Samurai and Other Stories by William Meikle

The clowns are coming, and they're bringing their friends. Tricks, Mischief and Mayhem. Those are not just some of the themes lurking in this tome of horror, but the names of three carnival clowns. Along with them you’ll meet some of Australia’s most popular monsters and legends, along with a popular cast of ghosts, demons, and zombies. Hell, there are more than a few stories portraying nature fighting back. A little girl brings home more than she bargained for after winning a stuffed bear at a carnival side show. After saving her family from one kind of predator, a protective mother releases an Australian legend hungry for blood and flesh. In his diary, a killer of historical notoriety tells the story of what really happened that night...in the dark... Tricks, Mischief and Mayhem is the debut collection of short stories from Australian Shadows Award finalist Daniel I. Russell. Spanning nearly ten years, this macabre showcase contains the best of Russell's published short fiction and five brand new tales. Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths. Interview with the author: So what makes collection of horror stories so special? Russell: This was my first collection of short stories so each one is special to me, every story a representation of my life at the time. So stories of an abandoned building I used to pass on my way to work, sights I’ve seen moving to Australia, or a colourful character I used to associate with back in the day, all through a horrific ‘what if?’ lens. It’s all in there, ten years’ worth in fact. It’s one chunky collection! I also adore the cover, which was originally the accompanying internal artwork for the titular story featured in a German anthology, Wicked. Tell us more about Crippen, from the final story “God May Pity All Weak Hearts.” Russell: This story first appeared in the anthology For the Night is Dark and considers the real life crime of Dr. Harvey Crippen. I completed lengthy research for this story to make the supernatural (or psychological! You decide.) elements authentic to the facts, so much as reading through letters he had written to his love to find his genuine voice. I’d reread Dracula weeks before, and as Crippen’s tale occurred around the same time, I wanted to emulate the private diary format. Why should readers give this short fiction collection a try? Russell: It’s an all you can eat buffet of horror, so I hope there’s something in there for everyone, with stories from Pseudopod, Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, Dead on Arrival 2 and many, many more. Plus, as I say, we didn’t scrimp on the word count! Murderous clowns, Bunyips, serial killers, ghosts, mutants, and even undead plant life looking for love. Lots of fun to write and with a bit of luck, even more fun to read. Do you have other books featuring these characters and stories? Russell: We have offshoots from my debut novel Samhane, both prequel and sequel as we discover the origin (or should I say manufacturing?) of the notorious Dr. Sally in the story “Prosthetics.” The deity from the story “The Love Revolution” is but one from a wide mythos featured in my forthcoming novel Entertaining Demons (Apex Publications). Ebook categories: Short story collection Australian Outback mythology and legends Disturbing Suspense Horror apocalyptic Post apocalyptic science fiction Paranormal Horror Dark Humor Splatterpunk Haunted houses and ghosts Horror Occult