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Way Past Midnight
Samantha Combs takes us on another excursion to the dark parts of the human mind. Against the backdrop of horror and fantasy, come along for the ride and discover basic human truths amplified for both your enjoyment and your fear. Samantha introduces you to her creatures of the night and tells you stories and tales of things that only exist in the wee hours, those hours Way Past Midnight.
74 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
9 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Combs
11 books78 followersSamantha Combs is a multi-published, young adult/middle grade author living in Southern California. The award-winning author of nine books, five are young adult paranormals: Spellbound, Everspell, Ghostly, Waterdancer, and The Deadlies; one is a middle grade horror novel: The Detention Demon; and three are adult horror collections: Teeth and Talons, Way Past Midnight, and Helloween. Samantha has two other completed manuscripts and and so many others planned, she hopes to release in the near future. She publishes with three houses: Astraea Press, Musa Publishing and Sweet Cravings Publishing. 2013 looks even more amazing than 2012 did with three planned releases
When she is not writing or reading voraciously, Samantha enjoys bloggers, the Food Network Channel, reality television and wandering around the aisles at Target. She recently conquered Facebook and is learning how to use Twitter. She is sure she can handle any situation if she has the right shoes and has a mad passion for totally inappropriate earrings. Samantha believes the movement toward technology is the most exciting thing to happen to publishing and can’t wait to see what the industry is going to do next. Anything that makes kids want to read can’t be a bad thing.
When she is not writing or reading voraciously, Samantha enjoys bloggers, the Food Network Channel, reality television and wandering around the aisles at Target. She recently conquered Facebook and is learning how to use Twitter. She is sure she can handle any situation if she has the right shoes and has a mad passion for totally inappropriate earrings. Samantha believes the movement toward technology is the most exciting thing to happen to publishing and can’t wait to see what the industry is going to do next. Anything that makes kids want to read can’t be a bad thing.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 7, 2012
Originally posted atA Little Bit of R&R Reviews
Night Crawlers- 4 different vantage points. Some "made a fatal mistake" and hailed a cab. I suspected a bit from one of the characters but I couldn't pin point what it was. I didn't see how she was going to write all of the characters into this short, then BAM, it falls into place. That was seriously disgusting, but so good!
WifeBeGone.com- Lucas has an evil step-mom and step-sister. It's his birthday and his Uncle Jimmy gives him a computer. Jimmy shows him the ins and outs of using his new computer. He also suggests for him to go to WifeBeGone.com when everyone is sleeping. I can't tell you more because it will spoil the short. I still have no idea what I just read, it's great! I don't know if the kid was just dreaming it or something supernatural happened. Guess I'll never know LOL.
The OFFERING- That title says it all. Megan is a babysitter for the Parkers. She has always been afraid of the large oak tree in their yard. Megan goes to babysit and there is supposed to be a really big storm that evening. They all fall asleep watching television and Megan brings Deacon and Ariel to their beds. Then strange things start to happen. This story was slightly predictable but entertaining none the less.
Killer Shoes- Darla is a compulsive shoe shopper. She reminds me of the woman in the movie "In Her Shoes." She's very homely in her normal attire but not when it comes to her shoes. She goes to visit her usual shoe boutique and searches down to the very last aisle. She spots a pair of sky high leather red heels. She buys the shoes and puts them on immediately. The shoes make her do terrible things. This short was by far my favorite. I liked the story and she almost reminded me of a femme fatale when she was wearing the shoes.
The ANGLERS- OMG OMG I changed my mind. This was my favorite!! I decided to write about the shorts as soon as I read them so they were fresh in my mind. Samantha saved the best for last. This one was about two co-workers/best friends who would go on their "special" fishing trips. They have a new boss at work who doesn't know a thing about construction. After a bad meeting with the boss, they decide to take him on their "special" trip. I saw this story going in a totally different direction. I'm glad it wasn't predictable because it made the outcome that much better.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this collection of shorts. Even though this collection is adult horror, I think a majority of them would be good for mature teens as well. Except for Killer Shoes, of course. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, scary read.
Night Crawlers- 4 different vantage points. Some "made a fatal mistake" and hailed a cab. I suspected a bit from one of the characters but I couldn't pin point what it was. I didn't see how she was going to write all of the characters into this short, then BAM, it falls into place. That was seriously disgusting, but so good!
WifeBeGone.com- Lucas has an evil step-mom and step-sister. It's his birthday and his Uncle Jimmy gives him a computer. Jimmy shows him the ins and outs of using his new computer. He also suggests for him to go to WifeBeGone.com when everyone is sleeping. I can't tell you more because it will spoil the short. I still have no idea what I just read, it's great! I don't know if the kid was just dreaming it or something supernatural happened. Guess I'll never know LOL.
The OFFERING- That title says it all. Megan is a babysitter for the Parkers. She has always been afraid of the large oak tree in their yard. Megan goes to babysit and there is supposed to be a really big storm that evening. They all fall asleep watching television and Megan brings Deacon and Ariel to their beds. Then strange things start to happen. This story was slightly predictable but entertaining none the less.
Killer Shoes- Darla is a compulsive shoe shopper. She reminds me of the woman in the movie "In Her Shoes." She's very homely in her normal attire but not when it comes to her shoes. She goes to visit her usual shoe boutique and searches down to the very last aisle. She spots a pair of sky high leather red heels. She buys the shoes and puts them on immediately. The shoes make her do terrible things. This short was by far my favorite. I liked the story and she almost reminded me of a femme fatale when she was wearing the shoes.
The ANGLERS- OMG OMG I changed my mind. This was my favorite!! I decided to write about the shorts as soon as I read them so they were fresh in my mind. Samantha saved the best for last. This one was about two co-workers/best friends who would go on their "special" fishing trips. They have a new boss at work who doesn't know a thing about construction. After a bad meeting with the boss, they decide to take him on their "special" trip. I saw this story going in a totally different direction. I'm glad it wasn't predictable because it made the outcome that much better.
As a whole, I really enjoyed this collection of shorts. Even though this collection is adult horror, I think a majority of them would be good for mature teens as well. Except for Killer Shoes, of course. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a quick, scary read.
June 12, 2012
Have you ever read a book and then thought…. could that really happen? That’s the feeling I got after reading this book. There are five totally different tales in this book that will stay with you long after you read the last page. After reading the stories, I had all these questions going through my head - good questions, provoking questions, questions that made me wonder about how I see the subject matter I had just read. I can tell you, I will definitely look at high heel shoes in a different light, I will look at puzzles more closely, and I will wonder about that big oak tree in my parent’s yard, I will…. (See, my life has changed). I can’t really say which one was my favorite as a few of them were, but it was definitely worth reading. Night Crawlers had many different angles starting out and then bam, they all came together and then it gets creepy. The players all played their role and their true colors shined. This story had a lot of different elements that had me thinking, definitely creepy. I really enjoyed the tale Wifebegone.com, as the characters and storyline were amusing and mysterious. It was an engaging story that anyone might wish to be at their disposal. Killer Shoes had me thinking that I might need to start wearing heels. I normally wear flats but after reading this piece, I am reconsidering my options. I will most definitely be checking out people’s shoes in the future and whether they are appropriate. The Anglers and The Offering were also good stories. The Anglers dealt with some men going on a fishing trip and how special this trip was for the men. The Offering, well I like my parent’s oak tree but after reading this story….I see things in a different light. I like the writing style of the book and the variety of the stories. You just have to read it: it might help you see things in a new perspective, or you just might just discover something unique.
June 27, 2012
WAY PAST MIDNIGHT
A collection of horror stories by Samantha Combs
Night Crawlers : Beware of who you trust
WifeBeGone.com : Loved this one. Do not pick on children, someone has their backs
The OFFERING : This one was deeply disturbing
Killer Shoes : After reading this story I am so glad I am not a shoe girl. It gets scary once you have killer shoes.
The ANGLERS : Beware of your sacrifices. You can't be sure if it will be enough.
My review
I adore these horror short stories. The characters, caught as almost a photo would, in a short moment in time, really comes to life in the readers mind. It is these short periods that make them seem all the more real, all the more plausible. Short periods of being human or somewhat human t its worse. I am an avid fan of horror / thriller and this, the second such anthology I have the privilege to read by Samantha Combs is like a fix of my favorite drug. I give this anthology a raving 5 chill * review.
A collection of horror stories by Samantha Combs
Night Crawlers : Beware of who you trust
WifeBeGone.com : Loved this one. Do not pick on children, someone has their backs
The OFFERING : This one was deeply disturbing
Killer Shoes : After reading this story I am so glad I am not a shoe girl. It gets scary once you have killer shoes.
The ANGLERS : Beware of your sacrifices. You can't be sure if it will be enough.
My review
I adore these horror short stories. The characters, caught as almost a photo would, in a short moment in time, really comes to life in the readers mind. It is these short periods that make them seem all the more real, all the more plausible. Short periods of being human or somewhat human t its worse. I am an avid fan of horror / thriller and this, the second such anthology I have the privilege to read by Samantha Combs is like a fix of my favorite drug. I give this anthology a raving 5 chill * review.
June 12, 2012
I don't usually like short stories, but I liked these. 5 stories all together. I will keep this short and sweet. Night Crawlers- 4 different points of view that come together in the end, don't get in a cab at night. Wifebegone.com- Creepy Internet Danger. The Offering- Babysitter Thriller. Killer Shoes- Plain Jane in hot evil heels. The Angler- Best friends, bad boss, and a "special" trip. You will enjoy this book, but you have to go buy it first.
September 6, 2019
Way Past Midnight is a decent collection of five short horror stories that are well written and executed, even if the subject matter isn't overly captivating. Author Samantha Combs has some YA titles under her belt, and perhaps the short stories in this anthology would be better received in that market.
Night Crawlers: The name of this short story doesn't really work, and while the concept would make for an interesting novel, but as a short story it ends just as it starts to really take off.
WifeBeGone.com: Feels like a rehash of Word Processor of the Gods, and the title gives away enough to ruin any potential tension or suspense the story might have had.
The Offering: Great setup and suspense, but part of a genre I don't personally care for, and the reveal doesn't make enough sense to end the story on.
Killer Shoes: Possibly the best story out of the bunch, would make a great Tales From the Crypt episode.
The Anglers: Great execution, but the entire setup doesn't make enough sense to be wholly plausible, which weakens the entire concept.
Not bad short stories overall, but there are not enough gems for just a five-story collection.
Night Crawlers: The name of this short story doesn't really work, and while the concept would make for an interesting novel, but as a short story it ends just as it starts to really take off.
WifeBeGone.com: Feels like a rehash of Word Processor of the Gods, and the title gives away enough to ruin any potential tension or suspense the story might have had.
The Offering: Great setup and suspense, but part of a genre I don't personally care for, and the reveal doesn't make enough sense to end the story on.
Killer Shoes: Possibly the best story out of the bunch, would make a great Tales From the Crypt episode.
The Anglers: Great execution, but the entire setup doesn't make enough sense to be wholly plausible, which weakens the entire concept.
Not bad short stories overall, but there are not enough gems for just a five-story collection.
May 20, 2013
Wow. I wasnt sure what to expect with this set of horror shorts but Im glad to have read it. Each story was chilling and entertaining from beginning to end. Combs' writing style is wonderful and i feel as though she completely mastered the art of The Short Story. I look forward to reading more from this author!!!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews