Andrew Van Wey's Blog

After the fire of Raven’s Valley consumed their community—and the lives of their neighbors—fourteen-year-old Zelda and her uncle Mark are determined to rebuild within Greywood Bay. It’s a place of serene beauty and rich history, a bucolic town they want to call home.

If only the ghosts would leave her alone.

Haunted by the spectral echoes of the dead, Zelda must fight for her sanity while navigating the turbulent waters of adolescence. And her uncle Mark must battle his own demons, both inside out.

Alone, they will crumble. Together, they might just have a chance.

Because something sinister is rising off the foggy shores of the Lost an entity beyond time itself, one who has long had her eyes on these lands. Her whispers won’t be silenced. Her shadows can’t be ignored. And her debts will never be forgiven.

For beneath its surface Greywood Bay is built on borrowed fortunes and grim pacts. And soon retribution will wash over the town with Tides of DarknessTides of Darkness.

Available 7/9 in paperback, hardcover, digital, and FREE for Kindle Unlimited.

On the Lost Coast, some things should never be found.

When tragedy shatters thirteen-year-old Zelda Ruiz’s adolescence, she retreats with her uncle Mark to the bucolic town of Greywood Bay. It’s a chance to heal, a chance to build a new life together.

But nothing can prepare them for the malignant terror that has long coveted these lands.

It looms over redwood groves and lurks in the foundations of homes. It festers in the dark hearts of the wounded. And now, this cosmic horror has found a new weapon: a means to worm its way into our world.

To save their community—and each other—Zelda and Mark will need to confront their darkest demons, both inside and out. For what stalks Greywood Bay hungers for suffering above all else.

And soon it will feast… By the Light of Dead Stars.

★★★★★ "A wild cosmic ride. Gripping, intelligent, and thought-provoking."

★★★★★ "As this spine-chilling tale unfolds, readers will find much to ponder... and much to fear."

★★★★★ "This is a brilliant read! Wonderful, well-written plot, and a storyline that had me engaged from the start."

👉 By the Light of Dead Stars

Available NOW in paperback, hardcover, digital, and FREE for Kindle Unlimited.

When you bury your past, make sure that it’s dead.

It’s the mid-nineties. Grunge and flannel are fading as the Spice Girls and Hot Topic conquer the malls. Cherry gloss glistens on the lips of the youth. Modems hiss as America comes online.

And in a fog-drenched cove at the edge of New England, something terrible awakens when a fisherman reels in a gruesome catch: the remains of a young woman.

Remains still pulsing with furious life.

For Megan Monroe and her friends, this is how their nightmare begins: a wet whisper over their shoulder, a dark hand reaching out from the edge of their sight, and a name clawing at the back of their minds.

A young woman scratched from their memory.

To stop this devouring terror, Megan will need to mend broken friendships and reassemble her fractured past, for what stalks them hungers to remake itself in their image… piece by bloody piece.

Dig into the haunted past with Head Like a Hole: A Novel of Horror, a tale of malignant secrets, shattered friendships, and twisted bodily horror.

★★★★★ "This is a brilliant read. A wonderful well-written plot and a story line that had me engaged from the start."

★★★★★ "A quick, fun read that will be enjoyed by true crime, horror, and sci-fi fans."

★★★★★ "A beautiful, gritty tale that engages you to piece it all together while being deliciously entertained at the same time."

I’m thrilled to share the first twenty minutes of Blind Site, as read by the amazing Tom Jordan. The audiobook will launch around the same time as the paper and digital editions on September 30th, 2021. I’ll have some giveaways coming up for my newsletter subscribers, so be sure to SIGN UP!

Enjoy!

 

The post Listen to the first chapter of Blind Site appeared first on Andrew Van Wey.

The lovely magicians at USPS delivered some hardbound proofs of this beauty today, BLIND SITE in 6×9 with her dust jacket and case laminate looking all pretty.

I have been accused by some interweb hooligans and ne’er-do-wells that perhaps this book is empty. There are words inside this, I promise. Exhibit B, your honor.

Of course, I could have just whipped up my own dust jacket and put it around some other book. Then, perhaps, I might have taken that book out, whipped up a book from my own words, and put the fake dust jacket around the fake book I wrote. Yes, it’s possible, but where’s the fun in that?

BLIND SITE goes in full preorder mode on 6/30, and releases in print, audio, and ebook on 9/30. I’ll have some ARCs to send out soon, so stay tuned.

Have a great week y’all!

Greetings from foggy Northern California!  I trust you’re doing well in your part of the world.  That you’re reading voraciously and enjoying this final month of summer in all its chaotic splendor.

The world has become a funny place these past few months, has it not?  As a writer of imaginative fiction, my goal is to always tell a good tale that nudges up against the speculative.  Yet like many, 2020 has thrown me for a loop.  I spent half of 2019 researching and writing a pandemic story focused on linguistically transmitted mind-viruses that alter reality.  Then came COVID-19.  With truth being so pliable these days I can’t quite bring myself to add more plagues to the canon.  So, into the drawer that project has gone.

But it’s not all abandonment and trunked stories.  If you’ve purchased my collection, GRIM HORIZONS: TALES OF DARK FICTION for your Kindle, you should notice an update.  I’ve added three new stories to the collection: You Are Not a Metaphor, A Brief Treatise on Market Ecologies, and We Will Build a Haunted House (which is also featured in the recent edition of Lamp Light – A Quarterly Magazine of Dark Fiction).

Individually, the stories are 99 cents on Amazon (and free to read on BN, iBooks, Kobo and my website… but Amazon insists on soliciting for the Jeff Bezos Retirement Fund). If you haven’t checked out GRIM HORIZONS, give it a peek.

Also, on August 9th – 11th my horror novel about haunted paintings and dark family secrets, FORSAKEN, will be discounted to 99 cents through Bookbub.  If you’re an avid e-reader, BookBub is a great service to follow.  I always find some gems there for my Kindle.

On the personal side August is a special month as my wife and I are coming up on our five year anniversary.  That she’s managed to stand my presence under quarantine is a testament that truth is stranger than fiction.  When we first met we bonded over a shared love of thrilling books.  For the past nine months we’ve been reading aloud each night for thirty minutes.  Reading aloud has quickly turned into one of the true joys of our days; I encourage everyone to give it a try.  Some of our favorites have been:

Recursion, by Blake Crouch

The Reddening, by Adam Nevill

My Best Friend’s Exorcism, by Grady Hendrix

One Word Kill, by Mark Lawrence

Lunar Park, by Bret Easton Ellis

Dune, by Frank Herbert

On the glowing screen we enjoyed rewatching DOCTOR SLEEP and IT: CHAPTER 2.  We always end out discussing the movies for hours that follow, and we both came to the conclusion that neither of these films are strict horror, but more like dark fantasy.  It’s neat to see the genre evolving.  RELIC was another excellent film that rumbled around my mind’s attic long after it should have left.  With all the options on streaming it’s not a matter of choice but time and quality.  I have to careful with my attention, but if you’ve found a good show or movie I’d love to hear.

And speaking of time, I hope you, dear reader, are getting a chance to make the most of this strange time in human history.  It’s not often that a virus puts the world on pause.  Six months ago I was applying for teaching positions at several universities.  Now higher ed is withering, many students opting to avoid college for a year.  It’s a wise choice on their part; I can’t blame them.  So, instead of bemoaning lost opportunity I’ve forced myself to pick up a new skill: at age 40 I’m learning guitar.  It’s not pretty, but then again learning a fresh skill never is.  But it’s a permission slip to get better, day by day, and I hope that’s one thing we can take away from this pandemic.  Perhaps I’ll post a video of my strumming on social media.  I promise I won’t play Wonderwall.

Be well, and have a glorious summer’s end.

Cheers!

—Andrew Van Wey

P.S. I’m always on the hunt for a few astute beta readers.  If you’re interested, please drop me a line.

The post Darkest Before Dawn Newsletter – Summer 2020 appeared first on Andrew Van Wey.

Greetings Dear Readers!

Today, I'm pleased to release a NEW short story, Learning to Fly: A Short Story of Awakening. You can download it now on
Amazon for FREE until Friday, March 2nd. After that, it'll return to it's regular price of just 99 cents!

And, speaking of good deals, if you haven't read December 20th 1986: A Holiday Short Story, check it out NOW! It's a twisted, nostalgic trip down the holiday road, a tribute to bad anxiety and the glorious 1980s. Also 99 cents on Amazon!

As always, I enjoy hearing from you, Dear Readers! Sign up for my mailing list to get the latest info. Drop me a line on social media any time. Laugh at my talentless photos on Instagram. If you liked a story, please consider leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Independent authors depend on word of mouth, and I do so cherish yours!

Cheers!
—Andrew Van Wey

P.S. If you are attending the SF Bay Area Book Festival on April 28th and 29th, please stop by my booth. Bring a book, and I'll be happy to sign it. Buy a book, and I'll do that as well. Or just stop by for a chat and snag a free bookmark.