The Dead of Winter

Mystery & Thrillers, Young Adult

By William Robertson

Publisher : Infinity Publishing

ABOUT William Robertson

William Robertson
I was born in 1950 in Bradford, Pennsylvania. After graduating in 1972 from Mansfield University with a BS in English, I've worked in factories, taught high school English, and run a successful house painting business. I'm also a freelance writer, and my short stories, poetry, and articles More...

Description

The Dead of Winter serves as a "best of collection of William P. Robertson's tales of horror, suspense, and adventure. Chosen by editors, fans, and the author himself, the stories first appeared in magazines worldwide and then in Robertson's books, Lurking in Pennsylvania, Dark Haunted Day, and Terror Time. Being that some of the tales were written thirty years ago, William freshly edited them and added new spooky photos to enhance their impact. One brand new ghost story based upon an actual battle Berdan's U.S. Sharpshooters fought during the Civil War was also included. Stories of witches, trolls,and haunted swamps mix with those of ordinary people caught in bad situations.The book is organized chronologically with tales about kids first followed by those about teens, adults, and finally seniors. All get their share of scares in this eerie anthology. Robertson cites the writing of Edgar Allan Poe and H.P. Lovecraft and the Gothic rock of the Doors as his major influences. Bill's unique writing style blends psychological terror with a dash of gore and dark humor and will appeal to anyone who likes stories with a chilling twist at the end.

My grandmother, Bernadine Johnson, is really responsible for me writing THE DEAD OF WINTER. At an early age she regaled me with Swedish folktales of trolls and haunted swamps until they became totally embedded in my brain. When I began writing my own tales of terror, I retold all of her old stories and put my own twist on them. As a matter of fact, my first published story was one of Grandma B's. Entitled "Wide Spot in the Road," it appeared in the March 1982 issue of VEGA MAGAZINE, Bloomfield, NJ. Likewise, my first overseas publication was based upon her take on trolls. "The Weight" was released in THE GLASGOW MAGAZINE #3 in 1984. After that, I spent the next three decades spinning scary yarns when I learned that 80% of my horror stuff got published in periodicals compared to just 10% of my general interest material. The best of these chilling tales can be found in THE DEAD OF WINTER. Had she lived long enough to see it, I think that Grandma B would be very proud of the effort I put into this anthology.