Dennis Dunkle: On the Road (and Off)

Simms, David

Literature & Fiction

Livingston Pr

His mother hated him. So did his wife. They both tried to kill him. In this preposterous and darkly humorous tale, it is now many years later when mild-mannered, ageing, and fantasy-prone Dennis Dunkle meets Denise online. She's a daft, capricious, narcissistic artist. But what he sees is intriguing mystery. Abruptly he ends his library career at Saint Plato Community College in New Jersey and heads for North Dakota, he and his eccentric cat, anticipating finally, late in life, bliss with a woman ever after. But Denise proves elusive. He drives all over the map after her. And outside the map. There are bizarre encounters with other Denises. His quests are continually thwarted. Alas. And he's so far from good old normal New Jersey.

Dark Muse

Teen & Young Adult

Melange Books

Pierce the Veil

Genre Fiction

Macabre Ink

The Stars of Axuncanny

"Penny Annie smelled like marigolds." Thus opens this whimsical romance, which brings together our hero, a motorcycle-riding monk named Matthew, a lovely mountain retreat, a monastery filled with enigmatic rooms, the games of baseball and hurling, and of course, our heroine, Penny Annie, she of the marigold smell, who is questing to redeem her past and accept love. No cellerage with skulls or dessicated bodies, but gee, did we mention the walk-on literary characters and the walk-away puns?

Action & Adventure

Fiction. "Penny Annie smelled like marigolds." Thus opens this whimsical romance, which brings together not a yak-riding, but a motorcycle-riding monk named Matthew, a lovely mountain retreat, a monastery filled with enigmatic rooms, the games of baseball and hurling, and of course, our other hero, Penny Annie, she of the marigold smell, who together with Matthew, is questing to redeem her past and accept love. No cellerage with skulls or dessicated bodies, but gee, did we mention the walk-on literary characters and the walk-away puns?

Livingston Press

A psychologist unearths America’s darkest secret through the terrors of an asylum in 1933 Virginia, where the elite aim to eliminate millions of "unfit" citizens. The truths that have been erased from history come to life in this thriller about the nation's ugly and forgotten chapter. Still haunted by the death of this wife and son during childbirth, psychologist and WWI vet Samuel Taylor accepts a position at Western Valley Hospital. Superintendent Joseph Dejarnette leads the movement to purify humanity by exterminating anyone the Society, led by the kings of industry, deemed to be "defective" or "unfit". Sam discovers that his testing often condemns patients simply for being less than the new "American" ideal, yet he learns he cannot quit his job. Dejarnette desires Sam to be his right hand at the asylum but warns him that Sam’s deaf brother and new immigrant girlfriend have already been labeled as unfit by the new masterminds of eugenics. Sam begins to question his sanity as the mysteries of the area emerge from the shadows, compelling him to dig deeper into the horrors of the movement, realizing how complicit he is in the deaths around him. Experiments beyond his worst nightmares occur daily, as citizens from neighboring towns begin disappearing at a frightening rate. Sam devises a bold plan to escape and unleash the truth, but learns that Dejarnette’s tendrils reach into every major American city. The proof he ultimately uncovers may doom everyone he holds close while influencing the world's most heinous act in history.

Fear the Reaper

Does music have the power to invade the soul? Beware the Dark Muse… Thirteen-year-old Muddy Brooks has always wanted to fit in with the "regular" crowd in a small town in New Jersey. He hopes that his band, The Accidentals, helps gain him acceptance into the world where he has always stuck out like a broken thumb. When his older brother disappears at the crossroads while playing a mysterious song, Muddy plunges into a world of music where songs come to life, where musicians find their inspiration, what price they must pay for fame. He must learn to harness the power of the legendary crossroads and conquer what lies on the other side. A series of trials that inspired classic songs awaits the teens, each deadlier than the next, each testing their newfound powers. Along with drummer Otis, singer Poe, and saxophonist Corey, each battling their own disabilities or demons, Muddy must cross the river that is the source for all creativity. The band fights a world alive with unimaginable horrors and realize their path to redemption is hindered by two obstacles that may destroy them: the Tritons, vicious inhuman leaders of the strange world, and the Dark Muse, a something, or someone who wields the full power of the River. The band’s journey calls for them to build a stairway to heaven, sail through smoke on the water, become iron men, and walk that way across the abyss. But their ultimate battle may prove in vain--it might not save Muddy's brother from the darkness --or awaken something far more deadly. *** Do you believe music has power? Dark Muse answers that question with an ear-shattering scream that will plunge you into terrifying worlds unknown. Hang on! - Elizabeth Massie, Bram Stoker Award Winning Author of Sineater and the upcoming Ameri-Scares television show (produced by Margot Robbie). Dave Simms has written an engaging entry in the young adult market; he knows his music and his audience—or any audience! I was quickly seduced into reading page after page, loving the characters and the story. A must-read and a keeper.- Heather Graham, New York Times bestselling author of Let the Dead Sleep

Dark Muse: A Tale from the Crossroads

Children's Books

Ameri-Scares: New Jersey: The Curse of the Barrens

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Wonderstruck Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Simms, David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Simms, David