For fans of American Horror Story, Shirley Jackson, and Creepshow.
You know them. Those girls that aren’t quite like everyone else. Those girls who stand out in the crowd. Those girls that dare to be different. Those girls are dangerous.
In Strange Girls, twenty-one authors dare to tackle what makes the girls in this collection different. Vampires, selkies, murderous mermaids, succubus, and possessed dolls take center stage in these short stories that are sure to invoke feelings of quiet terror and uneasiness in the reader. Following the successful debut of Women in Horror anthology with My American Nightmare, Strange Girls is the sophomore effort to showcase these talented women in a genre that is often dominated by the male gaze.
Dare to take a walk on the dark side.
Stories in the Anthology:
24 Hour Diner by Charlotte Platt
Sideshow by Jude Reid
The Doll’s House by Alyson Faye
Blood by Red Claire
Self-Portrait with Pears by Rachel Bolton
Personal Demons by Angelique Fawns
Friends with Benefits by E.F. Schraeder
Night Terrors by Angela Sylvaine
The Girl Who Never Stopped Bleeding by Sam Lauren
Leda and the Fly by Marnie Azzarelli
Jenny’s Bobo by Hillary Lyon
Extinguishing Fireflies by Rebecca Rowland
The Eyes of the Dead by Danielle R. Bailey
My Mirror Wife by Ash Tudor
Pattern of Faerytales by Azzurra Nox
Campfire Tales: The Bloody Rings by Emma Johnson-Rivard
Born in Catania, Sicily, Azzurra Nox has led a nomadic life since birth. She has lived in various European cities and Cuba, and currently resides in the Los Angeles area. Always an avid reader and writer from a young age, she loved entertaining her friends with ghost stories. She loves horror movies, cats, and a good rock show. She dislikes Mondays and chick-flicks. CUT HERE, her debut paranormal urban fantasy was inspired by a nightmare the writer had a few years ago. Some of her favourite authors include Anne Rice, Oscar Wilde, Chuck Palahniuk, and Isabella Santacroce.
I have always loved the ocean. Beautiful and tranquil, it seems like it can do absolutely no harm.
Until the night my parents go missing, and then are subsequently found dead.
Both have been viciously mauled by something off the Gulf—something even the medical examiner claims is an ‘unknown animal.’ But the worst part? I swear I saw something in the water the night they were both killed.
But this is no chance occurrence. As the body count begins to rise, and as more tragedies unfold, I realize that something has to be done.
Someone has to hunt down, and kill, the monster of Mermaid Cove.
Though he was born and raised in Southeastern Idaho, Kody Boye has lived in the state of Texas since 2010. His first short story, [A] Prom Queen’s Revenge, was published at the age of fourteen. He has since gone on to publish numerous works of fiction, including the young-adult novels When They Came, The Beautiful Ones, The Midnight Spell and ALT CONTROL ENTER, as well as fiction for adults. He currently lives and writes in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. He is in the process of obtaining an undergraduate in creative writing and plans to pursue an MFA to teach afterward.
Under the Radar (A Zoe Chambers Mystery) Cozy Mystery 9th in Series Publisher: Henery Press (February 25, 2020) Trade Paperback – 288 pages ISBN-13: 9781635115758 ISBN-10: 1635115752 Digital ASIN: B08289PJ97
Paramedic and deputy coroner Zoe Chambers responds to a shooting and discovers her longtime friend, Horace Pavelka, has gunned down a man who’d bullied him mercilessly for decades. Ruled self-defense, no charges are filed. When another of his tormentors turns up dead in Horace’s kitchen, Police Chief Pete Adams questions the man’s innocence in both cases…especially after Horace and his girlfriend go into hiding.
While fighting to clear her friend, Zoe is handed the opportunity to finally learn what really happened to her long-lost sibling. What starts out as a quick road trip on a quest for answers leads her to an unfamiliar city in the middle of a November blizzard, where she finds way more trouble than she bargained for.
Pete’s own search for his missing fiancée and a missing murderer ultimately traps him in a web of deception. Face-to-face with one of the most cunning and deadly killers of his law enforcement career, Pete realizes too late that this confrontation may well be his last.
About Annette Dashofy
Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural southwestern Pennsylvania. A former EMT and lifelong resident of the area about which she writes, Annette lives with her husband and one very spoiled cat on what was once her grandfather’s dairy farm. UNDER THE RADAR (February 2020) is the ninth in her series.
Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation
by Francis H. Powell
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Scifi Short Stories
What if the human race was considered irrelevant and then each being was just uploaded then locked away on hard drives called “brain pods” ?
What if a sub species was to come into fruition, then the human race turned on it, hunted it down before trying to annihilate it? Imagine you found out you were an ancient soul, who is reunited with another being from your former life?
Set in different times in a variety of settings and time periods, the past, the present and the future, the book explores the inevitable unknown that lies before us all “death”. Death can arrive in a multitude of forms. Each part of the book explores different themes. There are characters who following their demises have to face up to their lurid pasts. There are some who face annihilation and others who are in a crazy pursuit of world destruction. We are living in an age in which it appears that the doomsday clock is ticking ever faster, as we teeter over the edge of world destruction. The book aims to contain some ironic twists. Even as young children we build up nightmare visions of what death involves. The reader is often left to distinguish between what is real and what is not, as stories reside within stories and the storytellers can never be fully trusted. Not all the book is doom and gloom, there are Elsa Grun’s bizarre encounters with men and Shellys’ hapless husband Arnie.
From secluded beach houses, to obscure motels, to visions of heaven, which takes the form of the Hotel Paradiso, to the world of the future death is always a wild adventure.
Born in 1961, in Reading, England Francis H Powell attended Art Schools, receiving a degree in painting and an MA in printmaking. In 1995, Powell moved to Austria, teaching English as a foreign language while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Brittany, France writing both prose and poetry. Powell has published short stories in the magazine, “Rat Mort” and other works on the internet site “Multi-dimensions.” His two published books are Flight of Destiny and Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation
Leonardo Cantrell is a painfully shy sixteen-year-old who cannot look people in the eye. One night while he’s volunteering at a homeless shelter, an old man forces eye contact and gives Leo the power to see Death.
His best, and only, friend—J.C. Rivera—thinks this new power is cool until Leo accidentally looks into J.C.’s eyes and “sees” his murder, a murder that will occur in less than two weeks. Stunned and shaken, the two boys sift through clues in Leo’s “vision” in a desperate effort to find the killer and stop him before he can strike.
Aided by feisty new-girl-at-school, Laura, the boys uncover evidence suggesting the identity of the murderer. However, their plan to trap the would-be killer goes horribly awry and reveals a truth that could kill them all.
Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author who grew up in Northern California. He majored in English/Theatre at Santa Clara University, earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and a master’s in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Michael taught high school in Hawthorne, California for many years, both in general education and students with disabilities. When Michael is not writing you can find him volunteering as a youth mentor with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, volunteering within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles, or caring for his newly adopted son. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, and hopes his books can show young people they are not alone in their struggles.
The O’Connells, #1
Publication date: January 31st 2020
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense
Synopsis
After the devastating loss of her husband, Jenny Sweetgrass packs up her teenage daughter, Alison, and moves to Livingston, Montana, hoping for a fresh start—that is, until Ryan O’Connell knocks on her door.
Park ranger Ryan is one of the six O’Connell siblings in Livingston, raised by an independent mom who has been a rock to him. He has a career he loves, and up until six weeks ago, he lived a comfortable life. When a new neighbor moves in and disturbs the quiet peace of the area, bringing with her a daughter who’s walking trouble, Ryan is shocked to discover that the woman is a one-night stand he picked up at a bar years ago.
Right now, the gorgeous Jenny isn’t too interested in making friends, but despite her cool façade, as Ryan gets to know her, he can’t fight an idiotic need to try to ease the pain he sees her trying to hide. At the same time, he knows deep down that both mother and daughter have a secret, and if he were smart, he would listen to his brother’s warning and walk away.
When Alison goes missing, everyone in town believes she simply ran off or found her way into trouble, but nothing about her disappearance adds up. She simply set out on an afternoon hike into the park and never came back.
Jenny soon learns she’s not alone when Ryan takes matters into his own hands and sets off with her into the park to find her daughter. What he doesn’t know is that Alison is actually his daughter, too, and when he learns the truth and the real reason she left, the secret could end up dividing the O’Connell family and the community.
With flawed strong characters, characters you can relate to, New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Lorhainne Eckhart writes the kind of books she wants to read. She is frequently a Top 100 bestselling author in multiple genres, and her second book ever published, The Forgotten Child, is no exception. With close to 900 reviews on Amazon, translated into German and French, this book was such a hit that the long running Friessen Family series was born. Now with over sixty titles and multiple series under her belt her big family romance series are loved by fans worldwide. A recipient of the 2013, 2015 and 2016 Readers’ Favorite Award for Suspense and Romance, Lorhainne lives on the sunny west-coast Gulf Island of Salt Spring Island, is the mother of three, her oldest has autism and she is an advocate for never giving up on your dreams.
A fundraising party goes south in a delightful cozy mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of Southern Discomfort and the Java Jive novels
Quinn Bellandini is ready to get back to running her grandfather’s B&B in Savannah, Georgia, with her sister, Delilah—but first, she has to coordinate a fundraising event at the house of local philanthropists, with the help of her boyfriend, Tucker Heyward. Everything is running smoothly until Quinn’s friend, Pepper Fox, frantically calls her with the horrifying news that the lady of the house was found dead. Pepper’s brother, who was working as a caterer, is soon charged with her murder.
Pepper knows her brother didn’t commit the crime and asks Quinn, now a veteran detective with two solved murders under her belt, to prove his innocence. Quinn can’t bear to see her friend upset and enlists Delilah and Tucker to help investigate.
The invite list quickly turns into the suspect list as tensions mount and old feuds are brought to light. Could Quinn have hired the only catering company in Georgia that throws in a murder on the side?
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About Author Caroline Fardig
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CAROLINE FARDIG is the USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR of the Java Jive Mysteries series and the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series. Fardig’s BAD MEDICINE was named one of the “Best Books of 2015” by Suspense Magazine. She worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before she realized that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardig still lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.
Twelve-year-old Alex may have lost his ability to play sports, but he gained the ability to see ghosts. Now he must figure out how to put an evil spirit to rest—or die trying.
Once an athlete and popular kid, Alex is in a terrible car accident that severely injures his hip and leaves him with a rare power: he can hear and see ghosts. All Alex wants is to be normal. But when a malevolent spirit begins haunting him, Alex must accept his unwanted psychic powers and work with his best friend, his paranormal investigator cousin, and two friendly spirits to solve the mystery of the bones in the wall and put the vicious ghost to rest. If he fails, he’ll lose his family and friends to a gruesome fate.
“An inventive, fast-paced tale brimming with chills, thrills, and heart. Perfect for fans of Lockwood & Co.”— Henry H. Neff, author of The Tapestry series
Susan McCauley was born and raised on the gulf coast of Texas, not far from Houston. She spent several years in Los Angeles, California acting, writing, and teaching college English. In 2002, she moved to London to further explore professional theater. While in London, her stage adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s “The Nose” was performed at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art’s George Bernard Shaw Theatre; and, scenes from her play The Prisoner: Princess Elizabeth were performed at HMS Tower of London. She returned to the U.S. in 2005. In 2007, she was the line producer of the Emmy Award nominated Civil War short film Now & Forever Yours: Letters to an Old Soldier. She has had short stories published in several anthologies, and her short story, “The Cask,” was made into an award winning short film.
“Steps up several levels into an exciting category all its own. It’s thriller, cold case,
mystery suspense, and police procedural, all rolled into one exciting
novel. Set amidst the political drama that comes with Washington DC and
the Pentagon, a current multiple murder becomes a search years in the
past. With a young, hot lieutenant assigned to NCIS, and his beautiful
new wife, you have all the makings of a bestseller. Nicely done, Ms.
Carr!” – Review by Merry Citarella, Mystery Suspense Reviews
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The Latest Best-Selling Thorny Rose Mystery Available Now!
Get Your Copy Today!
Join us for this tour from Jan 20to Feb 28, 2020!
The Nutcracker Conspiracy
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A Thorny Rose Mystery #4
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by Lauren Carr
. Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 388 pages Genre: Mystery Publisher: Acorn Book Services Release date: January 30, 2020 Content Rating: PG-13 (Lauren Carr’s books are murder mysteries,
so there are murders involved. Occasionally, a murder will happen on
stage. There is sexual content, but always behind closed doors. Some
mild swearing (a hell or a damn few and far between). No F-bombs!
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MY REVIEW
I love this series and I’m thrilled to get back to it.
So much worked in this book. The characters were complex. Many of them were favorites I’d encountered in the previous books. The mystery was convoluted. Something caught my attention and pointed to who was behind the crimes. Later, something else kind of confirmed it for me. Imagine my surprise when I found out I was way off the mark and it was someone else. I think those misdirection’s Lauren planted were intentional and very clever.
There was also a prank thing going on. Someone from the past returned and a certain someone else couldn’t resist getting payback, in quite the imaginative ways.
And let’s not forget my other favorites. The critters! This time there are reported sightings of a lycanthrope terrorizing the community. It strikes from cover, even from up in the trees. I wonder who it could be. LOL
I had so much fun and didn’t want it to end. Now I can’t wait for the next book in this charming, addictive and hilarious series.
5 Stars
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Book Description:
Three years ago, the nation gasped in horror when the President of the
United States barely escaped an assassination attempt that left two
dead—the vice president’s wife and the attempted assassin. Even after
numerous investigations proved otherwise, conspiracy theorists argue
that the assassin was acting on orders from the CIA, FBI, and every
federal agency within a hundred miles of the capital.
Aspiring Author Dean Conway is the last person Lieutenant Commander
Murphy Thornton wants to spend his Saturday afternoon when they end up
at the same wedding reception table. While their wives tend to
bridesmaid duties, Murphy is trapped listening to Dean’s latest
work-in-project—completing the manuscript of an investigative journalist
who’d disappeared months earlier.
“She was number twelve,” Dean says.
“Twelve?” Murphy asks.
“Twelve witnesses connected to or investigating The Nutcracker shooting have died either in an accident or suicide.”
Two days later, Dean dies suddenly―but not before sending a text message to Murphy:
“The plot was original, fresh and fast paced in spite of the
“traditional elements” employed which can normally be found in any other
thriller of this genre. The USP of this story would be its
unpredictability. When you think you have it all guessed up, the plot
would change its course keeping you hooked. There were a lot of suspense
twists and turns that kept the momentum up. Needless to say, the
writing was simply perfect. One thing that writer needs to be lauded for
is the humor she inculcated in the book. Minus those humorous parts,
the book would have been one serious read.” – Reviewer: Book and Ink
Book Description:
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Five women with seemingly nothing in common are found brutally murdered
in a townhome outside Washington, DC. Among the many questions
surrounding the massacre is what had brought these apparent strangers
together only to be killed.
Taking on his first official murder case, Lieutenant Murphy Thornton,
USN, believes that if he can uncover the thread connecting the victims,
then he can find their murderer.
The case takes an unexpected turn when Murphy discovers that one of the
victims has a connection to his stepmother, Homicide Detective Cameron
Gates. One wintry night, over a dozen years before, her first husband, a
Pennsylvania State trooper, had been run down while working a night
shift on the turnpike.
In this first installment of the Thorny Rose Mysteries, the Lovers in
Crime join newlyweds Murphy Thornton and Jessica Faraday to shift
through a web of lies and cover-ups. Together, can the detectives of the
Thorny Rose uncover the truth without falling victim to a cunning
killer?
“Mysteries, murder, danger, and memories that threatens their
lives keeps the action and suspense at a high level and even when the
answers are found, it left me wanting more.” – Review by Sherry Fundin of Fundinmental
Book Description:
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After ten months of marital bliss, Jessica Faraday and Murphy Thornton
are still discovering and adjusting to their life together. Settled in
their new home, everything appears to be perfect … except in the middle
of the night when, in the darkest shadows of her subconscious, a deep
secret from Jessica’s past creeps to the surface to make her strike out
at Murphy.When investigative journalist Dallas Walker tells the couple about her
latest case, known as the Pine Bridge Massacre, they realize Jessica may
have witnessed the murder of a family while visiting family at the
winery near-by, and suppressed the memory.Determined to uncover the truth and find justice for the murder victims,
Jessica and Murphy return to the scene of the crime with Dallas Walker,
a spunky bull-headed Texan. Can this family reunion bring closure for a
community touched by tragedy or will this prickly get-together bring an
end to the Thorny Rose couple?
Murder by Perfection is a wonderful read and a perfect to
escape from the challenges of a busy day. Danger, intrigue, humor, and
love all take their turn in this tale which will keep you reading into
the wee hours.” Review by Marilyn R. Wilson, Olio by Marilyn
Book Description:
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Beware: Perfection has a dark side!
Frustrated with their busy schedules, Murphy Thornton and Jessica
Faraday attempt to find togetherness by scheduling a weekly date night.
The last thing Jessica Faraday expected for her date night was to take a
couple’s gourmet cooking course at the Stepford Kitchen Studio, owned
by Chef Natalie Stepford―the model of perfection in looks, home, and
business.
When Natalie ends up dead and Murphy goes missing, the Thorny Rose
detectives must peel back the layers of Natalie Stepford’s life to
discover that the pursuit of perfection can be deadly.
Lauren Carr is the international
best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, Chris Matheson
Cold Case, and Thorny Rose Mysteries—over twenty-five titles across
three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!
Book reviewers and readers alike
rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include
mystery, suspense, crime fiction, police procedurals, romance, and
humor.
A popular speaker, Lauren is also
the owner of Acorn Book Service, the umbrella under which falls iRead
Book Tours. She lives with her husband and two spoiled rotten German
Shepherds on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.
I am so excited that the MEN OF VALOR ANTHOLOGY by authors Yolanda Olson, Dani René, Holly J. Gill, Asleigh Giannoccaro, Anna Edwards, Catherine Wiltcher, India R. Adams, N.M Catalano, Cole Denton, & Dee Garcia is available now and that I get to share the news!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful charity anthology, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International, courtesy of the authors and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
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Title: MEN OF VALOR ANTHOLOGY
Authors: Yolanda Olson, Dani René, Holly J. Gill, Asleigh Giannoccaro, Anna Edwards, Catherine Wiltcher, India R. Adams, N.M Catalano, Cole Denton, & Dee Garcia
In the depth of the bright orange glow, come the Men of Valor.
These are the heroes who risk their lives to save ours.
They’re the men who walk into the inferno,
Who step between the heat of danger,
And give themselves in order to save lives.
They’re fearless, they’re heroic, and it’s time to honor them.
All proceeds of this anthology will be donated to the CFA (Country Fire Association). As fire wages war with Australia, we would like to do our part in helping. Fall in love with the firemen in each story, while giving back a small part by purchasing a copy today!
