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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Blog Tour: Dark Screams Vol. 4 Anthology

Authors: Clive Barker, Heather Graham, Lisa Morton, Ray Garton, and Ed Gorman
Publsiher: Hydra | 
Date of publication: Aug 04, 2015 

Clive Barker, Heather Graham, Lisa Morton, Ray Garton, and Ed Gorman lead readers down a twisted labyrinth of terror, horror, and suspense in Dark Screams: Volume Four, from Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar of the revered Cemetery Dance Publications.

THE DEPARTED by Clive Barker
On All Hallows’ Eve, a dead and disembodied mother yearns to touch her young son one last time. But will making contact destroy them both?

CREATURE FEATURE by Heather Graham
What could be better publicity for a horror convention than an honest-to-goodness curse? It’s only after lights out that the hype—and the Jack the Ripper mannequin—starts to feel a little too real.

THE NEW WAR by Lisa Morton
Mike Carson is a war hero and a decorated vet. He doesn’t deserve to be trapped in a hospital with some black thing sitting on his chest as patients die all around him. His only hope is to take out the nurse—before it’s his turn.

SAMMY COMES HOME by Ray Garton
It’s what every family prays for: a lost pet returning home. But when Sammy, the Hale family sheepdog, appears on their doorstep, he brings back something no parent would ever wish upon his or her child.

THE BRASHER GIRL by Ed Gorman
Cindy Marie Brasher is the prettiest girl in the Valley, and Spence just has to have her. Unfortunately, Cindy has a “friend” . . . a friend who tells her to do things . . . bad things.


Dark Screams: Volume 4 is the third of this series that I have read.  So far I have had so-so luck with this series.  With this fourth volume, I was a little more excited to read it because it has one of my favorite authors in it.  For the most part, I liked the stories, but the biggest problem that I had with them was that they weren't long enough.  Had they had more meat to them, I think they could have been truly horrifying.

My favorite of the bunch was Creature Feature.  It's a novella from the Krewe of Hunters series and is truly creepy.  I could definitely picture myself in the wax museum setting with the creatures coming to life.  Definitely the stuff of nightmares.  The weakest one was The New War.  I'm not even sure I got what was going on in that one.  Sammy Come Home was one that I wish was longer.  I wanted more! The other two, The Brasher Girl and The Departed were just so-so.  I was Actually, I was a bit disappointed in Clive Barker's story. I expected more creep factor from him that I got.

I think there is something for everyone in this volume.  That is the great ting about anthologies, there is a mixed bag that should please most people.  Give it a shot, you might find something you like.

About the editors

Born in Liverpool in 1952, Clive Barker has written and produced a number of Grand Guignol plays, including The History of the Devil and Frankenstein in Love. His volumes of short fiction, Books of Blood, earned him immediate praise from horror fans and literary critics alike. He won both the British and World Fantasy Awards, and was nominated for the coveted Booker Prize, Britain’s highest literary award. His bestselling novels include The Damnation Game, Imajica, The Thief of Always, The Great and Secret Show, and Everville. He also created the now-classic Hellraiser films, as well as Nightbreed, and Lord of Illusions.

Ed Gorman, winner of numerous awards, including the Shamus, the Spur, and the International Fiction Writer’s Award, is the author of many novels, including Cold Blue Midnight and the first two Sam McCain mysteries, The Day the Music Died and Wake Up Little Susie. He has also been nominated for the Edgar, the Anthony, the Golden Dagger, and the Bram Stoker Awards. He lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Heather Graham has written over one hundred novels and novellas including category, romantic suspense, historical romance, and paranormal. Married since high school graduation and the mother of five, her greatest love in life remains her family, but she also believes her career has been an incredible gift. Romance Writers of America presented Heather with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.

Purchase Links

TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for Dark Screams, Vol. 4:

Tuesday, August 4th: It’s a Mad Mad World
Wednesday, August 5th: Wag the Fox
Thursday, August 6th: From the TBR Pile
Friday, August 7th: Kahakai Kitchen
Tuesday, August 11th: No More Grumpy Bookseller
Wednesday, August 12th: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Thursday, August 13th: Bibliophilia, Please
Monday, August 17th: Mallory Heart Reviews
Tuesday, August 18th: The Reader’s Hollow
Thursday, August 20th: The Scary Reviews
Thursday, August 27th: Bewitched Bookworms
Friday, August 28th: Read Love Blog
Date TBD: A Chick Who Reads
Date TBD: Kari J. Wolfe




1 comment:

Heather J @ TLC Book Tours said...

I'm glad you enjoyed this one overall. Thanks for being a part of the tour.