I know it’s tacky to review a book that one has a vested interest in, but one of the things I enjoy the most as a writer is discovering new (to me) authors. One of the ways I do that is to read the anthologies where my stories appear.

I’ve just finished reading Manor of Frights, Emerian Rich’s latest anthology for Horror Addicts.Net. I know I’ve written about it the past couple of weeks, but in case you’ve missed it, Manor of Frights is a little bit haunted house, a little bit Clue played with monsters in every room, a little bit Upstairs, Downstairs…if the gentry were homicidal. It is really fun, because you never know what to expect next.

Rather than rundown all the stories in the book, I’ll just tell you about three of my favorites:

Beyond the Ensuite by Barend Nieuwstraten III leads the reader in one direction, then zings around unexpectedly. In the 1970s, the titular manor has been turned into a hotel. Our hero discovers a secret bathing pool.

The Desiccated Heart by Sumiko Saulson is about a punk band who get together to practice in the mansion’s garage. The characters are so perfectly drawn that you’d swear you’d heard their music in a club.

Missing by R.L. Merrill takes a crew of theatre nerds into the mansion to pose as re-enactors  for charity. I love me some theatre nerds! You know things are going to go wrong from the very first sentence.

For the next couple of days, the contributors to Manor of Frights are throwing a party on Facebook. Stop by, comment on a post or two, and you’ll be entered to win prizes!