This anthology is full of original poetry, short stories, and long fiction crafted by talented horror authors from around the world. Each piece has a connection to Utah, whether it's in the events of the story itself or on the part of the author.Each piece in the anthology has a distinctly unique horror flavor. While it features some classically witchy tales, and there are most definitely creepy witch stories, it also has some stories featuring the witch as the hero! Wasatch Witches is the 7th installment in the Collection of Utah Horror series.
Our previous anthologies were a hit in the community and helped promote horror. We've come a long way; when we ran our first open call, we barely received enough submissions to even put the book together. Since then, our anthologies have become a known staple and many authors look forward to submitting their work each year. This time around we received so many quality submissions that the judging process (a blind read by three judges) was intensely competitive
One of the reasons I love horror anthologies, aside from my addiction to short stories is that I get to sample the work of writers I may not have heard of before. In this case all of these authors were new to me and though I can't claim any credit for discovering them I can hopefully help other readers to find a new favorite.
This anthology is a treasure trove of witchy horror stories and poems. Each author brings something unique to the table, from a modern day reimagining of Hansel and Gretel to a darkly humorous poem about the deliciousness of caramelized children.
Not all of the witches are wicked but the stories are sinfully good.
Some of my favorites did feature witches with less than honorable intentions, such as The Lady of The Lake by Levi Robinson in which a seemingly kind old woman takes in two lost travelers, who will soon come to regret accepting her gracious offer of food and a place to rest.
The Crazy Cat Lady by Jo Schneider about a reporter for the university paper who is granted an interview with a reclusive woman who has never before agreed to speak for any publication.
in Persona Non Grata by Lehua Parker a religious zealot goes behind the back of her televangelist husband to seek help from her estranged psychic sister in locating her missing daughter. For Scrying Out Loud by Caryn Larrinaga features another psychic, this one trying to save a drunken woman from a horrible fate. Cadmium Blue by Jeff Dosser is the aforementioned modern day twist on Hansel and Gretel and it was shocking how quickly what first appeared to be a helpful police officer turned ugly and hateful. There's no candy cottage here just a house of horrors.
There are many more great stories included, these are but a few that cast their spell on me and still linger in my mind after finishing the book.
I received an advance copy for review.
Expected publication: April 6th 2021 by Fear Knocks Press
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