Twisted Tales of Deceit

What would you do if you were surrounded by devils? 

Twisted Tales of Deceit is the first installment in the Beyond the Chamber Door series, featuring three supernatural tales of horror (The Calculated Desolation of Hope, Somnium, & Knickerbocker) chronicling evil’s influence on innocent hearts and our uncontrollable desire to give in to their calculated transgression. These dark influences are surrounding us in every corner of our daily habits, looking to alter and bend human will to their lust and incessant desire to feed on depravity and sin. 

What devils and imps are feeding on your soul?
Creeping and slithering with insatiable appetites for souls and blood, they manipulate and offer friendly hands to draw us into their primal rage of fear. 

Journey into the corridors of darkness, sin, and manipulation, with this first installment.

The Calculated Desolation of Hope: The Devil is Mephisto and he wants William’s heart, to turn him into darkness and leave his love obliterated. 

Somnium: Jimmy can’t help talking to himself in the mirror. Or is that a devil pressing his hand to steal his dreams?

Knickerbocker: Isaac Crane, new to Sleepy Hallow, soon learns that the Headless Horseman is more than a myth, and he wants Crane’s head on his mantle. 

Discover the influence of demons and the dark hearts of the powerful and corrupt and their insatiable appetites for young souls and their dreams in this psychological supernatural thriller steeped in horror and the paranormal.

Twisted Tales of Deceit is the first installment in the Beyond the Chamber Door series. These are tales chronicling an evil influence on the human psyche, tipping our hands into the engagement of what is most horrifying; our dastardly, human deeds steeped in self-destruction, desperation and the loss of dreams. Metaphorical warnings have been constructed inside these pages to reflect the everyday signs the universe provides under the guise of reflective light that return to mirror how evil tempts our hand so to not fulfill the dreams of the soul. Our doubts, our sadness, our indecisions rooted in fear are toiled with by the presence of imps bent on hatred and in need of our nightmares to survive. Here, the human spirit is dripped like honey, tasteful to the dark corridors of human malevolence and taken advantage by the corrupt and seamlessly endless parade other worldly dimensions have on what should be our earthly utopia, creating rage in the cosmic hedonism of jealousy. 

Themes Include: Gothic horror, classical horror, mainstream, dark fiction, mental illness, suicide, addiction, Inspiration, spirituality, philosophy, love and marriage.

Praise for Twisted Tales of Deceit:

"First up is “The Calculated Desolation of Hope,” which conveys a total and deliberate ‘Hotel California’ vibe … a dark desert highway, a glimmer of light, a weary traveler stopping at a mysterious establishment … many quite familiar themes and snippets of phrasing occur throughout … on one level, it does detract a little from the storytelling since you soon find yourself playing spot-the-reference … on the other, it adds layers of depth and texture that work very well. And then it goes darker, weirder, more damning, and much more dangerous.

The second piece, “Somnium,” follows a daydreaming college student on a labyrinthine journey of psyche and personality as he pursues his ambitions to become a playwright. He’s soon lost in arguments with himself, at risk of losing far more than his opportunities and his mind.

“Knickerbocker” is the main course of this book-meal, and it is my personal favorite of the three. It’s a modern-day, self-aware revisiting of the legend of Sleepy Hollow with overtones of addiction and obsession. Complete with gangly schoolteacher Isaac Crane, no relation but strong resemblance, newly arrived in the quaint community to discover an interest in a lovely lady, a bitter clash with a bullying rival, the upcoming local Halloween festivities… and, looming like a shadow over all, the legacy of the infamous Horseman. Little does Isaac suspect what’s really going on in Sleepy Hollow, and what’s in store for him."

~ Horror Fiction Review

"A wonderfully gripping, spine tingling ...3 short stories.What would a person do when faces with the evils that lurk. This book had me watching my own doors for a while. Mr. Alleva is a master at capturing the reader in a world that is locked away with evil, devils, demons and someone who reminded me of my old grouchy neighbor.

I was amazed at how the stories leads you into looking into your own lives and how we look at the things around us. Evil is out there, don't let it fool you.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who love a gut gripping read."

~ Butterfly Bridge Reviews

"This was an interesting collection of 3 short stories, focusing on deceit, that showcases Alleva's talent. Knickerbocker was a great retelling of The Headless Horseman. We meet Isaac Crane, not to be confused with the well known Ichabod, a man who is starting a new teaching position. The school seems to have its quirks, starting with the Headmaster who is lovingly called Headmaster. Isaac knows the students mock him behind his back, but he's good at what he does, and his teaching skills will win the kids over.

There's a distraction at school for Isaac, and her name is Corina. But Brand, a fellow teacher, is laying claim to Corina and warning him off. Will everything come to head on the anniversary of the ride of The Headless Horseman?

I always think with collections such as this, that one story will particularly stand out to the reader, and that's what happened to me. I feel that Alleva could expand on Knickerbocker and turn it into a full-length book. This is a good compilation of short stories, showcasing Alleva's abilities in different writing styles and is very nicely done."

~ Rae's Reading Lounge