I Was a Teenage Bigfoot by Jim Butcher - I Was a Teenage Bigfoot is a novelette in the Dresden Files series that takes place around the same time as the full-length novel Dead Beat in the series chronology. It’s also the second in a group of stories sometimes called The Bigfoot Trilogy that follow Harry as he helps his friend River Shoulders, who is a Bigfoot, look after his son, Irwin, who doesn’t know that his father is a creature of legend. In this one, Harry is tasked with going to the boarding school where Irwin attends to check on him, since his mother is out of town on an archaeological dig. Bigfoots aren’t supposed to get sick with human diseases, but surprisingly the boy is ill. This leaves Harry to find out why, and he finds some supernatural shenanigans afoot.

These Bigfoot stories have been fun so far, and this one, in particular, was light and amusing. I love Harry for being committed to his job and for not taking “no” for an answer in making sure his charge was OK. I also love how he handled the situation when he found out who the perpetrator was. It was quite funny, as was the way in which the story began. This little novelette was very well-written and engaging and I didn’t necessarily feel like there was anything else to tell, so my only real complaint here is that it was too short of a foray into Harry’s world. But otherwise, I very much enjoyed it. Star Rating: ****1/2

Blood-Red Greens by Joel A. Sutherland - “Blood-Red Greens” is a stand-alone short story about two friends, Randall and Errol, who have a standing date every week to play golf. Errol always wins, because Randall is a terrible golfer who’s thinking about quitting. During one of their games, the zombie apocalypse arrives, leaving them fighting off zombies while trying to finish playing, ending with a small twist.

Many years ago, I used to watch golf on television, but in the intervening years, my interest in the game has waned. There’s a lot of golfing terminology used in this tale, so with my prior knowledge of the sport, I wasn’t entirely lost, but it did kind of slow things down. The story is a fairly simple one that doesn’t have much of a plot. It’s basically about Randall and Errol and them being obsessed enough with the game to keep going even though they’re constantly being attacked by zombies. It’s kind of funny that they don’t think much of it, but instead just kill a zombie or two and then move on to the next hole. The ending was rather predictable, but mildly amusing. The writing itself is good, keeping me pretty well engaged, so overall, this was decent for a short story. Star Rating: ***

V Plates by Kelley Armstrong - “V Plates” is a short story in Kelly Armstrong’s Otherworld series that falls between Frostbitten and Waking the Witch in the series chronology. It features the werewolf characters of Nick, Reese, and Noah, who I gather were introduced somewhere earlier in the series. Eighteen-year-old Noah is still a virgin and having some girl trouble, but also eager to lose his “V plates.” Reese suggests to Nick that they take Noah to a brothel that caters to supernaturals and that came recommended by some other werewolves he knows. Although not so certain this is the best way to handle things, Nick, who appears to be the oldest and a pack mentor, reluctantly agrees. However, upon their arrival, the women who answer the door are acting a bit strange and as Nick and Reese wait for Noah to be serviced, Reese picks up on something that’s seriously amiss and that leaves them fighting their way out of a rather bizarre situation.

Aside from one other short story that was found in an earlier Blood Lite anthology, I haven’t read anything else from this series yet. Normally I don’t read series stories out of order, but I just hadn’t gotten a good sense yet as to whether I would enjoy the series. So, I decided to take the opportunity to sample it first. The other short story I read was entertaining enough but left me feeling a bit lost with all the names of characters I didn’t know being dropped. This one was a little better. I still felt like I probably would have enjoyed it more if I’d already had knowledge of Nick, Reese, and Noah, but at the same time, I got just enough of a sense of their characters to be rather intrigued by them. There are still some names of characters mentioned of whom I have little to no idea who they are. But I can say that “V Plates” is well written. It sufficiently entertained me and I liked the characters enough for it to inch me a little closer to possibly giving the series a try at some point in the future. Star Rating: ****

Put on a Happy Face by Christopher Golden - “Put on a Happy Face” is a stand-alone horror short story. It’s about a guy named Benny who always loved to make people laugh while growing up, especially his mother. He followed his passion to become a circus clown and studied all the great clowns of the past to learn the best techniques for getting laughs, but many years down the road, it isn’t nearly as enjoyable as he thought it would be and his little circus clown troupe often gets a tepid reception. Then one day, he finds an old book written by one of his clown idols that he’s never read before in a mobile book fair that goes to many of the same places the circus does. The book discusses how this clown summoned the demon patron of clowns in an effort to get the best laughter of his career. Desiring nothing more than to be the funniest clown in history, Benny does the same, but at a very high and unexpected cost.

Readers who harbor coulrophobia (aka the fear of clowns) perhaps shouldn’t read this story, as it might only make the phobia worse. Or on the other hand, since so many clowns end up meeting their demise, perhaps it might be therapeutic. Since I don’t have this phobia, I’m not sure which, or it might depend on the reader’s perspective. In any case, this was a decent story for one so short that demonstrates the old adage, “Be careful what you wish for.” Poor Benny craved laughter so badly, he never considered what the consequences might be for trying to force it to happen. The way the story ended was not only disturbing, but also pretty sad, because Benny gets a hard dose of truth that, in and of itself, would’ve been painful even without all the destruction that accompanied it. The story was a little slow for a horror tale, due to being rather heavy on the narrative prose, but it was still pretty readable, although not exactly what I’d call enjoyable because of its dark nature. Star Rating: ***

Devil’s Contract by E. S. Magill - “Devil’s Contract” is an extremely short piece of just under seven pages. I call it a piece rather than a story, because there are no characters or plot, so it really isn’t a story. It’s actually a satire of a software contract that pokes fun both at our corporate overlords and how much power they wield over us, as well as the people who never read said contracts. I started out reading it, thinking it might be kind of dry, but in reality it was so incredibly witty and well-done that I laughed so hard I cried. I think it was so hilarious because it really hits the nail on the head, containing a lot of truth about the way in which both people and corporations behave. I also have to give the author major props for taking me by surprise and for her imaginative creativity. This is definitely my favorite piece in this anthology so far. Star Rating: *****

Nine-Tenths of the Law by Eric James Stone - “Nine-Tenths of the Law” is a very short story of only about five pages that takes place in an unspecified future time where zombies essentially rule. They aren’t what you typically think of as zombies. Their flesh isn’t rotting off their bones, nor do they have a single-minded pursuit of brains, but instead are highly intelligent creatures who are now running our government incredibly efficiently as lawyers, judges, and politicians. Kyle, a ghost, comes to Gordon, a zombie attorney, wanting to evict the humans who are buying the home he’s lived in for the past twenty years, so he asks Gordon to litigate his claim for him. Gordon agrees and the results end up in an amusing plot twist. I previously read another short by this author in another Blood Lite anthology and thought it was quite clever and creative, and this one was equally so. This was a very amusing and diverting story and I honestly didn’t see the ending coming. Star Rating: ****

Scrumptious Bone Bread by Jeff Strand - “Scrumptious Bone Bread” is a stand-alone short story about Tommy, a taxidermist who is a little strange. His even stranger friend, Andy, who clearly isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, comes into Tommy’s shop. He’s gotten it into his head that he wants to find out what it would be like to crush up a person’s bones and use them like flour to make bread. He’s already killed a woman for this purpose, but he can’t figure out how to get her bones out of her body and wants Tommy’s help. Tommy reluctantly goes along with it, but when he realizes just how inept of a criminal Andy is, he decides he out, except that Andy then threatens him. This leads to more murder and mayhem, and Tommy giving Andy’s idea a try for himself with unexpected results.

This story was pretty well-written, but a little too gruesome for my taste. The whole idea of chopping up bodies and cannibalizing the bones was simply a bit too stomach-turning for me. However, I was mildly amused by just how dumb these two guys are and by the twist at the end. So overall, not a bad read, just not one that wasn’t entirely to my liking. Star Rating: ***

Let That Be a Lesson to You by Mark Onspaugh - “Let That Be a Lesson to You” is a very short story of just under six pages. The first-person narrator has just received a book on demonology that he ordered from Amazon. He rapidly leafs through it, looking for answers on how to apparently contain some kind of demon. Not finding the information he needs, he must then go feed this creature who I guess is supposed to be a parody of a wealthy, aging, Hollywood star.

This story started off OK. I was wondering what the main character might be trying to accomplish with his demonology book and the entries he reads from the book were mildly amusing. However, the final page and a half of the story couldn’t have been more offensive if it tried. In that short space, the reader get assaulted by animal cruelty, racism, ableism, and misogyny. I’m sure the author thought it was somehow funny, but I didn’t find any humor in this at all and don’t know why anyone would. Granted the main character turns out to be a demon himself, but even taking that into account, I thought it was over the top. I also wasn’t sure what the point of the story was. I guess it was that the narrator demon got the tables turned on him or something, but I certainly didn’t sympathize with him, especially after the abhorrent and appalling things he does to an innocent baby and kittens. Star Rating: *

Mint in Box by Mike Baron - “Mint in Box” is a stand-alone short story of only about eleven pages. It tells the story of a Jim, a geek who is an avid collector of action figures and other various movie memorabilia. He’s been searching for a rare action-figure connected to a cult-classic horror film, the director of which died, but not before placing a small amount of his blood in the unique paint for the action figure. When Jim finally finds the one he’s been seeking, he gets a lot more than he bargained for.

Aside from its rather gruesome nature, I thought this was a fairly clever story, right up until the end. I kind of guessed that something of this nature might happen, but at the same time, the actual outcome isn’t really explained. Instead, it’s all left to the imagination of the reader exactly what happened and how. I usually prefer for things to be wrapped up a little more neatly, but otherwise, it’s not a bad little story. Star Rating: ***1/2

The Great Zombie Invasion of 1979 by J. G. Faherty - “The Great Zombie Invasion of 1979” is a short story written from the POV of a hillbilly-esque character named Elmer who has seen a few zombie movies, so when a group of pale, bloody, and battered individuals start staggering across his friend Charlie’s field, he knows the zombie invasion has started. He and Charlie spend most of the story picking them off one-by-one, thinking they’re going to be hailed as heroes, but by the time most of the zombies are dead and the sheriff shows up, things quickly go awry.

This was an OK story, but I felt like it leaned too heavily into stereotyping. Elmer and Charlie are classic hillbilly types who are far from being the sharpest tools in the shed. In addition, there were several other offensive elements that IMHO dragged the story down rather than elevating it. More than once, Elmer considers murdering Charlie even though they’re supposedly friends. I also felt like the two men took a little too much gleeful pride in picking off the zombies, never giving a single thought for the people they might have once been. Then there was a bit of sexism, as well as a brief (like two sentences) implied reference to bestiality, which I thought was completely unnecessary and over the top. In the end, I guess you could say that Elmer kind of got what he deserved. So, the story was alright, just not anything to get too excited about. Star Rating: ***

Dating After the Apocalypse by Stephen Dorato - “Dating After the Apocalypse” is a very aptly named stand-alone short story about a guy named Malcolm who is trying to navigate dating after an unspecified apocalyptic event. The humans seem to still be trying to live normal lives, aside from the fact that they don’t really go out after dark because of undead zombie-like creatures who will attack them. After a string of unfortunate dating experiences, Malcolm has all but given up on finding the right person until a co-worker suggests his widowed sister. The two hit it off and things are going great until the unexpected happens.

I really enjoyed this story right up until the end. It’s exactly how I might imagine dating after a supposed zombie apocalypse might be. All the weird experiences Malcolm has are darkly humorous, and once he meets Julie, it even turns a bit romantic, which is right up my alley. The only issue I had with the story is the ending, which like a few other stories in this anthology, was a bit open-ended. I suspected something was going to ruin things once Malcolm appeared to get his happy ending, but I was only left to speculate and honestly couldn’t figure out exactly what happened and how. This unfortunately put a bit of a damper on what was otherwise a fun reading experience. Star Rating: ***1/2

Typecast by Jeff Ryan - “Typecast” is a very short story of only about ten pages about Linda, a Hollywood casting director, and her long-suffering assistant, June. The pair take a break from a casting session that’s a search for the perfect actor to play a serial killer in a television series. As they enjoy their coffee, Linda proves to June that she can flawlessly cast anyone by telling her what role each person around them in the coffee shop would be best at playing. Then her attention is suddenly diverted by the perfect person to play the serial killer, walking by the window. Linda races after him with unforeseen results.

Linda is not a particularly likable character. She’s a stereo-typical, demanding, high-maintenance, Hollywood type who may be good at her job, but she knows it and tends to rub it in other’s faces, namely her assistant, June, a meek, mousy type who simply does as she’s told. Overall, the story was OK, but I have to admit that once Linda leaves the coffee shop on her quest for the man who would make the perfect serial killer, I saw the ending coming from a mile away. So, not bad, but a tad too predictable. Star Rating: ***

Making the Cut by Mike Resnick, Lezli Robyn - “Making the Cut” is a short piece that appears to be part of a series known as A Close Shave that takes place in a barber shop catering to the supernatural crowd. A motley group of these creatures are gathered in the shop, shooting the breeze, while the barber whose name we don’t learn gives a haircut to a werewolf. They’re joined by a manicurist who’s applying for a job there, and she also provides grooming for the werewolf. Then others show up, including a zombie wrestler who wishes he could feel pain so that he reacts more realistically for his fans, and the manicurist unexpectedly has a remedy for that.

I called this a piece rather than a short story, because it feels more like a scene rather than a story. It was amusing but it doesn’t have much of a plot to speak of. It was mostly about this barber shop being the stereotypical community meeting place except that it’s for supernaturals and there’s quite a varied collection of them. The only human characters are the barber, who is the first person narrator, and the manicurist. I enjoyed it for what it was and it drew a few smiles out of me, but it almost seemed like I was supposed to already know the characters. However, I could only find a reference to one other story in the Close Shave series, titled “The Close Shave.” I’m not sure where that story was first published, but it apparently can now be found in the anthology, Soulmates. Star Rating: ***1/2

Acknowledgements by Will Ludwigsen - “Acknowledgments” is a short piece of only about four pages. Like a couple of other entries in this anthology, I call it a piece, because it isn’t really a story with a cohesive plot. It’s basically the acknowledgments section of a book that appears to have been written by a historical ghost hunter. He’s merely thanking various people for the roles they played in making the book possible. It does give us a little insight into his exploits and personality, and he seems a bit arrogant and not entirely likable. Also a few of the things he mentions, particularly involving children, were a tad disturbing, but mostly the nuances of this piece were lost on me. I didn’t quite understand the purpose of this “story,” so it didn’t really entertain me much. Star Rating: **

Mannequin by Heather Graham - “Mannequin” is a stand-alone short story, although at thirty pages, it’s among the slightly meatier tales in this anthology. It’s about two married couples, Andrew and Alexi and Keith and Janet who, for the most part, enjoy scary things. Andrew books a weekend stay for them at a Bed & Breakfast Inn that’s purported to be haunted, the former owner having murdered several guests before his own wife murdered him. They also hire a medium to enhance the ambiance and discover that one of them is sensitive to the supernatural world. After the medium leaves, they’re visited by the spirits of the former inhabitants of the house, leading to a bit of mayhem.

I’m not usually a fan of spooky ghost stories, especially ones connected to old, slasher, murder mysteries, but this one was pretty good. It creeped me out a little, without being too scary, and the tales of the previous residents were sanguine without being overly gory. “Mannequin” kept me entertained, while the ending was rather humorous, so everything hit that just right place for me to actually enjoy it. Given the prolific nature of Heather Graham and the fact that she’s written quite a number of romances, it’s a little odd that I would start with one of her horror shorts, especially when I didn’t even realize she wrote horror, but it just worked out that way. However, it was certainly good enough for me to want to check out more of her work when I get a chance. Star Rating: ****

Short Term by Daniel Pyle - “Short Term” is a stand-alone short story about an aging guy who is perhaps a burglar and probable a serial killer—it wasn’t entirely clear—with short term memory issues as though he’s starting to develop dementia. He breaks into a house, but once inside, he can’t recall certain things. This made for a mildly amusing story, but I have to admit that I was a little confused by its inclusion in this anthology. All of the other stories I’ve read in it so far have some sort of supernatural element, so I was waiting for a reveal at the end that this guy was perhaps a supernatural creature, but nothing of that nature occurred. I guess it was just a straight-up suspenseful horror story with a little humor. Overall, it was an okay read, but nothing too exciting. Star Rating: ***

Distressed Travelers by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - “Distressed Travelers” is a stand-alone short story about a shape-shifting supernatural creature, possibly an alien, who feeds off the emotions of humans. The creature is currently going by the name “Tim,” but appears to be neither male nor female, and instead can change their body at will to blend in with the human populace. Tim’s preferred place to find a “meal” is at the airport, and they’re a connoisseur of emotions, all of which have different flavors. The flight Tim was on has been canceled, and as they’re waiting in line to rebook, they meet Stan, a man whose emotions are difficult to read and have intriguing new flavors. Tim agrees to share a hotel room with Stan with unexpected but amusing results.

I very much enjoyed “Distressed Travelers” and feel it’s one of the best stories in this anthology by far. It’s a touch suspenseful, but not particularly gory. I like that Tim has scruples and seems to be a generally peaceful creature who doesn’t truly want to harm anyone. However, the same can’t be said of Stan. I love how Tim handles the situation that arises with Stan at the hotel. It was absolutely perfect and funny, too. Until reading this short story, I hadn’t heard of Nina Kiriki Hoffman, but I was so delighted by it that I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more of her work. Star Rating: ****1/2

Bayou Brawl by L. A. Banks - “Bayou Brawl” is, as far as I can tell, a stand-alone short story. Arianna works for the New Orleans Police Department, but she’s anything but an ordinary woman. There has been a rash of brutal, seemingly ritualistic, murders, and rumors are flying that they may have been committed by aliens. Arianna isn’t sure if she believes it, so she goes to her favorite supernatural hang-out to confer with her two lovers, Lamar, who is a werewolf, and Jacques, who is a vampire. They, too, have heard it’s aliens, and soon all of them, along with groups of Fae and demon warriors, are fighting it out in the bayou with the little green men.

Although I didn’t like it quite as well as a few other shorts I’ve read by L. A. Banks, this story was still a pretty respectable entry into this anthology. However, I couldn’t help feeling like it was a little too short and also a bit too simplistic. The characters seemed interesting and I would have liked to read more about them. But after searching, I can’t find any reference to this story being connected to any of the author’s other works. So apparently what I learned of them in this short is all I’ll ever know, hence the too short part. Then there’s the denouement of the story that seemed to be over almost before it even started, hence the too simplistic. But overall, it was far better than many of the other stories in this anthology, so I did enjoy it. Star Rating: ***1/2

The Steeple People by John Alfred Taylor - “The Steeple People” is a stand-alone short story about a factory run by demons that specializes in manufacturing church steeples. However, they aren’t ordinary steeples, but instead come with a resident imp or demon living inside that stirs up trouble in their new digs. Orabas, the head of the company, is preparing for a minister who is coming for a tour, which will require extensive glamouring of the facility. Then he notices what appear to be turkey vultures flying around outside, but it turns out they’re angels in disguise. The angels seem to be scoping out a lot of different steeples and steeple factories, making Orabas wonder if his and his employees’ time on Earth may be limited.

This story wasn’t as bad as some in this anthology, but it was rather dull compared to others. It kind of felt like I was following a businessman throughout his days at work, except that said businessman isn’t a man at all, but a demon. There were a few too many characters for such a short tale, and I didn’t feel like got to know any of them well enough to genuinely care. The question of what the angels are up to didn’t really hold my attention well either, and for a supernatural story, there isn’t really any action until the last couple of pages. The ending was rather anticlimactic, too. So overall, it was just an okay read that didn’t really do a whole lot for me. Star Rating: **1/2

For Sale by David Sakmyster - “For Sale” is a short piece of only about six pages. Like a couple of other offerings in this anthology, it doesn’t have a plot, which is why I called it a piece instead of a story. It’s basically a detailed listing of a house that’s for sale, which appears to be haunted. Like any good sales listing for a home, it tries to appeal to the buyer by making it sound like the perfect place to live. Yet at the same time, it’s both creepy and funny. Overall, I thought this was an enjoyable and cleverly written little piece that made me chuckle a few times. Star Rating: ****

The Man Who Could Not Be Bothered to Die by Norman Prentiss - “The Man Who Could Not Be Bothered to Die” is a stand-alone short story about Tony who is enjoying a quiet evening at home when a group of his family, friends, and other acquaintances show up at his door, staging an intervention. They really want him to give up the ghost and move on to the afterlife. The title of the piece pretty much says it all. Almost from the first page, it’s obvious that Tony is actually a corpse who is still walking around “alive.” He’s just so wrapped up in “living,” enjoying his life which tragically ended prematurely, and wanting to know what happens next in his favorite TV shows that he just can’t move on. I think this was a clever metaphor for people’s busy lives and how if given the chance like Tony, we simply might not let go of our lives when it’s our time. Overall, this was an amusing little story that made me smile. Star Rating: ****

The Last Demon by Don D’Ammassa - “The Last Demon” is a stand-alone short story about Ogerak the Off-putting, the last demon to be “born.” As such, he missed out on all the cool names and demon features, so although quite ugly, he can pass for human. Bored with his tedious existence in hell, he sneaks through a portal into the human world while evil human souls are traversing onto his usual turf. Ogerak has never been to the human realm, so he has trouble adjusting to life there. Three other demons come searching for him to return him to hell, and by the time they find him, Ogerak is more than ready to leave this confusing world and go home. But things don’t entirely go as planned. Overall, this was a fun, humorous story. I had several chuckles reading about Ogerak trying to acclimate to the human world. He’s definitely off-putting, but in a genuinely funny way, which made this a very amusing read. Star Rating: ****

A Misadventure to Call Your Own by Adrian Ludens - “A Misadventure to Call Your Own” is a stand-alone short story about a guy who got drunk and cheated on his One True Love. When he awakens the next morning, the woman he was with starts trying to blackmail him. He accidentally kills her, and needing to cover it up, he comes up with a plan to get rid of the body, which involves his dead uncle’s funeral. Given that this story is composed in second-person, present-tense, a style I don’t think I’ve ever read before, I was a little skeptical I would like it when I first started, but it ended up being enjoyable. Written like one of those old Choose Your Own Adventure books, I thought this story was very cleverly plotted. Admittedly the reader doesn’t actually get to choose from the options presented, but it was still a fun read anyway. This one got a few chuckles out of me and the ending was chef’s-kiss perfection. Star Rating: ****1/2

Smoke and Mirrorballs by Chris Abbey - “Smoke and Mirrorballs” is a stand-alone short story about a Dancing With the Stars style competition involving various characters from supernatural lore, including Van Helsing and Vlad Tepish. Their two teams, along with a third, have reached the finals and they’re about to find out who wins. This story was written in the style of a television script, so it was a little harder for me to get into than one that has traditional narration. I’m apparently a little slow on the uptake, too, because I was a bit baffled by the ending and it took about half an hour before it finally dawned on me. Duh! Once I figured it out, it was kind of cute, but overall, this story was just okay for me. Star Rating: ***

BRIANS!!! by D. L. Snell - “BRIANS!!!” is a stand-alone short story about a inept, mama’s boy named Kenny who recently self-published his first novel. It’s a zombie story that’s so badly written that even the title, which was supposed to be Brains!!! has a typo. At his first book-signing at a local bookstore, a reporter shows up, trying to capitalize on the recent craze surrounding zombies by interviewing Kenny about his book for the news. Kenny is thrilled that the report brings fans from far and wide to the bookstore, but when they run out of his books, the crowd starts chanting, “BRIANS!!!” and acting like zombies themselves.

Kenny is a little too much of a putz to be likable, and his mom grates like fingernails on a chalkboard. My favorite character was Steph, the bookstore clerk, because she’s a smart, confident straight-talker. I have to admit being a bit confused as to whether the people who came to the store were actual zombies or just rabid fans who started acting like them. I think it was the latter but it was hard to tell for sure. The narrative also left our protagonists kind of hanging when I prefer things to be wrapped up a bit neater. However, as a fan of the series, I did enjoy the touch of Twilight parody the story contained, so overall it was a decent if short read. Star Rating: ***1/2

Still Life by Ken Lillie-Paetz - “Still Life” is a short, less than two-page, flash fiction story in which the first-person narrator is trying to paint the perfect picture of an apple, but there’s a macabre twist at the end. I’m sorry to say that this story was so short, it didn’t really grab me in any meaningful way. I think that perhaps the plot twist was supposed to take the reader by surprise, but even that failed to impress me. So ultimately this was just a meh read that didn’t do much for me. Star Rating: **

A Day in the Life by Sherrilyn Kenyon - “A Day in the Life” is a stand-alone short story about Elliot, a harried literary editor whose star author has just died. A part of her is relieved, because the woman was a nightmare to work with, but another part is concerned about how she’s going to replace someone who sold so many books when her publishing house’s top priority is their bottom line. Then she finds herself with a worry of a different sort when the author begins haunting her from beyond the grave. This is the first story I’ve ever read by Sherrilyn Kenyon that wasn’t a romance, and overall, I enjoyed it. It left me wondering if the author had been treated unkindly by editors in the past and this story was a bit of revenge.;-) The plot kept me reading, wondering what was going on and the twisty ending took me a bit by surprise, making this an entertaining read. Star Rating: ****

Old MacDonald Had an Animal Farm by Lisa Morton - “Old MacDonald Had an Animal Farm” is a stand-alone short story. Our main character, Mac, has a near-death experience, after which he discovers that he can understand what animals are saying, but he’s horrified to learn that they’re plotting to take over the world. This was an amusing little tale. If you’ve ever wondered what those meows and woofs from your favorite pets mean, this story explores that scenario. I have to admit that the question of what animals might do to us humans if they actually were able to take over is a bit terrifying to think about. Ultimately the answer as presented here is both a little scary and a little humorous, so overall, I enjoyed this creative interpretation of the inner lives of the creatures we share our planet with. Star Rating: ****

Two for Transylvania by Brad C. Hodson - “Two for Transylvania” is a stand-alone short story in which Dracula and Van Helsing have teamed up to run cons on unsuspecting villagers. Van Helsing pretends to kill Dracula, and in exchange the villagers are so grateful, they pay him for his services. The two then share in the spoils, but lately pickings have been slim. Van Helsing is aging and Dracula is tiring of their life of pilfering, so they come up with a scheme to get Dracula a more permanent home in England.

At first, I was kind of amused that vampire and vampire hunter were starring in what’s essentially a buddy comedy, but in the end, this story didn’t do a whole lot for me. It’s told primarily in dialog, which isn’t my favorite style, and sometimes the conversations were too verbose, going down silly rabbit trails. I think this was meant to be humorous, but it just annoyed me, because it felt like the characters had ADD and couldn’t focus. It also tended to muddle things, so that I was having a bit of trouble even understanding what their plan was. So overall, this was a pretty meh read for me. Star Rating: **1/2

The Four Horsemen Reunion Tour: An Apocumentary by Lucien Soulban - “The Four Horsemen Reunion Tour: An Apocumentary” is a stand-alone short story, which as the title suggests, is about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Written in the style of a rock band documentary, a camera crew is following the horsemen around, interviewing and filming them, while they’re gearing up to bring on the apocalypse. However, Death has left the group, and looking for someone new to fill his shoes, the remaining three, War, Pestilence, and Famine, start auditioning other plagues upon humanity. But in the end, without Death, they have to admit defeat.

I’m not a huge fan of stories that are written in the style of a narrative script, nor am I a fan of stories that are told primarily in dialogue, both of which this one is. I struggled with it a bit because of that. But I will admit that there were parts of it that were cleverly written, which is why I gave it 3.5 stars. Overall, not bad, but not quite as good as another short story I read by this author or as good as some of the other stories in this anthology. Star Rating: ***1/2 ( )

Only read "I Was A Teenage Bigfoot". ( )

i only read I was a teenage bigfoot. Loved it. ( )

Read the three authors listed on the cover of the book - Jim Butcher where its not the first time he met Irwin the half Bigfoot, but its before the last short where he was in college. There's an implication that they have met once before, but don't remember seeing that short story.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's was not in the Dark Hunter world. Some poor editor is being haunted by all the authors that she's known, and they aren't happy. At the end we find that she's not haunted, she's dead and in hell.

Kelley Armstrong, this is in the Otherworld world. Has Nick taking Noah and Reese to Philadelphia to help Nick with his virginity problem. It was Reese's idea to take him to a brothel. Things are a little strange there but we soon find out why. Turns out all the hookers are zombies.

Also read the short by Nina K. If I remember correctly, she's an Oregonian living in the Portland area. She writes quirky and this is one of them. I get the idea she has her own world set up for her characters, I just haven't read them. Not really sure I would want to read more either. It was okay, just not something I'm going to try to find more of. ( )

Of this collection of short stories, I only read Jim Butcher's I Was a Teenage Bigfoot. I was thrilled to learn we were going to see Strength of a River on his Shoulders again. The Bigfoot character was so much fun in B is for Bigfoot. A little more action and suspense in this one, and a fun read. I suspect we'll see more of Irwin as he grows and learns more of his nature, and perhaps meets his father. I'd be interested to see that.

Now it's back to Proven Guilty, where there's a big battle brewing! ( )