Posts Tagged ‘Horror’

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

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

Evans Light

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Facebook

You can find all of Evans books here .

  PAY BACK

Books written with Adam Light

Adam Light

Adam   Light

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Amazon

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

Books written with Evans Light

If you don’t have Gone by Adam Light, here is your chance.

Adam has it free on Amazon from Feb. 3rd thru Feb. 7th.

Go here to get yours!

Gone

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I reviewed this several weeks ago but wanted to post it again.

Here is my review.

Greg awakens with a sense of urgency. A quick glance at his clock confirms it. He’s overslept and it’ll be a mad dash to get to work on time. He forgoes breakfast, figuring he’ll grab a java at Starbucks and throws on the cleanest clothes he can find.

He spots one of his shoes but for the life of him, can’t find the other. Where is it? With no time to search any longer, he throws on a dirty pair of tennis shoes and heads out the door.

A quick glance at his living room gives him a sense that it’s different, empty somehow.

Traffic isn’t too bad until he gets close to Starbucks. Cars are lined up around the block. A huge SUV gives up its spot and he squeezes into line.

Crushing pain seizes his chest. Oh God, not a heart attack. As the pain subsides and leaves completely he has to give up his place in line or he’ll be late for work.

Just a few minutes late, he sneaks to his desk while no ones paying attention. Before he knows it, it’s time for lunch. How could that be?

Why the feelings of dread, the panic attacks, the missing time? What is it about today?

I had a great time reading Gone, Adam’s first published book.

The suspense builds, you feel Greg’s confusion and panic, and then the twist is revealed.

Anyone who likes short stories with a feel of The Dark Side or The Twilight Zone will like this.

     

Meet the Light brothers!

The Light Brothers have been very busy.

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

88559

Evans and Adam 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. They can’t write them fast enough!

******Also, now through the month of February you can download Crawlspace and Dark Curtains for free. Go here to check it out******

About Adam Light and where to find him.

Adam   Light

I have spent the better part of my life in northeast Florida, but I was born in West Virginia. I was consumed at an early age by an unquenchable thirst for the written word. Words, in general, when I think about it.

I was a quiet bookish kid, but after moving down south I grew into a wild and rebellious teenager. I grew my hair long, became enthralled with heavy metal music, and all the rest.

I’ve mellowed somewhat, but I love life, I love my family, and I love to write stories. I have a mad passion for it.

I am proud of the stories I have written and sincerely hope that readers like myself have enjoyed reading them as much as , and plan to continue tapping away at this keyboard until my fingers won’t move anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my madness so far; I look forward to sharing much more of my mind’s crazy ride with you.

Goodreads

Amazon

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

Books written with Evans Light

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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My teaser for today is from Blood Fugue, Moonsongs, Book #1

Blood Fugue (Moonsongs, Book 1)

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Here’s my teaser!

“I’ve spent my entire life hunting. It‘s  all I’ve known. Six months ago, I became the hunted. Something started picking off my animals one by one. I began tracking him, setting traps and such. Turns out he’d been watching me. Early one morning, he sprang a trap of his own – never even saw him coming out of the brush. If it weren’t for Thunder, he’d have killed me. The horse threw me clear….

“You kids have to help me. I’m too old and crippled up for this hunt. He’ll be back tonight.”

“How can you be sure?” I hoped to find one last loophole to get me out of playing zookeeper for the elderly and disturbed.

His face was a sharp and twisted mask of barbed wire as he fixed his gaze on me again. “I’ve dealt with his kind before. He’ll never leave a kill alone for long. Once the sun goes down, he’ll be back.”

I’m about two-thirds through this and hanging on to the edge of my seat. I’m not quite sure what they are dealing with, but I’m going to find out!

Got a tease for me? Love to hear it!

I was just over visiting Sherry on her blog fundinmental and look what she’s talking about!

The Wolf’s Moon by Patrick Jones is free for two days only – Friday, 2/1 and Saturday 2/2.

The Dire Wolves really existed and became extinct 4,000 years ago. This was an amazing story and Patrick is already working on the next book of The Linden Chronicles. To see Sherry’s full review, scroll down and click on the link.

To get your copy, go to the end of the post and click on the cover.

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The Wolf's Moon by Patrick Jones Amazon Link

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  In “The Wolf’s Moon” (ISBN 146636016X), author Patrick Jones creates a spellbinding tale of an ancient animal that haunts the foothill towns of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains. An unknown group of scientists has genetically engineered a Dire Wolf into the present day. Allegedly extinct, the ferocious beast preys upon the innocent people of Maple Hills.

To hunt and kill the beast, the town folk will have to rely on the tracking feats of Mark Lansdowne. He is a reluctant hero, still mourning the loss of his wife to illness. Relying on his rescue dogs and indefatigable hunting skills, Mark will set out on foot in search of the mysterious beast. Yet the hunter’s personal history and romantic entanglements will come back to haunt him during his search for the vicious animal.

Accompanying him on the hunt is his pal Warren Skruggs, who knew Mark when he was known as Michael Linden, a chapter of his history that he prefer be kept to the past. Adding to the intrigue are two beautiful, intelligent women who aid the hunter in his quest. Their looks and smarts would make the Bond Girls envious but Mark is still a grieving widower, unsure of how to move forward.

With its mixture of high-stakes hunting and personal and romantic intrigue, “The Wolf’s Moon” is a page-turner that will keep the reader captivated with its unexpected story twists. The thriller suspense novel is a real story grounded in the life and folkways of the Ozark Mountains not just another unbelievable werewolf story grafted onto the romance of the South.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGJNUAiRAac?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

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About the author

Patrick  Jones

Pat Jones was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. His special interests include the science of paleoanthropology and archaeology.

Woodworking is one of his favorite hobbies, with special emphasis on the unique grains and textures of various species of trees. He and his wife, Sandy, thrive on designing and creating a flower garden of perennials, second to none! Constantly evolving, the garden began as a way that he could surprise his wife on her birthday. The rest is history! The garden now spans one fourth of an acre!

When their children graduated from school, the couple relocated to rural Missouri where they now reside with their four dogs. The love of the area, in combination with the uniqueness of the people, provided the impedance for “The Wolf’s Moon”.

The sequel to “The Wolf’s Moon” is already in the works and proves to be yet another suspenseful page-turner! Pat believes that there is a story in everything. Everybody that he meets has their own special story; one simply has to take the time to listen. The story then writes itself.

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Patrick’s Twitter

Sandy’s Twitter

To see Sherry’s Review, go HERE.

I’ve finished this book and will be posting my review soon.

To get your copy, simply click on the cover below.

I’ve just finished reading Vengeance By The Foot by Adam Light.

Great news for ya’ll. It’s free to download from Amazon here from Jan.22nd thru Jan. 26th!

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.

They used to be the happy couple. That is, until the infection.

Now he’s had to have his foot and part of his leg amputated and he’s turned into a bitter, self-pitying jerk. His wife can’t take it anymore and abandons ship.

He plies himself with booze and pills until he’s nearly unconscious. When something comes calling, he’s not sure if it’s real or a product of his indulgence.

Even though I was grossed out by some of this story, I found Adam’s writing to be stellar, again. He really knows how to stick it to you, with a twist or two for good measure!

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

88559

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.

About Adam Light and where to find him.

I have spent the better part of my life in northeast Florida, but I was born in West Virginia. I was consumed at an early age by an unquenchable thirst for the written word. Words, in general, when I think about it.

I was a quiet bookish kid, but after moving down south I grew into a wild and rebellious teenager. I grew my hair long, became enthralled with heavy metal music, and all the rest.

I’ve mellowed somewhat, but I love life, I love my family, and I love to write stories. I have a mad passion for it.

I am proud of the stories I have written and sincerely hope that readers like myself have enjoyed reading them as much as , and plan to continue tapping away at this keyboard until my fingers won’t move anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my madness so far; I look forward to sharing much more of my mind’s crazy ride with you.

Goodreads

Amazon

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

Books written with Evans Light

The Light Brothers have been very busy.

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

88559

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. I’m waiting for the new release by Evans of ARBOREATUM.

Also, now through the month of February you can download Crawlspace and Dark Curtains for free. Go here to check out this awesome event.

You can also download Crawlspace and Dark Curtains for free from Amazon on Jan.15th thru Jan. 19th.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar!

Just click on the covers below to get yours.

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.

You can find my review here.

When Claire and James move into a beautiful Victorian home together, she soon discovers that he is being seduced by a secret from his past, one thought buried long ago.

DARK CURTAINS is the chillingly haunted tale by new master of modern horror, Evans Light.
(Also available as part of the STORIES, INC collection.)
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I’ve recently finished this and will be doing my review soon.

What are ya waiting for! Get the books! Go join the Q & A, and see what’s happening.

I’m keeping my word. I said I’d be back to tell you about more of Adam Light’s books and I’m here with some great news.

GONE is free to download from Amazon from Jan. 7th thru Jan 11th.. Go here to get yours.

Gone

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Greg awakens with a sense of urgency. A quick glance at his clock confirms it. He’s overslept and it’ll be a mad dash to get to work on time. He forgoes breakfast, figuring he’ll grab a java at Starbucks and throws on the cleanest clothes he can find.

He spots one of his shoes but for the life of him, can’t find the other. Where is it? With no time to search any longer, he throws on a dirty pair of tennis shoes and heads out the door.

A quick glance at his living room gives him a sense that it’s different, empty somehow.

Traffic isn’t too bad until he gets close to Starbucks. Cars are lined up around the block. A huge SUV gives up its spot and he squeezes into line.

Crushing pain seizes his chest. Oh God, not a heart attack. As the pain subsides and leaves completely he has to give up his place in line or he’ll be late for work.

Just a few minutes late, he sneaks to his desk while no ones paying attention. Before he knows it, it’s time for lunch. How could that be?

Why the feelings of dread, the panic attacks, the missing time? What is it about today?

While not as polished as his later works, I still had a great time reading Gone, Adam’s first published book.

The suspense builds, you feel Greg’s confusion and panic, and then the twist is revealed.

Anyone who likes short stories with a feel of The Dark Side or The Twilight Zone will like this.

     

About Adam Light and where to find him.

I have spent the better part of my life in northeast Florida, but I was born in West Virginia. I was consumed at an early age by an unquenchable thirst for the written word. Words, in general, when I think about it.

I was a quiet bookish kid, but after moving down south I grew into a wild and rebellious teenager. I grew my hair long, became enthralled with heavy metal music, and all the rest.

I’ve mellowed somewhat, but I love life, I love my family, and I love to write stories. I have a mad passion for it.

I am proud of the stories I have written and sincerely hope that readers like myself have enjoyed reading them as much as , and plan to continue tapping away at this keyboard until my fingers won’t move anymore.

Thanks to everyone who has supported my madness so far; I look forward to sharing much more of my mind’s crazy ride with you.

Goodreads

Amazon

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

Books written with Evans Light

I love reading and reviewing short stories and collections. You get a little bit of everything and they are a challenge to review.

For today, I’m reviewing The Lady of Chains ~And  Other Stories by V. Shaw. Read more to enter the giveaway.

The Lady of Chains and Other Stories

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NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNGER READERS

The Lady of Chains

Remember; you have seventy-two hours to do the deed and not a moment longer. Cut her throat and remove her heart. That, my girl, is the only way to destroy the wretched creature.”

Viola knew she shouldn’t have taken Mrs. Casket’s offer.  Viola’s heart stutters with each step up the long winding staircase. She really needs the money, but can she actually do this?

Greylock is a city of rust and steam, patrolled by metal soldiers who’s only purpose is to kill . They are best avoided. Nothing ever grows here and being an orphan, Viola struggles just to live.

It’s been chained up in the tower for years. If It ever escaped, it would finish what it started.

Mrs. Casket’s proposition seemed like a great opportunity, but now that she’s about to come face to face with The Lady of Chains, the Destroyer, Traitor of Greylock, Viola’s having second and third thoughts.

There is all kinds of weird in this story. A lady immobilized with chains, a machine with gears and valves that controls her movements, and a mysterious connection between Viola and the Lady. This novelette has depth and excitement.

I love the steampunk flavor and the well placed scenes of horror make this an edge of your seat read.  The author’s ability to develop her characters in-depth, describe the city as if I could see and smell it, and create a unique and startling plot just blew me away.

Hansel and Gretel

You know the story. Brother and sister tricked into the woods and abandoned there by their parents. They stumble around, lost and afraid.

In V. Shaw’s version of this tale, things are quite different. As time passes, Hansel and Gretel begin to change, to become a part of the forest. They are becoming.

This one surprised me. It started out familiar but then took a turn to the mysterious. It’s not the witch, eating children, you have to worry about.

The author got creative and gave you a whole new spin on an old fairytale.

Rogan and the Gargoyle

Megan regains consciousness, a peculiar metallic taste on her tongue. Probing her mouth, she pulls out a lump of flesh.

Then she recalls everything. The gargoyle grabbing her, taking flight, and the taste of its skin when she bites it.

They’d all been a part of the Health and Fitness class and went to the Highlands of Scotland to enjoy some rock climbing and camping. The lodge was isolated and outfitted with the barest of necessities.

Megan wishes she’d never went into the barn. That’s where she discovered the hideous statue.

When night fell, the statue came to life and picked them off one by one.

Big Dave, Meg and Rogan are all that’s left now.  If the stories are true, it turns to stone during the day. What should they do, run for it or try to hunt it down and destroy it?

If they’d had that one piece of necessary, need to know information, their decision might have been different.

Silent World

All the adults are gone along with most of the children. Alex and Thorn live in the farmhouse he was raised in. After taking her in, Alex tries to make life for her as normal as possible, as safe as possible, in a world of extreme winters and blistering hot summers.

They’ve been doing okay, keeping up patrols to destroy the Carpathians and meat-sacks that stumble upon the farm. Thorn is very good at taking them down. She’s very agile and ferocious for such a young girl. For all they know, they could be the only humans left.

Then there’s a knock on their door, more like a thump and a scrape. When Alex hears the faint cry for help, he risks opening the door. Standing there, in the white out of the winter storm, is a figure clad in fur and leather, face not visible . He rushes to catch the stranger when Thorn sidles up and conks the visitor on the head.

Alex stops Thorn from shooting the stranger and they put him in one of the kennels in the basement.

At first the young man wants nothing to do with them, but his infected wounds make him too weak to leave. Slowly nursed back to health, Finn begins to come out of his shell.

As the days pass, Finn grows stronger and becomes friends with Thorn. He treads lightly around Alex, not sure of how to act around him. Living in close quarters, they all begin to bond, to work as a team.

But Alex has a secret, a terrible one. One that puts them all in danger.

I’m still wondering if the beings are vampires or zombies or both. They don’t play a big role in the story though. Alex, Thorn and Finn are the major players and the author shows you their flaws, vulnerabilities, and loneliness. I enjoyed reading about them as they began to become friends. The relationship between Alex and Quinn left me curious. Not sure how I should interpret it. The hope the characters bring to each other, along with their struggle to survive allows you to bond with them and their story. You can’t help but care what happens.

All of these stories would be great as full novels. I’d love to know more. Each one has an element of horror but V. Shaw also brings to the table the fragility of human nature and our strengths when faced with impossible situations.

I gave this a Five for keeping it real.

Praise for Lady of Chains ~ And Other Stories

“V. Shaw’s talent for writing a good story is apparent in her very first book. The Lady of Chains and Other Stories doesn’t disappoint.” KDH Reviews
“The story is written to captivate the reader and it does this with the greatest of ease . . . I loved it and couldn’t put the book down.” Amazon.com
“A definite must read! Each story is a gateway into another world which takes your imagination to a whole new place with engaging & quirky characters. Very intriguing stories. Hard to put down.” Amazon.co.uk

About the author

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V. Shaw is the author of the short fiction collection, The Lady of Chains and Other Stories. Born in Scotland, she studied Film and Media at Stirling University. Having reviewed horror films for the now defunct FatallyYours.com, she has turned her attention to creating her own stories.

Writer. Urban explorer. Climber. Horror junkie. Beer guzzler. Book obsessed.
Cinema and television fiend. Nerd for life.

Her debut horror novel, The Fragile Things, is due to be released in March.

The Fragile Things

Her blog

Goodreads

Giveaway

V. Shaw is offering five e-books for the giveaway.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question, “What do you like about short stories and collections?”

Contest ends Jan. 16th.

Thank You and Good Luck.

Click on the cover to purchase your copy.