Gunning Down Romance

by C.L. Raven

Three chilling stories themed around the dark side of love - one woman embarks on a grisly quest to create the perfect lover; a man uses his life's work to ensure his lovers stay with him forever and a reincarnated saint has a unique, macabre way of punishing unfaithful lovers which keeps her alive. All their unfortunate lovers will experience a Valentine's Day they will never forget.

39 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2012

About the author

C L Raven are identical twins from Cardiff who love all things horror. They spend their time looking after their animal army and drinking more Red Bull than the recommended government guidelines. Along with their friend Neen, they prowl the country hunting for ghosts for their YouTube show, Calamityville Horror.

Their work has featured in 8 Hours Anthology, published by Legend Press; August 2010 issue of Writing Magazine (winning ghost story); The Pages Anthologies; Dark Fire Fiction, Dark Moon Digest, Siren’s Call and the Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper. They also contribute articles to Haunted Digital Magazine and Oapschat. They have self-published six short story collections, one novella and one novel, which was shortlisted in the National Self-Publishing Awards. Their unpublished novels, Bleeding Empire and Silent Dawn were longlisted in the 2013 & 2014 Exeter Novel Prize.

Reviews

[Ryan Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

1) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

2) Genre: Horror

3) Synopsis: 3 wonderful short stories. "Kiss of Death" + " 'Til Death us do Part" + "The Black Kiss"

4) Feelings: I liked all three of these stories but I would have to say the "Kiss of Death" was my favorite. All the stories are not only sexy but they can shift into a horror element. It is an emotional roller coaster going from steamy to screamy at the drop of a hat. This pair of authors sure know how to bring out wonderful emotions and then make you cringe in horror.

5) Final recommendation: I am normally not normally a horror fan but I found each of these short stories entertaining and exhilarating. If steamy to screamy sounds like something you would like to read then spending .99 on this is an excellent purchase.

Ryan James Burt
Husband, Father, and Writer
www.RyanJamesBurt.com

[K J Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody, horrific and bloody horrifically hilarious.

Not for kids, not for the feint hearted, this trilogy of shorts is laced with sex, dismemberment, obsession and slick humour. I especially enjoyed the opening story, which had be shaking with laughter from the start.

[Lacey Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was different and engaging. I can't wait for the next book by the authors.

[Cinta · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone who doesn't like horror stuff, I have enjoyed very much the three stories included in this collection. They are very well crafted stories, with the right amount of suspense, horror, and scary elements. Well, I wouldn't say exactly scary, but it has a creepy tone that keeps you reading and reading to know what will happen next. All the stories deal with different approaches to love, but in a goth, non-conventional way. The characters are well developed and complex. The tone can be a bit creepy, but it is not too gory, and it includes some irony that can make you smile along the stories. It is the kind of black humour that you can laugh with. I have been surprised while reading the stories, because they hooked me up since I started reading. Enough proof is that I started reading the book yesterday night and I finished this morning. If you like horror stories and you think that Valentine's Day is not that cool as TV commercials want us to believe, this is the book for you.

[Anya Breton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to preface my review with the note that horror is not a genre I ever read.

I grabbed this today, thinking I'd just take a peek and then sit down another day to actually read it. I ended up reading the whole thing in one rapid sitting.

It's clever -- horror with a side of humor.

****Slight Spoilers****
My favorite was 'Til Death us do Part. The characterization was particularly wonderful in that. I can just picture Trey and his lovely trophies in his gloomy room.

I also loved the bit about the water feature emulating the shower in Kiss of Death. It made me laugh aloud.

And of course, who doesn't want the visual of a chocolate covered Johnny Depp flitting about in their mind?

[Heather Fossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of short stories puts a twist on the magical holiday of Valentine's day. Welcome to the dark side and visit the lives of three very brilliant..ahem..deranged main characters who have unholy lusts and obsessions. Racy intimate scenes that made MY eyes pop coupled with the satisfaction of finishing this work of horror in one day makes this worthy of my five stars.. I look forward to reading everything that comes from the minds of C.L. Raven. Also, improving my critiques and reviewing skills would be a must as to not insult the authors. Bravo!

[Mark Stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

C.L. Raven do it again. What did they do? Infused a collection of three entertaining and scary stories with tons of personality. Want something that's frightening, gory, revolting and yet somehow makes you laugh? This is it. Gunning Down Romance should not be missed by any Horror fan. A "must-have", nearly perfect, and would have been were the stories written in 3rd person rather than 1st (1st person takes away the automatic suspense of wondering whether the main character survives, a crucial question in almost any Horror story).

[Ben Ditmars · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first collection I've read from authors CL Raven and it won't be the last. Three tales take the reader through unique twists and turns, with always catchy and exciting dialogue. Depraved climaxes will leave you surprised and questioning the moral upbringing of the authors. My only criticism is I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters. It may have been the quick pace of the stories. But, overall, a great read, filled with creative goth horror you won't want to miss.

[Gena Mantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not for the squeamish, children, or the timid. This well written book of tales of terror, filled with sex and revenge, is a treat to read. C.L. Raven has an easy to read style that draws you in and keeps your attention through the book.

[Peter Germany · Rating 4 out of 5]

C L Raven manage to write stories which not only have horrific acts in them but also humour and depth at the same time. As with the other books n the Romance is Dead series this one isn't afraid to make social commentary and show how vile humanity can be. This one does that very well. Like the social commentary C L Raven insert into their stories the vileness of humanity is both direct and very subtle too.

[Kristina Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a bad read.

I enjoyed these macabre stories, they were very well written. I love a good horror story and these deliver, although I wasn't a big fan of the last story in the book, I would recommend this book to those who enjoy dark, macabre stories.