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Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror 2014
The Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror 2014 are: Thom Futrell, Sandra Rozanski, Colin M. Maguire, Stephanie Riley, Rick Powell, Charie D. La Marr, Joseph DeRepentigny, Rosie Bates, Peter Adam Salomon, W. Freedreamer Tinkanesh, Mary Genevieve Fortier and Nicholas Day. Foreword written by 2013 Lady of Horror, Hydra M. Star, and stunning artwork by Jihane Mossalim. The Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror is a unique anthology that focuses as much on the writer as on the stories they tell. Inside you will find around 10,000 words of great horror in the form of stories, flash fiction and poetry, as well as in-depth biographies and fun photos. Come along and join the ride as each remarkable Lady and Gentleman drags you deeper into the dark, the terrifying, the surreal worlds within. Are you ready?
616 pages, Paperback
Published October 31, 2014
1 person is currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Peter Adam Salomon
23 books125 followersPeter Adam Salomon’s second and third novels, ALL THOSE BROKEN ANGELS and EIGHT MINUTES, THIRTY-TWO SECONDS, were nominated for the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in Young Adult fiction. His first two novels were named a ‘Book All Young Georgians Should Read’ by The Georgia Center for The Book.
He founded both National Dark Poetry Day (Oct. 7) and the annual international Horror Poetry Showcase for the Horror Writers Association.
His poem ‘Electricity and Language and Me’ was performed by The Radiophonic Workshop on BBC Radio 6. Two of his poetry collections were nominated for the Elgin Award. In addition, he was the Editor for the first books of poetry released by the Horror Writers Association: Horror Poetry Showcase Volumes I and II.
He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Horror Writers Association, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, the Science Fiction Poetry Association, the International Thriller Writers, and The Authors Guild.
He founded both National Dark Poetry Day (Oct. 7) and the annual international Horror Poetry Showcase for the Horror Writers Association.
His poem ‘Electricity and Language and Me’ was performed by The Radiophonic Workshop on BBC Radio 6. Two of his poetry collections were nominated for the Elgin Award. In addition, he was the Editor for the first books of poetry released by the Horror Writers Association: Horror Poetry Showcase Volumes I and II.
He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Horror Writers Association, the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, the Science Fiction Poetry Association, the International Thriller Writers, and The Authors Guild.
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December 31, 2014
I have had the distinct pleasure to be involved in a book this year that any author would be proud to be a part of. To try to review a book in such scope of talent is difficult to say the least but you can just feel the passion and creativity that went into each poem or story. Jennifer Miller has had the crucial task of gathering together over a dozen writers to make this anthology and what she has accomplished has been nothing short of amazing. In this review, I will try to give a synopsis of the stories within without giving too much away in the manner of spoiling the story. Some of these stories and poems range from over 30 pages. Some are less than 4. All have their own unique form of impact that will keep your interest piqued until the last page. Each authors section is highlighted by a bio that was written by a contributing author and that makes this volume, and the others that precede it, all the more special.
The accompanying paintings inside and cover by Jihane Mossalim is an intriguing hint to the spirit of the stories within. Jihane has an eye for incorporating a strange, haunting beauty in every shade and stroke of color. Her artwork stays with you.
Charie D. La Marr is a woman who's writing belongs in another era. Refined and with a hint of the terrifying that is a pleasant change to the “in your face” of the genre nowadays. Her story “Port-Au-Prince” will make you think the next time you pour that cup of coffee. An sorrowful,undead love story like none other taking place in New York City is the basis for “Nothing is Forever”.
My story “Friends Like These” brings a person with imaginary friends to a different level.
Do not let the sweet, lovely face of Stephanie Riley fool you. Her style of horror writing will surprise you. Stephanie knows what scares. Her short story “The Predator” will make you think twice about what lives in the woods. I see this story as a prologue to a larger work. “Upstairs” is reminiscent if the haunted house works of Lisa Cantrell. “The Muse” is a tale about a familiar writer we all know and the familiar struggles all writers have.
Nicholas Day can be this generations Conrad Aiken. A subtle creepiness in his stories that are hard to define. “Snow Like Lonely Ghosts...” is a tale about coffee, sugar, and memories that haunt a simple man. “My Unshaped Form” takes a creature from Jewish folklore and throws in some Clive Barker for good measure. “The Man with the Fire Inside Him”, “Colors of the Beating Heart”, and “Negative Space” are short tidbits of horror that are quick and shocking. Kind of like splatters of paint on the same horrific portrait. “Breathtaking”, “Back to Before Birth”, and “Universe of Meat” are three poems (sonnets) that are like one continuous nightmare of words. Nicholas ends his section of the book with “Pollyanna”, the ultimate video game for sexual addicts.
Mary Genevieve Fortier can be best described as Poe reincarnated. Her poems “Wooden Box”, “Atop A Leaf Covered Stair”, “Unwelcom'd Visitor”, “Broken Darkness”, “Thunderous Overhead”, “Lovely Bones”, “The Infinite Rail”, “Night's Black Agents”, and “The Fork in the Road” flow like the dark waves in an ebony sea. Her prose brings to mind the gothic and antiquarian writings of the masters from long ago. Her soul is in tune with those masters and will be best read near a fireplace on a dark and thunderous night.
Colin M. Maguire. This man has taken a tale and written it like a '70's drive-in horror film. The nostalgia is evident and, oh so satisfying. A fun twisted tale about a bullied boy and what he finds to get his revenge...the price he pays he will regret the rest of his life. I see a lot of horror comics in Colin's childhood. This man writes for the sheer fun of weaving a great tale.
W. Freedreamer Tinkanesh is an enigma. W is one of the most fascinating people I have had the pleasure of reading. Genderless in nature, Walki has two sections in this book and the quality of writing with each word just shows you a little bit on what the soul of W encompasses. “Control” (which as previously published in his novel, Outsider, which I have read and reviewed) brings a story of Vodka, Cuban music, and Regrets that make for a terrifying trio. “Alive or Dead” is an interesting take on the zombie genre. “Clad in Black”, “Maybe It's Time” and “Spiky Choker” are short, dark, poetry that says volumes in so little words. “Michaela” is a story that asks if love can survive the hearafter? “Blood of an Enemy” also gives you love but reunited in the most of the supernatural of ways. Walki knows music. Walki knows writing. Most of all, Walki knows what can scare and fill you with imagination. True storytellers do that.
Behind the pleasant smile and innocent face of Rosie Bates is a mind that will shock you. Her tale, “Hidden Karma”, threw me for a loop. Wow! A tale of a hidden obsession with a twist. Stalking has never been as creepy. This one is a nail biter and all the more creepy because it is possible in today's society.
“The Curse of Maple Creek” by Thom Futrell would be a great '80's television series along the lines of a demented Picket Fences. Horror and humor in a town that have the strangest of supernatural occurrences. This story adds an appealing change to some of the other dark works within this volume. Scary at times, funny at times, but never boring. Kudos to Mr. Futrell.
Sandra Rozanski is another pleasant surprise. Just looking at her, you would assume she would be someone tending a garden or baking pies and desserts for the family and friends in some small country town. Her story “Cobwebs” is another haunted house treat that just goes to show that there is a twisted, horrific streak to this woman. Blake is a young man spending the night in a house on a dare...he gets more than he bargains for. Wait until you meet the main character in “Sweetie”. Allegra has a dark secret about herself. What happens when this dangerous woman starts to have feelings she has never had before? Read it and see.
Peter Adam Salomon is a YA horror author but his style reads like Gerald Kersh. “None Aboard”, “I Stole Your Light”, “Somewhere...In A Dream I Once Had”, “An Insanity”,”On American Gothic”--these are poetry that reads like a horror induced fever dream. They have a certain sublime quality about them that you could tell he makes all his own. “Origins: A Duck Tale...” is a twisted little fable that is worthy of Grimm. The creativity it takes to make a mock Wikipedia page for the creature, “Morsus”, is nothing less that ingenious. It makes a great prelude for “Prince Frederick”. A tale on the high seas as a ship of sailors has a member of royalty that will be their ultimate doom.
Ending this large volume we have the unmistakable Joseph DeRepentigny. I have reviewed his other stories in The Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror 2013 and he does not let down with this volume. “Exile” tells the story of the demons from hell thrust into the mortal world for punishment. Transformed into the bodies of common humans, they try to make sense and also survive in our world with basically the clothes on their back and very little, if any, money. Joe has always been, in my eyes, today's version of Robert Bloch. Humor and horror and his attention to dialogue make this, and all that he writes, a fun read.
Hydra M. Star mentions in her forward to this book: ...”it's a dysfunctional, codependent, and beautiful relationship most authors have with their writing and this anthology gives a better glimpse at the nature of this relationship than most others.” This, my friends, says it all.
The accompanying paintings inside and cover by Jihane Mossalim is an intriguing hint to the spirit of the stories within. Jihane has an eye for incorporating a strange, haunting beauty in every shade and stroke of color. Her artwork stays with you.
Charie D. La Marr is a woman who's writing belongs in another era. Refined and with a hint of the terrifying that is a pleasant change to the “in your face” of the genre nowadays. Her story “Port-Au-Prince” will make you think the next time you pour that cup of coffee. An sorrowful,undead love story like none other taking place in New York City is the basis for “Nothing is Forever”.
My story “Friends Like These” brings a person with imaginary friends to a different level.
Do not let the sweet, lovely face of Stephanie Riley fool you. Her style of horror writing will surprise you. Stephanie knows what scares. Her short story “The Predator” will make you think twice about what lives in the woods. I see this story as a prologue to a larger work. “Upstairs” is reminiscent if the haunted house works of Lisa Cantrell. “The Muse” is a tale about a familiar writer we all know and the familiar struggles all writers have.
Nicholas Day can be this generations Conrad Aiken. A subtle creepiness in his stories that are hard to define. “Snow Like Lonely Ghosts...” is a tale about coffee, sugar, and memories that haunt a simple man. “My Unshaped Form” takes a creature from Jewish folklore and throws in some Clive Barker for good measure. “The Man with the Fire Inside Him”, “Colors of the Beating Heart”, and “Negative Space” are short tidbits of horror that are quick and shocking. Kind of like splatters of paint on the same horrific portrait. “Breathtaking”, “Back to Before Birth”, and “Universe of Meat” are three poems (sonnets) that are like one continuous nightmare of words. Nicholas ends his section of the book with “Pollyanna”, the ultimate video game for sexual addicts.
Mary Genevieve Fortier can be best described as Poe reincarnated. Her poems “Wooden Box”, “Atop A Leaf Covered Stair”, “Unwelcom'd Visitor”, “Broken Darkness”, “Thunderous Overhead”, “Lovely Bones”, “The Infinite Rail”, “Night's Black Agents”, and “The Fork in the Road” flow like the dark waves in an ebony sea. Her prose brings to mind the gothic and antiquarian writings of the masters from long ago. Her soul is in tune with those masters and will be best read near a fireplace on a dark and thunderous night.
Colin M. Maguire. This man has taken a tale and written it like a '70's drive-in horror film. The nostalgia is evident and, oh so satisfying. A fun twisted tale about a bullied boy and what he finds to get his revenge...the price he pays he will regret the rest of his life. I see a lot of horror comics in Colin's childhood. This man writes for the sheer fun of weaving a great tale.
W. Freedreamer Tinkanesh is an enigma. W is one of the most fascinating people I have had the pleasure of reading. Genderless in nature, Walki has two sections in this book and the quality of writing with each word just shows you a little bit on what the soul of W encompasses. “Control” (which as previously published in his novel, Outsider, which I have read and reviewed) brings a story of Vodka, Cuban music, and Regrets that make for a terrifying trio. “Alive or Dead” is an interesting take on the zombie genre. “Clad in Black”, “Maybe It's Time” and “Spiky Choker” are short, dark, poetry that says volumes in so little words. “Michaela” is a story that asks if love can survive the hearafter? “Blood of an Enemy” also gives you love but reunited in the most of the supernatural of ways. Walki knows music. Walki knows writing. Most of all, Walki knows what can scare and fill you with imagination. True storytellers do that.
Behind the pleasant smile and innocent face of Rosie Bates is a mind that will shock you. Her tale, “Hidden Karma”, threw me for a loop. Wow! A tale of a hidden obsession with a twist. Stalking has never been as creepy. This one is a nail biter and all the more creepy because it is possible in today's society.
“The Curse of Maple Creek” by Thom Futrell would be a great '80's television series along the lines of a demented Picket Fences. Horror and humor in a town that have the strangest of supernatural occurrences. This story adds an appealing change to some of the other dark works within this volume. Scary at times, funny at times, but never boring. Kudos to Mr. Futrell.
Sandra Rozanski is another pleasant surprise. Just looking at her, you would assume she would be someone tending a garden or baking pies and desserts for the family and friends in some small country town. Her story “Cobwebs” is another haunted house treat that just goes to show that there is a twisted, horrific streak to this woman. Blake is a young man spending the night in a house on a dare...he gets more than he bargains for. Wait until you meet the main character in “Sweetie”. Allegra has a dark secret about herself. What happens when this dangerous woman starts to have feelings she has never had before? Read it and see.
Peter Adam Salomon is a YA horror author but his style reads like Gerald Kersh. “None Aboard”, “I Stole Your Light”, “Somewhere...In A Dream I Once Had”, “An Insanity”,”On American Gothic”--these are poetry that reads like a horror induced fever dream. They have a certain sublime quality about them that you could tell he makes all his own. “Origins: A Duck Tale...” is a twisted little fable that is worthy of Grimm. The creativity it takes to make a mock Wikipedia page for the creature, “Morsus”, is nothing less that ingenious. It makes a great prelude for “Prince Frederick”. A tale on the high seas as a ship of sailors has a member of royalty that will be their ultimate doom.
Ending this large volume we have the unmistakable Joseph DeRepentigny. I have reviewed his other stories in The Ladies and Gentlemen of Horror 2013 and he does not let down with this volume. “Exile” tells the story of the demons from hell thrust into the mortal world for punishment. Transformed into the bodies of common humans, they try to make sense and also survive in our world with basically the clothes on their back and very little, if any, money. Joe has always been, in my eyes, today's version of Robert Bloch. Humor and horror and his attention to dialogue make this, and all that he writes, a fun read.
Hydra M. Star mentions in her forward to this book: ...”it's a dysfunctional, codependent, and beautiful relationship most authors have with their writing and this anthology gives a better glimpse at the nature of this relationship than most others.” This, my friends, says it all.
Displaying 1 of 1 review