S.J.Budd

Hindered Souls: Dark Tales for Dark Nights is a really astounding debut collection from Hindered Soul's Press. This is a relatively new indie horror publishing company formed in 2016 and they have really started off with a bang. I have to admit I do love reading short horror fiction and had to buy this one even though I have so many queued up on my kindle. It features 25 brilliant dark tales and many of the authors featured in this are really starting to make a name for themselves. This had to go straight to the front of my kindle queue. What's great about this anthology is that there is a really wide range of horror styles, some are scary, some are weird whilst others are creepy and some have a really beautiful feel to them. There is something for everyone because we all have our own preferences. There were so many that I really enjoyed and whittling them down into my favourite pile was really very tough as the bar has been set really high. Highlights for me inclu...

This story was crazee!!! I've never read anything like it before. Leo X.Roberston is an author I discovered after reading his amazing short story Kelpies, as featured in the Monsters Exist Anthology from Deadman's Tome. So I leapt at the chance to have a sneak read of this before it officially comes out in August 2017 from Unnerving Never before have I read a horror story set in an abandoned nuclear energy plant which immediately stresses me out. Why would anyone ever think it a good idea to go poking around there? Nuclear energy really unnerves me, it's power is just so deadly, the side-effects last for hundreds of years. It's a naturally occurring energy source but just seems so at odds with what nature has to offer us. When not being an author, Leo X Robertson moonlights as a process engineer and he's used his technical know-how and flair into writing a really believable book on the dangers and mysterious qualities of "t he ineradicable nature of...

So in a nutshell this is a book about witches and a kick ass woman! Crone by Jeannie Wycherly came highly recommended through a book reviewer who has a great blog at The Grim Reader  It's currently on sale for just 99p so I thought why not. To be honest it was the word witches in the description, that did it for me. I love great stories with witches in it and also just look at the author's surname, Wycherley! Could a name be anymore witchy!? What I really liked about this book is that it celebrates the strength that women possess, that we're always stronger than what we think we are. I guess most of us aren't as physically strong in the way men are but it doesn't matter as we're strong in other ways. As illustrated in this book, if we dig deep enough we have the power to heal ourselves and others even, to protect our loved ones and even to forgive. The main character, Heather, is a prime example of this. She's a very quiet heroine, not feisty and f...

Independence Denied is the final instalment of Calvin Demmer's epic Dark Celebrations series which consists of twelve short dark tales - Hungry Ghosts  , Labor Day Hunt , Trick or Death , Thanks Sinning , Three Dead Men, Happy Dark Year , Dying Valentine , Spring Outbreak, She Will Rise , Prom Screams , Unidentified Fatherly Object   and Independence Denied. Dark Celebrations is a series I've really enjoyed reading and can't wait to see Calvin Demmer's future projects. Independence Denied is the darkest tale of them all in this series. We're introduced to Brad Marshall, just another regular guy looking forward to celebrating Independence Day. But suddenly all hell breaks loose, there's multiple reports of earthquakes, tsunami's striking all four corners of the world. Brad Marshall just wants to bury his head in the sand than watch of the devastating news reports. Instead he focuses on work, on helping his boss, Professor Masterson studying shark...

Dark Moon Digest is a quarterly horror fiction magazine produced by Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing and is available to buy via Amazon or via Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing. Inside are some really good stories, I think nine in all and not one of them was a dud. There's a really fun feel to this magazine just full of really great horror tales that will make you wince and jump in all the right places. For me, my personal favourites were; I Will Find Them All by Evan Kells, Lost by Rachel Watts and The Screaming by Leigh Harlen. Though I feel it's important to say I really enjoyed them all. There's a really diverse offering of tales featuring all sorts of creepy monsters, there's something in here for everyone. As well as stories there's also articles from Jay Wilburn and George Lea as well as the first two chapters of Betty Rocksteady's new novella Like Jagged Teeth. I bought this for my kindle and it came to under £3! I do love a bargain and...

Before You Sleep is a little appetiser to Adam L.G. Nevill's debut short story collection, Some Will Not Sleep. It consists of three short tales, Where Angels Come in, Ancestors and Florrie. I've just finished reading it and now I genuinely feel really creeped out. I love reading horror but it is very rare where I actually feel disturbed or scared, unless I'm reading something written by Gary Buller . These three stories had me reaching for a stiff drink after reading. I needed to watch a disney film, go and play with some kittens and roll around in glitter just to feel ok again. I also can't help but admire Adam Nevill's genius marketing methods. As soon as I had finished this I wanted to read more. I want to read everything he's ever written. What's really odd is that I have never heard of him before, (to my shame) he clearly has an amazing talent and can actually writer stories that actually scare. Before You Sleep consists of some really inten...