William Cook

This article outlines the pros and cons of being an indie horror author on Amazon.com. Hey, fellow writers! If you’ve got a penchant for writing spine-tingling stories and you’re ready to dive into the world of indie horror publishing on Amazon.com, this article is for you.  After ten years of part-time indie publishing with the ‘zon, I’ve learnt a few things along the way. I’m still not at the stage where I’m able to support my family with the profits from my writing, but I’m seeing results (and $) and I hope to go full-time before the end of 2024.  Before switching to independent (‘indie’) publishing, I’d had limited success going down the traditional publishing route. The freedom to control the packaging, marketing, and publishing schedule was the biggest drawcard for me to switch to self-publishing.  When I started making monthly profits from my efforts, without the massive royalty cuts the traditional publishers took from me in the past, my decision was validated and...

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...

Dan Padavona: The Business of Writing (Interview)   Welcome to Thriller author Dan Padavona!   You are going to love this interview with Dan! I’ve been following his career since he first broke onto the indie scene back in 2014, with the publication of his dark Vampire Horror novel: Storberry . Over the course of 3 years he continued to make waves as an Indie Horror author, publishing a succession of well-received Horror novels and novellas.   In 2017/2018, Dan took the plunge and re-emerged as a prolific writer of dark Serial-Killer Thrillers with the introduction of his Scarlett Bell series – followed soon after with the Darkwater Cove , Logan and Scarlett , and Wolf Lake series.    With the popularity and success of his thriller books, Dan was able to commit full-time to writing as a career in 2021, retiring from his previous career as a Meteorologist.   With over 40 novels and novellas to his name, and no sign of him slowing d...

William Cook’s  Top Twenty Scary Horror Movies   These are my Top Twenty scary horror movies. These films all have the ability to give the audience a frightful experience by inducing a sense of fear and horror. ‘Jump scares’, psychological triggers, and scenes of terror are all used to great effect in these films.   Some of my choices may be slightly controversial but please remember, this is my list – these are the films that resonated with me and caused me to feel scared on some level. Believe me when I say that it takes a lot to scare me, and these films did just that.    Please let me know in the comments what your favorite ‘scary films are.   Note: this list is no particular order.   1.        Silent Hill (2006)   Silent Hill is one of those Horror movies people seem to either love or hate. I love it – there are some really dark psychological triggers in this film that played on my subconscious to t...