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Tabatha Wood lives in Wellington, New Zealand and writes weird, dark fiction and uplifting poetry. A former English teacher and library manager, Tabatha’s first published books were non-fiction guides aimed at people working in education. She now teaches from home while writing in her spare time.
Her debut collection, “Dark Winds Over Wellington: Chilling Tales of the Weird & the Strange” was released in March 2019, and nominated for a Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Collected Fiction in 2020. Since then, she has had stories published in numerous Things In The Well anthologies, plus two antipodean horror/SpecFic magazines: Midnight Echo and Breach.
She frequently writes reviews and essays for other blogs, and her essay “Who is Ellen Ripley?” featured as the lead story for The Digital Dead magazine #16.
Tabatha was the lead editor in a team of twelve for the recently-completed charity anthology, “Black Dogs, Black Tales,” which aims to raise money and awareness for the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
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Fiction
Published Mar 30, 2021 · 1,668 words (7 minutes) · 36 views
Fantasy magic Family shapeshifting witches elements
A sneak peek into an ongoing story, a YA witch-themed fantasy. "You can't keep those memories when they're not yours to keep!" Four young sisters, and elemental witches, embark on a perilous journey to discover the truth about their mother's murder, entering a parallel reality where their minds are not their own.
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Fiction
Published Mar 23, 2021 · 3,095 words (12 minutes) · 100 views
Corporal Hopkins just wants to go home. After many years serving with the Laird’s Men, he deserves his freedom. But while the long war that fractured New Britain may be over, Raiders in the Scottish forests still pose a deadly threat. Charged with dismantling a roving horde, Hopkins and his elite unit are outnumbered and woefully unprepared for the real horror that awaits them. From the shadowy depths of the great Loch Ness, an ancient evil is rising.
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Fiction
Published Feb 20, 2021 · 2,671 words (10 minutes) · 146 views
Horror undead Burgers vegan cordyceps
Welly On A Plate is Wellington city’s annual food festival that everyone enjoys. But when mysterious new vegan burgers are added to the menu, they find this tasty delicacy has a hidden and terrifying secret.
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Fiction
Published Jan 22, 2021 · 1,595 words (6 minutes) · 1 like · 238 views
Fantasy Science Fiction hope lovers message in a bottle apologies
Flash fiction - a message in a bottle holds a deeper meaning for Erica's ex-husband when he is given the chance to share with her his final thoughts.
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Fiction
Published Jan 22, 2021 · 591 words (3 minutes) · 1 like · 178 views
Science Fiction space flash fiction relationships quarantine longing
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Fiction
Published Jan 22, 2021 · 8,595 words (32 minutes) · 195 views
Fantasy Horror new zealand lovers friendship choices cancer strength death Grief rebirth
Death comes to everyone, but when she came to Wellington she came with a choice. A story of loss, grief and finding new beginnings. Content warning: Cancer. Suicide. Mental illness.
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Fiction
Published Jan 22, 2021 · 4,247 words (16 minutes) · 205 views
Fantasy Science Fiction protection warrior Grief history child squid new zealand
Earthquakes are caused by monsters under the earth; a giant squid advances on Wellington, and a young boy knows the magic words to keep the city safe. But will his grieving father ever believe him?
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Fiction
Published Dec 23, 2020 · 4,998 words (19 minutes) · 214 views
Horror Humor Satire Romance Hallmark Monsters black comedy puns
DIE HARD meets Hallmark (kinda) in this crazy, tongue-in-cheek holiday mashup.
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Fiction
Published Dec 14, 2020 · 4,082 words (15 minutes) · 1 like · 186 views
Fantasy Horror christmas android weird doppelganger clone
A weird, seasonal horror story for anyone who has ever wished they had a second pair of hands or more time to get everything done over the holiday period.
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Fiction
Published Dec 11, 2020 · 4,187 words (16 minutes) · 3 likes · 572 views
Fantasy Horror writer fear failure
Maurice is a prolific author with a long and successful career. But when he tries to kill off his most beloved character, the man he thought lived only in his imagination might just fight back.
Author Tabatha Wood lives in Wellington, New Zealand, and writes strange dark fiction. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, and her debut collection “Dark Winds Over Wellington” was nominated for a Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Collected Fiction in 2020.