Book Announcement: “OLD DARK HOUSES: A HALLOWEEN NOVEL” by Tylor James Available for PREORDER late September!

It is my sheer thrill and delight to announce that my debut novel, “OLD DARK HOUSES: A HALLOWEEN NOVEL” shall be available for preorder this late-September. It is described, quite accurately, as “a love letter to Halloween”, and features glorious, full-color illustrations from the talented artist, Luke Spooner. It’ll be published by WEIRD HOUSE PRESS, in a hardcover deluxe edition (Signed and Lettered, with THREE additional Halloween tales and one Halloween poem) all of which is housed within a most elegant slipcase . . . with, of course, a trade paperback to follow!

Here’s a brief description of the whimsical, macabre tale readers are in for:

Beware—the Dark Three!

Bannatyne House lurks in the East, Morton Manor lies to the West, and the legendary Vallancy Mansion looms beyond the Northwoods. All are fated for immediate demolition—that is until Charles Vallancy, a vengeful and vainglorious ghost, returns from the grave to preserve what is rightfully his—the Vallancy Mansion.

On Halloween night, he creates a glorious supernatural effulgence to beam from out every window of the houses. Tragically, trick-or-treaters are drawn like moths-to-flame . . . soon lost inside the houses, all the little devils and demons, witches and warlocks, ghosts and ghouls are sapped of youth—their flesh wrinkles and sags, their hearts slow, and their memories fade . . . meanwhile, The Dark Three refurbish themselves into Gothic Perfection.

Decrepit walls stand a little taller. Fractured windows miraculously mend into polished glass. The old dark houses return to life—even growing brains, hearts, and harboring blood beneath their faded Victorian wallpaper.

Concerned parents flood the streets and police arrive with battering rams—yet no window shall break, and no door shall unlock. Now, it is up to local town historian, Patty Keepwell, to team up with her neighbors in the desperate attempt to rescue the children of Sweet Hollow.

Old Dark Houses is a love letter to Halloween. So put on your masks and make-up, and open wide your candy bags. You’re in for a treat . . . and many a trick!

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The preorder shall be up in a few weeks! In the meantime, here is some very kind praise for my Work:

“There are transportive and transformative powers in Tylor James’s writing. No matter when you’re reading, you’ll hear the crunch of multicolored leaves under foot, smell warm mugs of piping hot cocoa blending with campfire smoke, and feel a chill breeze across the back of your neck. This autumnal summoning reaches its apex in Old Dark Houses, a Halloween-time love letter that will have you seeing Jack O’Lanterns on every corner. As it should be.”
Patrick Barb, author of Pre-Approved for Haunting and Other Stories.

“To read Tylor James’ fiction is to feel all the dread and elation of getting lost in a carnival house of mirrors. Shadows, grotesque figures, swirls of melody and light; if you manage to find your way out, you’ll want to turn around and run right back in.”
Jacqueline Holland, author of The God of Endings.

“Tylor James is one of the most exciting new authors working the field of speculative fiction. His prose is smart, scary, witty, and often threaded with the florid idiom of the classics while keeping a keen eye on the pitfalls and struggles of contemporary life. James is one of those rare, honest storytellers always seeking the truth at the core of experience, and his characters and narratives reflect the journey of a discerning and intelligent author. A true poet of the weird, and a writer I greatly admire.”
Joshua Rex, author of The Inamorta, and The Descent & Other Strange Stories.

“Tylor James is a modern shaman, weaving dark miracles by firelight. A writer to watch, this consummate storyteller evokes both terror and awe in poetical reworkings of classic horror themes. An author who cares about his craft . . . and hears the wisdom of shadows.”
William P. Simmons (bestselling author of The Halloween Boy & Other October Horrors).