Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity from Sirens Call Publications…
The latest anthology from Sirens Call Publications, Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity, is an intriguing collection of tales told by twelve brilliant modern day authors, all of which were inspired by lore from culture of another age.
Greek or Roman Gods, enchanted trinkets, the chance at immortality, or a coin to pay the ferryman; it all sounds so familiar. But what did twelve modern minds re-imagine these tales of fortune, greed, and loss to be? Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity is as diverse and intriguing as the myths each of the stories was spun from.
Myth or reality…
Explore the twelve tales of horror and intrigue in Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity and ask yourself, what would you consider a fair price to pay for life immortal… or the chance of life at all?
Would a young woman pass up a shiny bauble if she believed it to be nothing more than a harmless trinket? What transpires once a year in a peaceful and remote village that no one will ever speak of? What better way for a broken man to honor a crippled existence than with a memorial of blood and vengeance? How could a disfigured woman ever dream of chancing across an object that would restore her beauty – and at what cost?
Follow the twists and turns of each writer as they delve into the legends of days gone by, as well as the consequences that are wrought when myths and monstrosities collide with our world.
Contributing Authors include:
Thomas James Brown, Nina D’Arcangela, K. Trap Jones, Amber Keller, Lisamarie Lamb, Edward Lorn, Alexa Muir, Kate Monroe, Joseph A. Pinto, J. Marie Ravenshaw, Julianne Snow, and Jonathan Templar
Pick up a copy of Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity and delve inside. Available in print and digital version from:
Print: Amazon, CreateSpace
eBook: Amazon, Amazon.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.es, Smashwords (Nook, Kobo, Sony and Kindle eReaders)
Excerpts from three of the twelve stories contained within Twisted Realities: Of Myth and Monstrosity. For a preview of all 12 stories, please go to SirensCallPublications.com
Mosaic – Jonathan Templar
Professor Callan was certainly unconcerned. He was humming a ditty, happily digging at the dirt with his trowel. Beneath their feet was slowly emerging the outline of what had once been a dwelling; a villa, in all likelihood. It was far from unique in this region. There were remnants of Roman settlements all over the surrounding countryside. But that didn’t diminish the excitement of finding a new one, at unearthing the remnants of an ancient life that had been given over to the elements.
Professor Callan held up a small piece of interesting debris to the light, dusted it down gently with a small brush.
“Anything?” asked Andrea.
“Triple-A battery,” Callan sniffed, and tossed it into the bucket of rubbish that was already half full.
“I’ve uncovered some fascinating detail over here, “Andrea told him. “There’s some sign of erosion, but it’s clearly a very detailed mosaic and the quality of the design is exceptional.”
Keine Solche Sache – Edward Lorn
“Parthenogenesis is a dream. Or a nightmare, depending on who you are talking to.” Johan Schmidt said. “Christians call this The Immaculate Conception. They believe that Mary, the mother of the baby Jesus, had never known the internal touch of a man. I believe the lady just cheated on her husband.”
The hotel banquet hall livened with short bursts of nervous laughter. Johan waited for them to subside before continuing.
“No other religion has this belief. Allah didn’t impregnate some unknowing woman. Buddha didn’t tiptoe through the tulips to drops seed in some impoverished house wife. And don’t get me started on Shiva! The Jewish community doesn’t even believe Jesus was the son of God. So, if you’re hearing this, and you are, in fact, Jewish, you think Mary was an unfaithful wife, too. Don’t you? That’s what I thought.”
More sporadic laughter.
“I may be German, but even you must admit I have a point. The Nazis – and yes, my family tree does contain one or two – researched the possibility of this Parthenogenesis. They wanted to make the super soldier, as it were. A cloned man, or woman – they were not sexist – with infinite powers. They theorized that if they could map and control the human genome, then they could unlock the ninety percent of the brain us normal bipedals could not.”
Re-Emergence – Nina D’Arcangela
As the ship is tossed to and fro on the frothy angry sea, Michael leaned out, hands cupped to his mouth shouting a warning that he has seen her, for her not to be frightened, they will find a way to rescue her from the water’s angry clutches. As Michael bent further still over the rail in an effort to be heard above the din of the howling wind, the Captain gives orders to his first mate to take the wheel so that he may save his fool of a son before it is too late.
Just as the Captain relinquishes the wheel, the ship is hit by not one, not two, nor even three, but four consecutive waves that force a moan from deep within the bowels of the vessel, sounds of a cracking hull. In the same instant, the main Mast began to give way under the force of the onslaught. The tide of churning water that rushes across the deck knocks all off their feet, including the Captain and thankfully washing him and his first mate into the upper deck railing and not overboard.
When the Captain regains his footing, he looks around to assess the damage done to his vessel. Upon seeing the broken Mast, he calls out to Michael to come help him and the others move the massive piece of wood off the bodies of the men trapped below it. Rushing to the main deck, the Captain is not immediately aware of his sons’ absence. In the confusion that follows, no man can say for sure what exactly transpired, though one deck hand swears he saw the Captains son jump from the rail into the water just before the consecutive pounding of the waves began.
“For every action…
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