ocean

Free Monstrous Reads Coming Your Way!

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May is finally here, along with thoughts of going to the beach and setting out for the ocean. Of digging feet into hot sand and trying not to get scorched by the sun. Or maybe that’s just me.

It’s the perfect time to read a story that just might steer you off course!

For a limited time, you can get a copy of my creature feature short story Undertow for free! All you have to do is head over to this Bookfunnel promo and grab the book you want — or books, cause there are a bunch of cool ones over there!

Browse the Creature Feature Promo

The only requirement is to join the author newsletters for the books you want to grab. That’s a small price to pay to the deep sea dwellers, isn’t it?

Read about Undertow below and check out the full promo to grab a bunch of monstrous reads for your next beach trip!

UNDERTOW
A Short Story

June has always been in motion. She’s never satisfied with a place for long, so she’s always moving and never content. Even her love life is a maelstrom, leaving behind a long list of lovers. After years of searching for a sense of belonging, she is drawn to the ocean waters near Leekston. She convinces Jeremy, a wealthy young playboy with a yacht, to take her out to the cold open waters.

She hopes to find answers, but Jeremy expects compensation for his trip and something watches in the deep waters. They are not alone.

Undertow: A Short Story

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Undertow was inspired by an anthology call about great ocean monsters. Even though the anthology was filled before I was even able to write the story (it was a popular call!), I still found that the story itself wouldn’t leave me alone. So I thought I would squeeze in one last release for the year!

I love that self publishing has given me the ability to come up with a story idea, write it, edit it, edit it some more, and then get a cover done and have it turned around ready to release in a matter of weeks. This has completely changed how I look at my writing, and I’m grateful for it!

If you’ve ever been on the ocean and looked out at the dark seas with a cold wind in your hair and wondered what could be hiding beneath the surface, then this story is for you. I have always been fascinated by the ocean, and this story let me explore that love.

Features sea creatures, cold ocean waves, cheap bathrobes, and some very weird monsters, Undertow: A Short Story is now available to pre-order. Release day is December 15th.

UNDERTOW: A SHORT STORY

June has always been in motion. She’s never satisfied with a place for long, so she’s always moving and never content. Even her love life is a maelstrom, leaving behind a long list of lovers. After years of searching for a sense of belonging, she is drawn to the ocean waters near Leekston. She convinces Jeremy, a wealthy young playboy with a yacht, to take her out to the cold open waters.

She hopes to find answers, but Jeremy expects compensation for his trip and something watches in the deep waters. They are not alone.

Splashes onto bookshelves December 15th.

Pre-Order Now

The Dread and Fear of the Ocean

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While on a trip down to Florida years ago, we had the benefit of staying in a hotel right on the ocean. The sand dunes ended only a foot away from the wall of the hotel. It was beautiful, but there was also a sense of urgency to it. In a few years it was likely the ocean waters would rise enough to flood the bottom floor of the building. At night a lightening storm blew in from the ocean, and we turned out the lights to our hotel room and sat staring out with the window open to our balcony.

Photo by Nicolas Jossi on Unsplash

The ocean was completely black and it was too dark to even see the sand or the waves crashing in the distance. All we could see was emptiness. In the intense blackness the roar of the ocean was like a train that wouldn’t stop. Not even flashes of lightening would illuminate the water below or hint at the thrashing waves. In that moment, it was easy to imagine how terrifying it would be to see a dinosaur emerge from the sea to snatch its prey. It was easy to imagine how a ship would get misdirected and crash against unseen rocks. It was easy to see how dangerous it would be out on the ocean in that storm.

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of respect and adoration the ocean gives. It is both beautiful but at the same time dangerous.

In a separate post I made about creepy corridors, I briefly talk about how vulnerable it can feel to be on a boat in the middle of the ocean. At night when I slept listening to the motor of the ship humming in its belly, I wondered what I would do if the engine stopped, or if I would hear the squeal of metal, or if the alert sounded in the middle of the night. Needless to say it took some time to sleep the first couple of nights. During the day the ocean provided a beautiful picturesque paradise and I absolutely adored being able to watch the ship break through the waves. At night however it could be alarming to look out during a storm and see only empty ocean in every direction. (The stargazing, however, was incredible.)

Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash

I loved going to the beach, going on cruises, and appreciating the ocean (back when I could), but it’s good to have a healthy respect for it too. Movies and pictures don’t quite grasp the chilling emptiness that comes from looking out at a black, stormy ocean and realizing that anything could be out there.

Or maybe that’s just my love of monsters talking…

Do you have any creepy stories about the ocean that you’ve experienced? Do you know of any other places you want me to tackle in my horror analyses? Let me know below!

Speaking of monsters, I recently wrote a horror short story with mermaids and pirates titled “The Mermaid’s Kiss”. Expect to see more about it soon. Make sure you subscribe to my mailing list to get all the latest updates about my writing including a sort-of-secret project I’m working on.