04/18/2026 Uncomfortably Dark: Horror Happenings
- Candace Nola
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Late on posting our updates for the last month or so. Today will be a short recap of the last 30 days and normal month-end posts will resume at the end of April.
 Let's get to the updates & good news!
Uncomfortably Dark Top Orders & Page Reads
*Amazon stats only
TOP ORDERS FOR MARCH 2026
BISHOP - THE VET - FULL THROTTLE - DISTILLED CHAOS
TOP PAGE READS AS PER AMAZON KDP MARCH 2026
DISTILLED CHAOS - BEYOND THE BREACH - HANK FLYNN - BISHOP
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VINTAGE PAPERBACK REVIEW OF THE MONTH
The Lay of the Were-wolf (Bisclavret)
A Lais by Marie de France
Marie de France wrote her lais, Bisclavret, sometime between 1155-1170. It is thought to be one of the first written werewolf stories. I thought I'd have a difficult time with the language, but the version that I read was translated so well. I felt like I was reading something written more recently.
The one thing that sets this werewolf story apart from every other one I've read is that the curse is tied to the clothes. I was absolutely fascinated by the idea that if Bisclavret could not retrieve his clothing he'd be stuck in wolf form. Why has this idea never been used in contemporary werewolf books?
Another interesting part of Bisclavret is that this werewolf is not violent. There is no salivating rampaging monster terrorizing the countryside. It's simply a man turning into a wolf in the forest and living as a wolf creature.
The horror comes in the form of betrayal. Bisclavret's wife persuades him to tell his secret and then she uses that knowledge to steal his clothing with the help of a Knight. Thus, ensuring he'd be stuck in wolf form and then hunted.
Besides being enraptured by the story itself, I'm thrilled at the idea of a woman in medieval times writing such a dark tale. I highly recommend lovers of werewolf lore to read this book. While reading contemporary werewolf books is fun and thrilling, taking a glimpse into the beginning of the lore will make you see the werewolf in a whole new light.
A dark supernatural story of romance, terror, revenge, betrayal and loyalty. It was a compelling read that transported me back to medieval times.
FIND IT HERE:
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
JUNE 4 - 7, 2026 STOKERCON - PITTSBURGH, PA
Don't miss horror prom, networking, workshops, panels, and the annual Stoker Awards at this year's Stokercon!
Candace Nola will be here helping out, networking, and making sure out of towners don't get lost in the city!
JUNE 12 - 14 LIVING DEAD WEEKEND - MONROEVILLE, PA
Come out for what may be the last Living Dead weekend at Monroeville Mall. Catch up with Candace Nola and fellow author Joseph Pesavento for their newest books and swag!
JUNE 27, 2026. BEERS & FEARS: Horror Book Festival. Newton, NJ
Join us at Angry Erik's Brewing in Newton, NJ this coming June for a Horror Book Festival!
Check out the flyer below and add this FREE event to your calendar!
OCTOBER 1 - 4, 2026 HORROR ON THE MISSISSIPI - NEW ORLEANS, LA
Come see Candace Nola down in NOLA for Horror Reader Weekend along with many other authors for live readings, ghost tours, dinners and more!
NOV. 6 - 8, 2026 KILLERCON AUSTIN, TEXAS
Join us in Austin, Tx for Killercon and the Splatterpunk Awards!
*Is there an event happening soon that we need to know about? Send me an email at editor@uncomfortablydark.com
GAMER REVIEW OF THE MONTH
reviewed by Besu Tadesse
LOVE ETERNAL
Released in February 2026, Love Eternal is a precision-platforming psychological horror game developed by brlka and published by Ysbryd Games. You play Maya, a teenaged girl pulled into a world of terror as she attempts to escape a labyrinth of platforms, spikes, lasers, and gravity-bending puzzles. During your escape, you uncover the secret of what’s going on to find your way out, as well as learn more about yourself and the world around you.
The game takes its inspiration from other precision platformers – think Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV, and Celeste. The primary mechanic is based on three actions: running, jumping, and inverting gravity. These basic controls create a wide variety of puzzles, teaching you how to move past spikes and around lasers. Later, you are introduced to floating red stones that allow you to reset gravity inversion, allowing for more complicated design to conquer. While some of the puzzles can be a bit frustrating as you try to gauge the inertia, conquering each section is satisfying. The game also gives a generous number of save points, allowing you to jump in and out of action without too much headache.
The special sauce is in the story, which moves you from the platforming parts to the first-person psychological horror portions. The story of how you came to this new world unfolds as characters begin to morph and, at times, replace themselves in your life. You later learn that a very lonely deity has brought you into the puzzle world to replace you while she searches for love. She promises a life of bliss for those that are replaced, but they only find pain from her misguided attempts at community. This genre flip really brings out more of the themes that are reinforced in the gameplay – solitude is painful, and people will do whatever it takes to escape the pain, even if it means that you will sometimes put others through that very pain. There’s a lot of narrative depth for the type of game mechanics involved and one that surprised me when it happened.
Overall, this is a solid game both in gameplay and story. It has some genuinely terrifying or mind-bending moments that had me thinking about the very relationship I had with games and game characters. It does require a certain amount of fluid motion to really nail some of the harder puzzles, so for those that have difficulties with hand mobility, this one may not be for you. But for those who have the skill and patience, it’s a great addition to your library.
This game is available on PC. I highly recommend it. Check it out!
FIND IT HERE:
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