My Two Cents: MOODS AND MEGRIMS: A COLLECTION OF HYSTERICAL WOMEN

As March is Women in Horror Month, I figured it a great time to check out the anthology "Moods and Megrims," featuring stories by a group of fantastic indie women authors.

What is a megrim, you might ask? Turns out, it has several meanings. The Oxford English Dictionary offers the following definitions:

1. depression; low spirits.

2. a whim or fancy.

3. old-fashioned term for migraine.

No matter how you define it, however, "Moods and Megrims: A Collection of Hysterical Women" is a wonderful assortment of wicked tales in a wide variety of horror subgenres. It opens with a bang: "Nina and Pumpkin Have An Exorcism" by Rikki Goodwin, a clever twist on the demon-possession trope. The collection also includes:

1. "Skin Deep" by Christy Aldridge, a twisted little fable about the high cost of beauty.

2. "The Preacherman" by Kay Hanifen, in which a cathouse madame in the Old West finds herself unexpectedly in a battle of good versus evil when a clergyman filled with threats of hellfire and brimstone rolls into town.

3. "The Black Widow" by Eve L. Fell, about a woman on the prowl for the perfect date.

4. "These Boots Are Made For Stompin'" by Sarah DeRosa, a love story about a vigilante and the thigh-high boots she adores.

5. "Selective Sight" by Chloe York, which was my favorite of the collection. In it, a young woman's spontaneous one-night stand leads to a terrifying and inescapable fate.

6. "The Unmothering" by Kirsten Noelle Craig, in which a woman in a controlling and abusive relationship feels wracked by guilt to feel no emotional attachment to her newborn child.

7. "The Feast" by R.J. Powell, in which a gathering of women host an annual celebration to welcome new members to the fold with a gruesome -- but well-deserved -- menu.

8. "A Dish Best Served Cold" by Ashley Fox, in which a desperate woman seeks the truth behind her sister's death at any cost.

9. "Uninvited" by Cassandra O'Sullivan Sachar, about a neighborhood busybody who finds herself snubbed by one-time friends she has secretly scorned.

10. "The Black Spot" by Desiree Horton who discovers the dirt in her backyard harbors certain, sinister appetites.

"Moods and Megrims" features striking cover artwork by Christy Aldridge, and while they say you can't judge a book by the cover, in this case, the reverse holds true. With plenty of blood, jump scares, and creeping dread, each of these stories showcases the wild imaginations and top-notch writing of some of today's best female authors in the indie horror biz. It's sure to snap you out of a megrim of depression, should you take a megrim, or fancy, to read it. Highly recommended!

"Moods and Megrims: A Collection of Hysterical Women" is available here.