Tasha Schiedel - Editing and BETA, ARC Reviewing

For a witty, hilarious, and sometimes gruesome, story… give Jim Donohue’s Unliving Legends a go. It’s filled with all the zombie action you could crave and some well known actors and actresses of the late 1960s. When Neil Armstrong landed his footsies on the moon, he decided it was most definitely not cheese. As cheesy as that sounds, Unliving Legends is cheesy… but in a yummy way. Literally. But zombies. Not cheese. I digress. Mr. Armstrong started a catastrophe of epic proportions. Somehow, the zombie apocalypse started at the same time as the moon landing. Marilyn Monroe will eat your face. George Reeves will powerlift you into the wall and eat your face. All the while George Romero will be sitting on the east coast saying “hmph.” So, lots of zombies, lots of face eating, a ton of laugh out loud moments, and most of all, one hell of a story in such a short amount of pages. I would love to see a zombie Superman flying, though.

A deeply dark story of children v. pure evil. Stevie Hostetter has a specific style of writing that may take some time for readers to get into. It did take me a bit, but once I was able to follow the groove, I could not put down the kindle. This a truly gripping story with so many dark elements. Children that make awful decisions, a sentient maze that traps and hunts, and so much gore. Highly recommend for those that like a dark, unforgiving plot that draws you in quickly and won't let you leave the world until you are done.

  The Last Guest by Matt Clark and narrated by Bree Allison Rayna is someone many of us can relate to. In a nice relationship, has a loving dog, financially struggling, inherited a wicked looking hotel. Yeah, okay… so some of that is relatable. Unless you have inherited a wicked looking hotel… then hook me up, yeah? Anyway, Rayna shows up at her late dads hotel, which she had no idea he owned. Then stuff just starts happening that is eerie and disturbing. Her boyfriend comes over and witnesses it. Then the sheriff comes over and he sees it. And then shit keeps happening and everyone gets scared and runs away from the hotel and vows to never return. Hahahaha… Rayna returns to the hotel, silly. Y’all, the narrator makes this one of the best audiobooks I have heard. This one just hit the mark a billion times over. Bree Allison is absolutely one to watch for. I gotta find everything she has narrated. Matt Clark has masterfully written a psychological thriller that readers crave. It has...

 What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne Okay, I am torn. Do I like this story or not? I just don't know. There are so many issues I have, but the story is magnificent. I finished the book two days ago and it is still in my head. Petra, a girl who needs to be loved. Jade, a girl who loves to be needed. And then enter a dark, evil place. When emotions collide and tempers are flared. But then, issues I have would give away spoilers and I won't be doing that. Anyway, all in all, a great story. Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for #WhatFeedsBelow by Tatiana Schlote-Bo nne.

  Crawlspace by Adam Christopher 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars The narrator of this story, Jennifer Pickens, did such an amazing job. She truly brought this story to life. Fantastic range and perfect pacing. This is my first Adam Christopher story. I am impressed with the way he begins the story in a somewhat fast pace, but then the story picks up so fast. It is like a whirlwind of activity, but so easy to follow along. There is an open-ended ending, making me think there might be a part two? I would be eager to read that one! In the meantime, I will go check more of Adam Christopher's stories. I bet they are just as fantastic. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for #Crawlspace and a huge thank you to author Adam Christopher and narrator Jennifer Pickens

  The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica (Author of Tender Is The Flesh) There is quiet horror, and then there is The Unworthy.  It is a dreadful feeling throughout the entire story. There is very little gore (if any, as a matter of opinion), but there is a lot of dread. Did I mention it is a dreadful story? No? Well… it is. If you are looking for a fast action-packed, gore-infested, high-octane story… this is not it. Now that is out of the way… I enjoyed the story quite a bit. It is nothing like Tender Is The Flesh. But the writing style, the *dread* and the angsty feelings are loud and proud. I devoured this story in two days. I could not stop thinking about it when I had to pause to be an adult.  It’s a dystopian story with a bit of science fiction. A young girl is protected against a destroyed and tainted world. She keeps a hidden journal detailing what her life is like. A stranger comes to her commune and presents another level of *dread* and angst.  A *dreadfully*...

  This novel is different from most, as a different author continues each chapter. Poff starts with chapter one. He sent his chapter to Ennenbach, who wrote chapter two. The process continued and ended with SanGiovanni. And believe me, it worked!   The story itself is a shit-ton of fun! Tyler, husband and father, is on a cruise with his family. He wakes up to a reality that is questionable and eerily wicked. Lots of angst and gore. Lots of running away from monsters and confronting monsters.  Reading the different styles the authors brought to this story was a blast. Each author has their own voice and level of horror. Some are more poetic, some are more detailed in psychological turmoil. But all of them are fantastic writers. You should absolutely give this story a go! 

 

  The Roots Run Deep and Other Stories by C. M. Forest C. M. Forest is one of my favorite authors I have found. His debut novel, Infested, turned this author into an auto-buy for all his magnificent books and stories. This collection, however, is a fantastic assortment of stories which shines his ability to pull you in and keep you devouring them all. I’m going to break down the stories to show you the range in which he writes. Home - A quick, dark poem about what a home sees and feels. At just 21 lines, the poem gives the aura of a bleak, yet happy, home. The ups and downs of life, absorbed into the walls of the home.  What The Storm Brought In - When a storm washes up an unexpected guest onto a secluded beach, the effects of this guest are unexpected. This is a unique story with a completely unpredictable ending. This little doozy of a story has the same vibe as his novella We All Fall Before the Harvest (which I HIGHLY recommend).  Born Of Death - A cable guy is on a m...

 This is genuinely a wonderful story. The Deading is one of the best pieces of literary horror I have read. It guides you through so many emotions and inner demons of all the characters. From the young to the old, The Deading highlights the differences of what age and time can do to change the strengths and compassion of an individual. While priorities are always different when we grow older, the basic need to survive and to be loved… never changes. Belardes reminds us that even though we have faults, we are each unique and have the capabilities to survive difficulties and come out stronger and better.  This is a strong character-driven narrative with some ornithology, creature features, and suspense. Under the watchful eye of the government, a small sea-side town tries to survive an infliction upon them. The people are changing. The once quiet and calm town has become a ruthless and dangerous community. The anxiety and stress of living in this changed town takes a toll on so ...

  How about some sultry horror stories and poetry? Deviants and Decadents is a fantastic anthology of poetry and short stories. Lisa Vasquez shares some poetry and short stories. Additionally, Jae Mazer , Dicey Grenor, and Megan Stockton have a short story in this anthology. The poetry is absolutely enthralling. The stories are dark, captivating, and sometimes relatable. The artwork, though, is truly something to see. Seriously, look at that cover. And there is more in the book. I am going to need a physical copy of this to put on my bookshelf. You need to check this one out.

 What a crazy story! I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was excellent! Garrett is on a mission to seek revenge for the murder of his sister and help heal his niece’s broken body. They travel together with Garrett’s best friend, hunting down the evil man that did this. As they travel the country following clues and a path of destruction, all three members of this revenge group learn a few lessons along the way. I am a bit disappointed in the ending, though. It was so fast and quick and it left me with some questions. The story’s pacing was great, and it builds up to what could be an epic ending, only to reach this crescendo and then the lights go out. I would still recommend this story. Lutzke did well with character development. I grew to like all three main characters and was hopeful they would get the revenge they sought. Lutzke is a very talented writer with many more books to read. I'm absolutely adding some more. 

  The Devil’s Promise: An Erasmo Cruz Novel  by Celso Hurtado  The Devil’s Promise is book two of this series. Book one is called Ghost Tracks.  When I found out Celso Hurtado released book two in the Erasmo Cruz series, I was so eager and I let him know I wanted to read this.  Erasmo Cruz is a kid that is missing something in his life. He has a sordid past and the emotional scars to show it. He is looking for a connection with anyone, or anything, to feel the acceptance and love he so desires.  He is also a survivor of a supernatural attack in his past. He has the physical scars to prove that. After this assault, he takes it upon himself to help anyone that feels they are a victim of any supernatural events. It doesn’t matter how small or huge the problem is, he just wants to help. But in The Devil’s Promise, Erasmo is introduced to many characters who are working against him and working with him. He accepts a case that is not at all what it seems. With cu...

  This is one of the best graphic novels I have read in years. It is up there with Junji Ito, but this story is unlike Ito's work. It will invoke in you some strong emotions that will linger, just the way a graphic novel should.  This magnificent book offers the visceral and raw emotions of Private Barrow as he joins a group of men on the western front during World War I. He shares with us his inner demons and the battles not only in the trenches, but what he experiences internally. Will he always do the right thing? Can he, in the midst of blood and death, chose to remain collected and separate logic from insanity? "My road has lots its sun and its moon." The artwork is magnificent as well. It has a dark atmosphere with pops of different shades of red to enhance your experience with the blood and death on the battle fields. If you look closely at the panels (the individual boxes of artwork) you will find the many different faces of fear and pain.  I highly recommend givi...

This story is amazing!! This is what literary horror looks like. The story draws you in and does not let go until the very last word is written. Gollitok is an old prison ground on an isolated island. The government sends Varka to join a crew of people to determine what happened to the prisoners, the guards, and the warden. As soon as Varka sets foot on a small boat to take him and his colleague to the island, everything begins to go wrong. Between personal vendettas and unknown ‘things’ prowling the island – there is no telling what Gollitok’s history has to tell them. There are so many questions and so much fear for three, high adrenaline packed days. Just when one question is answered, dozens more come up. Is it supernatural? Is it humans doing barbaric misdeeds? Are the ghosts of the island’s past unsettled? Andrew Najberg is an excellent writer, in my opinion. His ability to grip the reader by the eyeballs and grab hold of your emotions with what seems very little effort on his pa...