Horror Books

I really didn't know what to expect from this book, though the salesperson at my favourite bookstore on Coventry had it displayed in pride of place and recommended it.

"You'll never look at the case the same again" she said.

No kidding! Living here in Cleveland for the past 10 years, of course I've heard a lot about the case - and have been reading the nonfiction books, but THIS book makes an already creepy case all the more eerie. I don't want to go into details and ruin it for others, but be prepared for some neat surprises and twists (I especially like the 'real' identity of "The Head" - the real-life victim's death mask is still on display at the Cleveland Police Museum, for anyone in Cleveland who's interested). A good read, and Mr. Swiniarski shows his knowledge of the area well. Toss in the fact that you'll never look at the East Ohio Gas Fire of 1944 the same again, either, and you've got a ripping good read! Three friends who've also read it all love it, but be warned, we ALL found it disturbing, as well.

...as an aside, just last night I heard one of my 20-something neighbours call to her 7 and 9 year old kids "Be home by dark or the Torso Man will get you!" Maybe she should read this book...

I read Raven by this author and loved it so much that I went on a search for other books by him. I found this book and loved it just as much. It is based on a real case in the 1930s that was never solved. Dubbed the torso murders, Elliot Ness has his work cut out for him when dozens of decapitated and mutilated bodies are found along the railroad tracks and waterways of Cleveland, Ohio over the period of four years. What makes the case even stranger is they all have been drained of blood. The citizens of Cleveland, Ohio are panicked and Ness hits deadend after deadend. In Swiniarski's world, vampires are the culprits. Detective Stefan Ryzard can't believe what he's uncovering as he investigates the case. I won't give any more away but it is good reading.

I bought this as a library copy. I'm pretty sure that I read it before but it didn't stick in my memory. It makes for a decent read. I was able to lose myself in it and that counts for a lot. The back cover makes it come across as a crime novel. You are told of the 1930s when countless bodies keep turning up in Cleveland, Ohio. You are tossed the name of Eliot Ness and even a defiant police officer. One named, Stefan Ryzard. That is only the surface of the story. A read for horror fans. The more so for fans of stories of bloodless bodies. If you are such a fan then you know of what I speak.

Leann Arndt, Reviewer

My hat is off to S. A. Swiniarski, he really blew me away with this book. I read Mr. Swiniarski's other book, "Raven" and enjoyed it so much that when I saw this book, I just picked it up. Thinking that it was a sequel. It wasn't until I got home that I realized that I had been duped. What a nice dupe! This is a wonderful book. I'm not a vampire fan per sec. I do enjoy a good book and interesting plot. "The Flesh, The Blood and The Fire" is just that. Mr. Swiniarski does a great job in developing characters and plot once again with this book. I loved the way that he worked fact and fiction together. I didn't realize that so much went on in Cleveland, Ohio! The 30's and 40's were a rockin' time for Cleveland. After I finished this book, I rushed to the net to find out how much of it was fact. I love history tossed into my fiction Mr. Swiniarski gives you a good dose of it. It is tough to cover so much time, a little over ten years, tying so many events together into a cohesive story. The author gets many kudos from me for such an outstanding job. His main heroes Stefan Ryzard and Nuri Lapidos are great characters; I felt so much for them all during this story. The author also does a great job of invoking the era. Those of us, who didn't get a lot of exposure to the depression and WW II, will enjoy the way that Mr. Swiniarski brings this time alive. I highly recommend this book. This is a wonderful book, weather you are a Mystery, History or Horror fan. If you like tight plot and good character development, this book is for you!

This one will thrill mystery, history and horror buffs alike. Swiniarski creates characters, both human and undead, who are fascinating, realistic and dynamic. He also calls upon history to set a chilling background: the unsolved Cleveland Torso Murders, the media-frenzied career of Eliot Ness, and the mix of emotions surrounding the Depression and the world at war.

The novel takes a look at the unsolved series of murders in the 30's and asks "what if they weren't solved because the killer wasn't human?" Enter Stefan Ryzard; he's one of a few Cleveland cops who isn't corrupt. He does his job well all the while playing the dark, brooding cop with a sad history (dead wife and child). Along with his partner, Nuri Lapidos, he sets out to find out who is decapitating the locals. The body count rises, Eliot Ness is assigned as Safety Director to try to clean up the law enforcement and "fix" crime, and Stefan figures out that the killer isn't your average sick madman. What he uncovers is a secret vampire society regulated by a Covenant now broken by an old nemesis who is hell-bent on world domination. Our main vamp just happens to be as good with a sword as he is with his fangs. This is a roller-coaster read that is quite often downright chilling. The vampires are hungry. Dingy, nighttime Cleveland is creepy. And actual history morphs with an alternate reality to create quite a unique horror novel.

Don't read this if you want a fast, in-your-face slasher novel! This isn't it. There are a lot of characters to track, and Swiniarski does a remarkable job of giving us just enough information along the way until all the pieces fall into place. This is a great one for any fan of vampire fiction. But if you like good, solid horror that actually provides a surprising twist, get this now!

Words cannot begin to describe how funny this book is, I could not put it down! Rushed to purchase additional autographed copies for Christmas presents while still chuckling loudly over WAR. Wish that it was available on tape or cd for certain vision impaired friends & relatives. Very much looking forward to the sequel!

This chapbook is a marvelous mixture of writing and performance art, with pictures of the writers standing in for pictures of their characters, and working together to meld four fun stories and prologue and epilogue into a terrific short work.

The premise is that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (who apparently weren't the sharpest tools in the box) died in an accident and the contract binds their widows to take over their husbands' jobs (does it really surprise anyone to learn that Hell has a first-rate legal staff?) And the one who does the best job has the opportunity to take Satan's job while she (again, does it surprise anyone that Satan is a woman?) retires to a little volcanic island.

So the new face of War is Bunny, whose plans, such as they are, tend to be defeated by their own flaws. Butterflye, the new Pestilence-Plague, is businesslike but squeemish, not a happy start for someone whose clothes are constantly emitting an army of bugs. Zoe, the new Death, is the only one who seems to have a real aptitude for her new calling but is almost as squeemish as Butterflye, and Sara Lee is to famine what George Bush is to comedy.

This is a very funny little book. The only problem I had was whether to give the book four or five stars. This little volume did its job -- to entertain the reader -- with verve and panache. On the other hand, writers like Zelazny and Crowley raise the bar for everyone, but I had no problem at all with giving it four stars, not can I disagree with those who gave it five.

4 Stories all woven into one. Even Hell has rules you can't break! The 4 horseman fall under some bad luck and their wifes must take over to keep things running. How would you handle an apocolyptic job with no experience? I couldn't put the book down! I am waiting for the sequal.

This is a fun book. Take four spicy redheads who inadvertently survive the deaths of their hapless husbands and inherit their jobs...as the new Horsemen of the Apocalypse. But Butterfly hates the bugs that come with being Plague-Pestilence, and Sara Lee is not cut out for Famine, Bunny would rather make love than War, and Zoe looks pasty in black...but it's whats expected of Death. What's a girl to do? Scheme for a way to take over the Boss' job. Who will be Satan's successor? Only time will tell.

These four ladies have written a series of intertwining plots that will leave you laughing and thinking that maybe Hell wouldn't be that bad a place...to visit. Spend some time there with them.

The Four Horsemen (Death, War, Plague, and Famine) have died. As next of kins, their wives must now take on the duties. Problem is that these four redheads (well, one is blonde and colors her hair red) have absolutely no clue how to do the jobs! Satan wants to retire, but cannot until she finds someone else to take over her position. (Yes, Satan is female. No man can be bitchy enough to do the job well. Trust me on this.) So Satan not only hands the four women their new duties, but also hands over a contest. Whichever of them does the best job in their new positions will have Satan's job and all its perks when she retires.

(First story is War's, written by Linda L. Donahue.) Bunny is the new "War". Since Bunny is at a disadvantage with the other ladies, Satan gives her a bit of help in the form of an unlimited expense account and a bit of advice: No matter how it starts, no matter how it ends, a war is a war. All you've gotta do is start something. So Bunny goes Earthside and crashes the UN Security Council Meeting in progress. Unfortunately, Hell's accountants are less than pleased with the results.

(Second story is Death's, written by Rhonda Eudaly.) Zoe is the new "Death". If nothing else, Zoe is the busiest of the four. She has to show up, on schedule, to collect the dead. When she fails to show up to a huge car wreck, everyone (miraculously) survives! To say that the Grim Reaper, Zoe's Chief Minion, is upset is putting it lightly. So Zoe becomes determined to get better and win Satan's job! She is sick to death (pardon the bad pun) of having to deal with dead people. Reaper can have the job once she gets Satan's office!

(Third story is Plague's, written by Dusty Rainbolt.) Butterflye Plague-Pestilence is the new "Plague". She had been an attorney back when she was actually alive. So you would think that Butterflye would have read the fine print on her document before marrying Ossy. Alas, she did not. To make matters worse for her, Butterflye has a fear of bugs! Every time a cockroach rubs against Butterflye's leg in a show of affection, she cringes! This gives her extra motivation in winning the contest. But it is hard to get things done when her minions keep quoting rules and regulations from the various Unions they belong to. She finally decides to create a modern day plague, a computer virus unlike any before. The results thrill Bill Gates!

(Now comes Famine's tale, written by Julia S. Mandala.) Sara Lee is the new "Famine". She never had a weight problem until she became Famine. Now she has constant hunger pains and, if she is Earthside, everything she touches turns to dust. Sara Lee's minion is a too perky and cute little girl named Debbie who is constantly handing Sara Lee sugary snacks. It seems that every time Sara Lee comes up with an idea to spread famine Earthside, it backfires. Worse, often the backfires seem to HELP the other three Horsewomen.

***** I found this to be an over-the-top comedy with the quirky flavor of a Mel Brooks film. I highly enjoyed it! There are many pros and cons for this novel though. As for the cons, the book is less than a hundred pages and it is all in fine print. The cover art shows all four women with champagne glasses (and I could tell which woman was which Horsewoman by what is within the glass) but I had to look closely because the black and white photo makes it hard to tell what the item within each glass is! Lastly, this book is not bound by glue. Instead, staples hold it together. Yet the price is still high. As for the pros, each story is so hilarious that I could not help laughing long and loud while enjoying it. The bad puns are so good (pardon my oxymoron pun) that they would make Mel Brooks proud! My husband read the short blurb on the front of this book and told me to be sure to give it to him when I finish reading it. One of my co-workers, who happens to be a huge fan of Mel's, wants it after my husband is finished. The people who asked for it after that were told (nicely, of course) to go get their own copy. Also, if you happen to be lucky enough to know the author/publicist Selina Rosen, then you will enjoy Satan's character. I kept picturing Selina as Satan while reading and was tickled when I later found out that Selina is exactly whom Satan's character was based upon! (Kudos to me!) All-in-all, I highly recommend this short novel to all fans of comedy who are over the age of seventeen. Killer story! (Groan. I did not just say that!) *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Great book! Full of suspense and humor. If you like Laurell Hamilton or Kim Harrison, you will like this book.

Private detective Chase Dagger finds an Indianapolis cop and auniversity professor on his doorstep revealing their theory behind arecent series of homicides. The professor beliefs there is an evilthat has been passed down from generation to generation and is at itsworst during a full moon on Friday the 13th. Dagger feels theprofessor knows far to much about the murders and the killer. FullMoon-Bloody Moon is an X-Files style mystery that brings back ChaseDagger for another tautly written, reader-gripping, mysterythriller. Also highly recommended is Lee Driver's debut novelintroducing Chase Dagger and an unusual blend of horror and mystery inThe Good Die Twice (5-3,...). END

FULL MOON-BLOODY MOON is the second in the Chase Dagger series. This one combines mystery and horror in a story about a little known phenomena -- the combination of a full moon and a Friday the 13th. Dagger is confronted by an Indianapolis cop and a university professor who have a theory behind a series of murders. They believe a man has inherited an evil passed on through generations that is at its worst during a full moon on a Friday the 13th. This book pits an evil shapeshifter against Sara, Dagger's shapeshifting partner. As in THE GOOD DIE TWICE, Sara's shapeshifting is the catalyst in this series. And the existence of this evil shapeshifter becomes real when it starts communicating telepathically with Sara. This is a tightly written thriller that will have you looking at a full moon quite differently. To show you how rare the combination is, October 13, 2000, was only the thirteenth time since 1800 that it has occurred.

Author Lee Driver returns with the second in her series starring mysterious private investigstor Chase Dagger and his Native American shapeshifter associate Sara Morningsky and scarlet macaw Einstein--Full Moon Bloody Moon. This entry finds them with a more gruesome case as the bodies keep piling up, but no logical suspect can be found.

Lisa was a really good cop, a quick and accurate shooter. So, it was a real surprise when she was found dead along her regular jogging path with her gun still holstered and with the safety still on. The other surprise was that she was found twenty feet up, stuck in the V of a tree branch. Of great import to this case is the rarity of the combined occurrence of a full moon on a Friday the 13th. The story takes place during the five days leading up to Friday, October 13, 2000, when it is believed that the killer will attain his greatest level of power during the upcoming full moon.

Meanwhile, Chase and Skizzy are also working on a case involving weapons thefts from a local police station. Skizzy's invention of the "Mick," a mechanical spider-shaped surveillance camera, provides much of the intrigue in this subplot, which otherwise feels much like another day on the job.

Things really take a turn in Full Moon Bloody Moon when it is discovered that the killer can communicate with Sara through the telepathy that, until then, the reader had thought that only she and Chase could share. Is the killer a shapeshifter, too? Chase's ability to overhear their conversations causes his pragmatic worldview to begin to crumble. Able to accept Sara as a shapeshifter, because that was how he discovered her, the idea that there are more is almost too much for him. And the closer he comes to a solution, the more it seems that the killer is something that Chase is not entirely prepared to deal with.

The sexual tension between Sara and Chase continues building, with their friends invariably making comments to Chase about questionable situations. These are still some of the most intriguing characters in fiction, and any male reader is undoubtedly going to want to be Chase and want to be with Sara. Their relationship is an engaging combination of sibling and romance that succeeds because of not engendering any untoward feelings whatsoever. I'm becoming as comfortable with these people in just two books as I did Ed McBain's 87th Precinct crowd. I can only hope that Lee Driver exhibits McBain's longevity. Add to that her skill at writing epilogues that make me want to begin the next book immediately (in this case, The Unseen), and what we have is a terrific fantasy mystery series that deserves bestseller status.

FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is the second Chase Dagger mystery; the first was THE GOOD DIE TWICE.

Chase Dagger is back, but this time he will need more than luck to catch a killer that has been around for more than 200 years.... Knowing that Oct. 13th a Friday was not even here yet, the worse was yet to happen.

FULL MOON BLOODY MOON has the same unconventional and fetching characters as THE GOOD DIE TWICE. Einstein the bright red macaw that has a big mouth, Chase's right hand woman, Sara, Simon the mailman who knows everybody's business. Padre and Skizzy are also back as well as some new characters. FULL MOON BLOODY MOON is a ferocious horror-filled ride that will stick with you well after you have finished reading the book. Mixed with sex, violence and plenty of fast paced action. I hung onto every word.

Lee Driver (aka S.D. Tooley ) you have done it again, keep up the good work.

Georgie by Robert Bright was sent in a very timely manner and is in very good condition for a used book. I am very pleased with the service.

I have been a first grade public school teacher for 38 years. I discovered the Georgie books in the 70's and started reading them to my first grade classes. When I realized how much the children, the parents, the school librarian, the other elementary teachers, and I all prized them, I started reading them to my daughter and son who also adored them, beginning with Georgie. He is a sweet faced, kind little ghost who looks after Mr.and Mrs. Whittaker. He is also very funny and gets himself in and out of many predicaments. I haven't seen these books for years and I was so afraid they were gone forever until I found them on Amazon com! Now I am ordering them for my three grandsons as I know they will love them as much as their mother did.

I RECENTLY VISITED MY OLD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND AS IT WAS A SUNDAY, I COULD ONLY VIEW IT FROM THE OUTSIDE. AS I PEERED INTO THE LIBRARY'S WINDOWS, I RECALLED SEVERAL BOOKS THAT I HAD CHECKED OUT OVER THE YEARS. ONE OF THESE WAS GEORGIE (ACTUALLY A FEW BUT I DOUBT THEY HAD ALL OF THEM). I RETURNED HOME LATER THAT EVENING AND CHECKED MY SHELVES. I ALSO HAD A FEW ROBERT BRIGHT BOOKS THAT I HAD PICKED UP SECONDHAND TO READ TO MY BOYS WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER. IT'S AMAZING TO ME HOW SUCH SIMPLE YET ENDEARING CHARACTER SUCH AS GEORGIE HAS STAYED WITH ME ALL THESE YEARS. I INTEND TO FIND THE REMAINING GEORGIE BOOKS AND ADD THEM TO MY PERSONAL LIBRARY. I CAN ALWAYS CLAIM THAT I GOT THEM TO READ TO ANY VISITING CHILDREN BUT WE BOTH KNOW THEY'RE REALLY FOR ME.

I had this sent to my granddaughter who is two years old. She loves it! Her father has to read it to her every night. He said that he remembers it as one of his favorites.

I loved this book as a child, and I came across it quite accidentally a couple of years ago. My youngest daughter, now 6, counts this as one of her favorite books. Now we read it to each other, almost every night, although I always secretly hope that she will let me read it to her. I love reading it to make it come even more alive (the big door GROANED so...). Her favorite part is when Georgie goes looking for a new home and a ghost at another house turns him away.

It's such a fun book!

...This is the most amazing childrens' book ever. I'm 15, and I still remember it as my favourite book when I was a kid. I'd been looking for it in our old attic in hopes of finding it, and no luck, so I finally thought, why not look on amazon? And yes, I'm going to reorder it. Wow. It just brings back so many memories. I think it's what got me obsessed with Swiss cheese. Mhm.

What a great book. Don't let the title spook you--a must read anytime. Henry, a ghost, invites his ghost friends to a dinner party; and their ghostly appearances change as they drink/eat the course of their meal. There's a "cute" surprise scare at the end of the dinner. My son... loves this book. And definitely got him to taste salmon and he now loves it. Unbelievable but true.

This is a very good children's book, perfect for Halloween, but really, anytime. As you may guess, the ghosts have a dinner party, and their physical appearances change as they consume their feast. At the end, after the warm milk, there is a terrific scare. My daughter loves this book, and I think it made her interested in eating salmon (which she now loves).

It is about a dinner party of ghosts. At this dinner they have many courses and each course brings changes in the ghost apperiences. If they were to have grape juice they all turn purple etc. My personal favorite is the swiss cheese but you'll have to buy the book to see that ! My son loves this book.... it's like reading it again for the first time everytime he picks it up. It is a great halloween gift!

This is one of the cutest books ever and a favorite of my three-year-olds! She didn't want to take it back to the library, but I convinced her after telling her we would buy it. Henry prepares a meal for his friends and they turn different colors with every course. Just watch what happens when they drink their milk!

Great characters, vivid setting, exciting story. Pick this one up, you won't be disappointed.

I don't know how many hours of sleep I lost staying up to read this book. I'm glad I am self-employed and could nap the next day. Good read. Great characters. I hope (THIS IS A HINT MS. ROBINSON) that there is a second book to keep the story going.
Highly reccomend to anyone.
Joe

This book kept me hooked from the first page, and left me wanting more. It won't dissapoint. You owe it to yourself to buy this book.

I could not agree more with the positive comments below. Ms. Robinson certainly does have a way with words and the story plot is solid. My husband and I loved the story so much that we have purchased another copy as a gift.

Okay, so it's not all that genreless. But it is a gem. Miz Robinson has cast a spell within pages: vampires, evil, romance, lust...What more could you ask for? Monica's voice is free and breezy, fresh with an even and clean clip. I even developed a little crush on Alex, Liz Gray's assistant-cum-annoyance. That can't be healthy...I'll consult my psychiatrist. But pick up Miz Robinson's little genreless gem and be pleasantly delighted...like I was!

Temple Swann

I read this book as a child and was looking for a copy. I got just what I wanted. There was a slight imperfection on the printing on a coupld of pages. Not sure what is was from, but overall, I was pleased with the product.

This book is expecially good for younger kids, such as kindergartners or first or second graders. It is also a good book for kids younger then kindergartens. It is a really funny book about a witch that cannot do spells and when she tried to turn her cat into a candy bar he gets sick.

I read this book to 42 classes of 3, 4, and five year olds over the years and some grandchildren. I'm so happy to have found it again!
It's a great story to explore the scary parts of Halloween with small children and the story line, with Fred, the cat, is attention keeping.

I'm nearly 40 years old and enjoyed this book when I was a little girl in the early seventies. Now that I have two little girls of my own, I love that this story is still around! Lorna Balian has managed to create a character that is sweet and mischievous and endearing and by the end of the story, you will find yourself with a huge smile on your face! I recall begging my mom to help me put all the special and kooky ingredients into a big pot in the kitchen to see if I could stir up some witches' brew! I won't tell you if it worked, you'll just have to see for yourself! Great illustrations go along with a memorable story. A must-have for any kids' library.

Humbug Witch is a simple and delightful children's picture book about a little witch whose witchy things just can't seem to go right. Even her black cat looks down on her - so one by one, she takes off each piece of her witch outfit and goes to bed as a precious little girl. Written and illustrated by Lorna Balian, Humbug Witch is a most enjoyable and confidently recommended easy reader's picture book delight!

I remember when I was a 10 year old and would go with friends to the local theater to see Count Dracula, played by Bela Lagosi, suck the blood out of his victims. When the movie was over, I had to walk three blocks alone (after I got off the bus) to my home on an unlit street. My run quickly turned into a fast jaunt because I just knew the Vampire was going to get me. When I read Hunters of the Shadows, even though I know longer have a fear of Vampires, the old childhood memories surfaced.

The descriptive by the author is so real that at every little sound in your home may cause you to look over your shoulder. Darius Creed is the Vampire hunter, who with his Love Selena hunts down and kills vampires. I really do not want to say more, because words alone cannot give you the impact that reading this book will.

For those that love fantasy with a mixture of horror, then this is your kind of book. The Gypsies, witches and vampires are intermingled with each other so well that you can hardly wait to turn to the next page. The use of the cat was unique. I loved it.

This book proves once again that good overcomes evil - or does it? I am not a fantasy or horror fan, but this book by Mr. Haeuser grabbed me and held me to the exciting climax. If you want a book that will leave you in a cold sweat, then be sure to get your copy of 'Hunters of the Shadows.'

What a movie this would make. Bravo!

Reviewed by award-winning author, Bobby Ruble, author of Have No Mercy and co-author with wife, Kam, of Black Rosebud: Have No Mercy II.

I am a huge vampire fan, the biggest. I am also a Bram Stoker fan and loved the way he was in the story. Mark brings out a vision in this book, a vision to be seen up on the big screen, I think it would make a wonderful horror flick. The story kept me on the edge of my seat all night, I read it in two nights. i just could not put it down! i could visualize all the characters, especially Darius himself. a wonderful book for any vampire and horror fan. Very much recommended!!

For as long as there have been men, there have been creatures who prey on them, vampires, werewolves and others of that ilk.

Darius Creed is a Hunter, a special breed of human charged with the protection of all humans from the darkness lurking everywhere. He is long-lived and comes from a long line of Gypsy Royalty.

In modern times, most humans have forgotten the old lore, how to protect themselves against the darkness, all those except the Gypsy people who follow the old ways. Hunters in modern times are hard to come by, but they are needed, for a great battle is about to commence and only the Hunters can stop the powers of Darkness from attempting the Dolmage - Armageddon...

This book had a bit of everything, romance, adventure, mystery, horror, action, it was a difficult book to put down. As I was about half way through, I was thinking to myself, "I wish Selena (Creed's lover) was more involved in the story," and shortly thereafter, my wish was granted, although not in the way I expected! Selena is pivotal to the plot, even though she is not involved so much in the action.

My one niggle, and it is a niggle, although the story more than makes up for it, is that the layout of the book was a little odd. There were no spaces or indents between paragraphs. I'm not sure if that's the way the author meant it to be, or if it was a mistake at the printers.

Even with that, it's a good book and an interesting read if you like vampire stories with a bit of magic and romance thrown in.

I am a big fan of Anita Blake the Vampire Slayer. And this book by Mark Haeuser is right up there.The first page is exciting and it only gets better.I couldn't put the book down. I am hoping this is the beginning of a series of books with these great characters.

Hunters of the Shadows is a definite read book! It is well written, has lots of action, interesting characters (like a cat who talks), and keeps you hanging on to the end of the book. Having read an earlier book of Mark's I was not sure what this one would provide. I was wonderfully surprised! I loved it and you will too! I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for his next book!

My son loved this one so much, we had to travel all over our area to find the other Road Weenie book, Campfire Weenies, I believe it's called.

Yet more great stories from literary master David Lubar. Plenty of short
sharp shocks to give kids the shivers as Halloween approaches!

My kids and I loved this book. It is full of great short stories. It would be a great book for a reluctant reader because the stories are so short. The reader can have many short, entertaining reading sessions without the chance of getting bored. While camping this past weekend my son retold many of stories from this book while we were sitting around the campfire. They really are great spooky campfire stories!

This book is creepy but not to creepy,that's what I love about this book. Some of these storys are funny and creepy. My favorite story is "Nigh Fishing" its really creepy. I recomend this book to everone, Lubar strikes again!

In the book Invasion of the Road Weenies David Lumber tells scary stories to scare the readers and get them excited about what's going to happen. This book is fiction book so the kids who like fiction books should read this amazing book. I like this book because its fiction and it get me to visualizes what's happening in the story. There are all sorts of stories in this book like the " TANK" or "COPIES". In the "Tank" this kid saw ripples in the water and was wondering why there was ripples in the water. And in "Copies" these boys go to work with there father and finds a copier and puts there face on it and copies one thousand copies and they come out with out a face. There are 35 wonderful stories in this book Bt Tyler

I first decided to read this book after reading J.R. Salamanca's masterpiece 'Southern Light' - which is one of the best books that I ever read.
The writing and grammar in 'Lilith' is almost too good; I'm that most English Teachers would agree that it is well written; however, the plot left me yawning. I lost interested half way through the book. I thought at least that it would give me an insight into a similar tale ('I Never Promised You A Rose Garden' true life story of Joanne Greenberg) or slowly take me down the path of mysterious madness a la H.P. Lovecraft, but alas, I lost patience with it. But, I guess it might be a bit unfair to compare 'Lilith' to 'Southern Light' after all, they were written almost thirty years apart.

If Goethe had written *Faust* in prose in the 20th century, it might have been something like Salamanca's *Lilith*. You don't want to carelessly compare an author with Goethe any more than you want to carelessly compare a physicist with Einstein, but Salamanca's *Lilith* makes you feel that you are reading a 381 page poem on the search for knowledge, the longing for love, and the relief of despair. Waiting for my copy of the book to arrive, I thought the reviewer who owned five copies had maybe gone a bit far, but now that I have read the book and am waiting for my second copy to arrive, I am wondering whether two copies are enough. :-) The only authors who have possibly touched me more are Goethe and Bertrand Russell, but I cannot understand why this author was ever out of print, or by what strange fare it was that he never got the nod for the Nobel Prize for literature.

I have one minor complaint with this novel, and it centers around the somewhat misleading cover of the book, which describes the story as "one woman's electrifying obsession." There certainly is an obsession in this book, but that belongs to the narrator, Vincent Bruce, not to Lilith, as the cover would have you believe. After finishing the novel, I blacked out the "wo" which just left "man's obsession," which seemed to me to be a more accurate description of the story within.

Vincent, the main character, uses the telling of his story as a way to absolve and purge himself of his experiences with Lilith, a patient he cares for at the mental center where he works. He not only falls in love, but becomes "obsessed" with her. The second half of this novel mostly centers on his attraction to her, and how he compromises his duties as Lilith's caretaker with his feelings of love for her, a woman she herself describes as "mad."

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but the prose in which it is told is both excellent and sensitive. I can't tell you how this book got under my skin! This novel succeeds in disturbing the reader, such is the brilliance of the text. It is seldom that a book really affects me as this one did. Salamanca portrays the story as if it really happened, as if it is a work of truth rather than fiction.

It's a sad story, but one conveyed through beautiful language. Indeed, there were many passages where I felt like crying while reading them. As much as a reader can, you care for Vincent, and you care about what happens to him, and worry (as he does) about his ultimate destiny. He's a directionless figure, who just wants to succeed at something, and make a good life for himself filled with meaning, as his absent mother wished him to do.

I urge you to read this book. And I ask, as another reviewer here does, "Why is this book neglected?" Perhaps you will read it and ask yourself the same question.

"Lilith"

Simply put, this is one of the finest novels I have ever read and I have wondered, as have others before me, why this book is not recognized as superlative, right up there with any other novel (by any novelist) that one cares to name.

I first read it is a teenager in the 1960's. It has stayed with me ever since and from time to time I come back to it. As an artist I've drawn much inspiration from this work. It is at once disheartening and yet uplifting, full of dark underpinnings and at the same time it is full of light, exhausting and inspirational. It also stands as functional poetry.

I once had a chance to see the movie but declined. I could see no point to trying to capture such perfection of prose and such insight to emotion via the medium of film. The book is one of those rare works where, indeed, the words are worth more than pictures.

It was out of print for a while and during that time I scrounged around used book stores and at garage sales, and periodically I would find a copy. These I presented to several friends over the years. I have been thanked repeatedly ever since by those who received the book and, to the very person, each claims it to be indispensable.

Spread the word. Then or now, this work deserves far more recognition than it receives.

My (lengthy) title says it all. Yes, I love this book. Yes, I think everyone should read this book. Yes, I think many people will love this book. Everything the other reviewers have said about it (to date, at least) is true.

But. (You knew a but was coming.) But *Lilith* is Salamanca's second novel. It was originally published in 1961. It partakes of a tradition which Anne Williams, in her really excellent study *Art of Darkness*, has called Male Gothic. The woman, Lilith, is beautiful, desirable, clever, all in a rather unearthly way, and the author clearly loves her; but the *narrator*, who's rather a different being, is destroyed by her. That is, like her namesake, she's sublime in proportion to the degree to which she is also diabolical. Masculine principle destroyed by contact with diabolical femininity, which is associated with landscape, language, beauty: that's Male Gothic, and that's also the pattern of this book. Those evil/desirable women do in those hapless men again.

Let me hasten to remind you that a) I still love the book, in part because the AUTHOR is kinder to Lilith than the NARRATOR can be, and b) that this book was published 30 years ago. Do I blame the author for following a pattern which isn't very kind to the idea of womanhood? No, positively not. And one very good reason not to, if you need one, is because, yes, he got better. In his later works, the women become more earthly, less diabolical, more human, less like muses. In a way that only good authors do, Salamanca has deconstructed his own patterns and called them into question.

Critics, by and large, loved *Lilith* where they scourged *Southern Light* and the recent *That Summer's Trance.* Admittedly *Lilith* is easier reading, and perhaps a better book for those who don't know Salamanca's work to begin on. (Among other qualities, *Lilith* is much shorter.) But I wonder too whether those critics weren't more comfortable with demonized women than with more complicated ones, and whether the devastation that ended *Lilith* didn't strike them as a more suitable punishment for abandon than the very different situation which ended *Southern Light.* In *Southern Light* the author declines to destroy those who have worked horrors; he even allows them (dare we say it) to be redeemed. In *That Summer's Trance*, devastation once again ends the book, but not as punishment for abandon, but for (sorry) abandoning abandon, for selling out. Now let's take a wild guess here: why, do you suppose, might readers in a consumer society prefer to be told that abandon, rapture and passion end in destruction than to be told that selling out ends in destruction? Any thoughts?

I'm sure you all know the answer to that as well as I do. So that's my final word: by all means buy *Lilith*, read *Lilith*, love Lilith. But if you do love it, be brave: have a try at the newer, longer, scarier books too, the ones whose message, despite the changed medium, is really much more radical.