Confessions of a Remorseful Vampire is G.A. Couey’s first-person narrative of the undead Father Marek Petrushka, a native of Ciemny Gora in feudal southern Poland. Resurrected after his accidental death at age 46, the18^th century Polish priest undergoes a reversion, not only to survive, but also to enjoy vengeance and the destruction of what small good he accomplished as a mortal. The former pastor takes perverted pleasure in using his intimate knowledge of his flock’s indiscretions to bring about their untimely annihilation.

     The historical background in which author Couey sets her tale makes no bones about the misery of village life for Polish peasantry. Religion is depicted in the most negative light possible, and, although the results are often humorous or poignant, this vampiric mockery can wear thin. Marek excuses his present by revealing his past—an abusive, drunken father, victimization by the village bully, the harsh climate, exclusion and/or separation from anyone he ever loved… He is both the hero and villain of this gory exposé, a sure cure for romantic notions one may harbor about vampires.

     Marek’s manifesto, while well worth reading, has copy flaws I won’t address in detail, other than to wish modern authors paid better attention to verb conjugation. Basic errors tend to detract considerably from a tale’s mystique and otherwise excellent writing. Xlibris also ought to have taken more care with the cover illustration, which shows a moon in front of, instead of behind, a graveyard crypt.

     The novel’s ISBN # is 978-1-4363-5817-0 for the softcover edition; to order copies, contact Xlibris Corp. at 1-888-795-4274 or Orders@Xlibris.com. BP rates the book 2 skulls out of 4. Keep the lights (and heat) on while reading: huge creep factor here.

     Do they give gold medals for anthologies? If so, then editor Jeani Rector’s And Now the Nightmare Begins: THE HORROR ZINE collection would certainly be a contender. While boasting among its 20 authors such famous contributors as Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, Joe R. Lansdale, and Trevor Denyer, it contains some of the best horror stories, poems (by 12 poets), and art (by 9 artists) I’ve come across in awhile from around the world. The editor modestly includes a section for her own two tales at the end. After you read her “Cockroaches” (oh, yuck, yes!), you will want to be a better housekeeper; a stop at her “…Bus Station” is an absolute antidote for hitchhiking fever.

     Most of our nightmares involve guilt trips, or a glimpse out of our souls’ windows into the shadowed vistas of our past lives. Not sex, but death (and what comes afterward!), remains foremost in our subconscious, ready to emerge in our dreams and daydreams. The theme of nightmares holds together the wonderful works presented—whether they concern the undead, the end of the world, murder, revenge, or haunting—like a string of pearls. In contrast to Couey’s vampire, I found the eerie offerings in Rector’s anthology spiritually satisfying, and the copy quality as well.