12 Days of Christmas Horror: "A Whisper of Rushes" by J. Rocky Colavito

 

 

 

 

On the second day of Christmas, PsychoToxin Press gave to me: "A Whisper of Rushes" by J. Rocky Colavito.

 

 

This is the second of a series of 12 stories that are available through the Eye Tales imprint of PsychoToxin Press. It runs from December 13-24.

 

You can download and read the second story for free here

 

My Review:

A bunch of friends gather on Christmas Eve for fun and mischief. One of them is late, but when he does show up, he is terrified out of his very mind. He tells his friends of what it was that spooked him, and despite their jibes, they are in for a night of bloody terror!

 

I really enjoyed reading this story. What I liked best about it is that the author does not give everything away. The author gives the reader just enough information to figure everything out. Yes, I knew what was going on, but it takes the characters a bit of time to realize just how much danger they are in!

 

This is a “short but sweet” holiday horror story. It’s just right for horror fans looking for a spooky Christmas story to read. Read A Whisper of Rushes” if you enjoy Christmas horror stories and you won’t be disappointed!

 

 

Five stars

 

12 Days of Christmas Horror: "The Christmas Reunion" by Bill Davidson

 

 

“The Christmas Reunion” by Bill Davidson is the first of a series of 12 tales being released by PsychoToxin Press for their Eye Tales imprint during the month of December 2023. It is available as a free download here

 

My Review:

A group of five college friends vow to meet at a bar in 20 years, but when the day comes, they are one friend short. They spend some time reminiscing and remembering their lost friend, but then things change and it turns into a reunion they will never forget!

 

I really enjoyed reading this short tale. Set during Christmastime (on the eve of Christmas Eve), it was a surprising ghost story that made me appreciate the life we have now just a little bit more. There were times the story gave me goosebumps and times it made me almost cry. I kept reading this story, wondering what would happen next! It was a very satisfying read and a good ghostly tale to enjoy during the holidays.

 

I really liked this story. I liked how the author gave each character their own personalities so it was easy to keep track of them. They also share a long-lasting friendship complete with stories from the old days, and the characters telling those stories really brought it to life.

 

 

Five stars

Time for Some Ho-Ho-Horror! We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year is a Collection of Creepy Christmas Stories!

 

We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year

By Steven Farkas

PsychoToxin Press, 2023

ISBN: 9798867007201

88 pages, Ebook

Buy links:

Amazon 

PsychoToxinPress 

 

If you enjoy reading holiday horror, especially horror written just for Christmas, then author Steven Farkas has got you covered. His newest book, We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year, contains 10 frightfully chilling stories that are sure to put you into a different kind of holiday spirit – one that has you sleeping with the lights on!

 

There are just too many good things I have to say about this book, but let’s take a few minutes to admire that awesome cover! There’s nothing jolly and cheerful about that spooky creature on the cover! It’s just one of the things that grabbed my interest and made me want to read this book.

 

And after I started reading it, I wanted to read more!

 

All of the stories are set in the fictional town of Harkers Mill, a town that met with tragedy and loss that produced a curse of mystery, terror and overall evil. Each story captures the dark fate of the town’s residents who are guilty of nothing more than wanting to celebrate the holiday spirit. No “merry” Christmas this isn’t! It’s more of terror, murder and supernatural creatures hungry for blood!

 

It's so hard for me to choose a favorite story from this book. I enjoyed reading them all! That’s not very common when I read a book of stories. Sometimes, I will skip over a story written in a POV I don’t like to read in (like second person) or if it’s just boring. None of that happened with this book! I happily kept reading every story!

 

And each story satisfied my craving for thrills, chills, and lots of gory kills! I got that and lots more!

 

Some of the stories I really liked are the one with the cranky town resident who HATES Christmas carolers, but one year he not only stops to enjoy their caroling but also invites them in for a variety of home baked cookies! Things are not what they seem, and the carolers are in for a nasty surprise!

 

I also liked the story with the evil Christmas tree. And what would a collection of Christmas horror stories be without Krampus? I loved this story, too!

 

But I gotta say that I loved the story “A Bloody New Year” most of all. What a treat for this reader!

 

Those and other chilling enticements await anyone looking for spooky holiday reads. We Wish You a Scary Christmas and a Bloody New Year is a collection of holiday horror stories that do not disappoint. Reading these stories just may have you seeing some of the more beloved and cherished icons of Christmas in a whole new light! (Just not in Christmas lights.)

 

Five stars

 

 

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