Bøger af Maynard Sims

THE ODD GHOSTS & A HAUNTING OF GHOSTS by MAYNARD SIMS From The Maynard Sims Library Two collections of ghost stories and weird tales. THE ODD GHOSTS Contents 1.SLEEPING 2.MAGDALENE 3.STAR 4.PRICE 5.DIFFERENT 6.NIGHT 7.FACER 8.STORIES A HAUNTING OF GHOSTS Contents 1.THE MAN WHO WORE THE WRONG COAT 2.WHAT LAY HIDDEN BEHIND THE WHISPERING WALL 3.THE HOUSE WITH TOO MANY WINDOWS 4.LOVE LIES FLOATING ON THE WATER 5.THE CHURCH WITH THE TOWER THAT MOVED 6.THE HOUSE THAT WAS TOO GRAND FOR LAUGHTER As with any Maynard Sims work, the prose is delicately crafted and beautifully delivered. The whole book is a little treasure of pleasurable shivers and intriguing darkness. Why not visit the Maynard Sims Author Page at Amazon? And their website at www.maynard-sims.com

The Maynard Sims Library presents the finest in traditional English ghost stories and unsettling tales of quiet fear. Echoes Of Darkness are short stories of ghosts and quiet dread. Previously only available in limited edition hardcover the book is now released in e-book and paperback. "Echoes Of Darkness, by Maynard and Sims, offers us such a deceptive collection of darkness, creating through subtle prose and grande imagination a variety of shadows. There lurks beneath the finely crafted eloquence of their words an energy - a joyfully perceptive rush of power- that combines universal themes with intimate struggles, making the tales both general enough to appeal to the masses while immediate enough to touch the individual reader. Through the sureness of their style and believability of their characters, we're reminded of ourselves. It becomes we who are suffering, reacting to unholy dangers tip-toeing or recklessly charging from demon- infested island complex, haunted well, and past life." William P Simmons USA "This 'bumper' new collection offers the unpublished novella 'Ashushma' and eight other spooky supernatural tales, including the authors' highly regarded and macabre novella 'Moths', first published in Enigmatic Novellas and the recipient of an Honourable Mention in The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror 1998. Sarob Press published the authors revised and enlarged first collection Shadows At Midnight (now already Out of Print) in 1999, and are pleased to be able to give their readers a singularly mature and intriguing selection of modern supernatural stories, where there is a quiet horror on every page and where a fear of the dark, the lurking shadows and the unknown is fully, and page-turningly, justified. Echoes Of Darkness is presented as a quality limited edition (only 200 copies) sewn hardcover book, with illustrated dust jacket and interior artwork by Iain Maynard, acid and wood-free paper, head/tailbands and coloured endpapers." Sarob Press "Assured and current." David Howe, Shivers, UK. "Echoes Of Darkness is a terrific book which I strongly recommend you purchase." Terror Tales newsletter, UK. "The Echoes of Darkness will linger long after you have closed the covers..." Derek M Fox, author, UK. "The stories in the book possess that rare, but essential, gift that every reader searches for in a good ghost or horror story: namely, the ability to leave behind a persistent feeling (an echo, as the title says) of uneasiness." Mario Guslandi, All Hallows, Canada. "Buy it. Read it." JASON GOULD, INFINITY PLUS. " Maynard and Sims write much the kind of classic ghost tale and weird fiction they once chose to publish, stories positioned squarely along the Aickman-James axis. These nine well-crafted shockers traverse the globe for various venues of horror, from tropical islands to suburban Britain." Paul Di Filippo, Asimov's. "Succeed in terrifying where some other more graphic authors fail. The pacing of (Moths) is near perfect."MASTERS OF TERROR "I hope that at least one of the stories in this collection will be reprinted in some 'best of' anthologies. It's time for Maynard and Sims to be known as authors in the so called mass market, and not just in the small world of limited editions." All Hallows, Canada.

Shadows At Midnight - The Maynard Sims Library Volume 1 presents the finest in traditional English ghost stories and unsettling tales of quiet fear. Shadows At Midnight are ghost stories in the traditional English style. First published in hardback in 1979 from William Kimber & Co Limited of London who described the debut book as - "In this masterly collection of tales, the authors take us into that unquiet land, in the witching time of night, where malign presences seek to entwine the unwary in their web of evil. Their ghosts, or evil spirits, or gruesome influences - no one expression sums them all up - remain lingering in their chosen abodes, be it wardrobe, cradle or tomb, to threaten the existence of the innocent. But not all the spirits are terrifying. Some, like the laughing children of Border End, seek to enthral by cajolery, though their threat remains as great. The authors do not delve too far into explanations for their phantoms. Indeed how could they? For who can explain the midnight land?" There were ten stories and they were enjoyed by those that read them. "A really creepy collection, they conjure up gruesome influences to linger after the book is done." Southend & District Standard "All the tales are totally intriguing - whether they are about a boy visiting his aunt, or a man inheriting his aunt's house, a house purchaser, a vicar, a brass rubbings enthusiast, or a mother and her baby's cradle." Grimsby Evening Telegraph "Ten ghost stories for lovers of the supernatural. A book that will haunt you." Manchester Evening News "Present the uncanny in a civilised way."Yorkshire Evening Post In 1999 the book was revised and enlarged and published by Sarob Press in a limited edition hardback. "The two authors have been writing together for more than twenty-five years, and produce some of the finest examples of supernatural fiction seen today. These stories can be described as coming from the same mould as the masters of the genre, James, Wakefield, and Benson. They are a fine collection of traditional ghost stories". Sarob Press Readers agreed - "The authors have a grasp of craftsmanship which many a writer might envy, alongside an eye for detail and a knack for unobtrusive but telling characterisation."Zene "Truly none should miss out on 'Border End'. The authors affinity for the tumult of emotions that an adolescent experiences rivals the sympathetic hand of the great Robert Westall." Bill Barnett, All Hallows journal of the Ghost Story Society "This is another excellent book from Sarob. If ghost tales are your thing, get hold of this collection." David Howe, Shivers. "There is nothing wrong with the writing here, and this book is to be thoroughly recommended." Paul Brazier, Interzone "The stories are still all good examples of the understated." John Pelan, Midnight House "Sarob Press must be congratulated in producing this fine limited edition hardback which would be a welcome addition to any collection." Steve Lockley, Horror Writers Association "A welcome re-issue. (Shadows At Midnight 1999)." Steve Jones, Best New Horror, 2000

A young actress attempts to revive a career shattered by the Second World War. The compromises she is forced to make pale into insignificance by the demands made on her by an ancient and unspeakable evil. Will the curtain call she has waited so long for, be her last. The first in a series of six Novelettes reviving the golden age of the monster from; HERSHAM HORROR BOOKS

A mystery thriller of pace, suspense and fast moving action. James is shot by a clown. Sara's house is broken into. Mason is killed for what was stolen. What is so important about a few letters? Why is Sara's brother behaving so secretly? When James becomes embroiled in the police murder investigation it is time for him to step away from his ordinary life and act in extraordinary ways. Only by beating the criminals at their own game, and by staying one step ahead of the police, can James hope to get to the bottom of the mystery - and to stay alive. Let Death Begin is another thriller from the established author team of Maynard Sims - www.maynard-sims.com Publishers Weekly said "successfully ventures into thriller territory." Maynard Sims have an Author Page on Amazon. Let Death Begin is a terrific fast paced action packed story of mystery, romance and intrigue. The characters draw you in and the plot twists and turns so the reader never knows what is going to happen next. Maynard Sims have been writing together for forty years yet their stories - like fine wine - improve with each new book. This thriller does just that - it thrills. Death, love, murder, torture, betrayal and a sense of past lives creeping up and intruding into the present day with devastaing effects. Watch the YouTube trailer - Let Death Begin under Maynard Sims. Two criminal kings who rule the London underworld have always been rivals. Now one of them is dead the aftermath is even more bloody and deadly than when he was alive. The fallout from the decades long rivalry has many victims. To be lord of the manor is never enough - they both want it all, but only one can survive. James is caught in the middle of a revenge so coldly planned that the fulfilment of it will be far worse than the brutality of the gangs the men controlled. Hard men die but they leave a legacy that those left living have to cope with. Family may stand by their man when they are provided for, even from the spoils of crime, but when the provider is dead and others are raking at the corpse, the time for loyalty may be over. EXCERPT Stone and I stood against the wall of the lift, with the Uzi covering both of us. Stone dabbed at his mouth with a blood-soaked handkerchief, mumbling something under his breath. Susan Anderton watched him, excitement glittering in her eyes. Finally the lift stopped, and the doors opened with a sigh. We stepped out into a room about twenty feet square. Three of the walls were lined with white acoustic tiles, the fourth wall, the one facing us, was dark brown, and looked to be sheathed in cork or some other fibrous material. The ceiling was covered by the same acoustic tiles that lined the walls, its smooth plane interrupted by two eight-foot fluorescent strips. These gave off a harsh light, which reflected from the white ceramic tiles that covered the floor. At Jenkins' urging I started to walk towards the dark wall, and I noticed the floor had a slight slope to it. In the centre of the floor was a round grille about two feet across, and I suddenly realised that the floor was in fact dished, the grille being the lowest point. And it was the sight of the grille that sent fingers of ice crawling up my spine. As I passed it I glanced down through the lattice of steel, and saw the reflection of the strip lights bouncing back at me. Below us was water. Perhaps a natural well or an underground stream. The grille in the floor was a drain. 'Against the wall, Price, ' Susan Anderton said. 'You too, Stone.' 'Interesting place, ' I said to her. 'Harry Moss's design, or yours?' 'Neither, ' she said. 'The design is South American. Chilean, I believe. You're familiar with the concept?' I nodded. 'It's a killing room, ' I said.

Ghost stories and tales of the uncanny The veteran writing partnership of Len Maynard and Mick Sims. While there's nothing new about such teamwork, especially in the field of ghostly/horror fiction, it is quite unusual nowadays. As a novella 'Double Act' works rather well, especially in evoking the spirit of old-style music hall entertainers. The plot is well-constructed and the finale, following a series of revelations about Charlie Hass' private life, is effective. The first of the short stories, 'Serenity', is altogether different in feel. A rather ineffectual man, Jona Lewis, takes early retirement and finds himself at a bit of a loose end. Then he bumps into an old friend who invites him for a stay in the country. This a very traditional opening, of course, but it leads to a far from conventional denouement. This reader was certainly foxed but also satisfied by a conclusion that shuns shocks in favour of a strange, but oddly moving, revelation. Different again is 'Jealousy', in which the authors return to showbusiness, but this time in a modern tale of black magic. Reading it, I was reminded of the Brian Clemens' series Thriller, which screened in the early Seventies. Like the best of those dramas, 'Jealousy' proceeds from the mundane to the truly weird via a series of carefully calculated incidents. The finale, which takes place in St Paul's Cathedral, has a distinctly cinematic feel. 'Assignment' is part of a series of stories about Department 18, a kind of government dirty tricks outfit dedicated to the occult and/or paranormal. Perhaps because I've never read any of the early Department 18 tales I found this one tougher going than the others. But it is quite effective, not least in its description of a demonic entity that recalls the visitants encountered by some of M.R. James' protagonists. The second novella, 'Flame', is a rather exotic 'wide screen' story of a tribe of long-lived Japanese witch-beings who have the enviable ability to steal talent from ordinary mortals. The Tashkai, as they're called (and I haven't Googled to find out if they are a 'real legend' or not) certainly make a change from vampires. Again, we're in English country house horror territory, which gives 'Flame' a slightly old-fashioned feel. That's not by any means a bad thing, though, and the Tashkai's method of extracting talent from and then silencing their victims is certainly memorable. Overall, this is another classy production from Sarob, and comes (of course) with top-notch cover and internal artwork by Paul Lowe. SUPERNATURAL TALES

The Maynard Sims Library presents the finest in traditional English ghost stories and unsettling tales of quiet fear. See the Maynard Sims Author Page at Amazon. See the author website at www.maynard-sims.com Writers of supernatural stories. THE SEMINAR is a fast paced horror novella. "Imagine this: A killer, but not a normal one is stalking you. What if the killer could turn into whatever it wanted? A tree, fire, water. Not only that but the killer can take over a person your friend or whoever. What if you found out that you were related to this being? For a short story this is very good horror, smoothly written with bloody words and straight to point without the muck that boggles down a good tale. If you love the horror of Stephen King or James Herbert you will love this tale. Sims and Maynard are a great team and should be read by anyone that loves the horror genre." Carnival of Wicked Writers "Once again Maynard & Sims prove to be extremely gifted in gently gaining the reader's attention with their smooth narrative skill and then present him with an overwhelming flood of horror bound to disrupt his sleep for more than one night. As horror writers they know their trade so well that by now they deserve to be numbered among the masters of the genre." MARIO GUSLANDI on Terror tales website HIS OTHER SON is a crossover supernatural action thriller novella. How far would you go to save your child? His Other Son is a fast paced thriller, mixing action, suspense and the supernatural, to create a potent blend of intense intrigue. Character driven, pacy and page turning stuff. Ray Stock is one son from the fabulously wealthy Stock family. His father, Randolph rules the family and the business with a rod of iron.Ray is summoned to the family mansion, for the first time in years, by his sister, Caroline, who is worried about their mother, a cancer ridden Marlene.Ray has never been the favoured son. Not interested in the family fortunes or business he lives life on his own terms. Now Ray has to battle more than the family jealousies and power struggles. THE HIDDEN LANGUAGE OF DEMONS is a fast paced horror novella that became the Samhain published novel NIGHTMARE CITY.. "I think it's awesome...it reminds me of Clive Barker. When I say that I mean it starts off with that underlying feeling of menace before spiralling downwards into insanity-some of the set pieces are truly fantastic!" This is not the Maynard & Sims you may be familiar with. This is a modern nightmare of riotous colour, and white-knuckle action. This is Poe in his Sgt Pepper period. This is Picasso prose. This is a novella that sucks you in from the word go and doesn't release you even after you've hyperventilated and shouted for help. This is the language they speak just outside the parameters of normality. These are the hidden messages from Hell. The hidden language of demons. "Those who like a fast horror read with a gruesome death never too far away will not be disappointed. Maynard and Sims have certainly not skimped on the gore, especially in the apocalyptic finale."

Weird Cries From The Soul is a collection of stories that appeared between 1998 and the present day in anthologies and magazines. The first fifteen were collected, with much other material, in the two collections Selling Dark Miracles and The Secret Geography Of Nightmare in 2002. Many of these stories were written by request for anthologies. There are crime stories, weird stories, a William Hope Hodgson tribute, an Edward Lee tribute, ghost stories, and mainstream stories. Some of these were adapted and used as part of novels - the crime stories are a typical example of this method. Many have won Honourable Mentions. 1.KILLING ANONYMITY 2.BAD MOON 3.MAMA 4.THE RAG-DOLL WHO SYMPATHISED WITH MAHLER 5.WARM AS SNOW 6.THE OTHER SIDE OF SLEEP 7.GATEWAY 8.OPPOSITES 9.WIRED 10.THE ROUTE 11.BLOOD POSITIVE 12.ANOTHER SATURDAY NIGHT 13.THE COLONY 14.A WHINING 15.SILVER SISTERS 16.WARP 17.MARCUS 18.THE SITE OF THE FIRST REDOUBT 19.SLIGHTLY ALL THE TIME 20.BETWEEN THE DEAD MEN AND THE BLIND 21.ONION 22.FRACTURED SOULS 23.DEMONLEE DEVILISH 24.DRIVING IN MY CAR 25.COAT 26.SKINNY LATTE Visit the Amazon Maynard Sims Author Page. See the author website at www.maynard-sims.com

Falling Apart At The Edges is the latest thriller from the productive Maynard Sims writing team. "Maynard Sims successfully ventures into thriller territory" Publishers Weekly John Blake fights crime the only way he knows how, fast and dirty. There is a killer on the streets and John has to track him down. When his wife is kidnapped and he has to find her, his personal life starts to spin out of control. Blake has his own set of moral codes that allow him to challenge the evils he sees on the streets on his own terms. But can he win his battles and save his marriage and his career? Excerpt Blake half turned to look at them, the movement masking what he was doing. What he was doing was taking out his Glock. Without haste or undue movement he turned to the man holding the two guns and shot him between the eyes. The second man flapped his hands in front of him as if willing a weapon to appear. Blake shot him in the neck and the right eye. Gregorio was not slow but he wasn't quick enough to beat Blake. He leapt from the plastic chair and tried to reach a weapon. Blake shot him in one leg and then the other. "These ladies are not merchandise, they're not whores. They are someone's daughter, and you've stolen them from their families on promises of a better life only to violate and beat them into submission and then sell them to the highest bidder like unwanted product on eBay." Blake shot him twice in the stomach. "Gut shot. Slow and painful. The insides bleed for a long time before the heart realizes it's a lost cause and packs up." Gregorio was writhing in the dust of the floor. ENDS See the trailer on YouTube Maynard Sims Falling Apart At The Edges Visit the author website www.maynard-sims.com Visit the Maynard Sims Amazon Author Page Falling Apart At The Edges is the story of a man on the edge of destruction. Living dangerously in his personal life he risks his marriage for a relationship he cannot even define. In his job he is successful because he takes risks but that comes at a price. The killer has to be stopped but what if the price he has to pay to win that battle is the life of his wife?

Ruthless yet wildly attractive. As lawless as the criminals he defends. Top defence lawyer Marshall Masters may have taken on a gangster too far in his latest corrupt venture. He revels in his nickname but the Devil knows he must carry on winning if he is to stay on top. In this fast paced and occasionally violent crime thriller, Masters comes up against worthy opponents on both sides of the law. His love of money, women and danger combine to give him the devil of a good time. Can a man who represents the Law be a law unto himself?

The Maynard Sims Library presents the finest in traditional English ghost stories and unsettling tales of quiet fear. Incantations is a book of horror stories. Previously published more than twelve years ago it is now available in the digital age. "Economical nightmares of atmospheric subtlety and stark physical horror, Incantations is appropriately titled, suggesting a raw sense of occult power and the process of summoning demonic energies into another plane of existence. Maynard and Sims conjure horrors by first establishing the believability of natural, objective places and people. Their characters are people we know and see everyday: men and women struggling through bad relationships, going to work and plodding along the best they can until, quite suddenly, their worlds are invaded by suggestions of evil, manipulative powers just outside the rim of understanding, or worse, by evils answering the summons of their minds." Incantations, by Maynard and Sims is an impressive collec¬tion of short stories with a variety of settings and characters: tales ranging from sin¬ister and disturb¬ing to the downright nasty. This is good modern gothic writing and the two authors achieve a graceful literary style with effective descriptions and a realistic sense of place, all written with an eloquent turn of phrase. BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY From the ambitiously menacing novella "The Business Of Barbarians," to the calculating fright of "The Nice House," Maynard and Sims revitalize the traditional thrills of haunted houses, ghosts, and witches by emphasizing the psychological turmoil of character's minds. The result is a collection that works on several levels, appealing every bit as much to primal fears of the unknown as they do to our contemporary distrust of our neighbors, families, and ourselves. CEMETERY DANCE The promotional text on the back cover of the latest collection from the writing team of Maynard & Sims claims that "If you think of these two writers simply in terms of traditional ghost stories-then think again-these are nightmares from a cracked modern landscape." The contents of the book tend to bear out this claim. Although many of the tales are about ghosts, they aren't what you necessarily call "traditional". GARRETT PECK One more thing. Varied as they may be, all the stories in this collection show a common under theme, loneliness. Some of the main characters are downright loners, others are just forsaken people, and all are lonesome individuals. This seems to be another lesson that Maynard & Sims want to impart: that loneliness is the true, scariest horror in our lives. HORRORWORLD Released in the wake of their gutsy novella The Hidden Language Of Demons, the latest collection of fifteen stories, many of which are previously unpublished, from this talented duo has a somewhat harder edge than the 'quiet' stories of supernatural terror on which their reputation has previously rested. The qualities you expect from Maynard & Sims are still in evidence; deft characterisation, the assured manipulation of atmosphere and mood, plots that slow burn to a chilling crescendo. Yet things have changed; the power of suggestion is no longer sufficient. The bad guys still want your soul; it's just that they're a lot more willing than previously to go through your flesh to get at it. THE THIRD ALTERNATIVE

The Maynard Sims Library presents the finest in traditional English ghost stories and unsettling tales of quiet fear. Falling Into Heaven is a collection of short stories. Ghosts, demons and the fears and dreads that cannot be explained. Originally published in limited edition hardback it is now available as e-book and paperback. CONTENTS Introduction by William P Simmons 1.IMAGES 2.DEAD MEN'S SHOES 3.A VICTORIAN POT DRESSER 4.SAND CASTLES 5.CALLING DOWN THE LIGHTNING 6.SOAKING WET WITHOUT A BOAT 7.SALVATION 8.SHORTCUTS 9.CAVISO GAMO 10.OCTOBER CRIES 11.DANCERS 12.FLOUR WHITE AND SPINDLE THIN 13.GLIMPSES 14.SLIDING DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLIP "After experimenting with different ways of producing shivers in their previous collection Incantations, the authors have reached a new equilibrium in their writing style, cleverly manipulating hard material with a delicate touch and effectively blending different shades of terror into a deliciously frightening potion. Drink up, dear reader, you won't regret it!" THE ALIENONLINE "Maynard & Sims. The names are now inseparable and it cannot be too long before they are a permanent fixture on the shelves of the more discerning bookshops...this collection shows that they have really come of age. Maynard & Sims may write traditional horror stores but that is no mean feat; they are restrained when others attempt to achieve the shock factor." BRITISH FANTASY SOCIETY It could be that the best thing to do would be to give as little information about this amazing collection as possible. Hints of plot and glimpses of setting are unnecessary once this book is in your hands. Even if your intention is only to dip into a few brief stories or just to get a taste of it, Falling Into Heaven will have you, ever so gently, by the throat; what started as a quick skim will find you hours later, eyes glued to the page, fingernails gouging into the magnificent cover. Maynard and Sims will have you and it is useless to struggle. LISA DUMOND Maynard & Sims are seasoned entertainers, and like all such they know how to bring down the curtain. The last story in the book, 'Sliding Down the Slippery Slip', is a showstopper and one of the finest horror stories I've read recently. The first person narration of a disturbed soul, its obliqueness brings to mind the rituals and ceremonies of Machen's classic tale The White People, but tainted with a perverse sexuality that is thoroughly modern, the story made all the more effective by the narrator's unreliability, with the hint that much of what happens could just be in her mind. It is a virtuoso performance, insidiously suggestive and rich in ambiguity, the ideal note on which to close this collection and proof of what these much underrated writers are capable of producing when at their best. PETER TENNANT See the Author Page at Amazon for Maynard Sims. See the author website at www.maynard-sims.com