Whoa, what a busy month. I worked and then came home and worked some more. I did complete my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills feature. Got a review posted every day of October and then some. I still have a bunch more I’m working on so I can sit back and relax a bit for Christmas.
I have some exciting reviews and giveaways to share. Check it out below.
Looking forward to chatting with you and have a great new week!
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Book News.
What I just finished. I’ll be sharing my reviews soon.
What I’m reading now.
What I’ll be reading next.
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October reviews.
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Here are my reviews for my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills in October.
Zoya makes Coco a golden birthday
present in this full-color book perfect for beginning readers!
Pick a book. Grow a Reader!
This series is part of Scholastic’s
early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With
easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color
artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency.
Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow!
It’s Coco’s birthday and Zoya wants
to give her pup the perfect present. She tries out a few ideas — including a
yarn necklace and colorful frosted treats. But she finally decides to paint
Coco’s bowl gold. With some paint and LOTS of glitter, Zoya creates a gift Coco
is sure to love!
With Kai Robinson’s vibrant,
full-color artwork and Valerie Bolling’s engaging, easy-to-read text
throughout, this sparkly series is perfect for beginning readers!
Zoya wants to make her beloved puppy, Coco, a birthday gift. She tries several ideas until her mother helps her settle on the perfect one.
I’d recommend this to kids around 6 or 7 years old. The story is sweet and fun and inspires expressing yourself with art. The illustrations were colorful and made me want to get out my paints. Zoya toyed with several fun ways to make her puppie’s gift sparkle.
5 STARS
~~~~~
The Gray Day
Synopsis
In this sparkly, full-color early reader series, Zoya and her puppy, Coco, love to make art — even on a rainy day! Pick a book. Grow a Reader! This series is part of Scholastic’s early reader line, Acorn, aimed at children who are learning to read. With easy-to-read text, a short-story format, plenty of humor, and full-color artwork on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and fluency. Acorn books plant a love of reading and help readers grow! Zoya loves to make art with her puppy, Coco. It is a perfect day to paint outside — until it begins to rain! Zoya and Coco rush back inside with their art supplies. But together — and with a splash of glitter — they find creative ways to brighten the gray day. With Kai Robinson’s vibrant, full-color artwork and Valerie Bolling’s engaging, easy-to-read text throughout, this sparkly series is perfect for beginning readers!
~~~~~
MY REVIEW
It’s a beautiful day and Zoya takes her puppy, Coco, outside to do some painting in the sun. But clouds roll in and rain falls on her artwork so she’s forced indoors. It’s now a gloomy day and there’s nothing bright to paint.
I loved how the author turned Zoya’s gloomy day into one filled with color and sparkle. Yes, everything is better with a sprinkle or two of glitter. A perfect book for the budding little artist in your family.
5 STARS
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About Valerie Bolling:
Valerie
Bolling is a graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers
College and has been an educator for over 25 years. Her debut picture
book, Let’s Dance! is a 2021 Crystal Kite Award winner.
Rainbow Days, illustrated by Kai Robinson, is her debut early reader series.
Bolling and her husband live in Connecticut.
Kai Robinson is a digital illustrator and designer with a BFA
in Illustration from Montserrat College of Art. Rainbow Days, written by
Valerie Bolling, is their debut early reader series. Kai is based in New
England.
I don’t now about you but I’m ready for fall. It’s so hot and humid here and I want hurricane season to be over. Nothing yet but late August and September are when things start to ramp up. Plus, fall means Halloween! One of my favorite holidays. And this year I’m bring back my 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills feature that was sidelined due to Covid. A spooky review every day in October and some other scary good fun stuff.
I have some exciting reviews and giveaways to share. And some free books! Check it all below.
Looking forward to chatting with you and have a great new week!
~~~~~
Book News.
What I just finished. I’ll be sharing my reviews soon..
What I’m reading now.
What I’ll be reading next.
Newly added to my pile of books.
~~~~~
This week’s reviews.
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Here are some FREEBIES for ya.
Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.
An epic story of love, loss, friendship, and survival under the most hellish of conditions, Hell Holes: A Slave’s Revengeis the award-winning prequel to the Hell Holesseries of alien invasion novels.
After killing his father, alien demons teleport a fifteen-year-old boy, his mother, and his sister to Hell, a desert world in the Demonic Empire. With survival far from certain, they have just two choices: to live as useful slaves or die as demon food. As the boy becomes a man, he must decide just how much he must collaborate with his demon masters to survive. But can he live long enough to take his revenge and regain his freedom without losing his humanity and his very soul?
Winter 2022 Pinnacle Achievement Awards – Winner – Science Fiction Category
2021 Top Shelf Magazine Book Awards – Runner-up – Fiction/Fantasy Subcategory
July 2022 BooksShelf.com Book Awards – Finalist – Fiction Category
2021 The Wishing Shelf Book Awards – Finalist – Adult Category
ReadFree.ly – 50 Best Indie Books of 2021
SERGEANT, our three-year-old German Shepherd, woke me from a pleasant dream by barking her head off and scratching at the cabin door. I glanced at my alarm clock. It was just after three in the morning, and much too early for her to need to be let out to do her business. She was also far too excited for that to be the problem.
“What is it, girl?” Dad called. “Are the raccoons back again?”
Sergeant ignored him and continued barking.
I thought I heard a deep growl coming from outside my window. “I think it’s a bear, Dad.” I groggily dragged myself out of bed, stepped into my slippers, and headed downstairs.
Dad was already there, taking his hunting rifle down from its home over the fireplace. He checked it to ensure it was loaded while I pulled Sergeant back from the door.
Grizzlies occasionally break into empty cabins looking for an easy meal. Still, I’d never known one to bust into one that was occupied, and a dog could usually be counted on to keep them at bay. Besides, it was late summer when their food was plentiful.
“What is it, Robert?” Mom asked. She was halfway down the stairs with Sarah just behind her.
“Probably just a bear,” Dad answered.
We had a thick solid door with a strong lock, so I wasn’t too concerned. I just hoped that it wouldn’t break a window because I’d be the one Dad would send into town to buy the glass to replace it.
Boom! The door rattled as something massive struck it. Sergeant growled, jerked her collar out of my hands, and bounded to the door. She pawed at it, barking like mad.
I was just about to run forward and grab her when there was a deafening bang. Ripped right off its heavy hinges, the door flew across the room, knocking Sergeant sideways and narrowly missing me before crashing into the dinner table.
Dad raised his rifle and fired just as a huge, wolf-like creature charged into the room. The bullet struck it squarely in the middle of the chest, dropping the monster to the floor.
We all gawked at the nightmarish beast lying at Dad’s feet. We’d never seen or even imagined such an animal. Easily four times the size of a timber wolf, the beast had neither fur nor anything you could call skin. Its massive brick-red muscles and yellowish bones and tendons were clearly visible as were the finger-long fangs and large, triangular teeth in its gaping mouth. Its yellow eyes with horizontal pupils stared blankly up at us while it bled blood the color of crude oil.
“What the hell is that?” Dad exclaimed as a second such beast burst into the house and bounded over the body of the one he had shot. Before he could react, it sank its teeth into Dad’s neck and shook him like an orca shaking a seal.
Several things happened almost simultaneously. Mom and Sarah screamed. The gun flew out of Dad’s hands and slid past me into the kitchen. Sergeant whined and bolted out the door as I sprinted to retrieve Dad’s rifle.
Grabbing his gun, I started to turn back to face the monsters when someone yanked the rifle right out of my hands. No, not someone. Some thing!
A grotesque, little, ape-like monster no more than three-feet-tall stood in front of me holding Dad’s rifle in one hand and a sword to my neck with the other. The imp had short little horns and stared at me with yellow, goat-like eyes. Like the hellhound, it was totally naked and seemed to have no skin covering his heavily muscled body.
Perhaps those huge muscles were what made me feel certain he was male despite his lack of any obvious indicator of his sex. The imp grinned, flashed an impossibly wide mouth full of shark-like teeth, and shook his head. His intent was unmistakable.
Wresting my gaze away from the imp’s hideous face, I looked up to see a second, sword-carrying imp motioning for Mom and Sarah to come down from the stairs. They, however, were transfixed by the sight of the hellhound feasting on Dad’s body. The one he’d shot had staggered to its feet, the wound in its chest miraculously healing before our eyes. The hellhounds snarled and growled at each other as they bit off softball-sized chunks of flesh and swallowed them whole.
I was having a nightmare! The worst nightmare of my life. I was asleep. I had to be.
The imp in front of me poked my stomach with the tip of his sword. It hurt! What? It shouldn’t hurt. You don’t feel pain in dreams. I glanced down and saw a little circle of blood staining my pajamas.
I wasn’t dreaming! Two wolf-like monsters were eating my dad, and two diminutive demons with swords had taken over the house. I couldn’t imagine how things could get any worse, but they did.
The devil, who was completely naked like the imps, walked in through the open doorway. There he stood with his long swept-back horns, his cloven hooves, and his red naked body. The only things missing were a pitchfork and tail. Tall and far more muscular than any Olympic athlete, he looked around the room with yellow, goat-like eyes, just like those of the imps and hellhounds.
The devil pointed at my mother and sister and barked out a series of incomprehensible sounds. They had to be words in the demonic language of Hell. Several of the syllables were so weird and spoken so rapidly that they were difficult to grasp and impossible for any human to repeat.
The imp standing at the base of the stairs motioned with his sword for Mom and Sarah to come down. Then the devil said something else, and the imp in front of me motioned for me to join them. Mom and Sarah were crying, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably as they watched the hellhounds feasting on Dad’s body. We hugged, and I did my best to make them turn their backs on the horrific scene. But there was no way we could ignore the horrible sounds the hellhounds made as we waited to learn our fate.
.
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To Hell and Back
Hell Holes Book 3
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The beautiful young photojournalist, Aileen O’Shannon, is not who she seems. For centuries, she has been a demon hunter, a sorceress who has tracked and killed small bands of demons that occasionally crossed into our world. But that changed when she joined Dr. Jack Oswald’s expedition to study one of hundreds of huge holes that mysteriously appeared overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle. Instead of small sporadic incursions, hordes of demons now pour from these hell holes like water from a sieve. With bombing little more than a losing game of whack-a-mole, Earth’s armies are unable to destroy the portals. When Jack suggests a desperate plan, he is drafted to join Aileen and a team of other sorcerers and Army Rangers to travel to the demon homeworld. Once there, they will unleash a plague virus and set off a nuclear bomb to destroy the portal complex. It’s a suicide mission. But Aileen has given Jack’s wife her word to bring him back safely, and the demons have already killed three men under her protection. Just how far will Aileen go to avoid losing another?
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 1,700-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 will stop at nothing to prevent their prey from escaping. It is a 350-mile race with simple rules. Win and live; lose and die…
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
.
What Lurks Below
Hell Holes Book 1
.
It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he picks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team. Uncharacteristically, Jack also lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all…
I love unexplained acts of nature. Makes for such a chilling plot. When holes start appearing in the Arctic Circle , a team of experts is sent to investigate. Once they arrive, things get worse as more holes appear. And then something straight out of Hell crawls out. A horde of otherworldly creatures that have only one thing in mind. Killing mankind. With nowhere to run, the team seeks shelter in an old station. But the horde won’t be denied, and like an octopus with a sealed bottle full of yummy bait, they will find a way in.
I was almost rubbing my hands together in twisted anticipation before I started this one. Mysterious holes appearing. Something beyond imagining crawls out. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance. Oh yeah. I knew I had to read this book.
There’s a mixed bag of character’s. Ones you come to like and respect and some not so much. The author doesn’t seem to mind killing off either one. Keeps you on edge when things get down and dirty. Which doesn’t take long at all.
The story is strong and there’s a sub plot that makes things even more interesting. Also, the blend of science fiction and horror leaves the story wide open for the author to go in many different directions.
The ending. Well, it’s an end, but also a cliff hanger. That’s because this is really the beginning of something much bigger. I’ll be grabbing the next one immediately. Got a good feeling about this series.
4 Stars
.
.
Donald Firesmith is a multi-award-winning author of speculative fiction including science fiction (alien invasion), fantasy (magical wands), horror, and modern urban paranormal novels and anthologies of short stories.
Prior to retiring to devote himself full-time to his novels, Donald Firesmith earned an international reputation as a distinguished engineer, authoring seven system/software engineering books based on his 40+ years spent developing large, complex software intensive systems.
He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his daughter Sera, and varying numbers of dogs and cats.
Wasn’t it just Christmas? Time sure flies. Finally started taking down holiday decorations. It’s so much more fun putting them up. LOL Now I’m decorating for Mardi Gras. Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler – Let The Good Times Roll. I’m not planning on attending any balls but might take in some parades and catch some loot!
Looking forward to chatting with you and have a great new week!
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This weeks reviews.
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Here are some FREEBIES for ya.
Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND
from VAULT Comics Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and spooky stories young readers imprint from VAULT Comics!
Count on a flurry of activity around all WONDERBOUND
original graphic novel middle grade titles!
Here’s a list of all of the titles & authors participating in the tour! Check out each individual
blog/Instagram/or booktok (schedule below) for more details on each book!
.
GHOSTER HEIGHTSby Corey Landsell, Kelly Mellings, & Lisa Larose (Illustrator)
I always enjoy books that teach me something. I learned about Judaism and had a very fun and exciting adventure also. Lots of wonderful, genuine characters and great graphics made this a quick, exciting read.
4 STARS
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Wrassle Castle : Learning The Ropes
MY REVIEW
Lydia is quirky and determined. Living in the shadow of her famous brother, she’s determined to bust out and entering the wrestling competion could be her best bet. But her brother is accused of treason and her goal has changed.
I was totally in Lydia’s corner. She won me over and made me laugh. Wrassle Castle is a series I’ll continue reading. Friendship and adventure await. Equally fun was The Author’s corner at the end of the book.
4 STARS
~~
Wrassle Castle: Riders On The Storm
MY REVIEW
The story continues and Lydia is more determined than ever to continue rising in the ranks of wrestling. She’s just as determined to rescue her best friend and free her brother.
More fun, some problem solving and lots of exciting wrestling matches made this reader happy I continued with the series.
4 STARS
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Wrassle Castle: Put A Lyd On It
MY REVIEW
I started the last book with hope for a satisfying conclusion for Lydia, her friends and her brother. Got all of that, along with a deepening mystery and some great wrestling moves.
The title says it all. Good clean fun.
4 STARS
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Poiko: Quests & Stuff
MY REVIEW
Such a fun bunch of adventures. Poiko and Kenzie meet some interesting characters as they deliver packages and do a bit of problem solving along the way.
I adored these two and loved the graphics. A book that covers lots of life’s hurtles and how friendship helps smooth the bumpy road.
5 STARS
~~
Ghoster Heights
MY REVIEW
I wish there’d been more books like this when I was a young girl. Ghoster Heights is one I’d have begged my parents to buy for me so I could read it over and over. So much enjoyment to read and such expressive and colorful illustrations and genuine characters. Well, maybe not ghosts, as they aren’t real. Or are they? LOL Good clean fun and I’ve already read it twice.
5 STARS
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Hello, My Name Is Poop
MY REVIEW
Will Poupe has just two more days until school lets out for the year. Will he survive those two days? Could be a challenge when, on day one, he sits on the school bully’s lunch. Oops. That’s how he earns the name, Poop. And the story is one big can of worms after that.
Will’s poop powers were fun and kind of…eww. Even if you can’t choose your superpower, you can learn from it.
Great graphics and sure did bring back memories of those long ago school days.
4 STARS
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The Brothers Flick
MY REVIEW
While this story is about boys, with girls rarely entering the plot, I still connected and was so wowed by the illustrations and strange occurrences going on. Devoured it in no time and surprised myself by how much fun I had.
5 STARS
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Kenzie’s Kingdom
MY REVIEW
When I was young I had an imaginary world that I could travel to filled with exciting people and creatures. I has such grand adventures. Kenzie’s Kingdom reminded me of that. I adored the story and the characters and loved the illustrations and world building.
4 STARS
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Verse: The Broken Half
MY REVIEW
At the end of the book the author shares that this book started as some fun doodling and morphed into a great fantasy adventure story. Boy, did it ever. I was sucked right in. Turning the pages and devouring the illustrations. Action packed, with loads of suspense and some great characters and world building. The ending was a cliff hanger and I sure was glad I had the second book so I could jump right back in.
4 STARS
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Verse: The Second Gate
MY REVIEW
I enjoyed this even more than the first book. The characters have new challenges, the artwork is incredible and there’s never a dull moment. Whether as anime or real living breathing human actors, I think this series would be amazing on the big screen. I’d be first in line to see it.
5 STARS
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner will win finished copies of every book featured in the WALKING
IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT tour, US Only.
1 winner will win eBooks of every book featured in the WALKING IN A WINTER WONDERBOUND from VAULT tour from iBooks, International.
PUPS & PURRS SERIES by Sunny Weber Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12) Genre: animals/pets Publisher: Pups & Purrs Press Release date: Oct 6, 2017, Aug 8, 2019, August 23, 2019, Content Rating: G
Book Series Description:
Mission: Humane education through storytelling.
Each book in the Pups & Purrs series features Classic Coming of Age stories with multi-layered themes and messages for a wide variety of readers.
Ages 7-10 will enjoy the surface of the stories; ages 10-13 will begin to see the messages; ages 13 and up will begin to identify with the deeper themes.
Each book reflects issues children experience and the animal characters give voice to emotions that children often cannot.
The main goals of the series are:
To Help children who have difficulty verbalizing their life stresses but who can identify with animals. The animal characters experience the same issues: e.g.: social isolation; personal identity conflicts; bullying; rejection; lack of power; decision-making; growing up challenges. To Provide humane education for children: teaching what animals need; to develop empathy; seeking to see the world through animal eyes; assisting in the early development of altruism. A major goal is to turn potential animal abusers around–avoiding the inevitable escalation to violence against people.Children begin abusing animals when they are abused, or see abuse modeled in the adults around them. The P&P series seeks to give children more constructive options through humane awareness of animals as sentient beings. To Teach through storytelling and entertainment: by encouraging reading by featuring colorful characters and engrossing stories. To Develop early problem-solving abilities/analytical thinking: the animal characters show how to set goals and develop step-by-step accomplishments to attain those goals. They face the consequences of their decisions and grow in personal responsibility. To Promote the humane treatment of all creatures and the environment by furnishing tools for parents, teachers, counselors, and humane educators at home, school, in therapeutic settings, and at animal rescue environments.
Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that thrill and chill!
Today I thought it would be fun to share three scary books with similar titles.
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Dark Corner
by Brandon Massey
Genre: Horror
My Review
Okay, I didn’t know exactly what this story was going to be about going in. I missed the clue in the blurb that mentioned something undead. When I found out what that was, I was thinking, oh no, not sure this book is what I was hoping it would be. About 8 chapters later I realized I didn’t want to put the book down.
Told from several points of view, you learn exactly what evil is hovering over the town. I think the multiple POVs made this story a richer experience for me. I really came to know the characters, to like them, to despair for them and, yes, to loath some of them. That goes without saying when evil comes out to play. Or bite you in the…..
I’d like to tell you more. Perhaps make some references to books and movies that came to mind while reading this, but why spoil things for you. I enjoyed Massey’s writing and how he had me wishing the one bad guy wasn’t so bad.
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Synopsis
From award-winning author Brandon Massey comes a terrifying new novel about a town besieged by evil . . . and the one man who is determined to fight the darkness . . .
When renowned author Richard Hunter dies in a boating accident, his son David travels to Mason’s Corner, Mississippi, to find out more about the father he never really knew. At first, Mason’s Corner seems friendly and unassuming-–the perfect small town. But after a newcomer moves into the old-–and supposedly haunted-–mansion on the hill, everything changes . . .
People begin to disappear. Dogs viciously attack. And soon David discovers that the terror consuming this place has its roots in his own family tree . . .
For something has risen in Mason’s Corner. Something with bloody ties to the town’s past. Something undead–and hungering for vengeance . . .
I enjoy short story collections. It gives me a fun way to sample the authors writing. From the synopsis and cover art I was expecting some pretty dark tales. They really weren’t. And of those offered, I’d say a few were good and some missed the mark.
I did enjoy the writing and would be curious to read some longer works by the author. Perhaps then I would get more involved in a story of his.
Not wowed but I’m glad I read these.
~~~~~
Synopsis
DARK CORNERS is a short story anthology showcasing the various styles, genres and influences of William Andrews. Most of these are dark as Hell. Embrace the darkness and read on…. If you dare!
After the murder of her husband, Ella withdraws from everyone. Shuts herself away. But someone or something won’t let her heal. As time passes, she sinks deeper into grief and doubt. Is the house causing the eerie events? Or is it someone who wants to harm her? Or is she just going insane?
The author smoothly takes you back to past events and forward to the present, keeping you unsettled and clueless about what is real and what could just be in Ella’s mind. I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. She went through such a tragedy and now she fears she’s either haunted, stalked or crazy. Closing herself off from the world aroused suspicion with people that maybe she killed her husband. i wondered about that myself.
Of course, I read this at night. Read it straight through, my eyes darting to the dark corners whenever I thought I heard something. There are some really spooky scenes in this that made me question why I waited until dark to read it. I guess I wasn’t expecting to get scared as I read a lot of horror. But scared I got and I couldn’t stop. This reads like a ride on a tilt-a-whirl. It went one way then the other, jerking me from one conclusion to another. A dizzying, haunting story and so well executed.
I had this book on my kindle for several years before reading it. That won’t happen with the rest of the series. Yes, there are more books and I’ve got them lined up to read.
If you enjoy a scary, haunting story with a good mystery and some drama and thrills thrown in, I recommend you give this a go.
~~~
~~~~~
Synopsis
Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband’s violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn’t alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband’s death is still with her.
Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella’s life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband’s homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.
Read at least one book which: has a dog (or cat) on the cover or features a dog (or cat) in it.
Do a wrap up post at the end of February with links to your review(s).
So easy and loads of fun! At the end of the month, Barb will put all the participants in a bowl and Booker T will pick a lucky winner. That person will receive a $10.00 gift certificate to Amazon or Book Depository.
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Here are two from my list.
How Dachshunds Came To Be
A Tall Tale About A Short Long Dog
by Kizzie Jones
Age level: 3 – 8 / Grade level: P – 2
Genre: Children’s Book
My Review
Ever wondered why a dachshund looks like it does?
This was a cute story about a lonely girl who loves spending time with her ocean friends. She longs for a friend she can bring home with her. The creatures of the sea love the little girl and decide to create the perfect friend to live with her.
The illustrations are colorful and fun, breathing life into the characters. And I liked how each creature contributed something of themselves to bring to life some friends for the little girl. It was creative and fun to see how well it all worked.
My son is grown up and I don’t have a small child to read to. I read this book out loud to myself as if I was reading to a child and it really added to the fun. What a delightful tale.
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Synopsis
Charming color illustrated tall tale not just for dog lovers everywhere, but for readers of all ages who ever wished for a friend. Discover how creatures of the ocean, the power of love, and the magic of the sea came together to make a little girl happy.
I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this one is every bit as fun.
The little girl still loves visiting the beach seeing her ocean friends. And now she has her three fun dachshunds to share the adventures with. One of the dogs spies a pelican and tries to make friends with it.
Goldie was such a sweet dog but she had something to learn about friendship. She thought looking alike was the same as having something in common and was sad that the pelican didn’t look like her at all. How could they be friends?
Once again the author used characteristics about the bodies of the animals. This time to explain the things they shared alike and those that were different while also explaining that you can like each other without having to look the same.
The illustrations are fun and colorful and this story would have me wagging your tail if I were a dog. Being human, I wore a big grin instead.
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Synopsis
In this charming picture book- a sequel to her award-winning book, How Dachsunds Came to Be, Kizzie Jones shows us that true friendship is not just about looking past each other’s differences…it’s about discovering and celebrating those differences.