Most boxing stories are tales of redemption. You want to see the underdog win the big fight at the climax of the story. Well, throw in horror, breast implants, vengeful ghosts and supernatural punching power, and you've got The Power of The Punch, the fifth story in the SoUtHeRn TeRrOr anthology book.

After growing up with a violent alcoholic father and recently getting attacked by some low-life thugs, Rebecca McCrary decides to not take any more abuse from anyone and becomes a professional boxer. The problem is – she's terrible! She lost eight fights in a row, each one by early knockout. Just as she's in the process of hanging up her boxing gloves for a career in modeling, her nerdy cousin comes up with the bright idea of inserting a supernatural amount of testosterone into the breast implants Rebecca planned on getting for her modeling career. The operation was a success, and Rebecca is a changed woman in the ring, easily crippling her opponents and knocking them out cold real fast and easy. She becomes known as “The Malo Smasher,” and is also nicknamed a “female Tyson.”

Things are going great for the young contender. Her lead trainer is a legend – an old rotund man named Alfred who was nicknamed “Turtle Face” by Muhammad Ali because of his droopy facial expressions. With her charisma and ability to end fights within seconds, Rebecca becomes a sports media sensation not seen since the days of a young Mike Tyson and recent phenomenons like Ronda Rousey.

Although Rebecca has “the power of the punch,” she serves as the protagonist and antagonist of the story all at once. She suffered lot of abuse in her past and just wants to succeed in life. Because of this we root for her and want her to succeed. But at the same time, she is cheating and severely hurting others to get ahead. Rebecca doesn't just knock her opponents cold – she cripples them! One opponent ends up being a fatality.  Rebecca punches so hard that a blow to the chin could knock your brain loose in your skull.

Although she harbors a soft spot and at times feels guilty for her new gift, she has a cocky, nasty attitude that most people can't stomach. In fact, Rebecca narrowly survives an assassination attempt early in the story - that's how despised she is.

The story takes a dramatic turn when the ghost of an opponent Rebecca killed in the ring decides to pay her a visit – during her big fight for the women's championship!  

A female boxer getting breast implants that enable her to punch like a superheavyweight? I know you're thinking, "A.J., I know you're a terrific writer and all, but how the hell did you come up with that one?" Well, I'm happy to break this one down for my fans. :)

If you've been following my career then you're aware that I  am a boxing fan. I've even interviewed Larry Holmes, Shannon Briggs, James "Quick" Tillis and Marvis Frazier.

Naturally, I decided to include a boxing story in my anthology. However, I wanted to flip things a bit. I wanted a woman boxer to be the central character. My favorite female boxer of all time is Ann Wolfe, known for her explosive punch. Watch the clip below - easily the most brutal knockout in the history of women's boxing.

Alright. What if there was a woman who could punch even harder than that? And what if she wasn't bulging with muscles? What if she were a small, almost average-looking woman with a surprise of a punch? That's how Rebecca McCrary was created. One reader remarked that she was Mike Tyson and Ronda Rousey rolled up into one person. I didn't have that in mind when I wrote the story, but it does fit pretty well so I'll take it.

The women's champion in the story is Jacqueline O'Neal. She's an experienced and well-rounded fighter. Unlike McCrary, Jacqueline is the "good girl." She may be wholesome, but she lacks Rebecca's charisma. Put an experienced counter-puncher like her in the ring with a slugger like Rebecca and you've got the recipe for a great fight. 

I wrote the first draft of this story back in late 2014. I wrote two other versions of the story and wound up using the best of all three to round out the story that you'll read in the book. Like The Magician and The Beast, I took a lot of time with this one and did several re-writes because I wanted it to be perfect. 

If you like boxing, or if you're a fan of ghost stories or intense dramas, Power Of The Punch will be one of your favorites in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr. 

                             Other tales in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr Include...

“Alerts From The Grave” --- A porn star receives text messages and emails from her dead husband. 
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“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods. 

“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician. 

“Giggling In The Dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement.. 

“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price... 

“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last. 

“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he? 

“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine... 

“Mail-Order Bride.”  – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice. 

​“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think. 

"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick. 

“The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night. 

Ever hear weird noises coming from another part of your house? Imagine hearing high-pitched giggles and other noisy movements coming from your basement late at night. Would you investigate? Well, a young couple in the Southern Terror story,  Giggling In The Dark  did just that, though they later regretted it.

Giggling In The Dark is the story of Francis and Martin. Francis is what they call a “boss lady.” She orders her submissive boyfriend around. She's the type of person who has to be in control. She doesn't trust anyone else to take care of business.

Her other half, Martin, is the opposite. He's passive and cowardly. While Francis is spontaneous and fearless, Martin would rather stay in the house, cook dinner and watch Empire or listen to Prince (his favorite singer).

Both of them are quite busy – Francis attends the University of Malo and Martin works at a video store. One evening Francis drags Martin along to investigate what is hiding in their basement. They stumble upon a disemboweled cat in a piano. Shortly afterward they are attacked – by a gremlin!!

You'll have to read the story to find out what happens next, but I've always been a fan of the Gremlins movies and knew I had to include a gremlin antagonist in one of the SoUtHeRn TeRrOr stories.

Gremlins are kind of overlooked in the horror genre. I'm not sure why!! They're comical, mischievous and downright brutal and vicious. Imagine a gremlin hiding somewhere in your house in the dark, waiting to attack you?

The gremlin in this story was designed by my fiance, Deshae Johnson Dugger.  

      Other stories in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr include....

“Alerts From The Grave” --- A porn star receives text messages and emails from her dead husband. 

“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods. 

“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician. 

“Giggling in the dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement.. 

“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price... 

“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last. 

“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he? 

“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine... 

“Mail-Order Bride.”  – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice. 

“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think. 

"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick. 

“The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night. 

There are plenty of people around the world who keep exotic pets. Snakes, tigers, sometimes even elephants or crocodiles. But imagine keeping a werewolf as your beast of choice? Well, someone in “SoUtHeRn TeRrOr” was dumb enough to do so.

Two years prior to the story, The Magnificent Charley was a criminal; a low-life dastardly fiend of a human being. You get the picture.

One night at dawn, he attempts to mug and rape an unsuspecting woman, but his efforts fail when a werewolf comes to the rescue and chases Charley away. Just as Charley is about to become werewolf chow, the sun appears in the sky and the wolf shrieks and shrivels back to human form. Charley takes the man hostage and becomes rich by creating his own traveling freak show and using the werewolf as his star attraction. He keeps the creature chained up inside of a steel cage. People were paying big money to watch the wolf transform live in front of their eyes.

In addition to the werewolf (whose human name is Noah) the freak show features other animals (including a chimp named Cheeto) and orphaned children. There is evidence that Charley abuses the young children. It is also hinted at that he molests them. (Like I said, Charley is lower than the scum of the earth). But he does have charisma – a manipulative smile and the ability to fart in even the most tense situations.
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Eventually, Noah, the children and the animals have had enough and develop a plan to kill Charley and find freedom.

We see a lot of humorous situations in this story, including an over-the-top rapper named T-Money (who attempts to teach the angry werewolf how to twerk) and an old senile woman who has a habit of appearing at the wrong place at the wrong time and often confuses Charley with her dead husband who never returned from World War II.

This story has gotten plenty of laughs. I wrote the first draft back in 2014, but then rewrote it two more times. Each version of the story was different, and in the end I combined the best parts of each of draft. The result is a roller-coaster of a story with plenty of unpredictable twists and turns.

Without fail, I get asked the same question after a person reads the story. “Was Noah the werewolf a good guy?” That is part of the fun of the story. I'll let you read the story and draw your own conclusions. But first hear this.

For him to be the good guy, he had to be in some kind of peril. Sure a werewolf could tear you apart within seconds, so how could he be controlled?

There are several occasions when he saves someone's life. You could argue that the werewolf in this story is a Batman-type of vigilante who hides in the shadows and puts an end to crime attempts. (An example of this is when he foils Charley's attempt to rape that woman before he was captured). But at the same time, would you trust a huge blood-thirsty werewolf huffing and puffing as it growls looking at you?

Everyone with malice in their heart is killed by the wolf if he gets the chance. But good people and innocent characters are spared. Coincidence? Maybe. Whether the creature was a good guy or not, I wanted to put him in the anti-hero position, instead of being the usual murdering antagonists that they are normally portrayed as.

I wanted you to feel real sympathy for him and hate Charley's guts. One thing is for sure; when Noah's eerie howl pierces the air, someone is going to die. The question is....will it be you?
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​                        Other stories in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr include...

“Alerts From The Grave” --- A porn star receives text messages and emails from her dead husband.

​“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods.

“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician.

“Giggling in the dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement..

“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price...

“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last.

“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he?

“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine...

“Mail-Order Bride.”  – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice.

“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think.

"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick.

“The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night.

Sometimes riding in a car late at night in the woods is the creepiest thing. It's dark, and you never know who or what is lurking in all those trees...watching you....

Unfortunately, two teenage girls and their goofy Uncle Steve find out.

Lisa (13) and Stacy (17) are on their way home from their older cousin's boring college graduation. Their Uncle Steve is behind the wheel, and takes the girls on a shortcut through the woods to avoid traffic and shorten the two-hour trip. (Steve is the annoying cheerful type; definitely not the kind of person you want to be paired with in a horror movie).

During the trip, the girls fight as usual. Lisa is still very much a child and is often bullied by her older sister, who is a little too experienced with boys and is a spoiled  senior in high school.

The girls and their goofy, stupid uncle are attacked by a Bigfoot-esque creature. I've always been entertained by the idea that Bigfoot exists, and in this story he does, in all his hairy glory!! Uncle Steve becomes a casualty to the huge beast, while the girls are eventually rescued by a female sheriff named Officer Brown. But unfortunately, Officer Brown has a secret of her own; one that chills the two girls down to their bones.

While the previous story was more suspenseful, this one jumps right into action and the chilling twist has gotten praise from readers.

Take a look at the other story descriptions in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr!!

“Alerts From The Grave” --- A porn star receives text messages and emails from her dead husband.

“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods.

​“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician.

“Giggling in the dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement..

“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price...

“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last.

“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he?

“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine...

“Mail-Order Bride.” – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice.

“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think.

"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick.

​"The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night.

Here is a link to episode 1 of Behind Southern Terror: Alerts From The Grave.

Also take a look at the book's trailer, and feel free to buy the book here. 

I wrote this story in late 2014. My fingers started typing and before I knew it, Alerts From The Grave was staring right back at me from my laptop screen. 

People have praised this story because of its elements of black comedy, suspense and ghostly terror. But romance is also a big part of the story here. A man loved his wife so much that he used technology to communicate with her from the grave.

​I guess nothing can stop true love. Not even death.  ​

Stay tuned for future episodes of Behind Southern Terror. The next tale is The Dark Road, a story of two feuding teenage sisters and their cheery uncle who take a trip through the woods they will never forget..

Take a look at the other story descriptions in SoUtHeRn TeRrOr!!

“Alerts From The Grave” --- A porn star receives text messages and emails from her dead husband. 

“The Dark Road.” --- A sibling rivalry is put to an end when two sisters endure a night of pure terror in the woods.

​“The Magician And The Beast.”--- A unique animal is the attraction for a sinister traveling magician.

“Giggling in the dark.” --- A young couple hears weird laughter and noises coming from their basement..

“The Power Of The Punch.” --- A struggling female boxer is given breast implants that give her the strength of three men. But everything has a price...

“Last Thoughts.” --- A womanizing politician is killed by his wife over and over in an endless loop; each death more brutal than the last.

“7 pm.” --- After almost dying in a street fight, a young drug dealer struggles to get his life and family back on track. But can he?

“Dirty Underwear.” --- A necrophiliac mortician gets a taste of her own medicine...

“Mail-Order Bride.” – A lonely old man finds a beautiful bride online, but he soon regrets his choice.

“The Intruder.” --- A family is fighting for their lives against an intruder who may be a bigger threat than they think.

"The Special Child." --- A youth counselor is concerned about a foreign child who has gotten everyone sick.

​"The Scarecrow.” – A young reporter's first news assignment is to write an article about a scarecrow that walks at night.