Greetings Darklings:
Mabon is almost here. The leaves are turning and a chill wafts in the air. The Cult of the Spider People is scheduled to be released on October 5th! That’s three weeks away. Today’s post will focus on creature horror, the creatures from the book The Cult of the Spider People. It has already been published, but Baynam Books Press closed. (Sigh….). Now, Dreamweaver Press is taking on the authors’ books. It won’t be much longer before Cult of the Spider People weaves new thrilling webs on Amazon.
I am stil not sure what inspired me to create such horrifying creatures. Well, I have a few theories. I distinguished each creature from the other. I wanted to really bring them to life. I even wanted to give them their own distinct language to speak, but I am not Tolkien. He was a master at linguistics and etymology, I am not. I gave each creature individual wants and needs and personality – and distinct markings.
Roth, the Spider King, is the master of Arachnall, the alternate dimension or underground, where the Arachnas dwell. They crave blood and lure their human victims there to feast on their blood. They trap their hapless victims in these horrifying slimy cocoons that an adult human can fit into. If the moldy dampness of the cocoons is not enough to gross you out, then when they feast on human blood, it brings a whole new level of horror. They weave and repair webs.
Arachnall is ruled by an overlord, the Spider King, greedy, beyond evil and possesed with a bloodthirst who makes Shelob from Lord of the Rings look like a pansy. Here is an excerpt from the book:
“She didn’t want to look at him, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away. He was more awful than any she had previously seen. A face carved from death, painted with fresh blood, a body so terrible. Piper hoped to wake from this nightmare and closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, he was still there and he laughed. Piper’s blouse was damp with sweat and mildew from the slimy cocoon. She cringed from the odor and the clamminess. Roth, the Spider King, bowed his head in greeting to the other creatures. His gaze penetrated through the grisly cavern. He sniffed the air. The creature’s eyes were twin orbs of true pitch-darkness. He wore a black crown of spiders. His cheekbones were sunken, and his hide was charcoal black. Dried blood matted his lower jaw. Eight bristly angular legs protruded from his cephalothorax. His sardonic laughter permeated the cavern.”
Roth, the Spider King, covets Piper and he plans to make her his new queen. He has chained the Spider Queen, trapping her in her own lair which is even more deadly than the cavern. Aranya, the Spider Queen, refuses to share her pure blood/ venom with Roth and the other Arachnas. Piper has other plans.
The Spider Queen Aranya is described as a black widow Arachnas. She has the colourings, markings and bloodthirst of a black widow. Her lair and her darkly beautiful but deadly appearance is described here:
“If the corridor was not evil enough, the lair of the Spider Queen was a hundred times worse. An enormous black web spanned twenty meters swaying like a spectral ghost. The lair was replete with decrepit skeletons. Dead insects, humans and animals hung from the web like baubles. Spiderling Arachnas wove silk cocoons, eager for an unwary victim. The stench of blood permeated the lair.
Something menacing rested above the web. The cocoons bearing dead and alive prey made her want to scream. Bones of every shape and size riddled the ground beneath the massive web. Blood coated everything. More of the strange Arachnall symbols were etched onto the cave walls. Lifeless eyes stared at her as she passed them. A spiderling crept out from the hollow mouth of a skeleton. Revulsed, Piper turned away and her gut clenched hard. /
The Spider Queen’s gaze pierced through Piper’s soul. Her body was stunning. Her lower body was of an Arachnas. Her black wavy hair hung down her front and her back. Horns curved down her head. Her alabaster skin was flawless. She wore the symbol of the Arachnas on her forehead, and she bore no clothing. Her cephalothorax was black but bore a single large red spot shaped like an hourglass. Her razor-sharp ebony fingernails were blood-stained. Eight sinewy black legs arched high on either side of her body. The Spider Queen rose to her full height.”
Is that enough to make you scream and run for your life? I would think so. She is beautiful and deadly all at once. Quite fitting for a black widow Spider Queen.
The creature that dwells in the Pit is not as merciful as the Spider Queen. “The Arachnas prowled to where they climbed the hill,, caught them and threw them to the ground. They yelled and tried to escape from its formidable grasp. A battle -scarred Arachnas loomed over them. She stared at the Arachnas’s scarred hide in disbelief and wonder. His thick horns curved like a ram’s. The beast gazed at them coldly, and his jaws dripped saliva. An iridescent blue streaked across his body. The eight legs were less sinewy than the others. The cephalothorax was bloated, and his face bore a jagged scar. He sniffed them both. Cory drew back in fear.” / “The monster leered, exposing several razor-sharp fangs. His pointed ears twitched, and the black bristles on his legs quivered with anticipation. “Oh, you look tasty, boy,” the Arachnas said as it leered and grabbed Cory by his shoulder. He turned away, unable to look. ” / “The aged Arachnas’s pedipalps twitched. He bent his spidery legs back, crouched low to lunge, and reared, exposing his deadly stinger. He hissed menacingly. Cory dodged the stinger in time and cowered behind the dead Arachnas.” Nightmare inducing, n’est pas?
The Cult of the Spider People was much effort to write, but I knew in my heart it was worth everything. I am glad I made each Arachnas distinct from each other. It made the bloodthirsty and horrifying beasts much more interesting and intriguing. They are terrifying and unstoppable. That makes them scarier. My friend, Nora Peevy, believed that the “Human Centipede would feel right at home”, in her review of my book The Cult of the Spider People. I believe she is quite correct.
It may mean investing more effort into your own imaginative writings, but I hope you do choose to go that route. That is the difference between a boring, banal story or something brimming with imagination. It is worth it, trust me. I encourage you all to try and create your own underworld of dark creatures or werewolves or a zombie. Write the book only you can write. Discover your own voice. Believe me, that is what all overworked, weary editors want to see. Something fresh and unique that sets you apart from a million other writers. Your. Story.In.Your. Voice. Only. That is the magical formula!
Upcoming Releases:
The Cult of the Spider People – 2nd edition October 5, 2026
The Mourning Tide – October 2026.
Where to Find The Cult of the Spider People
The Cult of the Spider People is being republished by Dreamweaver Press, an imprint of Twisted Dreams Press, in October 2026. The new edition will be available through Amazon and other booksellers as it is released.
Follow my blog, The Paranormal Quill, for publication news, updates, and more dark and gothic delights. https://theparanormalquill.blog/
Until then, keep your eyes on the shadows—and whatever you do, don’t look up.
Heddy Johannesen
Conjuror of Gothic Horrors
Gothic horror and cosmic dread from the ghostly shores of Halifax.
Bio:
Heddy Johannesen is a paranormal enthusiast and long time student of the writing craft. As the Conjuror of Gothic Horror, she writes about ghosts, monsters, witches, and outsiders, exploring the shadows where fear, mystery, and the supernatural collide.
Heddy has been writing seriously since 2006 and has studied the craft through courses, workshops, and mentorships. Her published work includes horror fiction, short stories, poetry, and paranormal nonfiction.
She has always been drawn to the shadows, where the monsters live and their stories hunger to be told. For Heddy, horror is more than a way to frighten readers. It is a way to explore fear, grief, courage, hope, and the mysteries that exist just beyond what we can see.
Blessings, Spiderwitch )O(
