Celebrating Women in Horror Month (Part 1)
By Kelli A.
Wilkins
Hi everyone,
People usually associate February with
Valentine’s Day and romance… but did you know February is “Women in Horror”
month? To celebrate, I’m blogging about my two ghost stories, Dead ‘Til
Dawn and Kropsy’s Curse and two short reads, Silent Sentinel and More
Than I Bargained For.
First, let’s spend a night in the land of
the dead with Dead ‘Til Dawn…
Dead ‘Til Dawn
Disturbing the dead doesn’t
prove you’re brave – it proves you’re stupid.
After touring Gettysburg
battlefield, Jessica, Tim, and Steve decide to sneak out to the Devil’s Den for
some late-night fun. Jessica’s friend Kathy objects, and warns them about
trespassing where they’re not wanted.
Undaunted by ghost stories and fueled by his own arrogance, Tim races toward
the Devil’s Den. When the group drives through mysterious battlefield fog, they
find themselves surrounded by Civil War soldiers looking for a little fun of
their own.
Kathy leaves the others to fend for themselves and flees to Little Round Top.
Although she’s rescued by a kindhearted Union solider named Charlie, she
refuses to believe what she’s experiencing is real. As the nighttime battle
rages on, Charlie introduces Kathy to other weary soldiers, and she quickly
realizes she’s trapped in the land of the dead until dawn.
Order Dead ‘Til Dawn here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Til-Dawn-Civil-Horror-ebook/dp/B015LHI08A
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/4X9aLb
Read
reviews here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/dead-til-dawn
So how did this story come about? Well, I
love writing psychological/creepy/spooky horror stories. And I also love
traveling to historic places—especially if they’re haunted.
This novella was inspired by actual events
that happened to me in Gettysburg, PA. I had a very unusual experience with
battlefield fog and I wanted to use it in a story. I wrote a true story account
of the incident, and it appeared in the Out of Time anthology. (You can
order Out of Time here: https://www.timberghostpress.com/out-of-time1.html)
Although I don’t consider myself a
“paranormal investigator” I love exploring haunted places and taking ghost
tours. Historic houses and “anything old and creepy” appeal to my imagination.
Is it any surprise that I love Halloween?
And because Halloween is my favorite
holiday, I wrote this Halloween-themed horror story…
Kropsy’s Curse
Late one Halloween night, two young boys
venture into a secluded graveyard in the hopes of conjuring up a spirit.
Although Kyle is skeptical and would rather be home eating candy and watching
horror movies, he reluctantly goes along with Jerry’s plan. He doesn’t believe
Ouija boards work—until this one starts spelling out a message…
Kropsy’s Curse is only $.99! Get
spooked here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kropsys-Curse-Kelli-Wilkins-ebook/dp/B014IAH848
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/47kMYj
Read
reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/kropsy-s-curse
This piece of flash fiction came to me
when I was mulling over horror ideas. I actually came up with the (strange)
ending first, then built the rest of the story around it. I can’t give away any
more without spoiling the story, so you’ll have to read it for yourself.
If you’re looking for a quick read that’s
more mystery than horror (but still has paranormal elements) check out Silent
Sentinel. This 4,100 word mini-thriller blends a crime story with the
unusual.
Silent Sentinel - A Mini-Thriller
One afternoon, Valerie visits a flea
market and meets a peculiar man who tries to sell her an ancient statue of
Anubis—the Egyptian god of the dead. Despite her protests, the man insists that
she must have the statue. Valerie gives in and brings her new “guardian” home.
Later that night, Valerie awakens to
discover an intruder has broken into her house. She’s forced to fight for her
life and relies on Anubis to save her.
When the police investigate, they make a
shocking discovery about her attacker and his motive. Only then does Valerie
realize how lucky she was— the statue was the last thing she wanted, but
exactly what she needed.
Order Silent Sentinel here:
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09JB57751
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/mgExB0
Read
reviews here:
https://www.kelliwilkins.com/silent-sentinel
More Than I Bargained For is a lighthearted mini-mystery that blends offbeat humor with the paranormal.
More Than I
Bargained For - A Paranormal Mini-Mystery
Katie doesn’t like going to estate sales.
Why? Because she sees dead people.
When Katie reluctantly attends an estate
sale with her friend Diane, she gets more than she bargained for. The deceased
former owner of the house, Grace, realizes that Katie can communicate with her,
and she has a lot to say.
As Katie pretends to shop, Grace tells her
the story of how she was murdered—and reveals that her killer is still in the
house.
It’s up to Katie to uncover the murder
weapon and get it to the police… before time runs out.
Order
More Than I Bargained For here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09CG4J8B2
All other platforms: https://books2read.com/u/me9jzl
Read reviews here: https://www.kelliwilkins.com/more-than-i-bargained-for
Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Women in
Horror blog. Until then, you can visit the “Horror, Mystery & More” section
of my site https://www.kelliwilkins.com/horror to read about my
other spooky stories.
Happy Reading!
Kelli
A. Wilkins
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kelli A. Wilkins is an award-winning author who has
published more than 100 short stories, 20+ romance novels, and 6 horror ebooks.
Her romances span many genres and settings, and she likes to scare readers with
her horror stories.
In 2023, she released The Route 9 Killer, a
mystery/thriller set in Central NJ. Her paranormal/mystery romance, In
Another World, was published in 2022.
Follow Kelli on her Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKelliWilkins and visit her
website/blog www.KelliWilkins.com for a full title list and social media links.
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