Archive for the ‘Short stories and collections’ Category

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Holidays & Homicides: A Short Story Collection
by Rosalie Spielman, Catherine Bruns, Gin Jones, Annie McEwen, Lena Gregory, Jennifer Fischetto, Anne Marie Stoddard, Kelly Rey, Misty Simon, Christine Knapp, Jamie L. Adams, Erica Wynters


Holidays & Homicides: A Short Story Collection
Holiday Cozy Mysteries
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 2, 2025
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FSNH17GM

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From twelve USA Today bestselling and award winning authors, comes a short story collection stuffed full of mirthful mysteries, clever criminals, and holiday cheer! These short holiday bites are perfect for enjoying between rounds of wrapping or binge-reading over a cup of cocoa!

Stories include:

A Hometown Christmas Caper (Hometown Mysteries)
by Rosalie Spielman

Gossip, Guilt & Gingerbread (Coffee & Cream Café Mysteries)
by Lena Gregory

Larceny & Twinkle Lights (Jamie Winters Mysteries)
by Kelly Rey

Holidays & Heists (Aloha Lagoon Mysteries)
by Anne Marie Stoddard

Ornaments, Surprise & Dead Guys (Gianna Mancini Mysteries)
by Jennifer Fischetto

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Mischief (Northwoods Mysteries)
by Annie McEwen

You Can’t see the Forest for the Christmas Trees (Modern Midwife Mysteries)
by Christine Knapp

Jingle Bell Rocker (Sunny Side Up Mysteries)
by Misty Simon

Holly, Handcuffs, and Hearsay (Camelot Flowers Mysteries)
by Erica Wynters

Search for the Silent Santa (Ghost Town Mysteries)
by Jamie L. Adams

Nothing But Truffle (Cookies & Chance Mysteries)
by Catherine Bruns

A Heartland Homicide (Bourbon B&B Mysteries)
by Gin Jones

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About the Authors

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Catherine Bruns is the USA Today bestselling author of the Cookies & Chance mysteries. She lives in New York with her very patient husband, three sons, and several spoiled pets. Catherine has a B.A. in English and is a former newspaper reporter and press release writer. She also writes the Italian Chef mysteries, Cindy York real estate and Carrie Jorgenson (Aloha Lagoon) culinary series. Her book, For Sale by Killer, won the 2019 Daphne du Maurier award for Mainstream Mystery/Suspense.

Get a free ebook when you sign up for Catherine’s Newsletter.

Please feel free to connect with her on social media as well:

Facebook / Twitter/X

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Lena Gregory is the author of the Bay Island Psychic Mysteries, which take place on a small island between the north and south forks of Long Island, New York, and the All-Day Breakfast Café Mysteries, which are set on the outskirts of Florida’s Ocala National Forest.

Lena grew up in a small town on the south shore of eastern Long Island. She recently relocated to Florida with her husband, three kids, son-in-law, and four dogs. Her hobbies include spending time with family, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and walking. Her love for writing developed when her youngest son was born and didn’t sleep through the night. She works full time as a writer and a freelance editor and is a member of Sisters in Crime.

To learn more about Lena and her latest writing endeavors, visit her Website and be sure to sign up for her Newsletter.

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Rosalie Spielman is a mother, veteran, and retired military spouse. She was thrilled to discover that she could make other people laugh with her writing and finds joy in giving people a humorous escape from the real world. Her cozy mystery novels are set in locales that have chickens—such as sunny Kauai and rural Idaho—writing for the multi-author Aloha Lagoon mystery series and her own Hometown Mystery series.

She currently lives in Maryland with her husband in a rapidly emptying nest. For more information on her books or to subscribe to her newsletter, go to www.rosalie-spielman-author.com, follow her Facebook page (Rosalie Spielman author), or join her Facebook group (You Know The Spiel). Rosalie strives to provide you a cozy escape…one page at a time.

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From her first discovery of Nancy Drew, USA Today bestselling author Kelly Rey has had a lifelong love for mystery and tales of things that go bump in the night, especially those with a twist of humor. Through many years of working in the court reporting and closed captioning fields, writing has remained a constant. If she’s not in front of a keyboard, she can be found reading, working out or avoiding housework. She’s a member of Sisters in Crime and lives in the Northeast with her husband and a menagerie of very spoiled pets.

 


Gin Jones is a retired lawyer who specialized in ghost-writing for other lawyers. She prefers to write her own books, though, since she doesn’t have to worry that her sense of humor might get her thrown into jail for contempt of court. In her spare time, Gin makes quilts, grows garlic, and advocates for patients with rare disorders.

 

 


Jamie L. Adams fell in love with books at an early age. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott opened her imagination and sparked a dream to be a writer. She wrote her first book as a school project in 6th grade.

A graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature as well as member of American Christian Fiction Writers, The Writing Desk and several critique groups, she spends most of her time writing, reading or learning more about the craft near to her heart.

The parents of three very active children, she and her husband live in the Ozarks surrounded by forest and wildlife.

 


Erica Wynters started as most authors do – as an avid reader. Cozy mysteries and romantic suspense offered her just the escape she was looking for! The combination of great love and great danger keeps her turning pages late into the night.

Now they keep her writing pages late into the night. Her goal is always two-fold: help you fall in love with love all over again and take you on an adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat!

Falling in love has never been so fun…or so dangerous!

 

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania, where she is hard at work on her next novel or three.

 

 

 

Christine Knapp practiced as a nurse-midwife for many years. A writer of texts and journal articles, she is now thrilled to combine her love of midwifery and mysteries as a fiction author. Christine currently narrates books for the visually impaired. A dog lover, she lives near Boston. Visit thoughtfulmidwife.com

 

 

Annie McEwen is the author of the Northwoods Mysteries Series, set amongst the tall pines and sparkling lakes of northern Wisconsin where she spent vacations as a kid. Because of a sweet love story between her youngest sister and a local Wisconsin boy (storyline idea!), she’s still been able to keep on visiting the beautiful place that means so much to her.

Annie and her husband are empty nesters—their son is married to his high school sweetheart, and their daughter is married with two adorable toddler boys. Being grandparents is definitely the best gig ever! They also have four fur babies who just might make some special appearances in Annie’s books.

When Annie isn’t writing, playing with her grandsons, or tackling trash-to-treasure projects, she works as a radiological technologist, aka, she takes pictures of bones…you can’t hide much from her! Writing, though, is her first love.

 

Jennifer Fischetto is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the Gianna Mancini paranormal cozy mystery series, as well as a dozen other titles. She writes family-centric murder mysteries and things that go bump in the night.

A lover of rainstorms and snow, she prefers fiction over reality and longs to live in a world where French fries grow on trees, chocolate appears whenever desired, and every day is October. She watches too much television and movies, which fuel her never-ending supply of plot ideas, and is a rabid fan of suspense, horror, and everything supernatural.

You can learn about her next book by subscribing to her newsletter at  https://jenniferfischetto.com/newsletter/

Visit Jennifer at: Website / Facebook / Twitter/X 

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Anne Marie Stoddard is a USA TODAY bestselling author and former Amazon Mover & Shaker. She writes supernatural suspense and humorous cozy mysteries with an edge. Her Amelia Grace Mystery series, inspired by her years working in radio, and concert venues and music festivals across the U.S., has won several awards, including the 2012 AJC Decatur Book Festival Writing Contest, the 2013 Book Junkie’s Choice Award for Best Debut Fiction Novel, and nominations for the 2014 & 2016 RONE Awards Best Mystery/Thriller Category.

Aside from writing, Anne Marie loves her husband and their dog, college football, hula hoops, music, coffee, and anything pumpkin-flavored.

For more details about Anne Marie’s upcoming projects, giveaways, and more, visit her online and subscribe to her newsletter at http://www.amstoddardbooks.com/.

Connect with Anne Marie on social media!

Facebook / Twitter/X

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Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple
Kobo
Smashwords

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

December 2 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – REVIEW

December 2 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 3 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

December 3 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 4 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

December 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 5 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 5 – Hall Ways Blog – SPOTLIGHT

December 6 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW

December 6 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – SPOTLIGHT

December 7 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Angel’s Book Nook – SPOTLIGHT

December 8 – Bea’s Book Nook – REVIEW – INDIVIDUAL GIVEAWAY

December 9 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 9 – Sarandipity’s – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

December 10 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

December 10 – Caboodle of Cozies – SPOTLIGHT

December 11 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW

December 11 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

December 12 – Salty Inspirations – REVIEW, AUTHOR GUEST POST

December 13 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

December 13 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT

December 14 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

December 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2025! I’m so excited to be doing this again!  I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

 

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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Evil Short Stories Of Horror. Terror And Fear

by Kevin Bachar 

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Genre: Horror / Short Stories

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MY REVIEW

These might be small bites of horror but the title says it all….EVIL in all caps. And the synopsis was such a tease. I had no choice but to taste these snacks.

There’s no wasted words or fleshed out character development. Kevin is a master of writing genuine characters in short order and he also plunges you right into the darkness. I find that short stories show the author’s real talent. So few words and you still feel for those characters and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

Kevin’s earned my title of a true storyteller. I’d be hard pressed to choose a favorite. They all stood out in their own dark and creepy way. Scary fun.

 5 STARS

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Synopsis

Ten-year-old Cassie is playing in the ball pit at the local rundown fast-food palace when she feels something bite her leg and doesn’t want to let go.

The passengers on a cross-country bus trip make a stop that will change the lives of everyone on it, and reveal that one of the riders is hiding a horrific secret.

The locals in a remote mountain town know about the wind that supposedly can kill people; they avoid it at all costs. But when a young college meteorologist comes to study it, will he heed their warnings?

From the writer who brought you the best-selling short story collections DREAD, CREEP, and CURSED, comes a new set of tales that will force you to lock the doors and turn on the lights. EVIL forces you to confront the most terrifying element in our world – EVIL. In each story, we see how it manifests and then consumes those who dare to think they can battle it. In this book, GOOD doesn’t triumph over EVIL, it runs away and cowers under the bed and hopes and prays it goes away and never comes back. Can you handle something that is filled with pure EVIL?

Kevin Bachar is an EMMY award-winning National Geographic writer/cinematographer/director who’s swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. He’s also a WGA screenwriter whose elevated horror film, THE INHABITANT, was released through LIONSGATE.

Amazon

 

Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

    

    The Night of the Beasts 

   

     

      Dust Devils Cover

    

        

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2025! I’m so excited to be doing this again!  I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

 

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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Exploring Short Dark Fiction

Edited by Eric J. Guignard 

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Genre: Horror

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MY REVIEW

Egads! I wish I could write stories like these. But then, when would I find time to read.

I’ve enjoyed other collections edited by Eric and was hoping these would be equally as good. They were. So much atmosphere. Such wicked illustrations. And so much imagination. I eagerly read several stories. Looked at the time. Read a few more. Looked at the time. Read some more and some more and soon I was at the end. What a trip.

An added bonus to this collection is finding new authors. Another bonus is the commentary at the end of each story and also included are an autobiography and Found Footage Storytelling.

Hungry for a little scary….. or more. You’ll have plenty with this book.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

Named “One of the genre’s most original and innovative voices” (L.A. Review of Books) and “An expert at terrifying prose” (LitReactor), Canadian author Gemma Files has been penning gritty and macabre fiction since 1993, earning industry awards and critical acclaim from sources such as National Public Radio, Publishers Weekly, and The National Post. Files imbues her cross-genre work with layers like dark heartbreak upon horror, built over the vignettes of life we may find ourselves in, but for one slight turn of reality.

Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to her work, the seventh in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover-or learn more of-the evocative voice of Gemma Files, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:
• Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book
• Author interview
• Biography and bibliography
• Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)
• … and more!

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Gemma Files.

Amazon

 

Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

    

    The Night of the Beasts 

   

     

      Dust Devils Cover

    

        

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2025! I’m so excited to be doing this again!  I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Petit Mort

by Nikki Noir And S.C. Mendes

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Genre: Horror / Splatterpunk / Short Stories

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MY REVIEW

I love reading. And I’m always ready to try something new. Splatterpunk, why not? And I’m big on short stories and collections. It’s like sampling wine. Some are to your taste, some not. I sipped on all of these and….. whew, there were some doozies. There’s a bit of the erotic, the tough to swallow, and some fun to lighten things up a bit. But, just a bit.

Some stood out more than others, especially Santa’s Package. Want your horror somewhat different and extreme. Give this collection a try.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Petite Mort features eight tales of new adults battling society, the supernatural, and themselves!

Meet Molly Massacre and her horror-themed OnlyFans account. Fall into the pit when Kelly discovers the fast-food restaurant she works at is built on a set of ley lines. Take a disgusting muckbang challenge, learn the twisted truth of positivity gurus, and much more.

These contemporary stories are for those who enjoy their horror erotic, bizarre, and full of dark humor.

After finding digital-only success on Godless, these stories have been remastered, enhanced, and brought together for the first time in print.

Grinder – short
Santa’s Package – novella
Into the Pit – short
HorrorGasm – novella
#DeadSealChallenge – short
Magick Brew – short
The Sack Cutter – short
Cucumbers and Comforters – novella

Amazon

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Inverted Reality by Fran Lewis Banner

INVERTED REALITY
by Fran Lewis
July 21-25, 2025 Book Blast

 

 

Synopsis:

Inverted Reality is a compilation of five books that teach people, through the characters involved, the consequences of doing harmful, dangerous or mean things to others. The person will face in some cases the “mirror” that will replay their wrongdoing and then ask if they will repent. If not, the mirror will decide their fate for them. Each story has different characters who have done something wrong or evil to someone else. Some of the stories have voices that have been silenced and can no longer be heard. One story describes someone who was wrongly accused. The last part “The Third Choice” is Fran’s favorite. It tells a story about people who do not repent, and fate or consequences will be inflicted, but she won’t tell you how. Some of the stories are fiction while others are true and factual. You, the reader, will decide whether the story is true or false as you enter the world of Inverted Reality. You can decide what your own definition of the title means, and how you would react if you had to face the mirror or the third choice for what you might have done. You decide if it really happened and how you would react.

It’s good vs. evil, and consciousness vs. unconscionable.

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Praise for Inverted Reality:

“Actions Have Consequences! Inverted Reality by Fran Lewis is a chilling look at bad people committing horrific deeds.” ~ Irma Fritz, author of novels and short stories

Book Details:

Genre: Horror, Short Stories, Suspense and Thrillers

Published by: Just Reviews Publication Date: May 13, 2025 Number of Pages: 219 ISBN: May 13, 2025

Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

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About Author Fran Lewis:

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Fran Lewis

Fran worked in the NYC Public Schools as the Reading and Writing Staff Developer for over 36 years. She has three masters degrees and a PD in Supervision and Administration. Currently, she is a member of Who’s Who of America’s Teachers and Who’s Who of America’s Executives from Cambridge.‬‬ ‬ Fran is the author of more than 14 titles including three children’s books. She has written several books on Alzheimer’s disease in order to honor her mom and help create more awareness for a cure. These include Memories are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey; Ruth’s Story and Sharp as a Tack and Scrambled Eggs Which Describes Your Brain?. She also wrote A Daughter’s Promise about her walk through the disease with her mother. ‪Fran is the author of the Faces Behind the Stones series, a middle school series featuring stories growing up in the Bronx with her sister and MJ magazine. Voices from Beyond is her latest book which was preceded by Mirror Image, What If?, Population Zero, and Accusations.‬

Catch Up With Fran Lewis: Just Reviews Amazon Author Goodreads BookBub Facebook LinkedIn Instagram – @ferndine49 X – @franellena YouTube – @franlewis8

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts! Click here to view the Tour Schedule

 

 

Don’t Miss Your Chance to Win INVERTED REALITY!

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Fran Lewis. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

INVERTED REALITY by Fran Lewis (Print Books)

Can’t see the giveaway? Click Here!

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

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 Creep

21 Tales Of Terror

by Kevin Bachar

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Genre: Short Stories / Horror

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MY REVIEW

There are 21 stories in Kevin’s Creepy collection. Too many to review without it being a book itself. LOL So…. I’m going to talk about the writing. Which is excellent, to say the least.

I love horror. All kinds. Be it creature features, demonic, haunted or the evil done by mankind. Kevin chose to write about things that occur in our daily routine or grind. Like taking showers or subway commutes. Those things we do without really thinking about them. And this is where his writing takes on a life of it’s own. He introduces you to the subject of the story. You relate to it and the people or person. Recognize it, perhaps. Then he starts to guide you to where the story is going. You start to see what might happen. I love that part. My radar pings. Yes, it’s about to get creepy. And when it does, I’m in til the end.

After I finished these, they lingered in a way I didn’t expect. I started to notice what I was doing. Like on the ride to work. You know that drive you do all the time? You get there but don’t really remember the drive? I started to look around while driving. Almost expecting something I couldn’t easily explain to happen. That’s what Kevin did. He creeped me out.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

A man who steals packages from people’s doorsteps takes a box he should have never stolen or opened.

When a couple goes on a weekend road trip and gets lost, they end up somewhere that isn’t on any map.

Scientists searching for the ‘God Particle’ that started the universe open a portal to a certain type of hell in one suburban neighborhood.

CREEP takes readers on a terrifying tour of our everyday lives. Wicked stories about the people and places we come in contact with each day that harbor terrible secrets and horrors. We walk through the world thinking we know where every step will lead but if the dark stars align, the commonplace can become shocking. It’s the type of horror that can CREEP up on you and leave you shaking with terror.

Kevin Bachar is an EMMY award-winning documentary filmmaker who has swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. In CREEP, he leaves the wilds of the world to expose the twisted horrors of our daily lives.

Amazon

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About Author Kevin Bachar:

 

Kevin Bachar

Kevin Bachar is a national EMMY award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and WGA writer. The elevated horror film he wrote – The Inhabitant – https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-inh… – was released through Lionsgate and is available on most streaming services.

If you’ve watched National Geographic, PBS, or The Discovery Channel over the years you’ve seen his work. He’s the idiot in the water filming sharks or crawling into caves to photograph vampire bats. You can see Kevin at work filming sharks here – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2703407897/

The natural world has always captured his imagination and the supernatural world inspires his stories. Through his journeys, he’s interviewed scientists who’ve enlightened him, heard folk tales that have frightened him, and seen quite a few things that have challenged his skeptical mind.

His collection of short stories that weaves together the natural world and the supernatural world entitled, DREAD, is available on Amazon. He’s currently working on his second collection entitled – CREEP.

Complimenting his writing, Kevin has lectured and given presentations at prestigious institutions such as Rutgers University, American University, and the Rubin Museum of Art.
To keep up to date with Kevin’s movies, documentaries, and books –
www.kevinbachar.com
https://twitter.com/KevinPangolin
https://www.instagram.com/kevinbachar/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinbachar?l…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEKM_m
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1423190/

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Click on the cover for my review of Dread.

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Tales of wounded people in need of care…

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St. James Infirmary

Author: Steven Meloan

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Publication Date: April 20, 2023

Pages: 80

Genre: Short Fiction

A book of short stories by Steven Meloan.

Steven Meloan’s writing has been seen in Wired, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles, BUZZ, the San Francisco Chronicle, and SF Weekly. His fiction has appeared in SOMA Magazine, the Sonoma Valley Sun, Lummox Press, and Newington Blue Press, as well as at Litquake, Quiet Lightning, and other Bay Area literary events. He has regularly written for the Huffington Post, and is co-author of the novel The Shroud with his brother Michael. He is a recovered software programmer, and was a street busker in London, Paris, and Berlin.

“Reading these stories, I felt like I was hearing an original voice for the very first time. They are surreal, cinematic, poetic, and have real punch-with everything I could want in a collection of short fiction. Set in California and Europe, from the 1960s to the 1980s, they vividly capture lost times and lost places. They have echoes of Jack Kerouac and Paul Bowles, and can be read again and again with a sense of wonder and pleasure.”-Jonah Raskin, Author of Beat Blues, San Francisco, 1955

St. James Infirmary is a captivating collection of stories that takes readers on a dark and uncanny journey through everyday life. Meloan’s writing has a haunting subtlety that draws one in, as if witnessing the events in real-time. With sharp insights and unexpected twists, these stories explore complex human relationships and the often-mysterious forces that shape them. Meloan vividly captures the gritty reality of each setting, throwing a column of light into the underground of the ordinary. For fans of evocative writing that stays with you long after the final page, St. James Infirmary is a must-read.”

– Roadside Press

St. James Infirmary is available at Amazon / Roadside Press

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MY REVIEW

You know those scenes in movies where they show someone using an old projector? The way it sounds. The way each section flickers. That’s how these stories felt to me. Like they were projected into my brain. Uncut. Flickering from one to the next.  A brief visit and no more.  The characters leapt into existence and then slipped out. Like phantoms.

Now, I give up. For some reason I struggled to write this review. I’d get frustrated and go do something else. Kept coming back to it. Changing this and that. And finally made the decision to just let it be. I hope you got the gist of how this collection made me feel. Yes, they made me feel.

4 STARS

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Enjoy this peek inside:

 

It had been a long, hard cross-country drive west, in our boat-like 1960s Mercury cruiser. My parents could only cover a few hundred miles a day—because my brother and I were always hungry, or bored, or needed to pee. After a half-day of driving, my father would finally give in, check us into a roadside Motor Hotel, where we would swim, eat burgers, bounce like monkeys between beds in the musty room, and then fall into exhausted sleep.

The final stretch had seemed an eternity of highway—parched plains, tin-badge sheriffs wanting payments for (we suspected) manufactured infractions…and then the haunted moonlit expanse of the Mojave Desert. My parents had purchased an after-factory A/C for our new car—a rare luxury for the time. But because of it, the car was endlessly overheating.

Knowing nothing about such things, my college-professor father opened the hood, cars roaring past us in the starry night. He pulled out his handkerchief, loosening the radiator cap, unleashing a boiling geyser of water that blew ten feet into the air. He howled into the night like a wounded animal. My mother applied Vicks VapoRub (there in case my brother or I fell ill) to his badly blistered forearm, and we continued on into the desert expanse.

So after all that, it was a relief to have finally arrived—to be in Los Angeles. We pulled in at midnight off the Harbor Freeway, our legs stiff, our butts numb. Rolling down the windows brought the distant roar of traffic, which I imagined to be the ocean. The breeze carried with it the smell of oranges and dust, and other new and indefinable things.

And Downtown L.A. wasn’t much back then, almost a ghost town by night. My brother whispered over to me, “…It’s not very nice here, is it? Not like Indiana.”

My mother peered out into the solitary darkness, involuntarily gathering her coat around her. I watched her tired face lit in pale fluorescence, reflected in the car’s window glass.

And once again, my brother and I needed a snack, and had to pee. A diner at the corner of Pershing Square glowed in the distance like a solitary oasis—neon-red and fluorescent-white splashing out onto the dark oily streets. “Googies”—the two O’s of the sign forming curious cartoon eyes.

Cruising past, we saw solitary men inside hunched on red naugahyde stools, nursing cups of coffee, and maybe a slice of pie. I wondered what people were doing out at that hour, and all alone.

“I’m not taking the children in there,” my mother said as we pulled up to the curb. “It’s full of bums!”

My father, tired from the road and his arm still raw, growled back—“If they get hungry enough, they’ll get used to it!”

We were the only family in the place, the young waitress giving us a booth by the window. The unearthly brightness and neon trim felt like a space station. At a nearby stool, a man nervously traced a finger along the pastel shapes etched in the countertop, stubbing out the last of a cigarette, and then lighting another.

But after a fountain Coke, a grilled cheese, and fries, all felt right again with the world. Even my father seemed in better spirits. We checked into our hotel—the “Cloud Motel,” just west of downtown. The rooms smelled of stale cigarettes and bleach. But a glowing swimming pool hummed in the center courtyard, its lattice of turquoise light dancing in invitation.

The next morning, we all went sightseeing—billowing L.A. clouds against a painfully blue sky, impossibly tall palms swaying in the breeze, and the jacaranda trees in full purple bloom. It was before the era of smog, and the downtown gleamed like Oz.

When we came back to our room later that afternoon, though, we found my mother’s dresses and blouses inexplicably stuffed into a plastic trash can in the hall outside the door. My father’s face tightened in rage. Like a detective, he slowly unlocked the door of our room. Inside, three men in their underwear sat at a small round table, smoking cigars and playing cards. Their wiry black chest hair spilled out from white-ribbed undershirts, and a lone woman lounged on a far chair, her legs crossed, wearing nothing but a bra and panties.

“What the hell are you doing in my room!” my father snarled.

“What the hell are you doing in my room?” a man who appeared to be the leader of the group shot back.

My father spun out to the hall, grabbed the trash can filled with my mother’s clothes, emptied the contents into the trunk of our Mercury, and then headed for the hotel office. My brother and I stood outside with my mother, her arms wrapped around us. Inside the glass enclosure, we saw my father waving his arms, his mouth contorting into vague obscenities. In response to something the desk clerk said, my father drop-kicked the plastic trash can clear across the office lobby. He’d never been good at sports, but it was an impressive shot.

Minutes later, he emerged with a new room key. “There’s a convention nearby,” he said, his face still red, “and they needed the larger rooms. It’s apparently how they do things here. But we’re getting the new room for free—and for the rest of the week.”

I looked at my parents as we made our way to the new room, trying to decide from their expressions whether this turn of events was a good thing, or a bad thing. My father suggested we all put on our suits and go for a swim. 

“…Welcome to L.A.,” he said. 

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About Author Steve Meloan
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Steven Meloan has written for Wired, Rolling Stone, the Huffington Post, Los Angeles, BUZZ, the San Francisco Chronicle, and SF Weekly. His fiction has appeared in SOMA Magazine, the Sonoma Valley Sun, Lummox Press, Newington Blue Press, and Roadside Press, as well as at Litquake, Quiet Lightning, Library Girl, and other literary events. His short fiction collection, St. James Infirmary, was released in 2023 on Roadside Press. He is a recovered software developer, co-author of the novel The Shroud with his brother Michael, and a former busker in London, Paris, and Berlin.

Author Links  X (Twitter) | Facebook | Instagram

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Sponsored By:

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

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Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

 Dread

by Kevin Bachar

Genre: Horror / Short Stories

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MY REVIEW

You recognize a true storyteller when they can write short fiction that gives so much in so few words. Kevin is one of those. He’s taken his experiences with the natural world and written some unnatural horror stories.

Among my favorites is the telling of his first hand encounter with a sasquatch. I love that big, hairy cryptid. The author truly creeped me out and I’ll think about his encounter before setting foot in the woods again. Heck, I’ll never take nature for granted after some of these stories.

Whether super short or a bit longer, all of these had something going for them. I enjoyed the diversity and the lingering affect this collection had on me. I say to the author, bring me more. For you fans of horror, I suspect you’ll enjoy these as much as I did.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

A child died in an avalanche, and she won’t leave me alone.

A woman plagued by blood-draining mosquitoes on the Alaskan tundra figures out a horrific way to scratch her unending itching.

There’s something outside my tent…and I think it’s hungry.

A collector of rare tropical fish, receives a new species that is both fascinating and terrifying.

DREAD – Thousands of people have gone missing out in the wild and here is a collection of tales that offer up some horrifying reasons why. Emmy-award-winning National Geographic cinematographer Kevin Bachar has swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. In DREAD, he weaves together terrifying true stories from his real-life adventures with twisted fiction from the depths of his frightening imagination. Flip open the pages to indulge in the dark side of nature— haunted forests, tree demons, monstrous snakes, and a search-and-rescue team terrorized by the ghosts of those they couldn’t save.

Read… if you dare.

Amazon

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About Author Kevin Bachar

Kevin Bachar

Kevin Bachar is a national EMMY award-winning natural history documentary filmmaker and WGA writer. The elevated horror film he wrote – The Inhabitant – https://www.lionsgate.com/movies/the-inh… – was released through Lionsgate and is available on most streaming services.

If you’ve watched National Geographic, PBS, or The Discovery Channel over the years you’ve seen his work. He’s the idiot in the water filming sharks or crawling into caves to photograph vampire bats. You can see Kevin at work filming sharks here – https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2703407897/

The natural world has always captured his imagination and the supernatural world inspires his stories. Through his journeys, he’s interviewed scientists who’ve enlightened him, heard folk tales that have frightened him, and seen quite a few things that have challenged his skeptical mind.

His collection of short stories that weaves together the natural world and the supernatural world entitled, DREAD, is available on Amazon. He’s currently working on his second collection entitled – CREEP.

Complimenting his writing, Kevin has lectured and given presentations at prestigious institutions such as Rutgers University, American University, and the Rubin Museum of Art.
To keep up to date with Kevin’s movies, documentaries, and books –
www.kevinbachar.com
https://twitter.com/KevinPangolin
https://www.instagram.com/kevinbachar/
https://www.tiktok.com/@kevinbachar?l…
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjEKM_m
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1423190/

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

   

     

   

     

     

     

 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 In The Cold, Cold Ground

Edited by Ed Kurtz

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Genre: Horror

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MY REVIEW

I have a fondness for horror collections . I get to read new stories by authors I’ve enjoyed before or find some new ones. There are six novellas in this collection and they knocked my socks off.

First up is All The Strangers Came Today by Ed Kurtz. Eun and Jim move into their new apartment. It’s a strange place, built in the 1880s.  Right off the bat Eun has trouble settling in and is creeped out by the attic. It’s stifling hot and the window won’t stay shut. She starts seeing things and her husband thinks her schizoaffective disorder has returned, causing the horrific hallucinations she’s having. I wondered too. You never know where the author is taking you. Until you do. A haunting story superbly written.

Next up is The Art Of Devastation by Morgan Sylva.  Right from the opening scene I knew I was going to love this one too. I never knew the main character’s name. She’s interviewing an older woman, Elle Sanders, that was once famous and also infamous. Elle knows what she wants to talk about and gets right to it. Back when she was a young woman, she steals her mother’s yacht and, along with five friends, goes island hopping. Months later, Elle is found on an island, covered in blood with something unmentionable in her stomach.

I really got sucked in by these characters. Both had something horrific happen to them in their past. It still haunted them. And once I heard what happened on that island. The one that wouldn’t let them leave. I was haunted too.

The third story is After Everything by Errick Nunally.  Oh yeah. After reading the first three sentences I couldn’t stop reading.

“When it comes to creeps there is one thing you can count on. Every time. When all is said and done, they do not behave like humans.”

Eddie and Jeff are doing what they usually do at the end of each day. Hanging out at the playground and smoking some good weed. Then a shambler comes along. It’s not so much what it looks like, it’s the creepy moaning that causes a panic in Jeff. When the aliens, the bugs came, it was thought they brought the virus that turned humans into creeps. Whatever caused it, the world they knew is gone. The new one is a drag.

There was a crazy scene were Eddie and Jeff are fighting off a creep and having a tough go of it.  It was once a soldier and was wearing a helmet and flak jacket. Pretty hard to kill. I feared for one of them. Or both. Authors often kill off the main characters. That’s what made this so suspenseful. I was hoping they would survive but fearing they wouldn’t.

And the fourth story is Mine by Kyle Rader. For Timmy and Hunter it was always about the fort in the woods. They never knew who built it. It was used by one generation after another. And over the years it grew and morphed into quite the clubhouse.

Other boys used the fort too and it was first come first serve. Whoever occupied the fort defended it. It was a safe place for Timmy and Hunter. And then it wasn’t. A battle between the groups of boys began and ended. When the battle was over, the boys expected to see the others. But something else was standing there. And not just their world would change. The evil would ooze into town. No one was safe.

Man this one got dark.  I had no idea what in the world was going to happen. Prepared myself though. It wasn’t going to be pretty.

And the fifth story is Click Clack by William D. Carl. The title is so scary good. I couldn’t wait to see what it was all about.

The noise awoke Jonas from a sound sleep. Click Clack. He looked around the room, seeing nothing that would cause that sound. Knowing he was all alone, far from the city, he wouldn’t be going back to sleep until he figured out it’s cause. He found nothing in the house or garage and threw on some clothes to go check outside. Nothing he could see but he sensed he was being watched. Shrugging it off, he turned to go back inside. There it was again. Click. Clack. But when he spun around. Nothing.

The next night the sounds were back. What could be making them? The neighbors shared the same experience so he wasn’t imagining it.  I probably should have figured out where this was going sooner. But I didn’t. And that’s okay. It made the ending even better.

And the sixth and final story is The Red Hike by Kristin Dearborn. Natalie wanted to be an outdoors influencer. Then she met Charlie and it got put on the back burner. When her friend, Elena, heard that Charlie hit Natalie, she wanted to protect her. That’s how she ended up rolling out of bed at the crack of dawn to go hiking. A producer noticed Natalie’s popularity and asked her to do a hike in Vermont for Halloween.

I’m telling you, if someone told me that someone had gone missing there, and her body mysteriously turned up later, right where they’d been searching for her, no way would I step foot on that trail. But these three did and I knew nothing good would come of it.

Can rocks eat people? It’s rumored that they did on the trail they were hiking. And that thing did happen. Natalie touched that cairn and Poof. Gone. Where was she? How do they get her back? And what else should they be worried about?

Well this story went in an unexpected direction. And so did the ending. The author got really creative.

Many of these got a 5 star rating on their own so I’m going to use that for the entire collection. There’s so much for fans of horror and dark fiction to enjoy.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

6 AUTHORS. 6 NOVELLAS.

6 STATES OF HORROR IN NEW ENGLAND.

Join William D. Carl, Kristin Dearborn, Ed Kurtz, Errick Nunnally, Kyle Rader, and Morgan Sylvia for six novellas—one for each state in New England—that explore the region from its haunted past to a horrifying vision of its future. Hidden doorways into bleak spirit realms and impossible pockets of time, ancient specters that inhabit the dark woods, unwanted visitors from unknown worlds and a cruel siren call from the waves crashing against the rocks…a hexad of horror from deep in the cold, cold ground.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

   

     

   

   

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

.

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

.

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

 Exploring Dark Short Fiction

Edited by Eric J. Guignard

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Genre: Horror / Short Stories

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MY REVIEW

There are six short stories in this collection. The Primer is authored by Steve Rasnic Tem and then analyzed by Michael Arzen. There’s also an interview that explores why he wrote these and how.

I’m huge on group dynamics and strong character drive stories and all of these were great for very different reasons. The wicked cover art and excellent illustrations for each story are the icing on the cake for what waits between these pages. I’m not one to name favorites and it would be hard for me to do that when they’re all so good.

I have the next Primer to read and I’m excited to dig into more quality writing of horror and the bizarre that Steve has cooked up.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

For over four decades, Steve Rasnic Tem has been an acclaimed author of horror, weird, and sentimental fiction. Steve Rasnic Tem has been read and cherished the world over for his affecting, genre-crossing tales.

Dark Moon Books and editor Eric J. Guignard bring you this introduction to his work, the first in a series of primers exploring modern masters of literary dark short fiction. Herein is a chance to discover—or learn more of—the rich voice of Steve Rasnic Tem, as beautifully illustrated by artist Michelle Prebich.

Included within these pages are:

• Six short stories, one written exclusively for this book
• Author interview
• Complete bibliography
• Academic commentary by Michael Arnzen, PhD (former humanities chair and professor of the year, Seton Hill University)
• … and more!

Enter this doorway to the vast and fantastic: Get to know Steve Rasnic Tem.

Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

     

   

     

   

 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.