Opening the Archives: Hiding From Shadows
Read my first serialized story for free this weekend
This weekend marks one full year since I published Hiding From Shadows in paperback and eBook formats. I wrote the original draft of this short ghost story back in 2003 while taking creative writing classes at the University of Utah. When I first launched this newsletter in 2021, I serialized Hiding From Shadows in four parts in October of that year as a Halloween treat for my fans.
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of this story’s wide release, I’ve decided to make the whole story free to readers of this newsletter Friday afternoon through Sunday evening. Usually, the final three parts are exclusively available to paid subscribers. It won’t take more than an hour or so to read the story, so have fun. And if you do end up enjoying Hiding From Shadows, please check out my other published works as well.
You can access all four parts here:
Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four
Publisher’s blurb
Here’s the publisher’s blurb for Hiding From Shadows courtesy of Samak Press:
Every night has become a personal battle to survive until morning for Ellen. An unseen menace lurks in the shadows outside her home. Will it strike without mercy once she lets her guard down?
Ellen wanted more than to spend her life in a backwater Louisiana town. She seeks to leave the bayou and travel the world while fulfilling her ambitions. But a troubling past has swallowed up that future. Nearly a year has passed since she last laid eyes on Ray. He swore to return and exact revenge against Ellen for ending their unhappy marriage. A nightly vigil awaits when sunlight yields to moonlight. No one can help. Armed with her trusted bat, Ellen must stand alone as an inevitable confrontation with her darkest fear looms on the horizon.
Hiding From Shadows is an unsettling ghost story from the mind of John Coon. If you like heart-pounding scares and unexpected twists, you'll love this chilling and terrifying small-town horror short story set in the Deer Falls universe.
Reviews
I do have one small favor to ask once you’ve read the story. If you enjoy Hiding From Shadows, please leave a review on Amazon or another book retailer where the story is available for purchase. I’d also appreciate positive reviews on Goodreads and/or BookBub. Your reviews help other readers see my books and persuade them to buy those stories. This, in turn, will make it easier for me to devote time and energy to crafting new stories for you all to read.
Enjoy your weekend. Happy reading!
Thank you, John! I’m looking forward to reading this, as the weather is going to take a hard turn in Indy, this weekend and reading is my favorite crappy weather pastime.