The Haunting of Black River Forest by Jaydeep Shah - Horror - A spine-chilling story in which adventurers struggle to survive on the land of a cold-blooded psychopath who enjoys slashing humans.
by Jaydeep Shah
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Jaydeep Shah
Date of Publication: 12/14/2021
ISBN: 978-1-7349826-3-3
ASIN: B08V4ZY7QY
Number of pages: 86
Word Count: 8611
Cover Artist: Jaydeep Shah
A spine-chilling story in which adventurers struggle to survive on the land of a cold-blooded psychopath who enjoys slashing humans.
A forest of blood and corpses. The land of a cold-blooded psychopath.
In Black River Forest, it’s best not to wander too far off the beaten track. There’s no telling what you might find.
Mia and Oliver have long wanted to explore the forest, and one cold, rainy October day, a week before their fifth anniversary of the day they met, they finally make the trip.
But they’ve heard the rumors as well. The haunting. A psychopath hidden somewhere amidst the towering trees. Too many missing. Too few answers.
It’s only rumors, though. Stories. And stories can’t hurt you. Yet as Mia and Oliver venture deeper into the Black River Forest, they’ll soon discover that there’s more haunting this quiet woodland than hikers and bears.
The psychopath is very real. And he’s excited to meet them.
From Jaydeep Shah, author of Tribulation, the first book of the Cops Planet series, “The Haunting of Black River Forest” is a bloody, spine-chilling story best read with the lights on.
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An Interview with Jaydeep Shah
Welcome to JB’s Bookworms with Brandy Mulder, please tell us about your newest book.
The newest book titled The Haunting of Black River Forest is a horror adventure short story about adventurers struggling to survive on the land of a cold-blooded psychopath.
It is a short read of about 40 pages. If you enjoy scary forest stories where the adventurers go off their beaten track and encounter something deadly like a wild animal or a ripper, you will enjoy this short story.
You will also enjoy this story if you love strong female protagonist.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing The Haunting of Black River Forest?
I wanted to make this short story a frightening one. When I received the manuscript I submitted to my editor, Harrison Demchick, and found the story is not intriguing, and the characters also don’t sound fun. I had to write a completely new version, removing some characters, and making the protagonists even stronger. This is what the most difficult thing I had to deal with. In so little time, I had to rewrite the entire story, as the release date was approaching. Thank God! The most difficult job of rewriting the story I was afraid to perform helped me write the best short story comparing to the other short stories I published before.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I always enjoyed watching movies and reading books. When I turned fourteen, that is when I thought to write a story for the first time; however, I never tried. When I turned sixteen, I wrote a random story just for fun, but I never shared the story with anyone. Then I decided to write more, and I did.
I started publishing books when I turned nineteen. Believe me or not, at that time, I didn’t have much knowledge about publishing and marketing. All I knew was that publish the book through self-publishing companies like AuthorHouse and people would automatically start buying it once it hit the online stores. Haha! I was completely callow!!
However, as I continued writing and publishing, I learned a lot. I studied Creative Writing and increased my knowledge about writing, publishing industry, and marketing. Now, as a bachelor’s degree holder in Creative Writing, I aim to entertain as many as people I can with my stories.
I enjoy writing stories so much that, I just can’t dream a life without it. The pile of manuscripts on my desk are growing. I’ve decided to go traditional as well. I hope I find an agent and a publishing house soon for my other stories.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
I would say, you are the only one to motivate yourself to start writing and continuing the writing process until you write “The End” on the script.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
The most difficult scene to write in The Haunting of Black River Forest was the battle in climax between the protagonist, Mia, and the antagonist, the Ripper. Also, the emotional moment at the end of the story. These two scenes were difficult for me to write. However, thanks to my editors who helped me make those scenes powerful.
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
The theme in The Haunting of Black River Forest is courage. The book I published before this one, Tribulation, first book in Cops Planet Series, carries multiple themes: perseverance, vigilante justice, and revenge. The theme for the next book, Boondocks, includes the themes of courage and unity. So. Yes. Themes are a big part of my stories.
What are you working on now?
Currently, I’m working on an apocalyptic thriller series titled Survive the Doom. The series contains four books. The story starts in Boondocks, first book in the series, when Asian evils like rakshasas, pishachas, shaitans return to earth. The story follows in a sequel named Havoc in which the protagonists continue battling against the Asian evils. The third book, V Land, will focus on vampires who tries their best to increase their community. The fourth book, Z Russia, is the story about a virus that turned people into zombies when a scientist was performing a lab test on one of the Asian evils’ blood.
Boondocks is already available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Is there a release date planned?
The release date for Boondocks, first book in Survive the Doom Series, is June 9, 2022.
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
My favorite character from my own story is Ana. I loved the way she carried herself after going through so many ordeals.
But the most favorite character from my own stories is not yet published. I’m also working on a young adult fantasy novel, and I just love many characters from that story. I’m just in love with them.
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
Honestly, I don’t remember any specific most favorite book from grade school. But any book with animal characters were my favorite ones.
What are your plans for future projects?
I’m planning to self-publish a few books, and for some other books, I want to go traditional. In past, I announced the release of some romance books as well, so this year, I desperately wants to publish at least one romance book.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
I don’t think I have anything else to share with you for now. So. Finally, thank you for having me as your guest. Thank you for your precious time and this interview opportunity. Also, thank you all of you who read this post finding some time from your busy schedule.
One last thing, keep showering your love and support. Thank you! J
Wait! Also, I wish you all a very happy new year. May this year bring all the joy and love to you and your family.
Good luck with The Haunting of Black River Forest, and thank you for being with us today.
Excerpt:
After walking for three or four miles, the trio hadn’t found a way out of the forest.
Their hearts were beating in fear and their legs were tired from walking.
“When will we find the way out of this creepy forest, man?” asked Mia, her arm linked with Oliver’s.
“I wish we hadn’t come here,” said Oliver. “But we have no choice except to keep trying to find the path.”
“I just hope we get to the right path before . . . he finds us,” said Jany.
“That’s what I’ve been praying to God for this whole time,” said Oliver. “I don’t want to encounter him.”
“Right. I just want to escape,” said Mia. “However, if we do meet him, and if he tries to block our path, I will kill him with my axe.”
“You must be kidding!” said Jany. “Please don’t say that again. I’ve seen enough horror.”
“What did I say wrong?” said Mia. “If he finds us, we must fight him and kill him. Otherwise, he will kill us.”
Walking, walking, and walking. Eventually, the trio reached a divide in the path. Following Mia, they took the left.
The trio walked for one more mile, until they saw something that stopped them in their tracks.
Skeletons. Hanging on almost all the trees ahead, as far as their eyes could see. Not one, not five, not ten, but at least a hundred skeletons, swinging on the trees in the breeze.
Jany gaped at them, her eyes filling with tears.
Oliver felt a chill furling through his body.
And Mia stood completely petrified; somewhere inside her, a voice said: My heart may stop beating if I let the horror possess my senses.
About the Author:
Jaydeep Shah is an avid traveler and the author of gripping horror, thriller, and romance stories. As a bachelor’s degree holder in Creative Writing, he aims to entertain as many as people he can with his stories. He is best known for Tribulation, the first book in the “Cops Planet” series.
In addition to those books, The Shape-Shifting Serpents’ Choice, Jaydeep’s first young adult flash fiction written under his pen name, JD Shah, is published online by Scarlet Leaf Review in their July 2019 issue. Currently, he’s endeavoring to write a debut young adult fantasy novel while working on a sequel to his first apocalyptic thriller, Havoc.
When Shah is not writing, he reads books, tries new restaurants, and goes on adventures.
Website: https://www.jaydeepshah.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/imjaydeepshah
Newsletter Signup: https://www.jaydeepshah.com/newsletter
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jaydeepshah
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/imjaydeepshah/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/imjaydeepshah
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jaydeepshah
This looks very interesting to read
ReplyDeleteI love any post that says "Read with the lights on".
ReplyDeleteWhat was your inspiration in writing this book? It sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Jaydeep, I enjoyed following the tour and learning about The Haunting of Black River Forest, which sound like a thrilling read for me and I like the cover! Good luck with your book and I hope the tour was a success! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a fantastic day!
ReplyDelete