Freakin Fridays
Freakin Fridays is my own little meme. I’ll be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.
Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!
Tune in every Friday. Get your scare on!
Let’s have some fun!
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With the new year here, I’ve started implementing my new plans for my blog.
While I’ll still be doing my memes and posting for book tours and giveaways, I’m going to be doing a lot more reviewing.
I asked you to help me with this. I gave you 5 books and let you choose which one I should review each week for the 5 Fridays in January. Your response was fun and I did get four of the weeks choices reviewed. However, the last book has been put off temporarily as I work with the author to arrange a guest post and giveaway. I’ll let you know when it’s all set.
So for today, I have something extra special!
First off, I’m thrilled to be telling you about another winner from Edward Lorn.
The moment I read he was writing a new story, and a novellette at that, I stalked E. I had to have it ASAP! He should be getting used to it by now.
Horror is my first love and when I find an author whose words make me shudder in horrific delight, I have to read everything they write. Not only does Edward’s stories do that, he’s also a really witty guy.
When he sent me Crawl, I begged him to do a guest post. I wanted all of you to see the guy behind the books. The one who captivated me as much as his stories.
So here he is. Take it away E!
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Crawl For Me
CRAWL is my first jaunt into novelette territory. In case you don’t know, a novelette is anything between 7,500 and 25,000 words. Anything less is a short story. Anything more is a novella. CRAWL is meant to be read in an hour or two (depending on your reading speed, of course), and that’s exactly how I like it. Early reviews are begging for a follow up, and I am currently working on that, but CRAWL is what it is. A bite-sized chunk of salted caramel, a mixture of sweet and savory. At its heart, the story is a character study which covers love on the brink of disaster. The circumference of the piece is a tale of survival, and I get about as bloody as I ever have. This one’s not for the squeamish.
About a month ago I came across “Say Something,” by A Great Big World, featuring Christina Aguilera. The song broke my heart. But it also inspired me. I wanted to tackle the death throes of a relationship. That’s how I met Juliet Harryhousen, the lady who carries my new novelette, CRAWL, on her very capable shoulders. When she started talking, the story told itself. I was nothing more than a dictation device. I love characters like that. That’s that magic.
CRAWL is an ode to the classic “Trapped and Must Survive” horror trope. Think about Poe’s THE CASK OF AMONTILLADO (but only in the sense that both have characters that are chained up at some point) or, most recently, GERALD’S GAME, by Stephen King. Okay, so maybe GERALD’S GAME isn’t recent, but it’s the most recent book I can think of with the same theme. I think every author tackles the idea at some point in their careers: You take a person who’s either restrained or incapacitated and you see if they survive the situation. It’s dirty fun, like monkey sex, and like an orangutan-gang-bang things get messy fast. The human body is a fragile thing, but it can also be a fountain of strength. Just like our minds. Sometimes, though, you have to go mad, you have to break just a smidgen, to see exactly what you’re capable of doing to survive against all odds. In CRAWL, Juliet Harryhousen has to do just that. Did I mention she’s a bad mother(shutyomouf)? Yep. She’s a firecracker, folks; someone I think most readers will have a good time with. I haven’t had this much fun writing a character in a long while. I’ve been spending a lot of time with morose bastards, so Juliet’s snark and humor was a breath of fresh ozone.
I want to talk to Laura Thomas for a minute. Thanks for having me today. You’ve been an avid supporter of not just my work but countless others. Whether they’re traditionally or indie published, you highlight them. You love to read as much as I do, and that’s only one of your many amazing qualities. I’m just as much of a fan of your blog as you are of my writing. Keep up the good fight, lady. People like you never go out of style.
To the rest of you, it’s been my pleasure. Thanks for letting me throw words at your face. I hope you decide to check out my fiction at some point or another. And even if you don’t, thanks for reading this post.
E.
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Thanks so much for sharing Edward. And you made me blush! Such a nice compliment for doing what I love.
And now that ya’ll have met E. it’s time for me to tell you about CRAWL.
I had so much fun writing my review. I agonized over what to say and what not to hint at. I giggled and snickered and had such devilish fun.
Enjoy!
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You’re out in the middle of nowhere.
You’ve been crippled and left for dead.
There’s something in the woods.
It’s coming.
There’s only one thing you can do…
CRAWL
My Review
What do you do when you catch your husband bumping uglies with the dog-sitter? You get as far away from them as you can. That red haze you’re looking through could be lethal.
That’s what Juliet’s doing. Yeah, she’s letting Colton drive her to her mothers, but he’s not welcome to stay. She needs time and space, and then, maybe, she can forgive him.
There’s cold silence and instant rage as they travel through the night.
Soon, these two will be worrying about something much more immediate. Much more ominous than an illicit transgression.
One of the great parts of this story was the trip through the night.
I think Juliet held herself together very well. Colton expects her to forgive and forget. He can’t stand not knowing what she’ll do.
For Juliet, it’s not that easy. Ugly, hurtful thoughts and images slip into her conscious at will. Walking in to find them going at it on the couch. Fumbling for their clothes, hurrying to hide their nakedness.
What’s with Colton? Why does she have to forgive him? Why does he expect her to give him a crumb, a bit of hope? She’s still in shock, raging over the betrayal, and trying to tape her heart back together. To keep breathing.
Colton ticked me off. He’d just destroyed them as a couple. Thrown away all they had. And now he wanted her to reassure him? What a jerk. I’d leave him hanging. It’s not like I’d make a decision without crawling out from under the pain first.
I found Juliet’s actions and reactions appropriate. She didn’t give an inch. Didn’t soothe his anxiety. And she let him have it when he pushed too hard.
I may be a sick puppie, but when something horrible happened to Colton, I was snickering, especially over what Juliet was thinking. She’s a really tough cookie.
Reading this story is like an assault. The author shocks you into seeing the disgusting scene when Juliet walks in on the humping. Then he blasts you with Colton’s whining and bullying. He revs you up with Juliet’s outrage. And then he stumps you with the weird guy in the car.
Yeah, there’s a creep they keep bumping into. He looks ghoulish, dresses funny, and acts like he knows something they don’t. Which he does.
The freakiness comes out to play. Darting from shadow to shadow. Taunting and terrifying with malevolent glee.
As the title says, you’ll ‘crawl’ out of this story, trying to shake off the horror.
Edward never sugar coats it. His stories are down and dirty. So I’d only recommend this to adults. And then, to those who like it in your face.
5 Creepy Crawlie Stars
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This just in from Edward Lorn!
Here it is in all it’s glory!
CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.
Episode Three.
The corpse in the cooler of Bob’s Bait and Fuel might not be the innocent victim everyone first assumed.
William Longmire is released from police custody only to find out his buddy Kirk is in the hospital.
Innis Blake is stuck between two worlds. Will she find her way out before Cruelty has his way?
Regret is born.
Author’s note: CRUELTY: Episode Three will be released in February. CRUELTY: Episode Four will be out sometime in March. Thank you for your patience.
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Cruelty: Episode 1
and Cruelty: Episode Two
Go HERE for my reviews
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More books I’ve read by Edward Lorn
Go HERE for my review.
And more books.
Go HERE for my reviews.
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Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.
For more about Edward Lorn and his books:
Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon
Edward’s page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/edward-lorn/
Edward’s blog: http://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/
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