The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.
Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!
My 56 for this week is from:
The Haunted Forest Tour
by James A. Moore & Jeff Strand
Genre: Horror
From 56% in the eBook.
She was gone. He could still feel her hand on his arm, but she was gone…..
Mindy was back, only this time she was covered in sweat and dirt and her clothes were disheveled. She’d never looked lovelier.
I actually just finished this and will be sharing my review next week. What a trip!
~~~~~
Synopsis
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Haunted Forest Tour! Sit back and enjoy a smooth ride in air-conditioned comfort as your heavily armored tram takes you through nature’s most astonishing creation. The forest is packed to capacity with dangerous and terrifying creatures of all shapes, sizes, and hunger levels, and you’ll get to observe these wonders in complete safety. Howl with a werewolf! Gaze into the glowing eyes of a giant spider! Look right through a spooky ghost! See horrific monsters you couldn’t even imagine, only inches away from you! Things with fangs, things with claws, things with dripping red jaws-you’ll see them all! Not thrilling enough? Well, it’s Halloween, and so we’re offering a very special tour through the Haunted Forest. The new route goes deeper into the woods than any civilians have ventured before, and you’re guaranteed to get a good scare! Rest assured that every possible security precaution has been taken. The Haunted Forest Tour has a 100% safety record, and technical difficulties are unheard of. You will be in no danger whatsoever. We promise. Bram Stoker Award-nominated authors James A. Moore and Jeff Strand have teamed up to take you on an action-packed, monster-laden adventure that will make you laugh, scream, and think twice before going near ghastly oversized beasts that want to devour you. “[An] absolute gem of a read…What comes next is over two hundred pages of non stop, in your face, gore drenched action…You will be exhausted by the time you reach the satisfying last page…Think Jurassic Park with bloodthirsty demons on an adrenaline rush and you have The Haunted Forest Tour.” – GoreZone magazine “James A. Moore and Jeff Strand are a literary dream team. Devout readers of the genre are in for a real treat as these two horror heavyweights combine forces and battle their characters to the bloody death…Remember how it felt to inventory and consume your candy on Halloween night? That’s the atmosphere in the forest. You feel like a glutton, like you couldn’t possibly stomach one more gooey demise, but you turn the page and unwrap another nightmare anyway.” – Horror-Web “Moore and Strand heap scares upon plot twists in one of the freshest and most entertaining novels in recent years. The authors offer a frightening and high-octane tale, presented as an apocalyptic disaster movie.” – Horror World
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
House Of Furies
House Of Furies #1
by Madeleine Roux
Genre: Horror / Fantasy / YA
Teaser from page 69 in the paperback.
I breathed deeply, stilled, and knocked twice on the door.
Go in, be pleasant, leave, return to work. You can accomplish this, Louisa. You can just be normal. You can disappear.
“Come in.”
~~~~~
Synopsis
An all-new gothic horror series from the New York Times bestselling author of Asylum.
After escaping a harsh school where punishment was the lesson of the day, seventeen-year-old Louisa Ditton is thrilled to find employment as a maid at a boarding house. But soon after her arrival at Coldthistle House, Louisa begins to realize that the house’s mysterious owner, Mr. Morningside, is providing much more than lodging for his guests. Far from a place of rest, the house is a place of judgment, and Mr. Morningside and his unusual staff are meant to execute their own justice on those who are past being saved.
Louisa begins to fear for a young man named Lee who is not like the other guests. He is charismatic and kind, and Louisa knows that it may be up to her to save him from an untimely judgment. But in this house of distortions and lies, how can Louisa be sure whom to trust?
Featuring stunning interior illustrations from artist Iris Compiet, plus photo-collages that bring Coldthistle House to chilling life, House of Furies invites readers to a world where the line between monsters and men is ghostly thin.
I’m always up for a haunted house story. This has that and much more. Oasis sounds like the perfect little town. But, of course, all is not as it appears. The denizens are reclusive and strange, rarely seen during the day and partying at night. Phantom figures prowl the dark streets and vandalism occurs for no apparent reason. The younger adults are kept separate from the older inhabitants. Offered housing in the apartments while the elders live in posh estates tucked away from the town’s center.
An invite to a party at the abandoned and supposedly haunted End House is extended to the younger residents and they decide to go. What happens there is the stuff of nightmares. I felt like I stepped into Stephen King’s Rose Red mansion when I followed this group of people into End House. It seemed to have a mind of it’s own, and evil was at it’s core..
The beginning of the book was slow for me. So many character’s to distinguish and it was hard to connect with them. Plus. I would have liked more showing. Lots of telling at the start and it kept the reading slow. Once I got to enter End House, things sped up fast. Lots of weird things happened and some sinister beings came out to play. That was more of what I was looking for. From then on the story got very interesting.
While The Dead Game didn’t really scare me, I was kept entertained. If you don’t mind a slower start and a large cast of characters to get to know, I’d recommend you give this a go. It sure has it’s moments.
~~~~~
Synopsis
.
Linda Bennett leaves New York for the slower-paced lifestyle of Oasis,
Florida. She opens a bookstore and makes new friends. Life is simple
that is until the dead body washes up onshore. She is horrified to
learn that dead bodies and disappearing tourists are typical for this
small town. Rumors abound of secret parties held by the original
residents in their secluded mansions. Once night falls, the
tourist-friendly community becomes a haven for evil and dark shadows.
However, this is only the beginning.
Linda and her group receive an unsigned invitation to a party at End House,
the deserted house in the forest behind the town, a mansion with a
violent history. They are pursued through revolving rooms and
dangerous traps, barely escaping with their lives, leaving two of
their friends trapped inside.
It is up to Linda and her friends to search out The Dead and find the
evil one controlling their once peaceful community. Can they trust
the Sheriff and his best friend, Todd?
I have always loved to read. I grew up with Agatha Christie, Alistair
Maclean and so many other authors who filled my imagination with
intrigue and mystery. The TV show, Murder She Wrote, kept me
entertained when I was not reading late into the night.
Over the years, my taste in books has expanded to include the supernatural
and paranormal genres as reflected in my selection of shows, such as
Supernatural, The Vampire Diaries, and The Originals.
My first book, The Dead Game, is a paranormal suspense/mystery. It
brings fantasy and the surreal to the simple murder mystery. It has
dead bodies and suspects. However, it also has vampires, vampire
derivatives, and a touch of romance to spice up the mix.
Welcome to Polo Springs, a sleepy little town on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It’s
a great place to live—if you don’t mind the hurricanes. Or the
flooding. Or the unusual wildlife . . .
Iguanas. They’re Everywhere.
Maybe it’s the weather. But the whole town is overrun with the little
green bastards this year. They’re causing a lot of damage. They’re
eating everything in sight. And they’re just the babies . . .
Humans. They’re What’s For Dinner.
The mayor wants to address the iguana problem. But when Hurricane Ramona
slams the coast, the town has a bigger problem on their hands. Bigger
iguanas. Bigger than a double-wide. Unleashed by the storm, this
razor-toothed horde of prehistoric predators rises up from the
depths—and descends on the town like retirees at an early bird
special. Except humans are on the menu. And it’s all you can eat . . .
.
~~~~~
.
MY REVIEW
,
It’s only some little iguana’s. How bad can it be? Lots. These guys are emerging in record numbers and they aren’t afraid of us. What if there are larger ones? There are. Of course there are. It’s a Hunter Shea book, after all.
The poor little Florida town and it’s inhabitants are reduced to rubble and red smears on the ground once these monsters tear forth from underground. It’s all stompin, rompin, bloody good fun. Just look at the terrific cover and you get the idea.
We’re introduced to the characters. Come to connect with some of them. But, wait for it. Hunter is known for killing off his character’s and these iguana’s need to eat, a lot. So don’t get too attached.
The only niggle I had was the ending felt rushed. The carnage ended so quickly. Would have liked a bit more about it.
The first in a new creature series from Hunter and I can’t wait to see what he brings us next.
Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary
movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past
his house. He’s the author of over 17 books, including The
Jersey Devil (Pinnacle 2016)), Tortures of the
Damned (Pinnacle 2015), and We Are Always
Watching (Sinister Grin). Hunter’s novels can even be found on
display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. The Montauk
Monster (Pinnacle 2014) was named one of the best reads of the
summer by Publishers Weekly. He was selected to be part of the
launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside
legendary author Ramsey Campbell. His video podcast, Monster
Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. Living
with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be
close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to
pay New York rent.
Publisher: WordFire Press Pages: 250 Genre: YA Fiction/Monsters/Thriller
~~~~~
My Review
If you thought a theme park full of deadly monsters was bad, the aftermath when it all goes horribly wrong is even worse.
Michael Okon cranks up the craziness in his second book in the Monsterland series. The characters have to step up when the world falls into chaos and they battle new and deadlier monsters while also contending with the insane plotting of some dastardly villains.
I had such a blast reading this. It was fun to be back with the gang. I was really worried about one character in particular. He made quite the impression when he showed up again and quickly became a star in this follow up. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next.
Yes, there will be another book in this thrilling series and I’ll be first in line. I am huge on horror and thrillers and anything monsters and this has it all. Also liked the apocalyptic tones. Once the action begins it doesn’t slow down. And there are some wild scenes that I think I’m glad I couldn’t see. LOL
Madcap fun through and through.
~~~~~
Synopsis
After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos. World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief.
During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.
When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid reanimated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?
A bright moon painted the desert’s surface pewter. Here and there, dark spots soiled the landscape like oil spills. Most of the bodies had been taken before the troops were ordered to leave. They carted away the corpses, bulldozing the zombies into mass graves, until radios chirped with urgent orders deploying the soldiers to the bigger threats that erupted in the main cities like a chain of angry volcanos.
Monsterland was extinguished, its carcass left for the vultures to pick, the exhibits silent as a tomb.
The dead president and his equally dead entourage were whisked away on Air Force One, along with the dark-clad special operatives that came and left like the brisk desert wind that now howled through the empty streets.
A gate screamed in the silence, slamming with a reverberating smash. The uneven gait of someone with a physical challenge filled the void. The scrape and plod of his limp echoed against the wall of mountains framing the theme park. His labored breathing huffed as he made his way down the streets.
A door creaked loudly as it was blown by the wind. He stopped, his distorted figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight, his body turning silver. He looked at the broken glass littering the pavement like diamonds, then up to the still, pre-dawn sky. He considered the sun peeking over the jagged horizon in the east, its golden light painting the dips and hollows of the hills. Soon the coming day would chase the darkness away.
Time was the enemy now. He had to move faster, or it would be too late. He picked up his pace, lurching along the winding road. A keening howl ricocheted through the streets, bouncing off the walls. It sounded like a … no, he thought, it couldn’t be. The werewolves were all dead. Destroyed by Vincent Konrad when he made their heads explode.
The old man paused, listening for it again, and was not disappointed when the animal whimpered. He gauged it to be inside the defunct vampire exhibit. He moved toward the entrance. The storefronts had been destroyed. A few body parts lay on the pavement, as if people had discarded them in a rush. He heard the scraping of paws on the street and a shiver went down his crooked spine.
He knew the werewolves were dead; he had seen it with his own eyes. A figure detached from the shadows. Igor flattened himself against the wall. He watched it move stealthily down the street, stopping when it scavenged a morsel of rotting flesh. It looked up to stare at Igor, its eyes glowing in the darkness.
A coyote? He waved a hand, dismissing it. It had to be a coyote; it was too small to be a wolf, too big to be a dog. The beast twitched its ears, then resumed its meal.
Igor knew the coyote was not a threat, and he continued his mission. His lame foot hit a can, sending a cacophony of sound like an explosion in the deserted park. The beast dropped the bone it was gnawing on, sniffing the area. Its iridescent eyes searched the streets.
It could be a baby wolf, Igor thought, keeping himself as still as possible. He felt it watching him, even from this distance. It was not a threat, yet.
Igor skittered away, hugging the walls of Monsterland, putting as much distance as he could between them. Not an easy feat, considering his distorted hips. He muttered to himself about carrion and the wind. His eyes darted nervously, scouring the hills, not exactly sure what he was looking for. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His heart pounded so loudly he was certain that the creature watching him could hear it too.
His feet stumbling to a halt, he bent over, gasping for air, cursing Vincent and those meddlesome teenagers, as well as the rest of the world.
The beast gave another mournful howl that went right through him. Igor glanced at his empty hands, berating himself for not bringing a weapon. He searched his surroundings for anything to protect himself.
Then he saw it, one of the axes they had on almost every corner. All of them had been pulled from their protective cases. One was lying in a pool of coagulating blood, the blade long gone. He picked up the broken axe handle, turning in a semicircle. He was ready for an attacker.
A new, larger outline made his heart quiver with fear. It crouched in a corner, its snout covered with blood. This one was bigger, not a coyote, a wild wolf. Wait, he thought. Weren’t the gray wolves of California all but extinct?
Igor narrowed his eyes. The beast was a light reddish brown and not the silver gray of a wolf’s pelt. A chain hung from its neck, the pendant of a werewolf’s head dangling, emerald eyes flashing. What was it? Was it a mutant coyote? A wolf? Some weird hybrid, he wondered for a minute, his breath harsh in his ears. They watched each other soundlessly.
A hybrid then. He’d heard about them, a rare mixture of wolf and coyote. What did they call them? Coywolves …? or was it Woyotes? He shrugged indifferently. Perhaps someone’s pet, he decided. Igor’s mirthless laugh came out like a snort.
The coywolf stood still, its ears alert, its head cocked as if it was observing him.
Igor dropped the makeshift weapon, calling out, “Eat the rest of your meal, you dumb beast.”
The animal continued to watch him, its two front paws on the remains of a zombie’s chest.
Igor wiped his forehead, waiting, his eyes coming back to search the village, confirming it was empty, except for the carrion eaters like the coyotes and vultures. He looked up, noting the circling predators waiting for him to move on.
“Interrupted your meal,” he chuckled. Just the local scavengers looking for food. That was all; the shadows revealed nothing else. Satisfied he was alone, he moved on. He had work to do.
~~~~~
Author Michael Okon
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
My Teaser for this week is from
Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse
by Jack Strange
Genre: Horror / Humor
Teaser from 57% in the eBook.
The reflection looking back at him wasn’t his own reflection, it was the reflection of a cat – an ugly, ginger brute with stripes and an evil scowl on its half-mad face.
Before too long, Sydney Bartholomew, the notorious cat-hater of Notting Hill, was a cat-hater no more. He’d become a vicious sex-crazed ginger tomcat desperate for totty and food.
This scene was kind of gross but hilarious. He turns into a cat and takes on all of the characteristics of a horny zombie cat.
~~~~~
Synopsis
Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse tells the story of the dead celebrity chef Floyd Rampant, who rises from his grave aiming to create a zombie army of chefs who will rule the world, using the human species as the main ingredient in their cordon bleu meals.
CCZA, as it’s known for short, has a cast of unforgettable characters, most of whom meet with gruesome ends. The action begins in Croydon, moves to London, and reaches its explosive climax in the author’s home town of Huddersfield.
Part horror story, part political and social satire, it gives the reader a fast-paced entrée of dread, a main course of panic and a dessert of distress.
It is dark, original, and so funny it should carry a government health warning.
This smart, witty and profound modern day classic works on many levels.
A Taker of Morrows Stephen Paul Sayers
(Caretakers, #1)
Publication date: June 15th 2018
Genres: Adult, Horror, Supernatural, Thriller
RG Granville has his whole life in front of him…but only twenty-four hours to live it.
Beyond life’s boundaries, an enduring battle between good and evil determines the fate of earthly souls. Here, ‘caretakers’ guard and protect against the evil and vengeful ‘jumpers’ who slip back and forth between worlds to prey upon the living.
For one man, news of his impending demise sets off a deadly chain of events fueled by a jumper’s burning vengeance. Now he’s in a race against time to stop an unrelenting evil unleashed upon the earth. And if he’s to protect his family, and the world, he must breach the tenuous boundary between life and death to confront a killer—and a shocking secret from his long-buried past.
“Hello, Robert.” The stranger advanced toward him. “You’re late.”
RG steadied himself against the entryway table as his heart lurched in his chest, the air thickening like a smothering rag over his face. With gradual boldness, he slid his arm against the wall and triggered the light switch. “What the hell—?”
“I feared we’d missed each other,” the man interrupted. “That would have been a shame. You see, we have a problem to discuss.” His face hardened as he stepped forward, shoes clicking on the hardwood floor.
RG’s pulse quickened. “Who are you?”
“I wish I didn’t have to be here, Robert.” The stranger unfolded his hands from behind his back and stepped forward, “but I have a job to do.”
As the man advanced, RG backpedaled, snatching the old-school, wooden baseball bat stashed behind the coat rack. He never imagined grabbing the lumber for anything other than Tuesday night softball, but now found himself flapping it back and forth in a hardwood batter’s box.
The man took another step. “Death has come for you,” he said, shaking his head, “and no Louisville Slugger will stop it.”
~~~~~
Q&A with Stephen Paul Sayers, author of A Taker of Morrows
Q: What’s your new novel, A Taker of Morrows, about?
A: It’s about a man who’s visited by a stranger, who tells him he’s got twenty-four hours to live. You see, deaths are scheduled and schedules must be kept. In his desperate attempt to stay alive, he discovers the world isn’t what he thought it was, that it’s actually a battleground between the forces of good and evil from the afterlife, a place where ‘caretakers’ protect earthly souls and ‘jumpers’ prey on them…and now he’s become the prey. And if he’s to keep himself and his family alive, he must straddle the boundary between worlds and face the secrets of his past.
In a broader sense, it’s really a story about the nature of life and death, and the eternal price paid for what we carry in our souls.
Q: What inspired you to be a writer?
A: I never set out to be a writer, but after a challenge from my daughter, Kaylee, I decided to write her a novel. I figured I’d write something for her, give it to her some holiday or birthday, and it would collect dust on her bookshelf. But when I started writing, a switch turned on inside me, something I’d never felt before, igniting a passion I didn’t know I had. It helped me finally figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up.
But more importantly, it has solidified a real bond between my daughter and me. She’s an amazing writer who has a full length novel under her belt at age seventeen. We now have this shared thing we do together. We talk about story ideas, read each other’s work. She gave me this great idea in A Taker of Morrows that became a key to the series in my opinion. So, she’s my inspiration.
Q: Why do you write in the genre that you do?
A: My brother and I watched horror movies all the time when we were kids. I think the 70s and 80s were a golden age of horror movies – and we got really into it. That’s also when I discovered Stephen King, and I read just about everything he wrote. That was my base, and no matter what different literary roads I may travel, I always veer back into the genre. Even the horror books I read today transport me back to childhood and reignite those feelings again.
Q: What do you enjoy reading and who are your favorite authors?
A: I have so many authors I love reading in so many genres. I grew up on a steady diet of Stephen King and Peter Straub, so I got a good horror base. I’m also a big fan of a new generation of horror writers, Joe Hill, Paul Cornell, J. Lincoln Fenn, and Paul Tremblay, so I definitely get my fill. I also love writers of suspense and thrillers, especially Jo Nesbo, Dennis LeHane and Randy Wayne White. I’ve recently discovered Melissa Lenhardt’s “Jack McBride” mystery series, which sort of borders on chick lit, and yet I really like it. So, bottom line, I read just about anything.
Q: What do you hope your readers will take away from your work?
A: Horror and thriller fiction should be entertaining, number one. I want readers of my work to feel as if the time spent between the pages was a good investment. If they can escape from their world for a few hours, connect to my characters, and feel like they’ve made some friends they’re going to miss when they turn the final page, then I’ve done my job.
Q: On a lighter note, what are the top five things on your bucket list?
A: Hopefully, I’m not in ‘bucket list’ territory yet, but here goes:
Cage dive with the Cape Cod great white sharks
Stroll across the Abbey Road crosswalk
Drive to Graceland in an RV
Own a 1967 Mercury Cougar XR7 convertible
Gain the advantage over my Gibson SG
~~~~~
Author Stephen Paul Sayers
Stephen Paul Sayers grew up on the sands of Cape Cod and spent his first thirty-five years in New England before joining the University of Missouri as a research professor. When he’s not in his laboratory, he spends his time writing and devouring his favorite forms of genre fiction—horror, suspense, and thrillers. His short fiction has appeared in Unfading Daydream. A Taker of Morrows is his debut novel and the first in the planned Caretakers series.
Throughout his journey, he has accumulated five guitars, four herniated discs, three academic degrees, two dogs, and one wife, son, and daughter. He divides his time between Columbia, Missouri and Cape Cod writing and teaching.
Every now and then I like to go back and reread a book. Especially ones I loved. I find that I discover something new no matter how many times I’ve read the book. Just like when I watch a good movie again. I also discovered that I don’t always enjoy some books as much the second time around. Usually this occurs with ones I read some time ago.
When I feel a reading slump coming on or I just can’t decide what to read next ( me being lazy) I stand in front of my book shelf that holds all of my most favorite books and choose one to read again. It allows me to just relax and enjoy the story instead of always thinking about the review that needs to be written after finishing a new one.
Here are some I have stacked and ready to read again over the summer. I’m sure I’ll be adding more to this. My son spied me standing, staring at my books, and thought something was wrong with me. I had this seriously screwed up look, he said. I told him that’s my I’m thinking face. He said I looked like I was in pain. I know I mentioned rereading a favorite is relaxing, but not choosing which one. LOL
Most of these are a series and I’ll read every one. I do love to binge a series!
~~~~~
What about you. Do you read a book more than once? Do you have a go to book that you read many times? And why do you reread a book?
I really enjoyed Monsterland and I’m sure Monsterland Reanimated will be as much fun.
Enjoy the interview with Author Michael Okon.
Check out the excerpt.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Monsterland Reanimated
by Michael Okon
Genre: Ya Thriller / Horror
Synopsis
After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos. World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief.
During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.
When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid reanimated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?
~~~~~
Interview with Michael Okon
Is there anything you want to make sure potential readers know?
I write the screenplay first to every one of my books, then I flesh them out into a novel. So…readers sometimes say my books read like a movie.
What’s the most blatant lie you’ve ever told?
I don’t lie.
What is the most demeaning thing said about you as a writer?
That I suck. Which is funny.
How do you react to a bad review of one of your books?
I call up the reviewer and beg for their forgiveness. I ask how they want me to write up the next book and I do exactly what they tell me to do. I then apologize to them again, and offer them a free lunch, which they almost always take.
Thanks for the interview, Michael. It was a hoot! And, yes, your books do read like movies. Bring em on!
~~~~~
Check out the excerpt:
A bright moon painted the desert’s surface pewter. Here and there, dark spots soiled the landscape like oil spills. Most of the bodies had been taken before the troops were ordered to leave. They carted away the corpses, bulldozing the zombies into mass graves, until radios chirped with urgent orders deploying the soldiers to the bigger threats that erupted in the main cities like a chain of angry volcanos.
Monsterland was extinguished, its carcass left for the vultures to pick, the exhibits silent as a tomb.
The dead president and his equally dead entourage were whisked away on Air Force One, along with the dark-clad special operatives that came and left like the brisk desert wind that now howled through the empty streets.
A gate screamed in the silence, slamming with a reverberating smash. The uneven gait of someone with a physical challenge filled the void. The scrape and plod of his limp echoed against the wall of mountains framing the theme park. His labored breathing huffed as he made his way down the streets.
A door creaked loudly as it was blown by the wind. He stopped, his distorted figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight, his body turning silver. He looked at the broken glass littering the pavement like diamonds, then up to the still, pre-dawn sky. He considered the sun peeking over the jagged horizon in the east, its golden light painting the dips and hollows of the hills. Soon the coming day would chase the darkness away.
Time was the enemy now. He had to move faster, or it would be too late. He picked up his pace, lurching along the winding road. A keening howl ricocheted through the streets, bouncing off the walls. It sounded like a … no, he thought, it couldn’t be. The werewolves were all dead. Destroyed by Vincent Konrad when he made their heads explode.
The old man paused, listening for it again, and was not disappointed when the animal whimpered. He gauged it to be inside the defunct vampire exhibit. He moved toward the entrance. The storefronts had been destroyed. A few body parts lay on the pavement, as if people had discarded them in a rush. He heard the scraping of paws on the street and a shiver went down his crooked spine.
~~~~~
Author Michael Okon
Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.
Welcome to my Monday Minis where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.
Today it’s all about horror with Amy Cross!
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Laura
by Amy Cross
Genre: Horror
My Review
I’ve come across similar scenarios to this one and they never get old. Amy Cross managed to put her own spin on it and creeped me out but good.
You might find yourself pulling for Laura once you get the skinny on how things really went down.
Kept me entertained and I sure liked the ending.
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Synopsis
“You don’t think this could be about Laura, do you?”
Ten years ago, they were all friends. Ten years ago, something terrible happened. Ten years ago, they agreed to take the truth about Laura to their graves. All they had to do was forget, and keep their mouths shut.
But when a hidden force starts cutting them down one by one, in a series of increasingly horrific incidents, the remaining friends are forced to face the truth.
Somehow, Laura has come back.
Laura is a horror story about six people who thought they could hide the truth, and about the girl who returns from the grave to make them all pay.
It’s hit or miss when I read a book from a dog’s point of view. I’ve read several in this genre. The Dog was a hit.
The funny thing is how we can accept the death of a human during the break down of society, but the author kills a pet, that’dsa big no no. I was fretting throughout the book. Can’t tell you how Jon and his dog, Harry, managed but this was hard to put down and I didn’t throw the book after I read the ending.
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Synopsis
One man and his dog come face-to-face with the end of the world…
When Jon takes his dog Harry to a remote cabin for the week, he just wants to get away from the rest of the world. And then one morning, after finding that his phone is dead, Jon looks at the city in the distance and realizes that something seems very wrong.
All the power has gone out. At night, the city is completely dark. There are no planes in the sky, and when Jon drives to the nearest gas station, he finds a desolate and bloody scene. He refuses to believe that something truly awful has happened, however, until he spots a figure stumbling through the forest, heading ever closer.
A figure that smells of death.
Soon Jon is facing a desperate fight for survival. While he and his dog have been up at the cabin, the whole world has been struck by a huge, global catastrophe that has left billions dead. Many are dead, but many more have risen again. Can Jon and his dog survive, or are they doomed to suffer the same fate?
The Dog is a novel about the end of the world, told through the eyes of a dog who finds himself stuck at a remote cabin with only his owner for company.
Yep, Alice isn’t well and she has good reason. I like stories where the character is considered to be not quite sane. It allows the author to do a lot with their characters.
I really liked Alice. I was sad that she questioned her own sanity but sure could see why. Wendy’s story takes place many years in the past. At first it’s sad and then it gets macabre. And Hannah is a piece of work. I think I liked how much she lived in her own skin and never doubted herself. She had a weird job and just accepted it and kept on doing it.
Their stories are told separately but then begin to merge and you finally are shown why. A solid story that I read in one sitting. And the author wrapped it up nicely while leaving it pen for more in the series. I’ll be following it.
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Synopsis
“There are lots of demons in the sky above London. The problem is, this one came crashing down to earth.”
Ten years ago, Alice Warner was attacked and disfigured by an attacker in her own home. She remembers nothing of the attack, and she has been in a psychiatric hospital ever since. When she’s finally released, however, she starts working as a security guard at an abandoned shopping mall. And that’s when she starts to realize that something is haunting her, keeping just one step out of sight at all times…
Meanwhile, seventy years earlier, a little girl named Wendy is left orphaned after a World War 2 fighter plane crashes onto her house. Taken to a monastery, Wendy is quickly singled out by the nuns for special attention. They say she has been possessed by a demon, and that there’s only one way to save her soul. Fortunately for Wendy, however, there’s someone else who seems to know far more about the situation.
What is the shocking connection between Alice and Wendy, reaching out across the years? Does a demon really lurk in the girl’s soul? And who is Hannah, the mysterious figure who tries to help Wendy, and who seventy years later begins to make her influence felt in Alice’s life too?
Alice Isn’t Well is the first book in the Death Herself series, about a dark figure who arrives in the night, promising to help deal with the forces of evil whenever they appear.
I read the blurb and thought it sounded like something else I’d read so I had to give this a go.
Creepy it is and I had a blast. Thought I knew what was really happening but I should have used more imagination. The author sure did.
A read straight through book and one of those that makes you worry about turning out the lights.
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Synopsis
“You’ll love him. He’s such an easy boy to love.”
Short of money after moving to London, Jennifer Griffith accepts a job babysitting for a wealthy couple. When she arrives at their house, however, she quickly learns that this particular baby isn’t quite what he seems.
Although she agrees to go through with the job for one night, it doesn’t take long before she starts to regret her choice. Something dark lurks in the shadows of the house, something that wants something from Jennifer. Something that won’t let go, not even after she heads home…
A House in London is a horror novella about a girl who always dreamed of a house in London, and who finally discovers a nightmare waiting in the shadows.
![Laura by [Cross, Amy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41oHjMnHDoL._SY346_.jpg)
![The Dog by [Cross, Amy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PWBE5n0cL.jpg)
![Alice Isn't Well (Death Herself Book 1) by [Cross, Amy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51FXH8saw5L._SY346_.jpg)
![A House in London by [Cross, Amy]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514WdojBunL._SY346_.jpg)