Honest Reviews: Grave Markers Volume 3, Cranial Leakage 2, and Depraved Desires

 Amazon typically does not allow authors to review anthologies to which they have contributed. With that in mind, here are honest reviews for three more collections that feature my work. 

All three were published in 2017 and easily found on Amazon and other online booksellers.

Publisher: Grinning Skull Press
Editor: Michael Evans
Number of stories: 3 (novelettes)
Pages: 163
Price: $11.99 for paperback. All three novelettes available for Kindle individually at 99 cents each.
Theme: historical horror stories, two weird westerns, and the third is hard to pin down (it's never really specified.)

Favorite: Dominic Stabile's story is a quick, fun read about an outlaw gang who are in fact, all supernatural creatures. (I won't spoil the surprise though.)

My story: "Bottled Spirits," in which Truman Bonner and his son Isaac embark on a harrowing series of adventures in a quest to find Helena Bonner, who's gone missing after a drunken argument. One of my favorite stories I've ever written, and deeply personal.

I give it a B+ overall. If you are cost conscious, I'd recommend getting the Kindle versions of Full Moon in the West and Bottled Spirits for 99 cents each. I love having the actual books, though, so I'm glad I paid extra. Here is the link to the paperback.

Publisher: Grinning Skull Press
Editor: Michael Evans
Number of stories: 21
Pages: 266
Price: $15.95 for paperback. $3.99 Kindle.
Theme: non-themed horror stories

Favorites: "Snowbound" by Damir Salkovic has a classic Weird Tales style and setting and was an early standout. "Slashes of Joy" by Chris Phillips, "Darwin's Ravens" by Jonah Buck and "The Night Auction" by Catherine Grant were all strong, memorable stories. My favorite of them all was "The Anteater" by Robert Stava. It was like something Bentley Little would write, only funnier.

My story: "Another Mouth to Feed" is a body horror story that was partially inspired by real events.

I give this anthology an A. Great cover, nice story selection, no duds, several highlights. Ordering link is right here!

Publisher: HellBound Books
Editor: Xtina Marie
Number of Stories: 26
Pages: 354
Cost: $12.96 paperback, $4.99 Kindle
Theme: Dark Erotica (or Erotic Horror)

Favorites: "Show Off City" by Shaun Avery, "Dark Desires" by Dusty Davis, and the superb "Small Town Vampire" by Brandon Cracraft.

My story: "Twenty-Six Photographs" in which a man coerces his wife to indulge in his vices. I don't feel like my story was as good as it could have been. The first reason is that in the book, there are hard returns creating new paragraphs where there shouldn't be (not my doing). The second reason IS my fault. I let the author read between the lines to get to the true horror of the story and I think maybe I should have been more obvious, or gave better clues. The main character doesn't worry about his wife after their "exploit" is finished. He is only focused on himself. That, to me, is the Horror of the story, but readers might miss that.

I give this anthology a B. There are a few stories I didn't care for, but the overall quality of the stories is quite good--almost unexpectedly so. If you like horror and erotica mixed, I think you'll enjoy this anthology. Order it here.

2017 Anthologies: Thanksgiving Update

Adrian's third collection, ANT FARM NECROPOLIS, features 18 newly-collected stories and two poems. It was published in late June of 2017 by A Murder of Storytellers.

Includes the following stories:
Four Houses Down (on the Bad Side of Town) / Death Guiding 350 Horses / Reynolds’ Tale / Everyone Wears a Mask / Ant Farm Necropolis (poem) / I Can Do What I Need to in the Dark / Glass Caskets / Slay It Forward / Questions Still Unanswered / The Way It Will Be / Little Hearse on the Prairie / Sprat / Building Condemned / Heart Like an Anchor / Rougher than the Rest / After the Storm (poem) / Storm Cloud Rain, Graveyard Dirt / The Monster’s Leather Apron / Reunited / Sod Webworms.

Order directly from the publisher.

Or from Amazon here.

Zippered Flesh 3

Zippered Flesh 3 is the newest anthology from Smart Rhino Publications. This is Adrian's second appearance in a Smart Rhino anthology. (The first being Insidious Assassins)

Theme: body modification horror

Story included: Reduced to Tears.
Margo lives in a society where people have surgical reductions of their bodies each year of their lives. She meets the man of her dreams but once they start dating, he insults her by asking something unspeakable of her...

Also features fiction from Graham Masterton, William F. Nolan, Jack Ketchum, Billie Sue Mosiman, and many more. Edited by Weldon Burge.

Order Zippered Flesh 2 here!

Ink Stains (Volume 5)

Theme: literary dark fiction

Story included: Always Confined. 

A man who escaped Nazi Germany during World War II receives a gift from a well-meaning relative and instead is forced to relive his harrowing ordeal --and face his darkest secret.

This anthology also features stories by Michael Picco, Paul Tanner, Tiffany Michelle Brown, and many more. The publisher is Dark Alley Press. Edited by N. Apythia Morges.

Order Ink Stains 5 here.

Blood in the Rain 3

Theme: Erotic vampire fiction

Story included: Erotic, Aquatic.

An amorous couple end up as castaways in a lifeboat in the Black Sea in the middle of the night. But who is the pale stranger in the boat with them and why is he suggesting they undress? What does he want? And what will happen when the sun rises?

This anthology also features steamy vampire fiction from Jordan Monroe, Andrea Dale, Amber Dawn Eris and many more. The publisher is Cwtch Press. Edited by Cecelia Duvalle and Mary Trapanier.

Order Blood in the Rain 3.

Horror Writers Association: Poetry Showcase IV

Theme: poetry by horror authors

Poem included: The Burial Shroud.

It's the one percent versus the rest of the world in this short poem.

Featuring poetry by Bruce Boston, Stephanie Wytovich, Steve Rasnic Tem, John Palisano, and many more!

Order HWA Poetry Showcase Volume IV here!