Review: Jolly Rogering by Aussiescribbler

There's nothing quite like a good story that has sex and pirates, and when you throw Aussiescribbler into the mix you've got a Funny Boner, a story that goes beyond the usual fan fiction pirate fare involving Elizabeth Swan, Nico Robin, "Cat Burglar" Nami, Roranora Zorro, Chef Sanji and Captain Jack Sparrow doing naughty and sweaty things to and with each other.  Yes, the awesome Aussie delivers a two-for-one double shot with this mini-collection filled with his own Down Under brand of humor erotica that's guaranteed to make you giggle more than grab yourself.  If you're looking for a deep and historically accurate tale to beat off to, FORGET IT!  But if you're looking for a great story to put a smile on your face and make you snicker every time you think about it like a little kid having a dirty little thought, then this pair of stories is right up your alley.

Jolly Rogering
Agatha has always dreamed of being a pirate, and when the Libertine arrives in port one day she decides to try her luck and disguise herself as a cabin boy and join the crew.  Everything works out for a while, but it's hard to hide the fact that you're a horny girl pirate in the middle of a crew of horny boy pirates, especially when all the "facilities" are on deck.  In the end Agatha learns a whole new appreciation for the term "All Hands On Deck" (and a few other things on a few other places too).  Five Stars!

Washed Up
Robin Crusoe sneaks up onto the deck of the ship she's traveling on one night for a little scrumping with the first mate, until they're interrupted by the captain and he pushes he overboard so he's not caught caught having improper relations with a passenger.  Robin ends up stranded on an island all alone in this quick and clever retelling of Defoe's Robinson Crusoe with bits of  Mutiny On The Bounty and Castaway thrown in.  Bananas and cannibals and mutineers, oh my!  Five Stars!

Of course as a native Floridian I have a thing for pirates, beaches and tropical settings, and of course when you throw in raunchy sex and off humor and you have my full attention.  Again the awesome Aussie proves why he calls his stories Funny Boners, and if you're looking for something other than a straight-up exercise in racy raunch he's the man to try, because, again, he writes erotica for the thinking person, and he always delivers.

Here is where you can get your copy of Jolly Rogering:

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jolly-rogering-aussie-scribbler/1107759472
iTunes Book Store:   http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/jolly-rogering/id483376546
Sony eBook Store:  http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/aussie-scribbler/jolly-rogering/_/R-400000000000000551533

Master Vyle

Lisa McCourt Hollar: A Triple-Shot Review!

To start with I have to say that my initial intention was to do my standard, single review on a single work, because thus far I have only done a couple of reviews where  I included more than one work by the same author (always a sign of an exceptional talent).   I also have to state that it was my initial intention to have that review done about three weeks ago as well, along with an entire laundry list of other things that, as always, went on the back burner due to my recurrent migraines and other assorted and endless disasters.

But enough about my issues, let's talk about Lisa McCourt Hollar.  If you follow this blog you may know that I first became acquainted with Mrs. Hollar's works back around Halloween when I read her short story Sam, a sweet little tale of a boy and his flesh eating, zombie, goldfish.  I found it to be a quaint and endearing little story, and from the author's bio at the end I was really under the impression that Mrs. Hollar was mainly into the YA and "Children's" horror scenes, someone who told tales that were grodie enough to be cool, but safe enough for the local PTA to approve of.

A couple of months later, during the Twelve Nights Of Creepfest Blog Hop, I learned that Mrs. Hollar was a little more edgy than I though after getting a look at a work that was still somewhat in progress on her blog.  I realized there was more to Lisa McCourt Hollar than I had thought at first glance, but yet I really didn't get the fact that she wrote the kind of things your local PTA wouldn't approve of.  In fact it was not until getting through the following stories that I knew how gritty and edgy Lisa McCourt Hollar was, not only writing the type of story I love to read, but the type I love to write as well.

First up is a stand alone short story The Carnival.  Pregnant at 15 Lucy has been confined to her home by her father, the mayor, to avoid a scandal, but she will do anything to be reunited with her lover Tom.  When the little clown arrives at her house with a message from Tom to follow him she does without a single though, straight into an unimaginable nightmare.

It's pretty hard to say much more without giving too much of the story away.  I can tell you it's not a tale for the faint of heart or prudish.  The story itself is very well written, although it does becomes slightly predictable near the end.  I give it Four Stars.

The second body of Mrs. Hollar's work up for review is a short story collection Halloween Frights.  This is a fairly easy read, and most of the individual stories are only a few pages long, but their length does nothing to lessen their impact.

'Joe's Night Out'
A sweet little poem about crazy Joe heading to the cemetery to dig up a few friends for Halloween.  Five Stars.

Happy Halloween
Sandra finally has what she's wanted since the day she married George.  She's a widow.  Unfortunately she's not quite as alone as she seems.  Four Stars.

Taxidermy Nightmare
On Halloween Night most of the kids avoid the Harper house, because they say deformed Tom does some crazy things.  They may be right.  Three Stars.

Dolly
Francine's daughter Annie is acting out, but it isn't her fault.  Dolly is the one telling her to do bad things.  Three Stars.

Things That Go Bump In The Night
Tasha can't sleep.  There's a monster under her bed that wants to eat her toes.  She knows it.  Just knows it.  But who is more scary in the end?  Five stars.

The Beast Inside
There are times when you shouldn't tease someone.  There are times when you shouldn't be a bully.  And a group of neighborhood kids is about to learn their lesson too late.  Five Stars.

The Voices
Francine and her mother move into a haunted house where the past replays itself.  Four Stars.

Eternity
There's a killer in the house, but it's okay because he can never, never, touch you.  Five Stars.

Family Lore
A young woman discovers she is descended from a long line of witches, but it seems like someone else may have already known first.  Four Stars.

Weekend Escape
A woman's unseasonal trip to her summer house becomes an exercise in terror when an escaped killer joins her on her retreat.  Five Stars.

Vampire's Hollow
Judith dreams of a man coming to her in the night as her family crosses to America.  Once she arrives she follows him into the wilderness, the mysterious Tiberius Crane.  Then, she learns his plans for her, and her torment begins.  Five Stars.

An overall Five Star collection.  Some of the stories are easy to figure out, and you see the twist in them coming, and I never could find the little girl's motivation in Dolly, but  Things That Go Bump In The Night is cute and The Beast Within is an awesome mix of anti-bullying tale and gorefest, while Vampire's Hollow is filled with the edginess and grit most stories out there are lacking.

The final of our trio of Lisa McCourt Hollar works up for review is the short story collection Flashes From The Grave, which was the work I had set out to initially review in the first place.  As with the previous collection it is filled with very short stories which are to the point and impactful.  Throughout this collection Mrs. Hollar also demonstrates her range as a writer, throwing in a little comedy this time out as well.

Zombie Beach
A woman attempts to save her young daughter from the zombie horde by swimming out onto a raft anchored in the ocean.  Zombies can't swim, can they?  Five stars.

The Rat King
A gritty tale of a young woman driven to seek revenge on the creature that murdered her baby sister, and made her into a thing like him.  Five Stars.

The Vampire Hunter's Wife
Bride.  Assistant.  Prisoner.   A madman's slave finds salvation in an unlikely source.  Five Stars.

The Zombie Reunification Act
In a world overrun by zombies there's only one thing the government can do, put them to work.  A taste of the lighter side of Lisa McCourt Hollar.  Five Stars.

Don't Play With Your Food
A tale of cannibalism and revenge.  A story so horrifyingly over the top it has to be read to be appreciated.  Six Stars!

The Bearded Man
Tabitha dreams that the Bearded Man is coming to take her children, even though she has not had any yet.  Four Stars.

The Birth Of Evil
A brother and sister learn too late that they are part of a plot to bring about the beginning of the end.  Five Stars.

No Respect For The Dead
It's one of those old "There Goes The Neighborhood" stories with a twist, and another example of Mrs. Hollar's lighter side as a vampire has to deal with some undesirable new neighbors.  Four Stars.

The Uninvited
The scene of a wedding reception ruined as the zombie apocalypse begins.  Four Stars.

Dear Charlie

Charlie is a diligent worker with OCD.  Nothing will keep him from getting his job at a small diner done, even death, a fact the local health department is sure to frown on.  Again the humor of Lisa McCourt Hollar shines through in one of her funniest tales.  Five Stars.

The Circle Of Life
A brief scene from the zombie apocalypse told from the zombie point of view.  Five Stars.

Til Death We Meet Again
Every night Selina gets ready, waiting for the vampire she met when she was a young woman to come and take her so she can be with him forever.  Now she is an old woman at death's door, and as her wait nears its end someone else's wait is about to begin.  Five Stars.

Caged
Tabby deals in exotic animals, when your definition of what an animal is is broad.  She captures them, cages them, trains them and sells the ones who live to the highest bidder.  Four Stars.

Again with Flashes From The Grave Lisa McCourt Hollar delivers an overall Five Star collection.  It may have been served a little better ending with Don't Play With Your Food or Til Death We Meet Again, but I have seen other collections end with far weaker stories than Caged, which is a pretty good story.  Overall Flashes From The Grave is proof that Lisa McCourt Hollar does not just write "kid stuff" and neither is she a one trick pony.  Looking at it against Halloween Frights it is plain to see that Mrs. Hollar's writing only continues to improve and advance as well.

Like Diana Trees and the author formerly known as Poppy Z. Brite Mrs. Hollar delivers in the above works tales that are real, gritty and sometimes uncomfortable to read, just as good horror should be.  There has been a definite lack of this kind of story telling since the mid-1990s, and I can't wait for a novel length story to see what she does with a long and sustained story.

You can find all three of these works on Amazon:

The Carnival:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Carnival-ebook/dp/B004YR77D8
Halloween Frights:  http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Frights-ebook/dp/B005PA94U2
Flashes From The Grave:  http://www.amazon.com/Flashes-From-The-Grave-ebook/dp/B005A7QMZK/

Lurk for all three of these great reads and acquaint yourself with Lisa McCourt Hollar if you have not already.

Master Vyle

Older Is Bedder Released As An eBook

My very first erotica story Older Is Bedder is now available as an eBook from Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Johnny isn’t having a good day.  The heat.  His job.  His boss.  They’re all getting on his nerves, but nothing gets on his nerves worse than working with the moody and sour Doris Walker.  To make his day go from bad to worse Johnny offends Doris and gets in trouble at work, an act that has possible consequences outside of work.

 Feeling his Friday can’t get any worse Johnny decides to cancel his evening plans to smooth things over with Doris with a face to face apology.  Soon, however, Johnny learns that Doris has other plans.  For Doris Walker fancies herself as a cowgirl, of the kinky variety, and before the night is through she plans to teach Johnny that Older Is Bedder!

 A mature BDSM story featuring one kinky old cowgirl, and more!

 Warning:  This story contains adult themes and strong sexual content.

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Older-Is-Bedder-ebook/dp/B0076QZD9Y

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/older-is-bedder-michael-c-laney/1108620948

Master Vyle

  

Descent To Venus Released As An eBook

One of my earliest BBW erotica short stories Descent To Venus is now available as an eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and OmniLit.

Simon Raver, a night club DJ, is on a quest to find his ideal woman, BBW Venus.  He has always loved Big Beautiful Women, but the circumstances never seem to be just right for finding the one he will be with, and make happy, forever.  While attending a CD release party for a rap group getting passed their glory days he meets Cassie, a married woman who seems to fit his ideal image.  They leave the party and he spends the evening pleasing a woman whose needs have been neglected by her husband in ways that she’s never been before, each time he makes his descent to Venus!

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Descent-Venus-BBW-Venera-ebook/dp/B0071UTS46
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/descent-to-venus-michael-c-laney/1108428390
All Romance eBooks:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-descenttovenus-675900-144.html
OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/product-descenttovenus-675900-144.html 

Master Vyle

Review: Girl's Night In by Anthony Beal

Every once in a great while I find a story that's right up my alley, and right up my alley on so many levels.  Anthony Beal's short story Girl's Night In is one of those stories.  There's nothing I love better than an erotica story that does not fall into that mold that a lot of readers are expecting.  Throw in a BBW heroine and you've got my interest double.

Girl's Night In is the story of Dacia, a BBW whose mate does not appreciate her curves.  She vents her frustration by doing the exact thing that her boyfriend wants to take away from her, she does something to make herself desirable and sexy.  Going to a hotel where the desk clerk knows her name she checks in to a room and puts on an exhibitionist show for any passenger looking from a subway train which has to stop by the room's window to wait for the track ahead to clear.

Transit passenger Kenichi gets to play the voyeur to Dacia's exhibitionist.  He's in a look and no touch (even himself) situation, and he's enraptured by the woman in the window.

You may think you will be able to figure out how this story is going to end, but I assure you it doesn't.  Beal tells an awesome and "non-traditional" erotic tale which is both hot and cerebral.  It's a very short story, but in Beal's hands it's more than enough length to get Five Stars, and this story deserves every single one.  I'm looking forward to more, and can't wait to see what Beal does with a story that has an extended length.

You can get your copy of Girl's Night In here:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Girls-Night-In-ebook/dp/B005U2P49A
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/girls-night-in-anthony-beal/1106913168
Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/93139
Sony eBook Store:  http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/anthony-beal/girl-s-night-in/_/R-400000000000000534205
1Erotica eBooks:  http://1eroticaebooks.com/erotica/girl-39-s-night-in/prod_1991.html
iTunes Book Store:  http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/girls-night-in/id475030529?mt=11

If you're lurking for something spectacular, lurk no further than Anthony Beal!



Master Vyle



Legend Of The Ghost's Woods Released As An eBook

Just in time for the first Friday the 13th of the New Year (and a little unexpectedly even for me) my new Horror short story Legend Of The Ghost's Woods is now available on Amazon, All Romance eBooks and OmniLit, and should be available on Barnes & Noble by the end of the weekend.  (Three out of four ain't bad.)

If you read my 2011 The Year I Arrived post you know that Legend Of The Ghost's Woods serves as the prologue to my forthcoming novel Comes The Dark Storm, as well as the rest of the Shadows Of The Night Series.

The Ghost’s Woods, a vast expanse of untamed forest and swampland straddling the borders of  Poe and Bennick Counties. The woods were known for being the Evil Place long before the first explorers came from Europe. Deep in the forest strange voices sometimes whispered dark secrets to those who could hear them, and a creature nearly as old as mankind roamed among the trees, watching, and occasionally claiming a victim of its own choosing.

With the tragedy that followed the founding of the small city of Ariana, Florida, the woods received their name. They had long been forgotten as being the Evil Place, but the passage of time only proved they were a haunted place, the home of something cunning and malevolent that was waiting to strike!

Here is the history of how the Ghost’s Woods became a legend. The short story prologue to Michael C. Laney’s forthcoming Shadows Of The Night Series!

You can find Shadows Of The Night Volume Zero: Legend Of The Ghost Woods here.  I will have a link up for Barnes & Noble within the next few days:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Ghosts-Woods-Shadows-ebook/dp/B006WUK5PC

All Romance eBooks:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-legendoftheghost039swoods-671192-140.html

OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/product-legendoftheghost039swoods-671192-140.html

I'll be lurking for you.

Master Vyle

Thank You, Ma'am And Sir Released As An eBook

My 2006 Thanksgiving BDSM erotica short story Thank You, Ma'am And Sir is now available as an eBook from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and OmniLit.

Mistress Violet and Master Marcus are very open and love to mix things up with several other like minded people who they allow to use their loyal submissive, Julie, as well. On Thanksgiving Julie wants her Mistress and Master to know all the things she is truly thankful for. After making them a special dinner all on her own she tells them what those things are in the hope that by the end of the night that there will be at least one more thing to be thankful for added to the list!

In the end everyone is going to have something to be thankful for in this erotic BDSM short story.

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006S5Q6AO
Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/thank-you-maam-and-sir-michael-c-laney/1108115839
All Romance eBooks:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thankyouma039amandsir-667811-144.html
OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/product-thankyouma039amandsir-667811-144.html

Master Vyle

Fuck Flowers, Fuck Candy... Released As An eBook

My 2006 science fiction erotica short story Fuck Flowers, Fuck Candy... ...This Is A Gift You Can Really Use! is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and OmniLit.

In the year 20XX one woman’s pleasure is man-made, and it puts all the other men she’s been with to shame in this erotic science fiction short story!

There’s nothing worse than being a swinger who’s home alone on Valentine’s Day, and Sara Warwick knows this is a fact for sure. She willing to forgive her husband for being out of town and not letting her come along, as long as the gift is right. The one thing she was not expecting was her very own Command-Do Lover, an adult toy so advanced that she’s not totally sure if she’s playing with it, or if it is playing with her!

Her Valentine’s Day gift was as real as any man…

…but much, much, better!

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Flowers-Candy-This-Really-ebook/dp/B006S5Q0F0

Barnes & Noble:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fuck-flowers-fuck-candy-this-is-a-gift-you-can-really-use-michael-c-laney/1108115809

All Romance eBooks:  http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-fuckflowersfuckcandythisisagiftyoucanreallyuse-667809-143.html

OmniLit:  http://www.omnilit.com/product-fuckflowersfuckcandythisisagiftyoucanreallyuse-667809-143.html

Master Vyle

On The Ninth Day Of Creepfest... Another Contest

Greetings fiends and fright fans.  Yesterday there were no correct entries for my Frog Nog And Other Horrorday Tales Trivia Contest, as there were no entries submitted.  So today there will be 14 opportunities to win, as well as change in prizes, in part due to the fact that I'm having technical difficulties in regard to the delivery of the previously offered prize.

So up for grabs today, a copy of a never before published short story, Mom's Liver And Onions, which I am planning to release as part of a four story collection titled Four Freaks by the spring of 2012.  This little story is the tale of three siblings coming to terms with death, among other things.  It also has the distinction of having been rejected by One Buck Horror, my second ever rejection for a submission for pay.  So now I have been rejected by both The Ladies Home Journal and One Buck Horror, and I can guarantee you that the list of people who can make that claim is very small, Hhehehehehehehe.

But anyway, here is today's question.

In two stories in the Frog Nog And Other Horrorday Tales collection, as well as in the novel Heather's Journey: The Sound Of her MASTER'S VOICE, there is mention of a creature known as the Hollow Creek Monster which plays a significant role in the first novel of my upcoming Shadows Of The Night series.  Again I'll give multiple choice in regard to the question.

In which story does it describe what kind of creature the Hollow Creek Monster is supposed to be?

A.  Frog Nog
B.  It Came From Beyond The Midnight Clear
C.  Heather's Journey: The Sound Of her MASTER'S VOICE

Again today I also give a bonus question, and today it's a hard one because it's a one line reference in a 700+ page novel.  The prize up for grabs if you get this one is an advanced copy of the short story prologue to Shadows Of The Night, which will be published next month, The Legend Of The Ghost's Woods.

In Heather's Journey: The Sound Of her MASTER'S VOICE Heather's best friend, Betty, refers to the Hollow Creek Monster by another name.  What is the Hollow Creek Monster's alternate nickname?

Good luck, and I will be lurking for your responses via e-mail house_of_master_vyle @ yahoo.com.

Master Vyle

Review: Snowmen by James Melzer

This story and the next story up for review are a pair I got back in September, one horror and the other erotic, pretty much with the plan to keep them in reserve until December to have a little something to go along with the horrorday season.  With this story I feel that I found one that would fit in quite well with that plan, however, to paraphrase that old standard, "Never judge an eBook by its cover."

It isn't that Snowmen is an awful story, but it's not all that spectacular either.  It is a very brief tale of an elderly widower who builds a display made up of snowmen every winter in his front yard that becomes a local tradition with people coming from miles around to visit.  Edgar comes off as a kindly and lonely figure who takes pleasure in his project and the company it brings him, yet he has nightmares about his snowmen coming to life and coming after him, seemingly for no apparent reason and not really fitting into the tale of a kindly old man.

The story suffers the most due to its short length, and its failure to truly develop Edgar's character overall, or providing a sense of menace in regards to the malevolent snowmen in his dreams.  The surprise twist at the end really does nothing to enhance the story, and it took a second read and a week of thinking it over before I got the irony that was involved in the ending.  Overall it's a Three Star short story, and judging from the reviews and ratings on Melzer's other works compared to the ones on this one it's apparent that, at least other readers who have seen more from him, are of the opinion that he is capable of much better than this one.

Snowmen is in freebie territory and attached to it is a three chapter preview of Melzer's novella Hull's Landing, which far exceeds the length of the title story.  Hull's Landing, from what I have gathered from the preview, is a story about a group of men, some secret cult or order, that kidnaps a young woman, gang rapes her over the weekends, then ultimately kills her just before finding a replacement as part of a ritual that spans generations.  Just the sample and what was in it seemed to stretch the logic and credibility of such events too far, so it again ends up as one of those samples that does nothing to entice me to go out and put money down for, "The rest of the story," as the late, great, Paul Harvey used to say.

You can find you copy of Snowmen here.  Again it's not a totally awful little read, and probably is one of those stories that is no doubt more loved by the younger crowd than me:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Snowmen-ebook/dp/B003AZY6FM/

I'll be lurking for you later.  And also as Paul Harvey used to sign off, "Good day!"



Master Vyle



Frog Nog And Other Horrorday Tales, A Free Read For 12 Days Of Creepfest

Due to a billion technical difficulties and headaches it's been held up for a little while, but finally here it is, my official announcement of the release of my new holiday horror short story and poetry collection Frog Nog And Other Horrorday Tales.  Now, for the duration of the 12 Days Of Creepfest Blog Tour this title, that is cover to cover, never been published before stories, will be available from OmniLit.Com.  That's right, from today, December 13th, until December 24th, 2011, this collection will be free.  OmniLit gives you the option to download the collection in a variety of formats, including MOBI, ePub, PDF, HTML and more.

Here's a little "jacket" information on the collection:

A young man’s past comes back to haunt him. A man walks the desolate streets of a slum and remembers the life he once had. A young boy gets the present he wished for from an unexpected source. Death cannot take a holiday. These are a few of the things which await in this collection of four dark tales, each set on Christmas Eve. From the humorous to the horrifying, this collection has them all.

A Little Distraction: Christmas Eve is a busy day, but not just for Santa. A humorous tale about an unexpected gift, from an unexpected source.

Walking In A Winter Wasteland: Paul Felix used to have money, but now he is a vagrant in a world where Christmas is outlawed. Walking to a soup kitchen on the night that was once Christmas Eve he contemplates his downfall, and the loss of more precious things in his life than money.

Frog Nog: A young man hoping to score with a girl from his class gets more than he bargained for when he joins her church group for Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve. When they attempt to sing for a pair of sisters rumored to be witches the terror begins!

It Came From Beyond The Midnight Clear: On Christmas Eve 1983 a boy named Charlie sneaks out of his house to see the town Christmas tree, anchored in a nearby lake. His Uncle Jason has told him that there is something in the night on Christmas other than Santa, and that if he is lucky he just might see “It”.

This little collection also includes three palate cleansing poems between each story: Bloody Snow, Little Things In Boxes and Puppet With A Handgun.

Warning: Some stories in this collection contain graphic violence.

 

Starting next week I will be offering a couple of exclusive stories to those of you who have had a chance to read the collection.  Don't miss your chance to snag this freebie, because after the holidays it will be on sale once it is distributed to the other eReader sites.

Get your free copy of Frog Nog And Other Horrorday Tales from OmniLit.Com:

http://www.omnilit.com/product-frognogandotherhorrordaytales-657330-241.html

Master Vyle

Review: One Buck Zombies from One Buck Horror

Right in time for the holiday season, that ghost wonderful time of the year, One Buck Horror strikes again, this time with a special All Zombie Extravaganza titled, One Buck Zombies.  Of course you know I was jacked to know that there was a new volume coming out so close to the heels of the release of One Buck Horror: Volume Three, and that it was all about zombies, which of course are all the rage.

One Buck Zombies delivers a set of five zombie tales in the One Buck Horror tradition of being short, sweet and on the cutting edge.  Each story has its own unique style and take on the Romero zombie genre, where the walking dead have a hunger for the flesh of the living!

Here's a look at the stories:

The Best Mother by James Owens
No one wants to play with Jimmy after his mother's accident.  Even his father turns away with the passage of time.  But he will never leave his mother, and she wall always be there to protect him.  As always the editors at OBH have a way of picking the perfect lead in story.  It reminded me of Brian Rappatta's The Dead March and that new classic, Fido, due to similar themes and story elements, but beyond that The Best Mother is its own story.  Five Stars!

The Levees Of The Styx by David Dunwoody
A fallen scientist finds himself trapped in a tunnel with a young girl with a dwindling supply of food, and a gun containing only two bullets.  The story starts out fairly strong, but then goes down a slight slope once an explanation of how the zombie plague started is added to the story.  The story does however leave the reader hanging with an ambiguous ending that I though was great, because for the last few pages I was expecting to see a rehash of the ending of Stephen King's The Mist (the hopeless film ending that is).  Three and a Half Stars.

Little Red Zombie Hood by Alana I. Capria
I spent a majority of the time wondering where this story was going, and what possible point Capria was trying to make with it.  In OBH's guidelines it states they are not looking for "torture porn", and this story seems like zombies, werewolves and torture porn all mixed together.  Little Red was a zombie baby in the womb, so of course she is born pretty much the way you'd expect.  The Grandmother takes her in and arms her against wolves and man, which she dispatches with sick and gory glee for pretty much the entire length of the story.  Again this is one of those stories that someone else might be able to find merit in, but I found it to be a mix of concepts from the Dawn Of The Dead remake, the Saw series, and Diana Trees at her harshest, though not done well.  By far the weakest story in the collection from the standpoint that it is a story, as well as being the weakest story in the entire One Buck Horror series.  Two Stars.

He Stopped Loving Her Today by James R. Tuck
A man hides out in a home repair and improvement store as a zombie horde that includes his wife mills around, ever circling.  It is one of those stories you just know how it's going to end, but the fact is made up for by excellent storytelling that aims at the heart and tugs at it.  If you've ever known true love then you can feel the pain of a man who has lost absolutely everything that he ever cared about.  I do not want to give anymore away, as this story goes above and beyond.  Six Stars!

Mother Sisyphus by Robert Davies
Reading this story you begin to feel that you've found a story that is unique for the gut munching zombie genre, a story of hope.  Then you reach the hopeless and disgusting end to realize that at any rate the story is still unique.  A well told tale that harkens back to the extreme films of the golden age of Italian cannibal/zombie films while adding its own legacy.  Thus far the best ender in a One Buck Horror collection.  Five Stars.

Overall One Buck Zombies is a five star collection that continues to prove that One Buck Horror is perhaps the best anthology series that presents some of the best stories from the new voices of independent horror.  I'm not sure if there will in the future be specials that will be all vampire or werewolf, but I have a pretty good feeling that somewhere down the road there will be a One Buck Zombies: Volume Two!  At any rate at least I hope there will be.

Here's where to get your copy of One Buck Zombies:

Amazon.Com:   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TVK6B8
Barnes & Nobel:   http://search.barnesandnoble.com/One-Buck-Zombies/Christopher-Hawkins/e/2940013259706
Smashwords:   http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/95193

Be sure to lurk for this one kids!  Required reading for the ghost wonderful time of the year!

Master Vyle

Review: Halloween Spirits: 11 Tales For The Darkest Night edited by Lisa Morton

This is a collection that I added to my "wish list" a few months back, knowing that I wanted to stock up on some reads for that ghost wonderful time of the year.  In Halloween Spirits: 11 Tales For The Darkest Night Halloween historian and screenwriter Lisa Morton has put together a group of tales that mainly focuses on her forte, traditional Halloween, but it is not without its mix of the strange and the gory as well.

Here's a look at the stories:

Someone To Carve The Pumpkins by Kealan Patrick Burke
Two brothers try to sneak up on the ghost of an old witch, but things are not quite what they seem.  You may see the end of this one coming, but it is still an entertaining story and a good lead in to the collection.  Four Stars.

Carrion Man by Joseph Nassise
After a rash of child disappearances Grayson Shaw, the "Carrion Man", is called in to help the investigation.  Grayson has a paranormal ability that lets him hear the voices of the dead, but only Grayson knows his power is even more than that, and it is a power he uses to make sure that murderers and child molesters do not escape justice.  Gritty and gory.  I loved it.  Five Stars.

The Devil Came To Mamie's On Hallowe'en by Lisa Morton
Editor Lisa Morton herself gives us a tale filled with images and lore from the pre-trick or treat Halloween.  The Devil comes to a brothel after being summoned to claim a soul, but he's also always prepared to bargin for more.  A young girl and soulful blues singer finds herself faced with a choice: a life of prostitution, a rocky road in a life of trying to make it on her own, or fame and fortune at a price.  Breaking my house rules and giving it that Six Stars!

The Gunner's Love Song by Joe McKinney
A soldier returns home from the war to find himself in charge of protecting his cousin, accused of consorting with a murderer in various ways.  She loves him and he loves her, but it's a love that's deadly on many levels when she refuses to stay in the grave.  Another gritty tale and an excellent one at that.  Hell, another Six Stars!

The October Girls by Scott Nicholson
A grim and gritty tale in the Scott Nicholson style.  Ellen loves to spend her days playing with her best friend Margret, even though she's now a ghost, and sometimes her tricks and humor are dark and just a little bit scary.  Life with her abusive and alcoholic mother is harsh, but she won't let Margret harm her.  She longs to be as free as her friend, but is afraid of the unknown.  Easily the best thing that I have ever read from Scott Nicholson, and I went in with the feeling "Yeah, here comes another one of those stories where the characters are ghost and the 'ghost' are living people."  I was more than happy to be disappointed.  Yeah, okay, another Six Stars.

Trick Or Die by Rick Pickman
This story actually was written by the collection's cover artist.  It blends and bends trick or treating with Stephen King's The Running Man (with elements that remind me of both the novel and the film adaptation), and additionally gives a more updated view on the current obsession with prime time game shows and reality TV.  A group of young trick or treaters is sent into a game zone armed to the teeth to trick or treat at ten houses while surrounded by real monsters, in a game whose object is to kill or be killed.  It's nice and gory and begins brilliantly.  Then near the end it becomes muddled with a forced happy ending for all that probably should have been something much darker considering a majority of the content of the story.  Three stars.

Thursday by Simon Janus
A carnival fortune telling machine delivers a one word fortune that sets Nick on edge.  Someone is messing with him.  Someone knows what he's done, and he is sure that it is his best friend, Rich.  A story that is slow to start but keeps you guessing for most of its length, until the crime is revealed, and it ends with a brilliant twist.  The final resolution is a little predictable, but it's still a good read.  Four Stars.

The Outlaws Of Hill County by John Palisano
The Long Fellow has returned to Hill County to devour people's souls through their fingertips.  It's a story that has that old school King flare for presenting us with a group of teens trying to take down a monster without telling adults or the authorities the things they know al'a It.  However the story falls short in the way several of King's own shorts fall with a quick and somewhat contrived ending.  Three Stars.

Bones Lie Quietly Now by Nate Kenyon
There's restoration going on at the local haunted house, and two children play near the basement window that has finally been uncovered after years of being boarded up.  Once they go through that window and into the basement the terror begins, at least for one of them.  A great story with a brilliant twist where it seems Kenyon is trying to out "Scott Nicholson" Scott Nicholson.  Five stars.

Coming Home by Maria Alexander
Perhaps the weakest story in the collection, and not because of its Christmas setting, but having recently read Helpers by David Steffen, I have to say that that story was better written and offered a more brilliant twist.  I think a big part of the problem I had with this story comes with some of the information at the beginning not quite jibing with revelations from later in the story.  I can't say I at all agree with Morton's decision and insistence of including this story in this anthology, but maybe someone else can see its merits.  In a nut shell, a man runs away from his abusive father after deciding that he does not want to be part of the family business.  He hides as far away as he thinks he can, until one Christmas his parents and 11 siblings track him down.  Two Stars.

Almost Paradise by Jeremy Shipp
I find myself a little confused as to where Shipp was intending to go with this, and a little interesting story telling is what keeps it from being a weaker story than Coming Home.  In a world where everyone has a personal Angel to keep them in line Halloween is the only night of the year that people can be themselves, make mistakes and do wrong without fearing being killed.  If this was meant as a metaphor for the FaceBook Age I find myself unsure.  I found the whole story to be confusing and muddled, centering around a good idea that really went nowhere.  Two Stars.

Overall Halloween Spirits: 11 Tales For The Darkest Night is a Five Star collection, despite containing a couple of weak stories it gives several others that are way above and beyond.  The Introduction, also by Morton, is well worth reading and is added proof that she knows her stuff when it comes to Halloween, both traditional and modern.  In my opinion the collection would have been better served if it had ended with Scott Nicholson's The October Girls instead of having it in the middle, then again my opinion of uneven anthologies is if they're uneven they should end with a bang as well as begin with a bang instead of leaving the reader off on a whimper.

Here's where to get your copy of Halloween Spirits: 11 Tales For The Darkest Night:

Amazon.Com:  http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Spirits-Tales-Darkest-ebook/dp/B0053GATP2

If you're looking for a pretty good Halloween short story anthology lurk no further!



Master Vyle



Review: Their First Night Together by Ray Sostre

It's not everyday that I come across something that might be categorized as "erotic romance" that I actually like, even a little bit.  Their First Night Together by Ray Sostre is one of those exceptions, mainly due to the fact that it is an actual story as opposed to a lot of sappy drivel that gives us some hot stud making some hot, yet strong minded and independent, woman turn into a blubbering pile of idiot with his oh so super studly touch.

Their First Night Together is the story of Jared Hill and Natalia Hernandez.  Natalia is a good looking young woman and Jared is a kind of awkward and gangly guy, and the pair become friends shorty after Natalia graduates high school in 1991.  They hang out, talk about the future, and do all the things that best pals do until the summer comes to an end and Natalia leaves NYC to attend college in Florida.  Jared, who is a year younger, still has his last year of high school and his own plans for the future ahead of him.  On the last night before she leaves for school they share a kiss that leaves them wondering, what if?  What would have happened if they had done more?

Eight years later they connect again, and finally get together to put the question to rest.  Sostre gives us a great scene that realistically presents a couple of friends trying to catch up after several years mixed with slight awkwardness and heat.  Then right before the end is a slightly over the top second helping of the type I like and write myself.

This is a great read.  "After Dark" Ray Sostre delivers with his first eReader short story.  It was well paced, and the story itself is cut pretty evenly between the build up, and Natalia and Jared finally "getting together".  There were a few places where he needs to watch his tenses, and more smoothly transition his character points of view, but it is not enough to take too much away from the overall story.  I give Their First Night Together Four Stars.

Ray Sostre has been writing erotica since 2010, and Their First Night Together is his first short story published for eReader formats.  He is the founder of AfterDark Online www.afterdark-online.com , his own erotic submission site, and writes his own blog, The AfterDark World, www.theafterdarkwrold.blogspot.com .  You can also follow him on Twitter @afterdarkonline. 

Here's where you can find your copy of Ray Sostre's Their First Night Together:

Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88988

Be sure to lurk for it!



Master Vyle