Tim Ritter offers a few words on 'Decayed Etchings'

Cult filmmaker Tim Ritter, known for such indie horror epics as Truth or Dare: A Critical Madness, Creep, Killing Spree, Wicked Games, Reconciled Through the Christ, and most recently, Deadly Dares (the long-anticipated sequel to Truth or Dare), was kind enough to write a very generous review for my new collection, Decayed Etchings. Comparing my works to such genre favorites as Richard Laymon and Jack Ketchum, he was beyond gracious and I could never thank him enough for his wonderful words. Read on for the full review. Also, please check out Tim's review of my 2009 novel Splattered Beauty by clicking here.

Horror author Brandon Ford returns with a new anthology book that highlights eighteen or so brand-spanking new short stories. Short stories are hard to write and of course, everyone is going to "like" some stories and think less of others-it's a difficult balance to have them all please everyone.

Ford writes in the fine traditions of his inspirations- late author Richard Laymon and cult favorite Jack Ketchum (adding his own style, of course!). He takes "ripped from the headlines" situations and normal, everyday characters and sort of bends and twists things into...decayed etchings (he explains how all this came about in a nice preface)! His work is tinged with high eroticism and stylized violence, so consider yourself forewarned on this factor.

The stories all deal with folks trying to deal with over-the-top and outrageous issues, both mental and physical. Everything from deranged husbands, bar pickups, nurses with no compassion, stoners on a street binge, a prostitute's misfortune, a luckless cop trying to get a cat out of a tree, a man who can't get over his deceased wife, an apartment tenant who can't stand the noise around him, a man's insomnia gone ballistic, a childhood point-of-view of a home invasion by killers, an author going to meet his number one (and only!) fan, a wacko that won't stop videotaping a woman on the street for unknown reasons, a reality show reporter who isn't what he appears to be, a college dude who tries to impress a girl with disasterous results, a paranoid man who can't deal with being alone, a woman with a murderous secret on her chest, a jilted woman who gets her revenge, and a man who decides to tell everyone how he REALLY feels about them, no matter what the consequences.

These stories are written short and sweet, some ending so suddenly that it's almost jarring. At first this was kind of annoying, just as you're getting into things...they end! But it makes them unique and memorable...long after you finish them, you find yourself recalling the madness. There a moments where you'll be screaming out loud saying, "Oh NO!!!! NO WAY!" and moments where you'll be like, "Oh man, that's sick!" but you'll always have a (twisted) smile on your face at the end of each tale.

Ford does the near impossible here and actually makes each story a page-turner, one where you want to find out how it ends and what he has up his sleeve next. Even Ketchum and King's collected short works have a few here and there that really leave the reader cold or shaking your head "WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?!?!" But here, Ford really keeps the pedal to the metal and the chills going down your spine, keeping everything grounded in a warped but fun reality. As I mentioned, some lessons Ford's characters learn stick with you in a depraved (but fun) way- like not wearing a wedding ring when you visit a hot young prostitute and not shoving a flower stem in a place where you shouldn't! And beware of sleepwalkers- man, they can be PSYCHOTIC!

Ford also offers insights into his frustrations with "making it in the writing biz" (as most authors/artists eventually do in their work) with BOOKENDS. Even though this is a tragic story, there's still a glimmer of hope at the end. I always love stories like this, Stephen King always "writes about the writer in him" and it's always fascinating to read. No exception here.

Most of the stories have a nice (unexpected) twist or payoff at the end in the best traditions of TWILIGHT ZONE or CREEPSHOW. Ford is an author obviously fueled by horror and b-movies, and tales like I'M UP HERE are respectfully influenced by obscure cult filmmakers like Frank Henenlotter. It'd actually make great source material for a BAD BIOLOGY sequel or for some daring filmmaker to tackle!

So if you like stories of twisted madness, I think you'll REALLY enjoy this book. Ford is a good writer with good ideas and excellent prose, and again...all of the stories are quick. Some a quick kiss. Others a quick snap of the dominatrix's whip right on your naked flesh, drawing blood. Either way, you're going to feel something!

Scroll down to check out the teaser trailer for Deadly Dares and please don't forget to visit Tim Ritter's official site at: www.timritter.com!