Posts Tagged ‘review’

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

Today I’m sharing a short horror story, The Doll. Grabbed it free from Amazon. It’s still free. If you want a copy click on the cover.

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The Doll

by J.C. Martin

15853977

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Genre:  Horror / Short Story

My Review

I watched a movie about dolls hanging in trees. Can’t remember the name of it. Actually, I think it was like a mini series. While the legend behind the dolls was different from this book, it stayed with me, making it an easy choice to read The Doll.

This is a short story, coming in at around 30 pages. Just long enough to put the scare on ya.

Joyce and her young daughter, Taylor, visit The Island of the Dolls while on a vacation. It’s got dolls of all kinds hanging in the trees and comes with a creepy legend.  Taylor falls in love with one of the dolls and soon she starts to change. What followed her home? What does it want? Need? How far will it go?

 I kept thinking of that short film with Karen Black in the Trilogy Of Terror. You know it? The ugly tribal doll. It’s chain falls off. It stalks her in her apartment. You can hear the pitter patter as it runs after her. Super creep!

This might not have a doll chasing the girl, but it oozes tension. You keep waiting for something bad to happen. The combination of eerie dolls and Palo Mayombe, the dark practice of Santeria, ensures something bad will occur.

The author got creative with this little tale, filling it with atmosphere and suspense. And it’s got a ‘killer’ ending.

   4  Stars

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Synopsis

The Island of the Dolls is a strange and eerie tourist destination in Mexico, where hundreds of decomposing dolls hang from trees like grisly Christmas ornaments. On a trip to the island, Joyce Parker’s daughter falls in love with a beautiful but sinister doll. Soon after, she starts developing strange mannerisms that concerns Joyce. Her research into the doll’s past reveals a dark history, and the curse of a lonely child spirit.

Amazon

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Dolla are such creepy things. They are perfect for horror stories. Here are some other books I’ve read with creepy dolls in them.

Porcelain

by William Hage

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My Review

As a little girl, I wasn’t crazy about dolls. Sure, I had my barbies, but those bigger dolls, the ones that were almost actual size, with those creepy eyes, nope. I didn’t like them. It always felt they were watching me, their eyes following me. Now, all grown up, I still don’t like them.

I love horror, whether reading it or watching it. There are lots of movies about dolls. Let’s see. There’s all those Puppet Masters movies. How about Chuckie? Now, that’s one messed up doll. I would never have bought that for my kid. And now we have Annabelle. Have you seen The Conjuring? That doll was scary evil and wasn’t even the main plot in the movie.

I can go back much further. Ventriloquists. Their dolls come to life. Seen a few different takes on that idea.

So yes, the whole doll taking on a life of its own has been done before. It’s the author’s ability to take that and hone it to their own tale that reveals their talent and creativity. William didn’t disappoint me.

A weary traveler stops at a bed & breakfast for the night. It’s a rather lovely place with lots of collectibles on display.

The older woman who owns the place explains that each item has a history, it’s own story.

When the woman is pulled away from the conversation by a phone call and the guest kills time looking over the many objects, one in particular catches his eye.

A porcelain doll, quite lovely. His daughter would love it.

When the guest checks out in the morning, the doll travels with him to his condo. There it will wait until he visits his daughter.

But the doll won’t wait for long. It has quite a history and is ready to make a new one.

Once the doll began it’s rampage, I asked myself what I would do. Would I take it back where I got it from? I had a feeling either the old woman or the place wouldn’t be there anymore. Or, the doll would just return to get me so why bother. I’d just have to figure out how to deal with it.

 I thought I saw the end coming. I was so wrong about that. Once the author revealed the dolls history, it went every which way but the way I thought it would.

The suspense was nail biting. If this were a movie, I’d be peeking through my fingers.

Scary good stuff.

5 Stars

Amazon

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This one is free on Amazon too. Click on the cover to get your copy!

Rag Doll

by Troy McCombs

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My Review

At about 14 pages, I hardly blinked before I was finished reading Rag Doll.

Lucas’s young daughter Lucy just has to have the rag doll. She discovered it in a pile of stuff at a yard sale.

The thing is frayed and battered, ugly actually, but she wants it and so Lucas buys it for her.

Here’s where the author sets the tone. It’s dark now and a thunder storm is raging. A must for most horror settings.

The rag dolls name is Sandy and it will come as no surprise that the she comes to life.

The author even throws in a babysitter. Poor thing. She must be the sacrificial lamb.

There are some creepy scenes that reminded me of Dean Koontz’ Tick Tock and voodoo dolls.

You get just enough to connect with characters, kind of recognize them, and then the fun begins. There are no wasted words. The author goes straight to the gut.

I never get tired of this kind of horror story. I suspend my disbelief and dive in, getting all kinds of creeped out and having fun.

The ending is deliciously horrific.

4 Stars

Amazon

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Bad Juju

by Dina Rae

Bad Juju

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Genre: Horror

My Review

Tom and Jessica Novak are proud to be doing God’s work. They’ve traveled to Port au-Prince as part of a missionary group with others of their church. They’re going to help with rebuilding the island after the 7.0 earthquake that shook all of Haiti, causing massive destruction.

Their 15-year-old son Henry’s Asperger’s Syndrome had them questioning their decision. He’s intelligent and quite functional, but changes in routine, surroundings and new faces could cause problems. Henry doesn’t communicate well or understand social interaction.

But Henry’s the one that urged them to go. He’s been obsessed with Haiti. So here they are, the whole family, including Henry’s younger sister Natalie, who’d rather be back home. This is not her idea of a great summer vacation.

Since Henry’s been doing so well, they decide to extend their stay. If they had only left earlier, they wouldn’t be searching for their missing son. Henry has simply vanished and wandering away from the protection of the armed camp is dangerous. There are a lot of bad people out there and he wouldn’t stand a chance against them.

If they had only known the reason Henry wandered away, they never would have brought him there.

My favorite character is Jake. He befriends Henry when they meet in detention class. They aren’t really bad boys, just a couple of kids who got in a little trouble.

Jake is a kind-hearted boy, helping out the elderly residents in his trailer park. He does odd jobs, cleans house and run errands for the less able ones. You wonder how he turned out so well when you learn he suffers violent beatings from his uncle. After losing his parents he came to live with his aunt and uncle and his aunt suffers the same abuse.

Jake brings Henry home with him after school to introduce him to his favorite neighbor, Lucien.

Lucien is a powerful bokor, a voodoo priest, and with his black skin, unruly, long white hair and piercing eyes, he looks every bit the part.

It becomes a regular routine for the boys to visit with Lucien after school and after much pleading, he begins to teach them about Vodun, the voodoo religion, beginning with simple spells and hexes.

Lucien feels death coming for him and can’t bear the thought of all his vast knowledge and power going with him to the grave.

After Jake receives another very brutal and bloody beating, the three decide to create a voodoo doll to rid Jake of his uncle.

This is where it all starts to go weird.

Bad Juju was a surprise. I thought it was going to be all about voodoo, raising the dead, and voodoo dolls. Well, it was. I learned how to do voodoo, what the religion is about, good and dark arts of it, and how to raise someone from the dead. Some of it creeped me out, but a lot of it was really funny.

Having the characters as teen-age boys made this story. Boys will be boys and they had me rocking and  rolling! I can’t wait for you to meet the dead guy.

Getting back to the surprise part, there were several deeper subjects tackled throughout this book and I could tell the author did a lot of research and included that knowledge in the story to make it believable and engaging.

If you’re looking for something different, look no further. Bad Juju has plenty of interesting characters, some tough topics, plenty of laughs, and lots of scary voodoo magic. Oh Yeah, I almost forgot the zombie!

I felt like I got a crash course in voodoo, like voodoo for dummies.

4 Stars

Currently unavailable.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

I really enjoyed the first book in the Hell Holes series and I’m excited to share the second one today.

Demons On The Dalton

Hell Holes #2

by Donald Firesmith

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Genre: Horror / Science Fiction

This is book two in the series. My review may contain some spoilers.

 My Review

It started with mysterious holes appearing overnight in the tundra of the North Slope in Alaska. A team of seven, including Jack, a geologist, his wife, Angela, a climatologist, Aileen, a reporter with a secret power, and four others are hired by Exxon Mobil to investigate. When the very hounds of Hell crawl out of one of the holes and start killing, the team races south on Dalton Highway, one of the ten most dangerous roads, trying to reach Fairbanks and safety. Soon, imps and gargoyles join the hellhounds in pursuit. Only three of the team members make it to the SUV and begin their escape. The Demon War has begun.

Jack told his story of how it all began in the first book. Now, Angela tells what happens next.

As the three survivors race down the highway, they encounter more and more demons. And the demons have some surprising tricks up their sleeve that don’t bode well. It’s attack after attack. Every time it seems like they’ve found safety, it goes to hell in a hand basket. Even the military, with all of their technology and weapons, don’t stand a chance.

After what I’ve just read, I have now decided that if there’s ever an apocalypse, I’ll take zombies over demons any time. Some of these of creatures are dumber than a box of rocks, but they are guided by higher demons, smart ones, and can inflict major damage.

The author sure doesn’t give his characters a break. And he keeps the action and suspense at full throttle. How many demons are there? Do they have a weakness? And most important, how do we stop them? The answer is one you can’t begin to imagine.

I take from the ending that there’s more to come. I have an idea where it will go and sure excited to see how that works out.

4  Stars

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Synopsis

When hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, geologist Jack Oswald picked Angele Menendez, his climatologist wife, to determine if the record temperatures due to climate change was the cause. But the holes were not natural. They were unnatural portals for an invading army of demons. Together with Aileen O’Shannon, a 1,400-year-old sorceress demon-hunter, the three survivors of the research team sent to study the holes had only one chance: to flee down the dangerous Dalton Highway towards the relative safety of Fairbanks. However, the advancing horde of devils, imps, hellhounds, and gargoyles would stop at nothing to prevent their prey from escaping. It was a 350-mile race with simple rules. Win and live; lose and die…

Amazon

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Heads up! What Lurks Below: Hell Holes #1 is free on Amazon. Click on the cover to grab a copy!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Running Out of Space banner
This is my stop during the blog tour for Running Out of Space by S.J. Higbee. This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 11 till 31 October. You can check see the tour schedule here.

For a limited time Running Out of Space will be only $0.99 on Amazon.

Running Out of Space (The Sunblinded Trilogy#1)
By S.J. Higbee
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: New adult
Release Date: 11 October, 2017

36198608

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My Review

I used to avoid science fiction books. Figured they’d be full of techie jargon I couldn’t get my mind around. Then I gave it a go and found some fun books, including this one by S.J. Higbee. She does a great job of making me feel comfortable and before I know it, I’m not thinking about genre. I’m thinking about the characters. The trouble they get themselves into. What’s waiting for me on the next page. And almost forgetting that this takes place in space.

So, yeah, four young ladies, Lizzy, Sonja, Jessica and Alisha, decide to prove their more than baby ovens and head into the forbidden and dangerous Basement Level on Space Station Hawking to prove they’re every bit as tough as the guys. This is where the action starts and keeps going all the way til the end.

With four main character’s, all of them girls, you’d think their voices would run together, but they don’t. They each have their own signature and you easily know who’s talking when. All are quite different in personality, have different strengths and weaknesses, and this actually makes them a strong team.

When they get into some serious trouble, a stranger steps in and helps them out. Yep, a male character, Wynn of the muscles and sky blue eyes, joins the team. Not so much by choice as by circumstance. This doesn’t mean the girls go all wimpy. They actually step up and become double tough when the danger gets really intense. His character made for some fun to lighten things up here and there. And while there’s a quick attraction between one of the girls and Wynn, it’s not the main focus of the story. And from the author’s description of Wynn, I wouldn’t blame any of the young ladies for swooning over him.

Reading this story was like getting a tour of the station. From bottom to top, each level is different. Some are nice and some are nasty, and I could easily picture much of it. Probably because of all the sci fi movies I watch. Good visual writing added to my enjoyment.

The author gave me plenty of action and intrigue and some genuine characters that are easy to tell apart. Solid science fiction fun. I see this is the first in a series and I’ll be waiting for more.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Elizabeth Wright has yearned to serve on the space merchant ship Shooting Star for as long as she can remember – until one rash act changes everything…

I can’t recall whose idea it was. Just that me and my shipmates were sick of wading through yet another unjust punishment detail. So we decide to take ourselves off on a short jaunt to the lower reaches of Space Station Hawking to prove that fertile English girls can also deal with danger.

The consequences of that single expedition change the lives of all four of us, as well as that of the stranger who steps in to save us down in lawless Basement Level. Now I have more excitement and danger than I can handle, while confronting lethal shipboard politics, kidnapping, betrayal. And murder.

You can find Running Out of Space on Goodreads

Buy Running Out of Space for only $0.99!
You can buy Running Out of Space for only $0.99 on Amazon!

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SJ HigbeeAbout the Author:
Born the same year as the Russians launched Sputnik, I confidently expected that by the time I reached adulthood, the human race would have a pioneer colony on the Moon and be heading off towards Mars. So I was at a loss to know what to do once I realised the Final Frontier wasn’t an option and rather lost my head – I tried a lot of jobs I didn’t like and married a totally unsuitable man.

Now I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’ll never leave Earth, I have a lovely time writing science fiction and fantasy novels while teaching Creative Writing at Northbrook College in Worthing. I’ve had a number of short stories, articles and poems published – the most recent being my story ‘Miranda’s Tempest’ which appeared last year in Fox Spirit’s anthology Eve of War. I recently signed a publishing contract with Grimbold Publishing for my science fiction novel Netted, which is due to be released in 2019.

I live in Littlehampton on the English south coast with a wonderful husband and a ridiculous number of books. I can be found online chatting about books at my book review blog https://sjhigbee.wordpress.com/ and you’re very welcome to pop onto my website www.sjhigbee.com and my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sjhigbeeauthor/.

You can find and contact S.J. Higbee here:
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads


banner Lola's Blog Tours

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

And welcome to my Monday Minis Reviews where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.

The Bird

by Willow Rose

35994729

 

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Genre: Horror / Short Story

 My Review

This story moves quickly and turns dark fats.

A little girl rescues a baby bird. Her mother has a phobia for the the creatures but eventaully relents and lets her nurse the bird back to health. But before long, the little bird begins to terrorize them and it brought friends. A bunch of them.

For a short story, it packed a lot of punch. I remember the movie The Birds and it helped me picture scenes from when the birds attack this family. You wouldn’t think a bird could do much damage, but hundreds of them sure can.

Lots of action and a twist at the end made this a twisted good read.

3  Stars

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Synopsis

Another nail-biting horror novella from the Queen of Scream

Everyone’s nightmare

When five-year-old Winnie finds a little bird that is hurt, she wants to take it in and take care of it. Her mother is reluctant. She is terrified of birds. As she rightfully should be…

The Bird is a short story from The Queen of Scream. A quick and scary read, as only Willow Rose can deliver it.

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

I’ve got another spooky read by Michael West to share with you.

Spook House

A Harmony, Indiana Novel

by Michael West

16074582

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Genre: Horror / Paranormal

 My Review

Oh yeah, Michael does it again. Writes a story that reads so visual you think you’re watching the movie. A very creepy movie flooded with a mixed bag of characters, serial killers and bizarre monsters.

From the beginning there’s a scene that gave me the willies. Guess I’ve seen too many horror movies, but that spider dog. Oh, man. From that scene on I was prepared for things to get crazier. That’s what the author does so well.  Uses his talent for writing to set your nerves on edge and strings you along until, finally, he releases you with an ending like no other.

It’s not all horror. There’s a brief bit where romance ignites. But it’s not anything that’s dwelt on. Just connects the characters really. The other thing is the B-movie fodder. You know, when the character does something stupid and you yell at them not to do it. It added a bit of humor for me.

So the end is near. I sure wish I could tell you it was a happy one, but come on. It’s a horror story by Michael West. The build up through the whole book, including some awesome illustrations, leads you to Halloween night and a dynamite ending.

I don’t want to forget to mention you don’t have to read this series in order. They all stand alone.

4  Stars

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Synopsis

There are some places in this world that go far beyond any normal definition of “haunted.” These places are so evil, so diabolical, that they become gateways to Hell itself. The Fuller Farm is one such place.

It is said that old man Fuller conducted unspeakable acts, blood rituals and human sacrifices, all in an attempt to gain the ultimate knowledge, the ultimate power. And then, he was killed–horribly murdered on his own lands, leaving the house to stand as a vacant monument to his wickedness. But once a door is opened, it can never really be closed.

Now, the stars are right. The gateway is ready to once more unleash unspeakable horror upon the town of Harmony, Indiana. And this will be one Halloween that they will never forget!

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

And welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that, well, make you scream!

I had such fun with Michael’s fantasy horror series Legacy Of The Gods so I had to check out this series.

Cinema Of Shadows

A Harmony, Indiana Novel

  by Michael West

12292002

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Genre:  Horror / Paranormal

My Review

Ooh. what better setting for a haunting than a derelict movie theatre. Woodfield Movie Palace hasn’t projected a film onto it’s large screen in many many years. Dust motes float in abandoned rooms. Birds and critters make nests in it’s empty shell. And something else moves about in its darkest places. This is its home. It will never leave. So you best stay away or it will make you pay. And the price for admission is death.

I’ll admit that spectacular cover was the first reason I chose to read these book. It being a paranormal investigation plot just added to my interest. And I’ve read another series by this author and knew the writing would be solid, with genuine characters.

At first, it felt like many other books with this idea. A team goes into a building purported to be haunted and all kinds of nasty stuff starts happening. But this is where Michael builds his own idea, giving background filler to suggest how and why it might be truly haunted. As to who or what is doing it, you don’t know that until you get close to the end.

There’s a mixed bag of characters for the paranormal investigation team. The snarky gal, the over emoting jock, the lost girl with an unwanted ability, a few others for the casualty list, and one with a hidden agenda. Michael shines at bringing them to life. He even throws in a bit of romance. It’s almost insta love, but I felt it was more like two lonely people being in the right place at the right time. It could happen.

And then there’s the town of Harmony, Indiana. The place where it all goes down. This is the second book in the Harmony series. Each stands alone. The setting is the same but the characters and stories are different. Kind of like Stephen King and Derry, Maine. Harmony could have been built on bad ground. I wonder if the author will eventually explain why so many horrible things happen there.

This isn’t a fast moving story. The action is spread out. Those in between times are just as good. I like getting to know some of the history of the theatre and becoming more knowledgeable about the characters. I need to connect to them somewhat in order to care what happens to them. things start moving fast when it gets crazy and dark. I’d suggest you sit back, enjoy the ride, but don’t let your guard down. If you do, that’s when Michael will put the boo on you.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Welcome to the Woodfield Movie Palace. The night the Titanic sank, it opened for business…and its builder died in his chair. In the 1950s, there was a fire; a balcony full of people burned to death. And years later, when it became the scene of one of Harmony, Indiana’s most notorious murders, it closed for good. Abandoned, sealed, locked up tight…until now. Tonight, Professor Geoffrey Burke and his Parapsychology students have come to the Woodfield in search of evidence, hoping to find irrefutable proof of a haunting. Instead, they will discover that, in this theater, the terrors are not confined to the screen.

Amazon

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Stop back by tomorrow when I’ll be sharing the next Harmony, Indiana book.

Spook House

A Harmony, Indiana Novel

by Michael West

16074582

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Genre: Horror / Paranormal

Synopsis

There are some places in this world that go far beyond any normal definition of “haunted.” These places are so evil, so diabolical, that they become gateways to Hell itself. The Fuller Farm is one such place.

It is said that old man Fuller conducted unspeakable acts, blood rituals and human sacrifices, all in an attempt to gain the ultimate knowledge, the ultimate power. And then, he was killed–horribly murdered on his own lands, leaving the house to stand as a vacant monument to his wickedness. But once a door is opened, it can never really be closed.

Now, the stars are right. The gateway is ready to once more unleash unspeakable horror upon the town of Harmony, Indiana. And this will be one Halloween that they will never forget!

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Flesh

by Laura Bickle

Genre: YA Horror

Date of Publication: September 19, 2017

ISBN: 9781537857992 / ASIN: B074XBJ697

Number of pages: 307 / Word Count: 76,573

Cover Artist: Danielle Fine

My Review

Charlie isn’t afraid of the dead. It’s her tenth grade classmates that can send her screaming. Halloween is rolling around again and she isn’t expecting much excitement. Especially after the fiasco from last year. Her parents didn’t appreciate her throwing a party at their funeral home.

This year Charlie is keeping a low profile. She’s not looking for trouble but trouble finds her when a deceased classmate, Amanda, who’s body should be resting in a morgue drawer, gets up and starts munching on corpses. That’s just the beginning of many bizarre events that start happening. Faster than you can say Ghoul Girl, she’s scrambling to hide Amanda and find out why the dead aren’t staying dead.

This book is tagged as YA Horror and there were some gruesome scenes. Like the one where Amanda starts chowing down on live worms like they’re gummies. And when she chews on a corpses arm like it’s a drum stick. Those scenes made me squirm. But Laura also made them funny. The family dog, Lothar, loves Amanda because she shares her kibble. Yep he’s a man eater, kind of.  He even liked the worms.

Flesh doesn’t have tons of action, but there’s enough to keep the story moving fast. The character’s act genuine. And there’s a legend about Bob the Catfish that adds an interesting twist.

I was torn over how to rate this book. Keeping in mind this was aimed at the younger audience, I went with 4 stars. It didn’t wow me but I had fun and I think it hit the mark for the young adult readers.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

The dead are easy to talk to. Live people, not so much.

Charlie Sulliven thinks she knows all the secrets of the dead. Raised in a funeral home, she’s the reluctant “Ghoul Girl,” her reputation tied to a disastrous Halloween party. But navigating her life as a high school sophomore is an anxiety-inducing puzzle to her. She haunts the funeral home with her parents, emo older brother, Garth, their pistol-packing Gramma, and the glass-eyeball-devouring dachshund, Lothar.

Chewed human bodies are appearing in her parents’ morgue…and disappearing in the middle of the night. The bodies seem tied to a local legend, Catfish Bob, who has resurfaced in the muddy Milburn river near Charlie’s small town. When one of Charlie’s classmates, Amanda, awakens in the cooler as a flesh-eating ghoul, Charlie must protect her newfound friend and step up to unravel the mystery…and try to avoid becoming lunch meat for the dead.

Pronoun          Amazon          iBooks

BN          Google Play      Kobo

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Enjoy this glimpse inside.

“Amanda, I…Oh.”

            I don’t know what else to say. My brain just shuts down.

            She is wearing the sheet, wound around her like a toga. It trails behind her bare feet, sort of like a painting about Greek goddesses I’ve seen in art books. She’s leaning over another body stored in the cooler unit on a cart. Her back is to me, and I can only see her pale skin and her burgundy-black hair shuddering.

            “Amanda.”

            She turns at the sound of my voice, seeming only to hear me for the first time. Her face is covered in dark blood. In her hand, she’s holding a big chunk of purple flesh. Her eyes are half-closed. The autopsy incision on the elderly body below her has been ripped open, and I’m pretty sure that what she’s holding is a lung.

            “So hungry…” she murmurs.

            I retreat until my back presses against the cold door. A whimper escapes my lips, and I drop the laundry basket with a sharp crack of plastic on the tile floor. This has to be a dream. A screwed-up anxiety dream that I’ll wake up from any moment now…

            Amanda’s black eyes snap open. She stares at the chunk of flesh in her hand. “I…Agh…What’s going on?”

            Lothar waddles over to her and begins to beg. Bile rises in my throat. “That’s Mrs. Canner,” I manage to answer. “She’s seventy-two and died of surgery complications for varicose veins. Deep vein thrombosis, I think. I don’t remember.” I’m babbling, trying to keep the bile down.

            Amanda drops the lung with a wet splat. The dog scrambles to it and begins scarfing it down. Her hands are trembling. She presses them to her temples. “I don’t understand. I don’t understand.”

            I nudge the laundry basket closer to her with my foot. “I brought you some clothes. And, um. Food. You should get dressed.”

            I think I should be afraid. I think I really ought to be. But Amanda seems genuinely confused. She reaches for the clothes I’ve brought her. To be polite, I know that I should really look away. But I can’t move. I am not turning my back on her. My heart pounds, and I struggle to take deep, uneven breaths.

            Amanda unwinds the sheet and slips into my clothes. Though I avert my eyes, I see that her shoulder and side are still torn open. But my mother hasn’t begun the autopsy yet, so there is no Y-incision across her chest and abdomen.

            “Do you remember what happened to you?” I manage to ask. I congratulate myself for having a rational thought. Woot.

            Her voice is halting, and her brow wrinkles as she struggles to button my jeans. “I remember…something was chasing me. Jesus, it hurt…” Her hand comes up to her neck, and she seems to remember, fingering the edges of the wound. “Am I in a hospital?” she asks again.

            I suck in a breath. “No. You’re at my house.” It’s not a lie. Not really.

            She scans the room, as if registering the sight of the cadavers. “You’re the girl whose parents run the funeral home. The Ghoul Girl.”

            “It’s gonna be okay,” I tell her.

            “Why am I here?” Her breath makes ghosts in the cold air.

            “The Sheriff found you, alongside the road.” That’s true also, even if not the whole truth. “I think we should get you upstairs, so you can talk to my parents…”

            She shakes her head, and her dark hair slaps across her face. “No. I…Oh my god. I’m here because…somebody thought I was dead?”

            I swallow hard. “Yeah.”

~~~~~

Glittery Ghoul Donuts

By
Laura Bickle

When I saw vampire donuts come
across a friend’s Facebook feed, I knew that I had to give them a try. I’ve had
my own share of Pinterest disasters, to be certain, but I think this is
something I can handle. The worst thing that could possibly happen would be
that I’d have a dozen mangled donuts, right? I could eat all the evidence
before anyone was the wiser.

 

I  gathered my materials. I picked up a dozen glazed donuts,
a bag of plastic vampire fangs, and a package of candy eyes. For fun, I got
some edible glitter. I originally thought I might make sparkly vampire donuts
with silver glitter, but decided to get green so that the completed creatures
would remind me more of ghouls.

 

 I squished some vampire fangs into the donut holes to make
mouths.

Then I added the candy eyes. They stick very well into the
donut glaze.

Then I dusted the donuts with edible green glitter. I was
pretty pleased with my green choice…they seem particularly monstrous.

And ta-da! A horde of flesh-eating ghoul donuts!

I’m counting this as a Halloween
craft win. Do you have any Halloween crafts you’re going to make this season?
Any raven wreaths, bat cookies, or carved pumpkins on your agenda?

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About Author Laura Bickle

Laura Bickle grew up in rural Ohio, reading entirely too many comic books out loud to her favorite Wonder Woman doll. After graduating with an MA in Sociology – Criminology from Ohio State University and an MLIS in Library Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she patrolled the stacks at the public library and worked with data systems in criminal justice. She now dreams up stories about the monsters under the stairs, also writing contemporary fantasy novels under the name Alayna Williams.

The latest details on her work are available at:

Website / Blog

Follow on Social Media:

Twitter / Facebook / Pinterest

And Sign Up for the Newsletter HERE

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

I’ve got another one by Hunter Shea to share today.

The Jersey Devil

by Hunter Shea

28109846

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Genre: Horror

 My Review

Having read a bunch of Hunter’s books, I thought I was prepared for The Jersey Devil. So not!

Several generations of the Willet family vow to stop the monster at any cost. The beast has haunted them for years and they want there vengeance. And that cost is high. I’m telling you now, do not get attached to any character. Hunter’s never shy about killing off his characters but he goes above and beyond in this book. After several people I started to like got killed I knew the worst was yet to come. Oops, there goes another one, and another. I tried to count how many died, but lost track somewhere in the double digits.

And the creature. The monster. Heck, I can’t come up a description horrific enough. Beastial and malevolent on so many levels, when the rampage begins it gets super gory and disturbing. If this were made into a movie, there are many scenes where I’d be peeking through my fingers, checking to see if it was done yet.

The author outdid himself with this one. Definitely one for mature readers. There are some explicit scenes so twisted I wouldn’t recommend this for a younger audience.

That being said, I enjoyed this one. Yeah, some things got to me, but that’s when you know the author did their job. If they can make you squirm, they’ve hit the mark.

4  Stars

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Synopsis

THE LEGEND LIVES
Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it is an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth . . .

THE DEVIL AWAKES
Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil—and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature’s stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth . . .

THE BEAST MUST DIE
It’ll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds of teenagers. The woods are filled with tender young prey. But this time, the Devil is not alone. The evil has grown into an unholy horde of mutant monstrosities. And hell has come home to New Jersey . . .

Amazon

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

and

Welcome to The Kid’s Korner.

I decided to do this feature as I have so many great children’s books to share. From picture books, to books for beginning readers, to middle graders, I have plenty of fun ones.

Today I’m sharing a really fun book.

Splat The Cat

What Was That?

by Rob Scotton

16248027

 

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Genre: Children’s / Halloween / A Lift The Flap Book

 My Review

Splat, a black cat. How fun is that?

It’s Halloween and Splat and his friends, Spike and Seymour are at the last house on their trick-or-treat route.  Splat doesn’t want anything to do with the creepy old house. It’s supposed to be haunted. But then Seymour gets lost and Splat and Spike have to find him.

Such a fun little book. Splat and his friends are adorable  and this lift-the-flap book shows them in glossy, colorful illustrations. I remember this type of book when I was little. I read it over and over, excited every time I peeked behind one of the flaps.

Little ones will be giggling, begging to be the one to lift a flap and see what’s under it. Simply written and not really scary, it’s a fun Halloween story.

This is a series and there are plenty more adventures with these delightful characters.

Too cute!

5  Stars

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Synopsis

Splat the Cat and his friends have a Halloween adventure in Splat the Cat: What Was That?, a  lift-the-flap book by Rob Scotton, creator of the beloved Russell the Sheep.

Halloween should be a black cat’s favorite holiday, but Spat the Cat is nervous about visiting a creepy haunted house. He’s worried it will be too scary. Splat’s friend Spike tells Splat not to be a scaredy-cat—the haunted house is just for fun!

Splat and Spike’s visit to the haunted house turns into a rescue mission when Splat’s pet mouse, Seymour, gets lost inside.
Kids will relate to Splat’s apprehension about visiting a haunted house and they’ll enjoy the exciting surprises under every flap in the funny, spooky book.

Amazon

Here’s a peek inside.

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And a peek under the flap.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

And welcome to my Monday Minis Reviews where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.

I’m going to take you back in time. To 1898 and H.G. Wells classic story War Of The Worlds.

The War Of The Worlds

by H.G. Wells

16147181

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Genre: Horror

 My Review

I remember the original movie for this book. It had loads of atmosphere and scared me way more than the more modern one starring Tom Cruise with the techie CG stuff. Mind you, I still enjoyed that one too. And I guess I’m showing my age here when I mention listening to shows on the radio. Not so old that I listened to the original show broadcast in 1938 that caused such a panic. People came into the radio broadcast not having heard it was just a show and actually believed aliens had invaded.  Having read so many books since I first read this and seen so many movies, I figured a reread was in order to see how I felt about it now.

Keeping in mind this was written in 1898, I was surprised by how modern it felt while still feeling like the time it was written in.  I think Wells was a visionary. We hadn’t yet learned to fly and he wrote about Martians in alien space crafts invading our planet.

It’s a thrilling They came, They saw, We conquered story. And I think what made it scarier for me was I kept seeing scenes from the original film while reading it. Towering alien machines that shoot death rays and slithering, ugly aliens. Mr. Wells was one of the great story tellers and I bet he enjoyed scaring the pants off people.

 4  Stars

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Synopsis

With H.G. Wells’ other novels, The War of the Worlds was one of the first and greatest works of science fiction ever to be written. Even long before man had learned to fly, H.G. Wells wrote this story of the Martian attack on England. These unearthly creatures arrive in huge cylinders, from which they escape as soon as the metal is cool. The first falls near Woking and is regarded as a curiosity rather than a danger until the Martians climb out of it and kill many of the gaping crowd with a Heat-Ray. These unearthly creatures have heads four feet in diameter and colossal round bodies, and by manipulating two terrifying machines – the Handling Machine and the Fighting Machine – they are as versatile as humans and at the same time insuperable. They cause boundless destruction. The inhabitants of the Earth are powerless against them, and it looks as if the end of the World has come. But there is one factor which the Martians, in spite of their superior intelligence, have not reckoned on. It is this which brings about a miraculous conclusion to this famous work of the imagination.

Amazon

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The War Of The Worlds trailer from 1953.

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The War Of The Worlds trailer from 2005.

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The War Of The Worlds Radio Broadcast in 1938.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE