What Lies Beneath
A Collection of Beach Reads
Summer has officially arrived, and that means it is time to read by the water! The water has always drawn me to it, both for recreation and contemplation. However, as relaxing and joyful as lakes, rivers, and oceans can be, they can also be terrifying places filled with deep mysteries and strange creatures. In that spirit, I’ve gathered a collection of my short stories that involve water along with some fiction you may have missed this week. Paid subscribers will also receive a download of my graphic novel featuring La Llorona, the weeping woman by the water.
Happy summer reading!
Fiction You Don’t Want to Missed:
Once They See You
I’m excited to share a new original horror short to celebrate Friday the 13th. This story is inspired by the contemporary American legend or Creepypasta, the Black-eyed Children, and is part of the Eye See You Friday the 13th event hosted by the TiF Team
Righteous Quotas
This bonus story is satire rather than horror, not my normal genre but definitely my vibe this week.
Beach Reads:
A Stranger on a Strange Shore
For this week’s Monster of the Week, I’ve written a monster/apocalyptic short horror piece inspired by the sirens. I wrote a bit about these mythical wonders a few weeks ago. This will also be my piece for this round of the Lunar Awards here on Substack. I really dig the Substack writing community involved in that award, and always enjoy reading the submissions and winners.
Dog Days of Summer - Complete Story
I wrote Dog Days of Summer, a tragic and creepy tale inspired by the Michigan Dogman, in four parts and published them over the summer for paid subscribers. Now that the weather has chilled and the nights feel more like fall as spooky season approaches, I want to share Dog Days of Summer in its entirety. So, for one week only, I’m making the complete story available to all readers in one place. Please enjoy this fictional tale inspired by the legendary cryptid from my home state, the Michigan Dogman.
Rakshasa - "Protect me!"
Last week, we surveyed our readers to find out what monster they wanted to read about next. Rakshasas beat out sirens, mermaids, and vampires. So, let’s dive into these complex creatures.
La Llorona in the Machine
And of course, the weeping lady, La Llorona, is found by the water, so I have to include Mary Shelley’s School for Monsters: La LLorona in the Machine on this list.
One of the perks of being a paid subscriber to Monster of the Week besides additional stories and content, is that you also get some cool book bonuses. At the end of this post, paid subscribers will receive a download link of my award winning graphic novel La Llorona in the Machine (144 pages, full color).
Of course, if reading a physical books is more your jam, signed copies of all my books and comics are available over at Wicked Tree Press. The Plastic Girl series also takes place by the water in Michigan.
If you have already read the graphic novel or the Plastic Girl books and post reviews on Goodreads, it would mean the world to me if you would head over there now and write a review. A good review really does help get fresh eyes on the book. If you share the link to your review with me, I’ll send you a special thank you for your time.