William Cook

I'm thrilled to announce that Blood Related , my debut novel, now has a striking new cover design that perfectly captures the haunting essence of this dark psychological thriller . Are you ready for a bone-chilling plunge into the depths of a psychopath’s twisted mind? Brace yourself for an unrelenting psychological thriller that will leave you gasping for breath.  Step into the shoes of tough-as-nails Detective Ray Truman as he embarks on an intense battle with his own demons while tracking down a family of prolific serial killers. Set in the grim underbelly of the Portvale industrial district, Truman finds himself facing a series of headless corpses, their bodies grotesquely mutilated and arranged with sinister purpose. Truman, who knows the identity of the killer, becomes increasingly frustrated as the evidence needed for a conviction eludes him.  Faced with the imminent threat of the killer expanding his reign of terror, Truman takes matters into his own hands, venturing o...

A very quick post today to let you know about a bunch of FREE kindle books of mine that are up for grabs. Head on over to my Amazon Author Page  or follow the links below to grab your free kindle copies of some of my best horror short stories. There's also a bunch of discounted books available at the moment.  While you're there, if you haven't already, why not check out my latest collection/series - Psychological Horror Stories (details/links below). If you like what you've read it would be great if you could share this post and leave a quick review, or at least a 'rating,' on Amazon. Thanks heaps. Will. Here are the freebies: AMAZON U.S. AMAZON U.K. AMAZON U.S. AMAZON U.K. AMAZON U.S. AMAZON U.K. New series/collection - Psychological Horror Stories Psychological Horror Stories:  A Collection of Psychological Horror Fiction for Adults This terrifying collection of psychological horror stories will make your flesh crawl. Enter a disturbing world of psychological ...

Greetings. This post marks the end of three months of writing, editing, and formatting a new collection that brings together old and new stories. Psychological Horror Stories: A Collection of Psychological Horror Fiction for Adults is a 364 page collection of my best psychological horror stories. The collection is the omnibus edition of a 4-volume series and all covers are illustrated by artist and author, Jeffrey Kosh (see right sidebar for link). Some of the stories are from previous s eries, Serial Killer Thrillers , which have been rewritten/edited and are now included as part of this series ( Serial Killer Thrillers is still available as a single-volume) print/kindle edition collection). Psychological Horror Stories: A Collection of Psychological Horror Fiction for Adults Psychological Horror Stories: A Collection of Psychological Horror Fiction for Adults   is a collection of dark tales that deal with the horror inherent in the human psyche. Sometimes supernatural or macabre...

Hi all - as you may or may not have noticed I have not been posting much lately. Largely due to the completion of my Masters thesis, my fiction writing and posts have been on hiatus. Now, I am back but this time I thought I'd try something a bit different by opening up my site to some fellow authors. The first guest post I present to you is from fellow countryman and all-around good guy, Dan Rabarts. Dan is a writer of the dark stuff along with excursions into fantasy and further afield. Here he offers us an interesting perspective on his recent work as it relates to possible sources and origins of inspiration, found in the locale and characteristic anomalies of life in New Zealand. If interested, I myself discuss the 'dark' aspects of New Zealand literature here in a recent interview with fellow writer and Dan's co-author, Lee Murray. Give the below article a read and check out Dan's books via the links - you won't be sorry, he really is the real-deal and h...

This story recently won 'Runner-Up' in the P a rlor of Horror's 2016 short fiction awards and is also part of my collection 'Dreams of Thanatos' - now available to all new subscribers for free - click on the image at the end of this post to download your copy. Dead Memories 1. I had a dream on the anniversary of her death. In the dream, I heard her unmistakable voice calling me, then I saw her and she was so real, I could almost touch her again. Everything about her hit me deep in the chest, I sat bolt upright in our big empty bed. My breath gasped, sweat beaded itself on my cold skin. I could still hear her voice in the dark. I rationalized there were only two possible reasons why I could hear such a thing. I was either hallucinating, or what I heard was her ghost whispering in my ear. Then she was gone again.

Hi Folks Firstly, apologies for the lack of posts lately - some of you may know that I recently began my Masters in English Lit. program and it is proving to be the inevitable time-guzzler that I thought it would be! So, less fiction, more academic writing . . . Grrrrrr. Despite the time consuming factor, I am learning a lot as I go and it's valuable information which will hopefully benefit my writing. The topic of my thesis is: American Postmodern Serial Killer Fiction , and I'm analyzing the following select works - Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me , James Ellroy’s Killer on the Road , Brett Easton Ellis’s American Psycho , Poppy Z. Brite’s Exquisite Corpse and Joyce Carol Oates’s Zombie . Here's a slice of the intro - as you will notice, the style is not my usual pared-down prose . B ear in mind that this is the first draft, but you get the idea: "The vast body of published texts, which constitute the genre of serial killer fiction, reveal common narrative...

Hi All - it's been a while I know, so as a way of thanking you for sticking around I've got some free books for you! Things have been really busy lately with research for my Masters thesis well underway. The title of my dissertation is 'The Evolution of a Genre: the Rise and Rise of Serial killer Fiction. As you can imagine, the research and writing on this topic fits well within the scope of my fictional work as well, so it should be an interesting and engaging ride. Let's just hope that my supervisor likes the subject as much as readers of my books do! Other current projects include continued work on the sequel to ' Blood Related ' (a novel titled 'Blood Loss'), the second volume of ' Secrets of Best-Selling Self-Published Authors ' as well as an omnibus edition that collates both volumes (1 and 2) plus additional material.  In other news, I have recently been interviewed. If you're interested in reading these you can view them respectiv...

Hi everyone. Firstly, I'd like to wish you all a safe and relaxed holiday season and I hope that 2016 brings good things your way. Secondly, I'd like to share with you my latest publication news ; Secrets of Best-Selling Self-Published Authors is at a special discounted low holiday price - only $2.99! Want to know how indie best-sellers become best-sellers? Want to know whether or not self-publishing will work for you? Want straight-to-the-point advice and easy-to-read tips on self-publishing, book marketing and sales? (U.S. & U.K. links below) Grab a copy quick and please share with your pals . Secrets of Best-Selling Self-Published Authors offers valuable insights and tips for new and experienced self-published authors. In Secrets of Best-Selling Self-Published Authors, William Cook, author and entrepreneur, shares a selection of interviews from his popular online interview series, alongside an analysis of the interviews and two fresh essays: ...

Here you go . . . a #Free #Book! Hopeless, a supernatural #Horror story. (U.S. & U.K. links below) - Grab a copy now and please share :) Free 'til Tuesday. Nothing can kill a child's love for her mother . . . A young girl must face her biggest fear – her father. As she struggles to protect her mother from the man she once idolized, young Hope must confront her situation and the possibility that they may not get out alive. A fast-paced supernatural horror story with a twist, that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From the author of Blood Related and Dreams of Thanatos *Bonus Features: includes an additional short story and a recent interview with the author. Warning: contains adult content + themes of psychological horror and domestic abuse. "William Cook tells a gruesome story with a sense of authenticity that makes you question with considerable unease if it really is fiction, after all." – Graham Masterton, author of The Manitou and Descendan...

 Hi there - well it's been a while since my last post as things have been very busy on the home front. I have nearly finished the final edits on my latest book - 'Secrets of Best-Selling Self-Published Authors,' and have been working on a couple of other projects (novel, collection etc). SOBSSPA is a non-fiction collection of interviews that appeared first here on my site/blog - (you can find all the interviews via this link ) along with an analysis of the main interview points and a couple of essays on Growth Hacking for authors and Self-Publishing by yours truly. All things going well, this interesting little book should be ready pre-Christmas along with a collection of essays and a new collection of short fiction. Meanwhile, here is a freebie for you guys - hope you enjoy it. #FREE Now! (3 Days only - 12-15/11) Dead and Buried - A Ghost Story (Please share/ #RT) - (U.S. & U.K. links below) Ever been bullied? Ever been dead and buried? Ever been a ghost?   Donn...

Another fascinating interview is in store for you today and this time we have best-selling fantasy author, Michael J Sullivan in the hot-seat. A very interesting and generous writer who has taken the time to answer my questions about self-publishing and achieving success in today's tough publishing market-place. As usual, please make sure to check out Michael's links and books at the bottom of the interview and also take advantage of the subscription offer. His Amazon biography describes him as thus (abridged): After finding a manual typewriter in the basement of a friend's house, Michael J. Sullivan inserted a blank piece of paper and typed: It was a dark and stormy night. He was just eight years old and mimicking the greatest (or only) writer he knew at the time...Snoopy. That spark ignited a flame and the desire to fill blank pages would become a life-long obsession. As an adult, Michael spent more than ten years developing his craft by stu...