In "Borrowed Bones" by Winona Morris, widower Russ Simmons can't let go of the past. Unable to move past his wife, Liza's unexpected death, he spends his days lingering in the home the two of them shared, gazing out the window at the crepe myrtle tree Liza adored, and toward the dense woods through which she'd loved to roam. Trapped in an endless cycle of grief, he begins to develop the unshakable notion that those woods are looking back at him. In the small town of Hachette

Seeing "Obsession" yesterday got me in the horror movie mood, so last night, I rented "Lee Cronin's The Mummy" and checked it out. I have to say, I haven't laughed that hard at something that unintentionally funny in a long time. I knew 20 minutes into this thing it was going to be one of those movies. The first clue was the fact they felt they needed to tell us in multiple ways that the first scenes are set in Cairo, Egypt. First, there's a newsclip of the dad, Charlie Canno

Saw "Obsession" yesterday afternoon and really enjoyed it. I suspect this was one I expected more out of because of all the hype about it, so I didn't end up liking it as much as I wanted to. All and all, though, it was a terrifying, terrific flick with a great concept, gruesome special effects (practical, not CGI - even better!), and an incredible cast (especially the two leads, Inde Navarette and Michael Johnston). If I had one beef with it, it was the scene where Bear driv

Happy book birthday to Sinister Street, a suburban horror anthology featuring eleven short stories by the members of the Sinister Scribes community on Facebook: Matthew B. Davis, Ross Killey, Jason Garman, Brian S. Roe, Ann O'Mara Heyward, D.L. Winchester, A.C. Hessenauer, Bryan Holm, Eve L. Fell, Stuart Connover, and yours truly. And to make it even better, proceeds from the book go to Room to Read, a children's literacy agency. ​​ Includes my short story "Community Covenant

"Ghost Glasses" by Rikki Goodwin is at times heartwarming or heartbreaking, but always, at its heart, about family. Not just the one we're born with, but the family we make for ourselves, the people in life (and in this case, in the afterlife) who make us feel needed, important, and above all else, remembered. At the center of the story is Poppy, the ghost of a young woman killed in the 1960s when she is struck by a garbage truck on her way to work. Since that time, she has w

Happy book birthday to Cryptids, the latest in the Classic Monsters anthology series by KJK Publishing. They have always been there. Just beyond the edge of the treeline. Beneath dark water. In the places humans don’t map.They are called cryptids. Creatures that should not exist, yet they continue to be seen. In this chilling eighth instalment of the Classic Monsters series, Kevin J. Kennedy turns his attention to the unknown beasts that haunt global folklore and modern sight

Happy belated book birthday to the Jewel Edition of the bestselling anthology series, The Horror Collection from KJK Publishing! In this, the 32nd book in The Horror Collection series, terror takes on many forms, cosmic, grotesque, psychological, and deeply human. Across a haunting array of stories, ordinary people are pushed beyond their limits, confronting ancient evils, unraveling realities, and the consequences of their own darkest desires. In my short story, "Memories

I love found footage horror movies. Books that emulate that style are a secret guilty pleasure, too. I should qualify these statements by adding "when done well," because anyone who enjoys found footage knows they can be really, really good or really, really bad. Like really bad. "They Looked Like People" by K.E. Koontz definitely falls into the former category. It's a fantastic book, fast-paced, taut, and truly terrifying. Told from the perspective of a story within a story,

I've read several books lately that have that classic detective-noir feel to them. It's becoming a horror subgenre I enjoy a great deal, especially when you throw in a splash of humor along the way. "Manimal," by A.C. Hessenauer is a fantastic example of why these elements mix together so well, resulting in a story that's quick-paced, witty, dark, and fun. In "Manimal," police detectives Jack Quinn and August Sullivan are on the case, trying to find out who's responsible for

Sarah Jules is an auto-buy for me. I love her writing. Whether one of her longer works, like "You Invited It In" or her short "Tiny Terrible Tales," her stories are always taut, suspenseful, and genuinely spooky. Her latest entry into the Tiny Terrible Tales series, "The Ghostwriter" proves to be no exception. In "The Ghostwriter," a young woman named Clio journeys to a bleak and isolated island off the coast of Scotland after being commissioned by the island's sole occupant,

Zombies are a pretty standard trope in horror fiction, one that you could argue has been overdone. How many ways can the living dead be reimagined? You'd think that well had been mined bone dry, but over my past few reads, I've discovered that's definitely not the case. Between "Where the Tide Leaves Its Dead" by Bray Matheson, the new anthology "Zombies" from KJK Publishing, and most recently, "Fenek the Survivor" by Nicholas Grady, it seems fresh ideas, innovative takes, an

I've had zombies on the brain lately, having written a short story to submit for KJK Publishing's new Zombies anthology that just released this week. At the same time, I was also reading "Where The Tide Leaves Its Dead" by Bray Mattheson which, coincidentally, also revolves around zombies. "Where The Tide Leaves Its Dead" is a mix of dark humor, horror, and survivalism, set against the tropical backdrop of a south Pacific island in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. Not ju

Happy book birthday to Zombies, Book 6 in the Classic Monsters anthology series from KJK Publishing. This collection includes my short story, "Scream for Me," in which a serial killer gets more than he bargains for when he sets out to bury his latest victim in the backwoods of Kentucky. From the publisher: Zombies a relentless collection of horrifying, heartbreaking, and darkly imaginative tales that explores the undead in all their terrifying forms. From plague-ridden street

War is hell, especially for the innocent people caught in between the embattled, opposing forces. In Elizabeth Devecchi's upcoming novel, The Shadow Beside Her, readers are introduced to young Maria, one such unfortunate innocent. As the story opens, Maria enjoys an idyllic life where she is doted on by her parents, as well as her extended family. She lives in a bustling village, but frequently visits the neighboring countryside, where her uncle owns a farm. It's here that Ma

Every year at Halloween, murdered private investigator Edward Crane is brought back to life for one week. During that time, Ed and his young partner Sam, along with the spirit of a woman named Wren work together to try and solve mysteries of a supernatural variety in their hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. This premise is complex and unorthodox, and in the hands of another author, it might not have worked. However, in his book "Pumpkin Seeds," author Tyler Downs proves more t

Anyone who has ever owned a cat knows their potential for pure evil. That being said, you will also likely understand and appreciate the underlying noble dignity possessed by every domesticated feline, the aloof but unmistakable, patient tolerance with which they regard us, their hopeless, hapless human roommates. For every nose boop and nuzzle they award us, there is just as likely a claw swipe, hiss, or side-eye. And God forbid you try to sleep past their (usually self-appo

I'm scheduled as an upcoming guest on The Night Crew podcast hosted by author Brad Ricks, and in preparation for this, I wanted to check out some of his work. I'm long overdue in doing so, and for that I apologize, because I've heard nothing but rave reviews for his Night Crew series (the third installment of which is coming out soon), as well as his popular Christmas horror story, "To Hell With Hallmark" (quite possibly one of the best titles EVER). When I checked him out on

Happy book birthday to All The Things You Cannot See: An Oceanic Horror Anthology, featuring my short story "Overboard," in which a pair of young brothers fall...well, you know, overboard. I've often wondered what would happen if someone fell off a cruise ship in the middle of the open ocean -- especially if they were lucky enough (or maybe it's unlucky ) to survive the plummet. How long would it take before anyone realized what had happened? And how would anyone find survivo

Even though I'm a nurse, I don't read a lot of medical horror. Same holds true for watching medical dramas on TV. Don't get me wrong. I think Noah Wyle is as hot now in the promos I've seen for The Pitt as he ever was back in the day in promos I saw for ER. But having suffered through enough inaccurate healthcare representations on film (looking at you, every single TV show or movie where a person with no pulse is defibrillated back to life -- yes, even YOU, otherwise-beloved

I received my author copies of What Lies Unseen today! Now you can order signed copies of What Lies Unseen, as well as The Vessel and Hauntings directly from my online store. I'll ship 'em for free (U.S. only - sorry!) and include bookmarks and other swag to say thanks for your order! Check out my storefront today!