Shadowland

by Dan Alatorre

Wealthy eccentric Dr. Aumental tasks his Literary Arts students with tracking down and exploring the root elements of horror stories and ancient folklore they've known since they were children, allowing them to travel anywhere in the world. As each group of students embarks on their journeys, they encounter legends, fantasies, lies - and the awful truths none of them could ever have imagined. * After a cave-in, a mine foreman stumbles upon a deadly buried secret.
* A childhood game of Hide and Seek creates ghostly repercussions.
* Seeking help from disabling arthritis, a New Orleans pianist takes a voodoo cure - but the price is not what she thinks it is.
And many more!

A wide ranging thrill ride that any horror fan will enjoy!
Compiled by USA Today bestselling author Dan Alatorre, this anthology of horror once again unites the minds and talents of more than a dozen amazing authors.

USA Today bestselling author Dan Alatorre (The Gamma Sequence)
award-winning bestselling author Allison Maruska (The Fourth Descendant)
award-winning bestselling author Roberta Eaton Cheadle (Through The Nethergate)
award-winning bestselling author Betty Valentine (A Twist Of Starlight)
award-winning bestselling author Christine Valentor
award-winning bestselling author MD Walker
bestselling author Jessica Bakkers (Guns Of Perdition)
And more!



American and British spelling inside. None of the stories are part of any larger work.

Genres: Horror, Anthologies, Fiction, Amazon

234 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2021

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Dan Alatorre has published more than 50 titles and is read in over a dozen languages around the world.

His fast-paced thrillers have gripped readers all over the globe, notably his USA Today bestseller The Gamma Sequence, a medical thriller series, his successful murder mystery Double Blind series, and more. Readers can't put his books down.

Dan resides in the Tampa area with his wife and daughter.

Check out his Readers Club at DanAlatorre.com and find out about new releases before anyone else!

Double Blind, a murder mystery thriller series
- Double Blind
- Primary Target
- Third Degree
- Fourth Estate
- Five Sparrows
- Six Sisters
- Seventh Avenue, coming soon

The Gamma Sequence, a medical thriller series
- The Gamma Sequence
- Rogue Elements
- Terminal Sequence
- The Keepers
- Dark Hour

Jett Thacker mysteries, a murder mystery series
- Tiffany Lynn Is Missing
- Killer In The Dark
- Definition Of A Murder, coming soon

Horror Anthology series:
- Dark Passages
- Dark Voodoo
- Dark Intent
- Dark Thoughts
- Shadowland
- Wings & Fire
- Spellbound
- Nightmareland
- Dark Visions
- The Box Under The Bed

Paranormal Thriller/Horror:
- A Place Of Shadows

Sci Fi Time Travel Adventure:
- The Navigators

Comedy Romance:
- The Italian Assistant

And many more!

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the time to read and get involved. Plenty of authors to keep your interest and keep you scared. Fantastic.

[Patricia Furstenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing my favorite tale: Hide and Seek by Roberta Eaton Cheadle

Hide and Seek is a chilling and atmospheric short story steeped in gothic suspense, family tragedy, and the slow creep of madness. Cheadle weaves a tale that spans decades (from an innocent childhood game in 1786 to a séance in 1844), thus building a layered narrative where jealousy festers, secrets rot behind panelled walls, and the past refuses to stay buried.
At its heart is the disturbing relationship between siblings Kathleen and Euan Lovell, and the haunting disappearance of Euan’s bride, Anne, on their wedding night. Through shifting perspectives, including that of Kathleen herself, whose emptiness and resentment are as unsettling as any ghost. The attic, the hidden room, and the locked casket become symbols of suffocating secrets and the claustrophobic weight of guilt.
Cheadle’s writing is vivid and immersive, rich with sensory detail: the creak of staircases, the stench of rotting fabric, the eerie flicker of séance candles. The story masterfully blends psychological horror with ghostly retribution, culminating in a finale that is both heartbreaking and horrifying. The final revelation... lingers like a chill long after the story ends.
Hide and Seek is a compelling gothic tale of jealousy and the dark persistence of the past, a story that proves the dead never truly rest when injustice remains unresolved.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

This new horror collection is packed with great stories, all pulled together through the device of a paranormal professor's strange field research assignment – an assignment where the students are, themselves, the subjects.
Let me tell you about a few of the stories you'll find here.
Shadowland – tells the tale of one student's first class with Dr. Aumental . It sets the background for the book but also offers its own surprise, gotcha ending.
The Prodigy – is the story of a former musical phenom and what some folks are willing to do to achieve that “star” quality.
Cave Dark – is the tale of a young student reporter's memorable trip into a coal mine
Absent-Minded is about the the enduring bond between family members and especially twins.
All four stories are the work of the always captivating Dan Alatorre but there are many other offerings by equally engaging authors.
If you love short stories and being left a little creeped out by your literary selections, this is definitely a book you need to read.
I loved it.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somewhat different from the other anthologies, but a good read nonetheless, the author serves up an interesting mix of short horror stories which in some way, shape or form, actually link together. Want to know more, you need to read this and see for yourself. The characters are presented in such a way that you think they are actually doing the storytelling, and I think you'll find as I did, that once you start it will be difficult to put down until you finish.

[Kaye Lynne Booth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each of the dark tales in Shadowland easily stands alone on its own merit. Together, they form an anthology collection that goes beyond a common theme to help fulfill an overall premise that leaves itself open to endless possibilities.

See my full review at: https://writingtoberead.com/2021/05/1...

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This anthology was A+! Dr. Aumental sends his students around the globe to explore the folklore of different regions. That bit of plot is shared by all authors & ties the stories together. However each story is its own tale. As with any story collection, there are some that were better than others. Overall it was a good collection!

[Margot Frye · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novella as an ARC with the promise to review. Dan Alatorre has written two stories in this anthology he compiled. Both are excellent examples of horror and are dark and creepy and twisty. I definitely recommend the book - Shadowland is loaded with stories that grab you and never let go!

[Connie Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Addictive

I started reading these short stories and kept on going until I finished the book. Some stories are longer than others but all have a surprising ending. These are amusing, quick to read and the title fits.

[Tim Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great anthology

I am not always the fan of anthologies. However, this one is done in a way that ties all the stories together. Well written and well edited. Worth reading more than once.

[Beth Helm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dan and his cohorts are twisted and I love it. Great book for thriller/horror lovers.

[Sandra L. Place]

A fun excursion into the dark side. I like the thread that runs through all the stand alone stories. Nice work! A lot of spooky fun and sort of reminded me of "Stranger Things!"

[Linda Summerville]

Very good read.

The stories were gripping and short enough to finish at one time.I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Laurencia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

The different stories based around the singular character (The Dr)...it was fun to read and maybe one of these was creepy.

[Gerard E. Trigo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of stories, some ghost stories some horror some good some not so good.

[Vonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadowland

I was thrilled throughput this entire collection of horror stories. Each one became a favorite until the next story. They are all great.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Variety spice of life

First the stories were varied with interesting characters . I very much enjoyed most of these with exception of one or two. Not because of story content but writing style. I would recommend this one look forward to checking out the others in this 6 book series of short reads. A few surprise endings were nice too. Peace

[Richard Brulotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes, you just need a good collection of short stories and I always enjoy a collection that has some sort of running theme to link all the stories by the different authors together. I especially loved how Alatorre started and ended the book with his own short stories. The underlying theme of sending out college students all over the world to uncover true stories of folktales and legends definitely works. Most stories were "edge of your seat" worthy with a couple that were only so-so or perhaps a little contrived, but most definitely were top notch. And a number of them arrived at endings that I never expected! So, grab the book, sit back with a glass of your favorite beverage and read to your heart's content!

[Bonnye Reed]

author gift

[Dwayne Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Aumental is a professor at a local college and funds his own classes research. Pellton Berman is late to class. The Doctor asks him to stay after and thus begins the adventure. Shadowland is a journey of different class members as they hunt down the stories behind legends and fairy tales. The Prodigy follows a woman willing to do anything to regain her ability to play the piano pain free. But what will the cost be? Absent-Minded is a story about two boys playing and their father. But is all as it seems? Cave Dark is about mining deep in the caves. But is there something else down there? Each of these stories have their own unique twists. Some you may guess, some you may not, but you will enjoy every one of them.

[Petra Sando · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of spooky stories

This is one of the best horror-themed anthologies I've read in a long time. Every story connected to the others, even though they were stand-alone ones. I loved the connection to old stories from folklore. Engaging, suspenseful, entertaining, and hard to put down.