Danger lurks in them there mountains: Shadows of Appalachia is a collection of haunting, spooky stories

 

 

Shadows of Appalachia

D.L. Winchester

Undertaker Books, 2024

Ebook, 50 ppg.

ASIN: B0CK9JNF6Q

ISBN: 9798865850434

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In the mood for some down-home, bare bones and spinetingling tales sure to please? Then check out the short story collection by D.L. Winchester, Shadows of Appalachia. This chapbook of stories provides good scares, thought-provoking stories, and lasting impressions of life in the great beyond you won’t want to miss. I read every story in this book and loved them all!

 

You don’t need to be familiar with the Appalachian lifestyle, folklore or habits in order to “get” what’s going on in these stories, but it does help. I was never exposed to anyone from that area in the past, but I have met some folks from there, though they don’t really share much about the history. Even so, I have read of such things, so it helped me to understand some things about the goings-on in the characters’ lives.

 

But this is not to say these stories are for readers familiar with such things. No, a lot of the stories are relatable to other people and places – parents, teenagers, veterans and the like. There’s a lot in these stories that really pulled me in and tugged at my heartstrings. But there was also scary stuff in these stories, too. So scary that I almost stopped reading! They were a good read for scary stories and I enjoyed them a lot.

 

The “Wolf Creek” story was eerie. Not because of what happens in it (though that is definitely eerie!) but because I read this story as an author. I created a fictional town for my middle grade paranormal mystery series, though the state it is in is real. I could totally understand the character’s consternation and shock at what he discovered in Wolf Creek, in the story. And I started to get goosebumps. I wonder if that has ever happened to an author? That would be so bizarre! And “slender man in a black suit” REALLY gave me chills! EEK! (If you know, you know.) This is my favorite line from that story: “"Some are limited to what others can dream up, ideas like heaven, hell or purgatory. But rare ones, artists, writers, and the like, are able to find a home beyond what others can create." (Page 48) This author can dream.

 

Shadows of Appalachia is a short collection of stories that will entertain while also chilling readers to the bone. In a mix of stories spanning old tales, family regrets and haunts from the past, this book will leave readers satisfied by well-told stories and hungry for more tales from this author. I look forward to reading more of his work.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When the Swamp Comes Alive: Ink Vine is a Powerful Eco-Horror Story of Being True to Yourself

 

 

Ink Vine

Elizabeth Broadbent

Undertaker Books, 2024

ISBN: 9798218408091

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“Don’t go into the swamp. There’s nothing good in there.”

 

Emerald “Emmy” Joiner has been told this very thing both by her mother and her aunt. But the swamp is her happy place. It’s where she feels safe, accepted and at peace. It’s also where she finds love – and that changes her life!

 

This is just part of the story awaiting readers of the new novella, Ink Vine by Elizabeth Brooadbent. I loved this book so much! It’s not just the beautiful writing that drew me into it but the character Emmy. She has a lot of unhappiness in her life but she is trying so hard to make things better. She works a job that means barely wearing any clothes and dancing on a pole but she has all the self-respect for herself, and more. Even though she has to keep her bisexuality a secret, she is confident of herself and does what she needs to do to survive.

 

There’s also a sort of luring tone in the way the story is told. The voice of the story – Emmy’s voice – just drew this reader in and carried me along. The way she describes her family – even her rat bitchy sister, Diamond – and the small Southern town that she lives in. It’s the kind of voice that tempts me to keep going back for more, just as the swamp itself keeps pulling Emmy back for more. It is just so beautifully written!

 

Another thing I loved about this book is Emmy’s character arc. I wanted to see if she ever gets out of that rat hole she is stuck in. I want to see if she ever finds her voice to fight back against the constant barrage of criticism she keeps receiving from her mother and sister. And I ultimately wanted to see if she is ever able to freely be herself as a bisexual woman who lives life on her own terms. When that huge plot twist came up in the story, I was just blown away. “Who is this person??” I wondered. The New Emmy that emerges later in the story is magnificent, daring and unapologetically living her life as only she can.

 

I also loved the “bonding moment” that Emmy has with her aunt. And how her aunt says, “No good reason for letting go of someone who sees you and loves you anyway.” This above all else is such a strong message for the whole book right here. When you fall in love with someone, the main thing you want is for that person to see you as you are – flaws and all, quirks and all, mistakes and all, sexuality and all – and still accept you all the same. Still give you that same unconditional love that you want to give to them. In essence, love without judgment. You want that acceptance and that kind of unconditional love. For all she does in this story and everything she says, this is Aunt Tallie’s greatest contribution right here. And as I read that part of the story, I was hoping that message would hit home for Emmy.

 

Ink Vine was an amazing story of love, self-acceptance, growth and beauty. It’s the kind of story where a woman who was beat down too many times breaks free of what the world expects from her and shows what she truly is. With beautiful prose and a well-crafted story, Ink Vine stands out as a story that inspires. I have never read anything so beautifully written and told as well as Broadbent does here. She is an amazing writer with a talent for prose that captivates and inspires. I really enjoyed reading this debut work by this author and look forward to reading her future books.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.