I am still on a break from writing but will be starting again within a week or two. But I have noticed that GR is like a drug that seduces but destroys you in equal measure. I appreciate this is a strange view and that it is only books, right?!

Okay, so when I joined GR, I had a huge backlog of books to read and an open mind to what I am happy to read, basically anything at least once. Then I joined Kindle Unlimited, and the rot started in, some of it good and some bad.

It started with Carlton Mellick III , who taught me some key and interesting lessons, and what were they, I hear you ask?

First that a book can be any length and type and should always be what you want it to be. Second that there is no taboo, and if there was, then write about it. Finally that, just cause your book seems cute, put a series theme underneath and hammer the audience with it.

To translate, if your book is 100 pages long, so what, go for it. If it involves an insane taboo subject, so what go for it. He also has the blessing of making it funny, which is a lesson that is harder to master.

From him, I discovered Elizabeth Bedlam , short books, check! But subject matter more taboo. Necrophilia seems to be her most oft written about subject from what I have read with a big layer of humour and, as with CMIII, also spotlight the real nature of reality and making us question everything.

From there, I discovered some of the harder drugs, less humorous, more extreme material. Tom Stearns Jenna with its graphic revenge take on child abuse to Daniel Volpe`s Talia with its gory revenge on pornographers. Patterns forming, I see?

Now I have ordered some books by Rayne Havok. Once more, the subjects of Gore and Necrophilia cropping up, this time it seems without the humour again and from this a recommendation on a gory revenge (see the pattern?) on Beastiality.

Where is the end of this long drop, I wonder, and will I get to a book that I don’t enjoy?

Meantime, as for my reviews, and this is the weird bit! Amazon blocked 1 of my reviews. Child abuse, gore, violence, extreme sex are all okay, but my review on the faggiest vampire by CMIII (almost a kids book) is blocked for the use of two words, one of which was used in the context Patti Smith presented it many years ago. The other is in the title of the story.

Without GR, I would not have discovered these authors or read any of them and, in fact, would still be trawling charity shops.

In a conversation on here with Arnab Mukherjee (sure, he won't mind me mentioning his name), he said he respected the fact I was expanding on the types of books I was reading and, in particular, the fact I was interested in both sets of views (In connection with the Arab / Israel conflict). But after looking at this, I suspect I am getting dragged into the Bizarro / extreme horror genre, and I am not sure if there is an escape other than a murder spree?

Final point, Thank God! I hear you cry. My last story was mostly finished, but after all this, it will be a massive re-write, I suspect, as I left the limits behind when I started reading the treasures that GR has to offer.

Sample Reviews

CMIII –
Douglas Morrison’s review of The Faggiest Vampire | Goodreads
Douglas Morrison’s review of Stacking Doll | Goodreads

Elizabeth Bedlam –
Douglas Morrison’s review of Dead When We Met | Goodreads
Douglas Morrison’s review of Lucy the Satanist: A Novella | Goodreads

Tom Stearns –
Douglas Morrison’s review of Jenna | Goodreads

Daniel Volpe –
Douglas Morrison’s review of Talia | Goodreads

Keith Giffen
Douglas Morrison’s review of I Luv Halloween vol. 1 | Goodreads
Douglas Morrison’s review of I Luv Halloween vol. 2 | Goodreads
Final Vol will be up by the end of the day.

Elliot Chaze -
Douglas Morrison’s review of Black Wings Has My Angel | Goodreads