Tag: anthology

Out Now: Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King

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I’m so proud to announce that the fourth book (can’t believe we’re at four!) of Women in Horror Anthology series, Hush, Don’t Wake the Monster – Stories Inspired by Stephen King is FINALLY OUT!

A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by and in tribute to, Stephen King.

Stephen King is a seminal writer of horror, whose influence transcends the literary sphere, having also taken the cinematic world by storm – and ultimately delivering nightmares to generations for almost five decades.

This fourth anthology of the Women in Horror series edited by Azzurra Nox brings together a diverse group of female writers who contribute their personal twist to the works of Stephen King.

Featured authors include: Andrea Teare, Rachel Bolton, Marnie Azzarelli, Lauri Christopher, Kay Hanifen, Hannah Brown, Kristi Petersen Schoonover, L. E. Daniels, Sealey Andrews, Christabel Simpson, Alisha Galvan, Rebecca Rowland, Cheryl Zaidan, Amy Grech, Jane Nightshade, Trisha Ridinger McKee, and Azzurra Nox.

If you’re a fan of Stephen King, you’re going to LOVE this book!

PURCHASE BOOK HERE

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Out Now: Running Wild Anthology of Stories Volume 4 Book 2

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I’m proud to announce that Running Wild Anthology of Stories is finally out! What’s exciting is that the story I co-wrote with Erica Ruhe (fellow Inkblotter), “Fragile Fruit,” is one of the many thrilling stories you will find in this anthology.

For a quick recap, Marietta who left Sicily after she refuses to marry her rapist has to return when she receives a phone call from her sister informing her that their mother is on her death bed. Marietta is afraid to return to Maletto, after all, she had left the small Sicilian town being shunned as an immoral woman and whore for refusing to marry the man that raped her. Will Marietta finally make peace with her demons or will they simply overtake her this time around?

Excerpt from, “Fragile Fruit” –

“Where are we?” Jane asked, tugging at her mother’s hand.
Marietta didn’t readily answer her. The suffocating stares of all the women sitting behind their closed glass doors or windows, whispering under their breaths, played in her mind. She knew what they thought of her. But it didn’t make things any easier.
The last time Marietta had walked these cobblestone streets, it had been the summer of 1968. Every radio newscaster only spoke of the revolts in Paris. What had started as a student protest had soon turned into a national protest as millions of people went on strike and the streets were in an uproar. Soon, similar upheaval bled into northern Italy. Newspapers spilled ink on the infamous protests in Sessantotto. While, across the pond in America, women were discovering their independence, stretching feminine expectations and demanding respect. But none of that was happening in Maletto. Sicily was trapped in amber, remaining dreadfully the same. The town and traditions were impervious to change.
“Mommy!” Jane yanked her hand again and, this time, Marietta was forced to acknowledge her daughter.
“This is where I was born,” she said.
“Really? You weren’t born where I was born?” Her big innocent eyes looked up at her with curiosity. She sniffed at the fresh run of mucus from the cold air.
Marietta shook her head. “No, Mommy came from far, far away.”
“Like a princess!” Jane beamed, little teeth on display.
Marietta didn’t reply as she approached her home. Her heart pounded with trepidation, thinking back to the last time she had been here. Of how her mother wailed and shook her head at the tragedy.
No, no, no.
No.
How much had that “no” been worth?
The sound of sweeping had stopped. Marietta clutched the cornicello at her neck and looked behind them. The small poppet was in her coat pocket, giving her a false sense of security. An old woman stood on her stoop and glared at the two. She gripped the broom like a guard with a spear. Marietta shivered. She pushed the noisy door open and hustled Jane inside. Scattered salt crunched under their boots, covering the tile floor of the foyer like a sprinkling of snow.

Purchase the anthology on Amazon!

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Coming Soon: Baby Teeth in Midnight in the Pentagram

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2020 has been both the best of times and the worst of times for me. Oddly enough, it’s been a most fortuitous year in regards to my writing. I signed two new contracts for short stories, have a short story coming out in June, and Strange Girls: Women in Horror Anthology had the best sales ever. The worst of times, of course, refers to all of us having to deal with a global pandemic and all the stress and worry that comes along with that.

Not to dismiss a serious topic aside, I do wish to focus on the positives. And one of the best thing that has happened this year so far is having my short story, Baby Teeth selected for the anthology Midnight in the Pentagram published by Silver Shamrock Publishing. These guys are total badasses when it comes to horror publications so I was over the moon at being selected.

Baby Teeth is the story of a young mother, Melissa, who begins to feel that there’s something seriously amiss with her new baby. I was slightly inspired by Rosemary’s Baby, but I was also fascinated with the notion of, what part is real and what part is merely Melissa suffering from post-partum depression?

It’s one hell of a twisted, scary treat and I’m looking forward to all of you getting a chance to read it soon. As of right now, I don’t have any official release dates, but I’m hoping for a Fall 2020 release as it seems the most appropriate.

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Book Review: Lullabies for the Suffering: Tales of Addiction Horror

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Release Date: January 14, 2020

Order on Amazon!

Publisher: Wicked Run Press

Price: $14.95 (paperback)

Plot Summary:

Addiction starts like a sweet lullaby sung by a trusted loved one. It washes away the pains of the day and wraps you in the warmness of the womb where nothing hurts and every dream is possible. Yet soon enough, this warm state of bliss becomes a cold shiver, the ecstasy and dreams become nightmares, yet we can’t stop listening to the lullaby. We crave to hear the siren song as it rips us apart.

Six stories: three novellas, three novelettes, written by a powerful list of talent, all featuring the insidious nature of addiction–damaged humans craving for highs and wholeness but finding something more tragic and horrific on the other side.

Grade: B+

Review:

First of all, I’m going to admit that I absolutely LOVE how hauntingly beautiful the cover is. I would’ve noticed this anthology for the cover alone. Secondly, I’m a huge fan of the TV Series YOU, so knowing that Caroline Kepnes contributed to the anthology gave me the extra push I needed to pick it up.

All the stories in this anthology center around addition (something they’re drug-related other times it’s the addiction to something else that’s just as decremental to your health and turns you a slave). Most of the stories written for the anthology aren’t truly short stories but verge on the novella length, which I didn’t mind at all. With any anthology, there were some gems and some misses for me. Unfortunately, the anthology started off truly strong with “Sometimes They See Me,” by Kealan Patrick Burke, which is a tale about two addict and their crazy benders. There’s something truly haunting about it and one that will leave you questioning any painting or wallpaper you ever see again.

“Monsters” by Caroline Krepnes follows the same writing style as YOU (writing in the second person) at least when the story is narrated by a lonely young man who is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. I really enjoyed the story, but despite the narrator having been wronged, I still feel like he had very much Joe-vibes going on.

My absolute favourite story from the whole anthology was “Lizard” by Mark Matthews. It had everything I looked for in a horror addiction story. It showed the horrors of true addiction but it also had supernatural elements to it that I enjoyed very much. Also, it ends in a very ambiguous way ala “The Lady or the Tiger” where you’re left questioning what decision did the protagonist makes after all?

“The Melting Point of Meat” by John FD Taff started off very strong for me, but kind of took a Clive Barker turn towards the end that I wasn’t a fan of. I would’ve enjoyed this story better if it had another ending.

After that story, the anthology started going downhill for me. I didn’t particularly enjoy “Beyond the Reef” Gabino Iglesias nor “Love is a Crematorium” by Mercedes M. Yardley. I know that addiction usually ends with the addict’s death, however, Yardley’s story was more real-life horror than anything else. It was truly gut-wrenching but I suppose I was still waiting for horror (as in psychological, supernatural, or slasher) to happen. And I had a HUGE issue with the male protagonist Kelly, whom we’re supposed to see as some kind of Romeo, but honestly, he seemed perfectly OKAY allowing Joy (the girl he loved) to prostitute herself for food money. I don’t understand why he never tried to resolve their lack of cash problem or actually be of help rather than just be there but not really doing anything for Joy. I wouldn’t have run away with this dude, he really provided no resource at all, not even emotional support.

I recommend this anthology if you’re into tales of addiction with a dash of darkness.

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Upcoming Anthology: Running Wild Stories Volume 4

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Sometime in April, my friend and fellow Inkblotter, Erica Ruhe and I decided to pen a short story together. We figured that if we could join forces, using our strengths to collaborate then perhaps we could write a very compelling and moving story that both of us could be proud of. That’s how our short story, Fragile Fruit was born.

For some time I wanted to write a short story set in Sicily in the late 1960s. I had always been intrigued by how vastly different Sicily was to the rest of the world during that time when it came to women’s rights. 1968 was widely known as the “peak of the sexual revolution” and yet, in Sicily, it was very common for young men to kidnap girls they fancied and rape them, and then said girl was expected to marry their rapist in what was known as a “rehabilitation marriage.” The only way for a woman to regain her sense of worth and dignity from a rape would be to marry her rapist, which would make her an “honourable woman” again and thus automatically extinguish the crime for the man. Franca Viola was the first woman to stand up to her rapist and say NO. She refused to marry him and it made international news, as many women saw her as a pioneer for cultural progress and emancipation. While many men, on the other hand, saw her as a threat.

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Franca Viola, the Sicilian feminist icon that inspired Fragile Fruit

Inspired by Viola’s courage, we decided to pen a story about a girl, Marietta who too, refused to marry her rapist but instead of remaining in her hometown of Maletto, fled to New York in hopes of a new life. Four years later, Marietta is forced to return to Sicily when her mother is on her death bed. She soon finds that she’s going to have to find a way to make peace with her demons and her past before both threaten to overtake her.

But when her rapist Alfio turns up dead a few days after her return, all eyes are on Marietta. But did she really do it?

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So, since April I’ve been sending this short story to various literary journals and magazines and of course as the norm of any writing it was rejected by a lot of them, despite each of them stating that they had enjoyed the short story very much. Flash forward to last week when I receive an email from Running Wild Press that Fragile Fruit was selected to be in the upcoming anthology Running Wild Stories Volume 4. Of course, both Erica and I are thrilled about this opportunity and that our creative child finally found a home. I don’t know yet when the anthology will be released (sometime mid-2020), so keep your eyes peeled for that info!

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Cover Reveal: Betty Bites Back – Stories to Scare The Patriarchy

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When I first saw the call for submissions last year for Betty Bites Back, I somehow saw it late (as in I had only ONE week to come up with an idea and write a short story). And I knew that it was almost impossible (especially to come up with a story worth publishing). Since I had time against me, I didn’t even have the time to send it to my friend Erica (who acts as a beta-reader for some of my stuff) for any feedback, nor did I have the time to send it to my go-to editor for any missed typos or grammar mistakes.

Essentially, I thought I had an awesome story (who wouldn’t love to read a story about a kickass Muslim gal who also ends up becoming a shapeshifter?), and prayed that that would be enough for me to be considered. Because, honestly, I wasn’t expecting to be published (I was going to be up against veteran YA authors who had agents and publishing deals! How could I possibly be on the same level?!).

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But the writing muses were kind to me that day as my story, Good Sister, Bad Sister was indeed considered, if only I was willing to make some edits. I can’t even begin to count how many edits have been made to this short story. There were moments where I thought, UGH IF I’M GETTING ALL THESE EDITING NOTES I MUST SUCK! Good thing my inner cheerleader was like, “Come on, these amazing authors wouldn’t be wasting their time GIVING YOU EDITING NOTES if they didn’t think the story was worth being published!” So thanks to my inner cheerleader, and my close Muslim friend, Derya (who have me invaluable advice on how to portray Dilay as authentically as possible.

What’s the point of this whole sweat and tears post my friends? WELL, to announce that you can now pre-order Betty Bites Back: Stories to Scare the Patriarchy (the book will officially be released September 16, 2019). And I’m not telling you to pick up this book just cause I’m in it (although my story is one of the best I’ve personally written so far) but it includes short stories from these amazing authors:

Liz Cole
Shannon Green
Elaine Griffin
Lindsey Klingele
Kamerhe Lane
Jenna Lehne
Demitria Lunetta
Emilee Martell
Tracie Martin
Cori McCarthy
Kyrie McCauley
Mindy McGinnis
Kate Karyus Quinn
Melody Simpson
Amanda Sun

Also, you should check out Mindy’s blog for a chance to win some fantastic swag!

Let me know which of these authors you’re looking forward to seeing some new stories from!

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Coming Soon! My American Nightmare: Women in Horror Anthology

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As a reader, I’ve always been an avid fan of horror anthologies and short story collections, because it has always allowed me to discover new authors without committing to a full-length novel. As a writer, I’ve always wanted to put together an anthology and seeing that I prefer the darker side of life I thought that going with horror short stories would be my best option.

Female representation in the horror genre is still very scarce. The horror literary market is filled with male authors. So with my anthology I decided to showcase the talent of female authors. This is how the concept for MY AMERICAN NIGHTMARE: Women in Horror Anthology was conceived.

The anthology will be available TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017.

Fans of Joe Hill, American Horror Story, and Stephen King will love these dark and twisted stories!

Excerpt from “The Girl & The Yellow Wallpaper”

The faces in the flowers were more pronounced than usual that night. Big eyes, gaping and expectant, seemed to blink back at her. Lizzie dismissed the idea immediately. Paper did not blink. Nothing could move in the room, except her. But the yellow faces had a more human quality the more she looked. They were women’s faces. Lizzie found something feminine in the shape, warped as it may be. The heads in the wallpaper appeared to tilt to the side, violently, like their necks had been snapped.

*

Excerpt from “Perle”

A muscle flickered in that clean-shaven jaw. “Step out of the vehicle.”

I hesitated. Another bang.

“I said step out of the vehicle.” Singer popped the snap on his holster. “I’m not gonna ask you again.” Dog whimpers urged me to comply.

My shoulders slumped. I released the latch and fought open the stiff door. It protested with a loud, long squeal.

“Now what is in the back of this truck?”

Still I hesitated, puckering my lips in a coy attempt at innocence.

“My stepdad.”

*

Excerpt from “Whatever Happened to Peyton Rose?”

“Jesus,” she whispered, not sure if anyone could hear her. The dolls made her feel unsettled as they stared back at her with vacant eyes. Peering down, a scream escaped her throat when she realized that their plucked eyes were scattered on the bed. She pushed the comforter off of her. The eyes fell down, making a sound similar to marbles crashing to the floor as she ran for the door.

Frantic, she opened the door and stood upon the landing. She looked to and fro, not knowing what direction to run to next.

Don’t panic! She told herself. And yet, her hands were shaking.

*

My American Nightmare 2

The author lineup is the following:

Angela Sylvaine – “Ballad of Sorrow and Lily”
Amelia Kibbie – “We Kill The Skull Man”
Roberta Goli – “Mr. Buttons’ Tea Party”
Jamie Kahn – “The Poison & The Ivy”
Rachel Bolton – “The Girl & The Yellow Wallpaper”
Hillary Lyon – “Boys’ Night Out”
Nicky Peacock – “She Looked Like Krystal Sparkle”
Spinster Eskie- “Angie’s Change”
Sheri Kreitner – “The Pickman Sisters of Salem”
Sierra Ryan – “Volunteer”
Kara Nelson – “The Eye”
E.F. Schraeder – “Night Moves”
Andrea Teare – “39 Days”
Heather Miller – “The Stars”
Marnie Azzarelli – “When Evacuating Pennsylvania”
Erica Ruhe – “Perle”
Phoebe Jane Johnson – “Ruby”
Azzurra Nox – “Whatever Happened to Peyton Rose?”
Kara Dennison – “Billson”

If anyone would be interested in receiving an ARC of the anthology for review purposes, please get in touch with me at: azzurranox[@]yahoo.com or leave a comment below!