Halloween 2018: Nightlight Tales 2 by Anthony Renfro

*Book received in exchange for honest review*

It has been a long while since we looked at Anthony Renfro’s work. Consider me very sorry about it since its beem sitting in my inbox for at least a few months. However, such a fitting time to read an anthology of horror short stories. To keep things moving, I will link back to reviews for some of these that I have written about before. One thing is for sure is that you should head over and check out Anthony’s blog HERE.

Nightlight Tales 2
by Anthony Renfro

The Headless Fountain Man

Fun fact: This story was inspired by a picture that I posted on Avenue of Daydreams.

There is something so fun about The Headless Fountain Man. I would have to say that he nailed it on the head with the “monster” in this one. Not to mention the main character is called Kim so it could be my biggest nightmare. The details and description for this short story is really well done. I had this slight feeling of one of the scenes from Gerald’s Game in there. It kind of creeped my out and also explains why I don’t normally take human figures or sculptures often. 100% awesomeness for this short story on all angles especially for creativity. I may have taken the picture to inspire it but it sure went off in an unexpected direction.

Fear of the Scarecrow

Revenge, scarecrows, incantations, pumpkins, creatures and some bloody moments pretty much sums up Fear of the Scarecrow. Its a story about revenge and how far to go for it. But its even more than that because there are layers to this story more on a physical level as the events and revenge gets more intense with how it turns outs. I’ve read this one before and rereading it is still pretty fun.

It Sleeps At Dawn – Review

The Dead of Winter – Review

Gluten-Free

Unexpected is how I’d describe this story. I think this highlights why I like reading Anthony’s short stories a lot. I’ve talked about his creativity before but I wouldn’t have imagined on using gluten as a central way to commit suicide. Extreme, gruesome and very well described. Gluten-Free is one of the shorter short stories but one that is fully engaging because of how its presented. Its unique and that is what makes it stand out for myself.

The Lot – Review

The Dragon

In our current landscape, technology is everywhere. A lot of people ignore the horrors that come with it. Of course, we’ve also been seeing a lot of movies that reflect this especially with the new wave of screenlife horror and thrillers. The Dragon mimics something of the dangers of when something like Alexa is a lot more sinister. Its clever to use technology as the background but what I like a lot about it is the vivid description of how things go down. Its great to be able to picture every moment that happens.

Webs

I was wondering when spiders would be the central horror in one of the stories. A completely fresh setting compared to previous stories also gives it a nice little change. At the same time, the story paces itself quickly and takes a quick change for a fairly bloody turn of events. Using curses and spider webs and looking for ancient idols being the center makes for a fun adventure. It only focuses on the main event but could definitely be something that I’d read a full story about from the whole research to the horror in the cave or tomb or whatnot.

Gas Station of the Dead

One of the longer (is not longest) story of this collection is a story that comes back to what I think Anthony does a great job at: Zombies. I’ve always been more of a fan of the short stories, this one is more fleshed out. It gives us a more complete story with the main character. Its definitely not a bad thing and this one packs a lot of the hero and having the positivity to move forward and be smart about how to get out of each situation. It is a tamer novel as a while but with a commendable end goal for our main character as we watch him hatch his plan while not exactly knowing what exactly his plan is until we get there. I can’t say its my favorite mostly because if we were looking at commendable characters from this collection, Mike Beem Chronicles, which is a series that I’ve read all of and features as the final four stories does an incredible job at with both building a memorable main character. I guess this one fell short a little for myself.

Mike Beem Chronicles:

A Zombie Christmas – Review
A Zombie Christmas 2 – Review
Flesh of the Zombies – Review
Zombie Beach – Review

Overall…

Nightlight Tales 2 shows a diversity in what Anthony Renfro can create. While he has an obvious love for writing about zombies, there are other aspects of horror that he dives into using different avenues to share the depths of his creativity. This collection is definitely a fun read and is packed with page turning stories, which are perfect for the Halloween season or any horror craving you may be having.

Where to find it:

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CJTDK66

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CJTDK66

AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07CJTDK66

CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07CJTDK66

Short Story: Zombie Beach by Anthony Renfro

If you missed the other reviews of the previous short stories in The Mike Beem Chronicles. You can check it out in the the following links:

• A Zombie Holiday Trilogy
• A Zombie Christmas 2
• Flesh For The Zombies

Zombie Beach
By: Anthony Renfro

Part 1: Mike and Captain

On the Coast, Mike runs into an old Sea Captain and they form an instant bond. Mike learns of Captain’s boat, his son and daughter-in-law. Captain is desperate to get off Carolina Beach, but there is a problem (and it is a big problem) the town is swarming with zombies. Mike decides to help the old man fight his way through the hordes in order to gain safe passage on his boat.

Part 2: Mike and Myrtle Beach

Alone again. Mike finds an old motel on the South Carolina coast and decides to call it home. While rebuilding his life and motel he meets some new friends, fights off countless numbers of zombies, and settles into his new life by the sea.
– Goodreads

Excerpt

Mike Beem lowered his rifle, put his right eye on the scope, and closed his left eye. The zombie he was about to shoot was an ugly sucker. He was currently hanging ten on a tall gigantic wave. The zombie surfer was riding a long board, wearing red flowered swimming trunks, and a tee shirt with a dirty smiley face on it. His shirt and shorts along with his thin long blonde hair were flapping in the breeze as he sailed down the wave at top speed.

Poof!

The zombies head exploded leaving only a ragged stump shooting blood up into the air. The headless body surfed for a moment or two before tumbling into the crashing wave.

“Why’d you do that?” A voice behind Mike asked, an older voice full of age and salty wisdom. He sounded like a man who had sailed the sea for most of his adult life.

Mike turned around to face him, lowering his rifle.

“Just saying, he wasn’t hurting anybody,” the old guy replied, leaning on a wooden cane with a silver metal ball on the top of it. His long white hair and soft white beard reminded Mike of his own granddad who had died when he was just a boy.

“I found this silencer, and I just wanted to try it out,” Mike replied, reloading his gun. “Besides, one dead zombie is one less zombie in this world as far as I’m concerned. Don’t care if it’s a threat or not.’”

“Got a name, son?”

“Mike Beem, you?”

“Most folks call me Captain, and I’m fine with it,” the old guy replied, as a cool blast of air pushed back his long hair. “Storm’s moving in. Going to be a nasty one.”

“I had the same feeling,” Mike replied, scanning the late afternoon sky filling up with grey storm clouds.

“That your truck?” Captain asked, nodding towards the 1955 Chevy.

“It was,” Mike replied, turning to face the machine, which was currently sitting perfectly positioned in a parking spot. Pieces of zombies where sticking out of the smoldering radiator, including one complete head with the eyes still looking around, mouth chomping away. “Parking lot was full of corpses. I had to get down to the beach somehow.”

“Guess so,” Captain replied, thinking this Mike guy wasn’t exactly all there. “How about a hot meal and a place to rest your head?”

Mike looked up and down the empty beach, across the decaying splintered boardwalk and the buildings now falling into disrepair. His decision was a quick easy one to make. “Sure, lead the way, Captain,” he replied, climbing down off the bench he’d been standing on. He slung the rifle over his shoulder, picked up his small bag of personal items, and then set off after the old man.

Review

If you haven’t read Mike Beem stories before, it usually adds a much more hopeful twist to the grim zombie apocalypse world. Mike Beem has lost a lot over the last few stories however he is a survival. His character is the pillar of these novels and he is written always as someone who is not only a hero but also very human and relatable. It is why its so engaging to read these stories. While Zombie Beach expands on the location with two parts and still has some charming characters, its hard to feel that that at some parts, it falls a little flat. Of course, those moments are never long, especially seeing as this is a short story however, with the comparison of the previous stories, this one lacks a little more depth perhaps its the fact that the circumstances are little more docile for the most part with only a few more action-packed moments. However, for the well-written characters especially the badass Mike Beem, this story (and all the previous ones) are totally worth your time.

Links

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0736H6M52
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0736H6M52
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0736H6M52
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0736H6M52

The Mike Beem Chronicles

If you want to check out all the Mike Beem stories in one book, this is the collection of the 6 stories.

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0736DX4CS
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0736DX4CS
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0736DX4CS
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0736DX4CS

Flesh for the Zombies (short story) by Anthony Renfro

Reading has been a tad slow these days and I’m kind of feeling like I’m cheating on this Goodreads challenge because I’ve been reading a lot of short stories and comics/graphic novels but I guess this does work because its really been a whole new adventure. However, the world is much better in smaller doses especially when I finally got around to checking out Anthony Renfro’s new short story Flesh for the Zombies. For those who don’t know, Anthony is one of us bloggers and he is also a writer. You can find him at Haiku, Poetry and Occasional Hullabaloo and his newer blog, One Writer Ranting. Over the years, Anthony has been great and its always great to get a free copy of his book because I do love his writing a lot. Flesh for the Zombies continues with the story of Mike Beem which is a pretty cool character that has been around for a few short stories already.

Flesh for the Zombies
by: Anthony Renfro

When Mike Beem’s community is savagely attacked, he must exact revenge on those who wronged him. He must put aside all the good he has ever accomplished in order to become someone else. A man without a moral compass. A man without right or wrong. A man who is a cold blooded killer. Will he get his justice or will he die trying? The answers lie within the pages of this short story. – Goodreads

What started with A Zombie Christmas turned into A Zombie Christmas 2 and now we have Flesh for the Zombies which follows a very cool bad-ass with quite a soft heart who makes the best out of a sudden zombie apocalypse. Mike Beem is a great character created by Anthony Renfro for these stories and despite these only being short stories, the events Mike Beem goes through and the way he talks and his actions truly allows the readers to see who he is. With Flesh for the Zombies, the story dives a little deeper as the community he built is not destroyed by a group of people who has taken the zombie apocalypse and gone the different direction of how he chose by making things a living hell and when they choose to destroy his community that he’s built with positivity and create a safe(r) haven for what is going on outside, it turns a side of Mike Beem and makes not only us but the character itself question the limits of his actions especially in the face of hard choices. Its not to say that in the face of a zombie apocalypse there won’t be hard choices even before but the tone of Flesh of the Zombies has matured quite a bit from when we first saw Mike Beem and his desire to bring Christmas from the survivors of his neighborhood. To me, that shows improvement and character depth all of which makes me happy to see that the author has chosen this new path. For those who have read A Zombie Christmas, we already know that the author likes to take a different approach to this zombie apocalypse business and its quite creative. The most impressive part for Flesh for the Zombies is it takes it down a very different path with very intriguing results making this a very fulfilling short story.

Overall, Flesh for the Zombies takes a turn down a deeper and darker path for an impressive character that gives it some character depth. Packed with vivid description and some hard choices for the protagonist to make, this short story is a page turner and one that stands together well with the Mike Beem stories from before, A Zombie Christmas 1 & 2 but also should stand well enough by itself as it is self-contained.

Links to buy the short story (if you are interested)

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6HMBY9
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N6HMBY9
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01N6HMBY9
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01N6HMBY9

A Vampire at Christmas (Short Story) by Anthony Renfro

Its Christmas Eve! Perhaps you’re taking a break from all those Christmas classics you’re watching or spending time with a ton of family, or maybe just hanging out a little before whatever you need to do today. As you read this, I’ll probably be baking up a storm for the annual family gathering at night. However, I can’t leave you all without something fun.

Today I’d like to promote a little for my fellow blogger Anthony over at Poetry, Books, Movies and Music and his short story based during the holidays, A Vampire at Christmas. You can find my review HERE.

A Vampire At Christmas
by Anthony Renfro

Synopsis

A short story about a Vampire who uses his riches and immortal skills to bring joy to those in need during the Christmas Season.

Excerpt

A naked, artificial, green Christmas tree (replaced every season) stood in one corner of this tomb; and there were no ornaments on this tree, no garland of any kind. The coffin he slept in was decorated with thick silver tinsel, and it draped and wrapped itself around this orifice of death like a shiny snake. Talan dared not play Christmas music because he was afraid of drawing attention to himself. People might discover his hiding place if they heard music playing up from somewhere deep in the Earth, no matter how far into the woods he made his lair. The tree and the decorated coffin were more than enough to keep him in a Christmas mood.

Where to find it

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

The Lot (Short Story) by Anthony Renfro

Still looking for some Christmas themed short stories?

Fellow blogger Anthony Renfro from Poetry, Books, Movies and Music has a collection of them for the holidays. I already talked and reviewed A Zombie Christmas and its sequel, A Zombie Christmas 2 the last two weeks. You can find them HERE and HERE respectively. Now its time for another one!

Let’s check it out!

The Lot
by: Anthony Renfro

Synopsis

This short story is about a Christmas Tree lot that has evil intentions.

Excerpt

The Christmas tree lot stood cold and silent beside the two lane road now covered in 6 inches of snow. Gavin Douglas was hunkered down inside the small building attached to The Lot. He stood 6 foot 5, tall and lanky, a once healthy thirty-year-old man who now looked like he had spent the last two months inside a sweat box. He was emaciated and weak looking, ribs showing through his skin. His face hung droopy and long, teeth rotting away, some had fallen out. His once thick hair now hung thin, patchy, and lifeless across his skull. His clothes were dirty and disheveled, unclean like the rest of his body. He hadn’t been able to eat, sleep, shower, or do anything normal since the pine trees had arrived in October, because he felt like it was his job and duty to protect his town, a town he loved more than his own life.

My Review

Its hard to pinpoint what The Lot reminds me of. For one, its a bit like Little Shop of Horrors in some ways but then blends in something else in the end and makes you wonder. What I liked the most in The Lot is the vivid descriptions. It truly felt like I could picture the scene in front of me and watching the events unfold between Gavin and Ernie and the police at the Christmas tree lot. Its hard to not spoil The Lot but its a quick and fun read.

Where to get it 

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JMX67U2#nav-subnav
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01JMX67U2
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01JMX67U2
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01JMX67U2

A Zombie Christmas 2 (Short Story) by Anthony Renfro

Last week, I shared a short story A Zombie Christmas by our fellow blogger and author Anthony Renfro. You can check out his awesome blog Poetry, Books, Movies and Music. Today we are back to do a little review on his sequel, A Zombie Christmas 2!

Let’s check it out!

A Zombie Christmas 2
by Anthony Renfro

Synopsis

A boy lost. A family desperate. It’s Christmas in a Zombie Apocalypse and Mike Beem is once again aiming for another Holiday miracle. His goal this year isn’t toys for the kids in the neighborhood. His goal this time is trying to save one small life so another family doesn’t have to suffer the way he suffered.

Excerpt

Once inside, Lisa turned around and watched the dead and decaying world disappear behind a solid gate of silver metal. Attached to the gate was a large green Christmas wreath, sparkling with silver and red tinsel. She turned back to the front, and looked at each home (though hard to see clearly in the snow) decorated in muted decorations. Doors and lawns and roofs all displayed some kind of Christmas cheer, and in the center of this peaceful oasis sat the largest Christmas tree she had ever seen. It was kept upright with wooden spikes and strings, and sitting atop of it was a large yellow star spinning like a lighthouse beacon. She looked from the tree to their path, and saw small bags depicting Christmas scenes lining their way. Inside each bag was a small candle, flickering bright in the snow and cold. She flicked her eyes from the candles to the baby carrier and the baby asleep inside of it, kept warm and safe by Mike’s coat draped over her, thankful Mike had given it up so her baby could rest comfortably.

Short review

A Zombie Christmas 2 is a pretty nice addition. It takes the endearing and tough character Mike from the first and continues a year later on Christmas. We now see how he has brought everyone together and in times of desperation, gave everyone around him some hope and even a sense of community. What makes the story great is not only that it focuses on Mike but also on some of the people around him and also on the environment. Zombie stories are a plenty right now but Anthony always puts a neat little twist to add not only danger and action but also remembering that the characters are also human. And to achieve that in a short story, it is why I love his Zombie Holidays series and this addition is great.

Where to get it

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MF4WHII
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MF4WHII
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MF4WHII
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MF4WHII

Short Story: A Zombie Christmas by Anthony Renfro

Christmas is just over 20 days away! I’m not prepared at all for anything on the blog for it. Luckily, there’s always something to highlight.

Today, I’d like to do some promotion for a fellow blogger Anthony over at Poetry, Books, Movies and Music with one of his short stories set during Christmas! Anthony has released a lot of impressive and entertaining short stories that I’ve personally liked a lot! This one is one of my favorites. You can check out my review HERE.

A Zombie Christmas
by Anthony Renfro

Synopsis

This short story is about three men who risk life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to bring happiness to surviving kids on Christmas Morning.

Excerpt

Mike Beem lowered his rifle, put his right eye on the scope, and closed his left eye. The zombie he was about to shoot was an ugly sucker. From what Mike could tell, this zombie used to be a man around five foot five or six, maybe seven. Hell, he couldn’t tell the exact height from just a tiny scope. Its suit was disheveled, full of dirt and blood (it looked fresh, a recent feast perhaps), and half of his face was gone. This zombie was currently investigating Mike’s Santa Claus and reindeer display. The zombie was studying it like he knew what it was or remembered what it was.

Where to get it

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0

It Sleeps at Dawn by Anthony Renfro

***Thank you to Anthony for sending me his short story! It is much appreciated!***

Anthony Renfro is one of our own talents here in the blogosphere. You can check out his blog over at Poetry, Books, Movies and Music . He writes up haiku posts every day and he has released a very good selection of short stories with unique twists, predominantly in the horror genre.

With Halloween right around the corner, his new short story, It Sleeps at Dawn, is here right on time.

It Sleeps at Dawn (Short Story)
by Anthony Renfro

This short story is about a Vampire who stalks the Appalachian Mountains. A traditional Vampire who uses fangs instead of guns. He hunts. He kills. He sleeps at Dawn. – Goodreads 

Excerpt

She gripped her nerves tight, pushed back the fear, and stepped up to the door that she hoped led out of the long hallway and into freedom. The door was made of solid oak, black from top to bottom and side to side, with a gold door knob in the shape of a demon with two emerald green eyes. Bright red pentagrams were embedded into its wood. These pentagrams were so red they seemed to be filled with blood, ready to bleed at any moment, almost pulsing from their plumpness. She reached down for the handle, deep breaths filled with dread ran through her lungs, as her heart drummed a loud terror beat inside her chest. She turned the handle and opened the door, which was so heavy that it took two hands and a healthy dose of sweat to move.

Her heart sank once the door was wide open because there he stood, the man who had brought her here the night before. Her cloudy memory had finally opened up, spilling forth the information. It was the bar where they had met, the bar where he had laid on his charms, the bar where he had asked her to go home with him, the bar was the last memory she had before waking up in this mysterious place. And she was sure of another thing, he wasn’t the same man who had picked her up. That dashing handsome young man with the long black hair and dusty blue eyes, who stood at least six foot five, and was easily a foot taller than her was now nowhere to be seen. Instead of the young man dressed in modern clothes, here stood an ancient older man in dated black three piece suit with a cape tied around his neck. The cape fell to somewhere near the middle of his back. It was black to match the suit, but the interior of it was as red as the pentagrams on the door. His cologne wafted through the air as he stood there, an ancient smell of High Karate.

He smiled at her, an evil dark eat you alive from head to toe smile, which revealed large white fangs that hadn’t been there when he picked her up.

Review

Something about going back to the basic vampire formula is very dazzling. Everyone right now wants to add a new tweak to the vampire stories to make it unique but no one realizes that vampires in their traditional forms have a certain appeal. They create a danger through their clever, one-minded goals. They are sly and yet still have a disadvantage of living only in the evening. Plus, it adds a bit of mystery and magic to what they are. This is where Anthony’s story comes in as a rather fun one to read. On one hand, we get a view of the vampire and how he hunts for his victims. On the other hand, there is a portion of how his victims get lured into the trap. Through this short story, we already get a complete image of what a vampire’s abilities and his ruthlessness. While I can’t say that this is terrifying to read, it did feel slightly tense in the second half as the vampire’s plans seem to unfold and we, as the audience, looks in and can see the victims walking into a plan and are way above what they expected to find in the first place. Plus, Anthony uses very vivid imagery and language for a top notch writing that made it even more engaging to read. Definitely one of his finer short stories!

Where to get it

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXYPP02
UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXYPP02
AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01LXYPP02
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01LXYPP02

The Tale of the Golden Pirate by Anthony Renfro

Today’s book review is for a book sitting in my Kindle for a little while from a fantastic blogger and author Anthony Renfro over at Poetry, Books, Movies, and Music. I’ve read a few of his short stories before and read his first full novel AWOL as well. I’ve reviewed all of them here. This is the second novel I’ve read of Anthony’s called The Tale of the Golden Pirate, previously called as I realized Ghostly Visitations and Southern Destinations.

The Tale of the Golden Pirate
by Anthony Renfro

An Action-Adventure tale about pirates, ghosts, buried treasure, doomed love affairs, double crosses, drug deals, and creatures made of slime. An eclectic tale combining the world of Jimmy Buffett and Stephen King. Follow Parson’s journey as he is pushed into endless peril, and asked to do things most people are rarely asked to do. Does he get his buried treasure? Does he get that easy life so many of us dream about? The answers lie within the pages. –Goodreads

I haven’t read a lot of books about pirates. There’s a little bit of paranormal factors in here. The Tale of Golden Pirate is definitely an adventure. There are some little bumpy patches here and there but overall, its an enjoyable read. The story is pretty much about being introduced to man called Parson, a jogger and uncommitted sort of guy to his job or the girl he is with. I can’t say that Parson starts off being a really likeable character but in the course of the story, the readers learn to warm up to him a little more. The best thing that Anthony does is set some interesting characters and here, he does a good job at it. Parson’s character has good development while also keeping up with injecting various characters throughout to make it not just a solo journey but one filled with worthy encounters. Even the pirates who are ghosts of the past pose a mystery that keeps us guessing what the deal is and why Parson was chosen.

The Tale of the Golden Pirate does have a few clunky bits. Its not enough to put off reading but there were awkward parts. In rare places, we’d jump to talking about jogging which somewhat breaks the momentum of the adventure on hand. In later bits, there are parts of talking to the readers which I’m not sure how I liked it. I think if it was done throughout the book, it would be more effective and add a little fun twist to it. Maybe give it a consistent character. However, I do like the addition of haikus throughout the story. It was a nice touch especially since bloggers who know Anthony know that he writes a lot of haiku posts on his site and he is really good at them.

In a whole, The Tale of the Golden Pirate was a decent read. It does start off strongly and sets up a good pace for the novel. The pacing does lose a little steam in the middle bits. Whenever we are in the main adventure mode, the story is tight knit and absolutely engaging to read however, it does tend to veer off a little in parts. At times, it felt a little like I was missing the point of it or maybe it was to add a few casual moments in there. I’m not sure of the reasoning behind it. However, once we enter into the last third or quarter of the novel, things really pick up quickly and it is one big well-written page turner sequence.

Even with some rough patches, The Tale of the Golden Pirate has something different. The ending is well worth the scattered slow bits in the middle. While I might not recommend this as highly as his first novel, AWOL (review HERE), The Tale of the Golden Pirate deserves a chance. Its still an overall pleasant read.

The Dead of Winter (Short Story) by Anthony Renfro (Plus Sunday Promotion)

Next up, we’re looking at a short story by Anthony Renfro, one of our own bloggers.  If you’ve been around here for a while, I’ve reviewed a few of his short stories and his novel, AWOL. His short story today is called The Dead of Winter. Thanks to him for sending me a copy of the story and including the information for this mini review. 🙂

Promotion: This Sunday, this story and all of Anthony’s zombie stories will be free. Head over and grab a copy! 🙂 

Let’s check it out!

The Dead of Winter
by: Anthony Renfro

Synopsis

A short story about an apocalyptic nightmare in a crisp frozen landscape filled with winter and living corpses.Two men try to find safety in this dead world. Hoping to ride out the night. Hoping to find warmth and shelter. Hoping not to become food for the zombies.

The Opening (Excerpt)

Eric surveyed the road ahead and behind him. The world was filled with death. The highway was littered with silent, rusting cars sitting on rotting tires, waiting on drivers who were never going to drive them again. Ripped apart, torn open and partially eaten corpses littered the ground in various forms of decay. The corpses ranged from children to elderly adults. The zombies had done a number on them when they went into their “feeding frenzy.” The bodies that weren’t on the ground or pulled from their cars were still seated, and most of them still strapped into their seat belts, like they were still driving to whatever destination they had been going to before the world fell into death’s harsh embrace.

Eric breathed in deep and felt the cold air settle into his lungs. Bitter winter winds whipped at his face and tore at his clothes, trying to get inside the protective layers. Flakes of snow fell from the sky, nothing more than flurries.

“It’s something,” Eric replied, looking down at the white and grey cat in its carrier. He then put his eyes back on the man sitting with his back against a car.

Mini Review

The Dead of Winter is a well-paced short story. Eric is a good character in companion with his cat during a zombie apocalypse. While some of the events are predictable, there is a creative twist to what happens. Its a good quick read.

Links

US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CR9BLB8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01CR9BLB8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B01CR9BLB8?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01CR9BLB8