This House Isn't Haunted But We Are — Stephen Howard

PART OF THE NORTHERN WEIRD PROJECT

Simon and Priya’s young daughter has died in a tragic accident. Determined to heal their fracturing marriage, the couple move to the North Yorkshire Moors to renovate a dilapidated rural cottage. However, they just can't process their grief as increasingly eerie events unfold. A child’s ghostly figure appears on the moors, doors lock themselves, and a mysterious stain grows from the loft. Is it their daughter haunting them or something else?

Starve Acre meets Linghun in this story of grief, marriage and haunting.

Advance Praise:

"Short, sharp and tender beneath its skin, Stephen Howard's deeply creepy Gothic novella will keep you up long into the night." Lucy Rose, author of The Lamb

"This House Isn't Haunted But We Are explores how grief makes us forget about the present, rendering us aimless, half alive wanderers through parents who have lost a child, and a house who doesn't want to be alone as it nears the end of its life. A heartfelt supernatural and cosmic story about three broken individuals struggling to heal and finding comfort in each other." Ai Jiang, Bram Stoker and Nebula Award-winning author of Linghun

"Stephen Howard blends the Weird, the psychological, and the gothic with easy style. This House Isn't Haunted But We Are will draw you in, but watch out - there's far more to it than meets the eye." Ally Wilkes, author of Where the Dead Wait and All the White Spaces

"There is an unrelenting sense of dread and horror for the entire duration of the story. The plot is unique and clever. I could see this as a very stylish A24 movie." Sadie Hartmann, Mother Horror

"This House Isn't Haunted But We Are is a novella sized bite of grief horror which offers a fresh take on the haunted house trope. " Catherine McCarthy, author of Mosaic and The House at the End of Lacelean Street

"A short but punchy story. I absolutely adored this. Told from three perspectives - husband, wife, house - this book weaves the these narratives together seamlessly to craft a wonderful, gripping, emotionally wrenching story. Exceptional book." Robert Welbourn, author of Great Romances of the 20th Century

"A poignant story of grief, loss and isolation that spans the personal to cosmic. Howard deftly navigates this tale of mourning with compassion and heart." Suzan Palumbo, author of Countess and Skin Thief: Stories

"A classic haunted house tale reimagined with a clever, modern twist. Rich gothic storytelling and authentic characters make for a deeply engaging and unique read." Craig Terlson, author of the Luke Fischer novels

"Take a classic trope, add a dash of cosmic horror and stir in a ton of grief and you have the recipe for this intriguing tale." Janine Pipe, author of Sausages: The Making of Dog Soldiers

About the Author

Stephen Howard (he/him) is an English novelist and short story writer from Manchester, now living in Cheshire with his wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Flo. An English Literature and Creative Writing graduate from the Open University, his work has been published by Lost Boys Press, The No Sleep Podcast, Metastellar, and others. He's also published one novel, a comic fantasy titled Beyond Misty Mountain, and the collections Condemned To Be, Little Book of Horrors, & Ophelia in the Underworld and Other Melancholy Tales (Alien Buddha Press, 2023).