John Palisano

I was so excited to start this.....I waited to read this until closer to Halloween and actually finished on Halloween day... perfect timing!

This included work by some of my faves....Jonathan Mayberry, Jeff Strand, Steve Ransic Tem, Catherine Cavendish, etc.

This cover!! It's everything Halloween should be....nostalgic, fun, dark and creepy! The introduction is by the cover artist and I enjoyed reading the story behind the art.

I love the layout page to each story. I also really appreciated the included writers info at the end.

Here was my thoughts on each.

The curiosity at the back of the fridge: Delightfully creepy!

A bookstore made of skulls: Is there anywhere better to set a Halloween tale than Salem? This one was particularly chilling for me, as bookstores are my favorite places and the one in this story sounds amazingly scary!

Postcards from Evelyn: What a deliciously spooky story! Ghost children are always the scariest!!

The crawlers in the corn: Pretty good.....cornfields are always scary....fall horror classics

When they fall: Hmmm....this is one of those odd ones... I liked it...liked the essence and vibe, the central story was great....I'm just not sure exactly what you're supposed to make of the ending.

Always October: I loved this one! A clever take on our damaged humanity.

How to unmake a ghost: Sigh....I had so much hope for this book ....that it would stick to scary, creepy and spooky and leave politics and social ideologies aside. But unfortunately, this story carries the curse that destroys most modern literature. The story was good until the writer had to go there.

A Halloween visit: A comedic horror with a unique storyline...loved it!

Bootsys house: Amazing! Totally unique and entertaining. After reading the included authors bio, I've discovered Dennis Crosby is an urban fantasy writer.....I will absolutely check out his other work....this was fantastic!!

Soul cakes: Very touching

Ghosts of candies past: Silly campy horror....what Jeff Strand does best!!

Halloween at the Babylon: A classic haunted theater horror

Ghost of enerhodar: Probably the scariest so far! So Eerie! Absolutely chilling for many reasons.

The ghost lake mermaid: Cute!

Pink lace and death Gods: This was good....I loved the vibe....I'm not sure I understand the whole ending...granted, I was a bit distracted while reading this.....but I liked it none the less.

Ghost cricket: Like many Asian horror tales, this serves as a precautionary warning.....take heed!

No one sings in the City of the dead: Meh...my least favorite so far. It just reads very flat.

A scavenger hunt when the veil is thin: This was ok....very " I am woman hear me roar"

When you see millions of millions of the nouthless dead across your dreams in pale battalions go: Great!! its been awhile since I've read anything new from Mayberry....he never disappoints!! That said, this title is crazy Jonathan!

Overall, I enjoyed this immensely....it was a perfect pick to end my October reading!!… (más)

Review copy

Three of the stories in this collection have been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Excellence in Short Fiction, with one taking home the prize in 2016. That story is the first in this collection of weird and wonderful tales from John Palisano.

The twenty-one stories in All That Withers border on the fantastical. Many have a Lovecraftian feel, although the author has created his own mythos and otherverse. This collection is anything but ordinary.

Happy Joe's Rest Stop - This story of a rest stop from hell won the Bram Stoker Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. "He heard screams. Some sounded human. Some sounded formerly human. Some sounded like they were from hell." What a great way to kick off the collection.

Splinterette - Lost in a whiteout just yards from his property, a man experiences something quite unbelievable.

The Geminis - There's love and then there's love. A story of love and music with a Lovecraftian vibe.

Available Light - A story of Walter and his "brother," both affected with Xeroderma pigmentosum.

Long Walk Home - My favorite story so far. A tragic love set in an apocalyptic Jersey shore community. A wonderfully complete tale.

My Darkness Travels On Sunshine - An aspiring filmmaker with herself as the subject of a documentary takes a turn toward the unknown. There's a single sentence in this story that really stood out for me. "Come back when you're ready to talk about the darkness, sunshine." I just loved the dichotomy between darkness and sunshine.

The Haven - I can't even begin to describe this story, so I'm not even going to try.

To the Stars That Fooled You - Hands down, my favorite in this collection. The scene between Alex and Phil in the record store in Greenwich Village alone is work the price of the book and then the scene with Sid and Nancy just sends it into the stratosphere.

Mother You Can Watch - A quick stop at the Bates Motel.

Outlaws of Hill Country - Another wonderful tale with a killer opening line. "The night before Halloween, the Long Fellow sucked Jenny Lou Harrison's soul right out through her fingers."

Welcome to the Jungle - It's tough being a struggling actress in Hollywood.

Wings for Wheels - Asbury Park, Thunder Road, an up-and-coming musician. Is this ringing any bells? Great story.

Secret Sea - Some things are washing ashore on the beach outside of the Harpoon House.

Eternal Valley - A rather strange tale of something that lurks at the mouth of the Wabash river.

The Curious Banks of the Wabash River - There's definitely something about the Wabash river.

The Tennatrick - What if the California wildfires weren't being caused by drought or arson? "'What is that thing?' Jen said. 'It's huge,' Brian said. The animal reached the bottom and stood a few car lengths away. A long sectioned head rose ten-feet high. Seven eyes glistened. Some were red, some were blue, while others were black."

Vampiro - A new look for the California border patrol.

X is for Xyx - A breakup leads to an attempted suicide and that's when things get weird.

Sunset Beach - A wonderful day at the beach turns dark with monsters from the deep.

I Know This World - A very personal kind of horror.

Forever - A wonderful story of life after death from a pet's point of view.

Gaia Ungaia - It's a thin line between bad dreams and reality.

Perrollo's Ladder - Prior to reading this story, I had never heard of criaturas. I suggest looking them up on Google images. These are the things nightmares are made of.

All in all, All That Withers is a solid collection. If you're ready for something different, you're ready for John Palisano. Definitely recommended.

All That Withers is currently available as a paperback from Cycatrix Press.

From the author's bio - John Palisano's nonfiction has appeared in Fangoria and Dark Discoveries magazines. In addition to his short stories, he had a pair of books with Samhain Publishing, Dust of the Dead and Ghost Heart. His novel Nerves was published through Bad Moon Books. Night of a 1,000 Beasts is coming soon.… (más)

Review copy

Get this book. Don't even bother reading my review, just drop everything and get yourself a copy. You won't regret it.

Here's the synopsis you'll find on the first page.

"Life fast, die young, and leave a bloodthirsty corpse.

"That's the saying of a new pack of predators infesting a New England town. They're infected with the Ghost Heart, a condition that causes them to become irresistible and invincible...as long as they drink the blood of the living. But these vampires don't live forever, and as the Ghost Heart claims them, their skin loses color and their hearts turn pale. When a young mechanic is seduced by the pack's muse, he finds falling in love will break more than his heart."

Ghost Heart is filled with good writing, a solid tale that rings true and does not at all feel forced despite the subject matter. In addition to the horror aspects, it's also a tragic love story. All in all, a tale well told.

Ghost Heart is available from Samhain Horror in both e-book and paperback formats.

Again, I really can't recommend this book enough. I know 2016 is still young, but this could turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year.

John Palisano's short fiction has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award® three times and has appeared in many magazines and anthologies. In addition to Ghost Heart, John's other novels include Nerves and Dust of the Dead.… (más)