Archive for the ‘horror’ Category

Freakin Fridays!

Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary. Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

Today I’m reviewing Fresh Meat by Carolyn McCray

I’ll warn you right now this is not a scary story. This is a can’t catch your breath, squirm in your seat, all out horror fest with a cast of characters that Bundy or Gacy would feel right at home with!

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**Warning, this book is not for the squeamish or faint of heart. The gore level is a cross between Saw and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Much of Fresh Meat is set in a dungeon filled with vicious serial killers. It isn’t a matter of when blood will spill, it is how much.

No kidding!

Poor Evie. Never in a million years could her mind have imagined what’s happening to her now.

The night started out well enough. She hung out with her co-workers at the nightclub, enjoying herself for the most part. When they all want to move on to the next club, Evie declines. She’s had enough of the smoke and noise. Despite Nancy’s urging to catch a taxi, Evie elects to walk home. It’ll clear her head and her lungs.

She should have taken the taxi. With little warning, she’s grabbed, dragged into the alley, and  knocked out by a chemical filled rag pressed tightly over her mouth and nose. Her world fades to black.

alcatraz photo: Alcatraz alcatraz.jpg

She comes to in what looks like a prison. There are cells on each side of the room. In those cells are men. Dangerous men.

This book had me thinking “SAW” or “DEXTER” on steroids. Some sick twist gathers a bunch of serial killers, controls them with metal shock collars, and brings in a plaything for them to fight over. He randomly opens cell doors and watches as the poor sap tries to survive.

Just imagine being kidnapped and used as fresh meat for a bunch of rapists, murderers, and worse. Oh Yeah, there is worse. One of these guys is a cannibal.

There’s no way out, cameras are watching your every move and then the games begin.

When the cell doors open and the serial killers emerge from their cells, the only reason Evie survives is they are busy fighting each other over who gets her first. The big guy, Clyde, only wants her top half. Back Door wants her fighting and screaming, and Andrew wants to be friends before he kills her.

She’s lucky when she gets knocked into Darion’s cell. He makes no move to hurt her and  the others won’t enter his cell. They’re all afraid of him. You see, he only kills men. Maybe if she’s grateful they can come to an arrangement. Her options are slim to none.

Oh, what a twisted, shocking, psychological, read this was. What made it even better was the writing. The author had me worrying about how bad it was going to get. And it got bad. I like how she had me actually liking something about a few of these guys. She must have done a lot of research into the psychology of serial killers.

You’ve heard it said so many times, “He was such a nice guy, I never would have believed he could do something like this.” I watch the show ID often, and it’s surprising how often the killer is someone no one would suspect. Someone the victim knew well.

I, for one, will be looking over my shoulder, peering  into dark recesses, and never walking alone at night after reading this. It’s my wake up call.

You just never know what or who is out there, waiting to snatch you up for a little fun and games called murder.

scared woman photo: Color Splash Comic option3.jpg  Four Stars for freakin me out!

About the author

Image of Carolyn McCray

Carolyn has had a long and extremely interesting road to become a bestseller.

When she head to veterinary school those many years ago she had no idea decades later she would be writing controversial historical thrillers, gut wrenching mysteries and roller coaster-style action/adventure tales!

Born in San Francisco and raised in the beautiful Napa Valley, Carolyn always had an overactive imagination. As a child you could usually find her dragging the neighborhood children out to the haunted barn to make her Nancy Drew-style audio tapes. Oh and did she mention, there was an entire life-sized recreation of the nativity scene in the rafters? Yeah, that wasn’t just a little creepy.

Which of course was great practice for writing such blockbusters as Plain Jane: A Patterson-style thriller with a dash of Hannibal and 30 Pieces of Silver: An Extremely Controversial Historical Thriller.

Carolyn is honored to have a seven book contract with Amazon’s mystery and thriller imprint, Thomas & Mercer along with being one of the eight books during the inaugural launch of Amazon’s new Serial program (9th Circle).

With over 250,000 books sold, Carolyn now lives on a beautiful lake in the Pacific Northwest where the fog rolls in over the water, snuffing out all signs of life around her. Yep, she still loves the creepy!

To purchase the book click on the cover

Carolyn has written many books. Go here to see more.

What better way to celebrate Emma Meade’s brand new release of End of the Line than with a giveaway.

Enjoy my 5 STAR review and enter below!

End of the Line

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Now available on Amazon and Smashwords

End of the Line

In the distance, the familiar white light appeared, cutting through the dark of midnight. She’d watched it come before, but always from the sidelines, imagining what it would be like to face such a beast.

Cassie drew in a shaky breath and steeled herself. Legs splayed, arms by her sides, fists tightly clenched, she waited on the tracks as the train approached. Her legs shook, and strands of hair licked her cheeks in the gentle night’s breeze.

She swallowed the fear threatening to overcome her. Hang in there, she told herself. Another sixty seconds, and it will all be over. No more drowning, murky thoughts, heavy dreams or stilted breathing. She lifted her head and stared straight ahead, willing her body to freeze.

Closer now, but not coming fast enough. She was scared. As much as she desired to have it all over with, the fear gained ground. Could the driver see her yet? No, still too far away. Why had time slowed down? An ache began in her ankles, spreading up her legs and winding its way around her thighs and into her clenched hands.

The feel of her fingernails scraping the soft flesh of her palms roused her, just as she became aware of the vibrations on the tracks.

Cassie stumbled into the grass growing beside the tracks and ran, tears running down her cheeks. She stopped as she reached the first line of trees and leaned over, resting her hands on her thighs, trying to get her breath back.

Damn it! She wanted to die. Why couldn’t she have stuck it out?

The train thundered by, unaware of the woman hunched over in the darkness, sobbing. She raised her head to watch the carriages pass, slithering alongside Wilkins Woods like a dark snake. In thirty seconds, the night was once again silent.

She’d try tomorrow night. Maybe pick up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s after work. Might help with the nerves.

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she wiped the tears away. Cassie followed the edge of the woods the mile back to her dingy flat. She let herself in and headed straight to bed. One more day. She could make it that far.

End of the Line
Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.

She loses her nerve the first couple of times but returns to try once more.
After all, third time’s the charm.
Author’s Note:
Depression is still somewhat of a taboo subject, yet it has touched most people’s lives, either personally or among family and friends. In “End of the Line” Cassie can’t make sense of her despair. All she knows is that she’s had enough.

My Review

It’s midnight and Cassie stands on the train tracks waiting for death.  Here it comes. She will not jump out of the way, she won’t. Then she jumps.

Now she’ll have to come back tomorrow night and finish what she started, even if she has to use liquid courage to do so.

If she does meet death, will it be the end of the line?

What will happen if she doesn’t jump out of the way in time? If she lets the wheels of the train obliterate her existence? What if the end of the line isn’t the end?

I feel sorry for Cassie. She’s so sad, so lost. Failing each time, I wonder if she really wants to die, or if she just needs a reason to go on living? This one stuck with me for some time.

Emma takes a sensitive topic and breathes a supernatural “what if” into it. I was so captivated by the beginning, I was finished before I was ready!

I  urge you to hop on this train and meet some very interesting characters. They have things to tell you.

This haunting and deep story gets Five Stars from me.

railroad tracks photo: Railroad Tracks at Dusk railroad-tracks-dusk_AA021410.jpg railroad tracks photo: Railroad Tracks at Dusk railroad-tracks-dusk_AA021410.jpg railroad tracks photo: Railroad Tracks at Dusk railroad-tracks-dusk_AA021410.jpg railroad tracks photo: Railroad Tracks at Dusk railroad-tracks-dusk_AA021410.jpg railroad tracks photo: Railroad Tracks at Dusk railroad-tracks-dusk_AA021410.jpg

Giveaway

I have three e-book copies of this new release to giveaway!

International Giveaway. All are welcome!

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“Have you ever hopped a train?”

Giveaway ends March 14th.

Thanks ya’ll and Good Luck!

More great news!

fundinmental is also having a giveaway for End of the Line!

Hop over here and enter for another chance to win and check out her view of this story!

Click on the titles below to read more of my reviews of Emma’s books.

Under the Desert Moon

Night Sighs

Awakening and Other Stories

Dead Beats and The Old Vampire

About the author

Emma Meade

Author of Nights Sighs, Under the Desert Moon and The Awakenings & Other Stories.

Emma Meade writes paranormal fiction. She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King’s The Stand is one of her most loved books. Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on. She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.

Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

You can find Emma here:

http://emmameade.com

Http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4229395.Emma_Meade

http://www.twitter.com/emmameade83

Purchase Emma’s books by clicking on images below:


I have a message from Evans Light.

March is a brand new month, and with it comes a new free eBook!

For the entire month of March, The Mole People Beneath the City will be available as a free download from Goodreads.

EPUB/Browser Link: http://www.goodreads.com/ebooks/downl…

Amazon Kindle Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/aammcsq4fcz…

Hope you enjoy it, and reviews are appreciated!

-Evans Light

The Mole People Beneath The City

by Evans Light

The Mole People Beneath the City

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Late at night in the subway, a little girl and her father wait for a train that runs deep beneath New York City. It will be a ride they never forget.

“The 50th Street Station was practically empty, a rare event in New York City any time of year. It made me uneasy.

I pulled my daughter closer to me. You have to be careful with those you cherish, especially in a city this big.

Sometimes it eats people.”

After he lost his wife, all he has in the world is his Baby Kat. He won’t let anything happen to her.

As they wait for the train, the man observes a group of young people. It looks like they’ve been clubbing and the young men are drunk and rowdy, showing off for the ladies. The only other person there is an old Chinese woman. She waits patiently, clutching some crumpled newspapers in her claw like hands.

This group of people are in for the ride of their lives. They are about to enter…. The Twilight Zone. Sorry I couldn’t resist that!

But really, they will be wishing they were watching the show.

When Evans describes the trains imminent arrival, I swear I felt the cool breeze pushed in front of the train and the rumble of its approach under my feet.

And just as the train arrives…

In the flash of the trains lights Baby Kat sees something.

“I saw them Daddy, I saw them. In the tunnel,” she cried.

“Saw what?”

People, Daddy, there were people in there. I saw them, down in the tunnel on the tracks,” she whimpered. “It’s the mole people coming for us….”

I swear I felt like I was watching the movie. Evans writes classic horror so well, you’ll be reaching for the popcorn.

       

I gave this story Five Stars because Evans writes horror just the way I like it.

I’ve read several of Evans Light’s stories and they were scary good. I love his writing and am currently working my way through more.

If you like classic horror and short stories, you’ll want to get this. I’ve never met a book by Evans that I didn’t like.

  To get your copy just click on the cover image!

For my review of Payback go here .

For my reviews of Crawl Space and Whatever Possessed You? go here .

For my review of GONE go here.

About the author

Evans Light has lived here and there across the United States, from the mountains to the beaches to the desert, and currently chooses to reside in a warm, southern state where the living is easy.

Frequently drawn to uncommon experiences, Evans has thrown himself headfirst into a wide range of unusual situations, from testing low-level-entry parachutes with British Army Airborne units to travelling the vast reaches of inner space using sensory deprivation tanks. He is the proud father of fine sons and the lucky husband of a beautiful wife.

Evans Light has been in love with the written word from an early age, and works in a wide variety of genres, including horror, thrillers, sci-fi and humor – but stories of the “Weird Tales” variety still remain his favorite. Evans is currently hard at work completing a collection of short stories entitled “Obsessive Deceptions”. Each story from this compilation is being released as a stand-alone title on Amazon as it is finished. The first five have been collected in the anthology “Stories, Inc.”.

Evans is also writing his first full-length novel, which is expected to be released sometime before his death.

Author contacts

Goodreads

Facebook

You can find all of Evans Light’s books here.

Evans Light

On tour with Prism Book Tours

Lancaster HouseLancaster House by Taylor DeanPaperback, 304 pagesPublished June 7th 2012 by CreatespacePremise: Zoe Grayson needs a change. So, she moves to another state, purchases an old, dilapidated 1920s Victorian Mansion, and sets out to restore it to its former glory. As she begins the restoration, she finds herself falling in love with the old house . . . not to mention its illustrious builder, Mr. Lancaster. Zoe becomes obsessed with the house as she discovers its secrets; hidden rooms, secret passageways . . . and a mysterious man who seems to think the house is his. Who is he? More importantly, how does he live in her home unseen and unheard?

The unexpected answers leave her reeling—and questioning everything she’s ever known. To her dismay, Zoe’s actions land her in the local psychiatric hospital, scheming for ways to return to Lancaster House . . . and the love of her life.

The Middle Aisle (Lancaster House)The Middle Aisle

by Taylor Dean

Paperback, 356 pages

Published November 26th 2012 by Create Space
Premise:

Zoe Grayson is back in Lancaster House, ordered to bed rest for the duration of her unexpected pregnancy. Doctor Wade Channing, her overzealous psychiatrist, is living in Lancaster House, taking care of her, waiting on her, and tending to her every need. It seems to be the perfect arrangement.

There’s just one catch.

She has to tell him her story—everything that has happened in her life since the moment she escaped from Serenity Hills. It’s been quite an adventure to include renovating another home and a walk down the middle aisle.

But, that’s all over now. Nothing is real. It never was.

How did she end up in this miserable situation?

The Doctor: An
excerpt from Lancaster House
*If you missed
yesterday’s post which included an excerpt from The Middle Aisle using slang
from the nineteen-twenties, then put down your tea and slip out of this hidden sitting room back to icultgen. . .
Doctor Wade Channing
is the psychiatrist in the Lancaster House series. In writing him, I found
myself debating his personality traits. Should he by the stereotypical ‘evil
psychiatrist?’ Nah, to overdone. Should he fall I love with Zoe? Nah, to
unprofessional and the reader will lose all faith in him. Should he be a main
character or just someone Zoe rehearses her story to?
In the end, Doctor
Wade Channing becomes the kind, benevolent doctor who truly wants Zoe to see
the error in her ways. He really wants to help her realize her delusions. He
loves her, yes, but he loves her as his patient, not in a weird-creepy way.
Doctor Channing very much becomes a main character in that he is the person Zoe
fears, the person who has the power to take her life away from her and keep her
from Andre. That reason alone makes him the enemy. I consulted my
psychology-degreed daughter as I wrote Doctor Channing. How would he act in
this situation? What would he say? She helped me immensely. Otherwise I
wouldn’t have had a clue as to how to write him!
That being said,
here’s one of my favorite exchanges between Doctor Channing and Zoe:
Doctor
Channing rubbed his forehead in pain, his legs propped up on his desk. He let
out his breath as it whistled through the cracks between his teeth. He studied
her contemplatively. So far, he’d been completely unsuccessful in breaking down
Zoe’s belief in her story. He couldn’t even break off a chink in her armor and
he was frustrated. After sitting in silence for several minutes, Zoe finally
asked, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Do
you wish you could have saved your father, Zoe?”
“What
kind of a question is that?”
“Is
is true that he died in your arms?”
Zoe
visibly paled. “Yes,” she said almost inaudibly. “He had a heart attack right
before my very eyes. I held him while awaiting the ambulance. He was gone
before they even arrived. I’ve never felt so powerless in my life. I suddenly
knew nothing was in my control . . . nothing.”
“So
you created an immortal being, one that feels no pain, can never die, and never
leave you. He awaits you forever. All you have to do is go home and there he
is, waiting for you. It’s all very opportune, isn’t it, Zoe?”
Zoe
said nothing. Her eyes lowered and she stared at the ground.
Wade
knew he was on to something. He stayed completely calm, sitting in his casual
manner, yet he verbally attacked her, letting his words roll off his tongue as
they hit her with striking force. “You’re right, he’s the perfect man. A man
who scoffs at porn, a man who can only take intimacy so far, a man who sees the
sheer goodness in you, a man who loves to help you redecorate the house . . .”
With each statement, he didn’t hide the dripping sarcasm in his voice.
“Stop
it.” Zoe paled and her hands shook in her lap.
“A
man who would never dream of hurting you in any way, a man who loves to simply
look upon you day after day, a man who needs nothing as he doesn’t need to eat
or even sleep, a man who spontaneously gives you piggyback rides, a man who
puts you to sleep when life gets rough . . .” His words were thick with
disdain.
“Shut
up.” She was becoming defensive, tense.
He
was only just warming up. It was time for her to face reality. “A man who can
never cheat on you, a man who can never leave the house, a man who kills for
your honor, a man who can read your mind, a man filled with tender emotions, a
man who loves to simply touch you and nothing more, a man who no other woman is
after as you are the only one who can see him—it’s all very convenient,
wouldn’t you say, Zoe? What woman wouldn’t fall in love with such a paragon of
a man?”
The
only way he was aware of her reaction was the pronounced rise and fall of her
chest.
“You
know nothing,” she said through gritted teeth.
“I’d
say I hit the nail on the proverbial head. Andre is a combination of your
perfect father and what you wished Connor was, all rolled into one faultless,
handsome little package. Only everything is in your control. You say when,
where, and how. You say sit, stay, and roll over. Did you pat Andre on the head
and say, ‘good boy.’ Did you give him a treat for good behavior?”
 Zoe
shot to her feet and screamed at him, “Shut up!” The orderly was in the room
immediately and held a writhing Zoe in his strong arms. She struggled
frantically. “You know nothing about love, you cocky, little jerk!” And then to
the orderly, “Let go of me!” She turned on Wade again, “Go ahead, sit behind
your safe little desk like the coward you are. Who do you think you are? You have
no right to judge me! None!”
The
orderly took her away and as they walked down the hallway, her screams could be
heard throughout the hospital.
Wade
smiled, pleased with her reaction. He’d hit a nerve. She could rail at him all
day, as long as it got her thinking about her delusions and facing the cold,
hard truth.
He
wouldn’t give her something to help her sleep tonight. She needed to dwell on
it, sulk over it—brood in it.
 
*Thanks for following along on the Lancaster House and The
Middle Aisle tour. I hope you enjoy Zoe and Andre’s story! To find your way
home, just return to the entryway and Prism Book Tours. . .

(Pictures can be sourced through http://pinterest.com/burgandyice/secret-passageways/)

Taylor DeanAbout the Author:
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding that she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense-you’ll find all sub-genres of romance in her line-up.
Lancaster House & The Middle Aisle, available in print or eCopy
from Smashwords or Amazon: 
.
.

Tour-Wide Giveaway:

5 WINNERS will receive….

Open only to those who can legally enter. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by Rafflecopter and announced on Rafflecopter and Grand Finale posts as well as emailed and the winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Burgandy Ice @ Colorimetry and Prism Book Tours and sponsored by Taylor Dean. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Tour:
 
2/11 – Unputdownable Books – Guest Post
2/12 – I Am A Reader, Not a Writer – Guest Post 
2/13 – Fundinmental Guest Post 
          Letters to the Cosmos – Review
2/14 – Oh, The Books You’ll Read – Review
          Proud Book Nerd – Guest Post
2/15 – LDS & Lovin’ It – Review
2/17 – Phantasmic Reads – Review
          Lavender & Camomile Press Guest Post
2/18 – The Reading Diaries – Guest Post
2/19 –  Living a Goddess Life – Review
          Beck Valley Books – Guest Post
2/20 – Living the Goddess Life –  Recipe
          Colorimetry
2/21 – Passion and Life – Guest Post
          Books Mystify – Goodreads Review
2/22 – Christy’s Cozy Corner – Review
2/24 – Christy’s Cozy Corner – Review 
A Buckeye Girl Reads – Guest
Post

2/25 – Living a Goddess Life – Review
          Icultgen – Guest Post
2/26 – Who’s Thanny?  (Byzinha) – Review
          Letters to the Cosmos – Review
2/27 – Living a Goddess Life – Recipe   
Tressa – Goodreads
Reviewer

2/28 – A Buckeye Girl Reads – Review
3/1 – Grand Finale TBA…

When Brandon asked me if I would like to read his new short story The Card, I was all over it!

The Card

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Some of you might think this story is predictable. Not so for me. Brandon threw in some curve balls that distracted me long enough to forget a few hints.

Jason is the moderator for the three. Even close friends get into it now and then.

Brian’s ticked off. He’s adamant he didn’t do it.

Freddie’s furious. He’s sure Brian slipped the card into his deck.

They get in each others faces, causing Jason to step in and try to diffuse them.

Freddie designs his tarot decks himself, and he’s positive the card was slipped into his deck by Brian. Even though the back has the same design, there’s no way he created the picture of the creepy old man in the hooded cape. The figure is surrounded by fog, and the raised hand holding up three fingers, what’s up with that? No way does this card belong in his deck.

Brian’s tired of hearing about it. He didn’t put the card in the deck and doesn’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s just a card.

Freddie storms out. When Jason suggests to Brian that he apologize, Brian storms out too.

Great. He’ll just let the two cool off for the weekend and see them next week when they’ve had time to cool down.

Monday comes and Freddie doesn’t show up for work. After his shift, Jason heads to his mobile home to see what’s up.

The minute he steps up to the door, his radar starts warning him somethings wrong. He has a sick feeling, but continues inside.

OhGodOhGodOhGod

What he discovers sends him to his knees. Before everything fades to black he sees it lying there. That card.

I love short stories. I get something similar to tunnel vision when I read them. There’s nothing like them. So much is revealed in so little words. I let myself go and just become engrossed in the story, knowing I’ll only be allowed to be there for a short while.

Brandon is great at getting you to connect with his characters quickly. They become familiar and you grow to care about them. At least the good ones.

Then comes the twists. You have to have some good ones and know where to place them. Brandon does this very well, drawing my attention this way and that, my mind trying to visual each scene.

I didn’t get the ending I expected and that was a nice surprise. I’m usually close when I guess the ending and thought this story would go another way. But, nope. I got a different ending and thank Brandon for that.

The Card gets Four Stars from me!

     

Next up is Out After Dark. Another creepy short story by Brandon.

Out After Dark

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Eric had to get out of the safehouse. He couldn’t stand it for one more minute.

That’s how he finds himself in the alley with the woman. Not sure if she’s spotted him yet, he slips deeper into the shadows.

He’d first spotted her in the club. they exchanged passing glances. He should’ve known the night was going to be bad when he thought he saw her again at the next club.

When he spots her in the shadows of a doorway outside, his worry turns to dread.

Sure enough, she follows him, so he ducks into the alley to hide.

But she follows him.

She calls out to him.

“Come on out and play, you little bastard….”

She casually steps forward as Eric slips further down the alley, and her hand, when she withdraws it from her coat, holds a gun.

Not good.

This was fun. At first I thought Eric was one thing, then I thought he was another. It was fun finding out what he was or wasn’t and whether he was a good guy or a bad guy. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about that.

You know that feeling you get where the hair stands up on the back of your neck and you’re sure someone or something is watching you? That’s what I experienced when reading Out After Dark. I’m sure that’s how the author wanted me to feel. Good job creeping me out.

When the true story of the mysterious woman became clear, I was delighted. I had it somewhat figured out, but then Brandon did the twists thing again, and took it in another direction. An exciting one too!

I just wish it had been longer!

Four Stars for Out After Dark!

     

About the author

Brandon R. Luffman

Born in Statesboro, Georgia in 1976, Brandon Luffman was raised in rural North Carolina from the time he was old enough to walk. In the sixth grade he discovered The Chronicles Of Narnia. Soon after that, he was on to Stephen King and Arthur C. Clarke. At the same time, he was making his first forays into writing fiction. After creating a series of short fantasy pieces for a class assignment that were received with praise, he was hooked on writing fiction for the entertainment of others. Now Brandon writes supernatural horror as well as fantasy, science fiction, and other genres. His short fiction is available online in various formats. Brandon still lives on the family farm in northwestern North Carolina with his wife and family. Taking inspiration from his homeland, he brings southern sensibilities and a modern flair to these classic genre themes. His upcoming survival horror novel, Frostwalker, is expected to be released in 2013.

Frostwalker

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Coming In 2013!

There’s something in the woods behind Jake Marsden’s house – and someone wants him to find it. A strange dream shatters his sleep, night after night, and a compulsion to find the dark presence in the forest wars with his logical and ordered nature. What’s a geek to do?

When his small hometown of Wynn falls under an ancient curse, Jake will find himself in a battle against creatures worse than any he’s faced in a game. Playing for keeps, it will be geek versus god in the fight to stop an evil force bent on destroying everything he holds dear.

The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth – If They Live Long Enough.

For more information, or to sign up to be notified upon release, please visit the Frostwalker site.

I’ve been anticipating this one for a while now. Excited to know it’ll be here soon!

For more about the author

Website

Twitter

Goodreads

Amazon

Click on the covers to purchase the books.

I just received this book for a review. The author has great news!

Human No Longer is free today on Amazon!

Now you can get it and review it too!

Human No Longer

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Jenny and Jeff Sanders become victims of a bizarre crime; leaving Jeff dead and Jenny in a temporary coma. She returns to her children. With Jeff’s death she must move back to her childhood home, a haunted farmhouse, in Summer Haven, Florida, where once they destroyed a family of vampires.
Jenny has no appetite. She’s edgy. Her eyes hurt. She thinks it could be trauma or grief. Until one night she can’t resist the night woods or the overpowering urge to drink warm animals’ blood–and accepts the truth. Her attackers were vampires.
Now she’s becoming what she once reviled. She can’t abandon her children but must find a way to live in the human world. At night she hunts, hides what she’s becoming and attempts to fit in.
Then townspeople begin dying. Like years before. With her blackouts, she fears she may be the killer, or is it her vampire attackers? They find her and demand she joins them–or her family will die. She resists until they kidnap her children. Then she has to find a way to outwit and ultimately destroy them.

Can’t wait to read it and tell you all about it!

I just recently read and reviewed another of Kathryn”s books.

You can read my review of Dinosaur Lake here.

Dinosaur Lake  (once titled Predator)

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Enter at your own risk. There be a huge freakin dinosaur here.

Kathryn has written many books. I couldn’t post all of the books in their covers. Would have taken so long!  Go here to see more.

Freakin Fridays!

Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary. Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!

Today I’ll be telling you about Dinosaur Lake by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.

Dinosaur Lake  (once titled Predator)

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Enter at your own risk. There be a huge freakin dinosaur here.

I love books with creatures in them. This one has a dinosaur. A dinosaur that tasted humans and put them at the top of its list. We may be noisy, what with all the screamin, but we’re oh so tasty.

Chief Ranger Henry Shore likes to get out from behind his desk. He enjoys taking out tours now and then. The park is his love and he jumps at any chance to get out there.

The threat of an earthquake has him concerned. It’s predicted they’ll be hit with a major one, and if the tremors he feels are any indication, it could be soon. The rumors of a giant creature seen in Crater Lake make him pause. Maybe the earlier earthquake released something from the caverns under the lake.

When a couple of the boat captains from the lake tours go missing and all that’s recovered are their shattered boats, Henry begins to believe in the rumors. And when a group of campers are attacked, people are missing, blood and bits of gore are strewn around, and a trail of shattered trees leaves a huge trail to the lake, Henry has no choice but to believe the witnesses testimonies of a gigantic monster, a dinosaur, that attacked and ate their friends.

The creature has come on land and is ranging further and further from the lake to find the tasty morsels he craves and needs. No one is safe and Henry wonders how far the evacuation should go.

Henry has big problems. Will it go into the towns? Where is its lair? When will it strike again and how the hell can he stop it? He wants his park back. With the help of fellow rangers and one strange ex- FBI agent who deals in the unusual, he takes the fight to the monster and many die.

Dinosaur Lake starts out tranquil and quickly becomes a nightmare. When the creature discovers how tasty we are, it wants more. It’s intelligent and cunning and likes to play with its food.

I can’t imagine what is scarier, knowing it’s going to eat you, or having it play cat and mouse with you before crunching you between its giant teeth. A couple of the munching scenes had me squirming, feeling so sad for the victims. I knew they were goners.

The author slowly builds the terror, lulling you and then springing out at you, just like the creature.

Some characters I liked got killed off. Some survived. I kept fearing the worst as the pages flew by. I know the author has to kill off some of the characters, but I wish I could’ve saved a couple. This definitely makes for emotional and suspenseful reading.

Great writing, an awesome creature, likeable and diverse characters, chaos and terror. Everything I require in a creature feature.

Five Stars for Dinosaur Lake

       

About the author

I’ve been writing for over 41 years now…published for 30 of those years since 1984; have EIGHTEEN novels, 2 novellas and 12 short stories to my name…and more coming. Aug. 30, 2012: I (first time ever!) SELF-PUBLISHED MY 16TH NOVEL *DINOSAUR LAKE* TO AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT! January 2013 I SELF-PUBLISHED MY 17TH NOVEL *HUMAN NO LONGER*, my fourth vampire novel. Also in January 2013 I self-published my rereleased murder mystery (originally a 2003 Avalon Books hardcover) SCRAPS OF PAPER-Revised Author’s Edition.

I write traditional supernatural horror, SF horror, romantic time-travel, murder mysteries and paranormal romance. I’ve been writing about ghosts, ancient Egyptian spirits, haunted places and evil vampires WAY LONG BEFORE Stephanie Meyer (no relation to me even though my maiden name is Meyer) and the rest of the vampire author crowd, ha, ha. And now ALL 15 of my older Zebra, Leisure paperbacks, Avalon Books murder mysteries and my Wild Rose Press books have been revised, reprinted and rereleased for the first time in many years (and in e-books for the first time ever) from DAMNATION BOOKS www.damnationbooks.com and ETERNAL PRESS   www.eternalpress.biz and AMAZON KINDLE DIRECT. Yippie! So look for them.

I’m a wife of almost 35 years (husband, Russell), mother (one son, James) and grandmother (two grandchildren, Caitlyn and Joshua). I was a graphic designer in the corporate world for 23 years; and have published with Dorchester, Kensington, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Amazon Kindle Direct, Damnation Books and Eternal Press, and Amazon Publishing. Six years ago I crossed over into e-books as well as paperbacks and now ALL my old/new books are in ebooks…and soon to be in AUDIO BOOKS from ACX. I love cats and nature, classic rock and country music (my brother, JS Meyer  www.jsmeyermusic.com, is a singer/songwriter and does the songs for all my self-made book trailers that are on my websites). VISIT me at http://www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith or http://www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG or http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith to see all my book covers and trailers.

My published books: (ALL OF THESE OUT AGAIN…PLEASE LOOK FOR THEM!) Human No Longer (2013),Dinosaur Lake (SF horror), Scraps of paper-Revised Author’s Edition, Evil Stalks the Night (supernatural horror), Leisure 1984; The Heart of the Rose (historical romance) Leisure 1985; Blood Forge (supernatural horror), Leisure 1989; Vampire Blood (romantic supernatural horror), Zebra 1991; The Last Vampire (supernatural horror), Zebra 1992; Witches (romantic horror), Zebra 1993 & Pinnacle 2000; a novella called The Nameless One in Dark Seductions, an erotic horror anthology, Kensington, 1993; The Calling (supernatural horror), Zebra 1994. The Nameless One, a short erotic novella in the 1994 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions. And Scraps of Paper (hardcover mystery) Avalon Books, 2003; All Things Slip Away, the second mystery in the series came out also from Avalon Books in February 2006 and now both are out again from Amazon and both in ebooks for the first time ever. And my three novels and two short stories from The Wild Rose Press are out again from ETERNAL PRESS: Egyptian Heart(ancient Egyptian time travel romance); Winter’s Journey(a romantic suspense novel); The Ice Bridge, (a contemporary romance e-novel with a dose of murder mystery) and two ghostly short stories, Don’t Look Back, Agnes and In This House. BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons, an apocalyptic saga from Damnation Books, June 2010. THE WOMAN IN CRIMSON, a vampire eternal love story, is out now from ETERNAL PRESS  www.eternalpress.biz. The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction) 2011 and Telling Tales of Horror 2012(I did the chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction)***

Kathryn has written many books. I couldn’t post all of the books in their covers. Would have taken so long!  Go here to see more.

Today’s post is going to be a little different!

I won Shadow of the Oak by Eric Edstrom from a giveaway on Sherry’s blog fundinmental.

I’ve read his Undermountain Saga and this is a bit different.

Young folks and us older folks will love this first chapter in the Sal Van Sleen Series. I did!

For today I am doing an interview with Cole, my son. He read the book and we had a lively discussion about it. He’s 18 years old and I thought it would be fun for you, the readers, to get both of out thoughts about it.

To add to the fun, Eric is offering three paperbacks to three lucky winners! You can enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post. But don’t skip ahead. This interview is fun!

Shadow of the Oak (A Sal Van Sleen Adventure)

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Mushkobewun, WI, 1986

My name is Sal Van Sleen. I live in Boringsville, Wisconsin, also known as Mushkobewun. To give you an idea of how little is going on in this town, consider that my friend Billy and I pretty much spend our summers messing around at the Little Hickory dam.

Exciting, huh?

That was until my girlfriend’s little sister, Chrissy, got abducted by a nasty, supernatural … thing.

I don’t know about you, but I couldn’t just let something like that go…

My Review

I felt like a kid again! Eric’s written a story that takes you back. For me, way back! I used to hang out at a decrepit bridge on the bank of a creek near my house when I was young.

I still remember the sounds of water tumbling over rocks, seeing butterflies and dragonflies flitting through the tall reeds. And the cattails, oh those glorious cattails. We couldn’t wait to get our hands on those. Used to whack each other with them and come home with fluffy white seeds all in our hair.

What we didn’t have was the thing in this book. It’s mean and nasty and not to be toyed with.

When it attacks Chrissy, she ends up contaminated by it and is lying in the hospital.What started as a fun day at the dam, discussing comic book strategies, becomes a journey to capture or kill the creature, and hopefully find a cure for Chrissy.

I really enjoyed the interaction between Sal, Billy, and Becca.They are very different from each other, and while that causes friction at times, they do stick together where it matters. True friends through thick and thin.

Once Billy and Becca believe Sal’s story of the creature, they put their heads together and come up with a plan that lands them in the pickle of all time!

I loved this story. I want more!

And now, enjoy the interview!

So tell me Cole, how did you like Shadow of the Oak?

Cole:  I thought it was great! It read really fast and felt like I was watching a movie, something like Goose Bumps.

Me:  I loved it too. I could see it all so clearly. Wish you could have seen the creek where I grew up. You’d really get a sense of the area these guys hung out at and how easily you could believe in this creature being there.

Is there a character you liked the most and why?

Cole:  Yes, Billy. He felt like the most complex of the trio. Liked his view of Becca changing, changing…throughout the book.

Me:  I’d have to say Sal. He stuck to his guns about the creature, even when his friends didn’t believe him. Also, I had fun watching him fumble around with his crush on Becca.

What made you laugh?

Cole:  Billy, when he was designing the dresses instead of working on the comic books.

Me: That was funny. What made me laugh was Becca and how she knew these two boys way better than they thought.

Was it a fast read? Easy to follow?

Cole: Yes, very fast and creative. Read it in about an hour and didn’t want it to end yet.

Me: Yeah, took me about that long too. It just flew by and now I wish I could rush over to Amazon and get more!

What was your favorite part?

Cole:  When the monster started to go up…oops, can’t tell you that.

Me:  I know! That was crazy. I remember you saying how hopeless the situation was.

Would you read more of this series?

Cole:  Yep. I’m curious as to what could possibly happen after the Chupacabra incident.

Me:  Me too. Wonder what kind of pickle they could get into next.

What would you like to see happen in the next book?

Cole:  I would like to see how Sal’s dad could be thrown into the mix.

Me:  Good one. He does seem to share something special, almost secret, with Sal. As for me, I’d like to see something happen at the dam again, maybe some kind of sea monster the next time.

Cole’s rating ~ 5 Chups!

       

My rating ~ 5 Chupies!

       

Well, there you have it folks! We both agree on some things and definitely agree that we loved the book!

Giveaway

Eric has offered three paperbacks for my giveaway!

US Only. Sorry to my International friends.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question, Can you remember the first book you read?”

Giveaway ends Feb. 28th.

Thank you and Good Luck!

Wait a minute!

This just in!

Eric has a sale going on right now on Amazon!

You can purchase Undermountain, the first book in The Undermountain Saga, for 99 cents right now on Amazon!

And another thing!

He’s also having a giveaway on Goodreads!

 Book Giveaway

Winners will get all three books!

UndermountainCover

The UndermountaiN Saga by Eric Edstrom

Giveaway ends March 18, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

About the Author

Eric Edstrom

Eric is an author, songwriter, husband, father, and guitarist. He is the author of Undermountain, Afterlife and Starkiller, the YA science fiction series The Undermountain Saga.

Eric loves working out with kettlebells and eating pretty much anything with peanut butter.

Eric has a featured article just published: http://www.kalkion.com/news/1736/scie…

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5408492.Eric_Edstrom

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ekedstrom

Facebook.com/erickentedstrom

www.ericedstrom.com

Books by Eric Edstrom.

Click on the covers to purchase.

Sal Van Sleen Series

Undermountain Saga

 Taking on the Dead Series by Annie Walls

The Famished Trilogy

I’m so excited!

Contolling the Dead, Book Two in the Famished Trilogy, is coming soon!

I loved Taking on the Dead and Kansas stole my heart!

Check out the cover art. Doesn’t it just grab you and make you want to rush out and get this.

Hope to have it in my hands soon!

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With the help of her new companions, the path Kansas follows leads to more knowledge of the ever adapting famished.

The team finds help in unlikely places, meeting more survivors, and discovers the possibility of a new beginning.
When the team experiences a devastating loss, Kansas struggles to keep her humanity from fading and distorting like that of the surviving society around her. It begins with knowing who to trust and who to leave behind. First, she must trust herself – she won’t make the same mistakes twice.
As the answers to her questions are revealed, Kansas begins to understand the knowledge comes with a heavy price and great responsibility of controlling the dead.
In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is as emotional as it is horrifyingly gripping.

Check out this cool trailer!

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXQS95eJsME]

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I have to have this! Gimme! Gimme!

Check out Annie’s Blog for more about The Famished Trilogy.

Earlier, I read Taking on the Dead, the first book in this amazing series. I’m going to go ahead and repost my review so you don’t have to leave this page!

I really wanted to hurry and get this read for release day, but I forced myself to take my time. I did not want to miss one tiny bit of it!

Taking on the Dead (The Famished Trilogy, #1)

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I love the grainy image of the cover. It sets the tone for the story and this girl is perfect for the protagonist, Kansas. I am loving her dreadlocks and she knows how to use that machete, as you will see when you read Taking on the Dead!

Let’s get to the book shall we?

So here you are at the carnival, walking hand in hand with your boyfriend, anticipating a night of rides and games, taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells. Suddenly, zombies are everywhere, and you are in for the fight of your life.

That’s what happened to Kansas. She survived that night, but paid a heavy price.

Fast forward to four years later. Kansas City Sunshine Moore, also known as Kansas or Kan for short,  has been surviving, hiding out in her family’s underground bunk all alone. A betrayal by a group of people she offered shelter to forces her to leave her home and search for a new one. She quickly discovers there is much she doesn’t know about the zombies. There are the fresh ones, the Famished, and they are very fast and strong. What else doesn’t she know? She has been secluded for four years and now it looks like that wasn’t the smartest thing to do.

The first time Kansas meets Rudy, they don’t actually meet. With the long reach of his compound bow, he helps clear zombies from her path, but Kan is still wary of strangers and jumps in her car and races away. It’s a good thing Rudy decides to follow her, because the next time they meet he saves her life.

Kan comes to in the back of Rudy’s van. Well actually, it is an armored truck, the kind used to transport money, and it’s perfect for keeping out the pesky zombies. It can also mow them down easily. After a brief scuffle, Rudy convinces her he means no harm. Through conversation, Kan learns about the Famished, the dangerously fast zombies, and how different they are from the others. She learns a lot about what’s been happening while she was isolated in her bunker the first four years. Staying with Rudy, at least for now, is her best bet.

My thoughts and Ramblins

I’m going to warn you, I feel this story is for the older reading audience. There are no graphic sexual scenes but there is some mature content.

I love my zombies and I sure did get plenty of them in Taking on the Dead. I also got one heck of a great story about survival and humanity, and the lack of it. Not everyone that survives is nice, just like before the apocalypse. The characters are diverse and all too human.

Of course, there is some romance in the story. It is subtle, creeping up on you, just like it does to Kansas. It is not the focal point, but it definitely makes the story better. Wouldn’t you want someone to have and to hold when your world is overrun with zombies? I know I wouldn’t mind having someone to care about, otherwise, what’s the point of surviving?

Kansas is strong-willed and independent, but not necessarily a loner. Enter Rudy and her life gets complicated. Who could resist a man like him. Strong and gentle, with a large dose of sexiness and endearing humbleness. They are a good fit.

Here are some of my favorite scenes:

I almost elbow Rudy to wake him until I see how he looks when sleeping…Despite all the fighting, his nose is straight. Small scars from past fights etch his skin. A small, wide one dresses his lower lip. One much longer goes from his lower jaw to underneath the chin, his stubble efficiently covering it up. A chipped tooth adorns his bottom row of teeth.  The scar on his right eyebrow no longer allows hair to grow, splitting the eyebrow in half. He might get another scar on his left eyebrow, the cut is scabbed over now, and it’s wider then the scar on his left side. Very small imperfections, not even noticeable unless you look closely. It doesn’t take away from his handsome face. It enhances his masculinity, as if he needs it. The small flaws have history and give him character. Flaws I want to know about, and could grow quite fond of if I’m not careful.

Jesus. This chivalrous barbarian is beautiful. What am I getting myself into?

And of course some humor

“I’m thinking of naming your truck. I must be out of it.” I prop my head on the pillow against the window.

There’s slight amusement across his features. “What did you have in mind?”

“I don’t know. Something domineering and associated with a big ass.” I motion with my hands.

He surprises me by saying, “Agatha. I had a teacher in the sixth grade, and that was her first name. She liked her power over us weaklings and she had a gigantic ass.” He starts laughing and shaking his head as if to clear the thought.

“Yeah, that fits. Agatha.” I say, trying it out.

“She was scary. I was glad when sixth grade was over.” We both laugh at this. I can’t picture him afraid of anything. It feels good to be laughing about something completely stupid. I can see he needed to laugh too.

The humor is well placed throughout the story, lightening the mood and giving you a break from the stress of survival, just as it would in real life. You know the scenes, where the cop makes a joke in poor taste about a victim?  That is a coping mechanism, and everyone needs one. The humor makes this story believable.

In one part Kansas poses an interesting question about zombies. One I am now curious about as well.

Do the souls get stuck to watch and feel their bodies decompose, all the while having an uncontrolled, insatiable craving? I guess that’s why I like killing them, just in case. No one deserves that fate.

There are some colorful characters you’ll be meeting.  There are the good, the bad, and the ugly. They all play their part, keeping you entertained and engaged.

This is my stopping point. I don’t like to tell much about the story past the one-third point. I like to draw you in and get you interested, much the way Annie Walls did to me.

I loved every second I was in it, and yes, it felt like I was a part of it. Fantastic job Annie!

Just one more thing and then you can go get Taking on the Dead.

About the ending!

I was talking to Mandy over on Goodreads. She is right about the ending! That’s all I’m saying.

  Still loving it and feeling it!!

More good news! There are two more books in this series coming out.

Controlling the Dead, Book Two

Living with the Dead, Book Three

Annie Wallsr

About Annie Walls

Author of dark fantasy and sub-genres of horror. Voracious Reader and Googler. Lover of dark humor. Horror Buff. Zombie Apocalypse Enthusiast. Loyal Cracked follower. Pinterest Addict. Wife of adoring husband. Mother of a five year old Bruce Wayne. Cook. Maid. Kisser of boo-boos. Ultimate Time Waster. Perfect Procrastinator. Lolly Gagger. Trubie. Cake Decorator. Tea Drinker. Sculpey Sculptor. Girl Gamer. Perfectionist in the art of Facebook stalking. And now, God help me, a blogger. Oh yeah, and a twitter, twatter, tweeter. Well yeah, I’m one crafty bitch

You can find Annie here:

http://www.AnnieWalls.com

https://www.facebook.com/annie.walls

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5777960.Annie_Walls

http://www.twitter.com/TheAnnieWalls

You can purchase Taking on the Dead by clicking on the cover image below.

Evans Light is at it again! He’s giving away more books!

Go here to get your copy of The Black Door.

It’s free on Amazon through Friday, Feb. 15th.

BLaCK DooR

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William and his brothers are on their way to summer camp. But when a wrong turn leads them to an abandoned campground, things start to get weird in this nail-biting tale of adventure and suspense. Appropriate for pre-teen to adults.

This is one of the few books by Evans I haven’t read, YET!

You’ll be reading my review soon!

And Adam is doing it too!

Great news for ya’ll. It’s free to download on Goodreads here.

Vengeance By The Foot

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This is a wicked fast read. Only takes around 10 minutes. I love the play on words Adam used in the title. You’ll get it when you read the story.

If you like stomach turning horror with your dark humor, you’ll like this one. Just a warning!

It’s a lot darker than other stories by Adam that I’ve read.

Go here to read my review.

I wasn’t kidding when I warned you about this one.

The Light Brothers have been very busy.

They’ve set up their own Q & A on Goodreads

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Adam and Evans have been working on setting up a Goodreads Q&A group, which can be found here: http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/8…

I’m thrilled to join this group. Goodreads is where I met Evans and Adam and discovered their awesome stories.

I’ve read many of their books and am making my way through all of them.

You can go to the page for Vengeance By the Foot, one of my twisted short stories, and read it for free for the rest of February. Totally free. Tell me what you think of it, if you would like, but either way, enjoy! This is the GR uploaded ebook, so it is in epub format.

Author contacts

Evans Light

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You can find all of Evans books here .

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Books written with Adam Light

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To purchase Adam’s books, click on the covers.

Books written with Evans Light