A neighborhood won’t let its residents forget the past. One taste draws two lovers into a nightmarish addiction. A harsh winter forces strange creatures down from the mountains.

At sea level, where it’s safe, things like this can’t happen. But when you’re sky high in Denver, Colorado, anything goes…including your sanity.

Beware of Terror at 5280’,a local horror fiction anthology featuring 22 dark tales set in and around Denver and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains penned exclusively by local authors (including Stephen Graham Jones, Carter Wilson, and others).

Paperback and e-book available on Amazon on Tuesday, November 26.

It’s hard to believe it’s been over 2 years since the spawning of Denver Horror Collective, our local group of horror writers and artists. Now DHC has a website/blog, bi-weekly writers critique group, novel-writing subgroups (coming soon), book club, The Epitaph newsletter, podcast, events (including Defy Your Demons & Music To My Fears), and our first anthology, Terror at 5280’!

Needless to say, we must sacrifice a bit of flesh to keep this monster well-fed (to pay for website hosting & URLs, events organizing, marketing/promotion/advertising, publishing, etc.) which is why we’re now offering bona fide membership in Denver Horror Collective!

For only $20 per year as a Denver Horror Collective Active Member you’ll get:

• Opportunities to submit short stories/novel chapters for critique in Denver Horror Writers bi-weekly meetings
• The option of joining a novel writing critique subgroup
• Your own personal webpage on DHC website with name, bio, photo, and links (or whatever you want)
• Free entry to DHC events
• Access to private members-only Facebook group
• “6(66) Questions” interview in The Epitaph newsletter
• Opportunity to submit stories/articles to The Epitaph
• Your fiction and/or events promoted via social media
• A DHC sticker
• $10 (over 20% off) paperback copies of Terror at 5280’
• $13 (35% off) T-shirts featuring DHC logo by The Rïpröck

What if you’d like to be a part of DHC but aren’t willing to part with that $20 just yet? Then our free Affiliate Membership might be for you!

As an Affiliate Member you can join our public Facebook group to stay abreast of all our goings on as well as attend bi-weekly Denver Horror Writers meetings (you only need to become an Active Member if you want to submit your work for critique).

To join, send an email to submissions@denverhorror.com or message us through the Denver Horror Collective Facebook group or page!

Darkest Wishes,
Denver Horror Collective Steering Committee
Melinda Bezdek, Bobby Crew, Desi D, Thomas C. Mavroudis, Sean Murphy, Gary Robbe, Josh Schlossberg & Jeamus Wilkes

Celebrate the launch of Terror at 5280’, Denver Horror Collective’s unsettling new anthology featuring twenty-two dark tales set in and around Denver and the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, penned exclusively by local authors.

RSVP here.

• Readings by Stephen Graham Jones, Carina Bissett, Josh Viola, Joy Yehle, Henry Snider, Desi D, Matthew Lyons, Rebecca Bates, and Lindsay King-Miller
• Spin the DISC OF DREAD to pick which stories you want to hear
• Giveaways include free autographed copies of Terror at 5280’ and Denver Horror Collective T-shirts & stickers
• Hosted by black-hearted scribe Hollie Snider

Denver Horror Collective member, Desi D

1. Name one horror author you admire and explain how they helped you become a better writer.

I would have to say I admire Stephen King. I’ve enjoyed reading some of his novels, and there are more on my TBR pile. He has earned my admiration as an author for a few reasons.

I was never a big reader growing up; in truth, reading and writing were a struggle for me. Big books intimidated me, so it’s kind of funny that it was reading one of Stephen King’s tomes that helped me overcome this challenge, The Green Mile (still one of my all-time favorite novels). The reason I was able to read this 800+ novel is that when I started it, I didn’t know. When it came out in 1996, it was a serial novel. I picked up book one that was around 100 pages and read it; then, I grabbed the next until I read the entire story. These books were a huge milestone for me as a reader because this was the first book I devoured, and I haven’t stopped since.

His book, On Writing, A Memoir of the Craft, was one of the earliest craft books I read, and it helped me realize that everyone struggles and doubts their writing. His first novel, Carrie, almost wasn’t published because he had thrown it away, thinking it was a terrible novel, thankful his wife Tabby saved it. He had his doubts, struggles, and life that interfered with his writing, but he stuck with it.

This story is encouraging to know that everyone struggles, even the king of horror, so it’s not just me. Lastly, he has had an amazing career, published several novels, seen and contributed to his work being turned into movies; he achieved what most of us are told is impossible. He reached success without a magical fortune teller prophesying that he would succeed where others have failed, that he was one of the few chosen authors, so go forth and write. No, he faced the same naysayers we all do; he didn’t listen to them, and he never gave up. He remained dedicated to his dream of becoming an author until he did the impossible. His story proves that it can happen, and it demonstrates that it’s not easy for anyone.

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