Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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Awake by Matthew Blake
How would you like to see that in your mirror in the morning?
A good case of insomnia would mean you could get a lot of reading done.
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MY TEASE
(56% on Kindle)
They lay about for a few more hours, Lee trying unsuccessfully to get some more sleep. It was maddening. It was like only eating one small meal a day: just enough to keep him going, but not enough to ever fill him. He thought that he would have lost his mind already if it wasn’t for Ivy and Ben being with him. And he didn’t mind Stella as much anymore, either
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SYNOPSIS
What would you do if you were literally dying from lack of sleep? That’s what happens to Lee Fenton. A young, successful author, he seems to have it good. His books sell, and because of them he is well off and doesn’t have to work a 9-5 job.
But then, one day, he starts having a particularly bad bout of insomnia. It gets bad enough that he has to go to the doctor. The doctor tells him something terrible: that he has a rare, terminal form of insomnia called Fatal Familial Insomnia. He will sleep less and less until finally he won’t be able sleep at all, going insane and dying shortly thereafter.
Deciding to make the most of the time he has left, Lee buys a luxury RV, hires his best friend as his driver, and sets out on a trip across the United States. They meet a couple of girls along the way who join their journey, and for a short time things look bright again.
But as he sleeps less and less, Lee starts to see things, awful visions. There’s something following them, something evil and relentless…and it wants them all.
A story of terror, friendship, romance, and America, through the eyes of our new Lost Generation of twenty-somethings.
My first thought when the cute man woke me was good, I have my clothes on. But where am I? When he asked my name, I couldn’t remember.
Boss suggested I go with them to talk, my instinct said I could trust them. We walked through the dead bodies – burned, torn limb from limb, missing heads. Boss told Jonas to burn them all. But what about notifying their families of their death? He told me they already knew, but I didn’t understand what he meant. When Jonas asked when I had last fed, I looked at him in surprise.
“You’re not going to stand there and tell me you don’t know you’re a vampire,” he said.
We were in Indianapolis. As we drove around, I felt a familiarity with my surroundings but couldn’t remember anything specific. I was in the back seat of the car and could hear them talking, but their lips weren’t moving. I could hear their thoughts. When I said I couldn’t kill people, Jonas laughed. I could hear Jonas asking Boss what would happen if I couldn’t remember.
All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain rip through my skill and my ears rang. Boss was doing it, trying to read my mind. He found nothing there, no memories. The pain lessened as he backed off, finally believing me. There should be something there, some memory he could find, even if I couldn’t, but there wasn’t. It was possible for a vampire to erase some memory, but not all. Demons can alter memories and reality, but not wipe out memories.
Boss admitted to being a vampire. I asked about Jonas, but Boss cut him off before he could answer. He held my hand to his chest, no heartbeat. But I had one. He told me I was a half-breed. So I was only half dead. That was why I needed warm blood and human food. Boss could think of no one, or no reason for someone to wipe my memories. Whoever did do it, couldn’t be human. As Jonas and Boss talked, they mentioned other breeds, werewolves, demons, fae, shifters, warlocks…..
When I held my stomach while it was cramping, I felt a bulge in my skirt. I reached in my pocket and found two pieces of paper. Before I could see what they were, Boss grabbed them out of my hand. They were my clues. As we fought over them, they blew out the window. We chased them in the wind and finally caught them. One was a receipt to a bookstore. Still no memory.
The other paper was a pawn shop receipt. But if I hocked something, where was the money and what did I pawn? Boss kept my papers. He also found my knife when we got back in the car. It had fallen out of my boot. The handle was made from gold and had two initials, S and B, and was poisoned. Boss told me, if it belonged to me, the poison wouldn’t affect me.
Boss and Jonas worked for the Worldwide Organization of Peace and Protection. His job was to monitor the clans and make sure no one species dominated. We agreed to work together to find out who I was and who killed all those people, those creatures. I knew I wasn’t a killer. I didn’t drink blood and I didn’t have fangs. We figured someone had been looking for me and would do whatever they had to do to get me back. How did they lose me?
We went to the pawn shop, but it seemed to present more questions than answers. I had pawned a demon watch. It tells time in Hell and on earth. It could open a portal between the two worlds.
When the question came up, was I part vampire and part demon, Boss said that it was not possible. He said Tabby may be able to help. She was a Shape-shifter and was living with him and Jonas.
It was decided I needed to test my skills and Tabby would be the perfect sparring partner. When I shifted to mist, I had the not so bright idea to tease Boss. He not only attacked me, he called me an abomination and told me to get out. He thought I was a freak, thought me dangerous. Jonas saw me as a treasure, one of a kind. If Boss made me go, Tabby and Jonas said they would go with me.
Tabby suggested we go shopping and do girl things. We were having a good time, until I noticed the same guy appeared wherever we went. Tabby couldn’t see him, so I told Jonas about him over the phone. He wanted us home, now. Tabby went off to finish the shopping and I waited near the entrance.
Benny chose that moment to introduce himself. He knew I was a half-breed. He was an angel. He told me I needed to remember soon, Tabby’s life was in danger. Now I was human, vampire, demon and angel.
We went to the book store listed on the receipt. While there I had a flash of memory. I had been writing in a journal and there was a strong smell of coffee. Boss picked another memory. I had been writing in a journal and was going to mail it. That was four days ago. It should have arrived. What would the journal contain? Would it help answer all our questions?
While we were surfing the internet, a hacker began hunting for our IP address. Boss had us grabbing computers and weapons. Tabby was throwing bags of clothes and stacks of cash. Boss and I jumped in the SUV, Jonas and Tabby followed behind us. Gargumen were hunting us, so we split up, agreeing to meet up later.
What was up with Senator Galuzzi, presidential candidate, and Allison? Why did our internet search of them trigger such a hunt? On top of all that, Benny had told me I needed to remember, that Tabby was in danger and I could save her. From what?
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
It caught my interest from the beginning. Amnesia. But as the story progressed, I found myself reading faster and faster. The book was full of mystery and suspense.
The plot was going in several directions, but they do come together.
At times I forgot the characters weren’t human. I fell in love with Jonas and Tabby was wonderful. They didn’t even know Stephanie, but would leave everything to protect her, to help her.
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Stephanie wanted to know all the answers. She felt human and had no desire to do anyone any harm, until they threatened her new-found friends. She would do whatever it took to protect them all, even Boss.
Stephanie couldn’t always understand why Boss could be so cold and demanding. Guess she kept forgetting that he was a vampire. Isn’t that how they are? Yet, he took care of and protected Jonas and Tabby.
Then, boom it was over. I read the last page. Oh no, now what? I didn’t want it to end. I am really curious to see where this story will go. Book II: Quest came out October 8, 2012.
I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Outside of my government job, I write Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Dark and dangerous creatures are my friends. I create worlds with vampires, demons, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. I even create new ones. How do I do this? I have a twisted mind and it gets better with wine.
Care to join me in my fantastical worlds? I’ll introduce you to my friends, and if they bite or corrupt your mind… it’s not my fault.
You can find more information about me and my books on the links below:
Giveaway – Mary has offered 1 ebook for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – If you were a supernatural being, what would it be and why? – and leave your email. Ends November 5, 2012. THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The winner is – bev – I would like to thank everyone that stopped by to comment and enter.
Tweet it out and share it with your friends and family, not required.
It is always appreciated if you follow me on my blog and Twitter, not required.
Book II: Quest came out October 8, 2012. To order any of Mary’s books, simply click on the cover below.
To order one of the books, simply click the cover.
I believe that Annette Dobson, The SIDS Killer, is not dead, even though the state says they executed her, filed a death certificate and closed the case. Her husband does not believe it either. She had been convicted of killing six of her children before they could reach a year old. She was pregnant at the time of her incarceration and plead for an abortion, so she wouldn’t take the baby to hell with her. She is only one of the seven I think they have brought to Uphir.
I will go to almost any lengths to get the story, that is why I am coming to the Uphir Behavioral Health Center in Uphir, Texas, and agreeing to being “treated” by Dr. Alan Hayworth, a clinical psychologist and the Reverend William H. Billings, a local minister.
When I was interviewed by Dr. Hayworth, he asked me what I really wanted. He also wanted to know how I found him.
While I sit in the diner in Dell City, Texas, where the song Farmer in the Dell came from, I wonder about what I am doing here. The only safety measure I have taken, is having my assistant and girlfriend, Melody Swann, receive and transcribe any diary notes and tapes that I will send to her on and off during my stay.
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The waitress at the diner seemed surprised to see me. I had been here a month ago to work out the details of my commitment to Uphir. She said she had never seen anyone that went up there, come back. She told me that everyone who lived out by the center had moved away or outright disappeared. They were afraid of the demons running wild.
We kept talking, and I told her I was there because of Renaldo, a reporter. He had contacted me about strange things going on at Uphir, and had never contacted me again. She knew his name was Ose. She said she heard him say it and that he was coming for Eddie, for me. I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about or why she would say that.
When I arrived, I stood and stared at the building. It felt alive, as if it was speaking to me. I entered and was greeted by a nurse. The Doctor came out and escorted me to his office, telling me the protocol. I could only record when I was given permission. I felt I was being watched and thought it was probably the Reverend, because he came in shortly after. He creeped me out.
He seems to be focused on demonic forces that can influence us all, but I didn’t really believe any of what he was saying. I thought there must be some kind of blocker, because even though I had recorded our meeting, the playback was intermittent. There were parts missing and I could hear odd voices and static. The recording seems to be trying to tell me something, like someone is trying to communicate with me outside normal channels. It speaks in a language I cannot understand.
They put me in the house from “Psycho”. Even though it is separate from the “hospital”, I have no food and only one window to look out. It looks right back at the institution. There is no cable, internet or phone service. There is a VCR. The tapes all have a theme, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, Jacob’s Ladder, Altered States, The Brood, In The Mouth of Madness. My thought is, they are trying to mess with my mind.
It’s 2:00am and I can’t sleep, so I look out the window. The moonlight has an eerie glow, like in the horror movies. I’m waiting for someone with a hockey mask or chainsaw to come busting in. I always feel as if I am being watched. The Reverend had left a Bible with passages marked. as if I’m supposed to read them and make me ponder the evil in me.
I’m thinking they brought Annette Dobson here for the sole purpose of studying the baby after it was born. Maybe they felt they could learn something from a baby that was born from a cold-blooded killer. Will it be an Angel or a Demon? If what I think is true, she should be due in a week or so.
I arrive for breakfast and run into Donald. He starts telling me about all my secrets. How could he possibly know? His voice sounds different, and as he keeps on, I can feel myself getting more and more angry. I am so mad, I can feel my body vibrate with tension. I have such a feeling of rage, hate, shame, guilt, pain and violation that I am furious beyond my control.
Melody becomes freaked out transcribing the tapes. She hears screaming and cries for help. As she types, she feels like someone is typing for her. Words come out that she didn’t put down. They are in a language she doesn’t know. It is talking to her, telling her things. Warning her? She feels any urgency to get the results to Eddie fast.
I met with the Reverend. He asked if I believed the bible was true. I asked him, what does it matter? He proceeds to tell me, I have entered a world where good and evil are at war. He wants to make sure I am safe from possession before he will let me meet with Annette Dobson.
Renaldo Gonzalez had brought a tape to me made by Timothy Nathan Tyler, another executed inmate, saying he was going to be resurrected. Then Renaldo just disappeared off the face of the earth. Tyler is sitting in front of my right now and looks as if he is dead. Annette is there too.
Melody becomes more afraid with the next transcription.She can hear Eddie speaking another language, ranting and raving like a madman. It seems like her laptop has a mind of its own. It won’t shut off. It’s as if someone is with her. She is terrified to move, so she keeps writing. A voice filled with evil is making her write and she cannot quit until she has written down what it wants. Melody doesn’t want to do this any more.
I get my computer back and want to write about the visit with the others. It scares me shitless.They looked as if possessed and I am living inside the movies of Carrie or The Omen. I had completely lost it when Tyler had told me things that no one here could have known. He even used the same tone of voice and projected the same feelings onto me that my ex-wife had.
I seemed to be going down into a pit of desolation, so I started to sing happy songs. Songs like The Flintstones and Sesame Street. I think of my little girl and feel like I’m evil, cursed, should just up and die. I continue singing trying to fight off the sense of impending madness.
Because I had reacted so badly, they had put me in an isolation cell. I typed until my battery died, then lay listening to the screams and the metal clanging footsteps. Pitch blackness amplified everything I heard and felt.
As I sat in the Doctor’s office, ready to record, they said they had warned me of the supernatural. According to him and the Reverend, Tyler, Annette and the rest of the patients, were all possessed and they were trying to help them. They went on to say that one of the demons had come for me. He proceeded to tell me that I was really here to record my story. He quoted scriptures for me to read and sent me on my way.
Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 43-46
Luke Chapter 11 Verse 24-26
I read the scriptures and thought it odd that two different people, Matthew and Luke, said the same thing. It was written that seven times the evil had returned. What if the demons are real? I decided that the title of my story would be SEVEN-X.
3 STARS – Would Recommend To Others
I was gifted this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I gave it only three stars, because it didn’t quite get me to the point of being terrified. The suspense kept me reading, but I was left wanting something more. It was written as a diary, and that may be why I couldn’t seem to lose myself in the plot.
Awesome cover. Eyes always make me want to look deeper into them and see what’s there. The title made me curious and I did find out that it was an appropriate title.
The writing was very good and I can see how the story can be continued. The main character of Eddie Hanson is well developed and credible, with a need to solve the puzzle of the missing convicts. It would be his scoop. Put him on top. Can you imagine how a person, so sure of their convictions, would feel if he found them to be otherwise? His plan to solve the puzzle, simply creates another.
What if you couldn’t tell what was real? It wouldn’t be that difficult to become paranoid and believe they are messing with your head when you are isolated from the outside world. We all know how cults can brainwash people. Are there really demons? Are they out to have us do their bidding? Or is it just the evil inside us?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Wech is a writer, director and editor living in Los Angeles CA.
Originally from Buffalo, Mike began his career in New York as an actor with appearances on Liquid Television, America’s Most Wanted, One Life To Live and All My Children as well as numerous stage plays.
Moving behind the camera Mike began work as a writer crafting television commercials and shows like VH1’s Fairway to Heaven. Mike worked as a writer, producer, director, editor, camera operator and in various other capacities learning his craft as he moved into feature films.
His first feature, the post apocalyptic “The Moment After2, The Awakening, directed by Wes Llewellyn sold over a million dollars on DVD. More features and television shows followed including the critically acclaimed docu-drama “South Dakota” with Star Wars Producer Howard Kazanjian and Director Bruce Isacson, and the gritty crime drama, “The Exodus of Charlie Wright” starring Andy Garcia, Aidan Quinn, Gina Gershon and Luke Goss, directed by R. Ellis Frazier.
With an eye on producing his own material, Mike continued writing for his clients, while penning the Award Nominated screenplay, “Your Life The Movie.”
SEVEN-X is Mike’s debut novel and the first in the forthcoming SEVEN-X series of books. He is excited about the feature film adaptation of SEVEN-X to be shot in West Virginia at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Seven-X is the first film to be given permission to film on the grounds and it boasts being the second largest stone mason building in the world next to The Kremlin.
Horror fans get ready for a creepy, unsettling ride into your worst nightmare!
5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)
Outside of my government job, I write 
To order one of the books, simply click the cover.
entered and was greeted by a nurse. The Doctor came out and escorted me to his office, telling me the protocol. I could only record when I was given permission. I felt I was being watched and thought it was probably the Reverend, because he came in shortly after. He creeped me out.
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