Hot Blood: Kiss and Kill VIII [Hardcover]

Highly Recommended

Some of the knockout stories for me were:
Graham Masterton's HEROINE. He really gets this book off to a bang with this chilling and powerful story of one woman's strength. Cliff wonders how Anne can be in two places at once but is so thrilled just to be with her he doesn't question her sudden appearances in his room. As her sexual demands get fiercer and more dangerous he realizes all isn't as it appears. The ending is shocking and moving.

In Deidre Cox's PLAYERS a woman betrayed by her man seeks out a "filth eater" to cleanse this cheating slimeball of his hurting ways. It's a perfect tale of ultimate revenge.
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The Healing Touch by Terry Campbell is reminiscent of the wonderfully wicked GEEK LOVE by Katherine Dunn. It tells the story of a woman with so deep a compassion for the afflicted she goes to amazing lengths to make them feel better. She sees beauty where others see only deformities. Ultimately her compassion gets out of hand and her need to be needed causes her to do a very terrifying thing.

Grieving over the loss of his wife a man longs to have just ONE LAST TIME with his beloved in Michael Garrett's touching story of eternal love. A tear jerker, at least for me.

Nancy Holder ends things on a most repulsive note with BONUS NOTCHES. A tale of two bored housewives who go to frightening lengths to out do each other. What begins as a simple game of sexual one-upmanship takes a darkly dangerous turn as the stakes are continually raised. Frightening, dark and dirty.

I've only reviewed five of sixteen tales to keep this a manageable length. Other contributors include: Brian Hodge, Graham Watkins, Thomas Roche, Rex Miller, Lynn Gauger, John B. Rosenman, Max Allan Collins, T. Diane Slatton, Ray Garton, Michael Garrett, Gary Brander, Thomas Tessier, and O'Neil De Noux.

Gelb and Garrett go out on a limb and gather up some of the most talented, but lesser known, horror writers out there. With their fresh voices and new twists on the subject of erotic horror they'll have you squirming, cringing, laughing and maybe even shedding a tear. You may not have heard their names before but after reading their stories you won't soon forget them.

In a collection of this size I'm sure readers will find some of the stories ho-hum, or predictable, some nothing to get all hot and bothered about and long time horror fans might spot a cliché or two but the good far out weigh the mediocre. Several of the stories are not only powerful but also very moving, some are surprisingly touching and there are even a few lighthearted stories (well, as lighthearted as horror gets). Overall it's a great mix that works for me and definitely delivers what it promises on the blurb.

I love these books but always feel a little decadent and a little twisted after enjoying them so much. If you think you might want to venture into the world where eroticism and horror clash check out this newest baby in the Hot Blood family. You're sure to find something to your liking.

I looked forward to reading this book. However once I started I was soon dissapointed. It's not that any of the stories are bad, they are just trashy with a plodding style that leads to a predicable ending. The 'detective' one doesn't even seem to fit within the style of the book. I found myself just reading it to finish it so that I could start on a better book.

If you have nothing else to read or if you like stories that can be read quickly without much thought then it's okay.

I have been a reader of this series since it began in the late 80's and I haven't been disappointed.I love the variety of the authors and how contemporary and fresh the stories are.