horror

The Return of The Wolf – Out Now

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I am thrilled to announce that my new book The Return of The Wolf is Out Now and available to buy on Amazon!

The sequel to my books The Wolf in Me, The Wolf in You, and The Wolf in Us, The Return of The Wolf also sees the return of my werewolf protagonist Olivia Hunter.

After stepping through a doorway to another universe, to start a new life with her daughter, Melissa, and her husband, Vega – The Vampire King – Olivia Hunter returns to her own universe with the harrowing news that her daughter and her husband have been murdered by a vampire from the other universe who also refers to himself as “The Vampire King”.

Not only does Olivia Hunter find it hard to come to terms with the loss of her daughter and her husband, but she also has to face an unfathomable identity crisis in which she not only has to continue to question what it means to be a werewolf, but also how another version of herself – from another version of the universe – may be able to help her find a way to find peace, connection, as well as help her enact revenge against the one who has taken from her what she loves the most in this world.

Nothing and no one can stand in the way of Olivia Hunter and The Wolf from doing what must be done.

The Return of The Wolf is a thrilling, shocking, sometimes harrowing, but inspiring continuing story of a woman cursed not only by being a werewolf but also with an unparalleled tenacity, determination, and strength. And in this story, not only does Olivia seeks answers but she also seeks vengeance for the loses that she has to live with.

You can get your copy of The Return of The Wolf in hardback and as an ebook from Amazon now!

Vega – The Vampire King – republished

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Get your copy of the new republished, hardback, version of my book ‘Vega – The Vampire King’!

Originally published in 2021, ‘Vega – The Vampire King’ is the backstory of Vega, “The Vampire King”, who was first introduced in my book ‘The Wolf in You’, and essentially tells the tale of his origin story: where he came from, who he was, what he has had to live through, and how he ultimately became the leader of all the vampires on Earth.

Within ‘Vega – The Vampire King’, you discover that Vega has been who and what he is for a long time, and over the centuries he has encountered several other supernatural individuals – including some characters who I have written about and who have connections to other characters within my other books, namely: Olivia Hunter.

‘Vega – The Vampire King’ is a prequel, a sequel, as well as somewhat of a parallel story to the events my book ‘The Wolf in You’ and gives Vega’s perspective on his relationship and his love of Olivia Hunter – what lead him to her, what he did to protect her, and how and why he fell in love with her.

‘Vega – The Vampire King’ is essential reading if you have read my book ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’ and you want to learn more about someone who is not like any other vampire you may have read about or heard of before – because, even to those who may have heard of him, Vega, in many ways, is an enigma and a mystery, as are the best and the most interesting of characters.

You can get your copy of the new hardcover version of ‘Vega – The Vampire King’, featuring a brand new cover artwork, on Amazon now!

My book ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’

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Get your copy of my book ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’ – the new collection of my books ‘The Wolf in Me’ (originally published in 2017), ‘The Wolf in You’ (originally published in 2020), and ‘The Wolf in Us’ (originally published in 2022).

When I first began writing ‘The Wolf in You’, I started to imagine that the story that I was telling – starting from ‘The Wolf in Me’ – felt like it could one day become a trilogy of books; however, the more that I wrote, it became clear that I was creating a world of stories that I could expand upon in a variety of ways, and which would all be connected to each other and exist in the same continuity as one another: the supernatural world of werewolves, vampires, ghosts, gods, shape-shifters, and all the other interesting characters that populate many of the stories that I have written.

When I was given the opportunity to republish my books, when it came to republishing my books ‘The Wolf in Me’, ‘The Wolf in You’, and ‘The Wolf in Us’, I thought that this would be a golden opportunity to collect all three books of this trilogy of stories that I had written into one complete volume: ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’.

The books and the stories within ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’ are the tale of Olivia Hunter – a mother, a daughter, a teacher, a lover… a werewolf: the story of someone who has had to live through many different, and sometimes difficult, experiences throughout their life, but who has always overcome whatever, and whomever, they have had to face. This is also the chronicle of Vega – The Vampire King – and their love for Olivia Hunter, and what happened when two worlds collided and were forever intertwined with the destinies of The Wolf and The Vampire.

It gives me great pleasure to once again share the story of Olivia Hunter and Vega – The Vampire King – in this new 500-page hardcover collection, which allows anyone to read and experience the thrilling and epic love story of two supernatural individuals whose relationship and connection to one another would go on to have an impact upon the entire world.

You can get your copy of ‘The Wolf and The Vampire’ from Amazon now!

Short story: “The Man in Green” (2018) by Mark Hastings

Mark Hastings books, David Bowie, playing god, Podcast, Short-story , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The complete short story “The Man in Green” from Mark’s 2018 short-story collection, ‘Playing God’, about a young man by the name of Paul Arthur Newton, who, since he was a boy, has been best friends with the enigmatic, “God of the Wilderness”, Pan – who he regularly meets with and writes about in his journal, while enjoying the natural splendour of Chantry Woods, near his home. However, one day, while Paul and Pan are enjoying each others company, Paul is shown another side of Pan that concerns him – and when a “Man in White” arrives, claiming to be Pan’s father, Paul is given a opportunity to learn more about Pan, about the “Man in White”, and about why people, as well as gods, do what they do. ‘Playing God’ is a collection of “Seven stories… Seven perspectives… Seven experiences… about One Man in Black, one Man in White… Seven morality tales of one immortal Rebel, Hero, Friend, Fan, Father, Son, Playing, God”. You can read Mark’s poetry on his website http://MarkThePoet.Me, and you can purchase all of Mark’s books of poetry, short-story anthologies, and novellas on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3HjAJMC

Episode #29: “Constantine” (2005 film)

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In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2005 American superhero horror film “Constantine” directed by Francis Lawrence. Based on the DC Comics’ ‘Hellblazer’ comic book, the film stars Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, a cynical exorcist with the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons in their true form, who finds himself being drawn into the investigation of the death of a Los Angeles Police detective’s sister and while doing so uncovers a conspiracy to unleash hell on Earth. The films also stars Rachel Weisz, Shia LaBeouf, Tilda Swinton, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Djimon Hounsou, Gavin Rossdale, and Peter Stormare.

Episode #28: “Brightburn” (2019 film)

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In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2019 American superhero horror film “Brightburn” directed by David Yarovesky, written by Mark Gunn and Brian Gunn, and produced by Jamed Gunn and Kenneth Huang. The film stars Elizabeth Banks, David Denman, Jackson A. Dunn, Matt Jones and Meredith Hagner, and the plot follows Brandon Breyer, a young boy of extraterrestrial origin who grows up on Earth but comes to realize that he has superpowers.

Episode #25: “Frankenstein” (1931 film)

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In this episode Mark talks about the 1931 American science fiction horror film “Frankenstein” directed by James Whale, produced by Larmmle Jr., and adapted from 1927 play by the Peggy Webling, which in turn was based on Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel ‘Frankenstien; or The Modern Prometheus’. The film stars Colin Clive, Boris Karloff, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Dwight Frye, and Edward van Sloan.

Episode #15: “A Quiet Place, Part II” (2021 Film)

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In this episode Mark talks about one of his favourite films: the 2021 American horror film “A Quiet Place, Part II”, the sequel to the 2018 film “A Quiet Place”. The was written, produced, and directed by John Krasinski, who also appears in a flashback scene. The story continues to follow the Abbott as they attempt to survive in a post-apocalyptic world inhabited by extraterrestrial creatures who a naturally blind but who have an acute sense of hearing. The film once again stars Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, and sees Cillian Murphy join the cast as a fellow survivor who assists the Abbott family in their time of need.

My Poem “Scary Movies”

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As a child, I – like so many children do –
grew up watching so called
“scary movies”, “horror films”,
that truly scared me,
and I also watched thrilling
and occasionally comedic depictions
of fictional, supernatural and paranormal
events and characters
that made me jump, entertained me,
made my heart beat fast, made me smile,
and put me in a good mood…
films like ‘It’, ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’,
‘Jaws’, and ‘Alien’ initially effected me
on an emotional level –
however now I can appreciate
the “fright tactics” of the film-makers,
because what feeling they were
attempting to illicit in people
is what they succeeded in making
me feel quite profoundly…
I also watched such paranormal comedies,
like: ‘Ghostbusters’, ‘The Addams Family’,
‘The Munsters’, ‘Beetlejuice’ –
which were fun to watch,
enjoyable, and they did not
take their subject matter too seriously.

Even to this day, I still occasionally
watch scary movies –
and I would have to highlight
the films that take place in the
“Conjuring Universe”, that feature
fictional depictions of real-life
paranormal investigators
Ed and Lorraine Warren,
based upon documented
supernatural experiences
that occurred around the world,
as being some of the scariest,
the most thrilling, the most heart-racing,
and the most believable of any
and all of the scary movies
that I have seen recently
and the experiences that I had
of seeing them in a cinema
will forever stay with me.

If could pick just one
so called “scary movie”,
or a particular supernatural thriller,
that I believe is my favourite
of all that have been made,
I would have to choose
‘The Shining’, directed by Stanley Kubrick,
based upon the book of the same name
by the one and only “master of horror”,
Stephen King – because to me
‘The Shining’ is a masterpiece
of both storytelling and film-making
that entances you from the first
camera shot and from the first
note of music of the film’s soundtrack –
just as the original ‘Jaws’ does;
and, in my opinion, the ability
of movie-makers to be able to
take a viewer on a roller-coaster
ride of emotions, thoughts,
and feelings, while watching
something “otherworldly”,
by using all the magic of
movie-making at their disposal,
in a truly collaborative effort,
is what contributes to what makes
the most thrilling and the most scary
of thrilling and scary movies.

Happy Halloween! 🎃

My Poem ‘9/11’

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The die was cast far and wide,
the pain was felt deeply and irrevocably
on that sunny Tuesday morning,
on the Eleventh of September, 2001;
terrorists to all mankind
came out of the shadows
from where they had been hiding
and made an attack
and left a lasting scar
on all of humanity,
that to this day still pains me
even now, 14 years on.

How could anyone do such a thing?
Why? Oh my god, why?
Who would think to do such a thing?
The innocent do not deserve to die!

I mourn the lost;
I am mindful of the loved ones
and the family members
who were left behind
and who still struggle
to live and to move on,
as if nothing happened;
I still believe that the entire world
is still understandably shell-shocked;
I have been to Ground Zero,
I have stood in the place
where the shadows of
the World Trade Center still remain,
and I can honestly say that being there
where so many people lost their lives
had a profound effect on me:
the new Freedom Tower
and the pools of remembrance
that are now in place of what was once there,
in memory of the indescribable tragedy
and the massacre that took place,
will always be to me
sacred and holy ground.

I have flashed back to that day
every year since 2001;
I have imagined myself where I was,
sitting in front of my TV,
watching the news reports
of the true American horror story unfold;
I have wished many times
that what happened on that day
could somehow have been prevented
by some miracle of heaven;
I have watched the echoes
and the repercussions of what happened
on that day spread and effect
everyone and every country around the world.

I am a man of many words,
but even I struggle to put into words
the sadness that I still feel
about all the people who died
in New York City,
at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.,
in Virginia, in Pennsylvania,
and everybody who has lost their life since;
I am a man who believes
that things happen for a reason,
but I cannot, nor could I ever,
nor could anyone for that matter,
give me an acceptable justification
that would make my confusion
about the murders that were carried out
on that day in any way lessen;
no deplorable and horrific act of terrorism
like that which played out
in front of everybody
on the 11th of September, 2001,
to me could ever make sense;
I will never forget;
I will never allow the fallen to be forgotten;
I will always hold on to the memory
of my unforgettable brothers and sisters,
as I hold up my hand
and feel my heart beating in my chest;
I will always remember
the day that will always be known as 9/11.

9-11-poem