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About David E. Gates

David E. Gates, who has interviewed the likes of Clive Barker, James Herbert and Terry Pratchett, has published several books and short stories and won prizes and awards for his work. His first book, Access Denied, is a true story. A deeply personal and heart-wrenching account of becoming a father and having to fight the mother and Family Courts to see his daughter and also battles against the incompetence and lies of the Child Support Agency who seem hell-bent on ruining him, emotionally and financially.. It has garnered 100% positive reviews. The Roots of Evil, his first horror novel, is a graphic, violent, intense and gore-laden horror story. It's sequel, The Deeper Roots of Evil, released on Friday the 13th of March 2020, has been getting rave reviews. His second fictional novel, The Wretched, is an original horror story set in and around Portsmouth. A short story, My Mother and the Medium, written by David, won The News (Portsmouth) Creepy Story Competition in December 2019. His memoir, Motorcycle Man, is a joyous reminiscence of his motorcycling days. He turns his attention to compiling a selection of stories, investigative reports and testimonies from witnesses and investigators from the wealth of material available, most notably that from recently retired or declassified records currently in the custody of the US National Archives and other sources, in his new book, UFO: The Edinburg Incident and Other UFO Stories. Mind Blood is a collection of macabre and spooky short stories, many of which have never been published previously. Realm of Rhyme is a collection of poems that have been inspired by historical events and includes some silly rhymes along the way and shows David's frustration and joy of the world around him. His recent memoir, BD and Thrashman: The Express FM Years, tells of his and his friend's adventures and experience hosting a rock radio show on Express FM. Following this, David released a short travelogue called The Horror of the Hebrides and a short story called 'Til Deaf Us Do Part. His latest novella is a haunted house story called Safe Place, based on real experiences. A unique selection of historical poems makes up Windows of Time. Featuring tales of fascinating and fierce women, such as Mary Ann Bevan, Susanna M. Salter, Mary Church Terrell, Harriet Tubman and The Mother of Angola. Poems telling of the cruelty of the Romans and the collaboration of two disabled men of different faiths. The survivor of a bizarre accident, Phineas Gage, is also remembered, alongside macabre events such as The Mary Celeste and poems that honour those lost in World War I and World War II. David has previously written film reviews for Starburst and Samhain magazines and interviewed the likes of Clive Barker, Terry Pratchett, James Herbert and many others and his work has been featured on Express FM radio and Solent TV. David's first book, Access Denied, was nominated for the 2017 Readers Choice Awards. His first horror novel, The Roots of Evil, was voted best to read on the Novel Festival site. His second horror novel, The Wretched, won silver in the AuthorsDB 2017 Cover Contest and Unzipped: The Mind of a Madman is currently a semi-finalist in the AuthorsDB 2019 Cover Contest. David's poem, The Magic of Mushrooms, made runner-up in the Grow Wild poetry competition. Other poems, such as Vape Away, Terminators and Outrunning The Rain, have been featured in The Poetry Festival and The Ode of Phineas Gage is one of the poems being featured on the PoetrySoup website. David also won the silver prize in the AuthorsDB 2016 Cover Contest for his short story, The Ghost of Clothes, and won best Horror Novel Logline for 2016 for The Roots of Evil. He’s previously won first prize (Gold) for The Roots of Evil and third prize (Bronze) for Access Denied in the 2015 AuthorsDB Cover Contests, and previously won a competition to write the second part of a short horror story, called Savages. The first and last parts were written by the famous horror writer Shaun Hutson and are hosted on Shaun’s website. David is currently working on a full-length novel called The Climbing Frame, producing a short film, and developing and writing the second sequel to The Roots of Evil.

“You’re Next” Short Story selected for Podoween Series!

The very kind people at Drunk In A Graveyard decided to deliver a little pumpkin shaped audio gift to their listeners every day in the form of a narrated story.

Day 22’s story, “You’re Next”, was submitted by David E. Gates who, apparently, you should follow on twitter for all your horror fiction needs year round.

You can access the podcast here via YouTube or listen to the audio here.

Drunk In A Graveyard

Poem selected for feature on Poetry Soup

My poem The Ode of Phineas Gage is one of the poems being featured on the PoetrySoup home page this week.

Check out Page 3 of www.poetrysoup.com to see it.

I was inspired to write it after reading about the unfortunate Phineas Gage in an “On this day in… 1848” article on Friday 13th September 2019. You can read the bizarre and curious story of Phineas Gage on Wikipedia 

For other poems, and short stories, my two anthologies, First Words and Unzipped: The Mind of a Madman, are available now.

The Projectionist

Now available, an original screenplay, created by David E. Gates.

The Projectionist.

After a freak accident, a man develops a mysterious power which gains the attraction of dark forces who wish to take it from him.

Available in all eBook formats from Smashwords and for Kindle at Amazon, and all good online bookstores.

THE PROJECTIONIST

Broken Society

Youths on the rampage,
Vicious and feral.
Dare to tackle?
At your peril.

Gangs ruling streets,
Squabbling over little,
Reducing communities,
To something brittle.

Bottles thrown,
No care for others.
Mindless vandalism,
By them and their “brothers”.

Kids getting knifed.
Police unable, unwilling,
Citing lack of resources,
To stop their killing.

Where are the parents?
Kids bringing up kids.
No respect for their elders,
Life on the skids.

Society’s broken.
Is there a fix?
Which doesn’t involve,
Faces smashed in with bricks.

No-go ghettos,
And now a dead cop,
Lawless enclaves,
When will it stop?

Don’t give them holidays,
Jail them for their crime.
Repeat offenders?
Treble their time!

Punish them properly.
Stop with the excuse.
That we need to be softer.
For therein lies abuse.

Bring back the stocks.
And make prisons tough.
A six by nine cell.
For enough is enough.

 

©Copyright – David E. Gates – 2019

Vote for my book cover (Please!)

David E. Gates's avatarDavid E. Gates

My book, Unzipped: The Mind of a Madman, has been entered in the 2019 Authors DB Cover Contest.

I’d really appreciate it if you could take two seconds to vote for the cover. You can vote by clicking here and selecting Submit your Vote/Review. Many thanks.

Unzipped - Large Format

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Another FIVE STAR review for Access Denied

From Amazon:

Most incredible audio book I’ve ever listened to. Planned to listen to an hour at a time, ended up listening to it all at once! Couldn’t drag myself away. Heart-breaking story, an emotional roller-coaster! Listening to the failures of the CMS [CSA] was almost unbelievable. To know it’s a true story made me angry and heartbroken for DAVID. 
 
HIGHLY RECOMMEND 

Gareth Williams

Access Denied by David E. Gates is available at Amazon in eBook, Paperback and Audiobook formats, at Smashwords in all other eBook formats, and at all good online bookstores.

Access Denied Poster Nothing Left

Normandy

Normandy

 

Upon the beach, they landed thus.
They knew their job; they made no fuss.
The ramp lowered, metal met sand,
They landed in this foreign land.

Without a sound, shipmates fell.
Bullets ringing through this hell.
Running forward, to secure the place.
From an evil, fascist, race.

Sinking in sand, feet swamped by tide.
Bodies floating, on either side.
Heat from explosions, searing hot.
As they plough on, through this rot.

Trenching through nests, of barbed wire,
Pushing on, through machine-gun fire.
Taking out turrets, killing those within.
No time to consider, the mortal sin.

Making peace, out of war.
Bodies piled, injured and sore.
We must never forget, never sway.
To always remember, D-Day.

WP_20140710_011

 

©David E. Gates – 6th June 2019.

Vote for my book cover (Please!)

My book, Unzipped: The Mind of a Madman, has been entered in the 2019 Authors DB Cover Contest.

I’d really appreciate it if you could take two seconds to vote for the cover. You can vote by clicking here and selecting Submit your Vote/Review. Many thanks.

Unzipped - Large Format

 

50% off The Ghost of Clothes!

For a very limited time, you can get the brilliant short story, The Ghost of Clothes by David E. Gates for half-price!

Head over to Smashwords and enter code PU58V to get your exclusive discount.

Available in all eBook formats.

The GHOST of

 

In celebration of World Poetry Day…

Outrunning the Rain

Outrunning the rain.
Outgunning the pain.
Fighting back the tears.
Even though it’s been years.

Like drops from the sky,
They multiply.
Each glistening and clear.
Each a perfect tear.

Outrunning the rain.
On board the train.
Swept away on the tracks.
As emotion racks.

Biting my lip.
So my cover won’t slip.
Keeping up face.
No matter the place.

Outrunning the rain.
Feeling the strain.
Pain doesn’t subside.
I just want to hide.

Away from the looks.
And into my books.
Distraction is key.
For my sanity.

Outrunning the rain,
Another smile I feign,
They say it won’t last.
The pain will soon pass.

Isn’t like that for me.
It has longevity.
Though I’m better each day.
With strength I’ll outstay.

Outrunning the rain.
Dousing the flame.
Memories keep me sane.
Outrunning the rain.

 

Outrunning the Rain is featured in the anthology, Unzipped: The Mind of a Madman, which is available from all good bookstores in various formats. 

Unzipped - Large Format