I asked fellow Curses anthology contributors to share some things about themselves prior to publication and those generous enough to do so will be appearing here for the next week or so.
Each entry gives a taste of their contribution, a little about them, how to contact them, how their story came about, and definitely a link to Curses (which you should purchase because it would make each and every one of us happy.
you do want to make us happy, don’t you?
i mean, considering what we wrote, you want us to know you’re a good person, right?).
And now, Denise Aparo’s Mohawk Monster: The Curse of the Herkimer Diamond:
As the elk skin drum thumped a hollow and steady rhythm, it pulsed with the heartbeat of Mother Earth.
“Way-yah-hi-yo, way-yah-hi-yo
Way-yah-hi-yo, way-yah-hi-yo
Way-yah-hi-yo, way-yah-hi-yo
Way-yah-hi-yo, way-yah-hi-yo.”
The Algonquian tribe gathered in a large circle, chanting triumphantly in a four-day celebration. The warriors returned their ancient Tome to its sacred people, the Shadow Wolf Tribe. Protecting the mystical book was the primary reason for their existence. It was known to grant the gift of powerful inspiration to all who opened its pages, often with its protective sigil. The ancient Enochian Sigil of Protection was used to connect with the main source of power, The Tome of Life. But the sigil had been stolen and was still under the influence of the evil Gray Shadows.
How the story came about:
The Curses: Chronicles of Darkness story prompt was a curse(s). My short story, “The Mohawk Monster: The Curse of the Herkimer Diamond,” is a brief prequel to my recently completed novel, Crossbows, which I plan to publish soon. My novel actually began with an untold curse by a New England, Native American Goddess.
I thought it would be a great way to tell the story about her curse on a New York Community, Herkimer County, which is near the New England setting in my novel. The Goddess Komorkis was deeply saddened by the murders of the band of warriors she kept watch over. The sacred warriors, The Shadow Wolves, protected an ancient Tome, The Tome of Life with a sigil. The tome and the Sigillum Dei Sigil, has miraculous power over all creatures. This short story takes place at the Herkimer Diamond Mine in New York.
The why the story came about was because of my childhood memories of my dad. My father was a rock collector, who traveled to many mines and quarries, collecting rare and semiprecious rocks and stones. One of his favorite places to hunt was at the Herkimer Diamond Mine. He had collected many Herkimer Diamonds throughout his life.
Because I write historical fiction about New England, I am always researching unusual places, people, and things. The Mohawk Valley Mineral Mining is a unique Herkimer Diamond mining location set in a dense forest within the remote farm town of Sprakers, NY. I remembered how the place has many rare and unusual crystals. One of the largest known crystals is the Herkimer Diamond, called The Mohawk Monster. It was labeled this due to its large size and found in that mine, which is located in the Mohawk Valley.
Since the name of the diamond has the word “monster” in it, it prompted me to write a story about it for the Curses Anthology!
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About Denise Aparo: Hello, my name is Denise. I am an author with four published short stories in the horror/supernatural genre in the WordCrafter Midnight Anthologies. All of my stories are written under Denise Aparo and are edited by Kaye Lynn Booth, through WordCrafter Press. I am a native New Englander, and live with my husband Joe. I spend much of my time writing, reading, gardening, making crocheted blankets, and crafting with my grandchildren. I love the Paranormal Historical Fiction genre. I have recently completed edits on my first novel, Crossbows, and will self-publish soon. I have a Master’s Degree in English – Fine Arts/Creative Writing with concentration in Fiction from Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), and am a member of five honor societies with leadership recognition. I am published in several newspapers and magazines—special interest articles, along with poems and short stories that have been published in print and digital format. I am also a member of the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association (CAPA) and the author of a WordPress writing blog, The Write Voice, The Write Voice | The write voice at the write time, a blog that boasts, “Like multiple genres, there are many cultures – each with an individual voice.” I am one of the WordCrafter Press authors. I will have three short stories in the horror/supernatural genre in the Midnight Series, through WordPress. These short stories are published under Denise Aparo and will be released on September 30, 2025:
I have recently completed my first novel, a historical fiction titled Crossbows, which will be self-published in the near future. I plan to publish this novel under D. Cole Aparo. |
See all Curses stories here.
And for our finale, ateaser to the anthology on YouTube.
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