The thirty stories in this collection give the reader Kelly Link meets Bram Stoker and Nathaniel Hawthorne in a forest or an alternative universe with aliens. The stories rely on both humor and terror to capture the reader's attention. As one literary journal editor noted, "[D'Angelo is] very good at building suspense." Consisting of both flash fiction and full-length stories, this feminist collection will taking you through a gambit of genre-bending tales. From Claudia, a young witch, learning to harness her powers to save her coven from destruction to Leslie trying to balance the challenges of being a vampire at night and an accountant by day to Laura warned not to walk in the wilderness alone, there's a monster and lesson for everyone.
Lori D'Angelo is a grant recipient from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a fellow at the Hambidge Center for Creative Arts, and an alumna of the Community of Writers. She holds an MA from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and an MFA from West Virginia University. Her work has appeared in various literary journals including BULL, Drunken Boat, Gargoyle, Moon City Review, Reed Magazine, and Rejection Letters.
"You'd better strap in because Lori D'Angelo is taking you places. A little bit of Kelly Link, a little Kathy Fish, D'Angelo is most of all herself, bringing us the most imaginative collection of fiction I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. The Monsters Are Here heralds a new voice in contemporary fiction—I can't wait to see what Lori D'Angelo does next." - Stephanie Vanderslice
"Monsters are here. So are vampires, mermaids, murderers, werewolves, fortunetellers, and dozens of less outlandish but no less remarkable characters. Lori D'Angelo's debut collection is as entertaining as it is unpredictable. Each story is a ride into the strange and stunning. Read this book, and you'll be dazed, dazzled, and delighted." - Mark Brazaitis
"The monsters are here, and what a glorious invasion it is! Whether it's an uptight vampire accountant stretching her fangs or a werewolf realizing she loves her dad-boded buddy, the characters in Lori D'Angelo's debut story collection are wonderfully human. These, smart, often hilarious tales haunted me in the best possible way." - Shari Goldhagen
"What an exciting debut for Lori D'Angelo with her collection, The Monsters Are Here. Each of these stories introduces a new spectacle of innovation and heart, of humor and horror. D'Angelo's characters occupy worlds where the impossible overlaps the real and sincerity is bordered by absurdity. I loved reading these stories, eating them up one after another, so engrossed by these narratives, this writer's vision." - Michael Czyzniejewski
