Fireside Stories: Halloween Special

by Roma Gray, Kitty Kane, Mark Woods

The Halloween Horror Lives On… For the month of October 2017, J. Ellington Ashton Press, on their Wicked Little Things blog-talk radio, broadcasted a series of Halloween stories. These “Fireside Stories” (as they were called) were a big hit with the listeners, and the decision was quickly made to publish these tales of terror into a kindle/paperback/audiobook anthology. Written by some of JEA’s most terrifying authors—Catt Dahman, Jim Goforth, Mark Woods, Michael Noe, Essel Pratt, Amanda M. Lyons, Michael Fisher, Toneye Eyenot, Kitty Kane, and Roma Gray—these stories will send a shiver up your spine and remind you what Halloween is all about.

132 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2017

About the author

Roma Gray is the author of a multitude of horror short stories, novellas, and novels.

Please check out my series of anthologies, novels, novellas and shorts in the Trick-or-Treat Thrillers series. From horror to ghosts stories to backyard monsters to tales of science fiction, you can count on a variety of topics, all with a Halloween flair.

Sign up for news on new releases and free books: Mailing list: http://eepurl.com/dcAI5P

Reviews

[Melissa Levine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I see Roma Gray posting an audiobook, I'm there! Big fan here! Thankfully, I wasn't disappointed with this collection. The authors did a nice job describing the overall creepiness taking place in their specific story.

As for Terri F. Self (Narrator), well he's grown on me. The first time I listened to him (narrating the first Roma Gray audiobook I listened to), I was on the fence regarding his skills. I felt he would have made a great newscaster, but after listening to him more, I've come to realize that he does a great job narrating, specifically with the variety of accents/voices he uses for the characters.

Kitty Kane "The Vampire Vera" 4/5
Although I'm not the biggest fan of poetry, this was a cute story.

Mark Woods "Fear of the Dark" 4/5
This was a nice creepy story.

Michael Noe "The Pumpkin Man" 5/5
I loved this story! It was creepy, entertaining, and I wish it would have been longer.

Catt Dahman "Hope Springs Infernal Eternal" 4/5
This was an interesting story and left me with questions. One such question: was everyone is the hotel a ghost? This could easily have been much longer.

Amanda M. Lyons "October Night" 1/5
I feel bad leaving a poor rating for this series of short stories, but these just didn't call to me.

Roma Gray "Halloween" 4/5
This was a great story; I'd actually listened to this one a while back. Big fan of Mrs. Gray!

Essel Pratt "Quarantine Query" 1/5
While I love anything zombie related (usually), this story didn't call to me.

Amanda M. Lyons "Nightscapes" 1/5
Sorry, but again, I wasn't a fan of this story. Even though these are all short stories, I feel like there was really nothing to this one, similarly to the others by this author.

Michael Fisher "From the Murky Depths" 5/5
This was an interesting, engaging, different kind of story. It held my attention the entire time I listened to it, and I'd be curious to listen/read other stories by this author.

Jim Goforth "Roadkill Run" 4/5
Another good creepy story. What did I learn? Never drive on the roads that are rarely used (those country back roads) or surrounded by a forested area because something bad is going to happen.

Toneye Eyenot "Quad" 3/5
This was interesting, but I felt had it been a smidge longer it could have been something more. Obviously, any of these stories could have been more if they were longer.

[Lucretia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had such fun listening to this wonderful audio-book. The narration really bough each story to life. There was a nice variety of stories, all with unique voices, but all with the same creepy vibe. I've read several of the authors before and knew I was in for a treat. I like that they mention where the stories came from. Many were from anthologies, in case you like the theme, you can grab the other anthologies for even more stories in that vein.

Some of the stories that really stood out to me were:

Hope Springs Infernally Eternal by Catt Dahman, which made wonderful use of dialogue and details to make me care about character, making the story super effective.

The Easter Feast by Roma Gray, I'll have to admit I'm so biased when it comes to Roma's work. I go into it already knowing I'm going to love it. She tells stories that have depth and atmosphere. The twists and plots are intricate no matter the length and this one was no exception. Pick up anything from Roma, you won't regret it. This story blew me away... (there was more than one in this book by Roma, both were superb)

Roadkill Run by Jim Goforth, This is another author who absolutely never disappoints. His characters always come to life, and under such circumstances that I'm white-knuckling my kindle and turning on the lights. I was grinning at the banter in this one, even though the topic was gross, the presentation was awesome. Brilliant.

There is something in this collection for everyone. Grab your copy and enjoy these creepy, and horrific tales.

[Book lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories

I enjoyed the anthology except for the stories I have read before , in other anthologies. Most of the tales were unique and unpredictable. I would recommend this book of bite sized stories to horror lovers who are too busy to commit to a complete novel. You can easily pick up from where you left off.

[Cheryl Swadley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was much darker than I expected

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay Halloween Anthology.