Truly a new twist on old urban legends. This collection is everything I hoped it would be. Clever, spine-chilling stories that made me unable to stop reading. The characters are outstanding and unique. A great Halloween Anthology.

The Unvanished Hitchhiker by Margaret L. Carter (4.75 R.I.P.)

A new spin on an eerie urban legend. Not grisly but a cliffhanger making you eager to solve it. This is an addictive story. The ending made my heart leap.

When the Dead People Brought a Dish-to-Pass by Christine DeSemet (Dame Moonstone) (5.0 R.I.P.)

The story drew me in. Such unique characters. Halloween celebrating the lives of our loved ones who have passed on. This spooky parable is a real page turner.

Trick or Treat by Carrie S. Masek (Dame Topaz) (4.75 R.I.P.)

Enchanting story. Definitely for the whole family! The curls in story give new life to a seasoned tale. The characters were delectable, the writing is very vibrant. I watched the scenes in my head as the story unfolded.

White Elephants by C.J. Winters (Dame Tanzanite) (4.5 R.I.P.)

New spin about the abandoned house in town. Not the characters I expected, which was very refreshing for me. I was relentless until reaching the end. Having an unique ending left me very satisfied.

Papa by Karen Wiesner (Dame Amethyst) (5.0 R.I.P.)

The eerie tale of Hansel and Gretel has just gotten more chilling. Papa’s characters were unyielding individuals with strict beliefs. Just when I thought I had figured it out, the book turns and it throws all my first conclusions out the window. It kept me on my toes. This is a truly Halloween inspired revamp, to an old fairytale.

The Beast by Jane Toombs (Dame Turquoise) (4.5 R.I.P.)

The old Halloween Party. I was entertained. The characters were a perfect spin to the story. Even though this tale was brief it is well written. The ending is a cliffhanger, which is a delicious way to end this story.

Ghost of a Chance by Karen Woods (Dame Coral) ( 4.75 R.I.P.)

Romance is in the air even on a tragic Halloween.  The characters are so real  this could be your boss or even your best friend.   From the start the author lays out the teasing scenes.  It is packed with ghostly encounters, black cats and even a tragedy.  This is a Halloween Romance if there ever was one.

• Paperback: 302 pages
• Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593746857

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To visit the submitting author’s website go here.

(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)

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I would like to begin this review by saying that Twice Damned is one of the best-written, best-developed, and most thoughtfully composed books I have ever read. So much care and detail has been put into this book that it honestly amazes me. I offer my most sincere congratulations to the author on this beautiful book.

In their ongoing crusade to create the ideal soldier, the Nazis created a mutation designed to bring their soldiers great strength and invulnerability, yet something went awry: their creation became Nosferatu — the damned forced to live away from the harm of sunlight and drink the blood of humans. The results of their experiment were horrifying, and the few survivors quickly became unmanageable killers.

Decades pass, and the most docile and human of the vampires, Ritter Breitmann, poses at a student in a midwestern United States university. He lives off minute quantities of blood obtained from the unwitting he safeguards from other dangers of the world: a devil’s trade to some, but Ritter is no monster.

On one such a “gallant” outing, he comes across and rescues a university researcher — Faith Allister, who unwittingly works on a controversial, humanitarian genetics project that draws the ire of both the human and superhuman worlds. Her work is woven into a complicated web of deceit and treachery, and only her fateful meeting of the vampire offers a possible, untangled solution to her genetic questions — and a way out of the situation alive.

The book moves slowly, with descriptions that make it entirely realistic. There is no blind acceptance of the preternatural status quo from our heroine, and the setting’s Utopian, yet stark 2014 lends an even more believable touch. The slight offset of years from the present gave the author room to work without provoking a “but that isn’t how things are!” reaction.

The characters are possibly the most well-developed in any paranormal book I’ve read; they’re realistic and emotional, and sympathetic without contrived flaws simply to show that they’re “real”. Ritter and Faith need no help establishing them through such devices.

Utterly stunning, with tender touches and a fantastic storyline. I honestly could not put this book down.

Book Stats:

• E-Book and Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Mundania Press, LLC (February 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594260753
• ISBN-13: 978-1594260759

To purchase a print copy of Twice Damned click here.
To purchase an electronic copy of Twice Damned click here.

To visit the author’s website go here.

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