My American Nightmare: Women In Horror Anthology

by Azzurra Nox, Nicky Peacock

For Fans of American Horror Story, Stephen King, Joe Hill, and Danielle Vega

America, land of the free, land of the brave, land of nightmares? A group of female authors come together in this collection of creepy tales and psychological horror stories to bring you chills and disturbing images that won't leave you long after you're done reading. From zombies to rural small towns, to the foggy New England to the glamour of Hollywood, each story focuses on a diverse aspect of living in America and the horror found in bullying, being the “new girl,” starting your first job, and navigating the murky waters of adolescence and all the terrifying changes that come with it. Bold and haunting, My American Nightmare encompasses daring stories from new voices in the horror genre. This collection will unsettle your nerves and linger in your mind, demonstrating that women can show you a nuance of horror that isn't always evident from the male perspective.

Dare to take a walk on the dark side.

Stories In Anthology

Angela Sylvaine – The Ballad of Sorrow and Lila
Amelia Kibbie – We Kill The Skullman
R. A. Goli – Mr. Buttons' Tea Party
Jamie Kahn – The Poison & The Ivy
Rachel Bolton- The Girl & The Yellow Wallpaper
Hillary Lyon - Boys' Night Out
Nicky Peacock – She Looked Like Krystal Sparkle
Spinster Eskie - Angie's Change
Sheri Kreitner - The Pickman Sisters of Salem
Sierra Ryan – Volunteer
Kara Nelson - The Eye
E.F. Schraeder – Night Moves
Andrea Teare – 39 Days
Heather Miller - The Stars
Marnie Azzarelli – When Evacuating Pennsylvania
Erica Ruhe - Perle
Phoebe Jane Johnson - Ruby
Azzurra Nox - Whatever Happened to Peyton Rose?
Kara Dennison - Billson

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Anthologies

243 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 31, 2017

About the author

Born in Catania, Sicily, she has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.

Reviews

[Sarika Patkotwar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was initally published on The Readdicts Book Blog. For more reviews, go here.

When author Azzurra Nox contacted me about My American Nightmare, I could not say no to reading it because I loved her Doll Parts and was waiting for something more ever since. One of the points that intrigued me is the fact that My American Nightmare is a collection of nineteen horror stories written by female writers, which is so cool and exciting. Now I tend to be a chicken when it comes to horror stories, but I knew I had to give this one a go, and I'm so glad I did because all the stories in this anthology were spine-chilling, super duper interesting and so well written.

Every story in this collection is so unique and well done that it made me want to have each one as a separate novel because I either wanted to know more or I thought it would make for a great book. Not that the stories weren't great on their own; in fact, they were straight up breathtaking. Some of my absolutely favourites of the nineteen (and the ones I'd definitely reread in the future) are: The Eye by Kara Nelson, The Poison and the Ivy by Jamie Kahn, Angie's Change by Spinster Eskie, The Ballad of Sorrow and Lila by Angela Sylvaine and Whatever Happened to Peyton Rose? by Azzurra Nox. And if I am to shortlist two stories is that are an absolute must-read, they would have to the last two of the ones mentioned, although I really, really loved The Ballad of Sorrow and Lila the most; it was such an incredible story!

My American Nightmare is a perfect October read and came as a refreshing read because usually anthologies are made up of romance stories or stories from a variety of genres. Azzurra Nox has really brought the best of the best together and packed amazing stories in this one collection, which is sure to satisfy any reader. Plus, the whole deal with having women writers on board... More power to women! These stories were really mysterious and sometimes so spooky that the chicken in me had to read them with a light on at night. But that is what horror stories should be like, so they served their purpose.

I would highly recommend this anthology. I loved it to bits and enjoyed reading it.

*Note: A copy of this book was provided by Azzurra Nox in exchange for an honest review. We thank them.

[amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were a lot of great stories that kept me engaged and interested but more than a few floundered and felt undone and were cut short.

I do really like this series however as it introduces you to an array of new women horror writers. I’m going to round this up to a 3.5 :)

[Lucy Dosch (EBookObsessed) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a creepy collection of short stories written by female authors.

This anthology is written entirely by talented female horror authors.

This collection of short stories reminds me of the old Twilight Zone stories. The best part of horror shorts is that they give you the creepiest part of the story. It is just enough to grab your attention and the best ones leave you to continue using your own imagination as to what will happen next.

This collection gives us plagues, disturbing dolls, vampires, witchcraft, the supernatural and plenty of every day disturbing nightmares. Try not to read it in bed before going to sleep.

Because the stories are so short, I don’t want to get into detail but if you enjoy a little spooky (especially this time of year), grab a copy and enjoy some women who know how to bring on the nightmres.

[Cheryl Whitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed on behalf of Book Addict.live,
For the purpose of this review I am reviewing the book in one go. There are multiples of small different stories, which cover most of the legends and genre. The one thing that made easy reading was all the stories are bite size chunks. The different authors appear to get right into our physic, and play on all the legends and fears we keep to ourselves.
The warning I will give is if you are looking for happy endings you don’t get many, in a few you may just survive. This is geared more towards young adults as they are the stars of the stories. I have to say I enjoyed reading this book even if it gave me the creeps at various times and venues
I received an Arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts, zombies, slashers, abductions, creepy dolls, and of course witches are included in this selection of creepy short stories. All written by women My American Nightmare contains everything from macabre to disturbing, perfect for Halloween time reading. With all stories set in the United States of America, some stories are historically set, some are current, the stories range from new horror to familiar retellings. With all short story collections I enjoyed some stories more than others, however with Halloween right around the corner I gobbled up all the stories and appreciated the atmosphere that they gave to this time of year.

One of my favorite stories was the Ballad of Sorrow and Lila which shows the power of strong feelings and why a bully never wins.

I also enjoyed The Pickman Sisters of Salem which will reverberate with any who loves Hocus Pocus.

The last story in the grouping was a perfect send-off. Mr. Button's Tea Party had a lot of elements, abductions, dolls and disfigurement; however, the creepiest part was that it felt like something that might actually happen to a person or a story you might hear about on the news. This is one that I would have loved to see expanded upon.


Overall, these short stories show that women in horror makes for a wonderfully spooky mix.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfect for book to read this time of year. With Halloween Coming quickly. I had a blast scaring myself. This is an Anthology. it has 19 stories in the book. Each story is written by a different author. The stories run the range of every ghoul and goblin in the Halloween line up. From Ghost to zombies. These are short stories, but the creep factor grabs you quickly. There are several stories in this book I would love to read a whole book on.

Picking a favorite story would be impossible for me. I really loved the first one, yea I know picking the first one is lame. But it is about a zombie apocalypse. How a virus ends up effecting the whole country. The story takes place in Pennsylvania. A girl and her family are trying to escape their hometown but it ends up being too late. The mother gets sick first then the father. The girl ends up being alone and just as she forms a plan to escape she ends up with a sore throat. The first sign of being affected. I also have to admit I would love to read a full book on this story, it ended way to soon for me, but it really stuck with me.

[lucyreads_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a solid collection

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My American Nightmare is a fantastically creepy anthology. It showcases women in the horror genre. It is a great introduction to each of the author's works. I enjoyed each of the stories in this anthology. Each has it's own level of scary and twisted. I am excited to read these author's other works after reading these stories!
**received an advanced copy for an honest review**

[Novels at Night · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book of short stories was an excellent pick for me. I must say that I usually do not like to read a book that has a bunch of short stories in them. I would rather read a whole book, that way I don't get frustrated about not finishing the story. I have to say there were some stories in here I was like I really would love to have this as a whole book to read.

Some of the stories were sick and twisted (Whatever Happened to Peyton Rose? and The Eye) but I loved it! Some left me turning the pages and hoping there was more and then finding that the story was just a short story (The Poison and the Ivy). There are so many more that is in this book that just might pique your interest.

I would give this book 4 stars out of 5 just because there were some of the stories that didn't meet my fancy. I mean you can't write a story to suit everyone's needs. Everyone has their own flavors, right?

You really need to pick up this book and at least read the 3 that I recommended they are awesome, they are all sick and twisted if you like those kinds of stories you'll love those!
I'm really glad that I got to read this book it opened me up to other possible author's and genre's in the horror section that I might not have considered before!

*****I was given a copy of this book for my honest opinion*****

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun anthology of horror. My favorite stories are The Eye by Kara Nelson (inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's story The Tell-Tale Heart), The Girl and the Yellow Wallpaper by Rachel Bolton and the final story Mr. Buttons' Tea Party by R.A. Goli. Some of the stories didn't impress me that much but all of them are still worth reading. I appreciate that the back of the book lists the inspiration for each story.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My American Nightmare - Women in Horror Anthology This is a perfect for book to read this time of year. With Halloween Coming quickly. I had a blast scaring myself. This is an Anthology. it has 19 stories in the book. Each story is written by a different author. The stories run the range of every ghoul and goblin in the Halloween line up. From Ghost to zombies. These are short stories, but the creep factor grabs you quickly. There are several stories in this book I would love to read a whole book on. 
 
Picking a favorite story would be impossible for me. I really loved the first one, yea I know picking the first one is lame. But it is about a zombie apocalypse.  How a virus ends up effecting the whole country. The story takes place in Pennsylvania. A girl and her family are trying to escape their hometown but it ends up being too late. The mother gets sick first then the father. The girl ends up being alone and just as she forms a plan to escape she ends up with a sore throat. The first sign of being affected. I also have to admit I would love to read a full book on this story, it ended way to soon for me, but it really stuck with me.