Whispers of the Dead Saint by John Baltisberger

Whispers of the Dead Saint is a dark fantasy tale that takes place in a medieval setting. This is a time when superstition and fear run rampant and every new face that arrives is automatically held in suspicion.

A hunter finds himself in a precarious situation where he has to make a choice to complete a mission or choose to be taken out of this world. He’s assigned a group of mercenaries to accompany him if he decides to take on the mission.

Rumors, ghosts, people disappearing, paranoia, and undead wastelands are all parts of this mission should they choose to accept it. What whispers will they hear that go bump in the night?

Baltisberger draws us in, gets us invested and then draws us in again by allowing other characters to share about their past experiences. This is a really well done dark fantasy and I enjoyed the graphic drawings of the setting and characters at the end of each chapter.

Go get this quick read coming soon from Madness Heart Press! I think I enjoyed it so much because it’s different than what I usually read.

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The Hillels Have Eyes by John Baltisberger

The Hillels Have Eyes is a story from Baltisberger’s Book of Ze’ev series. I was excited to see that in the title to be able to find out another piece of that character’s story!

Josh and Alan are two Jewish college kids from a small town who have just arrived in Austin to go to school at UT. Alan, the ever popular jock is aching to go in this new city to explore, while Josh is a bit more reserved and cautious about the big city. The local Jewish organization offers some fellowship and assistance that Alan thinks they need. Chaos is just around the corner, bubbling up to the surface looking to cause mischief.

This was an entertaining story that I read very quickly. Baltisberger did his magic captivating me from the beginning and keeping me hooked throughout the story! This one gets messy in grand fashion for sure! Ze’ev’s appearance was perfect! Come read about the small town boys and their adventure in the weird city of Austin!

The Bounce House by Edward Lee

The Bounce House is a fun, screwed up tale from the maniacal mind of Edward Lee. This is a pocketbook that I read within an hour that had me laughing and in disbelief all at the same time!

Miles and Becky have a birthday party to put on for their son. Miles, being the machismo man he is wants only the best of things in his life, including the biggest and baddest bounce house for his son’s party. Things get weird in true Ed Lee fashion pretty quickly and pandemonium ensues.

Can they get things back to normal before the party ends? Go read this and find out! Pocketbook is out now, published by Madness Heart Press!

Damned Lazy by Christine Morgan

Damned Lazy is a story that comes from the case files of Morgan’s Matt Brimstone P.I. Series. Brimstone is hired to find a missing “kid” whose parents swear did not run away.

Brimstone and his trusty side kick take on the case and quickly discover not all the answers are in our realm. Morgan does a great job giving us background on the Brimstone series to help give those of us that have not read them some context. It’s just enough to get us through the story, but makes the reader interested in checking out the series too!

Can Brimstone maintain his reputation and solve the case or is this a little more than he can handle? Check out this pocketbook published by Madness Heart Press!

Failure by Jay Wilburn

Failure is an intense apocalyptic story about a man’s quest to keep his family alive when the unthinkable becomes their reality. Although only a short 83 pages long, Wilburn takes no time setting up the situation and creating the urgency his characters face right from the start.

I was so captivated by the story that I read it in one sitting in about an hour. My heart raced with the family as they encountered challenges along their chosen path. I was truly invested in those characters and the wild ride is something I will never forget!

Jay Wilburn was absolutely one of the greats at his craft and a wonderful human being. Like the rest of the horror community I miss him greatly! Go get your copy of this pocketbook from Madness Heart Press!!

Trigger Warning: Curses by Madness Heart Press

Trigger Warning: Curses is an extreme anthology compiled and edited by Christine Morgan. Each story involves a curse of some type afflicting the story teller. There are some really fun, messy stories in this compilation and some seriously dark and disturbing stories too! The anthology is made up of 15 unique tales of mayhem with several authors that are new to me! Some of the stories that stuck out to me are to follow below.

“How to Shrug Off the Shoulder Man” by Mike James Davis is a tale that immediately draws the reader in. A supernatural entity is at work depressing his host. Can he get rid of it before it’s too late? This one takes us through the desperation and despair a person will go through.

“Dead Breath” by Shaun Avery is about a man always aroused and looking for his next piece of action. He finds that he always has the peculiar taste in his mouth right before the deed is done. This story surprised me immensely and I loved it!!

“Aka Manto” by Benjamin R. Barnes is a fantastic tale that harkens back to Japanese folklore. A young girl has a run in with a supernatural being and has to find a way to save herself or else!

“Djinn in a Bottle” by David Wesley Hill is a hilarious story of some bubbling idiots that manage to release a Djinn. Will they get their wishes, or more than they wished for? I really loved this story too!!

“The Pinkish Mess of Infidelity” by P.J Blakey-Novis is a man is given the task to follow specific directions from his soon to be ex-wife. Can he hold out and make good on his word or fail spectacularly?

“The Bleeder” by Susan Snyder is a harrowing tale about family and community traditions. Simpler times are not always easier. This story was heart wrenching but definitely worth the read!

“What Finally Ended the Jessup Curse” by Douglas Ford is a story about family and how generational rut is really a thing. Eddie is a kid trying to escape that rut.

I’m excited to read more from some of these new to me authors! The book is outstanding, so go get your copy!! Release date is March 15th!

Tales From The Monoverse by Last Waltz Publishing

Tales From The Monoverse is a Noir Anthology of 16 stories edited by Jack Wells and Daemon Manx. There are several authors included that I personally have never read before that just had fantastic stories. This was my first foray into reading stories told in monochrome settings and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Some of my favorites are as follows.

“Nothing’s Gonna Hurt You, Baby” by Kelly Mintzer is a story about a morgue worker who has a pet that brings home some peculiar items.

“Eclipse” by Thomas West is a harrowing tale of an astronaut making a trip around the moon.

“The Marbled Scarab” by Daemon Manx flashes us back to ancient Egypt and the wondrous things created by the craftsmen of the time.

“Lady in Red” by Heather Miller is a story about two women who go exploring an abandoned theater and one of them gets more than they bargained for.

“Azure” by Makency Hudson is a story of a collector who will do just about anything to collect precious items of color. He goes in search of the most rare color out there.

“Tunnel Rat” by Matt Scott is a story about a PI who gets hired to find a missing girl. He searches through the seedy underground of his town while the clock is ticking.

“We’ll Meet Again” by Jack Wells is the story of a resistance fighter during WWII who is determined to complete her mission.

All of the stories were great and involved multiple subjects in Noir. All of the authors did a fantastic job with setting their stories in the grey, monochrome world and throwing just pieces of color in that glowed like shining beacons in a colorless world. I felt transported to the golden era of film as I read these stories.

Tales From The Monoverse releases on March 2nd! So go get your copy on release date!!

Verum Malum by Michael R. Collins

Verum Malum takes us to dark places involving an alternate universe, demons, and a healthy dose of the occult. Collins does an excellent job with descriptors in this alternate universe he creates. He even manages to throw in some comedy as the seriousness of the scenes play out! There’s so much to this story and it’s written exceptionally well! The story held me captive from the Prologue!

Ben and Noah are a happy couple who are dealing with normal issues most couples face together. But Ben has a secret that he’s not told anyone about until his past comes back to haunt him.

Ben’s younger years had him involved in a cult who were trying to make contact with an ultimate evil even more powerful than the devil. The cult is trying again to make contact with this being, but needs everyone who made the initial pact together, including Ben.

The lust for power and knowledge beyond the human realm drives the cult leader to obtain what he wants, no matter the cost. Noah is determined to help Ben find a way out of this mess so that they can resume life like it was before. Will Noah and Ben make it through this ordeal? Go get your copy of Verum Malum and find out!

Inferno: The Epic Tale of Dante’s Journey Through Hell by Mark C. Scioneaux

I remember reading Dante’s Inferno as required reading in high school. I also remember not loving it as much as I loved this book!

Inferno is a perfect companion book to the original. It gives us a little more information about the journey of the two poets, Dante and his guide, Virgil. As each ring of Hell gets darker, we hear about some of the famous people that are stuck in those rings and what they did to get them there.

Scioneaux does a fantastic job with the embellishment of information on the multiple characters that the poets come across. It’s just enough to know who they are and what time frame they lived. If you love history, you will easily recognize the names. And if you aren’t well versed in history, there is enough information relayed that gives the reader a good frame of reference.

What a harrowing journey it was! This is definitely a shelf worthy read! Go check it out!

Donn, TX 1969 by Eric Butler

Frank and Jane are taking two teenage girls to Houston when Frank decides to take a country road instead of the highway. Donn is a small Texas town that has a dark secret. It’s harvest time and the ritual calls for blood!

Butler takes us back to a time when there was no cell phone, no GPS, and no way to communicate without being somewhere in person. I felt the true isolation of the characters and the helplessness they felt brought upon by the events of the story.

I’m excited that this is book one in a planned collection. It was fast paced and kept me enthralled the entire story. Looking forward to more Eric Butler! Go give this one a read for sure!