Bryan Asbury ~ Author Interview

Bryan Asbury was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado. Growing up, he was heavily inspired by Stephen King, as well as “Tales From the Crypt” and “The Twilight Zone.” He is currently a regular contributor for “The Chilling Tales For Dark Nights Network” and has had five of his stories adapted into podcast productions. He’s been featured in the Pueblo Chieftain, a local southern Colorado newspaper, as well as local bookstores and libraries, and recently his book can be found on the shelves of Barnes and Noble in Colorado. His writing style is distinctive and often strays from traditional horror by also combining comedy and suspense with a focus on twisted endings. He continues to try and expand his portfolio and aspires to eventually adapt his stories into movies or television shows.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

NOTE: The Correct Spelling of Bryan’s last name is ASBURY not ASHBURY!

Check out His books below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

Bryan Asbury’s first collection of short stories features four of his best “spine-chilling tales” (The Pueblo Chieftain). He often combines suspense, thriller, horror and comedy into one, that truly delivers a unique writing style that is all his own. His stories have even been adapted into full-scale podcast productions that have been aired globally. These tales will leave you with an unsettling feeling long after the last page.

After a successful attorney has a chance encounter with a homeless man outside of a grocery store, his life takes a tragic and disturbing turn. A terrifying tale about the darkside of giving and receiving.


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Why I Chose to Start a Fiction Podcast as an Author

Why I Chose to Start a Fiction Podcast as an Author by Alyanna Poe

As an indie horror author, I’m always looking for new ways to promote my work. Having watched the first season of Only Murders in the Building, it got me thinking. There are people that listen to true crime podcasts so thoroughly that they have maps, notes, and theories about the cases they listen to. Only problem is, I’ve got no connections to get details about cases, but I do have a head full of stories.

This birthed the idea of the Indicted Fiction Podcast. I thought, “True crime but make it fiction.” I didn’t want to use the same format as a true crime podcast because who wants to listen to a fake case? Not to mention, the idea allowed for many mistakes. I couldn’t imagine writing a fake crime and investigation just to have a listener tell me it’s not possible and the whole case is clearly a sham. So came the audio diary idea. 

Season one of Indicted Fiction is called “Adam’s Murder.” Can you guess what it’s about? Each episode of the podcast is a chapter of the book I wrote under the same name, and once the last podcast episode airs, the book will be published. Abigail Drummer must work through her grief as she investigates the murder of her brother, keeping an audio diary as she points a finger at everyone she knows. I play the character I wrote, Abigail Drummer. While planning out the idea, I figured an audio diary format leaves me so much creative space. Listeners have told me that she has a quirky awkwardness about her youth and that she’s very relatable and emotional. I’ve never taken an acting or voice over class, and I think the only reason I’m able to convey this emotion is because I wrote the story and it’s so close to me. In 2020 I lost my own brother. In Adam’s Murder I worked through a lot of grief and feelings of guilt, and narrating that work only amplified my emotions. I think in episode three you can actually hear me crying. 

The benefit of narrating your own story is that you understand where to emphasize the words, where to show emotion, and how your character sounds. Abby is awkward. She’s introverted and so unsure about the world around her. Sure, a voice actor would be able to convey this, but I think my listeners/readers are not only making a connection to Abby but also to me. 

Another great benefit is, I was able to do this on a budget, and I can promote this podcast in places I could never promote my books because it’s free. Listeners get a taste of my writing and then can check out my other books or buy the book once it’s published. Not to mention, the podcast is sort of acting as a book launch, building excitement for the publication of the book.

So far, despite having a mic that’s not great and a set up that would make any voice actor cringe, I’ve gotten great feedback. Every week people are excited for a new episode, and I’m so proud of myself for having spread myself into new territory as an author. 

I think any writer could benefit from a fiction podcast. Whether you do a short story per week, add sound effects, or narrate from third person, it’s all doable. 

For anyone interested, Indicted Fiction: Adam’s Murder is available to read on my blog and to listen to on my website, YouTube, and Spotify. And if all goes well, season two of Indicted Fiction will be available to my patrons on Patreon only and will follow a serial killer in prison telling her stories of murder and why she did it.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!

Author Alyanna Poe: an author from Northern California with a knack for horror. Poe has been writing since a young age and self-published her first horror novel at eighteen years old. Many ask what her real name is, only to be surprised that she is a born Poe with relations to the great Edgar Allan Poe. She frequently posts interviews with small businesses and authors like herself, short fiction, and articles about writing and marketing to her website authoralyannapoe.com

Check out The Case of Adams Murder: Episode 1


ALSO BY ALYANNA POE

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Gateway to Dark Stars by Kate Haley #giveaway

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Gateway to Dark Stars by Kate Haley

Genre: Horror, Action, Adventure

Slaying monsters. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.

In the age of jazz and bootleg liquor, black magic is making a big comeback. Luckily, the scourge of demons and cultists are keeping Doctor Vincent Temple in business. Even the Mafia are having trouble with monsters, and they’ve hired Temple to sort it out. Cash is cash, and the old Doctor has never been one to turn his nose up at a job, no matter who’s paying. This time luck is smiling on him. The gangsters are tangling with a cult Doctor Temple has been stalking over a personal matter, but when reconnaissance turns into rescue can he save the world before things become too personal?

The Witcher meets Cthulhu in this gruesome, high-octane adventure. Snatch up your copy now and get ready to slay some demons!

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Kate Haley is a speculative fiction author who works predominantly in fantasy and horror.

While currently content to fill her days with writing and table-top RPGs, her grander plans involve world domination. Something akin to the tyranny of the greatest city atop the Disc would be an acceptable standard. She believes a super-villainous overlord would be an upgrade, given that our current villains lack style and imagination.

After all, super-villainy requires Presentation.

If you like her references, consider reading her books. Peruse the website for short fictions and merchandise, and join the mailing list for early access and exclusive cool stuff.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a personalized signed copy of the book and an art print of the lead character by the illustrator, or a $10 Amazon gift card?  Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!


Laurisa White Reyes ~ Author Interview

Laurisa is the author of the SCBWI Spark Award winning novel The Storytellers and the Spark Honor recipient Petals. She is also the Senior Editor at Skyrocket Press and an English instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out HER book below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

SAND AND SHADOW by Laurisa White Reyes

even survivors.

One monster.

Nowhere to hide.

Mission Specialist Adán Fuentes awakes from cryo-hibernation to discover that most of his fellow crewmates are dead and the shuttle Carpathia is not where it’s supposed to be. Surrounded by a vast barren landscape, he and the other survivors wonder how they can accomplish their mission, to establish a home for future colonists.

When an unseen creature attacks them, the Carpathia’s crew must turn their attention to surviving and solving the true purpose behind their mission.

Inspired by the 50’s sci-fi flick Forbidden Planet, Sand and Shadow plumbs the depths of the human psyche and the power of its influence. As the Carpathia’s crew’s secrets and flaws are revealed, readers may find themselves compelled to examine their own dark places.

★Winner of the Houston Writer’s House Competition★

Buy Sand and Shadow now and experience this exhilarating new horror tale for yourself!


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Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes #giveaway

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.

Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes ~ Genre: SciFi Horror

Winner of the Houston Writer’s House Competition★

Seven Survivors.

One Monster.

Nowhere to hide.

Mission Specialist Adán Fuentes awakes from cryo-hibernation to discover that most of his fellow crewmates are dead and the shuttle Carpathia is not where it’s supposed to be. Surrounded by a vast barren landscape, he and the other survivors wonder how they can accomplish their mission, to establish a home for future colonists.

When an unseen creature attacks them, the Carpathia’s crew must turn their attention to surviving and solving the true purpose behind their mission.

Inspired by the 50’s sci-fi flick FORBIDDEN PLANET, SAND AND SHADOW plumbs the depths of the human psyche and the power of its influence. As the Carpathia’s crew’s secrets and flaws are revealed, readers may find themselves compelled to examine their own dark places.

Goodreads * Amazon

Laurisa White Reyes is the author of sixteen books. Her middle grade novel THE STORYTELLERS won the 2015 Spark Award from The Society of Children’s Books Authors & Illustrators (SCBWI) and her young adult novel PETALS received the 2017 Spark Honor Award.

In addition to writing, Laurisa also is the founder and Senior Editor of Skyrocket Press, which publishes quality fiction and non-fiction for a variety of readers. She also teaches English composition at College of the Canyons in Southern California. To subscribe to Laurisa’s monthly newsletter, visit her website at www.LaurisaWhiteReyes.com

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Would you like a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes.

The Ragged by Brett Schumacher #giveaway

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The Ragged by Brett Schumacher

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Horror

A New Horror Thriller from the Author and Narrator Brett Schumacher.

I was upstairs looking out the window before bed when I saw it. The thing was closer to the house than ever before. It was right at the edge of the trees, just staring at the farmhouse.

~Corvus

On his deceased grandfather’s farm, Andrew and his wife Celeste unravel a terrifying secret. A dark and brooding creature lurks just outside the fields at the edge of the forest, Stalking Andrew and Celeste’s every move. What had Andrew’s grandfather, Corvus, been hiding all these years that Andrew had been away?

Missing person’s posters have been plastered on the walls inside the small town’s pharmacy and something bizarre is happening at the inherited farmhouse at night.

Secrets and hidden passageways will expose the truth as to what Corvus was seeing. But it seems as though some of the residents of dry creek might have their own mysteries.

Will Andrew and Celeste survive long enough to tell the tale of The Ragged?

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Horror Writer and Narrator for the “Creepy Ghost Stories” YouTube Channel. Brett has a deep love for horror with a particular interest in Isolation and Cryptid based stories.

Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads * YouTube

Would you like a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing information about The Ragged by Brett Schumacher.

Renee S. DeCamillis ~ Author Interview

Renee S. DeCamillis is the author of the psychological thriller/supernatural horror novella The Bone Cutters, published through Eraserhead Press as part of their 2019 New Bizarro Authors Series.

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out renee’s books below!

(Click on the cover images to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

The Bone Cutters – Horror Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Supernatural Horror, Bizarro Fiction, Addiction Horror, a novella from the 2019 New Bizarro Author Series from Eraserhead Press.


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Fred Pangbourne ~ Author Interview

Recently retired, Frederick Pangbourne now resides in Florida. The ex-Marine has been a fan of the horror genre since childhood in both literature and films. He has three horror anthologies of his own now out in publication and is currently working on a fourth. His latest is Nightmares of the Damned. 

Check out our interview on YouTube:

Check out HIS book below!

(Click on the cover image to order your copy)

(As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means, when you purchase a book using an Amazon link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission. All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.)

Frederick Pangbourne, author of the ‘Reflection in the Abyss’ horror anthologies, presents his third anthology of the frightful world of the macabre collected in 19 short stories of extreme fear. Nightmares of the Damned will sweep you into a realm of inevitable horror where man does not escape their grisly fate once they step through. Follow a returning crusader home on his final confrontation with evil. Venture across a seemingly harmless sand box which hides an unseen death. Open an abandoned trunk in a basement and discover its monstrous contents. Visit a psychiatric ward where an old photograph holds a hellish secret. These stories and others await those within these pages as the reader enters into the Nightmares of the Damned.


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the HALF that you SEE #giveaway

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The Half That You See ~ Genre: Horror Anthology

Edited by Rebecca Rowland

“Believe nothing you hear, and only one half that you see.”
-The System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether by Edgar Allan Poe (1845)

Poe’s classic tale told of a state of the art hospital boasting a curiously experimental treatment, but things were not as they seemed. In The Half That You See, twenty-six writers from around the globe share their literary optical illusions in never before seen stories of portentous visions and haunting memories, altered consciousness and virulent nightmares, disordered thinking and descents into madness. Take a walk down the paths of perception that these dark fiction raconteurs have tunneled for you, but keep a tight grip on your flashlight: the course twists and turns, and once you’re on route to your destination, there is no turning back. That which creeps about in the poorly lit corners of the human mind has teeth, and it’s waiting for you.

“Chalk” by Elin Olausson

A young man rents a room at a bed & breakfast and meets a girl who sleepwalks during the day and is only herself at night. 

“Winnebago Indian Motorhome by Tonka” by Eddie Generous

Chasing down nostalgia, Josh Dolan buys a vintage Tonka Winnebago, but it isn’t quite like the toy he’d had as a kid; this Winnebago knows the future, and it knows Claire Dolan’s secrets.

“Sepia Grass” by Sam Hicks

A young man begins to question the recurrent visions he has always believed to be flashbacks to a childhood drug overdose.

“Prisoner “by T.M. Starnes

Kidnapped prisoners sometimes survive, but that’s when their terror truly begins.

“Turn a Blind Eye” by Kelly Griffiths

An explosion leaves an ornery pharmacist with shards of mortar in his eyes and disturbing changes to his vision, especially when he looks in the mirror.

“Falling Asleep in the Rain” by Robert P. Ottone

A man recounts his youth through a dream, revealing as a young boy his experiments with love for another boy, only to face the ire of his murderous father.

“Black Dog Blues” by Luciano Marano

In a story inspired by an actual urban legend popular among American truckers about a spectral black dog that appears to drivers just before a lethal crash, a haunted man recounts his own devastating encounter with the creature and sets out for revenge with a hapless hitchhiker reluctantly in tow. 

“Imaginary Friends” by Nicole Wolverton

Julie Strawbridge is called in to see the principal of her nephew Augie’s school after he is expelled for selling imaginary friends to his classmates for a dollar.

“Boogeyman” by Susie Schwartz

One boogeyman; two perspectives, and the horror of mental illness that torments them both.

“Safe as Houses” by Alex Giannini

Carrie and Will moved into a new home, into a new phase of their lives. But every love story is a ghost story, and theirs is no different. 

“The New Daddy” by Scotty Milder

A crumbling marriage and a new home is filtered through the eyes of its smallest witness.

“Cauterization” by Mack Moyer

A woman on a methamphetamine binge harbors a dark secret from her past that begins to manifest in vivid waking nightmares that may, or may not, be real.

“The Tapping at Cranburgh Grange” by Felice Picano

When an American couple leases and then buys a manse in England, they become aware of a strange noise only some people can hear. 

“Elsewhere” by Bill Davidson

Colin lives a stressful life in an overcrowded flat with a sick daughter and a mother with dementia, in the middle of crammed and noisy London. More and more, however, he is elsewhere.

“Daughters of the Sun” by Matt Masucci

A retired homicide detective living in Florida finds that a past case investigating a dark nature cult twists into his reality.

“The Coffin” by Victoria Dalpe

A young woman still grieving a recent loss discovers an exhumed coffin on the street. 

“Old Times” by Mark Towse

A man suspects his wife is cheating on him, and when she leaves for the evening, he considers the possibility over a bottle with an old friend.

“Lonely is the Starfish” by Lena Ng

Many people have pets, but one lonely young man becomes too close to his pet starfish.

“Hagride” by Justine Gardner

A cormorant speaks, and Josie tries not to listen as it begins to resemble ghosts from her past.

“Raven O’Clock” by Holley Cornetto

A man seeking shelter from the tragedies of his life finds more than he bargained for in a mysterious cabin.

“Officer Baby Boy Blue” by Douglas Ford

An eye injury and a grotesque gift from a police officer in a hospital emergency room ultimately leads a young man to special properties of sight.

“The Intruder” by Lamont A. Turner

Suspecting someone has invaded her home and the homes of those close to her, a woman struggles with delusions that may not have originated with her.

“Alone in the Woods in the Deep Dark Night” by Edward R. Rosick

Trapped in his cabin by a howling snowstorm in the desolate wildness of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Gary Chandler finds that freezing isolation is only the beginning of a descent into bloody madness.

“Mesh” by Michael W. Clark

A regular guy wants too much control in the modern global community: over both his home and his wives.

“Der Hölle Racht” by Laura Saint Martin

A victim of domestic violence embarks on a drug-fueled journey and rampage.

“The Red Portrait” by Mahlon Smoke

A frustrated artist spies a forgotten portrait in a shop and finds himself consumed by its beauty.

**Get the anthology for $5 off or get $10 off the book/candle set HERE!**

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Would you like a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card or a Mystery Box of Books? Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

The Half That You See is written by twenty-six authors from five different countries, including Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award finalist Felice Picano, Feature Writer of the Year recipient Luciano Marano, and honorees from Ellen Datlow’s most recent Best Horror of the Year, Bill Davidson and Sam Hicks. Editor Rebecca Rowland is a dark fiction writer whose previous Dark Ink anthology curation work includes Ghosts, Goblins, Murder, and Madness and Shadowy Natures: Stories of Psychological Horror. Dark Ink Books is the proud home of UnMasked, the best-selling memoir of horror legend Kane Hodder, and Savini, the special effects icon’s coffee table biography.

I am happy to be one of many tour hosts sharing The Half That You See.

What Really Scares Me: Addiction in Horror

What Really Scares Me: Addiction in Horror by Holley Cornetto

I have a confession to make. Most horror doesn’t really scare me.

Horror writers primarily deal in fear, and what frightens one person may fall flat for another. I’ve found this to be true in my reading and writing. Some reviewers may call something terrifying, while others call it boring. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing about ghosts and monsters and deranged killers wielding chainsaws, but those things don’t keep me awake at night.

So then, what does scare me? The death of a loved one. Sickness. Grief. Insanity. Sleep paralysis. Snakes. Addiction.

Most of my fears, snakes aside, have to do with a lack of agency or a loss of control. To date, two of my short stories have dealt with the topic of addiction. It is this particular fear that I wrestle with most often. In part, because addiction is a scary thing, but also because addiction is so often stigmatized in society, that those who suffer because of it often fail to seek out help.

In his article titled “The Compassion of Addiction Horror,” Mark Matthews discusses addiction as possession. In this view, addiction to and withdrawal from substances is akin to “…being spiritually occupied and living through a painful mutation of your physical self” (2020) It is worth noting that the fear here is twofold. It manifests both in addiction and in withdrawal. People who suffer from addiction may feel a loss of control over their bodies and minds. Friends and loved ones may notice a change in the person that they attribute to the substance abuse. Withdrawal has its own set of horrors as addicts suffer a plethora of physical and psychological effects as the drugs leave the system.

Possession stories aren’t the only narratives that include elements of addition. In the article, “How the Horror Genre Helped Me Understand my Addiction,” Tabitha Vidaurri writes that “Vampires are a pretty thinly veiled allegory for substance use disorder if you swap out blood for alcohol/drugs” (2020). But the article doesn’t stop with vampires. Werewolf narratives also allude to substance abuse wherein “people are always waking up the next day, naked, in a field with fuzzy memories of the night before and a bad taste in their mouth” (2020). Whereas possession narratives focus on the changes a person may undergo while under the influence, or during withdrawal, these vampire and werewolf narratives borrow from addition itself. The insatiable need, in the case of the vampire, and in the case of the werewolf, the consequences of our actions when we are not in full control of our faculties.

Addiction in and of itself is a scary thing, not only for the above stated reasons, but also because it is something that society often neglects to discuss openly. In the past, society has stigmatized addiction, often blaming addicts for their own condition. In recent years, thanks to advances in mental healthcare, we’ve learned that there is so much more to drug addiction than bad choices. In many cases, there never was a choice. Many people who suffer from addiction also suffer from a range of other health issues, from mental illness to chronic pain.

So, how does this relate to horror? Horror has always served as a venue in which society can safely discuss and work through the fears that lurk in the shadows and dark corners of our minds. Horror does not shy away from bleak or upsetting subject matter; it specializes in it. It celebrates it. Horror serves as a safe space to work through the scary shit that bombards us each day when we walk out of our doors (figuratively speaking, for those of us in lockdown). It may seem like an oxymoron to refer to horror as a safe space, but when reading horror fiction, or watching a horror movie, you are directly in control of the situation. Unlike real life, when the book or movie becomes too much, you can choose to put it aside or turn it off. You can sample the fear in small doses, at your own level of comfort.

I firmly believe that society needs horror fiction as an outlet. Horror readers and writers are some of the kindest and most well-adjusted people that I know, and I can’t help but think it is in part because we work through our problems in fiction rather than bottling them up inside ourselves. Horror helps us learn and practice empathy, and empathy is something that we could certainly use more of, as far as I’m concerned. 

So, now that you know what scares me, go out there and write a story. One that will terrify me. One that I can (hopefully) read in small doses, and at my own pace.

In Holley Cornetto’s story in The Half That You See, “Raven O’Clock,” a  man seeking shelter from the tragedies of his life finds more than he bargained for in a mysterious cabin.

Holley Cornetto was one of 26 authors that contributed to the horror anthology, The Half That You See!