Wayne Whitley

What waits in the darkness beyond the porch light?

Sometimes it's nothing.

Sometimes... it isn't.

In Bumps and Shadows, Wayne R. Whitley invites you into a world where forgotten mountain roads, lonely rivers, quiet caves, aging fire towers, and sleepy Tennessee towns hide stories that are whispered more often than they're told.

Inside these pages you'll find chilling tales of mysterious strangers, impossible creatures, restless legends, haunted places, and ordinary people who discover that the world is far stranger than they ever imagined. Along the way, you'll also encounter dark poetry, eerie folklore, and a few surprises hidden for readers who enjoy looking a little closer.

Inspired by Appalachian storytelling and a lifelong love of horror, Bumps and Shadows: Stories, Poems, and Appalachian Nightmares blends supernatural suspense, psychological unease, and campfire folklore into a collection that feels both familiar and unsettling.

So pour yourself a cup of coffee, pull your chair a little closer to the fire...

...and remember.

Some bumps in the night have stories worth telling.

Former soldier turned investigator and bounty hunter Oz has spent his life chasing fugitives, drifters, and broken men across the country. But when a routine hunt leads him deep into the Appalachian mountains, he discovers a town that doesn’t exist on any map.

Hidden beyond storms, failing electronics, and endless backroads lies a place where modern rules no longer apply. The people are welcoming but guarded. The streets glow with old lantern light. Criminals live beside families in uneasy peace. And towering over it all is a mysterious stone fortress ruled by a man known only as Boss.

In this town, violence is punished instantly. Religion is forbidden. Nobody speaks about the outside world. And the deeper Oz digs for answers, the more he realizes something ancient is buried beneath the mountain.

As strange friendships form and the town slowly begins to feel like home, Oz is forced to confront a terrifying question:

Is this place a prison…
or a refuge from a world that already forgot him?

Meminisse is a haunting supernatural thriller about memory, guilt, belonging, and the dangerous comfort of forgetting.

The Wrong Ones is a dark survival novella set in a world slowly unraveling under the weight of a mysterious and terrifying situation.

As entire communities collapse and familiar faces begin changing into something unnatural, small groups of survivors struggle to adapt to a reality ruled by fear, isolation, and uncertainty. Rumors spread of strange encounters in the wilderness, abandoned camps, and figures that simply seem… off.

With danger growing closer each day, survival becomes more than simply staying alive — it becomes a test of trust, loyalty, and knowing who still belongs among the living.

Atmospheric, emotional, and deeply unsettling, The Wrong Ones is a tense story about the end of normal life… and the terrifying things left behind afterward.

Some choices leave a mark that never fades.

Nick never wanted a tattoo. But when his coworkers push him toward a late-night shop in Richmond’s Carytown district, he steps through the door — and into a night that will change everything.

What begins as a dare quickly unravels into something far darker. Behind the locked doors and buzzing needle, Nick finds himself caught in a battle between fear, survival, and secrets that refuse to stay buried.

3 Eyes is a razor-sharp thriller about friendship, pressure, and the moment an ordinary life collides with the unthinkable.

When rookie police officer Eli Carter accepts a quiet post in a small Tennessee town, he expects boredom, not terror. But his first case shatters that illusion: bodies torn apart, wounds that don’t match any known predator, and whispers in the community that no one will speak aloud.

The deeper Eli digs, the more resistance he faces—especially from Sheriff Daniels, a man guarding secrets older than the town itself.

To survive, Eli must face the horrifying reality that bullets may not be enough… and the greatest threat may not lurk in the woods, but in the people sworn to protect the town.

Ashford is a chilling blend of small-town mystery, supernatural horror, and relentless thriller—perfect for fans of Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, and True Detective.

When Will Henderson moves his family from Virginia to a quiet farmhouse in rural Tennessee, he’s hoping for a fresh start. The Hollow seems peaceful at first—rolling ridges, a creek at the property’s edge, and a home that only needs a little work. But the deeper they settle in, the more the land begins to reveal its secrets.

Unnerving noises in the night. Footprints that don’t match any known animal. Whispers in town about people who “don’t last long” out there. And always—just at the edge of sight—figures watching from the tree line.

As the incidents escalate, Will and his family find themselves caught between the locals’ wary glances, unexplained sabotage, and something older and stranger than the forest itself. The Hollow Folk don’t want them here. And they’re done being patient.

A slow-burn descent into isolation, dread, and the inescapable pull of place, In the Hollows will haunt you long after you turn the last page.