No one can handle Scottish folklore with elements of the darkest horror, science fiction and fantasy, suspense and adventure like William Meikle.

In Samurai and Other Stories you'll find numerous ghosts, many Scotsmen, a big blob, some holy relics, some unholy relics, a Mothman, a barbarian, some swordplay, a shoggoth and a lot of unexpected people.

This collection by veteran author William Meikle brings together stories from the past decade in an exploration of the perils of exploring dark places, both external and internal.

Includes:

Samurai Rickman’s Plasma Home is the Sailor Turn Again Inquisitor The Scotsman’s Fiddle The Toughest Mile The Havehome The Yule Log Living the Dream The Shoogling Jenny The Haunting of Esther Cox Dancers The Brotherhood of the Thorns The Young Lochinvar A Slim Chance

Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths

Interview with the Author:

So what makes this short story collection so special?
William Meikle: Samurai and other stories contains a real cross section of what I'm all about as a writer. There's fantasy, swordplay, supernatural beasts, sword and sorcery, ghosts, horror, history, humor and a lot of particularly Scottish characters in weird situations. It's also got some of what I think of as my strongest work, whether its in the quieter ghost stories, or the blood and thunder sword swinging. I'm very proud of it as a collection, and Crystal Lake have done a wonderful job in the packaging, especially in the brilliant Ben Baldwin cover that captures the title story perfectly.

Tell us more about your title story.
William Meikle: Samurai is a cautionary tale of being careful what you wish for. A group of shipwrecked sailors find shelter in an ancient abandoned Japanese temple. They proceed to sack it of its treasures - but find, to their cost, that the temple has a guardian, and that service comes with a stiff price. It's a fantasy fable, with more Scots in trouble, more swordplay, and a splash of red gore in the green jungle. It runs in my head like a movie, and in fact, I think it would make a great one, if somebody has the cash for it.

Why should readers give Samurai and Other Stories a try?
William Meikle: It's packed with entertainment, at least I think so. My ethos as a writer is that story comes first, and I like to think that shows in this collection, whether it be in tales of adventure, or misadventure, spooky goings on in coal mines, strange musicians, poltergeists, magial relics, or the people that nobody expects. A wee bit of something for everybody.

Do you have other books featuring these some of the characters in this book?
William Meikle: The main recurring character is Derek Adams, the Midnight Eye, a Glasgow P.I. who keeps getting sucked into supernatural cases. He's in three novels, THE AMULET, THE SIRENS and THE SKIN GAME that are available in ebook, paperback and audiobook, and he's in a handful of short stories now too. I'm sure he'll be in several more in years to come.

Samurai and Other Stories eBook categories:

Horror Short Stories Occult Science Fiction Fantasy Mythology Swords and Scorcery Lovecraftian fiction Detective Noir Thriller short stories Seafaring adventurers Survival Horror

Specificaties