Mark Stattelman

One might think, looking at my books, that I am a Civil War buff. Nothing could be further from the truth. I simply read a couple Ambrose Bierce stories a while back and realized that the Civil War lends itself well as a backdrop for eerie, or dark tales. I initially set out to write a series of vignettes, or tales that were of a "spooky" nature and were loosely connected to the Union soldier a young girl spies through the ice (read preface to book one). I grew up reading ghost stories, and am a huge fan of stories by M.R. James, E.F. Benson, F. Marion Crawford. And of course, who can forget W.W. Jacob's tale, The Monkey's Paw? In the Collected Ghost Stories of E. F. Benson, at the end of the introduction, in the words of E. F. Benson himself: "These stories have been written in the hopes of giving some pleasant qualms to their reader . . ." And the last line: "The author fervently wishes his readers a few uncomfortable moments." And if I may add to this a few words of my own. If I can make you squirm just a little as you read, or give you perhaps a mild shock, or surprise that might cause a slight upturn at the edges of your mouth into a smile of delight or pleasure, then I will have achieved what I set out to do. I will be happy! Thank you for reading my stories. I am truly grateful for you taking the time. And what stories (of others) delight and inspire me? The Straw Witch, by John D. MacDonald (End of the Tiger and other stories) The Lake, by Ray Bradbury (The October Country) The Veldt, by Ray Bradbury (The Illustrated Man) There Will Come Soft Rains, by Ray Bradbury (The Martian Chronicles) Beyond the Pale, by Rudyard Kipling (Plain Tales From the Hills) I gasped aloud at the "reveal" in this story. Trust me, you will not be prepared. Three O'clock, by Cornell Woolrich (The Cornell Woolrich Omnibus) And too many others to list, but these are my top few favorites.