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Old Scratch: Demon Tales & Devil Hells
Satan, The Father of Lies, Beelzebub, God's Fallen Angel. All these are names for the devil. We just call him Old Scratch.
Within these pages comes fifteen tales about the fire and brimstone dwelling entity. The hero of Hell whom many of our parents warned us about is spoken of in hushed words around the world. Not here.
In this collection of horror tails (see what we did there?) fifteen of the best indie authors in the business come together to share their takes on the Prince of Darkness. Grab a drink and hold onto your soul as tightly as you can. From the Ashes presents Old Demon Tales & Devil Hells.
Featuring fiction from Chris McAuley, Tony Logan, P.J. Blakey-Novis, Pamela Morris, Jason R. Frei, Steve Stred, Thomas Stewart, Mark Towse, HP Newquist, Stephanie Scissom, Justin M. Woodward, Patrick Flaherty, RJ Roles, M Ennenbach, Bradley H. Sinor.
Within these pages comes fifteen tales about the fire and brimstone dwelling entity. The hero of Hell whom many of our parents warned us about is spoken of in hushed words around the world. Not here.
In this collection of horror tails (see what we did there?) fifteen of the best indie authors in the business come together to share their takes on the Prince of Darkness. Grab a drink and hold onto your soul as tightly as you can. From the Ashes presents Old Demon Tales & Devil Hells.
Featuring fiction from Chris McAuley, Tony Logan, P.J. Blakey-Novis, Pamela Morris, Jason R. Frei, Steve Stred, Thomas Stewart, Mark Towse, HP Newquist, Stephanie Scissom, Justin M. Woodward, Patrick Flaherty, RJ Roles, M Ennenbach, Bradley H. Sinor.
- GenresHorror
236 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 4, 2022
31 people are currently reading
65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 23, 2022
Excellent collection of tales about Old Scratch. Roles and Myers put together a great variety of authors with a fantastic view of who or what the man downstairs is up to when we are not believing in him. The greatest trick the devil every pulled … Grab this book ASAP - you will not be disappointed! Each author has a unique way of describing their devilish tale and a unique voice to drive the pitch fork right into your soul. THIS IS AWESOME!
March 7, 2023
What in the devil 😈 Old Scratch is an awesome collection of satanic gold - a must read !
June 20, 2022
OLD SCRATCH: DEMON TALES & DEVIL HELLS by RJ Roles & Jason Myers
This is a fantastic collection of tales of the Devil, told in different ways, under his many guises. From creepy, to horrific, to brutal and fun! I could smell the sulfur and feel the heat! 😈 Every single story was a highly entertaining read in its own right, not a bad story among them! My stand outs were, DOOMSDAY, OF DONUTS AND DEMONS, ETERNAL HARVEST, DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER and JACKSONS UNWANTED GUEST. 🖤
I will leave a few words for each story….
Dracula's Devil by Chris McAuley: Vlad sells his soul to the Devil….an eerie, dark tale in which we also encounter Dracula 🧛
Dont Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan: Split personality? Or possession by the devil? And the brutal struggle to stop your 'other self' from murdering!
Doomsday by Peter Blakey-Novis: The end is nigh and the demons have been unleashed on the earth to gather up the souls of the willing…… this was a real fun one!
Of Donuts And Demons by Pamela Morris: We all know cops love a good donut, but these donuts dont like cops, or not this particular one anyway…. they give him a whole new kind of sugar rush, a brutal, bloody one!
Let Me Clip Dirty Wings by Jason R Frei: Making deals with the Devil. When a witch is dying of cancer, a trade is made, several trades in fact, until she finally gets what she wants. This was a creepy read.
Eternal Harvest by Steve Stred: When Kath and Flip go into the woods for some alone time, Flip, flips, hes not the same…. fast-paced, tense, nightmare fuel!
The Black Rock Chapel Horror by Thomas Stewart: A strange confession leads to strange and horrific happenings……chilling!
A Good Man by Mark Towse: This was horrific and sad, and like a bad dream!
Deep And Dark by HP Newquist: This one was haunting and spooky!
A Devils Hell by Stephanie Scissom: Lucifer's life story. An emotional, dark love story 🖤
Devils Edibles by Justin M Woodward: Ben's first experience with drugs……a mega bad trip?? This one was tense and had me gripped!
Jacksons Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty: Jackson is a bore, the most excitement he got was resussing a woman on his way home……then the real excitement starts….and he's a very determined fella! Brutal!
Devil On My Shoulder by RJ Roles: Lucifer and his fluffy sidekick go on a rampage of carnage and mayhem….this one was a lot of fun!
Shallow Be Thy Name by M. Ennenbach: Beautifully written tale of Lucifer and Michael on their annual get together…is it all just a conspiracy? An epic battle of good and evil!
Thats What They All Say by Bradley H. Sinor: Lucifer has been kidnapped and Mr Gordon, private eye, has been hired by a demon to take the ransom money and set him free…. but it's never as simple as that…..
All in all a devilishly great collection! 😈😈😈😈😈
This is a fantastic collection of tales of the Devil, told in different ways, under his many guises. From creepy, to horrific, to brutal and fun! I could smell the sulfur and feel the heat! 😈 Every single story was a highly entertaining read in its own right, not a bad story among them! My stand outs were, DOOMSDAY, OF DONUTS AND DEMONS, ETERNAL HARVEST, DEVIL ON MY SHOULDER and JACKSONS UNWANTED GUEST. 🖤
I will leave a few words for each story….
Dracula's Devil by Chris McAuley: Vlad sells his soul to the Devil….an eerie, dark tale in which we also encounter Dracula 🧛
Dont Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan: Split personality? Or possession by the devil? And the brutal struggle to stop your 'other self' from murdering!
Doomsday by Peter Blakey-Novis: The end is nigh and the demons have been unleashed on the earth to gather up the souls of the willing…… this was a real fun one!
Of Donuts And Demons by Pamela Morris: We all know cops love a good donut, but these donuts dont like cops, or not this particular one anyway…. they give him a whole new kind of sugar rush, a brutal, bloody one!
Let Me Clip Dirty Wings by Jason R Frei: Making deals with the Devil. When a witch is dying of cancer, a trade is made, several trades in fact, until she finally gets what she wants. This was a creepy read.
Eternal Harvest by Steve Stred: When Kath and Flip go into the woods for some alone time, Flip, flips, hes not the same…. fast-paced, tense, nightmare fuel!
The Black Rock Chapel Horror by Thomas Stewart: A strange confession leads to strange and horrific happenings……chilling!
A Good Man by Mark Towse: This was horrific and sad, and like a bad dream!
Deep And Dark by HP Newquist: This one was haunting and spooky!
A Devils Hell by Stephanie Scissom: Lucifer's life story. An emotional, dark love story 🖤
Devils Edibles by Justin M Woodward: Ben's first experience with drugs……a mega bad trip?? This one was tense and had me gripped!
Jacksons Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty: Jackson is a bore, the most excitement he got was resussing a woman on his way home……then the real excitement starts….and he's a very determined fella! Brutal!
Devil On My Shoulder by RJ Roles: Lucifer and his fluffy sidekick go on a rampage of carnage and mayhem….this one was a lot of fun!
Shallow Be Thy Name by M. Ennenbach: Beautifully written tale of Lucifer and Michael on their annual get together…is it all just a conspiracy? An epic battle of good and evil!
Thats What They All Say by Bradley H. Sinor: Lucifer has been kidnapped and Mr Gordon, private eye, has been hired by a demon to take the ransom money and set him free…. but it's never as simple as that…..
All in all a devilishly great collection! 😈😈😈😈😈
February 10, 2023
Jason Myers introduces us to Old Scratch, a.k.a The Devil. I didn’t know the Devil had another nickname, Old Scratch. So I got a lesson on the Devil himself thanks to Jason!
What follows is a review of 15 short stories about the old codger, the Devil himself.
Dracula’s Devil by Chris McAuley. Here is a story about Dracula’s birth. A dark and lonely feeling in this story. An absolutely great first story, I like the writing style of McAuley. You gotta look at his photo in the back of the book!!
Don’t Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan. A very good story about devil possession, so unique and I really enjoyed the twists in this. Definitely a five star story!
Doomsday by P. J. Blakey-Novis. A fabulous story of Hell rising from the earth and trying to overtake the world. I’m definitely looking for some more Blakey-Novis stories. I’m hoping his others are just as bleak as this one.
Of Donuts and Demons by Pamela Morris. This starts out silly and ends up brutal! A cop eats a donut and gets all trigger happy and goes all postal! A great time in this story!
Let Me Clip My Dirty Wings by Jason R. Frei. It’s kind of a love story, of sorts. Satan’s consort wants more than he’s giving her, and there is a price to pay, always. I liked this one, it was lots of “do this for me or else.”
Eternal Harvest by Steve Stred. This is a wicked story, absolutely imaginative and so good. It’s about the Devil harvesting souls.I don’t think I’ve read any Stred stories before, but I know he’s quite popular. I can see why when I read this one.
The Black Rock Chapel Horror by Thomas Stewart. A priest learned the truth about forgiveness and repenting. This one was a little hard to enjoy. The writing is great, but the story was a bit bland. I would give Thomas Stewart another try, though.
A Good Man by Mark Towse. A man is doing the Devil’s work and doesn’t know he is working with the Devil. Awesome premise and written perfectly. Just the right amount of angst and fear.
Deep and Dark by HP Newquist. Another author I have heard a lot about and need to check out some more stories. This is a story about a vigneron, who comes across a new type of grape in his vineyard. There is a story behind this rare grape he finds. Absolutely fantastic writing! I loved this one.
A Devil’s Hell by Stephanie Scissom. Awww, a sad love story about Lucifer. A perfect accompaniment to this collection. Another author to look into to find more stories. Elegant writing and a lot of heart in this story.
Devil’s Edibles by Justin M. Woodward. Edibles that cause devil-like hallucinations.Very entertaining and engaging. I loved the writing and the story.
Jackson’s Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty. An entertaining story about a demon trying desperately to get Jackson’s soul. Funny, witty, evil, and awesome, all that in one little story.
Devil On My Shoulders by RJ Roles. A freaking hilarious story of Lucifer and his cat, Mr. Fluffybutt going to Ohio. This is one of my favorites in this collection. Lots of laughs!
Shallow Be Thy Name M. Ennenbach. Ennenbach is just one of those authors that likes to suck you in the story and trail you along a dark and deep story that ends with a gut punch. No shortage in this one. Lucifer is having a temper tantrum and his brother, Michael, is trying to calm him down. It doesn’t end well for anyone.
That’s What They All Say by Bradley H. Sinor. An investigation agent is tasked with finding Lucifer, who has been kidnapped. Silly story, not really my type of story I enjoy. But it was entertaining and kept my attention.
As you can see, there are a variety of humorous and dark stories in this set. It is just as entertaining as all the other anthologies by Jason Myers and RJ Roles that I have read. I am just getting started on these anthologies. I have planned to read them all this year!
What follows is a review of 15 short stories about the old codger, the Devil himself.
Dracula’s Devil by Chris McAuley. Here is a story about Dracula’s birth. A dark and lonely feeling in this story. An absolutely great first story, I like the writing style of McAuley. You gotta look at his photo in the back of the book!!
Don’t Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan. A very good story about devil possession, so unique and I really enjoyed the twists in this. Definitely a five star story!
Doomsday by P. J. Blakey-Novis. A fabulous story of Hell rising from the earth and trying to overtake the world. I’m definitely looking for some more Blakey-Novis stories. I’m hoping his others are just as bleak as this one.
Of Donuts and Demons by Pamela Morris. This starts out silly and ends up brutal! A cop eats a donut and gets all trigger happy and goes all postal! A great time in this story!
Let Me Clip My Dirty Wings by Jason R. Frei. It’s kind of a love story, of sorts. Satan’s consort wants more than he’s giving her, and there is a price to pay, always. I liked this one, it was lots of “do this for me or else.”
Eternal Harvest by Steve Stred. This is a wicked story, absolutely imaginative and so good. It’s about the Devil harvesting souls.I don’t think I’ve read any Stred stories before, but I know he’s quite popular. I can see why when I read this one.
The Black Rock Chapel Horror by Thomas Stewart. A priest learned the truth about forgiveness and repenting. This one was a little hard to enjoy. The writing is great, but the story was a bit bland. I would give Thomas Stewart another try, though.
A Good Man by Mark Towse. A man is doing the Devil’s work and doesn’t know he is working with the Devil. Awesome premise and written perfectly. Just the right amount of angst and fear.
Deep and Dark by HP Newquist. Another author I have heard a lot about and need to check out some more stories. This is a story about a vigneron, who comes across a new type of grape in his vineyard. There is a story behind this rare grape he finds. Absolutely fantastic writing! I loved this one.
A Devil’s Hell by Stephanie Scissom. Awww, a sad love story about Lucifer. A perfect accompaniment to this collection. Another author to look into to find more stories. Elegant writing and a lot of heart in this story.
Devil’s Edibles by Justin M. Woodward. Edibles that cause devil-like hallucinations.Very entertaining and engaging. I loved the writing and the story.
Jackson’s Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty. An entertaining story about a demon trying desperately to get Jackson’s soul. Funny, witty, evil, and awesome, all that in one little story.
Devil On My Shoulders by RJ Roles. A freaking hilarious story of Lucifer and his cat, Mr. Fluffybutt going to Ohio. This is one of my favorites in this collection. Lots of laughs!
Shallow Be Thy Name M. Ennenbach. Ennenbach is just one of those authors that likes to suck you in the story and trail you along a dark and deep story that ends with a gut punch. No shortage in this one. Lucifer is having a temper tantrum and his brother, Michael, is trying to calm him down. It doesn’t end well for anyone.
That’s What They All Say by Bradley H. Sinor. An investigation agent is tasked with finding Lucifer, who has been kidnapped. Silly story, not really my type of story I enjoy. But it was entertaining and kept my attention.
As you can see, there are a variety of humorous and dark stories in this set. It is just as entertaining as all the other anthologies by Jason Myers and RJ Roles that I have read. I am just getting started on these anthologies. I have planned to read them all this year!
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July 21, 2022*I'm not going to give you the 'what this book is about' blurb - you can read that elsewhere.
1. Remember - I'm no longer rating books unless they're a clear 10/10, will never ever stop screaming their praises from the rooftops.
2. That being said, this anthology was EXCELLENT. I really love religious horror. It's one of the only things that I find truly terrifying, along with a serious mental illness, and let's be honest - the line between the 2 isn't always clear cut (especially if you believe in possession).
3. The range of stories was simply fantastic. Old Scratch spans old stories we've all heard before, but this time with a twist; it includes very human hells, and what the idea of a 'hell' might be like for Lucifer himself. The variety of plot was *chef's kiss*. There are triumphant times, humorous times, and depressing times to be had within these pages. Most of the stories left me needing a minute to really think about what the consequences or repercussions would be if it were reality.
4. My absolute favorite story in the anthology was Shallow be Thy Name by M Ennenbach with special mentions of:
Don't Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan
Let Me Clip Dirty Wings by Jason R Frei
Deep and Dark by HP Newquist
Jackson's Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty
Devil on my Shoulder by RJ Roles
5. Highly recommend if you're into religious horror, demons, anything of this vein!
1. Remember - I'm no longer rating books unless they're a clear 10/10, will never ever stop screaming their praises from the rooftops.
2. That being said, this anthology was EXCELLENT. I really love religious horror. It's one of the only things that I find truly terrifying, along with a serious mental illness, and let's be honest - the line between the 2 isn't always clear cut (especially if you believe in possession).
3. The range of stories was simply fantastic. Old Scratch spans old stories we've all heard before, but this time with a twist; it includes very human hells, and what the idea of a 'hell' might be like for Lucifer himself. The variety of plot was *chef's kiss*. There are triumphant times, humorous times, and depressing times to be had within these pages. Most of the stories left me needing a minute to really think about what the consequences or repercussions would be if it were reality.
4. My absolute favorite story in the anthology was Shallow be Thy Name by M Ennenbach with special mentions of:
Don't Beat Yourself Up by Tony Logan
Let Me Clip Dirty Wings by Jason R Frei
Deep and Dark by HP Newquist
Jackson's Unwanted Guest by Patrick Flaherty
Devil on my Shoulder by RJ Roles
5. Highly recommend if you're into religious horror, demons, anything of this vein!
July 6, 2023
The one thing about anthologies is there's usually something for everyone! Even if you don't like every single story, there's always at least one you WILL like. This little gem was one of those rare ones where I liked MORE of the tales than usual! I may be slightly bias on one of them, though. *wink* Well worth the read and a great reason to dive into more of what Crimson Pinnacle Press has to offer!
September 3, 2024
Though I'm not particularly into anthologies, I decided to give this a go because of the title. That said, overall I felt it was more of a solid and enjoyable anthology than I expected, and had a good mix of stories - from the depressing to the humorous. However, if I had to pick those that stood out it would definitely be Dracula's Devil and Shallow be Thy Name. The latter having an ending I was most certainly NOT expecting whatsoever, and the former making me want to take a scolding shower. I will definitely have to investigate the authors of those pieces and pick up some of their other works.
May 24, 2022
This is an excellent collection of stories about Lucifer and demons in general. Each author brought their own unique point of view. From the origins of Dracula, to a good man doing bad things to a Lucifer who just wants to hang out and play video games each story is highly entertaining.
June 3, 2022
All the stories in this collection are excellent. My two personal favourites though were Dracula’s Devil and Shallow be thy name.
March 9, 2023
I'm all for the Devil books! This had a great selection of tales!
July 21, 2023
Loved it
Great theme and interesting stories. Would like to see if it
Is a series. If not then it should be.
Great theme and interesting stories. Would like to see if it
Is a series. If not then it should be.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews