From Dark Waters and Woods

Amanda Leanne draws upon her upbringing in the Florida swamps to craft a collection of tales that blur the line between memory and nightmare. Each section starts with a factual account from her life or the lives of those close to her, grounding the reader in reality before shifting into fiction. The narrative then moves into a world populated by beasts, monsters, ghosts, and other nightmares hidden within the Spanish Moss and palmettos of her imagination. This structure allows Leanne to transform personal nostalgia into supernatural horror. The book is organized to guide the reader through these transitions, using the author's lived experiences as the springboard for speculative fiction. Leanne qualifies herself through her direct connection to the swamp environment, which taught her lessons through experience. The work suits readers who enjoy regional gothic fiction and stories rooted in specific landscapes. It may not appeal to those seeking purely fictional narratives without autobiographical elements or those uncomfortable with horror themes derived from real-life anecdotes. Leanne’s approach relies on the atmosphere of the Florida wetlands rather than traditional folklore alone. The text uses her personal history as a source, weaving it into tales of the supernatural. Readers will find a unique blend of memoir and horror, where the setting itself becomes a character. The stories emerge from the specific geography of her childhood, offering a distinct perspective on the genre.