Twisted Tails III: Pure Fear

Twisted Tails #3

by J. Richard Jacobs

Those who have read other books in the Twisted Tails series already know that genre is not the driving force behind them. There is a general theme, sure, but no specific limits to where a story can take off from or a destination to which it should travel. We thrive on surprise and that is what makes the Twisted Tails books unique. Each story ends in the unexpected. Sometimes that's a little subtle, but most of the time the reader is cautioned to be careful of his/her footing. The authors of these little whiplash generators are masters at providing the required back-wrenching twist, so do be mindful of your step and we bid you welcome. In this book, Twisted Tails III , we are dredging up fear and wallowing in it as if it were something to be played with, cuddled and fingers lovingly run through its fur like a cherished pet. What we're doing here is tinkering with terror of the primal kind. You know what I mean, the sort of fright that lies coiled and ready to spring from the dark corners of the mind with no warning. It awaits all, lurking in the deeper shadows of consciousness. No one is immune and, frequently, there is no cure, you just sink into its roiling depths and are no more. If you do manage to escape, life will no longer be what it was before and you will find yourself glancing nervously over your shoulder whenever you hear something strange in the darkness or see a shadow move in the night.or day. Enjoy.. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 1. SCHOOL DAYZED by Biff Mitchell 2. THE GHOST OF KORRIM McKARTHY by Brandon Berntson 3. THE BEAST IN THE BASEMENT by J. Richard Jacobs 4. DAY OF THE DEAD by Marilyn Peake 5. THE RAFT by Kim McDougal 6. DIVINE MESSENGER by K.L. Nappier 7. TRAPPED by Christopher Hoare 8. ALONE AND AFRAID by A. J. Chaboya 9. THREE ON A MATCH by John Klawitter 10. LUNCH WAS NOT ENOUGH by Kim McDougal 11. POST APOCALYPSE by Ann Dulhanty 12. ARACHNOTAIL by Biff Mitchell 13. THE ADVENTURES OF JACK CHEESE by John Klawitter 14. BACKSLIDE by K.L. Nappier 15. ABANDONED by Geoff Nelder 16. COMING ALIVE by John Klawitter 17. HANDYMAN by J. Richard Jacobs 18. A COMMUNICATION FROM THE DEAD by Ginny Davis

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

I am an author of Science Fiction (both soft and hard), and science fact. I occasionally play with Fantasy, Paranormal, and Horror. The Horror is usually darkly humorous. More rarely I dash off a little mainstream-ish stuff for the not-too-squeamish.

I have been an avid and active amateur astronomer since 1947. I began writing at the professional level in 1956 when, at 16, I went to work as a technical writer and illustrator for Butler Publications in West Los Angeles, CA.

A brief change in my writing habits occurred when I became a naval architect, though I continued to write articles for trade magazines and journals on such things as yacht design, creative mathematics in design, applied physics, etc. When I "retired", I moved to Mexico to teach some folks how to build small craft, English as a second language, physics and observational astronomy.

I moved to New Mexico in 1998 where I worked at our local high school teaching mathematics, English, journalism, science and, of course, astronomy to the interested.

I now live in the southeast corner of New Mexico with my wife, Julieta, our son, Oscar, daughter Alexandra, her husband, and their 4 children. To round out the menagerie, we also support an insanely beautiful dog named Mars, 3 other dogs and 3 cats.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Legendary storyteller and editor J. Richard Jacobs stands tall among storytellers the likes of Isaac Azimov and Rod Serling. His popular Twisted Tails Anthologies feature a heady brew of sci-fi, fantasy and horror stories. Vol III contents:
SCHOOL DAYZED by Biff Mitchell
THE GHOST OF KORRIM McKARTHY by Brandon Berntson
THE BEAST IN THE BASEMENT by J. Richard Jacobs
DAY OF THE DEAD by Marilyn Peake
THE RAFT by Kim McDougall
DIVINE MESSENGER by K.L Nappier
TRAPPED by Christopher Hoare
ALONE AND AFRAID by A.J. Chaboya
THREE ON A MATCH by John Klawitter
LUNCH WAS NOT ENOUGH by Kim McDougall
POST APOCALYPSE by Ann Dulhanty
aRACHNOTAIL by Biff Mitchell
THE ADVENTURES OF JACK CHEESE by John Klawitter
BACKSLIDE by K.L. Nappier
ABANDONED by Geoff Neider
COMING ALIVE by John Klawitter
HANDYMAN BY J. Richard Jacobs
A COMMUNICATION FROM THE DEAD by Jinny Davis
I liked these stories so much I have read (with approval from the publishers) several of them on my podcast radio show Dark Landing. It's like the return of the Best of O'Henry -- with some wickedly twisted endings.

[Bitten_by_Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted Tails III - Pure Fear is an excellent anthology of 18 stories exploring the concept of fear. (The cover design has nothing to do with the book’s content.) J. Richard Jacobs’ entertaining introductions to each story range from Cryptkeeper-esqe teasers to knowing asides about the story’s author you might hear from a friend...

For the entire review please go to the Best Paranormal & Urban Fantasy Review site on the web, Bitten By Books  for the review of Twisted Tails III - Pure Fear in it's entirety. You won't be sorry.