history of murder and a cataclysmic haunting that redefines where life ends, and death begins. Ben surrenders what’s left of his fragile will to free his home from its terrifying anarchist and courageously opens a door he never knew existed, always asking himself what price he’d pay for truth, justice and unforgettable love.
LITERARY TITAN 