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October Blood
This Halloween, usher in the spookiest of seasons with a collection of fourteen haunting tales from some of the finest talents in indie horror today. A curious coffin calls to trick-or-treaters. A group of ghosts seek revenge on the one who took their lives. A woman who makes her own candy uses the most wicked of recipes. A man discovers a naked girl in the woods with no clue of who, or what , he should fear. A witch witnesses atrocity and does everything in her power to prevent history from repeating itself. A pair of otherworldly beings know the every desire of those who trespass on their abode. A local boogeyman casts a yearly shadow over the neighborhood and everyone in it. These stories and more await within this collection of fourteen haunting tales from some of the finest talents in indie horror today—Bee Davis, Shannon Lane, Marie McWilliams, Sabrina Voerman, Michael Benavidez, Kyle J. Durrant, Jamie Stewart, Michael R. Goodwin, Marcus Hawke, Denver Grenell, Alana K. Drex, Julie Hiner, Carmilla Yugov, and Thomas Gloom. So sit back and indulge in a steady infusion of…OCTOBER BLOOD.
238 pages, Paperback
Published October 3, 2022
32 people are currently reading
183 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Hawke
16 books121 followersMarcus Hawke is a writer primarily of horror and dark fiction, some fantasy and sci-fi, and a few things that defy categorization. He was born in Toronto, moved around quite a bit during the dreaded formative years, and finally settled in Calgary where he studied at the Alberta College of Art and Design.
Many moons before that, he had aspirations of becoming a filmmaker and......well......a long story short, that didn't happen. But one thing that wasn't curtailed in that time was his love for stories and the written word. Starting with the likes of R.L. Stein in childhood, it grew into a full-fledged possession thanks to the works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, and JRR Tolkien.
After years worth of rejections, he finally had a short story called Bump in the Night published in Jitter magazine in 2016. Since then his work has appeared in a number of publications from Dark Pine Publishing, Jitter Press, Lunatics Magazine, Strange Elf Press as well as his first full-length novel, The Miracle Sin, the award-winning collection, Acts of Violence: Twelve Tales of Terror, Grey Noise, The Axe Remembers, You Can't Take It With You, and most recently the follow up to The Miracle Sin: The Trouble With Faith and Other Stories. He also edited the October Blood and Dead of Night anthologies under his imprint, Hawke Haus Books. He lives with his feline overlord in an apartment building haunted by the type of neighbors that make a person wish a ghost would come to visit in the cold, often gloomy great white North.
In his spare time he reads, draws, paints, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and rambles in third person while writing website bios.
Many moons before that, he had aspirations of becoming a filmmaker and......well......a long story short, that didn't happen. But one thing that wasn't curtailed in that time was his love for stories and the written word. Starting with the likes of R.L. Stein in childhood, it grew into a full-fledged possession thanks to the works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, Ray Bradbury, and JRR Tolkien.
After years worth of rejections, he finally had a short story called Bump in the Night published in Jitter magazine in 2016. Since then his work has appeared in a number of publications from Dark Pine Publishing, Jitter Press, Lunatics Magazine, Strange Elf Press as well as his first full-length novel, The Miracle Sin, the award-winning collection, Acts of Violence: Twelve Tales of Terror, Grey Noise, The Axe Remembers, You Can't Take It With You, and most recently the follow up to The Miracle Sin: The Trouble With Faith and Other Stories. He also edited the October Blood and Dead of Night anthologies under his imprint, Hawke Haus Books. He lives with his feline overlord in an apartment building haunted by the type of neighbors that make a person wish a ghost would come to visit in the cold, often gloomy great white North.
In his spare time he reads, draws, paints, plays Dungeons & Dragons, and rambles in third person while writing website bios.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
Want to read
October 2, 2024None of the names in this collection are familiar to me, so it should be exciting to see what some new talent, presumably, can bring to the party. It’s easy to get stuck in the tried and true Halloween mainstays; Bradbury, Sarrantonio, Moore, Hautala, etc. I’m hoping to find some fresh unknown (to me) reliable revelers of the season to join the tradition.
I have Halloween anthologies to last me to my grave, but this one stood out to me as something I should add to that vast black and orange bookshelf.
Feel free to use this forum to recommend your favorite Halloween anthologies. Bonus points if I’ve never heard of it.
I have Halloween anthologies to last me to my grave, but this one stood out to me as something I should add to that vast black and orange bookshelf.
Feel free to use this forum to recommend your favorite Halloween anthologies. Bonus points if I’ve never heard of it.
October 8, 2022
Just like most horror anthologies, there are some stories that hit and some that miss. Most of the stories in October Blood were hits for me.
Filled with creepiness, ghosts and a little gore, this is a great read just in time for Halloween!
A solid horror anthology that is most definitely worth the read! 4⭐️
Filled with creepiness, ghosts and a little gore, this is a great read just in time for Halloween!
A solid horror anthology that is most definitely worth the read! 4⭐️
November 1, 2022
Halloween is a fun time. I find it very nostalgic, as each October takes me back to when I was young, and was first discovering a lot of great things. Goosebumps. Round the Twist. Old movies that were already nostalgic to people around me before I could be nostalgic about anything. I was the kid who liked to tell stories. I was the kid who watched The Shining when I was seven. I would wear metal band shirts to family gatherings as a ten-year-old. The only time I ever dressed up for Halloween as a kid was when I got my face painted as a vampire, in a sea of painted puppy faces. So when October rolls around, I like to delve into the fun stuff: the horrors. Why is it fun? I have no idea, but this book, October Blood, was certainly fun. If you don't have time for horror movie marathons, read a horror anthology book instead.
I can't mention every story here, but I will mention some that blew me away. Sabrina Voerman always knows how to invoke an element of folk horror into her fiction (see her series, Blood Bound), and Blood of the Moon was a perfect addition to this book. Michael Benavidez's Crescendo on Blood Moans and Sex Cries was truly phenomenal, and I even messaged him right after to congratulate him on a masterpiece of sensuality, cosmic, and 'be careful what you wish for' horror. It has been a long time since I've read erotic horror. It has been censored in society lately, so I was happy to see someone write about sex so unashamedly and proudly. Fear In Thornwell Castle is Kyle Durrant once again showing his complete and total control over every word he puts down on the page (see his first release, the story collection, Beyond Dimensional Veils). Thomas Gloom's There Is Rest was a fantastic way to end the book, simply because it was just a damn good story, invoking the vibe of Goosebumps - ie, those classic tales of terror we'd see somewhere on TV in the 90s.
I have to mention these two stories last, because they genuinely frightened me. The Cameraman by Michael R Goodwin, and The Bitter Man by Marcus Hawke. Both equally fantastic. Hawke's story invoked a similar feeling to Thomas Gloom's, in that this is a horror story, almost a campfire story. A recounting of something mysterious and unexplainable. Meanwhile, Goodwin's story was just downright eerie, with the perfect situational inciting incident: a mysterious VHS tape, and what is to be found on it.
Bee Davis, Shannon Lane, Marie McWilliams, Jamie Stewart, Denver Grenell, Alana K Drex, Julie Hiner and Carmilla Yugov, thank you for delivering horrors, ghost stories, and all manner of Halloween esoterica. This book is one of the best anthology books out there. Pick up a copy.
I can't mention every story here, but I will mention some that blew me away. Sabrina Voerman always knows how to invoke an element of folk horror into her fiction (see her series, Blood Bound), and Blood of the Moon was a perfect addition to this book. Michael Benavidez's Crescendo on Blood Moans and Sex Cries was truly phenomenal, and I even messaged him right after to congratulate him on a masterpiece of sensuality, cosmic, and 'be careful what you wish for' horror. It has been a long time since I've read erotic horror. It has been censored in society lately, so I was happy to see someone write about sex so unashamedly and proudly. Fear In Thornwell Castle is Kyle Durrant once again showing his complete and total control over every word he puts down on the page (see his first release, the story collection, Beyond Dimensional Veils). Thomas Gloom's There Is Rest was a fantastic way to end the book, simply because it was just a damn good story, invoking the vibe of Goosebumps - ie, those classic tales of terror we'd see somewhere on TV in the 90s.
I have to mention these two stories last, because they genuinely frightened me. The Cameraman by Michael R Goodwin, and The Bitter Man by Marcus Hawke. Both equally fantastic. Hawke's story invoked a similar feeling to Thomas Gloom's, in that this is a horror story, almost a campfire story. A recounting of something mysterious and unexplainable. Meanwhile, Goodwin's story was just downright eerie, with the perfect situational inciting incident: a mysterious VHS tape, and what is to be found on it.
Bee Davis, Shannon Lane, Marie McWilliams, Jamie Stewart, Denver Grenell, Alana K Drex, Julie Hiner and Carmilla Yugov, thank you for delivering horrors, ghost stories, and all manner of Halloween esoterica. This book is one of the best anthology books out there. Pick up a copy.
October 28, 2022
I got this just in time for spooky season—and it did not disappoint! Chocked full of various, scary short stories, this is a wonderful addition to any bookshelf. Though there were many fantastic stories, my favorite was Bridge Over Haunted Waters by Shannon Lane. The location holds a special place in my heart, and her prose is elevated, concise and chilling. Five stars!
November 1, 2022
"Her vision slowly cleared, as she woke up in her backyard in the peculiarly warm grass under the autumn night sky, the presence of her house at her back; stalwart." -BRIGHTER THAN A JACK-O-LANTERN'S SMILE
I am still pinching myself to be included among this amazing group of authors. I finally finished this knockout book on Halloween (perfect timing!)
It's been hard to pick a couple favorites, but for me they'd be The Craig Stevenson Club by @jamie.stewart.33 & Writer's Haven by @la_carmilla_
I am still pinching myself to be included among this amazing group of authors. I finally finished this knockout book on Halloween (perfect timing!)
It's been hard to pick a couple favorites, but for me they'd be The Craig Stevenson Club by @jamie.stewart.33 & Writer's Haven by @la_carmilla_
October 24, 2022
This is a fun, spooky, easy read. Anthologies can be hard to review, but I think that there is a story for everyone in this book, and not one of them fell flat. I enjoyed the read, seeing all the different perspectives on the holiday and what types of scary things can come from different minds.
Definitely fun to read this in the blustery autumnal days, with candles burning and the lights turned down low.
Definitely fun to read this in the blustery autumnal days, with candles burning and the lights turned down low.
November 18, 2022
A great collection of Halloween stories. Was a fun October read with something for everyone. Anthologies are a great way to get a taste of new writers and there were a few in here I'll have to definitely check out more from.
October 28, 2022
Nice collection overall. (For the record, three stars means "I liked it" overall). As in any anthology, you're lucky to have some stories you really connect with, and others that just don't work for you. Something for everyone here.
October 20, 2022
Hallowed tales and October chills
I enjoy short story collections but dont often leave written reviews but i felt this book deserved one . Worth a read on a dark October night
I enjoy short story collections but dont often leave written reviews but i felt this book deserved one . Worth a read on a dark October night
October 25, 2022
Spine tingling and scary in all the best ways! Every story in this collection hits a different nerve. No facet of Halloween fun is left behind. I had to forcefully pace myself to make it last longer, it was so hard to put down. Do not pass this one by, phenomenal!
October 25, 2022
An anthology of Hallowe'en-themed horror stories by a variety of indie authors.
'October Blood' is a showcase of talent from the indie horror writer community, featuring work centred around Hallowe'en. With an opening poem by Bee Davis and thirteen short stories across the spectrum of horror themes and tropes, including gothic, supernatural, psychological and slasher, with chills, folklore, superstition, urban legends and violence entwined amongst the prose.
These are not the first stories I've read by several of the featured authors, while I also discovered some great new writers I'll be looking out for again, and hope to read many more from them all in the future! Not only is this a great compendium of work, but the profits go to Calgary Food Bank, a charity working to fight hunger and help those in need.
It's always difficult to pick favourites amongst anthologies with so much variety; personally, I most enjoyed:
'Blood of the Moon' by Sabrina Voerman, a dark fable, about a man who comes to the aid of a lost woman in the woods, with a superb twist;
'The Cameraman' by Michael R. Goodwin, an atmospheric tale of a teenager who spends Hallowe'en night alone and dares to watch a mysterious videotape;
'The Bitter Man' by Marcus Hawke, exploring the truth behind an urban legend surrounding a murderous dentist.
Overall, 'October Blood' is a fabulous collection celebrating our favourite dark holiday; a collection of tricks and treats for both the seasoned horror fan and those who wish to test the waters during the season. Happy Hallowe'en!
'October Blood' is a showcase of talent from the indie horror writer community, featuring work centred around Hallowe'en. With an opening poem by Bee Davis and thirteen short stories across the spectrum of horror themes and tropes, including gothic, supernatural, psychological and slasher, with chills, folklore, superstition, urban legends and violence entwined amongst the prose.
These are not the first stories I've read by several of the featured authors, while I also discovered some great new writers I'll be looking out for again, and hope to read many more from them all in the future! Not only is this a great compendium of work, but the profits go to Calgary Food Bank, a charity working to fight hunger and help those in need.
It's always difficult to pick favourites amongst anthologies with so much variety; personally, I most enjoyed:
'Blood of the Moon' by Sabrina Voerman, a dark fable, about a man who comes to the aid of a lost woman in the woods, with a superb twist;
'The Cameraman' by Michael R. Goodwin, an atmospheric tale of a teenager who spends Hallowe'en night alone and dares to watch a mysterious videotape;
'The Bitter Man' by Marcus Hawke, exploring the truth behind an urban legend surrounding a murderous dentist.
Overall, 'October Blood' is a fabulous collection celebrating our favourite dark holiday; a collection of tricks and treats for both the seasoned horror fan and those who wish to test the waters during the season. Happy Hallowe'en!
November 9, 2022
Spooky season lives on in this fun anthology.
The vibe of this collection is equal parts dark and light. Plenty of horror hides in these pages while offering loads of nostalgia and bits of comedic relief from time to time.
Distinct voices share creative stories that will elicit gasps, gags, and goosebumps from the reader.
Bravo to all the contributing authors. This was a fabulously entertaining autumnal read. 🤘🏻🎃🍂
The vibe of this collection is equal parts dark and light. Plenty of horror hides in these pages while offering loads of nostalgia and bits of comedic relief from time to time.
Distinct voices share creative stories that will elicit gasps, gags, and goosebumps from the reader.
Bravo to all the contributing authors. This was a fabulously entertaining autumnal read. 🤘🏻🎃🍂
October 29, 2024
Some brilliant halloween based short stories in this. Perfect for spooky season!
April 25, 2023
*Review to Come*
November 19, 2022
Contains my short story "Writer's Haven"
December 26, 2022
Such a wonderful collection of short stories, perfect for spooky season. I was thrilled to be a part of it, and I loved every other story contributed by incredible indie authors. Hard to pick favorites, but I thoroughly enjoyed: There is Rest by Thomas Gloom; The Cameraman by Michael R. Goodwin; Candy Lady by Julie Hiner; Bitter Man by Marcus Hawke. If you're in the mood for creepy, this book is perfect!
December 21, 2022
A collection of 14 short horror stories spanning a range of topics, themes, and styles, all tied together with the overall theme of Halloween. A few stories I found particularly notable:
- Julie Hiner’s Candy Lady was especially creepy, with some twisted Hansel and Gretel vibes!
- I also enjoyed The Craig Stevenson Club by Jaimie Stewart with its disturbing imagery and strong writing style.
- The premise of The Cameraman by Michael R. Goodwin hooked me immediately as well.
All fun stories by talented authors! Grab a copy of the paperback—the cover and interior art are gorgeous, and the book is beautifully formatted. Definitely a great anthology to gift your friends at Halloween—or yourself!
- Julie Hiner’s Candy Lady was especially creepy, with some twisted Hansel and Gretel vibes!
- I also enjoyed The Craig Stevenson Club by Jaimie Stewart with its disturbing imagery and strong writing style.
- The premise of The Cameraman by Michael R. Goodwin hooked me immediately as well.
All fun stories by talented authors! Grab a copy of the paperback—the cover and interior art are gorgeous, and the book is beautifully formatted. Definitely a great anthology to gift your friends at Halloween—or yourself!
November 6, 2025
Much like your candy haul at the end of the night of trick or treating this short story collection was a mixed bag. Some favorites, some that I enjoyed enough, and some that I'd happily trade for something else.
A few of my favorites from this collection were:
Ashes to Ashes by Marie Williams
"Death is not entertainment, even when it is deserved."
This was my favorite line not just in this story but in the whole collection.
A story of witchy revenge!
The Craig Stevenson club
This was a really fun take on the ghost story trope. I would love to read more about this town, the kids and the ghosts.
The Cameraman Michael R. Goodwin
It all begins with a VHS tape found in the woods and a kid that just couldn't look away..
The ending of this one is just super unsettling. This story gave me "The Ring" vibes in that I feel like now that I've "seen" this story it's only a matter of time before I see that red light....
Bitter Man Marcus Hawke
As if I needed any more reasons to fear the dentist...
I loved the eyewitness stories
Halloween Rating: (Only rating how heavily halloween features/influences the story)
I read this as part of my annual halloween themed horror marathon. I'm always on the hunt for books that take place on or around Halloween for the month of October. All of these stories take place on or around halloween and halloween is featured heavily giving this one 5/5 🎃
A few of my favorites from this collection were:
Ashes to Ashes by Marie Williams
"Death is not entertainment, even when it is deserved."
This was my favorite line not just in this story but in the whole collection.
A story of witchy revenge!
The Craig Stevenson club
This was a really fun take on the ghost story trope. I would love to read more about this town, the kids and the ghosts.
The Cameraman Michael R. Goodwin
It all begins with a VHS tape found in the woods and a kid that just couldn't look away..
The ending of this one is just super unsettling. This story gave me "The Ring" vibes in that I feel like now that I've "seen" this story it's only a matter of time before I see that red light....
Bitter Man Marcus Hawke
As if I needed any more reasons to fear the dentist...
I loved the eyewitness stories
Halloween Rating: (Only rating how heavily halloween features/influences the story)
I read this as part of my annual halloween themed horror marathon. I'm always on the hunt for books that take place on or around Halloween for the month of October. All of these stories take place on or around halloween and halloween is featured heavily giving this one 5/5 🎃
October 16, 2024
Largely disappointing collection of Halloween-linked stories. The anthology began strong with Bloody Halloween by Bee Davis, Ashes to Ashes by Marie Williams and Blood of the Moon by Sabrina Voerman, but trailed off as did my interest. Dissatisfying read and rated as high as it is only on the strength of the mentioned stories.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
More at my blog: https://bookworminthedark.blogspot.com.
October 18, 2025
This was a solid anthology that would be perfect for your spooky season TBR. Some of the stories felt like they could maybe use a bit more editing but were overall enjoyable with great Halloween atmosphere. My favorites were The Cameraman by Michael R. Goodwin and The Bitter Man by Marcus Hawke. 3.25⭐️
May 11, 2024
I finished October Blood: A Book of Halloween Horror and was once again left with a chill down my spine, jaw on the ground and goosebumps on my arms. This is a series of Short Stories and each one was written from a unique perspective, Even if you try to guess the ending you will be left very disappointed.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews