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Desperate: A Deadly Thriller Anthology
Shhh… Stay silent. Stay hidden. Stay alert.
Something stirs in the shadows, and silence is your only shield.
The unexpected lurks just out of sight leaving you gripped in fear.
Truths and lies crumble in twisted realities and deranged minds.
Only a few—the lucky, the clever, the unseen—will survive.
SIX NEW SHORT STORIES H.G. Ahedi, Sara McClaflin, Ellie Mack, A.S. Rodriguez, Muhammad Ali Samejo, and Chessa Andersen.
Proceeds of the anthology will benefit Save the Children (savethechildren.org).
Something stirs in the shadows, and silence is your only shield.
The unexpected lurks just out of sight leaving you gripped in fear.
Truths and lies crumble in twisted realities and deranged minds.
Only a few—the lucky, the clever, the unseen—will survive.
SIX NEW SHORT STORIES H.G. Ahedi, Sara McClaflin, Ellie Mack, A.S. Rodriguez, Muhammad Ali Samejo, and Chessa Andersen.
Proceeds of the anthology will benefit Save the Children (savethechildren.org).
215 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 11, 2024
2 people want to read
About the author
Chessa Andersen
11 books17 followersChessa Andersen smiles any time her friends call her “a genius,” “brilliant,” “an angel,” and her all-time favorite, “a wizard.” When she isn’t arguing with her husband about being a wizard, she begrudgingly mows the huge lawn on hot summer days in Iowa and loves listening to drops of rain hit the skylight above her desk.
She believes sleep cures everything, the bitcoin system is way more complicated than it needs to be, and laughter really is the best medicine. She is obsessed with blended coffee drinks, games on her tablet, and sparkly nail polish.
Connect with her through Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chessajande.... To catch her attention and make her smile, start the message with, “Hello, you amazing little wizard.”
She believes sleep cures everything, the bitcoin system is way more complicated than it needs to be, and laughter really is the best medicine. She is obsessed with blended coffee drinks, games on her tablet, and sparkly nail polish.
Connect with her through Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/chessajande.... To catch her attention and make her smile, start the message with, “Hello, you amazing little wizard.”
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 3, 2024
I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this thriller anthology. WOW! I loved each story so much! While each one was different, it was so easy to read one right after the other. I read them all in one sitting, that’s how much they drew me in! Highly recommend to any thriller lover who likes to mix things up and enjoy different writing styles while hanging on every word, anxiously waiting for what’s coming next!
November 11, 2024
I received this book as part of an ARC team. I cannot say enough good things about this book. This includes five different Indie authors who have written short thriller stories. None of them disappoint! I read through this book so quickly and had a hard time putting it down at night to go to bed. Some of the stories spooked me a little bit, where I had to do something else before finally actually closing my eyes after reading. If you’re looking for a few fast read thrillers Desperate is the book for you.
February 20, 2025
Been thinking of reading an indie author lately? How about five at the same time! These amazing short stories make up an eclectic mix of sub-genres and settings, offering different thrills for every reader. The novella-style length of the stories is a huge plus as it offers closure and rapid engagement throughout the story. There’s never a dull moment thanks to the efforts of some amazing indie authors, and the overall editing is superb.
1 – ‘The Shadow Puppeteer’ by Sarah McClaflin
As a fan of dystopian, I love that this one is the opener. It’s all the more relevant now considering the totalitarianism the world seems to be heading toward, and it’s on full display in this story. The setting perfectly amalgamates all the best qualities of a totalitarian society, offering glimpses into how it came about and took control. The characters are neatly fleshed out, reminding me of classic dystopian stories like V-Visitor and V for Vendetta.
2 – ‘That’s Nothing!’ by M.A. Samejo (i.e. ME!)
I’m in an anthology, y’all! WOOHOO! Okay, I won’t review this, but I’ll drop some hints: library, locked room setting, five total strangers, and a demon in a bottle of hot sauce! Intrigued? I know you are!
3 – ‘Among The Pines’ by Saige McCallum
This one really creeped me out. You’d think that going on a mandatory retreat with office co-workers in the wilderness would be horror enough, as anyone who’s worked corporate will tell you. Seriously, why do these things have to happen on weekends when people want to get away from work. But what if the wilderness has horrors of its own, more terrifying than any team-building exercise? Excellent story with multiple POVs makes this one very messed up nightmare.
4 – ‘The Witch’s House’ by H.G. Ahedi
I loved this author’s previous sci-fi book and this story is so well-crafted. People, especially children, going missing bring in a veteran investigator to unearth the secrets behind a small town that is gripped in the fear of a witch’s curse. The slow pace offers so much atmosphere and tension for the reader to take in the characters, the setting, and the high stakes involved. Each line builds up to something important so it’s impossible not to finish this one in a single sitting.
5 – ‘Best Served’ by Ellie Mack
The title says it all! The dual-POV narrative kept me hooked from start to finish as both sides developed an entire relationship between two lives and the events that had brought the two characters to this point of no return. Making it a one-act scene is brilliant as the author keeps everything tight and thrilling. An excellent closer to a brilliant anthology.
And it goes without saying, Her Lady of Anthologies Chessa Andersen can do no wrong! Her keen eye and total investment in all these stories make her an excellent editor, and her feedback not just about the plot itself but also the nuances and interpretation by various audiences helped me fine-tune my story in ways I wouldn’t have been able to.
1 – ‘The Shadow Puppeteer’ by Sarah McClaflin
As a fan of dystopian, I love that this one is the opener. It’s all the more relevant now considering the totalitarianism the world seems to be heading toward, and it’s on full display in this story. The setting perfectly amalgamates all the best qualities of a totalitarian society, offering glimpses into how it came about and took control. The characters are neatly fleshed out, reminding me of classic dystopian stories like V-Visitor and V for Vendetta.
2 – ‘That’s Nothing!’ by M.A. Samejo (i.e. ME!)
I’m in an anthology, y’all! WOOHOO! Okay, I won’t review this, but I’ll drop some hints: library, locked room setting, five total strangers, and a demon in a bottle of hot sauce! Intrigued? I know you are!
3 – ‘Among The Pines’ by Saige McCallum
This one really creeped me out. You’d think that going on a mandatory retreat with office co-workers in the wilderness would be horror enough, as anyone who’s worked corporate will tell you. Seriously, why do these things have to happen on weekends when people want to get away from work. But what if the wilderness has horrors of its own, more terrifying than any team-building exercise? Excellent story with multiple POVs makes this one very messed up nightmare.
4 – ‘The Witch’s House’ by H.G. Ahedi
I loved this author’s previous sci-fi book and this story is so well-crafted. People, especially children, going missing bring in a veteran investigator to unearth the secrets behind a small town that is gripped in the fear of a witch’s curse. The slow pace offers so much atmosphere and tension for the reader to take in the characters, the setting, and the high stakes involved. Each line builds up to something important so it’s impossible not to finish this one in a single sitting.
5 – ‘Best Served’ by Ellie Mack
The title says it all! The dual-POV narrative kept me hooked from start to finish as both sides developed an entire relationship between two lives and the events that had brought the two characters to this point of no return. Making it a one-act scene is brilliant as the author keeps everything tight and thrilling. An excellent closer to a brilliant anthology.
And it goes without saying, Her Lady of Anthologies Chessa Andersen can do no wrong! Her keen eye and total investment in all these stories make her an excellent editor, and her feedback not just about the plot itself but also the nuances and interpretation by various audiences helped me fine-tune my story in ways I wouldn’t have been able to.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews