Archive for the ‘reviews’ Category

Still Lovin This Series!

Posted: October 16, 2012 in apocalypse, Creatures, fiction, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Series, Vampires
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Two Riders (Blood Run Trilogy, Book Two) by Christine Dougherty

Two Riders

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I love the title for this book. It really is about two riders.

In First Promise (Book One) Promise has a sleek black stallion named Ash and Peter (half-vampire also called half-and-half) has a stocky white mare named Snow. You can read my review here .

In Two Riders (Book Two) Promise and Peter join a group of soldiers from the National Guard. They are being escorted to New Jersey.  There is a scientist working on a cure for vampirism, and Promise is hoping to bring that cure back for her little brother, Chance.

She lost her parents to vampires and not long after her brother was turned after being bitten.  She is doing everything she can to keep her promise to him. To make everything alright again.

The soldiers are a mixed bag of volunteers and enlisted. There is one that is causing lots of problems for Peter. Evans is drawn to Promise, but despises Peter and uses every opportunity to make this known. He is always one step away from putting an arrow through Peter. As Peter is finding it more and more difficult to resist the dark urges of the virus running through his veins, the journey is fraught with tension. These two are dangerously close to killing each other.

The trip is slow and arduous, the soldiers having to keep their humvees moving at a pace that the horses can maintain. With the vampires getting more brazen, it wouldn’t do for the riders, Promise and Peter, to be left behind.

Without giving too much away, I’ll tell you that not everyone makes it to Jersey. Three will fall, but I won’t tell you who.

Of course, I’m very fond of Peter and I love Promise. She is young and vulnerable, and recognizes this. She’s also intuitive and very quick thinking. She is growing up fast.

Evans, the cantankerous, gruff soldier, really got on my nerves at first. I was thinking, this is the bad apple. There is one in every story, the one you love to hate.

But that changed over time. I learned his story as he revealed it to Promise. He actually became likeable, someone I would want on my side. I would love to read a book about him.

The writing is smooth, with no wasted words. The vampires are more vicious, the scenes more bloody, and the characters are becoming my friends. I am completely involved in this series.

Christine wraps it up nicely. I like how she gives you an ending in each book and also a lead in to the next one. I guess you could read each one by itself, as she gives a recap at the beginning of the second and third book. But I recommend you read them in order and get the complete experience. I wouldn’t want you to miss out on that.

  Still loving this series!!

I’m finished reading Last Chance (Blood Run Trilogy, Book Three), the last book in this series. I’ll be back to tell you about it soon!

About Christine Dougherty and where to find her.

Christine Dougherty

Christine Dougherty is at home in South Jersey with a husband, dog, and two cats. She has published short stories in The Absent Willow Review, Necrotic Tissue, Fiction at Work, and Niteblade.

Christine’s greatest influences are Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Dean Koontz, Wally Lamb and a fascination with the scarier aspects of life, be they paranormal or criminal.

Christine writes in the genres of horror, paranormal, and psychological thriller and is never happier than when she is tackling the undead, the walking dead, werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, aliens, spooky scenes, scary characters, psychics, demons, devils, and quirky heroes and heroines.

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

Facebook

To purchase the Blood Run Trilogy click on the images below.

Christine has written many books. You can find them all here .

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A Free Traumatizing Tale!

Posted: October 13, 2012 in fiction, Freebies!, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense
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Clouds by Matt McAvoy

I spotted this on Amazon as a free download. Seeing it was only 10 pages long, I thought why not, and nabbed this puppy.

You can purchase it by clicking on the cover image.

Being only 10 pages, I figured it would be quick and over. Those 10 pages felt like an eternity!

Imagine waking up and you’re falling. Falling from the sky. The rate of your fall causes the friction to rip at you, trying to tear out your hair and rip off your eyelids. It’s freezing cold, so cold it burns. Have you ever felt that burning sensation when your hands are wet and freezing? Imagine feeling that all over your body.

Your body tumbles from the sky in an out of control descent, making it hard to tell if you’re falling up or down to the clouds that are looming closer. And you have no parachute!

You have the insane hope the clouds will buffer your fall, maybe cradle you. It’s irrational, but your mind races for a solution, a way to change the inevitable.

Most people have had that dream where you’re falling and you jerk awake before you hit the ground. That’s how I felt while reading Clouds, but I couldn’t wake up, I didn’t wake up.

If you’re looking for a quick, intense story, I recommend you grab Clouds. There are no wasted words, it’s well written, and don’t you want to know how  this could happen and what the end is?

  Terrifyingly good!

Go get Clouds now. I don’t know how long it will be free to download. Just click here and it’s yours.

Matt has written two more stories I plan to read really soon.

One of Matt McAvoy’s “Modern Tales of Horror”, available as a complete works,
and the author’s first foray into supernatural horror.

Modern day London
– a proud day for a very proud man, and why shouldn’t he be? Boris has worked so
very hard, and is now launching his new driver-less tube train on the pioneering
Tower Line. But while some consider the line a triumph, not all are as pleased;
in fact some, the more spiritually-attuned perhaps, are downright terrified.

For the line, along with its creators, hides a secret… a secret darker
than the tunnels under the Thames, and darker than the stories around the bodies
buried there. As dark as the blackest evil of which man is capable. Bear witness
– in the tunnel there is no way out.

WARNING – ADULTS ONLY

I can’t wait to read this one! It’s around 60 pages and sounds like it’s packed with scary goodness, or I guess you’d say badness. And it’s only 99 cents or free for Prime members. Click on the cover to buy a copy.

Meet Ollie. Well-educated and spoilt – a rich kid, fun-loving party-goer and
brutal sociopath.

Ruthlessly arrogant Ollie takes what he wants, when he
wants it. But Ollie’s going to learn, the hard way, that for every action
there’s a consequence, and for every bounty a price.

Because living with
Granjy isn’t the bed of roses he thought it was going to be; the blind old lady
sees everything – sees him – and most of all sees the monster he is becoming, in
a way that nobody else can. And that strange and terrible perception that surely
only she has frightens Ollie more than he’ll ever admit.

It was she that
spoilt him rotten-to-the-core, and now his payment is due. Her sightless eyes
and her creepy, knowing smile will compel him to tear apart his own dark
soul.

Granjy will teach him new meaning of the word ‘remorse’.

Ooh! Scary! I can’t wait to read this one either! It’s a bit longer than the others, around 100 pages Click on the cover to buy it. Only 99 cents or free for Prime members.

This contains all three of the tales from Matt McAvoy. Click on the cover to get your copy. It’s less than three dollars.

About the Author

Matt McAvoy was born in Hertfordshire in 1974. As a child he moved with his family to Devon where he attended the Torquay Grammar School for Boys and started writing fiction at an early age. He has studied screen-writing and production, and has graduated from the Open University (which he recommends highly) in psychology, social policy and criminology. Although he originally undertook the studies, he says, to make him a better writer in his favoured subject, since their completion he has spent many years working with young offenders as a mentor/project worker, and adult offenders as an officer with the public protection team; he is also the founder and chairman of the web-based organization for victims of violent crime justice4victims.org, which he uses as a platform to campaign for changes in the criminal justice system.ting fiction at an early age. Matt enjoys writing dark, often comical, usually violent and sometimes even romantic fiction in the drama and thriller genres (though recently departed temporarily into horror, after being bought a cool, gothic, bound parchment journal as a gift); he writes in a variety of formats, including short stories, novels and screenplays. He is equally content publishing theses and essays on criminal behaviour and the British criminal justice system. All of his diverse work can be downloaded from his website – most of it for free. Matt lives in London with his wife Katherine.
You can visit Matt here .
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FREE on Amazon!! Payback’s a Bi??h!

Posted: October 12, 2012 in Book Promos, fiction, Freebies!, horror, Mytery/Thriller, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense
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Pay Back by Evans Light is free to download from Amazon right now, October 12th through the 16th!

Go here to get your copy!

PAY BACK


Stephen Hill has been heaping abuse on poor Joe King since second grade.
Now grown men with nothing in common, the pair continue to get together once a year, and Joe still patiently endures Stephen’s unrelenting ridicule.
But when friendship is only a matter of perspective, PAY BACK might be just around the corner.

Excellent choice for the cover art!

I just recently read and reviewed two of Evans books, Whatever Possessed You? and Crawl Space. You can read my reviews here. Loved them. They really creeped me out.

A strange encounter leaves Gerard Faust a changed man. Now with sanity slipping away, he finds himself caught in a race against time to uncover what happened that night – before it possesses him completely.

Fooling around on your wife can be hazardous to your health.

Just ask Tom.

He’s a man who has a lot to juggle: a frustrated wife, a secret new girlfriend, and the unpleasant task of trying to keep his deteriorating farmhouse from falling down around him.

Now with his wife out-of-town for the week, Tom is eager to get busy under the covers with his beautiful new lover – but first there’s something he has to finish up…in the CRAWLSPACE.

This thrilling, full-length short story is a hair-raising adventure for cheating husbands, cheated-on wives, and everyone in between.

I am reading Pay Back right now and will be telling you all about it real soon!

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

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How Far Would You Go? / My Review of Heart Search

Posted: October 11, 2012 in Blog Tour, fiction, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Series, Vampires, Videos
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Welcome back to the blog tour! As I promised. It’s time for my review of Heart Search. There’s so much to tell you.

Heart Search: Lost (Heart Search, #1)

Only two weeks until the wedding. Joshua is anticipating Remy’s return tomorrow. This is the first time they’ve really been apart and he is looking forward to holding her in his arms again.

While walking through the country park, Joshua spies a secluded bench and stops to rest for a bit. The next thing he knows, it’s dark out and the park gates are locked. He’ll have to sleep in his car until the park rangers open up in the morning.

Remy disembarks from the plane and searches the crowd for Joshua.  Her heart leaps when she meets his warm gaze. Rushing to him, she’s crushed in his embrace. His enthusiastic kisses turn painful and sensing Remy’s discomfort, he apologizes for getting carried away.

After a passionate night of lovemaking, Remy awakens to unusual soreness. Her reflection in the mirror shows bruises all up and down her body. After the way they pounced on each other last night, she figures they both got a little crazy after two weeks apart. Then it happens again, only this time she has scratches and abrasions all over and she’s stiff and achy.

When Joshua sees what he’s done, he’s shattered. He would never hurt Remy. Why is this happening? Remy assures him she’s okay but Joshua won’t be consoled. He rushes out the front door, calling to Remy that he loves her and he’s sorry.

With little time to worry about Joshua’s sudden departure, Remy heads off to work. When she returns home later, she senses something is not right. She spots the letter on the table. She reaches for it with shaking hands, fearing what’s inside.  It’s goodbye. Calling himself a monster and a danger to her, Joshua has left, never to return. She races through their home and sure enough, all of his clothes and toiletries are gone.

Her world crumbles and she faints.  Some time later she awakens and finds the strength to call her twin sister Becky, who rushes right over. Becky consoles her through the long night.

By morning, Becky has a plan of action. She knows how much Remy and Joshua love each other and she urges Remy to fight for that love, to find Joshua and bring him home. It sounds like a good plan, but Remy has no way of knowing how long it will take, and what surprises lie in store on her path.

All Joshua knew was he couldn’t stay with Remy any longer. He was a danger to her.  Stopping at a rest area to collect himself after his emotional departure from what was once home, he starts to remember some of that day in the park. He’d donated blood and taken a peaceful walk in the park, resting on the park bench for a bit. He’d awakened in the dark, the arm he’d donated with hurting more than it should.  He peeled back the bandage to see not one, but two punctures.

He’d noticed changes in himself, many changes, but his conclusions about them couldn’t possibly be right. He goes to an internet cafe, goes on-line , finds the site he is searching for and compares his notes about his changes to what is listed on the web page.

Eyes sensitive to light, especially the sun

Skin much paler than normal

Incisors much sharper and more pointed

Eye colour changing

Excellent night vision

Normal food makes me sick

Prefer uncooked or barely cooked meat

Hearing so much sharper

Much stronger

He laid the pen next to the keyboard, put his hand on the mouse and moved it to click on another page. Cross-referencing the information on the screen with the list he had compiled, a new understanding swept over him, a huge wave crashing onto a cliff face in a storm. Now he knew what he was becoming . . . a vampire.

And this is just the beginning of Remy and Joshua’s story.

My heart went out to Remy. I’ve had my heart broken before and it still hurts when I think about it, even though it was long ago. She cries at the drop of a hat. Anything can set her off, which I find very believable.  Her decision to fight for Joshua, to hit the road and find him, bring him home, is quite brave. Remy drives from town to town, checking all of the places where he could be staying.  Soon the search starts to break her down. Each negative response she gets when she inquires as to whether they have seen him, is another dagger to her weary heart. But she won’t give up. She knows he is out there somewhere, and she will not stop until she finds him.

Poor Joshua. His visions of the future are not to be. He can’t be with Remy, can’t be her husband.  Especially now that he knows what he is becoming, a vampire. He will disappear from Remy’s life, let her forget him and find someone who can be the husband she deserves. He should have known she wouldn’t give up on him that easily.

A voice speaks to Joshua, speaks to him in his mind. It tells him to come home. What home? Where? He finds himself driving, heading to who knows where, with no conscious thought as he makes turns and exits. It’s like he is being guided to his destination.  He is anxious to get there. Anxious to have answers to his many questions. Why me? Now what do I do? Those are just some of the questions racing through his mind as he draws nearer.

I now understand why this book is titled Heart Search. But there are really two hearts searching in this story.

I can’t tell you much more than I have already. I can’t wait for you to read this book. You may think it is a love story, and you’d be correct. But lets not forget that Joshua is now a vampire, and the ones you meet in Heart Search are not vegetarians! I really loved how Carlie portrayed them and their lack of empathy for their victims. To them, they are just doing what they do, feeding to stay alive.

I cried at times, got mad, rolled my eyes, gasped and had some Oh, I see moments while reading. There is so much to entertain you in Heart Search. I am thrilled to know that this is just Book One in the  series.

I’ll warn you right now, the ending is a killer! Carlie better write fast.

After finishing Heart Search I was “gobsmacked” as Carlie puts it!

 Loved it!!

You can check out the other stops on the blog tour, catch all of the great reviews, excerpts, interviews and a huge giveaway here .

You can purchase your copy by clicking the links below.

Amazon US http://amzn.to/OLwU59

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/PhC0Gu

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You have to read this book! First Promise by Christine Dougherty

Posted: October 10, 2012 in apocalypse, Creatures, fiction, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Series, Vampires
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Behind this innocent looking book cover is one hell of a great vampire story. Don’t let this cover art fool you!

First Promise (Book One in the Blood Run series)

By Christine Dougherty

First Promise

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I nabbed this book for free off of Amazon. The blurb made me curious. I am so glad I did.

First Promise sat in my kindle for a few days, and as I was browsing to see what I might like to read, I happened on this book.  I opened it up, started reading, and a couple of hours later, I was finished. I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t want it to end. I was so pumped up I wanted to hit something! Just kiddin. But I was anxious to read more of this series.

I hopped over to Goodreads to check out Christine Dougherty. I was surprised that I had not friended her. Her books are my kind of reading, wonder how I missed her. Be sure, I friended her now! And I spotted the next two books in the series. They are available on Amazon and now I don’t have to wait to dive back in!

Let me tell ya’ll about this story.

It started in 1983.  News reports and rumors about vicious attacks trickled into the small town of Willow’s End. The townspeople soon start to believe the reports are true as the outbreak escalates, spreading to all corners of the Earth by the end of 83.

It takes a while for the infected to reach Willow’s End.  It’s now 1985. People start to go missing and some are found dead, their bodies ripped apart. Then the worse happens. The vampires get Promise’s parents. Promise, only eighteen years old, now has to protect and care for her nine-year old brother Chance. They are all each other has.

One week later, she loses Chance also. The survivors of the surrounding towns have taken shelter in the high school. It is a secure outpost, like many scattered throughout the country. They should have been safe. Then someone leaves a door open, and the vampires come pouring in from the darkness outside. It’s a bloodbath. So many die. And Chance is bitten. It doesn’t take long for him to change into a bloodsucker.

The others want to stake Chance, but Promise forbids it. As he howls and gnashes his long incisors in her face, Promise cries out to him to stop. He seems to have enough humanity left in him to hear her, and he dives out the window and runs off into the night.

Promise was not  always her name. She changed it from Destiny because she made a “promise” to her little brother. Since she first laid eyes on him as an infant, she always felt like he was her child. Now she has to hunt him down and end his pain.

Her promise, “I’ll fix everything. Until the day I rest in my grave, I will look for him.”

Now she shares a room with her horse, Ash, and her friend Lea, a quiet, shy girl, head-over-heels in love with Mark, who is hopelessly in love with Promise. Quite the pickle they are in. Promise has no interest in Mark besides friendship and they all manage to remain close, looking out for each other.

Then a newcomer arrives. A handsome young man, several years older than Promise. They seem drawn to each and not just because Peter has a horse also. The stories going around that he’s half-and-half are true. He has been bitten and survived, unchanged. The fact that his dreams are filled with a lust for blood will remain his secret.

Okay, I have to stop here. It is really going to get cranking now.

This little jewel is screaming at me to keep telling you more.

I am so glad there are two more books in this series. I have fallen hard for Promise and Peter, along with Lea and Mark. There are some periphery characters I like also and they help keep the story flowing and make it plausible.

I love how the author describes Promises’s feelings about vampires. They echo my own, and I’ve never seen it mentioned before.

“It still felt weird on her lips and in her ears. Vampires. The word was squirmy and old-fashioned and almost… embarrassing.”

There is one other moment in the story where this happens. It is like the author knows how I feel. It has to do with Peter and Promise, and what she discovers about his life before the outbreak. See if you catch what I mean. It’s like the author read my mind.

This would be a great read for young adult and more mature readers.

I’ve only touched on this story. There is so much in store for you. You have to read First Promise!

 

5 for 5 plus a pinch more because I don’t have to wait for the next two books. They are available now!

My review of Two Riders (Book Two in the Blood Run Series) is coming soon!

About Christine Dougherty and where to find her.

Christine Dougherty

Christine Dougherty is at home in South Jersey with a husband, dog, and two cats. She has published short stories in The Absent Willow Review, Necrotic Tissue, Fiction at Work, and Niteblade.

Christine’s greatest influences are Stephen King, Margaret Atwood, Anne Tyler, Dean Koontz, Wally Lamb and a fascination with the scarier aspects of life, be they paranormal or criminal.

Christine writes in the genres of horror, paranormal, and psychological thriller and is never happier than when she is tackling the undead, the walking dead, werewolves, vampires, zombies, ghosts, aliens, spooky scenes, scary characters, psychics, demons, devils, and quirky heroes and heroines.

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Amazon

Facebook

To purchase the Blood Run Trilogy click on the images below.

WORMWOOD by DH Nevins only 99 cents!

Posted: October 9, 2012 in angels, Book Promos, fiction, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Romance, Series, Videos
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I  love this book. I have hosted two giveaways, done an interview with Danielle, gave it a Beyond 5 Stars rating and review, and now I get to tell you about this amazing deal.

For the next two weeks, Wormwood is on sale for 99 cents !

Wormwood

Against a devastated landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell-bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is miraculous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise? Beautifully written and excitingly told, Wormwood creates a world that is as strange as it is compelling. Filled with brilliantly executed twists and turns on every page that are guaranteed to keep you guessing, Wormwood is one of the most exciting debuts of the year.

You can read my review and interview with DH Nevins here.

Check out this awesome Wormwood book trailer!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_TmOuZ8iO4]

..

Danielle just reduced Wormwood’s price to 99 cents on both

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/Wormwood-ebook/dp/B005V55BQM/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1316797748&sr=1-1

and
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91587

in appreciation of all the lovely comments from  her readers. We had such a huge response to the giveaways and review post and I agree with Danielle that it was very special.  Just click on the links to get your copy! Here’s to ya’ll!

D. H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a relatively remote area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about angels destroying the world. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.

She loves to connect with others and can be contacted or followed a number of ways:

Website: http://www.dhnevins.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/dhnevins

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/133020440053518/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5158514D_H_Nevins

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Scary Good Stories. Tis the season ya know!

Posted: October 5, 2012 in Book Promos, Creatures, fiction, giveaways, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense
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I just recently discovered this new author.

CRAWLSPACE


Fooling around on your wife can be hazardous to your health.

Just ask Tom.

He’s a man who has a lot to juggle: a frustrated wife, a secret new girlfriend, and the unpleasant task of trying to keep his deteriorating farmhouse from falling down around him.

Now with his wife out-of-town for the week, Tom is eager to get busy under the covers with his beautiful new lover – but first there’s something he has to finish up…in the CRAWLSPACE.

This thrilling, full-length short story is a hair-raising adventure for cheating husbands, cheated-on wives, and everyone in between.

My review

Tired of being nagged repeatedly by his wife, Tom finally gets around to spreading the lime underneath their old house.  He assures her that by the time she returns next week, he will have it finished and the house will be protected from moisture. After being used as a fall guy at work and losing his job, he really can’t afford to hire someone, so it’s up to him.

It’s a given that Tom is a jerk. A big one. That’s why he finds himself trapped under the house.  With his wife gone for the week and no neighbors in screaming distance, he’s in a heap of trouble.

Warning

If you’re claustrophobic this book will have you squirming.

Not a long book. Took me about an hour and a half to finish, minus some interruptions. But in that time, I was suffering from distress. I felt stuck, like the walls were closing in. Ever had tunnel vision? That’s how I felt. I could imagine how cold and dank it was. How dark and tight. Not to mention all the creepy crawlers under there. I hate spiders, ick!

Crawlspace freaked me out. If you like a story that makes you squirm, I recommend this one.

c

Gave this 4 spiders . Scary good!

I just started reading another book by Evans, Whatever Possessed You? and it’s looking really good so far! It’s about…Wait, I’ll tell you about it in my next review

.

Whatever Possessed You?


A strange encounter leaves Gerard Faust a changed man. Now with sanity slipping away, he finds himself caught in a race against time to uncover what happened that night – before it possesses him completely.

My review

Struggling author Gerard Faust never thought his trip to the book store would go down the way it did. He’s approached by a scruffy young man asking for his help. The man hands him a scrap of old parchment and tells him to read it. It’s in a language unknown to Gerard and he politely declines, but the man insists it’s to be read aloud. That’s the only way it could be understood. So Gerard reads it aloud.  Maazo Maazo…

Gerard feels something enter him, nestling deep inside. The stranger runs off and Gerard writes him off as disturbed, feeling surprisingly good after the odd encounter.

Now he’s writing like a man obsessed, or possessed. He types until his fingers ache, with no memory of what he’s written. Are the words even his own?

He has stopped taking care of himself, neglects his supportive wife and young daughter,  and is experiencing missing time. Something has control of his mind and body.

He may be writing that coveted ”best seller”, but what is he writing?

I love stories about authors. Even in fiction I love to hear about their thoughts and writing processes. I just hope this story is all fiction. Wouldn’t want to pick up a book and run into this problem.

I enjoy stories that start off innocently and slowly pull you into the abyss. This book gets darker and darker and I feel sorry for Gerard. You hope it won’t end badly for him, but it’s probably not in the cards with a last name like Faust.

Like a relentless,suspense? I recommend you get Whatever Possessed You? and  ride the ride.

 Gave this 4 for creepiness.

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 books here .

Evans Light

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A Murder of Crows or a Murdering Crow? The Nest by Ben Lokey

Posted: September 29, 2012 in Creatures, fiction, horror, reviews, suspense
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I have a book I want to CROW about!!

The Nest by Ben Lokey

The Nest

Monday: The beginning.

It’s finally moving day. Mark, Lanie, and her young son David are moving into their new house. Since Mark and Lanie aren’t married, it took a while longer for the loan to go through but now they are starting their new life together.

Mark doesn’t feel ready for marriage, so he feels buying the house together is a commitment of sorts. Lanie feels that buying it is either going to bring them closer together or break them apart. Either way, it’s something at least.

The house is beautiful and the view of the Pacific Ocean is to die for. There’s one slight problem. Mark keeps finding dead birds, their bodies torn apart and scattered around under the only tree on their pristine front lawn, a very tall palm tree, it’s lean trunk stretching almost to heaven.

Something is killing these creatures in a calculated and vicious way. Thus begins Mark’s quest to solve the mystery.

Old man Cauffield, his neighbor, gives him a huge clue. His sweet german shepherd Maxine is a victim of the murderer. She lost her eyes to the tenant in the penthouse of the palm tree.

Seems there’s a crow’s nest in the top of the tree and the bird has claimed his territory.

I’ve always been a little creeped out by crows. Think about it. They call a group of them a “Murder of Crows.” They are very big, very loud, and very bold. It’s said they are the harbinger’s of death. Enough said.

This war between Mark and the crow starts slowly but by the end, five days later, it’s a battle  for survival.

Everything Mark tries to rid them of the crow fails and fails with deadly and disastrous results.

You have Mark on one side and the crow on the other, both claiming the same territory and both protecting their families by any means.

Even when you think you know what’s coming, it still shocks you and makes you cringe.

And the crow! He has staked his claim and isn’t going anywhere. He is cunning, determined and extremely deadly.

The Nest made me think of a favorite movie called Of Unknown Origin starring Peter Weller. While his wife and child are away for the weekend he is terrorized by a huge rat. The final face-off in the end is just fantastic.

The last two days in this book are like that movie. The action is relentless. You don’t have time to relax as the war escalates in intensity and frequency. Whew, are you in for it when you read this one.

Take some Stephen King, add some Dean Koontz and John Saul, and you have a very scary good book in The Nest.

  Very Scary Good!!

You can find Ben here:

Goodreads

Website

About Ben Lokey

Ben Lokey is a member of The Screen Actors Guild (SAG), The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Actor’s Equity Association (AEA), and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). Ben has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in dance and choreography, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Directing, from the University of Utah.
For 20 years Ben lived in Los Angeles working in the film and television industry with such stars as John Travolta, Ben Vereen, Francis Coppola, George Burns, Cher, George Lucas, Danny Kaye, Martin Landau, Lucille Ball, Brooke Shields and Sylvester Stallone. While in New York, Ben studied acting at the H.B. Studios, under Herbert Berghoff. In Los Angeles, he studied at the Actor’s Studio, and with Martin Landau and Jeff Corey.
Ben began his professional career as a principal dancer with Ballet West and a soloist with the Pennsylvania Ballet. He went on to star in  A Chorus Line on Broadway, and danced with Ann Margret in Las Vegas. He starred in the film Breaking and was a dancer in the films Staying Alive and Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. He danced with Michael Jackson in his videos Thriller and Captain EO, and with Olivia Newton John in her video Lets Get Physical. Ben has choreographed, directed and performed in film, television, video, commercials, opera, ballet and theatre.  He choreographed the New Zealand national touring production of the hit musical Chicago, as well as performing the role of Amos in that production. Ben directed and choreographed a production of Singin’ In The Rain, in Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as performing the famous Gene Kelly role in that production. Ben directed and choreographed two new productions for the world famous Casino De Monte Carlo, on the French Riviera, co-produced and performed in a production of Tennessee Williams Night of the Iguana, for the Mississippi Repertory Theatre Company, and produced, directed and performed in My Way, a tribute to Frank Sinatra, at Casino Magic. And he directed and choreographed The Rat Pack Is Back, a tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean, presently running in Las Vegas and touring nationally. He will soon be seen performing the role of John Adams in the musical production, 1776.
Ben began writing at the suggestion of film director/writer Francis Ford Coppola.
He presently has five books in print, available on Amazon.com.
Beauty Possessed
Beneath The Butterfly Tree
Joe’s Treasure
The Nest
The Adventures of Dolph Heyliger

To purchase, just click on the images.

I purchased this book for free on Amazon. My thoughts are my own.

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Today Only!!! All These Goodies For 99 cents

Posted: September 25, 2012 in Alert!!, Book Promos, fiction, Paranormal or fantasy, Release day, reviews, Romance, Series, Vampires, werewolves
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8

Look what I just bought!!!

Happy Release Day for HD Gordon and The Rise: The Alexa Montgomery Saga, Book Three!

For today only HD has priced all of her books at 99 cents!

The Rise (The Alexa Montgomery Saga #3)

Click on this link to buy it: http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Alexa-Montgomery-Saga-ebook/dp/B009GBDMHW/ref=sr_1_6?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1348601966&sr=1-6

The supernatural world in which Alexa Montgomery has found herself is on the brink of war. She is charged with the task of raising an army, defeating an evil dictator, and struggling to contain the bloodthirsty monster that lives within her.

These are things Alexa can handle, but when the person she loves most in the world takes a turn for the worst, Alexa’s loyalty and determination will be tested in the most horrifying of ways. Will she be able to rise to the challenge, or will her love for her sister kill her once and for all?

Go to http://hdgordon.com/?p=493 for a teaser!!!

Sign-up for Updates at http://hdgordon.com/ to get information on this series right from the source as soon as she has it!

Check out the first two books in the series!

Blood Warrior: The Alexa Montgomery Saga, Book One

To purchase, click on the cover.

When her home is attacked by murderous vampires, 17-year-old Alexa is forced to leave her mother for dead in order to save her sister. She soon learns that she is the last known member of an elite race of supernatural Warriors, and is thrust into a world full of vampires and werewolves who all seem to regard her as some sort of savior. Meanwhile, Alexa battles a monster within herself that seeks to gain control; a monster that seeks blood.

The hidden city she finds herself in appears perfect, but Alexa’s instincts tell her that all is not right within its walls. When she is asked to attend a school of fighters, whose exams consist of gladiator-style competitions, she must decide who she can trust among the smiling faces. And, when she meets Kayden, a vampire she feels undeniably drawn to, she must decide if she can trust herself.

Read my review here

Half Black Soul: The Alexa Montgomery Saga, Book Two

To purchase, click on the cover

In the past few weeks Alexa Montgomery has had her entire world flipped upside down. She’s gone from living a semi-normal teenage life to a life full of vampires and werewolves who all expect her to deliver them from the control of an evil dictator.

Alexa is the last of her kind; a Sun Warrior, and now she has left the safety of Two Rivers to search for her mother, but she’s left her sister behind to do so, and Nelly is the one person that she was told that she must always protect. Kayden, a vampire who is Alexa’s other half, has followed her on her journey. But, secrets are about to come out, relationships will break and danger lies just up ahead. Will Alexa be able to get through all of this and make it out alive? And, will she be able to protect Nelly from danger when she is so far away?

Read my review here

JOE by HD Gordon (not part of the series)

To purchase, click on the cover

From the author of the Alexa Montgomery Saga, comes a book that will take you into the mind of a geniune pyschopath, the lives of six ordinary people, and the world of a very special girl named Joe.

Joe is seemingly an ordinary college student. She works, studies and reads. But in between these activities Joe has a gift that promises to add a dose of color to her life at any given moment. Joe sees things before they happen. Bad things, and the worst thing she has ever faced is just around the corner. Someone is planning a massacre at the college university that Joe attends, and the only person with a hope of stopping the pyschopath is her.

Oh, the beauty of foresight. More like a curse. Joe has four days to figure out the mystery, make plans to take down the pyscho, and save the lives of people. People like you and me. Ordinary people.

Don’t Delay! The sale is only for TODAY!

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Wild Blood /Giveaway/Review/Character Interview

Posted: September 25, 2012 in character interview, Creatures, fiction, giveaways, Interview, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Series, Vampires, werewolves
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44

Wild Blood: Vampire in the City, Book Two by Donna Ansari

I am a woman of my word. I said I would be reviewing Wild Blood: Vampire in the City–Book 2 and here I am. And I have something else fun going on. I am going to be doing an interview with not one , but two ladies today. Plus, I have 5 e-book copies of Wild Blood to giveaway! Details can be found at the bottom of the post. First I want to show you the book.

Wild Blood (Vampire in the City #2)


Another stunner. Another great choice Donna. And I love that you kept the same font for the title and your name.

Okay, on to my review! Just so you know, this is the second book in this series. So I guess I am giving you a spoiler alert, in case you haven’t read New Blood, Book One.

The story starts with Emma still adjusting to being a vampire. It doesn’t happen overnight, but since she’s undead, she has plenty of time, which she finds difficult to keep track of.

She comes downstairs to find her roommate Tammy  dressed up as a witch and her tenant David wearing a button that says I’m a werewolf – ask me how! She plumb forgot it’s Halloween. They are staying in to pass out candy. Boy. if the trick-or-treaters only knew the significance of their costumes.

David has to spend the night in the cemetery. He can turn when he wants to,  but when the moon is full he has to turn and tonight the moon is full. It’s best if he keeps his distance until sunrise.

Emma has a date. She’s going to meet James, a vampire she met the other night. He’s new to New York City and she agreed to show him around. He is a vampire that doesn’t kill humans, like her, and not too shabby in the looks department either. This could be fun.

Donna knows how to make me laugh. Check out this scene.

I went back to the kitchen and hung up the phone to find Tammy sitting at the table and reading a magazine.

“Where’s David?” I asked.

“Out in the graveyard preparing to wolf out.” She looked up. “So what club are you guys going to?”

“Some goth club, I muttered. Tammy had never been much of a fan of my goth phase.

She laughed. “Two vampires going out to a goth club on Halloween” Can you possibly be any more of a  living stereotype” Oh, I’m sorry, undead stereotype.”

I love these two roomies and I can’t wait for you to meet them!

It seems like dating is something different now too.  This from Emma:

“I was actually just wondering if I’m supposed to eat before meeting a date.” I had learned in my short time as a vampire, that eating was not quite the social occasion that it was for humans.

Tammy: “What, you mean like….”

She bared her teeth.

If I were a vampire and had to have a roomie, there’s no one I would rather have than Tammy. She’d keep me in stitches.

As James and Emma are walking to the club they get to talking. Emma is curious about why he came to New York. David’s story is he knows that werewolves exist and he is searching for one in particular. He tells Emma that there are packs of them in San Francisco, where he came from, but none in New York yet. He and his maker, Abby,  took out half of the pack but the leader escaped and later tracked down Abby during the day and killed her. James is in New York because the werewolf he seeks is here.

When James mentions that this werewolf is a certain type, a gay type, Emma knows to keep her mouth shut about David, her tenant. The description definitely fits him. Small world.

Going to The Vault wasn’t the best idea. Emma had never gotten around to eating and all she wants to do is bite. To save some poor drunk from being drained, James pushes his arm in Emma’s mouth. At least for now she doesn’t feel like drinking someone dry. But that isn’t the only problem. This is a known vampire hangout and Emma has been trying to avoid her sire and the others responsible for her condition. It’s best to avoid the politics thing. As luck would have it, they’re here, so James and Emma make a quick exit to avoid being spotted.

The night isn’t a total bust. David was turned into a vampire fifty years ago right here in New York City. He filled in a lot of holes for Emma, giving her the history of the top vampires, including the Prince, Michael. Useful information.

Calling it an early night, Emma arrives home and who is waiting for her? None other than her sire Alex. Her ex-lover and big fat liar. He doesn’t like it that she was at the club with James, warning her that he is unstable and dangerous, and if the Prince saw her with James, he’d kill both of them. There is a history between the prince and James and Emma should avoid getting caught up in it. Too late for that.

From here on the fangs start flashing and the fur flies. It appears there are werewolves in New York and they want to make the city their hunting grounds. It looks like war is coming between the vampires and the werewolves and Emma, Tammy, and David are smack dab in the middle of it.

Donna has many surprises for you In Wild Blood. She still has Emma slowly bumbling with being a new vampire, and that is my favorite part. Don’t get me wrong, the action is fast and the fighting is fierce, but I can’t help but love the humor laced throughout the story. It just makes me fall in love with the characters all over again. You will too.

I would say the writing is even better, and many questions are answered. I liked learning about the lives of some of the vampires before they were turned. It made them more real, but didn’t necessarily make me like them. There are some truly bad ones in this book that you love to hate. I think that is also important. It gives balance to the story.  I still haven’t made my mind up about a couple  of the characters. Maybe when I read the third book, which I hear is coming soon, I can decide.

Donna has met all of my expectations with Wild Blood. It was everything I hoped for and more. If you haven’t read the first book, New Blood, do so now and get to know the Vampires in the City! They will keep you entertained!

  Loved it! Howling for more!

Witch Blood: Vampire in the City, Book Three is coming soon!

I have Emma and Tammy from The Vampire in the City series here to answer a few questions. Enjoy the show.

Here we go ladies!

1) How’s your love life going?

Emma: Pass.

Tammy: You can’t pass,
Em.

E: Then you go first.

T: Oh geez. Well, I’ve just started
dating this witch….

E: Don’t you mean warlock?

T: No, actually a
male witch is still called a witch. But anyway, it’s going pretty well so far,
although it may be a conflict of interest that we’re in the same
coven.

E: Ugh, my turn? I guess you could just say I’m not very serious
about anyone at the moment.

2) Would either of you date
outside of your, er, species?

T: Possibly, but it would really depend on
the person, and whether or not that person was worth dealing with all that.

E: Maybe, I mean, I guess I sort of am, but who knows where it might go.
I mean, if things were reversed I would probably not like a long-term
relationship with someone who doesn’t age. Not to mention that you can never see
them in the daytime, ever.

3) Do you share the household chores?

E: Sure, for the most part. I mean, I’m not going to do any of the
cooking or washing dishes, but beyond that, it’s pretty equal.

T: Yeah,
no one really has any romantic visions of a vampire doing their own vacuuming.
Luckily, the one I live with has no qualms about that!

4) What
is one thing that drives you crazy about the other?

E: (looks at Tammy
and shrugs)

T: (laughs) Hmmmm….that’s kind of hard to answer. Em and I
have been friends for so long, and sometimes it seems like after you know
someone for so long that things don’t really drive you crazy about them anymore.
You just learn to accept certain characteristics and say, “Well, that’s just how
she is,” and then they no longer drive you crazy. Still, if I had to pick one
thing, I guess I’d say when she keeps things from me-on the rare occasions that
that happens. I know there’s still a lot she needs to figure out for herself,
and maybe she doesn’t want to freak me out, but we’ve never kept secrets from
each other. But at this point what could she possibly have to tell me that could
shock me?

E: Along those lines, I guess the only time I’ve really been
annoyed at Tammy is when she pries a little too hard–some things are not worth
being examined and are best left alone.

5) What do you think of
the show TRUE BLOOD?

T: Hmmm, we don’t have HBO, so believe it or not,
I’ve never seen it. But Em is a closet Buffy fan.

E: I don’t even know if
I’m in the closet on that one.

6) Who do you think is the
sexiest actor?

E: I’ve always been a fan of Johnny Depp ever since I saw
Edward scissorshands!

T: My personal fave is Edward Norton–he’s as
talented as he is sexy. Keanu Reeves is still pretty hot too–and I did not pick
him just because he was in that Dracula movie either!

7) If you
could go back in time to before any of this happened, would you change it?

E: I don’t know. I’ve actually thought about this a good deal. When I
was human, I had no idea that any of this world, vampires, werewolves, witches,
existed. I was happily oblivious. But other things in my life, like my
relationship with my long-term boyfriend and my home life, where pretty
unfulfilling. And now I’m probably better off where those things are concerned.
And as to the other thing, even if I felt content in my safe existence, is
ignorance ever better than knowledge? I don’t know. Now I not only know what’s
out there in the dark, but I have the power to deal with it.

T: Would I
change having my best friend being turned into one of the living dead and having
to face adversities that go above and beyond what any person, creature,
whatever, should have to? What do you think? At the same time, if it was the
only way to save her life…well, I’d rather have her here than not here. That’s a
complicated question, and there’s no easy answer to that one. Still, I love Emma
like a sister, so again, I’d much rather have her here in any form, than not
here at all. Wow…that one was heavy…

Five Fun
Favorites

1) Favorite supernatural being?

E: I suppose
vampires.

T: Zombies!

2) Favorite color?

E:
Probably blue, but it depends on my mood.

T: Is it sometimes
red?

E: What? Why? Oh, right.

T: For me it’s purple. I’m more of a
jewel-tine gal.

3) Favorite holiday?

E: Probably
Halloween. Not because I’m a vampire, but because it doesn’t have any
family-oriented connotations.

T: Probably Thanksgiving–I love to cook
and eat!

4) Favorite book boyfriend?

E: I know it’s a
kid’s book, but I really liked Sirius Black from the Harry Potter series. He
seemed like he would be a lot of fun to date.

T: Was Hunger Games an
adult book? Whatever. I liked Cinna a lot – the guy who does Katniss’s makeup
and costumes. They never said he was gay, so I can hope!

5) Favorite
season of the year?

E: It used to be summer, because when I was human I
hated the cold. Now I would have to say winter, so I don’t have to be asleep 15
hours a day!

T: Spring. The cooler weather always brings me down!

Thanks ladies. That was fun. And thank you Donna for arranging to have Emma and Tammy appear today.

For my review of New Blood : Book One and interview with Donna go here .

And now for the giveaway!

I have 5 e-book copies of Wild Blood for this giveaway.

To enter just leave your email along with a nice comment for any of these ladies.

Contest ends October 2nd.

Not required, but would make me happy if your followed my blog and twitter.

About the author and where to find her
Donna Ansari was born in New York City and has lived there for most of her life. Donna graduated from Pace University with a BA in Literature and Communications. Since then, she has been working as an editor, primarily in the field of medical education.
Donna lives in Queens with her husband, son, and large black cat. She is not currently aware of any vampires in her neighborhood.
Tp purchase New Blood or Wild Blood just click on the images on the left hand sidebar.
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