Nightmare Sky: Stories of Astronomical Horror edited by Red Lagoe; Death Knell Press

 A fantastic anthology of short stories and poems on the horrors of the night sky. 28 authors have shared common, and not so common, fears of what is in outer space that we are frightened of. Apocalypse, aliens, shadows, and the terrifying bleakness of the galaxy. Along with each story, Lagoe has added a black and white picture that resembles the story. 

*I’m breaking down all 28 stories and poems.This review will take a few minutes for you read!

The first story, Stargazer by Tiffany Michelle Brown, is a mesmerizing love story. An unrequited love between a man and woman, ends with an eye opening epiphany. This was the perfect story to start the anthology.

Infinite Focus by Dino Parenti is another elegant story about Artificial Intelligence becoming human. Fantastic writing and gripping.

The third story, Light Echoes by Pauline Barmby is about supernova light waves altering our reality. More sci-fi than horror, but still a truly wonderful story.

The Ravenous Empyrean by Zachary Rosenberg, a phenomenal story of the sky devouring Earth. The writing style is something I enjoyed immensely with this story. 

In the Absence Of by Ziggy Schutz, is a poem about space. A good use of strong words, such as, “hunger”, “mankind”, “fear”, “scars”, and “shivers”

The sixth story, By The Hand of Sorayya by Inara Enko is a story about a young girl learning to stand up for herself. There is so much more to this story, I loved every moment getting lost in this one.

Moth to a Flame by Jeremy Megargee feels like a romanticized version of finding comfort in another person. A bleak and dark story of love and devotion. Perfection.

Next, Float by Vann Orcka, a kid reflects on life and the universe, one cannot live without the other. A quick and solid story.

Her Sisters, The Stars by Patrick Barb. This is another favorite story that I will think of often for the rest of my life. The stars, they are more than just bright lights in the sky. They have purpose.

The tenth story, Horoscope of a Toxic Union by Justin Moritz is a poem about domestic abuse. This poem is definitely meaningful, but didn’t quite pull my heartstrings as much as I wanted it to. 

The One Who Rides the Comet by Matthew Condello. This story is everything. Supernatural, evil, horror, love, family, pain, sacrifice. Five glorious stars for this story.

Next, Astronomical Choices by M. Richard Eley is a fabulous devil story. The first sentence got my anxiety up real quick! It didn’t let up until the end.

Into the Great Wide Open by Madison McSweeney is a story of a family struggling with loss. The ending is quite poetic. Loved it!

There is so much I want to say about Ya-Ya Makes the Baby Mobiles Spin by Bernard McGhee, but I need to keep this one completely in the dark for you. Parents, be warned. 

The Center of Everything by Elizabeth Davis is a delight to see and read. Very cool layout for the one page story!

In The Rite of the Milk of the Stars by Lindsey Ragsdale is a story set in outer space as two women protect humanity's future. Easy to read, I devoured this story, it is so good.

The seventeenth story, The Dear Darling Things by Jacob Steven Mohr is a truly awesome twist on the story of the first people to land on the moon. This had my imagination going crazy after I finished it.

Earth 10 by Tony Logan is the repeated mistakes humans make. Bleak and sad story that is also an eye opener for everyone. 

Necronaut Retrieval Failure by Kim Z. Dale is such a cool story!!! Another one about the stars being more that a big ball of light and gas. Freaking awesome story!

On to the twentieth story, A Promise, A Surprise by AI Jiang. A poem about energy. If you haven’t read anything by Jiang, here is a chance to find another author you might like. 

Stellanova by C. R. Beideman is a quick story of a man trying desperately to reach the stars. Even though it was a quick story, I enjoyed every part of it.

The story The Child of Misery by Salvador Ayala is a haunting story! So different and very original from the typical haunted stories. Loved it!

Please Don’t Be a Serial Killer by Kata Ota has one of the best story endings in this entire anthology. I really did not expect the story to end like this, but it is definitely perfect.

Star of San Luis by Holly Rae Garcia is about following a guiding star to a place that would hopefully be splendid and divine. I enjoyed this one, but the characters were hard to connect with.

 Gazing by Avira Marariti is a quick poem of death. Another fabulous use of words and emotion.

In the Moment by Grace R. Reynolds is an excellent story of the supernatural. Such an unexpected outcome. The writing is fantastic.

Don’t Look Up by Emerson Seipel is by far, one of my favorite stories in this anthology. It is about humanity unable to look up at the night sky forevermore. I would like this in novel form, please.

The last story, Nox Invictus by Rose Stickman has got to be the best, last story of this anthology. Darkness devours all and leaves humanity in turmoil. A truly brilliant and eerie story that lingers well after reading.

After reading these stories, I can understand why this anthology is on the 2022 Stoker Awards Preliminary Ballot for “Superior Achievement in an Anthology”. Red Lagoe has truly found some phenomenal authors who know how to pull you in with such few words of darkness and nightmares. 

A to Z of Horror by Kevin J. Kennedy, KJK Publishing

 

Kevin J. Kennedy gives us 26 short stories of cryptids, sex, drugs, and gore. All equally just as entertaining as the next. At the time of this review, the letters Q and Y are not in the book just yet, they will be a pleasant surprise when this is released soon.

*Another long review, as I break down the 24 stories I had the privilege to read and review. 

A is for After the Apocalypse. An awesome story of a man reflecting on his life during an apocalypse. A very well written story, I loved this one.

B is for By the Seaside. A family on vacation turns into a nightmare. This one has an awesome little twist.

C is for Crabs Vs. the A.Y.T. Freaking hilarious story of a group of kids trying a crab invasion. Lots of laughs in this one!

D is for Drabble. A drabble is a 100 word story, Kennedy shares 10 drabbles. Every single one of them is entertaining. 

E is for Elena. Elena is on a little trip with her boyfriend, lots of sex and drugs and having a fabulous time! I liked where this ended up going.

F is for Family. Family isn’t always by blood. We have our best friends that are our family, those that really relate to us and understand us. A dark and twisted story.

G is for Gills. Such an odd story, but I liked it a lot! It’s about gills, no more will be said on this one. 

H is for the Hooch and Honey. If I say anything about this story it will give away a lot of its magic. I will say this is an awesome but odd story. I really did like all the twists it takes. Definitely one of my favorites.

I is for It’s No Fairy Tale Out There. Oh gosh..is this Kennedy’s retelling of a fairy tale?? It seems so! Hilarious, dark, and evil. Perfection!

J is Jawbreaker. You are what you eat!! Hehehe. A fun and “sweet” story. 

K. is for Killer Big Ass, F***in’ Spiders. Yes, it is about big ass spiders. And yes, I did get the chills and freaked out.

L is for Last of the Selkies. There is so much more to this story than the last of the remaining selkies. It’s kinda sad in a way, but I did like this one quite a bit. One of my top stories in this anthology.

M is for My Cuddly Monster. Looks can be so deceiving and rewarding at the same time. Awesome story, totally unexpected where it went.

N is for Nightmare Farm. Another hilarious story, I literally laughed out loud due to the absurdness of this one! A guy living on a farm, and it’s a nightmare!

O is for Outback Raccoon. How do I explain this one….a man is tired of his wife and does something about her constantly doing things wrong. Weird short story, but I did like this one in the end. I wasn’t sure at first.

P is for Poems. Kennedy wrote some poetry for us! Lots of fun here.

R is for Rage. A nasty story of a man that finally finds a way to handle his internal rage. Loved it!

S is for Satan’s Apocalypse. Here is another apocalypse story but so much different than the first one. I love apocalypse stories, and this one delivers. 

T is for Time Left. A story of what would happen is we are all on borrowed time. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 Years? Check this story out to find out!

U is for Up-and-Comer. This one is about a kid growing up to be angry and mean. I kind of time lapse sort of story about his childhood moving into young adulthood. Lots of good gore and horror.

V is Vampire Fae Scotland. A short story on the drawbacks and perks of being a vampire. Groovy story, I liked it.

W is for Where Am I? A kid gets lost and tries to find his way back to his parents. Very cool story.

X is for Xana. This is a kind of supernatural cryptid type story. So fantastic, I loved this one! Definitely another favorite.

Z is for Zoning Out. This is such an odd story about a person who zones out and wakes up elsewhere not knowing what happened when he zoned out. An awesome plot twist. This is a good ending story.

As you can see, the stories in this collection vary so much. Every story is unique and well written. There are a few that could be turned into a novella that would be very enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading the two other stories that will be with the final version of the anthology. 

Keep your eyes out for this one! It’ll be worth it!!

Accidental Death by Ruth Anna Evans

 As always, Ruth Anna Evans can make a short story feel epic! I have to say, Evans just keeps on getting better and better with her writing. This story is gut wrenching, horrifying, and, believe it or not, heroic. 

Jeremiah is new to fatherhood and is feeling guilty about spending some time away from home to hang out with his buddies. The night carries on and then he gets a frantic call from his wife. He rushes to be with her and his son but fate has something else in store for Jeremiah. 

I will always recommend Evans’ stories for everyone. They are short and sweet and give you a great hour of entertainment which us horror fans need. You definitely need to go check this and all the rest of her stories on Amazon. Many of them are Kindle Unlimited, too!

The Comfy-Cozy Nihilist: A Handbook of Dark Fiction by Nathan D. Ludwig

*Another long review as I break down all the stories in this one.

So Nathan sent me this book and I had no idea what to expect. He told me “It’s definitely out there!” He wasn’t kidding, some of these stories are so odd and completely unhinged. That is not a bad thing! I laughed at a few, jaw dropping on a few, and cringed quite a lot. I certainly think I had a blast reading all of them. 

To start with, Nathan lists some films he recommends. Looking at this list, yeah, this will be a fun little book.Just to name a few he has suggested: Kill List (2011), Rubber (2010), Weekend At Bernie’s (1989). 

First story, F*** Fangsviging, an entertaining and laugh out loud story about a set of twins who decide they need to do something about their vampire family. 

Next, Welcome to the Show.  This one is hard to explain, it is definitely a WTH story. How about this…what do you get when you mix a lover's vacation and a secret sex show? Yeah..you’ll never guess this one. 

The third story, For My Next Switch, I’ll Need a Volunteer, is a crazy weird clown story. You’ll like the twist on this common sub-genre.

Fourth story, Recompense, I think this is the darkest story of them all. A kidnapping story with an evil plot twist. 

Next, It Was Probably Just the Wind, is an eerie and fun story. A couple buys a house and gets more than they wanted.

The sixth story, In Here With Us, is about a confessional booth that is possessed! I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would.

Next, Me, The Jury, was so good! Gory and bloody, and to think if jury selection was like this, I would do everything I could to get out of it.

In The Fourth Wheel, is about the fourth guy hanging around a group of close friends and they have to be careful how they treat him.

The ninth story, Is That You?, is another wicked and evil story. You get to reflect on yourself in this story.

Next, Mick Winnerson’s Awfully Big Day, is a fun little game show story but being a winner isn’t always a good thing.

Number 11, I’d Hit That. What if you found the perfect companion and all you had to do was offer a bit of yourself in the process? Hehehe

The last short story, Outro,  Nathan offers his views on how complicated humans are.

Overall, a little book that packs a lot of dark and twisted stories. It’s for people that like an alternative twist on common sub-genres and need a lot of WTH moments in their lives. I highly recommend!!

The Eater of Gods by Dan Franklin, Cemetery Dance Publications

I don’t typically read horror archeological stories, but I gotta say, The Eater of Gods is fantastic. The first part of the book, where we meet the key players of the story, is set at a good pace. It is not overdone or underdone, it is just right. When it picks up speed about a third through, it doesn’t let up until the bitter end. It is definitely an intense story.


Norman Haas has promised his dying wife that he would continue her voyage in finding the tomb of the Egyptian Princess, Kiya. Through the University his wife worked with, Norman and three other researchers head to Libya when they think they figured out where Princess Kiya rests. When they arrive at the tomb, they are immediately drawn into hours of terror and delirious thoughts. Sights and sounds are playing tricks on their minds. They don’t know what to do when everything seems the same but it doesn’t feel right. In the end, none of it matters.


This book is classified as a supernatural thriller, but it does have some horror elements to it. There are some gory scenes as well as some shocking psychological scenes. Once the group was trapped in the tomb, I could not put this one down. This is a story filled with pain and suffering and physical tormenting. In the end, I am realizing I will never ever be interested in going on a tour of an old tomb, I can promise that.

The Karman Line by Dennis Hopeless, Mad Cave Studios

Absolutely stunning cover. The artwork throughout is quite impressive. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the cover is so unique I needed to see the inside of this graphic novel. I am so glad I was approved to receive a copy. I would love this sitting on my bookshelf next to my other graphic novels.
This is about a group of real astronauts, on a space station, living in a reality television show. The drama, the sex, the lies and deceit, for all of the world to watch. The ending has a plot twist that totally came out of nowhere. I was so surprised!

I am definitely keeping my eyes out for volume two. I want to know what happens next and what is in store for this group!!

Thank you #NetGalley and Mad Cave Studios for approving and sending me #TheKarmanLine by Dennis Hopeless

In the Scrape by James Newman and Mark Steensland, Cemetary Dance Publishers

  

 

This is the first story I have read written by James Newman and Mark Steensland. For the two authors writing together, it works well. The flow of the story and the character development is perfect. It is amazing to think two people wrote this because it seems to be one mind telling the story.


Two brothers are trying to survive living in an abusive home. Their mother took off leaving them behind with their father, who verbally and physically abused them. For these two brothers, they have every intention of leaving their fathers home and heading to California to be with their mother. As the brothers and their father go out to the family owned hunting grounds for a weekend of hunting, secrets are learned and families are torn apart. What results is a gut-wrenching and powerful saga of brothers just wanting to find happiness and be able to enjoy their childhood. The conclusion of this story is a happy and sad ending.



Newman and Steensland write a powerful story of family struggles and the anguishing brutality of an abusive home. This is a short novella, only 104 pages long. A recommended book for those that enjoy a coming of age story.




    Releases January 20, 2023

The Stone Man and Other Weird Tales by Micah Castle

 

Here is a collection of short stories that are a fun and quick read for the perfect day when all you want to do is settle down for a short story or two. I enjoyed all seven stories, from the macabre to mesmerizing, these short stories will satisfy the quick horror story you need.

The first story, The Stone Man is a bit science fiction and horror mixed. An elderly man stacks stones by the water. A young man wants to know all about this elderly man and goes to great lengths to get to know him and understand why he stacks the stones. Fantastic story, I truly enjoyed this one.

Second, Three Unseen Hours. This is a crazy story! Scared me pretty good with the dreadful scene of what happens every night for three hours in this little town. Micah really packed a lot in such a short story and it worked out great!

Next, Hugo the Clown, I dislike clowns. I don’t hate them, they are kinda freaky, but I can handle a short story with the main character being a clown. In this story, Hugo really likes kids, but doesn’t want to be a clown forever.

Death Toll, Micah has an amazing imagination. He took a common highway detail and put a major twist on it. This is a very short story, boy did this story deliver!

The fifth story, The Shadow on the Belfry is a creature feature. You gotta be super careful what you watch in the binoculars…just saying.

Next up, The Dark Butler. Fantastic story! A totally unexpected outcome! A man buys a house and gets way more than just a simple old house.

The last story, Once Haunted, a truly wicked haunted house story set during the Halloween season. And I mean a haunted house that you visit every Halloween to get some jump scares and walk through. It’ll teach you to be careful which haunted house you should tour each year.

All these stories were a delight to read. A great collection to have on the bookshelf. Micah Castle has a dreamy and mesmerizing type of writing style. I enjoy the dark side of his writing, but he makes it seem romantic, if that makes sense. His stories are definitely horror, but so soft yet demanding.

Dead Heat: An Anthology of Summertime Horror by Jason Myers and RJ Roles @Crimson Pinnacle Press

Let me preface this review by saying this is THE BEST collection of short stories for your next camping trip or your next bonfire party. 

Also, I would like to warn you that this is a long review because I want to highlight each story. 

A fantastic collection of twenty short stories about camping. From college camp counselors to cryptids, each one is a freaking delight.

First up, the Foreword, by the one and only, Richard Chizmar (writer of Chasing the Boogeyman). It is a great commentary on the benefits of indie publishers working hard to get us, the readers, some awesome stories. Indie publishers do this for the love of storytelling, and as readers, we should all be grateful and let them know we appreciate their hard work putting together these fantastic books, filled with indie authors we get to experience and put on our “must read more of them” list. 

The first story, Did You Hear The Icecream Man Last Night? By Michael Paige. This little dizzy of a story is about an ice cream truck that serves more than ice cream for the kiddos! I’m certainly going to be leery of those trucks this summer.

The second story, Shadow Hunt By Jason R. Krei. A father and son are out deer hunting and come across something evil and dark. Fantastic writing and lots of gore.

Next is The Dead Hand Gang By Mark Towse. Some kids are on a camping trip and enjoying some time hanging out. On their last night together, they get a nice little visitor. This one is quite entertaining. 

Red Moon Over Red River Station By M. Ennenbach. If you have not read Ennenbach, do yourself a favor and fix that, right now. This is a good, creepy camping story gone wrong. Amazing writing.

The fifth story, Silent Scream By Andrew Lennon is a fantastic creature feature. Very eerie and absorbing!

Next is The Revenge of Katrina Bloodspell By Douglas Ford. As the title says, this is a good revenge story. The ending was unexpected!!

Jason Myers brings us Wentworth Pond. This is a wonderfully wicked and twisted story of an evil mind going to a party. 

Lizard Kingdom By Chris Kosarich. An odd but great story about lizards. I don’t want to say too much of what the story is about, but it is definitely one I will remember.

The ninth story is Leaving the Beaver By Thomas R. Clark. I did laugh at the title of this one, and I did laugh A LOT reading it!

No Signal By Warren Benedetto is a good serial killer story but not your typical “at the campsite” type of setting. 

This next one, Trouble At Shining Lake By D. A. Latham is freaking awesome. Latham’s two main characters are named after Jason Myers and RJ Roles, the two that put this collection together. A MUST READ! 

Cherish The Time You Had By Micah Castle is  an impressive story of a man mourning the death of his wife. I’ve read another story by Castle, and he has yet to disappoint me. 

The thirteenth story, I Didn’t Hate This Goodbye By Jae Mazer. This is about an evil creature that helps people. It's a terrific twist, I absolutely enjoyed this one a lot.

Memories of Summer’s End By James Seamore  has one of the best plot twists I have read in a very long time. So worth the time to read this one!

Now this next story is a story that you MUST READ ALOUD at the bonfire party!! Country Fried Cryptid Killers: The Adventures of Buck and Gunner By M. Betterelli. Holy shit this was a hilarious story. I laughed so much, I had to put the book down to calm myself because my belly laughs kept me from reading because the book shook too much. Seriously, read it for storytime. 

Unresting Place By Stephanie Scissom is about some kids that want to find answers to a missing teenager killed years ago. Impressive writing and story, I enjoyed this one.

Paper Creek By Ruthann Jagge is another story of revenge. Jagge is a great story teller. I’m going to read some more of their stories. I think a longer story by Jagge could be quite entertaining. 

Next is The Trapper Keeper By London Blue. First, that title is everything! A nice creature feature with an awesome twist!

RJ Roles brings us The Treehouse. Three teenagers are hanging out in a treehouse for a few days when they get some unwelcome visitors. Outstanding story!!

The last story, Incident at Camp Knotty Pines By Megan Stockton  is an absolute blast of a story. This is a perfect final story for the book. I need to read some more Stockton stories.

This is the second Crimson Pinnacle Press Anthology I have read and I am so impressed with the authors of these books. I have not read a single story from these two books I did not enjoy. I highly recommend these Anthologies! 

Inside The Devil's Nest by John Durgin

Releases January 17 2023

 John Durgin has outdone himself! This book is a vicious and twisted story of a man who will do anything to save his marriage and children. 

If you read his first novel, The Cursed Among Us, you know that John Durgin is a genius at setting up the scene. His attention to the details add a certain depth that draws you into his stories right away. He likes to jump right into the story, holding nothing back. This book is like watching a movie play through your mind. The character build up is fantastic. The inner dialogue of each character and their interactions with other people or their surroundings flows smoothly. The action in this book is savage and gory. And it just keeps on giving. The ending will blow you away!

Anthony is a real estate agent that witnesses a crime that puts himself and his family in danger. Fortunately, when they needed to flee their home, he has an old campground he purchased years ago. With his wife, Holly, and two kids; 16 year old Allie and 8 year old Spencer, they rush to the campground to hide in hopes of never being found. When they arrive, the caretaker, Cole, and his son Teagan, help them feel safe and help them settle in. As soon as they arrive, some of them begin to have visions. There is an evil being lurking nearby, waiting for the right moment to attack both families. 

I zoomed through this story. I was on edge for most of the time, anxiously wanting to find out what happens to everyone. There are so many different feelings while reading this story. I was angry, scared, and sad. I highly recommend reading this one. It is for everyone who loves a good horror story. You can’t go wrong picking this one up. I can see you putting this one on your favorites list at the end of the year. You have got to put John Durgin on your list of go-to authors, he is that good.

They Are All Monsters by J. Boote

 J. Boote can write a horrifying and evil story. While there are plenty of barbaric killings in this book, there is a story to it all. A psychological tale of how people can be monsters, this book focuses on childhood trauma and how the victims become the prey. 

This is a brutal story of two serial killers who have different reasons for killing and begin working against each other. As the story progresses, the killing style progresses. The police are doing everything they can to stop the two killers, but neither one leaves clues to find them and end the savage killings. 

I would seriously check trigger warnings with this book. While it was difficult to read at times, it did have a sad story underneath the cold-blooded killing.