Steve Stred

Churn the Soil is a police procedural within a gruesome horror backdrop, as we follow two important characters, Office Brown and Nancy—a resident of an outlier settlement along the border of an Alaskan/Canadian No man's land. And it’s literally that—a no man's land, where the inhabitants of the settlement have come to accept their role as keepers of a stretch of clearing between them and the forest beyond it, even though they aren’t sure why. The clearing must be maintained, and no one is to set foot in the forest beyond it.

But someone does just that, a young girl who challenges the notion, then winds up dead in the most gruesome way. Border resident Nancy receives a spiritual calling to find answers, as does Officer Brown, who was once a member of the settlement as a child. The townsfolk don’t like police interference though, which makes investigation, with wildly supernatural elements in play, difficult.

Stred's writing style is succinct, short chapters that are easy to commit to, with enough pull at the end to draw you into 'just one more' chapter. He doesn’t rely on flowery prose which, for the most part is an effective and streamlined method of story telling here. This is the right kind of story for Stred's chosen writing style. Also, if you’re looking for something to read with a Native/indigenous connection, this can go on your list, as The Border is essentially an outlier indigenous community. Both Officer Brown and Nancy are of indigenous heritage, and I like the fact that Stred doesn’t lean heavy into tropes regarding that heritage. The horror touches on Hopi folklore without the intent of caricature.

This is a solid 3+ read for me, while not quite tipping into 4 territory. The gore is a plus. I like the main characters, although I wish we had a chance to go deeper into their psyches at times. There was one particular villainous twist that I saw coming, so that eventual reveal didn’t hit me like I wished it would have done. Also, because I brought it up so often in my reviews this year, it passes that Bechdel test. Not by much, but Nancy is a strong female character and that's always a plus for me. All in all, this was an imaginative and blood filled take on a monster from Hopi folklore.… (plus d'informations)

I really enjoyed this romp through a messed up forest. It was a great survival story with some really cool (terrifying) creatures. The love this author has for Canadian wilderness shines throughout with gorgeous descriptions of the surroundings. There were also some heart pounding chase scenes and creature interactions that made this one fun for me.

A big plus for me was encountering a new author that I really dig. Not just the writing style, which was on point, but he seems like a fucking cool person. The book is dedicated to his dog and in the afterward he talks about this fur baby with such love and devotion I wanted to hug him and give him a puppy.… (plus d'informations)

We all remember the scary stories we were told as children: the folklore or urban legends that sent that first chill up our spines and left us wanting to experience all anew again. It’s a lot like your first orgasm, electric and sensational and never the same afterward.

In THE GIRL WHO HID IN THE TREES, Steve Stred invents some folklore that naturally attracts the curious. They are frightened by it, but unable to keep their distance. I enjoyed this story as much for the folklore aspect as I did for the main story around which it is centered. Definitely worth your time.… (plus d'informations)

Of Witches, authored by Steve Stred, cover artwork by vergvoktre, forward and inner artwork by Miranda Crites, is one I own. What follows below is my honest review, freely given.

I rated this collection 4.5 stars. “How do you know she’s a witch?” History has shown us that proof was often a suggestion, not a requirement, in wrecking someones life with a charge of witchcraft. I enjoy stories where their power is terrible and swift.

IN WAVES
First read through I thought, “How tragically romantic?” The second time had me feeling more like after that episode of Futurama when you learn Fry’s dog sat on the curb all those years. I kept thinking on how the title could mean different things about the story too: where he is always bound to look towards, where all he loves lies, how his emotions travel in him, changing even, from loneliness to yearning to devotion.

A CAVE, IN THE WOODS
Don’t go looking for trouble, don’t find trouble. My husband’s creed and survival plan for any horror movie type situations he may find himself near. Not in, because he would run, I swear that’s another creed of his. I can’t help but wonder if they could have had a different ending, if Mark had acted more respectfully, but all fangs point to no.

GRANDMA’S LETTERS
Nannie, my maternal gran, threatened to disown anyone she found to have a tattoo, of which I have several. Made holiday meals fun, my mom always trying to get her to look at my ankle (tattooed), citing an injury she was concerned about. But inside she was a big cream puff, full of fierce love. So the yin to this yang.

THREE WORDS
My favorite in this collection. I may have said an expletive or two while reading this, a thing I do when a story is tense, or freaking me out, or you know, both. So a good thing. Can you just imagine being either one of this couple?

THE WITCH
This and The Tree have been the hardest to review for me. They are good, but not my favorites. I loved the more offensive, blood thirsty, re-vengeance is mine sayeth the witch this time around.

THE TREE (THE WITCH 2)
I loved that the author gave us more to the story of The Witch. I missed where he specifies what happens to Rachel. I don’t know if it was implied in some way that I didn’t catch. Justice for Rachel if not, I’m nosy and I need to know.

WON’T YOU OPEN THE DOOR?
No good deed goes unpunished to the 11th power. Debatable, the goodness of the errand, from where you are standing in relation to it, right? There were happenings in this story that chilled the blood for me. Bad idea to read around that magical hour of 0300, but really added to the experience.

THE ASSISTANT
The author note notes the connections to this story and the movie The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016), and as he suggests, if you haven’t seen the movie give it a go! I thought it very unique, and well acted. When looked at together, I would almost say they seem like two paths in a choose your own adventure novel, diverging quickly from the starting point of a funeral home. Another favorite.… (plus d'informations)