NIGHT

I DREAD HIS ARRIVAL

About the book No Frame

About "The Noctuary"

Struggling writer Simon Ryan'’s life has gone to Hell.Shadows are pouring into his reality and his words are not his own anymore. He has been chosen to become a scribe for some of the worst creatures of the Underworld - the ones whose sole purpose is to torment human souls – The Dark Muses.As Simon writes, he falls deeper into the abyss and before long he has no sense of what is real. With the help of another scribe, old and mutilated, Simon comes to discover that his writing can mould people and places –- that he can write things out of existence.To become a scribe Simon has to pass a test and the Muses offer him a chance to rewrite his horrible past.All he has to decide is how the story ends....
Excerpt All of a sudden the darkness parts like a curtain and a tall, robed figure steps out, bathed in a dull light. As my eyes adjust, I glimpse the being before me. The figure is at least eight feet tall. Beneath the scorched lace of its endless robe I can see a bone-thin body wrapped tightly in pale grey skin.Then I see its face; two orb-like eyes centred in a glistening, hairless head. Strange hieroglyphs are scattered about the face, ancient scars carved into the flesh. As I gape in horror the thing beckons me with outstretched hands.Its fingers look sharp and menacing. As it glides closer I finally see they are not fingers at all, but rather the pointed ends of ancient quills. Bloody ink spills from each tip onto my lounge room floor. My God, what are you? I hear myself say. The thing smiles, revealing a toothless mouth, moist with the same foul ink."I am no god, Simon. I am no devil. I am purely an inspiration to lost souls. Only the privileged can bear my countenance."I sit rigid in my chair as the creature hovers around me, observing me with its hollow eyes. I dont want to look away from it, but the entrance from whence it came lures my gaze. Beyond the curtain of night I can make out a corridor with walls made of parchment, stained and marked with every written language on Earth and others I could never comprehend. The sound of scratching, multiplied a billion times over, echoes throughout the corridor and out into my home.Abruptly the creature blocks my view and with a wave of his spindly hand the curtain is drawn. The room plunges back into darkness."No, Simon, not for you - not yet."I look back to where the creature is standing, but the darkness has blotted him out. All I hear is his voice."First you must master your words in this world before you can write them in mine."
Reviews

Reviews

"Chapman's latest novella is a sort-of homage to Clive Barker, but unlike other "homages" this one has its own voice and style.... THE NOCTUARY blends supernatural and real-life horrors quite well. Kudos to Chapman for dealing with a side-plot of child abuse in a non-exploitative (but still chilling) manner." Nick Cato, THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW"I'm giving this five stars in the horror department, so consider yourself warned. Writers talk about having a muse. A good muse that inspires one to write wonderful things. But what if the muse was bad? I mean really bad as in nine muses straight from hell bad. That's the predicament Simon finds himself in, only he's more than willing to take a flying leap into the abyss and see what comes out on the other side. Enjoy!"Alchemy of Scrawl"I would give The Noctuary a four out of five stars. I enjoyed the plot and the outcome was equally pleasing ...It's not a very long read and could be enjoyed in one sitting, especially at night, when your all alone. There's just something about reading demons that requires a certain ambiance."Mad Moose Mama"The writing is delicious and I thought the story was very well done. Part of me wishes the story would have been fleshed out more, but it is short enough that readers can quickly be introduced to this gifted writer. Keep in mind that even though it clocks in at just 66 pages, you are still getting some very visual writing and characters that have been well crafted. Albeit, the dialogue at times seems a little forced, but it isnt to the point where you are distracted from the overall story.If you love horror that is filled with some eerie twists and turns, this story really is for you. In fact, I highly recommend that you draw a warm fire and sit in your favorite chair with the lights down low. That way, you can enhance the experience you will have reading this tale of horror."Joel M. Andre, Literary Pursuits
"Both elegant and visceral, violent and darkly witty, Greg Chapman's THE NOCTUARY is an insightful look at the processes of creation and the birth of horror. His sinister muse, Meknok, is one of the most intriguing new horror characters since Clive Barker unleashed Pinhead, and indeed THE NOCTUARY is occasionally reminiscent of Barker's grim beauty, while being very distinctly its own beast. THE NOCTUARY is rich, compelling, and unsettling, and Greg Chapman is obviously a writer in complete possession of his own sinister muse."Lisa Morton, four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award and author of The Halloween Encyclopedia"Greg Chapman's THE NOCTUARY is straight from the depths of Hell. Here the past is a very difficult geography. Fresh and original it takes the reader on a frantic ride to regret; and may well provide the nightmares horror fiction often promises, but rarely delivers."Rocky Wood, Bram Stoker nominated author of Horrors! Great Stories of Fear and Their Creators and Stephen King: A Literary Companion"The Noctuary is a haunting and hard-hitting tale of horror in the demonic tradition of Clive Barker. It carries the reader on a roller-coaster ride that weaves through the fabric separating reality from the hellish imaginary. Like Simon Ryan, Greg Chapman is striving to blossom as a writer - and this novella shows us that he is succeeding in his endeavour. However, unlike Simon, Greg does this without the help of Meknok... or does he?"Cameron Trost, author of Letterbox
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Where to buy

E-BOOK - ISBN: 9781615725489Damnation BooksAmazonBarnes & NoblePAPERBACK - ISBN: 9781615725496AmazonBarnes & Noble
About the Author No Frame

About "the author

Greg Chapman is an emerging author of dark fiction from Australia.His first novella "Torment", was published by Damnation Books in the United States on March 1, 2011. "The Noctuary" is his second novella with Damnation.Greg has also had short stories published in The Absent Willow Review, Trembles, Morpheus Tales and Eclecticism magazines.He is a member of both the Horror Writers Association (International) and the Australian Horror Writers Association.For more information on Greg, visit his blog at www.darkscrybe.blogspot.com

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