ODDS AND ENDS by Lori R. Lopez

 YOU'RE BEING WARNED!

TAKE NOTE!

What terrors lurk in the blackest regions of a cellar, amidst dusty cobwebbed shelves, in the glass jars and metal cans of a hopelessly abnormal mind? These odds and ends are both odd and contain endings. As in the real world, not everything ends well. Sometimes it is all about finding a glimmer of light in the shadows, or being forewarned. Sometimes, the candle's flame blows out!

An assortment of the weird and wonderfully grim are displayed for your fear and amusement. Whether you like quiet horror, humorous horror, stark horror, monstrous in-your-face horror, you'll find what scares you here. Twenty-six diverse tales and clusters of flash stories or drabbles fit together between dark poems and brief witfully pithy essays on women writing Horror like pieces of a macabre jigsaw puzzle devised by a single madwoman, Lori R. Lopez.

Among the "Odds And Ends" . . . a devilish jack-in-the-box helps a young woman get even. Two little girls face-off in "Nemeses". A very old baby is released from its jar at a museum in "Jar Baby". Spaghetti comes to life in "Bloodwyrm". A train ride takes one fellow on a harrowing journey toward "Fate". A man and woman are reunited by the same curse that tore them apart in "The Fruit Of Thy Womb". A weakling finds a dreadful "Cereal Box Surprise" at the bottom of the package. Ladies play a lethal hand of cards in "Mindless". A couple wakes up to discover an enormous cobweb filling the house in "Spider Soup". Falling asleep could end the world in "Awake", while painting portraits takes a nightmarish turn for an artist in "Deathbed". A girl watches her friends disappear on a darkly sinister beach at "The Vanishing Point", and much much more. The print edition features peculiar illustrations by the author.

DISCLAIMER: "ODDS AND ENDS isn't necessarily a collection of happy endings. Not even the fairytales I write always end happily ever after. It will make you think and feel. If you want an uplifting book, go read HOW TO TRAIN YOUR GERBIL." ~ Lori R. Lopez

WARNING: This collection is a mixed bag, and a few of the stories are not for the more squeamish!

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About the Author 

Lori R. Lopez wears many hats, including Author and Artist (she designs her book covers as well as illustrating most of her tomes). Add to that Musician, Songwriter, and Actress. Not to mention, an Activist against abuse as well as for conservation and animal rights.She has never been what you could call Normal, except perhaps Abby Normal. But that's not very normal at all. And there is no telling what might crawl out of her head, which is why she generally wears corks in her ears to prevent escapage. Sorry, that's a perfect example.Please just step over it and don't, whatever you do, look back.Her works span multiple categories including novels, short stories, and poetry in a blend of genres that range from very dark to extremely light and witty. Lori's book titles include: Out-Of-Mind Experiences,Chocolate-Covered Eyes, Dance Of The Chupacabras, An Ill Wind Blows, The Fairy Fly, The Queen Of Hats. She pens a humorous and darkly horrific monthly column called "Poetic Reflections" at fairy fly entertainment.com.Fine Print: The author unapologetically takes pride in creatively reshaping the rules of writing and genres when it suits her style. She is known for poetic prose and uncommon terms (some of the words are admittedly made up). If you try to put her in a box, she will simply climb out. You have been warned.

MY THOUGHTS
This book is a collection of short stories, poems and some other writings of Lori Lopez. If you're looking for stories with 'happily ever after' this isn't for you.  All stories don't have happy endings.  Ms. Lopez gives us characters that are of the strange lot, just a little on the odd side but isn't life sometimes?   Just a little on the odd side?  The author gives you a variety of horror mixed with humor, just plain horror and then the horror that has a sassy side to it.    Some of the stories are towards the realistic side.  Did you ever think how mean and difficult we can be towards others and how they can be to us?   Sometimes Ms. Lopez mixes in  a little jab at society and our government.  Sometimes that can easily be understood.  This is when the humor shows through. You may find yourself smiling a little at how real it is.    Some of the stories have a dark, evil side to them, which makes you think of the dark alleys, the damp, dim cellars, the evil thoughts that we all think at times.   Ms. Lopez has written stories that are far from your usual horror stories.  Many are so alike but Ms. Lopez doesn't do that. She give you the outer most, the unusual and yet, they are sometimes stories you can picture as real.  If you're looking for a different kind of horror world, then enter Ms. Lopez's world and it will become yours.  But, this isn't for the faint of heart nor the squeemish.  So BEWARE!

I received a copy of this book from the author and voluntarily decided to review it.

I would give this book 5 STARS.

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