Michael's Thoughts On: The Man In The Forest
Writing The Man In The Forest was quite a journey. Working through an overtime filled career schedule and finding little time to write, the entire project took about two years. It began with a walk in my neighborhood at night. I was passing a wooded area and heard a noise that caught my attention. When I looked over at the trees, I saw a tall figure looking back at me. After staring for a moment, it was clear that I was looking at a bunch of mangled branches, but the adrenaline I felt in those few moments combined with what I initially thought I saw was the inspiration for the story.

I've always held a fascination with horror stories, however the endings of most usually left me disappointed. A series of exceptions I found were in short stories. There were a couple I was working on already; one about a living ventriloquist doll named Johnny Nelson, and the other about a feral child, Isabel Yell. In the planning process for the book, I found a golden opportunity to combine these different horror concepts to revolve around the mysterious "man in the forest." With all the pieces in place, I had to find a path to an ending; it was the only portion I left vague in my planning stages. The climax in the book turned out to be improvised. The story had built to the point where I could allow it to tell itself. It no longer needed my "plotting" to do so. I'm proud of the result, but what I'm most proud of is the fact that the story is layered. A reader can go from cover to cover and just enjoy the ride, but they can also spot clues to solve several mysteries which weren't directly spelled out. There is a hidden theme to the story when following in the footsteps of the main character, Vincent, but I hid an even bigger mystery that readers still have yet to solve; who is "the man in the forest?" Nobody's found the answer yet (or at least no one's gotten it right who's taken a shot). All the secrets are hidden within the pages. Can you find them all?

About The Author
​Born and raised in Central Florida, Michael Warriner pursued an early interest in learning music and creating characters in hand-drawn comic books. He began his career working simultaneously in the mental health industry and as a character performer at his local theme park. It was while pursuing his degree in Psychology that he began writing stories “just to kill time.” Before long, he had written two manuscripts. This developing interest in telling stories was further driven by his fascination with amateur filmmaking. By day, Michael now applies his education and training to assist clients diagnosed with mental illness. By night, he writes novels, and in his free time he composes music. He draws upon these varied interests to create unique characters and thrust them into memorable stories.

Nicholas's Thoughts On: The Father Of Flesh
What inspired you to write your book?
I've always wanted to be a storyteller, and the Father of Flesh was just an extension of this. The hero isn't a classic one, in fact, none of them are. They're all human, shaped by their own experiences and actions to behave like people who may be a tad touched in the head from their exposure to the occult energies they mess with. I found the challenges of this book to be a non-issue as I was able to overcome them as I was able to enjoy the act of creating a universe that would be home to an ongoing series.

What were your feelings while writing it?
I enjoyed creating it and taking notes on certain characters who I know will make appearances later on in the series. I find the idea of recurring characters to be a fun idea as they can go from bystanders to allies to villains in the span of a novel, depending wholly on the protagonist's actions.

What do you like most about your book?
Watching where the protagonist will go with the whole thing! I write him out and give him flaws and humanity, and put him in situations, but watch as he reacts. I smile now as I recall coming up with ways that he'd deal with certain issues in the novel, namely the monks in the mountains, and how he adapts his situation from the bottom of the rung to near the top within the day.

What did you find most challenging about writing it?
Drawing connecting scenes between climactic ones. I write climactic action sequences before anything else and then write everything in between. Makes me feel safe that the book has enough action and suspense, and that the horror aspects are there to make me happy. The books are more thriller than horror at this point, and I understand that. But I love me some horror, and that's where my heart will be buried at, proverbially of course.

About The Author
Born and raised in Texas, Nicholas Paschall started his career in writing at an early age, jotting down stories on scraps of paper when he could and saving them to read aloud at lunch to all his friends. The teachers, upon learning this, asked him to stop as the stories weren’t exactly school-friendly, but this only spurred him on to continue his career as a writer. After a stint as a journalist and editor, he started his career as a horror author. It was brought on by reading a book he found dull and listless, which, after lending it to a coworker, he was informed it was terrifying. He thought he could do better, and has been publishing ever since. He’s been published in nineteen different printed anthologies and magazines, served two years as a recurring columnist for Dark Eclipse Magazine, and is a current columnist for The London Horror Society. His work can be found across the web, where he spins new yarns for all to enjoy on a daily basis. Visit him at www.nickronomicon.com.

Ramiro's Thoughts On: Bernadette
​If there's anything you come to appreciate as you grow old, it's history. Young folks study it to see where they're headed (because history repeats, you know); whereas for old folks like me, it's more a matter of keeping track of where you've been.

​I guess I'm an old soul then, as I've always been a history buff, particularly when it comes to medieval Spain. It was a time of religious and political tension the likes of which society today can surely relate to, and it lays the perfect foundation for a historically accurate horror tale.

The story, Bernadette, for me represents what happens when moral duties clash. When people are willing to circumvent what is right to correct a perceived wrong, sometimes, the solution turns out worse than the problem, as was the case for our protagonist.

​The story is in the form of a letter. What I like best about it is that the protagonist wrote this missive in the hopes that his brother has safely returned home from a voyage to read it. Neither the protagonist nor the audience will ever know if the letter was read, and this adds a certain desperation and gloom to the narrative. In a way, too, the style makes you, the reader, a character in the story—you're holding the letter outlining the protagonist's thoughts; how did you come into possession of it?

All things considered, I hope you enjoyed my story, and had as much fun reading it as I had writing it. Until next time, adios.

About The Author
Born in Cuba in 1941, Ramiro Perez de Pereda has seen it all. Growing up in a time when then-democratic Cuba was experiencing unprecedented foreign investment, he was exposed to the U.S. pop culture items of the day. Among them: pulp fiction magazines, which young Ramiro avidly read and collected. Far and away, his favorites were the Conan the Barbarian stories by Robert E. Howard.

​Ramiro, now retired from the corporate life, is a grandfather of five. He devotes himself to his family, his writing, and the occasional pen-and-ink sketch. He writes poetry and short fiction under the name R. Perez de Pereda. He serves Darkwater Syndicate as its Head Acquisitions Editor—he heads the department, he does not collect heads, which is a point he has grown quite fond of making. Indeed, it’s one reason he likes his job so much.

We're introducing a new "behind the scenes" segment where we'll periodically invite one of our authors to answer the hard questions about their latest work, such as their inspirations, their feelings when writing it, what they liked most and what they felt was most challenging while writing. Mark the dates below on your calendars so you don't miss when our authors will be discussing their books.

​Gus Stevens has the worst of both worlds. By night, he resides in the Dream World, a place steeped in magic and exotic dangers. By day, a giant snow-lizard stalks him in the Real World, looking to make Gus its next meal. In order to regain control of his life, young Gus must undergo a psychoanalytic exorcism. But this comes with a high price—he must break away from everything he has ever thought was real. Author Abbie Krupnick blends the magical and the mundane in this avant-garde dark fantasy where nothing is as it seems.

The audiobook is narrated by Jay R. Smith.

“This is intriguingly different science fiction/fantasy/horror, wildly ranging, sometimes hard-hitting, not for maiden aunts.”
—Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author

A botched alien abduction sends modern-day Trace Jackson to north Florida in the year 1818, where he meets a beautiful Seminole woman, and the two strike up a relationship. Unfortunately, Trace’s distant ancestor, General Andrew Jackson, is hell-bent on driving out the Seminoles by whatever means necessary. 

Meanwhile, Josette Legard is transported from World War II-era France to fight an interstellar war. Her new "allies" have offered Josette her heart's desire—the chance to live during the Italian Renaissance—but Josette questions whether her trust in them is misplaced. Can they survive to fulfill their destinies in another dimension where time no longer has meaning, on a moon called Sun?

The audiobook is narrated by E.R. Edwin.

Horror freak and crazy Welshman David Owain Hughes interviews R. Perez de Pereda, Darkwater's Head Acquisitions Editor, who - we've only now come to learn - was teenage arsonist.

Check out the interview here:
​http://david-owain-hughes.wixsite.com/horrorwriter/single-post/2017/07/18/Interview

It's time for another episode of "Perez's Picks" where our editor Perez discusses great new books. Today: Tarot of Hate.

It's truly a pleasure to present Tarot of Hate, written by my colleague and fellow Darkwater author, Antonio Simon, Jr. First off, that name! Portentous, isn't it? Death and murder are in the cards when you deal from the Tarot of Hate, and the book delivers in spades. It's a collection of eight stories that showcase the very worst of the human condition. Within these pages you'll find murder, revenge, presidential assassination, and all sorts of horrors. 

Mr. Simon admittedly wrote these tales of horror during a period in which he was "really pissed off" (actual quote), and it shows. This book is not for the squeamish. His stated aim was to push the bounds of decency, and he does just that in the very first story, Dogfaced Eve, which is disturbing on several levels. Another gem in this collection is Hunter, Hunted, about a reality TV show gone awry when a guest comes on looking for bloody vengeance. 

Feeling brave? Deal from the Tarot of Hate​. It's the most disturbing $0.99 you'll spend short of a freak show admission ticket.

Check out Antonio's website for his fantasy/comedy series: GullwingOdyssey.com

Death and vengeance are in the cards in this macabre collection of horror. Each story is accompanied by an illustration from the classic Rider-Waite tarot, first issued in 1910. So cut the deck and deal, if you dare, for no matter which cards you draw, you can be assured there will be blood.

This new book contains eight stories by Antonio Simon, Jr., including two brand-new, never before published tales of twisted vengeance. See below for synopses of each story in the gruesome collection.

Dogfaced Eve
—A man fights to survive on an island inhabited by a monstrous female with an insatiable appetite for lust.

Toll Road
—A professional kidnapper gets more than he bargained for when his latest abduction leads to terrifying supernatural encounters on the Florida Turnpike.

Fifteen Dollars’ Guilt
—After a close brush with death in a steamship disaster, two strangers discuss the meaning of their lives, inadvertently setting in motion the assassination of President Garfield.

No Thanks
—A meek employee perpetrates a workplace massacre, knowing he can dispel away the consequences with the two most powerful words in the universe.

Red Airwaves
—At the height of the cold war, one man decodes clandestine signals broadcast over a shortwave radio station. His discovery pushes the world to the brink of global nuclear disaster.

​​Hunter, Hunted
—A reality TV production crew gets the scare of their lives when their latest subject comes on looking for revenge.

Lilith
—A hermit’s life is turned upside-down by the arrival of a mysterious woman in his camp. Only time will tell if Lilith is a heroine, a victim, or a monster.

Water, Ice, And Vice
—Jeremy’s new apartment harbors a demonic wish-granting fridge, which he uses to exact bloody vengeance on his obnoxious roommate.