Aglaope’s Song is Silence Now is the last story in my collection, Corpse Road Blues: an exploration of contemporary hauntings (pub. Demain Publishing). The ebook is out now, and thank you very much to those who have already bought the book; I do hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you’re holding on for the paperback, we’re looking at April. A publication date will be shared when we know one, so keep an eye on the blog, or on mine and Demain Publishing’s socials, for news. Hopefully, I’ll be putting together a few extras in time for that date as well.

So, Aglaope’s Song is Silence Now. What a ghastly tale!

Aglaope is one of the Sirens in Greek mythology. Originally, the sirens represented the dangers of the sea, but have since become symbolic of the supposed dangers of lust and temptation – and the ‘female temptress’.

When the #MeToo movement went viral, it highlighted the shocking extent of sexual harassment in society. I knew I wanted to incorporate this into a story, possibly using the Siren myth somehow, but wasn’t sure where to start.

It took another unrelated event – overhearing a work colleague recalling an incident he’d experienced – for Aglaope’s Song… to make it onto the page. After driving home from work late one evening, my work colleague turned off the engine and remained in their car, taking a moment to gather their thoughts and process the events of the day before going into the house to greet their partner and children. About five minutes in, they noticed a man walking along the residential street toward him, checking each car door as he passed. After some moments had passed, enough to be confident of the stranger’s intentions, my colleague made to confront the man, but as soon as they exited the car the man spotted them and ran off. Somewhat surprisingly, the main protagonist in Aglaope’s Song is Silence Now is based on that opportunist thief skulking in the shadows. What does the night and a Siren offer this man?

Find out in Corpse Road Blues.

As always, thanks for reading.

Nash