Continuing my streak of Black Lands stories appearing in Tom English’s excellent Nightmare Abbey, I’ve got a new tale out this month called “Blackwood.”

This one kind of speaks for itself. It’s a period piece, set in 1910, and an epistolary story (told in a series of letters/journal entries), about a group of burly Canadian lumberjacks who encounter a horde of vicious, blood-thirsty trees. 

It’s always great to have a new story out in the world, especially one from my Black Lands series, but this one is particularly special because it’s an idea I’ve had for several years but had been waiting for the right time to write it. Apparently that time was now, and I’m extremely grateful to Tom for publishing it in his fine magazine/anthology. 

“Blackwood” is also special because it’s part of the lead up to the publication of Sycamore, the first Black Lands novel, coming from Cemetery Dance Publications this October. 

And speaking of Sycamore, I received some great news recently that I’m excited to share. Thanks to the stellar work of my audio agent Anna Worrall and my literary agent Jack Gernert, both Sycamore and SuperNOIRtural Tales will be available in audiobook editions from Spotify! 

If you want to stay up-to-date on all Black Lands news, including the upcoming cover reveal and pre-order announcement for Sycamore, I strong recommend signing up for my newsletter. One of the previous issues includes a primer for the Black Lands, with links to all the stories currently in print. 

Stay tuned, folks! Lots more to come! 

The post “Blackwood” now available and Black Lands audiobooks first appeared on The Black Lands.

I’ve got another Black Lands story in the latest issue of Nightmare Abbey. This one is called “Tether” and it explores the idea, as I am wont to do as both a horror writer and a horror fan, of what would have happened to the Freeling family in the classic film Poltergeist if they lived in the world of the Black Lands. 

This latest batch of Black Lands stories appearing in Nightmare Abbey are thanks to its editor, Tom English, who, in addition to being a friend of mine whom I’ve worked with in the past, is also a big fan of the series. 

I’m especially excited to have this run of Black Lands stories leading up to the publication of the first Felix Renn novel this fall. Sycamore is scheduled to be published by Cemetery Dance in October, and we’re just about to get to work on the cover art, which will be done by the incredibly talented Ben Baldwin (who did the cover for the reissue of my debut collection Every House Is Haunted).

This is also a good opportunity to tell you about my newsletter, where you can find all the latest news about Sycamore and the rest of my upcoming books (there’s a lot of them!). The latest issue includes a primer for the Black Lands, with links to all the stories currently in print. Everything you need to be prepared for the arrival of Sycamore this fall. 

I’ve got a lot of other exciting Black Lands news on the horizon, so stay tuned! 

The post “Tether” now available first appeared on The Black Lands.

To say this has been a long time coming would be a very large understatement.

Every House Is Haunted was published way back in 2012, and while I’ve written several books since that time, I never knew which would be the first one I managed to sell (if any of them).

I’m glad it turned out to be Sycamore for a couple of reasons. The first, and most obvious, is that I love the book and I’m proud of it. Second, it’s the first novel in the Black Lands series, which I’ve been writing about for almost 15 years in the form of chapbooks, novellas, and short stories. Sycamore is the culmination of those stories, and I couldn’t be happier for the book — and the series — to find a home at Cemetery Dance.

My deepest thanks Kevin Lucia and Richard Chizmar for believing in me and in this series. I knew I was in good hands last year when CD published the reprint of Every House Is Haunted, and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for Sycamore and the rest of the books in the Black Lands series.

Thanks as well to my agent Jack Gernert and my manager Peter Katz, who take care of my book and tv/film business, so I can take care of MY business, which is writing books.

Thanks to my family and friends for their love and support. Most of all to my wife Kathryn, who never stopped believing in me even though I’ve had more than a few doubts about myself over the long years leading to this moment.

And last but never least, thanks to everyone who has supported my work over the years, especially those of you who have followed my continuing treks into the Black Lands. Even though I’ve told a lot of stories about that dark dimension, I can assure you I’ve saved you something special with Sycamore.

I can’t wait for you all to see it.

One final note that’s worth mentioning: in a wildly unexpected coincidence, FB Memories tells me it was 14 years ago today that the first Black Lands novella, “Temporary Monsters,” was published! Now that is some seriously cool timing!

For more information about the Sycamore deal and some other cool stuff I’ve got cooking, I recommend signing up for my newsletter.

Thanks again!

The post Sycamore sold; SuperNOIRtural Tales to be reprinted first appeared on The Black Lands.

The post Laird Barron, author of NOT A SPECK OF LIGHT first appeared on The Black Lands.

Ian’s debut novel, Family, was published by Earthling Publications. His novella, Grey, was published by PS Publishing. His short fiction has appeared in Tor.com, Cemetery Dance, and Shadows & Tall Trees.

Ian is also the author of the The Black Lands series featuring paranormal private investigator Felix Renn.

Ian lives with his wife Kathryn and their three cats in Peterborough, Ontario.

The post About the Author first appeared on The Black Lands.

The post Nick Cutter, author of THE QUEEN first appeared on The Black Lands.