LEGENDS of URBAN HORROR, A Friend of a Friend Told Me

How many of us have heard about an Urban Legend growing up? It could have been a spooky house in your neighborhood, an old road, or even a grassy field, but most of us have heard of them.  In some cases we wonder about the origins, or what would happen if we really investigated the legends.

Sirens Call Publications has the Anthology, LEGENDS of URBAN HORROR, A Friend of a Friend Told Me, which features ten such stories. The stories will take you into a legend of a writer’s mind and by the time you are through you will want more.

The stories are well written and each has a unique look at an urban legend, which may or may not be true.

The stories you will find are ones such as the four I touch briefly on below.

We often hear of a place as the cause for a legend and stories of an object occasionally are told. Imagine if that object is something that is often seen on a joyous occasion. The occasion is a day when a couple unites to be one, their wedding day.  The outfit I mention is often worn by the best friend of the bride, the maid of honor. Just imagine if there was something associated with that special dress. The dress having a special power that will have others wanting it to be worn, but for a reason some may not see coming.  This story is titled Never A Bride.

Over the years there have been rumors of Rock Bands having hidden messages in their music. Some classic albums were said to have messages of a satanic origin when they are played backwards. Combine this rock and roll history with a reporter on the music scene.  The writer takes a job to check out a band that seems to defy logic and sells out a local club with no internet content anywhere. What will the report find when he investigate this band, will he enjoy their music? Find out in the story, The Delectable Hearts.

Do you enjoy having your fortune told? How about attending a circus, or carnival that comes through the area? How would you react if a fortune teller refuses to tell your future because you are marked?  There could be something to this, and then imagine going through a mysterious labyrinth of a hallway and finding a long lost friend and spending the day with them.  Could live get any better, or are things not as they appear. The story, The Pier, will help you find the answers to the questions and take you on a great ride.

The last story I’m going to touch on is one that could be from almost any town. A tale that starts off with a group of young men having to fulfill a task they are given. A task that will take them to a tree that is well known in the area as being cursed.  Numerous stories are told about this tree and the young men tempt all they know and go to the tree.  What happens to them, are the stories true, or do they over react from shadows?  The only way to find out is to read, The Curse of the Devil’s Tree.

There are six other stories within the pages of, LEGENDS of URBAN HORROR, A Friend of a Friend Told Me. These stories will have you thinking back to your childhood, your local town, and about any legends you may know. I know I think back to on a trip I took when in college to the Paulding Light in beautiful Upper Michigan.  I may not have had the experience as the people within these pages, but that trip gives me goose bumps after reading these ten stories. As I wonder, what if.

Here is a list of each story and it’s author.

Bunnyman by Sean Keller (Twitter at @danke_sean)

Never A Bride by Lisamarie Lamb

The Pit by K. Trap Jones

The Kindness of Strangers by Kimberly A. Bettes

The Delectable Hearts by C.M. Saunders

The Pier by Morgan Bauman

Hairy Man Road by Austin Fikac

The Bridesmaid by Matthew Borgard

The Curse of the Devil’s Tree by Alex Chase

Marrow by Jon Olson

March 6, 2013 by Knightmist

Carnage: After the End Volume 1 (Anthology)

There is a new phenomenon in the United States, and perhaps the world, of individuals predicting a bleak future for the human race. These individuals are doing all they can to prepare for a multitude of disasters that could disable a countries, or the world’s governments. These disasters would lead to some kind of apocalypse and these people want to be ready and are often referred to as Preppers.

The anthology “Carnage: After the End Volume 1” takes the reader into the mind of ten unique writers. Each of them will introduce you to their idea of what could happen after the world as we know it ends. These stories are about surviving what the world brings them and finding a way to stay alive no matter what goes on around them.

The stories have some true struggles of not just the heart to live, but that of faith. They will bring you into the life of the stories lead characters and have you sympathize with their plight. Some are told in such a manner it is not hard imagining what you would do if it was you in the story. You may even find yourself second guessing their decisions and actions. The one thing you will find in all the stories are strong individuals doing all they can with the changed world.

The stories in the Sirens Call Publications Anthology are ones that do not have happy endings. They have endings that may shock, dismay, or leave you wondering about what’s next. The stories inside involve many different types of stories, and subjects.

The Anthology gets started with a story called, “The Meat Men”, and its focus is on two men traveling through their post-apocalyptic world who stop for gas and find a few survivors. What they do is share a meal with the others they find, The meal, well  it just happens to contain some meat which is hard to find in this world. What happens as they share their meal with these strangers is up to your imagination.

Further on into the Anthology you come across the story, “The Scurrying” that takes us into a slightly different world. The Norse gods are mentioned in this story as well as the use of battle axes and other weapons. The villains in this tale are ones that many of us take for advantage every day. They are the creatures that scurry around in the garbage of cities and multiply worse than rabbits. They are four legged, beady eyed, rodents, or RATS. The problem these rats have grown much larger and are now the top of the food chain in this world. You are introduced to Alexandra and her small tribe of survivors who try to live in this new world, and stay hidden from the Rats.

The last story I will draw attention to is one that makes use of a volcanic disaster that has destroyed much of the world’s climate causing many to flee South. It is in the story, “High Desert, Starless Sky”, that we find Lyle using a small trailer to get supplies to make his mediocre existence easier. He also ensures that Marnie is safe and is willing to do so much for this woman. There is an act of betrayal in this story that causes Lyle to make a decision that will impact their lives. What drives Lyle to the point of deciding to pack up and leave Marnie alone?

In the case of the stories mentioned you can let your imagination make some leaps to what will happen in the story. The other option is to pick up a copy of “Carnage: After the End Volume 1” and read the great stories contained in the anthology.  Other stories will include a Prepper, a desert waste land, and extreme hunger.

Below is a list of the stories and the author responsible for each great tale.

The Meat Men by Rodney James Galley

Begging Death by Laura Diamond

The Scurrying by Christofer Nigro

Scents of Danger by Julianne Snow

Recissions by Shane Cashman

High Desert, Starless Sky by Michael Griffin

The Hunger by Kimberly A. Bettes

Prophecy of Numbers by Russell Linton

Mad World by Adam Millard

The Vault by Shane B. Collins

 

January 21, 2013 by Knightmist