My home was recently visited by two toads on a launch party of their own. I assume they either saw the frog in my front window or instinctively knew a man named Jeremiah would be helpful to amphibians of all kinds. I rescued these guys from where they’d trapped themselves and added a cover to keep them from making the same mistake twice.
That’s just one of the adventures in home ownership I’ve had in the last month. I plan on doing a full post on how my Sanctum Sanctorum came out soon, but I’m here today to talk about Castle of Horror Anthology Volume 5: Thinly Veiled. You can now get your electronic or paperback copy off Amazon, and we’re doing a Launch Party on 06/15. If you want to attend, you can find the details here. The idea for this anthology was to tell spooky tales about famous 1970s media obscured through a thinly veiled lens. So, for instance, my story concerns a famous 1970s rock band that dressed up in wild outfits and painted their faces. We call them by one name in the real world, but in my world, they go by the name Smooch. Can you guess who they are? There are 23 thinly veiled references in “The Blood-Inked Comic Book” for readers to try to unveil. Many of these should be easy for fans of Marvel Comics, but I’m sure a couple will trip people up. I’d love for anyone who reads the story to detail the references they believe they figured out in a comment below.
Until Next Time,
Stay Froggy,
Jeremiah
Dark Blood Comes from the Feet is an excellent debut short story collection. Author Emma J. Gibbon fills her book with an eclectic and fun mix of tales. Horror fans will find a diverse group of subgenres represented within the pages and will be delighted to encounter Body Horror, Vampires, Witches, Haunted Houses, Urban Legends, Monsters, and more. Each tale is short but leaves a memorable impression. I tried to make a list of my favorite stories in this book and realized I’d nearly written down the entire table of contents. When I paired that first list down, I was left with St. Scholastica’s Home for Children of the Sea, Black Shuck Tavern, Cellar Door, The Tale of Bobby Red Eyes, Janine, and This is Not the Glutton Club, but what your favorites are will depend on what horror subgenres you prefer. The prose is also wonderful throughout, and I had an effortless time moving through this book. I can’t wait to see what Gibbon does next.
