Welcome to my Monday Minis Reviews.
Got two for you today!
I read both of these stories back to back. Just Short of Paradise is a free flash fiction story available on Goodreads HERE. And Full Moon Over Cedar Hill is a short story that will raise the hairs on the back of your neck.
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My Review
Katlyn chooses the long road trip to California as an opportune time to tell her mother something important. Trapped in the car with miles to go, she’d have to listen.
Her mother does her best not to. She doesn’t want to hear it and when she’s forced to, her religious intolerance rears its ugly head. Hurtful thing are said.
Both women don’t back down and only a traffic jam stops the bickering.
What comes next is pure Edward Lorn. You may see the ending coming but he takes you on a twisted path to get there.
The mother may be firm in her belief but who is she to judge?
When I finished reading this story, I wore a wry grin, just like Katlyn.
4 Stars
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Synopsis
Just Short of Paradise is a piece of flash fiction from Edward Lorn, author of Cruelty and Life After Dane, and is only available as a free download on Goodreads HERE.
During a cross-country trip to California, Katlyn decides to come out of the closet. Mom’s upset, but she’ll be okay. It’s not like it’s the end of the world … Right?
The consequences of intolerance can last an eternity.
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My Review
When Peter first suffered a debilitating stroke that left him trapped in his body, his loving family was very supportive. But as time revealed he would never get better, he wouldn’t ever speak again, they placed him in a rehabilitation center, and their visits dwindled, leaving him to suffer alone as they moved on.
I can only imagine how bitter Peter must have become. Sure, he can’t communicate, but he’s still alive, still able to hear and see. How could his family just abandon him?
Soon, Peter has something else to worry about. He hears the screams, the snarls, the rending of limbs from bones coming from outside his room. He can only imagine what’s out there. He can hear the slaughter coming closer, moving from room to room. And then the click of claws on linoleum stops outside his door. And the door starts to open.
The author gives you some horrific creatures. They like to play with their food and have a sadistic sense of humor. Which Peter soon discovers.
I wondered how I would feel. Lying there, unable to defend myself, unable to hide, as the beasts came calling. What fate would be the worst?
I have to say thank you to Edward. I rubbed my hands together in fiendish glee as he gave me just the ending I was hoping for.
5 Stars
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Synopsis
Peter Hoskins has spent the last three years confined to a bed at Cedar Hill Rehabilitation Center. A massive stroke rendered most of his body useless, but his mind is as sharp as ever.
When the screaming begins, being trapped in his own head is the least of his concerns.
Hungry beasts are roaming the halls, and death might be Peter’s only escape.
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A new release coming soon and I can’t wait!
Emergency Room Physician Brent Cummings is harboring secrets he’d rather leave in the shadows of his past. But, when he finds a dead woman in a foggy park, all his skeletons come tumbling out of the closet.
In a deadly race against time, Brent attempts to alter the future so that he might finally let go of the past.
Will he heed the warning in the fog, or will fate prove more dependable than the good doctor?
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Other books by Edward Lorn
The first 5 episodes in the Cruelty Serial
with more coming soon.
Click on the cover for my reviews.
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And you can click HERE to read my reviews for Edward’s other stories.
Among my reviews is World’s Greatest Dad which you can get free for the next 5 days by clicking on the cover below!
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Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.
For more about Edward Lorn and his books:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon
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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!
Award-winning novelist Bette Lee Crosby brings the wit and wisdom of her Southern Mama to works of fiction—the result is a delightful blend of humor, mystery and romance along with a cast of quirky charters who will steal your heart away.
