The Immortal Memoirs by Belladonna Drakul Review

by BellaDonna Drakul
Publish America
ISBN:978-1-4512-3153-3
Review done by Rob Walter
Review Posted: 8/20/2010

BellaDonna Drakul is back with a new collection of her decidedly non-mainstream vampire/ horror called The Immortal Memoirs. The collection is published by Publish America and is made up of 8 in this collection ranging from stone statues made by vampires in The Petrified Sister to an unlikely pair of werewolves in a future world fighting vampires in Blood Moon of the Damned.

In The Petrified Sister, a vampire and his minions have taken control of a Catholic school over hundreds of years. The difference is that the vampire has an additional curse called oestrus-roue petrification where the victims will turn to stone just before their death and if the vampire drinks to the last drop of blood is drained from them then he too may change into stone. I won’t give any more of the story away, but it is a unique premise and makes for an interesting twist.

Succubus Dream is a cautionary tale warning us to be careful what we wish for as we may get it. A widower in his grief wishes for love and a succubus comes to him and the resulting story is definitely a different read.

Blood Moon of the Damned is a tale of the apocalypse with some hints of sci-fi where vampires and werewolves fight over the Earth. The difference is in how they came to be, how the war transpires and eventually ends.

While there is some repetitious use of cackling in the stories and occasionally the dialogue/ language seems strained and/ or unlikely, it isn’t enough to disturb enjoying the story.

Overall the stories are different from anything else I have read with some interesting twists and turns that make them worth the time.

The Immortal Memoirs

Annie and the Ripper by Tim Champlin Review

by Tim Champlin
Pill Hill Press
ISBN:978-1617060373
Review Posted: 8/15/2010

Inspector Frederick George Abberline is thrown into a series of ghastly murders in Whitechapel known as the 'Ripper murders.' The investigation goes dark, sometimes besides himself, Abberline notices an advertisement for an American type entertainment 'Wild West' type show. He at first is a bit disturbed at their antics to take money from the people for their strange shows.Later he comes in contact with a sharp-shooter who is part of this show named Annie Oakley. He enlists her help in the pursuit of this 'Ripper Killer.'

Tim Champlin produces a fine book about the 'Ripper' Killings that any Ripperologist would be interested in reading. His research was well thought out, his play on the actual murders and the inspector that has a few twists and turns is just frankly amazing.

What brings this story to be so different from the others is the introduction of Annie Oakley. In bringing the 'wild west' to the 'ripper murders' in that time period adds flare to Jack the Ripper history and lore. Readers will be pleased to see this new take on what could possibly be one of the best Ripper stories told.

Requiem for the Ripper by Brian L. Porter Review

by Brian L. Porter
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN:978-1-55404-758-1
Review Posted: 8/4/2010

Requiem for the Ripper is the final installment of a trilogy by Brian L. Porter that also includes: Legacy of the Ripper and A Study in Red.

What is nice about this book is that there are brief excerpts of the two previous books. So in other words even if you did not read those two, and frankly you should anyways, you will be somewhat caught up in time for this third treasure of the trilogy.

The story begins with a Doctor Hemswell who lives in an area called Skerries Rock. One day he gets a strange phone call asking him to discuss something of complete urgency from a William Forbes who was a solicitor of some very strange, but important documents from a certain Jack Reid. Their conversation continues until Hemswell reluctantly agrees to have Forbes come and see him.

What results is a span into Jack Reid's mind, the ripper notes from before and a friend who tries to help both Hemswell and Forbes. Forbes being scared for his life on a constant basis and Hemswell not sure what is going on.

What is fascinating about this last installment, is that Brian L. Porter shows the reader how one can construe things in their mind, how even the slightest doubt of something can make a person almost crazy with fear. No other writer can take you deep into the inner workings of fear as Porter does here.

Requiem for the Ripper is not a disappointment. Grab a copy now, and don't forget to read the other two first. You never know what might be lurking in the shadows.

Jack Brand by John M. Whalen Review

by John M. Whalen
Pill Hill Press
ISBN:978-1-61706-013-7
Review Posted: 8/4/2010

Jack Brand is a man with wisdom, with secrets and a mission. He stands to go against some of the toughest aliens, nomads and worlds. But wait, you've heard this type of story before so you're complaining? Get a grip of yourself. Jack Brand does have some of those same elements, but the execution of these elements are done in such a unique style that one could hardly complain with this story.

Jack Brand starts in the year 2197. Jack is a lone man searching for his sister that was captured by a ruthless bunch. A man with a soul, Jack helps a woman who was captured by a group called the Tulon. He gives the Tulon something in exchange for the woman and frees her. She figures it has to do with the money that her father is giving for a reward, but no, Jack Brand is not that type of person. And this is just the beginning to Jack's adventures.

The world Jack lives is different. He goes amongst the desert in a future world where gas is plenty and oil companies are shutting down. His mission is to find his sister who he feels guilty about her being captured. In the process he comes along old-time foes, new friends, and old jobs that are done as well.

What makes Jack Brand so different from the typical shoot-them-up stories is there is a setting of the future with an old-time western feel to it. You can envision a desert setting, a lone man with his futuristic guns and a thirst for justice in any area he is in.

He is Jack Brand, man of so many qualities, a character you fall in love with and never want him to leave your side. John M. Whalen has done a magnificent job on this story. There is always a worry about a western feel to a science fiction type story mixing well together. Not in this case. So stop your whining and grab a copy of Jack Brand. It won't be disappointing, and you know you will be craving more.

The Bitternest Chronicles by Alan Draven Review

by Alan Draven
Pixie Dust Press
ISBN:978-0-9810213-2-4
Review Posted: 8/3/2010

Alan Draven one of the contributing authors of Creeping Shadows brings readers another collection of work entitled, The Bitternest Chronicles. In this collection there are two brand new novellas, Cellar Door and The Dark Emissaries, plus five already published short stories. The collection focuses on one area, the Bitternest city.

What is always interesting about collections is what the author decides to put together to form it. This particular collection from Alan Draven was no different. At first thinking about a few short stories slumped in with a couple of novellas sounded, well, frankly boring. However, that was not the case in this collection.

The Bitternest Chronicles gives you these short stories to wet your appetite for the pure meat of the collection, the two novellas. The better of the two, Cellar Door keeps you interested through every word, you're drooling for more. The second novella, The Dark Emissaries gives what is felt as a lighter taste, but none the less just as yummy.

The Bitternest Chronicles won't scare your socks off so to speak, but will keep you reading and wanting to know what happens in the city so eerie, so unusual, the one only named, Bitternest.

Proxies of Fate by Matthew Moses Review

by Matthew Moses
Pill Hill Press
ISBN:978-1617060069
Review done by Rob Walter
Review Posted: 8/3/2010


Proxies of Fate, is Matthew Moses’s most recent novel published by Pill Hill Press.

It is a story set in the past, somewhere around the 1930s. It starts with an invading force called the Krush traveling to conquer the little rock called Earth. The Krush are a reptilian race that only live to terrorize and conquer worlds of the universe. The Krush invasion forces are intercepted by a single ship with a single occupant, Pol from Theria. Pol in trying to prevent the Krush from conquering the Primitive inhabitants of Earth comes up with a plan to genetically alter two people of Earth to be “proxies” to fight each other to decide the fate of the planet. One of the people chosen (Therian) is a decorated was veteran from the Great War from the great Plains state of Kansas who had fallen on hard times (Great Depression). The second person chosen (Krush) is a young Chinese boy living in Japanese Occupied China. The story follows the two “proxies” as they are changed, discover their powers, eventual roles in the future of man on planet Earth and the battles between the two.

I was impressed with the depth of the characters and the story development. It is a unique twist on the old formula of invasion from space. Bringing the story into a past time really lent to the story as well. The book is well written and flows well providing lots of action and details of history to keep the reader involved and thinking.

Overall I liked the book and heartily recommend it to anyone looking for an exciting and enjoyable read.

The Four Horsemen Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts Review

Edited by Jessy Marie Roberts
Pill Hill Press
ISBN: 978-0984261031
Review done by Rob Walter
Review Posted: 5/12/2010



The Four Horsemen An Anthology of Conquest, War, Death & Famine is the newest anthology from Pill Hill Press edited by Jessy Marie Roberts. It is a collection of 25 short stories that is not your average anthology in that it is broken into sections that represent the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse; War, Famine, Conquest and Death. Even the introduction, by Camille Alexa, is different in that it is a short story vice a narrative.

I first began reading the anthology thinking this was going to be a horror collection, but was pleasantly surprised when I found there were other genres in the mix. The themes of the stories cover all time periods and situations that relate to each horseman’s’ “theme” section. They range from future invaders from space to near term end of the world to World War II to the long-past Viking lore. One of the best stories is Savage Planet by Alethea Kontis which is science fiction / horror about a couple in a rocket that are drawn to a planet by an emergency beacon and the results of their investigation. Many of these short stories while complete leave you wanting more.

Overall I was impressed with this collection and I heartily recommend it.

The following is a list of the short story authors included in the anthology: Marie Croke, Matthew S. Dent, John H. Dromey, Megan R. Engelhardt, Laura Eno, L.E. Erickson, Jamie Eyberg, Nye Joell Hardy, Christopher Heath, Kat Heckenbach, Carla Joinson, Alethea Kontis, Will Morton, AR Norris, Jacob Henry Orloff, Marshall Payne, Alva J. Roberts, Jessy Marie Roberts, Scott M. Sandridge, Jonathan Shipley, Scott Taylor, Jason Toupence, Bill Ward and Kelli A. Wilkins.