What do you think?
Rate this book
A Splash of Crimson
“I loved every story in this collection!”—Amanda Stuntz, author of New Hope
Jackson Arthur’s A Splash of Crimson is a thrilling collection of seven strange tales filled with creeping dread.
A young couple on the brink of a breakup is drawn to an empty church, where they must confront the darkness within. When June King attempts suicide, she discovers a strange and impossible door, leading to unimaginable horrors. A single father will stop at nothing to save his dying daughter, even if it means making a deal with a mysterious young man.
In these stories and others, life and death are black and white. But what exists between is a splash of crimson.
Praise for A Splash of Crimson:
“Read this only in the daytime if you don't want to have bad dreams.”—Samberine Everose, author of The Seal of God
“It strongly reminded me of something of a Twilight Zone episode or an unsolved mystery from the classic television show, X-Files.”—Peter Gray, author of The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven
“This collection will keep you on the edge of your seat.”—Cal Brett, author of Worse Than Dead
“This is a sophisticated kind of scary. Poetic, like Poe.”—Sandra Lopez, author of Single Chicas
“What a great collection of scary short stories!”—H.G. Ahedi, author of The Fall of Titan
“There’s a real passion in the writing…”—Anthony Castellino, author of The Feast of All Saints
Jackson Arthur’s A Splash of Crimson is a thrilling collection of seven strange tales filled with creeping dread.
A young couple on the brink of a breakup is drawn to an empty church, where they must confront the darkness within. When June King attempts suicide, she discovers a strange and impossible door, leading to unimaginable horrors. A single father will stop at nothing to save his dying daughter, even if it means making a deal with a mysterious young man.
In these stories and others, life and death are black and white. But what exists between is a splash of crimson.
Praise for A Splash of Crimson:
“Read this only in the daytime if you don't want to have bad dreams.”—Samberine Everose, author of The Seal of God
“It strongly reminded me of something of a Twilight Zone episode or an unsolved mystery from the classic television show, X-Files.”—Peter Gray, author of The Tragic Tale of Teddy Woven
“This collection will keep you on the edge of your seat.”—Cal Brett, author of Worse Than Dead
“This is a sophisticated kind of scary. Poetic, like Poe.”—Sandra Lopez, author of Single Chicas
“What a great collection of scary short stories!”—H.G. Ahedi, author of The Fall of Titan
“There’s a real passion in the writing…”—Anthony Castellino, author of The Feast of All Saints
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
101 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2020
38 people are currently reading
44 people want to read
About the author
Jackson Arthur
11 books12 followersJackson Arthur is born and raised in Ohio. He lives there with his wife, daughter, cat, and chinchilla. He has always been a fan of horror and his favorite author is Stephen King. He mostly writes scary stories but also dabbles in the weird and abnormal. Some of his short stories have been narrated on YouTube and Spotify.
You can find Jackson Arthur on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/JacksonArthu...
You can email him at JacksonArthurStories@gmail.com
You can visit his website at https://jacksonarthurstori.wixsite.co...
You can find Jackson Arthur on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/JacksonArthu...
You can email him at JacksonArthurStories@gmail.com
You can visit his website at https://jacksonarthurstori.wixsite.co...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 25, 2021
Literary tales of grim sorrow and darkness.
A woman ends her life only to realize the mistake she made while obsessing over a door and a naked man that may not be a man. I didn’t quite get that one.
A young man questions God’s motives and wonders if there’s something sinister inside a church.
These are definitely strange stories here. Dark, but not scary. Creepy, but not scary. Definitely strange. You don’t see a clear path in these twisted tales. In fact, perhaps this is a sophisticated kind of scary. Poetic, like Poe.
An interesting read.
A woman ends her life only to realize the mistake she made while obsessing over a door and a naked man that may not be a man. I didn’t quite get that one.
A young man questions God’s motives and wonders if there’s something sinister inside a church.
These are definitely strange stories here. Dark, but not scary. Creepy, but not scary. Definitely strange. You don’t see a clear path in these twisted tales. In fact, perhaps this is a sophisticated kind of scary. Poetic, like Poe.
An interesting read.
November 26, 2020
Thrilling!
What a great collection of scary short stories! The stories are fascinating, and gripped me from the start.
Although each story might be about five thousand words, for each one you can feel the characters, their pain, their need to reach out and hold on what's dear to them. The stories are fast paced, mysterious with unexpected ending.
Fans of horror and thriller books are really going to enjoy this one!
What a great collection of scary short stories! The stories are fascinating, and gripped me from the start.
Although each story might be about five thousand words, for each one you can feel the characters, their pain, their need to reach out and hold on what's dear to them. The stories are fast paced, mysterious with unexpected ending.
Fans of horror and thriller books are really going to enjoy this one!
February 14, 2021
A great collection of stories!
I loved every story in this collection!! Some of the them really hit home and played with my emotions. I didn’t find any of them to be particularly scary, but i didn’t mind because they were definitely strange, dark and creepy.
All of the stories followed the theme of death and sorrow which gave the collection a unified feeling. I really enjoyed reading all of them and can’t wait to see what comes next from this author!
I loved every story in this collection!! Some of the them really hit home and played with my emotions. I didn’t find any of them to be particularly scary, but i didn’t mind because they were definitely strange, dark and creepy.
All of the stories followed the theme of death and sorrow which gave the collection a unified feeling. I really enjoyed reading all of them and can’t wait to see what comes next from this author!
December 12, 2020
Very thrilling!
Read this only in the daytime if you don't want to have bad dreams.
Each story are unique and creates a distinguishing impression, the author not only tell it but showed it using words that gives an impact that creates a thrill feeling.Well done!
Read this only in the daytime if you don't want to have bad dreams.
Each story are unique and creates a distinguishing impression, the author not only tell it but showed it using words that gives an impact that creates a thrill feeling.Well done!
September 14, 2023
Title - A Splash of Crimson
Author - Jackson Arthur
Rating - 4/5 ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Genre - Horror short stories
Pace - Fast
Mood - dark, mysterious, reflective, sad, tense
This is a compilation of strange and scary short stories. The theme focuses on closely on death and what lies beyond. I found some of these quite thought provoking.
• An Unfinished Door - a wife makes the decision to take her life, but has regrets as soon as it’s done.
• The Church at the Edge of Town - a fighting couple enter a church they have never known anyone to attend but have seen cars in the parking lot. Turns out the members may not only be from this plane of life.
• Compounded in Clay - A man, who is comatose for 10 years is faced with the decision to move on after finding out his love has remarried. The second part of the story is joining a mother son duo on their final journey, the young boy is terminally ill, holding on for his mother who isn’t ready to let go.
• A Devil in the Midst - Follow a boyfriend who is deployed to Afghanistan with the belief he won’t return home.
• A Father’s Duty - A daughter needs a new liver to survive. Her father is not a donor match but he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive. Including trading his life.
• Many a Tear has to Fall - A wife is killed in a car crash. As her husband grieves, the wife returns home rushing to her room upset.
• Remember the Horses - A heartwarming goodbye salute to a grandmother who loved her farm and horses dearly.
Author - Jackson Arthur
Rating - 4/5 ⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
Genre - Horror short stories
Pace - Fast
Mood - dark, mysterious, reflective, sad, tense
This is a compilation of strange and scary short stories. The theme focuses on closely on death and what lies beyond. I found some of these quite thought provoking.
• An Unfinished Door - a wife makes the decision to take her life, but has regrets as soon as it’s done.
• The Church at the Edge of Town - a fighting couple enter a church they have never known anyone to attend but have seen cars in the parking lot. Turns out the members may not only be from this plane of life.
• Compounded in Clay - A man, who is comatose for 10 years is faced with the decision to move on after finding out his love has remarried. The second part of the story is joining a mother son duo on their final journey, the young boy is terminally ill, holding on for his mother who isn’t ready to let go.
• A Devil in the Midst - Follow a boyfriend who is deployed to Afghanistan with the belief he won’t return home.
• A Father’s Duty - A daughter needs a new liver to survive. Her father is not a donor match but he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive. Including trading his life.
• Many a Tear has to Fall - A wife is killed in a car crash. As her husband grieves, the wife returns home rushing to her room upset.
• Remember the Horses - A heartwarming goodbye salute to a grandmother who loved her farm and horses dearly.
July 17, 2023
Ok ok only
December 31, 2023
I loved every one of these stories.
October 23, 2023
Short stories
⭐⭐⭐/5
These were not horror stories, as advertised. These were dark and twisted stories. Some were interesting but most were just okay. Not really a fan.
⭐⭐⭐/5
These were not horror stories, as advertised. These were dark and twisted stories. Some were interesting but most were just okay. Not really a fan.
December 24, 2023
A splash of crimson
This was a nice change of reading material.I loved the short stories and being able to read them quickly,Chris to the author.
This was a nice change of reading material.I loved the short stories and being able to read them quickly,Chris to the author.
December 20, 2020
For a debut book, this one is pretty solid with the stories it tries to tell. Unlike most horror stories, which tend to deal with weird and supernatural monsters, this one focuses more on the telling of more human stories about death and loss (though there are some monsters making appearances).
One of the good things about this book is that the stories are quick and easy to digest, suitable for a read when you have a few minutes to sit down and want a complete story but lack the time to get involved with a longer narrative. Due to their relative brevity, one might think it would be hard to develop characters strong enough to carry the stories; however, in most cases - particularly the earlier ones in the book - the characters are sufficiently well developed to get to the end and have some impact.
A couple things to note, though, which are common for debut self-published books. On the technical front, there needed to be a bit more editing and review - both for grammar and content. There is some hesitancy that is communicated through the storytelling, but that is likely due to the nervousness common to putting your name to your first published work; short and quick stories are less risky for a writer to offer than longer narratives which could be outright rejected. That being said, a little more attention to detail and content editing may have been needed in some of the book's later stories to increase their clarity and impact, though the author nailed pacing for such brief stories and communicated the themes clearly. Character depth would have greatly improved with length, particularly in those later stories I just mentioned, but was sufficient to make the stories interesting.
Some grammatical issues, such as passive tense and the occasional reliance on adverbs, are a bit jarring, but not sufficiently so to make the text unreadable. I generally don't like action paragraphs that start with "Suddenly, yada yada yada..." This, however, is a common issue for writers in their debut publications, and I have found myself doing it on occasion; a bit more pre-release review would catch these, and slight rewordings would have made the action more impactful. Practice, though, will improve technique, and it's not jarring enough distract from the point of the stories.
It will be interesting to see if the author grows a bit more comfortable with expanding his character depth and narrative length once he receives some positive feedback. With the author's clear vision of the theme and point of his stories, I think the goal - the art of effective storytelling - is well within Jackson Arthur's grasp.
One of the good things about this book is that the stories are quick and easy to digest, suitable for a read when you have a few minutes to sit down and want a complete story but lack the time to get involved with a longer narrative. Due to their relative brevity, one might think it would be hard to develop characters strong enough to carry the stories; however, in most cases - particularly the earlier ones in the book - the characters are sufficiently well developed to get to the end and have some impact.
A couple things to note, though, which are common for debut self-published books. On the technical front, there needed to be a bit more editing and review - both for grammar and content. There is some hesitancy that is communicated through the storytelling, but that is likely due to the nervousness common to putting your name to your first published work; short and quick stories are less risky for a writer to offer than longer narratives which could be outright rejected. That being said, a little more attention to detail and content editing may have been needed in some of the book's later stories to increase their clarity and impact, though the author nailed pacing for such brief stories and communicated the themes clearly. Character depth would have greatly improved with length, particularly in those later stories I just mentioned, but was sufficient to make the stories interesting.
Some grammatical issues, such as passive tense and the occasional reliance on adverbs, are a bit jarring, but not sufficiently so to make the text unreadable. I generally don't like action paragraphs that start with "Suddenly, yada yada yada..." This, however, is a common issue for writers in their debut publications, and I have found myself doing it on occasion; a bit more pre-release review would catch these, and slight rewordings would have made the action more impactful. Practice, though, will improve technique, and it's not jarring enough distract from the point of the stories.
It will be interesting to see if the author grows a bit more comfortable with expanding his character depth and narrative length once he receives some positive feedback. With the author's clear vision of the theme and point of his stories, I think the goal - the art of effective storytelling - is well within Jackson Arthur's grasp.
March 15, 2021
"A Splash of Crimson" contains seven short scary stories. The genres are mostly paranormal, verging on mystery and suspenseful tales. The stories alternate from first person to third, and the characters vary vastly in ages and situations. Most of the stories have to deal with death, or at least the looming presence of death before they step into the unknown world that lies just beyond the grave. It is a truly physiological thriller, because it makes you as the reader start to fear death and the unknown world that awaits the main character's spirit after it departs from their body.
My favourite story by far is "The Church at the Edge of Town." It strongly reminded me of something of a Twilight Zone episode or an unsolved mystery from the classic television show, X-Files. It was a short read, but a chilling one. The ambiguous ending was truly satisfying, because it makes the reader want to learn more about the mysterious church and the great evil that lurks within it.
Overall, I enjoyed these short collections of paranormal stories. I would not say they are scary, per say, but they are definitely a good read if you like stories that verge on the edge of disturbing and the paranormal. The writing style was a bit jarring at times, but I think it suits the author's stories. I think Jackson Arthur did a great job, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
My favourite story by far is "The Church at the Edge of Town." It strongly reminded me of something of a Twilight Zone episode or an unsolved mystery from the classic television show, X-Files. It was a short read, but a chilling one. The ambiguous ending was truly satisfying, because it makes the reader want to learn more about the mysterious church and the great evil that lurks within it.
Overall, I enjoyed these short collections of paranormal stories. I would not say they are scary, per say, but they are definitely a good read if you like stories that verge on the edge of disturbing and the paranormal. The writing style was a bit jarring at times, but I think it suits the author's stories. I think Jackson Arthur did a great job, and I look forward to reading more of his work.
May 18, 2021
Crimson Stories explores the many avenues of love and loss and moving on...to the other side. These engaging stories will frighten and tear at your heart as lovers, parents, & friends face their worst fears and look death in the face. A young wife believes she is not loved until she finds a mysterious door leading to the underworld in her bedroom. A man confronts his cheating girlfriend only to find that her guilt has driven her into darkness. A man desperately holds on between worlds waiting for a spouse who will never come. A soldier fights for his life and those of his squad mates among the chaos of war. These and other stories in this collection will keep you on the edge of your seat.
August 31, 2021
Crimson Stories explores the many avenues of love and loss and moving on...to the other side. These engaging stories will frighten and tear at your heart as lovers, parents, & friends face their worst fears and look death in the face. A young wife believes she is not loved until she finds a mysterious door leading to the underworld in her bedroom. A man confronts his cheating girlfriend only to find that her guilt has driven her into darkness. A man desperately holds on between worlds waiting for a spouse who will never come. A soldier fights for his life and those of his squad mates among the chaos of war. These and other stories in this collection will keep you on the edge of your seat.
December 4, 2020
A promising beginning
A Splash of Crimson shows a promising beginning to a young, burgeoning writer. Some of the stories could use a little more development and the editing needs to be double checked but there’s a real passion in the writing that the writer puts the paper well. The last story in the collection shows a unique bit of tenderness that leaves an impression. Should be interesting to see what comes next from him.
3.5/5
A Splash of Crimson shows a promising beginning to a young, burgeoning writer. Some of the stories could use a little more development and the editing needs to be double checked but there’s a real passion in the writing that the writer puts the paper well. The last story in the collection shows a unique bit of tenderness that leaves an impression. Should be interesting to see what comes next from him.
3.5/5
October 15, 2024
Wouldn't classify these as horror per se, well written and enjoyable all the same
July 2, 2025
Not sure why this is called a splash of crimson, as I don't even think a drop of blood was shed in any of the stories. But I digress...
Naw, I'm not digressing just yet. This book promised "strange and scary" stories and I don't find any of them were either of those things. Maybe "depressing and sad" stories. They all had to do with lost loves and suicide and "nice" ghosts. Nice ghosts aren't scary!!
Meh, 3 stars might be generous but it was well written. Just not scary or strange. This was like a restaurant advertising something as "spicy chicken sandwich" and then you sink your teeth into it and it's about as spicy as celery.
Naw, I'm not digressing just yet. This book promised "strange and scary" stories and I don't find any of them were either of those things. Maybe "depressing and sad" stories. They all had to do with lost loves and suicide and "nice" ghosts. Nice ghosts aren't scary!!
Meh, 3 stars might be generous but it was well written. Just not scary or strange. This was like a restaurant advertising something as "spicy chicken sandwich" and then you sink your teeth into it and it's about as spicy as celery.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews