Tag Archives: Short story

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Ghost Camera

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This is the first book I have read by this author and it has definitely made me want to read some more of their work. While it was not wildly scary or anything it was the type of story I would want to read during the month of October for Halloween. Things start off rather slowly and benign but start to take on a life of their own as you find out more about the camera which is the main focus of things. The characters are alright even if they are a little thin as far as who they are, you get some glimpses of personality which at least allow you to form an opinion about them. This is a relatively short piece and a fast read because it does hold your interest if you like ghost stories.

Jenine is attending a wedding and decides that she would like to create a photo album for the bride that has candid shots of the wedding party and not just the posed shots taken by the wedding photographer. In order to do this, she goes to the lighthouse located close by to take an overhead shot and stumbles across a Polaroid camera. She tries the camera out and finds that it still works but the picture does not only capture the guests who can be seen but some uninvited ghostly guests as well.

Jenine takes the camera to her friend Bree and shows her what it does putting her friend in jeopardy as well though she does not know it at the time. As ghosts seem to be coming closer and things seem to be getting scarier the women try to find help for their situation. But what can they do when they seem to have opened a door to the other side?

There is enough tension and suspense that you should enjoy this short look into the supernatural. I would give this a thumbs up and say go for it!

My rating: ✭✭✭

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Evil Entity

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I like my horror to be scary, even if it is not very long. This was not scary at all but I guess you have to understand since it was not very long. The characters were all straw men with no real substance since you did not even get much of a backstory on even the main. The town was just as superficial since it could have been anyplace it was so generic. Not to say that it was all bad but it really was nothing more than a morsel that I ran through in no time because it was not complicated in the least. Not sure if it was intentional or not but the character’s name made me smile, though I wonder if the author knew who she was.

Josephine Baker is a young alcoholic who is going to live in Hanover House while she continues her rehabilitation after giving up alcohol. Libby owns and runs Hanover House almost like a B&B instead of a halfway house for those recovering from addictions. Josephine finds out the secret of the house but may be too late to get out.

Nice premise but bare-bones horror and the minimal treatment of the supernatural. For a quick read, I would say you can give it a try.

My rating: 🌠🌠 of 5

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No One Must Know

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I rarely give a 1 (one) star rating because there is usually some redeeming feature I can find in the work I have read. This was not one of those times. The pacing was slow and plodding, the character development was pretty much non existent, no idea about the setting because it was never really addressed, and I am guessing at the genre. While reading the flow was interrupted on may occasions by the fact that words misused, wrong word, bad spelling, or just missing words. I cannot even adequately describe the plot so a read of the blurb is in order for anyone who wishes to read this.

While I did not find it to my liking it does not mean that someone else will not find it good for them. So, if you want to take a go it could work. I would disregard a review which calls it pornographic since there are only a few mentions of sex but no actual instances.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars

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The Scattered and the Dead Book 0.5

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The Scattered and the Dead Book 0.5
(The Scattered and the Dead #0.5)
by Tim McBain ,
L.T. Vargus

I liked this but was not blown away by it at all. The way it was set up was kind of interesting but made me think more of a stream of conscious type of thing. It was supposedly a letter being written that kind of gets out of hand. The character, and we really only meet one is never really well defined at all. You get information about him and all but you never really get to know him if you know what I mean. I guess what I am saying is that I never really cared about him much one way or the other except as a way to move the story forward. The biggest thing that lowered my rating was the fact that it incorporates one of my pet peeves, and that is having a large number of chapters (72) in a relatively short form (162 pg).

Decker is about to lose his mother and only real link with the outside world. His life has become shopping to prepare for the plague, being online and television. Never much for socializing he has become more of a homebody since the start of the crisis. There is a bright spot, the girl down the hall who he wants to speak to but can’t find the courage. What he decides to do is write to her and introduce himself in a way, but like most shy men he gets side tracked.

This gives you a glimpse into the world as it falls and one of the survivors. No real action. This is more of a character study. I will be reading more so I guess that says a lot right there. I see it getting more interesting. Try it!

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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Willow Brown

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Willow Brown, Christmas Fairy
(The Willow Brown Stories #2.5)
by John Osborne

True rating is 3.5 stars. This was a nice enough story though it also says that there is an erotic component. There is a light sex scene in the book but nothing to worry about if you prefer none. The characters are fairly well presented though they could be more fleshed out. The fairy in this case is kind of different from what I am used to.

Willow Brown is a human sized fairy who also has wings and can fly. Noah Phelps is human and Willows boyfriend. They share a special relationship wherein they have a psychic link and are semi-telepathic. Noah was not with her the previous Christmas and she was very upset with him, this year he will give her more than she could have expected.

A short story that is entertaining but nothing particularly special. I would say for the season it would be a nice diversion on a slow night.

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

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Without You

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Without You
by Adrianne James

This was super short but was more than able to convey its story in an emotional way. I felt very close to the main male character right away. There is not a lot of character development but you still feel that you can relate to them. The language and sentiment of the piece is wonderful.

Logan has gotten a leave from the military in order to go home for Christmas to see the girl who he loves who does not want to be with him because he is in the military. Serenity does not want to be a military wife and would rather lose the love of her life than try.

This is a sweet story that gives you a feeling of Christmas, patriotism, and love. I did not particularly like Serenity even though she was not even in it until the very end. I would still recommend this to anyone looking for a nice holiday story.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It was as if this one Christmas was the perfect day to their wonderful families and they could all for one day pretend that they hadn’t a worry in the world.

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My November Halloween

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My November Halloween

by John Joseph

This was a story that I could not find my way into. Maybe it was because I could not sympathize with the character or maybe its because he simply did not interest me. This was not so much a book for me as it was an essay on the characters feelings. There was no true interaction between the reader and the narrator for me. It took me five days to read a story that should have taken me no more than two hours at most to read.

While I did not find this story particularly interesting or moving it does not mean that someone else will not. It really was not what I was expecting.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Paradise 10k

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Paradise 10K

by Shane Gregory

This was a really good story that gave a good look into the world that they were living in. The characters while sketched lightly still had enough depth to make you smile or feel bad when something happened. I really just liked the idea of a run being used to thin the herd as it were inside the safe zone they have created. I haven’t ever read anything by this author but I would like to read something longer next time so I can get a better feel for him.

Theo has signed up to run in the Paradise 10k in the hopes that he can be one of those to make it to the island and a life of safety and leisure. The only thing that makes him different from the other 399 participants is that he has only one leg and does not want to deal with anyone. There is also something that he is hiding.

This is worth a Halloween read.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Ninth Life

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The Ninth Life

by Steve Wicks

This was a short but very good story that had me interested pretty much from the beginning with a start that I would not have expected. The characters were a bit vague and I did not really get to know them like I would have liked to but the psyche of the main character was easily figured out. The blurb and story do not tell the same tale, I kept waiting for them to at least be similar. There is a good lead up to the finale and it keeps you reading waiting for the punch line you may or may not have seen coming.

Carlton is a sex addict who has bedded so many women he can not keep the faces straight. He has a philosophy that works for him but not always the women who he picks up. When he starts to remember one girl in particular over and over he at first dismisses it as hallucinations or stress. But when things start to happen that he cannot explain he finds things changing in his life and not for the better.

While there are no scares involved you do have an atmosphere of heavy anticipation and menace.. The ending is perfect.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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The Wolves Among Us

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The Wolves Among Us

by Shawn Winstone

Decent story, decent characters, and decent set up. This was a short that moved fairly quickly and with a good flow. The characters were all a bit thin as far as who they were but still had enough presence to keep you reading.

Agent Calico Burns is with FBI when he is assigned to a case that seems to involve a werewolf. He is sent in with a new partner and as they investigate find that there is something strange going on.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars