Favorite Monster??

October is easily my most favorite month. The weather is cooling down, the insects are dying, and the Autumn colors come out. Of course, October also has my favorite holiday: Halloween. What better way to celebrate than to dive into the horror genre? This week we will begin with the monsters.

I remember a time when the most popular creatures were vampires, mummies and zombies. Over time, all three have evolved in so many different ways, there are no set rules, making many horror stories unpredictable in the most savage and entertaining ways. "Preternatural" has become its own subgenre, with cross-breeding between the various species, including fae (ex: BLOOD series by Ruth Miranda).

We have also witnessed the urban legends, such as Bigfoot, become one of the top killers of both humans and other predators. For example, HUNTERS by Eric S. Brown, which features a battle between two famous forest fiends. Another great twist on a legend is NIKOLIS COLE by Richard Black, centered on a headless horsemen who hunts down street thugs.

Many others have broken into horror from science fiction and crime drama, and twisted entire communities into a monster mash. K.B. Knight has put the town of Greenwood through hell in his series with aliens, hauntings and, coming soon, a serial killer. Lori Titus has created multiple nightmares within the town of Chrysalis. Other authors, such as Stephen A. North and Suzanne Robb, have abandoned the land and unleashed their monsters into the water.

Last but not least, are the stories which brought us new horror icons. Elias Witherow brought horror fans Tommy Taffy, who makes Freddy and Jason look like kittens. Kody Boye introduced readers to the Grays and their pets, and they aren't the kind you'll find in Area 51.

So, which monster is your favorite? Are you a fan of a classic creature or a new abomination?

As always,
AstraDaemon

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In order to win an autographed copy of Zombies Inside by Rebecca Besser and Courtney Rene (unfortunately, only signed by Besser), leave a comment on this post before October 5th. Tell us why you like a particular fiend. Someone will be randomly selected by horror author Ruth Miranda and the winner* will be announced on Sunday, October 6^th.

*giveaway is only open to those living in the U.S., Canada and the UK, due to shipping & handling costs

Urban Sleepy Hollow

The death of a Drug Lord's first lieutenant ignites an all-out war between two rival gangs, a war that has raged on for a year. Homicide detective Karen Oswalt realizes she has no chance of bringing peace to the streets unless she can find the murderer, but it appears to have been the perfect crime. No witnesses. At least none have come forward. But all that is about to change. With one phone call from an informant long-thought dead, Karen Oswalt and her partner are about to come face to... uh... well, face with the killer.

NIKOLIS COLE: THE LOW-RISE SAINT by Richard Black is so good, I gave a copy to a friend. Nikolis Cole is kind of like a modern day Headless Horseman mixed with Shaft, and I would definitely read another story with this character. I also enjoyed Detective Karen and the way she carries herself throughout the novella.

I've never heard of Richard Black before, but the author is definitely on my radar now. I highly recommend this story to anyone who appreciates horror mixed with an urban legend.

As always,
AstraDaemon