Horror writer Mark W. Curran, a former resident of Wildwood, is set to publish his Cape May-themed short story collection, 'The Witches of Wildwood: Cape May Horror Stories and other Scary Tales from the Jersey Shore' on September 15, 2017.

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     The book, scheduled to be released in hardback by NMD Books, contains ten stories and a novella all set entirely in Cape May County, with Wildwood as the central setting.

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     Curran, a writer and filmmaker now residing in Los Angeles, called Wildwood his home during the 1980's when he worked as a musician playing drums in local Wildwood clubs such as Cozy Morley's Club Avalon in and The Club Lincoln on Atlantic Ave, all since demolished.

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      "The eighties were an interesting time in Wildwood," Curran recalls, "we were winding down from the heydey of the thriving sixties and seventies, a cultural shift was taking place, the decaying structures of previous seasons were crumbling. A perfect setting for horror and suspense."   

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      Curran incorporates many familiar local haunts into his stories, including Wildwood's famous boardwalk, Fun Pier, Mack's Pizza, and references to the town's celebrated doo-wop motels and googie architecture.

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      Among the stories are tales of modern day witches, zombies, haunted attractions, and even a Jersey Devil.

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      "Though the stories are classified as horror, there are strong suspense and fantasy elements in the writing, as well as a healthy dose of humor. It's fun reading for all ages, even if you are not a horror fan," Curran says.