Must Read – 41 Strange Review – 41 Unique Horror Tales To Keep You Up At Night

Posted on July 28, 2014 by fundinmental

The title of 41 Strange by Diane Doniol-Valcroze & Arthur K. Flam intrigued me, but the cover totally creeped me out!

I had to read these 41 strange and frightening stories.

MY REVIEW

41 Strange is 41 short stories of straight up horror. The collection has some unique stories to scare the …….. pants off you. lol I could not help but freak out at Diane Doniol-Valcroze & Arthur K. Flam’s tales and their creative wickedness.

So, turn out the lights, make sure we are alone and let’s get our freak on.

I cannot help but laugh at all the normal, everyday things that I will now look at and think twice about.

OMG, the rottweiler – I am loving it. And ice cubes? Do you ever fantasize about getting stuck in the automatic car wash? I do. It SOOOO creeps me out, but I do like a clean car.

I just want to warn you to beware of swimming pools, cell phones, mattresses, turkeys, stairs, trees, diners, traffic lights, cars, the government, the color purple, shredders, monkeys, elevators, hair and ……….

41 Strange has so many different ideas of horror and death. Some are as little as a page or two. They are unique and original and I loved them all. The writing is excellent and the stories “jumped off the pages keeping me rapidly turning them.” (Even though I was reading on my Kindle) I could hardly wait to find out what happened next and next and next. If you are a horror fan, 41 Strange is a MUST READ!

I received the book in return for an honest and unbaised review.

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

Title: 41 Strange
Author: Diane Doniol-Valcroze & Arthur K. Flam
Publisher: Diane Doniol-Valcroze & Arthur K. Flam
Pages: 150
Genre: Short Story Anthology
Format: Kindle

Purchase at AMAZON

41 STRANGE, a first-of-its-kind e-book anthology devoted exclusively to “short-short stories of the strange and horrifying,” awaits just a couple of clicks away for Kindle readers who enjoy a good shiver up their spines.

41 STRANGE is the bizarre debut collection of authors/screenwriters Diane Doniol-Valcroze and Arthur K. Flam, who deliver a reading experience in the spirit of such masters of the macabre as Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, and Rod Serling. As Doniol-Valcroze and Flam put it, the tales were written “in the lonely hour of the wolf … in the pre-dawn darkness when you get those ‘waking nightmares.’”

Doniol-Valcroze and Flam are screenwriters working in Los Angeles. They met at New York University’s film school and started collaborating, first on short films and then on screenplays. That working relationship forged a natural path to writing stories.

“We’re both very passionate about short fiction,” says Flam. “It’s our favorite form to read and write. After working together for many years on film projects, we realized we had a lot of ideas … that could only be done as short stories, so we decided to finally pull the trigger.”

The short-short story format makes a perfect fit for the authors’ strange visions. They immediately set up surreal and terrifying situations, which lead to even stranger conclusions. The stories can be read in their entirety in the time it takes to pour a cup of coffee and settle in with the book.

“Neal Edelstein (producer, MULHOLLAND DRIVE) has endorsed the book, and we’re excited because his new horror app HAUNTING MELISSA was the main inspiration for us to release the stories direct-to-audience,” says Doniol-Valcroze.

One of the authors’ favorite stories in 41 STRANGE is “Frank’s Wash,” in which a man finds himself stuck on the conveyor belt of a car wash. All attempts to get the car wash operator’s attention fail. Where Frank finally ends up becomes a chilling dissection of the parent-child relationship.

“We think (the stories) all embody that unnerving atmosphere,” Doniol-Valcroze and Flam say. “You’re not quite sure if the events unfolding around the character are happening for real, or are they just a figment of the character’s overactive imagination. We love that ambiguity.”

Doniol-Valcroze and Flam believe that 41 STRANGE will appeal to a general audience of film lovers and short story readers, as well as fans of science-fiction, horror and crime, and readers looking “for a quick dose of strange stories for commuting, or just curling up for a chilling night read before bed.”

EXCERPT

Staircase Man

THERE WAS A STAIRCASE MAN outside my peephole. Standing still. That much I knew.

I’m not making this story up…

Why would I say there was a Staircase Man outside my peephole if there wasn’t? What reason could I have?

His face was very close to the peephole glass, distorting his grotesque features and giving the single rectangular “step-hump” on his upper back a gigantic contour in the doorway. I saw him amble back to the old creaky maple staircase in the hallway. He squatted. Slowly, his body sunk into the vacancy of a missing step in the staircase, the step-hump on his back serving to fill in the step. He was faultlessly, perfectly camouflaged. No one could ever tell he lurked within the staircase, as they ascended, descended the flight… as their hands innocently squeezed the banisters. I tried to identify his presence. At night, with the aid of a flashlight and magnifying glass, scanning the tread and rise of the steps for hours, I could not detect the hairline seams that distinguished his wedged-in body from the real steps. That’s how insidiously disguised he was. How seamlessly he fit interlocked into the “stairwell jigsaw puzzle.”

Frankly, I was petrified.

The former tenant had warned me, but I’d dismissed her words as the ranting of an unstable woman. Out of pure fright, she’d painted the peephole’s lens with red nail polish—to block out the view of The Man Rising From The Stairs. She said nobody believed her. Not the neighbors. Not the doorman. Not the janitor. Not a soul.

She was taken to a mental asylum.

How could I take her words seriously?

But right she was…

This Staircase Man was beckoning me at my door each and every night. He would rise from his “hibernation cubbyhole” like a vampire rose from his coffin for a midnight excursion. I could see his malevolent shrunken eyes hover behind the warped peephole glass. His pupils were like the round flat heads of wrought iron nails.

Sometimes… he softly knocked. By morning, he’d left a lingering odor of musty wood drifting in my nostrils through the keyhole.

I inquired about him all around the building. Then I stopped inquiring when the neighbors began to give me strange looks. The last thing I wanted was to be sent to the asylum too. So I clammed up.

But at night, in bed… I trembled.

Who was this bizarre inexplicable man? Where did he come from? Why was he in the staircase adjacent to my door? Why was I chosen? What did he want from me?

Sleepless nights became the routine. I was sick with fever round the clock. It got to the point, I wanted to destroy that evil presence outside my door more than anything else I ever wanted in the world.

One cold November, I resolved to kill the staircase spawn, rid it from my life once and for all. I’d had enough stalling… Soon I’d be too ill and weak to fight. The day of reckoning was now at hand… I readied myself. I selected a distinctly long, sharp hunting knife with an ivory handle from my tool kit. I had bought it from a shaman on a safari expedition in Tanzania. It might serve me well, I reflected. Perhaps its blade would possess some special power to annihilate my night terror.

And so I waited.

My ears on the stretch with expectation.

Then the faint knocks came—

At 3:08 in the morning.

… knock… knock… knock…

I tiptoed to the door. Silently, ever so… so… so… silent I was. My eye widened in horror as it pressed into the peephole glass. Sure enough, outside the door—there was the living-moving segment of the staircase. Right on time. He would not miss his appointment with fate. Yes. Now… Now was the perfect moment to murder him.

I unlatched the door. I creaked it open warily… ever so warily… Before I knew it, his long wooden fingers with splinter-like nails clawed at my soft throat…

“… Call the police!” I shouted, hoping a neighbor would come to my rescue; none did.

I stabbed and stabbed his thick wooden step-hump—the blade broke! At that precise moment, the Staircase Man squeezed his slanted baluster-like shoulder through the door gap and flung the security chain open, knocking me backwards across the vestibule. The snapping door chain gave off a noise like a rattlesnake. The odious Staircase Man stood in the wide-open doorway, laughing. That’s when I froze in the utmost state of shock. Filled with nausea. His laugh—was the exact same as mine.

In a voice that sounded entirely like my own, he ordered me to get out of the apartment at once. Before I could get on my feet, he threw me out like a vagrant, slamming the door on my face. I was left alone out in the dark hallway. Terrified, I gathered myself together. I regained my balance and dusted off my pajamas.

I touched the new step-hump that was growing fast like a rugged mountain on my back. I ran my hand along its cold, weather-beaten, calloused slope. It smelled of mold and mildew. Oddly, it felt like it had always been there. I got used to it quickly. It felt right.

I retreated and hid, taking refuge in the cavity—the dingy nook—of the deeply shadowed stairs, where no neighbors could look at me with their inquisitive stares.

Ah, I thought long and hard. Yes, me, the Staircase Man. Have I always been? I don’t know; I can’t say. My head throbs ceaselessly. It aches till it breaks. But I’m not insane! That much I know!

That night… and every night afterwards… I stand motionless in front of my old door. From time to time I knock softly. I wait for my old frightened eye… to appear behind the peephole… and see what I turned into…

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Diane Doniol-Valcroze was born in Paris, France. As a young girl, she developed a passion for writing from her father, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, co-founder of the New Wave magazine CAHIERS DU CINEMA, and from her grandfather, French filmmaker André Cayatte (original THE MIRROR HAS TWO FACES). She earned a B.A. in English literature from the Sorbonne University, and an M.F.A. in film from New York University while apprenticing on the Lauren Hutton show. She has co-written screenplays for such films as Lionsgate’s PENNY DREADFUL, starring Mimi Rogers, and MGM’s HIT AND RUN, helmed by Enda McCallion and starring Kevin Corrigan. 41 STRANGE is her debut book. She lives in Los Angeles.

Arthur K. Flam was born in New York City and graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in writing, and from New York University with an M.F.A. in film. He served as Editor-in-Chief of Johns Hopkins’s oldest literary magazine, ZENAIDA, and worked as a journalist for the BALTIMORE CHRONICLE. He started in the film industry as an assistant on Abel Ferrara’s vampire film, THE ADDICTION. He has co-written screenplays for the films PENNY DREADFUL and HIT AND RUN. 41 STRANGE is his first book. He lives in Los Angeles.

For More Information

Visit the authors’ website.
Connect with the authors on Facebook and Twitter.
Contact the authors here.

Click on the cover below to get your Amazon copy of 41 Strange Diane Doniol-Valcroze & Arthur K. Flam.

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Teaser Tuesday #14 – Zombies Run AMOK

Posted on June 24, 2014 by fundinmental

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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UNFED (The Killer Sequel to UNDEAD) by Kirsty McKay

I am not sure where I got this ARC copy fo Unfed by Kirsty McKay, but I am enjoying the fun and gruesome ride with Bobby and her friends, as they travel through zombie infested territory.

The cover is fun and creepy.

(Click on the cover to get your copy)

My Tease

As we reach the top, we see a giant zombie playpen below, filled with lumbering bodies.

They see us and flood toward the barricade, roaring. Some are able to climb the first few feet up, using each other for support, looking for the best route, working it out. They reach up to us, anger on their faces, screaming, spitting, popping sinew and wrenching muscle to try and get to us.

Smitty shakes shis head, shouting above the cacophony. “What happened to them?”

“Told you,” I say. “They’re clever now. And wicked hungry.”

Synopsis

The good news: Bobby survived her Undead school trip. Bad news: her best mate, Smitty, is missing. Bobby knows she’s got to find him even if it means risking it all and going out into the starving-zombie-infested wastelands again. Even if it means taking fellow survivors including a couple of old frenemies along for the ride. And even if the zombies are not the only ones who are chasing them this time

Click on the cover to get your Amazon copy now.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Here’s A “Peek” at Longclaws – Book Blast Giveaway

Posted on June 7, 2014 by fundinmental

longclawsb

Welcome to my stop for the Longclaws book blast.

This one of a kind novel by Steve Peek is an amazing journey into a different kind of horror story, with a new version of the mythology the reader might not expect.

The synopsis made me so curious, I just have to find out what a Longclaw really is. How about you?

With an average of 4.7 stars out of 5, this is an amazing book that will take you places you don’t expect. Interested? Read more, or grab your copy at $0.99 while it’s on sale! Blurbb

Their world is crowded with active volcanoes, sulfur and acid rains, permanent thick clouds turn day into deep twilight. It is a violent place: moment-to-moment survival is victory, every creature is constantly predator and prey, sleep is certain death.

This is home to the longclaws, beings of super-human speed, strength and senses. Their predatory skills allow them only a tenuous niche in their hellish environment. Though smart and fierce, their rank in the food chain is far below the top. One clan leader draws from ancient legends of paradise and devises a plan to escape and take his clan to the otherworld – a world filled with slow, defenseless prey.

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The clan activates an Indian mound deep in southern forests and enters our world -hungry for prey.

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Torrential rains and washed out bridges force a runaway teen, an old dowser and a Cherokee healer to face the horrors of the clan’s merciless onslaught.

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Mankind’s legends are filled with vampires, werewolves, dragons and other nightmarish. Perhaps our legend of hell is based on the world of the Longclaws.

Remember, Longclaws is available over the next few days for only $0.99!

interviewb

So, Steve, tell us a bit about what you’re writing now

Currently titled Dark Paradise, Steve is 60,000 words into one of his strangest tales of all. One morning, all over the world, people on the coast wake up to discover many islands occupying what was empty sea the day before. Governments and individuals are unable to set-foot on the islands. People begin to disappear. At first dozens, then hundreds, then millions simply vanish. The Earth’s population drops of 8 billion to less than 500,000 million. Civilization crumbles. As the story unfolds the remaining individuals are faced with a choice. It has been great fun to write.

And, why did you change Longclaws to a Trilogy?

Longclaws is truly a labor of love. Written and re-written over 20 years there were many interesting stories and scenes that did not make it into the final version. The trilogy, when finished, consists of a prequel set in World War II England where a young Royce Mason is recruited to fight in a war of the occult. The final book brings the two main characters back together in the most hellish adventure imaginable. I hope they survive but sometimes my worlds just take over and things don’t workout so well for puny humans.

And, you’re touring both Alien Agenda and Longclaws with us between July 12th and 26th – tell us a bit about Alien Agenda….

Alien Agenda: Why they came, Why they stayed, is a book reviewers have dubbed science faction. Written in the style of James Michener and Leon Uris, it mixes accurate and detailed history that most of us lived through, while weaving fiction into the fabric of what actually happened. There is more truth in the book than fiction and it is often difficult for a reader to know what is real and what is not making it a very convincing work of “science faction.”

Abab

Steve Peek grew up in a family of readers and writers. In the second grade a neighbor gave him a toy printing press and, using rubber linotype, he wrote and printed a neighborhood paper. His first short story won a competition in his third grade class. Sometimes he dreamed of being a policeman, fireman, lawyer, minister, soldier, politician, but in every dream he was also a writer.

Peek loves games. He enjoyed a forty year career in the game industry which allowed him to travel the world where he was able to explore many of the ancient, mythical places he’d read about. Some legends associated with these enigmatic sites led him down a winding road to a junction where myth meets science and the hold of this magical place continues its grip.

Over the decades Steve always wrote. Sometimes just here and there. Twice he managed to have books published.

Now, with the precious time to write, Steve found the traditional publishing world in disarray and decided that it is more important for him to write than to sell books to the big publishing houses. The venue of the e-book makes this possible. So, for better or for worse, Steve sits at a kitchen table looking into the woods around his home in the Smokey Mountains and writes every day.

Reviewers have declared his books Longclaws and Alien Agenda: Why they came, Why they stayed to be a new sub-genre, ‘science faction’. Much of the books are based on history and science while the story falls under fiction.

Steve’s books are based on things that interest him and he works hard to make them interesting for his readers.

He would like to hear from you via jstephenpeek on facebook or send him a message via his contact form.

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Follow Steve on social media!

Facebook | Twitter | Add Longclaws on Goodreads | Steve’s Blog | Amazon

Buy the book!

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Steve will be touring in July with the Finishing Fairies. Both books, Longclaws and Alien Agenda are available for review, and are interesting, engaging books that you’re sure to enjoy. If you’d like to join us, we’d *love* to have you. Please sign up here!

Tour arranged by The Finishing Faires

Grab your copy of Longclaws by Steve Peek for .99 by clicking on the cover below.

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GIVEAWAY

ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Friday 56 #9 – Daughter of Nothing by Eric Kent Edstrom

Posted on March 15, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find any sentence, or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

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Daughter of Nothing by Eric Kent Edstrom

“I seem to recall you have the key to the pit and the remote control for the front gate.”

“Say I broke down the door to the medical ward and wheeled Vaughn out onto the quad. Say I let Humphrey out and opened the front gate. Where would you go with them?”

(56% on Kindle)

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BLURB

Few people even know that the Scion School exists. Tucked away on a private Caribbean island, the school is host to thirty-six exceptionally gifted students, all orphans. They train and study every day to prepare themselves for an immense responsibility, to lead humankind back from the brink of extinction.

At least, that’s what they’ve been told.

Among the thirty-six is Jacey, 17, one of four Scions in the Eagle class. She is the favorite of the 93-year-old headmaster, Dr. Carlhagen. But when Jacey overhears a conversation between a strange visitor and one of the school’s first graduates, she learns a stunning fact about her future. One that Dr. Carlhagen has kept from all the Scions.

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If you would like to get a copy of Daughter of Nothing or another Eric Kent Edstrom novel, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Freakin Friday #17 – Oh the horror…….Frostwalker by Brandon Luffman

Posted on February 21, 2014 by fundinmental

Freakin Friday!

Freakin Fridays is a meme brought to you by fuonlyknew. We will be posting about books, movies, and all things scary.

Feel free to join in and do your own Freakin Fridays posts!

Tune in Friday and get your scare on!

Let’s have some fun!

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Frostwalker by Brandon Luffman

Did you just glance at the cover and think, yeah a little spooky, feeling like the trees could reach out and touch you, but the deer is not afraid. The deer is………..

The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth – If They Live Long Enough

Grab a Free short story from Brandon Luffman (be sure and check for “0”)

For five nights in a row, Jake had seen the light, felt it calling him.

Tonight, he crossed into the forest.

It had called him and he was determined to solve the mystery.

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I knew something was coming just from the eerie cover. That was no bullet hole in that thar deer. And Dan. Poor Dan. That is when I was drawn in so deep, I had to know – what in the hell happened to him in the woods? I knew it was something bad just by the description of the gruesome, bloody and savage attack. Brandon Luffman did an excellent job of creating a feeling of impending doom in this horror novel of the creepiest kind.

There is an isidiuous evil worming its way through the people in town.

Have you ever approached something and balked at going through with it? A sense of something, intuition (?), saying it wasn’t right, that something was very wrong? That’s how Jake felt when he would approach the woods. His foot would not cross that barrier.

When the shit hit the fan, it did it with a vengeance. Every opening door, every creak of the floor, I thought something was going to jump out at me.

Jake and Eric are best friends. They are just regular Joes, nothing special about them. The evil they face will prove the lengths they will go to for each other.

I liked Nancy right off the bat. A no nonsense, do what must be done kind of gal. There wasn’t no monster gonna scare her away. She was strong and not a screamer. I hate those horror movies where all the women can do is cry and scream. Wendy is one of them. Will she step up when the time comes? Or Regina?

John Birdsong is a Shaman. He is Tsalagi, now known as the Cherokee. He is Frostwalker. As soon as John and his grandmother entered the story, I liked where it was heading even more, a twist that would make the story even deeper. I like the spiritual elements of the Native Indians sprinkled into the story.

The Grandmother is the the storyteller. The story she has to tell is almost beyond belief.

I always wonder how I would perform in such situations. I guess that means this is a good story, because it actually had me asking myself – what would I do?

Brandon did an excellent job in creating a tremendous amount of tension through anticipation. I knew it was coming, but he strung me out for so long, I couldn’t help but heave a sigh of relief when we finally got there. And it wasn’t where I thought I was going. Great ending!

4 Stars – Would Highly Recommend To Others

“Sounds like something’s gone bad wrong.” Boy was that an understatement.

‘I know I’m going to sound crazy, but they’re not just plain people any more, Sheriff.”

I received Frostwalker from Brandon Luffman in return for an honest and unbiased review.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brandon R. Luffman Born in Statesboro, Georgia in 1976, Brandon Luffman was raised in rural North Carolina from the time he was old enough to walk. In the sixth grade he discovered “The Chronicles Of Narnia”. Soon after that, he was on to Stephen King and Arthur C. Clarke. At the same time, he was making his first forays into writing fiction. After creating a series of short fantasy pieces for a class assignment that were received with praise, he was hooked on writing fiction for the entertainment of others. Now Brandon writes supernatural horror as well as fantasy, science fiction, and other genres. His short fiction is available online in various formats. Brandon still lives on the family farm in northwestern North Carolina with his wife and family. Taking inspiration from his homeland, he brings southern sensibilities and a modern flair to these classic genre themes. His first novel, Frostwalker, was released in May of 2013.

Stalk Brandon here

Blog / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Grab a Free short story from Brandon Luffman (be sure and check for “0”)

To grab your copy of Frostwalker by Brandon Luffman, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Book Blast Giveaway – Longclaws by Steve Peek

Posted on February 15, 2014 by fundinmental

Everything about Longclaws by Steve Peek grabbed me.

I would be very surpised If the title, cover and blurb don’t get your attention, too.

.Welcome to the Longclaws book blast. This one of a kind horror novel by Steve Peek is an amazing journey into a different kind of horror story, with a new version of the mythology the reader might not expect.

With an average of 4.7 stars out of 5, this is an amazing book that will take you places you don’t expect. Interested? You bet I am. Read more!

The clan activates an Indian mound deep in southern forests and enters our world -hungry for prey.

Torrential rains and washed out bridges force a runaway teen, an old dowser and a Cherokee healer to face the horrors of the clan’s merciless onslaught.

Mankind’s legends are filled with vampires, werewolves, dragons and other nightmarish. Perhaps our legend of hell is based on the world of the Longclaws.

Steve has only recently seriously taken to writing. Though he wrote and managed to have a couple of books published during his life, something clicked a few years ago and now, for better or worse, he sits at his table researching and writing about things that interest him.

His wife, Annie takes care of him. She keeps him eating too well and laughing often in their old farmhouse halfway up the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Steve’s forty year career in the game industry allowed him to travel extensively and explore histories and myths of peoples and places.

His books on Amazon include:

Longclaws, Alien Agenda, Coyote Dreaming, Otherworld and The Game Inventors Handbook.

In addition to writing, he works in a vegetable garden trying not to be herbicidal, walks in the woods with a rescued dog and gathers imaginary eggs from a few cut-out, wooden hens.

e loves all things ancient and appreciates the magic of life and the interconnection of all things. He would like to hear from you via jstephenpeek on facebook or send me a message via his contact form.

excerpt

After Father came home from work, they piled into their family car: a six-year-old 1949 Oldsmobile Futuramic station wagon. Painted hunter green, their car possessed real wood trim around the side windows..

He and his brother sat on blankets in the back, where the third seat had been laid flat to create space for them and the two suitcases. Tom’s sisters—Amanda and Allison—occupied the backseat, with a picnic basket between them..

The basket contained sandwiches and cookies, as well as two of their mother’s green-apple pies that she had made for the new widow in Alabama. Tires in those days were real rubber and produced hypnotic, whining sounds as the car cruised along the highway, causing occasional dogs to give chase..

Their father started the car and enumerated the road-trip rules for the Mason family, which applied only to the Mason kids: no horseplay, no loud talking, no teasing brothers or sisters. They could play games, talk, or tell stories, but in low voices. If they stopped, everyone would go to the bathroom, real bathroom available or not. Their estimated time of arrival was 10:00 p.m. The host family and their guests might all be asleep or ready for bed, so as soon as introductions concluded, the kids were to go to sleep wherever their host placed them..

The Futuramic hummed through the moonless darkness. Boredom settled in, and sleep overtook all the kids except Tom. Tom clipped his Boy Scout flashlight to the neck of his T-shirt and reread the Superman annual comic book for the thirtieth time..

Tom felt the car slow and then turn onto a dirt road packed hard by a summer of little rain. The tires vibrated on short stretches of washboard ruts in the dirt road. Tom sensed the edge of motion sickness, so he put away his comic and sat up to stare out the back window through an accumulating layer of reddish dust..

His brother, Russ, slept at his side. At fourteen—the oldest of the Mason kids—their parents expected Russ to become the surrogate father when adults were absent. Tom never admitted it, but he idolized his brother. Russ was as close to a hero as Tom could imagine. Tom knew he could depend on Russ, no matter what..

Amanda, two years Tom’s senior, was the more feminine of the two sisters. Allison—one year older than her sister and the prettier of the two—preferred mud fights and tree climbing to dolls and frilly dresses. She tried to mother Tom when he hurt himself or fell ill, but Tom would have none of it..

Tom stared out the back window. The taillights cast a scary, red glow behind the car as the tires kicked up dust, which twisted into horizontal dirt-devils streaming from the rear of the car. Beyond the red glow of the taillights, the complete darkness frightened Tom a little..

Tom’s father and mother exchanged words. His mom twisted her body and faced the backseats. “Wake up kids. We are going to be there in a few minutes. Wake up and make yourselves presentable.”.

The sisters stirred, emerging from whatever dreams had been born of the bouncy car and the background rhythm of the eight-cylinder engine..

Mother looked past the girls at him and said, “Tom, wake up your brother. We are almost there.”.

Knowing they would be at their mysterious destination soon, Tom’s phobia of meeting new people—especially new kids—welled up, feeling like the anxiety of walking to school to face a waiting bully..

Without taking his eyes off the illuminated portion of the road, their father said aloud, as if making an announcement over the school intercom, “I want you on your best behavior. The folks here are good people. They are our relatives. If an adult asks you to do something, do it.”.

He cleared his throat and continued, “So mind your Ps and Qs. Oh, and one more thing: last time I visited, they did not have a bathroom in the house; they have an outhouse.”.

He paused as if preparing to issue a warning or instruction, thought better, and simply said, “You’ll get used to it. But until you do, no complaining.”.

Tom saw some lights up ahead: an island in the dark.

When they turned right onto the track serving as the driveway to the old country house standing fifty yards from the road, Tom looked at the layout. The front yard was not really a yard at all. Once part of a forest, it had been cleared long ago, and now only a few huge pine trees were left, rising over beds of needles. Tall grass grew here and there, but gave way to dirt paths where people had walked between the pines..

Light came from every window. An electrical wire stretched fifty feet from the top of the front porch to the biggest pine tree Tom had ever seen. Six bare bulbs—affixed to the wire—dangled about seven feet above the ground..

In one of the circles of light beneath the wire, folding chairs formed a perimeter. The chairs were occupied by men of all ages. In the center of the group, where a fire might be in fall, sat a large washtub filled with melted ice and bottles of Coca-Cola, RC, and Nehi soda pop. The men stopped talking to study the Masons’ car..

“Hello, stranger,” one of them called, walking toward their car. Their father nearly leapt out of the car and grabbed the man’s extended hand, which quickly pulled them together for a hug..

Russ and Tom climbed out the tailgate and stood alongside the car, watching as a group of twelve or fifteen men and kids approached from the string of light bulbs..

The house looked as if it had never seen a coat of paint. The gray planks warped and strained against the rusty nails, which bled dark-red streaks from years of rain. The steep, tin roof was nearly invisible in the night sky. Where the main metal roof ended, another began. A shallow slope formed a roof for the porch, which ran across the front and left sides of the house..

Underneath the porch roof, bare bulbs with dangling pull-strings cast a yellow glow on all the women sitting in rockers. Conversation halted while they examined the new arrivals..

“This is my cousin, Royce.” Their father indicated the man he’d hugged..

“Hello, Royce,” their mother replied with a smile, adding, “Children, say hello to your cousin Royce.”.

The man was tall and thin, but somehow seemed stronger than he looked..

“Hello, ma’am,” he said, offering his hand to their mother.

Follow Steve on social media!

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To order Longclaws, or learn more about Steve Peek, click on the cover.

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Steve will be touring later in the year with the Finishing Fairies.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

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If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

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Friday 56 #6 Birthmarked by Maria Violante

Posted on February 14, 2014 by fundinmental

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find any sentence, or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

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Birthmarked (The Markers, Book I) by Maria Violante

A (birthmarked) truck driving woman and the monsters she is destined to fight.

“You don’t even know who you are, do you?”

“That’s it. Get out of here, now!”

My head was spinning. How had the mood shifted so abruptly?

“Now!”

“But-“

He flailed again and jabbed at me once with the sword. Seeing the point headed right for me, I scurried out……………..

(56% on Kindle)

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BLURB

Charlie Kale knows life isn’t easy. But for the first time, this truck driver might have finally found her little piece of happiness. She’s got it all—her big rig, friends, a great mentor, and a man about to join her on the road.

That is, until the good things in Charlie’s life all fall apart, and she finds herself at the mercy of a sexy but mysterious gunman who claims to be a member of a secret order dedicated to fighting the supernatural monsters that filter over into our world.

She’s given a choice—join up or die, and while the gunman might be insane, Charlie’s hell-bent on not dying.

Too bad it looks like that might not be an option.

(56% on Kindle)

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To get your copy of Birthmarked, or learn more about Maria Violante, click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Monday Mini #9 – Chimera by David Wellington

Posted on February 10, 2014 by fundinmental

The title – Chimera – by David Wellington made me stop and investigate further. I thought it would be mythological, but was pleasantly surprised to see it was so much more that that.

Barbed wire, men in foxholes guarding a camp, an escape and the detainees running free, hmmmmm what could that mean? And who are the detainees?

BLURB

A fabulous new talent-the heir to Patrick Lee and James Rollins-delivers his first published novel: a wildly imaginative tale that combines elements of horror and science in the vein of Michael Crichton, in which a circle of unlikely heroes must uncover a nefarious cabal and prevent it from unleashing a diabolical threat that could destroy the world

7 fugitives escape from a secret military facility in upstate New York, leaving a trail of bodies in their wake.

7 super-soldiers gone rogue.

7 innocent citizens targeted for death.

Disabled Army Vet James Chase is drafted for a desperate mission to stop this lethal force. Aided by a mysterious woman named Angel and a courageous, beautiful veterinarian, Chase sets off on a hair-raising cross-country hunt.

But are the killers really rogue soldiers, or are they only the tip of a sinister conspiracy . . . the first piece of a shocking nightmarish plan that will lead to ultimate destruction?

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MY REVIEW of Chimera, A Jim Chapel Mission, by David Wellington

Chimera – an organism with more than one kind of DNA

David Wellington has been compared to Patrick Lee, James Rollins and Michael Crichton. That being said, I knew I would love this story and I wasn’t wrong. A sci-fi government conspiracy that will leave you shaking in your shoes. With all the genetic research being done, do you think that no one has thought about building the ultimate soldier?

Jim Chapel, a Special Forces veteran, is called in to save the day. The only clue – Chimera. The writing is excellent and the dialogue had me smiling and laughing, when I wasn’t pissed off and terrified. A sci-fi thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. I knew Jim would accomplish his mission, but how? Secrets, danger, an uncontrollable evil that must be prevented from escaping into civilization. The ending – not what I thought it would be – oh, so much better than I imagined. I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face.

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I won a hardcover, first edition copy from Jessica at Jess Resides Here. YAY! Thank you Jessica and David. It looks beautiful in my collection.

“Is it not a glorious thing to be living in a George Jetson world?”

To get your copy of Chimera or another David Wellington novel, click on the cover below. David is a prolific writer and has many novels to choose from.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

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Undead Tour – Review & Giveaway – The Zombie West Trilogy by Angela Scott

Posted on February 5, 2014 by fundinmental

Get the Zombie West Omnibus on Amazon.

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Add the Zombie West Omnibus to your Goodreads to-read shelf!

ZOMBIES! The Wild West! Romance! Mayhem!

Angela Scott’s Zombie West Omnibus has all this, and more!

“…this is one of the most unique concepts I’ve come across.” —Brian, Amazon reviewer

“These books had me on the edge of my seat and at one point in book three I had to set the book down and pull myself out of the story so I wouldn’t cry.” —Emily Pearce, Amazon reviewer

“This series is one that will stay with you for a long time, prompting you to want to read it again and again.” —Tracy Haidle, Amazon reviewer

About the Zombie West Omnibus

The Wild West is hard enough to survive with its native territory, wanted outlaws, and harsh terrain, but with a plague turning civilized people into brain-eating monsters, survival becomes nearly impossible.

Red has lost everything to the fast-spreading disease: her family, her trust in mankind, and her hope for a better tomorrow. When she meets Trace, a smooth-talking gambling man who’s more city boy than cowboy, she’s forced down a path she’d been avoiding for years. Until his arrival, she’d lived by a certain set of rules—don’t ask names, keep to yourself, don’t let anyone too close—but the jackass of a man won’t let her be, and he has an uncanny knack for appearing at all the wrong times and in all the wrong places.

Each, with a secret of their own, will need to learn that only by working together do they have any chance of surviving The Zombie West.

That is, if they don’t kill each other first.

[Angela Scott’s Zombie West Omnibus includes the three books in the Zombie West series WANTED: DEAR OR UNDEAD, SURVIVOR ROUNDUP, and DEAD PLAINS. Find these books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and Smashwords.]

Genre classification: YA/Western Romance/Action and Adventure/ with added zombies for utter mayhem.

About Angela Scott

Angela Scott hears voices. Tiny fictional people sit on her shoulders and whisper their stories in her ear. Instead of medicating herself, she decided to pick up a pen, write down everything those voices tell me, and turn it into a book. She’s not crazy. She’s an author. For the most part, she writes contemporary Young Adult novels. However, through a writing exercise that spiraled out of control, she found herself writing about zombies terrorizing the Wild Wild West–and loving it. Her zombies don’t sparkle, and they definitely don’t cuddle. At least, she wouldn’t suggest it. She lives on the benches of the beautiful Wasatch Mountains with two lovely children, one teenager, and a very patient husband. She graduated from Utah State University with a B.A. degree in English, not because of her love for the written word, but because it was the only major that didn’t require math. She can’t spell, and grammar is her arch nemesis. But they gave her the degree, and there are no take backs.

Find Angela Scott on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Get the book!

Find the Zombie West Trilogy on Amazon.

Don’t forget to add the Zombie West Omnibus to your Goodreads to-read shelf.

Connect with Angela Scott on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

My Review of Dead Plains by Angela Scott

(To see my reviews for Wanted and Survivor, look for the links below the giveaway.)

Spoiler alert: This is the third book in the Trilogy.

Survivor Roundup left me hanging off the cliff by my fingertips and I was eager to get my hands on Dead Plains, Book III of the Zombie West Trilogy by Angela Scott.

“My child.”

What could he do about it? Not a damn thing.

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The Zombie West Series caught me so off guard, that I fell in love with it and Angela Scott’s writing. It is a unique and novel approach to Zombies, that will have you walking the plains, hand and hand with Red and her motley crew, desperately trying to survive.

Imagine walking, walking, walking, no destination just walking. Nowhere is safe. Now imagine doing it while nine months pregnant.

The characters were an unlikely bunch. In another time, they never would have met, let alone been friends and family. Alone, with everyone you ever knew dead or lost to you, you would be forced to trust. There is safety in numbers.

The characters lived life fully, their emotions strong and their needs directed their actions. They never knew when their life would end, or maybe begin – in another form.

Red is special and wanted. Some wanted her for good, others would stop at nothing to capture her, thinking she was their salvation.

Angela’s descriptions of the Zombies were amazing. They are called the Undead for a reason. I could see them shuffling along, being drawn from place to place by the smell of humans. Decomposing with every step they take.

The fights are graphic and gruesome. Guts spilling out, a knife through the chin, brains blown away and an arrow through the eye are only a few of the groups attempts to kill the Zombies.

Could you imagine needing clothes so badly, that you would strip them from the Undead? How long do you think it would take to get used to the smell, so you don’t want to vomit with every breath you take.

As the group pulled the Zombie from the river I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes. Hilarious description – a rope around neck its neck and the horses pulling and pulling…..

I loved that Angela could add humor to so much gruesomeness. After all, no matter how desperate the times are, a smile or a laugh can give you hope.

The Zombie West Trilogy is a fantastic story of life and death, love and betrayal and trust and loyalty, after the world has gone to hell. The characters will have you laughing and crying as you walk through the Dead Plains with them. Every time you think of Zombies, you will want to pull out the Zombie West Trilogy and read it again. If you like Zombies, this is a Must Read!

5 Stars – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

“There would be a burial, and grieving, and somehow….they’d find a way to go on.”

“This was the best welcome back from the dead – woke up and puked.”

“…sometimes it is not meant for us to understand. Sometimes we are simply required to do.”

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To grab your copy of a Zombie West novel, or to learn more about Angela Scott, click on the cover below.

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.GIVEAWAY

The Zombie West Trilogy ebook

$10 Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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“Babies are super cute – until they want to eat you.” Wanted: Dead or Undead by Angela Scott

I take my hat off to this Zombie Western – Survivor Roundup, Book II of the Zombie West Series, by Angela Scott

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.

To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

Look below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heartsearch: Found: Book II by Carlie M A Cullen

Posted on August 8, 2013 by fundinmental

This is Book II, Heartsearch: Found by Carlie M A Cullen. I have so many things I want to tell you, but I am going to try my best to keep this spoiler free for those who haven’t read Heartsearch: Lost, Book I.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Heartsearch: Lost, Book I, go HERE. The ending for Heartsearch: Lost was awesome! I could rant and rave more, but I would really like you to pick up the books and enjoy the read without me ruining it for you.

If you love Vampires, this is a must read trilogy. Carlie’s take on Vampires is unique and original. I didn’t think anyone could come up with a new twist, but Carlie did it and did it extremely well.

Jakki was psychic and worried. Something wasn’t right.

She read the tarot cards.

A man with green eyes.

Children’s hands colored red.

Objects floating in the air.

Remy distraught.

Death.

MY REVIEW

First off, let me say, that raving about this series makes me laugh. I love thrillers, suspense and mystery, with a little paranormal on the side. I have only started reading Vampire books since I started blogging, which was a little over a year ago. My sister, Laura, over at fuonlyknew, got me in to all this and for that I THANK YOU, Laura. I had no idea what I was missing.

Book II, Heartsearch: Found picks up the action from the very first page.

I fell in love and hate with the characters, regardless of them being ruthless, blood thirty killers.

I hate Samir – egotistical and selfish – everything you think a Vampire would be.

I love/dislike Joshua – almost human in his feelings for Remy.

Remy – what can I say? I love her. Strong female protagonists are my favorite characters. I like to think I would deal with things the way she does, but no one ever really knows what they will do until the time comes to do it.

The suspense and anticipation drove me to read faster, resisting the urge to skip ahead.

Carlie’s writing is nothing less than amazing. I am having difficulty in describing how amazing this story is. I am going to have to start studying my Thesaurus to expand my word selection. I have never read a Vampire novel like this. Carlie’s description of the horrific and excruciating pain one endures when changing into a Vampire was fantastic.

Sometimes I forget the characters are Vampires. Evil, gross, disgusting, selfish, giving, loving, passionate, sexy…….

I want it to end – happy ever after – but they’re Vampires. Is that even possible?

I love how Carlie’s mind thinks. She is a superb storyteller.

Sometimes the second book in the series is not as good. All I can say is, the story keeps getting better.

Oh no, I didn’t see it coming. The book ran out of pages. I DEMAND Heartsearch: Betrayal, Book III.

I want it and I want it now!

5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I received this book in return for an honest and unbiased review for Heartsearch: Found. Thank you Carlie for the opportunity to participate in the release tour for Heartsearch: Found, Book II. I look forward to working with you again, when Heartsearch: Betrayal, Book III comes out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlie M A Cullen

Carlie M A Cullen was born in London. She grew up in Hertfordshire where she first discovered her love of books and writing. She has been an administrator and marketer all her working life and was also a professional teacher of Ballroom and Latin American dancing until recently.

She has always written in some form or another, but Heart Search: Lost is her first novel. This was launched 8^th October 2012 through Myrddin Publishing Group and book two, Heart Search: Found, is due out early July 2013. She writes mainly in the Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres for YA, New Adult and Adult.

Carlie is also a professional editor.

Carlie also holds the reins of a writing group called Writebulb. Their first anthology, The Other Way Is Essex, was published September 2012 under Myrddin Publishing Group. Their second anthology is in editing.

Carlie currently lives in Essex, UK with her daughter.

For stalking purposes, find Carlie M. A. Cullen at the links below:

Website / Twitter: @carlie2011c / Facebook / Linkedin / Amazon / About.me

Wattpad / Goodreads

To get your copy or learn more about Carlie Cullen, check out my reviews and the book links below.

Review of Heartsearch: Lost, Book I

Guest post for Heartsearch: Found, Book II

Review of Heartsearch: Found: Book II