Blog Archives
Stories That Are So Crazy
Taylor Mill Horror follows the terrifying true story of a family that buys a real haunted house. Why was this an important book for you to write?
We all hear wild ghost stories and claims. Stories that are so crazy we believe they could never be true. Prior to staying in this home I laughed at claims such as paranormal earthquakes and extreme poltergeist activity. The two weeks we spent in this home forever changed my life and outlook. I now realize that there are things that go on in the world that we will never be able to understand and explain. Things so frightening, we refuse to believe in them. I felt like I owed it to all those who I once thought were making up all these claims to write this book. I wanted to let others know that they are not the only ones who may be going through these things and ultimately that they are not crazy.
As you stayed in the house while researching this book, what were the scariest and the funniest thing that happened?
The scariest thing that had happened was easily the paranormal earthquake. Despite seeing things fly across the room or figures pass by, nothing will even come close to that night. While lying in the bed a loud almost mechanical sound resonated from the house, as if an engine were reving up. Shortly after the house began shaking violently causing things to fly off of the walls and shelves. At this moment, I was fully convinced that I was going to die that night in that home.
After about a week in the home we were so sleep deprived that we tried to find the humor in anything just to stay sane. Whenever we would hear odd noises or things would happen, we would explain them away in the most ridiculous ways possible. For example; the trashcan in the kitchen that had flown across the room a few times was obviously possessed by the spirit of a raccoon who was looking for a late night snack. We did anything we could to share some laughs and make light of what was a stressful situation.
How did you get interested in paranormal activity and haunted houses?
The biggest question in life is What happens after we die? I am a very critical and analytical thinker who needs to see proof before I can form an opinion. From movies to television and books we are told so many different stories about what lurks in the beyond. I simply wanted to set out and see if I could answer this ultimate life question.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I am currently working on a completely fiction based horror novel. This novel is based off of a recurring nightmare that I have had ever since I was a child. Unlike Taylor Mill Horror, not only is it fiction it is also meant to scare the reader. This is a much more fast paced, horrifying and gruesome novel. I am hoping to release it in October of 2022.
Author Links: Facebook | Website
With the help of a priest and two paranormal investigators, Sam and his family began a battle with the unseen forces attempting to drive them from their home. They discovered the house was infested with a demonic presence. The events and dark energies were altering the emotions of the residents to the point they questioned their own sanity. When the team uncovers strange connections, Sam must ask what brought him to this home in the first place. Could a force beyond comprehension have been at work in drawing the family to that specific property? Discover the true events revealed through interviews and eyewitness accounts for the first time in the pages of Taylor Mill Horror. Written by the team who spent two weeks amidst the horrors and the man who lived it all firsthand, this is an account like no other. Taylor Mill Horror will immerse readers in a story they will never forget, made even more chilling for its status as non-fiction.
Camp Afterlife
![Camp Afterlife by [Zachary Ryan]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510hG8-j2vL.jpg)
Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan offers a new twist on an age-old question! Gus’s teenage years haven’t been easy; the loss of his brother and the demise of his relationship leaves him in a downward spiral. The spiral comes to a sudden halt when Gus wakes up near a summer camp, where he learns he has passed away from a drug overdose. Camp Afterlife is where troubled souls like his go-to reconcile and come to terms with their life and passing. Will Gus be able to let go and have peace?
If I could use one word to describe Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan, it would be innovative. Let me delve deeper into why that is. For starters, I appreciated the stylistic touch of using song titles as chapter titles. It helps immerse the reader between the author’s fictional world and our own. If you have the time, I highly recommend listening to the songs as you read along. It adds Ryan’s personal touch to your overall reading experience. Bonus, the songs are actually good. The author has incredible taste in music. Secondly, I enjoy the beautiful but simplistic writing style. I feel that Ryan truly captured the essence of his teenage characters and had a firm understanding of how they talk and interact. It was refreshing. Oftentimes, when adult authors write younger characters, it is evident that they are far removed from the generation. But Ryan was flawless in his approach. The story was also super easy to follow. Despite the beautiful writing style, Ryan did not fill up sentences with fluffy poetical adjectives. It made the story easy to follow without skipping over any crucial details. I never had to reread a sentence to grasp what it was saying. And last but not least, the story was fast-paced and never dull. I read the book in a little less than three days. Although the subject matter could be heavy at times, I still had a relaxing reading experience. It was a much-needed break from this very busy season.
If you are looking for a relaxing but thought-provoking read all-in-one, you need to check out Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan. I do not have a single complaint about this book and give it a glowing five out of five stars. Now go and add Camp Afterlife by Zachary Ryan to your bookish wish list!
Pages: 235 | ASIN: B09JGVQDQ3
A Fairly Straight-forward Haunting
The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow follows a group of teens that go into the Wickersham house and awaken a malevolence that has lain dormant for centuries. What was the inspiration for the setup to your thrilling story?
Wickersham Hollow actually started under the name Witch Hill and was intended originally to be a fairly straight-forward haunting. But as the characters developed, so did the story. The further I went, the more I realized it had to be told in both the past and present…each leading in circles to the other.
The story is told from the viewpoint of different interesting characters. Who was your favorite character to write for?
I think my favorite character to write and develop was Mother Cassandra. Getting the reader to hear her Jamaican dialect as they read, without pulling them out of the story by having to struggle with it, was a challenge – one I hope to (and have seemed to, so far) met.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think the most important theme was relationships. It’s the ties between people, be they best friends or relatives, that drive any meaning into the telling of a story. Without relationships, without connections, characters become flat and one dimensional. I think that’s pretty true in life as well.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m nearing completion on the first book of a new series. The title of the book is The Bones of Sarah Golescue. The series is based around two characters from a previous novel, Blood Tracks. I see it as a kind of “Supernatural” meets The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
If all goes well, I plan to have it up for pre-sale by the end of March (2021)
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
300 years ago…
…an evil was born of lust.
Now it’s awake … and hungers.
When seven teenagers go into the old Wickersham place in search of a Halloween thrill, they get more than they bargained for when they awaken a malevolence that has lain dormant for centuries. Barely escaping with their lives, they learn that the past never dies.
For … in a house that hungers…
…no soul is safe.
When a young couple set about restoring the old place, the evil resurfaces. And those who faced it once before just might be the couples’ only hope.
Will they find the courage to reunite…
…and face a terror they’ve tried to forget?
And if so…
Will anyone survive?
You’ll love this old school horror tale, because some things that go bump in the night are real. Don’t forget your night light.
Get it now.
The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow
![The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow: An Occult Horor Thriller by [Thomas A. Bradley]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51C1Ijd3aFL.jpg)
In Wickersham Hollow stands a mansion, once splendid and vast, now rotting to the core. Newlyweds Brian and Annabelle purchased the property hoping to fix it up, but no amount of varnish and paint dissolves stains of the past. Decades ago Annabelle’s grandfather, Henry, along with six close friends, breached the threshold of that same mansion stirring up ghosts that demanded retribution then; and refuse to rest even now. As teens, the old house left them with nothing but nightmares. As adults, an undeniable connection between their thoughts and hearts persists no matter how many walls there are between one another. Living beside the old house all these years, Old Joachim Walcott enlists his right-hand man Ralph Strunk to see to his affairs. Aged but wiry, Walcott knows a lot more about the teens that broke into the Wickersham mansion that night than he’d ever let on. Renovations stall at the old mansion, and the group of friends that had broken in all those years ago are forced into a reluctant reunion in The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow by Thomas A. Bradley.
As the cover art for the book depicts, the 320-year-old mansion that takes up so much real estate within the story is wondrous and haunting. Its very walls appear to shift; very fitting for a house that we learn has a history of dark magic. From the abandoned well used to breach its foundations, to the heavy slamming doors and waterlogged stonework, there are torturous devices and demonic mirages at every corner. Set in the rural idyl of Pennsylvania the story does spend most of the time inside various homes or the sprawling mansion itself. While there are many characters, the story is written well in that we remain within the point of view of each character for fair amounts of time. Learning their backstories and how they connect, let alone their particular turns of phrase and attitudes, becomes part of the fun while the mystery unravels. Tina, Henry, Matt, Janet, Amy, Lucy, and Tommy are who make up the titular covenant. Emma, Brian, Annabel, old Joachim Walcott, and his confidant Ralph Strunk play heavily in this story and the cast thus far does not include ghosts, demons, and other entities at play. This populous cast has a singular plot in mind, however, which keeps the story flowing despite so many perspectives.
Those who enjoy a complex and overlapping storyline that keeps the reader busy from scene to scene between groups of characters will enjoy this novel. While there are quite a few names involved, the characterization really helps keep separation when the action moves from scene to scene. Each chapter takes place in a different location, so while jumping back and forth, tension remains high. Some chapters are further split into present and past. This is done clearly and it is enjoyable to see how the storytelling blends from the present to the past seamlessly with a unique style. Characters are often mid-sentence when their imagination takes over, pulling the reader into their memories. It is a fun tactic Bradly uses to great effect.
Along with the mystery and layered delivery, The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow is rooted deeply in horror. Injury, violence, madness, and possession are woven throughout and crescendo with a moment of profane ravishing coupled with demonic lust. Jargon and misspellings to reflect different dialects are used heavily throughout this novel and it is consistent so it’s easy to gather what the speaker means as it would be face to face. Whether you are a fan of using punctuation and spelling to portray jargon and dialect is purely subjective, but is used well here. While there are one or two points where an omniscient point of view nearly supersedes the character and appears to run contrary to them, there are very few instances of this, so it never takes us out of the story.
In the tradition of Ghost Story and Bag of Bones comes a haunting journey of a group of people bound by secrets forged in youth. Easily five stars for those who enjoy a fantastical ride through a malignant mansion and tainted history of a small village. There are some deviously dark notes heard in the music of The Covenant of Wickersham Hollow.
Pages: 354 | ASIN: B019EIBO1M
Malign Forces at Play
22 Dutch Road follows Billy who goes back to his late father’s house and finds something strange going on with the statues on the property. What was the inspiration for the setup to this intriguing novel?
The inspiration came from an amalgamation of ideas that were stuck in my head for several years: wouldn’t it be creepy to be alone in a house surrounded by statues that seem to move? What would be the circumstances that would keep you there despite your own sense of self-preservation telling you to get out of Dodge? Was it all in your head, because of medical reasons, or were there malign forces at play? If these statues really were moving around, why were they doing so? How long have they been doing so? Who, or what, is pulling their strings?
Billy is an interesting and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind his character development?
From the beginning, Billy was going to be somewhat of a early twenty-first century “everyman”, a young man without means, living under the shadow of an overbearing and totally unfair father. He was, however, also going to be supported by a good (if not somewhat overbearing in her own way) mother as well as extended family “father figure” uncles. He would have a few close friends. He was going to be “a good guy” but not a perfect one, one with visible strengths and weaknesses. Despite being chastened by years of ill treatment from his father, he would secretly yearn for connection anyway. He was going to be reasonably clever and witty but not brilliant or hilarious. He was going to be likable and attractive in a Professor Snape sort of way. He was going to be good with his hands.
I enjoyed the mystery at the heart of this story. Was this planned before writing or did it develop organically while writing?
The basic storyline of a struggling, haunted young man returning to an “ancestral” home out of necessity, only to engage in a psychological struggle with his father, was there from day one. There were always going to be some key elements like a cute dog and a helpful neighbor. About 75% of the detail, however, developed organically; I found myself discovering how things “happened” in the story as I wrote it; most of the subplots developed by themselves and some of these plots changed significantly over the course of writing. For instance, the lawyer character, Bates, was originally going to be a one-dimensional character, merely there to develop the plot, but became interesting enough to me to flesh out more. He’s an adroit, cold lawyer, but why is he that way? Many of the sub characters started out this way–one dimensional–only to have their back stories flesh out over the three and a half years I spent writing this book.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next book is called The Evil Men’s Book Club. At the pace that I write–writing is a hobby and I have a job and family, like I imagine most writers do–it should be complete by early 2022. By the way, there really is an Evil Men’s Book Club, also known as the EMBC, formed in the DC area in the 90s. The EMBC is an informal club of my friends and the book, a murder mystery, will be loosely based on it.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
To Move Past All The Hurt
Silent Screams follows four friends in the aftermath of a school shooting that unravels secrets and relationships. What was the inspiration for the idea behind this compelling story?
It came from a song called Prom Queen by Katie Turner. She has a line about a audience that was never meant for me. It was where the idea for Zachary came to be. It was also my 50th novel that I wrote. I wanted to add elements from each of the first 49 in there.
We really get to dive deep into each unique character in the story. Who was your favorite character to write for?
Honestly, it was Cass. I just had such love for her. I wanted so much for her to be strong and be able to move past all the hurt she had to deal with. I just honestly don’t know how she handled that situation. You find out your boyfriend is cheating on you, and you can’t hate her because she lost her life from one of your best friend’s actions. Then on top of that Jarele was a good guy. He helped Cass through so much. It was hard for Cass to hate Jarele. I just was impressed by her strength and where she ended up.
In this story we get to explore how families and relationships are all different and complex. What were some themes you wanted to capture within them?
Honestly, that everyone goes through some hardships in their life. I also wanted to go through this idea that no one is a full villain or victim. With Gabe each person viewed Gabe in such a different way, and I really wanted to portray that. My theme for all my novels is make sure to not judge someone because you don’t know what’s behind someone’s closed doors.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available
I’m working on a campy book. It’s a lot like my High Schools Queen trilogy. It’s called Cutthroat Cheerleader. It’s sassy, campy, and a murder mystery too. It will be out actually in October.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook
In the aftermath of a tragic school shooting, the group must find their own form of justice and a way to begin healing from a wound that just won’t stop hurting.
For them, the lines were drawn.
Right and wrong became blurred.
Friends became enemies.
Told from the perspective of four friends, we learn how one student’s revenge reigned terror over a school and a community– causing secrets to unfold and relationships to be tested.
A compelling and powerful story about a school shooting. A must read.
LITERARY TITAN 