Growing up on a farm surrounded by his grandmother’s tales of manholes, omens, ghosts, and an infamous local serial killer, it’s no wonder Greene County’s Timothy Denman was destined to find success telling stories of his own one day. With his latest novel reaching number one in Amazon’s new releases in science fiction fantasy for six days, it appears that day has arrived.
Devil’s Half Acre specifically drew inspiration from Denman’s grandmother’s tales, as its namesake belongs to a road his family would pass frequently and was known to be vacant and unwanted.
“Her story had stayed in my mind for decades and I was reminded of it every time that I drove past that road,” says Denman, a passionate fan of everything horror. “As I drove past it on a trip to my sister’s farm several years ago, a character that has been with me for twenty years let me know that she had grown up in this area and she knew the whole history of Devil’s Half Acre.”
The project had been on the backburner for decades, but became something he knew he had to finish after the passing of a friend last year and encouragement from his favorite writer, Lee Murphy. Set in the small town of Grayson, the novel presents the origin story of Neve Richards and the start of her journey into the world of paranormal and cryptozoology.
“At its core, it is about the love we have for our first real group of friends and the lengths that we will go to protect them,” adds Denman. “The story centers on four friends exploring the unknown history of Devil’s Half Acre and who or what may be behind it. “
Denman additionally draws inspiration from some of his favorite horror directors and writers, specifically Wes Craven and Stephen King. He noted how the opening scene in A Nightmare on Elm Street changed his life and sparked something in him, pushing him to discover what type of person can create something like that. These creators provided an informal education in inventing multidimensional characters and stories that invoke the same feelings of ominous mystery and terror.
“I love to explore the darkness that lives in all of us,” Denman says about the genre. “I love finding out what is hiding behind that well-crafted façade that we show people. In most stories, the good guy isn’t without their darkness. Neve is a character that walks sometimes as much in the dark as she does in the light and that depth is so amazing to explore.”
Devil’s Half Acre can currently be found on Amazon in paperback or Kindle along with a screenplay called The Missing Link. Another screenplay, Storytime, is on the way, set to be released in 2024. Neve’s tales are also far from finished, as the second of five novels centered around the character is set to release in the spring of 2024, titled Dreamer Man.
With the month of horror in full swing, there’s no better time to dive into a story that will feel close to home whether it’s through the bit of darkness that lives in every one or the curiosity of what really waits at the end of all those small-town dirt roads no one dares to venture down.
