Author | Flames

Flames Rising is an online resource for fans of Horror and Dark Fantasy entertainment. This horror fanzine offers reviews of Games, Fiction, Movies and more ranging from Top-Selling authors to the coolest Small Press and “indie” publishers. The popular Interviews at Flames Rising include Horror authors, artists and other creators of dark entertainment. Stay tuned to the Flames Rising news feed for the latest news on upcoming products, genre conventions and industry developments.

Flames Rising continues to add new Features and expand the Fiction and Articles sections of the site with topics of interest to Horror and Dark Fantasy fans the world over.


Nox Arcana Returns to Eerie Music With the Haunted Symphony and a Sale

Posted on August 1, 2019 by

. Deep within the haunted halls of Ravenwood Castle, a dark secret has been uncovered—a lost symphony, said to be written by one of the cursed souls that yet lurks within the abandoned keep. Legends say that the music weaves a spell of darkness, opening a gateway to the spirit realm, guiding the restless dead […]

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D&D Celebrates #5yearsof5E w/Tyranny of Dragons Re-Release

Posted on July 23, 2019 by

Five years ago, the latest edition of Dungeons & Dragons was released, and it has become the most successful iteration of the tabletop roleplaying game since it created the category in 1974. To celebrate five years of unprecedented growth in the D&D community, Wizards of the Coast announced Tyranny of Dragons, a single special volume re-release of the two-part adventure from 2014 featuring a new cover designed by Hydro74. Look for Tyranny of Dragons being sold through game and hobby stores only on October 22!

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New Solo ROKU Comic and a Preview!

Posted on July 16, 2019 by

New York Times bestselling writer Cullen Bunn (PUNK MAMBO, Moon Knight) and stunning artist Ramón F. Bachs (Detective Comics, Batgirl) unleash ROKU, Valiant’s villainous redhead! Former MI6 operative turned contract killer, Roku’s new mission will test her in ways she never expected! “The ultimate weapon, without compromise, without compassion and without a care. Roku answers […]

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Interview with Author and Editor Melanie Meadors

Posted on July 12, 2019 by

FlamesRising.com is pleased to present an interview with author and editor Melanie R. Meadors. Her latest release is an anthology called Tales of Excellent Cats, for the Monarchies of Mau roleplaying game. Hi Melanie! Can you introduce yourself to our FlamesRising.com readers? Hi there! I am an author of science fiction and fantasy, I edit […]

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D&D Acquisitions Inc Interview with Writer Shawn Merwin

Posted on June 28, 2019 by

FlamesRising.com is pleased to present an interview with Dungeons & Dragons writer, game designer, and Dungeon Master extraordinaire Shawn Merwin to celebrate the release of D&D Acquistions Incorporated. The latest Dungeons & Dragons supplement is called D& D Acquisitions Incorporated. For fans who don’t know anything about it, can you tell us what Acquisitions Incorporated […]

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We Die Here by Steffie de Vaan

Posted on June 24, 2019 by

We Die HereI was fifteen at the time of my first escape. Made friends with a passing biker girl and persuaded her to give me a lift. I got sick the moment we left the diner on the outskirts of town behind – just this overwhelming vertigo and the sensation of falling endlessly. I threw up in my borrowed helmet. The biker girl insisted we rest at the diner while I recovered, then made off without me.

I tried six more times since, each on the anniversary of my first attempt. It never worked. The last time I got an emergency call from my father – my sister had been in an accident – could I come to the hospital? I knew that was the town’s way of telling me it had enough: Stay, or I will kill your family.

So I stayed, even after my parents died in the locust plague, and my sister was lost when the clowns came. It never occurred to me I could leave now – whatever fueled my youthful rebellion was just…. Gone.

My anniversary is coming up tomorrow though, forty-five years after that first ride. My biker girl is back in town too, all lines and grey hair, retracing the steps of her youth. She apologized for leaving me all those years ago, and offered to try again. We’re leaving tomorrow. I told her not to stop, not to turn back no matter what. I am leaving this town dead or alive.

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Interview with Author Robyn Bennis

Posted on June 21, 2019 by

Hello FlamesRising.com readers! Today, we are sitting down with author and biologist Robyn Bennis. Her first novel, an action-packed steampunk tale called The Guns Above, debuted in May 2017. Since then she’s released a sequel titled By Fire Above and a brand new book titled The Devil’s Guide to Managing Difficult People. If you’re curious […]

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Walk the Plank with Eddy Webb and the Pirates of Pugmire!

Posted on June 11, 2019 by

Pirates of Pugmire is a chronicle sourcebook for the Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau RPGs from Onyx Path Publishing. Useable as a a supplement for either game or as a great way to crossover the two settings with adventures on the seas and more. Pirates of Pugmire introduces lizards and birds as new playable species for expanding player character options. Additionally, two new locations in the world of Pugmire are introduced and the book comes with exciting adventures to get a campaign launched right away.

Currently on Kickstarter with just over a week to go, we took Eddy Webb portside for a few questions…

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Warriors of Waterdeep RPG Launches on Mobile Platforms

Posted on May 29, 2019 by

Top game developer Ludia today announced the global launch of Warriors of Waterdeep, a free mobile turn-based RPG game, based on the ever-popular Dungeons & Dragons franchise for the App Store and Google Play Store. This release marks the first partnership between Ludia and Wizards of The Coast, leaders in fantasy role-playing games.

In Warriors of Waterdeep, players will need to summon a team of heroes as the great city of Waterdeep is threatened by powerful dark forces. Players will need to take their heroes into battle against monsters from the Forgotten Realms in tactical, turn-based combat. Level up and upgrade your heroes with free daily chests, and win rewards in exciting limited-time events

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Ahoy There! New Addition to Pugmire Line Sails Into Kickstarter

Posted on May 24, 2019 by

Rich Thomas, founder and Creative Director of Onyx Path Publishing, announced a new Pirates of Pugmire Kickstarter launched this week to fund printing for a Pirates of Pugmire sourcebook. The supplement is compatible with both the Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau roleplaying games. Pirates of Pugmire is a family-friendly tabletop supplement set in the Realms […]

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Markosia Graphic Novels Now in Print at DriveThruComics

Posted on May 20, 2019 by

Markosia Books, one of the UK’s leading publishers of graphic novels, has teamed up with DriveThruComics to offer their graphic novels in print. Horror fans will be thrilled to know they can order print copies of their favorite graphic novels including Voivod: The True Story of Vlad the Impaler and the WWII-era yarn Abominable Glory. […]

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Dungeons & Dragons Gets Down with D&D Live 2019: The Descent

Posted on May 17, 2019 by

Starting TODAY at 2pm PDT, the many eyes of the Dungeons & Dragons community will be focused on D&D Live 2019: The Descent as they get their first glimpse of the 2019 storyline. D&D Live 2019 is an immersive experience even more ambitious than 2018’s award-winning Stream of Many Eyes portraying iconic characters from one […]

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Pre-Order and Excerpt for The Devil’s Guide to Managing Difficult People

Posted on May 7, 2019 by

Flamesrising.com is pleased to present you with an exclusive excerpt of the upcoming book by author Robyn Bennis. The Devil’s Guide to Managing Difficult People will be released on Kindle. You can buy the book before it debuts on May 21st or you can pre-order it now! If you like the author’s style, please visit […]

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Crystal’s Picks for WoD 20th Anniversary Sale

Posted on April 17, 2019 by

The World of Darkness has been a part of many of our lives for a very long time. The 20th Anniversary editions of the games have been some of the most expansive and innovative additions to the game line in years, giving a new breath of life to a classic. DriveThruRPG and Storytellers Vault is holding a sale currently on the 20th Anniversary game lines and supplements. There are many hidden gems in this sale, so I am going to give you my top picks and why you should add them to your collection. I have these in no particular order.

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Matthew Dawkins is infected with the Contagion Chronicle

Posted on April 16, 2019 by

The Contagion Chronicle is an overarching compendium of chronicle hooks, riveting settings, and Storyteller aids to help present all the Chronicles of Darkness game lines with one consistent story. In the chronicle, the Contagion acts as a motivational force and inspires the formation of factions where vampires, werewolves, mages, mummies, etc. come together in new and unique ways.

Developed by Matthew Dawkins and currently on Kickstarter.com with just over a week to go. We asked Matthew a bit about the project and his work at Onyx Path Publishing.

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NorCal Horror Authors Supporting Wildfire Relief

Posted on April 11, 2019 by

New Anthology of Scary Stories to Support Ongoing Wildfire Relief Efforts

Horror authors across Northern California have come together to release Tales for the Camp Fire, a new anthology of short stories, to support wildfire relief efforts. All profits from the sale of the anthology will be donated to wildfire relief funds administered by the North Valley Community Foundation.

On the morning of November 8th, 2018, the worst wildfire in the state’s history erupted in the foothills of Northern California. While emergency efforts were immediate, the Camp Fire burned for seventeen days before it was finally contained. It destroyed the town of Paradise and burned over 150,000 acres. At least 85 people died in the blaze. The impact of the fire was felt across the entire region as air quality became the worst in the world.

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Dungeons & Dragons Invites You to Play the New Storyline at D&D Live 2019: The Descent in L.A. May 17, 18, 19

Posted on April 4, 2019 by

D&D Live 2019: The Descent will be a celebration of the Dungeons & Dragons community as they gather to learn about the latest storyline through an immersive entertainment experience. Following last year’s award-winning Stream of Many Eyes, this year’s D&D event will give fans in Los Angeles the chance to play through an epic adventure designed to plunge players into a captivating story. The three-day extravaganza will include a sneak-peak at upcoming products, signings with D&D luminaries, musical performances, unique giveaways, tons of amazing cosplay and of course a whole bunch of twenty-sided dice rolling critical hits!

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Horror in the Mundane

Posted on April 4, 2019 by

Hi all, my name is Liz and I’m the owner of Angry Hamster Publishing. In May 2019 our newest game Afterlife: Wandering Souls launches on Kickstarter and the Flames Rising blog was kind enough to let me write a guest post about the game and what horror could mean to player characters.

The premise of Afterlife: Wandering Souls (AWS) is: You die, but you don’t end up where you are meant to go – Heaven, Hell, reincarnation, a great nothingness. Instead, you are transported to the Tenebris – a giant scorching desert reaching into eternity. You travel the Tenebris entering into different Limbos (worlds) in search of memories from your past life and struggling to come to terms with who you were and what you lost.

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D&D Announces Acquisitions Incorporated, a Book Providing the Flavor of Acq Inc within the Forgotten Realms

Posted on April 2, 2019 by

Dungeons & Dragons is publishing a book made in partnership with Penny Arcade that provides a way to jump into the comedic fantasy superhero D&D live-play you’ve seen on the stages of PAX for a decade. Fans will be able to live out their fantasy of climbing the corporate ladder of the most notorious retrieval agency in the Forgotten Realms—Acquisitions Incorporated. Join CEO Omin Dran, Jim Darkmagic, Môrgæn, and the chandelier-riding Viari around the table as a lowly intern or a freshly-minted franchisee with the new Acquisitions Incorporated sourcebook coming from Dungeons & Dragons on June 18!

“To tons of people around the world, the flavor of D&D played by the Acquisitions Incorporated crew was their first taste of just how much fun a Dungeons & Dragons game could be,” said Nathan Stewart, Senior Director of Dungeons & Dragons at Wizards of the Coast. “We wanted to start experimenting with presenting different playstyles to fans entering the D&D community, and it made sense to start with a group who has spent ten years at a table with Chris Perkins entertaining hordes of fans.”

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Grab Your Average Happy Gnome to Benefit Extra Life!

Posted on April 1, 2019 by

Do you like puns? Love Dungeons & Dragons? Then, have we got the silly character for you! A Happy Gnome is a D&D 5th Edition pre-generated character designed for a player’s use in your next campaign. This title was written by FlamesRising.com contributor and writer/editor/developer Monica Valentinelli (Firefly RPG, Scarred Lands 5E, and Hunter the […]

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11 Tales of Ghostly Horror

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