Tag: horror short stories

Big Al The Dream Maker’s Emporium of Curiosities Oddities, and Strange Things by Alan McGill Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Alan McGill shares a tantalizing collection of short and spooky stories featuring a mysterious shop owner in  the book “Big Al The Dream Maker’s Emporium of Curiosities, Oddities, and Strange Things”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Shorties of Supernatural Suspense

What is the mysterious Emporium? Who or what is Big Al? Friend or Foe? Demon? Alien? or Mystical Shaman?

To answer those questions, you’ll have to visit the store, if you can find it.

Somewhere, nowhere, and everywhere all at once it appears at the oddest times and strangest places. The neon shines brightly, like a beacon to a troubled mind. The Emporium looks deceptively small from the outside, but once you enter, it is a place beyond reality.

Come inside and have a look, but beware, nothing is for sale, and nothing is free. Don’t be afraid of the Poliger, it won’t bite. And don’t be afraid of Big Al, well, on second thought…he might!

Shop Happy Socks Now!

The Review

What a compelling and haunting collection. What made these stories stand out was how each story could stand on its own feet and yet continuously held this connective mythos surrounding Big Al and the mystery behind the seemingly powerful “man” and “store” themselves. The author once again demonstrated a command over imagery in his writing style, with each story feeling like an episode of Twin Peaks or The Twilight Zone on the page. 

One of my favorite stories in the book was The Grinning Man, as it took the iconic story and legend of Indrid Cold, a prolific figure in the Mothman case, and intensified the legend surrounding the man/alien (Depending on what you believe). The tension and heavy atmosphere the author brought out in each story, and the way these characters embodied the best and worst aspects of humanity, created an almost “devil deal” scenario that made people question who the true monster was, giving this a thriller element that will stay with readers long after the book ends.

Get haunted by the Peak Screaming collection all month long on Paramount+. Try it FREE!

The Verdict

A masterful work of short horror fiction that weaves three twisted tales of terror, author Alan McGill delivers a fantastic collection to keep readers on the edge of their seats. Stephen King’s Needful Things meets the atmosphere of Twin Peaks; the mystery of not only the Emporium but its chilling properties, Big Al, will have readers eager for more of this fantastic world the author has crafted. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Alan McGill is an American author who lives in an old farmhouse with a clowder of cats. Alan was close to his grandparents, who grew up during the Great Depression. They were married young and remained together until his grandmother’s passing. His grandfather served in the Navy during WWII and was a gifted storyteller who wove humorous tales about tough events. Alan grew up listening to these stories of right and wrong and watching fictional heroes–such as the Lone Ranger, Adam West’s Batman and Captain America–stand up to bullies and protect those who count not protect themselves. This inspired him to always do what was right in his own life and shaped his love of storytelling. He is a multigenre author whose debut novel, A Cry in the Moon’s Light, combines horror, romance, and mystery. As with all his books, A Cry in the Moon’s Light centers on characters who strive to do the right thing regardless of the adversity they face. The book focuses on the theme of love–a pure and deep love that defeats all evil.

https://www.alanmcgillbooks.com

Interview with Author Dawn DeBraal

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn InterviewsLeave a comment

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I started writing songs at the age of 13. When I paralyzed a vocal cord in 2018, I turned to writing short stories to relieve my creative outlet. I also retired early, my husband and I bought a winter home. After a few weeks I knew I needed an outlet or one of us, was not getting through the winter alive.

Advertisements

2) What inspired you to write your book?

An idea hit me regarding the Lord’s Prayer. What if I were to write a short horror story for each line of that prayer? Our Father Who Art, In Heaven became the first story in the book where a boy who loses his dad at a young age, thinks he’s been praying to his father, Art, in Heaven. He ends up with a distant stepfather

who is mean and not good for his mother and decides the man must go. From the first story, to Amen, the last, I loved writing this series.

3) What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The Lord’s Prayer Series is about the struggle between good and evil. Even though we were given this prayer to pray, we are inherently sinners. It’s about man’s fragility and how close we are to stepping off the wrong side of honor.

4) What drew you into this particular genre? 

I have always been fascinated with horror. You take the scariest thing, you can manipulate it, control it to its end. I love the power in that.

5) If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why? 

Each story in this book has some great characters. I’d like to find out why they did what they did. Why they went in the direction they did, and why they couldn’t conquer their shortcomings.

Take a Food Journey Around the World!

6) What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Facebook has helped a lot. Author groups are a wonderful support system, we hold one another up.

7) What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Don’t give up. If you don’t submit it’s a no. Read, read, read. You learn something new in every book. A phrase, a vision. Something that motivates you to write another story. It is hard to put yourself out there, naked, and exposed but when a publisher says “yes,” it’s so worth it.

8) What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

The Lord’s Prayer Horror series is coming out in July 2024 from Myth Mart Publishing. I am currently working on a work I call, The Morgan Dollar Series. Morgan silver dollars, were minted from 1878 to 1904.

I have written a short story for each year about a person whose hands the money passed through. The silver coins either did good or brought out greed in people. I was inspired by my husband showing his coin collection to a neighbor telling her, “Just think, this coin could have been in a cowboy’s pocket.” That inspired me to write where the coins had been, by telling the stories of the owners. I have a handful of stories yet to complete.

Thank you, Anthony, for asking me to interview. Bread Pudding was a fun write. A vampire who is a bit of an agoraphobic germaphobe, was an interesting contradictive character fighting his fears, but enslaved by the creature he has become. I was proud to be the runner-up in that competition.

Advertisements

About the Author

Dawn DeBraal lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, a stray cat and a rescued dog. She has published over 600 short stories, drabbles, and poems in online ezines and anthologies. She tends to lean toward the horror genre because it makes her life seem so much better! Falling Star Magazine nominated Dawn for the 2019 Pushcart Award; she was Runner-up in the 2022 Horror Story Competition, two-time Author of the Month, nominated 2020,2022,2023 Author of the Year and received Contributor of the Year 2023 Spillwords Magazine, she was named Member of the Month in Issues 103 and 115 in The World of Myth Magazine and Finalist in the Owl Canyon Roost writing contest. Dawn also writes under the pen name Garrison McKnight.

https://www.facebook.com/All-The-Clever-Names-Were-Taken-114783950248991

https://linktr.ee/dawndebraal

To the Solemn Graves by Kim Idynne Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Kim Idynne showcases 13 tales of terror that will chill you to the core in the book “To the Solemn Graves”. 

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Feeling shunned in their new neighborhood, a family attributes the cold attitude of the neighbors to prejudice—but a little investigation unearths a more shocking motive. A conniving widower finds a new wife through a foreign dating service, but the bride turns out to know him much more intimately than he imagined. A young man enlists a shaman to exorcise a terrifying spirit from his apartment, and as he learns more about the supposed ghost, he begins to form a strange and tender bond with her. To the Solemn Graves presents thirteen stories that, while laced with the supernatural, remind us that most horror comes from the all too natural.

Take a Food Journey Around the World!

The Review

This was a compelling, heartfelt collection of short stories. The author did a fantastic job of finding the balance between the spine-chilling terror of each story and rich character development that brought a more grounded sense of storytelling to the book. Each story’s haunting imagery allows the reader to feel transported into the narrative entirely.

The heart of this narrative is in the powerful themes the author explores in this book, as each story elevates far beyond the classic horror genre. Each story reveals the horrors that arise from everyday life, the complex relationships we have with those we love, and the chilling reality of our perceptions of those who are different than us. The social and emotional consequences the author explores help bring the terrifying moments to new levels in the narrative.

Matcha Green Tea by Purlisse

The Verdict

Memorable, entertaining, yet emotionally complex, author Kim Idynee’s “To the Solemn Graves” is a must-read horror collection. The twists and turns in the narrative, the terrifying horror moments, and the complex yet engaging character dynamics all brought to mind the intriguing stories told by writer and director Mike Flannigan. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Kim Idynne is a Minneapolis-based writer and illustrator. She is the author of several novels for adults and young adults, and she has also published a variety of short fiction. Her first short story, “Meat,” was published in the February 2015 issue of Literary Mama; the following year, Idynne received a Silver Pen award for her story “Fungus.” Her artwork has been featured in journals, books, datebooks, and at galleries around the Twin Cities area. You can check out her work at idynne.com.

House of Haunts Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Metallica The Master Collection Banners

A unique band of authors have come together to tell the story of one home, with very different rooms haunted by very different spirits in the collection “House of Haunts”. 

Advertisements

The Synopsis

In 1823, Josiah Hale built his family a grand home in the sultry heat and blinding glare of the Deep South.

It wasn’t long before the shadows crept in. Now, two hundred years later, this grand home stands forlorn, abandoned, blank windows reflecting only darkness.

Some houses carry lasting impressions of those who have lived and died there.

Some places still bear the scars of past tragedies.

Some buildings are heavy with the spirits of the dead.

Hale House outweighs them all.

But wait.

The front gate is creaking slowly open, welcoming, beckoning, luring you in…

You have been invited.

Come tour the most haunted location in the world.

Come visit our House of Haunts.

23 rooms. 23 ghosts. 23 stories.

Will you survive them all?

Featuring Stories From

Christy Aldridge * Brooklyn Ann * Simon Bleaken *Jay Bower

Clay McLeod Chapman * Heather Daughrity * Joe DeRouen

William J. Donahue * J-F. Dubeau * Joshua Loyd Fox * Jennifer Anne Gordon

Gage Greenwood * Justin Holley * Jo Kaplan * Ronald Kelly

Marie Lanza * Caitlin Marceau * D.E. McCluskey * Jeremy Megargee

Joe Scipione * Samantha Underhill * Mer Whinery * Mercedes M. Yardley

Foreword by Josh Malerman

Edited by Heather Daughrity

Take a Food Journey Around the World!

The Review

These were some compelling and thrilling horror reads. Immediately I was struck by how unique and original each story was, and yet how cohesive the narrative was overall as each story fed the overall theme of this haunted mansion. The haunting atmosphere of each story and the tension that mounted at such an even pace in each story made this a gripping read.

The heart of this narrative rested in the variety of different stories that each tale provided, as well as the detail that went into them. The way each story found itself in a different era of storytelling, from 19th-century gothic horror to modern tales of loss in the age of the pandemic, made the reader feel connected to the authors of these stories and yet wonderfully lost in the characters and their own plights at the same time.

The Verdict

Remarkable, entertaining, and heartfelt all at once, “House of Haunts” is a must-read modern-day horror anthology. The twists and turns each story provided, and the overall story of this powerfully haunted home and the spirits that have left their mark on its walls and the heart of this mansion made the anthology feel alive and buzzing. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

Love the Sinner by Mo Moshaty Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Mo Moshaty terrifies readers in the best way possible with a collection of short stories that will show the horrors that await when love becomes deadly in the book “Love the Sinner”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

According to Dante, a sin is the misdirection of love – the human will, or essentially, the direction of our beings. Love the Sinner is an examination of just how those sins can kaleidoscope into horrific consequences creating a distorted and deadly landscape. These stories stand stark before you in full glaring misstep and macabre to show the human psyche in all its twisted reality.

From grief and its rage to medical meddling to ensure a new world order to bloody revenge within a quantum leap, these stories seek to solidify one absolute truth: man is the scariest monster.

ABN Banner

The Review

The author did a tremendous job of crafting compelling stories that felt whole and complete, no matter how long or short the stories lasted. The imagery and atmosphere were immediately felt in the book’s opening chapter, playing into the theme of sin and love quite beautifully. The tension builds quickly and intensely in this book and allows the reader to really hone in on the settings of these stories immediately.

To me, the stories found a great balance between heartfelt character development and intense themes. The stories each found that battle between sin and love and character to embody that juxtaposition of darkness springing forth from light. The story Maddalena really stood out, as what started out as a passionate and romantic encounter turns into a truly terrifying moment of horror that will stick with readers long after the story ends.

The Verdict

Intense, heartfelt, and chilling, author Mo Moshaty’s “Love the Sinner” is a must-read horror short story collection you won’t want to put down. The twists and turns in this collection and the way the author is able to craft characters the reader can identify or engage with made this a compelling read. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Mo Moshaty is an Afro-Latina screenwriter, author and producer. Raised within the clash of her mother’s Yaqui heritage and her father’s strict Southern Baptist upbringing, Mo’s work contains worlds in which characters of color strive for identity, sentiment and belonging within the comedy, horror, and sci-fi genres.

Co-producer and member of Nyx Horror Collective, she’s partnered with Stowe Story Labs to provide a fellowship for women genre writers over 40, and has also partnered with horror streaming giant, Shudder Channel, to co-produce the 13 Minutes of Horror Film Festival 2021 and 2022.

Still engaging with her first love, short horror literature, her work can be found in “A Quaint and Curious Volume of Gothic Tales”, by Brigid’s Gate Press and “206 Word Stories” by Bag O’ Bones Press. “Love the Sinner”, a psychological horror collection of short stories will be released by Brigids Gate Press in July 2023 as well as “Clairviolence: Tales of Tarot and Torment Vol 1 & 2” by Spooky House Press in 2024.

Mo has lectured on Trauma in Cinema with Prairie View A&M Film & TV Program, Horror Studies BAFSS Sig, and the University of Sheffield in the UK.

https://www.momoshaty.com/

Arcranium™ by Mark Towse and Daemon Manx Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Four authors enter a new form of technology that brings their creations to life in a virtual space and compete to determine who is the scariest of them all in authors Mark Towse and Daemon Manx’s “Arcranium™”. 

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Four horror authors with four vulnerable egos, square off against one another, in the virtual world, to find out who is the scariest. Welcome to Arcranium™, a powerful technology that fuses with the author’s mind to stimulate their best possible creation, immersing other participants in the narrative. It’s all in good fun, but with so much pride at stake, things are bound to get a little bumpy once the gloves come off. So, strap your headset on and don’t forget the safe word. The future of literature is about to get an upgrade. The future is … Arcranium™

Bookbaby.com helps independent authors bring their creative vision to the marketplace. Sell eBooks online in the biggest retail stores.

The Review

This was such a chilling and captivating read. The perfect blend of modern horror and haunting psychological thrills, the authors did a wonderful job of bringing a shocking and visceral story to life on the page. The imagery and tension that layered this writing allowed the fictional worlds the main characters conjured up to come to life in such perfect detail, and the scares that occurred as a result felt natural and paid off from the developing narrative.

For me, the draw of this book came from both the stories within a story concept and the powerful themes that helped draw out the horrors of the genre into this novel. The way the narrative honed in on each character or author’s story and allowed those worlds to flourish not only moved the story forward but allowed the authors of this novel to showcase and flex their own creative work in a unique way. Yet it was the themes of the dangers of technology, the downfall of the ego, and the idea of playing god as a writer that really made the terrors of this fictional world tear into our own deep-seated fears, making this a wonderful read.

The Verdict

Haunting, captivating, and entertaining, authors Mark Towse and Daemon Manx’s “Arcranium™” is a must-read horror novel meets psychological thriller and anthology novel. The short yet powerful read immediately strikes readers with its commentary on the state of writing (and subsequently entertainment as a whole) while also delivering potent scares and thrills that will keep readers wide awake at night. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Authors

Mark Towse is an Englishman living in Australia. He would sell his soul to the devil or anyone buying if it meant he could write full-time. Alas, he left it very late to begin this journey, penning his first story since primary school at the ripe old age of forty-five. Novellas to date include: Nana, Crows, The Bucket List, Hope Wharf, 3:33, One Last Shindig, Nature’s Perfume, and Arcranium.

‘Mark Towse is an exciting new discovery. His stories are hidden gems that glint in the darkness. His characters draw you into their worlds, making you care, then plunge you into the abyss, leaving only a memory of warmth. These tales will linger in your mind long after the telling. His are heart-felt stories with an icy edge. Highly recommended.’

Trevor Denyer – Editor and Publisher – Midnight Street Press

https://twitter.com/MarkTowsey12

https://www.facebook.com/mark.towse.75

https://marktowsedarkfiction.wordpres…

Daemon Manx is an award-winning American author who writes horror, suspense, supernatural, and speculative fiction.

He was born on January 16, 1967, shortly after the very first Super Bowl, but never played the game and never had a favorite team.

Daemon has recently been nominated for the 2021 Splatterpunk awards for his debut, Abigail in the best short story category.

In 2021 he received a HAG award for his story The Dead Girl.

He is a member of the Horror Authors Guild (HAG) and has been featured in magazines in both the U.S. and the U.K. 

In 1999 Daemon was a contestant on the television game show Wheel of Fortune where he made it to the bonus round and walked away with a fully loaded Chevy Tahoe…pretty amazing, right?

On another unbelievable note, in 1991 Daemon was involved in a motor vehicle accident with Ronald Reagan’s motorcade. He accidentally crashed into the former president’s limousine on a New York City Street shortly after Ron and Nancy had stepped out of the vehicle. No one was injured, except for maybe the pride of the secret security agent who was directing traffic.

Most recently, Daemon has opened his own publishing company and works with fellow authors, Diana Olney and Jack Wells, as well as business associate, Romol Chiossi.

Daemon lives with his sister, author Danielle Manx and their narcoleptic cat, Sydney where the patiently prepare for the apocalypse. There is a good chance they will runout of coffee far too soon.

https://www.daemonmanx.com/

@daemonmanx

Book Mail. Arcranium with Mark Towse and Manxiety. Disturbing horror has arrived. #extremebooks #arcranium #extremehorrorchallenge #horrorreaders #horrorreadersoftiktok #horrortok #splatterpunk #reader #disturbing #disturbingbooks #disturbingbookrecs #marktowse #daemonmanxhorror #daemonmanx manxiety@towseywrites

♬ Eat the Rich – Motörhead

Extinction Hymns by Eric Raglin Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Eric Raglin takes readers on a perilous journey through 18 short stories that explore the depths of humanity and the horrors of our world (and the next) in the collection “Extinction Hymns”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

A vengeful owl haunts the man who poached her. A desperate entrepreneur holds a ghost hostage for profit. An addict finds hope and terror in an imprisoned angel. A father and son search their dying world for something to eat other than human flesh. Eric Raglin, author of Nightmare Yearnings, returns with his second collection of horror and weird fiction. Strange, terrifying, and tender, these eighteen stories explore what happens when extinction comes for us all.

The Review

This is both an emotional and frightening collection of stories. The author does an incredible job of capturing the grief and emotional weight of these characters and their circumstances, all without shying away from the terrifying and haunting atmosphere these stories instill in the reader. The equally haunting imagery that these tales conjure up captures the chilling nature of these stories and reflects the horrors of humanity and our world in general, from grief and loss to addiction and greed. 

The heart of all of the author’s stories has to be the world-building and character development that these stories brought to life. Whether it was the injured workman using the ghost in his home to bring him much-needed money, or the man desperate to understand his husband’s tragic loss, the decisions made in desperation and grief added depth to the author’s plunge into horror. The variety of supernatural occurrences made this an equally entertaining and chilling collection as much as it was poignant. 

The Verdict

Haunting, thrilling, and engaging, author Eric Raglin’s “Extinction Hymns” is a must-read horror short story collection. The inclusion of LGBTQ+ themes and characters throughout these stories added more layers to this growing collection and kept the collection more relatable and engaging for readers overall. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Eric Raglin (he/him) is a Nebraska-based speculative fiction writer. He frequently writes about queer issues, the terrors of capitalism, and body horror. His debut short story collection is NIGHTMARE YEARNINGS. He hosts the Cursed Morsels Podcast and is the editor of SHREDDED and ANTIFA SPLATTERPUNK. Find him at ericraglin.com or on Twitter @ericraglin1992.

Home
https://twitter.com/ericraglin1992

Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection by Jerry Roth Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

Author Jerry Roth brings a haunting collection of short fiction filled with tales that will creep, haunt, and terrify readers in the book “Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

Throwing Shadows is a collection of 9 creepy stories that have something for everyone.

A woman develops an unhealthy obsession with a scarecrow. A boy plays with a Ouija board and receives a terrifying warning of murder. A down-on-his-luck father learns what happens when you die in your sleep. These stories and six more frightening tales await the reader within the pages of Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection.

Throwing Shadows will feed that hungry dark side that lives in your cellar.

* This collection of horror, thriller, and science fiction has something for all readers seeking tales of suspenseful fiction. With a vintage paperback feel, along with with a modern sensibility, these short stories will take the readers down a dark path of pulp dread. Throwing shadows: A Dark Collection will feed that hungry dark side that lives in your cellar. 

The Review

The author does an incredible job of crafting each story to fit into the depth of darkness that the overall narrative holds. The level of world-building and setting that the author was able to build upon in each story was remarkable to behold, as each story’s world felt vibrant and alive in the narrative. The imagery that the author utilized in the writing allowed the reader to really feel the tension that kept each of these stories flowing smoothly.

Yet it was the atmosphere and tone that the author was able to achieve in each story and how they played into the narrative, theme, and character development that really drew my attention as a reader. The themes of parenthood, the darkness in our own lives, and the chilling nature of reality itself were well-represented by very relatable and captivating characters who made the reader feel seen and represented in a very real way.

The Verdict

Captivating, entertaining, and haunting, author Jerry Roth’s “Throwing Shadows: A Dark Collection” is a must-read novel of 2022 for the Fall/Halloween season. The chilling narratives take readers to the darkest depths of the natural and unnatural world, and the pulpy, almost noir element of the storytelling felt like a great nod to the old Hollywood style of horror that paved the way for authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and so many others to tell their tales. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy of this book on October 25th, 2022! 

Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Jerry Roth is an award-winning author of Bottom Feeders, from Sunbury Press. Following up with this success, he released a psychological thriller, On the Tip of Her Tongue, one year later. The author currently lives in a converted 1908 Catholic church in Ohio.

His writing career began with his award-winning screenplay, Gray Matter. Switching gears, Jerry created the critically successful Disc Golf website, Inkslingers DG and wrote for the Disc Golf Pro Tour in 2017.

His influences for writing can be traced backed to authors such as Anne Rice and Stephen King. Jerry’s upcoming literary projects include: a Gothic novel, Wish it away, a YA Fantasy, Into the Aether: Miscreant’s Rise, and a Short Story novel, Throwing Shadows: a dark collection— Due this year.

https://bit.ly/2Y3zeLh

https://bit.ly/3gVTxCM

https://amzn.to/2Mu2Ls6

https://linktr.ee/Jerry_roth

https://twitter.com/_JerryRoth_

The Captivating Flames of Madness by Jeff Parsons Review

On By authoranthonyavinablogIn reviewsLeave a comment

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Author Jeff Parsons takes readers on an exhilarating and chilling journey through 22 short stories that explore the moment that everyone in life finds that changes the course of their personal journeys forever in the book, “The Captivating Flames of Madness”.

Advertisements

The Synopsis

This book’s title comes from the reality that – like a moth to the flame – we’re all just one event, mishap, or decision away from things that could change our lives forever.

What would you do if fate led you astray into a grim world where you encountered vengeful ghosts, homicidal maniacs, ancient gods, apocalyptic nightmares, dark magic, deadly space aliens, and more?

If you dare, why not find out?

Read for yourself the twenty-two gloriously provocative tales that dwell within this book – but be warned, some of my dear readers have experienced lasting nightmares…

The Review

This was a memorable and engaging collection of short horror stories. The author has such a great command of atmosphere and tone, as each story strikes a balance between haunting atmosphere and captivating character growth. The unique structure of these stories and the range of sub-genres that this collection holds gives a wider range of readers a chance to sink their teeth into these amazing stories.

The heart and core of this collection have to be the theme, which the main underlying theme the author delves into is the concept of one key event changing the course of one’s life in an instant. The characters range from shockingly sympathetic and relatable to terrifying, and yet each story delivers a well-rounded narrative that captures the passion and imagination the author delivers consistently while also bringing some depth and thought-provoking material to the horror genre overall.

The Verdict

Haunting, chilling, and entertaining, author Jeff Parsons’s “The Captivating Flames of Madness” is a must-read horror short story collection. The brilliant imagery and thrilling storytelling made this collection just fly by on the page, and readers will be hard-pressed to put down this eclectic and mesmerizing collection. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!


Rating: 10/10

Advertisements

About the Author

Jeff is a professional engineer enjoying life in sunny California, USA. He has a long history of technical writing, which oddly enough, often reads like pure fiction. He was inspired to write by two wonderful teachers: William Forstchen and Gary Braver. In addition to his book Algorithm of Nightmares, he is published in SNM Horror Magazine, Bonded by Blood IV/ V, The Horror Zine, Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, Chilling Ghost Short Stories, Dystopia Utopia Short Stories, Wax & Wane: A Coven of Witch Tales, The Moving Finger Writes, Golden Prose & Poetry, Our Dance With Words and The Voices Within.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJeffParsons/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jeff-Parsons/e/B00FIOQCY6%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/6860100.Jeff_Parsons