This collection of Scottish Gothic tales (100 pages) was published in October of 2019 by Haunt Publishing. The book takes you to Scotland. Melissa read Haunted Voices and loved it; it wouldn't be on our site if she didn't recommend it.
This enthralling collection of gothic tales celebrates Scotland’s rich tradition of oral storytelling. It’s available in print, ebook, and audio — and we 100-percent advocate for the audiobook. It features both archival recordings and new performances that will cause delicious little tingles up the back of your neck.
Soulmates, told by Gavin Inglis, is a bittersweet story about a goth couple who frequent the paths of Greyfriars Kirkyard (a historical cemetery in Edinburgh) and a love that will not die.
Kirsty Logan’s pitch-perfect storytelling in The Keep lures you into a story that doesn’t reveal immediately where it’s taking you — until a chilling moment when you’ll figure it out. And your breath will catch in your throat.
When you listen to the The Stolen Winding Sheet by Fran Flett Hollinrake, you will feel the wind and rain of the storm on your face. And when the just-at-the-end twist comes in I Live Alone by Conner McAleese, you may find yourself furtively glancing over your shoulder.
Throughout the 27 stories, you’ll encounter shadowy demons, ephemeral ghosts, mysterious shapes in the darkness, undying love, wry humor, dramatic weather, poor decisions, well-deserved comeuppances, and the other elements that make Gothic stories so jubilantly dark and unsettling.
The archival recordings, from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Scottish Studies, are a moving connection to the past and way to place the newer stories in the context. These tales are simply and beautifully told with single voices and genuine emotion. They’re seductive and immersive, with an urgency and intimacy that can only be found when one human tells a story to another.
How to buy: This story collection is available as an audiobook, ebook, and paperback from Haunt Publishing. We recommend the audiobook for its legit storytelling experience. But the ebook and paperback also include wonderful illustrations, so maybe treat yourself to audio + book as we did.
He was sitting in Greyfriar’s Kirkyard at sunrise, watching mud creep up the cover of Descartes’ Passions of the Soul and wondering if it would be too much of a cliché to throw himself off North Bridge. She came past in clumpy boots and a velvet skirt, took her headphones out and yelled at him for letting a library book get stained. After that they were friends. — Gavin Inglis, ‘Soulmates’
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