Recent Read: Deadman's Tome Monsters Exist

Source: From Theresa Braun for review. This in no way alters my opinion or review.

 

Deadman's Tome: Monsters Exist by Various
Series: Deadman's Tome
Publisher: Lulu.com
Publication Date:  June 12, 2017

 

Format:  Paperback
Rating:


 



Goodreads Synopsis: 

From the time we are young, we fear the monster under the bed or in the closet, making it impossible to sleep without a nightlight. Then, we hear stories of Bigfoot, and maybe even the Mothman around campfires. When we are adults, we wonder if there might actually be supernatural creatures lurking in the shadows. Are these tall tales and urban legends only metaphors for what horrific things humanity is capable of-or do monsters exist? Go to some terrifying places with this cast of authors. You will be dragged into mystifying realities where demonic fairies hide, where devil monkeys lure carnival-goers to their demise, where Goatmen seek to destroy their prey, and where the goddess of death puts out a hit on victims of her choice. These shocking tales will have you biting your nails and locating that childhood nightlight. Because, in the end, we all know monsters do exist. 

Review: 
I don't read a lot of scary/ horror books, mostly because I am a chicken, but the editor of this short story compilation asked me if I was interested and so I figured I would give it a go. The Tome contains about 14 stories from different writers and all of them contain a monster to the books theme. I had fun reading these, I read a few every evening for a few days and they were all pretty entertaining in their own ways. 

A few stood out because they really creeped me out, there was one about a monster under beds that ate hands and feet and there was another about a very strange carnival that was kind of confusing but also very disturbing. 

Overall I enjoyed it, and I left it for my husband to pick up next. If you are looking for horror and short stories this would fit your need perfectly.

About the Authors 

Master Vermin by Wallace Boothill

Wallace Boothill lives on the top floor of an old house in Baltimore, the city where he works as a teacher. Direct all correspondence to wallaceboothill@gmail.com or to @WBoothill on Twitter, if you prefer.

 

 Legend Trippers by Theresa Braun

Theresa Braun was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and has carried some of that hardiness with her to South Florida where she currently resides. Ghost hunting and traveling are two of her passions, often drawing her to haunted castles in faraway lands. She writes all things dark, and her short fiction can be found in The Horror Zine and in Schlock! Webzine, among others. Upcoming pieces are set to appear in Unnerving Magazine's Hardened Hearts, as well as Disturbing Behaviors.

Follow her on Twitter (@tbraun_author) or visit www.theresabraun.com.

The Murder of Crows by S.J. Budd

Originally born in Cornwall, southwest England, myths and legends surrounded her childhood, and S.J. Budd has always been fascinated by anything out of the ordinary. It was in this strange and ancient land where she developed a passion for writing.

She loves writing short stories exploring dark fictional worlds and its mysterious inhabitants, and is currently working on her first novel. Her day job is a journalist for www.findahood.com, and she also blogs on her site http://www.sjbudd.co.uk.

Her work has appeared in Sanitarium Magazine, Siren’s Call, Deadman’s Tome, Innersins, Aphelion, Bewildering Stories, Blood Moon Rising Magazine, Shadows at the Door, Danse Macabre Magazine, The Wild Hunt, Morpheus Tales, and Freedom Fiction.

Twitter: @sjbuddj, Her debut collection of short stories, Spells and Persuasions, is out now on Amazon.

Wicked Congregation by Gary Buller

   
Gary Buller is an author from Manchester England where he lives with his long suffering partner Lisa, daughter Holly, and dog Chico. He grew up in the Peak District where hauntingly beautiful landscapes inspired him to write. He is a huge fan of all things macabre and loves a tale with a twist. He is an associate member of the Horror Writers Association.

Playing Dead by S. E. Casey

Not long after celebrating his twenty years of service in a Boston accounting firm, S.E. Casey began to write. As an attempt to quell an unspecific desperation and stave off a growing resentment of everything, he found stories wedged in the unlikely spaces of the crush of numbers, balances, and accounting formula. On a whim, he began to write these paranoid liminal tales. His expanding collection of existential horror has been published in many magazines and online publications, the listing of which can found at www.secaseyauthor.wordpress.com.

Lake Monster by Mr. Deadman

Mr. Deadman dwells in the underworld, living amongst only the best and greatest of celebrities, dictators, and serial killers. He is somewhat of a health nut and partakes in a healthy lifestyle of booze, cigars, and hookers.

Mr. Deadman is rumored to be an associate of, or perhaps even be, Jesse Dedman. It is easy to confuse the connection between Jesse Dedman and Mr. Deadman, since some drunk on YouTube (Jesse Dedman) claims to be the man responsible for the horror zine. The connection becomes even more suspicious when Mr. Deadman has been outed for giving Jesse Dedman ideas and inspiration for The Bleeder series, The Master's Torment, and The Cradle of Ruin—all of which are available on Amazon.

Never Sleep Again by Calvin Demmer

Calvin Demmer is a crime, mystery, and speculative fiction author. He has had over thirty stories published in various magazines and anthologies. When not writing, he is intrigued by that which goes bump in the night as well as the sciences of our universe. Find out more at www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.

The Voice from the Bottom of the Well by Philip W. Kleaver

Philip W. Kleaver is a writer of horror, fantasy, and science fiction. He lives in Baltimore, but was raised in a small, Massachusetts town somewhere in Lovecraft country. He is the co-author of Psychodelic: Strange Tales of Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll (available on Amazon). His work has previously appeared in Shotgun, Deadman’s Tome: Trumpocalypse, Deadman’s Tome: The Ancient Ones, and Zero Flash Fiction. Follow him on Twitter @pwkleaver, or check out his website at pwkleaver.wordpress.com.

Eclipse at Wolfcreek by Sylvia Mann

Sylvia Mann lived on 750 acres of land in West Virginia that serves as the setting for "Eclipse at Wolf Creek," where she dabbled in bee keeping and goat herding (more like rounding goats up who escaped the electric fencing). While she never saw Mothman on the mountain, she did see some pretty odd looking creatures, such as the jumbo, rat-like nutria that appeared after floods and looked to have fed off nuclear waste.

In 2007 she was a finalist in Glimmer Train’s Family Matters contest with the first chapter of her memoir, Love Me ‘til My Eyes Go Black. In 2012 she earned her M.F.A. in fiction from Warren Wilson College.

Currently, she lives in South Florida and teaches creative writing.

Follow Sylvia on Twitter: @fivedollarhat

No. 7 by William Marchese

William works "the day job" in lower Manhattan, while still finding time to get his writing career going. He has been published in Hindered Souls, Deadman's Tome, and has a forthcoming story titled “Daddy” in Unnerving Magazine. He is currently an affiliate member of the Horror Writers Association.

You can follow him on Twitter here: @Wcmarchese, or visit his website at www.wcmarchese.com.

 

 

 Criatura by John Palisano

John Palisano has a pair of books with Samhain Publishing, Dust of the Dead and Ghost Heart. Nerves is available through Bad Moon. Starlight Drive: Four Halloween Tales was released in time for Halloween, and his first short fiction collection All That Withers is available from Cycatrix Press, celebrating over a decade of short story highlights. Night of 1,000 Beasts is due soon from Sinister Grin Press.

He won the Bram Stoker Award© in short fiction in 2016 for “Happy Joe’s Rest Stop”. More short stories have appeared in anthologies from Cemetery Dance, PS Publishing, Independent Legions, DarkFuse, Crystal Lake, Terror Tales, Lovecraft eZine, Horror Library, Bizarro Pulp, Written Backwards, Dark Continents, Big Time Books, McFarland Press, Dark Scribe Magazine, Dark House Press, Omnium Gatherum, and more.

Non-fiction pieces have appeared in Fangoria and Dark Discoveries magazines.

Say ‘hi’ at: www.johnpalisano.com, http://www.amazon.com/author/johnpalisano , www.facebook.com/johnpalisano, and www.twitter.com/johnpalisano.

Bitten by Christopher Powers

Christopher Powers lives in Essex, United Kingdom, with his wife and son and works full-time as a content copywriter. He's been writing scary stories for many years, and loves to scour market stalls and thrift stores for horror paperbacks. His previous works can be found at DeadLights Magazine and Deadman's Tome. He can be contacted at powers1902@yahoo.co.uk and Twitter @Powers1902.

Kelpies by Leo X. Robertson

Leo X. Robertson is a Scottish process engineer and emerging writer, currently living in Oslo, Norway. He has work published by or forthcoming in Helios Quarterly, Unnerving Magazine, Twisted50, and The Stockholm Review of Literature,among others. He also runs the "Losing the Plot" podcast, where he talks to writers, editors and readers about anything and everything. Find him on Twitter (@Leoxwrite), Goodreads or check out his website: leoxrobertson.wordpress.com .

Bloodstream Revolution by M.R. Tapia

M.R. Tapia has had his short stories appear in several publications including Deadman’s Tome, Empty Sink Publishing, and Hindered Souls Vol 1. His short story “Stella Reign” is a 2016 Pushcart Prize nominee. His novella The Die-Fi Experiment and his debut novel Sugar Skulls are both scheduled to be released in the fall of 2017 through Hindered Souls Press. He writes out of Northern Colorado.