S.J. Budd's Blog, page 21
April 17, 2017
Never Forget Me
Hey folks,
My latest tale, Never Forget Me is out now in Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, your got to place for all things dark and creepy!
I am featured in the Spring 2017 issue which you can buy on Amazon
Never Forget Me follows the tale of a young woman who finds herself back in her hometown. The very place from which she fled in order to have a better life. But yet she feels there is something calling her back. One day she stands by her window and sees a ghost. The ghost of the girl she once was and is powerless to resist her call.
Enjoy!
My latest tale, Never Forget Me is out now in Dark Gothic Resurrected Magazine, your got to place for all things dark and creepy!
I am featured in the Spring 2017 issue which you can buy on Amazon
Never Forget Me follows the tale of a young woman who finds herself back in her hometown. The very place from which she fled in order to have a better life. But yet she feels there is something calling her back. One day she stands by her window and sees a ghost. The ghost of the girl she once was and is powerless to resist her call.
Enjoy!
April 15, 2017
The Shuddering by Ania Ahlborn
I started reading this book as part of my book club. Initially I had thought it a fairly bog-standard horror story. Five young people stay in a cabin in the mountains, in the middle of nowhere, nothing else for company other than some man-eating monsters. I started off reading this feeling I was in predictable territory and started guessing which characters would die and which ones would live.
Except this was no predictable book.
Ania Ahlbon writes in a way that has you really caring about all the characters creating a really tense atmosphere as you know some of them were going to meet a really grisly end. You want to be able to tell them as you read.
The book starts off at a very gentle pace as we are introduced to twins, Jane and Ryan Adler who are spending their last weekend at the parent's luxurious cabin in the Colorado mountains before it is sold. Ryan is about to depart for a new job in Switzerland and wants to spend some time with his sister and childhood best friend, Sawyer.
Jane has recently divorced from her cheating husband but still pines for her first love, Sawyer, who left for Boston to pursue a career in music. So she's not too happy when he brings his girlfriend, April who is a start contrast to Jane.
Lauren, Jane's friend quickly captivates Ryan who wants to be an eternal batchelor chasing slopes. He starts to fall for her and wonders whether she might be the one...
April quickly sees there is chemistry between her boyfriend Sawyer and his ex, Jane. She is terrified that she might lose him.
You find yourself quickly feeling very involved in their lives, in some moments it is like you are there with them. Things really kick off after a blizzard which prevents anyone from leaving and quickly they realise that all the strange noises they have been hearing aren't deer or wild animals but strange man-eating monsters. Just when you think you are figuring out the plot it will go in a completely different direction. For me this was quite similar to the tv series 24. It's a really addictive read.
Suddenly this book changes from what feels like a teen romance to a fast and thrilling horror story. Made all the more scary because you want them to live. There's a great level of gore and I get the sense Ania Ahlborn had a lot of fun writing this book!
I think this could have been a really average lacklustre book but it is written really well and Ania keeps you guessing right to the very end.
The Forgotten House
Hi Folks,
So far 2017 has been a promising year, I've had four short stories accepted into magazines and my latest, The Forgotten House, has recently been published at Aphotic Realm - the home of strange and sinister fiction. This is an exciting brand new magazine which I'm very pleased to be a part of.
There was one house that always caught Kirsten’s imagination. It stood out against its handsome neighbours, which had all been modified and improved with extensions and conservatories. It seemed forgotten and abandoned by everyone else, and because of that Kirsten felt a strange affinity to it. For she too had been forgotten.
If you enjoyed this tale then you might be interested in Spells and Persuasions: 9 short stories of dark fantasy. This is my debut collection of short and terrifying short stories available for just 99p on Amazon!
April 10, 2017
Embers by Kenneth W.Cain
I have to say I was really impressed at the size of this collection, 25 short stories, you are definitely getting your moneys worth.
I first discovered Embers by Kenneth W.Cain as I'm a really big fan of Crystal Lake Publishing. Previously they have release some great horror short story anthologies such as Gutted which contains stories from Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell and Kevin Lucia. Crystal Lake have also released some really great original novels such as Pretty Little Dead Girls by Mercedes M.Yardley. They have also branched out into non-fiction with horror writing guides which have been incredibly helpful over the years.
So when I saw this I was eager to take a look. Looking at the beginning pages it is clear this is no novice writer he's had countless other things published in various genres.
The first tale, The Chamber, was just so dark and chilling I knew this would be a great read. A very strong story to open the collection with.
What makes his work scary is that he takes normal everyday situations with characters just like you and me and twists them into something horrific. These are tales that really could happen to anyone.
There is a lot of depth to these tales, such as Final Breath, there's an extraordinary range of genres and topics used, some are like love stories with a dark twist, some are psychological, some are gory, there's plenty of monsters thrown in as well as those less known. Some are just downright scary and there's some very clever takes on familiar tropes. These are tales that will scare everyone, they're not all about monsters but some of the more real life down to earth horrors we will all face, such as loss of a loved one, beginning your life again, falling in love with the wrong person.
As there are 25 stories I'll just highlight my favourite ones.
Valerie's Window - A really dark sinister tale amplified from the perspective of the young naive girl, Valerie.
A window to dream by - I just thought this was a really clever tale, particularly with the connection of the homeless guys who watch Seth looking up into the sky. It's only right until the end where you get the whole hit of the story and it's a great ending.
Closer - Travis goes hunting with his estranged father in a bid to win his approval but he's never been able to pull the trigger. Killing just isn't in his nature.
Breathing Cave - Kelly goes on a trip with her new boyfriend and his friends. They pass a cave, Kelly doesn't want to enter but doesn't want to lose face in front of her new friends.
Blackbird's Breath - Henry is trying to come to terms with his loss until a blackbird gets stuck behind his fireplace.
About the Author
www.kennethwcain.com
Kenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
I first discovered Embers by Kenneth W.Cain as I'm a really big fan of Crystal Lake Publishing. Previously they have release some great horror short story anthologies such as Gutted which contains stories from Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Ramsey Campbell and Kevin Lucia. Crystal Lake have also released some really great original novels such as Pretty Little Dead Girls by Mercedes M.Yardley. They have also branched out into non-fiction with horror writing guides which have been incredibly helpful over the years.
So when I saw this I was eager to take a look. Looking at the beginning pages it is clear this is no novice writer he's had countless other things published in various genres.
The first tale, The Chamber, was just so dark and chilling I knew this would be a great read. A very strong story to open the collection with.
What makes his work scary is that he takes normal everyday situations with characters just like you and me and twists them into something horrific. These are tales that really could happen to anyone.
There is a lot of depth to these tales, such as Final Breath, there's an extraordinary range of genres and topics used, some are like love stories with a dark twist, some are psychological, some are gory, there's plenty of monsters thrown in as well as those less known. Some are just downright scary and there's some very clever takes on familiar tropes. These are tales that will scare everyone, they're not all about monsters but some of the more real life down to earth horrors we will all face, such as loss of a loved one, beginning your life again, falling in love with the wrong person.
As there are 25 stories I'll just highlight my favourite ones.
Valerie's Window - A really dark sinister tale amplified from the perspective of the young naive girl, Valerie.
A window to dream by - I just thought this was a really clever tale, particularly with the connection of the homeless guys who watch Seth looking up into the sky. It's only right until the end where you get the whole hit of the story and it's a great ending.
Closer - Travis goes hunting with his estranged father in a bid to win his approval but he's never been able to pull the trigger. Killing just isn't in his nature.
Breathing Cave - Kelly goes on a trip with her new boyfriend and his friends. They pass a cave, Kelly doesn't want to enter but doesn't want to lose face in front of her new friends.
Blackbird's Breath - Henry is trying to come to terms with his loss until a blackbird gets stuck behind his fireplace.
About the Author
www.kennethwcain.com
Kenneth W. Cain first got the itch for storytelling during his formative years in the suburbs of Chicago, where he got to listen to his grandfather spin tales by the glow of a barrel fire. But it was a reading of Baba Yaga that grew his desire for dark fiction. Shows like The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and One Step Beyond furthered that sense of wonder for the unknown, and he’s been writing ever since.
Cain is the author of The Saga of I trilogy, United States of the Dead, the short story collections These Old Tales and Fresh Cut Tales, and the forthcoming Embers: A Collection of Dark Fiction. Writing, reading, fine art, graphic design, and Cardinals baseball are but a few of his passions. Cain now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania with his wife and two children.
April 3, 2017
Mechanisms of Despair by Gary Buller
So I started reading Mechanisms of Despair just before going to bed, which was a big mistake as I found myself plunged into an existential crisis. Why is there so much darkness in the world? Is everyone really out to kill me? What's on the other side? Should I ever stay in hotel again? Is Christmas safe? What really happened in the war? And so forth and so forth.
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But by morning I had recovered enough to carry on with this dark collection of short stories. There are seven tales in all. Which I gruesomely enjoyed. Gary Buller has a great talent for creating really foreboding scenes which make you feel a bit queasy. His imagery when it comes to gore is very precise giving his writing a really visual feel, which is kind of terrifying.
Suffice to say this is a really powerful debut, all killers, no fillers! The highlights for me in this collection are The Way Out and The Way in. I love the subtle ways in which these two tales are connected. The Present was also utterly terrifying, it feels like a tale that could happen to any family.
Included in this collection is a bonus tale from Holly Buller who clearly shows that the writing gene runs in the family. Well done Holly, great story.
So if like me you enjoy being terrified, this is the book for you. When you buy a copy you'll helping two great charities as all proceeds will be donated to these great causes, Alzheimer's Foundation and Sarcoma UK.
Mechanisms of Despair is available now at Amazon
About the Author
Gary Buller is an author from Manchester England where he lives with his long suffering partners Lisa, and his daughter Holly. He is a huge fan of all things macabre having grown up reading King and Koontz and loves a tale with a twist.
www.garybuller.com
March 31, 2017
Stygian Doorways by S.E.Casey
There are well-lit doors we pass through every day, ordinary entrances and exits leading to and from the mundane. So too are there hidden, secret doors leading to odd places not on any map. Some lead to chaotic, slippery halls, others to rigid and cruel alcoves. These stygian doorways, much like the namesake river of the dead, are only entrances. Once they are passed there is no going back, the consequences permanent and merciless. These are the stories of five such doors.
Wow, these stories are really dark, seriously there's no light at the end of the tunnel in these tales! This impressive collection features five epic and macabre tales, Swine City, The Century Coven, Devil Music, Her Spiral City and Cinema Delicti.
A really impressive collection of short stories, my two favourites were The Century Coven and Devil Music.
The Century Coven
The mortal inhabitants of the small town of Berkshire forge a pact with a coven of witches to avoid relentless persecution. Honouring their part of the bargain the witches agree to leave alone the townsfolk and retreat to the very edges of the town where they live peacefully without any further incidents. However, as witches are wise and crafty they stipulated that every hundred years on Halloween (of course) all unclaimed animals in the local rescue shelters were to be delivered to them. They are also allowed to eat any children who venture onto their land and help themselves to a halloween treat.
Devil Music
I loved the darkness of this tale, there was a real sense of a palpable brooding atmosphere brilliantly built by S.E.Casey. The concept is really original too, here we have a man who's battling a crippling phobia of music. He cannot remember the source of this fear and so with the help of psychoanalyst delves back into his past where he peels back the layers until he finds the demons who taunt his soul.
About the Author
S.E. Casey is a writer of the weird, the grotesque, and the darkly wonderful. His philosophical fiction focuses on a collection of oddities, forgotten places, and fallen characters. The horror isn't in the blood on the knife, but in the desolation of the void. It's in vacant corners and empty rooms where reality has given up exposing the existential madness on which it presumes.
Published in many magazines and anthologies, author information, writing blog posts, and links to his stories can be found at secaseyauthor.wordpress.com.
Wow, these stories are really dark, seriously there's no light at the end of the tunnel in these tales! This impressive collection features five epic and macabre tales, Swine City, The Century Coven, Devil Music, Her Spiral City and Cinema Delicti.
A really impressive collection of short stories, my two favourites were The Century Coven and Devil Music.
The Century Coven
The mortal inhabitants of the small town of Berkshire forge a pact with a coven of witches to avoid relentless persecution. Honouring their part of the bargain the witches agree to leave alone the townsfolk and retreat to the very edges of the town where they live peacefully without any further incidents. However, as witches are wise and crafty they stipulated that every hundred years on Halloween (of course) all unclaimed animals in the local rescue shelters were to be delivered to them. They are also allowed to eat any children who venture onto their land and help themselves to a halloween treat.
Devil Music
I loved the darkness of this tale, there was a real sense of a palpable brooding atmosphere brilliantly built by S.E.Casey. The concept is really original too, here we have a man who's battling a crippling phobia of music. He cannot remember the source of this fear and so with the help of psychoanalyst delves back into his past where he peels back the layers until he finds the demons who taunt his soul.
About the Author
S.E. Casey is a writer of the weird, the grotesque, and the darkly wonderful. His philosophical fiction focuses on a collection of oddities, forgotten places, and fallen characters. The horror isn't in the blood on the knife, but in the desolation of the void. It's in vacant corners and empty rooms where reality has given up exposing the existential madness on which it presumes.
Published in many magazines and anthologies, author information, writing blog posts, and links to his stories can be found at secaseyauthor.wordpress.com.
March 29, 2017
Spells and Stories. Interview by Gwendolyn Kiste
Here's a link to an interview I did for the wonderful Gwendolyn Kiste! In which I talk about what inspires my writing and my debut collection of stories, Spells and Persuasions which is out now on Amazon
You can read the interview on her website here
Gwendolyn Kiste is a very talented author her work has appeared in many of the top horror, fantasy and speculative fiction magazines such as Nightmare, Shimmer, Lamplight and Interzone.
In April 2017 she is set to have her debut collection of short stories, And her Smile Will Untether the Universe, published by Journal and I absolutely implore everyone who reads this to go and buy as it an amazing collections of stories! You will not be disappointed.
You can see my review for And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe here
You can read the interview on her website here
Gwendolyn Kiste is a very talented author her work has appeared in many of the top horror, fantasy and speculative fiction magazines such as Nightmare, Shimmer, Lamplight and Interzone.
In April 2017 she is set to have her debut collection of short stories, And her Smile Will Untether the Universe, published by Journal and I absolutely implore everyone who reads this to go and buy as it an amazing collections of stories! You will not be disappointed.
You can see my review for And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe here
March 25, 2017
And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe by Gwendolyn Kiste
I've long been an admirer of Gwendolyn Kiste ever since I discovered one of her stories, Audrey at Night, in Sanitarium Magazine. She's had her work published in all the top magazines such as Nightmare, Shimmer, Lamplight, and Interzone and has such a unique gift for story telling.
So I was very excited to hear that she's about to release her debut collection with Journal Stone in April 2017.
I would describe the 14 tales in this collection as beautiful horror, enchanting like a fairy tale, spell binding, ethereal, but underneath the surface lies something very dark and unsettling
This is horror but with a strong feminine touch which is a much needed thing in the horror genre today which is heavily dominated with men. It's like a quiet horror that builds with every page. Tales that you will want to read again and again.
These are the stories of the forgotten and the rejected who refuse to fall asunder to change what makes them special to fit in. Powerful themes are dealt with in this collection such as illusions which keep us bound, love, loyalty, revenge and utmost regret. It celebrates the lives of people who see things differently who don't want to stand in line with everyone else.
For me the stand out tales are; The Tower Princesses, The Five Day Summer Camp, The Clawfoot Requiem and of course, Her Smile Will Untether the Universe.
About the AuthorGwendolyn Kiste is a speculative fiction author based in Pennsylvania. Her work has appeared in Nightmare Magazine, Shimmer, Interzone, Lamplight, Flash Fiction Online and Three Lobed Burning Eye as well as Flame Tree's Publishing's Chilling Horror Short Stories anthology, among others. Her debut collection, And Her Smile Will Untether the Universe, is due out from JounralStone in April 2017.http://www.gwendolynkiste.com/index.htm
March 23, 2017
She Will Rise by Calvin Demmer
She Will Rise is the latest tale to be released by Calvin Demmer in the Dark Celebrations series. In this tale we are introduced to Luna Mendes who has returned home for Easter to care for her sick mother.
Luna is tortured with loneliness, death has not been a stranger to her but she is determined to make the best of things by living her life by Isabella's five tips for a kick-ass life.
She soon diverts attention form her own suffering to that of her mother, Selma whilst trying to avoid her alcoholic step-father who is beyond useless. She soon suspects that he is keeping secrets and as she follows Isabella's five tips she gets to the truth with horrifying consequences.
Can Luna save not just her mother, but herself? Will she ever find out the fifth and final tip for everlasting happiness?
A surprisingly touching tale not often found in horror, I really like I had gone on a emotional journey with Luna and I really felt myself rooting for her.
She Will Rise is the latest tale in Calvin Demmer's Dark Celebrations series; Hungry Ghosts, Labor Day Hunt, Thanks Sinning, Trick or Death, Three Dead Men Happy Dark Year and Spring Outbreak. They are all available on Amazon for less than a pound or dollar!
About the Author
Calvin Demmer is a crime, mystery and speculative fiction author. When not working, he is intrigued by that which goes bump int he night and the sciences of our universe. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Under The Bed, Deadman's Tome, Siren's Call, Sanitarium Magazine, Morpheus Tales, Devolution Z and many, many more.
You can find out more about Calvin Demmer at https://calvindemmer.com/
Twitter @CalvinDemmer
Luna is tortured with loneliness, death has not been a stranger to her but she is determined to make the best of things by living her life by Isabella's five tips for a kick-ass life.
She soon diverts attention form her own suffering to that of her mother, Selma whilst trying to avoid her alcoholic step-father who is beyond useless. She soon suspects that he is keeping secrets and as she follows Isabella's five tips she gets to the truth with horrifying consequences.
Can Luna save not just her mother, but herself? Will she ever find out the fifth and final tip for everlasting happiness?
A surprisingly touching tale not often found in horror, I really like I had gone on a emotional journey with Luna and I really felt myself rooting for her.
She Will Rise is the latest tale in Calvin Demmer's Dark Celebrations series; Hungry Ghosts, Labor Day Hunt, Thanks Sinning, Trick or Death, Three Dead Men Happy Dark Year and Spring Outbreak. They are all available on Amazon for less than a pound or dollar!
About the Author
Calvin Demmer is a crime, mystery and speculative fiction author. When not working, he is intrigued by that which goes bump int he night and the sciences of our universe. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Under The Bed, Deadman's Tome, Siren's Call, Sanitarium Magazine, Morpheus Tales, Devolution Z and many, many more.
You can find out more about Calvin Demmer at https://calvindemmer.com/
Twitter @CalvinDemmer
Spring Outbreak by Calvin Demmer
In the latest instalment of Calvin Demmer's epic Dark Celebration series we are introduced to Gwen who's struggling to deal with her past.
Gwen has her whole life ahead of her, she's done brilliantly in her first year at college yet all she can think about is her most recent heartbreak. Her friend Haley suggests getting away for Spring Break and takes her off on an extraordinary adventure to Mexico. Even her parents reluctantly agree it is a good idea.
Yet Gwen is still finding it hard to forget and move on and look forwards to the next chapter in her life. Haley drags her to the beach for a sun-blessed day but that's when her problems really start.
After a nap she wakes up only to find her friend disappeared.
I really enjoyed this tale. I really felt I was inside Gwen's head and the characterisation was really good. There was a lot of depth despite it being a short story. There was a lot of twists and turns which really keep hold of you throughout.
Spring Outbreak is the latest tale in Calvin Demmer's Dark Celebrations series; Hungry Ghosts, Labor Day Hunt, Thanks Sinning, Trick or Death, Three Dead Men and Happy Dark Year. They are all available on Amazon for less than a pound or dollar!
About the Author
Calvin Demmer is a crime, mystery and speculative fiction author. When not working, he is intrigued by that which goes bump int he night and the sciences of our universe. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Under The Bed, Deadman's Tome, Siren's Call, Sanitarium Magazine, Morpheus Tales, Devolution Z and many, many more.
You can find out more about Calvin Demmer at https://calvindemmer.com/
Twitter @CalvinDemmer
Gwen has her whole life ahead of her, she's done brilliantly in her first year at college yet all she can think about is her most recent heartbreak. Her friend Haley suggests getting away for Spring Break and takes her off on an extraordinary adventure to Mexico. Even her parents reluctantly agree it is a good idea.
Yet Gwen is still finding it hard to forget and move on and look forwards to the next chapter in her life. Haley drags her to the beach for a sun-blessed day but that's when her problems really start.
After a nap she wakes up only to find her friend disappeared.
I really enjoyed this tale. I really felt I was inside Gwen's head and the characterisation was really good. There was a lot of depth despite it being a short story. There was a lot of twists and turns which really keep hold of you throughout.
Spring Outbreak is the latest tale in Calvin Demmer's Dark Celebrations series; Hungry Ghosts, Labor Day Hunt, Thanks Sinning, Trick or Death, Three Dead Men and Happy Dark Year. They are all available on Amazon for less than a pound or dollar!
About the Author
Calvin Demmer is a crime, mystery and speculative fiction author. When not working, he is intrigued by that which goes bump int he night and the sciences of our universe. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including Under The Bed, Deadman's Tome, Siren's Call, Sanitarium Magazine, Morpheus Tales, Devolution Z and many, many more.
You can find out more about Calvin Demmer at https://calvindemmer.com/
Twitter @CalvinDemmer
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