Master of Fright: Return to the Dark Woods

A successful novelist, Ray Winston is proud to be known as the “Master of Fright.” He sees himself as a “dealer” who supplies readers with their drug of choice—sheer terror. And Ray truly understands what makes people cringe at sudden bumps in the night and dread looking under their beds or in their closets. Horror, after all, is his game. Ray is also proud of having overcome years of drug dependency, though his own drug of choice is cocaine. Ray, however, now has writer’s block, the deadline for his next novel is fast approaching, his agent and publisher are becoming increasingly impatient, and Ray is feeling pressured. He is desperate for inspiration. When Ray and his family move to a farm in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, he believes his creative muse will surely be inspired in such a halcyon setting, far from the rat-race of city life. And Ray does find inspiration, but he also discovers that while he might be a master when it comes to telling a frightening story, he really has no understanding of horror at all—at least not “real” horror.

From the Back Cover

Ray Winston is proud of being known as "The Master of Fright." He is also proud of having overcome years of drug dependence. Ray, however, has writer's block, and the deadline for his next novel is fast approaching. His agent and publisher are breathing down his neck, and Ray is desperate for inspiration. When he and his family move to a farm in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia, Ray believes he will surely find that inspiration in such a halcyon setting, far from the rat-race of city life. Ray does find inspiration, all right, but he also discovers that while he might be a master when it comes to telling horror stories, he really has no understanding of horror at all--at least not real horror.

About the Author

A native of Fairburn, Georgia, Carol Culver Rzadkiewicz resides in Lafayette, Louisiana in "The Heart of Cajun Country," with her husband, Chet, and their three animal companions. An instructor for the University of Phoenix, she is also a freelance writer, but fiction is her passion. Her short stories have appeared in the Santa Fe Writers Project Literary Journal, South Lit, Toasted Cheese, and The New Review, among other publications; and her novels include Mustang Summer, Objects Are Closer than They Appear, and Separate but Equal. She also has a collection of short stories: The Touch and Other Stories. Moreover, an eclectic writer, who likes to explore various literary genres, she has written not only Master of Fright, which is her most recent venture into the horror category, but also a novella, The Dark Woods, and a short story, "The Runner."

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