THE WISDOM OF LOONS
by Jeff Dennis 

THE WISDOM OF LOONS is the story of Cal Blevins and Lauren Talbot, two middle-aged people who meet and fall in love at Lake McDowell in the North Georgia mountains. As their fateful affair progresses, they begin to experience supernatural happenings. Cal and Lauren begin to think that the lake resort is haunted, possibly by the ghosts of the Cherokee, who have inhabited these parts for centuries. And then there is Lauren's stroke-addled father, Edgar. Lauren has brought her handicapped father to the lake for his emotional well-being. Edgar develops a strange obsession with the loons that populate the lake, which adds to caregiver Lauren's frustrations. Her father persists in doing loon calls at all hours of the night, claiming he has an insight into the nocturnal birds and that the loons on the lake are actually an integral part of many ancient Cherokee spiritual rites.

THE WISDOM OF LOONS is a romantic dark fantasy with a triple-twist ending that will have you thinking about the story and characters long after you read the final sentence. Readers have referred to the novel as "Stephen King Meets Nicholas Sparks" and "Like 'On Golden Pond' with ghosts." To see more comments by Amazon readers, click Amazon Reviews.

To order THE WISDOM OF LOONS, click Order Loons.

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NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT

NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT is a short story anthology featuring fiction from the fevered imaginations of 19 authors. This is subtle dark fantasy at its finest, 19 stories that examine life beyond the everyday experience.

EXCERPTS: 

     “... My aunt is known throughout the island as an hechicera.”
     “My Spanish isn't that great but doesn't that mean witch or something?”
     “Goodness no, she's not a bruja. Your Spanish really is lousy. Loosely translated, hechicera means a wizard or a sorceress.”

          —  from “The Hechicera’s Ace” by John Russo

     But Pa was strong, and lickety-quick, and somehow he’d got hold of her hands and told her to be still now, he’s gonna pull her right out, like a splinter from a finger. But suddenly something flashed beneath the ice. Danny could see it just under the thin crust. Something silver and moving faster than Frank’s old jalopy along Suicide Road, heading right for Pa and Sarah. And then ...

           —  from “Silver River” by Kathryne Kennedy

     The tallest one opened its mouth, its yawn revealing a long red tongue and two rows of teeth.
     “Teeth in a bird? My god!”
     Their wide leathery wings reminded Carl of a hideous paperback book cover he’d seen. A colorful drawing of a pterodactyl.

          —  from “Dancing In the Shadows” by Gabriele Enyart

To order on Amazon, and see what readers are saying about this book, click Order Anthology on Amazon.

To order NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT from our Website, click Order Anthology.

COMING IN 2010-2011

from Nightbird Publishing

FEBRUARY 2010 - DRISCOLL'S EYE by John Russo

John Russo is the author of four novels:

THE BENNIE ARNOLDO FILE — 2003 Five Star Publishing

INDIAN GIVERS — 2005 Infinity Publishing

THE VANDENBERG DIAMONDS — 2006 Twilight Times Books

MURDER ON THE CORAL QUEEN — 2008 Infinity Publishing

John also authored the lead story—"The Hechicera's Ace"—in our recently published short fiction anthology, NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT. In coming weeks, we will post excerpts from the novel. 

JUNE 2010 - SEA BEGGAR by Tracy Rud

OCTOBER 2010 - THE DEADEATERS by Gabriele Enyart

THE DEADEATERS offers a touch of Michael Crichton’s edgy science and whispers of Stephen King's and Dean Koontz's dark literary visions. New Jersey author Gabriele Enyart's first novel promises to be a must read for genre enthusiasts.

In 1263, a Mongol slave chronicles the massacre of his cavalry unit by mysterious creatures on ‘The Deadeaters Pass.’

Switch to current day and the search for what might be offspring of those same ancient Mongolian creatures. Offered the ‘once in a lifetime job’ of the curatorship of deep cave dwelling (hybrid) creatures, paleobiologist Dr. Danny DuWahr is torn and conflicted. He has sworn, “I’ll never cave again!” The scientist must assist in the capture of these creatures with the infamous South African trapper, Dieter Rork. The stigma of the disastrous underground ‘Hobbit Project’ years before follows the scientist like a curse. His two friends vanished, presumably drowned. 

But soon it is discovered that these creatures are fleeing the safe sanctuary of their underground caves and coming to the surface. Another discovery soon follows. These creatures could be a valuable resource. Their dung contains gold grains. DuWahr's employer intends on cashing in by harvesting this ‘golden geese’ bonanza.

A government agency (The SIR Project) has tracked the surviving populations and has been unable to find a reason for their fleeing from the depths. A necropsy of an adult creature by famed entomologist Dr. Samantha Ennis reveals a disquieting physiology. 

A Mongol cavalry massacre, deep Indonesian caves, a plethora of mysterious creatures makes for a satisfying read. A park ranger intent on their annihilation, a secret Federal Agency tracking their movements, and an oil tycoon determined to capture these gold producing entities enhances the work. The story receives an extra tenebrous jolt when we discover the creatures are not what we think they are and there is a monstrous reason for their racing to the surface.

Gabriele's short story, "Dancing In the Shadows" appears in our anthology, NIGHTBIRD SINGING IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT.

FEBRUARY 2011 - DIABLERO by Toby Tate

DIABLERO is a supernatural thriller incorporating elements of the horror and action/adventure genres. The novel draws on folklore from the death of Edward Teach and the tales of the Death Defier (Diablero), and H.P. Lovecraft to weave a story of suspense and terror. There's humor, as well, hiding in the dark corners.

Far beneath the waters off Ocracoke Island, North Carolina, an ancient evil is awakened and an archeologist’s dream suddenly becomes the world’s nightmare. A small town reporter and his wife try to put the pieces of their lives back together after losing their unborn child, and soon find themselves thrust headlong into the midst of bizarre and terrifying events neither of them could have predicted.

From the dark forests of the Great Dismal Swamp to the underground caverns of Cat Island in the Caribbean, the reanimated body of Blackbeard the Pirate moves with blind fury and a single-minded purpose ... to open the gates of Hell on an unsuspecting world. One man knows the true secret of Diablero, and he must be found before time runs out, not only for those who seek to stop the demon, but for the entire human race.

Toby Tate is a full-time journalist at a daily newspaper in North Carolina and has been published in The Pedestal Magazine, Scary Monsters Magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, and more. Toby is also a musician, songwriter, audio engineer and graphic designer. DIABLERO is his first novel.