Share
Bleakwood
Bake Sale
Reverend Julie Rowland spends most of the year as a friendly, caring, empathetic community leader, but all that goes out the window when it comes to the village bake sale, when the competition with another nearby congregation brings out the worst in her. Only this year, she might find it brings out the worst in others, too.
Because in Bleakwood, even getting through a bake sale can be murder...
Bake sale was written and read by Paul Stephenson, and is a Hollow Stone Press Production. If you’re enjoying Bleakwood, tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen.
Darkness Come Alive, Paul's first new novel since 2017, is out one week from today, and you can preorder it right now.
When darkness comes, it doesn't ask permission.
Paramedic Lucy Barker thinks she's seen it all, after years of responding to violent accidents and medical emergencies on the streets of York. But when she arrives on the scene of a brutal attack, Lucy finds herself drawn into a nightmare world beyond her comprehension.
Inside a blood-drenched room lay two bodies; one dying from a neck wound, the other with a stake through the heart. Standing over both, a creature torn from the pages of myth: Adam, a vampire with two and a half centuries of terror in his past.
And he’s not the only one.
Dark and terrifying secrets wait for Lucy in the gloaming, and one thing is clear — it will take all her strength and cunning to survive the coming storm when Darkness Comes Alive.
If you want to know more about the book, you can find all the preorder links and much more at https://paulstephensonbooks.com/books/darkness-rises/
More episodes
View all episodes
9. A Darkened Lodge of Uncertain Address
22:36||Season 2, Ep. 9Dr. Ross Rayburn does his best to ignore the pleas of the patient’s heart monitor. He cuts deeper, his scalpel searching for the source of the bleed. But Dr Rayburn will soon find out what happens when one cuts too deep into Bleakwood's past.A Darkened Lodge of Uncertain Address was written by Dexter McLeod and read by Paul Stephenson.Dexter McLeod resides in western Kentucky, where he writes in the darker shades of Southern Gothic, folk and cosmic horror, science fiction, and the New Weird. His work has been published by or forthcoming from Air and Nothingness Press, Dark Moon Books, The Horror Tree, KJK Publishing, TDotSpec, and the Hugo Award finalist/European SF Award-winning magazine, Sci Phi Journal. His stories have also been performed in a half-dozen volumes of Hawk & Cleaver's award-winning horror and science fiction podcast series, The Other Stories and is forthcoming from Dissonance Media's Gothic horror podcast series, After the Gloaming. Visit linktr.ee/dextermcleod to connect with him online.Paul Stephenson writes pulp fiction for the digital age. His first novel series – the indie-published apocalyptic Blood on the Motorway trilogy – has been an Amazon bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. A former journalist, he holds a diploma in Creative Writing at Oxford University. His stories have been featured on the chart-topping horror podcasts, The Other Stories and The Night’s End. His ebook serial The Sunset Chronicles, is a dystopian sci-fi thriller that will delight and terrify fans of science fiction and horror alike. His latest novel is Darkness Come Alive, book one of the vampire epic Darkness Rises, and is available now from all good bookshops.Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press production. If you’re enjoying the show, tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen.8. Monolith
20:29||Season 2, Ep. 8Enwed's flight through the forest is a desperate bid for survival, but as the mob closes in, she stumbles upon a sinister stone marked with ancient runes and a dark promise. Will she become the thing they all fear she already is, when the Witchfinder comes to Bleakwood?Monolith was written and read by Paul Stephenson, and is a Hollow Stone Press Production. Tell your friends if you’re enjoying Bleakwood, or leave us a five-star rating wherever you listen.If you’re enjoying Bleakwood, why not check out any of Paul's books available through Hollow Stone Press? There’s the post-apocalyptic Blood on the Motorway trilogy, the space horror serial the Sunset Chronicles, now in its third season, or the first book in the vampire epic, Darkness Rises. All are available in Kindle Unlimited or in print from your local library or independent bookstore. You can find all the links at paulstephensonbooks.com. If you’re interested in writing for Bleakwood, why not reach out to me on social media? You’ll find me on Threads, Bluesky, or Instagram under the tag @PRSBooks.7. Minutes of the AGM
28:20||Season 2, Ep. 7George just wants to give back to the town of Bleakwood. If only he knew the cost...Minutes of the AGM was written by Dan Howarth and read by Paul Stephenson. Dan Howarth is a writer from the North of England and is the author of the short story collection Dark Missives, the snowbound horror novella Territory and the folk-horror stag party novel Last Night of Freedom. All Dan's books are available from his own label, Northern Republic. Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press production. If you’re enjoying the show, tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen. Or both? Both is good. Don’t forget, Darkness Come Alive, Paul's new vampire novel set in York, is out now. Paramedic Lucy Barker thinks she's seen it all, after years of responding to violent accidents and medical emergencies on the streets of York. But when she arrives on the scene of a brutal attack, Lucy finds herself drawn into a nightmare world beyond her comprehension. Inside a blood-drenched room lay two bodies; one dying from a neck wound, the other with a stake through the heart. Standing over both, a creature torn from the pages of myth: Adam, a vampire with two and a half centuries of terror in his past. If you want to know more about the book, you can find all the links to buy, my blog, and much more at paulstephensonbooks.com.5. When the Trees Sing
20:53||Season 2, Ep. 5You ever have that feeling of regret after agreeing to pull a double shift? Well, not like Jenny does...When the Trees Sing was written by Kev Harrison and read by Paul Stephenson. Kev is a British writer of horror and dark fiction, living in Lisbon, Portgual. His debut novel, Shadow of the Hidden, is out now from Brigids Gate Press, while his novellas, The Balance and Below, are also available. Find out more at kevharrisonfiction.com Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press Production. If you’re enjoying Bleakwood, tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen. And if you’re looking for your autumnal read, why not check out Paul Stephenson’s sci-fi serial The Sunset Chronicles, an epic saga of plague, conspiracy, murder, and monsters? Find out more at https://paulstephensonbooks.com/books/the-sunset-chronicles/4. The Clearing
19:52||Season 2, Ep. 4Charlie wants his Mum back, but what lengths is he willing to go to in order to get her back? Are he and his friends willing to confront the evil that lurks in the forests of Bleakwood?The Clearing was written and read by Paul Stephenson, and is a Hollow Stone Press Production. If you’re enjoying Bleakwood, tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen. If you’re looking for your summer read, why not check out Paul Stephenson’s sci-fi serial The Sunset Chronicles, an epic saga of plague, conspiracy, murder, and monsters?3. Rough Draft
15:24||Season 2, Ep. 3Since Bridget moved to Bleakwood, she's found it had to connect. But when she meets a mysterious creature in the forest, the encounter turns her world upside down. As she learns the power of her imagination, she must face the terrifying consequences of her own creations.Rough Draft was written by Carolyn O’Brien and performed by Paul Stephenson.Carolyn is a disabled author living in Pennsylvania, USA. She writes horror, dark fantasy, and speculative fiction. Her stories can be heard on The Night’s End podcast and The Other stories podcast, among others. You can also find her work in a few anthologies. If you’re enjoying Bleakwood, be sure to tell your friends, or leave us a five-star rating, wherever you listen. And if you’re looking for your summer read, why not check out Paul Stephenson’s sci-fi serial The Sunset Chronicles, an epic saga of plague, conspiracy, murder, and monsters? Find out more here: https://paulstephensonbooks.com/books/the-sunset-chronicles/Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press Production.2. Big Bill's hill
22:48||Season 2, Ep. 2Julian's running for his life, but he should watch where he's running. The woods around Bleakwood may contain more than he'd expect.Big Bill's Hill is written, performed, and produced by Paul Stephenson. Paul writes pulp fiction for the digital age. His first novel series – Blood on the Motorway, is a British apocalyptic horror trilogy readers have called “gripping from the first page’’ His newest project, the ebook serial The Sunset Chronicles, is a dystopian sci-fi thriller that will delight and terrify fans of science fiction and horror alike. Find out more at paulstephensonbooks.com Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press production.1. Beef Stuart
15:27||Season 2, Ep. 1Let's all hold hands and go to the Beef Place...Beef Stuart was written by Luke Kondor, and read by Paul Stephenson. Luke is the voice and one of the showrunners of THE OTHER STORIES, an award-winning weekly horror fiction podcast with over 10 million downloads He writes weird/scary/funny stuff in a variety of mediums. Recently, this includes the incredible bizarro book, MY DOG SHITS CASH, the interactive fiction game, YOU’RE GOING TO DIE!, and a free mini-comic book called TOAST. In 2015, Luke won the best Low-Budget Film Award at the London Short Film Festival for a film he made in 7 days with no camera and no money. It was called KEITH. Luke is also part-owner of the independent story studio, HAWK & CLEAVER, which brings you the best horror, sci-fi, and thriller stories this side of the apocalypse, and he works from a dining room table in the middle of Sherwood Forest. For more, check out lukekondor.comIf you're enjoying Bleakwood, make sure to leave us a review, and check out Paul's other podcast, Blood on the Motorway. Search for it now in your favourite podcatcher. Bleakwood is a Hollow Stone Press Production. Find out more at Bleakwoodpod.com.We’ll be back next month, with more tales from Bleakwood.