Highlighting the best independent publications in fiction and non-fiction. Your new favorite author is right here.

Clifford Beck

A native of Upstate New York, Clifford Beck received the bulk of his education at the State University of New York at Albany. Beginning with poetry, he was inspired by literature, such as the Greek playwrights as well as the writings of Dante and Edgar Allen Poe. His work is largely an exploration into human darkness and the dynamics of madness and having a background in design and illustration, he also creates the cover art for his novels.

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Digger (Horror)

Witnessing a terrible car accident on Portland’s Congress St., Ryan becomes inspired to help others. The victim of an abusive father, he rises above his demons and earning a pre-med degree is accepted into UNE’s medical program. All goes as planned, until the ghosts of his past return. And his subsequent instability results in his dismissal from school. But, Ryan has a plan to get back into the good graces of UNE and be readmitted.

Now, retreating to a cabin in the woods near Lake Sebago, Ryan continues his medical education. But, even the best-laid plans don’t always work out as intended. And Ryan slips into the spiral of delusion, led by his new found fascination with death. But, some things are beyond escape. And as Ryan’s mind marches down the road of deepening insanity, what he has referred to as ‘work’ becomes a gruesome act of control. Now, death has reached out a vengeful hand, arriving in the form not only unexpected but utterly terrifying.

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The Station (Horror, Paranormal)

Taking place in Norway, Maine, Samantha is a typical high school loner. Although she prefers to be left alone, she finds herself as the object of admiration for Henry, an often harassed fellow student, and even though she tries to maintain a distance, they are brought together by the one thing they have in common, an interest in the paranormal. Together, they team up to investigate a notorious hot of ghostly activity, only to discover how dangerous the paranormal can be.

At first, Samantha is the strong one, while Henry struggles to overcome his fear and prove himself as the person he believes Samantha wants. But, their decision to explore a former ambulance station with a traumatic past acts as the catalyst for something that changes them both, and at the same time, brings tragedy to the town of Norway. This is the story of two teenagers caught up in the changes brought on by youth. At the same time, the two are dangerously consumed by their shared curiosity of all things unearthly, pushing them together, then driving them apart.

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Heretic (Horror)

It is one hundred years after the black death and with Europe still in ruins, many continue to die. Now, no longer able to feed their only child, Aiden Selwyn’s parents are forced to give him up and three days walk through the English countryside, they arrive at an isolated monastery. The abbot takes him in without hesitation, but all is not as it seems and after reaching adulthood, Aiden discovers their true intentions.

Having made a daring escape, he wanders the countryside, committed to doing what he believes is God’s work. But, death is an ever-present companion and Aiden reaches the conclusion that he is no longer able to accept the consequences of his obligation to God. It is at this point that the course of his life takes a sudden turn when he meets Aelianna, a beautiful black haired woman living alone in the woods. And after suspecting her to be a practitioner of the black arts, he suspends his judgment long enough to fall in love with her. For a time, life is idyllic and Aiden has finally found peace. But, the evil he has discovered to also be inherent in people finds them out, testing both his strength as well as his deep love for Aelianna. Heretic is a story of the things that can sometimes scar one’s life. It is a story of resolve and transformation. That even the most misguided can be reborn with a new sense of purpose.

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Smokin Weed With Jesus: The Gospel According To Cannabis (Horror, Humor)

It all begins when Richard, a bankruptcy attorney, finds himself in circumstances beyond his control, and lying at the edge of death, experiences the revelation of existence in heaven. Waiting for him is an oddly dressed individual with a great deal to say, and Richard becomes a captive audience for an eye-opening conversation. But, Jesus is not the only one with an opinion as a self-obsessed Satan makes a grandiose entrance with views of his own.

Yes, people suck, and God is pissed. But as usual, He conveys His criticism of the human world through His son, Jesus of Nazareth. Of course, not to be left out, is a small cast of characters from the place of eternal darkness. ‘Smokin’ Weed With Jesus’ is an irreverent, humorous approach to what the Messiah might have to say about how we live our lives, pointing out the differences between religion and the need for a well-grounded spirituality, as well as the need to change.

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The Devil’s Daughter (Horror)

Tucked away in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains, the centuries-old village of Gura Haith bears witness to something lurking in the night, screaming out in maddening hunger. Now, Nelu, one of the village’s most skilled hunters, tries to devise a plan to kill what has become a threat to the lives of everyone in the small mountain village.

However, it is also haunted by the presence of a small girl, rescued by a hunting party and taken in by Nelu and his wife, she begins to exhibit strange behavior, prompting many to believe she is cursed. But, with Nelu’s plan having failed, only one option remains and with devastating results, leaving its people locked away, with few remaining choices for their survival.

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The Facility: Cheap Labor Has Been Redefined (Horror)

It is 2059 and Portland, Maine, like so much of the world has become largely a war zone of crime and poverty. Resources are all but gone, and as the swan’s song of civilization rapidly comes to a close, the government develops a plan that officially does not exist. It is a plan designed to exploit the world’s last remaining resource – the beginnings of which lay hidden in an underground facility in the woods near Jay, Maine.

Now, Edward Drake, a banking analyst in Portland will have his suspicions confirmed as his life is destroyed by a government that seems to have run out of options. He will be torn away from everything he has ever cared about. With his life stolen from him, all he wants is to go home – to return to his wife, Ajna, to resume his life. This is the story of a governments attempt at self-preservation, at any cost. And for Edward, there seems to be no way out.

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