Curiosity may have killed the cat, but supernatural curiosities brought it back. A Jack-in-the-Box made from skulls. A monster egg in the mail.A sketchbook bridging imagination with reality. What other wondrous and terrible secrets will these survivors tell? CRUEL WORKS OF NATURE is a collection of 11 horror novellas about strange and exciting supernatural encounters. Reality and the fantastic … and exciting supernatural encounters. Reality and the fantastic are blended seamlessly in these immersive tales, with plenty of mystery to lead the reader on a thrilling journey. Some stories are dark and macabre while others whimsical and lighthearted, together ensuring constant surprises and terrifying twists to keep you reading until the very last page.
Special edition with full page illustrations.
Hand illustrated by the author herself, these images will bring the stories to life and give unique insights into the wild unknown.
Praise for Cruel Works of Nature:
“Each of these stories is designed to both ensnare and repulse readers, and it does not disappoint! I couldn’t put the book down, and let’s just say there was more than one sleepless night!”
★★★★★ Review
“Are you into the macabre and supernatural? If so, you’re in for a thrill ride.”
★★★★★ Review
“This is one grisly must read horror. The author has really described some morbid stuff that made my skin crawl just reading it.”
★★★★★ Review
About Haunted House Publishing:
We’re passionate about publishing horror stories for adults, scary books for teens, and all sorts of dark fiction. We’ve got new horror kindle books every month, specializing in supernatural stories, supernatural book collections, and paranormal books for adults. We’ve got zombie books, demonic horror, ghosts and specters, angels and demons, gothic novels, and haunted houses and ghosts novels. We promise some of the top horror books 2018.
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Cruel Works of Nature by Gemma Amor is a haunting collection of 11 illustrated horror novellas. While absolutely terrifying, each of these tales were connected by the element of grief.
I absolutely loved this entire collection. Each story was so different from the next, but they all had dark and heart-wrenching elements. There were also many scenes that were heartfelt and even humorous! I loved that I never knew what to expect, not only from story to story, but also within the plots of each individual novella.
This is a must read for horror novella fans!
This creepy little collection has been on my radar for ages, so when I received a copy I dived right in and I wasn’t disappointed.
Cruel Works of Nature is a collection of eleven illustrated horror novellas. And there’s such a variety of themes, ranging from relationships and family to a banquet of nasty, skin-crawling creatures. The author delivers a unique and fresh look at horror and each story is very different. We see how everyday life is darkened by these horrors and how the characters react is very *right*. There’s no super hero antics, just raw emotional reaction.
I enjoyed all of the stories but my favourites were Jack in the Box, the ending of which shocked me and made my toes curl, and which would make a brilliant short film, Black Sand, because I loved the back story, and Sketchbook because of its exploration of love and growing old.
But all of the tales are compelling in their own way and the addition of the beautiful illustrations done by the author add a really personal touch to an excellent collection.
I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the next offering from Gemma Amor!
Wow, what can I say I really loved this Collection, some stories were better then others but all in all this was really good I totally enjoyed I did have a problem with some of the language I guess I’m sheltered with mostly cozies but I believe you don’t have to cuss to make it good.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was my second book of horror story collections. This was at least easier to read and a little more enjoyable than the last. Although some of the stories were interesting, I didn’t find them very scary. They were more like a Sci-Fi marathon. I really had high hopes these stories would me me jump at noises in the dark. Not a bad read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Creepy & Fantastic!
The review title says it all! There’s a little something here to please everyone. Full of chills and thrills galore! You REALLY don’t want to turn out the lights while reading this one!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This has a great collection of stories, some will make you laugh while others will.scare you. You will love them all as you wonder where each one will take you
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed these stories and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for some good horror short stories.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book! It kept me reading late into the night! I definitely recommend reading this book to anyone who enjoys a good scare!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A great collection of creepy stories! I like that each story has a different feel and voice. They’re long enough to draw you in, but bite sized, so you can read the entire story in a short sitting. Each story was original, so it didn’t feel like you were reading the same thing over and over.
I really enjoyed this book. I look forward to seeing more of this promising author of horror. It is not often anymore to find newer authors that youd like to see more of. Gemma Amors work shows that there are still good authors out there. I find this to be very refreshing.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Cruel Works of Nature by Amor Gemma is billed as a collection of 11 illustrated horror novellas. This is from Haunted House Publishing, an enterprise associated with Tobias Wade. His recommendations have always assured me a good read in the horror genre. The illustrations show up in Kindle as a series of attractive drawings that precede each chapter. This is a concern for me because Kindle books with illustrations are not always compatible with all devices. This collection worked, and the illustrations were a nice touch.
Foliage ***** “I wrote my first letter to Louise a few months after she died.” I feel this is a powerful first line for the first story. After Dan Burrows lost his wife, he made a life-changing decision. From office worker to odd-job man, he may have felt getting closer to the earth was getting closer to his wife. When Fay Lockwood offered a job clearing the massive plant growths that were overpowering the mansion, she had abandoned years before, Dan was eager to start. What he found was not the type of connection he anticipated.
Jack in the Box ***** I won’t copy this story’s first line (vulgar word alert). Yes, this story is about a toy that many readers are familiar with. Barry just wanted to buy his wife a birthday present that was not the usual perfume. The present was unusual. He should have bought the perfume.
Black Sand ***** She had been a combat medic in Iraq and served three years until an IED wounded her so much the military discharged her. Funded by disability payments, all she wanted was peace and quiet, something she found at an Italian resort not overly occupied. She enjoyed her time at the beach until the day she found the first body. At least she wasn’t the one to find the second body. Suddenly, the resort filled with hundreds of guests for an event. She would have to seek solitude at the beach for a few days. She would only have to put up with Thomas, a fellow guest who was turning into a stalker. It was Thomas who found the abandoned beach with the very attractive black sand. The bartender had warned her, but Thomas listened to no one.
Back Alley Sue ***** Nobody believed in the stories or existence of “Back Alley Sue.” That was a story for kids. Dave was an adult homeless person. He hadn’t always been homeless. After his wife’s unfortunate death, Dave’s life had spiraled down to this; a life on the street 50% of the time conscious and 50% of the time in the bottle (still on the street). Every day conscious was spent in seeking safe places to sleep while drunk. Places Sue frequented were not safe. Even in a drunken sleep, Dave remembered his wife but some of the memories were unclear. Sue would appear to help Dave.
Girl on Fire ***** Ruby Miller loved her 1989 Pontiac Bonneville. As readers will see in this story, it was a burning love. My favorite car was a 1957 Pontiac Bonneville. I have a lot of empathy for Ruby but, to offer an insufferable pun, I would be no match for her.
Scuttlebug ***** Frank had given up. He was “broke, fat, single, unemployed, and on the edge of drug addiction.” (pg. 151). Gathering all the money he could, Frank changed course, quit his office job, went back to school to become a psychologist, and cleaned up his life. Now he had to clean up a problem in his house. There were noises in the wall and they sounded serious and threatening. Luckily for Frank, he had a neighbor, Ted, who was a retired super-handyman type. Frank would ask for Ted’s help. It turned out Ted had a similar problem. The problem consumed him.
The Path Through Lower Fell ***** Jim and Amelie were on a country outing. After they trekked through woods, they discovered a large and very lush meadow. In this setting, witnessed by only a few cows, Jim popped the very important question. It was the wrong question.
His Life’s Work ***** Doctor Robert Richardson specialized in house calls to care for geriatric patients. Today would be his last call to examine another doctor, the 97-year-old Doctor Richard Halo. The older doctor was involved in private, probably unsanctioned research. He was just completing his life-long project and he needed only one more part. Doctor Richardson was “it.”
Special Delivery ***** Ben hated to be disturbed in the shower but was happy when he opened the door to an extremely attractive delivery person. The package was heavy and mysterious with special instructions. Melissa agreed to stay while Ben opened the package. You might say she egged him on. Ben found innovative ways to use gardening tools.
It Sees You When You’re Sleeping ***** The title is appropriate for the season. What can be horrible about Christmas? Think fireplaces and Christmas tree decorations.
Sketchbook ***** The Bogeyman is real. Readers will agree that words are powerful. Otherwise, where is the interest in reading? This story adds to that. There is also power in drawing and illustration. This is the last story of the collection and the one I liked best.
In any collection, there are very good stories and some that are less good. For that reason, I give this collection four Amazon stars. There is much more positive than negative with this collection. It might not be the best Christmas read for some, but this is my favorite genre.
OMG, this has amazing stories. I love nature, science and reality getting warped and twisted!
It kept my attention until I read all of the stories. I could not put it down.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I read Gemma Amor’s book Cruel Works of Nature in a day. The 11 different stories were each unique, and some were creepy, while others failed to entice me. I found the writing to be rather simple, almost like Young Adult fiction. It defitely was fun to read some of her nightmares….especially her version of “Santa Clause” and “The Boogeyman”. I have to admit that I found the printing to be deplorable. Jumbled words at times that seemed out of place, or even missing words entirely, which forced me to have to guess what the author was trying to say. I’m not sure if this was due to it being an advanced copy for review, or from the authors own writing, but either way, it was a big distraction while reading the book. But I would recommend you try reading it. Some of the stories were very creepy, and will linger awhile after reading them.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Horror, gross, and fabulous stories of strangeness. Just the kind of stories I love! This collection did not contain any bad stories – they were all fabulous if you like these weird type of stories. More Twilight Zone than anything else.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I enjoyed this book. A couple stories were kind of slow, but, over all, it was a really good read. It is a good book to settle back with on a lazy kind of day.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoy Gemma’s writing. Her work is frequently featured on the NoSleep Podcast and the stories are always incredible. Naturally when I saw she’d released this anthology, I had to read it. This book doesn’t disappoint a fan like me! I really enjoyed this read!
This book contains 11 short horror novellas, longer than the normal shorts you get in other books of mixed authors, definitely not your quick one or two pagers. I had already been pulled into this book after only reading the first story. There’s a great variety, and most if not all have some good shock effect and originality to them. I don’t think there was one story I just didn’t like, and editing and just general writing were better than some books I’ve read of late. I’ll never look at spiders the same again after one story! Definitely worth the read.
I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As my first foray into Miss Amor’s work (but undoubtedly not my last), Cruel Works of Nature proved to me early on the incredible talent I came to expect throughout the rest of the collection. Every story was excellently written, eloquent in prose and tightly packed in suspense. I read through it in a single sitting, all three hundred and some pages. Of the eleven stories, my favorites were hands-down Girl on Fire and It Sees You When You’re Sleeping. I’ll say this: although I received a free ARC copy I will absolutely be buying the paperback version just to say I own a physical copy of this incredible collection.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.