Bleed

by Lori Michelle (Editor)

No one should ever have to deal with cancer, especially a child. BLEED is a charity anthology where the profits will go to help children who have cancer. Forty seven stories, poems and essays by the best in the horror business, including Bentley Little, Rick Hautala, Joe McKinney, Mort Castle, Benjamin Kane Ethridge, Tim Waggoner, Gene O'Neill, and William Nolan. This is for all the little girls and boys who fight the good fight everyday. Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to The Children's Cancer Society. www.thenccs.org

Genres: Horror, Anthologies

374 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 16, 2013

About the author

I am the managing editor for Dark Moon Digest Horror Quarterly and Dark Eclipse: The Dark Moon Digest monthly e-magazine. I also help to edit their special anthologies and help convert most of their publications to e-publications. I am the single mother of two wonderful children and work full time as a bookkeeper for a real estate company, where I am also the IT tech, human resources, sales processing, coffeemaker and general gopher. During my spare time (I really have some?) I own a dance studio and performance group. I also dabble in graphic art and use that knowledge to make business cards for people who need something more creative than the norm. I like to write short stories and have been published in several anthologies. My erotic thriller is now available, so go check out Dual Harvest here on Amazon and order it. I have also decided that I am now cool enough for a blog. www.lorimichelleauthor.com. In case you can't tell, my favorite color is purple. :)

Reviews

[Marvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best reason for buying Bleed, the emotionally moving anthology of horror fiction edited by Lori Michelle, is that the proceeds from the sale of the book goes to the National Children’s Cancer Society. The second best reason for buying it is that it is one of the best horror anthology I have read in a long time.

Bleed is a collection of 47 short works by known and lesser known authors in the horror genre. Most of the works are short fiction but there are about a half dozen essays and a few poems. The theme anthology focuses on the horror and devastation of cancer. This may sound depressing but Editor Lori Michelle does an amazing job of balancing the book with very different tales of horror, grief, emotional loss and even hope. Sometimes the tales are directly related to the illness. Sometimes the authors use fictional plagues or monsters to make the case. And in other stories, it is an allegory that may not connect right away but later as the story absorbs into your brain.

The first four works pretty much set the pace and shows Michelle’s deft handling of the topic. The introductory essay “True Horror” by Lori Michelle describes her experiences dealing with her son’s diagnosis and treatment of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It is followed by “With Paper Armour and Wooden Sword” by Tracie McBride, a piece of fantasy fiction that deals with the relentless devastation the disease brings to families and society. But once you finish it and are reeling from the power of the work, you get Bentley Little’s “The Addition” a very subtle and gentle horror tale that at first seems to have no connection until later when the message hits you. Then the pace is changed again with “Welcome to the World, Mister Smiles” by T. Fox Dunham, a horror tale that directly involves cancer and its treatment but with a terrifying twist.

From then on, the stories continue with much more variety then you would suspect for what appears to be a narrow theme. Yet the contributing writers display an abundant of imagination and a refined skill for portraying feelings of grief, loss powerlessness and, most importantly, hope. No story or essay is weak and if there are better pieces than others it comes from a comparison of strength rather than weaknesses.

There are a number of fictional works deserving special mention. “Sludge” by Stan Swanson is one of the more humorous of the stories and perhaps also a clever tribute to the film The Blob. It works best as a clever analogy. William F. Nolan’s “Descent” starts out quietly but quickly turns into a harrowing look at facing inevitable death. “Dreams of Shadows” by Robert S. Wilson is one of many stories in the collection that directly takes on the plight of childhood cancer yet it stands out as the most hopeful of the short fiction pieces. Rick Hautala’s “The Call” is a terribly beautiful tale of a son and father. It is one of my favorites and it bear extra significance considering the author’s demise in 2013. Some of the stories features cancer in the form of a sentient monster and “The Sallow Man” by Adam Millard especially stands out in that category. Finally, “No Limit” by Peter Giglio and S. S. Michael has a quirky kind of weirdness to it and if its connection to the anthology’s theme eludes me, it is still too good not to mention.

So overall, Bleed is an exceptional anthology with an unusual theme and fiction that rises over the average in terms of quality and substance. I highly recommend this book as one of the best anthologies you will find. And don’t forget that you will be donating to a good cause. It’s a win/win.

[Johnny Worthen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Bleed left me terrified and moved more than I should admit. The book is a collection of short stories and poems collected to fight children's cancer. It is a book of horror. And hope.

The tome begins with True Horror an essay by Lori Michelle describing what she went through when her son was diagnosed with cancer. It is a moving essay and if it were all there were in the book, I'd have thought my money well spent. But Bleed is filled with words by some the best new and rising stars in horror fiction, all lending their pens to this noble and honorable cause.

I won't lie. I cried often while reading these stories. Not the usual effect of a horror anthology, I'll grant you, but with each contribution I found the themes of childhood threatened resonating like weeping thunder in my father's heart.

The styles are varied, the voices clear and strong, the stories personal and evocative. Even if it was not for such a good cause, I'd give this anthology the highest rating I could - such is the collection. Knowing it is a weapon in the war on children's cancer, I wish only I could give it more stars.

This is the perfect anthology autumn evenings - great stories for a great cause. Buy it, give it, keep it by your bed.

Echoing Max Booth III I too hope this anthology punches cancer right in the balls.

[Rena Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLEED is one of the best anthologies of collected works I've read this year and maybe ever. The bonus being that it is for such a good cause. The introduction is very heartfelt and hopeful. There are so many great pieces it's very difficult to pick and choose favorites, but the first story, "With Paper Armour and Wooden Sword" is very well done, and was a bit of tear jerker for me. "Sludge" is another favorite, "Ears," "Dance of the Blue Lady," "King Rat," "All the Sludge," "Never Enough" (which was the perfect end piece, because of the first story.) Honestly, I could list the entire Table of Contents. The essays and poetry pieces are fantastic. I truly can't recommend this book enough. It's a great mix of works.

[Bob Comparda · Rating 3 out of 5]

45 stories, essays, and poems about a truly terrifying subject, cancer. Edited by Lori Michelle and also led by her essay about her young sons battle with leukemia, which was terrifying, heartbreaking, and inspiring. The contributions that kept a more serious tone were the ones I seemed to enjoy more. It was hard to read that much about cancer all at once though, it's not an easy subject to talk or read about, but I did find some new authors to check out, and it was interesting to read max booths short story, nightly disease, knowing that it had nothing to do with his novel of the same name.

Lori Michelle - True Horror (essay) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tracie McBride - With Paper Armour and Wooden Sword ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bentley Little - The Addition ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
T. Fox Dunham - Welcome to the World, Mister Smiles ⭐⭐
'Anna DeVine - Leukemia is Fookin' Stoopid (poem) ⭐⭐⭐
Max Booth III - The Nightly Disease ⭐⭐
Stan Swanson - Sludge ⭐⭐
Jen Finelli - I Am Disease ⭐⭐⭐
Joe McKinney - Sky of Brass, Land of Iron ⭐⭐⭐⭐
William F. Nolan - Descent ⭐⭐⭐
Kristin Bryant - Five Little Tips (essay) ⭐
Charlie Fish - Remission ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Eli Wilde - Ears ⭐⭐
Peter N. Dudar - Mr. Expendable ⭐⭐
Rick Hautala - The Call ⭐⭐⭐
John Hawkhead - Where the Wild Welo Waits (poem) ⭐
Mort Castle - A Billion Monstrosities ⭐⭐⭐
Gene O'Neill - Dance of the Blue Lady ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tim Waggoner - Unwoven ⭐⭐
James Dorr - King Rat ⭐
Glenn Rolfe - The Rooster (essay) ⭐⭐⭐
Suzie Lockhart & Bruce Lockhart - The Monster in Me ⭐⭐
Hollie Snider - Muted ⭐⭐
Robert S. Wilson - Dreams of Shadows ⭐
Christian A. Larsen - The Funeral Portrait ⭐
Jack Ivey - Impossible is Nothing (poem) ⭐⭐
Lindsey Beth Goddard - The Gift ⭐⭐⭐
Patrick Lacey - Lost and Found ⭐⭐⭐
Dane Hatchell - That Which is Not Seen ⭐⭐⭐
Absolutely*Kate - Goddess of the Moxie Moon ⭐
T. Fox Dunham - Finding Peace by Writing About Cancer (essay) ⭐⭐
Gerry Huntman - The Lucky Mouth ⭐⭐⭐
Richard Thomas - Death Knell ⭐
Adam Millard - The Sallow Man ⭐⭐⭐
Micah Joel - March ⭐
David Pointer - Bumper Car Bandit (poem) ⭐
Peter Giglio & S.S. Michaels - No Limit ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jeffrey C. Jacobs - The Unstoppable Annihilation ⭐⭐⭐
John Palisano - I Know This World ⭐
Jay Wilburn - Fight ⭐⭐⭐
April Hawks - Slippery Love (essay) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jason V Brock - Red-Wat-Shod ⭐⭐
Marian Brooks - Get the Cell Outta Here ⭐⭐⭐
Benjamin Kane Ethridge - All the Sludge ⭐⭐
J. David Anderson - Never Enough ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Vincenzo Bilof · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the very start of this anthology, we are introduced to a form of horror that is personal, a real horror that threatens the lives of innocent children. These horror stories require the courageous; not only must we be brave to read them, but we must also witness the bravery that people must discover within themselves to overcome a horror that may not go away. We have stories that act as extended metaphors, and stories that remind us why we bought this book in the first place. Since this is a themed anthology, I will analyze whether or not the book fulfills its function while providing literature that is meaningful.

Some of the stories are written by cancer survivors and people who’ve experience the long-term effects this disease can have on a loved one; we have writers who put into words the emotions and experiences that so many people must endure. I believe it takes a certain level of courage to speak about such a difficult struggle; and here we have a collection of stories that can tug at your soul.

This isn’t a horror version of a Chicken Soup book, but rather we have the assembled talents of artists. The anthology’ challenge is to ensure that story themes are not repetitive, and the metaphor concept doesn’t get old throughout. A variety of writing styles and the overall composition of the anthology allow for interesting stories that can entertain on a surface level; some stories would be effective horror stories even if they didn’t exist in a themed anthology, which I believe is important for the book’s audience. One could argue that they could simply donate to the charity and don’t need the book; however, you can donate to the charity through Amazon and receive this book for free, a thank you from gifted writers.

My personal favorites include “Welcome the the World, Mister Smiles” by T. Fox Dunham, “Ears” by Eli Wilde, “The Addition” by Bentley Little, and “I Know this World” by John Palisano. A lot of established writers answered the call for this book to create an experience that is memorable, uplifting and thrilling; each piece is unique and provides readers with a different perspective on what cancer is; the majority of these stories allow the reader to make the connection rather than being hammered in the face with the idea over and over again. Horror is typically a psychological process that involves our perception of fear; terror is personal, and here it has never been more personal.

[Jason Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do you feel about cancer? Have you ever really thought about it? Have you, God forbid, had to experience it? If someone asked you to illustrate it or describe it--if someone asked you to put a face on it--what would cancer look like?
Pick up a copy of Bleed; a scary-as-hell charity anthology benefiting kids with cancer, and you'll get a vivid picture of just how terrifying it can be.
The contributing authors paint a sobering picture of the horror of the disease--perhaps not in the realism of the stories, but in the emotion fueling them. If you are a fan of the macabre, there's plenty to love: eerie things lurking beyond the surface, zombie cannibalism, murderous plot twists and an underlying sense of creepiness that spans throughout the anthology. Some of the stories build with a ominous foreboding; others hit you with a gut punch out of nowhere allowing no chance for preparation--again, like the disease they personify.
But the scariest elements are found in the authors' personal stories. The short bios preceding each entry detail their own experiences with cancer. It is in those stories--especially the introductory essay by editor Lori Michelle--that we see the true picture of how terrifyingly brutal the fight against this unseen enemy can be (fangs or tentacles may be easier to deal with). But we cheer just as hard for these real-life characters--these heroes--as the protagonists in the fiction. And their triumphs are better than anything any author can dream up.
Buy a copy of Bleed, enjoy some great stories and help some kids. There's no way to go wrong here.

[Bill Borre]

"The Funeral Portrait" by Christian A. Larsen - Abner's parents want a funeral portrait with his deceased baby sister but only Abner notices the camera captures her terrified soul.

"Dreams of Shadows" by Robert S. Wilson - Timmy learns to use a ball of light in his dreams to beat back the shadows that presage his cancer.

"The Sallow Man" by Adam Millard - Tara faces down a personification of the cancer that killed her mother in a cemetery.

"Red-Wat-Shod" by Jason V Brock - wc
"King Rat" by James S. Dorr - wc
"Welcome to the World, Mister Smiles" by T. Fox Dunham - wc
"All the Sludge" by Benjamin Kane Ethridge - wc
"The Call" by Rick Hautala - wc
"The Rooster" by Glenn Rolfe - wc

[Kenneth Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s hard to deny the disease for which this anthology was conceived, as well as the star power they’ve acquired work from; names like Bentley Little, Mort Castle, Gene O’Neil, Jason V. Brock and Tim Waggoner to name a handful. But don’t think they are the only ones bringing anything to the table. They are joined by a host of up and coming authors whose stories, essays, and poetry are offered to benefit children with cancer. The mood is set early by editor, Lori Michelle, as she details her own harrowing story. As most of us have had our own experiences with this disease, the stories cut like a knife, dig in deep, and resonate. Horror fans will enjoy this one.