Beacon on Dark Shores:

by Anthony A. Labriola

Upon the death of a family patriarch, dark secrets come to light at a desolate lighthouse at the end of the world. The last living members of the Mason family must decide whether blood is thicker than water or drown under the weight of the ghosts of a generational curse.

"Beacon on Dark Shores" is an exploration of generational wealth and generational trauma. It is as atmospherically gothic as it is thematically gothic, taking place at a once grand, now desolate lighthouse estate at the end of the world, Montauk, New York. The story follows Robert Mason, his wife Emma, and their young son James as they are called back to the estate for the funeral of the last patriarch of the Mason family. The estate is filled with soured memories and ghosts of those whose lives were the price paid for the Mason family's fortune. When a storm traps the family in the old manor house, tensions rise and the family is forced to confront their past, fractured relationships, and the curse that plagues their bloodline head on. A secret affair between Emma and Robert's childhood best friend, the current caretaker of the estate, leads to questions about the purity of the bloodline and the future of the curse. The spirits of the house lead Emma, James, and Robert into the endless dark of the manor's twisting corridors in an attempt to put an end to the Mason bloodline for good.

Accolades:
#9 in Coverfly's top 10 Red List Projects
Short List - Page Turner Awards
Nominee Best Manuscript - Horrorigins