Archive for October, 2018

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

The Monster Museum

Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper #10

by J. L. Bryan

37880825

Genre:  Horror / Paranormal

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

Ellie never does an investigation by herself. That’s the number one rule. She tells herself she’s only going to go and see what the deal is. Do some research. Maybe set up some equipment. And wait for the rest of her team. But there isn’t enough time to wait. Seriously bad stuff is occurring at  Dr. Weirdman’s Mountain Museum of Monsters, Curiosities, and Ancient Mysteries. Young ones are caught in the middle. They’ll all need lady luck on their side to make it through this alive.

I’ve been reading this series from the beginning and it never gets old. Ellie is my hero. She knows what’s out there, lurking unseen, waiting to harm the innocent. It’s her job to stop that from happening. People she loves have been hurt, and she’s got enough baggage to slow down a speeding train. But, she never hesitates to help someone in need.

Something I’ve been hoping for just might happen this time. Ellie used to have a significant other until he was possessed by an evil entity and she almost had to kill him. It seems he’s ready to talk, but she’s got a lot of guilt. Still loving him doesn’t mean she’s ready to let him back into her life. Who says it will ever be safe to care about someone that much again. Her life and that of those around her will always be at risk as long as she keeps doing what she does. I’d love for Ellie to have love in her life again.

One seriously creepy lizard thing creeps through the dark hallways. Stranger and stranger events happen. The suspense builds. I quickly devour every sentence, until I reach the end and immediately start thinking about what the next book might bring.

As long as the author keeps writing this series, I’ll surely keep reading it.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

Just outside the small but colorful mountain resort town of Foxboro, Tennessee lies Dr. Weirdman’s Mountain Museum of Monsters, Curiosities, and Ancient Mysteries. Once a major tourist attraction, it offers travelers the amusement of touring unusual underground caves and pseudo-scientific exhibits ranging from strange creatures to the supposed artifacts of lost civilizations.

Now the museum is a crumbling relic of an older age, fallen into disrepair. Its longtime owner has died, leaving it in the hands of a younger distant relative who knows nothing of how to run a failing tourist trap of a museum, but who is desperate to make a living and provide for his own children.

The museum has a serious ghost problem, though, and Ellie Jordan is called in from Savannah to help. An unexpected old friend joins Ellie at the last moment so that they can spend a snow-filled Christmas together in the mountains…if the ghosts of the restless dead don’t turn the holidays into a horrific tragedy.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

The first book is free right now.

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by [Bryan, JL]

Click on the links below to grab a copy.

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

Isn’t it supposed to be fall? You wouldn’t know it where I’m at. The temps are still close to 90s and I’m loving it. The pecan trees are dropping their leaves and starting to look a bit bare but everything else is green and still growing. The pool is delicious at around 87 degrees and I try to get in and swim every day until it gets too cold.

I noticed Christmas decorations in several stores this week. I couldn’t resist picking up an ornament. LOL  This got me turning to my fall and Halloween decorations. I always buy some on sale after the holidays are over and can’t wait to see what I grabbed last year.

Also been reading a lot of scary books for my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills feature this month. Sharing a review each day plus some extra ones will be thrown in for tours I’m participating in.

And I’m watching lots of scary movies and shows too. It surprises me I don’t have more nightmares.  How about you? Do scary books and movies haunt your dreams?

Have a fabulous  Sunday and brand new week!

~~~~~

My new books this week.

Pit Perfect Murder (A Barkside of the Moon Cozy Mystery Book 1) by [George, Renee]  Karma's A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery Book 1) by [Esposito, Shannon]

35715477  The Beast of Black Pond

Cry for the Demon by [Grice, Julia]  Simon Says: Demon Hunter Book 1 by [Dark, Adam, Thrush, Matthew]

And this one I just added to my cart!

I’m a big four legged fan so I was leery until I read the description for this collection. Now I’m intrigued. You can read the Goodreads description HERE.

~~~~~

And here are some FREEBIES for ya.

Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

An Occupied Grave (A Brock & Poole Mystery Book 1) by [Barnett, A.G.]  Storm Log-0505: (The First Detective Deans Novel) by [Mortain, James D]

Peas, Carrots and an Aston Martin (The Peas and Carrots Series Book 1) by [Lynn, Hannah]  Quiet The Dead: A Promise McNeal Mystery (Promise McNeal Mysteries Book 1) by [James, Morgan]

Shackles: The truth will set you free by [Wilson, Dianne J.]  Don't Wait For Me by [Kolbet, Dan]

~~~~~

Click on the covers to check out this weeks reviews.

27235430  40771743  18920682

41100259  41555326  35715477

~~~~~

Other posts on my blog this week.

The Haunted Hollow Chronicles ~ Red Harvest ~ Tour and Giveaway

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #1 ~ Gretel

Rising Tide by Claudette Melanson ~ Tour and Giveaway

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #2 ~ The Melting

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #3 ~ The Curse Of The Zombie Zoo

Join In Goddess Fish Promotions 10th Anniversary Party

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #4 ~ Little Black Spots

The Last Hellfighter ~ Guest Post and Giveaway

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #5 ~ Predators

The Cryptid Trilogy ~ Tour and Giveaway

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #6 ~ Megalodon In Paradise

~~~~~

Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

Megalodon In Paradise

by Hunter Shea

35715477

Genre:  Horror

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

Imagine winning billions in the lottery. That’s just what happens to Ollie. He decides to buy a tropical island and invites his friends from college to come live there. They’re the closest thing to family he has. Sounds like a dream come true. But, that doesn’t last long.

Hunter has a way of giving you genuine characters in quick, efficient descriptions. I could easily picture all of these. Then he bombards them with Nazi’s, government cover ups, Jamaican mobsters, the character’s own personal demons, a Cat 5 hurricane threatening the island and the largest shark to ever roam the oceans. The Megalodon. Once the action begins the hits just keep on coming.

Those of you who have read Hunter’s work before know he doesn’t spare his characters. Death comes quickly and from all directions. Some of which I can’t share.

It was terrific fun reading this book. I’ve read a bunch of his novels and short stories and was thrilled this was one of the longer ones, as I couldn’t get enough. Hunter made it even more fun when character’s referenced events from some of his other books. I notice he shared another fishy tale that I have to read. The Last Colossus. There’s an opening scene for it included at the end of Magalodon In Paradise. Confirms my decision to no longer swim in the ocean!

Did I enjoy this book? You know it! I got what I was hoping for.Would I recommend this book? Yepper. Treat yourself!

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

Island life can be deadly.

For Ollie Arias, owning an island in Micronesia is beyond his wildest dreams. Moving his best friends from college to share his dream…priceless. A little urban exploration of the abandoned military lab unearths strange, dark secrets. And awakens a slumbering beast that has gone decades without food. Ollie and his pals have unwittingly unleashed a deadly infection above, and a prehistoric killing machine below. The storm of the century is headed their way. Paradise has never been so close to hell.

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

.
Cryptid: Discovery
Cryptid Trilogy Set 1
by Douglas E. Roff and Jacob A. Roff
Genre: Horror, Thriller
 
 
Adam St. James, software genius and savant Chief Technologist of the
massive American DataLab Project, had just returned to his home in
Barrows Bay, British Columbia from Tucson, Arizona. He had spent the
better part of the past month working on a pro bono assignment for
his father’s friend Peter Berg, Regional Director of the FBI,
working out of the Seattle field office. His favor for the FBI was to
secure the mother lode and Holy Grail of the FBI’s Joint Organized
Crime Task Force that Berg believed he had accidentally stumbled
upon. Mere fortuity had led him to what he thought was fifty years or
more of Mafia financial books and records detailing organized
criminality from Seattle to Miami and all points in between. 
What Adam found was nothing even remotely resembling what Regional
Director Berg was looking for. It had been a small clerical error
made by a temp transposing a letter or two in a last name that led
Adam St. James to his incredible discovery. But this discovery was
too incredible, too massive to even contemplate as being authentic.
Adam himself did not believe it could be true. Would he be proven
correct or was the truth too immeasurably stranger than fiction? 
If Adam had accidently stumbled upon a great discovery, it would mean
that he had fortuitously confirmed the existence of the cryptid of
all cryptids. Had Adam found scientific and verifiable proof of the
existence of an unknown species of creatures capable of transforming
to human form or was this some immense practical joke designed to
annoy and embarrass him and his father, noted forensic archeologist
and author, Edward St. James?
His journey will be fantastic. His discovery, if true, immense.
But will Adam and his eclectic family survive discovery? Will
humanity?
Cryptid:
Discovery chronicles the discovery of the Gens Collective, ancient
and primal beings previously unknown to humanity but living among
mankind as crypto humans.
They live among us.
Murder, intrigue, deception, treachery, lust and betrayal all come together
in the Cryptid Trilogy as mankind faces off against an unknown
species bent on its total destruction as the dominant species on the
planet.
Adam continues to develop his amazing natural abilities as he seeks to
understand and control them. How will this saga end?
 
 
Cryptid: Probe
Cryptid Trilogy Set 2
 
 
They live among us. 
Working with his father, renowned archeologist Edward St. James, and his new
wife, Misti Alarcon, Adam St. James continues his investigation into
the Gens Collective and its rival rebel faction, the Black Shirts.
Both factions seek the demise of homo sapiens and have developed the
means to destroy humanity in what they call the Great Cull. And they
seek to destroy each other.
As Adam continues his dialog with Paulo Fortizi, leader of the Gens
Collective, he is met with deceit and duplicity at every turn. The
Gens Collective desperately seeks to find Adam, who they call the
Human, and recover their lost Library.
Adam continues to develop extraordinary new mental abilities with a close
group of colleagues and finds his new abilities are more powerful and
frightening than he could possibly imagine. Can he control his powers
or will they be his undoing?
With the addition of the beautiful and mysterious Alana McCarthy, world
renowned NSA computer hacker, and the equally mysterious and lethal
Nocera “Noki” Lee, Adam confronts his adversaries uncovering the
depth and breadth of the plot against humanity. Can they succeed?
Only Adam holds the key to prevent unleashing total
annihilation.
The mysterious Cardinal Bellinelli plots against the Black Shirts and the
Gens Collective to spark a war between the Gens and humanity he
believes will eliminate the Gens species on the planet. Does the
Vatican hold the answers Adam seeks? Which side will the Vatican
choose and why?
Murder, treachery and betrayal combine with unexpected twists and turns, as
events pit friend against friend, family against family, and species
against species. Nothing is as it appears to be, and new discoveries
shed light upon old grievances.
The Black Shirts and their charismatic leader, Saldana Ri, develop the
means to destroy the rival Gens Collective and humanity, but will
they unleash the devastation? Can they? What explosive secrets does
Saldana hide that could destroy her leadership and shift the balance
of power back to her rival, Paulo Fortizi of the Gens Collective.
With the means of destruction of humanity complete, it’s a race against
time to prevent genocide on a global scale. Can Adam stop the
impending holocaust? Can anyone?
With the fate of mankind and the Gens Nation hanging in the balance,
forces array against Adam and his teams trying to prevent the
conflagration that could signal the demise of intelligent life on the
planet.
New tech, new weapons and new adversaries, along with new powers never
thought to exist, entertain the reader throughout the novel. New mind
journeys and psychic powers begin to reveal themselves as both the
savior and destructor of humanity.
 .
Born in the United states, lived in Russia, the UK, Mexico, Costa Rica and
Canada. Citizen of the US and Canada. Worked for US and Canadian
governments as well as a long career in finance and trade finance. I
live in Latin America between countries on and off. I am retired and
now write novels full time.
I am single, have one son who was active in my first three novels, the
Cryptid Trilogy. I speak Spanish fluently. 
I have completed three other novels that are now in edit, and have two
more novels that are in various stages of completion, will be
finished in 2018 but will not be published until 2019.
I was targeted by the Russian government for arrest in retaliation for
the arrest of a Russian spy in the US.
I was never a spy, but was a visible American involved in trade
promotion. The Russian spy was released and I was left alone after
that. I left Russia in 1998.
I moved to Canada after that and spent over fifteen years in Vancouver,
BC. I lived in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico after leaving Canada.
I have traveled extensively around the world, largely with my son, and
extensively in my home country of the US.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

Predators

by Michaelbrent Collings

41555326

Genre:  Horror / Thriller

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

When I was a young girl, I dreamed of going on safari in Africa. Then, I got older, read some books and saw some movies, and changed my mind. They say the odds are low you’ll get attacked by a shark while swimming in the ocean. I live on the Gulf Coast and have seen what lurks under the water and I don’t swim in open water anymore. I figure the same goes for trekking around Africa, especially after dark, when things come out to hunt. A diverse group of people do just that and get more than they bargained for.

I’m big on character driven stories and that’s what this was all about for me. Sure, something hunts them. But it’s how they react, who steps up and who turns tail that feeds this horror fan.

So, the characters. A father, along with his blind little girl and her grandmother. A washed up movie mogul and his aging trophy wife actress. A bully and his timid wife. The Maasai brother and sister tour guides. There’s more to them than meets the eye.

The author puts his characters into the worst possible situation and strips them down to the bare bones. As they try to get back to safety, they’re tracked, hunted by something that taunts them. Just out of sight, but always there. Then the attacks begin. It’s raw, brutal, and almost beautiful to see these character’s true colors come out.

Who survives? It’s anyone’s guess.

Did I enjoy this book? Most definitely. From the opening page to the final face off.  Would I recommend it? Sure enough. And I’m already reading The Haunted, another thrilling book by the author.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

SHE IS ONE OF THE ONLY ANIMALS
WHO CAN CHASE A LION FROM HIS KILL…

Evie Childs hoped the all-expense-paid trip to Africa would give her a chance at adventure. Maybe it would even let her forget a past that haunts her, and find safety from a husband who abuses her.

HER JAWS CAN CRUSH BONE TO POWDER…

But when a group of “freedom fighters” kidnaps her safari tour group, intent on holding them for ransom, the adventure turns to nightmare.

SHE KNOWS NO MERCY, ONLY HUNGER…

Now, Evie and the rest of the survivors must travel across miles of the harshest, most dangerous environment on Earth. No food. No water. No communications.

And they’re being hunted.

SHE IS THE ONLY ANIMAL ALIVE
WHO LAUGHS AS SHE HUNTS…

A pack of Africa’s top predators have smelled the blood of the survivors, and will not stop until they have fed. Because in this place, you can be either one of the prey, or one of the…

PREDATORS

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

.
Friday the 13th 3D: 36 Years in the Making
.
Guest Blog by Thomas S. Flowers
.
As a horror fan I feel rather
fortunate that so many of my favorite thrillers released on the year of my
birth. A quick Google re-search will reveal a VHS candy store of goody gore and
lovable murderers, from The Thing to Poltergeist to Halloween III (the one
without Myers) to Amityville II: The Possession (the one that was like The
Exorcist but with incest) to The New York Ripper to Pieces, Parasite, The
Slumber Party Massacre, and… Friday the 13th…PART 3D (cue groovy disco music).
And among the other entries in the franchise, PART 3D is I would say my second
favorite. There are many factors that play into my rating but unless you’ve
seen it you probably won’t understand. So, do me a solid and go pop in that
flayed VHS cause this review will be chopped full of SPOILERS. Readers…you
have been warned!
Directed by: Steve Miner
Writing Credits:  Martin Kitrosser, Carol Watson, and Sean S. Cunningham.
Music by: Harry Manfredini
Special effects: Martin Becker
Release Date: 13 August 1982 (USA)
“Having revived from his
wound, Jason Voorhees takes refuge at a cabin near Crystal Lake. As a group of
co-eds arrive for their vacation, Jason continues his killing spree.”
Among many reasons why I love
Friday the 13th part III, one would be that it is the first true Jason Voorhees
slasher. Yup. Obviously part 1 was really about mommy Voorhees, a character who
wasn’t even given a first name until…what, part 2? And while fantastic in its
own right, it was not a “Jason” movie, not yet anyway. Now some would
say, “But hey, Tommy, what about part 2? Isn’t that considered a Jason
Voorhees movie, it does have Jason in it after all?” And I would of course
nod my head knowledgeably. Yes, part 2 does have Jason…but not the Jason. What
we got was a backwoods deranged potato sack wearing weirdo who at times
certainly had classic Jason mannerisms, but in the end still just an inbred
acting mongoloid. Now that said, part 2 has its charm and some really excellent
kills, but if you want Jason as we love him today (hockey mask and all), you
gotta start with part 3.
Part 3 is also really awesome
because it has what every good indie horror movie should, a cast a
unrecognizable actors and actresses. While still young, parts 1 and 2 had some
fairly recognizable cast members, including Kevin Bacon, John Furey (a known TV
actor), Harry Crosby (son if Bing Crosby), and not to mention the late great
Betsy Palmer who was one of the most veteran and highly respected actors on
set. Part 3? Nadda. They didn’t even have Chong, of the Cheech and Chong
variety, star as the lead stoner, instead they dressed some dude named Chuck in
a blue bandanna, green button down, and red pants with not quite as much weed
as Up In Smoke.
I’d be amiss not to comment on
what PART 3 has no other addition does. Shelly. Shelly is the best part of this
movie. From humble awkward to cartoonish to a astonishingly flamboyant runner,
Shelly is still by far my favorite character in the film. Sure, he fails to get
the girl Vera and he’s socially immature, who isn’t?!? Shelly does have a few
things going for him. Sweet yo-yo skills and a magic box that is literally
“his entire world” full of tricks and gags to annoy the entire gang
of friends, and the largest white-boy fro ever shot on a 3D film.  On a low par, I wasn’t all that thrilled with
leading lady Chris Higgins (Dana Kimmell).
She seemed too annoyed at times. Bored. And too drawl. The best part
about her, I thought, was her really strange back story of a previous
“unfilmed” encounter with Jason Voorhees. An encounter that sounded
almost as if it were some kind of sexual assault. Going back to the amazing
documentary
Crystal Lake Memories, actress
Dana Kimmell confirms this backstory, but she says that producers did not want
to pursue it in any kind of depth. This revelation is kinda dark for a Friday
the 13th film as they typically follow a blood, guts, and gags methodology.
So, we’ve covered the more manly
killing machine Jason. We got the actors. Next is the music. Harry Manfredini,
who scored most of the Friday the 13’s, including the original, crafted one
hell of a soundtrack for this third installment. Part disco, part horror, 100%
awesomeness. It is also one of the few, if not only, horror sound track to
garner its own cover band by the name of Nilbog. Check them out on YouTube.
Link provided below.
But like any horror slasher
flick, there’s gotta be a seemingly solid foundational plot. In PART 3, Chris
Higgins invites a gang of friends to include a pregnant bestie (who gets
slaughtered later btw…also a very dark moment for a Friday the 13th movie),
two stoners, a Mexican chick, and Shelly. They met up later with lurch looking
boytoy Rick (Paul Kratka). Events escalate into a series of weed smoking, beer
drinking, skinny dipping, practical jokes, and heartfelt life lessons until
Shelly and Vera end up pissing off a low-level biker gang. After Shelly runs
over some of their motorcycles, the b-squad gang vows revenge that never really
materializes. Instead, after following Shelly and Vera back to the cabin, they
are quickly dispatched by Jason.
After Chris goes off with Rick to
blow off some steam, the night consummates in more weed smoking and beer
drinking, a sexual encounter, and Shelly in a wet suit. I know, sounds amazing
doesn’t it? Where does all this debauchery go? To one of the coolest kills.
Once Shelly is dispatched, Jason finally obtains his moniker look by putting on
the hockey mask that Shelly was so kind enough to bring along. Jeez, imagine if
he brought a faded Captain Kirk mask? Talk about a lawsuit! Anyways, with Jason
now complete, he causally strolls out on to the deck where a waiting Vera is
fishing for Shelly’s dropped wallet on the edge of the lake. He aims at her,
much to her confusion, as she thinks he’s Shelly. Just as she says,
“Wait…who are you?” Jason pulls the trigger on the speargun popping
her eye out the back of her head. Simply amazing. Its the small things folks.
More killings ensue until finally
Rick and Morty…oops, Rick and Chris arrive back at the cabin. With everyone
gone and blood everywhere, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and
two together. During the attack, ole handsome lurch Rick gets his eyeball
popped out his socket, which must have been a real thrill for kids who matched
this back in 1982 in 3D. And finally, Chris and Jason go toe to toe. During the
struggle, one of the surviving bikers revives just to be killed again, but
distracting Jason long enough for Chris to throw a noose around Jason’s neck
and shove him out the barn. When that proves useless, she plants an ax deep in
his skull. That seems to have done the trick and as the credits roll, the cabin
is surrounded by police and paramedics.
For me, my horror appetites are
not hard to please. And PART 3D, given some of its flaws, is a groovy good time
for a slasher flick, and especially a Friday the 13th slasher flick.
.

The Last Hellfighter

Thomas S. Flowers


Genre: Historical Fiction/Horror


Publisher: Darker Worlds Publishing


Date of Publication: Aug 10, 2018

ISBN: 1724369202 / ASIN: B07FFND86J
Number of pages: 277 (Kindle)
410 (paperback)
Word Count: 78K
Cover Artist: Michael Bray
.
Tagline: They thought vampires were fantasy. They were wrong.
.
Book Description:
.
In the year 2044, reporters from the Public Relations Ministry gather at the home of Benjamin Harker, the last surviving member of the Harlem Hellfighters. At the age of 144, he is the oldest recorded man alive. Hidden among them, Clyde Bruner is looking for a different kind of story. Across the United States, despite the Great Walls and patrol drones built to keep America secure, something has found its way in. And now towns are vanishing during the night. Entire populations, gone. Only to return after the sun sets, changed, unholy, and lethal. And whatever this evil is, its spreading west.
According to a bedtime story Bruner’s grandfather told him when he was a boy, Benjamin Harker has seen this before. He’s faced this scourge. Fought this evil. Survived them. Killed them. From the trenches of the Great War to the jungles of Vietnam to the sands of Iraq, Harker will search his past to save our future.
But as each city light extinguishes across the country, is there no time left to stop what’s coming?
.
.

 

Excerpt:
.
“Hey, Mr. Green. Any ships due in tonight?”
“Huh?” the older man grunted, his full attention glued to the small box television set. Family
Feud was on and Silas never missed an episode. As long as Julius had worked
with him at least, in these past four months on the night shift, the seasoned
longshoreman who acted very content with his life—who moved slow and never
liked causing “trouble,” as he called it, to his superiors, could recite the
most complex trivia questions.
Julius looked back to his monitor. Part of his job was to watch for ships that may have
wandered off course, or even scheduled docks on the quay. The program displayed
on his monitor was linked to AIS Marine database that monitored all vessel
traffic around the world. He kept the screen displaying his assigned port—which
showed a few red, which meant docked and inactive. The one that concerned him
was another ship, inbound and blinking green.
“Mr. Green?” Julius pressed. 
The older black man sighed loudly, turning away from his small TV screen. “What? Why the hell
would—listen son, you can’t let this job spook you. Working nights on the dock,
I know, the long hours can get to you. But trust me, this sure beats working
days out in that sun all day offloading ships.”
“But look,” the younger longshoreman pointed his screen.
Frowning, Silas rolled his chair over to the computer monitor. The green blinking ship
reflected off his thick glasses. He pushed them back up on his nose, “That
ain’t nothing, probably just a glitch in the system.”
Julius looked at the screen and then out the large window that overlooked the Port of Jerusalem.
He’d just moved to town not more than six months prior from Bangor and he
wanted to make a good impression.
“Okay,” the younger man said.
Silas nodded in quiet victory and rolled back over to watch his show.
Julius continued glaring at the blinking green ship as it approached the port on the screen. He
swallowed hard as it inched closer and closer. He glanced at the old man as he
howled at some man on the TV having missed a question that Silas thought was a
“no brainer.”  On the monitor, the green
blinking ship was upon them. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead.
Closer.
And closer.
“Mr. Green, I don’t think is a glitch,” Julius protested.
Exhaling loudly, Silas stood and turned. “Listen, young blood, I’ve been doing this job for
twenty years and I’ve never heard of no ship coming in that wasn’t on the
manifest.”
Julius shrugged. “Yeah, but…” he gestured to the screen.
“There is no ship coming—”
Just outside, a large wave crashed against the port levee walls. A thunderous metallic screech
vibrated off the walls of the little trailer office on the wharf. Manuals and
notebooks and ship logs fell from the shelves as the ground itself felt as if
it was opening. The small TV still playing Family Feud rattled off the table
and crashed to the floor, sizzling out. The florescent bulbs above them burst
raining shards of glass and casting the room into a yellow gloom. The
horrendous grinding seemed to go on forever, shaking and shuddering the world.
And then it was over.
Silas Green was the first to prop himself off the floor. Looking around cautiously, as if any
wrong move would send the world into chaos again.
Julius propped himself up, moving into a crouch. He peeked through the blinds. “What the heck
was that?”
“Shit!” the older man hissed.
Julius glanced over his shoulder at him. “What? You okay?”
Silas held up what remained of his TV. “No, damn tube is busted.”
Shaking his head, Julius peered back out the blinds. “I think we should go check the dock.”
He stood, not waiting for approval and went through the door of the office.
“Hold on, young blood.” Silas gave the TV a final kiss—he’d had the device for more years than
he cared to confess, and then set it down on the floor as gently as he could.
Standing, he opened the bottom drawer of his desk and retrieved a flashlight.
Outside, Silas trotted to catch up with Julius who was standing at the edge of the wharf
looking up into the gloom.
“Somethings out there,” the young man said.
Silas wafted the fog around his head. “Can’t see shit out here.”
“Use the flashlight,” Julius suggested without taking his gaze from in front of him.
“Oh,” Silas grunted, flicking on the switch. A beam of bright white broke apart the misty
smoke like haze. He shined out toward the wharf and at first still could not
see anything. And then the fog parted as if controlled by some unknown force,
separating and unfolding around a large cargo ship.
Silas traced the hull to the edge of the ship deck. “Mother of God,” he whispered, taken back by
the sudden massive size of the ship. He’d never been this close to one. The
larger vessels normally dock at Freeport.
Julius stepped toward him, asking, “What do we do?”
The older man couldn’t think—this wasn’t on the schedule, the ship manifest, nothing. This
ship shouldn’t be here. The harbourmaster would have said something. Hell, his
superintendent would have damn sure said something. It would have been on the
log. Silas moved the beam of light to the wharf itself, noting the broken
shards of rock in the thick cement and the thick crack in the hull of the ship.
It was taking on water for sure—it hadn’t even bothered slowing down. It
ploughed into the quay. But why? Wasn’t there someone steering this damn thing?
This wasn’t right. Something about this—everything about this wasn’t right.
“Mr. Green?” Julius pressed, whispering hotly.
Silas looked at him, the kid was rattled; he was rattled. He took a deep breath. “Okay, listen,
I’m going to call this in—pray the lines in the office are still operating.
Here, take the flashlight.” He handed it to Julius. “Stay put, yell out if you
see anyone. Some dumbass is going to pay bigtime for this screwup and it ain’t
going to be you or me.”
He gave one final glance at the monstrous freighter and started off for the office. Inside,
he could use the phone on the floor. He scooped it up and dialed his
supervisor.
“Green, there better be a good fucking reason why you’re calling me at—” Silas’s
superintendent started through the speaker of the phone.
“A ship crashed into the port,” Silas blurted.
“What?”
“A ship, some damn cargo ship. Large motherfucker.”
“Are you fucking with me?”
“No, I ain’t fucking with you, sir. A cargo ship crashed into the port, took a good-sized
chunk out of our wharf too.”
“Was it on the manifest?”
“No—that’s what I’m saying. This ship ain’t supposed to be—”
A scream from outside on the dock jarred Silas from the phone.
“Julius, what the hell was that?”
“Green, what’s going on?” his superintendent asked, sounding more and more irritated.
Silence.
“Green?”
“Hold on, sir.”
Silas set down the phone, ignoring the muffled protest from his superintendent
on the line. He glared at the open door and crept toward it. There were no
other sounds, and he didn’t like that one bit.
Stepping outside he called, “Julius?”
It was hard to see through the fog as it rolled across the walkway.
Silas squinted, peering through the gloom turned yellow by the glow of the dock lights.
“Julius, what’s going on?” he called to the dark shape in front of him.
And then he heard it.
A sucking sound.
He stopped.
The dark shape unfolded.
The fog parted slightly, revealing a tall, bald woman with pale skin. Her eyes burned red. She
was looking at him with an expression of mild satisfaction, the look of a
thirsty soul finally getting a cup of water. She was holding Julius, cradling
him almost as if they were dancing.
“Who are—” Silas started, until he saw her teeth, her large fanged front teeth, salivating in
blood. He took a step back as she let Julius go. His body crumbled to the wet
dock.
“No,” Silas managed to say, like a child refusing to go to bed.

 

And then she was upon him. 
.
About the Author Thomas S. Flowers:

.

Who doesn’t love a good story? Thomas’s favorite books include All Quiet on the Western Front, Salem’s Lot, and Hell House.
In his own writings, he aspires to create fantastic worlds with memorable characters and haunted places. His stories range from Shakespearean gore, classic monster tales, and even stories that hurt him the most to write about, haunted soldiers and PTSD. Residing in the swamps of Houston, Texas, with his wife and daughter, Thomas’s debut novel, Reinheit, was eventually published with Shadow Work Publishing, along with Lanmò, The Hobbsburg Horror, FEAST, Beautiful Ugly, and Planet of the Dead.
His veteran focused paranormal thriller series, The Subdue Series, filled with werewolves, Frankenstein-inspired monsters, cults, alter-dimensional insects, witches, and the undead are published with Limitless Publishing.
In 2008, Thomas was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army where he served three tours in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2014, Thomas graduated from University of Houston-Clear Lake with a Bachelors in History. He is the senior editor at Machine Mean, a site that reviews horribly awesome and vintage horror movies and books from guest contributors who obsess over a wide range of strange yet oddly related topics.
/
.

.
 .

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

Little Black Spots

by John F.D. Taff

41100259

Genre:  Horror

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

When I took a gander at the cover art for this, I had a bit of an idea what was waiting inside for me. Well….I thought I did.

This collection took me all over the pace. Most of these stories really cranked my tractor. Really hit the horror radar. Purple Soda Hand, The Depravity Of Inanimate Things and The Bunny Suit, for instance. A few started to go right over my head. I almost missed the point. Probably not the author’s fault as I stayed up way too late reading these, so I set these aside and started up again the next day. And some were almost poetic, surreal in the best way. The sense of wrongness was palpable. However you like your horror, it’s in here.

 I’m really glad I got my hands on these. There’s nothing like a little horror with a reality check included to make me a happy camper.

Did I enjoy this book? Certainly. Any fan of horror will find something to like in these pages. Would I read this author again? You know it. Whether more short stories or a full length novel, I’d dive right in.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

Thanks so much to Author John F.D. Taff and Grey Matter Press for a complimentary review copy.

~~~~~

Synopsis

First he gave us LITTLE DEATHS: THE DEFINITIVE EDITION. Then he unleashed his unique brand of pain in THE END IN ALL BEGINNINGS.

Now Bram Stoker Award-nominated John F.D. Taff – modern horror’s King of Pain – returns with LITTLE BLACK SPOTS. Sixteen stories of dark horror fiction gathered together for the first time, exposing the delicate blemishes and sinister blots that tarnish the human condition.

From a man who stumbles on a cult that glorifies spontaneous human combustion, to a disgraced nature photographer who applies his skills for a vile outcome.

Where a darkened city parking structure seems malevolently alive, and a Halloween costume has a husband seeing his wife in a disturbing new light.

When a ruined man sees far too much of himself in his broken family, and a mysterious bottle of liquid arrives with a deadly secret inside.

Little Black Spots is a beacon shining its light into some of life’s most shadowy corners, revealing the dark stains that spatter all mankind.

The next collection of horror from Bram Stoker Award-nominated John F.D. Taff, LITTLE BLACK SPOTS will be published worldwide on September 18, 2018.

Amazon

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to the Goddess Fish Promotions Tenth Anniversary Month Long Celebration!

Who is Goddess Fish Promotions? And what do we do? We’re glad you asked!

We didn’t want your visit here to be dry and boring, so we decided to have a poetry competition and put what we do into verse. Here are the initial entries:

Marianne:

Roses are Red.
Violets are Blue.
I’m awful at poetry.
Coffee.

Judy:

Twitter and Facebook got you down?
Come see us, we’re the best around.
We’ll get your book out so people can see
What a wonderful author you happen to be.

Yeah, for some reason, Judy won!

Even better, her poem is correct. We DO offer twitter and Facebook promotions as one of our services!

Check out our testimonials here.

We hope you enjoyed getting to know us a little (more information is below) and we’d like to do the same. We’d LOVE to see a little poem that tells us a bit about you in the comments. We’ll be awarding random book giveaways and $5 Amazon GCs to some of the best poetry we find. It might not be at every stop, but when something really makes us smile, we’ll reward it! Come on, be daring…

And now, more about us:

About Goddess Fish Promotions

Goddess Fish Promotions was established October 14, 2008. Why? Well, when Marianne became a published author and got her the first taste of trying to promote a book on a budget, there was only one other virtual book tour company in place at the time, and their fees were simply too high for a small press author. After coordinating and running her own tour, she knew other authors could use the same service for a reasonable price. Thus, Goddess Fish Promotions was born.

Because both Judy and Marianne were authors and editors prior to running Goddess Fish Promotions, they approach the business with a unique point of view, and treat their clients how they would expect to be treated.

The people behind the fish

 

Judy Thomas — The Goddess

Judy has a college degree in English and she’s worked in retail, education, at her local library as well as an editor for a small press and for the now defunct ShadowKeep Ezine. She’s also a published author so can see things from both sides of the fence. In 2013, she “retired” and now spends her days helping authors make their dream come true—as well as working as much as she can with her local theater group.

Marianne Arkins – Fish

Grammar freak and coffee lover, Marianne wrote her first novel at ten years old, built her first commercial website in 2000, and published for the first time in 2006. She worked as a professional editor for just over a year, and knows what it’s like to write, edit and promote a book on a budget.

One of our interviews during the tour explains our nicknames … keep visiting daily to find out!

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Google +

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

 

Now, the goodies … want to win stuff? Here are the rafflecopters:

Readers:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Authors:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

The Curse Of The Zombie Zoo

by Erik Masterson

18920682

Genre:  Children’s Book / Horror

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

I confess, the cover and title got me to grab this without even reading the blurb to see what it was about.

It’s a rather wondering story with a group of kids trying to find some adventure. One thing leads to another and they stumble upon a long abandoned zoo. Imagine their shock when they discover the animals are still there, along with their caretakers, but they are undead. Okay, this had me perking up since the beginning of the book was a bit slow. Things picked up quickly and I became very curious where the author would take the story from here on out.

While tagged as horror, it was more of an adventure and mystery as someone is keeping the zoo’s inhabitants trapped. I liked the characters and the story brought back memories of when I was young and also looking for an adventure. Never stumbled on a zombie zoo though.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Though it was a bit slow at the start. Would I read this author again? Yes. I would be willing to try another story.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

Abby Pruitt and her brothers, Philip and Sam, discover an abandoned zoo in the woods. A zoo where the dead find no rest and myth and magic mingle with the real world.

The Pruitt children are drawn to the forgotten zoo of Forest Heights that is host to the undead animals and people that died there so long ago. An ancient curse holds them all to this place.

They make friends among the undead at the zoo, and they discover that old grudges and mysteries linger long after death. Disarray and upheaval quickly follow the children to the abandoned zoo and things go horribly wrong before the curse is broken.

From summer vacation to the snow days of Christmas Philip, Sam, and Abby do their best to help their undead friends at the zoo…even if it means letting them go forever.

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

The Melting

They Came With The Snow #2

by Christopher Coleman

40771743

Genre:  Horror / Post Apocalyptic / Sci Fi

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

The first book was shorter and super creepy. I had hopes this one would be creepy too. And it was. It was also filled with new characters. Some were meat for the crab thingies. And some were more central to the story. Of those, many didn’t make it. A few hung in there for a while. And some had surprises for me.

I shouldn’t have been that surprised. The weird winter weather and crab like things that used the snow to hide in while they hunted had to come from somewhere. Outerspace? Something escaped from a lab? Something unleashed to remake the world? Or, what? I can’t spoil it for you. Would I say the cause of these things surprised me? Nope. Read too many books and seen too many movies for it to do that. I did like how the author twisted it. Especially on how the creatures behaved and reacted to outside stimulus.

The author gives a good ending. Some of you might not like it as much as I did. I feel he left it open to interpretation and a possible third book, but he did give this an ending.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes. I especially liked the character dynamics, and the scenes with the creatures really made my hair stand up. Would I recommend this book? Sure enough. Especially to those who enjoy an apocalyptic scenario with their horror and monsters.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

The snow is melting, and the crabs are growing more violent.

At the base of a blocked-off bridge spanning the South River, Dominic and his friends plan a daunting journey to flee Warren County and the monsters that came when the snow fell.

But the crabs aren’t the only danger they face.

There are other forces at work, forces with a secret as inhuman and terrifying as the crabs themselves.

And these forces are determined to never let the group leave.

The quest is no longer just to survive, it’s to escape.

Amazon

~~~~~

I read the first book and it was scary good.

They Came With The Snow

They Came With The Snow #1

by Christopher Coleman

34660013

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Genre: Horror / Apocalyptic / Sci Fi

My Review

This is a short one. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to like.

When an explosion cuts off the residents of a small town and plunges them into an apocalyptic winter, they have no one to call for help and must rely on their own ingenuity. Do they stay where they are? Or do they brave trying to go for help and risk coming up against the strange things that wait in the snow?

I love stories set in wintry landscapes. There’s something about having to battle the elements as well as the horrors prowling in it that makes for an edgy read.

The creepy, crab things that hide in the snow, only detectable by their cold black eyes peering out of the drifts, were this horror lovers delight. Always looking for new, creative monsters to scare the crap out of me.  I think they stole the show from the characters, who didn’t really win me over. Good thing, as there’s no guarantees any will survive.

While this didn’t terrify me, it sure got the endorphins pumping. I’ll gladly read more by this author.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis


When a mysterious blast goes off in a small college town, triggering a blizzard, the few survivors must decide whether to stay or leave and face the monsters who came with the snow.

Amazon

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.