D is a lady with a hobby. She publishes chap books at knock down prices [often as low as £1] containing fiction from talented authors. She also produces Whispers of Wickedness magazine four times a year and gives it away free. When I asked her how she could afford to do this, she replied enigmatically: “It’s cheaper than horse riding.” Her website, Whispers of Wickedness is filled with fiction, reviews, news and there is always a lively debate on the forums.
THE COLD BLUE COLLECTION
Short Stories by Peter Tennant
Illustrated by Carole Humphreys
Peter Tennant is an established writer with a smooth, polished style that allows him to create highly believable; yet chillingly undesirable fiction. The Cold Blue Collection contains five stories that keep the book fastened to your hand until they are done with you. The illustrations by Carole Humphreys work well with the subject matter, enhancing the stories without giving crucial plot points away too soon. Whilst it is difficult to pick out a favourite where the standard is consistently high, “The Object of the Experiment” certainly lingers in the mind longer than is comfortable.
Excellent
THE HEISENBERG MUTATION
And Other Transfigurations
By Steve Redwood, Visualised by Carole Humphreys
Superbly empathic writing fills the pages of this little book. When Steve Redwood writes, he seems to work outwards from the heart of his subjects and draws the reader in as only a master storyteller can. Once again Carole Humphreys’ artwork enhances the stories, enticing the reader to read just one more tale, then just one more. The final story, which gives the book its title, lends power to human ambition in a novel way and yet manages to end on a quite unexpected smile.
Superb
WAKEMARES
A Short Story Collection by Tim Johnson
Illustrated by Carole Humphreys
A collection of rather nasty fiction, rather rougher in style than some of the other books on the D-Press list. The stories are rich in content and atmosphere, although the author needs to have more confidence in his abilities as a storyteller and resist the temptation to over-write. On the whole, though, a book that will turn a sleepless night into a spooky one. More fine illo’s from Ms Humphreys.
Promising
Short Stories by L J Blount
Illustrated by Dave Bowlin
The four very diverse stories in this book show the versatility of the author from the horror of being a child trapped with a loving but insane relative, to a cautionary fairy story, a second story of parental evil [do I detect a pattern emerging?] and finally a gory tale of misplaced faith. All are well written and illustrated with the atmospherically shadowy artwork of Dave Bowlin.
Fine writing.
Illustrated by Marcia Borell
The superb colour plates in this book work wonderfully with the stories. Gavin Salisbury is another writer who writes from the heart of his subjects and empathises with them even when they are slitting throats or hunting down victims. The first story in the book, The Red Face and the Blue Face is a story of talking walls that made me smile. Others in the collection were deeply moving and all were beautifully crafted.
Empathic.
All reviews by Susan M. Phillips
