A CHARMINSTER author has released his first book which is full of short stories which revolve around ghosts and folklore.

Paul Draper released BLACK GATE TALES - a book consisting of 14 short stories - on Wednesday, December 23, just in time for Christmas.

Since that release date, Paul has encountered a positive response to his work.

He said: "I’ve always written but I haven’t had books out under my own steam before. The book went on sale just before Christmas and it’s selling quite well. BLACK GATE TALES has shifted over 100 copies on various platforms so far, people have really taken it and seem to like spooky stories this time of year.

"In the past five years I have written a lot, especially short stories. I picked 14 of my short stories for this book.

"The cover design for my book was completed over a year ago by Phillip Kingsbury so it’s always been on the backburner. This year I thought it would be nice to get it finished."

Paul has lived in Bournemouth since 1992 and draws on his surroundings for inspiration.

He said: "A lot of my stories are influenced by the local area as I go on walks around Dorset and Hampshire. It’s beautiful here, so there’s lots of inspiration around if you just stop and look.

"Plenty of writers are writing about the pandemic but my stories are more traditional.

"For me, I tend to be triggered by the little things. I enjoy things from the Bronze Age, stone circles and places like Cerne Abbas."

Although the majority of Paul's short stories vary in length, the 14 in BLACK GATE TALES are 2,500 words maximum, making the entire book itself about the length of a novella.

Now, Paul is looking ahead to the future and has plans in the pipeline for writing his first novel as well as producing a film which will be shot in Bournemouth.

BLACK GATE TALES can be purchased from Waterstones and Amazon.