Wrapping Up the WordCrafter “Midnight Oil” Book Blog Tour

Posted: October 31, 2025 | Author: kayelynnebooth | Filed under: Anthology, Audio Excerpt, Author Interview, Blog Tour, Book Promotion, Book Release, Books, Dark fiction, Fiction, Giveaways, Horror, Paranormal, Short Fiction, Stories, Supernatural, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours, WordCrafter Press | Tags: "The Initiation", "The Vanishing", Dark fiction, Denise Aparo, DL Mullan, horror, Midnight Oil, WordCrafter Book Blog Tours | 12 Comments

Today is the last day of the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour. This week we’ve been celebrating the release of Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares, volume 3 in the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series. We’ve got a great group of contributing authors and you’ve met a few and we’ve shared excerpts from all of their stories.

Today, we’ll finish up by meeting the last of the fourteen contributing authors, and the author of the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest, Denise Aparo, and we’ll learn a little about the winning story, “The Vanishing”. But first, let me tempt your literary taste buds with excerpts from “The Price of Beauty” by Rebecca M. Senese, and introduce you contributing author DL Mullan with a reading from her story, “The Initiation”, followed up by an excerpt from Mario Acevedo’s “Villa’s Gold”.

“The Price of Beauty”

Meet Author DL Mullan

DL Mullan holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning with Technology.

As a writer, DL Mullan loves to stretch her imagination and the elasticity of genres. She writes complex multigenre stories in digestible and entertaining forms, be it poetry, short fiction, or novels. Her science, history, mythology, and paranormal research background is woven into her writings, especially in Undawnted’s Legacy Universe. Ms. Mullan’s creative endeavors are available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. She is also a record label owner, an electronic musician and award-winning poet.

Be sure to subscribe to her newsletters and follow her on social media. For further information, visit her at www.undawntech.com and www.undawnted.com.

Reading Excerpt from “The Initiation”

“The Initiation”

Meet Author Denise Aparo

Denise Aparo is an author with four published short stories in the horror/supernatural genre in the WordCrafter Midnight Anthologies. Her Midnight and Curses Series stories are written under Denise Aparo and are edited by Kaye Lynn Booth, through WordCrafter Press.

As a native New Englander, she lives with her husband Joe, spending much of her time writing, reading, gardening, making crocheted blankets, and crafting with her grandchildren.

She loves the paranormal historical fiction genre and has recently completed edits on her first novel, a historical fiction titled Crossbows, which will be self-published in the near future.

Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors created 23 paranormal stories of horror. Creepy tales that give you goosebumps! Her short story is “The Pines.”

Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow: 17 authors crafted 21 eerie horror stories. Her short story is “Jack Moon and the Vanishing Book.”

Interview with Author Denise Aparo

Why do you write? What is your inspiration?

I began journaling from a young age. Writing has always been the best way for me to communicate my emotions. I wrote poems, songs, and stories about my experiences when I was younger. Now I love to write fiction. I weave my characters and stories into authentic history.

I believe my inspiration comes from history, events, myths, and/or legends, from the past. I love to read about American History and then find ‘holes’ in time, where a story is either lacking, or has no account of what had transpired in the past. Then, I fill in the gaps. I insert my characters into the loop-holes of a timeline and create my fictional story either with actual historical people or I will place my own characters.

What is the best piece of writing advice that you have ever received?

Stephen King advised writers to “Rewrite!” Also, to “sit in the chair (or where ever) and just write. Eventually, the story will come.”

Your story, “The Vanishing”, was the winning story in the 2025 WordCrafter Dark Fiction Contest and is now featured in Midnight Oil. Did it surprise you to learn that your story won?

I was definitely surprised! I feel honored to have been chosen this time, amid all of the other very talented authors. I have learned so much from my editor and fellow authors through their stories and interviews.

Would you tell readers a little about “The Vanishing”?

I love to watch YouTube instructional videos about science, science fiction, legends, myths, health/wellness, and medical marvels. I remember a video about an actual syndrome that a few pregnant women have experienced, called The Vanishing Twin Syndrome.

Vanishing Twin Syndrome (VTS) is a miscarriage that causes a pregnancy involving twins to become a pregnancy involving one embryo. It occurs when one of the embryos detected during an ultrasound stops developing and the viable twin is thought to ‘absorb’ its sibling. VTS can’t be treated or prevented.

I found it fascinating and eerie. I did further research on the subject and created questions, such as; what would happen if the viable twin had either memory or sense about the lost twin? What if the cells merged and carried the soul of both newborns—two souls occupying one body? What if the surviving twin had experiences involving the lost twin, or if the twin had an extrasensory perception and actual knowledge about the lost twin—communicating throughout their lives? Lastly, what if the twin, who had not survived, was in control of the body without the knowledge of the surviving twin?

I created a story taking into consideration all of the subject matter in mind and created “The Vanishing.”

You now have had stories featured in all three Midnight anthologies from WordCrafter Press: “The Vanishing” in Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares; “The Pines” in Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Tales; and “Jack Moon and the Vanishing Book” in Midnight Garden: Where Dark Tales Grow.  Your story, “Mohawk Monster: The Curse of the Herkimer Diamond” is also featured in Curses: Chronicles of Darkness. All of these stories are dark fiction. Are they written by an equally dark mind? (I bet Stephen King hears that one all the time. 😉)

I hope not! However, I believe that I definitely have an imaginative mind! I’ve always been curious, inventive, and love creating things. I love making crafts and crafting stories! My favorite thought when creating a story is “Okay—things are supposed to be this way. But, now, what if?” And, then I write from that point!

Which of these stories was the most difficult to write? Why?

Actually, I have a lot of fun creating stories. I didn’t have too many difficulties with them, but I suppose the one that took me the longest to craft was “The Pines.” It was my first published short story. I agonized over every detail!

I find that the most difficult process in my writing can actually be my plot structure! I love to research and usually have lots of it scribbled onto a page. Then, I need to sort it all out—giving proper measures to the story’s motivation, inciting incident with a crisis, and then crafting my resolution. I usually end up cutting a lot out and then focus on my main objectives. I do a lot of rewriting!

In real life, I am a person who always avoids conflict, at all costs. Therefore, I am always revisiting/rewriting to include more conflict. 

You have a new novel which you are planning to release. Is it dark fiction, as well?

Yes, it has dark aspects, but it is countered with light. My novel, Crossbows, is a historical fantasy. (I say fantasy instead of fiction, because I have time travel, a mystical tome, magic, monsters, and creepy legendary characters!)

I have dark antagonists, and very spiritual protagonists. It is definitely a mix in this hero’s journey.

What other outlets do you find for your creativity besides writing?

I crochet blankets for all sizes—couch, beds, lap covers, and make baby blankets. I also crochet doll blankets with shams, and many accessories such as hair ties, scrunchies, key-chains, wristlets, hats, and plan to try making Amigurumi toys this winter.

I have a large craft room over my garage where I do scrapbooking, paint on canvas with acrylics and water-colors, and craft things out of common household items, such as mason jars and wire hangers. I make decorative containers and rag-wreaths, swags, or garlands. Depending on the season I try anything trending. 

Where do you hope to see yourself as a writer in ten years?

My dream is to become an experienced and seasoned author, selling stories that will ignite passions and make readers want to read more, know more, and maybe even write their own stories! I hope to become an author who will inspire others.

Please tell my readers how they can find you online, if they’d like to learn more about you and your books. (Include links here.)

My social links are:

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/denise.aparo?_

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/deniseaparo/?ref=xav_igxfb

WordPress – https://gravatar.com/tometamer?utm_source=hovercard

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-aparo-63038747/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_feed%3B%2FGgZ%2B3BvSRCJQgvgtNVvPQ%3D%3D

“The Vanishing”

“Villa’s Gold”

About Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares

Purchase Link: https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil

Book Trailer

That wraps up today’s tour stop and it also finishes up the WordCrafter Midnight Oil Book Blog Tour. Thank you all for joining us in sending off volume 3 of the Midnight Dark Fiction Anthology Series, Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares.

The Giveaway

You can follow the links in the tour schedule below to visit any stops that you’ve missed, and be sure to comment at each stop, for a chance to win one of five digital copies WordCrafter Press will be given away in a random drawing following the tour.

Tour Schedule

Day 1– Poetry by Mich, Masticadores Phillipines & Hotel by Masticadores – Christa Planko Guest Post/Excerpt “Sangoma, Zombie Elephants, & Tokoloshe, Oh, My!” & “Cattails”

Day 2 – Writing to be Read – Joseph Carrabis Reading – “Jeremiah”/Excerpt “The Boy Who Loved Horses” & “Them Doore Girls”

Day 3 –   Book Places – Roberta Eden Cheadle Guest Post/Excerpt “Darkness Tolls” & “The Snow Globe”

Day 4 – Carla Loves to Read – Paul Kane Guest Post/Excerpt “Inside Out” & “The Stairs”     

Day 5 – Writing to be Read – Denise Aparo Interview & DL Mullan Reading/Excerpt “The Price of Beauty”

___________________________________

Book your WordCrafter Book Blog Tour today!

---