M.H.Urban
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mhurban.bsky.social
M.H.Urban
@mhurban.bsky.social
380 followers 350 following 460 posts
Just another indie author trying to come out of her hard drive. Horror, thriller, dark fantasy... I like them like my coffee: strong and black. No AI, all my mistakes are human-made.
https://author.mhurban.com/
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Reposted by M.H.Urban
stephellis.bsky.social
Cosy crime for Christmas - with a twist

Twiggy Voo?

Napoleonic Britain 1913
A body in the library - or is there?
Doubles - and I don't mean tennis
Darts - 180!

Christmas is coming ...

mybook.to/TwiggyVoo

#booksky #cosycrime #Christmas #fiction
Full cover for Twiggy Voo? A snowy woodland scene at night in shades of deep blue and blue/white snow. In the distance a mansion. In the foreground a man in shadow. Blurb on the back: December 1913. Since Great Britain’s defeat at Waterloo, the island nation has existed as an ‘arrondissemont’ of France. Dowager Empress Eugénie the mother of Emperor Louis-Napoléon, is hosting a country party at her Hampshire home, Farnborough Hill House. Invitations to her Christmas gatherings are coveted and this particular occasion consists of a mixture of aristocracy, businessmen and music hall artistes including the infamous Paulette. Winston Churchill, purveyor of fine meats, and part of Britain’s underground resistance is also invited. His remit is to keep the errant Prince Eddie in check and shed some light on Paulette’s involvement in the scandal swirling around the murder of his friend, singer Harry Fragson. However, when the Empress decides to stage her own ‘murder mystery’ as part of the festivities, a real body in the library appears. Immediately, Paulette is suspected. As snow sets in and isolates the house and its inhabitants, can Winston save her bacon and escape a roasting from both the Emperor and the nominal King, George V?
December 14, 2025 at 7:53 PM
mhurban.bsky.social
And this is ANOTHER reason to add to the pile to distrust Amazon Kindle
A pile Everest high already

writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/k...

#FuckAI
Kindle's New Gen AI-Powered "Ask This Book" Feature Raises Rights Concerns - Writer Beware
In a recent press release, Amazon noted that some new features were coming to Kindle. We’re adding new AI-powered reading features that preserve the magic of reading on Kindle. Story So Far lets you c...
writerbeware.blog
December 13, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
theghostmonk.bsky.social
A ghostly Druid - YES!
#PhantomsFriday
missscarlett2024.bsky.social missscarlett2024.bsky.social @missscarlett2024.bsky.social · 3d
#PhantomsFriday Castello di Gropparello in Italy's north has 4 ghosts & an ancient Celtic sacrificial altar next to the castle. The ghosts include a knight guarding the main tower, the Lord of the castle 1/2
December 12, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
markseifert.bleedingcool.com
Another Authentic Ghost Stories entry for #phantomsfriday, from Famous Crimes v3 #29 (1904) published by Harold Furniss.

An account of a haunting at Woodstock Palace in 1649, and an illustrated account of a poltergeist called "The Demon of Tedworth" in 1661.
Illustrated cover of Famous Crimes, Past and Present, Police Budget Edition, Vol. III No. 29, edited by Harold Furniss and priced at one penny. The central engraving shows three men in a dim interior examining a severed human leg placed inside a round basket or tub. One man lifts cloth from the limb while another looks on, suggesting forensic inspection. Ornate Victorian borders frame the scene, and a caption beneath reads, “Another Leg Was Revealed,” referencing the sensational crime story inside. Opening page of the “Authentic Ghost Stories” article, Part II, under the Famous Crimes masthead. The page features a decorative title cartouche, a literary quotation, and dense Victorian-era text recounting alleged haunted-house disturbances. On the right side of the page is a detailed black-and-white illustration showing a frightened figure recoiling inside a dim interior as a supernatural presence is implied by a pair of glowing eyes staring from the darkness. The caption beneath the illustration reads, “Two red and glaring eyes.” Illustrated interior page from “Authentic Ghost Stories” showing a chaotic haunted-house scene. Several men react in terror as plates, furniture, and household objects fly through the air. One figure shields his head while others recoil as debris scatters across the room. Beneath the image, a caption reads “The Devil Came Again!” Later page from the “Authentic Ghost Stories” article, printed under the Famous Crimes banner. The page consists entirely of tightly packed text describing ongoing supernatural disturbances, noises, apparitions, and investigations by officials and clergymen.
December 12, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
anniebrassey.bsky.social
Extract from "A Cabbage For A Year" by Minnie Pallister, 1934. Her home on High Street in Bexhill Old Town may, or may not, have a ghost!
#PhantomsFriday #Bexhill #Sussex #Ghost #History #1930s #MinniePallister
December 12, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
theghostmonk.bsky.social
Thanks for joining in Godyssee Podcast. It's #PhantomsFriday, though - easy mistake to make. Great story. Great picture too, come to that.
godysseypodcast.com The Godyssey Podcast @godysseypodcast.com · 3d
A medieval chronicle tells that Bishop Baldric of Ultrecht sent a priest to sleep in a decrepit church in Deventer as penance for saying he saw the dead giving thanks. That night the dead did not let him sleep, and in fact burned him to ash for trespassing. #PhantomFriday
A medieval painting showing two men and two women praying before a log fire; judging from their clothes, they are nobility or merchants, likely the former.
December 12, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
missscarlett2024.bsky.social
From the Boston Post, 1921 #PhantomsFriday
December 12, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
missscarlett2024.bsky.social
#PhantomsFriday Blatna castle in the Czech Republic, built on a swamp, housed a state museum under Communist times. The story of the Grey Lady has been known since the Middle Ages. The castle tower was not easy to build as the building material would not stick together. 1/3
December 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
mhurban.bsky.social
#PhantomsFriday
December 12, 2025 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
missscarlett2024.bsky.social
#PhantomsFriday Waldau castle in the Kaliningrad region of Russia, was built in the medieval times by the mighty Teutonic order, has long been abandoned. It is located in a small village of Nizovye, known as Waldau when the lands were part of Germany's East Prussia before the end of WWII. 1/3
December 12, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
missscarlett2024.bsky.social
1/2 #DundurnCastle in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada (1835) is supposedly #haunted by Sophia, daughter of its builder, former PM Sir Allan MacNab, causing cold spots, flickering lights, disembodied singing in her former rooms, objects moving & video glitches. #PhantomsFriday
December 5, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
theghostmonk.bsky.social
In 1821 John Newton was wrongfully accused of highway robbery by two men who had a grudge against him. After he was convicted, Newton said no grass would grow on his grave, and this would show his innocence. His grave in Montgomery churchyard did remain bare of grass for 100 years.
#PhantomsFriday
The so-called Robbers Grave in the churchyard in Montgomery, Powys. According to one trustworthy author, the bare patch of grass had shrunk down to a cross-shape when he saw it in 1911.
December 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
theghostmonk.bsky.social
Another reminder for #PhantomsFriday. Feel free to join the fun and the fear by posting on all things #ghost: prose, poems, art, history, #folklore and modern accounts of #haunted experiences and locations. All are welcome. Check out @phantomsfriday.bsky.social for the feed.
Illustration from an early 19th Century play. In a spooky graveyard a man is startled by a shrouded figure, pointing at him accusingly. Behind him is a skeleton with a winding sheet partly wrapped round it.
December 11, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
theghostmonk.bsky.social
In July 1918 the German U-Boat UB-65 exploded off the coast of Ireland. A torpedo tube had been jammed and some survivors blamed a #ghost for it. On its maiden voyage a warhead exploded, killing six, including a 2nd Lieutenant and it was his ghost that began to plague the crew. [Cont
#PhantomsFriday
The front cover of my copy of 'Sea Phantoms' by Warren Armstrong, published in 1963.
December 12, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
cwreeve.bsky.social
The Dead Mother, by Edvard Munch, has a particularly haunting reputation. Previous owners report the eyes of the child following them and the sound of whispers and rustling sheets coming from the painting. Sometimes the girl even disappears from the canvas altogether... 👻

#PhantomsFriday
A painting of a child before a deceased woman, her hands clamped over her ears.
December 12, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
signemaene.com
According to a Flemish folktale, there used to be a tree that was thought to be 1500 years old. It was believed that the ghost of Wodan lived inside the tree. Wodan or not, nobody dared to walk around the tree, for it was known to strike passersby on the head.

🎨Roelof van Vries
#PhantomsFriday
Painting title: The Old Oak Tree. Painting of an oak tree. A figure sitting near it and other figures in the distance. Dark, greyish sky.
December 12, 2025 at 11:12 AM
mhurban.bsky.social
Castillo del Infierno (Hell Castle), in Riudecanyes
Its very name sends shivers down your spine. This fortress near the town of Riudecanyes, Catalonia, officially called Castell d'Escornalbou, is shrouded in stories of tragedy and paranormal phenomena. (1/3)
#PhantomsFriday #folklore #horror #ghosts
December 12, 2025 at 11:43 AM
mhurban.bsky.social
#FridayFreebies

💙📚👀📢📚😱🩸📚
HorrorReadersList
storyoriginapp.com/to/jHRiLui
Horror Giveaway
books.bookfunnel.com/indiehorror/...
Yuletide Terror
books.bookfunnel.com/midnightwhis...
Stories for All
claims.prolificworks.com/gg/UtIUqsxSJ...
ALL THINGS CREEPY
books.bookfunnel.com/allthingscre...
HorrorReadersList Monthly Horror Giveaway Email!
Horror | Occult | Post-Apocalypse | Vampires | Zombies
storyoriginapp.com
December 12, 2025 at 10:52 AM
mhurban.bsky.social
The Hand of the Hunter, by @gordon227.bsky.social
It’s the summer of 1971, and all ten-year-old Janina Starcevich wants to do is spend the seemingly endless warm days riding her bicycle, climbing trees, and catching frogs in the pond in her backyard

#FridayReads #BookSky #AmReading #thriller #ARC
December 12, 2025 at 10:23 AM
mhurban.bsky.social
So sad 💔
"NaNo died because AI killed it"
ellipsus.com/blog/the-end...

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity #writing #AmWriting #FuckAI
The End of NaNo (as We Know It)
So… NaNoWriMo is over (in more ways than one). The community survived (and thrived!)… but the institution didn’t. Here’s the story of what happened—and what writers are building in its place.
ellipsus.com
December 11, 2025 at 7:31 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
jacobmarsh.bsky.social
Thanks for the great chat, Eryn! Loved the questions this week.

On the promo side, I'm in the final weeks for my Autumnborn preorder: a.co/d/5L8oVeu

And if you'd like to read the free teaser it's here on my patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/autumn...

#HorrorWritersChat
Autumnborn teaser | The ARC Directive
Get more from The ARC Directive on Patreon
www.patreon.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
stephellis.bsky.social
Thank you for bringing us the music!

The Woodcutter is a folk horror riffing on the story of Red Riding Hood. Re-enacting an old legend for a reality tv show brings unintended consequences.

#HorrorWritersChat #booksky

brigidsgatepress.com/products?key...
Cover of The Woodcutter, title in red print in middle of page. An axe hangs upside down, it's blade showing a small cottage in the woods. Above the handle are trees.
December 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
annavernerauthor.bsky.social
#HorrorWritersChat

Thanks Eryn!

As usual it's my cozy Fantasy Horror The Assassins Raven.

⚔ Assassin
🛡 Soldier
🧟‍♂️ Zombies
🧝‍♂️ Elves
👑 kings/queens

Come find it on Itch

anna-verner.itch.io
Book cover for The Assassins Raven by Anna Verner. The background is yellow. The tagline is he fights but she kills. There is a picture of a black feather with a curved sword over it.
December 10, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
jdbuffington.com
Thanks, Eryn! I have a WIP about a band in a haunted apartment on the way, but my haunted house novel is heavily reliant on environmental sounds—the sounds of a house living and people… not.
#HorrorWritersChat
In the House of In Between
Check out In the House of In Between - <p>The Backlund House is haunted, but no one knows why. No violence has taken place there, no one has died inside its walls. Over the course of a century, what-o...
bookshop.org
December 10, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Reposted by M.H.Urban
anna-orridge.bsky.social
Here's the link for the novella as well

payhip.com/b/58paC

#HorrorWritersChat
Phengaris
There's something very wrong in Thurstrop Wood.Mark Warner never noticed it before. He's there to get away from his life, his ailing mother. Out of his head. Not to think about anything.Birds sing in ...
payhip.com
December 10, 2025 at 8:22 PM