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Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection
A selection of chilling stories from some of the best Indie authors on the market. We dare you to venture into these pages of spine chilling tales and stories of ghosts and goblins. Freely donated by the authors themselves, these dark passages are a great example of their various, unique styles and imaginations. This is the first of a series of free topical collections brought to you by The Indie Collaboration.
62 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2013
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September 10, 2023The trouble with indie publishing is that you have no idea of the quality of the writing. Sometimes you might find an unknown gem, but with others you might be disappointed at the level of proficiency. This is an example of the latter case.
I’m leaving Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection unrated, as I did not read all the stories. But although the first one had a promising idea: the twist at the end didn't quite work. Worse, the standard of prose was clunky at best, and sometimes extremely poor. Two “through”s in the same sentence could easily have been improved by a simple substitution, as could the incorrect use of “proclaim” for “claim”. Was this story never proof-read or edited, even by its own author? This writing is not even averagely good.
I would expect the first story in a new anthology to indicate the general standard, or certainly not to be the worst one, so I will not read any further. There are several more collections from “The Indie Collaboration”, boasting that they are by “some of the best Indie authors on the market”, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
I’m leaving Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection unrated, as I did not read all the stories. But although the first one had a promising idea: the twist at the end didn't quite work. Worse, the standard of prose was clunky at best, and sometimes extremely poor. Two “through”s in the same sentence could easily have been improved by a simple substitution, as could the incorrect use of “proclaim” for “claim”. Was this story never proof-read or edited, even by its own author? This writing is not even averagely good.
I would expect the first story in a new anthology to indicate the general standard, or certainly not to be the worst one, so I will not read any further. There are several more collections from “The Indie Collaboration”, boasting that they are by “some of the best Indie authors on the market”, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
November 3, 2013
A wonderfully delightful collection of hauntingly good short stories. With each author comes a unique writing style which adds to the mystery of the book, you don't know what to expect in the next. The Halloween collection will no doubt have you checking for monsters under your bed and wondering if those nightmares are real or not. Congratulations to all the authors on an excellent collection. I am looking forward to the the Christmas collaberation.
June 14, 2014
Here are my thoughts on the stories:
DC Rogers-Dinner, date and autopsy
A date raped woman awakes just as her autopsy is about to begin.
This was good. It had tension and a nice twist that gave a good ending. (3 star)
Sonya C Dodd-Alone
A recurring dream of being murdered and waking to spend the day alone is a special kind of punishment.
It was ok but the punishment was not as cruel as the crimes so it wasn't a greatly satisfying ending. (2 star)
Peter John-It started with a whisper
Woman has dreams/hallucinations of things telling her pain was coming.
Well that was pretty much the whole story so it felt pointless and boring to me. (1 star)
Chris Raven-The Visitor
James gets a visit from his angry spurned wife.
The big reveal was a damp squib as it was obvious what was coming. Predictable and done countless times before. (2 star)
Sheryl Seal-The Goblin Changeling
A group of trick or treating goblins find the night spoiled by a lack of self control.
Amusing enough story with a moral of why rules need to be followed. (2.5 star)
Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi-Bars
Someone trapped inside finds messages to help their escape.
This was confusing weirdness on a grand scale. (1 star)
Alan Hardy-Death's Track
George feels something is holding him back in life and death feels near.
This was a quirky little horror tale that I liked. (2.5 star)
Gunjan Vyas-Melinda
A lonely woman waits for the love of her life to return.
This one was not a great read. (1 star)
William O'Brien-Charlie Featherwick
A stupid child's prank played on a witch is punished.
It was ok but did get a bit confusing. (2 star)
DC Rogers-Dinner, date and autopsy
A date raped woman awakes just as her autopsy is about to begin.
This was good. It had tension and a nice twist that gave a good ending. (3 star)
Sonya C Dodd-Alone
A recurring dream of being murdered and waking to spend the day alone is a special kind of punishment.
It was ok but the punishment was not as cruel as the crimes so it wasn't a greatly satisfying ending. (2 star)
Peter John-It started with a whisper
Woman has dreams/hallucinations of things telling her pain was coming.
Well that was pretty much the whole story so it felt pointless and boring to me. (1 star)
Chris Raven-The Visitor
James gets a visit from his angry spurned wife.
The big reveal was a damp squib as it was obvious what was coming. Predictable and done countless times before. (2 star)
Sheryl Seal-The Goblin Changeling
A group of trick or treating goblins find the night spoiled by a lack of self control.
Amusing enough story with a moral of why rules need to be followed. (2.5 star)
Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi-Bars
Someone trapped inside finds messages to help their escape.
This was confusing weirdness on a grand scale. (1 star)
Alan Hardy-Death's Track
George feels something is holding him back in life and death feels near.
This was a quirky little horror tale that I liked. (2.5 star)
Gunjan Vyas-Melinda
A lonely woman waits for the love of her life to return.
This one was not a great read. (1 star)
William O'Brien-Charlie Featherwick
A stupid child's prank played on a witch is punished.
It was ok but did get a bit confusing. (2 star)
November 22, 2013
Suspense, surprise, surreal, shocking, sinister, subtle, heart-pounding, side-glancing, door-checking, spine-shivers. These are words and reactions which best describe this collection of uncanny short stories. Each author has delved deep into their psyche, raising scenes and unwrapping fears which are best left be. Read at your peril. A delightful read on a darkened night with only your cat as company.
September 27, 2016
These were sadly pretty lame. Not the least bit creepy, sloppily put together, and the editing was not very good, either.
October 18, 2015
Hello One Star!
Tales From Dark Places has earned a milestone for my first one star review. That said in the fifty pages of this phamphlet, it's not much more than an afterthought. First of all, it appears no one ran this through any editing or critiques. The stories show consistency, but in beginner level prose, an overabundance of adverbs, telling rather than showing, and flat characters. It felt as though no one showed a familiarity with the horror genre, rather coughed up an imitation of a horror story trying too hard to scare at the expense of delivering any enticing narrative.
Another disappointment: the title is a misnomer. Only two stories even mentioned Halloween. At least horror fans' favorite holiday didn't became victim to these mediocre stories.
And no offense to the authors, but like any aspiring writer, work on the craft, learn from others, and read from the professionals. And be willing to take time before you put out something you're proud to have people read.
I hate to say this is the ugly side of an independent publication, and one worth avoiding.
Tales From Dark Places has earned a milestone for my first one star review. That said in the fifty pages of this phamphlet, it's not much more than an afterthought. First of all, it appears no one ran this through any editing or critiques. The stories show consistency, but in beginner level prose, an overabundance of adverbs, telling rather than showing, and flat characters. It felt as though no one showed a familiarity with the horror genre, rather coughed up an imitation of a horror story trying too hard to scare at the expense of delivering any enticing narrative.
Another disappointment: the title is a misnomer. Only two stories even mentioned Halloween. At least horror fans' favorite holiday didn't became victim to these mediocre stories.
And no offense to the authors, but like any aspiring writer, work on the craft, learn from others, and read from the professionals. And be willing to take time before you put out something you're proud to have people read.
I hate to say this is the ugly side of an independent publication, and one worth avoiding.
November 20, 2013
What a great collection of short stories. Each story was well written and flowed nicely. Each author had an amazing story to tell that drew you in and kept your attention throughout the entire story. The morgue and the goblins are my favorite two because of the fact that I could not help putting myself in the place of the woman on the slab and imagining the horror of being alive during all of that! Great good to all.
October 17, 2016
This was a fairly dark collection of Halloween stories. I thought they ranged from okay to good, but none of them really stood out as great. It was horror tales, but most of them weren't Halloween stories specifically, so the title is a little misleading.
Still not a bad collection, and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a short, dark Halloween read.
Still not a bad collection, and I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a short, dark Halloween read.
November 19, 2013
Really spooky read. Loved it. Lots of different stories and styles.
January 6, 2014
I've recently grown very fond of reading anthologies. When I was given the chance to read and review one specifically oriented toward the suspense and horror genre, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
There were some surprisingly exceptional short stories included in this anthology. A number of them truly had me feeling creeped out by the time they concluded. I felt like the anthology started and ended with some of their stronger works. I don't think the stories in the middle were bad by any means but they were overshadowed by the time I got to them. That being said, the whole anthology was entertaining and exciting.
This was a great work and introduced me to some fantastic new authors. I'm looking forward to reading more of their works.
There were some surprisingly exceptional short stories included in this anthology. A number of them truly had me feeling creeped out by the time they concluded. I felt like the anthology started and ended with some of their stronger works. I don't think the stories in the middle were bad by any means but they were overshadowed by the time I got to them. That being said, the whole anthology was entertaining and exciting.
This was a great work and introduced me to some fantastic new authors. I'm looking forward to reading more of their works.
December 8, 2013
Tales from Dark Places is a delightfully creepy collection of short stories written by a bunch of authors I was already a fan of. To have them collaborating like this is a lot of fun and also a great way of spreading their names. There's a little bit of everything in this Halloween short story collection, so be prepared for some spine-tingling fun! Highly recommended!
October 14, 2018
Decently written ghost and ghoul stories, creepy but not scary. The first story was brilliant, but was a little let down by the others which didn't seem to have that same kick.
December 8, 2014
I love it when an author takes me to a place I have never visited before, and the wilder the ride—the better! Here, nine authors have joined forces, inviting us to delve into the dark side, where ghosts and goblins are out to get us. What a thrill!
This is an eclectic mix that allows you not only to explore the thrill of fear but also to get to hear new voices in the indie literary field and sample their writing. Pulled together by The Indie Collaboration, this is a collection of nine short stories:
Dinner, Date, and Autopsy by D.C. Rogers
Alone by Sonya S. Dodd
It Started With A Whisper by Peter John
TheVisitor: Melpomene’s Love by Chris Raven
The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal
Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattararthi
Death’s Track by Alan Hardy
Melinda by Gunjan Vyas
Charlie Featherwick by William O’Brien
For each one of the authors, there is a brief biography at the back of the book, and a list of books for further exploration.
Five stars.
This is an eclectic mix that allows you not only to explore the thrill of fear but also to get to hear new voices in the indie literary field and sample their writing. Pulled together by The Indie Collaboration, this is a collection of nine short stories:
Dinner, Date, and Autopsy by D.C. Rogers
Alone by Sonya S. Dodd
It Started With A Whisper by Peter John
TheVisitor: Melpomene’s Love by Chris Raven
The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal
Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattararthi
Death’s Track by Alan Hardy
Melinda by Gunjan Vyas
Charlie Featherwick by William O’Brien
For each one of the authors, there is a brief biography at the back of the book, and a list of books for further exploration.
Five stars.
October 4, 2016
These were just awful. One or two were okay (at least in comparison to the low quality of the rest) but for the most part the collection was very weak. A festival of awkward writing, flat characters, and predictably lame "twist" endings.
March 5, 2014
I loved this book.
I very much enjoyed every single story. Very talented authors in this collection. I certainly recommend this book to anyone.
I very much enjoyed every single story. Very talented authors in this collection. I certainly recommend this book to anyone.
July 25, 2017
There are 9 stories in this book, I am not going to give particular events just my opinion and name of each story and it's author.
Story #1 Dinner, Date and Autopsy by D.C.Rogers. This was a good story, but I felt like it was just a stolen scene from a movie I once saw.
Story #2 Alone by Tonya C. Dodd , a decent story but didn't really grab me.
Story #3 It Started With A Whisper by Peter John, enjoyed this spooky short tale.
Story #4 The Visitor: Melpomenus Love by Chris Raven ,I really liked this story it was one of the best in the book
Story #5 The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal, a cute tale but more of a children's story
Story #6 Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi, it was ok but I didn't care for it
Story #7 Death Track by Alan Hardy it was ok but nothing special
Story #8 Melinda by Gunjan Vvas , This was the best story in the book, haunting love story
Story # 9 Charlie Featherwick by William O'Brian , this was a good story maybe second best of book
I can only give this book 3 stars, because if I bought this instead of borrowing from my unlimited account I would have been very disappointed
Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection by Peter John
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
There are 9 stories in this book, I am not going to give particular events just my opinion and name of each story and it's author.
Story #1 Dinner, Date and Autopsy by D.C.Rogers. This was a good story, but I felt like it was just a stolen scene from a movie I once saw.
Story #2 Alone by Tonya C. Dodd , a decent story but didn't really grab me.
Story #3 It Started With A Whisper by Peter John, enjoyed this spooky short tale.
Story #4 The Visitor: Melpomenus Love by Chris Raven ,I really liked this story it was one of the best in the book
Story #5 The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal, a cute tale but more of a children's story
Story #6 Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi, it was ok but I didn't care for it
Story #7 Death Track by Alan Hardy
Story #8 Melinda by Gunjan Vvas , This was the best story in the book, haunting love story
Story # 9 Charlie Featherwick by William O'Brian , this was a good story maybe second best of book
I can only give this book 3 stars, because if I bought this instead of borrowing from my unlimited account I would have been very disappointed
View all my reviews
Story #1 Dinner, Date and Autopsy by D.C.Rogers. This was a good story, but I felt like it was just a stolen scene from a movie I once saw.
Story #2 Alone by Tonya C. Dodd , a decent story but didn't really grab me.
Story #3 It Started With A Whisper by Peter John, enjoyed this spooky short tale.
Story #4 The Visitor: Melpomenus Love by Chris Raven ,I really liked this story it was one of the best in the book
Story #5 The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal, a cute tale but more of a children's story
Story #6 Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi, it was ok but I didn't care for it
Story #7 Death Track by Alan Hardy it was ok but nothing special
Story #8 Melinda by Gunjan Vvas , This was the best story in the book, haunting love story
Story # 9 Charlie Featherwick by William O'Brian , this was a good story maybe second best of book
I can only give this book 3 stars, because if I bought this instead of borrowing from my unlimited account I would have been very disappointed
Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection by Peter JohnMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
There are 9 stories in this book, I am not going to give particular events just my opinion and name of each story and it's author.
Story #1 Dinner, Date and Autopsy by D.C.Rogers. This was a good story, but I felt like it was just a stolen scene from a movie I once saw.
Story #2 Alone by Tonya C. Dodd , a decent story but didn't really grab me.
Story #3 It Started With A Whisper by Peter John, enjoyed this spooky short tale.
Story #4 The Visitor: Melpomenus Love by Chris Raven ,I really liked this story it was one of the best in the book
Story #5 The Goblin Changeling by Sheryl Seal, a cute tale but more of a children's story
Story #6 Bars by Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi, it was ok but I didn't care for it
Story #7 Death Track by Alan Hardy
Story #8 Melinda by Gunjan Vvas , This was the best story in the book, haunting love story
Story # 9 Charlie Featherwick by William O'Brian , this was a good story maybe second best of book
I can only give this book 3 stars, because if I bought this instead of borrowing from my unlimited account I would have been very disappointed
View all my reviews
November 27, 2018
DC Rogers-Dinner, date and autopsy
A date rape victim wakes up on the autopsy table, unable to move.
I felt like I'd read this story several times before. Small twist at the end that I felt was somewhat predictable (1 star)
Sonya C Dodd-Alone
A woman has a nightly recurring dream in which she is murdered, only to find out she is the murderer. She wakes up every morning and spends the day in isolation, as a kind of punishment.
This story felt a bit flat, maybe because it was short. I feel that with more character building and situational development this story could improve. (2 star)
Peter John-It started with a whisper
A woman is plagued by nightly dreams of things whispers foretelling of impending pain. She tries to avoid sleep, with no prevail.
I had to go back a reread this one because I couldn't remember what happened; the answer: not a lot. I think she died at the end and was doomed to an existence of misery?? (1 star)
Chris Raven-The Visitor
James is visited by his angry ex-wife.
By the time it is revealed that she is dead, I already knew. I like the overall concept but it once again suffers from "short story disease" where the story requires a stronger bond with the characters but lacks the time to build them. (2 star)
Sheryl Seal-The Goblin Changeling
A group young goblins go trick or treating goblins but the night is ruined by their friends a lack of self control.
This was my definite favourite; a fun little story. I felt the characters were hard to keep track of. (3.5 star)
Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi-Bars
A person trapped inside a secure apartment finds coded messages to help them escape, but it isn't that simple.
I was super confused the entire way through. (1 star)
Alan Hardy-Death's Track
A man can feel death is holding him near.
I liked the idea but once again it suffered from "short story disease". (2 star)
Gunjan Vyas-Melinda
An ageing woman awaits the return of her deceased lover.
Very forgettable, it was just a story for a stories sake. (1 star)
William O'Brien-Charlie Featherwick
3 children prank an elderly woman and are punished.
What happened? A somewhat rushed narrative that got confusing toward the end. (2 star)
A date rape victim wakes up on the autopsy table, unable to move.
I felt like I'd read this story several times before. Small twist at the end that I felt was somewhat predictable (1 star)
Sonya C Dodd-Alone
A woman has a nightly recurring dream in which she is murdered, only to find out she is the murderer. She wakes up every morning and spends the day in isolation, as a kind of punishment.
This story felt a bit flat, maybe because it was short. I feel that with more character building and situational development this story could improve. (2 star)
Peter John-It started with a whisper
A woman is plagued by nightly dreams of things whispers foretelling of impending pain. She tries to avoid sleep, with no prevail.
I had to go back a reread this one because I couldn't remember what happened; the answer: not a lot. I think she died at the end and was doomed to an existence of misery?? (1 star)
Chris Raven-The Visitor
James is visited by his angry ex-wife.
By the time it is revealed that she is dead, I already knew. I like the overall concept but it once again suffers from "short story disease" where the story requires a stronger bond with the characters but lacks the time to build them. (2 star)
Sheryl Seal-The Goblin Changeling
A group young goblins go trick or treating goblins but the night is ruined by their friends a lack of self control.
This was my definite favourite; a fun little story. I felt the characters were hard to keep track of. (3.5 star)
Madhu Kalyan Mattaparthi-Bars
A person trapped inside a secure apartment finds coded messages to help them escape, but it isn't that simple.
I was super confused the entire way through. (1 star)
Alan Hardy-Death's Track
A man can feel death is holding him near.
I liked the idea but once again it suffered from "short story disease". (2 star)
Gunjan Vyas-Melinda
An ageing woman awaits the return of her deceased lover.
Very forgettable, it was just a story for a stories sake. (1 star)
William O'Brien-Charlie Featherwick
3 children prank an elderly woman and are punished.
What happened? A somewhat rushed narrative that got confusing toward the end. (2 star)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2018
Tales From Dark Places: The Halloween Collection
What's in the dark?
Strange happenings, murders, ghosts, witches: this book of short stories has them all. Each story, written by a different author, is scary and creepy in its own unique way. Each new story is a surprise. I must confess I love horror, so I guess I'm biased. But this book is excellent if you want a short read. All the stories are only a few pages long, but have surprising depth.
I enjoyed every story, and the whole book gets 5 stars from me.
September 2, 2019
Too dumb to be scary.
The majority of these short stories are just dumb and boring. I can usually read a collection of short stories and find a few that will hold my interest followup me to rate the entire book as average at least. But this collection was totally dumb. Every story was boring and none led up to an unexpected or scary ending. Sorry.
The majority of these short stories are just dumb and boring. I can usually read a collection of short stories and find a few that will hold my interest followup me to rate the entire book as average at least. But this collection was totally dumb. Every story was boring and none led up to an unexpected or scary ending. Sorry.
June 6, 2018
Great
This book has good short stories. As I was reading and the story had finished it's like you want more. Different stories with a huge twist in the end. Highly recommend if you like horror or a fan of horror like me
This book has good short stories. As I was reading and the story had finished it's like you want more. Different stories with a huge twist in the end. Highly recommend if you like horror or a fan of horror like me
December 31, 2018
This was a very entertaining read
Very well written. As with most collections a few of the stories were less than expected. However, the majority were fresh meat to a horror hungry mind. Great Job. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Very well written. As with most collections a few of the stories were less than expected. However, the majority were fresh meat to a horror hungry mind. Great Job. I look forward to reading more from this author.
September 16, 2019
Fun read
I actually rather enjoyed these short tales of horror. The authors in this collection are not well known but actually pretty talented. I can’t say there is a bad story in this collection. All were very enjoyable and wonderfully demented. Much recommended.
I actually rather enjoyed these short tales of horror. The authors in this collection are not well known but actually pretty talented. I can’t say there is a bad story in this collection. All were very enjoyable and wonderfully demented. Much recommended.
May 22, 2017
Not so good.
September 19, 2017
Thrill
Some of these stories take you. Places you don't want to think about. Truly spooky for those who like short spooky stories This is for you.
Some of these stories take you. Places you don't want to think about. Truly spooky for those who like short spooky stories This is for you.
June 23, 2018
I think they were some interesting and weird stories, but what I liked the most is that they were not too long or too short. I think nothing was missing from them what you get is enough.
October 20, 2018
Quick read
Various horror tales about Halloween. Spooky, witches, goblins let out to go trick or treating, more tricks than treat. Boo!
Various horror tales about Halloween. Spooky, witches, goblins let out to go trick or treating, more tricks than treat. Boo!
October 26, 2018
Average
Average stories, not the best but not bad either. I love ghost stories so I was a bit disappointed they weren't really frightening stories.
Average stories, not the best but not bad either. I love ghost stories so I was a bit disappointed they weren't really frightening stories.
April 29, 2019
Free ebook on Amazon. Better than expected. It’s a bunch of super short stories. Two of them were 5 stars the rest were nothing special.
July 12, 2019
Great job!
This was a nice selection of scary stories. Some of the endings I didn’t see coming, which is always great.
This was a nice selection of scary stories. Some of the endings I didn’t see coming, which is always great.
October 22, 2019
Takes from the Dark
A collection of various short stories that were supposedly meant to totally creep you out. I didn't find anything scary.
A collection of various short stories that were supposedly meant to totally creep you out. I didn't find anything scary.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews