A Cursed Purchase

LOT 113: BUDDHA STATUE IN LOTUS POSE by Samuel Brower is a terrifying horror story told in the style of Tales from the Darkside. Dale takes Lana to an auction to buy her a birthday present, and she wins a creepy looking Buddha statue. Soon they find themselves being attacked at night by an intruder who follows them from one apartment to another.

Luckily for Dale, he finds an unexpected ally who reveals the sinister history of the statue. Dale formulates a plan to save himself and Lana, but I'm not convinced the ending is truly final.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Guard Dog

A rumor—roused by a terrible drought, and spread by jealous townsfolk—puts Randal and the Tetleys in the way of a dangerous situation, which could have dire consequences. But, with the mysterious arrival of the Tetleys’ new guard dog, a giant beast of unknown breed lovingly called “Oaf”, Randal, Mr. Tetley, and Mrs. Tetley may just make it through the harrowing event with their lives.

OAF by Samuel Brower is more a small town drama than anything else. Told from the POV of a young voice, readers are teased with suspense as the story unfolds, until the story ends with a rather beautiful, sad moment. Brower does a great job fleshing out the souls of his main characters...especially Oaf.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Samuel Brower Is Scary AF!!

Samuel Brower is an author that I stumbled upon a couple of years ago, and I became an instant fan. Here at the Lair, I've written about his work a couple of time in the past, Works of  Short Fiction and The Rail Yard Apparitions. I finally had time to look him up again to see what he's been writing...

There's Something In The Walls is a fantastic novella which needs to be made into a horror movie ASAP. Brower first draws the reader in with a humorous introduction to the tenants of the Perkins Building, during an earthquake evacuation. At least, I think it is meant to be a funny hook...I laughed so hard at David in his Ambien haze, I peed myself. Then Brower lets the terror flow, or, rather, ooze from one page to the next.

Something old and ancient has made its way into the walls. Nothing as complicated as Lovecraft's Cthulhu, but a reminder that mankind is not the top of the food chain. Pay attention to the discussions about the people who live in the building because, when everything goes to hell, you'll be devastated when you realize who never made it out.

It's less than 100 pages, so I strongly recommend horror fans add this story to their collections!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Saturday Shorts: Worst. Nightshift. Ever.

The Rail Yard Apparitions
by Samuel Brower
59 pages
FREE for limited time!

I enjoyed Works of Fiction so much, I decided I would just go ahead and feature Brower in another Saturday post. He has a way of telling a story that makes readers feel like they are experiencing the story, not just reading about it. Brower's stories also evoke a wide range of emotions, ranging from fear and revulsion to curiosity and amusement.

The Rail Yard Apparitions had me completely enthralled from one page to the next, and it has a clever ending which is a bit of a teaser. I could completely relate to Ben Suarez, a college student who needs the job, even if it's not the ideal work environment. However, Ben has bigger problems than an asshole for a boss or complaining customers - he has to face the horrific past events of the rail yard.

This novella has all the elements of classic horror, as well as the writing style I've come to expect from Brower. (I only recently started reading his short stories, but I have yet to be disappointed.) I wouldn't mind a follow-up. In the meantime, I look forward to more short stories from Samuel Brower.

As always,
AstraDaemon

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