Nightmare Abbey 8 Edited by Tom English

 8th big volume of this critically-acclaimed horror magazine/book. Ghosts, Madness, Kelpies, Evil Spirits!

Screenwriter/author STEPHEN VOLK interview and story

12 terrifying tales by today's top writers

The Great Horror Comics Purge (The Hideous History of American Horror Comics #5)

Universal Studios classic: THE BLACK CAT

Heavily illustrated with photos and art

Illustrations by World Fantasy Award-winner Allen Koszowski

Latest report on Dear Abbey and the Computer from Hell

Don't miss out on this Special Edition!

Get it before IT gets YOU!

Nightmare Abbey is my favorite horror magazine. It's as informative as it is entertaining and loaded with top-notch fiction, artwork, and photos. Speaking of which, there were a couple of photos in this issue that just made my stomach drop. 

I never knew that Girl Scouts, among other groups, organized public burnings of comic books and magazines as shown in the article Part 5 of the Hideous History of American Horror Comics by John M. Navroth. 

"It was like a bushfire that wouldn't burn itself out. Small and insignificant at first, inflammatory claims against the dangers of comic books and their ill effects on the children and youth of America were becoming more widespread by the day."

Seeing photos of beloved horror comics being destroyed is an upsetting but important part of history.

On a brighter note, horror fiction is not going away, and the stories in this volume are stellar.

A few of my favorites were:

The Witch of November by Simon Bestwick, about the residents of a strange place known as Bone Street. There is only one way in or out and only those who have taken a human life will ever find themselves there. This was not my first trip to Bone Street but this story can stand alone.

After and Before by Sean Hogan- James and Julie spend an uncomfortable vacation in a cabin at Hushabye Lodge. James has been there before with an old girlfriend, of whom he prefers not to speak. Julie becomes obsessed with the run-down abandoned cabin next door, and with good reason.

The Happy Clown by Gregory L. Norris -A teenage girl learns what happens when you disrespect the traditions at her Aunt's flower shop, the Happy Clown.

Localism by Helen Grant- There is something in the water, and it does not want to share with people. Too bad people never heed the warnings until it's far too late.

Without You by Gary McMahon- Breaking up is hard to do but after such a brief relationship with only a handful of dates, what does it really mean if a man says he is nothing without you?

Whether you are in the mood for something weird, spooky, or intense, Nightmare Abbey has it all.

My thanks to Dead Letter Press.

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Demon Drink by Kris Ashton

 

A night out becomes a nightmare in this dark supernatural novel that blends demonic possession, occult rituals, and the chilling consequences of temptation.

Times are tough in Black Wattle. Drought and forest fires have ravaged the town and its lifeblood, tourism, is on the wane. Nobody is feeling the pinch more than divorcee Shirley Goodsall, who is trying to keep the historic Ironstone Hotel afloat while quelling animosity between her ex-husband and their teenage daughter. So when the business manager for a microbrewery, Damon Prince, offers her a promotional deal that includes free kegs of beer, it’s a deal that seems too good to be true.

And it is. Shirley’s elation soon turns to horror as she discovers she has unwittingly helped Prince unleash dark forces in her town. Black Wattle’s residents are plunged into a nightmare of infection and blood-curdling transformations. Shirley and a handful of survivors band together to try to foil Prince’s fiendish plot, but Prince is no ordinary man. He will stare into their souls and turn their most shameful personal demons against them…

Shirley Goodsall is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy. Times are tough and customers in the pub are few and far between. When she is offered a collaboration opportunity from a new microbrewery that includes free kegs of beer, she is skeptical at first but decides she's got nothing to lose. She is wrong.

A single mom, a former cop, an alcoholic holy man, and a drug-addled artist are among the small band of unlikely heroes who will join together in an attempt to save the town of Black Wattle from evil forces, if they can get past their own temptations.

Expect massive amounts of blood and guts, but also heart. Somewhere in there beats a love story. Well-developed characters with detailed back stories and motivations had me engaged in the plot even before the horror started. Once it did, it was an all out gore fest. If you like small town horror, this is for you.

My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.

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About the author

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca

 From Eric LaRocca—Bram Stoker Award–nominated and Splatterpunk Award–winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke—comes At Dark, I Become Loathsome, a grim yet gentle, horrifying yet hopeful, intense tale of death, trauma, and love.

“If you’re reading this, you’ve likely thought that the world would be a better place without you.”

A single line of text, glowing in the darkness of the internet. Written by Ashley Lutin, who has often thought the same—and worse—in the years since his wife died and his young son disappeared. But the peace of the grave is not for him—it’s for those he can help. Ashley has constructed a peculiar ritual for those whose desire to die is at war with their yearning to live a better life.

Struggling to overcome his own endless grief, one night Ashley finds connection with Jinx—a potential candidate for Ashley’s next ritual—who spins a tale both revolting and fascinating. Thus begins a relationship that traps the two men in an ever-tightening spiral of painful revelations, where long-hidden secrets are dragged, kicking and screaming, into the light. Only through pain can we find healing. Only through death can we find new life.

Ashley Lutin is mired in grief and losing the will to live. He finds solace in a bizarre ritual he uses to help others make their way back from the depths of despair. Ashley becomes intrigued with a prospective client over a telephone discussion when he is told a depraved story. His obsessive thoughts and feelings of guilt lead him down a darker path where this ritual is no longer enough.

Themes of loss, regret, death, sexual fetish and deviation twist through stories within the story. I was simultaneously repulsed and fascinated by them.

I have loved everything I've read by Eric LaRocca so far. I had pre-ordered this book months before the sale date because he has fast become one of my must-read authors. Once it arrived, I was so busy with ARCs that it sunk to the bottom of my TBR. It would probably still be there if not for a message I saw from an internet troll claiming something along the lines of it not even being a normal horror book. So, thank you, unnamed troll for being the reason I read it this weekend.  I am so glad it wasn't normal. It's extraordinary, fresh, brilliant, and dares to be pitch dark. Highly recommended... to those who can handle it.

5 out of 5 stars

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About the author

Movie Review -Self Driver

 

Facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, a down-on-his-luck cab driver is lured on to a mysterious new app that promises fast, easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have freewill. The question becomes not how much money he can make, but what he'll be compelled to do to make it. If you've got nothing to lose, how far would you go?

The film world premiered at the Fantaspoa - International Fantastic Film Festival, winning Best Film in the Low Budget, Great Films section and went on to play Fantasia Festival where it won the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature, Grimmfest, taking home the award for Best Actor and receiving a Special Mention of the Jury for Best Director, Macabro Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror, MidWest WeirdFest, and Panic Fest.

Cinephobia Releasing acquired rights to the film in a deal negotiated between Cinephobia President Raymond Murray, and Justyna Koronkiewicz, Owner of Media Move. Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.

I was invited to view an early screener of Self Driver which will be available in the US on May 8.

Self Driver stars Nathanael Chadwick as a new dad who lost his office job to a corporate merger, and now struggles to support his family by using a ride-share app. He spends his days and sometimes nights shuffling people to and fro while avoiding calls from his landlord. When he is told by one of these riders that there is a new app where he can make thousands of dollars per night, plus a sign-up bonus he is intrigued, but wary. Desperation makes him throw caution to the wind and sign up even though his question of its legality goes unanswered.

The new app is utilized by an unusual clientele, and if he refuses any rider, he will lose all of the money he has made. As the night goes on, he will learn what he is willing to do or participate in to make money.

This low-budget thriller takes place almost entirely in the car, and although this is a money saving option that other films have utilized poorly, it was well done here and never boring. Chadwick gives a believable and completely relatable performance. At some points, it felt as if the car became a character in the movie. 

I rated this 8 out of 10 stars on IMDB

Self Driver will arrive on VOD, digital on May 8.

Watch the trailer