The main character of Hector in Laura's story is a tormented soul that belongs to Satan. He is in his situation because rejection drove him to murder the woman he lusted after, and in the story, he's offered redemption if he can fulfill Satan's bounty of one pure soul at a place called Point Zero before the sun sets.
I think that as writers, we can all slip into the skin and understand Hector's hatred of rejection. Sure, our souls do not belong to the devil, but allegorically-speaking, why couldn't they? And who is to say that the ultimate homicidal impulse for a writer isn't the act of "selling out".
What wouldn't some of you do to obtain an agent, a Big Six contract, and a huge book deal? How is this not in many ways just a caveat to truth? I think that at the end of the day, we are all enslaved by our own personal demons. And if we ever want to stand out from the masses, we may have to do things that go against what we really want and do so before the sun sets...before it's too late.
If you like dark fantasy, I encourage you to pick up a copy of Day of Demons and read Laura's story. As far as short stories go, I'd give it five stars out of five. It's a quick read with a powerful moral...if you deal with demons, don't waffle on what you say and be punctual! To do otherwise will put you at risk of eternal damnation.
Visit Laura Diamond's blog located HERE.
Purchase Day of Demons from Amazon located HERE.
Mark Day of Demons "To Read" on Goodreads located HERE.
Hi Michael :)
ReplyDeleteCool, I'm glad you reviewed this. Its on my TBR list, and I love how you tied your review to writing. I'm sure I'll enjoy the story.
......dhole
Hey, I know Laura!
ReplyDeleteI'm probably in the minority but there's very few things I'd sell out for.
That's a gorgeous cover! Sounds like a good story too. I'll try to pick it up, but man, my tbr pile is so big right now it could end up being years, if ever, before I get to it.
ReplyDeleteI quite like the sound of this book... I can only imagine how scary it would be to belong to Satan - I like it. Going to check it out.
ReplyDeletewhy are all of today's books about demons, vampires, and such monsters? America is really in a very dark phase and it scares me.... Mikey, it scares me.....
ReplyDeleteThat was a good story. I read it a month or two ago. At some point I need to read the rest of the anthology.
ReplyDeleteOoh, now I need to go see what the big announcement is on Laura's blog!
I'm excited about his story. Laura is such a sweetheart! She deserves all the success in the world. I have this waiting for my next reading break. Thanks for taking time to read and review her story.
ReplyDeleteI know someone who will gladly gobble this book up~ I'll pass on the title~ thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteHatred of rejection is a theme I use for my antagonist to help fuel his madness. Rejection can root itself deep within a soul and coil itself around a person's inner being, festering and growing, until that person runs off and does something really really diabolical.
ReplyDeleteIf it meant I'd get published, my soul would probably belong to the devil.
ReplyDeleteWhat Matt said.
ReplyDeleteAnd man, this collection sounds right up my alley!
I wouldn't sell out for ANYTHING. Unless maybe a convertible sports car. I've always wanted one of those. I got to drive a convertible once, for a day in Las Vegas, when the rental company screwed up and we didn't get the car we reserved. I put the top down and drove down the Vegas strip, and I was LIVING THE LIFE.
ReplyDeleteExcept it was December 22 and it was only about 50 degrees that day and I was a nearly-40-year-old guy and also it was 8:40 a.m.
But other than that, I was a total player.
What was the question, again?
The list of things I'd sell out for is too long to write out. Say, maybe this would make a good blog post.
ReplyDeleteI like dark stories and this one sounds like it would make me think. What am I capable of in an extreme situation? Impulses can be scary.
ReplyDeleteThat cover is even scarier than rejection letters!!
ReplyDeleteI have some weird thoughts on selling one's soul to the devil. One of these days, it'll make it into a story. I think. Maybe these thoughts are best left unsaid.
ReplyDeleteI have to email this to a friend who thinks she has a demon in her house. Sounds like a great anthology, Michael.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap that cover is going to give me nightmares.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
I'm such a wimp, I had to skip the first half of this because the cover freaks me out! LOL. It's actually a well done cover, I'm just a wuss.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that we all have our demons that we deal with. They're different for everyone, but they're there.
Nice allegorical review of a demon story. It sounds like a good one.
ReplyDeleteLove the allegory. Great tie into the book. I've def got my demons. I should try to fight them off all in one day. Ok.... GO! Uh, not!
ReplyDeletePS: City of Light and Stone's cover is freaky. Eep!
If the stories are as freaky as the cover, then I think I'm in for quite a treat.
ReplyDeletewell said, mike...
ReplyDeletei'm so tired of devils/demons portrayed as red, with hoofs/horns and pointy tails, judaeo-christian imagery do not authenticity make...
oops, devils/demons ARE judaeo-christian creations! :P lol