Unearthed | Horror Review

OGROMNY by Armand Rosamilia is a horror novella which shares the same fictional world as THE BEAST, FROZEN IN ICE, THE SEA WAS ANGRY, ABANDONED and TRAPPED (and I recommend all of them, just read TRAPPED last).

"Ogromny Means Huge.

Twelve years ago something massive burst from the mountains near Okha, Russia, shedding wicked creatures when attacked, before walking into the Pacific Ocean.

Walking directly toward the United States coastline.

Four thousand miles later it is headed straight toward San Francisco and the destruction of a city and its inhabitants, unless doctors Volkoff and Sokolov can figure out how to stop it."

This is my new favorite story by Rosamilia. To be brutally honest, I didn't read it when it first came out because I'm not really a fan of the Kaiju genre. I only read this because this story is linked to another. I'm so glad I gave this novella a chance. The description of the huge creatures is absolutely enthralling.

The ending is horrifying, and I'm hoping the author might write sequel. Usually I'm upset if I'm left with questions, but, in this case, the missing information heightens the terror. I highly recommend this one to all readers.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Interview Week | Armand Rosamilia | Horror Author | AstraDaemon

This week I'll be interviewing horror authors for their take on the genre...some are well-known names, others will be making their first appearance in the Lair. Today, we begin with Armand Rosamilia, author of the recently released TRAPPED.

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What was your first experience with the horror genre, and did that influence you as an author in anyway?

I imagine indirectly. I never really thought about it, but as a teenager I read a ton of Dean Koontz books, watched every 80’s horror movie I could find, and read a lot of horror comic books. That was my enlightenment in horror.

Why do you think the horror is so popular in both literature and films?

Horror is an emotion, first and foremost. No other emotion has their own genre. You know about romance, but they don’t call it lust or love. Yearning. Something cheesy like that. Anyhoo… it is emotional, and it helps us to cope with the world around us. When the pandemic reared its ugly head, people ran to horror movies and books. Especially ones about a pandemic. It helps us to figure things out, and the crazier the world is around us, the more horror we’ll read and watch.

What do you think of the alternative sources of horror, such as Reddit’s No Sleep stories?

I think any way for people to read, write and/or hear horror is a good thing. With so much technology today, it is quite easy to find some good horror to enjoy. To make you feel something. As a kid, I had books if I could find them, or had to wait for a movie to be released in the theater or later on cable. Today? I can read, watch and listen to whatever I want. And so can you.

What kind of horror do you prefer for your own entertainment?

I don’t really watch horror movies anymore. Haven’t in many years. I am a huge fan of quiet horror in literature. Not a fan of the slasher, serial killer madman stories with a lot of blood and guts and spilled intestines. I like horror that sneaks up on you, makes you think. Makes you believe it could really happen to you or someone you love.

What is your favorite kind of horror monster and why?

Humans. They are scarier than anything with fangs, demonic powers or claws. The human race is an awful monster, and when a person is the focus of a horror story… just sickening. But in a good way. Right?

Do you do anything special for Halloween?

My wife and I set up a table in our driveway, and we give out bags of candy as well as children’s Halloween books and comic books to the kids coming by. We live in a very large development, and people drive their kids in each year, so we’ll give out over 200 bags of candy. I have two Little Free Libraries on my property, and it gives the adults and children a chance to also grab a good book from there, too.

Name one of your horror stories you think fans should read.

Uh… all of them? One of my absolute favorites has to be one of the books I co-wrote with author Jay Wilburn: The Enemy Held Near. It’s a ghost story, a family struggle, and lots of fun twists in it. Then… go read all of the rest of my stories, too.

Thanks for the great interview!

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Special thanks to Armand Rosamilia for taking time out of his busy schedule.

Check back for more interviews!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Get Off My Lawn | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

THE BEAST by Armand Rosamilia is a coming-of-age creature feature, complete with political corruption and family drama. The townsfolk live in an area where they do NOT have large predators such as bears, which explains why most don't have the proper firepower to deal with the problem. The characters also remain in denial, until the beast is tearing through their neighborhoods and breaking down their doors. FUBAR doesn't even begin to describe this nightmare unfolding around a group of teens.

This story takes place in the same world as OGROMNY, FROZEN IN ICE, THE SEA WAS ANGRY and ABANDONED, and, even though all of the stories are stand-alones, one survivor from each book ends up snowed in together with the others at the same airport in TRAPPED. I highly recommend reading all of them.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Crossover Into Hell | Horror Review | AstraDaemon

Forget the conspiracy theories about Denver International Airport... this just got real.

When a massive snowstorm shuts down the airport and forces a plane carrying exotic and deadly cargo, those trapped inside the terminal have no idea what's in store for them.

Can a group of passengers and airport workers band together to face the onslaught, or will they be ripped apart?

TRAPPED by Armand Rosamilia centers on characters from his previous five Severed Press stories (OGROMNY, THE BEAST, FROZEN IN ICE, THE SEA WAS ANGRY and ABANDONED) snowed in at the same airport during a massive blizzard. I absolutely love their speculation of how they ended up in the same place, at the same time.

The action and suspense are well-balanced. Never a dull moment, and full of surprises. The author doesn't take it easy on his characters, and the ending is extremely sinister. I highly recommend this one to horror fans, and I hope the author will consider writing another story with returning characters from his cryptid world.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Reincarnation of Lovecraft | Horror Novella Review | AstraDaemon

THE SEA WAS ANGRY by Armand Rosamilia is freaking awesome in the most horrific way. I haven't been this terrified since reading Dead Sea by Brian Keene. As soon as the shrimp boats were pulling up empty nets, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach. With each chapter, I attempted to convince myself, "It can't get any worse...," but, with every page, the author reminded me what a wicked mind he has.

I love the alternating POV between survivor groups, as well as the details of the onslaught. I admit, I went outside to admire the hill I live on, and counted the miles between my property and the local river, more than once...didn't comfort me as much as I had hoped. Rosamilia has a fantastic talent for convincing readers his monsters cannot be held in his books for much longer.

This is definitely one of Rosamilia's best horror stories!

As always,

AstraDaemon

Death Trap | AstraDaemon

Forbidden Island. For nearly fifty years it has been deserted, left to crumble into the shark-infested waters. Until a greedy businessman decides to reopen the mining operation abandoned all those years ago.

What evil lurks in the dilapidated buildings, in the tunnels and passages of the cement structure?

ABANDONED by Armand Rosamilia takes place in Japan, with two scheming business men playing a brutal game of financial chess over the future of an island. Both ignoring the history of the isolated death trap, people arrive only to be hunted and killed by something from the abandoned mine.

This creature-feature is a stand-alone novella, but I wouldn't say no to a sequel. I'd love to know more about the mine's inhabitants.

If you'd prefer a sci-fi story, I also recommend FROZEN IN ICE by Rosamilia.

As always,

AstraDaemon

A Cold Day In Hell

FROZEN IN ICE by Armand Rosamilia is a mix of sci-fi and horror. During an experimental flight, a pilot crashes into an alien aircraft. A hand-picked team is sent to the secret base to find out what happened to the pilot and the military project.

Although background info is provided for each character, readers never really find out the specific reason those people are chosen for the search and rescue mission, instead of a special ops team. Some of the interactions between the characters leaves something to be desired, but the fight for survival is quite intense.

The ending caught me completely off-guard. Rosamilia's creation is almost like John Carpenter's Thing, retold from the alien's POV. Captivating to the very last sentence.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Choose Your Own Zombie Adventure

CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE by Joe McKinney, Armand Rosamilia, Tonia Brown, Joe Mynhardt, Aurelio Lopez III, and Alex Laybourne. The beginning introduces Blaze and lays out his situation, which ends with him needing to make an important decision on how he chooses to live in this sinister purgatory. He can fight zombies with his new companions, fight zombies on his own, kill his companions, find new companions a couple of different ways, or take on the Gatherers. I chose to read the endings in this order: Lopez III, Laybourne, Mynhardt, Brown, Rosamilia, and McKinney.

My favorite ending is the one written by Aurelio Lopez III. I felt his piece stood out more from all the others, which surprised me because I've never heard of the author before now. In fact, despite this collaboration being written by some of my favorite zombie authors, the other endings are just okay...well-written, but nothing exciting. I think the overall setting prevented the authors from showcasing their true talents.

However, if you're looking for something different to read, give this a go.

As always,
AstraDaemon