Books & Reviews
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Interested in finding out more? Visit Michael's Amazon page at amazon.com/author/michaelpicco
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Scenes From The Carnival LoungeStep into the eerie and unsettling world of Scenes From The Carnival Lounge, a collection of fourteen tales that will take you on a journey through the many facets of fear. Experience the strange, shadowy realm between wakefulness and sleep, where angels whisper to their followers and monsters wear the skins of their prey. Witness the lethal consequences of love and betrayal, and encounter long-buried secrets that come back to haunt the living.
With each turn of the page, you'll be transported to a world where terror reigns supreme and nothing is quite as it seems. Brace yourself for a hauntingly beautiful collection that will leave you trembling with fear and longing for more. |
REVIEWS:
Praise for Scenes From The Carnival Lounge
A Collection Of Odd Tales
Praise for Scenes From The Carnival Lounge
A Collection Of Odd Tales
First Place — Horror
25th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
"What a great horror romp! The author's imagery, word-crafting, and twisted take on the world kept me entertained
for hours. I especially enjoyed "The Vampyre's Last Dawn" and highly recommend Scenes From The
Carnival Lounge to anyone who enjoys dark tales that scare you witless."
"Each and every one of the {stories from Scenes…} sucks you right in to the depth and darkness of the characters. Picco paints very vivid… pictures for your imagination throughout the whole book, it's like you are inside these stories. I loved every minute of this read. I find the short stories aren't enough though. I want more! Some of these
terrifyingly epic tales would make brilliant full-length novels!"
"Scenes From The Carnival Lounge explores the dark and disturbing recesses of what is possible through interesting, and sometimes complex, characters. Each story leads the reader through a macabre passageway into the character’s reality that, with each turned page, becomes more inky until the character and reader alike are unsure whether the character has gone mad or has always been mad."
"I enjoyed reading the Scenes From The Carnival Lounge…. However, I don't recommend reading them when you're home alone and before you fall asleep. All of a sudden, you won't feel alone and you'll hear every bump in the night."
"I must admit the cover {of Scenes…} is what really caught my attention with this book, and the admiration only grew as I dug into it. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I’m glad I got to read it. I will definitely be on
the lookout for more works from Picco, as it seems his style is right up my alley."
"Michael Picco does a stellar job of taking you into the darkest corners of your own mind. Each sentence guides you towards something terrifying that you must see through to the end. He weaves in universal fears that manage to feel specific to the reader."
25th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
"What a great horror romp! The author's imagery, word-crafting, and twisted take on the world kept me entertained
for hours. I especially enjoyed "The Vampyre's Last Dawn" and highly recommend Scenes From The
Carnival Lounge to anyone who enjoys dark tales that scare you witless."
"Each and every one of the {stories from Scenes…} sucks you right in to the depth and darkness of the characters. Picco paints very vivid… pictures for your imagination throughout the whole book, it's like you are inside these stories. I loved every minute of this read. I find the short stories aren't enough though. I want more! Some of these
terrifyingly epic tales would make brilliant full-length novels!"
"Scenes From The Carnival Lounge explores the dark and disturbing recesses of what is possible through interesting, and sometimes complex, characters. Each story leads the reader through a macabre passageway into the character’s reality that, with each turned page, becomes more inky until the character and reader alike are unsure whether the character has gone mad or has always been mad."
"I enjoyed reading the Scenes From The Carnival Lounge…. However, I don't recommend reading them when you're home alone and before you fall asleep. All of a sudden, you won't feel alone and you'll hear every bump in the night."
"I must admit the cover {of Scenes…} is what really caught my attention with this book, and the admiration only grew as I dug into it. Overall, I really enjoyed this collection, and I’m glad I got to read it. I will definitely be on
the lookout for more works from Picco, as it seems his style is right up my alley."
"Michael Picco does a stellar job of taking you into the darkest corners of your own mind. Each sentence guides you towards something terrifying that you must see through to the end. He weaves in universal fears that manage to feel specific to the reader."
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Corpse Honey
Delve into the darker side of human nature with Corpse Honey, a collection of twelve gruesome tales by award-winning author Michael Picco. These chilling stories will satisfy even the most macabre of cravings and feature the lesser-known horrors that lurk in the shadows of our world. Meet the possessed, the cursed, and the afflicted, and come face-to-face with monsters who look all-too human. With Picco's masterful storytelling and spine-tingling prose, this collection is not for the faint of heart.
Whether you're a die-hard horror fan or just dipping your toes into the genre, this collection is sure to satisfy your appetite for terror. So, prepare to be captivated, horrified, and utterly enthralled by these twisted tales of terror. |
REVIEWS:
Praise for Corpse Honey, A Banquet of Gruesome Tales
Praise for Corpse Honey, A Banquet of Gruesome Tales
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First Place — Horror
Second Place — Cover Design
27th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
A Feast of Fear!
"Truly horrifying, and deliciously macabre. Michael Picco weaves tales that pick at long-healed wounds of our childhood and re-introduces them to our very adult nightmares. I highly recommend this gruesome feast!"
"I don’t know where to begin to gush over what I loved about this book. Picco has such talent. You will be awed by his art as well as his storytelling in Corpse Honey. I felt like I was enjoying visual art in literary form as I read these tales."
"Stunning! Absolutely. Bloody. Brilliant! Exceptionally beautiful writing."
"…very poetic writing style… it had an old-fashioned elegance to it."
Eloquent Terror!
"Michael Picco's writing is like a fine wine — delicate and cultured — a wine that, after drinking,
you learn has been poisoned but couldn't be happier about it."
~Josh Schlossberg, Editor, The Jewish Book of Horror
29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
“A gripping and deliciously disturbing collection of stories – horror on the go, just enough for a quick bite, short yet punchy. These are well-written tales and some of them burrow deep under the skin, staying long past the telling.
“On The Other Side of the Sky” is a classic – a beautifully-written short story full of foreboding and malicious intent,
and I love the visceral descriptions that tug you into the scenes, such as this gem: “it’s the scent of second-hand clothing stores, the mingling of cheap soap and moth balls…” This is my favorite {piece} – it builds up steadily and smacks you
on the head at the end. Peters thinks he’s at a hostel but in fact he’s dead and doesn’t know it – the 'nescient' dead,
as the author kindly explains in the Afterword.
In “Dispossessed,” we are again treated to some great descriptions, “spiritually compromised” ; “olfactory neutered” and I love the ending – the last two lines about the electricity going out, which is kind of creepy as I just lost electricity a few minutes ago! “The Island” and “In Unison With A Dying Earth” are also great examples of the author's expressive writing and descriptive genius. I appreciate the author’s Afterwords, as I find the background or origin of a story idea, very interesting. And I like the cover and book title (“Corpse Honey”) and the story behind it. These were very enjoyable
and fast paced stories, clever, well-crafted, and structured, with great twists, and suitably horrifying.”
~Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
Second Place — Cover Design
27th Annual CIPA / EVVY Awards
A Feast of Fear!
"Truly horrifying, and deliciously macabre. Michael Picco weaves tales that pick at long-healed wounds of our childhood and re-introduces them to our very adult nightmares. I highly recommend this gruesome feast!"
"I don’t know where to begin to gush over what I loved about this book. Picco has such talent. You will be awed by his art as well as his storytelling in Corpse Honey. I felt like I was enjoying visual art in literary form as I read these tales."
"Stunning! Absolutely. Bloody. Brilliant! Exceptionally beautiful writing."
"…very poetic writing style… it had an old-fashioned elegance to it."
Eloquent Terror!
"Michael Picco's writing is like a fine wine — delicate and cultured — a wine that, after drinking,
you learn has been poisoned but couldn't be happier about it."
~Josh Schlossberg, Editor, The Jewish Book of Horror
29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards
“A gripping and deliciously disturbing collection of stories – horror on the go, just enough for a quick bite, short yet punchy. These are well-written tales and some of them burrow deep under the skin, staying long past the telling.
“On The Other Side of the Sky” is a classic – a beautifully-written short story full of foreboding and malicious intent,
and I love the visceral descriptions that tug you into the scenes, such as this gem: “it’s the scent of second-hand clothing stores, the mingling of cheap soap and moth balls…” This is my favorite {piece} – it builds up steadily and smacks you
on the head at the end. Peters thinks he’s at a hostel but in fact he’s dead and doesn’t know it – the 'nescient' dead,
as the author kindly explains in the Afterword.
In “Dispossessed,” we are again treated to some great descriptions, “spiritually compromised” ; “olfactory neutered” and I love the ending – the last two lines about the electricity going out, which is kind of creepy as I just lost electricity a few minutes ago! “The Island” and “In Unison With A Dying Earth” are also great examples of the author's expressive writing and descriptive genius. I appreciate the author’s Afterwords, as I find the background or origin of a story idea, very interesting. And I like the cover and book title (“Corpse Honey”) and the story behind it. These were very enjoyable
and fast paced stories, clever, well-crafted, and structured, with great twists, and suitably horrifying.”
~Judge, 29th Annual Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards.
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Fraser: The Disappearance of Michael PittsWhen Michael Pitts goes missing in the small town of Fraser, Iowa, it seems like just another tragic case of a lost teenager. But as the investigation unfolds, Detective James Rover discovers that there's more to his disappearance than meets the eye. Strange symbols and occult markings lead Rover down a dark path, where he uncovers a conspiracy that threatens to engulf the entire world. As he begins to delve deeper into the town's secrets, he begins to realize that nothing is quite as it seems and the line between reality and nightmare is dangerously thin.
Fraser: The Disappearance of Michael Pitts is a gripping supernatural thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. With richly drawn characters, pulse-pounding action, and a haunting atmosphere that will linger with you long after you've finished reading, this collaborative effort from Mark Clodi and Michael Picco is a must-read for fans of horror and suspense. |
Praise for Fraser: The Disappearance of Michael Pitts:
"I really enjoyed this piece of literature. The characters are written in a way that we become very close with the lead/main character as well his companion. I am picky with my books that I take home with me. This one kept me coming back for more and I am patiently waiting for the next book to become published! Really well done; wonderful story line, well developed plot, intriguing and very relative characters that seemingly become your friends. I recommend it!"
"Such a great book, the characters are so well written you feel as if you know them, the story draws you in, grips you, and takes you on a thrilling ride into the darkest, deepest part of the soul, it leaves you gasping and wanting
to know more, you'll be waiting as expectantly as I for the next book."
"Highly recommend this book! Incredible detail for a horrific tale!!"
"I really enjoyed this piece of literature. The characters are written in a way that we become very close with the lead/main character as well his companion. I am picky with my books that I take home with me. This one kept me coming back for more and I am patiently waiting for the next book to become published! Really well done; wonderful story line, well developed plot, intriguing and very relative characters that seemingly become your friends. I recommend it!"
"Such a great book, the characters are so well written you feel as if you know them, the story draws you in, grips you, and takes you on a thrilling ride into the darkest, deepest part of the soul, it leaves you gasping and wanting
to know more, you'll be waiting as expectantly as I for the next book."
"Highly recommend this book! Incredible detail for a horrific tale!!"
