Hellfire & Damnation

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

"Hellfire and Damnation" is a series of short stories (some based on true stories) organized around Dante's "Inferno" and the 9 circles of Hell. As William F. Nolan ("Logan's Run," "Nightworlds") put it, "Her frame for this collection is stories built around Dante's 9 circles of hell, a unifying concept that is classically fresh. Many of these hellish tales are based on truth, amplified into fiction. Her 4 stories set along Route 66 from Missouri through California are all true ghost stories. The final statements of convicted prisoners on Death Row, as they await execution in Georgia, provide the dialogue for the story that takes us through the Gates of Hell, "Hotter than Hell." Scott Edelman ("Sci Fi Weekly") put it this way "Connie (Corcoran) Wilson puts her characters through Hell in 'Hellfire & Damnation,' and with her horrific stories, takes me along to places I did not want to go." Gary Braunbeck ("Coffin County," "Far Dark Fields") said, "Hellfire & Damnation" marks her not so much as a writer to watch, but ont to watch out for. Exploring the 9 levels of Dante's 'Inferno' via contemporary settings and sensibilities, and the sins punished therein, this collection veers from sinister noir ('Going Through Hell') to the bizarrely whimsical ('Amazing Andy, the Wonder Chicken') to the outright, no-holds-barred horrific. Never have the 9 Circles of Hell been so much fun. I had a blast following Wilson on her tour of the Inferno, and you will, as well." M.J. Turner of "Dark Scribe" magazine said, "A unique concept binds the tales in Connie Corcoran Wilson's short story collection "Hellfire & Damnation.' Unified by the theme of Dante's 'Inferno' and its 9 Circles of Hell, each story corresponds to the sin represented by the circle in which it appears and each takes readers deeper into the bowels of Hell...Subjects of many of the tales in the collection seem ripped straight from the headlines, and Wilson's cool and matter-of-fact style serves only to make the stories more disturbing."

137 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 4, 2011

About the author

Connie Corcoran Wilson has published 10 books since 2003. "Hellfire & Damnation" (www.HellfireandDamnationtheBook.com) came out in February, 2010. Her three volumes of true ghost stories of Route 66 (Ghostly Tales of Route 66, www.GhostlyTalesofRoute66.com) are out from Quixote and in E-book format from Quad City Press. Her first book ("Training the Teacher As A Champion") was published by PLS Bookstores in 1989. Her sci fi novel "Out of Time" was published by Lachesis in 2008 and the screenplay written based on the book was a winner in a "Writer's Digest" competition. Her 2 humor collections are "Both Sides Now" (2003) and "Laughing through Life" (2011). Her illustrated children's book, "The Christmas Cats in Silly Hats" was released at Christmas in 2011. "Hellfire and Damnation II" was released July 28, 2012 in E-book format and in paperback shortly after (The Merry Blacksmith Press.) Her nonfiction book showcasing many of the movie reviews written for the Quad City Times between 1970 and 1979 made up the bulk of the book, along with 76 photos, major cast and interactive trivia. "The Color of Evil," a novel that is the first in a trilogy about a young boy with paranormal abilities, was released in 2012. "Red Is for Rage," the second book in the trilogy, will be released in January, 2013. Connie has been writing for pay since age 10 and taught writing at 6 IA/IL colleges. She is a member of AWP (American Writing Program), MWA (Midwest Writers' Association), MWC (Midwest Writing Center), HWA (Horror Writers Association), ITW (International ThrillerWriters) and IWPA (Illinois Women's Press Association.) Her books have won E-Lit, Pinnacle, NABE and Silver Feather awards and the 400,000 member blog Associated Content named her its Content producer of the year (for politics) in 2008. Since then, she has been named Midwest Writing Center Writer of the Year (2010) and won the Chicago chapter of IWPA Silver Feather award on June 6, 2012.

Reviews

[Erik Sapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing Bad

There is nothing bad with this book. The stories are OK, but that is all they are. I read them, but there was nothing memorable.

[Mareena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hellfire and Damnation is Connie Corcoran Wilson's first book of short stories that she published in 2011. This book features an intimate tour of Dante's 'Nine Circles of Hell' from his Inferno. It also features fifteen original short stories: from the convicted murderer James 'Big Jim' Bingham trying to reconnect with his estranged son before his death sentence is carried out in 'Hotter Than Hell' to the treacherous betrayal between two best friends that leads to murder in 'An American Girl'. Each story highlights its particular Circle in a novel way, but is partially based on fact as explained by the author at the end.

I really enjoyed this book - it was suitably horrific for me. Each story is well-crafted and believable, and I found myself very satisfied with each story's pacing. I give Hellfire and Damnation an A! and I look forward to reading more books by Connie Corcoran Wilson in the very near future!