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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Read this review and more on my blog at [Roxie Writes].
‘Collected Christmas Horror Shorts (Collected Horror Shorts Book 1)’ presented by Kevin J. Kennedy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on December 20, 2018
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $12.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Christmas is often thought of as a time of joy and cheer, a time for giving to others, a time of celebration and love…. Well, this year some of the best voices in horror fiction decided to band together and tell you some tales about a different kind of Christmas, so grab yourself a mug of hot chocolate, close the curtains, lock the door and get comfy. This will be a Christmas like never before!
MY REVIEW:
I am not the biggest fan of Christmas; Halloween is far more my jam. So, to cope with the in-your-face cheer of Christmas, I decided to combine my love of creepy and the holiday. There are many Christmas-centric horror collections easily available on the Kindle store, but I chose this one because it seemed the most diverse. There are even a few poems!
This collection includes the stories:
◆ “12 Days (Psychopath Remix)” by J.C. Michael (poem)
◆ “Thy Will be Done” by J.C. Michael
◆ “Tommy’s Christmas” by John R. Little
◆ “Naughty or Nice” by Veronica Smith
◆ “Santa's Midnight Feast” by J.L. Lane
◆ “Hung With Care” by Ty Schwamberger
◆ “Santa Came” by Peter Oliver Wonder
◆ “In the Bag” by Tim Curran
◆ “The Christmas Spirit” by Lisa Morton
◆ “The Tome of Bill Christmas Carol” by Rick Gualtieri
◆ “Killing Christmas” by Andrew Lennon
◆ “All Naughty, No Nice” by Michael A. Arnzen
◆ “A Disappointed Shade of Blue” by C.S. Andserson (poem)
◆ “Stuffed Pig” by Steven Murray
◆ “The Night Before Christmas” by Suzanne Fox
◆ “Better Watch Out” by Willow Rose
◆ “Deck The Halls” by Xtina Marie (poem)
◆ “Christmas Market” by Amy Cross
◆ “Merry Fuckin' Christmas” by Kevin J. Kennedy
◆ “The Veil” by Rose Garnett
◆ “The Last Christmas Dinner” by Christina Bergling
◆ “The Present” by Israel Finn
◆ “Christmas Carole” by Lisa Vasquez
◆ “Slay Bells” by Weston Kincade
Overall, I enjoyed this collection. There’s an array of stories, so I’m pretty sure everyone will be able to find something enjoyable within. I recognized several names in this collection, some of whose work I have enjoyed in the past and some I didn’t.
I think my favorite story was “Slay Bells” by Weston Kincade. It had everything I enjoy in a good horror story, and it has heart, too.
I’m glad I picked this up. It helped get me through the holiday. There are several more collections compiled by Kennedy, and I’ll likely read them in the future, too.
‘Collected Christmas Horror Shorts (Collected Horror Shorts Book 1)’ presented by Kevin J. Kennedy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Finished on December 20, 2018
Read with Kindle Unlimited Subscription
FREE on Kindle Unlimited | $2.99 on Kindle | $12.99 in Paperback
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Christmas is often thought of as a time of joy and cheer, a time for giving to others, a time of celebration and love…. Well, this year some of the best voices in horror fiction decided to band together and tell you some tales about a different kind of Christmas, so grab yourself a mug of hot chocolate, close the curtains, lock the door and get comfy. This will be a Christmas like never before!
MY REVIEW:
I am not the biggest fan of Christmas; Halloween is far more my jam. So, to cope with the in-your-face cheer of Christmas, I decided to combine my love of creepy and the holiday. There are many Christmas-centric horror collections easily available on the Kindle store, but I chose this one because it seemed the most diverse. There are even a few poems!
This collection includes the stories:
◆ “12 Days (Psychopath Remix)” by J.C. Michael (poem)
◆ “Thy Will be Done” by J.C. Michael
◆ “Tommy’s Christmas” by John R. Little
◆ “Naughty or Nice” by Veronica Smith
◆ “Santa's Midnight Feast” by J.L. Lane
◆ “Hung With Care” by Ty Schwamberger
◆ “Santa Came” by Peter Oliver Wonder
◆ “In the Bag” by Tim Curran
◆ “The Christmas Spirit” by Lisa Morton
◆ “The Tome of Bill Christmas Carol” by Rick Gualtieri
◆ “Killing Christmas” by Andrew Lennon
◆ “All Naughty, No Nice” by Michael A. Arnzen
◆ “A Disappointed Shade of Blue” by C.S. Andserson (poem)
◆ “Stuffed Pig” by Steven Murray
◆ “The Night Before Christmas” by Suzanne Fox
◆ “Better Watch Out” by Willow Rose
◆ “Deck The Halls” by Xtina Marie (poem)
◆ “Christmas Market” by Amy Cross
◆ “Merry Fuckin' Christmas” by Kevin J. Kennedy
◆ “The Veil” by Rose Garnett
◆ “The Last Christmas Dinner” by Christina Bergling
◆ “The Present” by Israel Finn
◆ “Christmas Carole” by Lisa Vasquez
◆ “Slay Bells” by Weston Kincade
Overall, I enjoyed this collection. There’s an array of stories, so I’m pretty sure everyone will be able to find something enjoyable within. I recognized several names in this collection, some of whose work I have enjoyed in the past and some I didn’t.
I think my favorite story was “Slay Bells” by Weston Kincade. It had everything I enjoy in a good horror story, and it has heart, too.
I’m glad I picked this up. It helped get me through the holiday. There are several more collections compiled by Kennedy, and I’ll likely read them in the future, too.
Thanks to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It was easy to rush through this book, because it's not so long. The stories were easy to read as well and I enjoyed most of them. I loved celebrating the Christmas spirit with some good, gory horror stories. The horror in this book is of all different kinds; gory horror, creepy horror, WTF-horror, and I liked the fact that it's something different every story.
I was also very fond of the creativity that the authors show in the stories they write. It's always a lot of fun to get my hands on a book by Kevin J. Kennedy.
Something that I would've liked to see differently, was the fact that at some point in the book, there are a lot of evil Santa stories in a row. I would've loved to see the stories mixed up a bit more.
I had a blast reading this book, 4 stars!
The original review can be found at Bite Into Books
It was easy to rush through this book, because it's not so long. The stories were easy to read as well and I enjoyed most of them. I loved celebrating the Christmas spirit with some good, gory horror stories. The horror in this book is of all different kinds; gory horror, creepy horror, WTF-horror, and I liked the fact that it's something different every story.
I was also very fond of the creativity that the authors show in the stories they write. It's always a lot of fun to get my hands on a book by Kevin J. Kennedy.
Something that I would've liked to see differently, was the fact that at some point in the book, there are a lot of evil Santa stories in a row. I would've loved to see the stories mixed up a bit more.
I had a blast reading this book, 4 stars!
The original review can be found at Bite Into Books
24 Holiday Horror short stories! I really did enjoy this collection over-all. There were a few I didn't care for but mostly I enjoyed them and loved some of them.
My favorites being
Better Watch Out by Willow Rose
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen
The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton
Merry Fucking Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon
My average rating ended up being 3.35
If you like holiday horror, i'd recommend it.
My favorites being
Better Watch Out by Willow Rose
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen
The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton
Merry Fucking Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon
My average rating ended up being 3.35
If you like holiday horror, i'd recommend it.
It’s still only November and TV is awash with Christmas ads so to get me in the mood than reading an anthology of Christmas Horror shorts. With a mixture of 24 stories and poems, this book will certainly bring some Christmas cheer to Horror lovers. With so many stories I will still be writing this review on Christmas Eve so for time purposes, I am going to pick the ones that stood out for me. This was a difficult choice as they were all good reads.
Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith: The story of Robert whilst he was working one night at Kmart. You notice as soon as Halloween has passed the shops start to sell Christmas merch and the Kmart was no difference. The story has killers that are unexpected and whilst they start out quite comical, it isn’t long until you know they mean business.
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A Arnzen: What happens if Santa still spread his magic in a zombie world. This story had a sense of sorrow to it as you knew how despondent Santa was
Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J Kennedy: What starts out with a regular guy preparing for Christmas soon changes into a tale of revenge. This story was heartbreaking and what one tragic accident can result in. The killings were described in detail and will have you thinking what would you do.
Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger: A family gets a surprise from Santa. I enjoyed the Bad Santa and the real reason why Santa visits on Christmas Eve. The unique decoration above the fireplace completed the story
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon: We all know people like Jeff, in fact, I am like him. I get fed up how Christmas comes earlier every year and as soon as Halloween is over Christmas is rammed down our throats, but what happens to Jeff, does have you worried.
The Last Christmas Dinner by Christine Bergling: For Susan, preparing Christmas dinner is one of the busiest times of the year. This story builds up to a surprise ending and you are drawn into what you think is a happy Christmas celebration.
Whilst I have not mentioned the others, that doesn’t mean that I did not enjoy them. There are plenty of stories that will keep you busy over the festive season, and whether you like Christmas or not this book will please horror readers whatever your taste in horror is as this book cover most of the sub-genres. I have the all the collected short stories and I find it is a good way to read authors work that I have not come across.
Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith: The story of Robert whilst he was working one night at Kmart. You notice as soon as Halloween has passed the shops start to sell Christmas merch and the Kmart was no difference. The story has killers that are unexpected and whilst they start out quite comical, it isn’t long until you know they mean business.
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A Arnzen: What happens if Santa still spread his magic in a zombie world. This story had a sense of sorrow to it as you knew how despondent Santa was
Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J Kennedy: What starts out with a regular guy preparing for Christmas soon changes into a tale of revenge. This story was heartbreaking and what one tragic accident can result in. The killings were described in detail and will have you thinking what would you do.
Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger: A family gets a surprise from Santa. I enjoyed the Bad Santa and the real reason why Santa visits on Christmas Eve. The unique decoration above the fireplace completed the story
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon: We all know people like Jeff, in fact, I am like him. I get fed up how Christmas comes earlier every year and as soon as Halloween is over Christmas is rammed down our throats, but what happens to Jeff, does have you worried.
The Last Christmas Dinner by Christine Bergling: For Susan, preparing Christmas dinner is one of the busiest times of the year. This story builds up to a surprise ending and you are drawn into what you think is a happy Christmas celebration.
Whilst I have not mentioned the others, that doesn’t mean that I did not enjoy them. There are plenty of stories that will keep you busy over the festive season, and whether you like Christmas or not this book will please horror readers whatever your taste in horror is as this book cover most of the sub-genres. I have the all the collected short stories and I find it is a good way to read authors work that I have not come across.
I love horror short stories, but this collection was a let down. Very amateur and a good few stories were crude and overly-sexual (really not my thing).
I love reading a good anthology at Halloween because that’s when you get the best collections of horror stories. It’s the time of year that weirdos like me actually fit in. Not Christmas. I mean how can you make an anthology of Christmas horror stories that will be genuine horror? Seriously? It doesn’t’ fit, does it? Christmas is jolly and nice, not evil and nasty. Or is it? – Nev Murray
This is me every single year! So when I saw this fabulous book on Kindle Unlimited of course I was not going to hesitate!
This is chock full of great authors. I was hard pressed to find authors that I did not like. There are a few stories that did not quite hit all the spots but for the most part I kept highlighting all these stories that I wanted to blog about because they are all fabulously horrific.
There are a few stories that really stood out. I was so glad to see Bill the Vampire from Rick Gualtieri and having a short story on Bill is exactly what I needed and it fits this anthology perfectly. A vampire, a mom that is tired of doing everything for her family, a Santa who is finding the Mrs. Claus a bit too dried up, a market with all the yummy food and presents, and the list goes on and on!
I can say that I loved reading this. I only hated the idea that these great stories have to come to an end so quickly!
In short: If you enjoy horror you’ll need this anthology every Christmas!
This is me every single year! So when I saw this fabulous book on Kindle Unlimited of course I was not going to hesitate!
This is chock full of great authors. I was hard pressed to find authors that I did not like. There are a few stories that did not quite hit all the spots but for the most part I kept highlighting all these stories that I wanted to blog about because they are all fabulously horrific.
There are a few stories that really stood out. I was so glad to see Bill the Vampire from Rick Gualtieri and having a short story on Bill is exactly what I needed and it fits this anthology perfectly. A vampire, a mom that is tired of doing everything for her family, a Santa who is finding the Mrs. Claus a bit too dried up, a market with all the yummy food and presents, and the list goes on and on!
I can say that I loved reading this. I only hated the idea that these great stories have to come to an end so quickly!
In short: If you enjoy horror you’ll need this anthology every Christmas!
Rating: 3.5
Thoughts: Overall this was a pretty good mix collection of horror short stories with Christmas as the theme. Some were really good in opinion and had me checking twice (haha) around the tree, and those Santa clad relatives as my favorite holiday was given a different spin this year.
The Last Christmas Dinner, All Naughty, No Nice, The Night Before Christmas, and In the Bag, were some of my favorites.
Thoughts: Overall this was a pretty good mix collection of horror short stories with Christmas as the theme. Some were really good in opinion and had me checking twice (haha) around the tree, and those Santa clad relatives as my favorite holiday was given a different spin this year.
The Last Christmas Dinner, All Naughty, No Nice, The Night Before Christmas, and In the Bag, were some of my favorites.
I just cannot get enough Christmas horror this time of year!
Christmas Horror Shorts is such a wonderful collection of stories that range from the mildly spooky to full-blown terror.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Per usual with these types of collections, here are my rating breakdowns for each story along with some immediate thoughts/reactions:
Forward by Nev Murray
A wonderful forward to jump start the book! I loved how honest Nev was and how he told the reader a bit about his personal life. I also really loved how welcoming this intro was!
Better Watch Out by Willow Rose – 4/5
This story hits on so many thoughts I’ve had over the years. The whole idea of Santa can certainly seem terrifying! I loved how this story played on that. And that ending…
Tommy’s Christmas by John R Little – 5/5
Poor Tommy! He was so innocent… but what a twist!
Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith – 5/5
Yikes! How terrifying! Our neighbors have an inflatable Santa outside… we can see it from our bedroom. I’m going to be a smidge paranoid about that Santa now…
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen – 5/5
Ever wonder what would happen to the naughty and nice list when zombies take over? This story covers just that! How spooky!!
Slay Bells by Weston Kincade – 4/5
Heartbreaking and so terrifying! What an absolutely horrible annual tradition. These poor people. The gore in this one was intense.
Santa’s Midnight Feast by J. L. Lane – 5/5
So intense!! This tale started out innocently, but then took quite the turn. I love tales like this!
The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton – 5/5
I loved that this one centered around a spooky house in the middle of nowhere and that the couple read from a book! What a scary tale! But also quite heartwarming.
Thy Will Be Done by J.C. Michael – 4/5
Yikes! Terrifying. And all in Gods name…
Psychopath Remix by J.C. Michael – 5/5
Phew! This turned dark very quickly!
A Tome of Bill Christmas Carole by Rick Gualtieri – 4/5
A fun twist in the usual Christmas Carol!
Christmas Market by Amy Cross – 5/5
This one made me feel so claustrophobic. That crowd does not sound fun. And what a terrifying situation! And what happens next?!
Deck the Halls by Xtina Marie – 4/5
A short but terrifying poem!
Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy – 5/5
Oh my goodness! So heartbreaking, but what wonderfully intense payback. I have zero respect for people that think drunk driving is okay.
Santa Came by Peter Oliver Wonder –
Unfortunately, not for me.
Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger – 5/5
Ah! Another intense and bloody one with one unhappy Santa!
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon – 5/5
What a twisted tale! I loved it!
A Disappointed Shade of Blue by C.S. Anderson – 3/5
A sad one. Oofh.
The Present by Israel Finn – 5/5
A difficult one to read because of the domestic violence. But that ending!
Christmas Carole by Lisa Vasquez –
Unfortunately I don’t think I understood this one. It started with a bang, but then it lost me. I’ll have to give it a re-read another time.
Stuffed Pig by Steven Murray – 5/5
Phew! That was intense and terrifying!! Right when the neighbor called to report someone luring about, I knew we were in for an intense ride.
The Last Christmas Dinner by Christina Bergling – 5/5
Ugh, what rotten and self centered kids! I felt so bad for this poor mother. But yes! What payback!
The Veil by Rose Garnet – 3/5
Oooh! Spooky! I’m so glad this dirtbag got was was coming to him.
The Night Before Christmas by Suzanne Fox – 2/5
Personally not a fan of the erotic elements of this one, but if that’s your jam, you’ll love this! This one was also quite brutal.
The The Bag by Tim Curran – 4/5
I kept picturing something like that book with teeth from Harry Potter for this one. Phew, what a dark and sad tale.
My Final Thoughts
This was such a fun collection!! If you enjoy horror and Christmas, you have to give this a read! This is yet another collection from Mr Kennedy that has a little something for every horror fan!
Christmas Horror Shorts is such a wonderful collection of stories that range from the mildly spooky to full-blown terror.
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way.
Per usual with these types of collections, here are my rating breakdowns for each story along with some immediate thoughts/reactions:
Forward by Nev Murray
A wonderful forward to jump start the book! I loved how honest Nev was and how he told the reader a bit about his personal life. I also really loved how welcoming this intro was!
Better Watch Out by Willow Rose – 4/5
This story hits on so many thoughts I’ve had over the years. The whole idea of Santa can certainly seem terrifying! I loved how this story played on that. And that ending…
Tommy’s Christmas by John R Little – 5/5
Poor Tommy! He was so innocent… but what a twist!
Naughty or Nice by Veronica Smith – 5/5
Yikes! How terrifying! Our neighbors have an inflatable Santa outside… we can see it from our bedroom. I’m going to be a smidge paranoid about that Santa now…
All Naughty, No Nice by Michael A. Arnzen – 5/5
Ever wonder what would happen to the naughty and nice list when zombies take over? This story covers just that! How spooky!!
Slay Bells by Weston Kincade – 4/5
Heartbreaking and so terrifying! What an absolutely horrible annual tradition. These poor people. The gore in this one was intense.
Santa’s Midnight Feast by J. L. Lane – 5/5
So intense!! This tale started out innocently, but then took quite the turn. I love tales like this!
The Christmas Spirit by Lisa Morton – 5/5
I loved that this one centered around a spooky house in the middle of nowhere and that the couple read from a book! What a scary tale! But also quite heartwarming.
Thy Will Be Done by J.C. Michael – 4/5
Yikes! Terrifying. And all in Gods name…
Psychopath Remix by J.C. Michael – 5/5
Phew! This turned dark very quickly!
A Tome of Bill Christmas Carole by Rick Gualtieri – 4/5
A fun twist in the usual Christmas Carol!
Christmas Market by Amy Cross – 5/5
This one made me feel so claustrophobic. That crowd does not sound fun. And what a terrifying situation! And what happens next?!
Deck the Halls by Xtina Marie – 4/5
A short but terrifying poem!
Merry Fuckin’ Christmas by Kevin J. Kennedy – 5/5
Oh my goodness! So heartbreaking, but what wonderfully intense payback. I have zero respect for people that think drunk driving is okay.
Santa Came by Peter Oliver Wonder –
Unfortunately, not for me.
Hung With Care by Ty Schwamberger – 5/5
Ah! Another intense and bloody one with one unhappy Santa!
Killing Christmas by Andrew Lennon – 5/5
What a twisted tale! I loved it!
A Disappointed Shade of Blue by C.S. Anderson – 3/5
A sad one. Oofh.
The Present by Israel Finn – 5/5
A difficult one to read because of the domestic violence. But that ending!
Christmas Carole by Lisa Vasquez –
Unfortunately I don’t think I understood this one. It started with a bang, but then it lost me. I’ll have to give it a re-read another time.
Stuffed Pig by Steven Murray – 5/5
Phew! That was intense and terrifying!! Right when the neighbor called to report someone luring about, I knew we were in for an intense ride.
The Last Christmas Dinner by Christina Bergling – 5/5
Ugh, what rotten and self centered kids! I felt so bad for this poor mother. But yes! What payback!
The Veil by Rose Garnet – 3/5
Oooh! Spooky! I’m so glad this dirtbag got was was coming to him.
The Night Before Christmas by Suzanne Fox – 2/5
Personally not a fan of the erotic elements of this one, but if that’s your jam, you’ll love this! This one was also quite brutal.
The The Bag by Tim Curran – 4/5
I kept picturing something like that book with teeth from Harry Potter for this one. Phew, what a dark and sad tale.
My Final Thoughts
This was such a fun collection!! If you enjoy horror and Christmas, you have to give this a read! This is yet another collection from Mr Kennedy that has a little something for every horror fan!