Love Potion #666 by Nathan D. Ludwig

Y’all this story has everything you need in a story. So much humor, blood, guts, and hanky panky. Such entertaining writing and the characters are so rotten you can’t help but love them all. The action starts right at the beginning and it is just a fantastic shit show all the way through.

Teena and her daughter Leanna hate each other with such passion, they will go to great lengths to ruin each other’s lives. This story is a hilarious, action packed journey of the two women on two separate journeys that end up with the two of them head to head in a battle of blood, gore, and explosions.

Ludwig has written a story that deserves to be made into a movie. It would be one of those classics that we horror aficionados will covet and watch over and over again. Someone out there has a connection to HBO to make this happen. If Netflix did this, it would be too tame. This story has a ton of gore, hanky panky, and drugs. And it has to be done right! The entire time I was reading this, I was watching a movie in my head.

The cover just doesn’t do the book justice, in my opinion. So, we all need to get a hold of this book, read it, and tell someone that knows someone to tell someone to make this movie!!!

Mad Tales of a Schizophrenic by Robert Francis, Elite Lizxard Publishing.

Robert Francis shares some short stories of his experiences with schizophrenia as a young man. Using humor and layperson’s terms to help the reader understand the jargon used in diagnosing schizophrenia, Francis helps us to comprehend and accept this mental disorder.

Through my education in college, I took many psychology courses and schizophrenia was touched on frequently, but not completely. I understood, through textbooks and medical articles about what schizophrenia entails. Francis comfortably puts a unique learning experience by giving the reader actual episodes in which he experiences the auditory hallucinations and delusions.

Fast forward to an older Francis and he reflects on these events and identifies the episodes. This is a learning process for him, as well as informative to the reader. There are perspectives in each chapter that are an eye-opener to those that do not experience schizophrenia.

Francis explains the reason for this book is; “I wrote it because I passionately and absolutely believe in recovery from schizophrenia.”

I think that the best method of learning and understanding any mental disorder is to consider listening or reading about experiences that a person goes through. A textbook or medical articles and journals are not going to show the complete inner thoughts or ideations that a person experiences. Having these types of books is crucial in the mental health field and for friends and family that have someone they know with schizophrenia.

Robert Francis does a fabulous job bringing the reader closer to him and his past experiences. A well-written book with a profound impact on those searching for actual situations with a person who has schizophrenia. This would be a great addition to college courses to accompany the textbooks required. This book will help push the reader to understand a deeper and more valuable lesson in relation to schizophrenia.

Thank you, Robert Francis, for this wonderful book and sharing your journey with us.

The Horror Collection #14: Lost Edition, edited by Kevin J. Kennedy and Ann Keeran

                                                          

Another fantastic collection of short stories from some exceptional authors. KJK Publishing is one of the best publishers for anthologies. Here is a breakdown of the 18 stories of the Lost Edition.

A Perfect Match by Russell James - Emile Broderick is passing through town and looking to relax and find the comforts of a woman. He ends up whisking her away for a better future. A completely unexpected ending that no one can guess. This story completely surprised me.

Eric’s Tune by Mark Towse - A prank has gone horribly wrong at an old abandoned prison. If you have ever visited or plan on visiting an abandoned prison, this is a must read!

13 Hook Street by Tim Curran - If you listen, you can hear a house share its feelings with you. All the dark and horrible secrets it has to share with you. A moody story, fantastic author.

Encounter by Daemon Manx - John is released from prison and picked up by his former bunkmate from prison, when he realizes something is amiss. You think you know someone and then suddenly, their true colors show.

The Maiden of Underbank by Lex H. Jones - A man with a broken heart calls on a mystical being to help him seek revenge. Impressive story. I enjoyed this one.

Excoriation by J.A. Sullivan - A woman is visiting her ex-mother-in-law at her request and shares the terrible memories of their time together. A good family story.

He by Konn Lavery - A food delivery man delivers to a home and receives a huge tip, ending up walking away with the biggest tip of his life. Has a bit of a fantasy vibe to it, loved this story.

Glass Weavers by C. M. Forest - Jonah is an engineer on a spacecraft, alone, when he finds he needs to fix a coolant control panel. This opens up to another mystery aboard the ship. Excellent author, a kind of science fiction/horror genre.

All The Teeming Life With Wings by J.R. McConvey - A doctor struggles with alcoholism while on a family vacation. Another good family story with a dark ending. I imagine this story is based on what the effects of alcoholism has on a family.

From A Colder Place by Judith Sonnet - A family is on their way home after a nice holiday break with the family when they run into some trouble during a blizzard. Twisted and evil story by an amazing author.

Flaming Eros by Mark Allen Gunnells - A young man is hired by a well-known writer/artist to help him with evening duties. Never trust an author when they ask for help in their homes!! Great story, I liked this one a lot.

Transcendence by Edward Lee and John Pelan - Using sex and drugs, Grey is working towards transcendence. A weird story, written magically, as if I were high on some drugs. Outstanding writing.

Shameless Sam Changes His Life by Steve Stred - Sam decides he wants a do over for his life and makes it happen, with consequences. Really neat story. I am remiss to admit this is my first Stred story, but I will remedy that. Amazing writing that kept me pulled in.

The Association by Richard Chizmar - Harold and his wife move into a new home, when they start to have issues with the homeowners’ association. I never did like the idea of a homeowners’ association and now I dislike it even more. You can never go wrong with a good Chizmar story.

Heartless by Calvin Demmer - James just wants to know if his wife is as heartless as she seems. Quite literally, a fabulous story. Demmer has a wicked imagination.

Frequencies by Candace Nola - Francis is very sensitive to sounds. He is working on a project that reflects his love of sounds. Great use of descriptors in this story. I enjoyed the writing style.

Voices From The Abyss by Brian G. Berry - Carter has been seeing and hearing things outside an underwater facility. Deep ocean stories are always a hit for me. I loved this one.

Bad Ink by Mattew V. Brockmeyer - In remembrance of his daughter, a father decides to get a tattoo, which leads to more tattoos. A sad and scary story all in one. I’d like to read more by Brockmeyer. He seems like an awesome story teller.

Overall, the stories in this collection are outstanding. The collection shows the vast talent across the horror genre and the amazing strength of these authors with their writing skills. Every author in this collection deserves praise for their gift of storytelling.

Fairy Tale Horrorshow, edited by RJ Roles and Jason Myers

Fairy Tale Horrorshow, edited by RJ Roles and Jason Myers, Crimson Pinnacle Press.

Once again, the dynamic duo of Roles and Myers has found ten fabulous fairy tales with a twisted and evil rendition to satiate that wickedness you need to feed.

Piper (The Pied Piper of Hamelin) by M. Ennenbach. Piper is an outcast in his hometown, but he helps rid the town of rats, anyway. He just wants some respect and if they won’t give it to him freely, he will take it by force. An entertaining and dark tale of a young boy just wanting some love.

Midnight At The Glass Slipper (Cinderella) by Ruthann Jagge. Elly owns and runs the Glass Slipper, a bar she took over when her father died. Life has been tough for Elly, especially when her step-mother and step-sisters keep intruding. Karma is a bitch, though. This is a quick story with a wicked punch.

Always Time For Tea (Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland) by Natasha Sinclair. When the Red Queen becomes close friends with Alice, she is introduced to a new kind of club. This is an erotic story with lots of sex in spades.

She Saw Red Once Upon A Crime, Part 1 (Red Riding Hood) by Jason Myers. Detective Wolf is investigating a fire at a bakery and links a young woman to the crime. A sweet delight of revenge.

Swine of Another Kind, Once Upon a Crime, Part 2 (Red Riding Hood) by RJ Roles. A retiring cop stumbles upon a corrupt group of officers and decides to tackle the issue before his retirement. Even though he’s supposed to be retired, I do believe Detective Wolf is just getting started.

Pinocchio The Wood Hoe (Pinocchio) by Matthew A. Clarke. So, Pinocchio is a hoe!! No, not the garden variety. He wants to be a hero, though. He sticks his nose in people’s business, a lot. This is such an entertaining and hilarious story.

The Vengeful Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid) by Tara Losacano. Ariella’s sister and other members of her underwater village are disappearing. She goes on a manhunt (or is it fishing, in her case?) to find out what’s going on. A vengeful little mermaid, indeed!

What Goes Into the Forest Never Comes Out (Goldilocks and the Three Bears) by Lance Dale. Jennifer is sent into the bleak forest to find her lost sister. What she finds is way more than she bargained for. What an amazing story and the plot is so unique. This version of Goldilocks is much more entertaining.

Tonight, Tonight (Rumpelstiltskin) by Denise Hargrove. Rumpelstiltskin kidnaps a woman’s daughter and the mother can get her back if she can find them and learn his real name. All the while, Rumplestiltskin has a horrible trick up his sleeve that leaves everyone involved, disappointed or enthused; it just depends on whose side you are on.

It’s No Fairy Tale Out There (Fairy Tale Mash Up) by Kevin J. Kennedy. This is a story that has lots of the popular characters in fairy tales. Such as Pinocchio, the three little pigs and Humpty Dumpty. The three little pigs rule the forest and all the money in the forest can’t save anyone. And drugs… everyone likes drugs in this fairy tale.

If you have not checked out any of Crimson Pinnacle Press anthologies, I suggest you fix that real quick. Roles and Myers love finding authors to give them the spotlight in these books. There are a lot of talented writers in our community and you need to go find them. And when you find them, give each and every one of them a shout out. They deserve a huge high five and a hug… if you are the touchy feely type.

The Trunk by Mia Dalia

 

This was a crazy story! It starts out smooth as molasses and then gets all twisted and dark. It’s one of those stories that escalates quickly going all outta left field.

Bogdan and his wife buy their first home together and it comes with a basement… with a trunk in the basement. Nothing else is down in the basement but this weird trunk. He doesn’t think too much of it at first. Until he finally decides to open the trunk.

Mia Dalia writes fantastic stories. She has quite an imagination to give her stories lots of twists and turns. She told me once that she enjoys psychology and I think she writes with that in mind. Her writing style invokes humanity’s inner demons and pushes the mind to harrowing events. If you are in the mood for a quick horror story with a psychological twist, you need to read The Trunk and Smile So Red by Mia; she will dig into your brain.

The Quarry by DM Gritmacher

I’m not sure what I was expecting when I started The Quarry, but I found out quickly that I liked what I was reading. The story hooked me fairly quickly and kept me engaged with the characters. The story spans from the 1940s to present day.

“A dispiriting fog began to roll in, and a wet mist blanketed the gathered men in its damp embrace.”

Jeanne has repressed memories of her childhood in Vieux, Italy. When she was 4, WWII came to her town and her family fled to an underground quarry in hopes of being safe from the carnage and destruction above ground. That’s all Jeanne remembers, now an adult living in Chicago, Illinois. It is the year 1979 and Jeanne decides she wants to go back to Italy and try to piece together what happened during her time in the quarry. After entering the quarry, as an adult now, her memories unfold.

When I was reading about Jeanne’s story of her time spent in the quarry, I realized it was like a deep-dive (pun intended) into her mind. Jeanne had to go deep into the darkness of her mind, as well as the darkness of the quarry, to find answers. I felt like I was dreaming with her when the memories started coming back, as she lay in the quarry's darkness, reliving the trauma and fear.

Girizmacher did a fabulous job of making a personal connection between Jeanne and the reader. We learn her life’s story and she quickly becomes a close friend or family member. This is a good, solid occult horror story. No plot holes and the writing is fantastic. It tugs on all sorts of emotions: fear, sadness, anxiousness, and hopefulness. The Quarry is book two of a series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I plan to grab book one, The Relict, as soon as possible.

Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect by PD Alleva

So, I hear you are craving a literary horror story that you want to get lost in and ignore the reality around you. Well, here you go…

“Certain events that we endure… we don’t understand why we go through them when they happen. Not until much later, when reflecting, can we see what the purpose was.”

PD Alleva is becoming one of my most favorite authors in the horror genre. He can write such a phenomenal story that at first, appears daunting due to the size of the book, but it doesn’t feel like a 500+ page story. Oh no, it is easy to devour the words and get lost in his stories and I always crave so much more after finishing one of his stories.

You have got to read Jigglyspot and the Zero Intellect that comes out October 31, 2023. This story is unique and it’ll suck you right in and will leave you begging for more!

Jigglyspot is this short five foot warlock and he’s half human - which he hates with a passion. He works in a carnival to hide what he really does for a group of demons. Jigglyspot has been tasked with hosting the annual Summer Solstice Celebration at the Cannibal Cafe. So many obstacles get in his way… but he tries his damndest to make it all work out.

So. Much. Happens.

You get gore, sex, drugs, supernatural, cannibalism, mutilation, kidnapping, and psychological horrors. And so much more.

“You can’t claim to know when you know nothing because you don’t know everything.”

Alleva has managed to put just about every horror sub-genre into this 548 page story of mayhem. He holds nothing back, but it is so elegant and pure that it will make you dance with the evil inside the words and long for an encore.

Hands down, one of the BEST stories I have read in years. I said that about his story Golem; but Jigglyspot…itches that spot that I didn’t realize I had.

Editing by The Undead Editor

 

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We All Fall Before The Harvest by C. M. Fores

Another fantastic story by C. M. Forest. This one differs completely from his previous story, Infested, but it is just as entertaining.

Owen, a criminal, was hired by Ricky to steal a painting. The night he and his partner, Lester, steal the painting, goes smoothly with no issue. Later the next day, however, everything falls apart. Owen is running around all over town trying to find the painting, deliver the painting, and ultimately, trying to destroy the painting. That painting ends up being more of a hindrance than anything else in Owen’s life. A cult is pissed he took the painting, so they are on a rampage to get it back. Nothing will stop The Family from getting that painting back. Kidnapping, bounding, torture, murder, you name it… The Family will do what it takes to get that painting back.

Owen, while he is a criminal, is a likable character who you will start to care for. He is flawed in so many ways, but he’s only human who has made numerous mistakes in his life. Come to think of it, there are no ‘good’ characters in this story. Every single one of them is evil and destructive. They all have a history and a story to share.

Forest does an excellent job with keeping tensions high throughout the story. The story flows smoothly, you don’t realize you’ve read the entire story within just a few hours. Forest will keep you absorbed in this macabre book and have you wonder how this could end with satisfaction. Forest nailed it, the ending was so unexpected, there is no other way it could have ended.

C. M. Forest is an excellent author with a vivid imagination. The stories I have read by Forest are always an adventure with lots of horror and suspense. He is a master at pulling you into his stories and keeping the pace all the way up to the end. Any of his books are worthy of your To-Be-Read pile. Make sure you add him to your list.