Author Spotlight: Gemma Amor
Dear Laura was a book that I kept seeing everywhere - on Twitter, in recommendations, on Goodreads and I thought I should dive in. It was something that paid off immensely as I discovered a stone cold classic novella that I'll recommend until the end of my days. I recently read the follow-up White Pines, which is something altogether different, for me and from Dear Laura.
Amor also has a story in the collection, Lockdown, which I reviewed a couple of days ago.
Lockdown, edited by Nick Kolakowski & Steve Weddle
White Pines by Gemma Amor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gemma Amor takes us to the Highlands for a Celtic folk horror fantasy mystery tale that is weird, scary and full of the unexpected. Megs' husband returns one night to let her know their marriage is over and Megs flees to the Highland home she has been bequeathed by her late Grandma. Megs quickly discovers there is something afoot with the house and those who live nearby and it all seems to have something to do with the island that lays just off the coast.
This one is pretty epic and by virtue of the setting has a Wicker Man feel to it at times. This might be a consequence of one too many novellas recently, but I felt there was a bit too much exposition at times and detailed accounts of getting from one place to the next which didn't particularly move the plot along. That said, Amor is capable of writing some of the finest passages I've read and can emote excellently with just a few lines.
Look forward to what is next and will have to go back to the shorter works that are out there for more Amor.
Synopsis:
A woman, returning to her roots. A town, built on sacred land. A secret, cloaked in tradition and lore.
Welcome to White Pines.
Don't get too comfortable.
This is the new cosmic-folk-Celtic-cult-horror novel from Gemma Amor, the Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Dear Laura, Cruel Works of Nature and Till the Score is Paid.
Dear Laura by Gemma Amor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is just one of those holy shit, take your breath away type of books for a good few reasons. When Laura and Bobby are 13 years old, they are best friends and possibly more, but on the way to school one morning Bobby gets into a van with an older man and is never seen again. Laura blames herself and a year after the disappearance receives a letter supposedly from the culprit with instructions on what she has to do to find the truth. The story cuts between this and Laura making her way through the woods to find this truth.
The story manages to get into the psychology of the victim in this type of crime and we see Laura worrying when she doesn't hear from "X". It's a pretty perfect novella that is always building to it's excellent conclusion.
Saw a few recommendations for this and that it was recently nominated for a Bram Stoker award and will need to seek out some more Amor at some point.
Synopsis:
Every year, on her birthday, Laura gets a letter from a stranger. That stranger claims to know the whereabouts of her missing friend Bobby, but there’s a catch: he’ll only tell her what he knows in exchange for something...personal.So begins Laura’s sordid relationship with her new penpal, built on a foundation of quid pro quo. Her quest for closure will push her to bizarre acts of humiliation and harm, yet no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape her correspondent’s demands. The letters keep coming, and as time passes, they have a profound effect on Laura.From the author of Cruel Works of Nature comes a dark and twisted tale about obsession, guilt, and how far a person will go to put her ghosts to bed.
Also Available:
Cruel Works of Nature: 11 Illustrated Horror Novellas
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 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.
Amor also has a story in the collection, Lockdown, which I reviewed a couple of days ago.
Lockdown, edited by Nick Kolakowski & Steve Weddle
White Pines by Gemma AmorMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gemma Amor takes us to the Highlands for a Celtic folk horror fantasy mystery tale that is weird, scary and full of the unexpected. Megs' husband returns one night to let her know their marriage is over and Megs flees to the Highland home she has been bequeathed by her late Grandma. Megs quickly discovers there is something afoot with the house and those who live nearby and it all seems to have something to do with the island that lays just off the coast.
This one is pretty epic and by virtue of the setting has a Wicker Man feel to it at times. This might be a consequence of one too many novellas recently, but I felt there was a bit too much exposition at times and detailed accounts of getting from one place to the next which didn't particularly move the plot along. That said, Amor is capable of writing some of the finest passages I've read and can emote excellently with just a few lines.
Look forward to what is next and will have to go back to the shorter works that are out there for more Amor.
Synopsis:
A woman, returning to her roots. A town, built on sacred land. A secret, cloaked in tradition and lore.
Welcome to White Pines.
Don't get too comfortable.
This is the new cosmic-folk-Celtic-cult-horror novel from Gemma Amor, the Bram Stoker Award nominated author of Dear Laura, Cruel Works of Nature and Till the Score is Paid.
Dear Laura by Gemma AmorMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is just one of those holy shit, take your breath away type of books for a good few reasons. When Laura and Bobby are 13 years old, they are best friends and possibly more, but on the way to school one morning Bobby gets into a van with an older man and is never seen again. Laura blames herself and a year after the disappearance receives a letter supposedly from the culprit with instructions on what she has to do to find the truth. The story cuts between this and Laura making her way through the woods to find this truth.
The story manages to get into the psychology of the victim in this type of crime and we see Laura worrying when she doesn't hear from "X". It's a pretty perfect novella that is always building to it's excellent conclusion.
Saw a few recommendations for this and that it was recently nominated for a Bram Stoker award and will need to seek out some more Amor at some point.
Synopsis:
Every year, on her birthday, Laura gets a letter from a stranger. That stranger claims to know the whereabouts of her missing friend Bobby, but there’s a catch: he’ll only tell her what he knows in exchange for something...personal.So begins Laura’s sordid relationship with her new penpal, built on a foundation of quid pro quo. Her quest for closure will push her to bizarre acts of humiliation and harm, yet no matter how hard she tries, she cannot escape her correspondent’s demands. The letters keep coming, and as time passes, they have a profound effect on Laura.From the author of Cruel Works of Nature comes a dark and twisted tale about obsession, guilt, and how far a person will go to put her ghosts to bed.
Also Available:
Cruel Works of Nature: 11 Illustrated Horror Novellas
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 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.
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