Bleed, a horror novel by Ed Kurtz
When Walt Blackmore moves into an old gable front house on the outskirts of a small town, things are really looking up for him; he has an adoring girlfriend to whom he plans to propose, a new job teaching English at the local high school, and an altogether bright future. His outlook and destiny are irreparably changed, however, when an unusual dark red spot appears on the ceiling in the hallway. Bit by bit, the spot grows, first into a dripping blood stain and eventually into a grotesque, muttering creature.
As the creature grows, Walt finds himself more and more interested in fostering its well-being. At first he only feeds it stray animals so that the blood-hungry monster can survive, but this soon fails to satisfy the creature’s ghastly needs. It is gradually becoming human again, and for that to happen it requires human blood and human flesh. And once Walt has crossed the line from curiosity to murder, there is no going back.
"Page after stunning page, Ed Kurtz gets it right. This book was like memory lane for me, its luminous prose and unstoppable tension taking me back to the great small town horror novels of the '70s and '80s. I didn't think they made 'em like this anymore, but thankfully, I was wrong. For, with Bleed, Kurtz has not only written an intensely scary tale, but a timeless one as well."
—Joe McKinney, Stoker nominated author of Apocalypse of the Dead and Flesh Eaters
"With his debut novel, Bleed, Ed Kurtz pulls no punches, giving the reader a simple yet ultimately satisfying meal of blood and extreme violence. Highly recommended!"—Gord Rollo, Author of Valley of the Scarecrow and The Jigsaw Man
"If David Cronenberg and Frank Hennenlotter decided to remake Little Shop of Horrors and Hellraiser, Bleed would be the result."—Nick Cato, The Horror Fiction Review and author of Don of the Dead
"You won't be disappointed."—Darkeva, Hellnotes
"Kurtz brings the scares. I found myself honestly frightened at what may be waiting for me on the next page."—Pat Dreadful, Dreadful Tales
"[Ed Kurtz's] crisp, fast-paced writing, excellent character development, and his ability to write some truly grisly scenes will have you turning the pages at lightning speed. As you read Bleed you’ll at times be reminded of the works and minds of Clive Barker and David Cronenberg, and that’s some pretty damn good company. This is a fun, gory creature novel by a really fresh and original voice. Highly recommended."—Scott Shoyer, Anything Horror Central
"Bleed is an interesting exploration of human loneliness, desire and guilt...Kurtz writes with such grace that the story is never about pure nastiness but rather a great story in which blood, scabs, an appalling background story..., murder and cannibalism combine to entertain thoroughly and keep you glued to the pages."—Gabino Iglesias, Austin Post
"I enjoyed the hell out of it." —Sheri White, Horror-Web (5 star review)
Get Bleed in trade paperback or Kindle e-book at Amazon.com,
