Category: Horror Fiction

Master of Demons 
by Jay Bower 

Mike Vogel is a burned-out, washed-up janitor who turns to alcohol to quiet the voices of his failures. So did his father, and it ended up killing him.

But one night, his drinking leads him to a hellish nightmare where he is forced to confront his demons head-on.
Called by the adventure of a new life, Mike enters a landscape where he must face a new enemy determined to attack his very soul.
Can he survive this onslaught, or will he discover that there is a deeper place than rock bottom?

Robin's Review: Trigger Warning:  Alcohol Usage
This story had a lot of fascinating details and implications about the demons associated with alcoholism.  It's mind-bending, or should I say mind-blending, and opens up a whole new world. But is it time travel, a parallel universe, or just drunken madness?

I will let you figure that out for yourself. Nonetheless, this is a well-written, thought-provoking read that has stayed on my mind for some time. Mr. Bower has outdone himself with the writing and depth of this story. I highly recommend this book and its author. Mr. Bower did a great job with the writing and depth of this story. With that said, I highly recommend this book and its author.

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Arcranium™: The Future of Horror Literature is Now: The Future is Arcranium™ 
by Daemon Manx, and Mark Towse 

Four horror authors with four vulnerable egos, square off against one another, in the virtual world, to find out who is the scariest.

 Welcome to Arcranium™, a powerful technology that fuses with the author's mind to stimulate their best possible creation, immersing other participants in the narrative. It's all in good fun, but with so much pride at stake, things are bound to get a little bumpy once the gloves come off. So, strap your headset on and don't forget the safe word. The future of literature is about to get an upgrade. The future is … Arcranium™

Robin's Review: This book chronicles the vicious power of selfish competition. The four authors, Alex, Mike, Noah, and Yas, have massive egos that approach cruelty. They each believe they are outstanding writers who are better than the others. It's time to end the debate: who is the superior writer? They agree to a "friendly" competition to prove their skills. However, it quickly becomes anything but friendly. The showdown is a competitive war that is destructive and evil, leaving everyone involved horrified. It's an intriguing book that explores the horrors of artificial intelligence.

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Shampoo & Condition 
by M.L. Ortega

 If Janet Evanovich’s signature character were a single mom, she’d answer to the name Maggie Chessman. In Shampoo & Condition, Vivian, Maggie’s soon to be ex sister-in-law, drops dead in a beauty salon and Maggie’s brother becomes suspect number one – 

 - creating friction between our main character and her policeman boyfriend.
What can a girl do but pursue other suspects: Vivian’s shifty sisters, a smooth financial operator, and a secretive shampoo girl.

Meanwhile, Maggie’s best friend is matching corpses with missing persons on the Jane Doe website, eventually spotting a dead person in their midst.

Robin's Review: The main characters, Jane and Maggie are looking into a death at a beauty salon which turns out to be Maggie’s soon to be ex sister-in-law.

This was a light and enjoyable read. The story is of the cozy mystery genre, but with a whole lot of fun thrown in. It's a short book, so I won't go into detail, but suffice it to say that this was an entertaining and exciting story.

Series Order:
Turn Key Condition: a "Me Too" mystery
Shampoo & Condition: a “Me Too” mystery
In Mint Condition: a “Me Too” mystery May 2023

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The Betrayed
by Wesley Southard 

How well do you know the people around you?

Your neighbors? Your coworkers?

Friends?

Family?

Sidney Jameson, a young single father just trying to make ends meet, is being followed. They keep to the shadows, quiet and cloaked in dirty brown robes...and they're getting closer. And what they have to tell Sidney is something terrible. Something he never knew about his past. Something he didn't want to know about his future.

Robin's Review: Just let go…

That is what you wrote in my book. He did. This is a well-written brutal creep fest. The main character, Sidney, is your average joe but with flaws, like everyone normal. Except for the part about saving the world. It has an interesting plot that draws you in, creative world-building, and a good vs. evil theme where you're rooting for the winner and dreading what will happen next. This is a great freaking book. I definitely will be reading his other books.

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Resisting Madness
by Wesley Southard

What drives a man mad?

Maybe it’s the death of a loved one...or the petrifying fear of hands around your throat…the dread of rejection…or maybe it’s the black, soulless eyes of a child that shatters your sanity…

Within these pages, delirium reigns supreme. You’ll discover how far a prisoner will go to be with his dying wife, and what lurks between the walls of that Louisiana jailhouse to keep him there. You’ll find out how deep a man can cut himself to dig out the past. You’ll meet a college professor whose fear of flying might be the least of his worries. And you’ll learn how a sister’s love for sweet treats can reunite a broken family…whether they want it or not.

Robin's Review: I was stoked to get my hands on a copy of this book at Living Dead Weekend! I was thrilled! It's imaginatively written, crosses multiple horror subgenres skillfully, and the stories are scary and deeply disturbing with twisty turns and incredibly details. The stories in this collection are also freaky as hell and deeply disturbing--in a good way if that sounds right. I found them fascinating, entertaining, and fun. I love his little tidbits, or as he calls them, Story Notes, which helped me to get to know him just a little bit more. I highly recommend this author and all of works.  This is another author that I am now a fan for life. You just can’t go wrong reading any of his books.  Seriously.

With Aliens and lot lizards…disembodied lips…the voice of God Himself…

Thirteen stories and a brand new novella from horror author Wesley Southard.

Within these pages, we all go a little mad…

With Many Thanks to Newark

Arrearages

He Loves Me Not

By the Throat

Minor Leaguer

Between Those Walls

God Bless You

Home Invasion (with Nikki McKenzie)

Confusion in Southern Illinois

King Cake

Now You Don't

Lip Service

Bust to Dust

Resisting Madness

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