David Allen Voyles

Some of the tales in David Allen Voyles' collections of original horror stories, The Thirteenth Day of Christmas and Tales from the Hearse were those he told while conducting tours for his ghost tour company, Dark Ride Tours in Asheville, NC. Playing the role of gravedigger/storyteller Virgil Nightshade, Voyles entertained guests as they were transported to various spooky sites in a 1972 Cadillac hearse converted for that purpose.

Having taught literature for thirty years, Voyles is no stranger to weird tales and horror fiction in general. In addition to publishing his stories in print, he is also the creator of the horror podcast, Dark Corners, where he narrates many of his original horror stories. The second season, the serialized story Witch-Works, is now available in paperback and e-book formats on the Amazon website, as is the third season on which Wraiths of the Appalachian is based. Best-selling author and Bram Stoker award winner Paul Kane said of Voyles’ writing,

"Reading Tales from the Hearse is like watching your favourite anthology series or movie; you'll get that same mix of pleasure and chills. These diverse stories might deal with familiar tropes, such as a crypt, graveyard or creepy movie theatre, evil kids and damned souls, but they're definitely handled in a way you haven't seen before…Maybe it's because Voyles is an accomplished oral storyteller that you can "hear" the words as you read, but man, can this guy create an atmosphere!”