top of page

THE BOOKS

 

 

Writers Workshop of Horror 2

 

​Winner of the 2021 Bram Stoker Award® 

for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction.

 

Writers Workshop of Horror 2 is a collection of essays and interviews focusing on the art and craft of writing horror and dark fantasy. From bestselling authors like Stephen King, Anne Rice, and R. L. Stine, to up-and-coming writers just making their mark, this anthology is chock-full of advice and information writers of any level will find valuable and useful. Writers Workshop of Horror 2 is helmed by Michael Knost, the Bram Stoker Award-winning editor that brought you Writers Workshop of Horror, Writers Workshop of Science Fiction & Fantasy, and Author’s Guide to Marketing with Teeth.

 

Return of the Mothman
 

2014 Bram Stoker Award® Nominee for Superior 

Achievement in a First Novel.

 

Ted Browning moves back to his rural hometown of Logan, West Virginia, after learning his grandmother is dying of cancer. When he hears talk of Mothman sightings from miners at Bear Creek Coal Company he simply doesn't believe it-until a series of events puts him in direct confrontation with the evil winged creature. Ted is forced to face his inner demons in order to protect the very loved ones he's kept at a distance for twenty years ... and to let go of a tragic past that is drawing him like a moth to the flame.

 

Writers Workshop of​
Science Fiction & Fantasy
 

Writers Workshop of Science Fiction and Fantasy is a collection of essays and interviews by and with many of the movers-and-shakers in the industry. Each contributor covers the specific element of craft he or she excels in. Expect to find varying perspectives and viewpoints, which is why you many find differing opinions on any particular subject.

Writers Workshop of Horror

 

Winner of the 2009 Bram Stoker Award® 

for Superior Achievement in Non-Fiction.

 

"A veritable treasure trove of information for aspiring writers--straight from the mouths of today's top horror scribes!" -- Rue Morgue Magazine.

 

"Packing more knowledge and sound advice than four years' worth

of college courses . . . It's focused on the root of your evil, the

writing itself." -- Fangoria Magazine.

The Mothman Files​

 

Strange occurrences and alarming sightings in and around Point Pleasant, West Virginia--including the shocking appearance of a bizarre winged apparition that became known as the Mothman--troubled the once tranquil community from November 1966 to December 1967. Mysterious lights sparkled and moved across the winter heavens. Domestic animals were found slaughtered and mutilated. Weird speculations among townsfolk began to emerge that have never been fully confirmed or explained. Most alarming, many say the strange Mothman visitations never stopped. 

Barbers & Beauties

​

Nominee of the 2013 Bram Stoker Award® 

for Superior Achievement in an Anthology.

 

Barbers & Beauties is a flipbook anthology with four stories from male writers on one side and four stories from female writers on the other side, each exploring the dark possibilities of beauty. 

It features introductions by Michael Knost and Nancy Eden Siegel, with stories from authors Gary A. Braunbeck, Tim Lebbon, Kealan Patrick Burke, Lee Thomas, Rhodi Hawk, Roberta Lannes, Fran Friel and Lisa Morton, with cover art by Cortney Skinner.

Legends of the Mountain State

​

This ghostly anthology includes thirteen accounts of Mountain State ghostly manifestations, myths and mountain mythology, based on known legends from the state West Virginia. Themes included in this work are Mothman, the Ethel coalmine spector, the Chapmanville school haunting, the Ghost of #22 Mountain and many others. Nationally known horror writer Michael Knost serves as the anthology s editor. Participating writers are an amalgamation of professional authors and novelists in the horror, science fiction and fantasy fields, along with up-and-coming writers from Appalachia. 

 

Legends of the Mountain State 2

​

After putting together this anthology's predecessor, Legends of the Mountain State: Ghostly Tales from the State of West Virginia, editor Michael Knost realized he had barely scratched the surface with Mountain State folklore. The first time around, thirteen extraordinary authors contributed horrifying tales that left everyone goosebumped and scared of the dark. After seeing great success with the project, Woodland Press, publishers of the first edition, asked Knost to put together a second edition - one that focused on thirteen additional ghost stories and mountain legends. The new project, which is arguably scarier than its predecessor, embodies the same tone and texture of its forerunner, with 13 nationally known authors and storytellers. 

Legends of the Mountain State 3

​

The third and final installment of the Legends of the Mountain State series is already being called the most amazing of the ghostly trilogy. Michael Knost again takes the reins as chief editor and coordinator. Here you will find 13 final chapters bone-chilling ghost tales and treacherous legends to delight the reader. Stories are penned by many of the preeminent writers in the business. Writers include: Elizabeth Massie Michael West Scott Nicholson John R. Little Brian J. Hatcher Kelli Dunlap Matt Venne Douglas F. Warrick Steve Vernon Fran Friel Matthew Warner Mark Justice J.G. Faherty. 

Legends of the Mountain State 4

​

The fourth installment of an extremely popular series, Legends of the Mountain State 4 is here. Again, Appalachian myths, ghost tales, and folklore provide an eerie backdrop for powerful, dark, and gritty storytelling. Concerning the series, Shroud Magazine has written that myth, legend, and folklore are among the most powerful forms of storytelling, and Legends of the Mountain State 4 will not disappoint ... not one bit. Michael Knost again takes the reins as chief editor and project coordinator. Discover 13 creeped-out chapters and bone-chilling tales and legends to delight the reader. Stories are penned by many of the preeminent writers in the horror industry along with exceptional in-state storytellers. 

Specters in Coal Dust​

 

The depth and darkness of the coalmine has been described as the blackest of black, the loneliest of lonely, and the coldest of cold. American miners have tunneled the earth s bowels for the black diamond since the early 1700s, and unexplained tales of ghosts and specters have made their way to the surface with nearly every load of anthracite. Specters in Coal Dust. An eerie collection of coal camp stories from some of the horror genre s finest storytellers, Specters in Coal Dust will leave you cold, lonely, and gasping for air. 

Appalachian Winter Hauntings

 

Appalachian Winter Hauntings includes eleven bone-chilling accounts-penned by many of the preeminent storytellers in the business-that are appropriate to the Appalachian region and relative to the heart of the holiday season. This anthology, edited by Michael Knost and Mark Justice, is designed for cozying up close to a blazing fireplace on the coldest of winter nights. The texture is gritty and the stories are moving. Think Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" turned up a notch with a ghostly Appalachian backdrop. So, pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa, wrap your favorite blanket around you, and brace yourself for ghostly stories and weird encounters that take place in the shadows of snowy hilltops or along icy mountain trails. Family friendly. 

Dark Tales of Terror

 

Experience sixteen short stories by Appalachian writers with strong appetites for the macabre. Within these pages lie terrifying ghost tales sure to cause more than a few sleepless nights. Dark Tales of Terror is a gripping anthology-full of Southern fried horror of the first degree-assembled by Bram Stoker Award-winner Michael Knost. Storytellers and contributors include G. Cameron Fuller, Karen L. Newman, Brian J. Hatcher, Michael Fitzgerald, Michael Knost, Lesley Conner, Karin Fuller, Ellen Thompson McCloud, Jude-Marie Green, S. Clayton Rhodes, Robert W. Walker, Eric Fritzius, Ellen Bolt, Jessie Grayson, Miranda Phillips Walker and Jason L. Keene. 

Fed from the Blade

 

West Virginia, what an extraordinary place it is, as is all of Appalachia. And our land is known for its many storytellers continually bringing forward their enriching tales. In this unique volume, celebrate with us this diversity of offerings with twenty-eight Mountain State authors and poets. Allow yourself to be drawn to the characters, the settings, and the circumstances. Submerge yourself in the imagery, the language, the humorous and dark stories, the spooky and paranormal, the tragic romance, the drama, the rejoicing, the heartbreak, but what is most important, the tale well told.  

bottom of page