Dark Short Fiction
Dark Romantic Fiction
Horror short & flash fiction stories
Ghosts
The Supernatural
And the occasional bottle of wine...
 I was 14 years old in 1975. I devoured the same “nightmare” and “scream” comic books as the main character, Ryan, and even bought Sea Monkey’s, not Sea Monsters, from the local drug store because it was the current fad at the time. Needless to say, I had a big smile on my face while reading most of Of Men and Monsters. The author perfectly captures the experience of being a kid in the 70’s during the summer. I thought the story had a Stranger Things vibe (set a decade earlier) as a group of kids get together and do what has to be done to fight the ‘monsters’ and ‘demons’ of the story. This may be the shortest review I’ve ever written, but it’s a quick read, a novella, and I don’t want to give anything away. It was fun, sad, tragic, and suspenseful. A wonderful story by Tom Deady. 5 Stars. I was given a a complimentary ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review.
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 The bayou not only whispers, but insists, that Jeannine LaRue, a tough as nails NYC lawyer, who had been through hell and back during Katrina, return to New Orleans. Curtis Jones, a one-time cop and rescuer of Jeannine, who now leans to the wrong side of the law, needs her help. Together they discover that hell isn’t done with Jeannie just yet and she’s up for the fight. I don’t give spoilers and I don’t rehash the blurb in my reviews. A good book needs good characters. Jeannine and Curtis are top-notch, but Mr. Wood has put together an interesting cast of secondary but important characters. Zombies! Not the virus causing type, but real, good, old-fashioned, voodoo raised from the dead variety, which are my favorite and who, sadly, I don’t read about all that often anymore. A Gollum (usually associated with Jewish mythology) who popped up in the bayou was a fun and great addition that kept with the raising of the dead theme. There are historical references with a literary twist, which is always a plus. A ghost ship, The Sultana (a real steamboat that exploded in 1865 on the Mississippi River), captained by Papa Nightmare and his zombies including a Sax player named Easy Street, as well as an ominous intention that caused a storm off the Gulf to become the human tragedy and catastrophe that was Katrina. It’s a complex tale and you may have guessed, there is a lot going on, but it flowed well. The author did rely on past memories quite a bit and there were a few instances where dialogue may have made the story smoother, but that’s just my personal opinion and it took nothing away from the story. A horror thriller with long kept secrets, dark family legacies, and New Orleans’s mysterious magic, Bayou Whispers is a fast-paced read, a page turner for sure, that kept me intrigued. A few surprises rounded out the end nicely. A great read. 4 1/2 stars. I received a complimentary ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Bayou Whispers is available here: Crystal Lake Publishing Amazon   THE WIND IN MY HEART BY DOUGLAS WYNNE PUBLISHER: CRYSTAL LAKE PUBLISHING I've always found reincarnation fascinating and Buddhist philosophy interesting, so when Crystal Lake Publishing offered a free ARC in exchange for an honest review of The Wind In My Heart, I jumped at the chance to read it. I'm so glad I did.
Simply put, this was a really good book. Miles Landry is a typical 'gumshoe' in this crime noir (with dark and macabre elements) story set in the 1991. A loner, a drinker, carrying baggage from his past and living day to day with the cash in his pocket. But he's smart and quick-witted with an open mind, which are good qualities to have when Buddhist Monks hire you to investigate the Chinatown Monster. The Monster is killing Chinese gang/mob members and the monks believe he is the reincarnation of an angry monk that "gave up his robes and became a solider," and died in 1961. Miles follows the clues around his stomping grounds of NYC's Chinatown, many times getting close, just to have the Monster slip away, until the surprising conclusion, which comes fast, but works so well for the story. Mr. Wynne enlightens us about Buddhist practices, tantras and why monasteries have a patron protector deity, which are demons tamed by a master Guru, with the right balance, that keeps the story interesting and moving toward. The Wind In My Heart is a refreshingly unique story and one not pass up. 5 stars. **I received a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.  The winner of the October Frights Blog Hop $10 Amazon Gift Card is Lyssa Medana! Congratulations! |
Debbie Christiana
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