I have enjoyed more than one book from Calvin Demmer, so I was excited when he offered me a copy of his latest horror novella, Faster. So, let’s hit the road….
Brock Johnson had made a deal with the devil and I wonder when the final payment will come do. Brock had managed to circumvent it…at least for a while. He had always feared someone like Mick would come along. Whew! And Delilah? Oh man, it ended way too soon. And now my mind wanders…good job, Calvin. I’ll be thinking about this for a while, especially whenever I’m on the road…wanting to drive FASTER. That earns an extra star. LOL
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Faster by Calvin Demmer.
4
GOODREADS BLURB
Brock Johnson made a deal to return home from the war—alive. It’s a contract that follows him throughout his days, a contract he can’t escape. Or can he? One night on the road, he must decide whether to keep running or surrender. . . Either choice has its price.
A short story.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Calvin Demmer is a dark fiction author. His debut collection, The Sea Was a Fair Master,
was released in June 2018. When not writing, he is intrigued by that
which goes bump in the night and the sciences of our universe.
Demon Huntress: Love Me To Hell And Back Elizabeth Mason Publication date: September 18th 2021 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
A search for a cure. A journey fraught with danger. A fateful bond.
Determined demon-hunter, Maeve, must risk everything to obtain The Book of Raziel—a font of spells, divine magic, and ethereal knowledge—to cure her work partner of a deadly supernatural virus. And though she isn’t surprised to discover that the book is in the Garden of Eden, she is surprised to learn that the garden is situated in Hell!
Now Maeve faces her biggest challenge: fighting her inner demons¬, or be lost to the wanderlust of Hell forever.
Broken and reclusive, Ezra Virunas has one goal—kill the demon who stole the Sacred Seals, and, in return, he would regain his freedom. Never mind that Ezra has to use Maeve’s soul as bait to close the case, Ezra knows just how deceitful women can be, and he is convinced Maeve is no different. But he is mistaken, and despite fighting against it, her pure heart soon becomes a light to his darkened past.
As Maeve and Ezra’s bond deepens, so too does the danger awaiting them. Will they emerge from Hell unscathed?
Love Me To Hell And Back is a haunting tale of self-reflection and forgiveness.
“According to an ancient scroll
discovered a few hundred years ago, there will come a human with god-like
powers— an Eda.”
I yawned. “Excuse me,” I muttered.
“How does a human become an Eda?”
“We only know what the scroll tells
us, and according to the scroll, when the sacrifice is made, the Eda is born.”
He paused a moment and stared at me,
seemingly deep in thought. Finally, slowly shaking his head, he spoke again.
“This world is full of mysteries.”
Leaning back, I crossed my arms over
my chest. “What were you thinking?”
“When?”
“Just now.”
“I only hope this prophesied Eda is
good. If you give a human ‘God-like’ powers,” he shook his head, “Well, let’s
just say, I’ve never met a man who used power for good.”
I scoffed at him. “What makes you
think it’ll be a man?”
He laughed as if what I had said was
a joke. It was far from a joke. “Because women are too selfish to sacrifice
themselves for someone else.” I heard the pure distrust he had for women in
each word he spoke. It made my heart hurt.
We stayed quiet, staring at each
other. I moved my eyes over his face. His eyes were sad, his lips turned down,
and his jaw muscles were tense.
“Maybe you’re right,” I said. Ezra
lowered his brows, looking at me curiously. “But I’m pretty sure you’re wrong.”
Ezra folded his arms over his chest.
“You disagree?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t
know, Ezra. I have faith in mankind. After all, you and I are going to Hell
without greedy intentions.”
He made a steeple with his hands and
touched his lips. I tilted my head, unsure again what he was thinking. “Are you
sure about that?” he asked.
I shifted in my seat, unsure where
this conversation was going. “What do you mean?”
He leaned forward, and a few gold
strands fell over his strong cheekbones. “I sense a bit of regret in you.”
I jerked my head back as I was
caught off guard. I didn’t think he’d say that. “Regret?”
“You’re going to Hell to save a
friend.” I nodded. “Or are you going to Hell to ease your guilt?”
I narrowed my eyes, glaring at him.
Yup, I totally wasn’t expecting that. “And what guilt do I have, Ezra?”
His lips turned up into a cocky
smile. “You tell me.”
Was he right?
Sure, I regret not listening to
Emerich when he said not to go on this last hunt, but who would go to Hell just
to ease their guilt? That’s a bit excessive. But I do believe someone would go
to Hell to save a friend.
Right?
I held up a hand to ward off the
truth behind his words. “You don’t know me, Ezra. Not well enough to judge me
like that, anyway.”
“You’re a strong fighter and damned
skilled at throwing knives, but that isn’t enough to survive Hell.” What was he
saying? I’m a trained jinn hunter. “I fear you’re weak here.” He pointed to his
right temple. “That can make you weak here.” He brought his finger to his
heart.
I stood up and pushed a pile of
boxes at him. “If I’m so damn weak, then find someone else.” I was tired of
everybody pointing at my weakness, telling me to hold back. Damn it. I need
people to point out my strengths!
He caught the boxes before they slid
off the table. Then, lightning-fast, he was on his feet and in front of me.
I formed fists and turned my head
away from his prying eyes. I was breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling
to the fast rhythm of my heartbeat. Ezra was close— too close. He had a clean,
dangerous scent. I felt my knees tremble as his body heat seeped into me, and
when he placed his finger under my chin, the shared heat and sensation thrilled
me.
He
gently turned my head, but I kept my eyes down. “Maeve,” he whispered, getting
me to look at him. I allowed my eyes to wander, taking in his beauty. His sheer
maleness overwhelmed me, and every instinct I had said he was different. I
couldn’t put my finger on it. Still, there was something about him that was….
contrasting. I couldn’t quite figure him out. It was a feeling of lust mixed
with a feeling of fear. Like a jinn, he was beautiful yet scary. There was
something dangerous simmering under his cool façade. I wasn’t sure what it was,
but I was captivated by that mysterious side of him. His eyes penetrated mine
as if he were seeing into my soul. “I don’t want someone else,” he said.
Author Bio:
Elizabeth is a Cali girl who should enjoy the California sun more than she does. She’s content being indoors writing and creating spooky stories with strong leading women and bad boy leading men. With a degree in psychology, Elizabeth is drawn to the complexities of human behavior. The diversity of personalities, interactions, emotions, and relationships reflect in her writing.
When Elizabeth isn’t busy typing away, she enjoys time with her husband, two boys, and her two Weimaraner pups. And thanks to her love for lattes, she enjoys reading paranormal romance late into the night. Her husband and her two boys inspired her to never give up, and thanks to them, she’s proud to announce her debut novel: Love Me To Hell And Back. A haunting tale of self-reflection and forgiveness, even in the darkness of Hell.
Professor Charlatan Bardot’s travel anthology includes many buildings, though no haunted houses. So…buckle your searbelt and let’s travel around the world.
I love the awesome cover for Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology by Eric Guignard. Some of the locales are real places, and, the rest, I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
The anthology includes short stories of horror from noted authors all over the world. Whether it takes place in a hospital, lighthouse, mining camp, wishing well…most everything but haunted houses, the anothology is sure to supply plenty of thrills and chills.
Might want to keep the light on…but, locked doors won’t keep them out.
Professor Bardot is as interesting as the beautiful book, with fabulous illustrations to go with the fantastic cover.
Travel around the world with horror as your companion. The Professor may have your imagination running wild on your travels when you visit your own hotel, cathedral…
I cannot think of anything that could be improved upon a book that gave me many hours of reading pleasure.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology by Eric J Guignard.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“At Last, an Authoritative Compendium to (Fictional) Haunted Buildings for the Delight and Exploration of Reader-Travelers Around the Globe.”
For
nearly forty years, renowned paranormal investigator Professor
Charlatan Bardot has examined, documented, and acquired stories of
haunted buildings around the world. Partnered with leading anthologist
Eric J. Guignard, and gifted artists Steve Lines and James Gabb, the
greatest of Charlatan’s discoveries are made available now in this
comprehensive travel anthology!
From the Philippines’ tragic
Ame-Soeur Clothing Factory, to Sweden’s reverent Fish Church; from
Tanzania’s vengeful Unguja Restaurant, to Canada’s cursed Crow Island
Lighthouse, Charlatan Bardot presents a lifetime of experience and
insight into paranormal architecture.
27 feature stories and 36
tiny tales are included of haunted temples, diners, hotels, shops,
hospitals, outposts, theaters, and other building types, along with
maps, travel notes, illustrations, and more, all designed to provide an
immersive experience for veteran travelers and armchair ghost hunters
alike!
Enter Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World (2021 edition) and explore the strange and curious locales of the globe and of your imagination.
ABOUT ERIC J GUIGNARD
ERIC J. GUIGNARD is a writer
and editor of dark and speculative fiction, operating from the shadowy
outskirts of Los Angeles, where he also runs the small press, Dark Moon Books.
He’s twice won the Bram Stoker Award (the highest literary award of
horror fiction), been a finalist for the International Thriller Writers
Award, and a multi-nominee of the Pushcart Prize.
Outside
the glamorous and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a
technical writer and college professor, and he stumbles home each day to
a wife, children, dogs, and a terrarium filled with mischievous
beetles. Visit Eric at: www.ericjguignard.com, his blog: ericjguignard.blogspot.com, or Twitter: @ericjguignard.
Two attractive, young, blond women…missing body parts….an inverted cross on their breasts…One serial killer is bad enough, but they have two. I am very curious how Daniel Jeudy will bring them together.
Detective Addison Mowbray had believed people were good….until his father was murdered. His grief led him to a career in law enforcement and he has stayed with the LAPD for almost thirty years.
We actually have three plots going: Occult killing, Armenian Mafia, a vigilante.
I must say, as a debut novel…well done, Daniel. I picked it up and couldn’t put it down. Dark, gritty, twisted, perverted, the most depraved, despicable dregs of humanity ungrace the pages. Evil…and I revel in it. I love walking among the dark and damaged…and Daniel supplied that. I had wondered how he would end the story, and though he left it in a good place, there is still more to know. The work is not finished. Bring it on, Daniel.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sons of Brutality by Daniel Jeudy.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
When Detective Addison Mowbray begins investigating the murders of two young women in the Hollywood Hills, he can’t imagine where the case will lead. He suspects the crimes were inspired by an occult fascination, due to some missing body parts and the inverted Christian cross branded on the victims’ breasts. But apart from Addison’s temperamental partner, Jed, the only other person keen on them pursuing that line of investigation is Lilly Coniglio, a medical examiner from the Coroner’s Department. The LAPD is already under immense public pressure due to all the bad press another killer – a vigilante – has brought to their door: it’s been over a year since the first organized-crime figure showed up full of holes, with a plastic police badge beside his body.
As Addison and Jed navigate a murky, disturbing occult landscape in search of answers, they uncover something even more terrifying than a killer hiding in the shadows: an organization so vile and powerful that it changes their lives forever. These two troubled detectives are all that stand between this organization and a spectacular season of carnage.
Set against a backdrop of urban bleakness and social inequality, ‘Sons of Brutality’ combines deeply flawed protagonists with human monsters, integrating strong dialogue, violent action and gripping suspense.
ABOUT DANIEL JEUDY (from his website)
Daniel is a musician who has toured throughout Australia and America with various bands. Founder of Xcel Business Solutions, he lives in the Blue Mountains. Daniel has written and collaborated on many different musical projects and traveled extensively. His passion for music, off-beat stories, and the written word ensure he is always busy. His first novel, Sons of Brutality, draws heavily on the situations he encountered inside smoke-filled spaces around the world throughout the 1990s and the underbelly culture he experienced while on tour in America. To find out more information about his book, please visit his website at: danieljeudy.com.au
Nick Clausen has done an amazing job with the Dead Meat series and I am totally invested in sticking with it til the end to see how he wraps it up. That being said, I have my fingers crossed that my favorite characters will still be alive when it is all said and done.
Well, this is the final day of the zombie apocalypse and I have had my fingers crossed that my favorite character, Dan, will make it to the end. TODAY, his mission is to find his father. Will he be dead dead? Will he be a zombie, making it possible for Dan to cure him?
I can picture Dan with the water gun. How about having a little fun in zombieland?
As we near the end of our journey, Nick Clausen has never failed in the world building and dangerous times…and it is nail biting, spine tingling, with characters to love and hate. He kept me on my toes with the pacing and suspense as I wondered who he would kill off next. Would be favorite characters(s) be left alive when their journey ends?
My rating: I have been doing so much reading since Covid entered our lives that I think my ratings have changed and it is even harder to get my attention, keep it, and make me race through the pages…because I HAVE TO KNOW! Nick Clausen was able to do that with Dead Meat: Day 9. This series has been unpredictable and unputdownable and five stars is well deserved!
Now, I’m curious…what’s next Nick?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 6 by Nick Clausen.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. The world is ending. This is the final day.
Here
comes the thrilling conclusion to the Dead Meat series. Find out who
makes it through and who doesn’t—and whether mankind can still be saved
from the undead who have by now taken over most of the world.
But zombies aren’t the only thing threatening human lives, as the world is standing at the brink of all-out nuclear war …
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
“When the shit hits the fan, that’s when having a God to pray to or curse is really satisfying…”
No Hacket House or the town of Bramley showed up on the internet when Jane researched the offer for a live in caregiver, but the lucrative paycheck had her packing and moving. Maybe the lack of information should have been a warning?
There are clocks of every variety cluttering the house. What’s up with that? It made me think of my father in law. He loves tinkering with clocks and has them all over his house, but, they are not like these clocks.
The house sounds more like a mansion or museum, with twisting, turning hallways and hundreds of rooms.
Jane is running from someone and thought Hacket House would be a great place to hide. If she can’t find anything about the house and town, maybe nobody else could either. The reason she is running is even sadder than I anticipated.
The man she is there to take care of is in dire straits, uncommunicative. He has dementia (?), with hands like claws and his body stuck in the fetal position. Is it dementia? Is he being tormented? Haunted? And who…or what…is Nark?
As the secrets are revealed, I wonder about Jane and what will become of her. Looming clocks that seem to move on their own, shadows running from clock to clock, people in robes…
The Haunting of Hacket House is a creepy, deliciously spooky tale that kept getting creepier and creepier as I read. It would make a fantastic movie.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Haunting of Hacket House by Astrid Addams.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Some places don’t let go….
Offered a lucrative job at the mysterious Hacket House, Jane agrees to travel across country to live at the mansion. After all, a fresh start is just what she needs. Besides, the remote house is a long way from the past she is still running from.
Arriving at her new home, she finds a strange red house set in a wood of red, gnarled trees. The same trees used to build the house and the grandfather clocks that haunt every room and dark corridor.
Jane quickly realises that there is something very wrong at Hacket House and the village of Bramley.
Why is there a graveyard in the garden of Hacket House? Who are the people in hoods who haunt the house at night? What are they doing with the old man in the bed? Why is somebody moving the grandfather clocks? Who is the strange woman no one will admit exists? What are the shadows that scoot across the walls like cockroaches? Who is Erazmus Nark whose grave nothing will touch?
As the sinister behaviour of the village escalates and her own past closes in around her, Jane learns that just because something is dead, doesn’t mean that it’s gone.
The Dead Meat series started out as novellas and I am so excited that Nick Clausen has so much to share that now he has a full scale novel.
Nick Clausen takes a view from current events and expands on his Zombie virus, crossing borders and hop skipping across the water. He introduces new characters, some that I quickly grew to care for, and, of course, he is not afraid to kill them off. Goes to show ya, when your time is up, it is up.
Bloody, gory, horrific, people come and people, go, zombies walk and zombies fall, everything I look for in a good zombie story. Non stop blood and guts action, killing those who get bitten or scratched.
City to city, country to country, the virus spreads like wildfire, with no one able to curb the spread, let alone stop it.
You will want to read the series in order and I can hardly wait to see where Nick Clausen takes me next.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 5 by Nick Clausen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Mille is aboard the ferry headed for Sweden, and so is the living dead. She tries desperately to stop the infection from spreading before the ferry reaches its destination.
By Day 5, the infection has reached several countries across Europe, leaving death and chaos in its wake. The fate of the world seems still closer to the brink.
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
Now available from Linkville Press: Lydia’s faith in God is
strong—at least on paper. But what happens when that faith is tested? Turned
into a vampire by the worst—Vlad Drakul—she feels that God has abandoned her.
But the opposite is true. God rescues her from a fate worse than death, and
brings her into the plan He has for global redemption. With the help He sends,
she feels like nothing can stop her. But when Vlad torments her again, and then
her family, the temptation to run and hide is almost too strong to resist. Her
answer to God’s call is the deciding factor in the battle that pits the angelic
powers of God against the demonic powers of Hell.
What happened in the moments after Judas hanged himself?
Where did Cain go after the death of Abel?
Myths abound, and some of them have similar endings.
Cain murders his brother out of jealousy. Judas betrays Jesus to those who want
to see Him dead. Vlad the Impaler destroys without mercy, and is legendary as
Count Dracula. Three souls, collected and bound together in the same body by
Lilith, Satan’s mate and favorite slave.
Cain, Judas, and Vlad Tepes all fall into the same trap: weakened by pride but
too stubborn to turn back, they become cursed to walk the world through all of
time. Pursued by Hunters, a group first established by Cain’s tribe when he was
abducted by Lilith and the Serpent, they must keep one step ahead of their
enemies from century to century.
The tale starts in Genesis, moves to the time before and after the Crucifixion,
then makes the journey into what will become known as the Carpathian Mountains.
We are dropped briefly into the 15th century, pass through time in Romania and
Scotland, then conclude in 19th-century New Orleans. This is where the story,
and the three-souled Beast, must await another day and another century.
Two years after the horrific events of “That Night”, Lydia
and her family and friends have settled back into their lives. All seems
peaceful, but for the haunting memories of the war that took place over their
heads. A battle that everyone else has put aside as “mass hysteria.”
Now, with the unearthing of an old house in New Orleans and the appearance of a
mysterious woman named Delilah, events are transpiring that have the Bronsons
and their friends worried.
Delilah is a mystery. She takes on a partnership with a world-famous loser, and
insists on rebuilding the crumbling buildings on the hill overlooking Lydia’s
home town. The very same buildings that housed the evil that plagued them all
two years before.
Pat and Trudy, the Bronson siblings, learn that their time to act is upon them.
Demons and dark shadows are appearing in their lives, and in the lives of those
they love. The one seemingly most threatened is their own father, Steve, who
can’t seem to spend enough time in Delilah’s company. Then there are Martha,
Sean, and Ryan, whose sinister experiences make them re-think their stance on
the “mass-hysteria event.”
Not to mention Toby, almost three years old, who has powers beyond any mortal,
but is definitely nothing more than a toddler.
Once again, the Bronsons must take on responsibilities much more than they
think they can handle. However, God sends more helpers: an odd old man by the
name of Nick, who lives in the park; and Miriam, a young lady who steals Pat’s
heart.
Side by side, these young people show that their generation can be just as
strong as the previous one. For they will need all the strength they can muster
to fight the foe among them.
K.R. Morrison has lived in the Pacific Northwest for over twenty years. She uses her maiden name to show honor to her Scottish roots, and as a tribute to her dad. She and her husband have two young-adult children.
“Be Not Afraid” is her first book, a darling little creature spawned from an all-too real nightmare. Her second book, “Unholy Trinity”, was published in 2016.
“Resurgence: The Rise of Judas”, is the third book in the “Pride’s Downfall” series, and the fourth book, “Enoch’s Return”, will be available by September of 2020.
I have had my eye on the Lizzie Borden: Zombie Hunter series for some time now and was sooooo happy when she asked me if I wanted to review the books. YAY!
Are you ready? Let’s start by checking out this fabulous cover by Jaun Villar Pardon.
I have been following C A Verstraete for a little while now, and was ecstatic when she asked if I wanted to review Lizzie Borden: Zombie Hunter and my reply was a resounding…YES.
Want to know what really happened in the Borden household on that fateful night? It’s not what you’re thinking and I love what the author has done with this familiar story of murder and betrayal. Sooooo, be prepared for a savage tale of survival.
Lizzie Borden: Zombie Hunter by C A Verstraete was a lot of what I expected, but the author has treated me to some twists and turns, suspense and savage do or die fighting that makes this an action packed story that kept me flipping the pages.
I loved watching Lizzie grow and change throughout the story, becoming the zombie hunter she knew she could be. The battles to survive are savage, brutal, with blood and heads flying along with the bullets.
I wondered how Christine would twist the story, and a conspiracy fits very nicely.
I love the ending and want to see what happens in the next sword slashing, gun blazing zombie killer story.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lizzie Borden: Zombie Hunter by C A Verstraete.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Every family has its secrets…
One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become zombies?
Thrust into a horrific world where the walking dead are part of a shocking conspiracy to infect not only Fall River, Massachusetts, but also the world beyond, Lizzie battles to protect her sister, Emma, and her hometown from nightmarish ghouls and the evil forces controlling them.
ABOUT C A VERSTRAETE
Christine (C.A.) Verstraete is an award-winning author and journalist from Wisconsin who loves writing odd little stories with a touch of the macabre!
* New stories in 100 Word Bigger Zombie Bites! New stories in anthologies – 100 Word Horrors 3 and 100 Word Zombie Bites.
Now out! LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER 2: The Axe Will Fall!!! – Lizzie is back, swinging her axe again! Sequel to LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER!
* COMPANION NOVELLA: * Was Lizzie Borden’s doctor haunted by what he saw that day – and by Fall River? THE HAUNTING OF DR. BOWEN, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden’s Fall River
* My story, “Thirteen Horses” is in the anthology, Descent Into Darkness. (#1 Bestseller!)
** Check my website for news, https://www.cverstraete.com and my blog, http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com. Or see my minis blog: http://candidcanine.blogspot.com.
When she’s not writing (when is that?), Christine also enjoys creating in miniature. She is author of DOLLHOUSE DECOR & MORE, Vol. 1 with Joanna Campbell Slan and IN MINIATURE STYLE II. (MSII will be re-published and updated later.)
I received an email from Nick’s Reader’s Club with all those beautiful covers lined up in a row. Do you wonder who’s watching you now? LOL
Also, Dead Meat: Day 1 is free, while Nick has heavily discounted Day 2 And Day 3, so now is the time to jump in. You can also read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading.
The Dead Meat series by Nick Clausen covers the apocalyptic/dystopian world he has created on a day by day basis. I highly recommend reading the series in order as each book picks up where the previous book left off.
It is so easy to visualize and relate to the storyline because we are going through it now, sans the zombies. I began reading this before Covid-19, but the characters careless actions read too much like real people’s disregard for others in spreading the disease. All it take is one person to break the rules, one moment of carelessness, others thinking, oh, it will be alright. It only takes one person to set off an explosion.
Day 4 is longer than the other books. It seems to grow as I meet new characters and keep up with the old ones.
I could not stop reading this action packed, heart in my throat, nonstop suspense with tension that left be a bit sore from my muscles being clenched so tight.
OMG…you better be prepared to lose some of your friends along the way, because Nick Clausen doesn’t hesitate to kill them off in gruesome, tragic, heartbreaking fashion.
AND…he ends with my emotions reeling as I mourn, yet I have hope.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 4 by Nick Clausen.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. Driven by insatiable hunger. In eternal search of fresh meat. The infection spreads like the plague. Nothing stands between the undead and humanity. Is it too late to save the world from disaster?
The end of the world one day at a time
In this new apocalyptic zombie series from the author of They Come at Night and Human Flesh, we follow events day for day as the world slowly decends into mayhem and the zombies take over. Don’t miss the thrilling ride!
For fans of The Walking Dead and The Orphan Books.
Day 4 of the zombie apocalypse
The story picks up from Day 3. Dorte, a young doctor, desperately tries to find a cure for her sister, who got scratched by one of the infected. It’s a race against time, and it’s only the beginning of another day in hell.
By Day 4, the infection begins to spread across nation
borders, and it looks like none of the governments will be able to
contain it. Is it too late to save the world?
★★★★★ “Definitely the best day yet!”
★★★★★ “This series just gets more and more exciting”
★★★★★ “had me hooked from the first page”
EXCERPT
Henrik has turned away to go back inside the bedroom and pack a fresh set of clothes, when Kirsten screams.
He
spins around and sees Finn come lunging out from Jennie’s old room,
throwing himself at Kirsten, who backs away into the wall in a vain
attempt to get out of reach. But it’s too late, and Finn bites down hard
on her neck.
Kirsten’s scream turns even higher and more piercing.
Oh, Jesus Christ!
Henrik
runs down the hallway and grabs Kirsten’s flailing arm. He begins
tugging hard to get her away from Finn, but Finn acts like a predator
who just caught his breakfast and isn’t intent at all on letting it go.
He bears down harder with his teeth, growling and blowing bubbles in the
blood from Kirsten’s throat. He also reaches up and grabs her by the
grey hair, yanking her head sideways.
Kirsten screams again, very
high-pitched, but a little weaker than before, and for an awful moment,
she looks like a piece of toy torn between two big kids, as Henrik pulls
her one way, while Finn pulls her the other.
“Let go of her!”
Henrik shouts, and then, without thinking, he lets go of Kirsten with
one hand in order to throw a punch at Finn. His knuckles connect with
the old guy’s temple, and his jaw pops open for a moment, as he blinks
his dead eyes and staggers backwards, loosening his grip on Kirsten’s
hair and allowing Henrik to pull her free. She almost collapses into his
arms, and Henrik half drags, half lifts her backwards down the hallway,
away from Finn.
But the neighbor quickly regains his bearings and
comes waddling after them, arms stretched out, the lower part of his
face smothered in blood …
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
