What do you think?
Rate this book
Mantequero
Spellbound 2011
Spellbound at Midnight by Isabelle Kane and Audrey Tremaine
In the sultry Big Easy, Viole Godin is hired to restore Magnolia Place, an antebellum mansion which is crumbling under a mysterious curse. Marie Verret and her dangerously attractive grandson, Lucien, believe Viole is the key to ending the curse one magical Halloween night.
Room 1309.5 by John M. Mecom
Inspired by the works of Poe and Stephen King, Room 1309.5 is a story of revenge and despair. It is the author’s first story to be published and received honorable mention in the Fifth Annual Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards.
Mansion of Nightmares by Walt Trizna
A mysterious mansion, long abandoned, harbors a past that claims those who enter. Then one day, by a stroke of luck, an intruder survives and uncovers its secret.
Uncle Vernon by Jenny Twist
There’s something very peculiar about Uncle Vernon. Nobody knows what he does in the cellar. But he’s quite harmless, really. Isn’t he?
Half Seen, Half Hidden by John Steiner
Nine dead. One missing. No suspects and no leads. What happened in the cabin outside Wilson Wyoming? Where and who is Mason Oliver? Deep within ourselves rests a greater mystery. Half Seen, Half Hidden traces the last three days of Mason Oliver and nine hitchhikers. Offering them shelter, Mason takes them to a secluded cabin. There they all sense the others aren’t quite the strangers they seemed, and that they hold something extraordinary in common.
Ghost Taxi by Joanna Foreman
A man drowns heading for freedom in America, but his ghost is trapped. Washed up on the beach, the ghost is an illegal alien, not allowed to cross the street into Miami. A homeless man and a vacationing tourist search for his wife so the ghost can possess her.
Telltale Signs by Tori L Ridgewood
Don't stay in the Dark Lake Museum after sunset! But Kate Elliot has a deadline to meet. Working overtime, she realizes she's not alone in the creepy old mansion...
The Origin of Fear by Tara Fox Hall
Four college friends mount an expedition to Latham’s Landing—an abandoned island estate infamous for mysterious deaths—to gather pictures and inspiration for a thesis on the origin of fear.
In the sultry Big Easy, Viole Godin is hired to restore Magnolia Place, an antebellum mansion which is crumbling under a mysterious curse. Marie Verret and her dangerously attractive grandson, Lucien, believe Viole is the key to ending the curse one magical Halloween night.
Room 1309.5 by John M. Mecom
Inspired by the works of Poe and Stephen King, Room 1309.5 is a story of revenge and despair. It is the author’s first story to be published and received honorable mention in the Fifth Annual Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards.
Mansion of Nightmares by Walt Trizna
A mysterious mansion, long abandoned, harbors a past that claims those who enter. Then one day, by a stroke of luck, an intruder survives and uncovers its secret.
Uncle Vernon by Jenny Twist
There’s something very peculiar about Uncle Vernon. Nobody knows what he does in the cellar. But he’s quite harmless, really. Isn’t he?
Half Seen, Half Hidden by John Steiner
Nine dead. One missing. No suspects and no leads. What happened in the cabin outside Wilson Wyoming? Where and who is Mason Oliver? Deep within ourselves rests a greater mystery. Half Seen, Half Hidden traces the last three days of Mason Oliver and nine hitchhikers. Offering them shelter, Mason takes them to a secluded cabin. There they all sense the others aren’t quite the strangers they seemed, and that they hold something extraordinary in common.
Ghost Taxi by Joanna Foreman
A man drowns heading for freedom in America, but his ghost is trapped. Washed up on the beach, the ghost is an illegal alien, not allowed to cross the street into Miami. A homeless man and a vacationing tourist search for his wife so the ghost can possess her.
Telltale Signs by Tori L Ridgewood
Don't stay in the Dark Lake Museum after sunset! But Kate Elliot has a deadline to meet. Working overtime, she realizes she's not alone in the creepy old mansion...
The Origin of Fear by Tara Fox Hall
Four college friends mount an expedition to Latham’s Landing—an abandoned island estate infamous for mysterious deaths—to gather pictures and inspiration for a thesis on the origin of fear.
- GenresParanormalRomance
180 pages, Paperback
First published September 30, 2011
1 person is currently reading
104 people want to read
About the author
Isabelle Kane
8 books19 followersIsabelle Kane believes that romance and love are among the most delightful aspects of the human experience. She seeks to provide her readers with rich tapestries of stories in which love is just one element of the forces that intertwine the lives of her protagonists. She believes every dreamer deserves the adventures and escape offered by an exciting novel. The greatest sources of joy and inspiration in Isabelle's life are her husband and their three children. Isabelle is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College and holds an MA in English from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
Please like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabellekane...
Please like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabellekane...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 15, 2011
Spellbound At Midnight by Isabelle Kane & Audrey Tremaine [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 1]:
Romances were never my thing, but in reading this I realized the romance was itself a cleaver disguise for conflict in another form. The restaurant is a battle of sorts, and I only realized it as such at the end. Viole Godin's own employer strikes me as similar to a really bad artillery officer who doesn't realize she's shelling her own side. That created an isolation of the main character from what she might otherwise take as her support network adding to the edginess of the story. The supernatural element of the story didn't surprise me in the slightest, but the introduction and use of it was still satisfactory.
Room 1309.5 by John Mecom [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 2]:
Always being a Tales From the Dark Side fan I'm still mixed about this story. In one respect I'm glad my initial estimations of who or what ran the hotel were wrong. And I do enjoy the fact certain things are left as mystery to the reader. However, I'm wondering if it shouldn't have included more build up to the conclusion, which itself felt as if brought on too quickly. The ending deliberately leaves room for one's imagination, which is good. However, the intended feeling of that end didn't come strongly.
Mansion of Nightmares by Walt Trizna [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 3]:
Some will tell you that the use of the "creepy old house on the corner" is overused or cliche. But I say not a chance with Mansion of Nightmares. The use of setting and description are key to bringing new life to stories of old dead houses, and Trizna does that superbly. Those familiar with Rod Sirling's Night Gallery will surely love this tale.
Uncle Vernon by Jenny Twist [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 4]:
Language has power. It manipulates the mind of the reader. However, the truly amazing writer can take two or three deceptively simple words together in a way that forces you to stop reading a couple minutes until your chuckling passes. Twist exercises this hold over her readers, and be it dialogue or narration she can snap a linguistic rubber band straight at your funny-bone like a sneaky kid seated in the back of the class. That she can do the same thing to instill foreboding, edginess and dread is doubly stunning. It leaves me thinking I have something to learn from her in the genre of horror short stories.
[Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 5]*
Ghost Taxi by Joanna Foreman [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 6]:
My genre are normally science fiction and horror to a lesser degree. So Ghost Taxi wasn't my type, yet I still enjoyed it. Partly because of the extraordinary details of life in South Beach, Florida. I've never been there myself, but reading this story has me feeling I could walk its streets and beaches without getting lost. The environment of hotels, restaurants, stores and passers by all help cast a light on who the main character is. Definitely well above the circles I swim in I nonetheless come away with a sense of having been amongst them. Now while writing this I went back to check the name of the main character and found it was never given. An extraordinary choice that, among with the narrative style turns the character into a lense by which the read sees the world Foreman creates. Though I never liked the movie Ghost- except for those parts where demons come out to haul bad people's souls off, I understood its use in this story, because that's the reference the characters needed to convey an idea. What's more I even enjoyed the ending though it's not remotely in a horror category.
Telltale Signs Tori L. Ridgewood [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 7]:
Some of the best horror and scare is to terrify readers with what they don't see. This takes careful build up of seemingly mundane events priod to the main setting, and then shape that main event carefully with as much description as a sculpter on a statue. An accumulation of details great and small create a mental map and the reader starts to see where everything is in relation to everything else. They can trace their way back to the front door or point to where the stairs are though they're out of view at a given moment of the story. Here then you introduce bits and pieces to slowly dial up the audience's heart rate and put them on the edges of their seats. Tori Ridgewood walks you through all of this and controls the pace of your steps brilliantly. A perfect moodsetter for anyone who enjoys the Halloween [or Hallowe'en] season and likes a little scare every now and then just to feel alive.
The Origin of Fear by Tara Fox Hall [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 8]:
In some ways writing horror is an act of assault on your readers' psyche. The author stalks their readers where they mentally and emotionally habitate then goads them to that place they would normally avoid. Once vulnerable the audience is pounced on by the stolyteller. In this approach to terror Tara Fox Hall's approaches the style of a prizefighter. When the first attack on her reader's sense of security has landed she's already lined up the next set of literary punches in her strike combo. And like any good boxer Tara sets up some feints to induce in her reader a certain belief despite what they thought they saw and heard in the previous scene. Then she lines the audience up for the haymaker of horror. Once the ride began Tara Fox Hall steadily quickened the pace into an all out sprint after the prey that is one's sense of ever wanting to wander anywhere near really old buildings.
*Half Seen, Half Hidden by "me" [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 5]:
This story started with a blurb that popped into my mind when walking between rooms. It didn't spring forth as fully as from the mind of Zeus, but a little wordcraft got the idea I suspected it would be. The story was more than to an effort pay homage to an era of transition in horror. It also was my contribution to the various cultures that were a cross-section of America in the 1970's. The choice of vernacular had to reflect the times and places the characters lived in, yet be additionally distinct from each other. Also, I enjoy challenging people's assumptions with social commentary and maybe get readers to cast new eyes on old concepts.
For those who read these stories, on behalf of myself and the other authors, we hope you enjoy the selection in this anthology.
-John Steiner
Romances were never my thing, but in reading this I realized the romance was itself a cleaver disguise for conflict in another form. The restaurant is a battle of sorts, and I only realized it as such at the end. Viole Godin's own employer strikes me as similar to a really bad artillery officer who doesn't realize she's shelling her own side. That created an isolation of the main character from what she might otherwise take as her support network adding to the edginess of the story. The supernatural element of the story didn't surprise me in the slightest, but the introduction and use of it was still satisfactory.
Room 1309.5 by John Mecom [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 2]:
Always being a Tales From the Dark Side fan I'm still mixed about this story. In one respect I'm glad my initial estimations of who or what ran the hotel were wrong. And I do enjoy the fact certain things are left as mystery to the reader. However, I'm wondering if it shouldn't have included more build up to the conclusion, which itself felt as if brought on too quickly. The ending deliberately leaves room for one's imagination, which is good. However, the intended feeling of that end didn't come strongly.
Mansion of Nightmares by Walt Trizna [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 3]:
Some will tell you that the use of the "creepy old house on the corner" is overused or cliche. But I say not a chance with Mansion of Nightmares. The use of setting and description are key to bringing new life to stories of old dead houses, and Trizna does that superbly. Those familiar with Rod Sirling's Night Gallery will surely love this tale.
Uncle Vernon by Jenny Twist [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 4]:
Language has power. It manipulates the mind of the reader. However, the truly amazing writer can take two or three deceptively simple words together in a way that forces you to stop reading a couple minutes until your chuckling passes. Twist exercises this hold over her readers, and be it dialogue or narration she can snap a linguistic rubber band straight at your funny-bone like a sneaky kid seated in the back of the class. That she can do the same thing to instill foreboding, edginess and dread is doubly stunning. It leaves me thinking I have something to learn from her in the genre of horror short stories.
[Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 5]*
Ghost Taxi by Joanna Foreman [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 6]:
My genre are normally science fiction and horror to a lesser degree. So Ghost Taxi wasn't my type, yet I still enjoyed it. Partly because of the extraordinary details of life in South Beach, Florida. I've never been there myself, but reading this story has me feeling I could walk its streets and beaches without getting lost. The environment of hotels, restaurants, stores and passers by all help cast a light on who the main character is. Definitely well above the circles I swim in I nonetheless come away with a sense of having been amongst them. Now while writing this I went back to check the name of the main character and found it was never given. An extraordinary choice that, among with the narrative style turns the character into a lense by which the read sees the world Foreman creates. Though I never liked the movie Ghost- except for those parts where demons come out to haul bad people's souls off, I understood its use in this story, because that's the reference the characters needed to convey an idea. What's more I even enjoyed the ending though it's not remotely in a horror category.
Telltale Signs Tori L. Ridgewood [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 7]:
Some of the best horror and scare is to terrify readers with what they don't see. This takes careful build up of seemingly mundane events priod to the main setting, and then shape that main event carefully with as much description as a sculpter on a statue. An accumulation of details great and small create a mental map and the reader starts to see where everything is in relation to everything else. They can trace their way back to the front door or point to where the stairs are though they're out of view at a given moment of the story. Here then you introduce bits and pieces to slowly dial up the audience's heart rate and put them on the edges of their seats. Tori Ridgewood walks you through all of this and controls the pace of your steps brilliantly. A perfect moodsetter for anyone who enjoys the Halloween [or Hallowe'en] season and likes a little scare every now and then just to feel alive.
The Origin of Fear by Tara Fox Hall [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 8]:
In some ways writing horror is an act of assault on your readers' psyche. The author stalks their readers where they mentally and emotionally habitate then goads them to that place they would normally avoid. Once vulnerable the audience is pounced on by the stolyteller. In this approach to terror Tara Fox Hall's approaches the style of a prizefighter. When the first attack on her reader's sense of security has landed she's already lined up the next set of literary punches in her strike combo. And like any good boxer Tara sets up some feints to induce in her reader a certain belief despite what they thought they saw and heard in the previous scene. Then she lines the audience up for the haymaker of horror. Once the ride began Tara Fox Hall steadily quickened the pace into an all out sprint after the prey that is one's sense of ever wanting to wander anywhere near really old buildings.
*Half Seen, Half Hidden by "me" [Spellbound 2011 Anthology, story 5]:
This story started with a blurb that popped into my mind when walking between rooms. It didn't spring forth as fully as from the mind of Zeus, but a little wordcraft got the idea I suspected it would be. The story was more than to an effort pay homage to an era of transition in horror. It also was my contribution to the various cultures that were a cross-section of America in the 1970's. The choice of vernacular had to reflect the times and places the characters lived in, yet be additionally distinct from each other. Also, I enjoy challenging people's assumptions with social commentary and maybe get readers to cast new eyes on old concepts.
For those who read these stories, on behalf of myself and the other authors, we hope you enjoy the selection in this anthology.
-John Steiner
May 5, 2012
It is rare to find a book that is aptly titled to befit the stories within it. It is also surprising to like every story in an anthology. Spellbound 2011 scores on both accounts.
Without giving the stories away, Spellbound 2011 has werewolves, a possible vampire, a haunted house…among other elements of the darker fiction. Each author succeeded in building a tense tale that drew me in until the last word in each. The book is like a quilt, each section created by a different person, yet all the pieces fit together to make it one complete masterpiece.
I'm already familiar with Jenny Twist's masterful writing, now I have 8 new authors (for me) to check out.
Without giving the stories away, Spellbound 2011 has werewolves, a possible vampire, a haunted house…among other elements of the darker fiction. Each author succeeded in building a tense tale that drew me in until the last word in each. The book is like a quilt, each section created by a different person, yet all the pieces fit together to make it one complete masterpiece.
I'm already familiar with Jenny Twist's masterful writing, now I have 8 new authors (for me) to check out.
May 18, 2012
This collection of short stories will thrill you with its horrific and strange tales, mixed with some passion and humor for flavor. There are ghosts galore, curses, werewolves, an even a deranged uncle.
There are eight stories in all, and I'll touch on them briefly:
Spellbound at Midnight takes place in the mystical venue of New Orleans. Perfect setting for this spooky tale. I felt the ending a bit anticlimactic, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Room 1309.5, inspired by Poe and Stephen King, led me down a path I thought predictable, but then took me by surprise with its twist!
Mansion of Nightmares is a classic ghost story, but with a passionate and deadly angle I thought was done quite well.
Ghost Taxi reminded me of the movie Ghost. A little sexy, a little sad, a little funny. Really enjoyed it, but felt there was room for more humor.
Uncle Vernon gave me the shudders, particularly the ending. I'm SO glad I have no Uncle Vernon in my house. At least, I don't think I do. *shudder*
Half Seen, Half Hidden is like a night with the Scooby Doo gang gone horribly wrong! It really had an Agatha Christie feel to it. Loved the setting and the hippie-era time period. Great story, but it could have sparkled with a little finer editing.
Telltale Signs kept me literally on the edge of my seat. I did NOT want to put this story down, and only did to feed my son. I was confused though, that it begins with "Chapter One", but there are no subsequent chapters? I really hope that means that Tori L Ridgewood plans to expand this into novel form!
The Origin of Fear is your classic young people break into a haunted house, at a great cost, of course. Definitely some creepy, unexplained weirdness in this one, though I wanted a little more explanation of the events before it ended. Still, it was a great story to wrap up this "spellbinding" anthology.
I recommend this book for young adults and beyond who are fans of the weird and macabre. Grab your copy today!
There are eight stories in all, and I'll touch on them briefly:
Spellbound at Midnight takes place in the mystical venue of New Orleans. Perfect setting for this spooky tale. I felt the ending a bit anticlimactic, but enjoyed it nonetheless.
Room 1309.5, inspired by Poe and Stephen King, led me down a path I thought predictable, but then took me by surprise with its twist!
Mansion of Nightmares is a classic ghost story, but with a passionate and deadly angle I thought was done quite well.
Ghost Taxi reminded me of the movie Ghost. A little sexy, a little sad, a little funny. Really enjoyed it, but felt there was room for more humor.
Uncle Vernon gave me the shudders, particularly the ending. I'm SO glad I have no Uncle Vernon in my house. At least, I don't think I do. *shudder*
Half Seen, Half Hidden is like a night with the Scooby Doo gang gone horribly wrong! It really had an Agatha Christie feel to it. Loved the setting and the hippie-era time period. Great story, but it could have sparkled with a little finer editing.
Telltale Signs kept me literally on the edge of my seat. I did NOT want to put this story down, and only did to feed my son. I was confused though, that it begins with "Chapter One", but there are no subsequent chapters? I really hope that means that Tori L Ridgewood plans to expand this into novel form!
The Origin of Fear is your classic young people break into a haunted house, at a great cost, of course. Definitely some creepy, unexplained weirdness in this one, though I wanted a little more explanation of the events before it ended. Still, it was a great story to wrap up this "spellbinding" anthology.
I recommend this book for young adults and beyond who are fans of the weird and macabre. Grab your copy today!
August 6, 2012
From Issue #58...
"One of BP's contributing authors, Tara Fox Hall...has a moody piece called "The Origin of Fear in the anthology Spellbound 2011. The pursuit of thesis material
lands four college pals on haunted Latham's Landing. They soon find themselves in deep doodoo.
"Among the nine authors, Walt Trizna scares us silly with his "Mansion of Nightmares" guarded by the ghostly-turned-ghastly beauty in a portrait...
"The editorial lineup is impressive, and they did a great job with the story summaries, both inside and on the back cover... This [is a] high quality read..."
Thumbs up! Personally, I heartily enjoyed each and every story in this anthology. From creepy to sweet, nostalgic to shudder-inducing, every tale makes the shadows darker as you get pulled into worlds such as those imagined by masters of horror like Stephen King and Edgar Allen Poe. Which one will be your favourite?
December 11, 2012
I always enjoy reading these anthologies from Melange Books because they always pick a great mix of stories from some brilliant authors. This one includes three of my favourite authors: Jenny Twist, Tara Fox Hall and Tori L. Ridgewood and each of them has brought yet another stunningly good piece to the table. This is just the sort of thing you want to read at Halloween - full of eerie and haunting tales.
Want to read
November 30, 2011I won this book from First Reads Giveaway. Thank you. Looks good. Can’t wait to read it.
February 2, 2012
“The Origin of Fear,” by Tara Fox Hall.
At first glance I thought it was going to be a cheesy haunted house story but a few pages in I realized this was better than that; far better. The description of the small creature that had horns on top of his head that slowly slithered up one of the characters’ sleeping bags, sent shivers down my spine. That would have been enough to get me to run out of that place screaming bloody murder.
Another element that made this story stand out was that it had depth. For such a short story Tara Fox Hall takes you on a journey full of twists and turns that all take place in a very short time. You know from the beginning that there will be no happy ending for this group of young adults who decide to take a trip to a known haunted house, Latham’s Landing. This story shouldn’t be commended for its surprise factor; in fact the plot is pretty predictable. Predictable plot aside, the creativity is there, as well as an uncanny ability to manipulate the use of words and descriptions to make you feel like you are experiencing the horror this group is feeling.
I have to give Tara Fox Hall kudos for going out of the box a bit and really adding some creativity to her story. Hall’s story has a real scare factor to it.
–Reviewed by Ashley Denis for Dark Moon Digest #6
At first glance I thought it was going to be a cheesy haunted house story but a few pages in I realized this was better than that; far better. The description of the small creature that had horns on top of his head that slowly slithered up one of the characters’ sleeping bags, sent shivers down my spine. That would have been enough to get me to run out of that place screaming bloody murder.
Another element that made this story stand out was that it had depth. For such a short story Tara Fox Hall takes you on a journey full of twists and turns that all take place in a very short time. You know from the beginning that there will be no happy ending for this group of young adults who decide to take a trip to a known haunted house, Latham’s Landing. This story shouldn’t be commended for its surprise factor; in fact the plot is pretty predictable. Predictable plot aside, the creativity is there, as well as an uncanny ability to manipulate the use of words and descriptions to make you feel like you are experiencing the horror this group is feeling.
I have to give Tara Fox Hall kudos for going out of the box a bit and really adding some creativity to her story. Hall’s story has a real scare factor to it.
–Reviewed by Ashley Denis for Dark Moon Digest #6
February 25, 2014
I enjoyed the book. One reviewer referred to Spellbound as a quilt and this is an apt description. Some of the pieces of the quilt complemented the blanket while others managed to be less congruent. I don’t have time to read, so I was glad to be able to read each story without wading through two hundred or so pages to enjoy a juicy scare. And the scares rang up as I read through Spellbound at Midnight, Room 1309.5 and so on. Witches, vampires, ghosts -- oh my! A horror maven’s delight, no doubt, but as I stated earlier, some tales were better crafted than others. If you want something a little peculiar, taste Jenny Twist’s Uncle Vernon. If you wish a horrifying stay, visit Mansion of Nightmares by Walt Trizna. Tara Fox Hall will teach you all you need to know about The Origin of Fear. Your preferences may not match my own, but each story is an excellent dish of horror in its own right.
January 26, 2015
Wonderful read!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews