My Twenty-Fourth Anthology Publication – High Stakes Horror by WATG Press

Tic-Tac-Toe!

Who wins?

I couldn’t be more thrilled to share that my young adult supernatural horror, “Crick Crack Crow,” is out in High Stakes Horror by WATG Press.

If you love horror with deadly bets, games, and competitions, you can purchase a copy of this anthology as an ebook or a paperback here.

My Unhinged Idea

When I found out about High Stakes Horror from a friend, I knew I had to write a story. So, I started thinking of unique twists to games.

For some reason, my brain went to Tic-Tac-Toe almost instantly, and I ran through rhymes for the words.

Crow!

Yes, crows definitely fit the vibe.

Crick and crack?

Sure, I could make those work, too.

Once I had the concept of Crick Crack Crow, my dark tale fell into place like game pieces.

A Peek Into “Crick Crack Crow”

After dying in a shark attack, Mallory finds herself in a misty realm and meets the Devil, who challenges her to a game of Crick Crack Crow. If Mallory wins, she’ll join Satan’s Soldiers, but if she loses, she’ll burn forever. Having a wicked soul, Mallory accepts the challenge, feeling confident because she loved games when she was alive.

Who will win Crick Crack Crow? Mallory or Satan?

You’ll have to read to see how the game goes down.

Tic-Tac-Toe, Peppermint Patties and Milky Ways Style

Before I drafted “Crick Crack Crow,” I needed to figure out Mallory and Satan’s moves.

So, what did I do?

I played solo Tic-Tac-Toe with peppermint patties and milky ways as the game pieces.

The peppermint patties were for the Devil, and the milky ways were for Mallory.

When I tell you I stood at my kitchen counter, trying to sort this out, for at least twenty minutes, I’m not exaggerating. No matter what I did, both sides lost.

Eventually, I beat the game, and so I didn’t mess up while writing the story, I recorded myself while playing through the moves again, talking out loud like the Devil goes here, Mallory goes there.

So, yeah. I’ll never be able to see peppermint patties and milky ways as just candy ever again.

Opening My Copy of High Stakes Horror

The anthology got published on June 26, so I was delighted when my paperback arrived this month. While I waited for my copy, I read the entire ebook in a day. Believe me, this is truly a fantastic collection.

You can watch the video of me opening the book here.

Crick Crack Crow, anyone?

Thank you so much to Dakria for giving “Crick Crack Crow” a home in High Stakes Horror. I had a blast writing this story, so I’m grateful it’s published in such an incredible anthology.

Some advice. If the Devil ever invites you to play a game, say no!