http://www.amazon.com/State-Horror-New-Jersey-ebook/dp/B00N15TPEI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
I thought I would start mentioning some of the anthologies I'm in over here. Many authors start out with getting their stories into anthologies and jump off from there. This is sort of the case with me. I was a ghostwriter for many years with 75 novels under my belt. However, none of them are in my new name of Blaze McRob. Thus: no one knew me from Adam when I popped back up on the radar. Back in 2011 I started getting my name out.
Now, I didn't submit my short stories to every Press on the planet. I submitted to Presses I liked and trusted. Money was secondary. Good thing: It's tough to become wealthy from writing stories for anthologies. However, I have some thirty that I am in now. I am happy to say that I have met some great authors along the way, so every story was a joy.
In State Of Horror: New Jersey, I have a short story titled Rudetown Road. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. And, the other stories by my fellow authors are all great. There is a lot of history in New Jersey, and a lot of that includes tales of dark entities. Plenty of dark in this tome.
Also, all my royalties from my story go to St. Jude. And, Jerry E. Benns, the owner/publisher of Charon Coin Press, matches it. What a guy! Thank you, Jerry.
Blaze McRob
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Book description:
WHAT IS YOUR STATE OF HORROR?
The birth of a devil in the 18th century resonates in today’s world. A storm hits a small mountain town and the resident must evacuate, where will they go? Visit a zoo unlike any you have experienced. The sins of the past haunt the present in a once thriving industrial town. Discover what lies beneath the boardwalk. Take a walk down memory lane as a woman is haunted by that thing she most loved. Escaping from a zombie hoard may not be the worst danger you face. What does it really mean to “Keep it Jersey”?
Join us as we explore the modern interpretation of folklore, culture, and the uniqueness that is New Jersey through 13 tales of horror.
Stories by:
Scott M. Goriscak, Frank J. Edler, Armand Rosamilia, Julianne Snow, C.I. Kemp, T. Fox Dunham, Christian Jensen, Eli Constant, Blaze McRob, Diane Arrelle, Margaret Colton, Nathanael Gass, and Tim Baker
By S.H. Roddey on January 5, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition
I bought this book directly from the publisher at a convention in September 2014. It took me a bit to get to it (my TBR pile is more of a bookcase), but I'm glad I did. I read the entire collection in about two days. In the interest of full disclosure, no, it isn't perfect. But then again, no book is.
As a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The stories are interesting and unique, and for someone who has never spent any discernible amount of time in New Jersey, it gave me an interesting glimpse into the popular folklore and urban legends. The stories are a great mix of creepy and gory, and one or two even frighteningly poignant. My favorite story by far is the last in the book, "Memories of Her Are Dead" by Eli Constant. It's placement at the end is a perfect way to end the set.
As an author, I saw issues. My biggest complaint is not in the formatting or grammar, but in content itself. There were one or two points where my eye twitched a bit due to a typo or glaring grammatical error, but in the end any errors were minimal and didn't take away from the story. Several of the stories disappointed me for the simple fact that they were too short. For example, Julianne Snow's "Under the Boardwalk" is brilliant and one of my favorites in the collection, but I wish it was longer. It could have easily been its own stand-alone novel. The first story in the book is a great, creepy idea, but it's probably my least favorite in the collection (for technical reasons, not story-based) and as a matter of preference I wouldn't have placed it first on the list.
Ultimately I can't say there's a bad story in the bunch, and there wasn't a single one I can say I didn't enjoy. Overall this is a great collection to begin what promises to be a long-standing series, and definitely worth the price of admission.
As a reader, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. The stories are interesting and unique, and for someone who has never spent any discernible amount of time in New Jersey, it gave me an interesting glimpse into the popular folklore and urban legends. The stories are a great mix of creepy and gory, and one or two even frighteningly poignant. My favorite story by far is the last in the book, "Memories of Her Are Dead" by Eli Constant. It's placement at the end is a perfect way to end the set.
As an author, I saw issues. My biggest complaint is not in the formatting or grammar, but in content itself. There were one or two points where my eye twitched a bit due to a typo or glaring grammatical error, but in the end any errors were minimal and didn't take away from the story. Several of the stories disappointed me for the simple fact that they were too short. For example, Julianne Snow's "Under the Boardwalk" is brilliant and one of my favorites in the collection, but I wish it was longer. It could have easily been its own stand-alone novel. The first story in the book is a great, creepy idea, but it's probably my least favorite in the collection (for technical reasons, not story-based) and as a matter of preference I wouldn't have placed it first on the list.
Ultimately I can't say there's a bad story in the bunch, and there wasn't a single one I can say I didn't enjoy. Overall this is a great collection to begin what promises to be a long-standing series, and definitely worth the price of admission.
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