Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

Flash 40: Life's Moments by Janelle Jalbert is an interesting collection of flash fiction pieces divided into several perspectives; beginnings, middles, endings and beyond. All realistic defining moments of people’s lives are instilled in the stories. The collection starts off with “Awkward,” which is an adult read but not offensive by any means. “Rabbit” made me chuckle. An innocent woman who just wants to get her coffee at the next stop turns the tables on a state trooper.

“The Ends Justify the Means” is a story about a teacher, Ms. Milton, who seems to have the whole school against her. It interestingly lends a valuable insight into the life of teachers, and it made me wonder whether some of the ‘bad’ teachers that I encountered during my life as a student were greatly misunderstood. Another favorite of mine is “Ageless Character,” a poignant story about a 14-year-old boy and his crush.

The characters come alive very easily. Some of them straightforwardly remind me of people that I know. That said, a few stories end abruptly and would leave some readers struggling as to what the stories are all about. Then again, all the stories are equally enjoyable. Simply put, Flash 40 is a fascinating collection of realistic tales. The diversity of the premise, plot and characters makes for a very satisfying read. Jalbert aptly weaves in the different elements to give readers the sense of bonding with the stories. Her writing skill is simply wonderful and I definitely look forward to reading more of her work.

Reviewed by Heather Osborne for Readers' Favorite

Spilt Milk: A Collection of Stories by D.K. Cassidy is a dark compilation of twisted tales. Several of the stories focus around George, an obese collector of things, and Caleb, a young man who has an almost psychopathic streak. As the collection begins, we see stories that explain what happened during the childhoods of these two men. Subsequent stories provide insight into their lives as they grow up. Intermixed into these bizarre tales are stories ranging from one about Cinderella’s stepmother and her morbid obsession with mutilating her daughters for monetary gain to one about Naiad, a girl who was shot and became paralyzed. In some of the other stories, George and Caleb make subtle appearances as background characters.

Miss Cassidy is truly talented in her ability to weave together such interesting tales. Apprehensive after the first story, my heart went out to George, his only friends being action figures due to an oppressive mother during his childhood. “Super Friends” had to be my favorite story out of the entire book, bringing me to tears. George relied on the only people that would not judge him for his weight. He buried his sorrows and loneliness in the only comfort he knew: food. The collection was put together in such a way that each new story provided a piece of a developing puzzle. I would love to know what happened to George and Caleb. Spilt Milk: A Collection of Stories is not for someone looking for a feel-good book, but for someone not afraid to explore new literary boundaries. Absolutely excellent!

Reviewed by Lorena Sanqui for Readers' Favorite

Undefeated by Charity Parkerson is an anthology of four short stories starring four alpha males all involved, one way or another, in the Smith Brothers Fight Club. The first story is of Bryant, half owner of the club. Someone has been stealing from the club and Bryant doesn't want to go the police so he went to the private detective next door, Parker. Book two is about Ace and Lucy. Lucy signed up for the self-defense class in the club and Ace is helping her out, but not just with the self-defense. Walt, the other half owner of the club, is the main character of the third story. When he came back damaged from the war, he tried to let go of Alyssa. Years later, he’s still the one not able to let her go, so when he sees her again he will try anything to get her back. The last story is about Paul. Paul and Jack met because of an unfortunate accident, but they won’t let it stop them from pursuing a relationship.

Undefeated is very sweet, and despite being short it is still romantic. And because the stories are short, the problems were resolved immediately, which I liked very much. I did not have to wait long to get to the ending. The endings are also something I liked best about this book, and I was very satisfied with them. It is set in a fight club, but there is little violence, which is nice. The characters are cute and fascinating. The men are a little broken and the women are strong-willed. The characters complemented each other, making perfect pairings. My favorite story is the one with Ace and Lucy; they have interesting back stories and they were funny characters. Recommended to all romance readers.

Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite

Asylum – 13 Tales of Terror, by Matt Drabble, comprises 13 tales of terror inside a tale of terror. Asylum is a very interesting concept. Matt Drabble starts his story by introducing Martin Parcell, the new assistant janitor at Blackwater Heights, a spooky looking old private mental health clinic. Martin was reporting for his first shift – a night shift, of course – on his first job since he was seriously injured in an automobile accident 14 months earlier. Just driving up the desolate, lonely road to Blackwater Heights was creeping him out, as he reflected over the circumstances which had derailed his intended journalism career. He had to keep reminding himself to press down on the accelerator, because subconsciously his foot kept easing up, hoping to delay his arrival at the old, brooding structure. Eventually, though, he found himself inside the building, in the company of Jimmy, the other janitor. Jimmy was a real talker. He liked to talk about the various “residents” of the clinic. He told Martin there were 13 residents, and each one had his own story. Martin thought to himself, maybe there’s a book in this job after all. He asked Jimmy to tell him the stories, so Jimmy took him to each room, one at a time, and told the story of the poor demented soul inside. Martin took careful notes.

Matt Drabble is a master storyteller himself. Each of the 13 Tales of Terror is one of the stories from the 13 residents, all tied together with a brief bit of dialogue between the two janitors. Some of the short stories are very creepy; all of them are very good. And, of course, what’s a spooky story without a surprise ending? Matt is faithful to that tenet, too, as is any good horror writer. Asylum – 13 Tales of Terror is an exceptionally captivating book. If you enjoy having the spit scared out of you, you will definitely like this book. I highly recommend it for all fans of the horror genre.

Reviewed by Jackie O'Neal for Readers' Favorite

"Vignettes & Postcards" edited by Erin Byrne and Anna Pook contains a collection of humorous, lyrical, and philosophical short stories that I found utterly engaging. The editors demonstrate keen literary instincts in anthologizing these fine pieces of short fiction. Anna Pook has led writer's workshops for several years from an upstairs room at the Paris bookstore Shakespeare and Company and Erin Byrne is occasional guest instructor. These stories come out of Erin's workshop, Leaping Into the Void. The stories selected represent the work of the formidable workshop participants. Readers like me who have visited Paris will find themselves filled with nostalgia by the sights and sounds of Paris so imaginatively realized, especially in stories such as Claire Fallou’s work. Kate Bujanovic’s character, Anna, so full of complexity, seemed to woo me into the story as she reveals her disappointment over love and how she finds solace in a soulful Paris bookshop (redolent of Shakespeare and Company) that appears to be brimming with the life she desperately seeks. I appreciated the finely etched details and the way the author created a vivid setting.

The editors enhanced the text by including original photographs that serve as illustrations for some of the stories and thoughtful epigraphs. All the authors displayed a rare literary sensibility coupled with excellent craft that make the stories worth reading over and over again. Each time I found something fresh and enlightening. Once I started reading the collection of stories by a diverse group of authors, I found it hard to put it down. It is surprising how close the editors appear to be to the project as if it were a labor of love.

Reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite

“The Speed of Dark” is a horror anthology of short stories written by an assortment of authors, and published by Chase Enterprises Publishing. Editor Clayton Clifford Bye states in his Introduction that “horror” means many things to different people. It can mean an intense feeling of fear or shock or disgust. It can mean terror, dread and fright. He quotes Lovecraft as defining horror as a profound sense of dread. He quotes Stephen King as identifying three levels of “scary”: terror, horror, and revulsion. In “The Speed of Dark” the editors were going for a different level of horror: they hand-picked 27 authors to craft “disturbing” horror stories. They succeeded admirably. Don’t expect to sleep well after reading this book. Some of these stories will stay with you for a long, long time, continuing to disturb you long after you have read them.

Many of the tales in this collection are superbly written. They also happen to be very disturbing. One can be forgiven for wondering about the mental state of some of these authors. But for a fan of horror, there is much to revel in within the pages of this compilation. I believe that every word used above to describe “horror” represents an emotion you will feel during the course of reading this book. Some of the stories have unexpected endings, which create the horror you will feel. Others start out with disturbing circumstances, and maintain that sensation of uncomfortable dread throughout. The editors at Chase Enterprises Publishing have tapped some brilliantly twisted minds to contribute to their anthology. In their effort to produce “disturbing” horror stories they have succeeded far beyond what I expected, even in spite of the introductory warning. Horror fans take note: “The Speed of Dark” is a book you must add to your library. Now.