The Fundamentals of Legendary Status

Throughout history, greatness has become a siren call to many. Society often glorifies the extraordinary, rendering average as something lacking. Yet the vast literature on eminence has only skimmed the surface of what drives the legendary.

Some claim fame through connections. Others find followers in material assets acquired. Many have chased the specter of renown down winding paths, only to grasp at air.

True legend status springs from an inner drive to excel. Educational pedigree plays second fiddle to the ambition that fuels sleepless nights – the self-assurance that the annals of history have no choice but to enshrine one’s name. For those possessed of such will, even meager resources can catalyze ascension into the pantheon of luminaries.

The Quest for Greatness distills this relentless push for pre-eminence into 30 key principles. It is a guidebook for those wishing to channel their hunger for superlative achievement into an enduring legacy. Destiny calls the intrepid, the daring, the insatiate… how will you answer?

The Fifth Estate

Two hundred years after her death, Mary Shelley is still alive. She has been granted immunity from death by the Fifth Estate: a vampire-led organization that has kept the world from being overrun by sentient zombies. She is the first of many human storytellers employed to reveal the presence of undead inhabitants on this planet. Others included: Bram Stoker and George Romero. Their works have been used to prepare society for the impending judgment day. Even government organizations such as the CDC have unknowingly joined the effort by issuing contingency plans. However, the world changed, and people are no longer afraid of what goes bump in the night. We are desensitized. In our state of ignorance vampires have become our guardians and zombies have become more menacing and thoughtful. Only faced with the possibility of extinction has humankind come to embrace the reality of a zombie apocalypse. However, it is too late because the attack has already begun.

Zombies, like other creatures on Earth, have evolved over the centuries. No longer shiftless and slow, they now rely on guile and science to attack humankind. Their most recent invention is a vaccine for H1NI that will turn its receiver into a full-fledged zombie. The books and movies had it wrong from the beginning. A zombie scratch or bite won't turn you because zombies don't leave anything to turn. They are the ultimate predator. Like Shelley's Frankenstein, the first fictional zombie, only science can make one into a zombie and once humankind labeled the latest flu a global pandemic, the fight was over before it even started.

The Dark Evil Essence

Seeking a place to call home, a family of four relocates to a house with a chilling history beyond their knowing. A decade before, its very rooms bore witness to a gruesome murder, leaving the home corrupted by malignant dark forces and trapped, anguished souls.

As this evil essence now roams the halls and haunts the living, the terrorized family experiences its malevolent power breaking into their world, bringing harm to their home. Their only hope to reclaim peace lies in combatting the paranormal forces permeating every shadowy corner before the darkness consumes them completely.

Yet time is running out. They must act soon to liberate the lost spirits and dispel the deep-rooted evil that has infected their home or face an even more brutal fate than the one suffered by the murdered inhabitant years ago. Their challenge is to solve a supernatural mystery, battle unseen entities, and revive their home from its possession – or forever live in the grip of its gruesome past.

The Beast of Winter Haven

In a quaint resort town in the mountains of Northern Pennsylvania, a series of brutal murders shocks the community. Five women are savagely killed, their bodies gruesomely dismembered and left in pieces. The heinous nature of the crimes leaves investigators pondering whether they are dealing with a serial killer or something even more sinister.

As pressure mounts to solve the murders quickly, an anonymous tip leads police to Russell Strait, a drifter drawn to the local ski resort. The police conduct a hasty search of his residence and discover evidence that seems to ensure an easy conviction.

But defense attorney Edwin Reynolds, assigned by the county judge, harbors doubts. Familiar with challenging cases, Ed wrestles with personal demons while sifting through the murder details. He begins to question whether the police have apprehended the correct individual. Could the real killer still be at large, poised to strike again?

A tense chess match unfolds between Ed and the murderer. Each strategic move is countered by another, leading to a climactic betrayal that threatens to overturn everything. With lives in the balance, the truth becomes a hard pill to swallow, perhaps too outlandish for the court or anyone else to believe.

Terrifyingly Twisted Tales

Come take a ride through the strange and macabre, as Vladimir I. Vanadivorsch guides you through four uniquely chilling stories in this brand-new anthology. Terrifyingly Twisted Tales is a captivating, evocative collection, offering a unique addition to your library with subtly built and bone chilling horror. Throughout, there is a transfixing detailed approach to the tone and crafting of each plot to a striking effect, creating a compulsion that slowly builds tension and fear.

‘Letter to Shelby Scott’ is an intimate memoir from the author about their experience with the paranormal.

‘A Mother’s Love’ tells the story of a single mother who would go to any length to keep her child safe.

‘Annihilation’ will drag you through the deepest depths of existential dread.

‘Time’s Intervention’ follows Sarah White’s struggle with sobriety and trauma as she’s hurled back in time.

Shadows of Death

Prepare to bear witness as the inexorable hand of fate deals its cards to unsuspecting victims within the gripping pages of this macabre collection. In nineteen chilling tales of horror, the veil between the ordinary and the extraordinary is torn asunder. Venture into a southern town where a living corpse holds sway over every aspect of daily life. Dare to step foot into a cemetery where the shadows live and beckon the curious to their fate. Beware the allure of a mysterious box whose contents possess a power that turns those who gaze upon it into stone.

Nightmares of the New Order

Welcome to Nightmares of the New Order, a gateway into a new realm of surreal imagination and dark possibilities not too dissimilar from our own reality. Throughout nine chilling tales and six eerie poems, the newest face of horror, Norris Vaughn III will take you on a terrifying journey to this new world filled with monsters both new and familiar. Meet the Michaels, a newlywed couple, who, after taking a wrong turn in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee, come across an abandoned gas station where monsters beyond their comprehension await (Haunted Mountain). A crotchety old man discovers a trail of cigarettes leading down the hospital corridor (Cigarette Butts). Beware of stranger danger, as the young victims of a serial killer return from the grave to exact revenge (The Missing Child Poster). Take a trip back in time as we explore the traumatic childhood experiences of the author himself that continue to haunt him into adulthood (Sunshine into Darkness), and the monster at his back grown from the darkness of anger and hatred of these events (The Crow-Man). An outgoing young woman gets her dream job at a high-end department store, yet she can't help but notices that the lone male mannequin seems to be watching her (The Mannequin). And Yuki, afraid of the outside world, suffers at the claws of the embodiment of her fears throughout her entire life (Agoraphobia), and many more. Norris Vaughn III welcomes you to the New Order; he hopes you enjoy your stay.

Killdozer… And Other Stories of Horror

Dive into six tales that begin with a man who couldn’t deal his cards with reason and, instead, uses another form of negotiation with a fabricated 60-ton decision maker!

Then follow the journey of a man who finds himself stranded on an island with amnesia, and an approaching fog carrying within it unknown horrors!

Learn why one shouldn’t open their home to a stranger who might simply be crying wolf, and be wary of the houses we buy, for either can turn into ultimate nightmares!

And so, journey into madness, and prepare for absolute horror as you read these tales of phantasmagoria!

Hell's Island

In the heart of Savannah, Georgia, Benjamin Farrows enjoys a life of luxury: a loving wife, an adorable daughter, and a remote island that has been in his family for generations. When a chemical company offers to purchase the island, Ben must decide whether to sell or keep the mysterious land.

Hanley Rivers, an old family friend, fills Ben’s mind with chilling tales of voodoo worshippers and demons who inhabit the island, warning him that they will stop at nothing to protect their sacred ground. Intrigued and determined to uncover the truth, Ben sets out to investigate, unaware that he is about to face a formidable foe: an evil, supernatural demon named Everette Marlowe.

As Ben delves deeper into the island’s secrets, Marlowe lures him into a deadly trap, unleashing unspeakable horror upon his family. Can Ben protect his loved ones and prevent Marlowe from guarding his evil domain, a place known as Hell’s Island, which he has secretly watched over for more than three centuries?

“Hell’s Island is filled with southern atmosphere and local folklore…a spooky horror novel that successfully blends history with demonic chills…”

– Sue Terry, Metapsychology.

“The author hooked me with the fifth sentence on page one. From then on, I had no choice but to go with the tide of words…”

– Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews.

“William Hardy does a wonderful job of weaving a story with interesting twists and turns and then ends with all your curiosity satisfied.”

– Fiction Addiction.net

“Witchcraft, suspense, and plenty of twists and turns add up to a book that’s sure to hold the reader’s interest… William Hardy has a winner with Hell’s Island.”

– Ken Bell, The Beaufort Gazette.

Gullah Gravestones

Steve Riley is a realtor who sells his friend and client a large tract of land in coastal South Carolina for a pricey condo project. The old Gullah graveyard there is specifically not to be disturbed but during initial grading, it accidentally happens. The land explodes, forming a large crater, coughing out hideous, angry skeletons killing all the workers and pulling them into the doomed abyss—a fiery pit of no escape! Shocking mayhem has now come to the once peaceful sea island!

Unconcerned by the frightening supernatural event and events to come, Johnny is only upset about his ruined property and threatens Steve to get his money back. The two men become bitter enemies! Ironically, Steve’s twin daughters disappear. Filled with vengeance, Irish-tempered Steve believes Johnny kidnapped them! But did he? Out of desperation, Steve resorts to black magic in his quest to save his girls. After receiving amazing voodoo powers by an anomaly from the invisible world, will Steve find them? Can he deal with Johnny? And will the spirits rest again, under their Gullah Gravestones?  

Goodwood

Some towns feel impossible to escape. They have a way of wearing folks down, sucking dry their ambition. It’s like they’re cursed.

Goodwood is such a place. But Toby and the guys are different. Ever since that night in the woods when they were fourteen. The night they visited the old Blood Tree, their futures brightened.

Now, over a decade later, Toby spends his bachelor party back in his hometown. From greener pastures, he and his friends return. But a deeply rooted curse has long awaited their arrival. These boys, who somehow managed to escape all those years ago.

Dead-end towns like Goodwood aren’t meant to be escaped. And curses are rarely eluded.

Eternal Desolation in Vices

The wick burns at both ends as a young man is caught in between reality’s suffocating inferno and a psychological state that’s disintegrating like hot candle wax…

Ten years after his mother’s violent death and a terrifying mental institution stay, Todd Moore’s past suddenly comes back to haunt him. His nights become plagued with his horrific memories that replay in graphic and sickening detail. But when a series of fires ignite in familiar places, he begins to experience disturbing visions that endanger his flickering sanity. While trying to find the truth of the fires and his own inner turmoil, he’s forced to recall his darkest days and face the darkest part of himself.

Which will burn his life down first: the mysterious fires, or a lurking, unseen evil? Or is peace and salvation possible despite of the vast, foreboding shadow that threatens to snuff him out like a mortal flame?