Sinister Tidings
About Sinister Tidings
Here you will find a collage of likes and dislikes from RTS’ Spyder Collins. The primary focus is to bring fun and indie flashes of art and not so mainstream artists. There is nothing fancy, revealing, political or otherwise world shaping. Just things, introductions, reminiscing and fun in the world of literature, art and music, to which I hope you enjoy and find some pleasure in.
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Saturday, February 28, 2015
THE DARKNESS BEYOND THE VEIL - Darren Scothern
The Darkness Beyond the Veil boasts “Nine tales of the
supernatural” from the author Scothern. True enough, I suppose. What caught my
eye was the write up on “Faithless.” Further explorations show the author to be
an atheist. No judgment here, to each their beliefs. But what is puzzling is,
perhaps I need an education here, if an atheist is a person who denies or
disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings – then why write about
the existence of such being?
I suppose in the broader sense, there are those that write
about pixies and fae but aren’t inclined to believe they exist – touché to me?
Well, whatever, The Darkness Beyond the Veil offers some dark realism in the
realm of the supernatural. Not a huge fan of Faithless, and I must confess rose
my disappointment to heights of seemingly no return.
That said, I read on and was quite take in with ‘The Veil’
and the dark roller coaster ride it to me on. The atmosphere was quite pleasing
and the brooding feel of the plot was enjoyable as well. Love can be a puzzling
and sometimes frightening emotion. To further my pleasure, ’11:59’ was somewhat
original but certainly captive. Tom did not excite me, however – who glazes
three separate tales and takes them to some interesting places but overall nowhere
memorable.
For the reader – if supernatural themes are your bag this
might be worth a read. Overall, I harp in the $0.99, which for me makes them
all worth a read but I sense disappointment here, as this work does not measure
up to the other works of the author.
For the writer – nothing here to glean off of – decent writing,
nice flow to the collection but no notable training or influence material here.
Hiding in:
Seattle, WA, USA
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Midnight Rides (An Anthology of Intense Stories) - Shannon Mayer
Midnight Rides by Shannon Mayer is a self-authored anthology
riddle with nasties and delights. By this, I mean, the anthology is a
fantastically. Now those who follow this blog or happen to enjoy a
review or two know how I operate. The one thing that kills me in reading works
of an advertised genre is that so many of them are far from my idea of the genre.
So, comparatively, Midnight Rides is more fantastical and provides a clever feel for the genre. It is well written, perfectly placed frights and interesting twist
and turns along the way. I found most every tale with something to offer enough
to maintain my interest. I am a skimmer, of section jumper be the tale boring
or I feel impatient while I read. I want action, substance ort descriptive
voice that has me visualizing the scene the author is trying to present.
Mayer has an eye for description. One that is not to dense
or to vacant – meaning, I can see what she is saying. Now, my inpretation may
not be on target with the author’s but she delivers enough to allow me to peel
her words off the screen and piece together the scene. Amazing, in a word.
Nocturnaphobia is enchanting in the fears it conjures. The
mood is intense and dripping with mood. A wonderfully crafted tale that spoils
many a short story from other less talented pen, than that of Mayer’s. Cursed
is another story of particular attention, in that it delivers in the vein of
traditional tales of fantasy. I was drawn in through Mayer’s distinct
descriptive voice and the woven fantasy of her character development.
For the reader – I say this all the time, $0.99 is a drop in
the bucket when it comes to book sales. Supporting such authors, really any
Indie author for a scant $0.99 is well worth the donation. This of course isn’t
the case as most are tight with that less than buck in their support of the
genre or Indie authors. Here – you are getting a bargin, drop the buck and
enjoy the talent before that buck becomes more traditional as Mayer won’t be a
$0.99 author for long!
For the writer – Mayer has a way with descriptive voice,
character development in short spaces and atmosphere. Read her and take note of
this talent, cause it is truly a talent.
Hiding in:
Seattle, WA, USA
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Look Behind You - Sibel Hodge
Look Behind you is a rollercoaster ride of a mystery – in
that there are high points and low points as you move through the chapters.
Overall, it is a good read and following Chloe about trying to figure out what
the hell is happening has its moments.
The character Chloe is likable enough but some of her
encounters are totally probable and as such cause the plot to grind, not quite
to a halt but at time pretty darn close. As you journey through Chloe’s world
you will come to understand that her amnesia in some ways is a plot inhibitor,
so that events do not need to be flushed out as much as one might expect.
Now mystery isn’t exactly my favorite thing, but every so
often I will wander off the pure horror vein and read. The universe in which
the protagonist journeys is interesting and at times quite intense, but on the
other hand much is predictable and mundane.
The issue I have with books like these is that they are only
$0.99 cents. I don’t see that as being much to drop on a decent tale or an
experiment. Obviously others beg to differ.
For the reader, if mystery is your bag and you are not a
critical or tease me reader than this may be a great read. If you want your mystery
to be, well, mysterious then you might find a spot of disappointment.
For the writer – if mystery is your genre then take a note
from above and perhaps take the tale for a spin and draw your won conclusions.
I don’t find this as a learning tool.
Hiding in:
Seattle, WA, USA
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Devil's Nightmare - Robert Pruneda
For some, perhaps, when the read the title they thought “
wha-? Who authorized this guy to write my biography?” I conjured up some
wonderful scenarios, such as a Freudian look at the Devil’s dreams and their
sexual impetrations or an intimate look at the Devil’s apparent “bitch” of a
wife. Wonder if the poor bastard is
married – have to ask the next time I see him. One would think I would know if
that was the case, but trust mw when you are around that bloke you want to get
away as quickly as possible. Leaves scant time for small talk.
This crime, thriller, mystery (not horror) book offers some shocking
detail about a series of murders. The story centers on a lone wolf detective
named Aaron Sanders who must put the pieces together (on his own).
The boy is an enigma. The killings he witnessed, the entity
that seemingly haunts him is very well played out. The suspense is well manufactured,
the thrills (I guess that is the term for a thriller) is hard and gruesome but
not too much on the horror realm vice mystery, say.
Ending was predictable but most are.
For the reader – great pick-up and something if the genre is
up your virtual library aisle, you will enjoy. I dare say this might be a sit
down and finish book, it is that much fun to read.
For the writer – suspense is rich here. Atmosphere is nicely
spooned and the overall mood of the story keeps its momentum. Not sold on character
development but plotting is well storyboarded.
Hiding in:
Seattle, WA, USA
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Horror 101: The Way Forward – Various
Alright, $0.99 book lovers! If you
love horror and appreciate the names in horror then tune in, catch up and open
your wallet or coin purse. This will be a rather short review as there is not
much to say but- hell yes! Buy it, read it and enjoy it. The cost is only the
first piece of excitement, each tale holds it own and presents horror in the
way it should be.
Great tales of inspiration and style, all worth the cost
of admission, all expertly presented. Learn what drives the genres best and what their inspirations are. This is for sure a virtual classroom. This is a once in a lifetime training tool that is simply amazing.
For the writer, this book truly is a classroom for the writer. The stories present lessons in plot, characterization, visualization, storytelling, presentation, and closing. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!!
For the writer, this book truly is a classroom for the writer. The stories present lessons in plot, characterization, visualization, storytelling, presentation, and closing. BUY IT BUY IT BUY IT!!
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