Writer Wednesday: “The Grip” in Out of the Cave

Today I’m pleased to announce that my short story, “The Grip,” appears in MacKenzie Publishing’s new anthology, Out of the Cave.

“The Grip” is inspired by my wanderings as a kid at Cranbury Park in Connecticut. The park used to be Gallaher Estates, and the Gallaher mansion is still there (and available for renting). Several elements about the park fueled my Spooky Side. If you scroll through the pictures on this site, you’ll see the spooky old tree that we used to play on (which inspired my forthcoming novel, The Man with the Crystal Ankh, the first in the Hollow Oak series). So many people had carved their initials into that tree over the years, and one day as a little girl, I asked my dad why. He said something about there being “bad” people, such as “teenagers” who “do bad things late at night” at Cranbury Park. He didn’t go into details, but he didn’t need to: my kid imagination was as powerful then as it is now.

In “The Grip,” a little girl and her babysitter go wandering about a similar park, and they discover a small cabin that is known to be a hangout for teenagers and delinquents. When they venture inside, they get more than they expected. You can view the book’s Facebook page for teasers from all of the stories.

An afternoon of babysitting turns spooky when Megan takes young Olivia to the abandoned cabin at the edge of the woods at Galahad Estates. It was supposed to be a fun afternoon hike until Olivia squeezes through the cabin window. When she climbs back out, the darkness surrounding her seems contagious.

As a primarily young adult writer, I was excited to hear that there would be a young adult horror anthology. I can’t wait to read the rest of the tales!