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Greetings, my wicking darlings
November has arrived, and despite a ghastly cold, I’ve somehow finished my hundredth short story. Laquois Diaboli is a wonderfully unpleasant excursion into horticultural horror. Premium subscribers get it this week, with free subscribers receiving it in a month’s time.
Meanwhile, Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 5 escapes into the wild on 9 November. There’s a launch party on 13 November, complete with signed copies. Twenty-one books published and I still occasionally wonder whether I’m a ‘real writer’. Imposter syndrome is remarkably resistant to evidence.
Every year, I promise myself I’ll write another novel. Every year, I write another Tales of the Macabre. I blame Nestor Lynch for that. My first novel took two and a half years to write, cost around £3,000 to produce, and despite excellent reviews, it’s earned less than my least popular novella.
Some bruises take a while to fade.
I’m also taking part in the British Horror Authors Guild’s #FrightVember2026 challenge. Thirty days, thirty prompts, and absolutely no requirement to take part every day. A similar challenge in 2019 produced the stories that became Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1. Despite thinking I would become a science fiction author, the challenge showed me I was most definitely a horror writer.
Away from my desk, I’ve been enthralled by, and am hoovering up, Jay Kristoff’s 720-page Empire of the Vampire. On screen, The Cycle was excellent, especially Deborah Ann Woll. Go in knowing nothing. Verity was gloriously trashy, even if Dakota Johnson appeared to be sleepwalking (are directors allowed to use a cattle prod on unconscious cast members?). Robert Pattinson surprised me in Mickey 17 (I normally can’t stand his movies), while Novocaine was ludicrous, over-the-top fun.
And I recently returned from Crete, where I visited the Palace of Knossos, where the Minotaur and Icarus still haunt the imagination of sunburnt tourists four thousand years later. There is nothing quite like ancient ruins to stimulate the imagination.
Sweet Screams,
Newt xx
Missed September’s releases? You can read or download all three below.
Clarent
(Read Online | Download ePub / PDF)
Medieval Horror Short Story
A dispossessed 12th-century lord makes a pact with a pagan entity for a cursed sword to reclaim his lands.
Shadow Fox
(Read Online | Download ePub / PDF)
Contemporary Dark Horror Comedy Short Story
Tim’s romantic gesture goes awry when he finds himself trapped with the wrong crowd.
Welcome to Paradise
(Read Online | Download ePub / PDF)
Christian Horror Short Story
Paradise isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
How to Use Your Downloads
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UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/sendtokindle
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Tales of the Macabre
You can find my stories on Amazon, as Kindle Unlimited, eBook, Paperback or Hardback.
This collection of stories is designed for quick reads, whether over a coffee or during a commute. Either way, they promise to deliver exquisitely disturbing nightmares that gaze without flinching into the abyss—and linger in the mind long after.
FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Available to order on AMAZON.
Welcome to the complete collected works of Newton Webb. Tales of the Macabre, Vol. 1-4 are intended for mature audiences.
Read a collection of free short stories or listen to free audiobooks by Newton Webb on his website.