Waxwing Creek
A collection of interconnected horror stories.
Almost a year after publishing my first book, I’m super excited to share that I’ll be publishing my second, Waxwing Creek, on July 25, 2024.
Built on the ruins of a house where a family was found murdered, Waxwing Creek’s legacy began with blood. From that moment, the motel has defined the town of Hunt, haunting owners, guests, and those who call it home.
With tales about a woman betting on bingo to save her life, a brother looking for justice in Hunt’s dark and brutal underbelly, and a man calling on the supernatural to reunite lovers, Waxwing Creek is a collection of interconnected horror stories that uncover the motel’s most disturbing encounters.
They’re stories that examine desperation, morality, and what happens when people try to change something that should be left alone.
As a collection of horror stories that starts with the motel’s opening in 1989 and ends in the present day, it was an entirely different experience to writing a novel.
Short stories force you to think about writing differently. Figuring out how they connect, sit together, and flow pushed me out of my comfort zone. I rewrote a lot. I learnt a lot. For that, I’m thankful.
There were a few thoughts and feelings that inspired this collection. I’ll likely go into those in future newsletters, but a key one was a fascination with places that people spend time in, but experience differently.
When the idea of a motel with a haunting history in a small town popped into my head, there was an intimacy and atmosphere that felt worth exploring. I liked the idea of examining how people with different morals, ethics, and lived experiences could end up in the same place.
As I did, Waxwing Creek became a place founded on duality. A place that one person abuses but another calls home. A place idolised by some but hated by others. A place with a reputation for catching people when they’re desperate.
Waxwing Creek’s cover is 100% human-created by the talented Matt Seff Barnes Art, who did a stellar job of capturing not just the atmosphere of the motel, but the surrounding forests and town of Hunt. We had a great back and forth about the motel, I shared some inspirations, and he ran with it. I’m really pleased with where it landed.
As mentioned above, it will release July 25, 2024. Kindle pre-orders are now available and you can start adding it to shelves on Goodreads. I can’t wait for you to read these stories. I can’t wait for you to stay at Waxwing Creek.
Until then, thanks for making it this far. I’ll have more details on ARC sign-up and all that good stuff soon.
Before you go
One of the best ways to support an author is to buy their books, so I’m going to shamelessly share that you can buy my debut novel, BURIED BY SUNSET, by clicking the button below.
If you want to connect, I live in other corners of the internet. I keep an Instagram updated. You can also find me on TikTok.
/ JJW