My New Scary Story Chosen for These Haunted Hills

I am honored to tell you that one of my short stories was chosen for These Haunted Hills, the fifth anthology of Appalachian bone chilling short stories. In fact, my story is one of only eight original pieces selected. Therefore, I am truly humbled.

Writing a scary story can be a challenge – especially if you are more a fan of “things that go bump in the night” than of shadowy monsters, creaking floors and bloody axes. You see, I think the most chilling moments in our lives occur when something ordinary takes on extraordinary characteristics.

Take that walk across the parking lot after work. You’ve made it a hundred times and its always peaceful. Then, one evening, without warning, one of the overhead lights hisses and flickers just as you pass beneath it.

Startled for a brief moment, you pause and stare upward. Just as suddenly, the light pops back on. Shrugging off a chill, you pick up your pace just a little.

Then another light hisses and flickers just as you approach it. You run to your car without stopping. Relief --when you are safely inside and away from there.

Things in the Woods describes just that kind of experience. It is the tale of two people going about their routines who encounter the unsettling. What did they see and what does it mean?

You can order These Haunted Hills from Jan-Carol publishing. I’d love to know what you think and hear of your scary moments.