More Than Midnight (BJF Short Story Series) Paperback – March 6, 2019

This has got to be just about my favorite horror story collection I have ever read. I love horror anthologies and read every one I can find. I loved the creepiness of these stories. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror stories.

Brian is a great writer.

Brian James Freeman is the Managing Editor of Cemetery Dance magazine and publisher of Lonely Road Books where he has produced some very nice limited editions over the years, including a beautiful print edition of Stephen King's Riding the Bullet. In addition to his work as an editor and publisher, Freeman is also an accomplished writer. His most recent novel, The Painted Darkness, has been called a hauntingly beautiful tale exploring the thin line between fantasy and reality.The 5 stories in Brian's new collection have appeared elsewhere over the years and I had already read a couple of them, but if you're new to Brian Freeman or are just looking for a few good stories, you could do much worse than More Than Midnight.First up is What They left Behind. Scott's father has bought an abandoned property with a factory, warehouse and office building. While moving into the warehouse during a big storm, Scott and George head to the basement of the office building to see if they can get the generator working in case of a power outage.Brian does a great job in building tension and in getting my heart racing when the lights do go out and the two are stuck in the basement and they are not alone...the past is there with them.My favorite story in this collection is The Final Lesson. It's been two years since Ronald Hammerstein's wife was murdered outside the Stop-N-Go. The killers were never caught.Another thing I like about Brian's stories is the way he can deliver the horror without telling you all the gory details. He has the skill to paint a picture with his words and leave rest to your imagination and for me it's just as effective, if not more so.The story, Among Us, is a bit out there, but a lot of fun and I thought Glenn Chadbourne's illustration for this one was dead on.Pulled Into Darkness is one of those stories that leaves you wondering if what you read was the truth or the ramblings of a deranged mind.The last entry was Answering The Call. I found this to be just as disturbing as it was when I first read it in Borderlands 5, nearly a decade ago.In all, a nice collection. And you really can't go wrong with a few stories from Brian James Freeman. Currently available only as a signed limited-edition hardcover from Cemetery Dance.

Brian James Freeman is the Managing Editor of Cemetery Dance Magazine and the Publisher of Lonely Road Books, as well as being an accomplished Editor and Author. His novella, THE PAINTED DARKNESS, was met with critical and commercial acclaim a few years back. Cemetery Dance published a collection of his short stories late in 2012, MORE THAN MIDNIGHT, and there's not a dud in the bunch. Beneath the beautiful painted cover (By Vincent Chong), you'll encounter five short stories, all previously published between 2003 and 2011, that showcase Freeman's mastery of the form. (While all of the stories have already seen print, Freeman has revised them all for this collection.) Each story features an accompanying illustration by the great Glenn Chadbourne, who is probably best known for his work on Stephen King's illustrated SECRETARY OF DREAMS volumes, also published by Cemetery Dance. Freeman's stories run the gamut from Ghost stories ("What They Left Behind") to dark revenge fantasies ("The Final Lesson" and "Pulled Into Darkness"), but they all feature Freeman's usual excellent characterization. His characters are not just pawns moving through the stories, but living, breathing people that you can't help but care about, which is a real accomplishment for stories that average about twenty pages each. Cemetery Dance published MORE THAN MIDNIGHT in two states: A 750 copy hardcover limited edition, and a 26 copy lettered edition; Both states are signed by Freeman, Chadbourne, and Michael Koryta, who provides the introduction. The book is sold-out from the Publisher, but Amazon currently has 2 copies available, and you may be able to find some for sale by Bad Moon Books or Camelot Books. Highly recommended.

Great shorts! All Brian's work is fun and enjoyable and this collection is no different. Enjoy for yourself! Highly recommended.

When a writer draws you in to the heart, mind, and soul of his characters, you know you are in the hands of a master.The five short stories in Brian James Freeman's collection "More than Midnight," are themselves more than they seem on the surface. Each one touches on the emotions that are at the core of every human being - love, fear, curiosity, anxiety, rage, and horror. Freeman draws pictures with words, tells stories filled with emotion, and compels you to question what exactly you have seen here. The scariness and horror in these tales stem not so much from depictions of violence and gore as from the psychological and emotional realities of their characters and our visceral response to them. As with his wonderful "The Painted Darkness," Freeman caught me with the sheer humanity of these stories that touch the reader on many levels.

In More Than Midnight Brian James Freeman brings us 5 tales that are sure to leave you wanting more. In the story "What They Left Behind," something lurks in the basement of the old office building and left me wanting to avoid all basements or dark abandoned spaces. The last story is most unusual and great, in "Answering the Call." a man has the job of guarding the homes of the recently deceased and has a surprise waiting for him. This book is worth the read for any fan of Freeman's work.