MYTHS REBORN Is in the House!

Yay! My contributor copy of Myths Reborn: Modern Tales of Cryptids & Dark Folkore has arrived from October Nights Press. Edited by Kelly A. Hearty, this new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

From the Publisher: Can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home? Within the pages of this anthology, encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a new collection of reenvisioned, recontextualized myths.

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Order Myths Reborn from Amazon.com

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MYTHS REBORN Is in the Wild

NOW AVAILABLE: Myths Reborn, from October Nights Press, edited by Kelly Hearty. This new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

"You’ll ask can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home?

"In this anthology, you'll encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a unique collection of re-envisioned, re-contextualized myths."

"The Devil of Transylvania County" is set in the mountains of North Carolina and is based on one of the creepiest legends from the region, which I learned about when I was a kid at summer camp—and I hope this tale will terrify you the way the original legend did me.

As of today, Myths Reborn is available in paperback and ebook. 

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Order Myths Reborn here.

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MYTHS REBORN: Author Profile for the Old Dude

Mark Scioneaux, of October Nights Press, is posting author profiles in advance of the release of Myths Reborn, which is now available for pre-order. Here is mine, so read it and weep!

Myths Reborn Author Showcase:

Cryptid: The Wampus Cat

Stephen Mark Rainey is here with a tale that blends supernatural terror with primal fear titled "The Devil of Transylvania County."

In the misty woods of Transylvania County, North Carolina, two men make a gruesome discovery and a mysterious barrier hiding unspeakable horrors. Haunted by a creature from Cherokee folklore known as the Wampus Cat, they confront a nightmare that echoes a tragic encounter from decades past. Stephen Mark Rainey's chilling tale blends supernatural terror with primal fear in a gripping modern monster story.

Stephen Mark Rainey is the author of numerous novels, including (but not limited to) The House at Black Tooth Pond, The Nightmare Frontier, Blue Devil Island, The Lebo Coven, and Dark Shadows: Dreams of the Dark. He has written six short story collections, over 200 works of short fiction, and the scripts to several Dark Shadows audio productions. For ten years, Rainey edited the award-winning Deathrealm magazine. He has also edited various anthologies, notably Shortwave Publishing’s best-selling Deathrealm: Spirits. Rainey lives in Martinsville, Virginia, with his wife, Kimberly, and a passel of precocious housecats.

Myths Reborn, edited by Kelly Hearty, will be available in ebook, paperback, and hardback on 1/23/26.

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Pre-order Myths Reborn here.

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Coming Soon—MYTHS REBORN From October Nights Presss

Coming in early 2026—Myths Reborn, from October Nights Press, edited by Kelly Hearty. This new anthology features my story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," along with 18 other tales of cryptids, critters, long-leggedy beasties, and things that go bump in the night.

"You’ll ask can a skinwalker become the savior of two terrified young girls? How might the tale of Sasquatch be different when told from his perspective? Could a vampire exist undetected in your city or a Tatzelwurm make its way into the very walls of your home?

"In this anthology, you'll encounter cryptids and folk characters portrayed in novel and frightening ways. Nineteen talented authors breathed new life into traditional tales to create a unique collection of re-envisioned, re-contextualized myths."

"The Devil of Transylvania County" is set in the mountains of North Carolina and is based on one of the creepiest legends from the region, which I learned about when I was a kid at summer camp—and I hope this tale will terrify you the way the original legend did me.

Myths Reborn is now available for pre-order, and is slated for release on January 23, 2026.

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Pre-order Myths Reborn here.

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"The Devil of Transylvania County" to Appear in MYTHS REBORN

I'm pleased to announce that my short story, "The Devil of Transylvania County," will be appearing in the upcoming October Nights Press anthology, Myths Reborn: Modern Tales of Cryptids & Dark Folklore. It's a story of wild and wacky things that happen to some unsuspecting fellows on a fishing outing in Transylvania County, NC. More details will follow soon.

 

You can visit the October Nights Press website here, or their Facebook page here. There aren't any additional details about the book posted currently, but I'm sure it shan't be long.

A little excerpt from "The Devil of Transylvania County" for you:

"From a slow, swirling eddy of weblike mist, something was making its way toward him: a dark, loping shape at least as large as a man. No; as it drew nearer, he realized the thing had to be taller and heavier than the largest man that ever walked the earth. A pair of eyes, like emeralds lit by an inner fire, glared back at him..."