Goodyear resident publishes horror book

Goodyear resident Adrian Candelaria is releasing a horror book, inspired by international stylings and local authors.

“I love to read horror stories. And I love to read manga, I was inspired by John Carpenter, Stephen King,” he said. “It's like a novella, a horror story.”

Manga is a type of long-form storytelling built on the Japanese style of comic book storytelling.

His book is called “Down by the Hollow Creek,” published by  Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

The book follows eighteen-year-old Mark, who is a loner at his high school. His only joy comes from drawing his own manga and the beautiful, popular Elisa. As a new loner enters the school, Mark and his new friend Tim quickly become friends, bonding over their lonely experiences, according to Candelaria.

The publishers says the duo encounter harrowing experiences together.

“With some convincing from Tim, Mark enters the mysterious, abandoned Cooper home. As their teenage adventure quickly turns into a nightmare, Mark and Tim decide to burn down the house, so no one ever has to face the horrific creature inside. What they don’t realize is that the evil resides in the rubble, waiting inside a mask for someone to pick it up, and unleash it unto the world,” it wrote.

Candelaria plans on expanding his universe on Amazon.

“I'm going to be working with Amazon, eventually, to get my other horror story published,” he said. “They’re editing my other horror story, but it's a completely different horror story or another type of theme, but it has horror aspects in it as well.”

Adrian Candelaria is currently attending community college to receive a degree in Elementary Education.

When not studying or writing horror, Candelaria enjoys going to the gym, hiking, and reading horror books and manga.