Madame Scarlet's Carnival

by Rena Marin, S.C. Storm, Jim Ody

A Zombie Cupcake Press Anthology

What happens at the carnival, stays at the carnival!

Madame Scarlet’s carnival is full of secrets, lies, scandals and even murder.

While the carnies entertain you with their amazing skills and Madame Scarlet with her stunning looks, there’s a lot more than meets the eye.

No one knows how old Madame Scarlet is and there are those who suspect she is much older than can be believed. Some say she’s a witch, others say she makes sacrifices and drinks their blood but those are just rumours, aren’t they…?

Madame Scarlet’s Carnival is a collection of seven stories based at the carnival that sits atop the Manor Hill and run by the equally beautiful and mysterious Madame Scarlet.

My Sister's Keeper - Rena Marin & S.C. Storm

The Reveal - Jim Ody

Madame Scarlet and Her Vampires - Lana Campbell

In the Mirror, Dimly - Caitlin McCulloch *Trigger warnings: rape, abandonment, child abuse*

The Devil May Care - Jessi McPherson

Being Moe - Erin Lee

Plum Secrets - Rita Delude

275 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2017

About the author

Rena Marin was born in a small town in East Tennessee where she, her husband Daniel, and two children—Cody and Amber—still reside today.
Growing up, reading and writing her own stories was Rena’s favorite pastime. Her once-unreachable dream of becoming a published writer came true when she was in high school and found herself with many writing awards and accolades, including a short story in Reader's Digest.
After starting her own business, Rena continued writing shorts online before moving on to freelance work. Taking a chance, she and a friend submitted a novel to their first publishing company and were delighted to be accepted.
As a member of Crazy Ink Publishing, Rena now has several co-written series underway, including the Dead Oak Terrors Series. Halloween Nightmare, the first book in that series, recently won the Reality Bites Best Horror Book of 2018. Rena also has her own solo series called The Witches of Dark Hollow Ridge. She looks forward to bringing readers with her into a world of magic and adventure.
Keeping close to her short story roots, Rena is part of several anthologies with many more in the works.
A lover of all forms of entertainment, Rena enjoys horror and fantasy movies new and old. When she isn't writing or working, she often finds herself cuddled on the couch with her family—including their five fur babies—and lost in a fantasy world or hoping to be scared.

Reviews

[Rita Delude · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wonder what goes on behind the circus tents? This clever anthology brings together the stories of some new and some best selling authors to revel just that. There are quirky characters you'd expect to see at a carnival--the bearded lady, the conjoined twins, the "little person" baton twirler, and so many more.
And then there's Madame Scarlet herself who rules the carnival with an iron fist and a youthful appearance. Find out about all these crazy characters in a fascinating read.
I loved it.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit that I don't normally read anthologies. I have been on a Circus/Carnival kick for a while now, so this sounded like such an awesome anthology. The authors who have contributed stories to this collection really worked hard to coordinate with one another, and this does not read like most anthologies. Everything ties together. This is one of my favorite books this year!
As with any circus or carnival, there is a wide variety of characters. There are many secrets to be revealed. As you read, you learn more about this mysterious Madame Scarlet. Are the rumors about her true? Is she really a villain? Each author sheds light on a different aspect of her personality.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys dark and mysterious books full of intrigue.
Spoiler and trigger warnings:
This book contains murder, beating, and rape scenes.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Madame Scarlet's Carnival has a wide variety of authors. They all have their own style that compliment each other. This anthology is built around the carnivals different performers story's and Madame Scarlet . Each story builds your interest in who is Madame Scarlet and what is she hiding. The carnival is made up of people that are freaks. From two headed man, vampires, fortune tellers and a women who doesn't get old. My favorite story was the last story "Plum Secret" by Rita Delude. You learn about Madame Scarlet and how far she will go to get what she wants. A young mother Sadie trying to get her daughter Becca off the streets Sadie go to the carnival for a job. All went well, Becca falls in love with the carnival life. But, not everything is what it looks like. It's a fantastic anthology that keeps you wanting more.

[Kimberly Hostetler · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading Circus Freak by Erin Lee I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one! It did not disappoint!
Each author brought a little something different to each story in this anthology but still managed to keep if flowing through the whole book.
They really bring you into the circus world and make you feel like you are a part of it.
There were familiar characters and new ones. You get a better sense of some of their backgrounds. Over all, I thought this was an amazing book and would recommend it to anyone!

[Tommi Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderous carnival anthology!!

I loved every single story in this anthology. You'll learn more about some of Madame Starlet's freaks in this book. You will be able to get to know more about the gypsy fortune teller, a boy who ran away to join the carnie family, a girl who paints people's futures, the 'head' of the Siamese twins, and even Madame Starlet herself.
If you love the magic of the carnival or the Circus? Then this book is a must read.

[Shelby W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bravo! An anthology that needs to be read cover to cover. I initially only wanted to read because some of my favorite authors' stories lie within, but after reading the first story I was hooked, reading each and every page. I loved not only the outside of this one, but the inside, as well.

[Danielle DuSchene · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love anthologies that will twist your mind than this is the anthology for you! So, please enter Madame Scarlet's Carnival if you dare cause what happens at the carnival stays at the carnival....or does it?
This anthology does an amazing job in linking all of the stories together until the dramatic end!!

*My Sister's Keeper by Rena Marin and S.C. Storm
What a way to start off an anthology. Rena and S.C. do more than pull you into the Madame's world, they slam you into it!
Lavinia and her twin sister Kezia are gypsy fortune tellers whom ran away from their family. They ended up in trouble and Madame Scarlet takes them in. After 10 yrs, when Marko, a customer becomes interested in the twins does the whole truth cone out. While what happens at the carnival stays at the carnival I can guarantee that sanity may not be one of them.

*The Reveal by Jim Ody
Story 2 is just as amazing as the 1st. This time Jim Ody takes you on another Madame Scarlet adventure that has a twist which will leave you shaking your head.
Caper is a detective hired to find Franz, a man that disappeared after becoming obsessed with the carnival. Will Caper find him in time or will something more shocking about Franz be revealed?

*Madame Scarlet and Her Vampires by Lana Campbell
Madame will go to many lengths to get acts for her carnival. In this story what she does is nothing short of shocking.
Liam and Delphinia are newlywed vampires on their honeymoon when they come across Scarlet and her carnival. Will they just explore and leave or will the Madame find a way to finally make vampires a part of her "family?"

*In the Mirror, Dimly by Caitlin L. McCullough
This story may have confused me but it also intrigued me at the same time. I had to know what would happen next therefore I never wanted to stop reading when life intruded.
Hilde paints what she sees of your future by looking in a mirror. When her best friend gets into some trouble it may be her gift that'll help find the person behind the trouble. Is her gift real or just imaginary?

*The Devil May Care by Jessi McPherson
Some questions about Madame will be answered in this story!
Maddie can talk to the dead. Her gift is crossing over and delivering messages to loves ones on the other side. What few know is she has a very evil side, but Scarlet knows and if course uses it to her advantage. A few others know and now Maddie' s life is in danger. Will Maddie be captured and Scarlet ruined or can Maddie even with finding out a whole lot if truths keep the carnival safe with some help?

*Being Moe by Erin Lee
Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a conjoined twin? Well meet Moe and Joe. Joe is the dominant twin while Moe is just basically an extra head. An extra head whom has fallen in love. What Moe doesn't know is Cat, the fellow Carine he's in love with has a few secrets of not only her' s but Madame's as well. Those secrets may or may not be worth doing drastic things to keep hidden. Can Moe help or will it put Joe and his life in danger?

*Plum Secrets by Rita Delude
This is an amazing ending to this anthology! Everything is brought to light about Scarlet all because of a homeless mother and daughter she brings to live at the carnival. All Sadie wants is a job to get herself and her daughter Sadie off of the streets. Scarlet offers that and come to find out so very much more than bargained for. Its amazing how in a short amount of time Scarlet goes from a safe haven for many to a nightmare only one other person knew the whole truth about.

[Cyrene Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seven tales all focused around Madame Scarlet and her carnival workers. Some of the stories are dark and some are heartbreaking. Dive into Madame Scarlet’s world and see for yourself. I really enjoyed this book because I found the whole idea of the carnival and it’s workers a very interesting topic to write about and found the characters very interesting and rich in life. Reviewed by Jennifer

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting twist in a story. Blows the mind away when pieces come together.
Exciting book.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the authors did a wonderful job with each story working so well together for this great collection. I loved all their twisted and warped behind the scenes tales of Madame Scarlet and her carnies.

[Em__Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is officially the last one I read in 2017 and it’s a departure from my typical reading fodder. Yet why not try something new *before* the year ends?

I appreciated the anthology format. Every author has a writing style of their own but they work well together in crafting an overall picture of life at the carnival and the mysterious and powerful Madame Scarlet.

I enjoyed all the stories but a few stood out for a variety of reasons.

I found Jim Ody’s ‘The Reveal’ to contain the most humorous moments. Jessi McPherson’s ‘The Devil May Care’ had the line that made me think the most: “Your father may be the devil, but he isn’t evil. He punishes those who are.” The standout story for me was Erin’s Lee ‘Being Moe’. The character of Moe was the most powerless. His mental faculties were in working order and he truly understood the helplessness of his situation.

[Tabitha Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great bunch of Authors together in this Anthology... ever wonder what happens behind the scenes at the carnival.. each story gives you a little peak into their world. I highly recommend this book! It’s fun, witty and just an amazing read.