A lifelong book lover chasing the dream to write my own.
Flickers in the Dark is open for submissions
I’m thrilled to be working alongside the incredible writer Zack Zagranis on Flickers in the Dark, a multi-author Halloween anthology dedicated to short-form horror that lingers long after the light goes out.
We’re currently open for submissions and seeking flash fiction, microfiction, experimental pieces, and haunting artwork that unsettles, suggests, and strikes fast. Stories that feel like a match flaring in the dark. Images that make you wonder if something is watching just beyond the glow.
If your work thrives in small spaces—psychological, folkloric, cosmic, or quietly grotesque—we want to see it. Step into the dark. Let your work flicker.
Email Submissions to: Submissionsinthedark@gmail.com
The Curious Case of the Gnome Syndicate
Upcoming Book for 2026
The Curious Case of the Gnome Syndicate is officially UNDER CONTRACT!
I’m beyond excited to begin my publishing journey with this story and can’t wait to share it with the world.
The journey from manuscript to book takes time, but the adventure is well underway — with an estimated 8–12 months until it goes to print.
Thank you all for your support and encouragement — more updates (and sneak peeks ) will be coming soon!
Under Contract
The Curious Case of the Gnome Syndicate
Through the various publishing stages, when we have some news you’ll be the first to know!
Harold’s long-lost daughter returns—not as herself, but as an undercover detective exposing a bizarre garden gnome smuggling syndicate. Together, they navigate a quirky, heartfelt mystery where even lawn ornaments hide secrets.
Production Update for The Curious Case of the Gnome Syndicate
2.25.2026 - Manuscript has been proof read and ready for my review. I am making adjustments and changes as necessary. Reviewed manuscript to be sent back to publisher within four weeks.
NOW AVAILABLE in TWO Volumes! 40 Stories in each volume.Behind the lights, the feasts and the forced warmth of tradition, something watches. Something remembers older winters, bloodier rituals and the quiet violence lurking beneath celebration... Edited by the veteran compiler of dark fiction Parth Sarathi Chakraborty, YuleHide strips the season of comfort & joy and exposes what the yuletide season has always hoped to hide. These stories twist Christmas and winter folklore into visions of true dread, where family gatherings rot from within, ancient customs demand obedience and snow preserves secrets better left forgotten…
Front Cover Announcement Blurb I'm honored to present this evocative artwork that has been accepted as the official front cover for Mystic Mind Magazine / Kirin Comics. April #32 digital edition. Blending delicate watercolor florals with the stark wreckage of a fallen craft, the piece captures a moment suspended between ruin and rebirth. Three figures stand at the threshold of the unknown, dwarfed by nature’s quiet reclaiming of lost technology, inviting the viewer to contemplate memory, survival, and the fragile boundary between the mechanical and the mystical. Dreamlike yet grounded, this cover sets the tone for a journey into stories where wonder grows from the remnants of what once was.
I’m beyond excited to share that my artwork The Luminant Arbor has been accepted for publication in Kirin Comics’ upcoming March #31 physical issue! So grateful to the team for believing in my work—can’t wait for readers to see it in print.
Every year on May 25, Rie receives a birthday card—from herself. The handwriting is unmistakable. The ink is fresh. And every year the message inside grows more urgent. This year it reads: “Don’t let them sing.” Rie lives alone in a picturesque lakeside town where birthdays are treated like sacred events. Lawns are decorated overnight, neighbors appear with rehearsed smiles, and the town council delivers a cake to every resident turning another year older. It’s all part of the town’s cherished tradition. But Rie doesn’t remember growing up there. In fact, she has no memories from before her eighth birthday. As May 25 approaches, strange patterns begin to surface. Every childhood photograph shows exactly eight candles—no matter her supposed age. The townspeople grow uneasy when asked about her past. A weathered dock by the lake bears her name carved deep into the wood. And each year, on the night of her birthday, a four-hour gap erases her memory. Determined to uncover the truth, Rie stays awake to break the cycle—only to discover something far worse than forgotten memories. The town’s rituals are not celebrations. They are containment. On her eighth birthday, Rie drowned in the lake. The town refused to let her die. Instead, they bound her to an ancient temporal parasite known only as The Eighth—a presence that feeds on unfinished milestones and exists in the fragile moment between childhood and growing up. Every May 25, the town resets her life to keep time itself from collapsing. Now Rie must decide whether to break the ritual and unleash whatever waits beyond it—or surrender to the cycle that keeps the town alive. Atmospheric, unsettling, and deeply psychological, The Eighth Candle is a haunting horror story about memory, identity, and the terrifying cost of growing up. Release May 2026
Meet the Author
I juggle books, chocolate, kids, a wonderful husband, dirty toilets, neglected laundry, and a deep love for stories—though rarely in that order..
Also by Ria Cabral
Explore my collection of published works and artwork featured across online platforms and print magazines.
Literary works
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