The Date by Mort Stone (Emerge #8)
Proceeds from The Date will be donated to the Badass Book Sale for Corrina, Brad, & Marian 🖤
How do you impress the father of a girl you like?
Survive.
When Dean lands a date with his dream girl Lara, he’s nervous about meeting her protective family first.
Dates are always nerve-wracking, but Dean will remember this one for the rest of his life.
However short that life might be.
United StatesExcellent
Dean was worried about going out on a date with Lara Reed; it was known that she didn’t date due to her overprotective father, however, to his surprise, she asked him to take her out. Once he gets there, his nerves start to get the best of him. Dean takes a deep breath and knocks on Reed's door. Little does he know that his entire life is about to take a turn. A great story from the Emerge series. Funny, fast-paced, and out of control. Everything that may go wrong does. It was definitely a fun read. Check it out! 5 severed fingers out of 5
CanadaLove and a chainsaw
Love seeing new people put pen to paper and put themselves out there. I liked this story. Was a great concept and fun to read. Hoping to see more from Mort in the near future. Young love is out to the test, with dire consequences!
United StatesThe Best Short Story I Have Read This Year!
For those in the horror/book community that are unaware Mort Stone is revered by many for his amazing reviews. So when he informed me he was making his maiden voyage into writing a story I was thrilled! I knew it would be a good story because of his skill at writing reviews. However, it exceeded my expectations! The Date by Mort Stone is a short story filled with a lot of content in a short page run. Dean is a young man who has a crush on a girl named Lara. When she invites him to dinner with her family he is both excited, and terrified that he will not be able to impress Lara let alone her family. What Dean does not know is that a quaint evening will turn out to be something far more sinister. Mort’s writing style is fresh, eloquent, and structured perfectly. He quickly drew me into the story with his prose and approach. It is exciting to see what Stone will come up with next. I may seem a bit vague on the premise of the story, but it is so good you have to read it for yourself! It is a fast paced and fun read. You can find The Date on http://www.godless.com. All in all, I must give The Date by Mort Stone five bright stars out of five! This is hands down the best short I have read this year, and one of my favorite reads of 2022! So do yourself a favor and snag a copy for yourself today. It is only 50 cents on godless.com! What have you got to lose? Until next time, my friends.
United StatesA must read for any horror fan!
To take the simple concept of first date nerves and use it to create a horror masterpiece is a gift unto itself. The Date is an excellent read, and a must for any horror fan. The innocence behind a typical awkward teenage moment quickly grows into a high-tension sweaty-palms living nightmare. Mort's ability to build anxiety is exquisite, creating an adrenaline rush start to finish! I found the hook particularly clever and skillful. There are no trivial, unneeded details, and the reader is not clogging down with futile verbiage. Completely engrossing, the illusion of being lulled into a nostalgic memory suddenly transforms into a tale of sadistic savagery. And what an ending! Completely unpredictable. The reader is repeatedly, and I think intentionally, led to presume they have outwitted the author, then BOOM! Another sharp left. Feeding off the archetypal plots in clichéd slasher films, Dean attempts to survive by manipulating his knowledge of the classic victim mistakes before the dismal realization hits him that 'fear could blank the mind'. The writer maintains a skillful balance of pace and flow throughout the story with well-crafted, three-dimensional, dynamic and sympathetic characters. I could feel what they felt, specifically Dean — the overwhelming and crushing terror of being trapped, the utter desperation to understand what is happening and why, the dread of defeat as he confronts the truth of his situation. Particularly impressive is the seamless transitions between POVs. Each added more depth as the story unfolded. Mort Stone has proved himself an absolute genius storyteller. 5/5 stars for The Date.
United StatesA must read for any horror fan!
To take the simple concept of first date nerves and use it to create a horror masterpiece is a gift unto itself. The Date is an excellent read, and a must for any horror fan. The innocence behind a typical awkward teenage moment quickly grows into a high-tension sweaty-palms living nightmare. Mort's ability to build anxiety is exquisite, creating an adrenaline rush start to finish! I found the hook particularly clever and skillful. There are no trivial, unneeded details, and the reader is not clogging down with futile verbiage. Completely engrossing, the illusion of being lulled into a nostalgic memory suddenly transforms into a tale of sadistic savagery. And what an ending! Completely unpredictable. The reader is repeatedly, and I think intentionally, led to presume they have outwitted the author, then BOOM! Another sharp left. Feeding off the archetypal plots in clichéd slasher films, Dean attempts to survive by manipulating his knowledge of the classic victim mistakes in horror films before the dismal realization hits him that 'fear could blank the mind'. The writer maintains a skillful balance of pace and flow throughout the story with well-crafted, three-dimensional, dynamic and sympathetic characters. I could feel what they felt, specifically Dean — the overwhelming and crushing terror of being trapped, the utter desperation to understand what is happening and why, the dread of defeat as he confronts the truth of his situation. Particularly impressive is the seamless transitions between POVs. Each added more depth as the story unfolded. Mort Stone has proved himself an absolute genius storyteller. 5/5 stars!