P.L. McMillan's Blog, page 8

Fractured Tears: Book Review

Howdy, dear reader! I think this might be a first for my blog – reviewing a memoir. Just as a warning, this book contains prolonged and serious domestic assault, resulting in injury. Also, please note that the cover as shown below could also trigger any who may be sensitive to these issues so please read on carefully.

I received a copy from Coffee and Thorn in exchange for a fair review. 

The Author

Amy Shannon is an American author whose stories focus on the strength of women. 

She has written over 120 stories, both full-length novels and short stories, as well as poetry and innovative thoughts, and essays under her name. She has also written under two other pen names (Alex Tempera and Royal Henry Bleu). 

Along with writing, she also writes reviews and provides editing services. You can find her at her website, on Twitter, or Instagram.

The Book

This is a fictionalized version of the real life events of the author.

Anna Coleman gave her husband one more chance for them to work on fixing what was wrong with their marriage. Ted used that chance to try to kill her. Anna didn’t give up or give in, she fought to survive, and she fought for justice, as it became a personal struggle as well as a public cause célèbre. All she wanted was for the justice system to properly punish Ted for what he did to her, and it took a lot of strength, perseverance, and support.

Read how Anna struggles to fight for justice, and deal with her personal issues from having been betrayed and abused by her husband of 13 years. – Fractured Tears Amazon page

The Review

Fractured Tears is a heartbreaking and genuine story of a woman surviving an abusive relationship. It took a lot of courage from the author and, I can only assume, may have re-opened old wounds to write this brutal account of her journey.  

It was a difficult read due to the subject matter so I would warn anyone who might be sensitive to the topic of domestic abuse to tread carefully if you chose to read this book. It details the difficult journey a domestic abuse survivor must make after separating with her abuser, as well as the hurdles one might face.

At times the book reads less polished and more like a true cry from the author’s heart as she tells her tragic tale. Or maybe it is more accurate to say, it is as if Anna herself is sat across from you, recounting the horrors she went through. Poignant, heartbreaking, and genuine.

7/10

x PLM

Back to the 90s!

That’s right, today is the day! AHH! That’s What I Call Horror is live! The 90s — they’re ALIVE!

Buy a copy today!

This anthology contains my haunted Blockbuster tale, “Blockbuster Blues: Return to Gray Springs” — plus thirteen other tales of tubular terror. Also, if you missed it, you can watch eight of the authors reading snippets in the wacky online event I hosted with Carson Winter, another author in the anthology.

And if you grab a copy, let me know what you think it and my tale!

x PLM

The Black Phone: Movie Review

Hello dear reader!

I just had an amazing weekend hosting the 90s live reading event for Ahh! That’s What I Call Horror! This amazing book of 90s horror tales goes live this Wednesday, so grab your pre-orders now!

Rad Tubular 90s Horror!

The story I wrote for that anthology is pretty unique compared to my other writing (plus there’s a little extra surprise woven in with it) so check it out and let me know what you think!

Now onto the review! There is a spoiler-line below my signature, at the end of this post, please avoid that if you haven’t watched the movie yet!

The Movie

Based on a story by Joe Hill, The Black Phone is a 2021 horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and stars Mason Thames, Madeleine McGraw, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone, and Ethan Hawke.

The film is set in the 1970s, when a Denver suburb is being terrorized by a serial child abductor and murderer called “The Grabber.” Main characters and siblings, Finney and Gwen live in the area and end up face to face with the horror when Finney is kidnapped.

Stuck in a creepy sound-proof basement, Finney starts experiencing the supernatural when the disconnected black phone in his prison cell begins to ring. At the same time, his sister is searching for him, guided by her psychic dreams.

The Review

Being upfront, the immense hype around this movie actually made me delay watching it because I thought my expectations would get too high and then I’d be disappointed. I finally watched last weekend and was surprised!

The movie wasn’t mindblowing but I did enjoy it a lot!

I like the cinematography, which fit the time the movie was set in. I liked the way the supernatural elements were handles and the details spent on the antagonist’s mask and behaviour (stand out performance by Ethan Hawke, so creepy.) The actors/actresses did an amazing job with their characters, the pacing was just right so I didn’t lose interest, and overall I had a good time.

At the same time, the movie didn’t inspire any overwhelming sense of dread or horror in me. There were definitely tense moments but it wasn’t super scary. I also had some annoyances with a subplot, but that’s below the spoiler-line. So, overall, I enjoyed it but it isn’t going on my favourite movie list.

6/10

x PLM

 

SPOILER LINE! BEWARE!

SERIOUS SPOILERS AHEAD!

 

The main subplot of the movie is about the little sister and her psychic dreams. While her brother struggles to escape, she is trying to tap into her power to find him. In the end, she gets there just as he manages to kill The Grabber and escape himself.

Her subplot just felt…futile, I guess? Nothing about the plot would have changed if her character had been cut. I guess she was just there to fill in some time, or … I actually don’t know. I think her character was so intriguing, I would have loved to see her actually have an effect on the events. Like for her actions actually do something.

Instead, we follow her struggling, then she gets the police to the wrong house, and her brother gets out of the actual house. I waited the whole movie for her to do something, to help in some way.

Oh well. I guess it’s a minor grievance. If you watched it, what did you think? Let me know

90s Horror! Giveaways! Readings! Free!

Two days! TWO DAYS!

This Saturday is the day! I’m hosting the ultimate 90s horror event!

Eight readings

3 free giveaways*

1 wild raffle*

Check out the anthology:

With fourteen horror stories set during the decade of flannel shirts and neon dolphin Trapper Keepers, Ahh! That’s What I Call Horror features a PHAT (pretty horrific and terrifying) collection of totally rad horror and weird fiction authors exploring the darker side of what many consider a time of relative peace and prosperity. When it comes to ‘90s horror, this is one anthology guaranteed to be all that and a bag of haunted chips.

And dearest reader, I want to see you there! Grab a ticket!

Get your ticket today!

So why don’t you swing by and hang out with us?

x PLM

*US shipping only

Alice in Borderland: Show Review

Hello dear reader!

How long has it been since I did a series review? Welcome back then, I guess!

Before diving in, don’t forget — Save time on your calendar on Jan 21st for the live event I’ll be hosting to help launch the 90s horror anthology, Ahh! That’s What I Call Horror! There will be live readings and giveaways! Don’t miss out!

Reserve your spot! The Show

First released in 2020, Alice in Borderland (今際の国のアリス) is a Japanese science fiction thriller based on a manga series by Haro Aso. Directed by Shinsuke Sato, it stars Kento Yamazaki, Tao Tsuchiya, Yūki Morinaga, Keita Machida, Ayame Misaki, Nijirō Murakami, and Aya Asahina. Currently, there are two seasons (and hopefully another one coming soon.)

The story follows Ryōhei Arisu, a young man living in Tokyo, who gets trapped in an alternate abandoned Tokyo where people are forced to compete in dangerous games. These games are dictated in style and difficulty based on the playing card assigned to them. Avoid playing in these games and your ‘visa’ runs out then a sky laser zaps you in the brain, killing you. Ryōhei, and his band of survivors, desperately fight to survive these games while trying to make sense of the world they live in now and how they might get out.

The Review

I was originally drawn to this show because I am a bit of a fan of survival films/shows like Battle Royale and Hunger Games — Alice in Borderland has a very similar vibe and did not disappoint! The concept is super interesting — a large population is drawn into a mirror version of the city they live in and then forced to play in games to survive. Weird, brutal, and fast-paced — Alice in Borderland doesn’t pull any punches.

The characters are slowly but effectively developed in the midst of the gore and tension and horror — as well as being expertly acted by their respective actors/actresses. Each episode whirls by, keeping you gripped by the throat. It was binge-worthy and unforgettable. A lot of the episodes end on cliff hangers which, of course, make me unable to not watch another right after (damn you, tantalizing show!)

I think the only complaint I had is that the main characters can be a bit too “perfect”, if that makes sense — particularly the characters of Arisu and Usagi are a bit goody-goody. It’s not enough to drive me away from the show though. Still Chishiya and Kuina are the characters I love and I root for the most. They aren’t as “one flavour” (does that make sense?) and have back stories/behaviours that really grab my interest.

Anyway, this is definitely a show I would recommend! Check it out and let me know what you think!

8/10

x PLM

Happy Holidays and a Merry New Year!

Dearest reader! Happy holidays to you, I hope you had the spookiest time!

Me? Well, okay, my holidays — they were something.

First off, I was able to visit my family for the first time in four years since the start of COVID! However, that also meant I was neck deep in that airline fiasco. I managed to make it to Minneapolis and had one flight left which — to the surprise of no one — got cancelled. After that, they had no flights leaving to my destination. The best they could do was fly us to a neighbouring city in two days and then we would have to drive four hours.

Instead, we just drove the whole way — about 8 hours. On very little sleep.

Then trying to get back, after having a lovely visit, took an extra day or so. When we picked the cats up from the cat hotel, both had cat colds and let me tell you — Poe is very determined to make sure he is aimed at my face when he sneezes so I keep getting cannon blasted in the face with kitty snot.

But still, it was good to see my family again! I ate good food, played lots of board games, my dad organized a family day of escape rooms, bowling, and laser tag too. I also read a ton. I asked for a lot of books for Christmas so I got five Junji Itos and the first ten of the Ciaphas Cain series by Sandy Mitchell (which is a 40k series).

And now I am back, back to work, back to the gym, back to life! I took am extra week off of blogging just because travelling took a lot out of me! But I’m back and have so many sights to show you. First of all, tons of interviews in the coming year! I got a bunch of amazing ARCs as well, so expect some cool reviews too.

Should I review the 40k books? I mean they are kinda horror? Let me know what you think in the comments — do you want to hear what I think about those books? Also, if you have any recommendations for awesome 40k books, let me know!

Onwards to the most pressing news!

On Jan 21st, I’ll be hosting an amazing live event with author Carson Winter! This live event is for Ahh! That’s What I Call Horror anthology, which is coming out Jan 25th and contains my haunted Blockbuster tale, “Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues”.

This free live event will feature readings from eight authors whose works appear in the anthology:

Bridget D. Brave

Caleb Stephens

Christopher O'Halloran

Chelsea Pumpkins

J.V. Gachs

J.W. Donley

Mathew Wend

Patrick Barb

In addition to the readings, there will also be three giveaways* for a chance to win a copy of the anthology!

And that's not all! That's right -- this event just keeps giving! There's also a raffle*!

Raffle

Okay, folks -- when you click on the link, you might notice this event is donation based. You can totally join for free -- no pressure! But if you do donate, here are the deets:

$1 = 1 raffle ticket

$5 = 6 raffle tickets

$10 = 13 tickets spooky!

$20 = 30 tickets

This grand prize includes a special signed edition of Ahh! That's What I Call Horror, stickers, limited edition pogs, lava lamp pin, a Horrorgatchi shirt, Alive and Living mug, Harvest Queen tote bag, and cutie Horrorgatchi key chain ( total value at over $80.00 )*!

Sheesh! That's awesome! Plus all proceeds go towards covering costs and helping promote the anthology, which benefits all the writers! And who could resist making those cuties smile, huh?

Get your ticket!

Get your ticket and reserve your spot today! Again, this event is completely free! Donations will just get you tickets in the raffle, which gives you a chance to win a massive booty haul of 90s joy*!

Get your ticket!

Don't wait! Reserve your spot today and tell your friends!

x PLM

p.s. Squarespace introduced those new animations/text highlighting tools and I definitely took advantage of it, haha

*USA shipping only

Christmas Bloody Christmas: Movie Review

Tis the season for holiday horror movies! What a wild ride this one was! Onwards!

The Movie

It's Christmas Eve and Tori just wants to get drunk and party, but when a robotic Santa Claus at a nearby toy store goes haywire and begins a rampant killing spree through her small town, she's forced into a battle for survival. — Christmas Bloody Christmas IMDb page

Written and directed by Joe Begos, Christmas Bloody Christmas is a 2022 Christmas horror film starring Riley Dandy, Sam Delich, and Jonah Ray. Its Wiki page states that the concept for this movie spawned from Begos pitching a remake of the1984 Silent Night, Deadly Night, but with a Terminator-style Santa. His pitch was rejected for being too far from the original but, obviously, he still went ahead with the idea in a different way. Currently, it’s available exclusively on Shudder.

The Review

Honestly I absolutely loved Christmas Bloody Christmas. It was a bloody wild, relentless, and fun sleigh ride of hijinks, horror, and holiday gore.

First off, I fell in love with the two main characters — Tori and Robbie — who were well developed, quirky, and lovable. The set-up before the killing started was long for a horror movie, I will admit, there’s a lot of dialogue and development, but I honestly really liked it. Sometimes, with popcorn flicks, you don’t care about the characters at all because they are flat. This is not the case for Christmas Bloody Christmas, which draws you in with witty dialogue and sexy chemistry, before dousing you in blood.

The movie also has strong aesthetics, with most of the locations featuring heavy and dramatic lighting. Like, probably, if you had to legit work in that kind of environment, you’d probably need glasses by the end of the month, but for a horror movie — it was a feast of vibes.

The whole idea of the movie is so ridiculous and awesome. Some military-grade robots are repurposed for holiday use. The movie starts with a TV switching between channels, including a news channel talking about said robots needing to be recalled. I wonder why. Hm.

Tech horror, holiday horror, and a lotta sass. That’s what Christmas Bloody Christmas brings you.

After the slower beginning, the movie grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go until the end. It is as relentless as its robotic killer.

I laughed, I flinched, I fell in love with Riley Dandy. Absolutely a banger of a movie and a definite add to any horror lover’s must-watch list this year.

10/10

x PLM

Interview: Split Scream Vol 2

Today I chat with Dread Stone Press founder, Alex Ebenstein, and authors, Cynthia Gomez & M. Lopes Da Silva about the novelette double feature: Split Scream Volume 2. Check out my review here!

Order a copy today!

Split Scream Vol 2: Book Review

Welcome back, dearest reader!

I’m here with another review of a Dread Stone Press publication: Split Scream Vol 2! You may remember that I reviewed Split Scream Vol 1 and also interviewed the writers. Well, I managed to get another ARC and another interview! That’s right, today I’m posting the review and on Thursday, my interview with the authors of Split Scream Vol 2 will go live! So be sure to stop back by then!

The Authors (and Press Founder)

Cynthia Gomez grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and has called Oakland home for most of her adult life. She has a particular love for themes of revenge, retribution, and resistance to oppression. Her stories have appeared in The Acentos Review, Strange Horizons, and anthologies including Antifa Splatterpunk and an upcoming anthology from Creature Publishing. She is working on a collection of speculative fiction all connected to Oakland. She loves to write dark and frightening things while cuddling with her shadow, aka her adorable little dog.

Find her on Twitter!

M. Lopes Da Silva is a non-binary and bisexual author from Los Angeles. They write pulp and poetry, and sometimes the two get mixed up together. Their queer California horror fiction has been published or is forthcoming from In Somnio: A Collection of Modern Gothic Horror Fiction, Antifia Spatterpunk, and Stories of the Eye. Unnerving Magazine previously published their debut novella Hooker: a pro-queer, pro-sex work, feminist retrowave pulp thriller about a bisexual sex worker hunting a serial killer in 1980s Los Angeles using hooks as her weapons of choice.

Find them on Twitter or their website!

Alex Ebenstein is a maker of maps by day, writer of horror fiction by night. He lives with his family in Michigan. He has stories published by The Other Stories Podcast, Cemetery Gates Media, and others. He is also the founder of Dread Stone Press.

Find Dread Stone Press on their website or Twitter.

The Book

"The Shivering World" - Cynthia Gómez

Nayeli's brilliance should be enough to outshine the darkness she longs to leave behind, but she fears she'll never get further than what her unstable mother can provide: a futon in a garage. She's determined to transfer to a good college and get out, but the men in her life-a violent neighbor, a greedy landlord, her mother's predatory boyfriend-stand in her way. Only once she encounters the supernatural, a being she suspects to be La Llorona herself, does Nayeli begin to truly see the power she is capable of. But at what cost? "The Shivering World" is a Faustian bargain in a place of poverty and gentrification, where supernatural terrors meet the horrors of escaping to a new life.

"What Ate the Angels" - M. Lopes da Silva

Non-binary ASMR artist November discovers the sound of a giant heartbeat beneath Los Angeles, which only they seem to hear. When their vore-loving partner Heather, a City Hall archivist, grows ill and can't get the healthcare she needs, they believe they will find a solution through the thrum. November journeys underground, through abandoned Prohibition-era tunnels, to the den of a creature born from the fabric of the city itself: oil, bones, chemicals-and souls. "What Ate the Angels" is queer body horror full of dread and pulpy, throbbing filth.

Released in November 2022, Split Scream Vol 2 is home to two chilling horror stories and custom interior art by C. Paul Ramey.

The Review

Once again, Dread Stone Press hits hard with two bizarre novelettes of horror by Cynthia Gómez and M. Lopes da Silva, and art by Evangeline Gallagher and C. Paul Ramey.

Unique in style and theme from Volume 1, the novelettes in Volume 2 did not disappoint. I can now safely say that Dread Stone Press knows how to put together delicious double features for horror fans everywhere.

I loved "The Shivering World" and "What Ate the Angels", so let’s dive in.

The first story, “The Shivering World” explores what it means to be on the outside and just want the same chances as everyone else. What cost would you be willing to pay for a chance to improve your life and break a negative cycle? Gómez also explores cultural lore, spinning the story of La Llorona and giving her new life. A beautiful, dark, and — at times — bitter fairy tale, “The Shivering World” is a delicious tale of Faustian dread.

“What Are the Angels” then plunges you into the gritty cityscape of Los Angeles. November is the the non-binary main character who is just trying to make a clean living making ASMR videos. Unfortunately for them, the city has other plans, infesting their life and love with unrelenting filth. Again, our protagonist is faced with a choice, a cost. How far would you be willing to go for someone you love? A throat-gripping ride into the dirty underbelly of L.A., of messy relationships, and the torture of someone in love — this is one tale that will leave you stained.

Once again, a delicious duo, a dangerous dive into dark desires, and delirious dirges around decisions. Whew. Look at that alliteration. Haha. Seriously though, this double feature is a must read for horror fans!

10/10

x PLM

p.s. don’t forget to come back on Thursday for when I grill the authors about their inspirations, their writing process, and more! Plus, there were not one but two pet appearances!

Tales from Between: Anthology Review

Howdy reader!

We are back to my regularly scheduled reviews! Today I’ll be reviewing the recent anthology, Tales from Between. Before I do, I’m going to go ahead and hype Ahh! That’s What I Call Horror! — the anthology of 90s horror I’m in, with my Blockbuster horror tale: “Return to Gray Springs: Blockbuster Blues.”

Pre-orders are available now and, if you order a signed copy, you’ll get tons of goodies too!

Get some 90s nostalgia!

Also, I have appeared on yet another podcast! Check me out on the H.P. Podcast podcast today!

Onto the review!

The Editor

Matthew Stott is an English writer and publisher, who runs Tales from Between and Uncanny Kingdom. Besides writing prose, Stott is also an experienced scriptwriter and has written for BBC television and radio.

You can find him on his website or on Twitter.

The Anthology

Tales From Between: Words & Pictures is a collection of horror & fantasy stories, art, and comic strips. It features a range of the most vital authors around, from award-winners, to the next big names. — Tales from Between Barnes and Noble description

Published on Nov 29, 2022, Tales from Between is an unthemed horror anthology featured both established and newer writers. Its table of contents includes:

“A Housewife's Eldritch Guide to Hosting the Perfect Dinner Party” by Gwendolyn Kiste

“Excursion” by Elin Olausson

“Devil’s Den” by Rowan MacColl

“He Was Different After The Surgery” by Eric LaRocca

“Unexcused Absence” by Mona Kabbani

“Happy Memories” by Matthew Stott

“Listen to the Teeth” by Ross Jeffery

“Don't Scratch” by Ai Jiang

“Bee Face Man” by Trevor Henderson

“She Turns Into a Monster” by Matthew Stott

“White River” by Joanna Koch

“When the Guillotine Came” by Matthew Stott

“Give Me Your Fingers” by Laurel Hightower

“Unravelling” by Patrick Barb

“Stick” by Gavin Fullerton

“An Engine of Pain” by Hailey Piper

The Review

This small anthology has a unique mix of prose and illustrated entries, which makes it a pretty interesting read. Due to its length, I finished it in a few hours and due to its lack of theme, I never knew what to expect in each story (which is a good thing!)

Opening with Gwendolyn Kiste’s bizarre tale of a housewife’s harrowing dinner party, the anthology runs the gambit of haunted watch towers, the unintended consequences of corporate America, and plastic surgery transformations.

My personal favourites were:

“Listen to the Teeth” by Ross Jeffrey, which was a grim tale about a black magic detective who solves crimes by communicating with the dead. I loved the unique idea of the main character’s keyboard and what it was made of. The ending was quite chilling too.

“When the Guillotine Came” by Matthew Stott, art by Noah Bailey. This little illustrated piece was efficiently ominous in such a short piece.

“Give Me Your Fingers” by Laurel Hightower, a cleverly dark little story about repercussions to your actions. The main character just wants to land a dream job and does some dirty business to get it done. Hightower offers us a delicious karma-rich ending.

“Unravelling” by Patrick Barb is as bizarre as it is beautifully bittersweet. Barb manages to pack in a lot of layers into this short story. There’s a lot to unpack (or to unravel? bahdumtsh)!

“An Engine of Pain” by Hailey Piper. Oh lord, what a story to end on. Brutal, gripping, poetic, and just the right amount of gory. This sci-fi horror follows the main character into the aperture of a UFO, as she searches for her missing partner. Absolutely loved this tale.

Overall, I enjoyed this anthology and found the illustrated entries a refreshing addition to the prose. Again, this anthology didn’t have a theme but I enjoyed that because then you never knew what to expect — not in story topic or even subgenre. There were some stories that didn’t quite resonate with me, but not due to story quality (all the stories were well polished, paced, and structured), more just personal preference — which I think is to be expected in any anthology.

6/10

x PLM