Rayne published Lost Soul on December 31st, (her birthday), so it’s only fitting that since I didn’t get to read it on her birthday, I read it for my birthday! Well, my birthday is tomorrow, so…
A Godless exclusive.
May, drowning in her depression, and desperate for the end, decides that it’s time to let go.
May: “On what was supposed to be my last day alive, I finally found a reason to want to live. But if I wanted to save my soul, I’d have to die for it.”
Synopsis, Godless.com
I feel for May right now, let me tell ya. How heavy everything is in the morning, so hard to move, and already pissed off because you woke up at all. But, for her, a reason to stay sweeps in right before the final credits roll. Did it though? Is there time for her to face her demons before the screen fades to black? That’s what you’re going to find out when you scoop up your copy of LOST SOUL @ Godless.com.
Yay!
This is a really great story, and a side of Rayne I’ve never read before. I’m not surprised – not at all. I’m excited to see what else may be hiding under all that blood, viscera, and revenge. She does have a little something to say for everyone who reads it though…
‘For first time readers, please know that this is not my normal genre of writing and read the others with caution.’
Rayne Havok
(Super Depressed is like regular depressed, but I get to wear this nifty cape.)
The Latest Novella From Extreme Horror Author Daniel Volpe
Billy Silver, a low-life, self-downtrodden junkie, needs some cash to get his next fix. After getting kicked out of his own band, Shit Fist, losing his girlfriend, and left with no other options, he decides to sell his flesh to the ink of a needle at a newly opening tattoo shop.The mysterious artist, Talia, tattoos a cryptic design he’s never seen. Shortly after getting inked, compulsions burn underneath his skin. His need to satisfy a newly arisen addiction to self-mutilation begins a descent into darker places than his miserable life never dared go. Eventually, violence against himself is no longer enough to satisfy his cravings. The urge to commit the grotesque brings his brutal tendencies to others… To strangers, to acquaintances, to his prostitute ex-girlfriend…When Billy finds out his band replaced him, with a new vocalist singing his lyrics on stage, Billy’s desires reach their peak, and Talia, behind the fire of his rage, bears witness to all.
Synopsis / Amazon Product Description
I don’t know if I would have found this book if I wasn’t in the Splatterpunk FB group, and it certainly helped that the author is there, too. But, I must say, those guys DO know their horror, and have damn fine taste, so… it would have been mentioned. Either way, now I need to make sure you never wonder the same thing – you need to check out Daniel Volpe’s latest story ‘Billy Silver‘!
The story is dark, it’s gritty, and I kinda wanted to wash my hands when it was over. It’s the perfect backdrop for the characters you’re about to meet. You feel the loneliness, the abandonment, the despair… Hell, you almost feel the needle go into your arm! Perfect time to add a trigger warning, wouldn’t ya say? There is some intense addiction horror here, so blahbidy blahbidy trigger warning.
We interrupt this review with breaking news…I just learned that I’m not allowed to use Addiction Horror as a category. I like to make sure I save my drafts every couple minutes, and the latest draft would not save. “You are not allowed to assign those perimeters”… WTF? I back tracked and tested, and it’s those two words next to each other. Well. Alright. Apologies to Mark Mathews, I guess. This is weird, I used the term with Aron Beauregard recently with no trouble. This must be a new thing. I must research! (I can still say ‘fuck’, so I won’t go into panic mode just yet.) (and p.s., I love how this post’s tags read like ‘101 Reasons To Read This Book!’ ) Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming –
Where were we? So, after a particularly shitty night, Billy wakes up and those all too familiar feelings start crawling in… he needs to score, and soon. This time his hustle is… selling his skin! Lol, no! Not like that! He goes to a new tattoo shop that is about to open, and he is going to let an artist work on him so she can refresh her skills before the shop opens for business. (I’d do for a hundred bucks.) He can feel a difference in his body almost immediately. He’s essentially traded one addiction for another, but this new desire isn’t like any drug he’s ever done before. He doesn’t want the high. He wants pain. When he finally gets home and gives into the urges that overtake him, self-mutilation doesn’t even come close to describing the things he’s doing! He just fucking brutalizes his self, (loves it), but the violence and depravity can’t satiate the dark urges. He needs more – so he goes out and gets it!!
It’s 🎉 time for another warning! Yay! Some animal violence is hinted at in here, but it’s not bad. I don’t think it’s much to worry about, but blahbidy blahbidy trigger warning.
This is a great book, it’s different – no cookie cutter, or assembly line horror here. I love it! I’m excited to go pick up SCARED OF THEDARK, and BITS OF BONE. All three books are available on KU, so you can read for free if you’re a subscriber.
You can scoop up Billy Silver, and all of Daniel Volpe’s books on Amazon, and don’t forget to review them all on Goodreads, (and wherever else you post your reviews!)
2020 may have been a dumpster fire of a year in every other aspect, but we’ve definitely gotten some great books to read! Extreme Horror has finally gotten some recognition. Books by new EH authors are flying off the shelves, and our favorite EH authors continue to disturb and terrify us in exciting new ways. I’m proud to be a member of this community, in good company with some truly outstanding people!
What book has made a definite impression on you this year? Talk to me! Post your answers, and whatever else you’d like, in the comments. Until next time – stay healthy, happy, and horrifying 👹
In life, Samuel Rylandt was a serial rapist and murderer who callously committed heinous acts with no regard whatsoever for the women he victimized. In death, however, he will suffer the consequences of his depravity as his soul undergoes a startling corporeal transformation and he is thrown to Hell (Omerion) to complete three horrific phases of moral reconstruction.
Samuel’s notions of the underworld are broadened as he learns that “Hell” is actually an elaborate civilization where the damned agonizingly learn the virtues that evaded them in life.
Lou Reilly grew up in a strict, oppressive environment, raised by zealous religious parents who merely wanted to protect him from the sinners of the world. Sheltered to the point of isolation, Lou is unprepared to fend for himself when his parents pass away.
Bullied and tormented at his new place of employment, Lou starts suspecting that his parents were right to shield him from such harsh and hateful people. Just as Lou begins to befriend a colleague who vows to help improve his life, he is put to the ultimate test of faith. All seems hopeless.
But he won’t let the sinners win. He won’t burn in hell as his parents have warned.
Lou will make things right….
Warning: For Mature Readers (18+) Only
The Season of Giving wasn’t allhorrific holiday fun – it kind of bummed me out a little bit.
I think Lou’s mom used to get together and go to lunch with Carrie White‘s mom, where they would swap “Parenting Tips for the Mentally Christian” over their watered down tea and bad fish entrees.
All alone, Lou Reilly grew up the best that he could. He finally made a real friend, but when a little miscommunication / misunderstanding arose between them – he obsessed over it until he convinced himself that his “friend” was actually an enemy out to destroy him, and send him to Hell in a hand-basket.
I definitely had some emotional moments while reading this – mostly anger that came with me screaming at the characters and waking my husband up. There were some ‘Oh, poor Lou’ moments, too. One final ‘hugely cringe-worthy’ scene leads up to our (mostly) “YAY!” ending – unless you overthink it and let your mind wander past the final page of the story. If you do that, you may end up like me when Lou finally ‘make things right’ – I haven’t decided if I want to cheer for Lou, the carnage, and the sweet, wonderful revenge or if I want to just put my head down and sob.
If you’re not in the mood for something quite so… deep right now, you can start by reading Christmas Shoppingfirst – a genuine Horrific Holiday FUN book 🙂
Clearly I remember Pickin’ on the boy Seemed a harmless little fuck But we unleashed a lion Gnashed his teeth And bit the recessed lady’s breast How could I forget
Jeremy is a pretty normal eleven year old, but things are about to change.
His parents are virtually absent in his life, and his home is a lonely place to be. He doesn’t want for material possessions, all he really wants is his parents time and affection.
Instead they spoil him with expensive gifts to compensate for not spending any time with him. His dad’s priority is his work, and he is rarely home – working late or off on another business trip. His mom considers him to be nothing but a hindrance – she doesn’t have time for that in her all-important, self-involved life. She’d rather spend time with her friends than with her own flesh and blood.
He has two best friends; Cole and Samuel. The trio have been practically inseparable since kindergarten. They stay out of any real trouble, and do well in school. They’re not considered the ‘popular kids’, but they’re not outcasts either.
Within two weeks of starting high school together – all that changed. A minor altercation in the lunchroom turned into constant bullying by two other students. The trio did their best to avoid the bullies, and Jeremy even tried to talk to his mom about the problem. He said “They’re making my life a complete misery”, and she just blew him off with a ‘boys will be boys’ attitude as she got ready to leave for a shopping trip with her friends. The very next day Jeremy and Samuel were attacked by one of the bullies, and a freak accident landed them in the hospital putting Jeremy in a coma and fighting for his life.
Jeremy was a good kid.
He didn’t mean for any of this to happen.
But something sinister rises inside him when he awakes, and for the first time in his life… he feels alive and truly powerful.
Matt Shaw may have set off to just give readers a fun exploitation ride, but ASHES: A novella of horror, gore and cannibalism is so much more than that!
The story’s flashbacks that lead to present day circumstances had me fully invested in the characters – rooting for one, while hoping for another’s grisly demise. (Don’t judge me – there are always characters that deserve to die horribly! Look at The Cat In The Hat…)
“Even when she was dead, she was still bitching at me. I couldn’t get her to shut up!” ~ Ed Kemper
Two days ago, psychopath Richard Heinz killed two guards, and escaped custody while being transported to a local clinic.
Heinz has been obsessed with horror/thriller writer Blake Price for most of his adult life, with Mrs. Price being one of his final victims before capture.
The manhunt for Heinz has led authorities to the writer’s home town, with Officer Hopkins and Dr. Bennett leading the way. They believe that trying to understand the mind of this madman will aid in his capture, but Heinz thinks that there is only one person capable of understanding him – the man whose life he ruined, and whose family he destroyed.
Blake Price may be the only one that can help capture the fugitive alive, can he come face-to-face with the source of his nightmares?
Iain Rob Wright packed a novel’s amount of action, and suspense into this novella. There aren’t many authors who can pull that off without ruining the story.
I want to read more about the history between Blake Price and Richard Heinz – I know there’s a good story there!
Catch up on what’s happening with Blake Price in THE PICTURE FRAME, (be sure to check the end of this book for details on how you can get your FREE copy!).
For more with Officer Hopkins and Dr. Bennett, be sure to check out SOFT TARGET.
THE HORROR MOVIE SOCIETY held it’s first official ‘meeting’ in 1994 – on October 31st to be exact.
Now, four years later, the six members have gathered together for first reunion of The Horror Movie Society.
The bond formed between horror lovers is strong.
Scream Queens, and classic kill scenes.
There is something special about finding another person who gets just as excited as you do when the new issue of Fangoria arrives in the mail.
The passion isn’t just for the movies, but for everything that makes the movies what they are. The actors, directors, f/x creators, etc. Everything.
The Society was formed when it’s six members met in college, and their monthly ‘meetings’ soon became 24 hour movie marathons filled with classic 80’s horror, and fast food. It became impossible to find the time for meetings once they graduated, so everyone was excited for their first reunion.
What the six members don’t realize is that while they are inside watching movies, an escaped serial killer is lurking right outside of the living room window. He is watching the movies with them, and he’s taking notes.
The first reunion of The Horror Movie Society might also be it’s last.
THE HORROR MOVIE SOCIETY on Amazon
THE HORROR MOVIE SOCIETY on Goodreads
Sixteen at last!
Isaac is finally a man, and he’s ready to celebrate the biggest night of his life. With his two best friends at his side, he’s throwing the party to end all parties – one that people will be talking about for years to come.
The changes start small – Isaac barely notices that anything is different, at first…
But, his friends can sense something big coming. Something bad.
When it’s over, if there is anyone left to talk about this party of the century, it won’t be about the food, or the games… It will be about the death, and destruction left in the party’s wake.
Well, that and maybe a few lingering hits on the YouTube video of Barbara doing her best Cookie Monster impression, and singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Isaac. ‘Nom nom nom!’
FF:
Look for a hidden Easter Egg when the gang gathers around the TV to watch a horror movie.
A Is For Antichrist is the first book in Iain Rob Wright’s terrifying new A – Z of Horror series. For more information, visit the Official Website of IRW.
The private words of Ed Boothe Released posthumously
Written from his tiny cell on death row, serial killer Ed Boothe chronicles the details of his murderous career from his first kill to his capture.
He’s not begging forgiveness from the families, trying to get right with Jesus, or campaigning for a pardon from the governor. He reminisces about his life, and his crimes, simply because he has nothing better to do.
Ed Boothe begins this journal by detailing his very first kill when he was eighteen years old, and living in London. He continues by explaining why he didn’t kill again until he was in his mid-twenties, and living in America.
He vividly describes details of his various kills, corpse disposal, keepsakes, sexual urges & fulfillment, and the emotions experienced through it all.
He concludes his writing just two days before his execution, by sharing any regrets he may have. His final recorded thoughts are about things he wishes he would have done differently, and things left undone.
All proceeds of this book go to the families of his known victims.
The Bloody Book Blogger 