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Voices

 

The mind is a terrible thing to waste. It is also a terrible place to live. Doubts, fears and paranoid thoughts lurk in the shadows waiting to pounce when you are most vulnerable. Those thoughts whisper words of no escape. But what happens when the mind settles on revenge instead?

 

From a boy who is bigger than most, but not quite like his father, to a young woman who is battered and untrusting after a brutal assault, to a man whose body is riddled with scars, A.J. Brown’s Voices shines a light into the dark corners of the human psyche. From the voice of the author who brought you Dredging Up Memories, A Stitch of Madness and Cory’s Way.

FROM SCREAM HORROR MAGAZINE:

 

Few things are as terrifying or powerful as the human mind. It’s where our darkest secrets, phobias and most troubling thoughts reside, which could spell harm to ourselves or others if they’re allowed to fester for too long, unattended. While the mind motivates us to achieve our goals and form our greatest ideas, it’s also capable of inspiring dark deeds and taking advantage of our paranoias and fears when we’re at our most vulnerable. Every horrible atrocity in human history started with a sister thought or an impulse stemming from a damaged psyche after all. As such, the complexities of the mind has always lent itself perfectly to horror tales.

 

A.J. Brown’s latest. Voices, is a collection of short stories rooted in psychological torment and the horrors that can unfold as a result. Each story is rooted in the darkest elements of humanity that, when broken down, don’t seem too far fetched at all. These tales are inspired by domestic, sexual and mental abuse, as well as neglect, bullying, death, sorrow and the harm the can cause. It’s not a light collection by any means, but it’s certainly effective and deserves your attention if you’re willing to confront horror rooted in reality.

 

The first story, “In the Shadows They Hide” taps into a socially awkward teenager’s fear of shadows, coupled with the anxieties that arise from being bullied and unable to fit in with your peer group.

 

“The Scarring”, meanwhile, is concerned with child abuse and the harrowing effects which follows in its wake. “A Memory Best Left Alone” is about a woman who self-harms … you get the idea of the type of subject matter Brown is fascinated with. This isn’t poolside reading. 

 

That said, the author handles each story with sensitivity and respect to difficult topics and themes while simultaneously mining the real horror humanity experiences to craft bold and devastating scare fare. In lesser hands, this anthology could be exploitative or schlocky, but Brown’s exploration is nuanced and all the better for it. By no means will this book be for everyone, but those who dare open its pages may find it rewarding.

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These stories darkly and boldly illustrate the harsh realities of life when there are no safe places, not even in your own head.

--Bibliophilia Templum

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A.J. Brown has got to be the most prolific writer of American Gothic Horror stories at the moment. He is probably also the nicest and most articulate twisted psychopath writing stories at the moment if his latest collection, Voices, is anything to go by. It's like he hears the stories as if they were urban legend, or as if someone was there reliving them and he jots it all down. All the stories are different and, I know its a cliche, but there really is something for everyone. It's a bit like Netflix for the readers. If you loved the last story you'll want to stay up to read the next one. If you didn't love the last story, you know you will love the next one so you stay up and read it. Any way, don't waste time reading my words, read A.J. Browns Voices ... (or anything by this author).

--Robert Dunne

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Read my Author Spotlight Interview with Sylvia Stein at The Huffington Post online  HERE.
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Read "Cease" at the Gal in the Blue Mask HERE
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Read Cory Maddox's interview with the Gal in the Blue Mask HERE.
 
Read my short story, "Strength in the Blood" HERE.
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Read my short story, "Toby" in Stitched Smile Magazine HERE
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Listen to my interview with Sylvia Stein on Podbean HERE.
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Read my interview with Pembroke Sinclair HERE
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Read my interview with the Gal in the Blue Mask HERE
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Read my story, "The Spared" at Stitched Smile Publications HERE
 
Read my interview  with Scriptor Corruptus HERE
 
Read my story, "The Museum of Tortured Corpses at Scriptor Corruptus HERE
MY BOOKS

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