Cover Artwork by Stuart Manning

Author's Notes
I like TV season premieres. They’re a uniquely US phenomenon, promising the returns of familiar faces, dodgy new haircuts, new stories and that ‘new term’ vibe of a cast fresh and eager, back from summer hiatus. At the very least, it’s like greeting an old friend with a new spring in their step, and at best, it’s a hopping-on point, giving a new audience a chance to climb aboard and join in the fun.

As the first in a new series of Dark Shadows stories, I decided to approach The House of Despair in much the same way. Inevitably, as writing got underway, characters shifted gear, plot points came and went, but that emphasis always remained. This is a reintroduction for the series – a chance to catch up with some of the old characters again as they set off in new paths and directions.

So, long-term fans, enjoy some quality time with old friends and foes. New listeners… beware. The sun is setting, and in the gloom of a cold Maine evening, a train rattles precariously as it snakes along the windswept coastline. Next stop… Collinsport.

Stuart Manning
August 2006

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