Newt's Nightmares #97

Newt's Nightmares provide subscribers with news on the author's latest work, upcoming releases, and events.

Dec 06, 2023

Newt's Nightmares

Greetings, my wicked darlings!

Hello from the frosty shores of Blighty, where the shift from Crete's delightful 30°C warmth to Britain's sub-zero chill is nothing short of a meteorological slap in the face. It's the kind of weather that turns coffee into a survival tool – until, of course, my skeleton starts jittering from the caffeine, then it's tea to the rescue (more fitting to the British stereotype too).

Speaking of hot drinks, I’ve accidentally ordered 42 litres of Oatly, instead of 12 due to an Amazon subscribe and save error, so look forward to stories about people drowning in milk substitutes. Logistics, they are the real horror story in life.

Keep your wits about you for the mind-twisting horror crossword challenge popping up under our free or discounted stories section. Let me know if you get 100%, or if you found it too easy / hard!

I've wrapped up writing 'A Chemical Connection', which ballooned into a novella-sized beast. Expect to sink your teeth into this chunky tale soon!

And speaking of this month, a bit of a format change. To celebrate Christmas, I have a bumper gift for you. A different story each week, you can look forward to The Glaistig, A Chemical Connection and The Croydon Ripper. Because this wouldn’t leave room for the audiobooks, I’ll be releasing audio books on Friday’s each week, so it’s a double whammy. Hopefully, it isn’t too many emails. I don’t want you all tiring of your cheeky chum, Newt.

I've been busy with various projects, but it's back to the drawing board for me – some storylines hit unexpected snags that should've been ironed out at the planning phase. I am doing Lee Child’s training course on BBC Maestro at the same time, so hopefully the master of thrillers will bop me on my rather sizable nose and correct my aberrant behaviour.

'Deus Vult', my tale of Templars meeting grisly fates in the Holy Land, has hit a pause, but I plan to revisit it with a sharper blueprint. Currently, I'm working on 'The Ice Maiden' (a working title that might need a revamp).

Stay frosty - if you are in the UK, you might not have a choice in the matter.

Your ole’ pal, Newt.

New Releases
Free Horror Stories
Newt’s Cursed Crossword
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New Releases

Coming up this month, I have some ghoulish treats in store for you with three free eBooks and three free audiobooks!

13th December - The Glaistig (eBook)
After surviving narrowly escaping a murderous phantom in Scotland's eerie highlands, a farmer lets a lost woman into his home. But, you can only outrun your past for so long.
15th December - The Sinful Child (Audiobook)
Held captive in her father’s basement, Amelia struggles to escape. But reality isn’t always what it appears to be and soon she will learn an earth shattering secret.
20th December - The Croydon Ripper (eBook)
As the body count rises in 80’s Croydon, a terrified new librarian descends in a journey towards madness.
22th December - The Black Fog (Audiobook)
When the black fog rolls in, death follows. In 1950‘s Grimsdyke, two lovers encounter a horror unlike any other.
27th December - A Chemical Connection (eBook)
LSD, accountancy, bell-bottoms, unfortunate haircuts, and my personal favourite: Death.
29th December - Ain't Nothin' But The Blues (Audiobook)
When young Jackson moves into the 'Grand Dame', an old boarding house in New Orleans, he becomes enamoured with the music emanating from his neighbours room.

In case you missed them, in November, we had the following free releases:

8th November - The Troop (eBook)
When a sinister infection in their apartment building begins taking over the minds and bodies of residents, Sam races to save Wendy, his infected girlfriend, before he loses control of his own mind.
15th November - Trev Rides Forth (Audiobook)
When a group of juvenile delinquents raid an antique record store, they unleash a deadly curse.
22 November - The Black Shuck (eBook)
A single mother gets more than she bargained for when a shady house call turns into a nightmare of violence, addiction, and a vengeful spirit only she can see.
29 November - The Beast of Glenmara (Audiobook)
Family loyalty and humanity collide when Elspeth learns the horrifying truth of her heritage.

Free Horror Stories

Horror Story Compilations

Between Midnight and Mystery: 133 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Festival of the Damned’, ‘The Morrígan’

Books You Can’t Put Down: 91 FREE horror stories, including ‘Ain’t Nothin’ But The Blues’, ‘The Troop’, ‘The Road Revenant’

Chilling Reads: 62 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Festival of the Damned’, ‘The Horror at Hargrave Hall’, ‘Smoke in the Sewers’, ‘The Ballad of Barnacle Bill’, ‘The Morrígan’, ‘The Black Fog’, ‘The Heir Apparent’, ‘The Platinum Service’

Your Darkest Nightmares: 48 horror stories, including ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1’, ‘Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 2’, ‘Festival of the Damned’, ‘The Horror at Hargrave Hall’, ‘The Morrígan’

Recommended Stories

Designing Fate, by JF Garrad, FREE download.

In the year 2093 Lisa decides to walk into a store to create a 500 Model Series child. As a good parent, she was willing to pay the price for genome modification in order to obtain the best DNA sequence possible for her child.

However, what happens when a designer child clashes with a normal child and prejudiced parents? Should Lisa pay the price for her child's mistakes?

The Other, by Troy Young, FREE on Kindle Unlimited or available to buy on Amazon.

It started as a typical day in a sleepy little coastal village. But little did they know everything was about to change forever.

Corporal Joe Mills of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrives at Gallou Cove, certain the reported ‘sea monster’ washed ashore would be nothing. What he found there on the beach chilled him to the core.

Dr. Adele Kramer, a marine biologist, shows up to categorize the find. The creature defies any known life found on Earth. At least, nothing originating on the planet.

So begins their introduction to ‘The Other’, the secret world of cosmic horrors plaguing humanity since before the dawn of time. They soon find themselves drawn into a plot many millennia-old to prevent the end of all existence in the universe. Can they survive the Crawling Chaos and prevent He Who Lies Dreaming from awakening?

House of Mud, by Joseph J Dowling, FREE download.

Mud. It got everywhere. Clung to their possessions and sneaked into places Suzie never realized mud could reach. She remembered a time when she’d thought sand was a pain in the ass, but never again in her miserable existence would she complain about a little beach-crotch. It’d been so different when they’d arrived on the godforsaken plot, full of excitement and hope, long before the earth spat out those old bones. It seemed like yesterday and forever ago.

Dead by Morning, by Kayla Krantz, FREE on Kindle Unlimited, or available to buy.

After a classmate disappears, Luna is haunted by violent nightmares so real they leave her traumatized. Terrified, Luna begins to question her sanity until a call from a long-lost friend warns her of things to come. Does Chance’s seemingly perfect exterior hide an unhinged evil?

Luna’s in danger, and although she can avoid the killer in reality, she can’t escape from him in her dreams.

Visions and Nightmares, by A F Stewart, available for purchase.

With the odds stacked against them, can these ten women survive... or will they succumb to the threat of revenge, fate, and death?

Step through a looking glass of dark horrors with an Alice you never knew.
Join Zenna in seeking the truth before she succumbs to her deadly magic.
Journey with Olivia as she crosses paths with a monster of the forest and runs for her life.
Watch Isobel summon the faerie to solve her problem of an unwanted husband.
Shiver as Doctor Killbride experiments with corpses to create life from death.
Wander into the realm of the old gods with Elenora, who yearns for escape.

Run from the Dead, by Joanne Nundy, FREE on Kindle Unlimited or available for purchase.

Can’t fight the dead? Then RUN…

The dead are rising and violently attacking people on the streets of the UK. Driven by an insatiable hunger for flesh, they attack anyone who dares to go out.

Anna is trapped as the zombie apocalypse rages outside her front door. Desperate and alone, she must find a way to get to her children who are with her Ex-partner. As Anna runs from the dead, she finds help from Rob and his fifteen-year-old brother, Jack, despite Rob’s better instincts. Together, they run the nightmare gauntlet that used to be their neighbourhood.

His Black Tongue, by Mitchell Luthi, FREE on Kindle Unlimited or available for purchase.

There is no plague in Enfaire…

Dead things have been found in the fields of Enfaire, a God-fearing town north of Reams. Not just dead things but twisted forms… unholy shapes. And there are rumours, too—of a blasphemous union and of fell creatures that haunt the night. Yet, even as plague and witch pyres blacken the sky, the town remains untouched by the malady that has already claimed thousands and will claim thousands more.

Morsels of Mayhem: An Unsettling Appetizer, by Mark Tullius, FREE download.

an overweight father ignored by his family.
a gang member breaking into a neighborhood church.
a cameraman who finds himself in a hopeless situation.
an aging author who’s paying the price for a reckless past, doing all he can to repair his brain.
These shocking stories will leave you wanting more.

Newt’s Cursed Crossword

Click the image to play the game - if you dare!

If you enjoyed this email, then please consider Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1. My first collected works on Amazon containing sixteen short stories and novellas by Newton Webb.