October Frights Meets Beyond the Wail

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

And the Beyond the Wail Blog Tour!

Today, is last day of October Frights, but also the first day of the Beyond the Wail Blog Tour!
So I have a jammed pack post of a spooky spotlight, a review, an interview with one of the authors, Danielle Shipley, two giveaways, and more! Hold on to your hat as I present, the new paranormal anthology from Xchyler Publishing...

Beyond the Wail: 12 Grave Tales of Love and Loss

What is it about fear and the unknown that pulls so passionately at the human heart? Perhaps we are drawn not to the darkness itself, but to the resolution, the overcoming of what we most deeply dread. After all, the more terrible the struggle, the greater the victory when it comes at last. Presented in this anthology are twelve remarkable stories of the darkness that overshadows us, and the resolution that may be found beyond them. They are stories of fear and oppression, but ultimately stories of hope, stories that will take you BEYOND THE WAIL.

Today is the official release of the book!

There are some wonderful stories in this anthology, from a troubled Grim Reaper, mischievous poltergeists, vengeful ghosts, demons, magic, and much more paranormal fun. Here's a quick look and review.

 Beyond the Wail

12 Grave Tales of Love and Loss

OF MICE AND MONSTERS by Tirzah Duncan: Troubled by ghosts within and without, Benjamin struggles to become the man his girlfriend needs instead of the monster he is.

GO GENTLE by Julie Barnson: After the death of her boyfriend, a young musician uses her talents and a fabled violin to stop the fatal accidents at a dead man’s curve.

DEAD WATER by Amanda Banker: A stalled truck, an abandoned graveyard, and a town not found on any map take two brothers on a detour they’ll never forget. 

COLD SPOT by Jay Barnson: When a laptop is stolen from their computer security company, two high school buddies go to extremes to investigate. But, will they manage to return?

THE WEEPING LADY by A. F. Stewart: Eva Douglas must face her mother issues, past and present, when the disappearance of her sister forces a confrontation with a terrifying ghost.

THE POLTERGEIST AND AUNT BETTY by Ginger C. Mann: Aunt Betty is eccentric, but how much is ghost, how much is medication, and how much is just plain crazy?

THE ‘GRIM’ REAPER by L. K. McIntosh: When a soul reaper loses the source of their power,

they must either find the witch who stole it or a new purpose for living.

SHRINE OF MIRRORS by F. M. Longo: A spy on a mission becomes a believer in the supernatural when the theft of three ancient relics threaten to bring down the empire.

DEAD MAN HOCKING by T.N. Payne: A world-weary zombie learns to beware what you wish for, and not all sure bets are worth the gamble.

ST. PETER’S FISH by Alex McGilvery: Sam is a walking disaster of biblical proportions, but how much is he willing to sacrifice to escape, and will the Powers That Be allow it?

THE DIORAMA by Sebastian Bendix: A play set turns life around for Martin Taper, but things take a turn for the worse when he neglects it and the lonely child obsessed with it.

DATE DUE by Danielle E. Shipley: A magic library’s guardian determines to protect her treasured books, whether their authors elect to do things the easy way … or the fatal one.

Review of Beyond the Wail:

Since I’m one of the authors, I’m not going to do an in depth review, but rather give you one or two thoughts on each story.

OF MICE AND MONSTERS by Tirzah Duncan: 

I loved this story. It is powerful, haunting, and so excellently written.

GO GENTLE by Julie Barnson: 

Soft and sadly sweet, like the music that swirls in the story. I enjoyed it.

DEAD WATER by Amanda Banker: 

A terrific story, it pulls you in and doesn’t let go. Nicely engaging and chilling.

COLD SPOT by Jay Barnson: 

A nicely written interdimensional adventure, with some technological twists.

THE WEEPING LADY by A. F. Stewart: 

What can I say about this one? I wrote it. I like it.

THE POLTERGEIST AND AUNT BETTY by Ginger C. Mann: 

A quirky little story, amusing, a little disjointed in spots perhaps, but a fun read.

THE ‘GRIM’ REAPER by L. K. McIntosh: 

An interesting twist on the grim reaper theme, and nicely written. I’m not sure how I feel about the ending, but a great story nonetheless.

SHRINE OF MIRRORS by F. M. Longo: 

I might be a bit biased with this one, as I’m partial to historical fiction, but the author does a skilful job with the myths, legends and history of feudal Japan.

DEAD MAN HOCKING by T.N. Payne: 

A good solid zombie tale, very entertaining, and some nice depth of character. I liked it very much.

ST. PETER’S FISH by Alex McGilvery: 

I found this one delightfully offbeat, a bit surreal and even philosophical.

THE DIORAMA by Sebastian Bendix: 

This is a quiet story, with a creepy edge that sort of sinks into you as a reader.

DATE DUE by Danielle E. Shipley: 

This author is fast becoming one of my favourites, and she certainly doesn’t disappoint with this story. She weaves her words in a wonderful spell that creates a mesmerizing fantasy story.

Beyond the Wail is available at

Amazon (Kindle)

Amazon (Paperback)

Goodreads

Xchyler Publishing

Book Trailer

And now for our feature interview

Presenting Danielle E. Shipley,
author of Date Due

1. How did you come up with the concept of your story?

I came across an image accompanied by the phrase, “I wish I had a secret library with all the books in the world in it.” My brain’s third reaction – after playing a few bars of the intro from “Into the Woods” and just generally drooling over the thought of ALL THE BOOKS – was to question: Suppose someone had a library full of all the books never written? How far would this bibliophile go to keep the books’ authors from writing them out of his/her possession? I wondered “aloud” on my Facebook page, and multiple responders commented, “You totally have to write this.” My muse seconded the motion, and the “Losers Weepers” theme of Xchyler Publishing’s then-upcoming anthology contest matched my premise perfectly, so I basically had no choice but to get the tale down on paper.

2. How did you come up with the title?

I wanted something equal parts library-related and ominous. “Date Due” – the little phrase seen on library book check-out cards/receipts everywhere – fit both criteria to a tee. Like a librarian’s dark day of reckoning.

3. Please provide some insight into or a secret or two about your story.

One of my inspirations was Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”. Both Poe’s narrator and mine are anonymous – the text never once gives their names – and both insist throughout the story that they’re not insane, despite the fact that they are blatantly out of their minds. And, y’know, they’re both murderers.

4. What was the most surprising part of writing this story?

It was slightly slow going, for a short story of mine. I can normally knock out a story of this length in a day or two, but this one took me ten. My narrator would not be rushed. She wanted to give me her tale just so, and in her own sweet time.

5. What was the hardest part of writing your story, and how did you overcome it?

The hardest part was titling all of the books the narrator called out by name. Coming up with a title is hard enough for me when I’m familiar with the story in question. To name a book I’ve never read? Horror! Fortunately, once I’d gotten a first draft out of the way, with “[TITLE]” acting as a placeholder wherever necessary, a couple of my best pals were willing to toss out some random options, and I picked and tweaked my favorites from the list to insert into the blank spaces.

Danielle's just for fun nerd Q&A:

Star Wars or Star Trek?

Not into either one. Sci-fi doesn’t generally do it for me.

Hunger Games or Divergent?

I’ve yet to read any of the Divergent books, but the Hunger Games trilogy made an impression on me, for sure.

James Bond or Jack Ryan?

Which one’s closer to Galahad from “Kingsman”? Or Carmen Sandiego?

Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch?

Very much enjoyed what RDJ brought to the table, but I’ve got to give this one to Cumberbatch. All my love to BBC’s Sherlock!

Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto?

Aaaand we’re back to the final frontier. I respectfully abstain.               

X-Men or Avengers?

Mad love for the X-Men, but come on. The Avengers have Captain America. Forgive me, mutants!

Aliens or Predators?

I’d prefer to be preyed upon by neither.

Minions or Penguins?

I’m not sure how far either one would assist my rise to evil overlordship, but I think I liked the trailer for the penguins’ movie better, so we’ll go with that.

Batman or Superman?

Batman. Because we are the night.

Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean?

ARRRRGH! *hoists the colors* *releases the Kraken* *drinks up, me hearties, yo ho* …Which is to say, PotC all the way.

Beatles or Rolling Stones?

Not sure I could even name a single Rolling Stone song. Beatles by default, then?

Peter Jackson or James Cameron?

Raising my glass to he who took me to Middle Earth and back again. Thanks, Mr. Jackson!

Steven Spielberg or George Lucas?

*flips a coin* Spielberg.

Vampires or Werewolves?

I consider vampires to be the more intriguing “what if…?” of a monster.

LARP or MORPG?

I’m told that the socializing I do with my characters on a daily basis counts as a live-action roleplay, so we’ve got ourselves a no-brainer!

DANIELLE E. SHIPLEY

Danielle E. Shipley’s first novelettes told the everyday misadventures of wacky kids like herself. . . . Or so she thought. Unbeknownst to them all, half of her characters were actually closeted elves, dwarves, fairies, or some combination thereof. When it all came to light, Danielle did the sensible thing: packed up and moved to Fantasy Land, where daily rent is the low, low price of her heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears, firstborn child, sanity, and words; lots of them. She’s also been known to spend short bursts of time in the real-life Chicago area with the parents who home schooled her and the two little sisters who keep her humble.

You can find Danielle about and about the internet at these social media links:

Website  Blog  Twitter  Goodreads  Pinterest  Amazon

~*~

Ebook Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today you get another contest! 

Here's the Xchyler Publishing Rafflecopter giveaway for Beyond the Wail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’ll be picking the winners in my ebook giveaway tomorrow (and most likely will be posting the name here on my blog tomorrow as well). Xchyler Publishing will be picking its own winners, and they will be contacted after the end of their giveaway.

Book Release Blog Tour

Featured Author: Danielle E. Shipley
	Saturday, October 10, 2015  Are you Afraid of the Dark?  John's Writing  Spreading the Writer's Word
Featured Author: Alex McGilvery
	Sunday, October 11, 2015   Ash Krafton: Emotion Between the Lines   Scott E. Tarbet, Author   Writer's Law of Motion
Featured Author: T.N. PAYNE
	Monday, October 12, 2015  Melissa McShane,   Author Sarah's Secret Stash  Notes from Author Ginger C. Mann
Featured Author: Ginger C. Mann
	Tuesday, October 13, 2015   L.K. McIntosh   J S Brown   Fairies & Pirates
Featured Author: L.K. McIntosh
	Wednesday, October 14, 2015   Rampant Games   Scotty Watty Doodle All The Day   Terra Luft — View From the Crystal Ball
Featured Author: Jay Barnson
	Thursday, October 15, 2015   A Storyteller's Journey   Creativity from Chaos   Christine Haggerty
Featured Author: A. F. Stewart
	Friday, October 16, 2015   Tales by Julie   Perpetual Chaos of a Wandering Mind
Featured Author: Amanda Banker
	Saturday, October 17, 2015   Sebastian Bendix   Alex Campbell   Semi Short chic
Featured Author: Julie Barnson
	Sunday, October 18, 2015   The Ink Caster   The Road to Nowhere
Featured Author: Sebastian Bendix
	Monday, October 19, 2015   The J. Aurel Guay Archive   :DandiFluff...
Featured Author: Tirzah Duncan
	Tuesday, October 20, 2015   Alex McGilvery's World   A.M.Harte
Featured Author: F.M. Longo
	Wednesday, October 21, 2015   Ever On Word   The Cult of Me

And be sure to give our October Frights bloggers list one last whirl:

October Frights: Last Call

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

For today’s post you get a little spectral sci-fi. Where no one can hear you scream…

Last Call

I stood outside my favourite rundown bar. It being my favourite mainly because it was the only bar on this backwater planet. Above me, filling the tangerine sky, the screaming warships raced off to the front lines. Fighters, heavy cruisers, troop ships, they all headed to the battlefront. Not a good place to be. I should know, I just returned from there. I still had the grime, plasma burns and blood on my battle suit to prove that fact.

I remember being there. I had memories of being in battle, exchanging plasma bursts with the enemy, advancing across the dust fields. I remember all of that. I don’t remember how I got back here.

Shock, maybe? I’ve heard of battle fatigue syndrome. Could it be that what’s messing with my head?

It didn’t matter, though. I couldn’t worry about it yet. The only thing that mattered was a cold beer, with a hard liquor chaser. Maybe New Alder Vodka. It had a fresh minty flavour, but with a kick that could knock you off your bar stool.

Wait. How did I get inside? Oh well. Bring me the beer and the vodka.

I sidled up to the bar and tried to get the bartender’s attention. He ignored me. Too busy watching the vid screen with some punk kid who didn’t have the guts to sign up to fight. Nobody respected soldiers anymore. I looked up at the program they were watching. It was the news. I noticed the headline flashing across the screen: All Presumed Dead at the Battle of the Incarnadine Dunes.

Hey. That’s where I was fighting. How can we all be dead when—

That’s when I saw the list of the fallen soldiers scrolling up the screen. That’s when I saw my name listed…

I screamed. No one in bar noticed.

Holy shit. It’s true. I was dead.

I was dead.

I guess I’m not getting that beer and vodka chaser.

Damn.

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

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October Frights: Double Feature

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

A little break from the ghosts today, although we do stay with the recently dead. Today’s terrifying treat is a two for one. A double tale take on the afterlife…

Waiting for You...

Darkness.

It breeds fear in the mind. Most tuck it away or dismiss it as an overactive imagination. I know better. I know what lurks in that darkness, the things that hunger.

I know because I’m one of them.

One of the leftover dead.

One of the Forgotten.

That’s what we call ourselves, we revenants of once living things. Most of us are simply echoes of who we used to be. Mist and miasma held together by damaged emotions and need. The reality of what the living refer to as ghosts.

There are others here as well, in this afterlife netherworld, things a bit more tangible, a bit more bloodthirsty. I don’t like to think of them. They are best avoided by the living and the dead.

Yet, we all live in the darkness.

That surreal place in-between the shadows. We are the cold touch on your spine, the whispered breath on the nape of your neck.

We are death.

We are waiting.

We are waiting to feed…

On you

 ~*~

Welcome To Your Afterlife

“Welcome to the Afterlife check-in. Name please.”

Dave stared at the tall, blond… man, standing behind the podium.

“You have wings.”

“Yes, yes I do. It is a common feature among angels. Name please.”

“Why do you have wings, and—wait did you say angel?” Dave gaped at his hushed, mist-covered surroundings. “Where am I? The last thing I remember is a bright light…”

“That would have been the headlights of the semi-truck that hit you. You died sir, and this is the Afterlife check-in. Now, can I please have your name?” A hint of exasperation crept into the angel’s voice.

“Um, it’s Dave Tillman.” Dave watched the other man—no, angel—rifle through a very large book. “I’m dead? For real? This isn’t just a wacky dream?”

“You are quite dead, sir. Here you are.” The angel stopped flipping pages in his book. “Oh my. This is unusual. A rarity indeed.” The angel closed his book with flourish. “It appears, sir, you have been granted the singular privilege of choosing your afterlife. Congratulations.”

The angel moved from behind the podium and held out his hand.  “If you would come with me please.”

The angel led Dave to what appeared to be a TV screen hanging in mid air. A remote materialized in the angel’s hand.

“You’ve been given three options to choose from. Please watch the screen as I run them.”

He clicked the remote and Dave looked at the images on the screen. The first scene showed a sunny beach resort.

“I’m not too crazy about sun and sand. Next.”

A click of the remote and Dave viewed a busy casino. “That looks okay. Maybe. What’s next.”

“This one is our Happy Home Package, sir.”

An image of a luxury home popped on screen, shifting to an interior shot of a living room boasting a big screen TV and a plush recliner. Several beers were visible on a side table.

“Now that looks good. What else comes with it?”

“The package come complete with a red Ferrari, a blond, well-endowed homemaker wife, no tedious chores or job, 1000 TV channels—500 of which are sports networks—and a billionaire’s bank account.”

“Now that does sound good. I’ll take that one.”

“As you wish.” The angel snapped his fingers.

The world around Dave vanished, and he found himself inside a opulent home, just like the one on screen.

Dave grinned. “Now what?”

“Now you live out your afterlife, sir. Right here. Forever.” The angel smiled.

For some reason Dave shivered.

“Why don’t you look out the window, sir, at your new neighbourhood.”

“Okay.” Dave moved and peered out the picture window. “It’s kind of quiet. Nobody around. Is that part of the package? No noisy neighbours? If so, I like that—wait, I think there is someone. Hey! Someone is out there. Someone’s running toward—”

Bang! The window thumped and cracked as a body threw itself against the glass. Dave yelped and scrambled backward. Rotting hands fumbled against the pane, trying to get inside.

Dave screeched. “That’s a zombie! A zombie! What-what is this? What’s going on?”

“This is the deluxe Happy Home package, sir. Here comes your lovely wife now, with a plate of cookies fresh from the oven.”

A tall, blond, buxom woman, with a rotting smile, and a pus infected face shuffled into the room. She did indeed carry a plate of warm cookies, wonderfully decorated with maggots.

Upon seeing her “husband” she hissed, “Brainnnsss!” and dropped the plate. She made a beeline toward Dave, who snatched up a nearby chair.

Fending off his “wife” with the chair, Dave shrieked, “Help me! Get me out of here!”

“I can’t, sir. The rules you know.”

“Rules? What rules?” He ducked his head as his “wife” swiped at his ear trying to get around the chair. More and more zombies were banging at windows and smashing at the front door. Slowly the glass and wood were starting to give way. “You have to help! This isn’t what I ordered!”

“Oh, but it is. Did I forget to mention? I’m a fallen angel, and this is Hell’s Afterlife check-in. Happy eternity!”

The angel disappeared in a haze of laughter, as the wood splintered on the front door and several windows shattered. Zombies poured into the house.

Dave's shrieks were drowned in the ear-splitting, chanting chorus of "Brainnnsss!"

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

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October Frights Drabble Wednesday: Ghosts

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

Keep the lights on for this Drabble Wednesday, as October Frights brings us four more tales of ghostly phantoms…

Death Kindly Stopped

“Are you tired of running yet?”

I looked at the kindly old man sitting on the bench beside me. Dressed in rather scruffy tweeds, he needed a good suit. “Do I know you? I feel like I do.”

“We met once. Are you tired of running yet?”

“Was I running? I’m not out of breath.”

The edge of his mouth twitched. “Oh, but you are. Out of every breath. Forever. That’s why I’m here.” He laid a hand on my shoulder. “I’m Death. Are you tired of running yet?”

I looked him in the eye. “No.”

I start running again.

~*~ 

Harbinger

In a nameless town, a pale flower grows at the edge of an old cemetery.

Velvet, alabaster petals kiss olive green leaves, swaying gently in the summer breeze. Its life spans a single day, once a year, before its bloom expires beneath the full moon.

With mortality, its petals flutter to earth, crumbling into blood red dust, scattering its touch among the buried dead. Summoned, shades and spectres arise, and the once silent graveyard pulses with howls and moans, and the rattling of bones.

In that nameless town, on this moonlit night, the dead come back to visit the living.

~*~

The Candle in the Lantern

The candle flame in the lantern flickered, as it did each night, shining its beacon from the tree branch where it hung. Below it the river gurgled, flowing eternally to the vast sea, and the deep scented wildflowers bloomed, even encompassed by the damp grey mist and coal black night. The clearing lay hushed, the air still, the glimmering light casting shadows over earth where few human feet willingly trod.

For the candle burned to lure the unquiet dead, its wispy smoke a summons, a binding that restrained ethereal forms within the river glade and far away from the living.

~*~

The Painting in the Hallway

Do you ever have that feeling? The one where you’re positive someone is standing behind you, but no one is there? I get it all the time, in the front hallway of my mother’s house. Whenever I stand next to that creepy painting of my grandmother. It’s probably my imagination, like the way the portrait’s eyes follow me as I move.

Still, I don’t like the feeling.

I don’t like the thought of being watched by someone I can’t see.

It frightens me.

But do you know what really scares me? It’s this sensation of someone’s hand on my shoulder.

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

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October Frights: Dark Poetry Corner

Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!

Today, for October Frights, I bring you phantoms and apparitions flitting through cyberspace in verse…

Spectres

Shadows, filmy grey

caught in worlds between

Lost whispers gone astray,

shadows filmy grey

Souls that hoped to stay

now wander sight unseen

Shadows filmy grey

caught in worlds between

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

~*~

From the Corner of your Eye

Movement flickers

in your periphery vision

Movement flickers

as your pace grows ever quicker

from haunting souls of excision

a wrong turn, fateful decision

Movement flickers

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

~*~

Ghosts in the Hall

Waning sunlight glints

through the cracked glass,

a dirty window pane.

Light flickers against

the lengthening shadows

in the empty corridor.

A layer of dust swirls

from an unseen waft of air,

and a faint whisper

murmurs a hello.

From Colours of Poetry

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

~*~

Midnight

Underneath the nocturnal moon

stir ghosts of sanguinary secrets

amidst the edges of sober reality

while an onyx raven takes wing

Voices sing a shadow’s knell,

that melody of blood and grave,

to hail the stygian souls, ascend

while an onyx raven takes wing

Spinning the dusty devil’s dance

above hoary and martyred bones

Rise, oh, rise, you hellion spawn

while an onyx raven takes wing

Come the thunder, crack the earth

in cackles of breath born laughter,

dredge forth those deathless screams

while an onyx raven takes wing

© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved

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