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Freaky Flashes
Death Day Anniversary by Lee Brazil
A newcomer to town follows urban legend to the cemetery- is he a willing sacrifice, or an unfortunate dupe?
The Sum of His Parts by Hank Edwards
Scott Tallow awakens in a hospital, stitches holding him together. As a handsome doctor helps him heal, Scott comes to realize he's not quite himself.
Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows
Almost everyone has an interesting story to tell. I've got numerous—and they've declared war against me.
That Special Feeling by Raven McAllan
Can you carve your future happiness in a pumpkin?
Andrew Calls the Dead by Dianne Hartsock
Love is powerful, but is it strong enough to raise the dead?
Make me a Sandwich by Lee Brazil
When his roommate is away, distraction is just a horror movie away for Gregory...until the things that go bump in the night take over.
Destiny by Doris O'Connor
Can Arabella reach sanctuary, or will her dreams become reality?
Spin the Bottle by Raven McAllan
Aeons ago, Attric had been banished in disgrace. Halloween gave him the chance to redeem himself. Would he? Or was he doomed to live in a bottle forever?
The Birthday by Dianne Hartsock
Every birthday Cyrus visits the dance clubs with a surprise for the young men. This year, the tables are turned.
Strength's Curse by S.J. Thomas
Hunted through the night by a terrifying creature a young girl refuses to give up, but her strength will be her curse.
Reaping Darkness by Jamieson Wolf
As a new Reaper of Souls, Kale knows who Death is. He just isn't used to Death showing up in his dreams. When he does, Kale learns that attraction, even in dreams, can be very real indeed...
The Fog by Lee Brazil
Starting afresh in a new home in the valley should have helped Jeff leave memories of his lost love behind. Instead his dreams are filled with a passion that is terrifying in the light of day.
In the Shadows by Dianne Hartsock
He waits in the shadows; silent, hungry. Careful! He might be watching you.
A newcomer to town follows urban legend to the cemetery- is he a willing sacrifice, or an unfortunate dupe?
The Sum of His Parts by Hank Edwards
Scott Tallow awakens in a hospital, stitches holding him together. As a handsome doctor helps him heal, Scott comes to realize he's not quite himself.
Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows
Almost everyone has an interesting story to tell. I've got numerous—and they've declared war against me.
That Special Feeling by Raven McAllan
Can you carve your future happiness in a pumpkin?
Andrew Calls the Dead by Dianne Hartsock
Love is powerful, but is it strong enough to raise the dead?
Make me a Sandwich by Lee Brazil
When his roommate is away, distraction is just a horror movie away for Gregory...until the things that go bump in the night take over.
Destiny by Doris O'Connor
Can Arabella reach sanctuary, or will her dreams become reality?
Spin the Bottle by Raven McAllan
Aeons ago, Attric had been banished in disgrace. Halloween gave him the chance to redeem himself. Would he? Or was he doomed to live in a bottle forever?
The Birthday by Dianne Hartsock
Every birthday Cyrus visits the dance clubs with a surprise for the young men. This year, the tables are turned.
Strength's Curse by S.J. Thomas
Hunted through the night by a terrifying creature a young girl refuses to give up, but her strength will be her curse.
Reaping Darkness by Jamieson Wolf
As a new Reaper of Souls, Kale knows who Death is. He just isn't used to Death showing up in his dreams. When he does, Kale learns that attraction, even in dreams, can be very real indeed...
The Fog by Lee Brazil
Starting afresh in a new home in the valley should have helped Jeff leave memories of his lost love behind. Instead his dreams are filled with a passion that is terrifying in the light of day.
In the Shadows by Dianne Hartsock
He waits in the shadows; silent, hungry. Careful! He might be watching you.
55 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2012
1 person is currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
May 26, 2013
Holy Hannah! What a ride!
Each of the authors writes naturally. Every story has an easy to follow flow. They are also quite well written. They mix the supernatural with the natural to create unique bites that carry you away. There are some extremely unique ideas in many of the stories in this anthology. They made you think, made you feel, made you want, hell, some even make you laugh. You get drawn into each and every mini world. You may not get to know the characters well, and you may not spend days on end immersed in their worlds. Those factors are not relevant to this work. Each author takes you on a quickie that you lose yourself in for the time it takes to read them. Every story is brought to completion in its own way, bringing you there right along with it.
The different stories in the anthology mesh perfectly together, creating an awesome way to spend a couple of hours with a glass of wine. I’ll definitely have to file this one away for a re-read at Halloween!
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Each of the authors writes naturally. Every story has an easy to follow flow. They are also quite well written. They mix the supernatural with the natural to create unique bites that carry you away. There are some extremely unique ideas in many of the stories in this anthology. They made you think, made you feel, made you want, hell, some even make you laugh. You get drawn into each and every mini world. You may not get to know the characters well, and you may not spend days on end immersed in their worlds. Those factors are not relevant to this work. Each author takes you on a quickie that you lose yourself in for the time it takes to read them. Every story is brought to completion in its own way, bringing you there right along with it.
The different stories in the anthology mesh perfectly together, creating an awesome way to spend a couple of hours with a glass of wine. I’ll definitely have to file this one away for a re-read at Halloween!
Please note that I received this novel free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.
May 24, 2013
**I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review**
Now I’m normally not a big fan of flashes, I hate not having answers and only seeing snippets of stories but wanting more. However, when I heard about Freaky Flashes, I knew I had to read it, and I’m glad I did. Overall, this was a very well done anthology. I couldn’t really rate such short flashes on their own, so I just rated the anthology overall, but here are my thoughts on each individual story.
Death Day Anniversary
A very interesting vampire tale, would love to see it fleshed out. The ending opened up a whole new world of possibilities
The Sum of His Parts
A spooky yet heartwarming tale. I was sitting anxiously waiting for the other shoe to fall, and man, it was a doozy. I had an inkling of what the story was reminiscent of, but the ending was slightly different than I was expecting, which was nice.
Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia
An amusing look into the author’s head. This isn’t a spooky story, it’s more of a comedy than anything, but oddly enough, it still fits into the anthology. And now I want to read all these characters’ stories.
That Special Feeling
The first m/f story in the anthology. This story confused me. I re-read it and it’s still ambiguous and vague, so I’m not really sure what happened.
Andrew Calls the Dead
A cautionary tale about voodoo, with an ironic and somewhat humorous twist ending.
Make Me a Sandwich
I can relate to how Greg was acting, becuase I’ve done the exact same thing before. Loved the ending, very spooky and funny.
Destiny
The second m/f story, and the shortest story in the anthology, yet it was well-done and perfectly matched the title.
Spin the Bottle
The final m/f story in the anthology. This was an interesting take on a classic game, though the snippet wasn’t very detailed and left me with questions about what was going on.
The Birthday
The most disturbing story in the anthology to me, yet I liked the well-deserved ending. Though the psychology fan part of me wants to see the story expanded, to know more about what made the characters into who they are etc. Plus, I really want to see what happens after the end of this story.
Strength’s Curse
One of the most brutal stories in the anthology, no HEA or HFN, the only ending promised is a pretty brutal one. Not for the faint-hearted.
Reaping Darkness
All I have to say is, Death’s never looked so sexy. I wasn’t a fan of the cheating aspect, though this could be considered dubious consent I guess.
The Fog
This was a very sexy, very spooky story that really makes you think. Would love to see this story expanded.
In the Shadows
This was the second most disturbing story in the anthology. I just want to warn you, there is a bit of bloodplay in this story, and no, it’s not vampires. The story was different, with a surprise twist ending that I didn’t see coming. I wish it had been longer, so I could find out what happened next, good or bad.
Now I’m normally not a big fan of flashes, I hate not having answers and only seeing snippets of stories but wanting more. However, when I heard about Freaky Flashes, I knew I had to read it, and I’m glad I did. Overall, this was a very well done anthology. I couldn’t really rate such short flashes on their own, so I just rated the anthology overall, but here are my thoughts on each individual story.
Death Day Anniversary
A very interesting vampire tale, would love to see it fleshed out. The ending opened up a whole new world of possibilities
The Sum of His Parts
A spooky yet heartwarming tale. I was sitting anxiously waiting for the other shoe to fall, and man, it was a doozy. I had an inkling of what the story was reminiscent of, but the ending was slightly different than I was expecting, which was nice.
Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia
An amusing look into the author’s head. This isn’t a spooky story, it’s more of a comedy than anything, but oddly enough, it still fits into the anthology. And now I want to read all these characters’ stories.
That Special Feeling
The first m/f story in the anthology. This story confused me. I re-read it and it’s still ambiguous and vague, so I’m not really sure what happened.
Andrew Calls the Dead
A cautionary tale about voodoo, with an ironic and somewhat humorous twist ending.
Make Me a Sandwich
I can relate to how Greg was acting, becuase I’ve done the exact same thing before. Loved the ending, very spooky and funny.
Destiny
The second m/f story, and the shortest story in the anthology, yet it was well-done and perfectly matched the title.
Spin the Bottle
The final m/f story in the anthology. This was an interesting take on a classic game, though the snippet wasn’t very detailed and left me with questions about what was going on.
The Birthday
The most disturbing story in the anthology to me, yet I liked the well-deserved ending. Though the psychology fan part of me wants to see the story expanded, to know more about what made the characters into who they are etc. Plus, I really want to see what happens after the end of this story.
Strength’s Curse
One of the most brutal stories in the anthology, no HEA or HFN, the only ending promised is a pretty brutal one. Not for the faint-hearted.
Reaping Darkness
All I have to say is, Death’s never looked so sexy. I wasn’t a fan of the cheating aspect, though this could be considered dubious consent I guess.
The Fog
This was a very sexy, very spooky story that really makes you think. Would love to see this story expanded.
In the Shadows
This was the second most disturbing story in the anthology. I just want to warn you, there is a bit of bloodplay in this story, and no, it’s not vampires. The story was different, with a surprise twist ending that I didn’t see coming. I wish it had been longer, so I could find out what happened next, good or bad.
November 3, 2012
The stories included in this anthology are very, very short and in some cases they really, really need a whole book. Please? This is more like a taste of what can be, instead of a whole meal. There are some highlights and some valleys among these little stories.
Death Day Anniversary – This is one of the “wow, we need the whole story”. It’s an open-ended thing that I would love to have fleshed out.
The Sum of His Parts is the same for me, a take on Frankenstein that would have been so cool. Want more!
My all time favorite of the anthology is Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows. It made me laugh, especially when I considered all the authors I’ve heard talk about their characters doing what they wanted and not what the author wanted. I loved recognizing some of those characters being impatient with her. Just loved this one.
That Special Feeling, I admit I didn’t understand it. The same goes for Destiny.
The Birthday, I’d just like to ask the author, please tell me Kyle got out.
Strengths Curse was not for me, too brutal and disheartening an ending (no HEA here).
You have to be a short story fan to enjoy this, because as I said, they are very short, but for a little taste of what an author can do, these are nice.
Buy Link
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index....
The stories included in this anthology are very, very short and in some cases they really, really need a whole book. Please? This is more like a taste of what can be, instead of a whole meal. There are some highlights and some valleys among these little stories.
Death Day Anniversary – This is one of the “wow, we need the whole story”. It’s an open-ended thing that I would love to have fleshed out.
The Sum of His Parts is the same for me, a take on Frankenstein that would have been so cool. Want more!
My all time favorite of the anthology is Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows. It made me laugh, especially when I considered all the authors I’ve heard talk about their characters doing what they wanted and not what the author wanted. I loved recognizing some of those characters being impatient with her. Just loved this one.
That Special Feeling, I admit I didn’t understand it. The same goes for Destiny.
The Birthday, I’d just like to ask the author, please tell me Kyle got out.
Strengths Curse was not for me, too brutal and disheartening an ending (no HEA here).
You have to be a short story fan to enjoy this, because as I said, they are very short, but for a little taste of what an author can do, these are nice.
Death Day Anniversary – This is one of the “wow, we need the whole story”. It’s an open-ended thing that I would love to have fleshed out.
The Sum of His Parts is the same for me, a take on Frankenstein that would have been so cool. Want more!
My all time favorite of the anthology is Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows. It made me laugh, especially when I considered all the authors I’ve heard talk about their characters doing what they wanted and not what the author wanted. I loved recognizing some of those characters being impatient with her. Just loved this one.
That Special Feeling, I admit I didn’t understand it. The same goes for Destiny.
The Birthday, I’d just like to ask the author, please tell me Kyle got out.
Strengths Curse was not for me, too brutal and disheartening an ending (no HEA here).
You have to be a short story fan to enjoy this, because as I said, they are very short, but for a little taste of what an author can do, these are nice.
Buy Link
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index....
The stories included in this anthology are very, very short and in some cases they really, really need a whole book. Please? This is more like a taste of what can be, instead of a whole meal. There are some highlights and some valleys among these little stories.
Death Day Anniversary – This is one of the “wow, we need the whole story”. It’s an open-ended thing that I would love to have fleshed out.
The Sum of His Parts is the same for me, a take on Frankenstein that would have been so cool. Want more!
My all time favorite of the anthology is Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia by Havan Fellows. It made me laugh, especially when I considered all the authors I’ve heard talk about their characters doing what they wanted and not what the author wanted. I loved recognizing some of those characters being impatient with her. Just loved this one.
That Special Feeling, I admit I didn’t understand it. The same goes for Destiny.
The Birthday, I’d just like to ask the author, please tell me Kyle got out.
Strengths Curse was not for me, too brutal and disheartening an ending (no HEA here).
You have to be a short story fan to enjoy this, because as I said, they are very short, but for a little taste of what an author can do, these are nice.
December 20, 2017
Doing a year-end cleanout of my Kindle and I realized I never reviewed this anthology of flashes (stories 1,000 words or less).
I first read the anthology in 2013 and did a quick skim of it again for 2015 before deleting the anthology from my Kindle in the cleanup to make room for more books next year. (You read 100+ stories a year, and even a Kindle can whimper.)
The only story I clearly remember from the first read was "Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia" by Havan Fellows. If you have read any books by her, or have written stories - fanfict, school, what-have-you - you know exactly what this story is about. Hmmm. I may need to keep this anthology if only for this one story.
The other flashes, some are complete scenes and some are missing basic information for the scene to make sense. Most stories are MM (including some sex), but a couple-few are MF (no sex). And nearly all, obviously, are forgettable. A pleasant, if somewhat spooky, anthology - something to grab for quick reads waiting for the bus to arrive.
Full disclosure - I line edited (which falls between content editing and proofreading) a few books by Breathless Press before the indie publisher went out of business. I don't believe any were for authors appearing in this anthology. (and because the publisher is no longer in business, the book is no longer available for purchase anywhere. The authors would have control of the stories and may be publishing them through other means or make them available for free on the blogs or webpages.) Further note, I do not review ANY book I personally edit, write, or contribute to. I am exposed to the manuscript before it finishes the editing process, so I remember things when the book is not at its best and cannot write a good review about the reader experience. End disclosure.
I first read the anthology in 2013 and did a quick skim of it again for 2015 before deleting the anthology from my Kindle in the cleanup to make room for more books next year. (You read 100+ stories a year, and even a Kindle can whimper.)
The only story I clearly remember from the first read was "Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia" by Havan Fellows. If you have read any books by her, or have written stories - fanfict, school, what-have-you - you know exactly what this story is about. Hmmm. I may need to keep this anthology if only for this one story.
The other flashes, some are complete scenes and some are missing basic information for the scene to make sense. Most stories are MM (including some sex), but a couple-few are MF (no sex). And nearly all, obviously, are forgettable. A pleasant, if somewhat spooky, anthology - something to grab for quick reads waiting for the bus to arrive.
Full disclosure - I line edited (which falls between content editing and proofreading) a few books by Breathless Press before the indie publisher went out of business. I don't believe any were for authors appearing in this anthology. (and because the publisher is no longer in business, the book is no longer available for purchase anywhere. The authors would have control of the stories and may be publishing them through other means or make them available for free on the blogs or webpages.) Further note, I do not review ANY book I personally edit, write, or contribute to. I am exposed to the manuscript before it finishes the editing process, so I remember things when the book is not at its best and cannot write a good review about the reader experience. End disclosure.
May 25, 2013
Rating: 4 1/2 stars
This is an anthology of 13 short stories for Halloween. I felt that this book was more of a teaser than an anthology. It left me wanting to know more of the story that I was reading at the time.
Some of the stories are written in the first person, some tales are M/M, and one made me think that it was a great horror piece. Hank Edwards' tale The Sum of His Parts had me think modern day Frankenstein. Haven Fellows included herself in Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia - totally original and left me wondering if she has other books that she's in.
The one story that had me confused was Raven McAllan's tale That Special Feeling. I loved the idea of the story but found some of the sentences confusing and not making sense. She had another tale Spin the Bottle that had me wanting to read more of the main character's story.
There isn't just one story that was my favorite. They were all totally different. Some were more paranormal than Halloween themed. It left me wanting to know more about the authors and what other books they have written. It's a book that you can read all at once or if you want to prolong your enjoyment, limit yourself to one short story a day. When I say they are short stories, they are truly short stories. They are written in just a couple of pages. With Summer upon us and vacations around the corner, this would be a perfect beach read.
This is an anthology of 13 short stories for Halloween. I felt that this book was more of a teaser than an anthology. It left me wanting to know more of the story that I was reading at the time.
Some of the stories are written in the first person, some tales are M/M, and one made me think that it was a great horror piece. Hank Edwards' tale The Sum of His Parts had me think modern day Frankenstein. Haven Fellows included herself in Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia - totally original and left me wondering if she has other books that she's in.
The one story that had me confused was Raven McAllan's tale That Special Feeling. I loved the idea of the story but found some of the sentences confusing and not making sense. She had another tale Spin the Bottle that had me wanting to read more of the main character's story.
There isn't just one story that was my favorite. They were all totally different. Some were more paranormal than Halloween themed. It left me wanting to know more about the authors and what other books they have written. It's a book that you can read all at once or if you want to prolong your enjoyment, limit yourself to one short story a day. When I say they are short stories, they are truly short stories. They are written in just a couple of pages. With Summer upon us and vacations around the corner, this would be a perfect beach read.
May 21, 2013
Freaky Flashes is a collection of 13 erotic paranormal flash fiction stories. With each tale weighing in at ~1000 words or less, it made for a quick read. The cover might suggest it is more appropriate for the Halloween season, but the stories lend themselves to reading at any time of year.
I enjoyed the collection for the most part. Each story reflected the unique voice and genre of the different authors. Several were good and kept me turning the Kindle pages. My very favorite was "Strength's Curse" by SJ Thomas.
However, some of the stories felt unfinished and left me confused, as though they might have been pieces of a larger work. "That Special Feeling" by Raven McAllan, for instance, left me completely confused as to what happened at the end. It's quite possible that these stories contained characters that the fans of the authors would already be familiar with, so I'd encourage them to read this collection!
The other thing I wanted more of in this anthology was variety. I'm not against homoerotic literature, though I'm not a big fan of it. The first three stories and a few others were all centered on gay males. I'd have liked them mixed up better, even throwing in more paranormal characters like shifters and aliens.
Overall, this anthology provided a quick, exciting read and would be appropriate for erotica fans, particularly those who enjoy paranormal short stories.
I enjoyed the collection for the most part. Each story reflected the unique voice and genre of the different authors. Several were good and kept me turning the Kindle pages. My very favorite was "Strength's Curse" by SJ Thomas.
However, some of the stories felt unfinished and left me confused, as though they might have been pieces of a larger work. "That Special Feeling" by Raven McAllan, for instance, left me completely confused as to what happened at the end. It's quite possible that these stories contained characters that the fans of the authors would already be familiar with, so I'd encourage them to read this collection!
The other thing I wanted more of in this anthology was variety. I'm not against homoerotic literature, though I'm not a big fan of it. The first three stories and a few others were all centered on gay males. I'd have liked them mixed up better, even throwing in more paranormal characters like shifters and aliens.
Overall, this anthology provided a quick, exciting read and would be appropriate for erotica fans, particularly those who enjoy paranormal short stories.
August 26, 2013
I'm not a big reader of flash fiction but I have to say I admire those who can write a good storie in such few words. In this anthology there were stories that I didn't like very much and then there were some that I really really liked. My favorites were The Sum of His Parts, Writing is a Socially Acceptable Form of Schizophrenia and The Birthday
December 8, 2014
This is a group of very short, flashes if you will, of stories. None of them are longer than a page or two and they leave you wondering what happens next. But they were all good and some I would read if they were in longer stories or turned into a book of their own. But then they would lose the fun, spooky effect that they are supposed to have.
Read
May 18, 2014Thirteen very quick but enjoyable reads. Great imagination in the concepts. Some have erotic elements others do not. A few were strange and I mean that in a good way.
I enjoyed the collection of flash fiction and found a few authors to follow.
I enjoyed the collection of flash fiction and found a few authors to follow.
Want to read
December 9, 2013Part of the 2013 Holiday Party in the Erotic Enchants Group!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews