Tag: Damaged Skull Reviewer

GOOD NEWS EVERYONE! I’VE RETURNED TO HELLNOTES AND HERE’S MY LATEST REVIEW WITH THEM!

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Book Review: THE ZAPHNURR PHASE

by Brian James Lewis | Nov 17, 2025 | Book Reviews, Hellnotes Reviews, Horror Authors / Books, Horror News | 0 comments

The Zaphnurr Phase
Brick Marlin
Seventh Star Press (July 1, 2025)
Reviewed by Brian James Lewis

 Hey there, fans of horror and science fiction! It’s been a while, but I’m glad to be back on your screen giving you the scoop on new books and some classics too. Today’s exciting new read is The Zaphnurr Phase by HWA member Brick Marlin. This novel is a great mix of dystopian worlds with both psychological horror and some truly terrifying scenes. Let’s take a quick peek inside!

The world as we currently know it has ceased to exist, but there is still life in the colonies, city-sized worlds that seem to float above the desolate earth. Sarah is tired of the increasingly dangerous and restrictive colony that she and her boyfriend, Kentil, exist in. But before they can escape, he disappears, leaving her alone and pregnant in a place that is governed by a corporate entity called M-Corp that enforces its laws through the Nazi-like Demi agents who are as evil as they look. Sarah goes through a major shitstorm of bad events until she finally gets a chance to leave Perrill with her baby. Once the Demi realize what’s going on, they do everything in their power to put the blocks to her. Lethal force is authorized, but Sarah is a strong woman who fights until she loses consciousness.

After a pretty entertaining interaction with an alien transport vehicle, Sarah makes it to another colony called Gorph, where everything seems to be much better than it was in her old life. Whew! Now if she can only find Kentil and start fresh… But it’s no small task to find her boyfriend in the huge city where there is just as much virtual reality as there is concrete. Plus, despite the good pay and nice living space, her job is kind of funky. She’s also never truly alone, because a microprocessor has been installed into her brain as part of this “new and improved” world. Nothing seems permanent except her AI assistant, Vodburrk, whom she doesn’t entirely trust. Will Sarah find her missing boyfriend? Will she finally settle in Gorph? Will she ever feel safe in this new colony or go on the run again? I could tell you, but where’s the fun in that? Gleemer says that your best course of action is to get a copy of The Zaphnurr Phase and enjoy all the thrills and chills firsthand. You’ll also find out who or what Gleemer is. It’s currently available in both digital and paper formats from your favorite bookseller today.

I rate The Zaphnurr Phase by Brick Marlin a hearty 5 STARS! It’s a great mix of horror, science fiction, and Marlin’s unique sense of humor which provides some much-needed bright spots in a dark world. All of this is wrapped in a dash of hope, along with some well executed plot twists that’ll keep you turning pages until the dynamic end. Although I have a feeling that the conclusion of The Zaphnurr Phase might just be delivering us to the beginning of Marlin’s next novel, which is currently in progress.

One of the easiest ways to find out more about Brick Marlin is to head on over the Seventh Star Press website at: www.seventhstarpress.com/books/brick-marlin There you’ll find links to Marlin’s Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, and Patreon accounts, as well as what other titles are currently available.

Brian James Lewis is a disabled writer and poet with PTSD whose work has recently appeared in Mythic Picnic, The Awakenings Review, and in multiple horror anthologies. Please visit him at: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com, X/Twitter @skullsnflames76, or https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer  He has been reviewing books since 2016

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO DANIEL BRAUM AND HIS NEW RELEASE “PHANTOM CONSTELLATIONS” NOW AVAILABLE FROM CEMETERY DANCE!

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Hey guys and gals! It’s your old pal Skull sharing the good news of Daniel Braum’s new release Strange Constellations! Published by Cemetery Dance, this great collection of stories is already making waves in the Amazon book category rankings and getting positive reviews. The stories I’ve read so far are amazing and I’ll have a review up soon on Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer, Hellnotes, Goodreads, Twitter, and Facebook. Until then, stay cool and keep reading independent horror!

WHAT’S EVERYBODY READING THIS WEEK? YOUR OLD PAL SKULL IS TUCKING INTO SOME GOOD STUFF (AND CATCHING UP ON REVIEWS)

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Hiya Gang! It’s your old pal Skull, freshly resurrected, yanked from the grave if you will, by my mortal host Brian James Lewis in the magical time that straddles Halloween and Dios Los Muertos. After I got done cursing him out in as many languages as I could come up with, he sat me down in the reviewer’s chair and set me loose on his TBR pile. Let me tell ya, it looks like your old pal Skull has plenty of job security in this joint!

Anyway, on to the good stuff. James Carlson’s Gloom House Press has returned with a THIRD annual LGBTQ+ charity anthology featuring many awesome writers including Rebecca Rowland, James Carlson, Leo X Robertson, and…that’s all I can tell you right now because Axle the dog ate our copy of this book. No BS, the damn dog really ate the book! This has never happened before at the Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer office, but we will purchase a fresh copy when we can to finish the actual review. Aren’t you glad I’m back? This place went right down the crapper without me!

What I can tell you is that WE’LL ALWAYS BE HERE celebrates the wonderful diversity of everyone who makes up the Horror Community by standing proud and shouting loud that we love ALL our writers and are unwilling to accept any discrimination or trash talk about these fine folks who put their hearts on the page when they create. The stories I did read were fantastic, and I look forward to reading the rest soon-thanks again, Axle! and providing a full review. But there’s no need to wait for me. you can get your own copy of WE’LL ALWAYS BE HERE from your favorite bookseller. Mine came from Amazon, but I know that Godless also carries Gloom House books and isn’t run by billionaires, so you might enjoy supporting them instead. Just be careful, because there is something about this book that’s yummy to dogs. Probably best to put it on a high shelf.

FANS OF HORROR CINEMA AND LIT WILL FIND A LOT TO LOVE IN “DEMO REELS AND ARTHOUSE MADNESS” A COLLECTION OF DARK VERSE BY AWARD-WINNING WRITER VINCE A. LIAGUNO

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DEMO REELS and ARTHOUSE MADNESS
Vince A. Liaguno
2/25/2025
Raw Dog Screaming Press
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Hey there horror fans, it’s your old pal Skull returning from the grave to clue you in about a most excellent collection of dark verse from Bram Stoker Award winner, Vince A. Liaguno! Just released by Raw Dog Screaming Press, Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness is a rollercoaster that’s ready to take readers on a wild ride through the dark side. So, buckle up buttercup, and hang on tight!

This a great collection of diverse dark verse that delivers a funky movie house vibe with its fan letter to horror flicks. “Summer Camp, Parts I and II” is a great example of this with playful verse about all the crazy goings on at camps we’re familiar with through the magic of cinema. “Epoch Rewound” transmits images of the 1980’s into our heads, the ones now referred to as “Pop Culture” but to those of us who were there, we were just walking though the endless malls, using lots of hair spray, and playing Trivial Pursuit. Many of the poems in Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness are about deep topics, but Liaguno presents them artfully, mixing in clips of pretty things to camouflage the horror chattering across dusty screens in musty abandoned theaters.

“Chatroom Hustler” opens the show by launching us into the dark side of online sex. “Ghosts of the Disco” transports us to the 1980’s dance clubs of NYC pumping with the sparkling, simmering, sexy intoxication of being out in a safe space. Unfortunately, the hot sweaty sex gives way to paralyzing fear and chilling terror in the 90’s. There’s a killer on the loose that’s silent and deadly. It doesn’t discriminate, but many neighbors do. This poem is followed by the sad and sweet, “Awaiting You” where a lover waits for their missing partner as the place they’re waiting is slowly revealed.

“Maternity Ward” is a poem that hit me like a well-aimed kidney punch and I’m pretty sure there are many readers like me who will read it and feel a sharp “click!” as it locks into place. Liaguno achieves the perfect blend of abstract and specific, so that he can be telling your story, too, of a parent you wanted to love and feel loved by. Instead, we ended up tossed along the wayside, only to be greedily snatched back up again by someone who refused to let us go and be ourselves. They often said, “I’m only trying to help/protect you!” but didn’t know how or were twisted by previous life experiences and maimed us instead.

Did you ever play the license plate game as a kid? Your family’s on a road trip and the adults tried to keep us busy by having us look for plates from each of the 50 states. New York and Pennsylvania are pretty easy, Louisiana a lot harder, and whoever sees an Alaska plate gets a candy bar! Liaguno plays a similar but much darker game with us in his poem “Missing Adults” where every license plate is a clue along with the back of a milk carton description. Winning this game is not for the faint of heart because connecting the clues brings about a chilling conclusion you can’t unsee once it’s in your head.

So, there is your peek into the darkness, my friends! Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer’s rating of Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness-a collection of dark verse by Vince A. Liaguno is a blazing FIVE STARS. This is a fabulously cool collection that showcases Liaguno’s ability to mix big handfuls of pop icon imagery into his work without it seeming forced. You come upon it as you’re reading along, feeling that tingle of recognition, but not seeing the whole picture yet. So, we continue walking down that dark city street until everything hits us with the fizzing pop of celluloid burning and a brilliant flash of the marquee lights, changing everything forever.

To purchase Demo Reels and Arthouse Madness, please visit Raw Dog Screaming Press at: www.RawDogScreaming.com They have a lot of excellent titles available, including: Fever Dreams of a Parasite by Pedro Iniguez, and Beyond The Bounds of Infinity a diverse Lovecraftian horror anthology edited by Vaughn A. Jackson and Stephanie Pearre, which is amazing. Check out my review!

To learn more about award-winning poet, writer, anthologist and editor Vince A. Liaguno, please check out his site: www.vinceliaguno.com and be sure to dig the mind-blowing book trailer featured there! Vince is also on Facebook: www.facebook.com/vinceliaguno , Instagram@vinceliaguno, Goodreads, and Twitter/X

About your reviewer:

When darkness falls Brian James Lewis transforms into his undead alter ego, Skull, and burns the midnight oil reading and reviewing recent arrivals to his lair, the Skullcave. You can catch up with him on social media at: https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer where he’d really appreciate some follows to get more exposure for Indy horror writers and presses!

You can also find him on: X/Twitter@skullsnflames76

And we’re also on Goodreads and leave reviews on Amazon under the mortal’s name Brian James Lewis

Until next time, be well, stay safe, and keep reading independent horror!

Vince A. Liaguno

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY TO “FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE” BY PEDRO INIGUEZ, JUST RELEASED BY RAW DOG SCREAMING PRESS!

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Hello fans of diverse horror! It’s your old pal Skull celebrating the RAW DOG SCREAMIMG PRESS book birthday of “Fever Dreams of a Parasite” by excellent writer and poet, Pedro Iniguez. This collection is a wild collage of Latin culture, traditions, and things that go bump in the night. Sometimes a ghost is a ghost and sometimes it’s ICE grabbing innocent people under the cover of night.

FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE is insanely well written and perfect for the times we are going through right now. Readers will connect with Iniguez’s characters and be able to see something they’ve looked at before with different eyes, maybe for the first time. There is a lot of evil in our world that’s not always easy to define. This is where the storyteller is both a guide and a shaman. Enter the FEVER DREAMS OF A PARASITE for view behind the veil. Currently available from RAW DOG SCREAMING PRESS at http://www.RawDogScreaming.com or from your preferred book retailer in both physical or kindle/e-book formats.

DO YOU LIKE STORIES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL THAT CREEPING SENSE OF UNEASE YOU CAN’T QUITE PUT YOUR FINGER ON? IF SO, “MEET ME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AIR” BY ERIC SCHALLER IS JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED

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Meet Me In The Middle of The Air
Eric Schaller
Lethe Press
7/1/2024
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Howdy horror fans, it’s your old pal Skull with a collection of strange miracles and dark comedies from Eric Schaller. Meet Me in The Middle of The Air is an intense book that requires readers to accept a certain level of unease to really enjoy the stories within. Things come at you hard and fast once you open the gate. Case in point, the first story Schaller presents to us, The Assistant to Doctor Jacob pulls us into a lovely hothouse full of exotic flowers curated by a young boy’s neighbor. It all seems quite innocent with the doctor’s encouragement of the boy’s interest in gardening, everything tucked away into the happy memories file of the brain, until the police come knocking on the now adult boy’s door with some very strange pictures and a lot of questions.

While The Parasite sounds like a truly terrifying title, it’s actually a pretty entertaining short story. When the snoring of a husband brings an unbidden guest into his body, not all the changes it causes are bad. Whilethat’s sort of a relief, some strange things do happen in the dark of night that will make sure that this urban neighborhood will keep on changing. Snoring sleepers beware!

What if all the angry words we said took up physical space and embodied their meanings? That’s what happens in Voices Carry where two couples argue about infidelity that has occurred between some of their members. As their angry words take on the forms of dangerous flying shapes that fill the room, it seems like it would be best if they could stop the flow, but will they? A great story to show readers the impact of bad deeds and refusal to accept blame or find a solution.

Crystal Vision is a melancholy but interesting tale about a group of addicts living solely for the crystal meth made by a fella named David. It all starts in a fun sort of party atmosphere, but things devolve rather quickly. Socially acceptable behaviors and hygiene go first. Valuable possessions follow until the few remaining people turn into a bunch of starving naked truth seekers who are ready to crack. This one hits home because so many neighborhoods are dealing with ice houses these days, ours included.

Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer rates Meet Me in the Middle of the Air by Eric Schaller a solid 4 out of 5 stars. It is an intriguing tapestry of the uncanny and unusual that sometimes runs off the rails with a high degree of intensity. Luckily, there is a wide variety of material here that provides something for everybody to enjoy, even if the whole may be a bit too much for many readers to digest entirely. This is a collection of stories that will stick in your head whether you want it to or not and actually led to your old pal Skull having some nightmares, which is rare. Schaller’s work is based on many real places, people, and creatures which means that he is a master of the thin blurred line between worlds. So, if you’re looking for adventure, you’re in the right place. Meet Me in the Middle of the Air.

Thanks for stopping by the Skullcave and digging this week’s review! For more information about Lethe Press’ catalog of great books, artists, and the chance to save a little green, head on over to: www.lethepressbooks.com There you’ll also find more information about their authors, Eric Schaller included. To follow Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer, please visit: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com Until next time, be well and keep reading independent horror!

About your reviewer:

When darkness falls Brian James Lewis becomes his alter ego, Skull, and burns the midnight oil, reading and reviewing recent arrivals to his lair, the Skullcave! You can catch up with him on social media at: https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer where he’d really appreciate some follows to get more exposure for Indy horror writers and presses!

You can also find him on: X/Twitter@skullsnflames76

And we’re also on Goodreads and share reviews on Amazon under the mortal’s name: Brian James Lewis

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A UNIQUE READING EXPERIENCE THAT PACKS A PUNCH, CHECK OUT REBECCA GRANSDEN’S LATEST COLLECTION OF WEIRD SHORT HORROR STORIES “HAPPY BUNNY AND OTHER MISCHIEFS”

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HAPPY BUNNY AND OTHER MISCHIEFS
Rebecca Gransden
October 30, 2024
Cardboard Wall Empire
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Hello again, all you horror fiends! It’s your old pal Skull with Happy Bunny and other Mischiefs, a new short story collection from Rebecca Gransden. Behind the grainy security camera footage cover readers will find themselves immersed in a Bizarro universe made up of fourteen stories that strike like an angry scorpion on LSD that’s been hiding in your sleeping bag. Gransden has the uncanny ability of turning the everyday into something terrifying in just a few short pages. So, if you’re looking for weird, follow me into the darkness…

Things kick of with, Turducken: Confirm Humanity. If you’re not familiar with what a turducken is, look it up for the best understanding of what this feisty little tale is trying to illustrate. When this multi-layered creature escapes a transport, it decides to do its best to fit in and create a delightful feast of what it finds in the wild. The guests are certainly in for a surprise!

In Canon Fodder we meet a person who enjoys inducing riots by shooting money out of a confetti canon in busy public spaces. She enjoys the injuries, violence, and deaths caused by the frantic scrabble for cash. But when a rival gang decides that she’s just a little too good at what she does, they come up with a grisly final assignment.

As a former professional driver of 18-wheelers and delivery vans, I’m not a big fan of sharing the road with self-driving cars. They may be presented to the media as the next great thing, but brothers Yuri and Dimos find out how terrifying these vehicles are (and who’s really in control) in the story Slug Slick.

Not even municipal street cleaners are safe in their noble but filthy profession. They have to be alert for the dangers of Disco Rice! Most of the workers just do their time, clock out, and leave the grossness behind. But a few twisted individuals have formed The Disco Rice Club and taken obsession to a whole new level of strange.

In Sparrow Eyes, two couples and a friend head out to a holiday camp where they plan to party hearty and maybe do a little swinging. But something in the woods is waiting for them. It has needs, too, and if the group doesn’t do what it wants, this could be their last trip.

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs is a unique collection of stories that refuses to be pigeon-holed into a single category, and I think that’s a good thing. Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer rates Rebecca Gransden’s latest collection 4.5 Stars! Be prepared for sudden plunges directly into the action and some entertaining names for characters such as “Gary Hotdog”, “Tall Jim”, and “Fuck It Cat”. These stories may shock you, and some speak out against important topics like child abuse and social media overload, but you sure as hell won’t be bored. Dare to think for yourself and get yourself a copy of Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs! You’ll be glad you did.

Cardboard Wall Empire is an independent press that has published a large amount of Rebecca Gransden’s books. My favorite so far is Creepy Sheen, which you can read my review of at www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com . There are also some selections from Leo X. Robertson available. You can purchase Cardboard Wall Empire books from Amazon.com or your favorite bookseller. New projects are in the works, so stay tuned!

 About your reviewer:

When darkness falls. Brian James Lewis becomes his alter ego, Skull, and burns the midnight oil reading and reviewing recent arrivals to his lair, the Skullcave! You can catch up with him on social media at: https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer where he’d really appreciate some follows to get more exposure for Indy horror writers and presses!

You can also find him on: X/Twitter@skullsnflames76

And we’re also on Goodreads and leave reviews on Amazon under the mortal’s name Brian James Lewis

To follow Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer, please visit: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com Thanks!

Until next time, be well, stay safe, and keep reading independent horror!

photo credit: “Fallout Shelter-No Days Off” Brian James Lewis

LOVE LOVECRAFTIAN HORROR BUT DISLIKE DISCRIMINATION AND FEELING EXCLUDED? THEN “BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF INFINITY” FROM RAW DOG SCREAMING PRESS DELIVERS DIVERSE COSMIC HORROR AND WEIRD FICTION FOR THE MODERN WORLD

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BEYOND THE BOUNDS OF INFINITY
Edited by Vaughn A. Jackson & Stephanie Pearre
July 10, 2024
Raw Dog Screaming Press
Reviewed by Brian “Skull” Lewis

Greetings Horror Fiends! It’s your old pal Skull with a great new collection from Raw Dog Screaming Press. Lovecraftian horror is a cool mashup of fantasy, dream worlds, and elder gods that have existed since the beginning of time itself. H.P. Lovecraft and his contemporaries came up with some really unique story concepts, but their beauty was marred by the narrow white lens it was pushed through. People of color, working class folks, and women were not respected and treated as equals. Those that were physically or mentally disabled were usually portrayed as ignorant freaks. This was because the majority of publishers and writers were white males. Fortunately, Beyond the Bounds of Infinity is here to showcase a diverse cast of authors and put a new spin on weird fiction and cosmic horror. It’s a great step towards eliminating boundaries and giving readers a kaleidoscopic view of the weirdness that draws us into these types of stories. Speaking of great views, how about that awesome book cover by Lynne Hansen? I’m really becoming a fan! Let’s take a peek within at the horrors that await us…

In Effigies of Monstrous Things, Pedro Iniguez uses the too familiar backdrop of crummy apartments and low income living that Latin Americans are forced to endure in their quest to make it. At first it just seems like Mario is dealing with another cheese bag white slumlord in a janky neighborhood, but a trip into the vast basement of the ancient, mold-ridden apartment complex reveals something much bigger and more terrifying that wants more.

Fractures of Her Reflection by Amanda Headlee tackles the general public’s lack of interest in taking mental health issues seriously. Everyone tells Dava that her tapping rituals are useless and a waste of time, making her feel small and stupid. They’re more concerned about how they feel uncomfortable and weirded out by her behavior. But as this short story reaches its conclusion, something appears on the horizon and the last thing it wants is to be stuck under the rug.

S.A. Cosby takes us out into the woods for 24 Points. It’s hunting season for a trio of men who arrive in the forest with the plan of harvesting the largest deer they can find to get their family through the cold winter ahead. But there’s a line between taking what you need and being greedy. Mother nature is the governess of those laws and when Uncle Ricky oversteps her boundaries, she requires a payment. If it is not forthcoming, the entire fabric of the cosmos opens wide to correct the wrongs. Great balance of the familiar and the terrifying with social commentary.

In Live Free or Die, Danny Brzozowski opens up the cute curtains of a small Connecticut (state motto: Live Free or Die) town to show the rot hidden inside. Many people consider the northeastern states to be safe territory for more liberal thinkers. Unfortunately, I can say from my own personal experiences in a small upstate New York town, that is not always the case. Don’t be doing different loud and proud there unless you want to meet a lot of scary people who masquerade as good ones. When a trans teacher gets fired from a school for teaching both sides of reality in a particularly privileged community, something horrible awakens beneath the hilly ground. Is it a savior or is it a killer? Seeking to make their escape, the teacher comes across a scene that reveals just how deep that evil runs in Briarbrook and prays that they won’t have to follow the latter part of the state motto.

Other great stories in this anthology include Cracks by Mary SanGiovanni, Like Ants We March by Jorja Osha, Six Underground by Vicky Velvet, and You Have Joined the Livestream by Jessica McHugh. Every story inside Beyond the Bounds of Infinity is excellent. You won’t find any filler or pieces you can coast through, here! Like a flourless chocolate torte, this collection is super rich, delightfully dark, and very satisfying.  Raw Dog Screaming Press crushes that narrow white lens and hands readers a kaleidoscope to view cosmic horror and weird fiction with. Because when limits are removed, possibilities open wide, and that’s what it’s all about. Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer rates Beyond the Bounds of Infinity FIVE STARS! If you think that Lovecraft’s work is old and stuffy, this book is for you. Raw Dog Screaming Press brings weird fiction and cosmic horror into the present day and makes it relevant to readers right now.  

For more information about Raw Dog Screaming Press, please visit them at: www.RawDogScreaming.com

For more information about Pedro Iniguez, check out www.pedroiniguezauthor.com

To find out more about Amanda Headlee, go to: www.amandaheadlee.com

To follow Damaged Skull Writer and Reviewer, please visit: www.damagedskullwriterandreviewer.com Thanks!

About your reviewer:

When darkness falls Brian James Lewis becomes his alter ego, Skull, and burns the midnight oil reading and reviewing recent arrivals to his lair, the Skullcave! You can catch up with him on social media at: https://facebook.com/DamagedSkullWriterandReviewer where he’d really appreciate some follows to get more exposure for Indy horror writers and presses!

You can also find him on: X/Twitter@skullsnflames76

And we’re also on Goodreads and leave reviews on Amazon under the mortal’s name Brian James Lewis

Until next time, be well, stay safe, and keep reading independent horror!