Deirdre Swinden

Writer, Editor and Book Coach in Training

Arriving on May 31, 2024

From Crystal Lake Publishing

Immerse yourself in a terrifying blend of psychological horror and high-tech science fiction in this riveting novel where dreams can kill. Gillian Hardie experiences nightmares so intense they threaten her very existence, thanks to a glitch in Somnium Corporation’s groundbreaking dream advertising technology. Every night, her sleep unleashes monsters that her body reacts to as if they were real, pushing her to the edge of despair.

Armed with her lucid dreaming skills, Gillian battles these horrors, but when an accident traps her in a perpetual dream state, she must rely on Nathan Keller, a nightmare warrior, and Dex Cooper, an Operator, to navigate this nightmarish reality. With her darkest fears manifesting like never before, Gillian faces a race against time to survive a threat that could unleash unimaginable horrors from the depths of her mind.

Dive into a story that explores the shadowy boundaries of fear and technology. For fans of cutting-edge psychological thrillers and high-stakes survival horror, this novel promises a journey through the darkest corridors of the human psyche, where the next dream could be your last. Join Gillian in her fight against the darkest corners of her mind—before it’s too late.

About the author

Deirdre Swinden dwells in the realms of dark fiction. Her debut novel, Somnium, was released by Crystal Lake Publishing on May 31, 2024. Reviewers called it “a visionary wander into the nightmare realms” and likened it to Bladerunner, Dreamscape and The Matrix. She earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Arcadia University in 2022, an MA in Communications from Southern New Hampshire University and a BA in English from Wilkes University. Her short stories have been published by Grim & Gilded and Griffel literary magazines, and she’s a past winner of the Philadelphia Writer’s Conference Popular Short Story contest. She currently lives in North Carolina with her dog.

Short Stories

Unseen

Sheila woke on Thursday morning to discover her body had died during the night.

It had happened before. A toe here. A finger there.

The Springing Point

By the time Harry hurried in to collect his ticket, Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station seemed more like the hushed halls of a high school long after the students had gone than a major railway hub. He tucked his chin into his coat, tightened his scarf and pulled his hat low, hiding his face from those he passed. He still felt the stares. He always felt the stares.