Twenty-three original, horrific tales of vengeful spirits and nefarious supernatural creatures are made all the more sinister by comfortable, contemporary settings. Innocent beginnings a tiny spot of blood on a hand-embroidered pillowcase, a summer camper's prank played on his counselor, and a hotel night clerk's failure to place a wake-up call all result in surprising and chilling endings. But what else would one expect from a writer proclaimed the Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales?
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The ghosts of murder victims return to finger their killers and violently avenge their deaths; nature takes on ominous tones in the hooting of an owl, the nighttime crashing of waves on the shore, or the petals of a dying rose; and fate never fails to administer a righteous justice in this collection of 23 contemporary horror stories. Brown ( The Walking Trees ), a professional storyteller who lists National Public Radio among her performing credits, deftly retains an oral quality in these short tales. Her quirky imagination and macabre sense of humor lead the reader on eerie, atavistic journeys, sometimes concluding with an O. Henry-like twist. While the stories lose a bit of their effectiveness on paper, they are tailor-made for reading aloud--on nights, say, when the moon is hidden and unknown things are bumping about.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
Over 20 brief (average, about six pages) horror yarns that feature heavily motivated ghosts, plus a witch or two, doing nasty things, dripping body parts and various pieces of ick-with-teeth: in short, efficient gross-out tales that kids love and adults take care to read long after eating. These ghosts are mean and revoltingly corporeal. Steal an old lady's money and watch out! The hands burying the boys alive were ``nothing but bones!'' Then no knows ``Where Freddy Is,'' except--yuck!--his family will know where his feet are. In another piece, hands appear unattached and active, and two heads talk and hoot in the woods. Animals are featured in two tales: Old Dare the hound makes a rather compassionate return from the Great Kennel in the Sky, but Big Cat, kept in the cellar with its appreciative owner, crunches up...well, let's say the village is depopulating. Ghosts are really into revenge seemingly for eternity, like the group in ``The Wake-Up Call,'' wiped out in life because the clerk had forgotten the call; now when that clerk ``dropped out of sight,'' it seems to be only the beginning. Earrings whisper, scissors attack, a handle (of a casket) hops around, etc., etc. Old stuff, reminiscent of magazines like Weird Tales, but Brown spins a tight yarn and keeps her eye on the last (splat! eek!) image of each tale. Just the thing for the campfire when ``only a few coals glow in the dark, like eyes.'' -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfectly Terrifying,
By
This review is from: Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales (American Storytelling) (Paperback)
Roberta Simpson Brown is a skilled presenter of mystery, tragedy, and human nature as played out in her 23 cold-blooded tales. The personalities of the characters of each tale lead them to conflict, murder, accident and haunting. Roberta's storytelling skill in both written and spoken word allows each story to unfold with morbid fascination. Take your favorite ones to a campfire gathering or to the jumble of teenagers and sleeping bags who beg to be frightened...one more time!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book!,
This review is from: Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales (American Storytelling) (Hardcover)
I'm over 40, and these stories were effective enough to scare me. They remind me of the old Night Gallery series in style; they certainly would have been worthy of becomming episodes. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys scary tales. You will not be disappointed. Roberta is a remarkable writer, and she pulls you right into her stories and keeps you there until the very end. Then it's time to hide under the covers. :o)
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Horror Tales to Feed the Soul,
By
This review is from: Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales (American Storytelling) (Paperback)
"It was a dark and gloomy night," perfect for making your friends shake and quake, especially as told by master storyteller Roberta Simpson Brown. "Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales," is not for the faint hearted.
Since we own cats, our favorite in this great collection is the very last one, 'Feed My Cats.' Alice Eaton loves her cats, they love her for the great care she takes of them. She has one special cat, Big One who must have the perfect treat. Be careful if someone asks you to feed their cats; you'd best follow their directions as cats are picky. Everyone loves a little dose of terror, just the right suspension of belief. This is a book to enjoy alone or with friends and it doesn't have to be just on Halloween. Nash Black, author of "Qualifying Laps" and "Taxes, Stumbling Blocks & Pitfalls for Authors, 2007."
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
Since August House published my first book, The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories, I have often been asked why I think such stories are of value. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big One, Miss June, Becky Simon, Cousin Rose, Creepy Crawlies, Hoot Cartou, Gary Green, Norman Winfrey, Phoebe Ashburn, Arthur Blake, Agnes Deverell, Aaron Upton, Anna Eaton, Betty Moppins, June Patterson, Ralph King New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Since August House published my first book, The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories, I have often been asked why I think such stories are of value. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Big One, Miss June, Becky Simon, Cousin Rose, Creepy Crawlies, Hoot Cartou, Gary Green, Norman Winfrey, Phoebe Ashburn, Arthur Blake, Agnes Deverell, Aaron Upton, Anna Eaton, Betty Moppins, June Patterson, Ralph King New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 3
books:
3
books
cite this book:
- Civil War (The Civil War) by Linda R. Wade in Back Matter
- Walking Trees (American Storytelling) by Roberta Simpson Brown in Front Matter
- The Civil War (Great American Writers Series) by Stephen Crane in Back Matter
- Favorite Scary Stories of American Children (Grades 3-6) by Richard Young in Back Matter
- Ghost Stories from the Pacific Northwest (American Folklore Series) by Margaret Read MacDonald in Back Matter
- Storyteller's Guide (American Storytelling) by David Holt in Back Matter
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
