Autumn Tales: A Horror Anthology

 

Back in late September I saw a Facebook post from a friend stating that his publishing company, Anatolian Press LLC, was looking for advanced review copy readers for an upcoming release. The one thing I love almost as much as writing books is reading them. Other than molding my own personal projects I have been fortunate to have been able to preview many books over the years providing various editorial guidance or merely providing a review such as the case with this latest effort.

    A few things about this book caught my eye. First, this was a horror anthology of short stories written by (at the time) eight different authors.This is obviously right up my alley as my life has been consumed with all facets of the paranormal, supernatural, and otherworldly for about half of my existence. The other wonderful thing about this book is that the authors and publisher are donating the royalties to help fight human trafficking.

    Human trafficking is a topic that many seem passionate about, but it also seems to get the cold shoulder from the media and is largely ignored by the public. It's a scary topic and it seems that if people can keep scary topics at arm's length, then it might not affect them. The problem is that it is affecting way too many people to be ignored. According to Collective Liberty, the organization where the royalties will be donated, over 40 million people were trafficked globally in 2018. Trafficking includes people for forced labor and sex and is happening closer to you than you might think.

    When I signed up to be a review reader, I knew a ninth author had been added which was Daniel Bautz. Dan had reached out to me over 14 years ago to be the first guest on his podcast, The Grand Dark Conspiracy. Months after that first interview, I returned once again to talk UFOs and cryptozoology as well as the Georgia Bigfoot hoax that was in the news. The following month Dan added a new segment to his monthly two-hour podcast called the Paranormal News Insider. After seven years with The Grand Dark Conspiracy, which later became Darkest Hours Late Night, my podcast went off on its own where I have endured more changes since.

    As of the debut date of the book, Autumn Tales: A Horror Anthology, it now boasts ten authors and ten unique stories. I was only able to read nine of these and I was not prepared for the content. Each story has its own feel since it is carefully crafted by an individual author. Each author injects their own passion for writing and each style makes this an even more enjoyable book to read. As you move story to story you feel as though it is being told to you by the author by the fireside and as each tale ends your attention moves around the ring to the next participant. It is a simple yet effective format for telling chilling stories.

    As a researcher of paranormal topics, I was thrilled to read about aliens, abductions, ghosts, Bigfoot, vampires, werewolves, and other topics within these stories. These fictional stories pull no punches, however, and describe the deepest fears associated with these topics through the careful weaving of storytelling, characterization, and setting. Each story provides a brutally honest view of the world and just as enjoyable is that each one has their own feel through culture and timeframe. The ghosts and other monsters are not perfect, they are not ones we would recognize through the many nonfiction books that describe them or internet pages written that provide categories of them, which makes them all the more evil and all the more perfect.

The book is available on Anatolian Press LLC, as well as Amazon for Kindle as well as on softcover and a special edition hardcover. The book makes its debut on October 15, 2022, just in time to consume it before Halloween.

New Book Release- Handbook for the Amateur Paranormal Investigator II: The Art and Science of Paranormal Investigation Share

"The Art and Science of Paranormal Investigation" picks up where “How to Become a Successful Paranormal Group”, the first book in this series, left off. This book is geared toward those who know the basics beyond what is portrayed on television and the internet and this next chapter takes a step forward into the world of client centered paranormal investigations. Learn the art of the interview including basic body language that can help in interviews as well as everyday situations. Learn advanced interview techniques that are simple to use that will help your client remember the most detail and provide you with an accurate picture of your upcoming investigation of the location. Evidence review, and other topics that are rarely mentioned with investigations, are discussed tool by tool. Learn the reality behind the tools and methods used in the field of paranormal investigation that goes against the popular ways of doing things.

The above is from the back cover of the book and serves as the general description. It's actually my third book, but the second book ("Betty's Ghost: A Guide to Paranormal Investigation") was a companion written for the first book since I was unable to put that content into the first book. The problem for me is that I publish these books through a print on demand company. While this cuts out a lot of hands, time and expenses, it actually drives the cost of a single book up. My first book was a slender 135 pages, which I had to thin out to that size to keep the overall cost of the book to under $20 and still make a little money. The good news is since the costs of doing business for a print on demand company have gone down over the past two years I have been able to put a bit more content into a book for a much more affordable price. The first book is available at most online book stores, but this new release won't hit the virtual book shelves for a few weeks or months, but it is available (along with my other two titles) at Lulu. However, the best deal to get my book without the middle man is from me directly. I'll be at the Ohio Paranormal Convention in August and the Other Side Symposium in November (and hopefully another library tour in between).

My passion for writing these books comes from my frustration felt about the direction in this field years ago as well as my natural urge to want to pass on what I know by teaching others. I have been at my wits end in years past and was told by others in this field to either quit complaining or do something about it, I decided to do both!

My overall goal with these books is to help raise the bar when it comes to the average paranormal group and get groups to understand the difference between having fun, being scientific, as well as helping a client and releasing the urge to "be a part of" the investigation. Along with this, I hope to educate groups and individuals on what science really is, as well as other skills that they won't learn on television, and ultimately pass on some of the knowledge, skills, and resources I have gained in my time in this field. When it's all said and done, I can leave a lasting mark on the paranormal field and culture whether I actually accomplish anything of scientific, or other value, in the field or not.