Go Through Hell For Charity

AT HELL'S GATES: BOUND BY BLOOD donates proceeds to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. This third volume focuses on the dark side of family:

LITTLE LOST LAMB by Patrick D'Orazio is a suspense story about a religious foster couple accepting a challenge.

THE MEEK SHALL INHERIT by C.T. Phipps is a post-apocalyptic tale about a diabetic father rescuing his wheelchair bound daughter from a cult.

MONSTERS by Sharon Stevenson recalls a father-son moment in an apocalypse.

THE RIDE by Sean T. Smith is a drama about breaking a vicious cycle of violence.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEESAW by Stephen Kozeniewski is one of the freakiest zombie stories that I've ever read.

SPENCER FAMILY TRADITION by Stevie Kopas is the most disturbing family tradition EVER.

ROAD TRIP by Curran Geist is a fantastic sci-fi story filled with horror and is one of my favorites.

A MOTHER'S HEART by S.G. Lee is a twisted adoption story with a dramatic ending.

BEAUTIFUL SAVAGE by Devan Sagliani is an interesting perspective of a zombie outbreak.

PLANETOIDS, PRIVATEERS, AND OLDER THINGS by S.P. Durnin is a sci-fi story that would impress Lovecraft...with a touch of humor.

DAMAGED by Tim Marquitz is a story about domestic abuse with a supernatural twist.

THE MOTHER TONGUE by Terry Maggert is a vampire story with a religious theme.

THROUGH MOURNING by Brian W. Taylor is about a father missing his daughter.

NIGHTMARES DO COME TRUE by Suzanne Robb is a fantastic and horrific twist on werewolf lore.

LOVE THAT BINDS by Mikhail Lerma is a father-daughter moment in the apocalypse.

THE COFFIN IN THE REEDS by RJ Kennett warns that some things should be left unopen.

IN MINT CONDITION by David Sakmyster is a classic suspense story that is another favorite of mine.

ARM-RINGS AND HACK-SILVER by Christine Morgan is a tale about dysfunctional Norse family.

BLOOD TYPE by Paul Mannering takes the vampire genre to a new, scary place.

NEIGHBORS GOOD AND FAIR by Douglas Draa is a novella about a folklore nightmare.

FROM DARKNESS WE COME by Kerry Alan Denney is a frightening kidnapping.

DOMINIC by Shana Festa is a terrifying zombie short.

SACRIFICE by TM Caldwell is a great fantasy story about demonic possession.

A MATTER OF PERCEPTION by Lesa Kinney Anders is one of the best in the collection, with incredible narration from a young boy.

WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN by Sarah Lyons Fleming is a hellish homecoming.

THE MOTHER IN THE LAKE by Chris Philbrook has a Lovecraft element and is one of the most chilling stories in this anthology.

SUGAR AND SPICE AND SOMETHING NOT SO NICE by M. Lauryl Lewis shows how awful a dog bite can get.

NO MAN LEFT BEHIND by Timothy W. Long features a battle of epic proportions...great story to end on.

At Hell's Gates: Bound By Blood is an excellent assortment of both new and established horror authors who twist and distort several sub-genres to create numerous versions of Hell. This includes quality storytelling without the stereotypical genre gimmicks, and horror fans will enjoy this creative effort for a worthy cause.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Hell's Gates Look Inviting

AT HELL'S GATES: ORIGINS OF EVIL is the second volume of an effort to raise money for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. I have already read volume one, and whatever method they are using to choose the stories, it's working well. There is something for every horror fan, including science fiction and fantasy subgenres mixed with classical horror elements, and, if you're not normally a fan of the horror genre, you will be after reading this anthology.

This particular volume had numerous stories bordering on the bizarro genre, so, once again, the volume is unique:

PULSE BY MARK TUFO is a fantastic thriller about a bug zapper, kind of like Borne Identity meets the SyFy channel.

COOKIES FOR THE GENTLEMAN BY C.T. PHIPPS is a dark and hopeless tale about an unwanted visitor.

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY BY EVIN AGER introduces an Army MP with a Lovecraft-type of deployment.

HISTORY'S END BY FRANK TAYELL is proof that even the smartest person can make a really stupid mistake.

A MOTHER'S NIGHTMARE BY J. RUDOLPH is a sad zombie story that will tear your heart out.

PATIENT 63 BY STEVE KOPAS is one of my favorites; this is an excellent outbreak story.

TYRANNICAL ASCENSION BY SHANA FESTA is a twisted apocalypse story that I enjoyed a lot.

INK BY JAMES CRAWFORD is another favorite of mine about the dark meaning of a tattoo.

THE MAN WITH FOUR SCARS BY STEPHEN KOZENIEWSKI is Clan of the Cave Bear meets Night of the Comet, and is one of the very best stories in this volume.

DADDY'S GIRL BY IAN McCLELLAN caught me off-guard with the twist; well-written.

OPERATION DEVIL WALK BY DAVID MIKOLAS is a personal holocaust.

THE INFECTED BY SG LEE shows how a zombie virus is born.

FORGET ME NEVER BY SHARON STEVENSON tells the tale of a starlet's dark secret to success.

MIRAGE BY SEAN T. SMITH is a story that Ray Bradbury would be proud of.

THE MILLSTONE BY LESA KINNEY ANDERS is another favorite in this collection; it's one of the best vampire stories that I've ever read.

GENESIS BY KIT POWER is an intense thriller-prequel to the novel "Godbomb!"

LOCKDOWN BY TIM CALDWELL features a zombie outbreak at a school.

COLLECTION NIGHT BY CURREN GEIST is a gut-wrenching sci-fi story...a damn good one.

THE COLD BY DEVAN SAGLIANI is one of the most unusual stories in the entire anthology.

A DIFFERENT COCKTAIL BY CLAIRE C. RILEY is about a cult meeting that goes horribly wrong for one young man.

A SONG TO SING IN BABYON BY BOBBY METEVIER & MATTHEW BAUGH is very weird...told from a demonic POV.

THE GOUGER BY PAUL MANNERING is a brutal ending to a brutal anthology.

The variety and originality of the stories makes this a perfect gift for horror fans, while contributing to a good cause.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Fantasy Writers Fighting Cancer

Fantasy For Good: A Charitable Anthology
edited by Richard Salter

First and foremost, the proceeds from the sales of Fantasy For Good are donated to the fight against colon cancer. This is the second in a series, following Horror For Good, and both have raised a standard for charity anthologies.

This anthology brought me back to my childhood, when I fell in love with fiction, particularly the fantasy genre. In addition to many well-known authors, readers are also introduced to many other talented writers...it's like a buffet for the imagination: sword & sorcery, fairy tales, paranormal, etc.

The number of stories within is well worth the price, and readers can feel good about giving to a charity at the same time. However, what truly impressed me is the variety and originality of each and every story. Not once was I able to predict an ending, and when you read as much as I do, that, in itself, is an amazing feat.

I recommend this anthology to readers of all ages, and if you're not a fan of the fantasy genre, you will be after reading Fantasy For Good.

As always,
AstraDaemon

The Special Project

Joe Dawson is a struggling 41-year old writer battling a serious case of writer's block. When he travels to Wales in a last-ditch attempt to reignite his career, he finds himself staying at a mysterious seaside hotel, where nothing is quite what it seems. As the secrets of his past finally catch up with him, Joe is thrust into a life or death situation where his every action could have terrible consequences.

Out of Time by C.M. Saunders took me on a ride. I honestly expected a story about an author overcoming writer's block with a near-death experience or something along those lines. For the longest time, I thought I was reading a science fiction story instead. However, once the truth is revealed, I realized Saunders had found a way to combine horror, sci-fi, and the supernatural to expose Dawson for the monster hiding behind his books.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Read A Story, Help A Hero

The Somme Offensive, 1916. Harry Doyle is a young, overawed British infantryman struggling to come to terms with the insanity of war. His main objective is staying alive, and getting back home to his family in one piece. But his hopes begin to diminish when he realises the full extent of the misery and destruction around him. And the German war machine isn't the only thing he has to worry about. Something else is preying on his friends and comrades in the trenches, picking them off one by one. Something no amount of military training can prepare him for.

Proceeds from this book will be donated to the Help for Heroes foundation.

No Man's Land by C.M. Saunders is an action-packed novella about a young man's epic battle for survival in No Man's Land, between the British and German trenches, during WWI. He is tasked with doing a recon mission to discover why previous teams disappeared without explanation.

As far as war stories go, Saunders does an amazing job of capturing the psychological aspects of trench warfare, as well as humanizing a part of history on a very personal level. However, the author doesn't stop there...Saunders introduces a supernatural element to the danger Harry must face alone. With several rumours about the German soldiers having been mentioned before Harry volunteers, the nature of the enemy he engages remains a guessing game until the end.

While this story is perfectly thrilling as-is, I am hoping the author will consider a sequel...the storyline is just too damn good to be left on the battlefield. I love Saunders writing style and look forward to reading more of his work throughout the year.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Reading For TWO Charities

When normal life collapses, peril waits around every corner, and one small slip could mean certain death. In THE WILL TO SURVIVE, twenty-two unique and brilliant voices bring to life stories of post-apocalyptic danger sure to make the heart race, the flesh creep.

It’s the end of the world. Do you have the will to survive?

NOTE: THE WILL TO SURVIVE is a collective effort by a great group of authors, born from the desire to help their fellow citizens suffering the devastating effects of multiple hurricanes. 100% of proceeds are being donated to two charities, One America Appeal and Global Giving Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.

Twenty-two stories of tragedy, hope, and survival in one volume.

The Will To Survive, edited by Felicia A. Sullivan is a fantastic way to sample some of the best authors in apocalyptic fiction, as well as contributing to two different charities:

ALL THE OPTIMISM OF HAMLET by M.L. Katz centers on two neighbors (one inspired by the editor) desperately trying to stay afloat.

CODE EMP by M.P. McDonald features a family who happen to be in the right place at the right time, under some frightening circumstances.

THE SHIMMERS by Kelly Hudson is a terrifying mix of horror, science fiction and drama; one of my favorites.

THE WORST CASE SCENARIO by C.A. Rudolph is the dragged out thoughts of a prepper, more setup than story.

PHASE 6 by A.J. Norris features a mother determined to rescue her daughter; action-packed.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING by Clabe R. Polk is a fantastic behind-the-scenes natural disaster story and another one of my favorites.

WOOLY by Shane Gregory is an extremely bizarre science fiction story with a fascinating ending.

BROTHERS BY DUST by Timothy Johnson is an excellent post-apocalyptic story about a boy and his dog.

THE COLLECTIVE by Patrick D'Orazio is a science fiction story which would impress Ray Bradbury.

THE LAST CHARTER by Steven Bird is a teaser; the author created a great intro for a full-length thriller. *hint, hint*

THE SPREAD by Sean Schubert is a short story which takes place in the Alaskan Undead Apocalypse universe.

FRACTURED HOPE by Chris Pike is a tragic coming of age.

RUSTY'S RUN by Nick DeWolf is told from the POV of a dog and had me bawling for most of the story; highly recommended for dog lovers.

INTO THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW by Sean T Smith is a story about a man determined to fight for his family, until his last breath.

ABOVE THE LINE by Josh Hilden is another fantastic post-apocalyptic tale...I think the premise would make a great movie.

MAKE MY DAY by Mike Sheridan is an absolutely delightful story about a change of heart.

REPLICA by Stephen A North is a devastating sci-fi dystopian future; well-written.

SHOWDOWN AT RIG CITY by Jamie Mason is another dystopian story full of suspense.

THESE THINGS THE KITTEN SAID by D.J. Goodman is a beautifully-written apocalyptic fairy tale...the ending made me cry a little.

A SINGLE STONE by Joshua Guess centers on a handicapped man fighting to stay alive.

THE ANGEL OF LAFAYETTE by Jonathan Yanez is one of the most unusual stories in this collection; I want a Dread t-shirt.

LAST BUS OUT by Brad Munson is the most horrific story in the collection...kind of like something H.P. Lovecraft would write.

This is one hell of a collection, with some of the best authors in genre fiction, for a great price and TWO wonderful charities. Buy your copy today!

As always,
AstraDaemon