Darker Places
Dark places, where even in the brightest day things unimaginable hide. Those hallowed hells, pits of ruin found not only in nature, but also in men. Within the recesses of the mind, we find them. In hearts, they linger. They fester in thoughts, and grow with deeds. Ebon and foul, unholy and scorned, they prosper through despair, with desperate longings, through unrequited love.
No one truly fathoms where sorrow takes the mind, where anger drives it, or where hopelessness leads it. We are all unique, similar but wholly different, wonderment, and despicable.
All we need is a catalyst to set us forth. Oh the shadows we could see, the dark places we would know, not only in our hearts, but also in the world, above and below. What drives one man to the brink of insanity is another’s breezy day…
Welcome, I bid you welcome. Let’s talk nightmares. Shall we? I am proud to announce the Lulu, Kindle, & trade paperback versions of The Indie Collaboration Presents: Tales from Darker Places: A chilling horror anthology!
Synopsis: A selection of chilling stories from some of the best Indie authors on the market. We dare you to venture into these pages of spine chilling tales and stories of dark shadows & darker tidings, shifters, ancient warriors, zombies, & demons… See the world through the Ripper’s eyes, and so much more. So many dark, foul things wait for you between these pages. Freely donated by the authors themselves, these dark passages are a great example of their various, unique styles and imaginations.
Join us in Darker Places.
Brought to you by The Indie Collaboration.
A bit of backstory. I know- I ramble, I’ll try to be brief…
I was invited to join the Indie Collaboration early this year. It has proved to be an awesome exercise for my writing, and has gotten me a few allies I have truly enjoyed working with. I was excited to join and I am proud of our work together. I hope to continue to work with these authors at Primal Publications, where I plan to coordinate the release of two anthologies next year.
Together, we have produced four volumes since my introduction to the group. The first I was part of is a truly unique children’s s edition, Snips, Snails, and Puppy Dog Tales. Then came the often overlooked gem Summer Shorts.
Boots? My contribution to the 5th The Indie Collaboration Presents series, is not a story that is alike my usual fare. It does not contain a single death.
Then came Spectacular Tales: the Sci-Fi Edition. My story, Sparks, is one I am really fond of. It stars Ufburk, a Barbarian who discovers something within the wreckage of an alien Starfighter vessel. Give them all a read, they are FREE on Smashwords.
But this post isn’t about those cool anthologies. Nope.
I had the itch right away. I spoke up, and offered to do a sequel to The Indie Collaboration’s Dark Places: The Halloween Edition. It is important to note that Dark Places veterans Chris Raven and Alan Hardy return in Darker Places: A chilling horror anthology. Their stories bring significant weight to what I feel is a heavy hitting volume. Everyone was so encouraging. So here we are.
I wrote my three stories earlier this year, before the run of various platform releases of my books in eBooks and trade paperbacks. I love all of them. As a group, I recalled us deciding that Dark Places, my story, should kick things off, so this is how it starts.
When most the stories were in, I suggested we try a fresh format. I call this my “Morgod” format, as this is how I formatted Ways of the Stygia Cult of Morgod. I’m proud to say the format functions and looks excellent.
Of the stories involved, I have read every word, and cherished many of them, cringing at some as I edited them. When the first of these stories started coming in, Chris Raven’s Wormshead Manuscript really encouraged me, I knew then this would be as great a book as it is. It really came together well. Chris’ other offering The Sham continues the C.R. tradition of solid, readable tales, that deliver. A.L. Butcher’s So many nights, So many sins is a significant gesture within the book, but coupled with Blade in the Night, A tale of Jack the Ripper? Oh Lord. This is the grit of ebon night gone foul with beauty in scarlet death, dealt by two noteworthy villainous characters.
Alan Hardy’s story will shake you out of balance. It is a darkly disturbing story that feels real enough to discomfort even the most calloused. Though Alan’s prose sings throughout to such an extent that Double becomes one to remember.
Adam Bigden’s Where? Was a justifiable follow-up to Alan Hardy’s Double. Well written and revealing, and of course dark.
Dani J Caile, from Hungary, is a cool writer. First out of the gate is, A day in the life of a Zombie, This story was the last to arrive, as I was formatting the paperback and designing the cover no less, and was worth waiting for. It was the icing on the cake- exactly what we needed, for balance’s sake. Read it, I think you’ll love it. His catchy story Payback is a fantastic way to close a great read.
My stories, Dark Places, (see excerpt), The Cleansing Bar, & Sandra are definitely fun. I found it exhilarating to show restraint, while maintaining the ability to scare at least a few folks.
Dark Places begins with another member of the Baldric Family... You may recall Dietrich, Helen’s father from my novel The Bitter Ends. I often do this, have recurring characters such as the Baldric’s, Lilith, or her sister Jezebel peppered throughout my stories. In my new free release on Lulu, (also available for under $5 in paperback) 7 Slices, the final story, Only a dream away is related to the Bitter Ends franchise as well, though the main character, Edwin Taft is no Baldric.
My main point is that several of my novels and characters are a part of either The Bitter Ends landscape or my Ways of the Stygia universe. The Cleansing Bar’s character Terra, appears in the The Vampire Faus, Dragon Stone, which takes place in 200 B.C. Faus is linked to Kain, from WotS. The Cleansing Bar is the opening segment to my novel Favor of the Gods. FotG will release in 2015.
Sandra is a pre-view story from my upcoming flesh eater/character driven short story novel- The Bitter Ends, Other Side of Town. Expect plenty of dark zombie action…
As for Tales From Darker Places, the book is a gem, and it was a pleasure to have a hand in producing it. I do think you’ll love it, and pray it frightens you…
In closing, I am going to say you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by reading this collection- except possibly a wink of sleep or two. Though this is the season for scary. We would love for you to give Darker Places a read through.
Thanks again for reading,
Donny Swords
Want to know more? Here is a link to A.L. Butcher’s article on Darker Places.
For Kindle version click Here
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Dude, Sorry. I fucking love Halloween! I do. I Just need to be heard man, I'm drowning in a pit of retail nonsense, loneliness, and self loathing- and I smoke lots. Chills me out, but I get wacky thoughts. So I'm going to say stuff now, cause its my blog post. I hope you don't step off.
