Welsh writer David Owain Hughes is no stranger to Darkwater Syndicate, having been published earlier this year in our award-winning horror collection, Shadows And Teeth. He's also no slouch when it comes to his favorite genre, horror. In his own words, he's a self-proclaimed horror freak. He’s got the chops to prove his skill at the craft, having authored several books and also written for This Is Horror, Blood Magazine and Horror Geeks Magazine.

This time around, Hughes channels his creative energies into a new course in the upcoming South By Southwest Wales. The title is a pun on the classic film North By Northwest, but the jokes end there—the novel is a nail-biting mystery thriller featuring down on their luck detectives, grimy criminals, and frowning cityscapes. Hughes leverages his gifts of vivid description and imaginative worldbuilding to such effect that you can almost envision the book coming to life on a black-and-white film reel—and narrated by James Cagney, no less.

South By Southwest Wales will be released in mid- to late 2018 in paperback, audiobook, and all ebook formats.

Spooky Empire is one of the biggest Halloween-themed conventions in the US, and Darkwater Syndicate found themselves large and in charge at the expo. This year, it ran from October 27th to the 29th. On day one of this three-day event, authors Michael Warriner and Antonio Simon, Jr. were present to join in all the spooky fun. Special guest appearances by Pennywise the dancing clown from It, the Babadook, and many more!

​Day two of three of Spooky Empire 2017. Authors Antonio Simon, Jr. and Christopher Cobb chat with fans amid visits from vacationing Batman, a murderous Bender, Freddy versus Jason, and many more!

​The final day of Spooky Empire sees authors Michael Warriner and Antonio Simon Jr. back at it again! This time, they're visited by an Inspector Gadget in serious disrepair, a carnivorous plant from outer space, and more!