The Castle in the Girl — New YA Novella

The Castle in the Girl Is Now Available

I'm excited to announce the release of my newest book, The Castle in the Girl, a YA science-fiction/fantasy novella: https://tinyurl.com/3pca44z2

This is a story that begins in what seems like a fairly traditional fantasy world.

Sixteen-year-old Michelle lives with her family in a magnificent castle in the peaceful kingdom of Allendia. She spends her days practicing sword fighting with her older brother Caleb, riding her beloved horse Snow, reading, attending elaborate royal balls, and spending time with her closest friends.

By all appearances, Michelle has an extraordinarily happy life.

But then she begins having nightmares.

They're not the usual nightmares, either.

Michelle keeps dreaming about enormous buildings made of glass and steel—towering structures that stretch impossibly high into the sky. She knows them as skyscrapers, even though no such buildings exist anywhere in her kingdom. In fact, as far as she knows, they've never existed anywhere in her world.

Her family dismisses the dreams as nonsense.

Michelle isn't so sure.

As the nightmares become increasingly vivid, small details of her supposedly perfect life begin to seem strange. Her family and friends repeatedly tell her how happy she is. She finds herself becoming less emotional about the people she supposedly loves most. And the closer she gets to understanding her dreams, the more unsettling the truth becomes.

Eventually, Michelle's nightmares take her somewhere very different from the castle she's always known.

And she discovers that the world she thought she understood is not the world she is actually living in.

I don't want to say too much more about the story because one of the things I enjoyed about The Castle in the Girl is the gradual discovery of what's really happening. What initially appears to be a fantasy story eventually becomes something quite different.

At its heart, though, the book is about Michelle and the people she loves.

It's about what happens when someone loses virtually everything—and about the strange ways the mind can try to protect itself from unbearable pain.

It's also a book about moving forward.

The Castle in the Girl is approximately 30,000 words and is being released exclusively as an ebook.

The ebook is available now for $2.99: https://tinyurl.com/3pca44z2

If you decide to read it, I'd love to hear what you think. And if you enjoy the book, leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads is enormously helpful to an independent author.

Thank you for supporting my writing!

Chris von Halle

I Came Home But My Apartment Was Gone — New Found-Footage Horror Short

Just in time for Halloween, my latest short film is now available on YouTube:

I Came Home But My Apartment Was Gone (https://youtu.be/JU2PTCOJQcc)

The basic premise is simple: a man comes home expecting to find his apartment, only to discover that it has somehow disappeared.

In its place is a cabin.

And that's only the beginning.

I wanted to make something that started with a fairly straightforward mystery and gradually became stranger and more unsettling. Like some of my other found-footage work, the story is largely told through the camera of the person experiencing it rather than through traditional cinematic coverage.

This one also allowed me to lean a little further into the weird side of horror. There are some intentionally absurd elements mixed in with the mystery, while the main character's situation becomes increasingly disturbing as time passes.

And yes, there is a reason for that extremely strange-looking person on the television.

I'm not going to explain what it is here. You'll have to watch the film.

Watch I Came Home But My Apartment Was Gone on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/JU2PTCOJQcc

#FoundFootage #HorrorShortFilm #IndieHorror #ShortFilm

The Jungle Vendetta Is Out Today!

I'm very excited to announce the release of my new novel, The Jungle Vendetta. (Amazon link: https://tinyurl.com/2t7fj36b)

This one has a somewhat unusual history.

About thirteen years ago, while studying Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University, I wrote The Jungle Vendetta as my MFA thesis.

And then...it sat there.

For years.

I've published quite a few books since then, made films, produced short-form projects, and generally kept creating. But The Jungle Vendetta was always one of those books I remembered having written.

Now I'm finally giving it a life beyond the hard drive.

So what is it about?

Twelve-year-old Kreith Briggs is about to enter the most dangerous jungle in the universe.

When Kreith travels to the distant planet Metcor with his uncle, a retired Intergalactic Marine, he expects an exciting adventure.

He gets considerably more than he bargained for.

The Azkraal Jungle is filled with bizarre and deadly creatures, and Kreith quickly discovers that surviving there requires considerably more than courage. Along with his uncle and a young hunter named Azanda, he begins uncovering clues that suggest something much bigger—and much darker—is happening in the jungle.

What starts as a survival adventure eventually becomes a mystery involving secrets from the planet's past.

At its heart, though, The Jungle Vendetta is a story about fear, courage, friendship, family, and discovering that you may be capable of more than you think.

Why publish it now?

Partly because I still like the story.

But there's another reason.

Writing The Jungle Vendetta was an important part of my development as a writer. It was my MFA thesis, and it represents a particular point in my journey as an author.

I'm obviously not exactly the same writer I was thirteen years ago.

But rather than leave the book buried forever, I decided it was time to let readers decide what they think of it.

So, after all these years...

The Jungle Vendetta is finally available.

📚 The Jungle Vendetta by Chris von Halle
💰 Ebook: $4.99

👉 Get your copy on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/2t7fj36b

If you're a fan of middle-grade science fiction, alien worlds, dangerous creatures, mysteries, and old-fashioned adventure, I hope you'll give it a chance.

And if you do read it, I'd genuinely love to hear what you think.

Thanks for reading—and welcome to the Azkraal Jungle. 🌿

Valeria: The Resurgence Is Now Available

I'm excited to announce the release of Valeria: The Resurgence, the second book in my Valeria science fiction series! (Amazon link: https://tinyurl.com/43kybvyh)

This is another one of those books that has been sitting on my hard drive for years.

Lately, I've been making an effort to finally release some of those older projects rather than letting them remain permanently hidden away on my computer. The Resurgence is the latest to make its escape.

About the book

Myrdra Grizwold thought she had already faced some of the greatest threats in the Valerian Empire.

She was wrong.

When a disturbing discovery leads Myrdra back to Nebtrod, she finds herself caught up in a dangerous movement among the Giblins. As she investigates, strange connections begin emerging between the events unfolding in the present and the ancient history of the Valerian Empire.

And something that was supposed to be gone forever may not be quite as gone as everyone believed.

The Resurgence continues Myrdra's story while expanding the world of Valeria and exploring the complicated relationship between Valerians and Giblins.

It's approximately 25,000 words and is being released as an ebook-only title.

Start the series

The Resurgence is Book 2 of the Valeria series, so if you haven't read the first installment, The Vault of Secrets, I'd recommend starting there.

Get Valeria: The Resurgence here (available for $2.99): https://tinyurl.com/43kybvyh

Introducing Valeria: The Vault of Secrets

 I have another book out in the world!

Valeria: The Vault of Secrets is now available as an ebook for $2.99, and this one is another trip into my back catalog. You can find it here: https://tinyurl.com/bdcnxf42

I actually wrote Valeria about seven years ago.

And then... I left it sitting on my hard drive. 😂

Apparently, I'm doing a little spring cleaning. Except it's August, and my “old files” are measured in years.

I recently released another book that had been sitting around for 13–15 years, so this is becoming something of a trend. Maybe I should keep digging through those old hard drives and see what else I find.

A Middle-Grade Science-Fantasy Adventure

The story follows thirteen-year-old Myrdra Grizwold, a history buff living on one of the moons of the vast Valerian Empire.

When a ruthless political candidate begins making his bid for power, Myrdra discovers a disturbing secret from his past. Her attempt to expose him soon leads her into a much larger mystery involving the ancient history of the empire—and questions that have remained unanswered for centuries.

A thousand years earlier, the infamous ruler Zaroth Kurwahl attempted to destroy the Valerian Empire with an army of gigantic machines. Although his attack was eventually stopped, the mystery surrounding what caused him to turn against the empire has never truly been solved.

Now Myrdra is about to discover that some secrets are better left buried.

Valeria: The Vault of Secrets combines science fiction, fantasy, mystery, adventure, political intrigue, and a young heroine determined to uncover the truth.

Why Release It Now?

Honestly, part of the reason is simply that I got tired of having books sitting around that nobody could read.

I've written quite a few stories over the years, and not every manuscript immediately becomes a major project. Sometimes a book gets finished, gets put away, and then life moves on.

That's basically what happened with Valeria.

Seven years later, I decided it deserved a chance to actually exist outside my hard drive.

So here it is.

If you're a fan of middle-grade science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, or adventure stories—or if you know a young reader who is—I'd love for you to check it out.

VALERIA: THE VAULT OF SECRETS

Available now as an ebook for $2.99.

One more old manuscript has officially escaped the hard drive. 😂

Amazon link: https://tinyurl.com/bdcnxf42

#Valeria #TheVaultOfSecrets #MiddleGrade #ScienceFantasy #NewBook #IndieAuthor

 

The Wasteland Child Is Finally Out in the World

After roughly 13–15 years, I’ve finally released The Wasteland Child, a science-fiction/fantasy adventure novel I originally began working on while earning my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction.

It’s a little strange—and honestly pretty satisfying—to finally see this book available to readers after all this time.

A Story That Took a Long Time to Get Here

The Wasteland Child takes place in the lush jungles of Amnar, where every child possesses the ability to control beasts with their minds.

Every child except Dwyth.

Branded “The Ungifted One,” Dwyth is treated as a disappointment by his village and expects to spend his life doing small, meaningless work.

Then he discovers that the parents who raised him aren't his real parents.

Even more shocking, he learns that he originally came from the deadly Wasteland beyond the jungle.

Determined to uncover the truth about his past, Dwyth runs away from the only home he's ever known and enters a world controlled by the Metrodites—humans of steel and circuitry who have long been enemies of his people.

There, he meets Zarana, a mysterious girl hiding a secret of her own.

Dwyth was born without psychic power.

Zarana was born with it—but is forbidden to use it.

Their meeting forces both of them to question what they've been taught about power, humanity, and the supposedly unbreakable divide between their two worlds.

Why Release It Now?

This book has been sitting around for a long time.

I first worked on The Wasteland Child while I was getting my MFA, roughly 13–15 years ago. Like a lot of creative projects, it went through various stages of development, got put aside, and eventually became one of those books that I wasn't quite sure I'd ever actually release.

But I've continued writing and making things over the years, and eventually I figured: why not?

It's a story I spent a lot of time on, and I'd rather finally put it out into the world than have it sit on a hard drive forever.

So that's what I'm doing.

It's not accompanied by a huge marketing campaign or a fancy publishing rollout. It's simply an ebook, available for $4.99, and after all these years, The Wasteland Child is finally out there.

If you've read any of my other books, I'd love for you to give this one a shot—and if you're discovering my work for the first time, welcome.

The Wasteland Child is available now.

https://tinyurl.com/2jej3syc

NEW RELEASE: “Don’t Open After Sunset” (Short Horror Film)

I’m excited to share my latest short horror film, Don’t Open After Sunset, now officially available to watch on my YouTube channel.

This is a found-footage horror short set in a remote cabin where a simple weekend of solitude quickly turns into something far more unsettling. The story follows a man who arrives expecting a quiet digital detox, only to discover a warning left behind: Don’t Open After Sunset. What follows is a slow escalation of strange sounds, unexplained disturbances, and something that refuses to stay outside.

This project is very much a DIY, solo-made film—written, filmed, and edited by me—and continues my exploration of minimalist horror storytelling. I’ve always been drawn to tension built through atmosphere, sound design, and restraint rather than constant jump scares, and this film is an extension of that approach.

Found-footage is a format I keep returning to because of how intimate it feels. It places the viewer directly inside the experience, blurring the line between fiction and something that feels discovered rather than created.

If you enjoy slow-burn horror, eerie sound design, and unsettling endings that linger after the screen goes dark, I hope you’ll check it out.

You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/QWf2BCo3kF8

Thanks for watching and for all the support—it genuinely means a lot as I continue building these independent projects.

— Chris