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AWAKE: Tales of Terror
AWAKE: Tales of Terror, is Lou Rera's newest collection of short stories in the horror genre. These tales are a collection of supernatural crime, murder, insanity, obsession, greed, paranoia, fear, and revenge. Rera writes of dark places and dysfunctional people, where some of those people search for their own salvation.
AWAKE: Tales of Terror, is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Original cover painting by Glen Orbik.
AWAKE: Tales of Terror, is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. Original cover painting by Glen Orbik.
- GenresHorror
186 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 15, 2020
3 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Lou Rera
7 books32 followers
AWAKE: Tales of Terror by Lou Rera,
a collection of short stories in the horror genre, published in May 2020. Lou Rera's first novel,
SIGN
, a supernatural thriller of deception and murder, published in June 2014. His collection of flash fiction stories,
There are no doors on a cocoon
is available through Amazon.
Lou Rera retired as Professor at SUNY Buffalo State to write full time. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) , a member of the Just Buffalo Literary Center and a member of IMDB
Lou Rera retired as Professor at SUNY Buffalo State to write full time. He is an active member of the Horror Writers Association (HWA) , a member of the Just Buffalo Literary Center and a member of IMDB
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 1, 2020
At first I was drawn to the cover and so I immediately said “hell yes” when the author offered up a copy. Plus he’s a writer in the HWA which is solid gold in my book. What we have here is a stellar collection of stories. They are all sharply written, chilling, and downright clever. There’s not a dull one in the mix and I never found myself distracted. Visitation Rights, The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell, Awake, Clown on a Segway, The Cemetery, Reunion, Artist in Residence, and Scarecrow are my favorite stories but honestly, you can’t go wrong. I especially enjoyed Rera’s The Facts in the Case of Dr. Backwell because it always fun to read a reimagined Poe story. His stories play around with murder, obsession, paranoia, supernaturalism, and revenge. Sounds amazing, right? Perfect score!
July 24, 2020
Awake: Tales Of Terror is a collection of 13 stories that cover a range of topics from supernatural crime, murder, insanity, obsession, greed, paranoia, fear, and revenge. I enjoyed them so much that I was able to finish the book in its entirety in one day.
Lou Rera is like a modern day Poe, with characters that range from the eccentric, to paranoid, to unreliable narrators. All of whom meet tragedy and typically a supernatural end.
Here is a breakdown of each story without trying to include too many spoilers:
The Hat Box: 3.5 stars. A tale of inheritance.
Visitation Rights: 3.5 stars. The familiar tale of "the dead girl on a lonely stretch of road" but with a twist.
The Mommy Woman: 2 stars. An abduction story.
The Facts in the case of Dr Blackwell: 4 stars. Doctors test their theories of life after death.
Awake: 4.5 stars. A man examines clues concerning his brother's murdered house guest.
Clown On A Segway: 4 stars. A clown in a banana suit reflects on his life.
The Cemetery: 4.5 stars. A writer digs for research.
She Loves Me Not: 3 stars. A stalker story.
Reunion: 3 stars. A murder investigation concerning 9 bodies.
Artist In Residence: 3 stars. A sculptor has murderous thoughts about a graffiti artist.
The Scarecrow: 4.5 stars. A scarecrow goes from cornfield mascot to a threatening stranger.
The Last Time He Would Tie His Shoes: 2 stars. A mayor with questionable ethics.
Satan's Salon: 3.5 stars. Satan always gives you choices.
I received a copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review and honestly look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
Lou Rera is like a modern day Poe, with characters that range from the eccentric, to paranoid, to unreliable narrators. All of whom meet tragedy and typically a supernatural end.
Here is a breakdown of each story without trying to include too many spoilers:
The Hat Box: 3.5 stars. A tale of inheritance.
Visitation Rights: 3.5 stars. The familiar tale of "the dead girl on a lonely stretch of road" but with a twist.
The Mommy Woman: 2 stars. An abduction story.
The Facts in the case of Dr Blackwell: 4 stars. Doctors test their theories of life after death.
Awake: 4.5 stars. A man examines clues concerning his brother's murdered house guest.
Clown On A Segway: 4 stars. A clown in a banana suit reflects on his life.
The Cemetery: 4.5 stars. A writer digs for research.
She Loves Me Not: 3 stars. A stalker story.
Reunion: 3 stars. A murder investigation concerning 9 bodies.
Artist In Residence: 3 stars. A sculptor has murderous thoughts about a graffiti artist.
The Scarecrow: 4.5 stars. A scarecrow goes from cornfield mascot to a threatening stranger.
The Last Time He Would Tie His Shoes: 2 stars. A mayor with questionable ethics.
Satan's Salon: 3.5 stars. Satan always gives you choices.
I received a copy of this anthology in exchange for an honest review and honestly look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
July 24, 2020
Very excellent collection of creepy fiction by Lou Rera. To skip this would be folly!
June 5, 2020
AWAKE: Tales of Terror is a fantastic collection of horror stories! From deeply unsettling haunts to psychological terror and chilling serial murders, this collection covers nearly every brand of horror. You're bound to find something you like. There's hints of Edgar Allan Poe, Stephen King, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark; urban legends, and classic horror tropes with a twist. My favorites were "The Hatbox," "The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell" (a thought-provoking and creepy homage to the Poe tale), "The Cemetery," and "Reunion" (my personal favorite out of the entire collection!). Cleverly written, memorable (and sometimes truly awful) characters, a keen eye for the macabre, and edge-of-your-seat tension—a great read for any horror fan.
September 5, 2024
Lou Rera has a wholly unique way of writing that I find as addictive as it is entertaining. I can only hope he has plenty of more books up his sleeve, because I definitely want more of his work.
Highlights from Awake include:
The Hatbox - A man finds a mysterious hatbox is the attic of a house he's just inherited. What exactly is in the hatbox? And what exactly is in his house?
The Mommy Woman - A little boy is hunted and terrorized by the title woman. The last parts of this story read like a "true crime" report of the events, and I really dug that decision.
Awake - What seemingly starts with a paranoid murderer ends up more ambiguous and creepy.
Reunion - A detective's old FBI buddies are all murdered. Loved this one, did not see the ending coming.
Those are my four favorite stories, but this is an overall solid collection without many missteps. I've read it twice now and hope to revisit it again someday.
Highlights from Awake include:
The Hatbox - A man finds a mysterious hatbox is the attic of a house he's just inherited. What exactly is in the hatbox? And what exactly is in his house?
The Mommy Woman - A little boy is hunted and terrorized by the title woman. The last parts of this story read like a "true crime" report of the events, and I really dug that decision.
Awake - What seemingly starts with a paranoid murderer ends up more ambiguous and creepy.
Reunion - A detective's old FBI buddies are all murdered. Loved this one, did not see the ending coming.
Those are my four favorite stories, but this is an overall solid collection without many missteps. I've read it twice now and hope to revisit it again someday.
July 24, 2020
Awake: Tales Of Terror, by Lou Rera is a horror readers dream. The short stories entertain and the “ What If “ situations highlighting the themes associated with terror. Rera does an excellent job of portraying his characters that the readers love. Stephen King would look over his shoulder while reading these stories!!
July 25, 2020
A chilling collection of stories that place the reader directly into the mind of the characters and the horror they encounter. To me, shades of Stephen King and Shirley Jackson were prevalent. These stories that left me wanting more about each one and filled me with a desire to see it on screen as an anthology series. But in truth, each story lays enough ground work and background to exist as a series on its own, which is how short stories ought to be written.
July 24, 2020
Frighteningly well done!
My favorite was The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell (which I actually liked better than Poe's version). Lou is an excellent writer and I look forward to more of his stories. Highly recommended for fans of the macabre.
My favorite was The Facts in the Case of Dr. Blackwell (which I actually liked better than Poe's version). Lou is an excellent writer and I look forward to more of his stories. Highly recommended for fans of the macabre.
July 24, 2020
Lou Rera delivers a series of tales reminiscing of Stephen King's early Night Shift. Toss in some Rod Serling for good measure, with a hint of Matheson, Rera has turned up the volume on the genre giving a unique yet familiar voice in our heads.
July 24, 2020
A compilation of short horror stories featuring various time periods, gothic, 1950’s, modern day, etc. Each written with excellent , if not , frightening imagery. Characters are not easily forgotten. The stories stayed with me for days after reading them.
July 25, 2020
There are few things that I read that will leave a lasting impression. Spooky, creepy, and most of all, entertaining, Lou Rera's new book is worth every minute. The suspense is unnerving, and I found myself not being able to put it down. It's a great summer read! Just be sure to keep a light on!
July 31, 2020
This was such a fun collection of stories!
Each tale is unique and although some are quite short (a page or two) each one was creepy and terrifying! Usually, when I read a short story collection there's a story I skip because I get bored, but I didn't skip any here! There's a great variety of stories from modern day terror to an Edgar Allan Poe retelling, which shows the author's range well.
I especially enjoyed Artist in Residence and The Scarecrow because they both were a little more twisted than I expected.
The perfect read to set by your bed and spook yourself with.
Each tale is unique and although some are quite short (a page or two) each one was creepy and terrifying! Usually, when I read a short story collection there's a story I skip because I get bored, but I didn't skip any here! There's a great variety of stories from modern day terror to an Edgar Allan Poe retelling, which shows the author's range well.
I especially enjoyed Artist in Residence and The Scarecrow because they both were a little more twisted than I expected.
The perfect read to set by your bed and spook yourself with.
August 10, 2020
Creepy & Awesome!
I'm only about halfway through this book right now, but am compelled to write a review.
Although I usually don't gravitate toward horror books, I'm glad I picked this one up at the recommendation of a friend. As I read this, I find myself reminiscing back to a time in my youth when reading creepy stories could really get my adrenaline going. I didn't think that was possible again in my older years, but Awake does just that...and just as I think I have a favorite short story in the lot, I read the next and think, "Oh...this is my new favorite!".
There's nothing quite like a good story about terror and death, to make you feel quite alive!
Kudos to the author for all the details that make me (the reader) feel like I'm right there witnessing the stories as they unfold!
I'm only about halfway through this book right now, but am compelled to write a review.
Although I usually don't gravitate toward horror books, I'm glad I picked this one up at the recommendation of a friend. As I read this, I find myself reminiscing back to a time in my youth when reading creepy stories could really get my adrenaline going. I didn't think that was possible again in my older years, but Awake does just that...and just as I think I have a favorite short story in the lot, I read the next and think, "Oh...this is my new favorite!".
There's nothing quite like a good story about terror and death, to make you feel quite alive!
Kudos to the author for all the details that make me (the reader) feel like I'm right there witnessing the stories as they unfold!
September 20, 2020
📒Spoiler Free Book Review📒
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⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 rounded up)
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AWAKE - Tales of Terror is a collection of short stories, and like most anthologies, I liked some stories more than others so I try to rate based on the average.
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The writing is good, the plots are interesting, and there’s plenty of gore which I normally like, but I had a tough time connecting with several stories. I was often left with questions at the end, either needing more information or feeling like I’d missed something integral to understanding the story.
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As I always say with reviews less than 3 stars, don’t let my experience prevent you from reading this one. Maybe I did miss something, maybe it was just a mood, or maybe the style just isn’t for me. The stories I did enjoy were The Hat Box, Visitation Rights, and Awake.
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⭐️⭐️💫 (2.5 rounded up)
•
AWAKE - Tales of Terror is a collection of short stories, and like most anthologies, I liked some stories more than others so I try to rate based on the average.
•
The writing is good, the plots are interesting, and there’s plenty of gore which I normally like, but I had a tough time connecting with several stories. I was often left with questions at the end, either needing more information or feeling like I’d missed something integral to understanding the story.
•
As I always say with reviews less than 3 stars, don’t let my experience prevent you from reading this one. Maybe I did miss something, maybe it was just a mood, or maybe the style just isn’t for me. The stories I did enjoy were The Hat Box, Visitation Rights, and Awake.
July 28, 2020
A wonderfully creepy collection of tales calculated to make one's skin crawl. I love the narrative POV throughout, and modern takes on tales that have been bugging people out for over 100 years.
At times I sensed the mania and madness that HP Lovecraft might conjure if he were around today.
The stories keep your interest, but are short enough to read aloud around the campfire and scare the crap out of everyone.
At times I sensed the mania and madness that HP Lovecraft might conjure if he were around today.
The stories keep your interest, but are short enough to read aloud around the campfire and scare the crap out of everyone.
December 14, 2020
Nice little book, very fast read. Some of the stories aren't very good (The mommy woman) and others are very spooky and I wish they were a bit longer.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews