Iām fascinated by the mind-body-spiritās impact on our human experience. Especially the aspect of mind, because deep within us resides the shadow-self described by Carl Jung. Most of us spend our lives hiding this part, but itās there, waiting to pounce. These are the stories I tell, and with my background in Health and Wellness and in Creative Writing, I write paranormal, supernatural, and horror stories containing the simple truths about our human experience. All are designed to bring out the shadow lurking within and expose it to the light. As a counterpoint to these dark tales, I write evocative poetry, uplifting childrenās stories, and some educational books with my writing partner, Derek R. King.
I wrote
The Many Worlds of Mr. A. Skouandy and Other Stories from Oakwood Sanatorium
Oakwood Sanatorium blurs the lines of psychosis and realityāscience and spirituality when Dr. Shepard Blanchard finds himself investigating the strangeā¦
Michaelidesā psychological thriller, The Silent Patient, is a scrumptious read. I relate to the main characterās silence which feeds into the plotās suspense. The human mind is fascinating, as are its methods, and all in the name of self-preservation. Equally enthralling to me is how Michaelides does such a great job sharing this in his book. This story also offers a twist that delighted me, along with its plot unfolding through the skillful use of flashbacks. I just love reading stories that effectively utilize this device. It is one of my favorite storytelling methods, too.
"An unforgettableāand Hollywood-boundānew thriller... A mix of Hitchcockian suspense, Agatha Christie plotting, and Greek tragedy." āEntertainment Weekly
The Silent Patient is a shocking psychological thriller of a womanās act of violence against her husbandāand of the therapist obsessed with uncovering her motive.
Alicia Berensonās life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of Londonās most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him fiveā¦
First of all, Drood is a fantastic trip into the macabre. And, because I love to weave actual truths into my stories, either real-life experiences or real encounters, I am fascinated that Simmons based his novel on the last five years of Charles Dickens's life. Whether this is entirely speculation or otherwise, this novel draws on the character found in Dickens's last and unfinished novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Simmons does precisely what I hope to do with my stories; draw the reader into my world and leave them wondering what parts were based on unexpected truths.Ā
On June 9, 1865, while traveling by train to London with his secret mistress, 53-year-old Charles Dickens--at the height of his powers and popularity, the most famous and successful novelist in the world and perhaps in the history of the world--hurtled into a disaster that changed his life forever. Did Dickens begin living a dark double life after the accident? Were his nightly forays into the worst slums of London and his deepening obsession with corpses, crypts, murder, opium dens, the use of lime pits to dissolve bodies, and a hidden subterranean London mere research ...or something more terrifying?Just asā¦
This is the fourth book in the Joplin/Halloran forensic mystery series, which features Hollis Joplin, a death investigator, and Tom Halloran, an Atlanta attorney.
It's August of 2018, shortly after the Republican National Convention has nominated Donald Trump as its presidential candidate. Racial and political tensions are rising, and soā¦
The story, The Lottery, from Jacksonās collection, held particular horror for me because we see this happen in real life. Not the exact details, of course, but mob mentality and the going along with things taught us without ever questioning what it means. This story evokes human trauma about adults who say and do nothing. A genuinely terrifying aspect of human nature gone awry and the utter lack of respect for life.Ā
'Shirley Jackson's stories are among the most terrifying ever written' Donna Tartt
This is the definitive collection of Shirley Jackson's short stories, including 'The Lottery' - one of the most terrifying and iconic stories of the twentieth century, and an influence on writers such as Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.
In these stories an excellent host finds himself turned out of home by his own guests; a woman spends her wedding day frantically searching for her husband-to-be; and in Shirley Jackson's best-known story, a small farming village comes together for a terrible annual ritual. The creeping unease of lives squanderedā¦
I loveĀ The Story of An Hour: Short StoryĀ by Kate Chopin because this tale has a delicious plot twist and portrays irony at its finest. I resonate with the feminist message ā the oppression and the realization of what the heart truly desires and the heartbreak of that being ripped away. Very emotive. I felt what the main character was feeling and didnāt see the ending coming. This is my favorite type of story and the kind I love to write.
In an underground coal mine in Northern Germany, over forty scribes who are fluent in different languages have been spared the camps to answer letters to the deadāletters that people were forced to answer before being gassed, assuring relatives that conditions in the camps were good.Ā
I love this book because Iāve stood inside the house that inspired this tale, owned by Hawthorneās cousin Susan Ingersoll, and I learned of the history associated with the story and why he wrote it. But beyond these fascinating details, Hawthorneās knack for layering symbolism throughout his work really speaks to me. I love to do this when I write because the subconscious mind picks up these details even when we consciously may not realize it. This is part of evoking the mood essential for creating a foreboding environment.
A gloomy New England mansion provides the setting for this classic exploration of ancestral guilt and its expiation through the love and goodwill of succeeding generations. Nathaniel Hawthorne drew inspiration for this story of an immorally obtained property from the role his forebears played in the 17th-century Salem witch trials. Built over an unquiet grave, the House of the Seven Gables carries a dying man's curse that blights the lives of its residents for over two centuries. Now Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon, an iron-hearted hypocrite and intellectual heir to the mansion's unscrupulous founder, is attempting to railroad a pair of hisā¦
Oakwood Sanatorium blurs the lines of psychosis and realityāscience and spirituality when Dr. Shepard Blanchard finds himself investigating the strange events surrounding an unconscious man abandoned in the hospitalās lobby.Ā
This psychological thrillerās unique postmodern collage-style creates a foreboding atmosphere as the patients sharing the manās assigned ward are evaluated. The psychological horror and suspense enhanced with the admission forms, patientsā stories, and doctorās notes. From beginning to end, your sanity is on the edge of oblivion, and your senses are pricked and prodded with science fiction, alternate realities, and unexpected outcomes. The many twists and turns leave you unnerved and wondering what comes next. In the end, Blanchard questions his decisions, and ultimately, he finds himself secluded in his own dark reality.
This is Detective Chief Superintendent Fran Harman's first case in a series of six books. Months from retirement Kent-based Fran doesn't have a great life - apart from her work. She's menopausal and at the beck and call of her elderly parents, who live in Devon. But instead of lighteningā¦
Lenore James, a woman of independent means who has outlived three husbands, is determined to disentangle her brother Gilbert from the beguiling Charlotte Eden. Chafing against misogyny and racism in the post-Civil War South, Lenore learns that Charlotteās husband is enmeshed in the re-enslavement schemes of a powerful judge, andā¦
