Barrow City
Welcome to the world inside my head. Almost everything I write either takes place in my fictional city of Barrow City, or is at least populated with characters with some tie back to it. The body of my work that specifically references the city, or that details some of its geography and/or architecture is slowly growing. My first three eBook shorts have been grouped under the heading of “Barrow City Stories,” and I fully intend for more to follow.
Barrow City exists somewhere in the midwest, though its specific location is never given (due mainly to me being a freak about precision, and you can’t simply plop and entire city into the existing landscape and not screw all kinds of things up!) I myself don’t know everything about the city and its history yet, but I do know a few things:
When initially settled, it was a small village called Eldritch Barrow. There’s still a neighborhood area near Downtown called Eldritch Barrow.
There are two rivers running through Barrow city, which converge into one larger one through the main part of the city. The downtown area has several bridges crossing these rivers.
Just south of Downtown is a neighborhood called the Restoration District. This is the neighborhood most larger cities have, full of art galleries, boutiques, and coffee shops. I haven’t featured this area in a story yet, but it is at least visited in the newest installment in the series, “Violin Concerto No. 9 in A Minor.
The Tunnels. Beneath Barrow City is another; the subterranian world of The Tunnels. These are a network of decommissioned subway tunnels, sewer lines, and an elaborate underground cave system. Many of the city’s homeless have found their way into The Tunnels and made their own community, but there are far more than just simple humans lurking in the depths beneath Barrow City.
Available eBooks in the Barrow City Stories series:
Violin Concerto No. 9 in A Minor
Enter the mind of Barrow City’s most celebrated violinist and composer, Elphias Gaston, and discover the dark, bloody secret behind his inspiration for his world-famous violin concertos. Music and madness blend seamlessly in this disturbing tale of murder and art.
Ophelia Doe
Ophelia Doe is the story of an unhappy resident of Barrow City who, for reasons unrevealed, recently jumped to her death from one of the Downtown bridges. That’s where the story starts…
Services Rendered
Services Rendered takes us into The Tunnels, following Darla on a mission to meet “Mama,” a shadowy magick dealer. What is Darla’s true agenda, and which of these women is actually the most dangerous?
If you read this story and like Darla, be sure to also check out “The Death and Permanent Storage of Picket Fence Pete,” which stars Darla’s twin sister, Mali.
The Death and Permanent Storage of Picket Fence Pete
My longest title for a story ever! In this story, you’ll meet Mali and Roberta in the aftermath of a demon raising gone wrong.
If you read this story and like Mali, be sure to check out “Services Rendered,” which features Mali’s twin sister, Darla.
My published stories that are set in Barrow City but are not yet available as eBooks include:
Cancer Inglisensis - This one will be available as an eBook soon, from Misanthrope Press
“The Santa Claus Effect” – Published at Bewildering Stories as part of their second short story contest. It’s still available at their site.