I'm terrible at updating this website with news. Very sorry about that! So much has happened in 2024! It's been a great year! This post would be too long if I included everything that happened, but here are some highlights:
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My six-thousand word, science-fiction-meets-horror story "HellNet" will appear in the anthology Error Code, due out from Rabid Otter Horror on November 26, 2024.
And you can pre-order your copy now!
Rabid Otter Horror brings together ten talented authors in an anthology that examines humanity’s dependence on technology. Within these pages, explore why the terms and conditions should be carefully read, what happens when your home assistant refuses to be shut off, and discover the result of a virus taking over the next step in human evolution, culminating with the question: has reliance on technology made us stronger? Or is humanity opening itself to its own destruction?
Featuring:
Alexa Lee, Asa Callan, Bernard McGhee, Curtis A. Deeter, Elizabeth Devecchi, Jude DeLuca, Jyl Glenn, Lindsey Goddard, Phrique, and Tamika Thompson.
​PRE-ORDER HERE: ​www.amazon.com/Error-Code-Zaq-Cass-ebook/dp/B0DHVMZZV2
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​In case you missed it, I'm very proud to say that my dark fantasy story "Dog's Way" appeared in the July issue of Gamut Magazine!

My splatterpunk story "The Last Neighborhood" appeared in Issue #3 of Carnage House e-zine last summer. This one is pretty gruesome!​ LINK: https://carnagehouse.com/story.php?stid=47

​My 2016 novella, Ashes of Another Life, was released as a full-length novel. That's right; my horror novella which received so many five-star reviews has been expanded to include a prologue, an epilogue, and bonus chapters, as well as a brand new cover. You can buy a signed copy right here on this website in the main menu using Square Checkout, or purchase a copy on Amazon.​

​In celebration of my favorite holiday approaching - Halloween - my spooky story "Give Me Something Good To Eat" appeared on Wilhelm Presents Frightening Tales:

Creepy crawlies abound as my spine-tingling tale "Product 9" is set loose on the world via the Nocturnal Transmissions podcast:​

My story Los Grillos was narrated on CreepyPod!

It's the second story on the episode, and you can find it at about 45-50 minutes in.

​Don't get me wrong; I encourage listening to the full episode. Simply informing you where to find mine... 
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CreepyPod is a podcast that features scary stories and creepypastas from around the world. The podcast is hosted and created by Jon Grilz, a writer from Minnesota.

You can find all the episodes and learn how to get involved by visiting ​Creepypod.com.

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When I wrote the story Los Grillos, I knew it was perfect for CreepyPod. It's about a man who is haunted by something he saw. One disturbing night, he witnessed a stranger turn into a swarm of crickets, and now, the man wonders... Will the curse of Los Grillos come for him, too?

The direct link for the episode is: ​

www.creepypod.com/episodes/2024/5/26/the-old-man-of-llanhun

Feel free to reach out and let me know what you thought!

The Day of the Door sunk its hooks in me right away. I had no knowledge of the plot going in. Hadn’t even read the synopsis. And this story touched on all my deepest cringes.

I’ve never been able to wrap my head around harming a child. The character of Stella is exactly the type of narcissistic, calculating individual who fuels my nightmares because she is 100% real. And that bothers me, a lot! I’ve watched every episode of Evil Lives Here because, even though it breaks my heart to hear first-hand accounts of abuse, I believe that evil exists, and that the only way to control it, is to expose it. That’s exactly the vibe The Day of the Door puts out. I was emotionally invested in the Lasco siblings, who lost their eldest brother, Shawn, to violent events in the household years prior. I felt their grief. I wanted to know more, to hold their hands and see them through the dark.

This tale unfolds at a decent pace. There are creepy visuals throughout, which is something I personally appreciate because if I don’t get a good dose of creepiness every 20 pages or so, I nod off. There’s plenty here for horror fans and mystery/ suspense fans alike.

When I started reading The Day of The Door, I was curious about the author, knowing that her last novel had garnered tons of positive reviews and a Bram Stoker nomination. I still haven’t read Below (an oversight I plan to correct immediately) and figured I’d give this one a try, since it’s her newest release. Boy, did Hightower deliver. 5 out of 5 stars, for sure.

On the surface, The Day of the Door presents itself as a horror story about a dysfunctional family with a traumatic past. But once you dive in, you sink so much deeper. What I ultimately took away was the feeling that nobody ever truly knows what a person has gone through. People look at a situation and draw their own conclusions, and sometimes, a person’s pain grows so much deeper, feeling like nobody sees their life story for what it truly is. But in the end, you can’t waste your life worrying if anyone else understands it. You’ve just got to live it!

Yes, I really did take such deep thoughts away from this little horror novel! It was a darn good one.
I might have known. Ghoulish Books always serves up top-notch fiction. I’ve been a fan of Max and Lori Booth for over a decade now, and everything they do keeps getting better. If you don’t follow Ghoulish Books, you should. If you haven’t read Laurel Hightower, you should!

That is my review! Now go read!

But the real focus here is autism awareness. I'd like to share this poem with you today, in hopes that it might touch someone and perhaps motivate them to discuss bullying with their children. Not every child is a bully, but a lot of them stand by and let it happen because they don't know to report it. We like to think the new generation of children are raised "tolerant". Yet bullying incidents towards autistic kids occur every day. Here are a few links that just might break your heart:

Autistic Teen Left Paralyzed After Bullies Force Him Off Bridge 

Bullies Drench Autistic Boy In Bodily Fluids 

Why Autistic Kids Are Bullied 

For the main character of my poem, I chose a boy with an extreme form of autism that prevents him from speaking. There is no way for him to express his feelings to his peers. Until one day, something wondrous happens....

The Voice Inside The Mirror

"Lonely" was a loaded word 
Zaine wished his lips to speak. 
But though his mind was crying out, 
his mouth spoke not a peep. 
His feelings, bottled up inside 
the prison of his brain 
were triggered by the sights and sounds 
that, daily, tortured Zaine. 
Too much, he thought but couldn't say, 
too much is taking place, 
an endless stream of lights and noise 
and countless thoughts to chase. 
He plugged his ears against the noise 
and longed for it to cease. 
His muscles twitched beneath his skin 
and itched for a release. 
Red-hot, piercing pinpricks stung 
his flesh as he refused 
to flail his arms and flap his hands 
and let his demons loose. 
Worse yet than his body's pain: 
the crowd's relentless gaze, 
observing him with cold regard, 
a rat trapped in a maze.
Peculiar boy, misunderstood, 
whose brain often betrayed him. 
His peers moved with a steady stride; 
his special needs delayed him. 
But there was something he could do 
that no one else was able. 
When he stood before a mirror, 
young Zaine could turn the table. 
No longer was he crippled by 
the limits of his mind. 
In the mirror's reflected twin 
a vibrant brilliance shined. 
The first time his reflection smiled, 
Zaine wondered, Who are you? 
The strange boy only winked an eye, 
reached out and pulled him through. 
The mirror opened up to Zaine;
glass suffered not a fracture. 
He tumbled through, fell to his knees, 
and dropped his jaw in rapture. 
Before his eyes, this world made sense, 
a place built just for Zaine,
customized to fit his needs,
tailored for his brain. 
He found himself returning each day 
when he felt alone. 
Though he knew he couldn't stay. 
This place was not his home. 
One day a bully followed him, 
seeking a little fun. 
(He liked to corner smaller boys 
and tease them til they'd run.) 
He watched his victim slip away,
In shock, he felt defeat.
The mirror seemed to swallow him, 
first head, then chest, then feet. 
How can this be? The bully thought, 
reaching out to touch the glass. 
It didn't yield, hard to the touch.
Why did it let Zaine pass?
And now, filled with that burning rage 
that fuels young troublemakers, 
he scanned the room with wild eyes, 
hoping to find glass-breakers. 
He ripped the lid from the commode 
and swung with all his force 
until a splintered spiderweb
rained down onto the floor. 
And in those shiny, shattered pieces
a strange sight did appear: 
a hundred tiny Zaines stood there, 
gazed out from in the mirror. 
"Why?" Zaine asked, this question
echoed from his mass reflections. 
"Why do you hate me?" he repeated
from the mirror's fragmented sections. 
The bully frowned and shook his head. 
He'd never heard Zaine speak. 
He didn't have an answer;
his heart felt heavy; knees felt weak. 
He gathered up the pieces
and he passed them out at school 
to all the kids who'd done Zaine wrong 
and labeled him a fool. 
The shards, they told a story 
of a boy, not unlike them, 
who wanted to be understood, 
but ended up condemned. 
Inside that mirror, he found his voice.
What was reflected there?
The soul of a boy, so differently wired, 
his struggles so unfair. 
Together, the kids who'd tortured him
fixed the mirror with tape and glue. 
They held their breath and waited, 
hoping Zaine would step back through. 
And when he did, an odd thing happened. 
They cheered and welcomed Zaine. 
They celebrated his return,
this boy and his wondrous brain. 
Now when they look into the mirror, 
they think of that special kid
and smile, remembering the voice he found 
and the magic trick he did. 


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To purchase a copy of Fractured Realms, visit one of the following links.

Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/horrified-press/fractured-realms/paperback/product-22000279.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fractured-Realms-Horrified-Press/dp/129191370X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421545274&sr=8-2&keywords=fractured+realms&pebp=1421545336210&peasin=129191370X
 

Stephen Morrison is a grieving father who can't let go of the past. He lost his daughter, Allie, in a tragic car accident, and his psyche suffered a blow so devastating, he feels hopeless to ever recover. He finds release from his mental anguish in the pain pills prescribed for his injuries, and his wife, Shelley, is forced to watch him stumble down the slippery slope of addiction while battling her own maternal grief.


The tension in this book is palpable. Eads approaches the topic of depression with finesse. He spins a visceral web of self-loathing, with enough horror to hold our attention. Most importantly, he makes us care. We care what happens to our main characters as frightening occurrences plague their everyday lives... such as Stephen's strange ability to move his missing arm--a ghost arm, if you will.


When the ice cream truck driver responsible for Allie's death dies in his hospital bed, something sinister seeps into this world from a mysterious crack in the sky, and one thing becomes clear: their daughter is attempting to contact them from beyond. Allie needs their help.


This novella has a vibe along the same lines as the movies Poltergeist and Insidious--a dark world within our own world, a helpless child, trapped. Yet the writing is one of a kind. The pages are full of passion, suspense, and fear. Author Ben Eads nails the dynamics of a loving marriage fraught with heartache and terror. And you won't be disappointed with what awaits you in Cracked Sky.


You can pre-order this novella before January 12th or purchase it after the 12th by visiting: 
http://www.amazon.com/Cracked-Sky-Ben-Eads-ebook/dp/B00QD89JK0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1417391534&sr=8-2&keywords=cracked+sky


You can sign up for the Cracked Sky newsletter on Ben's website: http://beneadsfiction.com

Also, please show your support and like him on Facebook! 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ben-Eads-Fiction/266455789069

Alamo Rising is the third book I've read by Bowie Ibarra, and if I had to summarize his work in one word, I'd go with: “fun”. His characters have a certain rambunctious energy, capable of carrying them through hell and back with a smirk. Doesn't everyone love that in a protagonist? I know I do.

Alamo Rising kicks off when a newly formed team of paranormal investigators starts prowling for ghosts in San Antonio. A dark curse is unleashed on the city, and strange things start happening in the area around the Alamo. The team soon bites off more than they can chew as they catch the eye of those evil people who are summoning the dark forces... and who will let nothing stand in their way.

My favorite decade for horror movies is hands-down the 1980s, and Bowie's writing style gives me the same vibe. A dramatic plot-line, interspersed with comedy and witty dialogue to keep it light, all leading up to some major buckets of blood. Drama, comedy, and gore--the three main ingredients for a fun horror story. Throw in some truly original ideas, and you've got Alamo Rising. Another good one, Mr. Ibarra. Keep them coming, please.