Since the Fall of 2000, nearly three years ago, I have made it a habit to frequently visit several e-zines that specialize in Speculative Fiction. Being a writer myself, I know just how hard it is to break into the writing scene and, once there, be able to maintain a presence in the vast world of the small electronic and print press. Over these past few years several outstanding authors have caught my eye and I try to read just about everything they put out in both print magazines and on the internet.

One of these authors, David Bowlin, is an extremely active member of the e-zine community and one of the founding fathers of the now inactive SHADOWKEEP, one of the premiere speculative fiction zines of its time. It has often seemed to me that this very talented writer has put the work of others before his own, working hard to do everything possible to promote the work of his fellow authors and create a venue for their work where it will be able to reach a vast audience. So, when I heard that David Bowlin was putting out a collection of his own work, in both E-Book and Paperback formats (published by Double Dragon Publishing), I was very excited to say the least. Now that I have read his collection, REGURGITATED NIGHTMARES; A Tour Of Lost Souls, I know that my excitement was well grounded.

This is a fantastic collection of horror and speculative fiction, fantasy and quasi-reality, poetry and short stories, that will leave the reader with a sense of wonder. Several of the stories contained within make you sit back and ask yourself, "Could it be?" David Bowlin has compiled an impressive list of stories into this single volume, twenty-four different pieces to bring a tingle to your spine and make you look over your shoulder in the dark. The book goes along at a very brisk pace, I found myself flying through the electronic pages of the PDF E-Book as quickly as my right index finger could press on the "DOWN" Arrow Key. Edited by Brutal Dreamer, the stories and poetry are mixed together wonderfully-horror and fantasy intermingled throughout, with a few magical poems thrown into the mix, making the entire work a thrill-ride for the reader.

I won't get into every story contained in REGURGITATED NIGHTMARES, but a few of my favorites deserve a special mention: the opener, "Dance With The Dead," is a story of a little girl who is haunted by vicious nightmares, who holds an unknown secret that can only be unlocked by a Grandmotherly companion. "To Each His Own," the story of Blue Jim and how one small town found their new sheriff. "The Turtle God," a wonderful tale of a father's grief, how he handles it and how an amphibious deity enters his life. "Where Angels Tread," a haunting tale about a man on death-row and the path he took to get there. "Old Debts," perhaps the most vivid and disturbing piece of this collection, about a father who carries an enormous burden of guilt for an act that took place several years ago…and how the past comes a-calling to reel him in. "Just Suppose," a wonderful mix of fantasy and science fiction, that I won't tell you anymore about here (read this one for yourself to solve the mystery). "The Tale Of The Pink Troll," a fantasy story about a strange tale that no one believes until they see the proof for themselves. "Sleepless In The Garden Of Remembrance," an utterly haunting tale of the after-images of war left behind in one man's mind. "Dying To Heal," a short gem of a story that should warn our medical professionals to be just a bit more wary of their patients. And, the closer, "A Stranger, My Lover," about one girl's idea of romance and the lengths she goes to in order to find her lover.

All in all, a superb collection by one of my favorite authors. This book is available currently as an E-Book from Double Dragon Publishing ( www.double-dragon-ebooks.com), with a Paperback release date in 2004. Despite the fact that I had read many of these stories in various magazines over the past few years, it was a joy to read them again along with some new ones that had somehow escaped me, together in one volume. If you're a fan of spooky horror, fantasy, tales that make you sit back and scratch your chin in wonder or speculative poetry--take it from me, you won't want to miss out on David Bowlin's REGURGITATED NIGHTMARES; A Tour Of Lost Souls. Now, I just can't wait for the Paperback to be released next year, it will make a great addition to my vast collection of books.

Everyone dreams. Everyone has their own nightmares: witches chasing them through the forest, demons lurking in mirrors, paying off fatal debts, ghosts and evil spirits paying us a visit, even a meeting with the Angel of Death. In one form or other, our nightmares greet us as we close our eyes, while we are alone in the darkness. Our psyche primed for sinister meetings of the menacing creatures of the night. We are hurled into an intimidating surrounding with a fearful restlessness seeping in us when the nighttime approaches and the monsters lurk around every corner.

Inside these very dementias you will live David Bowlin's twenty-four REGURGITATED NIGHTMARES that will haunt you as you take the tour of lost souls. Within the stories, you hear eerie whispers, beckoning you to bravely join each nightmarish tale. Fearlessly, take the baneful author's hand, turn out the lights, and close your eyes.

One feeling you do not get with David Bowlin's horror writing, you do not get a punch in the gut; it's more like a subtle but deadly pinch in the heart.