Tag Archives: NetGalley

Good morning, Good Evening or Goodnight?

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I’m writing this as I put a self-imposed ban on social media. I have deactivated my IG, Threads, and TikTok to get my head right. I have contemplated quitting writing over the last month, but I sold a book recently, and my thriller, Disunion By Force, is selling well.

I needed time to get my head right. It’s been in a bad place, and while I like sharing my journey with my mental health, it appears that my family doesn’t like seeing me struggle. I haven’t posted my usual content. I have been writing reviews. I’ve enjoyed the distraction of writing reviews for the last year. I’ve read some fantastic books. I got most of them through NetGalley.

I am going to start submitting short stories again. I feel I’ve fallen off somehow, and short stories are a way for me to get my head back in writing. I have three books left to review for my NetGalley account. After I finish the books I have, I’ll be taking a break from doing reviews for a while.

I’ll be cleaning up 30-40 short stories for submission. Each is a horror story and fits into various subgenres.

I’m taking time for myself, which will exclude social media for a while.

I am playing World of Warcraft: The War Within with my wife. It’s a great expansion, and we’re both enjoying it. I’m currently reading Nobody’s Hero by M.W. Craven. It comes out in December and is one of the books I received on Netgalley.

I’m not really watching anything. I will be seeing Terrifier 3 in a couple of weeks. I saw Beetlejuice this past weekend for my youngest’s birthday. It was fun—not great, but fun. She really enjoyed it, and it was nice to spend time with my wife and kids.

My job at the bar has changed a bit. It was bought in July, and they’ve made some significant changes. The food is better, and the menu is more manageable. It’s a lot cleaner than before.

I work four shifts now. I only worked once every week before. It’s been slow as some of our regulars change as the bar changes. That’s fine. People change in every aspect of the life of a business.

I’m ready to get back to work on the page.

Review for “The Darkest Night, 22 Winter Horror Stories, edited by Lindy Ryan.”

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Holiday Horror is one of my favorite subgenres. Whether it’s Christmas, Easter, Halloween, or Valentine’s Day. I will search it out.

I found this one on NetGalley and requested it from the publisher. My wife tries to find me a collection around the holidays. This will be the one I get. I’ve read it, but there are great stories in this Anthology.

Let’s get started:

The Mouthless Body In The Lake by Gwendolyn Kiste

I remember visiting my aunt and uncle’s house for Thanksgiving as a kid. My father would stop in front of their house, tell us not to act up, and damn if there wouldn’t be repercussions if we did.

The opening of this story reminded me of those moments. I hated going to Thanksgiving dinner at their house. My parents fought all of the time. Seeing their idyllic house, my cousin’s parents getting along and not stepping outside to talk if my dad got mad for whatever reason hurt me. It wasn’t until I was older I learned my uncle was a great man. My father always told us otherwise.

This story hit home. For a long time, I didn’t feel I’d ever leave home. Then I met my wife.

Gwendolyn’s writing is excellent in this story, as in all her stories. The Haunting of Velkwood, which came out a few months ago, was also a good story.

This line stood out to me, and it encompasses the story so well, “Your whole life is an hourglass flipped over, and all you can do is watch the sand run out, grain by tiny grain.”

Cold As Ice by Tim Waggoner

Tim is one of the best at writing second-person POV. He discusses it at length in his Writing In The Dark books. Tim also writes about what depression feels like better than anyone. This story is that, in short form.

Imagine traveling in the snow. Your life feels empty. You’ve had a bad dating experience. You look out the window, and something is pacing your car.

You’re worried about it but trying to ignore it. The longer you drive, the more you notice the thing pacing you.

This story is like seeing depression and the way out of a life that you no longer want. You’re given an out. You take it. I loved this story.

Children Aren’t The Only Ones Who Know Where The Presents Are Hidden by Josh Malerman

Josh writes anxiety better than anyone. The feeling of your mind running rampant as you think about your childhood, all the times you’ve messed up, and how your parents used to be. All of the little things your mind does before you go to bed that’s what Josh does so well.

I don’t know if this book was the initial idea for Incidents Around The House, but there are bits and pieces throughout the story. I won’t talk about that book here; read my review of it instead.

Some people hate the Holidays for whatever reason. The character in this one is different from the others. I can’t say without giving it away. I don’t like to spoil stories. This one is better going in blind, as all stories should be. Blocked memories come back most disturbingly for the main character. She doesn’t understand it all until the end. But it left me thinking a lot.

The Vermin Moon by Hailey Piper

I will not hide my love of Hailey’s writing. She’s brilliant, and her Worm and His Kings books are some of my favorite stories.

This is not like that. This story is about grief. I thought of my own kind often while reading this story. Letting go of someone who has passed is hard. I think of my brother a lot. He passed in 2016. There’s not a day that I don’t think about him. Was there something I could have done? No, there wasn’t.

We have to let go. We must live our lives for ourselves as long as we are here. Grief and loss are terrible, and getting past them is hard.

The Body Of Leonora James by Stephanie M. Wytovich

Ghost stories are fascinating; this one is now one of my favorites. It doesn’t happen how you think it will and dances around a few things. The twist blew me away when it got to the story’s culmination. It’s a great ghost story. The imagery is spot-on.

Mr. Butler by Clay McLeod Chapman.

This story will haunt me forever. I don’t know where Clay pulls this freaky story from, but I am here for it.

This takes us back to our childhood, maybe a place we didn’t want to visit. It’s a dark and very messed-up story, and by the end, I was freaked out.

Feast Of Gray by Lindy Ryan And Christopher Brooks

A lot of these stories feel like the authors reflecting on their childhoods. It could be where my headspace is, but that’s how it feels. This one is like Hailey Pipers. It’s about grief, not wanting things to be over, and a fear of judgment in some ways.

I Hope This Finds You Well by Eric LaRocca

This is a different story than I was used to by Eric. Its darkness hides, and you must search for it. By the end, I realized I hadn’t read the story I had thought it was turning into. It was wholly different.

The Buried Child by M. Rickert

This one stands out from the others as it’s a different story. Is it less a ghost story and more of a confession? This one took a dark turn I wasn’t expecting and left me thinking about what I’d read. I went back and reread it. I missed things.

Father’s Last Christmas by Lee Murray

I immensely enjoyed this. It was so different from the other stories. I found myself paying attention to the details and following along with everything that happened. This felt like a break from the bleakness of Buried Child. A bit of fun, if you will.

I loved the fantasy setting of this one. By the end, I was enthralled and would love to see something more done with these characters.

The Warmth Of Snow By Cynthia Pelayo

Cynthia is one of my favorite writers. Seeing her get all of the attention or her writing warms the hell out of me.

This one took aspects of Shakespeare and moved them around. It’s one where if you’ve ever had a parent who ran your life. Didn’t let you do what you wanted and maybe forced you to be someone you didn’t want to be, so this is the story for you.

I forgot how hard it is to write a review for an anthology without spoiling these short stories.

Wintry Blue by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon

This felt like a cross between a horror story and an adventure/thriller. Both of these writers do those genres equally well. If you’ve ever driven in the snow and found yourself on the side of the road, this will bring back some memories. It will also make you want to never go on a date in the mountains with someone you barely know.

Carol Of The Hells by Kelsea Yu

This Anthology has so many stories about trauma around the holidays. It’s a deep dive into how we keep these things hidden. At least, it is for me. This one was no different.

Nice by Nat Cassidy

Where to start with this one?

I think the elf says it best: “Kid…What did you do?” This dark, twisted little story was fun. The poor little guy never knew what he unleashed.

Thaw by Rachel Harrison

If you write about a killer snowman, this is how to do it. I won’t understand the details, but Rachel nails it with this one. The setting is like a Hallmark movie, but the actions are pure horror.

Candy Cane By Thommy Hutson

The Misery vibes in this one, and the movie A Murder of Crows made me love this story. If you haven’t watched A Murder of Crows, I suggest it. It’s not Oscar-worthy, but I liked it.

I can’t say much else, but a writer in a cabin in the middle of winter is the vibe.

Eggnog by Kristi deMeester

I hate work parties. I did one while working in Las Vegas, but I don’t care for them. This story of a bit of revenge is a new favorite. If you didn’t know, Kristi sells candles on Etsy. We have a dozen of them. Maybe don’t get one that is eggnog?

Threads of Epiphany By Sara Tantlinger

One of my favorite things is the incorporation of fables into horror. Cynthia Pelayo does it well. This story takes a derivative of the Rumplestiltskin story and does other things with it. If I get that relationship wrong, I apologize to Sara. I’m not good at fairy tales and fables; my wife is.

I enjoyed this one.

The Ladies’ Society For The Dead by Darcy Coates

I haven’t read anything by Darcy, but I will have to dive in after this little story. It takes you to a place you won’t expect, and I can’t give it away. It will ruin the story if I do.

I am going to stop the review here. The other stories are fantastic; the whole anthology feels like the writers are leaving their trauma on the page.

Review for Horror Movie By Paul Tremblay

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I write my reviews a bit differently than other writers. I try to find a comp book. I beat myself up while reading this one over it. Then, toward the end of the book, it hit me.

I read Grin Of The Dark By Ramsay Campbell a few years ago. I came to my horror journey late, and it was the first book of his I had read. It’s a weird book about a man searching for a film he remembered. It is a story about a clown who once existed. As most of Mr. Campbell’s books do, it takes some dark and surreal turns.

It’s still one of my favorite books. This trope of found footage is done all of the time in books. Kiersten White’s Mister Magic does it very well. That’s also one of my favorite reviews.

The Horror Movie feels like a bit of The Blair Witch, maybe some of Hell House LLC and other found-footage books and movies. But Mr. Campbell’s book was my first introduction to this in a novel, at least where it’s done well.

I often looked back at my memories of Grin Of The Dark when it clicked. It’s done so well and has a different take on the sub-genre that it blew me away.

I said on Threads, “You all are not ready for this book.” I stand by that. Having read all but two of Paul’s books, this felt different. Maybe he was experimenting a little, testing a few new things. It’s nothing like Cabin or Head Full Of Ghosts.

I feel this is Paul Tremblay trying out a few new things. I can’t get into them without spoiling so much of a great horror novel. The found-footage aspect of this story isn’t so much in your face as it is in Mister Magic or movies like Blair Witch or Hell House LLC. It’s a more subtle take on the genre itself.

I was uncomfortable a few times while reading it. That goes to the author’s ability to craft such a fantastic piece of art.

It’s an uncomfortable story about a kid who experienced something terrible while filming a movie when he was younger. The story then revolves around that kid working on a remake/reboot of the film that was never finished. Some aspects of the story are out there. It’s a great story, and I’ll purchase one on day one.

Paul is one of my favorite authors, and while not all of his books have hit it out of the park for me, this one did.

Review for The Atrocity Engine By Tim Waggoner

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I have read a couple of Tim’s books. I loved them. He takes an idea and turns it into a fever dream. I don’t know where the idea for the Atrocity Engine came from, but it’s wonderful.

We start with the main character, Neal. He works for an organization trying to keep the universe from being consumed. The story has a lot of detail about what is consuming the universe and its eventual end. I’ll leave that to Tim.

The world-building in this one blows me away. It feels like an urban fantasy with incredible horror gore. If you’ve read Tim before, you know what I’m talking about.

I’ve seen the comparisons to the Cenobites, but I feel it leans more toward Dark City and the creatures within that universe. The description of one of the creatures, Brother Nothing, gives me Cenobite feelings, but the entirety of the story gives me Dark City feelings—at least in the descriptions of the Multitude.

I know the book is listed as book one. I’m more excited to see what happens with Neal in book two.

I don’t write long reviews, and this is no different.

I enjoyed the hell out of this novel. It’s fun and disturbing. It gives us a glimpse into a world dissimilar from our own.

Who knows, maybe that white van driving around town works for Maintenance. I see it all the time.

Review for I Excess Of Dark by Red Lagoe

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I’m not sure what’s been happening with horror lately, but I’ve read a lot of books with grief themes.

I’ve read a few books by Red and loved them. This book hit a little differently.

I attempt to find myself in the character while doing a review. This book is close to home.

My brother passed away a few years ago. It was sudden. It took us by surprise. I think about him often. He popped up a lot while reading this one, as did my father-in-law, who passed a few years before my brother.

This story opens with the main character and her family going on a trip. She thinks about their trip but has the idea that they’re going to die. This is a thing with her, something she and her mom fought about.

The grief and thoughts of grief. The pain of being left and thinking she did something to cause it fills this story.

I thought about my brother and wished I could have been there more for him. I never thought I caused his death. It was a fluke thing, but we all dive into the deaths of our loved ones in different ways.

I wanted to bring them back and solve the problems we had with them while they were alive. Those thoughts permeated my mind while reading this. I think about my brother once a week anyway, but this book brought it out more.

I enjoyed this book, even with the emotions I felt while reading it. A good book will always bring out emotions. I loved how Red dove into the underlying issues with her mom. How she found a way to bring things back. How she was able to confront her mother. All of these things made the character believable. It gave the story a richness that made me blow through it.

I can’t wait to reread this one.