We Bleed Orange & Black by Jeff C. Carter is an anthology novel containing 31 tales embodying the spirit of the Halloween season. Mr. Carter reached out and provided me with an advanced copy of this book, which is currently available for pre-order on Amazon. It releases on October 6th, 2020.
A twisted faerie finds a lost child, a teenage werewolf sneaks out during a full moon, and a legion of monsters begins the downfall of man. Explore Halloween from Appalachia to the Arctic Circle and journey from the Old West to Mars.
This spooktacular goody bag harvests all the joys and terrors of the best night of the year. If you love air crisp as cider and scented with burning leaves, if you greet the darkness with a jack o’lantern grin, and if you yearn for the veil between worlds to grow thin, then you bleed orange & black.
In addition to being a lifelong Halloween fanatic, Jeff C. Carter’s stories are featured in dozens of anthologies, translated for international markets, and adapted for podcasts. Podcasts include the Reedsy story prompt contest (winner), Transmissions from Punktown, Delta Green: Extraordinary Renditions, A Mythos Grimmly, ‘eFiction’ and ‘Nightland’ magazine, and the ‘Tales to Terrify’ podcast, among others.
His previous collection, Between the Teeth, hit #4 in sci-fi and #11 in horror short stories on the Kindle lists.
Anthology books can be hit or miss – sometimes they contain a strong body of short fiction and sometimes they are hastily cobbled together. We Bleed Orange & Black falls mostly into the first category. Each story in this anthology is only a few pages long at most, but they all create unique worlds that can fuel the imagination for far longer than their read time.
Carter’s variety of topics and narrators is impressive. Each story has a distinct voice – from a little girl who fears the monster in her closet, to a weary tomb-robber, to even an octopus! Unlike some authors, who have a clear formula for their main characters, Carter showcases characters from many different ages, genders, and backgrounds . In doing so he creates a book with something for everyone to enjoy. In that vein, although the book is mostly targeted at adults, it does contain a special index highlighting the more family-friendly stories to share with older children. From tamer PG stories to a particularly gory detective story, odds are you will find something to appeal to your tastes.
The book not only plays with a variety of characters and themes, but also a variety of formats. In addition to traditional short stories, Carter also includes poems, a “historical” piece on Mars colony Halloween celebrations, a spooky how-to article, and a haunted house “review”. Changing up the format keeps the reader engaged and helps to make each piece memorable. Each entry offered something new, never feeling repetitious.
Another aspect of the book deserving praise is the amount of detail put into the stories. Carter appears to have researched folklore from around the world for the various entries. He includes historical facts like how people used to believe that hanged men could provide cures for certain ailments. His Mars trivia will invoke memories of elementary school science classes. Fans of cryptozoology will love the cameos in “The Great American Scare-Off”. Carter assembled quite the motley crew from mythologies all around the globe!
The biggest criticism that can be made of this anthology is that the stories can be too short at times. Carter creates colorful settings and rich premises, but allows little time for us to explore them. One such entry is “Trunk or Treat”, which ends as soon as the mysterious twist is revealed. Even Carter seems to want to expand some of his worlds further – including two connecting stories. It would have been enjoyable to see more overlapping narratives. Having only two connecting stories felt a little out of place.
Ultimately, We Bleed Orange & Black is a perfect addition to any Halloween book collector’s shelves. One can tell that Carter truly loves the holiday from his many nods to Halloween nights of yore. His epilogue, “How to Preserve Your Pumpkin”, resonates with anyone who wants the magic of Halloween to last all year.
I found this anthology to be inspiring and a pleasure to read all the way through. I recommend it to all fans of short horror fiction.
After reading We Bleed Orange & Black, I am looking forward to his next novella, The Year Without a Halloween. It revolves around a Halloween “cancelled” due to snow. Having grown up on the East Coast myself, (in the epicenter of blizzards, Buffalo, New York) the subject matter hits close to home, and I know that Carter can craft a nostalgic tale that will hearken to those childhood memories with some scary twists. An excerpt can be found in We Bleed Orange & Black.
Follow Jeff C. Carter on his website: JeffCCarter.com .
Facebook & Twitter: @carterwroteit
Amazon Author Page: Jeff C. Carter
Good Reads: Jeff C. Carter
Instagram: @Jeffc.carter
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