During 2023, a couple of my horror short stories were published in anthologies. But before I reveal more about them, here’s your chance to get a free ebook!
In The Resurrecter, my young adult supernatural thriller, a teenage girl discovers a graveyard’s dark, dangerous secret. You can currently download the novel for free on Amazon, or click here to see a list of other stores that have it for free, including Barnes & Noble.
And here are my two dark tales that were recently published in anthologies:
Recently, I put together a unique poetry collection: Classic Poems About Spiders. It’s filled with spider poems by famous poets such as Mary Howitt, John Bunyan, Jane Taylor, and many others.
I decided to share “The Spider as an Artist” by Emily Dickinson, a short but effective poem, as a sample of the poetry in Classic Poems About Spiders.
The Spider as an Artist
by Emily Dickinson
The spider as an artist Has never been employed Though his surpassing merit Is freely certified By every broom and Bridget Throughout a Christian land. Neglected son of genius, I take thee by the hand.
You can read many more spider poems, some short like this one, and some quite long, in Classic Poems About Spiders.
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George MacDonald was a popular writer in his day, with perhaps his most notable work being the fantasy classic The Princess and the Goblin. His fantasy tales had a huge influence on later authors in the genre, such as J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis, and many remain widely read.
However, most of George MacDonald’s non-fantasy novels are little-known today. Yet he has one other speculative work, and it is unjustly forgotten: The Portent. It is his only novel that can be classified as horror, due to the story containing a variety of dark elements such as ghosts, nightmarish visions, and madness.
The Portent’s main plot seems at first glance to be that of a generic gothic novel: A tutor falls in love with a wealthy heiress, but her family’s class prejudice and greed tear the couple apart and push them down dark paths.
But The Portent manages to overcome its bland plot with a variety of unusual elements:
The tutor has an ancient family curse hanging over his life.
The heiress has been an orphan since childhood, and her neglectful relatives have twisted her into a bizarre-acting, extremely dysfunctional adult.
Much of the story takes place in an old, creepy mansion that might be haunted.
The book often plays with perception, forcing readers to wonder if certain events are supernatural or if they might have natural explanations.
And the novel’s theme is an unusual but good one that I won’t spoil by giving it away.
Ultimately, The Portent is not quite well-written enough to be considered a lost masterpiece. The pacing is sometimes jarringly erratic, particularly in the latter half. And some of the speculative elements, such as telepathy, seem to be tossed in haphazardly, with not enough done to weave them into the story or explain how they work.
Despite its flaws, I found The Portent to be surprisingly entertaining, more so than most of the recently published horror novels I’ve read. It’s compellingly strange and somewhat unique, and it also has the same vibrant writing style of MacDonald’s classic fantasy. It’s a shame that he didn’t write more horror, for with additional practice he might have crafted a horror masterpiece on the level of his fantasy masterpieces.
The Portent is clearly not for everyone, but for those who are fans of George MacDonald or who enjoy good old-fashioned horror tales, it’s certainly worth trying. And since the book is rare, I published a high quality edition to help it reach more people. If you’re interested in reading it, it’s available now on Amazon in paperback and as an ebook.
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The ebook edition of my young adult supernatural thriller The Resurrecter is no longer exclusive to Amazon. It’s now available in most online bookstores:
What’s The Resurrecter about? It tells the creepy tale of a teenage girl who discovers a graveyard’s dark secret.
Here’s the full backcover copy:
Experience The Resurrecter, a slow-burn supernatural thriller that builds from a deceptively quiet beginning to a shocking, twist-filled conclusion you’ll never see coming.
“Stay away from the cemetery.” Five years ago, Mandy Carter received that warning from her friend Zeke. Even after Zeke disappeared from her life, she always followed his cryptic advice. Who wants to wander around in a graveyard, anyway?
Then a chance meeting brings Mandy and Zeke back together. Mandy is seventeen now, and when Zeke acts just as secretive as he did five years ago, she decides to finally find out what he’s hiding.
That night, a mysterious light appears in the cemetery, and Mandy investigates it. What she discovers is more frightening than she could have ever imagined—and her terrifying night has only just begun.
The Resurrecter is a suspenseful, scary novel that’s perfect for fans of Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Jonathan Garner 