AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT CONFESSIONS

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it is with a very heavy heart that I must announce to you today that, this is the very last post I will ever be publishing on Confessions of a Reviewer.

This has been a fantastic journey for me and I have met some wonderful people over this past two years whom I cannot thank enough for their encouragement, help and support.

However, times change and I now feel that it is time for me and the blog to part company.

REVIEW: Erik Hofstatter - Rare Breeds

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Dark Silo Press

Publication Date: 13^th October 2016

Pages: 100

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Rare Breeds was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Erik Hofstatter, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Dark Silo Press.

Erik Hofstatter. If you have been reading Confessions from the beginning, you will know this is my favourite name in the world of indie horror. We have had an up and down relationship in terms of how I like his books but that is what makes me like him even more. He keeps on coming back. I have been waiting on him writing something in the same vain as the first thing of his I read, The Pariahs. Not particularly the same type of story, just the same type of style.

His last short, Katerina and his collection Amaranthine and Other Stories left me wanting more from him. Was I going to get it with Rare Breeds?

This is what I thought.

Zora and Aurel are married and live with Zora’s daughter, Livie. It’s a relationship that has had its ups and downs. Aurel sleepwalks and he can never remember what he has done when he wakes up the next day.

This worries Zora a great deal. She is always worried in case he does something to harm Livie.

She should be more worried about what he is doing with his secret sister, Cornelia.

REVIEW: 13: An Anthology of Horror and Dark Fiction

Genre: Horror Anthology

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th Oct 2016

Pages: 435

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of 13: An Anthology of Horror and Dark Fiction, was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by one of the contributors in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Limitless Press.

Anthologies. Love em or hate em, there have been a tonne of them out this year. To be honest I have probably already read my fill of anthologies and collections for the year so 13 is sort of up against it from the outset. It will need to be a good one to keep me reading.

On the other hand, I have read a few books from Limitless and they normally produce some really good stuff so I am hoping this is the same.

I won’t say which contributor sent the copy to me. If you know me though it shouldn’t be too hard to guess.

Anyway, this is what I thought of 13.

The Times They Are A-Changin.

It’s been a funny old time this past couple of weeks in the Confessions office.

Everything is changing. In fact, I am in probably the biggest transitional period of my life. Ever.

A lot of you will know what’s going on but many of you may not. That is the reason for this post.

I have just become unemployed from the day job. This is mostly by choice but also due to enormous changes within the unit I was working in. It seemed a fantastic idea at the time because of life choices, and plans that myself and my wife Jo had in place to totally change the direction our life was taking, and to try and finally make something for ourselves and live out the dreams we have had for many years.

REVIEW: Michael Bray - The Island

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Severed Press

Publication Date: 4^th October 2015

Pages: 206

REVIEWED BY CHAD

A copy of The Island was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Michael Bray, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Severed Press.

In The Island, by Michael Bray, we see a society in which reality television has become a performance platform for violence and death. The island itself is a man-made land mass on which a competition has been resurrected to air for the first time as a television series.

Contestants are set loose on the island and only one can survive to the end. Their prize? Whatever it is they desire. All they have to do is make it from one side of the island to the other.

Oh, and they have to make it through an island packed full of dinosaurs.

The main character of the story, Chase Riley, decides to take part in the newly revamped show in order to save his daughter who is suffering from terminal cancer. Against the wishes of his wife, he enters into the show, hoping that a victory will bring in the money they lacked, in order to get their daughter, the treatment she needs.

Putting all my honesty down on the table, I have to admit that I was a little dubious of the concept of this book going into it. My concern was that this was going to just end up feeling like a modern reimagining of The Running Man, but with dinosaurs as an artificial attempt to add an extra element to an already successful story. Still, I was also intrigued by the idea and was willing to give it a go.

SHOW-OFF AND TELL #42 - Mark Cassell - The Shadow Fabric

#42 in the Show-Off and tell feature brings us, sadly, to the end of a week-long special about its author. Tonight’s book is The Shadow Fabric by Mark Cassell.

I have mentioned a couple of times this week how much of an approachable, decent fella Mark Cassell is. I hope that throughout this week you have picked that up as well and also that you will go pick up some of his books and give him the support he deserves.

If you decide to go and buy this weeks featured book, The Shadow Fabric, this post will give you an idea of what you will have in your hands.

The cover alone gives you an idea of the mysterious happenings on the inside of the pages and indeed, if you meet Mr Cassell at a con, you will be able to see the hourglass in person.

This is my copy:

REVIEW: Mark Cassell - The Shadow Fabric

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Herbs House

Publication Date: 18^th October 2014

Pages: 340

REVIEWED BY NEV

The Shadow Fabric is Mark Cassell’s first novel. This book is published by Herbs House.

This book pops a couple of Confessions cherries tonight. Firstly, it is Mark Cassell’s first time being reviewed on Confessions.

Today he becomes a man.

Also this is the first ever book that I bought at a con. I met Mark at Emcon in Nottingham and to be honest I had no intentions of buying any books at that stage, but he impressed me so much with his enthusiasm that I bought them all. And stole a few bookmarks. And sweets.

This is another one that sat on the pile for a while because it wasn’t a direct submission for review. I was struggling to decide which one to read next instead of following the normal strict list. When this one caught my eye, I thought I would give it a go.

This is what I thought.

Leo is confused. He has had a troubling life. The problem is he can’t remember any of it bar the last couple of years. He has just returned from a years traveling around the world and his guardian of sorts, Goodwin, has a job for him. He wants him to go work for his friend Victor as a chauffeur.

Leo soon discovers that chauffeuring will not be the only job he will be doing for Victor. On his second day he witnesses a murder. On his third day he witnesses much, much worse.

What follows, is a race against time. A race against evil. A race against unknown forces. A race against The Shadow Fabric.

This is a race that no one can afford to lose.

INTERVIEW: MARK CASSELL - PART TWO

Welcome back to Part Two of Confessions interview with Mark Cassell.

In tonight’s session, Mark tells us all about his book The Shadow Fabric and takes on The Ten Confessions.

It’s only Tuesday but go grab some pizza and a beer, sit back, and mostly……enjoy!

CoaR - Moving on to The Shadow Fabric, what is that all about? What did you want to achieve with it?

MC - It's a tale of a sentient darkness, of 17th-century devices, and deceit among old friends, following one man's struggle to unravel his past. I wanted to write a book that I needed to read. Having been bored to death of vampires and werewolves, of zombies and goblins, I had to devise a new evil and so I created the Shadow Fabric.

I've never read a book that strips down witchcraft and demonology and turned it on its head, so I wrote it myself. Not once did I expect it to expand into the mythos it's become, and I still get demands for more stories.

INTERVIEW: MARK CASSELL - PART ONE

Welcome to Part One of Confessions of a Reviewer’s interview with an author who is, quite possibly, one of the nicest men you will ever meet at a con.

Tonight, we present Mr Mark Cassell.

I first met Mark at Emcon in Nottingham earlier in the year and was immediately impressed by his manor and his set up at the con. This has developed into meeting him a couple of times now and we have had quite a lot of contact putting this together and I have to say my initial impressions were spot on.

In Part One, tonight, Mark talks about himself and his writing in general. He also talks about his obsession with seventies singing star, Leo Sayer, and gives us some info on what he’s doing and how he does it.

Part Two, tomorrow night, features chat all about the new book, some more general stuff and of course The Ten Confessions where it turns out Mr Cassell has one or two demons of his own hiding in closets!

Wednesday sees the Confessions review of his book The Shadow Fabric followed by showing it off on Thursday.

Nothing left to say at this point other than go grab some nibbles and a drink and sit back, and most of all……enjoy!

GUEST POST: Confessions of my Past, Present and Future #50 - Mark Cassell

Confessions of my Past, Present and Future

by

Mark Cassell

The Past

I don't know when I first became aware of Brian Lumley's work, nor whether he indeed inspired me to become a horror writer. Atop that, I certainly cannot remember how old I was when I read his 1986 novel, Necroscope. Before I say anything more, I'll allow Mr Lumley to explain what a Necroscope actually is (pulled from his website www.brianlumley.com):

Tele- (Gk. tele: ‘far’.) A telescope is an optical instrument which enlarges images of distant objects. For example: the surface of the Moon may be viewed as from only a few hundred miles away.

Micro- (Gk. mikros: ‘small’) A microscope is an optical instrument which makes small objects visible to the human eye. Through a microscope, a drop of ‘clear’ water is seen to contain countless unsuspected micro-organisms.

Necro- (Gk. nekros: ‘a corpse’) A Necroscope is a human instrument which permits access to the minds of the dead. Harry Keogh is a Necroscope – he knows the thoughts of corpses in their graves.

The main difference between these instruments is this: the first two perform purely physical, one-way functions. They are incapable of changing anything. The Moon cannot look back through the telescope; the amoeba does not know it is under microscopic scrutiny.

That’s Harry Keogh’s big problem: his talent seems to work both ways. The dead know – and they won’t lie still for it!

REVIEW: David Bernstein - The Sludge

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Great Old Ones Publishing

Publication Date: 4^th July 2016

Pages: 131

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of The Sludge was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, David Bernstein, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Great Old Ones Publishing.

Sometimes this reviewing game throws you surprises. A lot in fact. A lot of welcome surprises. One of them that never fails to amaze me is the fact that, sometimes you read someone’s work and rave about it. Then you pick up something else of theirs and it doesn’t do a lot for you. When you review it, you automatically think that is the last you will hear from that author. Think this reviewing lark is easy? It’s a minefield I tell you.

David Bernstein’s last book, A mixed Bag of Blood was a collection that I didn’t really connect with. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed it, but it didn’t grab me the way some of his other stuff has.

I was delighted when David sent me a copy of The Sludge to review. Firstly, because he hadn’t fallen out with me, and secondly because…..well…..just look at that cover! It screams old skool horror! I couldn’t wait to get my teeth into it.

This is what I thought.

Bull and John are removing some toxic waste. They should dispose of it carefully but they are just going to dump it in Lolo National Forest.

They throw it in a lake and it mixes with some stuff they dumped years ago and starts a chain of events that will create a monster no one thought could ever exist.

Cole and Derrick are brothers. They are about to rob a bank with their friend, Dirk. The plan is to hide out in Lolo after the job is done.

Edgar, June, Kim and Tyler are hiking in Lolo when they stumble across the camp belonging to the brothers. Everyone is in for the shock of their lives.

The Sludge is brewing.

NEXT WEEK: A WEEK OF MARK CASSELL

Next week sees another of Confessions week long features on an author we think you should be reading more of, and certainly one we think you will be seeing a lot more of in the years to come.

If you have been to any cons in the UK recently you will probably have met him, and you will probably agree as well, that he is one of the nicest, most approachable guys in the UK horror scene.

We talk, of course, about the one and only, Mark Cassell.

REVIEW: Wayne Lemmons - The Story's Writer

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Self-Published

Publication Date: 1^st April 2016

Pages: 172

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of The Story’s Writer was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Wayne Lemmons, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is self-published.

You know how I like a funny story of how I got a book to review? Well, Mr Lemmons doesn’t know this, but there is a funny story for this one. Someone recommended his writing to me and said I should check it out. Well, they didn’t, exactly. They recommended someone else. I got the name wrong. I didn’t find this out until a few months after we had made contact and the books were in the pile for review.

So, obligated as I was, I couldn’t do anything about it and had to go with my promises. Did it turn out to be a fortuitous mistake on my behalf?

This is what I thought.

Amy is a single mom. She works very hard to keep a stable household and a steady life for her son, Bailey. The only thing she keeps for herself is a lifestyle of one night stands that, while leaving Bailey to fend for himself, keeps her sane. Not ideal for anyone, but they survive.

On one of these one night stands, she meets Grant. A horror writer that seems to be very grounded, and very interested in meeting Bailey, when he can. Could this be Mr Right at last?

When things blossom and Amy and Bailey move in with Grant, all seems to be going swimmingly. Until Grant starts to write his new book about ghosts. It really seems to Bailey like Grant has brought some of his research home with him.

REVIEW: Rich Hawkins - King Carrion - Review #2

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 17^th Sept 2016

Pages: 132

REVIEWED BY ALEX

A copy of King Carrion was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publishers, Sinister Horror Company in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Getting back into the spirit of posting multiple reviews for the same books, Confessions gives you the second review of King Carrion by Rich Hawkins.

Tonight’s review is brought to you by Alex Kimmell:

If you’re a fan of horror fiction, chances are pretty good that you’ve read at least a couple of books about vampires and zombies. You’ve seen the movies, television shows and maybe even flipped through the overabundance of comic books out there. You are familiar with the end of the world tropes where all of us humans are scraped from the face of the Earth like so many crumbs from a plate of chocolate chip cookies. As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun, or even the moon.

However, there are a certain, special few who divert from these well-worn, shadowed paths just enough to impress new footprints in the muddy diversion of a fresh trail.

SURPRISE!! Tijuana Donkey Showdown - Cover Reveal!

Well it looks like the cat is out of the bag. I have no idea how that could possibly have happened!

I didn’t give anything away! I suspect there is a spy in the ranks somewhere intercepting my private messages. There is no other way people could have known!

I really do despair.

Anyway, now the secret is out, Mr. Adam Howe would like to tell you all about his new book, Tijuana Donkey Showdown and let you see, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, the wonderful cover. I have absolutely no idea what it is about because I have never, ever in my life heard that phrase before, honest gov!

If you have never read Adam Howe before then I can only suggest you check out my review of Die Dog or Eat the Hatchet, here, or my interview with him here, to see what he is all about.

Once you do that, then pay very close attention to the pre-order news further down the page and get yourself prepared to hit the important pages to do just that and pre-order this little gem, which promises to be another big hit.

Go Mr. Adam Howe……….

GUEST POST: Confessions of my Past, Present and Future #49 - Dan Weatherer

Confessions of my Past, Present and Future

by

Dan Weatherer

The Past

There are probably rules for this sort of thing, but rules (like promises) are made to be broken. As a young, awkward sort, struggling to find his place in the high school hierarchy, books were a welcome retreat from a world I did not much understand, never mind wish to be a part of. (Likely I was a troubled youth!)

There were several books that not only afforded me my escape, a few of which have stuck long in the memory, and provoke a smile and a familiar tingle when recalled. I will not pretend that any of these books are literary heavyweights, but then I never did harbour notions of snobbery. A good story is just that, and these kept my imagination alive and kicking during those tediously grey teenage years.

REVIEW: Patrick Lacey - Dream Woods

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Sinister Grin Press

Publication Date: 1^st October 2016

Pages: 135

REVIEWED BY NEV:

A copy of Dream Woods by Patrick Lacey, was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the publisher, Sinister Grin Press, via Hook of a Book Media and Publicity in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Sinister Grin is a press I respect a lot. They put out some wonderful books and seem to be on the pulse when it comes to how they operate, and how they look after their authors. That needs to be commended when talking about a smaller, up and coming press. Especially in today’s climate, when so many small, and also bigger presses, seem to be falling by the wayside.

They also seem to be getting their hands on some wonderful authors at the minute. One of those is Patrick Lacey. This is a young man who I have previously tipped for big things in the horror world so I was delighted to get an opportunity to read and review his latest novella, Dream Woods.

This is what I thought.

Vince is an ex punk. Covered in tattoos that he needs to keep hidden for his new life as an accountant, he lives for his family. He is also trying to keep his family together. His wife, Audra, doesn’t seem happy and he suspects she wants to leave. He would be right. He sees an opportunity to try and make things better when he sees a billboard advertising the reopening of his favourite ever place from his childhood, Dream Woods Amusement park. This could be perfect for himself, Audra, and their two boys, Tim and Andrew.

Author Regina Michaels, is working on her latest book. It is about Dream Woods. She wants to expose the truth about it’s dark past. She should know all about it. She used to work there.

When circumstances throw them all together, they must join forces to try and survive the evil that lurks within the gates of Dream Woods.

REVIEW: L.X. Cain - Bloodwalker

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Freedom Fox Press

Publication Date: 4^th October 2016

Pages: 284

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Bloodwalker was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, L.X Cain, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Freedom Fox Press.

Another fresh name to me that I had the pleasure of receiving an email request to read and review Bloodwalker from. L.X. Cain is a name I have seen around. A lot. I always meant to pick something up but this old reviewing lark doesn’t leave a lot of personal time for reading stuff I just want to pick up.

On the other hand, when you want to pick something up by someone and they ask if you can review something, well, you’re obligated aren’t you?

Bloodwalker had a very interesting synopsis. It intrigued me. This is what I thought.

The Zorka Circus is travelling through Europe. It doesn’t stay long in any one place but when it leaves, it always takes something extra with it.

Young children are going missing and the Circus’ security chief, Rurik, thinks it is one of the performers that is responsible. He needs to find out who it is and put an end to it. For his own sanity and the security of the circus.

Sylvie is getting married at the circus. She is known as a bloodwalker, from the Skomori clan, a clan despised by nearly everyone. Untrusted and seen as ghoulish, they get a hard time wherever they go.

When Sylvie discovers some bones in a trailer, this puts her directly in the path of the killer. It looks like Rurik is the only one that can help. What they are about to have to confront, is something neither of them could have ever imagined.

REVIEW: Jason Parent - Wrathbone and other stories

Genre: Horror collection

Publisher: Comet Press

Publication Date: 3^rd October 2016

Pages: 160

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Wrathbone and other Stories was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Jason Parent in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Comet Press.

Nothing I like more than getting a request from Jason Parent to have an early look at one of his books. Be it a novel or a short story or as in this case, a collection, it doesn’t matter to me. He is one of those authors that I just cannot resist reading. I love his easy, relaxed style of writing, even when the story is going at one hundred miles per hour.

I was especially eager to read this collection because I knew that myself and my good lady wife Jo, feature in a story together. This triggers the usual disclaimer that including me on the outside or indeed the inside of a book does not garner any favours from me in terms of the review.

So let’s see what this little beauty has to offer!

REVIEW: Daniel Marc Chant - Into Fear: 22 Bizarre Tales of Despair and Dread

Genre: Dread & Despair Collection

Publisher: Sinister Horror Company

Publication Date: 1^st October 2016

Pages: 290

REVIEWED BY NEV

A copy of Into Fear was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, Daniel Marc Chant, in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by the Sinister Horror Company.

So another one by Daniel Marc Chant, or Mr Posh to his friends. A collection of stories no less. Twenty-two in all. Where does he get the time to write these things, let alone the ideas? It is no secret I like his writing and it is no secret that I have been impressed this year in the variety of his writing as well. The last one I read was sci-fi, this one is branded as “22 Bizarre Tales of Despair and dread” I seem to have quite a lot of both in my life at the minute but still thought I would give it a go.

I have to confess to having an ultra-rare paper copy of this book that I don’t even think got into print many moons ago but I never got around to reading it.

For that, I apologise, Mr Chant.

This is what I thought of the new version.

DREADMILL

Lindsay and Susan are at the gym. Lindsay has new trainers and Susan wants them. She sets Lindsay a series of challenges and makes some promises along the road in trying to get her hands on them.

All this while the zombie apocalypse is going on outside.