Her Mourning Portrait and Other Paranormal Oddities is the fifth anthology from Brhel & Sullivan. It is a collection of dark fantasy stories which focuses on the interplay between the euphoric and lamentable moments of romantic commitments. These ten tales are light romances, which take turns through various fantasy subgenres, such as science fiction, the paranormal, the occult, and the weird.
Such tales include:
“Lady of Cayuga Lake,” which recounts the last hurrah of a separating husband and wife, a final vacation which takes a turn toward the paranormal when they both spy a ghost over the lake. Will they have what it takes to work together, confide in each other, and solve the mysterious disappearance of Mary Gold?
“The Lost Cache” tells of the strain an obsessive hobby can have on a marriage. Hillary appears to give Eric every chance to engage her, and work his way back toward an intimate companionship, she even goes so far as to plan out a special evening of hiking and geocaching in an old cemetery with her husband.
“Side by Side” is a quirky cemetery tale about a confrontation between a long-dead man and his widow’s second husband, regarding the final resting place of their beloved-in-common.
“Her, He, and a Corpse Makes Three” focuses on a love triangle between a living couple who work in a funeral home, and the woman’s recently deceased, yet spiritually returned, ex-boyfriend.
Here’s what some critics and people have had to say about HMP:
“This is my favorite work of Brhel & Sullivan’s yet. The stories- all of which are short- all have fantastic twists to them that really rev up the vibe; just when you think they’re coming to a nice, neat ending, something off-kilter pops up, and the story flies off again. I’m such of a fan of the writing style and overall work- I think these collaborators get better with each new work.” — Melody, Goodreads reviewer
“The stories here are also heartfelt and tender, offering insightful ideas about relationships and love. And not only that, but there are quite a few references to Brhel and Sullivan’s other works, weaving the stories into a tight universal knot… a very smart move considering the world’s current obsession with fictional universes.” — Cameron Chaney, BookTuber
“As always, these authors write interesting stories with a twist. This was a fun, fast and entertaining read!” — Kat Loves Books
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Cemetery Gates Media 