Do you think its easy being an alien, a satanic creature or anything else not considered part of the Homo sapiens only club? They have tough days just like humans do and their frustration is growing. Don't believe it? Well, what about Lucifer, the prince of darkness, who runs a car dealership--what about his feelings when he is faced with that impossible sale and he can't get that signature on form 666, the standard soul contract? Or maybe you wondered about how an extremely vain alien copes with having a bad hair day as he tries to alter the future of Earth? Will his cosmetic problems be our problems in other ways? Perhaps you heard about the opposite vampire who loves to give blood, hates the darkness and has a fetish for garlic—how does he get through a bad relationship? How about a DNA altered cat that has been given the personality of one of the world's most fearsome criminals? Will its human owners understand or will it be a less then purr-fect arrangement? What’s the common thread do all this discontent, you ask? What is it about most stories that stay the same? It's the human! These aliens and demonic creatures are sick and tired of being the second fiddle in the story. They want what everybody wants: to be the center of attention of the stories instead of the pesky humans for a change…and now they finally get their wish.In Aliens and Satanic Creatures Wanted: Humans Need Not Apply, they finally get top billing and they exploit it as far as they can.
Click on the image on the left. It will take you to my audio page where you can download sample stories in audio format.
REVIEWS
"In his genre-defying work, Tony Ruggiero writes about life – he effortlessly takes the ordinary and shapes it into the extraordinary, the bizarre, and the impossible. The commonplace details of everyday existence he shades with the subtle grays and shadows of fear and dread, along humor and wit, slowly building suspense into a palpable thing. The reader is helplessly along for the ride, as was the protagonist in “Electronic Bliss,” to an inexorable, mind-bending conclusion." Walt Hicks, Editor, DeathGrip Ezine"The Door to Worlds Imagined short story favorite, Tony Ruggiero, has entertained us with his wit, suspense and humor in such stories as Lucky Lucifer's Car Emporium, All Aboard!, The Gift that Keeps on Givin' and Going Up. He's an unstoppable speculative fiction talent and wields his skills with the deftness of a reaper's rake. From humor to seat gripping horror, this guy's ready to knock'em all down."John Patrick Schmitz, The Door to Worlds Imagined Ezine“To Protect and Serve” mixes cops and corruption, vice and vampires in a gritty story that’s ready to leap off the page and onto your TV screen. Modern law enforcement has enough problems without being tempted by a dark deal as beneficial as it is immoral...!Dru Pagliassotti, Editor-in-Chief, The Harrow Ezine
Tony Ruggiero's short story LUCKY LUCIFER'S CAR EMPORIUM has made me reconsider EVER signing a contract from a car salesman! GOING UP? is an edgy yet sentimental short story from where Tony pulls his terror from perhaps one of the most terrifying places in the world -- an individual's past. And the ending sports a chilling twist. Nicely done, Tony. Being a fan of TEAM OF DARKNESS, I wanted to find out more about TO PROTECT AND SERVE, the origin behind the novel. This is a terrific story and a great lead-into Tony's popular vampire novel. His stories explore more than just the darker sides of personalities. There is a stark honesty brought to the surface in Tony's work that could be considered more terrifying than any alien or demon. And there is also a sense of humor in his horror, and a wit that is as sharp as a vampire's fang."-- Tee Morris, co-author of MOREVI: The Chronicles of Rafe and Askana
