Fun book. Would be terrific for the Halloween season if you are looking for a creepy read. I will suggest this one to others.

Just in time for Halloween! I hate reading books out of season... These were really fun! Good and bad witches are fairly represented, so there is something for everyone. If you are looking for a fun read, these are perfect!

Loooved it! Who doesn't love witches? I wasn't able to put this amazing book down!

Quite a good collection of short stories, with a few poems in the mix too. Some were captivating and made me wish for more but others were a little lacklustre.

Dark, creepy, and absolutely enthralling. Love every second of it.

I love a good horror anthology, and this certainly delivers. There is a great variety of stories about the witch.

Wicked Witches by Scott Goudsward.
New England has a rich, dark history with the supernatural. From this region many writers of dark fiction have fueled their stories. One chapter in history has been the stuff of legends and nightmares: the Witch. Look to ancient mythology or your next door neighbor and you will find them, practicing arts both Dark and Light. The New England Horror Writers proudly present a new anthology which pays tribute to those whose ancestors were accused, hung, pressed, drowned, or burned at the stake. Enter these pages, wander the hard roads of Colonial America or modern corporate boardrooms, to face the Witch.
This was a good read with good characters. Some stories were better than others. 4*. Netgalley and broad universe.

It's soo good! It has so many creepy, dark stories about witches, during the witch hunt and older times, but also from the modern times. I think the creepiest are always from the modern times, it makes you wonder who your neighbors are and whether they are capable of turning you into corn kernels... Some of the stories can be improved with extra pages though, and while I enjoyed this anthology overall, I feel like there are too many stories in it.

Anthologies are not always an easy choice.It is difficult to maintain the same standard throughout the different stories.Some are good,even very good,some are ok and some are ,well ,barely ok. Still, all in all ,a nice introduction to the witches of New England .

I must admit that I have a bit of an addiction to New England in general, but especially anything witch-related and this book gave me the hit I needed.

It would be impossible for me to do anything but love this eclectic mix of stories and poems, ranging from frightening to funny. These are great for reading individually when you don't have a lot of time, or for reading all at once. I found the mix of different writing styles worked very well together, presenting both the light and dark arts of witchcraft for the reader to enjoy.

I like the way this book is organised, with shorter and longer stories, some more intense than others. The theme of New England in clear in all of the stories and that made it feel close to my heart. If you are a fan of witches and New England lore, you will want to check out this book.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

**This review will post to my blog www.myinterdimensionalchaos.blogspot.com on February 18. It has already been posted to Goodreads. I will provide links to the blog entry when it goes live on the 18th.**

What a wonderfully wicked short story and poetry anthology!

Wicked Witches gathers 22 stories about witches. The New England states have been rich in Witch lore for hundreds of years. This anthology gathers new modern tales of witchery, ranging from misunderstood crones to evil satanists.

I enjoyed every story in this collection. Some were humorous, others chilling. But all were delightfully witchy and wonderful.

My favorite tale is T.S. Eliot Burns in Hell penned by GD Dearborn. A reporter searches out a long-missing former rock star, only to find he has gotten himself into real trouble. From the setting -- a crumbling, old farmhouse filled with cannibalistic cats -- to the slow build of terror, the story was fantastic! Sometimes things that disappear should best be left to the shadows where they belong. The story was just awesomely horrific! It left me staring at my cats with awe and major distrust for the rest of the day.


Included in the anthology are:

That Witch We Dread - Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert
In Agatha Craggins' Defense - John McIlveen
Welcome to the D.I.V. - Errick A. Nunnally
The Witch's Apprentice - Morven Westfield
Going Home - James A. Moore
White Witch - Catherine Grant
Baskets - Paul McMahon
The Saint of Regret - Nick Manzolillo
Witch - Trisha J. Wooldridge
Run in the Widow's Hell - K.H. Vaughan
Portrait of an Old Woman with Crows - Peter N. Dudar
Tilberian Holiday - Izzy Lee
To Dance the Witches Circle Again - Morgan Sylvia
Another Plane - Patrick Lacey
Access Violation - Jeremy Flagg
T.S. Eliot Burns in Hell - GD Dearborn
Black Forest, Black Heart - Joshua Goudreau
The Jatinga Effect - Doug Rinaldi
The Place of Bones - Barry Lee Dejasu
Creaking Through Salem - Ogmios
Blessed Be & Kick Ass - Jan Kozlowski
Moving House - Rob Smales

The wicked cover art was designed by artist Mikio Murakami. The anthology's introduction was provided by Penny Dreadful, hostess of Penny Dreadful's Shilling Shockers.

I definitely recommend this collection of witchy writings for anyone who enjoys horror and dark fantasy!

As a horror fan and long time resident of New England I have always been interested in stories about witches so this gorgeous cover immediately caught my eye. Beyond this cover, Wicked Witches is just plain "wicked good" story telling. The tales that cast the strongest spell on me were as follows..
"In Agatha Craggins' Defense by John McIlveen -
To say Agatha was unattractive was a gross understatement but does that make her a wicked witch just because the townsfolk point and stare and gossip about her? You will have to read to find out.
"The Witch's Apprentice" by Morven Westfield - Callie has had enough of her annoying noisy neighbor and decides to use witchcraft to get some peace and quiet.
"Going Home" by James A Moore - A witch returns to Salem but are her intentions good or evil?
"White Witch" by Catherine Grant -When a baby is born the "wrong color" it will take the power of a mother's love and some help from voodoo to protect her.
"Baskets" by Paul McMahon- When Tommy shows up at Grandma Shawl's house uninvited and unwelcome they're both going to be sorry.
"Portrait of an Old Woman with Crows" by Peter N. Dudar
When a woman begins painting a portrait without asking the subject for permission to use her likeness the results are horrifying. This one had me almost afraid to turn the pages.
"To Dance The Witches Circle Again" by Morgan Sylvia- This story was amazing! Trouble is brewing as more and more witches are arrested and put to death.
"Another Plane" by Patrick Lacey-
Matt is fed up with his wife Kelly's interest in witchcraft. It's not real. Or is it?
"The Jatinga Effect" by Doug Rinaldi-
Edson is having a really bad day at work, and so are his coworkers thanks to a curse.

I would highly recommend this anthology to any fan of horror, dark fiction, or witches in general. All the stories were good, some were spectacular.

Where have all the wicked witches gone?

First it was vampires. For years, readers were inundated by a never-ending flood of them. Now, many cookie-cutter writers have jumped on the zombie wagon. Zombies, zombies, and more zombies. Perhaps witches, in their diverse forms, were pushed aside as unprofitable. What a shame.

Thankfully, The New England Horror Writers have reanimated an almost forgotten staple of the genre--Witches. Unlike zombies, witches are not homogeneous. This factor is delightfully emphasized in Wicked Witches.

Wicked Witches is a kaleidoscopic collection of short stories all centered around witches. One very admirable aspect of the collections is the variety of characters, situations, and the witches themselves. Since no two plotlines, characters, settings, or witches are alike, readers will be surprised by each tale. There are good witches and bad witches--young witches and old witches. The stories take place in the past, present and even in the future. One of the best tales is a humorous.

In an era when harried readers can find less and less time to read, a collection of short stories will no doubt be a welcomed elixir for those burdened by onerous schedules. A linking table of contents would be a wonderful addition to this collection for readers who would appreciate the ability to make up of the book in a nonlinear manner.

Discussing writing style is difficult due to the fact that Wicked Witches is a collection of various voices. Even though the collection is highly recommended, a few of the writers do not perform on as mature a level as others. Perceptive readers may very well be disappointed by issues such as a massive overuse of participles, an underuse of commas, numerous indefinite references, and unfortunate metaphors. On the other hand, the collection contains a number of precious gems.

In Agatha Craggins's Defense, by John Mcllveen is one of the best. The tale takes place in Massachusetts in 1693. The protagonist's voice is remarkably believable, authentic, and smooth. In addition to superior pacing and plotting, the author possesses a wonderful sense of irony.

Portrait of an Old Woman with Crows by Peter N. Dunbar offers a fast-paced tale of one woman's simple mistake. She disrespects a witch in hiding. The plot races on like a runaway train until a culminating conflict with witch and woman.

Paul McMahon's Baskets is another story that benefits from an outstanding use of irony. It is a great story with two very interesting and surprising characters. Most of all, the story is an exemplary demonstration of how showing is so very superior to telling.

To Dance the Witches Circle Again by Morgan Sylvia offers a very interesting alternate view. The period piece takes place during an era of witch trials. Perhaps, the witches were smarter than history leads us to believe, again reinforced by an exquisite use of irony.

The collection ends with an hysterical and undeniably human story. Moving House by Rob Smales will entertain even those with little or no interest in witches. Mr. Smales produces natural and downright realistic dialogue. His characters are so human, every reader will recognize them. Even the witch enhances the humorous nature of the story. There is nothing like saving the best for last.

Those who love witches will no doubt be glad that The New England Horror Writers have chosen to honor their favorite genre.

The witches are back.

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Wicked Witches by Scott T. Goudsward and assorted authors was received direct from the publisher.  A book about witches, good ones, bad ones, very bad ones, poems, short stories, novellas.  How can any person who likes witches go wrong with this tome?  Just to be up front, when I was young while other kids wanted to be Superman or the Hulk, I wanted to be a witch because, "you got it", witches had all those powers and more. This anthology is one of, if not the best, of 2016,I don't recall one boring story from the lot of them, be it known author or not.  If you like tales of witches, the supernatural or just some old school non thinking mans horror, give this book a try.

5 Stars.