Review: Fantastic Tales of Terror: History’s Darkest Secrets edited by Eugene Johnson

Fantastic Tales of Terror: History’s Darkest Secrets edited by Eugene Johnson
Crystal Lake Publishing (October 2018)
570 pages; $18.99 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Sometimes an anthology accomplishes what it sets out to do and nails the concept perfectly. That doesn’t happen often in the glut of tired, generic tomes with the same old names rehashing the same old tropes and writing. But, what if someone suggested using those tropes in an alternate history, utilizing some of the most famous names, monsters, and personalities in the genre and creating fantastic tales that run the gamut from fun and entertaining to chilling and all-out weird? Continue Reading

Review: Hag by Kathleen Kaufman

Hag by Kathleen Kaufman
Turner (October 2018)

336 pages; $25.19 hardcover; $11.59 paperback; $11.01 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

The book Hag by Kathleen Kaufman is exactly what I’ve always wanted in a novel about witches. Every night, I crawled into bed and let my mind escape to the Scottish lowlands to hear more about the Cailleach — an ancient, matriarchal entity. The folklore and legend is intertwined with the modern day, coming-of-age story of the protagonist Alice Grace. Alice Grace has the ability to see things before they happen and sometimes it startles and scares her but often times, the gift serves her well.Continue Reading

Review: When the Night Owl Screams by Michael H. Hanson

When the Night Owl Screams by Michael H. Hanson
MoonDream Press (October 2017)

154 pages, $12.95 paperback; $1.99 e-book
Reviewed by Joshua Gage

When the Night Owl Screams is a collection of dark fantasy and horror poetry. It’s a wonderfully designed book with a very appealing cover, and features some very clever ideas. The poems, however, are clunky. Ultimately, this is a weak collection of poems.Continue Reading

Review: Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp

Bedfellow by Jeremy C. Shipp
Tor (November 13, 2018)

224 pages; $8.60 paperback; $3.99 e-book
Reviewed by Sadie Hartmann

Jeremy Shipp has a unique brand of psychological horror. I read his novella, The Atrocities, earlier this year and was taken aback by Shipp’s bold, almost reckless storytelling choices. It seems like anything can happen in his books which can be quite unexpected for the reader. I would say more often than not these strange, almost absurd plot details are successful in creating an enjoyable reading experience; but sometimes, they’re not.Continue Reading

The “Blood of Carrie” Wooden Relief Carving!

Dan Hocker, who has been a member of the CD family for ages now, is also the creator of this incredible “Blood of Carrie” Wooden Relief Carving, a brand new kind of collectible we couldn’t wait to share with our collectors:

Carrie Wood Relief

The best news is this: Dan is preparing to set aside time to create a very limited run of these just for Cemetery Dance collectors!

This is unlike anything we’ve ever offered before in our 30+ years in business — we’ve never seen anything quite this beautiful and yet also tactile at the same time — and the few he’s making will NOT be available for very long, so don’t wait to place your order!

Read more or order through our website while supplies last!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Horror Drive-In: Seems Like Old Times

 

I readily admit that I spend much of my horror ruminations on days gone by. Many consider the 1980s to be the Golden Age of Horror. It was an unparalleled time of creativity and fun in the genre. Horror fiction was going crazy, with many old masters still crafting great stories, and brash newcomers were shaking the foundations of traditional horror storytelling.Continue Reading

Review: Fauna by David Benton

Fauna by David Benton
CreateSpace (January 2018)
292 pages; $12.99 paperback; $2.99 e-book
Reviewed by Dave Simms

Nature fights back. It’s a familiar theme that has been around forever. To make it special takes some tinkering and imagination, not to mention strong storytelling. David Benton brings something to the table that keeps the teeth gnashing and adrenaline pumping until the final page. He combines the visceral brutality of an Ed Lee or Richard Laymon with the globe-trotting skills of James Rollins, resulting in an exciting romp that evokes The Zoo by James Patterson, but with a message. Continue Reading

The Long Way Home by Richard Chizmar! Brand New PS Publishing Hardcover Special Edition!

If you missed out on the earlier announcement, we’re pleased to report we were able to secure more copies of Richard Chizmar’s brand new massive collection from PS Publishing, THE LONG WAY HOME, which weighs in at more than 500 pages, but these additional copies will not last long!

Also, for a VERY LIMITED TIME only, Richard will be signing trade hardcovers for our collectors who order through our website! Please don’t wait to place your order because we probably won’t be able to get more copies after these are gone!

The Long Way Home

Read more or place your order through our website!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and enthusiasm!

Review: The Willow By Your Side by Peter Haynes

The Willow By Your Side by Peter Haynes
Unsung Stories (November 2018)

330 pages; $5.99 e-book
Reviewed by Meredith Durfy

The Willow By Your Side is a novel that plays with themes of war and humanity. It also uses conventions of fairy tales. The sister of the unnamed main character runs away from their abusive father who suffers from PTSD. The book is told in reverse order. The main character tries to return his sister home while facing multiple obstacles including a Red Cap. Continue Reading

Interview: Maynard Sims on Malignant Ghosts and More

To celebrate the publication of seven eBooks by Maynard Sims (pen name of the writing team Len Maynard and Mick Sims), and the serialization of their new novelette “Malignant Ghosts” (free to read here at Cemetery Dance Online), we asked the authors a few questions about their books.Continue Reading

Free Fiction: Malignant Ghosts (Part 3) by Maynard Sims

Malignant Ghosts
(Part 3)
by
Maynard Sims

By the time she got home, Beth was exhausted. The new chair was robust enough, but she had become used to her previous one, and this replacement didn’t feel as smooth to maneuver. Consequently her arms ached on her trial run around the hospital corridors. An orderly helped her put it into the car, and waved her off cheerily as she drove out of the car park.Continue Reading

Free Fiction: Malignant Ghosts (Part 2) by Maynard Sims

Malignant Ghosts
(Part 2)
by
Maynard Sims

The Latham’s house, Peck’s Cottage, was a picturesque building set in its own grounds, and standing about a quarter of a mile from the road. With walls studded with knapped flint, and a newly thatched roof, the cottage might have been lifted from any illustrated Suffolk guidebook.

It would have been quicker to have walked through the woods, around the lake, but for Beth that wasn’t an option. She began the arduous procedure of extracting herself from her specially adapted Ford Focus, and got settled into her wheelchair.Continue Reading

Free Fiction: Malignant Ghosts (Part 1) by Maynard Sims

Malignant Ghosts
(Part 1)
by
Maynard Sims

The large, yellow, JCB digger raised its claw-like arm, and brought it crashing down through the roof of the house, sending tiles flying into the air. It looked as if birds were taking flight. The operator adjusted some levers in his cab, and the claw rose and fell again, into the hole that had been made, but this time hooking over the front wall of the house, and pulling it outwards. The wall collapsed in an explosion of crumbling brickwork.

The noise was extraordinary, as bricks fell, and windows shattered. It was like a primeval beast exacting revenge on an ancient enemy: loud, remorseless and final.Continue Reading

Revelations: Ronald Malfi

For the most part, the authors featured in these columns have impacted my development and growth as a writer primarily through their work. Ronald Malfi impacted me as a person, first, before I delved into his work. Looking at his career path, getting to know him as a person first has impacted me just as much as his work has.Continue Reading