Donald Firesmith
DonaldFiresmith.com
2024
Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, paranormal horror, and modern urban paranormal novels and collections of short stories. Because of his strong background in software/system engineering and science, his science fiction is well-researched, and he relies on numerous science, technology, and military technical advisors to ensure that the non-speculative aspects of his stories are realistic and believable.
Prior to retiring to become a full-time novelist and short story author, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books and nearly 300 technical articles and conference papers based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software-intensive systems.
Donald Firesmith is also a maker of fine, on-of-a-kind, traditional, hand-crafted magic wands of mystical woods and gemstones. He even wrote the book on the subject, Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore.
He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with his wife Becky, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.
Cauldron of Uncanny Dreams
A collection of uncanny short stories to read late at night from the prize-winning author of the Hell Holes series and The Secrets of the Hawthorne House.
f you enjoyed episodes of the TV series The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Tales of the Unexpected, and Are You Afraid of the Dark, then this book is for you.
Jimmy and the Halloween Candy Monster
Every Halloween night, Jimmy faces a spooky yet sweet challenge: the mischievous Halloween Candy Monster sneaks into his bedroom and steals most of his candy! And no matter where Jimmy hides his candy bag, the Candy Monster always finds and snatches it away. But Jimmy is not one to back down from a challenge. This Halloween, Jimmy has a great plan. With the help of his loving parents, he’s ready to outsmart the Halloween Candy Monster and teach him a lesson in moderation.
The Secrets of Hawthorne House
After the tragic death of his mother, Matt Mitchell’s grieving father moves him and his twin sister away from the sea they love to the small Midwest town of Hawthorne, Indiana. As a new out-of-towner at the local high school, Matt’s despair and anger grow when he becomes the target of relentless bullying. He is soon warned that Old Lady Hawthorn, the secretive recluse who lives in the dilapidated Victorian mansion next door, is a witch who murdered her husband. But once Matt starts working for her, he discovers she is something altogether different. When the old lady’s niece and her three children move into the mansion, Matt’s dreary world takes an extraordinary turn.
Matt meets Gerallt, and their unexpected friendship changes Matt’s life forever. As they become best friends, Matt discovers a world brimming with secret magic and an ancient Celtic god, challenging everything he thought he knew. Together, the two boys confront the school bullies with a blend of cunning and magical mischief, embark on a thrilling quest for lost treasure, and uncover the profound secrets hidden within Hawthorne House.