The Devil's Backbone Release Day!
Today's the day! The official release of Dark Tide #13: The Devil's Backbone from Crystal Lake Entertainment!
Today is finally the day! The official release of the 13th volume of Crystal Lake Entertainment’s Dark Tide series… The Devil’s Backbone! This collection of dark Appalachian horror tales includes three shared-world novellas by me, Laurel Hightower, and Red Lagoe. Here’s the book’s description:
Join three of horror’s finest storytellers on a journey through the dark heart of Appalachia…
AFOOT IN THE NETHERWILD by Ronald Kelly: When the children of Bowden Ayres mysteriously disappear in the woods near their homestead, he enlists the aid of Uriah Coldcreek, a seventh son and purveyor of mountain magic. Together, they travel into the deepest depths of the Devil’s Backbone, intent on locating a place known as the Netherwild… the realm of the Coveter, an otherworldly being who steals away the mountains’ youth for its own selfish needs.
SPIRIT COVEN by Laurel Hightower: For generations, Jude and her coven of witches have co-existed peacefully with the citizens of Arnett, providing them with remedies and top shelf bourbon, especially valued during the draconian days of Prohibition. But when too many townsfolk go missing and dead, trust is broken and the witches find themselves on shaky ground, facing threats from frightened families, from the mountain they protect, and the very magic they steward.
THE GATHERER by Red Lagoe: Gray Hollow lies at the foot of evil—a dark part of the forest home to The Devil’s Bathtub. Martin is skeptical of the local folklore warning of the dangers of dipping even a toe into its waters. However, after his brother leaves for Vietnam, more people fall victim to the water's summoning darkness, and Martin struggles to make sense of it all, determined to hold onto life's fraying reality!
How it all came about…
In August of 2022, Joe Mynhardt, founder and publisher of Crystal Lake Entertainment, contacted me via email and asked if I would be interested in putting together a collection of novellas for their Dark Tide series. Of course, I quickly replied with a resounding “YES!”. I chose Appalachian Horror as the subject of the collection and came up with the connective tissue that would join the three novellas… a fictional section of the Appalachian Mountains called the Devil’s Backbone.
I initially invited horror authors Laurel Hightower and James Newman to be the other two storytellers in our trio, but shortly thereafter James had to bow out due to unforeseen circumstances. The next person who immediately came to my and Laurel’s minds was Red Lagoe. Over the next eighteen months, the three of us traded ideas and crafted our novellas, setting them in the world of the Backbone during the years 1880, 1925, and 1971. Personally, it was one of the most enjoyable writing and collaborative projects that I’ve been involved in during my 39-year career in the horror genre. Laurel and Red are two of the most talented and respected authors in horror today and it was an honor and pleasure building this dark mountain mythos with them.
The Devil’s Backbone is available now!
You can purchase Dark Tide #13: The Devil’s Backbone now in ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Also, if you will be attending Authorcon 3 in Williamsburg, Virginia on April 12-14, Laurel, Red, and I will have copies of The Devil’s Backbone at our individual tables and will be more than happy to sign them for you. So, you will have a rare opportunity to have all three authors sign your copy at a single event!
Come… take a dark and treacherous journey with us… along the Devil’s Backbone!
Looks awesome! Congratulations!!!