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The Twelve Coffins of Dr. Coffin
When Leo Wayland accepts a job as head of the new horror unit at Maiden Studios, he knows what is expected. Make cheap movies that earn their money back fast. It doesn't matter that he dislikes horror. He just needs to escape his assistant director's position at a rival studio.
But he didn't expect to be assigned a terrible title and a leading man, all before he even had a script, or that his leading man would be Everett Reid, the actor who rejected a very young Leo’s advances, only to disappear from movies altogether a few years later in a cloud of scandal.
Everett Reid will do anything for a chance to get back the career he lost and away from teaching at a theater camp for children. And if it means working with Leo Wayland again, he can do that too. Especially now that Leo is all grown up and not so untouchable.
With only three weeks, a flamboyant stage actor, twelve scantily clad women, and a sound stage full of coffins may not seem like the makings of something great. But really, that all depends on what you are hoping for.
But he didn't expect to be assigned a terrible title and a leading man, all before he even had a script, or that his leading man would be Everett Reid, the actor who rejected a very young Leo’s advances, only to disappear from movies altogether a few years later in a cloud of scandal.
Everett Reid will do anything for a chance to get back the career he lost and away from teaching at a theater camp for children. And if it means working with Leo Wayland again, he can do that too. Especially now that Leo is all grown up and not so untouchable.
With only three weeks, a flamboyant stage actor, twelve scantily clad women, and a sound stage full of coffins may not seem like the makings of something great. But really, that all depends on what you are hoping for.
- GenresRomanceLGBTHistorical
55 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 30, 2022
6 people want to read
About the author
Amy Spector
32 books125 followersAmy Spector grew up in the United States surviving on a steady diet of old horror movies, television reruns and mystery novels.
After years of blogging about comic books, vintage Gothic romance book cover illustrations, and a shameful amount about herself, she decided to try her hand at writing stories. She found it more than a little like talking about herself in third person, and that suited her just fine.
She blames Universal for her love of horror, Edward Gorey for her love of British drama and writing for awakening the romantic that was probably there all along.
Amy lives in the Midwest with her husband and children, and her cats Poe, Goji, and Nekō.
After years of blogging about comic books, vintage Gothic romance book cover illustrations, and a shameful amount about herself, she decided to try her hand at writing stories. She found it more than a little like talking about herself in third person, and that suited her just fine.
She blames Universal for her love of horror, Edward Gorey for her love of British drama and writing for awakening the romantic that was probably there all along.
Amy lives in the Midwest with her husband and children, and her cats Poe, Goji, and Nekō.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 12, 2022
I could have done with a tad more of Everett and Leo interacting on page, but otherwise, I quite enjoyed this.
July 31, 2022
This is short, sweet, and filled with movies' people, who are weird and lovely and fun, making it awesome.
But the real gem here is Leo, who loves books and movies. And Everet.
A second-chance romance with no angst and a fluffy but not sugary feeling to it that brought a smile to my face.
I loved it ♥
But the real gem here is Leo, who loves books and movies. And Everet.
A second-chance romance with no angst and a fluffy but not sugary feeling to it that brought a smile to my face.
I loved it ♥
August 5, 2022
This story has a great premise to go with its title– a young, budget horror movie enterprise with a charming, half-idealist, half-realist director, the down-on-his-luck movie star he’s carried a torch for for years, and a fascinating (if somewhat underdeveloped, given time constraints) supporting cast. It’s a mostly fun, slightly pointed slice of an era of Hollywood life and a really sweet love story to boot, one that ends on the perfect note. Well worth a read.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
August 9, 2022
I really enjoyed this story, we get an insight into what goes on in making a low budget, cheesy horror movie, and along the way we also get some humor and rumor. Leo has risen in the ranks to finally become Director and this is his first solo production, as cheesy as the plot is and as low as the budget is he's determined to make this work. A really good, enjoyable story but a slightly abrupt ending.
August 15, 2022
3.5 rounded up to a 4.
As a kid, I practically lived for horror films, whether they be the creature features such as "Them" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", the Hammer horror films, or the old classic "Dracula" and "Wolfman" movies. But I had a special affinity for the old American International Pictures films, particularly the ones starring Vincent Price. They weren't very good most of the time but they appealed to me on some level in their sheer "let's put on a story" way, often turning into camp classics.
This story brought me back to those days with the tale of Leo Wayland, a journeyman filmmaker and Everett Reid, an actor attempting a comeback after a scandal some years before. It's an interesting story, sweet without being cloying, if a bit forced at the end. The main criticism I had was that there just wasn't enough time to tell the whole story - there was definitely a missed opportunity here for a much longer tale. It was an intriguing setting with some interesting characters, particularly Lee, one of the supporting characters, and settings. I would have enjoyed more time with Leo, Everett, and Lee in their quest to make movies on the cheap in an industry just looking for product.
Still, an enjoyable read, with an unusual premise and quirky characters. I'll definitely be reading more of Spector in the future.
As a kid, I practically lived for horror films, whether they be the creature features such as "Them" and "The Creature from the Black Lagoon", the Hammer horror films, or the old classic "Dracula" and "Wolfman" movies. But I had a special affinity for the old American International Pictures films, particularly the ones starring Vincent Price. They weren't very good most of the time but they appealed to me on some level in their sheer "let's put on a story" way, often turning into camp classics.
This story brought me back to those days with the tale of Leo Wayland, a journeyman filmmaker and Everett Reid, an actor attempting a comeback after a scandal some years before. It's an interesting story, sweet without being cloying, if a bit forced at the end. The main criticism I had was that there just wasn't enough time to tell the whole story - there was definitely a missed opportunity here for a much longer tale. It was an intriguing setting with some interesting characters, particularly Lee, one of the supporting characters, and settings. I would have enjoyed more time with Leo, Everett, and Lee in their quest to make movies on the cheap in an industry just looking for product.
Still, an enjoyable read, with an unusual premise and quirky characters. I'll definitely be reading more of Spector in the future.
August 21, 2022
An inspired story based around the number twelve for JMS books' 12th-anniversary celebration. As a huge film and Hammer Horror fan, I absolutely adored this slice of Hollywood movie history as talented director Leo Wayland slums it at a cheap horror movie outfit as his opportunity to break away from being an eternal assistant director. There he meets his old crush and current leading man Everett Reid, making a comeback after being mired by scandal, and as the tight filming schedule progresses, there is more than a hint of a second-chance romance.
As there was a 15k maximum word limit for this submission call, I'm amazed at how much Amy packed into this story. There was tons of atmosphere, cinema history and kitsch movie detail and tone perfect for the era with great secondary characters that allowed the tentative central relationship to shine. A real gem of a story.
As there was a 15k maximum word limit for this submission call, I'm amazed at how much Amy packed into this story. There was tons of atmosphere, cinema history and kitsch movie detail and tone perfect for the era with great secondary characters that allowed the tentative central relationship to shine. A real gem of a story.
August 19, 2022
An old flame... a chance at doing what he really wants, directing movies. Can Leo Wayland manage a chaotic production and keeping his sanity (and his heart) safe? In the magic world of movies, everything is possible…
This is a short, albeit really entertaining story. I loved the characters, all of them charming, and somehow endearing. There is a lot of romance, some humour and even a little mystery… What I liked the most is the B-movies atmosphere, the impromptu changes in the dialogues… the camaraderie between the crew, the rush of preparing and playing a scene… It reminded me of my times as an amateur participant in the University Theatre society… LOL
Short but memorable
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
This is a short, albeit really entertaining story. I loved the characters, all of them charming, and somehow endearing. There is a lot of romance, some humour and even a little mystery… What I liked the most is the B-movies atmosphere, the impromptu changes in the dialogues… the camaraderie between the crew, the rush of preparing and playing a scene… It reminded me of my times as an amateur participant in the University Theatre society… LOL
Short but memorable
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
August 30, 2022
Another fun trifle from one of my favorite authors!
I loved the colorful old Hollywood backdrop. Both leads were engaging, but as with some of Spector's other books, I felt this would have been better expanded into a short novel or meaty novella. It's so slight that we don't really have time to see the feelings develop, nor do we see as much of this fantastic setting as I would have liked.
It's a fine little story for what it is, so I'm giving it a good rating, but it ultimately felt a bit disappointing to me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I loved the colorful old Hollywood backdrop. Both leads were engaging, but as with some of Spector's other books, I felt this would have been better expanded into a short novel or meaty novella. It's so slight that we don't really have time to see the feelings develop, nor do we see as much of this fantastic setting as I would have liked.
It's a fine little story for what it is, so I'm giving it a good rating, but it ultimately felt a bit disappointing to me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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September 13, 2022dreadful typos, did the unedited version get loaded? cute, abrupt ending, lee scene-stole!
November 17, 2023
It's a fun story, but it's so short that there isn't time to get really invested in the characters.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews