WINNER OF THE 2014 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR BEST HORROR NOVEL – No one ever disputed that the deserts of the American West were treacherous for the wandering man. Hot and desolate conditions give a home to many dangerous creatures, including one elusive beast which no traveler had ever laid eyes upon until the night Drake Byrne passed through with his family. Their encounter becomes a gruesome attack that rips the Byrnes apart, expected never to reunite. Now, five years later, Drake’s search finally comes to an end when he stumbles upon the unique town of Dillmore Valley. Hidden in the hills, the walls that protect the populace, and its secrets, quickly become their prison when the cunning creature that has been shadowing Drake terrorizes the town and feeds on the blood of anything that poses a threat.
Michael has been posting character bios of his upcoming new release, Dawn of the Chupacabra, on his website. You can check them out HERE.
And be sure to stop back by on Friday, May 29th when I reveal the cover art for Dawn of the Chupacabra and an excerpt. Michael will also be stopping in for a quick interview!
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Author Michael Hebler
Prior to becoming an award-winning author of his dark fiction Chupacabra Series, Michael was a full-time international film publicist who had worked on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, and the 2013 Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Language Film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty).
Born in the early 1970’s in Los Angeles County to a salesman and homemaker, Michael dreamed of following his passions for entertainment and storytelling by acting. It was while studying theatre arts at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California, did he realize his penchant for stories were better suited on the page rather than the stage. But creating tales with suspense, laughter, and heart is not Michael’s only love. Hebler also enjoys volunteering in his local community, as well as aid in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, and LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA (Books I, II, & III of the six-part Chupacabra Series) as well as his first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age. Michael’s fourth book in the Chupacabra Series, DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA will be available in print and for ebook on October 13, 2015.
Michael also in the beginning stages of organizing a newsletter. If you would like to be included on the list once it’s up and running, you can email Michael at the link above.
~~~
One Winner of either:
1) a signed paperback copy of the new edition (USA only) OR 2) 4 ebooks (Night of the Chupacabra, Curse of the Chupacabra, Legend of the Chupacabra, and an ARC of Dawn of the Chupacabra when it’s ready sometime this summer) (choice of formats: MOBI, EPUB or PDF)
Entry is easy. Just leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and answer this question:
“What would be your weapon of choice against a chupacabra, or would you just tuck tail and run away?”
Giveaway ends June 8th.
After you enter the giveaway, go HERE to check out my interview with Michael and see the exclusive character bios and cover art for the the next book in this series, Dawn Of The Chupacabra!
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Other books in the series available now.
Click on the covers fro my reviews.
~~~
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!
To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!
It’s summer here on the Gulf Coast and you know what that means? It’s zombies time!
I don’t know why, but it seems I read a lot more apocalyptic stories, especially ones featuring zombies, in the summer. And have I got some goodies to share with you today.
Unleash The Undead is a collection of stories compiled by Samie Sands.
All kinds of zombie goodies in it!
Check out my review.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
Oh yeah! Watch out for zombies. They be prowling this post!
~~~
Unleash the Undead
Compiled by Samie Sands
MyReview
Lots of zombies in this one.
So many different contributions, from short stories, to flash fiction, to poetry.
And there are some great illustrations sprinkled throughout these stories. It made the reading even more fun.
I had some I enjoyed more than others but all in all a very solid collection.
I’m huge on the apocalyptic genre and zombies so I read this cover to cover without pausing.
I cringed. I laughed.
It may sound morbid, but the ones I liked the most had the worst endings. I know, I’m a sucker for the shockers and who expects a happy ending when the shuffling horde is out to eat ya. LOL I’d be disappointed if some of the main characters didn’t meet a grisly end, and these authors didn’t disappoint me.
Now that I’ve sampled these authors I’ll be checking to see what else they have to offer.
4 Stars
BLURB:
Delve into the horrifying world of the zombie apocalypse, as bought to you by the following authors and artists: J.L.Drake, Marina Hume, Matías Andrés Bravo Jara, Ana Prundaru, J.H., Dale Herring, Jonny Graham, Klarissa Del Rossario, Saadia Ammad, Akash Sagar, Rob Shepherd, Rhys Curtis-Thompson, Kayleigh Edwards, Diego Tonini, Lachelle Redd, Victoria Pagac, Noel Osualdini, Glen Holman, Mathias Jansson, Kyle Flack, Ceri Matthias, Gia Berryman, Max Ferreira, Diana Alexandru, Kevin S. Hall, Art Pic, Zoja Vladisavljevic, B.S. Purwanda and Samie Sands.
~~~
Enjoy the excerpt
Along with the thigh-high PVC boots, Lucy was also wearing a long-sleeved leather body suit and a pair of PVC goggles. Anna smirked; she looked like the lovechild of the steampunk genre and a member of Marilyn Manson.
“Well what was I meant to do? He came at me, all chompy and toothy so I stamped in his eye.” Lucy shrugged, moving to examine a shelf crowded with accessories.
“No, not Colin. I wouldn’t have blamed you for stamping in that pervert’s eye even if he wasn’t one of them.” Anna replied, rolling her eyes as Lucy found, and snapped on, a pair of leather gloves.
“He was my best customer.” Lucy grumbled.
“I mean the outfit.” Anna explained, shaking her head. “I realise you run a sex shop whilst moonlighting as a dominatrix, but do you really have to dress like that now? We’re in the middle of an apocalypse; you don’t need your uniform.”
“It’s an underwear shop! And this outfit is for practicality. It’s nearly impossible to chew through this stuff. I’ll have the last laugh when your jeans are in tatters and your legs have been eaten off, and there’s barely a scratch on me.” Lucy smiled, grabbing a bullwhip from the wall and coiling it around her forearm.
~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Samie’s debut novel, Lockdown has been published by Triplicity Publishing, and she is currently working on the sequel. She has a degree in Media and loves to gain inspiration for her writing from travelling. Check out her website http://samiesands.com
For generations one family has been haunted by something… something that stalks. It sees and listens, it watches and follows. In the shadows and mist it waits, to take you, to hurt you, perhaps to kill you. And if it doesn’t kill you, you’ll wish it did.
A creepy, suspenseful saga of family, horror, and mystery, this is one story sure to leave you frightened of the woods at night, fog, and all things tall and slender.
There will be cowboys and werewolves and creatures of the deep.
Action, horror, thrills and intrigue.
Enjoy!
~~~~~
Cowboy Werewolf Massacre
by John Wheeler
My Review
It seems like westerns are changing. Now there are lots of movies and books with a supernatural element to them.
This title says it all, Cowboy Werewolf Massacre.
Loved the beginning of this one. Some men are chasing a man. Or kind of a man. Yep, a werewolf.
He leaves a trail of ripped up bodies behind as he taunts the pursuers.
The author did some great character building in the beginning and I came to know them quickly. From watching so many movies I could easily picture the scenes and even put faces to some of them.
As the plot thickens, and yes, it does, more characters come into play, an important event is explained, and all hell breaks loose. Want to know what really happened the night Chicago burned?
You have werewolves and cowboys, good guys and bad guys, and some political maneuvering thrown in to add to the intrigue.
All in all a good read. I felt like the ending was a bit rushed. A lot was happening and it was over quickly.
Yet, I should keep in mind this is a short story and the author did give me a good ending. One that could lead to more in this tale. I hope so.
3 Stars
~~~
Synopsis
The year is 1871. A mysterious force stalks the Wild West, killing settlers and even the toughest outlaws. Soldier-turned-bandit Jack Stark is given a choice: Hunt down whatever’s out there, or face the noose. The chase will take him from dangerous mining towns and snowy wastelands to ancient caves that hold the most terrible secrets… and eventually into the middle of one of the biggest disasters in U.S. history. As Stark soon learns, it’s not just his life at stake: the country’s future rests on his ability to shoot fast and think faster.
~~~
Shark Station Nyet
Apex Predator Series
by Carolyn McCray
My Review
I read the first book, Salechii Park, and loved it so I knew this second book would be fun too.
The first thing I want to tell you is, relax, shut off the disbelief switch, and just take this story for what it is. Campy fun, outrageous scenes, and, oh yeah, gore. Sorry, but this is horror, not Sea World.
How else will you appreciate the weaponized sharks, or a giant squid, or bombs and saboteurs.
And how about taking a ride on a shark. Saddle up. Lopez does.
You could start this book like a movie. Here them yell, “Action!” And it begins and never stops. If someone isn’t being eaten, they are being shot at. The station is under attack and sinking. And waiting in the water is every kind of sea creature imaginable. All hungry. All with very big teeth. And all with their eyes on you.
Man oh man, I loved it!
5 Stars
~~~
Synopsis
**Warning, if you ever hope to swim in the ocean again, this book is NOT for you!
Shark Station Nyet, the highly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster, Salechii!
From the #1 bestselling author in Action/Adventure, Men’s Adventure, Techno-thrillers, War, And Thrillers, Carolyn McCray comes the next greatest thing since Jaws!
A shark-fest for all of you Jaws, Jurassic Park, Shark Week and Sharknado lovers!
Overview:
Putin wanted weaponized sharks to help guard Russia’s coastline. And what Putin wants, he gets, however he also got far more than he expected!
Join our heroes as they battle the biggest and smartest sharks they have ever encountered!
If you are glued to Shark Week, Sharknado, Jaws, or Jurassic Park, Shark Station Nyet is going to be your new feeding frenzy!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•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 Tease for this week is from
Unlovely
by Celeste Conway
My Teasers from pages 55 and 121 in the hard cover book.
From page 55 :
“You couldn’t fight off a couple of girls?”
“It wasn’t just a couple of girls! It was a pack! And they were as strong as Amazons!”
From page 121 :
“She’s part of Ravenska’s little cult.”
“Her cult?”
“That’s right.”
~~~
Synopsis
If he falls for a beautiful dancer, does he risk his heart? Or his life?
• Unlovely is narrated in dark mystery wrapped around a world teens love, that of dancers and dancing.
• Bewitching writing, an eerie story, and a here-and-now thriller, combine for a captivating read of love, loyalty, and dark revenge
• Celeste Conway’s book The Melting Season was featured by the New York Public Library as among 2006’s best teen reads. She also has written two middle-grade novels and teaches writing at Berkley College
“A perfect combination of romance and horror with (dare I say this?) some culture thrown in.” –Lois Duncan, author of Stranger with My Face and Locked in Time
Accidents happen. But they happen more often when the beautiful ballet dancers return each summer to the island. When he hears the ruthless way that the loveliest dancer talks about boys getting what they deserve when they break girls’ hearts, Harley, home for the summer after his first year of college, wonders if he’s losing his mind. He knows for sure that he’s losing his heart to this girl…But then, strange incidents start happening all over the island and Harley is caught between desire and fear: could he also be in danger of losing his life?
I have a scary good short story to share with you today.
Beneath, an Edritch City Short, by Robin Heggelund Hansen.
Come on in and enjoy my review.
There’s a glimpse inside the book.
Check out the awesome graphic cover art.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
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Beneath
Eldritch City Shorts
Book 1
Robin Heggelund Hansen
Genre: Crime/Horror
Date of Publication: March 21st, 2015
ASIN: B00V0R5QYW
Number of pages: 15 / Word Count: 5100
My Review
This was a really quick read but so much fun.
I’m always amazed when a short story has so much going on.
The city of Eldritch has an atmosphere about it. Like a pall that is felt strongly by newcomers while residents have become accustomed to it. It sticks to you like humidity on a hot sultry day.
A stranger enters the police station, exhibiting all of the signs of the Eldritch City air. He looks uncomfortable in his own skin. Deputy Swanson came from the Heartbrook Sheriff’s Office to see the officer who handled an old murder case.
The case involves the murders of Mr. Phillips and his daughter nine years ago. The suspect list is small. Just the surviving wife and young son. But the deaths were so bizarre. The corpses looked like they’d been chewed on and the case remained open.
The widows account of a strange creature bursting from the ground and killing her family leaves the investigating officer skeptical but the case haunts him.
I was skeptical myself as to whether there really was a monster. But then how do you explain the signs of chewing? And that the wife and son told the same story?
A new light is shone on the old case when the widow, released after nine years in a sanitarium, commits suicide and her son, the other survivor, disappears after having visited her.
The two officers return to the crime scene and that’s where the truth reveals itself.
Of course they venture out there at night. It wouldn’t be right if they went out there during the day.
I liked how the author gave the town an oppressing atmosphere. It lent to the eeriness of the events and built on the suspense.
Character development was good too. Even with the main character and narrator never revealing his name, I could almost picture what he looked like and while I didn’t hear from some of the others, their stories made them come to life.
There is another short story in this series and more to come. If I’m not mistaken, they are all stand alone and can be read in any order. Not sure, but that’s how it sounds to me. I’d like to read all of them.
The plot is somewhat predictable and not super scary, but I love these types of stories and my imagination ran wild. Another thing, the cover art graphics are awesome.
4 Stars
~~~~~
Book Description:
Nine years have passed since the tragic and mysterious deaths of Mr. Phillips and his daughter.
A new clue surfaces, one which the lead investigator will follow to the brink of insanity.
To whoever reads this: I feel that I must apologize if what you find on these pieces of paper appears to be nothing more than a collection of near-indecipherable words. I can assure you that I have tried everything I can think of, and yet I cannot keep my hands from trembling. This, however, is only a symptom of my much greater problems.
I cannot eat, or sleep, or even close my eyes for longer than the briefest of moments. I feel as if I’m about to lose my mind, but I’m clear enough to realize that I have to get this story off my chest, before it consumes whatever sanity I have left. Unfortunately, the only recipient I can trust with a story as bizarre and horrible as this are the same pieces of paper upon which these words are written.
For officers of the Eldritch City Police Department, no two days are alike. Even with this in mind, yesterday morning would still single itself out as peculiar. As I entered the precinct to begin my shift, I met a man who I realized was from out of town. It was clear that he was uncomfortable since he was constantly scratching his arm and shifting his gaze. It was as if he was trying to view the entire room at once.
There are many things that can be said of Eldritch City, but the one thing people always remember is the air. It’s not that it has a particular smell, but it has a way of sticking to your skin, like wet clothes on a rainy day. Us locals usually say that it is due to the humidity that comes with being in a warm coastal city, but humid air does not leave you with a feeling of being watched, or that something terrible is about to happen. Given time, one learns to hide this discomfort. People from out of town, however, usually haven’t learnt the knack.
The man introduced himself as Deputy Swanson of the Heartbrook Sheriff’s office. Upon learning my name, he raised his eyebrows in surprise. “It would seem I am in luck,” he said. “It is in fact you that I have come here to see.”
Before continuing the conversation, I invited Swanson back to my desk — I have yet to earn my own office — and offered him a choice of coffee or tea, of which he chose the latter. When we were both sitting comfortably, I asked what had brought him all the way here from Heartbrook. To this he responded by handing me a newspaper article, dating back nine years. The article was an interview with a younger me regarding a murder case out by Mirkwood. I knew the article well, not just because I was the subject of the interview, but also because the case in question had been troubling me ever since I had been assigned to it.
Nine years earlier, for their summer-break, the Phillips family had gone out to their newly built cabin in Mirkwood, on the outskirts of the city. Only a day into their vacation, Mr. Phillips and his daughter, Julia, were brutally murdered. Their bodies had been mutilated to the point of being barely recognizable — large portions of flesh were missing. It was almost as if something had fed on them. The coroner couldn’t rule out an animal attack, but thought it unlikely since the wounds were inconsistent with the bite of any species known to be living in Mirkwood.
About the Author:
Robin was born on a cold winter night in Oslo, Norway, 1989. Growing up, he was always fond of telling stories, leading people to wonder when, not if, he would move on to writing stories of his own. Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, he wrote his first short story, ‘Beneath’, in 2015.
Last Siege Of Haven (The Undertakers #4) by Ty Drago
presented by Month9Books!
Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!
While away on an undercover mission, Undertaker Will Ritter has made an unthinkable alliance…with a Corpse! But though Robert Dillin (aka ‘The Zombie Prince’) is indeed one of those alien invaders who animate and possess the bodies of the dead — unlike the rest of his kind, Dillin isn’t evil. In fact, he wants to help. And Will needs that help, because the Queen of the Dead has learned the location of Haven, the Undertakers’ secret HQ, and is planning a massive and deadly assault.
With the last day of the Corpse War finally upon them, Will and his friends find themselves in a desperate race to close the Rift between worlds and forever kill the Corpses. But can they do before Haven is overrun?
For that matter, can they do it at all?
Last Siege of Haven (The Undertakers #4)
by Ty Drago
Publication Date: May 11, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books
Available for Pre-order:
.
Ty Drago does his writing just across the river from Philadelphia, where the Undertakers novels take place. In addition to The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses,The Undertakers: Queen of the Dead, and The Undertakers: Secret of the Corpse Eater, he is the author of The Franklin Affair and Phobos, as well as short stories and articles that have appeared in numerous publications, including Writer’s Digest. He currently lives in southern New Jersey with his wife and best friend, the real Helene Drago née Boettcher.
I’ll be there when this comes out, you can count on it!
Are you going to go see it?
~~~~
The Last Stand
Sheriff Ray Owens (Schwarzenegger) moved out of Los Angeles and settled into a life fighting what little crime takes place in sleepy border town Sommerton Junction. But that peaceful existence is shattered when Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), the most notorious, wanted drug kingpin in the western hemisphere, makes a deadly yet spectacular escape from an FBI prisoner convoy. With the help of a fierce band of lawless mercenaries led by the icy Burrell (Peter Stormare), Cortez begins racing towards the US-Mexico border at 250 mph in a specially-outfitted Corvette ZR1 with a hostage in tow. Cortez’ path: straight through Summerton Junction, where the whole of the U.S. law enforcement, including Agent John Bannister (Forest Whitaker) will have their final opportunity to intercept him before the violent fugitive slips across the border forever. At first reluctant to become involved, and then counted out because of the perceived ineptitude of his small town force, Owens ultimately rallies his team and takes the matter into his own hands, setting the stage for a classic showdown.
~~~
Arnold always said, “I’ll be back!” And he sure is for me.
I found this sleeper on Netflix. I’d never even heard about it.
The Last Stand
Great casting and the villain is sexy and cold as ice.
Lots of laughs, cliches, and action that will blow you away.
As long as Arnold keeps doing films, I’ll keep watching them.
Thanks for visiting my stop on the tour for Retaliation by Imogen Rose.
This is the third book in the Bonfire Chronicles and it’s a thriller read!
I love the supernatural world and there’s plenty of fascinating characters and plots in this series.
Enjoy my review and the exciting excerpt.
And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!
~~~
Retaliation
Bonfire Chronicles
Imogen Rose
Genre: YA/Paranormal/Horror
Publisher: Wild Thorn Publishing
Date of Publication: 03/15/2015
Number of pages: 400 /Word Count: 84000
Cover Artist: Consuelo Parra
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My Review
I don’t usually start a series with the third book and I worried I wouldn’t be able to follow the story and enjoy it. That was not the case with Retaliation.
I quickly became immersed in Cordelia’s story and as I got attached to the characters all I was thinking was, I have to read the other books.
It’s been a year and a half since Code Uprising was deactivated and things are back to normal, as much as they can be in a supernatural world.
Cordelia now works for King Sebastian and her romance with the sexy Fay, Jagger, is going strong. The human world is safe from further attacks by Sebastian’s now missing power hungry daughter, Katerina.
But something new is starting to happen. A Haiku is left at a gruesome scene involving the kings assistant that may be connected to Katerina. A school is attacked in Japan, leaving all humans dead and another occurs in the US with casualties over a thousand.
A cloaked figure supplies GRIP with a formula they suspect is targeted towards humans. Could it be Katrina’s doing? And why would she only be targeting humans?
The council has a policy of not getting involved in human matters but they may have to change that if they are being attacked by a supernatural entity. While the humans are unaware of their existence, that may change.
Imogen has created a complex world with many strong voiced characters. While I joined this series late, I was provided with enough background to easily follow their stories and connect with past ones.
There are terrorists, spies, all kinds of supernatural beings and humans co-mingling to get to the bottom of the attacks and the action steps as the attacks escalate.
This book came across as believable. You could take out the supernatural element and have a hack of a good action thriller, but the added otherworldly characters and world made it much more interesting and unpredictable.
I’m sure the many that have read the first two books in the Bonfire Chronicles will love this next installment and those that haven’t will want to read them after this great follow up.
5 Stars
~~~~
Book Description:
Ever since Bloody Fall, humans have lived in fear.
Even though the apparently senseless human massacres have ended, President Elizabeth Ryan’s administration has been under a cloud of disapproval for failing to bring the terrorists to justice.
She braces herself as a new spate of carnage is unleashed.
Cordelia and Faustine are recruited back into action as the supernatural agencies go on high alert. Has their nemesis re-emerged?
I kneeled down for a better look. Whatever it was, it was clearly alive, and it shirked away, obviously frightened out of its wits. Could it be one of those pets humans liked to keep around? I transformed back to my human state so the poor little thing wouldn’t have a heart attack. “Here,” I whispered gently. “I’m not going to hurt you. Come on out.”
“Demon?” a little voice whispered. It was clearly something supernatural.
“Yep, you?”
“Troll.”
Troll? I’d never met a timid one before. “What are you doing here?”
“I sorta live here.”
“Can you come out?”
The troll scurried from behind the vent, crawled out of the fireplace, and stood up beside the couch. It couldn’t have been more than eight inches tall. I’d never seen one so small before. It was clearly female, with a pink bow attached to her unkempt blond Afro. She was rather grubby, I guessed from her journey through the fireplace. She wore little green dungarees bedazzled with pink rhinestones. And she had the most enormous green eyes that seemed to glow. “What’s your name?”
“I don’t have one.” Now that she wasn’t whispering, her voice sounded like a bee trying to speak human. “None of the underground trolls do,” she continued. “I guess we’re not important enough.” She lowered her eyelash-devoid eyelids, her lips trembling.
I touched her hand gently with my finger. “What would you like to be called, if you could choose your own name?”
“Anything?”
“Yes, anything at all.”
“Humm. That’s hard. It’s hard to commit to a name. What’s yours?”
“Cordelia.”
“Huh? That’s kind of old-fashioned. Where did that come from?”
Old-fashioned? That troll cheekiness didn’t take long to surface. “Cordelia is a family name; I’m named after my grandmamma. I like it, and wouldn’t want to be called anything else.”
“None of my family have ever had names,” she said, her lower lip trembling again. “Each subterranean troll family has a number, assigned by the Don. Then each family member gets given a letter. I am 4695h.”
“That doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Tell you what. Pick a name you want me to call you, and if you don’t like it, you can change it as many times as you want until you find one that’s ‘you.’”
“Humm.” She looked confused. “I can’t think of any nice names. Can you pick one for me?”
“Sure. How about…” I tried to think of a simple one, since she was unfamiliar with names. “Lucy?”
She nodded slowly. “I can… maybe… do that… Lucy.”
“Well, Lucy. What are you doing here?”
“Like I said, I live here. When I don’t live at home, that is. Do you want to see the room I sleep in when the demons are not around? It’s the same one that Dorian uses.”
“Sure, in a moment. Which demons are you talking about?”
“Dorian and his soap buddies mostly. And his son, Luke. I like Luke. He’s kinda hot.”
“When was the last time they were here?”
“Dorian was here a couple of hours ago.” She started fidgeting, lowering her eyelids and shifting from leg to leg.
“Do you know where he went?”
She shook her head. Then she pursed her lips.
“What is it?”
She stared at her feet.
“Lucy?”
She smiled. “I like that.”
“Focus, Lucy. Tell me everything. What’s with the odd expression?”
“Well,” she whispered, her voice so low that I had to bend down to hear her, “something bad happened.”
“Like?”
She raised her hands. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Lucy! How do you know something bad happened, then?”
She suddenly crawled under the couch like a bug, and just as I was about to grab her tiny ankles and haul her out, she slithered back toward me—dragging something heavy.
I couldn’t get a good look at it. “What is that?”
“It’s Dorian’s arm,” she puffed, as I grabbed it, pulling it out—a bloody, shredded demon limb.
~~~~
About the Author:
Globetrotter Imogen Rose was born in Sweden, educated in London (where she received a PhD in immunology), and is now an all-American Jersey girl. She is the author of two bestselling YA series— the Portal Chronicles and the Bonfire Chronicles, both of which have been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
In addition to writing, Imogen loves to travel, explore Madison Avenue (she is a self-confessed Hermès addict), watch movies, listen to music, and hang out with her family, friends, and Chihuahua. When she is not writing, she can usually be found sipping a chai latte at an ice rink while watching her daughter slam pucks.
I haven’t read the first two Hellfire & Damnation collections but I will fix that soon.
Most of you know how much I enjoy short stories and collections and horror and I got all of that with these.
Check out my review.
Enjoy the excerpt.
And enter the giveaway to win a copy!
Hellfire and Damnation III
by Connie Corcoran Wilson
Publisher: Quad City Press (March 1, 2015)
ISBN:978-0-982444-487-0
Category: Psychological Thriller, Suspense
Tour Date: March 16-April 30, 2015 Available in: Print & ebook, 114 Pages
My Review
I’m huge on short stories and collections so I knew I had to read this batch. The author states at the end of the book that she drew inspiration form true events on all but two of the stories. That explains why one of them felt familiar to me.
Some are scary and some are twisted. A few had me grinning sardonically. All are good.
There are the nines sins or as the author titles them, The Nine Circles of Hell. Each delves into crimes and punishments.
Circle One: Limbo – The Cave Robber
You’ll have an encounter with a giant cave spider.
Circle Two: Lust – The MOnster Within
Meet Brian, “The unhappiest man in El Reno,” who’s plotting revenge against his neighbor.
Circle Three: Gluttony – The Battle of Gate Pa
Crawl with the Maori warriors through the first tunnels used in warfare.
Circle Four: Avarice & Prodigality – Boxed In
Be there when a kidnap victim turns the table on his kidnapper.
Circle Five: Wrath & Sullenness – Do Not Go Gently
A cancer patient who thought he’d live forever does not go gently. Vows to be the worst patient ever.
Circle Six: Heresy – The Final Victim
A Reverend needs one more sacrifice for Satan.
Circle Seven: The Violent – KILLAL
An innocent computer game might not be so innocent.
Circle Eight: The Fraudulent – The Mirror
A heated car mirror solves a cold case.
Circle Nine: The Treacherous – A Losing Hand
It wasn’t hypothermia. It was murder.
I enjoyed all of these stories and enjoyed the authors comments afterwards. She explained a bit about each of the stories that came from true events and then where she got her inspiration for the two that weren’t. It was fascinating.
And the pictures peppered throughout the book made it creepier.
While most of these weren’t truly scary, they did have sin in each one. I think I sinned a bit myself when I celebrated some of the characters deeds.
These would be great reads for when you have only a short time, but I’d set aside enough time to finish all of them. They do suck you in and keep you going from one to the next, to the next…
4 Stars
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Description
Hellfire & Damnation III by Connie Corcoran Wilson is another tour of the 9 Circles of Hell described in Dante’s Inferno. It picks up where the first two collections of short stories left off, using the same framing device of stories that explore the sins or crimes punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell in Dante’s Inferno.
The first book was the winner of the Silver Feather Award (Illinois Women’s Press Association), and the Gold Medal E-Lit Award (Horror category) from the Jenkins group. Five-time Bram Stoker winner Gary Braunbeck said of Book II in the Hellfire & Damnation collection: ” Seriously, Connie: can’t you write just one stinker so the rest of us will feel a little bit better?” Braunbeck added, ” Her writing is stronger, streamlined, and often lyrical, despite the nastiness her words describe. This is another impressive collection of tales from a writer I could very well learn to hate if she gets much better.”
Hellfire & Damnation III is another tour of the crimes or sins punished at each of the Circles of Hell in Dante’s “Inferno.” Like the second book in the series by Connie Corcoran Wilson, there are images whether it is a cave where teenagers are trapped, the lair of a psychopathic minister manipulating a young man of limited intelligence into murder, or a rage-fueled airplane traveler unleashing his pent-up fury on a Flight Attendant.
The author adds a From the Author, an informative peek into the creative mind of the author and the genesis of these 9 Tales of Terror. As one reviewer said (of Hellfire & Damnation II), “Connie Corcoran Wilson has written a book of short stories that will not only keep you up late nights reading, but might also keep you up long after you have stopped reading.”
He drove off in Dave’s truck, heading for Reverend Jeremiah Jones’ trailer, the useless wooden peg leg making a hollow tumbling noise in the empty bed of the truck, like a bird hitting a glass window. It sounded like a heavy object tumbling inside a package. It was a sound like a tennis shoe tumbling in the dryer, only with sharper percussions.
When he reached the trailer park, Lee parked under a large tree near the Laundromat just at the entrance of Happy Hollow Trailer Park. He grabbed the peg leg from the bed of the truck, tucked it under his jacket so no one would see what he was carrying, and began walking towards the Reverend’s plot. This was part of the plan. Jeremiah had explained to Lee that it wouldn’t do for them to be seen together. He wanted Lee to make sure he wasn’t followed and to come to his trailer on foot, using the back way. Lee did all this, as requested.
Upon reaching the entrance to the shabby trailer, Lee knocked on the door. He knocked a second time, more loudly. Lee was standing near the entrance to the attached Sacrificial Shed, as Jeremiah referred to the wooden shanty nearby. Lee thought he heard a noise coming from within. It was a faint sound, no doubt muffled by the sound-proofing. It sounded like a bleating animal. Lee turned away from the trailer door and moved towards the doorway of the nearby Sacrificial Shed. It was slightly ajar.
Within, he saw the specter of Jeremiah Jones, knife raised. A terrified creature, approximately three feet high, eyes glazed with fear, helpless, was tied in front of the Reverend. It was a small goat, immobilized by ropes. Jeremiah brought the axe-like weapon down on the animal’s head just as Lee opened the door to enter.
Jeremiah was breathing heavily from his exertions. The struggling wounded goat was bleeding and making a horrible noise in its death throes, still pinioned at the Reverend’s feet. Jeremiah Jones looked up at Lee Elliot and smiled the evil smile of an ogre. The grin of a conscienceless monster. The smirk of a manipulative Machiavelli.
“Did you bring his leg?” Jeremiah asked.
Lee shook his head yes. He reached beneath his jacket to pull forth Dave Downing’s prosthesis.
Jeremiah glanced at the leg. He looked up at Lee, stepping over the still struggling dying creature to come closer to Lee, bloody axe still in his hand.
“Where’s the money?” the Reverend asked.
“There wasn’t any,” said Lee.
“What? No money? There HAS to be. You took the cash, didn’t you?” Jeremiah screamed.
“No, Sir,” replied Lee. “There wasn’t any money. I killed Dave just the way you said to. I threw his body in a ditch out past Colona. Out near Interstate 80. I took his leg off. But there wasn’t anything inside it.”
“LIAR!” screamed the enraged minister as he lunged at the timid young man, bloody axe raised. “Stupid fucking liar! You took it, didn’t you? You took the money! Where is it? Give it to me!”
The Reverend Jeremiah Jones approached Lee with menace in his manner and murder in his heart.
In that moment, Lee Elliot wished he had brought the large butcher knife with him. But Lee had done as the Reverend Jones had instructed. He had thrown the knife into the raging Rock River, which was at near-flood levels this wet spring. Lee had no weapon. Nor had he thought he would need one.
The man he had trusted and aided in committing the most heinous act of his life was about to betray him. Almost the last thing Lee Elliot saw was also the last thing the goat had seen: a heavy axe-like weapon descending on his skull. Coming down so quickly and so forcefully that Lee had no time to fend it off.
As the weapon found its mark, Lee heard birds twittering. He was not sure if he was once again seeing the birds of Lucifer’s sign to him—the European starlings on his front lawn that day—or if neurons were firing stored memories in his head in death. With that last mortal impression of flocks of black birds tearing at the ground, ripping apart the blades of grass, laying waste to everything they touched, Lee Elliot became just one more in a long string of the Reverend Jeremiah Jones’ sacrifices.
The Reverend stood above him, bloody axe poised to strike again, muttering, “You moron. Lucifer always meant for you to be the final victim.”
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Praise for Hellfire and Damnation II by Connie Corcoran Wilson:
“This collection of 11 short stories in the horror genre is organized around Dante’s 9 circles of hell in the Inferno–limbo, lust, gluttony, greed, wrath, heresy, violence, political corruption, and treachery. The stories are by turns chilling and blood boiling. The two times I read one of these just before sleeping I deeply regretted it. NOT bedtime stories folks. Haunting and satisfying.”– Joystory
“I love scary books. Among the first adult books I ever read were Stephen King and Dean Koontz. However, these days I find it hard to find good scary books – ones that don’t make me feel like I’ve read this before…and then I was asked to read Hellfire & Damnation II. Corcoran takes us by the hand and leads us through the 9 Circles of Hell, whispering to us the tales of those we find there and the events that have lead them to this nightmarish place. From the first story set in Limbo, Cold Corpse Carnival (giving me yet another reason to not want to be buried!), to the final circle of The Treacherous and The Bureau the reader will be checking behind doors, under the bed and sleeping with the light on!”–Kylie Purdie, Little Black Marks
“‘Hellfire and Damnation II’ is the sequel to Connie Corcoran Wilson’s first book of short stories published in 2011. This book is another tour of Dante’s ‘Nine Circles of Hell’ from his Inferno. It features eleven original short stories: from the 132-year-old corpse of Norwegian immigrant Ole Monson seeking revenge against the living for the desecration of his final resting place in ‘Cold Corpse Carnival’ to the most intimate betrayal suffered between two brothers in ‘The Bureau’. Each story highlights its particular Circle in a novel way, but is partially based on fact as explained by the author at the end. I really enjoyed this book – it was suitably horrific for me. Each story is well-crafted and believable, and I found myself very satisfied with each story’s pacing. I give ‘Hellfire and Damnation II’ an A+! and I look forward to reading more books by Connie Corcoran Wilson in the very near future!”– Mareena McGirr, Emeraldfire’s Bookmark
“Connie pens “Hellfire & Damnation II” in a plot that will really leave the horror with you. The illustrations are just unbelievably good and will get you really thinking about what you just read. I was totally satisfied with the amount of detail within each “circle of hell” she writes about. Now I really need to find the first book in the series to catch up with. Highly recommended for all who love the thrill of horror.”-Susan, My Cozie Corner
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I’ve read Connie’s The Color Of Evil Series and very much enjoyed them.
Award winning author, Connie Corcoran Wilson (MS + 30) graduated from the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University, with additional study at Northern Illinois, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago. She taught writing at six Iowa/Illinois colleges and has written for five newspapers and seven blogs, including Yahoo, which named her its 2008 Content Producer of the Year.
She is a member of ITW (International Thriller Writers), where she is a writer for their online newsletter, and a member of IWPA (Illinois Women’s Press Association, Chicago chapter), which awarded her its Silver Feather Award in 2012 and 2014, MWA (Midwest Writers Association), AWP (American Writing Program) and MWC (Midwest Writing Center), which named her its Writer of the Year in 2010. She has won numerous E-Lit awards, a NABE Pinnacle award, an ALMA (American Literary Merit Award), Lucky Cinda competition and two IWPA Silver Feather Awards (2012, 2014).
Connie’s third book in “The Color of Evil” series, ‘Khaki=Killer’ was just named a Page-turner of the Year 2014 by “Shelf Unbound” and Writer’s Digest magazine in its December/January 2014-2015 issue!
Her stories and interviews with writers like David Morrell, Joe Hill, Kurt Vonnegut, Frederik Pohl, William F. Nolan, Anne Perry, r. Barri Flowers, Valerie Plame, Allen Zadoff and Jon Land have appeared online and in numerous journals.
Connie Corcoran Wilson’s work has won prizes from “Whim’s Place Flash Fiction,” “Writer’s Digest” (Screenplay) and she has 25 published works. Connie reviewed film and books for the Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa) for 12 years, wrote humor columns and conducted interviews for the (Moline, Illinois) Dispatch and maintains her own blog,www.WeeklyWilson.com, while also twittering (@Connie_C_Wilson), Connie Wilson Author.
Connie Corcoran Wilson was a presenter at the Spellbinders Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii over Labor Day (2012) and at Love Is Murder in Chicago (February, 2014) and will be a presenter at Writers for New Orleans December 19-21st. She has three ongoing series: THECOLOR OF EVIL, HELLFIRE & DAMNATION (short stories organized around the crimes or sins punished at each of the levels of Hell in Dante’s Inferno) andTHE CHRISTMAS CATS, which she writes for her granddaughters. (www.TheColorOfEvil.com; www.RedIsforRage.com; www.KhakiEqualsKiller.com; www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com; www.TheXmasCats.com)
Connie lives in East Moline, Illinois with husband Craig and cat Lucy, and in Chicago, Illinois, where her son, Scott and daughter-in-law Jessica and their five-year-old twins Elise and Ava reside. Her daughter, Stacey, graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, and is currently a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant.
