Posts Tagged ‘Short Stories’

The Awakening…. Giveaway & Blog Tour

Posted: December 12, 2012 in Blog Tour, Cover Reveal, Dark Fantasy, Excerpt, fiction, giveaways, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, Short stories and collections, suspense, Vampires, Witches
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Welcome to my stop on Emma Meade’s December Blog Tour. Today I’ll be revealing her beautiful cover, giving you a teaser excerpt, telling you my thoughts about The Awakening & Other Stories, and I’m hosting a giveaway!

The Awakening & Other Stories

by Emma Meade

Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story

While walking her grandmother home, Jessica and her friend Michelle can’t help but notice the house. It’s supposed to be haunted. Stories are that you can see a shadow of a man in the bedroom window. The discussion turns to who he might be and why he lingers there.

On their way back, the two best friends decide to check out the old house and see if the stories are true. Jessica will learn something tonight. She ‘ll learn that ghosts are real and that maybe she was meant to enter the house on Rambles Lane.

I got a surprise with this  story. I didn’t have any idea where it was going and I love that! It’s not often that I don’t see what’s coming.

The Awakening

She remembers being ill. She remembers the mysterious dark man coming to see her. She remembers the blood.

She sleeps and when she sleeps she dreams. Now she wants to wake up. Why can’t she wake up. Wait, did she hear something? Is she waking up?

I really liked this one. The ending is one of those, Oh No! ones.

End of the Line

It’s midnight and Cassie stands on the train tracks waiting for death.  Here it comes. She will not jump out of the way, she won’t. Then she jumps.

Now she’ll have to come back tomorrow night and finish what she started, even if she has to use liquid courage to do so.

If she does meet death, will it be the end of the line?

I feel sorry for Cassie. She’s so sad, so lost. Failing the first time, I wonder if she really wants to die, or if she just needs a reason to go on living? This one stuck with me for some time.

Milsa Loris

The kingdom of Milsa Loris has just one night each year to come alive. The once majestic but now long abandoned home will host old friends tonight. They gather to pay their respects to an era that’s past.

The king’s witch, Noraleen, is brewing up something special for them. She just has to do this one thing and then she can finally rest.

Witchy good. I wouldn’t want to be invited to the party.

The Knocking

Alison tries to be patient with her grandfather. He’s old, losing his memory, and really tests her mettle. Tonight is no different from any other night.

Then there’s a knocking at the door. She opens it. No one’s there. Not long after, there’s more knocking. Again, there’s no one there.  The knocking is much more violent the third time, but again, no one is there.

What’s come knocking?

That’s what I asked myself. What’s at the door?

The Boy on the Beach

When Kate was a little girl her grandmother read the tea leaves for her but wouldn’t tell her what she saw. As the years passed and Kate grew into her teens, her grandmother still wouldn’t tell her. Then she passed away and Kate thought she’d never know what the tea leaves said.

When she finally finds out what they said, she’s just confused. Her grandmothers warning from the grave gives her the shivers.

B-E  C-A-R-E-F-U-L  D-A-R-K  B-O-Y  W-A-N-T-S  Y-O-U

“He will have the strangest green eyes you’ve ever seen… He will use trickery if needs be.”

This is one of my favorites. Kate tried to heed her grandmother’s warning.

Snowglobes

Two young lovers arrive at Calvin’s Cabins for the Christmas holidays. They’re here to try to mend their failing relationship.

Will they be able to get back what they once had?

Maybe Calvin could help them.

This is another favorite for me. It’s magical.

The Old Vampire

Hailey’s dreams aren’t about a knight in shining armor riding up on his white steed to rescue her. Her knight is a vampire, or maybe a demon or ghost. Any of these would do.

She’s longed for the supernatural world her whole life. Is she really destined to a hum-drum existence or is there something more for her.

She dreams and she waits. And she waits. And waits. Will she ever meet her knight?

This is a good old horror story. Horror just the way I like it.

Emma sprinkled some razzle dazzle on these pages and zinged me but good. I love short stories and in her book, you get a smorgasbord of paranormal and horror.  I didn’t meet a story I didn’t like.

Five snowglobes for The Awakening & Other Stories

       

ADD To Goodreads

Excerpt from “End of the Line”

In the distance, the familiar, white light appeared, cutting through the dark of midnight. She’d watched it come before, but always from the sidelines, imagining what it would be like to face such a beast.

Cassie drew in a shaky breath and steeled herself. Legs splayed, arms by her sides, fists tightly clenched, she waited on the tracks as the train approached. Her legs shook, and strands of hair licked her cheeks in the gentle night’s breeze.

She swallowed the fear threatening to override her. Hang in there, she told herself. Another sixty seconds, and it will all be over. No more drowning, murky thoughts, heavy dreams or stilted breathing. She lifted her head and stared straight ahead, willing her body to freeze.

Closer now, but not coming fast enough. She was scared. As much as she desired to have it all over with, the fear gained ground. Could the driver see her yet? No, still too far away. Why had time slowed down? An ache began in her ankles, spreading up her legs and winding its way around her thighs and into her clenched hands.

The feel of her fingernails scraping the soft flesh of her palms roused her, just as she became aware of the vibrations on the tracks.

Cassie stumbled into the grass growing beside the tracks and ran, tears running down her cheeks. She stopped as she reached the first line of trees and leaned over, resting her hands on her thighs, trying to get her breath back.

Damn it! She wanted to die. Why couldn’t she have stuck it out?

The train thundered by, unaware of the woman hunched over in the darkness, sobbing. She raised her head to watch the carriages pass, slithering alongside Wilkins Woods like a dark snake. In thirty seconds, the night was once again silent.

She’d try tomorrow night. Maybe pick up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s after work. Might help with the nerves.

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, and she wiped the tears away. Cassie followed the edge of the woods the mile back to her squalid flat. She let herself in and headed straight to bed. One more day. She could make it that far.

Giveaway

I have one e-book copy to give away.

To enter, leave your email address and answer this question, “Are you making a New Years resolution?”

Giveaway ends Dec. 23rd.

About Emma Meade and where to find her

Author of Nights Sighs and Under the Desert Moon.

Emma Meade writes paranormal fiction. She lives in rainy Ireland and loves all things supernatural. Stephen King’s The Stand is one of her most loved books. Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on. She is not ashamed to admit that Dirty Dancing and Twilight make her top ten movie list but wishes to point out that The Last of the Mohicans, Reality Bites, Dead Poets Society, Stand by Me and The Goonies are in there too.

Writing supernatural stories & watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

Blog

Website

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You can purchase The Awakening & Other Stories for $1.99 at these links:
Amazon

Smashwords

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Worldwide Giveaway Thanks To Evans Light!

Posted: October 22, 2012 in Dark Fantasy, fiction, Freebies!, giveaways, horror, Interview, otherworldly, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense, thriller
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I have a special Limited Edition giveaway for you.

But first I want to tell you about Pay Back!

Pay Back by Evans Light

PAY BACK

About the cover

Some people didn’t like the cover art. When you read the story, look at it again. It fits!

This guy, Stephen Hill, is a perfect example of a loser. He has no redeeming qualities and nothing in his noggin. He’s ignorant, lazy and heaps verbal abuse on all of those around him. His pathetic attempts at belittling Joe, his only friend, to make himself look better, made me angry.

We’ve all know someone like Stephen. He’s a mental bully. His mouth spews out put downs like shit through a goose. All because he’s angry. Angry at the world.

Now Joe is not what you expect. He’s intelligent, well actually he’s a genius. So why does he put up with the abusive Stephen? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

The title “Pay Back” gives you a clue. I was “fist pumping”, saying “Oh Yeah!’

The ending took this from a 4 to a 5 star rating!

Now let’s get to know Evans Light. And then I have a giveaway!

Hi Evans. I’ve enjoyed reading your books and am so happy to have you here today.

Thanks so much, Laura! I really appreciate the opportunity to connect with readers. I’ve really enjoyed your blog and its thoughtful reviews, as well as your affiliated website A KNIFE AND A QUILL. I’m excited about this opportunity to be a part of the excellent work you’re producing.

PAY BACK is very much a story about bullying. Where did this story come from? Were you ever bullied?

No, I’m happy to say that I’ve been lucky enough to never have been involved in bullying, either as a victim or a perpetrator. PAY BACK originally had nothing to do with bullying, either, but it took a bit of a detour along the way to becoming the story it is.

Most of the stories I’ve written this year have had one of two main themes: either obsession, or deception. I’m not sure why this is the case, and psychology of it would probably require the involvement of a professional, so I’ll not pretend to understand it here. (Smiling)

PAY BACK initially fell firmly into the “obsession” category as the straightforward story of a young boy (the Joe King, “Nard”, character) struck with a far-fetched idea as a child, who then focused every ounce of his energy over the next few decades to execute that idea, achieving many scientific and technical breakthroughs along the way. Everything he accomplished in life was driven solely by his obsession to execute that single deviant idea from his childhood, for no purpose other than to prove to himself that it could be done. Stephen Hill, who is very much a bully in the final version, was originally drawn as a neutral narrator, simply a friend chronicling the story of his obsessed friend, unsure as to what his friend was working towards and then utterly horrified when the gruesome goal was achieved.

As I prepared to write PAY BACK, I started thinking of different ways to tell the story, and the concept of working through an unsympathetic (and ultimately unreliable) narrator emerged. I thought it would be an interesting challenge and stretch my talents as a writer. But there was an inherent risk in using a first-person voice to give life to such a dislikable character: the reader could confuse the hateful character with the author, and think the writer in reality possesses the same hateful viewpoint as the character telling the story.

I knew I was taking a risk in releasing PAY BACK, that it might be misunderstood and generate negative feelings and backlash from first-time readers – something no new author desires. At the same time, however, I felt that this story was something special – bold, new and exciting; it was a chance I was willing to take. Love it or hate it, PAY BACK is likely to be a story that readers will remember, and it stands as my own personal ‘stake in the ground’, to remind myself and show the world that I will never compromise in executing an artistic vision, popular or not.

Could you tell us about your choice for your cover?

I’m a major fan of Joe Hill. I think his short stories in 20th Century Ghosts are among the best ever written; and though Stephen King has become so prolific I can no longer keep up with his current output, his earlier novels informed me as a young man as to what heights a horror novel could achieve, especially in regards to characterization.

When the first collaboration between Stephen King and Joe Hill, THROTTLE, was released shortly before PAY BACK was finished, I saw the simplicity of its cover design, thought it was beautiful, and decided that creating an homage would not only be an appropriate tip of the hat to my favorite authors, but also might bring my work to the attention of the King/Hill fanbase, who might appreciate my books as well.

Do you have a favorite genre, and if so, which one?

Stories of the “Weird Tales” variety remain my favorite. If a story is startling original, fiendishly clever, winks and smiles while scaring the hell out of you, I’m there. Think Joe R. Lansdale’s TIGHT LITTLE STITCHES ON A DEAD MAN’S BACK, Clive Barker’s HAECKEL’s TALE, or David Wong’s JOHN DIES AT THE END, and you’re standing dead center of my reading pleasure zone.

You’ve written many books. Do you have one that is your favorite and why?

Right now my personal favorite of the stories I’ve written is a toss-up between THE MOLE PEOPLE BENEATH THE CITY, and GERTRUDE (found in THE CORPUS CORRUPTUM, written with my brother and fellow author Adam Light).

I’m proud of MOLE PEOPLE because it came out just the way I wanted it to – the right length, the right flow, the right effect. I think I nailed it, at least for myself.

GERTRUDE, on the other hand, was like unexpectedly birthing a hideous deformity. I didn’t even know it was in me, it just popped out one day. It’s only three pages long, and I love it fiercely.

Is there one character from all of your books that stands out for you?

Gerard Faust, the unfortunate author from WHATEVER POSSESSED YOU. There’s probably a lot of me embedded in that character. I can certainly relate to how he feels after writing for long periods of time, consumed, reading finished product later and wondering where it really came from.

I wanted to explore his character in more depth in that story, but I was already cramming what probably should have been a novel into a short story as it was. Maybe someday.

You’ve been in some unusual situations. Care to share a couple?

I love exploring sensory limits and confronting personal fears, and some people have asked me if CRAWLSPACE was born out of time spent in sensory deprivation tanks. It was not a connection I would have made, because to me the inner space that can be explored in that environment is as limitless as the external universe.

The inspiration for CRAWLSPACE was born out of actual life experiences. For about a week as a young teen, I was forced to work underneath an aging house, spreading plastic sheeting and lime after school. I’d work under there for a couple hours at a time. The situation was pretty much exactly as described in the story.

Anyway, the person who owned the house made no bones about his opinion that his life would have been a lot better without me in it. After several days of working alone in the crawlspace spreading lime, I was in the far corner of the house where the clearance overhead was very low. I tried to get every spot covered to avoid punishment later, but as I tried to get the lime into a particularly snug spot I got stuck between the house and the ground. I panicked, and began to scream; it was the closest thing to being buried alive I’ve ever experienced, and it was terrifying.

 After a few moments the person making me work under the house poked his head into the tiny crawlspace door, some forty feet away, his dark eyes barely visibly in the dim light of the single bulb. As he understood my predicament, a look of evil pleasure crossed over his face. I knew what he was thinking.

I got myself unstuck and out from under the house as fast as I could, thankful that he hadn’t turned off the light and locked the door behind him. I also made the decision that I would never allow that person to get between me and the crawlspace exit ever again.

What’s next? Are you currently writing something?

I’m currently in the final stages of completing my next project, a novella called ARBOREATUM (yes, that’s the correct spelling. ARBOREATUM is horror, the tale of two settler families stranded on the prairie as they attempt the journey west. I think fans of my previous work will find a lot in this one to enjoy as well.

The cover of PAY BACK drove so many people insane that I decided to make the ARBOREATUM cover a tribute as well – this time to Joe Hill’s soon-to-be released short story THUMBPRINT.

ARBOREATUM should be ready for release within the next thirty days.

I’ve heard of writers who find themselves challenged at times when trying to develop new ideas, new concepts for stories. I have the opposite problem: I already have so many story and book outlines developed and waiting to be written that I doubt that even if I sat and wrote every minute of every day for the rest of my life if I’d ever get them all done – and they just keep on coming. So I feel very fortunate in that regard. My primary struggle as a writer is deciding what to work on next.

Five Fun Shorts!

1) favorite movie?

That’s a tough one, but my first instinct is to say DONNIE DARKO.

2) poker face or open book?

100% poker face when first meeting someone. Once you’ve gained my trust, though – it’s a whole different story. There are some people I trust to the ends of the earth.

3) martini, shaken or stirred?

Ale – Pale or IPA? is a more appropriate question for me.

I’d say IPA, usually.

4) favorite villain in books or movies?

Judging from the pictures and horror paraphernalia in my house, most people would guess THE TALL MAN, from the Phantasm movies. They might be right.

5) best way to travel?

a) plane

b) train

c) automobile

d) other? could be anything!

By plane, definitely. No one can call me, text me or otherwise molest my concentration once the wheels leave the ground; and the white noise the engines afford stoke my imagination and get my “flow” flowing. I can produce pages twice as fast on a plane as I can anywhere else.

I just recently read and reviewed two of Evans books, Whatever Possessed You? and Crawl Space. You can read my reviews here. Loved them. They really creeped me out.

A strange encounter leaves Gerard Faust a changed man. Now with sanity slipping away, he finds himself caught in a race against time to uncover what happened that night – before it possesses him completely.

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.

And I have a giveaway for you!

 

Lingering lovesick ghosts and wives hellbent on revenge, along with sinister demons, forgotten campgrounds and malintent friends populate this collection of original, compelling, and downright odd short stories, each as complete and satisfying in their conclusion as a small novel.

This unforgettable anthology features five dark tales from the new master of modern horror and fantasy, and is essential reading for fans of horror, thrillers, black comedy and gothic romance alike.

Stories, Inc. – FUONLYKNEW SPECIAL LIMITED EDITON Includes:
The Mole People Beneath the City – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE!
Gertrude – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE!
PAY BACK
Nose Hears – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE!
BLaCK DooR
CRAWLSPACE
Whatever Possessed You?
Dark Curtains (with alternate ending)
Bonus Story:
TAKEN, by Adam Light – LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE!

Evans is giving away Stories, Inc on Amazon. It will be valid worldwide – US, UK, India, France, Germany, Spain and Italy, and run from Monday, October 22nd through Friday, October 27th.

To get your free copy go here and take a close look at the cover. This special limited edition was created just for this promotion. And, Evans added not one, not two, but four  more stories just for us!

Author contacts

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You can find all of Evans books here .

Evans Light

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A Free Traumatizing Tale!

Posted: October 13, 2012 in fiction, Freebies!, horror, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Short stories and collections, suspense
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Clouds by Matt McAvoy

I spotted this on Amazon as a free download. Seeing it was only 10 pages long, I thought why not, and nabbed this puppy.

You can purchase it by clicking on the cover image.

Being only 10 pages, I figured it would be quick and over. Those 10 pages felt like an eternity!

Imagine waking up and you’re falling. Falling from the sky. The rate of your fall causes the friction to rip at you, trying to tear out your hair and rip off your eyelids. It’s freezing cold, so cold it burns. Have you ever felt that burning sensation when your hands are wet and freezing? Imagine feeling that all over your body.

Your body tumbles from the sky in an out of control descent, making it hard to tell if you’re falling up or down to the clouds that are looming closer. And you have no parachute!

You have the insane hope the clouds will buffer your fall, maybe cradle you. It’s irrational, but your mind races for a solution, a way to change the inevitable.

Most people have had that dream where you’re falling and you jerk awake before you hit the ground. That’s how I felt while reading Clouds, but I couldn’t wake up, I didn’t wake up.

If you’re looking for a quick, intense story, I recommend you grab Clouds. There are no wasted words, it’s well written, and don’t you want to know how  this could happen and what the end is?

  Terrifyingly good!

Go get Clouds now. I don’t know how long it will be free to download. Just click here and it’s yours.

Matt has written two more stories I plan to read really soon.

One of Matt McAvoy’s “Modern Tales of Horror”, available as a complete works,
and the author’s first foray into supernatural horror.

Modern day London
– a proud day for a very proud man, and why shouldn’t he be? Boris has worked so
very hard, and is now launching his new driver-less tube train on the pioneering
Tower Line. But while some consider the line a triumph, not all are as pleased;
in fact some, the more spiritually-attuned perhaps, are downright terrified.

For the line, along with its creators, hides a secret… a secret darker
than the tunnels under the Thames, and darker than the stories around the bodies
buried there. As dark as the blackest evil of which man is capable. Bear witness
– in the tunnel there is no way out.

WARNING – ADULTS ONLY

I can’t wait to read this one! It’s around 60 pages and sounds like it’s packed with scary goodness, or I guess you’d say badness. And it’s only 99 cents or free for Prime members. Click on the cover to buy a copy.

Meet Ollie. Well-educated and spoilt – a rich kid, fun-loving party-goer and
brutal sociopath.

Ruthlessly arrogant Ollie takes what he wants, when he
wants it. But Ollie’s going to learn, the hard way, that for every action
there’s a consequence, and for every bounty a price.

Because living with
Granjy isn’t the bed of roses he thought it was going to be; the blind old lady
sees everything – sees him – and most of all sees the monster he is becoming, in
a way that nobody else can. And that strange and terrible perception that surely
only she has frightens Ollie more than he’ll ever admit.

It was she that
spoilt him rotten-to-the-core, and now his payment is due. Her sightless eyes
and her creepy, knowing smile will compel him to tear apart his own dark
soul.

Granjy will teach him new meaning of the word ‘remorse’.

Ooh! Scary! I can’t wait to read this one either! It’s a bit longer than the others, around 100 pages Click on the cover to buy it. Only 99 cents or free for Prime members.

This contains all three of the tales from Matt McAvoy. Click on the cover to get your copy. It’s less than three dollars.

About the Author

Matt McAvoy was born in Hertfordshire in 1974. As a child he moved with his family to Devon where he attended the Torquay Grammar School for Boys and started writing fiction at an early age. He has studied screen-writing and production, and has graduated from the Open University (which he recommends highly) in psychology, social policy and criminology. Although he originally undertook the studies, he says, to make him a better writer in his favoured subject, since their completion he has spent many years working with young offenders as a mentor/project worker, and adult offenders as an officer with the public protection team; he is also the founder and chairman of the web-based organization for victims of violent crime justice4victims.org, which he uses as a platform to campaign for changes in the criminal justice system.ting fiction at an early age. Matt enjoys writing dark, often comical, usually violent and sometimes even romantic fiction in the drama and thriller genres (though recently departed temporarily into horror, after being bought a cool, gothic, bound parchment journal as a gift); he writes in a variety of formats, including short stories, novels and screenplays. He is equally content publishing theses and essays on criminal behaviour and the British criminal justice system. All of his diverse work can be downloaded from his website – most of it for free. Matt lives in London with his wife Katherine.
You can visit Matt here .
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Thorne Manor…and other bizarre tales by Diane Wing

Posted: September 18, 2012 in Creatures, fiction, giveaways, horror, Interview, Mystery, Paranormal or fantasy, Short stories and collections
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I really do like to be scared. I have always loved books that make me jump at every little noise.  I have read so many books and watched so many movies, that it takes something to really scare me.

When Diane Wing asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing her collection of scary stories, I was all for it. Nothing like a good fright to get those endorphins pumping!

Thorne Manor: And Other Bizarre Tales

Diane is being very generous. She has one paperback copy of her book to giveaway on my blog! AND she has agreed to an interview! Just keep reading:)

My thoughts and ramblins

Thorne Manor is the longer story in this collection.

Heather has finally found the strength to leave her abusive husband and start out on her own. She has always wanted to run her own business, and when the house of her dreams seems to call out to her, she ignores her friend’s advice and buys it. Thorne Manor has been empty for five years. It’s dark history has many people believing its haunted. That doesn’t worry Heather. The mansion, with its three levels will be perfect.

The house needs some TLC but no major reconstruction. While the workers are doing the repairs and adding the cosmetic touches, Heather sets out to get some tenants to rent the available rooms. Her plan is to make Thorne Manor a place of psychic entertainment and she needs to find various occult practitioners to provide  services to the clients. Kind of like a psychic smorgasbord.

There is one major problem with the old manor. It comes with some very unwelcoming inhabitants. Gypsy, a trance medium, suggests a good cleansing ritual. It’s going to take more than that. Heather needs to clean house of these nasty spirits  before her tenants move in. It proves much more difficult and dangerous than she thought.

My thoughts

This was a really creepy haunting. Diane knows how to create an atmosphere that makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. I was almost looking over my shoulder while reading it. With a limited amount of words, she got me engaged with the characters. I felt protective  and proud of Heather, and her psychic friends were my kind of people. Someone I would want on my side when things got bad.

Don’t get too comfortable. This story moves fast and the scares are many and intense.

By Invitation Only

Loretta is lost without Toby. He was her constant companion for 15 years.

Five years have passed and  her grief is just as heavy.  She really should move somewhere so she isn’t constantly reminded of Toby, her silken haired dog, but she fears losing the good memories.

Something strange starts to happen. There is something in the wall of her bedroom. Something trying to get out, chipping away at the plaster.

My thoughts

I would have moved. If something was pushing, trying to get out of the wall, slowly making a bigger and bigger hole, I would be so out of there. Curiosity killed the cat, people!!

This was an eerie tale, making me edgy and fearful of what was going to come out of that wall!

Dream State

Judith has a problem. A big one. There are living things in her mouth. Worms! Then she wakes up. It was only a dream. Or was it?

My thoughts

The title of this book says …and other bizarre tales. Well, this one is very bizarre. It is also kind of gross, which makes the creep factor high. For some reason, maybe I’m bizarre, I liked that.

Good Riddance

That’s it! Justin has had it with the mangy cat that keeps sneaking up onto his porch, covering his expensive furniture with its hair. The hair was everywhere. Finding out where it lived proved impossible and it just kept coming back, night after night. Something would have to be done.

This went on for months and Justin began to fantasize a gruesome ending for the nasty feline. He should have been more careful what he imagined.

My thoughts

This was a goodie!  What Justin conjured up in his imagination is unspeakable and the ending was not what I expected to happen.

Guardian of the Gate

Anzuth makes the long, grueling climb from the bowels of Hell to Earth’s surface, but he is not where he expected to be.  Spotting a beauty salon that’s still open, he decides to get cleaned up there, knock the stink off of him.

He gets a makeover straight out of The Twilight Zone!

My thoughts

Loved this. It was so different. I don’t know where Diane found this idea, definitely from left field. I think we need more beauticians like the one you meet in this story.

The Black Sheep

Amy can’t explain it. It’s a mystery to her. Why is she so drawn to The Black Sheep. It’s just a restaurant, isn’t it?  Given, its outside is coated in red paint and there is a skull of a ram, complete with horns, displayed in the window, so maybe that’s where her sense of foreboding comes from.

She seems unable to stay away from the building, despite repeated warnings from her guardian spirit to stay clear. Each time she passes the building, the pull to enter is stronger.

My thoughts

I would have never entered that building. If something made me uneasy, I would avoid it, not seek it out. I don’t know, maybe she was meant to enter.

The Quiet Neighbors

Ever since Henry lost his job, it seems all Emma does is clean up after him. He stays glued to his chair, stuffing his face with Cheese Doodles, chasing them down with sweet tea, and watching endless TV. She longs for the future that should have been theirs. Not this.

Then she finds this book, Manual of Retribution – A Guidebook for the Oppressed. What she finds in it just might be able to make her life better.

My thoughts

Good for Emma. No one should have to put up with a loser like Henry. I don’t know if I could have done what she did, but since it’s a story, I say go Emma.

My overall review

Excellent writing. Diane quickly lays out the plots and gets right to the heart of each story. There is something for everyone here. Each story has its own atmosphere or flavor.  She makes you connect with the characters. I was surprised at which characters I was drawn to. I felt a slight nudge towards them by the author. I got everything I hoped for out of this collection, and more.

     Very Scary Good!

A special treat today! Diane is here to answer a few questions.

Welcome Diane. Thanks for agreeing to answer a few questions. It gives us a chance to get to know you.

 1) Most of my readers know I love to read and review short stories and collections. I find them very challenging to review without giving too much away. Can you explain your writing process when doing short stories?

I start with a scenario and let it run from there.  I get into a zone where I am experiencing the story as it unfolds and love to see where it takes me.

2) Where do your ideas come from?

Inspiration comes from many places and can happen at any time.  I carry a notebook with me, for the idea can strike while having dinner with friends, walking in the woods, or looking at an object, person, or situation and asking myself what if?  People-watching can trigger all sorts of ideas.

3) What do you think makes for a good story?

Atmosphere, intriguing characters, and the strange and unusual introducing itself into daily life.  Having an out-of-the-ordinary component that brings about a mental or emotional reaction is important to keep my attention.

4) Do you have a favorite story in this collection, or perhaps a favorite scene?

Guardian of the Gate is the one I had the most fun writing. It’s hard to say more about that without giving away the plot.

5) Did you draw on anything from your own life when writing Thorne Manor… and other bizarre tales?

I think every writer draws a piece of themselves into their writing.  Even in fictional works, a writer’s underlying philosophy is exposed, albeit taken to the extreme within the storyline.  By Invitation Only was written while grieving the loss of my own beloved pet.  Thorne Manor incorporated experiences from a controlling relationship and an actual business idea I had.  A house that was in severe disrepair where I live sparked the idea for The Quiet Neighbors.

6) What is your favorite thing you like to do when not writing or working?

I like walking in the woods and going to concerts – a wide variety from classical music to classic rock.  They are such opposite types of activities – one peaceful with few people for contemplation and rejuvenation and the other loud and crowded, to stimulate new ideas.  Each of these activities serve to move thought in new directions – one internally and one externally.

7) Are you writing something now, and if so, can you tell us something about it?

Right now I’m working on The True Nature of Energy: Secrets of Energetic Consciousness.  It is an exploration of the energetic dynamics between the physical and the divine and ways to interpret the energies we are exposed to, as well as the energies we create ourselves.  By increasing energetic awareness, it increases the ability to see things objectively, reduces drama, and enhances personal growth.  My vibrational scale and associated quiz are included, so readers can determine their energy level and find ways to raise their vibrational level.  Target date for release is early 2013.

The other manuscripts I’m working on include five new short stories, a book of tarot combinations, and Coven II (sequel to Coven: The Scrolls of the Four Winds).

Now for Five Fun Shorts!

1) What psychic power would you wish for?  To hear the thoughts of all living things

 2) What is your favorite animal?  Hawk in the wild; dog in the house
 3) Have you ever had a supernatural encounter?  Many!
 4) What is the scariest book you’ve read?  The Shining and Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
 5) What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?  I’m still looking for the movie that is the scariest.  There is a 15-second scene in Exorcist III that creeps me out and stays with me.
 I really enjoyed this opportunity to get to know you Diane. Thanks so much for everything!

And now for the giveaway! Giveaway is over. Thank you.

I have one paperback copy of Thorne Manor…and other bizarre tales to giveaway. US and Canada only.

To enter just leave your email address along with a comment, Do you like to be scared?

Not required, but you’d make me smile if you followed my blog and twitter.

Giveaway end September 26th.

You can find Diane here:

dianewing@forestwitch.com and www.forestwitch.com

More about Diane

Diane Wing, M.A. is an author, teacher, personal transformation guide, and intuitive consultant. She has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and has been providing valuable insights for the highest good of her clients for over 27 years.

Diane is the author of the books “The True Nature of Tarot: Your path to personal empowerment,” a collection of short fiction titled “Thorne Manor…and other bizarre tales,” and the novel, “Coven: The Scrolls of the Four Winds.”

Diane works her clients to find meaning and fulfillment in their lives by helping them find their Inner Magick and empowering them to create the lives they really want.  Her website is www.forestwitch.com.

You can purchase Thorne Manor by clicking on the image below.

TRILOGY OF HORROR

Posted: March 25, 2012 in Short stories and collections
Tags: ,
9

Title: Diary of a Madman

Author: L. Vera

Copyright: 2011 by L. Vera

 

I received this book from the author in exchange for my review.

I have great respect for the authors of short stories. Compressing so much detail into a quick, compelling read takes true talent. This story was written in a very unique way and I really enjoyed it.

Todd  Casil’s life is spiraling out of control. Experiencing episodes of missing time, he begins to question his own sanity when he discovers missing pages and entries he did not write in his personal diary. Why does he keep seeing green eyes? Who is killing the people around him?

As I was pulled into Todd’s life, I began to dread the conclusion that was racing towards me as I turned each page.

Also included are 2 unpublished stories.

I Hate Every Beautiful

This story will make you ask yourself if you believe in coincidences. The lives of 6 people are about to converge in a mind-blowing final scene.

Cut

Henry awakens to find himself on the floor of his apartment. His attempt at suicide was a failure, just like his life. An emergency broadcast on the TV warns everyone to stay inside. Darkness has descended on the planet and there is something in it! Now Henry must decide if he wants to live or die.

Each of the stories was powerfully written, containing many twists and turns. If you like gut-wrenching, edge of your seat tales of horror, then these are for you.

I gave this book 4.5 stars

Now available on Amazon

For more about the author and his books

Http://www.amazon.com/L.Vera/e/B007IV8K92/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

www.lverawrites.wordpress.com

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