Mike Duke- Low- Stitched Smile Publications

As an ancient evil descends on Pleasant Grove, Mark Adams and Chad Bigleby are pushed to the limits of their morals. Each man backed into a corner, forced to face the sins of their past, present, and future as the city they live in becomes a playground for Hell’s finest.

 Mark is a cop fed up with everything; his wife, his job, the lack of justice that seems to spread into every crevice of his existence. He has a lot going through his mind and has some tough decisions to make about the moral path he finds himself on. Chad is a lawyer, stuck in a situation that could find him losing his license. Lawyers don’t make the law, they defend it, and he must now make decisions that may morally bankrupt his soul.  

The sinister Mr. Phailees & Phobos are well depicted as the evil in this unique good vs. evil story and are as addicting as any guilty pleasure. Everything from their dialogue, to the subtle descriptions that the author uses to build the characters as the shining beacon of suffering they are meant to be keeps the reader turning the page wondering what they will do next.

Mike Duke has created a strong cast of unique characters with emotional baggage, secret motives, and haunted pasts to expose to his version of hell. How low will they go? Read and find out. You may find yourself asking the very same question. Low is really fun, twisted, and dark with well planned and executed action and chase sequences through a hell that only Mike Duke can create. Low makes the readers think about their own sins and dark past and brings up questions about forgiveness and revenge, and throws in some twisted humour to add to this perfect recipe for a hell of a good time! 

-Cory Cline

Get your own copy of Low, here!

Find more books by Mike Duke, here!

Chad Lutzke's Punk Rock Re-Animator & Holes- Double Barrel Horror Vol. 2- Pint Bottle Press

Chad Lutzke has an uncanny ability to mesmerize his readers with his stories. His skill in creating real-world characters and leading them through a beautifully horrific tale is awe inspiring to say the least.

"Of Foster Homes and Flies" and "Wallflower" are two of my favourite books from the past few years and it is a joy to see him cutting loose in these two short stories. Lutzke knows how to create a darkness that blurs the harsh edges of his monsters; allowing readers the opportunity to get closer to the monsters contained within. This time his monsters are hungry for blood.

In his Double Barrel Horror offering from Pint Bottle Press, Lutzke offers two very different stories that allow him to show how hardcore he can get. "Punk Rock Re-Animator" is a first-person account of a virgin concert goer's reluctant trip to a Punk Rock club that takes full advantage of the small print on the back of the concert tickets. The slow build-up is even-paced and steady and leads readers towards an explosive ending that will please even the most fastidious of the Elder Gods in this fun, bloody, Lovecraftian homage.

A nosey neighbour with voyeuristic tendencies watches a local bully get what is coming to him in, "Holes", the second offering from Lutzke in this short collection. Lutzke allows readers to peer through his binoculars in this brilliantly crafted first-person account of a voyeur with questionable morals watching other people with questionable morals doing things to a person with questionable morals. The tension is thick and Lutzke is at his best in this gore-soaked revenge thriller as he snares readers into his web of horrific realism. Don't even get me started on the ending on this one... Just read and enjoy.

Lutzke's ability to create a kinetic atmosphere with realistic characters is evident in these shorter stories just as much as his longer ones. He doesn't force anything and easily engages his readers into a weird bond with his characters. Lutzke is a natural story-teller who can move his stories along at any pace and bloodthirsty readers will be well rewarded with these juicy morsels from an author future generations will be calling a "Master of Horror."

Matt Weber chose wisely in his decision to add Lutzke to the growing roster of Double Barrel Horror authors. With K.Trap Jones, The Sisters of Slaughter, Patrick Freivald and many others, this series is available in two collections or individually by the author so there is no excuse for any reader to be empty handed this Halloween season.
-Cory Cline

Get your copy Here!
Multiply the fun and get the whole collection Here!
Be sure to check out Chad's website Here!

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