Autographed, Creepy-Ass Books at Chapter & Hearth Booksellers

Chapter & Hearth Booksellers, in nearby Collinsville, Virginia, has picked up autographed copies of several of my books, and they're doing a bang-up job promoting them, which I so appreciate. Currently, they have The House at Black Tooth Pond, Gods of Moab, Blue Devil Island, and The Lebo Coven. Chapter & Hearth is located at 3408 Virginia Avenue, Suite 2, Collinsville, VA 24078, (276) 352-5117, and open Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. I love this shop!

It's cozy, comfortable, and has all the character of the best neighborhood bookstores from their heyday — not to mention a fine selection of books! If you love books, and you're anywhere in traveling distance, I strongly recommend that you stop in!

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THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND
Stephen Mark Rainey delivers a chilling Appalachian tale steeped in atmosphere and creeping dread. The House at Black Tooth Pond follows the unsettling mysteries surrounding an isolated home and the dark history embedded in the surrounding woods. Rainey’s signature slow‑burn tension and vivid sense of place make this one of his most haunting works. Our in‑store copies are signed by the author, making this eerie novel a perfect addition for collectors and horror fans alike.

THE GODS OF MOAB
In The Gods of Moab, Stephen Mark Rainey blends Appalachian dread with cosmic horror, pulling readers into a remote mountain community where ancient forces stir beneath the surface of everyday life. The novel builds a slow, unnerving tension as characters confront otherworldly menace and unsettling revelations that challenge their grip on reality. Rich with folklore, psychological unraveling, and that signature Rainey atmosphere, this is a gripping descent into mythic terror. Our signed copies make an exceptional addition for collectors and fans of dark, immersive storytelling.

BLUE DEVIL ISLAND
Set against the backdrop of WWII, Blue Devil Island blends military suspense with Lovecraftian terror as a squadron of soldiers encounters something far more sinister than enemy forces. Mark Rainey’s mastery of claustrophobic tension and otherworldly menace turns this remote island into a nightmare landscape. These signed editions offer readers a gripping mix of historical adventure and cosmic horror — a standout for anyone who loves dread that builds page by page.

THE LEBO COVEN
In The Lebo Coven, Mark Rainey taps into dark rural folklore and the shadowy traditions of a small Appalachian community. Witchcraft, ritualistic secrets, and ancestral darkness converge in a story that feels both timeless and deeply unsettling. The novel’s slow‑building supernatural tension makes it a perfect read for fans of occult horror. Our signed copies highlight Rainey’s local roots and give collectors a chance to own a piece of Martinsville’s horror legacy.

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Thanks, Ed & Mitch at Chapter & Hearth, for all your support!

Distant Early Warning: BROKEN BARRIERS....

I am excited to announce that have delivered the final files for Broken Barriers, my sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond, to Crossroad Press, so it should be up for pre-order very soon. The release date hasn't been set yet, but I anticipate it for later this year or very early next. The image above is one I created for the book's interior, and I will post the cover (featuring art by J. Edward Neill) as soon as it's up for pre-order.

 

Here's a little teaser...

BROKEN BARRIERS
The compelling sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond

SIX WEEKS AGO: A series of horrific events rocked the small, mountain community of Aiken Mill, Virginia — a horrifically mutilated body vanishing from the town morgue and numerous prominent individuals going missing without a trace — leaving both local and Federal law enforcement agencies baffled.

NOW: Celeste Muir, a former FBI agent with extensive experience in paranormal phenomena, allies herself with Aiken Mill Sheriff Bryce Parrott to face the unknown forces that have terrorized the town.

Enter Leo Bray. A sinister, grotesque stranger who appears to know more than anyone should about the recent calamities. Every person he contacts first suffers anxiety, followed by hallucinations, and then uncanny visions of other worlds. Other dimensions.

With their every step forward, Agent Muir and Sheriff Parrott encounter ever-more menacing terrors. Who is Leo Bray? What is his connection with the dire events plaguing the community? And what new, vast horror is stirring at Black Tooth Pond — a dark, legend-haunted body of water hidden deep in the surrounding forest?

Time is running out for the people of Aiken Mill.

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Read More About BROKEN BARRIERS
at stephenmarkrainey.com

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“Stephen Mark Rainey is the only writer whose prose ever gave me an actual thrill of fear. In Broken Barriers, he takes us back to the town of Aiken Mill for his own style of combined Lovecraftian and Appalachian horror. The plot hurtles along, gripping the reader with damn near unbearable tension as the characters scramble to make sense of the horror overwhelming the sleepy college town. I sure stayed up way too late, unable to turn the pages fast enough.”

—Matthew Carpenter, The Lovecraft eZine

“The cry of the whippoorwill is not what it seems, investigators are baffled, and the town of Aiken Mill—often known as ‵the cold case capital of the world´—holds ancient, terrifying secrets. Cosmic horror readers will devour this sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond.”

—Mike Davis, The Lovecraft eZine

“A new novel from Stephen Mark Rainey is always cause for celebration, and Broken Barriers, a direct sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond, does not disappoint. Rainey’s story is full of subtle wit and creeping dread, sitting somewhere near the intersection of Twin Peaks, The X-Files, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Kingdom of Nye. I had a blast.”

—K. L. Young, author of The Secret Language of Spiders and others

Todd Keisling's THE SUNDOWNER'S DANCE

Todd Keisling's The Sundowner's Dance is one of the best audiobooks I've listened to in ages. It's nice to have "mature" characters as the key players, and the characterizations feel spot-on. Malcolm Hillgartner's narration is also perfect — his voice captures each character believably and consistently, without ridiculous affectations that can ruin an otherwise good storyline. The plot unfolds slowly but with increasing tension, so it never feels bogged down — and the creep factor moves gradually from subtle to off the charts. A wonderful example of character-driven cosmic horror, and highly recommended.

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Todd Keisling's The Sundowner's Dance at Amazon.com

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New Freebie: "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story"

I've put up a new freebie on my website — "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story," a tale of cosmic horror set in the Pacific during WWII. This one originally appeared in the Dark Tales anthology Dead But Dreaming in 2001. (There are also several other stories on the site you may check out if you wish.) Available as a PDF or ePub file.

 

This story is a companion piece to another WII story, titled "The Children of Burma," which originally appeared in The Spook magazine, also in 2001. I have made it available as a freebie in the past, and I'll no doubt do so again in the upcoming days.

If you enjoy these tales, please let me know. Use the "Contact Me" link at my website — The Realm of Stephen Mark Rainey (www.stephenmarkrainey.com).

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Grab "Epiphany: A Flying Tiger's Story" here

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BALAK (Revised Edition) Now Available

The new, revised edition of Balak is now available from Crossroad Press/Macabre Ink in ebook and paperback. (The audiobook is the original version.)

"This revised edition of Stephen Mark Rainey’s first novel, Balak (originally written in 1992), offers a cleaner version of the text and includes some alterations to unify it with numerous other works that define the author’s unique, four-decade-old mythos."

About Balak...

Two years ago, Claire Challis’s four-year-old son disappeared without a trace. Now, on a cold winter morning, a neighbor’s child vanishes outside her apartment. The subsequent police investigation turns up no clues.

Claire encounters a strange priest. An ancient church that seems to be the site of unspeakable rituals. A shadowy figure that seems to appear and disappear at will. And now, Claire finds herself at the center of a web of intrigue—and in fear for her life. Still, she is determined to learn the truth behind the abductions and learn once and for all the fate of her missing son.

As she delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, Claire realizes that her quest may lead her not to the truth she seeks, but to a place of madness, horror, and agony beyond her wildest imaginings.

Cover art by M. Wayne Miller.

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Order Balak from Amazon.com

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THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND for Christmas?

As many of my readers already know, I'm currently working on the sequel to my novel, The House at Black Tooth Pond, which came out earlier this year. So, if you haven't already read the original novel, I think you really otter! It's a fun blend of folk and cosmic horror, available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook (narrated by the inimitable Joshua Saxon) from Crossroad Press.

Why not scare the pants off somebody you love (or loathe) for Christmas? It's what I'd do!

 

"Stephen Mark Rainey brings Lovecraftian horror to rural Virginia in this chilling tale...the grounded and believable characterization of his protagonists makes suspending disbelief easy. This is cosmic horror done right.”

—Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

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More info and ordering links for
The House at Black Tooth Pond here

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Hellnotes Review of THE NIGHTMARE FRONTIER

"The pacing was flawless, the characters are a realistic cross-section of Appalachian townspeople, and the story kept me emotionally invested the entire way through. You may like, love, or hate the characters, but you will always have strong feelings regarding each of them. And that, my friends, is true brilliance."

It's always nice to see a complimentary review of one of my novels, and Carson Buckingham delivers one in Hellnotes to make me blush bigtime. Check it out... and check out The Nightmare Frontier, in ebook, audiobook, and now in paperback from Crossroad Press.

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Read Carson Buckingham's Full Review of The Nightmare Fronter Here

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THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND... More to Come?

"Stephen Mark Rainey brings Lovecraftian horror to rural Virginia in this chilling tale...
the grounded
and believable characterization of his protagonists makes suspending disbelief easy. This is cosmic horror done right!”

—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

I've had far more than customary feedback from readers wondering whether I might consider writing a sequel to The House at Black Tooth Pond. Well...as a matter of fact, I've decided to more than consider it. I'm plotting it as we speak. I guess that's why I've been feeling creeped out for a few days because it's....well, creepy. Link to the book in the first comment. If you haven't checked it out, please do! Available as ebook, paperback, and audiobook.

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Order The House at Black Tooth Pond
from Amazon.com

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Distant Early Warning: The Year of the Fugue Devil

If you know about the Fugue Devil, it knows about you. If you see the Fugue Devil, it will come for you.

My novelette, "The Fugue Devil," is the cornerstone story of my fiction collection Fugue Devil: Resurgence, published in 2022 by Black Raven Books. The novelette (and its sequel, "The Devil's Eye") are built on the premise that many decades ago, summoned by the power of music, the Fugue Devil—a dreadful, malevolent entity from another place—entered our world.

Every seventeen years, in Sylvan County, Virginia, on the Autumn Equinox, the Fugue Devil appears to satiate its hunger for unsuspecting souls. The events of the original tale occur in 1974, those in "The Devil's Eye" in 1991, and in various other of my works, there are suggestions that something terrible happened in the designated area in 2008. Well, guess what. It's 2025, so this is the year the Fugue Devil is set to appear again on the Autumn Equinox, which falls on September 22.

Fugue Devil: Resurgence features the two "Fugue Devil" novelettes, along with seventeen other stories, many of which are set in the same continuity. What a great year to visit (or perhaps even revisit) the Fugue Devil! Not only that, my novels, The Lebo Coven (2004) and The House at Black Tooth Pond (recently released from Macabre Ink/Crossroad Press), as well as numerous other tales of mine, share common themes, settings, and characters with the world of the Fugue Devil, so allow me to invite you to visit legend-haunted Sylvan County and the towns of Aiken Mill ("The Cold Case Capital of the World"), Beckham, and Barren Creek.

It's a dark and chilling place, but I think you will enjoy your visit. You may also read about the genesis of "The Fugue Devil" in an older blog entry, "The Equinox Devil," here.

Click on the book covers to order from Amazon.com.

 

THE NIGHTMARE FRONTIER Now Available in Paperback!

Please allow me to interrupt the day's more critical issues (over which I've been venting my brain perhaps more than most people want to hear) to inform you that my 2010 novel, The Nightmare Frontier, up until now available in ebook and audiobook format, is now out as a trade paperback from Macabre Ink/Crossroad Press. Back in the day, this one had something of a quiet release and never gained as much attraction as I feel it deserved. It's a novel I'm rather fond of—something of a melange of folk and cosmic horror, set in rural West Virginia. The paperback contains a few general revisions and corrects a handful of errors present in the original release. Here's a little summary for you:

The town of Silver Ridge, West Virginia, has disappeared from the face of the earth.

A vast chasm prevents any living soul from crossing into the community. From above, only an impenetrable layer of mist marks the spot where the town had existed. Inside Silver Ridge, the nightmare is just beginning.

 

Confined by this unimaginable barrier, the townspeople find themselves confronted by the denizens of a distant dimension: horrifying creatures that intend to transform the valley town into an outpost hospitable to their existence. To these extra-dimensional travelers, human beings are nothing more than pests to be exterminated.

Russ Copeland and Debra Harrington are determined to resist… but as they face death to restore Silver Ridge to its rightful place on Earth, they find that their true enemy may not be the incomprehensible invaders, but an insidious evil whose origin is closer to home than they can imagine.

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“REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS LIKE to read a horror novel that actually made you sweat with dread and your hand shake ever-so-slightly as you turned the page? Remember what it was like to feel your heart thud against your chest as the plight of the characters became your own? Stephen Mark Rainey’s The Nightmare Frontier delivers the goods. This is the Good, Real Stuff. From its powerful opening in the jungles of Vietnam to its nerve-wracking finale, this novel never releases its grip on the reader’s nerves, brains, and heart.”—Gary A. Braunbeck, author of In Silent Graves, Things Left Behind, and others

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The paperback—the backcover and interior of which I was pleased to be able to design myself—is only $13.99 and available NOW. Please check it out!

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Order The Nightmare Frontier in Paperback from Amazon.com

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THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND—A Starred Review in Publishers Weekly!

WOOT! Publishers Weekly gives my newest novel, The House at Black Tooth Pond, a starred review.

“Rainey brings Lovecraftian horror to rural Virginia in this chilling tale...the grounded and believable characterization of his protagonists makes suspending disbelief easy. This is cosmic horror done right.” Publishers Weekly

I know this week falls in the middle of the Amazon boycott, but if you'd like an autographed copy of the paperback, just shoot me an email at mark (at) stephenmarkrainey (dot) com, and I can almost certainly accommodate you. The audiobook has just come out from Audible, narrated by the inimitable Joshua Saxon; so when the boycott is over, please avail yourself...

In the meantime, here is a list of retailers where you can buy the ebook.

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The House at Black Tooth Pond Review at Publishers Weekly

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For a Limited Time! Blue Devil Island Kindle Edition Is 99¢

FOR A LIMITED TIME...
Publisher Crossroad Press is offering the Kindle edition of my WWII novel, Blue Devil Island, for only 99¢. You can spend a buck, get yourself an exciting book to keep you busy for a coupla days, and still have enough to snag yourself a cold one or two.

THE STORY

AUTUMN, 1943: The beginning of the American offensive against the Japanese in the South Pacific. Just west of the Solomon Islands lies a remote, desert island called Conquest, where the U.S. Navy stations a new fighting squadron, led by Lieutenant Commander Drew McLachlan, an ace pilot and veteran of the Battle of Coral Sea.

With his group of air warriors, who call themselves the Blue Devils, McLachlan soars into frequent combat with the Japanese, inflicting serious casualties upon the enemy. However, on the squadron's island home, signs appear that it may not be entirely alone, for in nearby volcanic caves, McLachlan finds evidence of habitation by unknown natives — natives that resemble no known living race, and that may yet exist in the mysterious subterranean catacombs. As the tension on the island mounts, McLachlan is forced to fight on two fronts: against their known enemy, the Japanese, and an unknown, predatory force that leaves mutilated victims as the only evidence of its presence.

As the Solomons campaign enters into its final skirmishes, the Japanese, at last, turn their attention to Conquest Island. In the final conflict, the Blue Devils find themselves the target of an overwhelming assault by the desperate Imperial Japanese forces—and McLachlan must face the reality that the key to his men’s survival lies deep in the dark and deadly caves of Conquest Island itself.

"Rainey skillfully mixes military fiction with alien encounters to present a fast-paced tale of wartime heroics and unearthly terrors. Blue Devil Island is a good selection for large science-fiction or horror collections."—Library Journal

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Buy the Kindle Edition of Blue Devil Island

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Coming in February 2025: THE HOUSE AT BLACK TOOTH POND

“Welcome to Aiken Mill, Virginia—The Cold Case Capital of the World.”
My new novel, The House at Black Tooth Pond, is scheduled for release by Macabre Ink (the horror imprint of Crossroad Press) in February 2025...and yes, I have the excitement!

AIKEN MILL, VA: A legend-haunted town in Sylvan County, located in a remote mountainous corner of the state. Now, a mutilated body has turned up in the town. During his investigation, Sheriff Bryce Parrott discovers frightening clues that lead him to believe that some inhuman force may be responsible for the killing.

While exploring the darkest corners of Sylvan County, psychology professor Martin Pritchett and his brother, Phillip, happen upon a crumbling, century-old house beside a body of water called Black Tooth Pond. A strange compulsion leads both men back to the house time and time again, but neither can remember any of the events that occur there.

As both Sheriff Parrott and the Pritchett brothers attempt to solve their respective mysteries, their paths begin to converge — paths that lead directly to the ancient, foreboding house at Black Tooth Pond.

Pre-orders will be available very soon. Stay tuned for more... much more!... about The House at Black Tooth Pond!

"Stephen Mark Rainey's talent is on display here like never before. His masterful use of imagery transported me to shadow-haunted Sylvan County. I heard the eerie cry of the whippoorwill, that cry that marks the presence of the evil entity that roams the woods and lurks within the walls of the house at Black Tooth Pond. You will hear it, too."—Mike Davis, The Lovecraft eZine

Cover art by J. Edward Neill; pen & ink rendering by me, circa 1990, of the actual house that is the basis for the setting in this novel.

The Fisherman by John Langan

John Langan's The Fisherman is what I would call a genuine weird tale, an appealing blend of cosmic and folk horror in an epic-sized novel. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Danny Campbell, whose spot-on presentation made for an engaging, oftentimes gripping listening experience.

The Fisherman, as has been frequently noted, unfolds with slow deliberation, establishing character and atmosphere with vivid, colorful prose. The story opens with narrator Abe, a recent widower, becoming enamored of fishing. He develops a friendship with one of his co-workers, Dan, who is also a recent widower. Together, they share a few enjoyable outings at various rivers and creeks throughout upstate New York, and eventually seek out a new location for a fishing trip, the innocently named Dutchman's Creek, which connects the century-old Ashokan Reservoir with the Hudson River.

At this point, the novel becomes a narrative within a narrative by way of a story related to Abe and Dan by one "Howard" at a local diner (Langan's description of Howard's physical resemblance to H.P. Lovecraft is hardly coincidental). Howard relates the lengthy story of several families in the early twentieth century, whose lives are intertwined by their connections to the construction of the reservoir. Suffice it to say that complications of the preternatural variety affect each of the characters, oftentimes to profound degrees.

This secondary narrative initially feels more than a bit jarring because it interrupts the story's dramatic flow at what seems an inopportune moment and, rather unexpectedly, becomes the novel's lengthier and deeper focus. Still, once past my initial bemusement, I became immersed in the wandering, sometimes unsettling detour. The narrative's beats in many ways echo those of Lovecraft's "The Colour Out of Space," although Langan presents us with far more kinetic action than Lovecraft would have ever dreamed of penning, while also imbuing his characters with greater depth and poignancy than any the Old Gent ever seemed capable of conceiving.

Eventually, this verbally related "folk tale" finds its climax, and attention returns to Abe and Dan, whose ventures into the land around Dutchman's Creek begin to mesh with those in Howard's tale. Make no mistake, that Howard could have told such a lengthy, detailed account from such an earlier time defies logic, and Langan addresses this issue with masterful aplomb. The now-continued primary narrative spins its own web of disturbing threads that finally lead to a wonderfully satisfying conclusion, creating what I would call a story far stronger than the sum of its various parts. While not what I would call a perfect novel, The Fisherman hits enough perfect notes throughout its length that it could indeed be considered a pivotal work in the realm of cosmic horror.

Four and a half out of five Damned Rodan's Dirty Firetinis.

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The Fisherman by John Langan
at Amazon.com

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The Gods of Moab Now Available in Paperback!

The Gods of Moab is a novella I wrote in 2012, and since then it's been available only as an ebook. I've had enough queries over the years about whether I might consider releasing it as a paperback that I finally decided to just jump in and do it. So... 'tis here!

  

"A pleasant New Year's Eve outing becomes an experience in otherworldly horror when two close-knit couples discover a shocking secret in the darkest corners of the Appalachian mountains. At an opulent mountain inn, Warren Burr, his fiancee, Anne, and their friends, Roger and Kristin Leverman, encounter a religious zealot named John Hanger, who makes it his business to bear witness to them of his peculiar... and disturbing... faith. His efforts rebuffed, Hanger insidiously assumes control of the couples' technological devices, leading them to stumble into unexpected, surreal landscapes... landscapes inhabited by nightmarish beings that defy explanation and rationality. To return to the world they thought they knew, Warren and his friends must not only escape the deadly entities that pursue them but somehow stop John Hanger's nightmare-plague from spreading to the outside world."

The Gods of Moab is a frightening novella by Stephen Mark Rainey, acclaimed author of Balak, Blue Devil Island, Other Gods, The Nightmare Frontier, and editor of the award-winning Deathrealm magazine and best-selling Deathrealm: Spirits anthology.

"After devouring The Gods of Moab in one short sitting, this novella has not only become my favorite work by the author, it has become one of my favorite reads of the year. Rainey balances his supernatural frights with the natural, and it works beautifully. From the first page to its mind-bending final sentences, The Gods of Moab will have readers wide-eyed and enthralled." —TTZuma, HorrorWorld

 

I plan to have copies available at my Magnolia & Main Booksigning on July 20; at NecronomiCon in Providence, RI, August 15–18; and the Spencer-Penn Centre Local Authors Booksigning Event on September 21. You know I'll post updates as necessary!

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Order The Gods of Moab from Amazon.com here!

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How to Thoroughly Devalue the Limited Edition of Your Upcoming Book

In my case, sign the signature sheets.

Done, and shipped back to the publisher. In fact, cover artist Wayne Miller and I met for dinner last night, and he signed the sheets for the lettered edition. So Other Gods is that much closer to completion, and I expect that by May it will be running loose on the streets. Almost certainly, I will have copies to take to Mo*Con with me in June. I can bean unsuspecting passersby with them.*

*For this activity, I shall require the hardcover edition.

UDDER GODS now up for pre-order

Moooo yeah! Ready for pre-order, my upcoming collection of very scowy tales from Dark Regions.

Ye olde book description:
"Spanning a career of over 20 years, the 16 tales in Stephen Mark Rainey's Other Gods depict an alluring yet macabre world, rendered by one of the horror genre's most vivid imaginations. With settings ranging from the remote backwoods of Virginia to the urban wilderness of Chicago, the veneer of Rainey's world appears familiar, even comforting; yet, beneath its surface, ancient, malignant powers lurk, ready to spring forth and destroy any who discover them. Laced with humor and recounted by a captivating voice, the tales in Other Gods wait for you with open arms—but beware, for they are also laden with darkness. And in that darkness, danger waits."

What one scary writer says:
"Stephen Mark Rainey is a master at grounding horror and terror in a time and place. His stories are effective because he understands character, as well as the motivations of both his people and his monsters. And, in a field often tinged with cynicism, Rainey shows us that monsters can also be fun. One of our best contemporary storytellers."

—Scott Nicholson, author of They Hunger

Available in three editions:
Lettered hardcover, signed by author and cover artist Wayne Miller ($150.00)
Limited edition signed hardcover ($45.00)
Trade paperback ($19.95)

P.S. There aren't really any cows in this book. Sorry.

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Order Other Gods from Amazon.com

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On the Auction Block

One of the schools in Martinsville is having a fund-raising auction, so I offered to donate a copy of The Last Trumpet in case there are bidders with sturdy hearts. As it turns out, it's not just the book on the block; I go along with it. A reading, a little dinner party, and a whole lotta horror. Sounds like fun, so I hope some brave soul will put up a bid.

I've been sick with a nasty flu bug all week long. I took a flu shot in the fall, but I hear the strain that's going around tends to laugh at such feeble precautions. It's been a bad one—high fever, aches, lots of congestion. Yesterday, I couldn't even get out of bed without losing my balance. Much stronger today, and the congestion is slowly clearing up, but I'm still a long way from a hundred percent. Man, I don't remember getting so sick with these bugs in my younger years. Sometimes this aging business really doesn't sit well with me. Peg's been doing poorly this week too, but hopefully the weekend will help turn things around. Allison's coming home for a visit, so that'll either do our spirits good or push us over the brink of insanity.