Book Description:
The perfect serial killer discovers that not all victims are the same. A stock jock encounters his true nature hiding inside a prison bus. A rookie cop sent to a dead woman’s apartment battles for his soul. Deaf children hear the hysterical sound of revenge. A detective pulls off at a rest area to sleep and finds himself face to face with a gargantuan beast. A man on a fishing trip learns that he is no longer a man at all. Confession takes on an entirely new dimension for a disillusioned priest.
In An Attended Death, there are stories for readers of every persuasion including several heartfelt pieces about the fears all human beings face. The introspective mind of Anthony James Mazza reaches into the worlds of good versus evil and explores the subtle shadows that can change our lives from what we understand to that which can never be believed.
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I love stories. Kicking back on a rainy day with a good book is my idea of bliss. Reading takes me away from my concrete existence and, at the same time, builds its’ own mystical reality that shows me a multidimensional universe of which I am an integral part. Writing for me (and I suspect every writer) is the logical extension of reading. As one part of that universe, I get to imagine my own worlds and present them to any who have the interest to sit down and consider, the truth of my tale. Each story has its’ own truth, which may be camouflaged inside the psychosis of a mad man or buried inside the dens of the macabre. The writer’s job is to see the situation and describe what the character said and did as he or she faced a particular beast. Good writing comes from seeing that truth and telling the story honestly. In the fifteen stories of An Attended Death, I have attempted to do just that, dear reader. Each of these tales float inside death's domain, some more direct than others but all closer
to reality you than you might believe. So, pull up your favorite chair and cozy blanket. The skies are grey, and I just heard thunder in the distance. I don't know all that lies ahead but I do know the way and if the moon wanes and leaves us in darkness, take my hand and don't be afraid. Remember, anticipation is almost always worse than reality... Almost.
Anthony James Mazza
Upstate New York
July 2020