New Book Announcement + More!
Our Fathers’ Burden: A Horror Novel
Our Fathers’ Burden is coming to Wicked House Publishing in 2024. I’m incredibly excited to share this novel with you all. It has quickly become one of my favorite works I’ve created, from the smaller cast of characters to a different pace of horror than I’ve written before. I pitch it as a creature feature, but the truth is that this is the closest to literary fiction I’ve come yet. There’s some real surprises within these pages, and I think you’re going to deeply enjoy them. Here’s a quick synopsis (but you can find a longer, more detailed one on my Patreon, along with another special reveal):
After sudden tragedy befalls all of their families, five men honor their fathers’ last wishes and go on their annual camping trip. Once arriving, they learn that their fathers have been keeping a terrible secret—one that might cost them their lives.
So what are you waiting for? Get your bag packed—in 2024, we’re going camping.
Author Spotlight: Ben Young
I need to be honest here: I’ve yet to read this book. But what I can say is that when Ben reminded me that he was releasing Stuck on September 22nd, I knew I needed to give him a shout out.
Each death is unique. Will you recognize when yours begins? John Camden doesn't realize he's dying, yet the physical signs are becoming more clear, and he's having recurring visions where he is trapped in a tight space. Everything changes when his best friend Robbie convinces him to go on a poorly planned caving trip as a form of immersion therapy. Soon the lines of reality blur as John finds himself lost and alone, deep underground where all is not as it seems, and the person he trusted most may have sinister intentions.
Pick up your copy here.
First of all, check out that cover. Secondly, I will be picking this up day one in paperback based on my experience with Ben’s writing so far.
You see, I’ve been participating in that Horror Flash Fiction contest, and I felt like I put a pretty good story into the mix. Then I read Ben’s submission Dark River Jinn and I had I knew I’d been outclassed—and I had such a blast reading the story, I didn’t even care. He has such a unique voice and a talent for using it, so I can’t wait to see what he can do here.
Here’s a little about the author himself:
Ben lives in the Cincinnati, OH area with his family and dogs, where he is slowly working on another novel or two, along with a prickly smattering of shorter works which may or may not ever see the light of day. Stuck is his first novel. He does not like writing about himself, particularly in the third person like this, even if it is considered de rigueur (which he just had to Google). Find him online at www.benyoungstories.com/
The Devil Within Us All Audiobook
This feels totally surreal to say, but Tantor Media has bought the audio rights for The Devil Within Us All. Tantor is not a small company, and this is the first time I’m receiving an advance as well. It’s all very validating and exciting, and I’m seriously excited to see this novel brought to life in a new way.
I don’t have any other information (no release window, no narrator, or anything else fun) but hey, I have the contract!
Patreon Updates
I’ve got three parts of my new novelette The Snow Globe up on my Patreon, as well as several other short stories and behind the scenes content. This is the only place to find The Snow Globe right now, and will be for some time. Here’s a quick rundown of the story:
The Snow Globe follows a young girl named Briana who buys a snow globe at a thrift store, only to discover the Devil is inside. When she finds herself trapped within the globe, Briana is faced with unspeakable horrors and must find a way to escape the mystical prison she’s found herself in before the Devil can find her.
Part One is actually available to read for FREE here without any sort of commitment—you don’t even need to sign up for the free. It’s an experiment in serialized fiction as well as body horror, so join the ride and find out what comes next!
Part Four should be live by next Sunday the 1st, but probably sooner!
The Moment You’ve All Been Waiting For
Baby Violet! Look at that pose—I mean, come on.
She’s doing fantastic, although she’s been a little fussy lately. Weight gain is good, she’s very cuddly, and we’ve even found ways to get her to smile, which I don’t think should be possible but here we are. She’s officially four weeks old on Tuesday, which is sick to think about. I feel like I’m going to blink and she’ll be talking.
Alright, that’s everything I’ve got for this week. Go join my Patreon, or read my books, or read Ben’s book, or better yet… do all three!
Thanks for reading,
William F. Gray