20,000 Bloody Words: A Collection of Horror Flash Fiction Greetings dear reader. You are cordially invited to… WANDER through the wasteland of a fresh apocalypse on the hunt for the most precious commodity. JOIN in a bloody ritual to awaken an ancient God. WITNESS an Old West gunfight for the ages. HITCH a ride to the Drive-In for a bloody double feature. LEARN how to make the best damn compost in the Southern Hemisphere! There’s something for everyone in these pages - as long as you’re not afraid of a little blood. These stories may be bite-sized, but they also bite…
Red Ruin by Denver Grenell & Ian J Middleton 2022 Australian Shadows Awards finalist for BEST NOVEL Kia Kaha. Stay Strong. Two simple words that together are worth more than the sum of their parts. Forever entwined with the New Zealand city of Christchurch, they meant little to Carla Gallo, until now. As one chapter of her life closes, Carla reluctantly returns to Christchurch to find a city she doesn’t remember, filled with more strangers than friends. Estranged from her parents, and a brother who is more drinking buddy than sibling, she once again has to make it on her own. When a sudden and violent outbreak sweeps through the country, she finds herself running for her life, and fighting to survive against a sleepless, merciless threat that turns its victims into savage killers. Taking refuge with a family living on the outskirts of the city, her priorities become tested as they’re forced to trust each other in this cruel new world. A terrifying, emotional, and at times brutal journey that sends Carla across the vast Canterbury Plains and deep into the New Zealand backcountry, where she must come to understand who she really is, if she is to see the last thing she holds dear ever again. Stay Strong. Stay Alive.
The Burning Boy & Other Stories “A funnel of thick, black smoke rose from his body, billowing through the trees, another chimney expelling its fumes into the bitter night. The heat of the fire melted a perfect circle in the snow around him. His eyes radiated white-hot light, and they were looking straight at me.” After a tragic accident on Guy Fawkes Night, three teens are haunted by a spectral figure burning for revenge. Can they make amends before the burning boy comes calling? The Burning Boy & Other Stories, the debut collection from Denver Grenell, delivers twists, turns, and a myriad of dark delights. Among the fifteen original tales that are sure to terrify and thrill: a young girl inherits a deadly legacy; a medical experiment goes cosmically wrong; a cruel boss finally pushes the wrong employee too far; and a watery end is just the beginning. Whether you are a seasoned horror fiend or are venturing into dark fiction for the first time, these stories will scare you, surprise you, keep you on the edge of your seat, and won’t let you go until they’re done.
