Giveaway – Murder in Montague Falls @partnersincr1me

Posted on December 28, 2019 by fundinmental

Murder in Montague Falls

by Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, Patrick Thomas

on Tour December 1-31, 2019

Synopsis:

Murder in Montague Falls by Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, Patrick Thomas

WHITE HOT THRILLS! PITCH BLACK DEEDS!

3 TALES OF TEENS TACKLING THEIR DARKEST RITES OF PASSAGE

Acclaimed storytellers Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, and Patrick Thomas each present an original novella brimming with enough danger, intrigue, and murder to get readers’ blood pounding and hearts racing.

In Colchamiro’s RED INK, a paperboy with an overactive imagination witnesses a brutal killing on his route—or has he taken his fantasy spy games a step too far?

In Hatton’s THE DEVIL’S DELINQUENTS, a trio of teenage misfits in pursuit of success, power, and revenge practice amateurish occult rituals… with deadly consequences.

In Thomas’s A MANY SPLENDID THING, a sultry high school teacher enrolls one of her students to get rid of her husband. But will the young man really graduate to murder?

Book Details:

Genre: Crime
Published by: Crazy 8 Press
Publication Date: October 1st 2019
Number of Pages: 250
ISBN: 0998364185 (ISBN13: 9780998364186)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Turnback – You Kill Me:

“You Kill Me” is the official soundtrack to the book MURDER IN MONTAGUE FALLS (Noir-Inspired Novellas by Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton & Patrick Thomas). Russ Colchamiro (a long time friend and fellow creator) asked the band to write what would be considered a closing credit tune for the book. We were happy to do so!

Read an excerpt:

RED INK

An infrared scope cut through the suburban tree line.

Perched on a high-angle branch in the neighbor’s spruce tree, Isaac could see her through the living room window, six houses away.

The M21 semi-automatic sniper rifle with fiberglass stock and 20-round box magazine was snug against his shoulder.

One bullet. One body.

Though camouflaged within a thicket of evergreen leaves, he had a clean shot.

“Come on,” he whispered, his eye against the scope. “Give me the signal.”

In perfect synchronicity, Isaac’s earpiece crackled. “Target confirmed. Kill shot approved.”

THE DEVIL’S DELINQUENTS

Natalie exits her room with the ritual kit, locking the door behind her.

Her father, swathed in a cornucopia-pattern quilt, sits in his wheelchair in the den, positioned near enough the window so that he can be in the daylight. Maybe he enjoys it, but one cannot tell for certain since his face registers no enjoyment, nor any other emotion.

Natalie kneels down before him, flips up the quilt, and undoes the bottom three buttons of his shirt, exposing his stomach. Between her fingertips, she wields the double-edged blade for a safety razor. She carefully nicks the skin above his father’s belly button. She looks up at him, detects no reaction.

She makes intersecting six-inch-long slices into his stomach, then carves a large circle around the lines, working around the seeping blood. Upon finishing, she evaluates her work and nods.

“I’m going to bring you back, daddy,” Natalie says to him, kissing his knuckles. “I promise.”

A MANY SPLENDID THING

Rosa went from smiling to bawling in less time than it took to blink. I pulled her in and held her against my bare chest. She pounded my ribs with her closed fists.

“Why won’t you understand! There is no other way! If we don’t kill him soon, you’ll come to school one day and find that he killed me. How are you going to feel then? Especially if he figures out that you’re my lover! You would follow me to the Pearly Gates.”

“Rosa, this talk of killing is crazy.”

She pushed herself back and slapped me hard across the face. “You think I’m crazy?”

***

Excerpt from Murder in Montague Falls. Copyright 2019 by Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, Patrick Thomas. Reproduced with permission from Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, Patrick Thomas. All rights reserved.

Russ Colchamiro:

Russ Colchamiro

RUSS COLCHAMIRO is the author of the rollicking space adventure, Crossline, the zany sci-fi backpacking series Finders Keepers, Genius de Milo, and Astropalooza, editor of the sci-fi mystery anthology, Love, Murder & Mayhem, and contributing author for his newest project, Murder in Montague Falls, a noir novella collection, all with Crazy 8 Press.

Russ has contributed to several other anthologies including Tales of the Crimson Keep, Pangaea, They Keep Killing Glenn, Altered States of the Union, Thrilling Adventure Yarns, Brave New Girls vols. 3&4, Camelot 13, TV Gods 2, and Footprints in the Stars.

He is now finalizing the first in an ongoing SFF mystery series featuring his hard-boiled private eye Angela Hardwicke and has several other SFF, crime fiction, and children’s book projects in the works.

Russ lives in New Jersey with his wife, their twin ninjas, and their crazy dog, Simon.

For more on Russ’s works, visit:
russcolchamiro.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

Sawney Hatton:

Sawney Hatton

SAWNEY HATTON is an author, editor, and screenwriter who has long loved playing in the dark. His published works include the Dark Comedy novel Dead Size, the YA Noir novella Uglyville, and the Dark Fiction short story collection Everyone Is a Moon. He also edited the Sci-Fi Horror anthology What Has Two Heads, Ten Eyes, and Terrifying Table Manners?

Other incarnations of Sawney have produced marketing videos, attended chili cook-offs, and played the banjo and sousaphone (not at the same time). As of this writing, he is still very much alive.

For more semi-unseemly insights into Sawney, visit:
sawneyhatton.com, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

Patrick Thomas:

Patrick Thomas

PATRICK THOMAS is the award-winning author of the beloved Murphy’s Lore series and the darkly hilarious Dear Cthulhu advice empire.

His 40+ books include Fairy with a Gun, By Darkness Cursed, Lore & Dysorder, Dead to Rites, Startenders, As the Gears Turn, Cthulhu Explains It All, and Exile and Entrance. His is the co-author of the Mystic Investigators series, The Santa Heist, and the Jack Gardner mysteries.

Patrick is the co-editor of Camelot 13 (with John French), New Blood (with Diane Raetz), and Hear Them Roar (with CJ Henderson), co-created The Wildsidhe Chronicles YA series and is the creator of the Agents of the Abyss series.

He has had more than 150 short stories published in magazines and anthologies, with his work for YA and children including the Ughabooz books, the Undead Kid Diaries, the Joy Reaper books, and the Babe B. Bear Mysteries as Patrick T. Fibbs.

Visit him online at:
patthomas.net, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!

Enter To Win!!:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Russ Colchamiro, Sawney Hatton, and Patrick Thomas. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on December 1, 2019 and runs through January 2, 2020. Void where prohibited.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do You Believe in the Illuminati – Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne @AshleyFontainne

Posted on October 30, 2019 by fundinmental

Well, we are coming to the end of the Rememdium series with Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne. It has been one hell of a ride and I can only wish the best to the gang I have come to know so well.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Well, we are at the end of the adventure with this group of people I have come to know and love in the final story of the Rememdium series, Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne. It has been a long, torturous, bloody road to El Salvador and we have lost many friends and family. How many people are alive and where they are will remain unknown and that may make their survival more likely.

Those around you died brutal, savage deaths, literally being ripped limb from limb and eaten alive. Would you rather go out in the initial slaughter or be one of the last ones standing? Which is worse? Well, I will not go quietly into that good night. How about you?

So much more to worry about than the zombies that dog their every step. Sometimes humans can be more deadly. Conspiracy is the ultimate betrayal when the country is going through an apocalypse. If you can’t count on those in charge, who can you count on? Do you believe in an ultimate power source, like the Illuminati? I sure do.

When Mike and Trent came across Chris, that about summed up everything for me. I can’t tell you what happened but it affected me profoundly.

I was surprised to see a character that carried my name, Sherry, whether it’s intended or not., It’s always so much fun to see it happen. I thought she was the best. LOL

I love Jesse. She is a character that has turned everything in her life around and stands tall in a crisis. I loved it when she said, “…even a pawn can capture the king if in the right position on the board.”

I wondered how Ashley Fontainne would wrap up the Rememdium series and I thought she did a bang up job. I am completely satisfied. After all the running, fighting, killing, munching, hiding, crying, dying and loving, I breathed a sigh of relief at a job well done. Not everyone made it, but those that did left me with a feeling of hope for humanity.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Tainted World by Ashley Fontainne.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos — 4 stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The final installment of what happens when a miraculous cure ends up destroying the entire world.

When Dr. Everett Berning’s discovery of a permanent cure for drug addiction fell into the hands of Benito San Nicholas, head of the Alvarado cartel in El Salvador – the end result was the dead took over the world.

In less than 48 hours, narcotics tainted with fungal spores are deployed around the globe and mankind’s existence hangs in the balance. Nowhere is safe as the death toll mounts and the reanimated corpses aren’t the only threat.

The remaining members of Project Rememdium and the small contingent of survivors from Arkansas band together. The decision is made to flee to a safer location, yet Teresa Alvarado had other intentions. Once in the air, hell-bent on finding Benito San Nicholas and killing him for what he’s done, Teresa Alvarado forced the pilot to take them to her native El Salvador.

Will Teresa’s own personal vendetta actually offer hope to Dr. Berning and the rest of the world?

Or will the dangerous jungles of El Salvador be the place where all hope is lost and they take their final breaths?

ABOUT ASHLEY FONTAINNE (from her website)

Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne is an avid reader of mostly the classics. Ashley became a fan of the written word in her youth, starting with the Nancy Drew mystery series. Stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters that lurk within us are her favorite reads.

Her muse for penning the Eviscerating the Snake series was The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. Ashley’s love for this book is what sparked her desire to write her debut novel, Accountable to None, the first book in the trilogy. With a modern setting to the tale, Ashley delves into just what lengths a person is willing to go when they seek personal justice for heinous acts perpetrated upon them. The second novel in the series, Zero Balance. focuses on the cost and reciprocal cycle that obtaining revenge has on the seeker. For once the cycle starts, where does it end? How far will the tendrils of revenge expand? Adjusting Journal Entries answered that question: far and wide.

Her short thriller entitled Number Seventy-Five, touches upon the sometimes dangerous world of online dating. Number Seventy-Five took home the BRONZE medal in fiction/suspense at the 2013 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest and is currently in production for a feature film.

Her paranormal thriller entitled The Lie, won the GOLD medal in the 2013 Illumination Book Awards for fiction/suspense and is also in production for a feature film entitled Foreseen.

Ashley’s decided to delve into the paranormal with a Southern Gothic horror/suspense novel, Growl, which released in January of 2015. The suspenseful mystery Empty Shell, released in September of 2014. Ashley will be teaming up with Lillian Hansen (Ashley calls her mom!) to pen a three-part murder mystery/suspense series entitled The Magnolia Series. The first book, Blood Ties, is due out the Summer of 2015.

Ashley also hosts The WriteStuff, a popular BlogTalk Radio show, each Friday night at 10 p.m. CST.

Website / Twitter Facebook / Pinterest / LinkedIn / Instagram

MY ASHLEY FONTAINNE REVIEWS

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Town Curfew for The Darkness by Brittney Leigh @BrittneyBass

Posted on October 28, 2019 by fundinmental

I was given an opportunity to read some of this anthology and I began at the beginning with Bulwark by Brit Lunden. The short stories/novellas are sold separately and to me they read as standalones. This is the third story I have read and enjoyed.

The Darkness: A Bulwark Anthology (Book 8)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Bulwark is a small town, where everything revolves around football. I lived in Alabama for a while and they are some of the most avid fans I have every seen, so I can easily relate to this.

The Darkness by Brittney Leigh is written like a diary. from Sophie’s perspective.

Meeting Sophie, I feel, is going to be a real hoot. She did put a smile on my face early on, so I am eager to see what kind of trouble will seek her out.

And…it being Bulwark, I knew the trouble would be of a paranormal kind.

Secrets will be revealed, bodies will fall.

We have all the teenage angst of high school as these four kids will solve the puzzle of Billy Joe’s disappearance. It is the past clashing with the present.

The Darkness by Brittney Leigh is the eight book of the anthology. Though I have only read two others, I had no trouble enjoying this one. Fast reading with characters that are forever changed.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Darkness by Brittney Leigh.

GOODREADS BLURB

Bulwark- a wall or stockade that protects or sometimes hides the truth from the outside world.

Bulwark, a quiet town… or is it? Four best friends, Sophia, Scott, Chloe and Chris, are just trying to manage their senior year at Bulwark high school when Sophia realizes that her feelings for Chris are really meant for Scott. Before she can deal with that though, the four friends then stumble upon Bulwarks darkest secrets when a spell is cast on Bulwark High. Students have been disappearing and no one has any clues as to their whereabouts. With a town curfew set and parents on edge, the four friends decide to take things into their own hands. Will they break the spell, or will Bulwark High and the town be changed forever? Based on Bulwark, a paranormal thriller by Brit Lunden, The Darkness is the eighth volume in the multi-author Bulwark Anthology.

ABOUT BRITTNEY LEIGH

Brittney Leigh is gracing the Bulwark anthology as a debut author. She is a proud graduate of SUNY Old Westbury College, with a bachelors degree in Media & Communications. Gifted in singing, acting, and dancing, she finds her voice reaches its highest ground in writing. She resides in Long Island where the darkness of New York City comes to sleep.

Stalk Brittney Leigh at Facebook / Twitter

MY BULWARK ANTHOLOGY REVIEWS

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5 Went In, 1 Came Out – Slash by Hunter Shea @huntershea1

Posted on October 25, 2019 by fundinmental

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

5 went in….1 came out.

Ashley King is afraid of the dark and from her past experiences, she has every reason to be. I feel so bad for her. Her fear of the dark and her only escape was pills to sleep and forget…for a while.

Todd gave her his parience and support, but he would not force her to do anything she didn’t want to do. He could only hope it would be enough.

Hunter Shea did not take her to a place I thought he would, and I love that he can throw me for a loop right out of the gate. When she hangs herself, it caught me totally off guard. All I could think is WTF? Now what? I can only imagine the pain and horror she lived through as it wore her down, a little more each day, until she couldn’t take it any longer…being the ‘final girl.’

Todd could not let it go. He has to go back where it all began. He has to know. And he will.

Once they crossed the boundary between the real world and Hayden lands, they are on his turf, and the horror begins.

Much of Slash by Hunter Shea is predictable, but Hunter is good for a twist or two.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Slash by Hunter Shea.

GOODREADS BLURB

Five years after Ashley King survived the infamous Resort Massacre, she’s found hanging in her basement by her fiancé, Todd Matthews. She left behind clues as to what really happened that night, clues that may reveal the identity of the killer the press has called The Wraith.

With the help of his friends, Todd goes back to the crumbling Hayden Resort, a death-tinged ruin in the Catskills Mountains. What they find is a haunted history that’s been lying in wait for a fresh set of victims. The Wraith is back, and he’s nothing what they expected.

ABOUT HUNTER SHEA

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He’s the author of over 17 books, including The Jersey Devil (Pinnacle 2016)), Tortures of the Damned (Pinnacle 2015), and We Are Always Watching (Sinister Grin). Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. The Montauk Monster (Pinnacle 2014) was named one of the best reads of the summer by Publishers Weekly. He was selected to be part of the launch of Samhain Publishing’s new horror line in 2011 alongside legendary author Ramsey Campbell. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. Living with his crazy and supportive family and two cats, he’s happy to be
close enough to New York City to see the skyline without having to pay New York rent.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

MY HUNTER SHEA REVIEWS

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Before Night Came Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler @mhebler

Posted on October 23, 2019 by fundinmental

Now, we have come full circle. The story of the Chupacabra will be told in full. I hope the series caught your attention and you find Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler just as alluring as the other three. I got shelved this to read on 12.10.15 and finished reading it 12.20.15.

Michael Hebler does manage to come up with some intriging covers.

Dawn of the Chupacabra (Chupacabra Series #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When you think about it, the title and cover are perfect for the subject matter, the origin of the chupacabra. I love MIchael Hebler’s explanation of how and why the chupacabra came to be.

Jeremiah Whiting’s story ticked me off.

The Civil War caused some heinous acts to be perpetrated. A truly evil being wants to bring death and destruction to the world and will do whatever is necessary to ,ale it happen.

And then I met the American Indian, Yuma.

Michael Hebler has no trouble skewing even a good guy to the bad side, maybe even killing them off.

The details and descriptions are so deep, visualization is a snap, the surroundings coming to life.

Want to know what angers the spirits…you need to read Dawn of the Chupacabra yourself. LOL

Well, Michael, it has been quite the ride. The highs and lows kept me wrapped up in the characters, grieving for them when they passed, reveling with them when something good happens, and I can hardly wait to find another ‘family’ from you to hook up with.

GOODREADS BLURB

The fourth chapter in the award-winning Chupacabra Series follows an A.W.O.L. Confederate soldier, who is hunted by a demon sent to avenge the innocent of his heinous crimes.

Before Night, Came Dawn

Jeremiah Whiting has been a survivor since birth. He endured an abusive upbringing only to fight as a private for the losing side of the American Civil War. But when the war ends, Jeremiah’s battle does not. He will meet his greatest enemy yet, in the form of a heinous entity sent to kill him for crimes against the Cherokee Nation, and the only allies willing to fight at his side are the remarkable instincts he possesses and the voice of a deceptive Soldier who possesses him.

Dawn of the Chupacabra tells the origin tale of a supernatural beast born out of hatred and rage. Sent to kill a man no less atrocious, the monster’s creators soon learn the error of their fatal mistake and abuse of power when the creature terrorizes above and beyond its intended purpose. Dawn of the Chupacabra breathes life into a legendary curse spawned from the ashes of war and begins what will continue to blemish the earth for centuries to come.

ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER

Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters, conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the attention they deserve.

But life wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013 Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.

Currently, in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.

To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six) books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.

Website / Twitter

MY MICHAEL HEBLER REVEWS

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A Study of Humanity – The Truth Circle by Cameron Ayers @cameronayerswr1

Posted on October 22, 2019 by fundinmental

Well, the cover for The Truth Circle by Cameron Ayers definitely makes me want to walk in the woods. LOL Is that a dream catcher I see? Six go in…what is in store for them?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Six people go on the adventure of a lifetime and it is so not what they expected. Their minds will be tested and their lives put on the line…a journey to self discovery.

I am not anticipating an easy journey for them and it was a giant surprise to me too. I love the Indian mysticism included.

Wade is the first to be affected and it happens immediately. He’s self centered, arrogant and follows his own path. Is it because he is mentally stronger than the others…or is something else going on?

The group are joined together, yet each follows their own individual path. When left to their own devices, their personalities overshadow any common sense.

This review is hard for me to write, because the words I want to say are difficult to find. I guess I will ask you some questions and see if that helps you see what I saw.

What breaks us down? What brings us together?

I think The Truth Circle by Cameron Ayers is a fabulous debut novel, a psychological horror thriller that delves deep into the human psyche.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Truth Circle by Cameron Ayers.

GOODREADS BLURB

Six strangers.
Seven days.
Seventy-five square miles of wilderness.
One common goal: survive.

When a nature retreat takes a disastrous turn, six hapless suburbanites find themselves stranded in Pennsylvania’s largest wildlife preserve.

Unable to escape or contact the outside world, they must adapt to this harsh environment to survive, even as burgeoning rivalries slowly splinter the group into warring factions.

But they aren’t the only ones in the forest. Their presence has stirred threats beyond imagination, which will force uneasy alliances as all of them confront dark truths about one another … and themselves.

ABOUT CAMERON AYERS

Cameron Ayers is a day-journalist and night-author who lives, works, and — on the rare occasions he has time — plays in the greater D.C. region.

He can be reached by email (cameronayerswriter@gmail.com), on Twitter (@cameronayerswriter) or by opening the window and shouting reeaaalllly loudly.

This is all I found on Amazon about Cameron Ayers, but I think it says volumes about his personality.

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Monday Mini – The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer @CalvinDemmer

Posted on October 21, 2019 by fundinmental

The Town That Feared Dusk (Short Sharp Shocks! Book 17)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Sylvia was searching for a good story to kick off her journalism career and almost immediately I thought I knew how the story would go…but not quite. Calvin Demmer wasn’t going to make it quite that easy for me.

Suicide Bridge…36 cases. Why had she never heard of it before?

I can guess. There’s something going on and everyone in town wants to keep it a secret.

Suitably creepy for an easy reading short story.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Town That Feared Dusk by Calvin Demmer.

GOODREADS BLURB

Sylvia Bernstein doesn’t want to end up on a dead-end path like a former journalism colleague. She begins searching the tabloid’s archives for a story that can get her career back on track. A strange bridge, with an abnormally high rate of suicides, seems like the perfect place to start. She journeys to the little town, eager to investigate, but encounters a tale far more sinister than she ever expected…

***

Praise for The Town That Feared Dusk:

“Short, sharp and definitely shocking, The Town That Feared Dusk is a grim tale that picks you up, buckles you in, and speeds away on a chilling ride that veers left just when you think you want to go right.” – Renee Miller, author of Stranded

“Calvin Demmer is a rising star in the weird firmament. It’s possible that his work might change your life forever. This short story is a good example of his craft and impact.” – Duane Pesice, author of Before Crazytown

“Prepare to face a menacing supernatural force that’ll have you questioning the veil between heaven and hell. An edge-of-your seat story with a mind-bending conclusion.” – Theresa Braun, author of Fountain Dead

***

(Cover by Adrian Baldwin)

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.

You can find him online at http://www.calvindemmer.com or follow him on Twitter @CalvinDemmer.

MY CALVIN DEMMER REVIEWS

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Giveaway – The Long Night by M G Darwish @infrangilis @XpressoTours

Posted on October 18, 2019 by fundinmental

The Long Night: Blood Will Be Served
M.G. Darwish
(Fortier, #2)
Publication date: September 9th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Suspense

The Vampire Alfred, is known as the Fortier. Vicious, renowned and feared.

Alfred Zeidan is proclaimed Fortier, the Strongest amongst the vampires. After ending a century old feud between the two most prominent vampire houses, he sets out to rid his race of a shadow that has long haunted them.

The Elders have been the deciding factor in the fall of so many civilizations that date back to Carthage and the Romans. So many have fallen to them, but now Alfred as the Strongest takes on this challenge.

No one has ever considered a world without the Elders running it, would it spread chaos in the Underground? Or will it shift the balance of the supernatural completely? One thing is for certain: Alfred intends to see this through. Will he succeed? Or will succumb as those before him?
Excerpt 1 They mentioned the City Morgue and the name Lexa Sonej. She wasn’t a native. Only then, any doubt I had about the existence of the Beast perished. Only the Beast could inflict wounds similar to mine. Time to visit the dead. I leapt over the roofs of houses until the City Morgue came into sight. That was the safest way to travel on the surface, you see. Humans are always looking below. I jumped down right at the entrance. It was late, so probably the best time for me to examine an unattended body. Perhaps I could find a trail or two. I noticed a light emitting from inside. The coroner could still be around. With luck, he probably used another door and left it unchecked so that he could leave too. So, I went behind the building and sure enough, found another door. The gate was locked, but it didn’t matter. I jumped, high enough to pass right over it. I opened the door into pitch darkness. He probably knew the place so well that he had it completely memorized. Lucky for me, I didn’t need light to see anyway. I could smell the rotten corpses. Even when humans freeze the bodies, they emit a smell – undetectable to humans but not to me. I followed the smell, using it to find the clear route to where I needed to go. I strolled through a narrow corridor, staying completely silent; no breaths, footsteps, nothing. I am more comfortable amidst darkness than I am in light, for the dark accepts all, while the light judges harshly. A large double door stood before me. This was the way to the corpses, of that I was sure. I gently opened it and slid inside. The coroner was looking at me straight in the eyes. “What are you doing here?” he said, sharply. His heartbeat increased. “I’m looking for Lexa Sonej,” I said to him. I figured it was best to avoid spilling his blood, and if I could somehow get his help, it would save me quite the trouble. “Well, you’re in the wrong place, buddy,” he said, then cracked up. “Only dead men linger here.” His beats returned to normal, I wonder if he knew how correct his statement was about to be. “Need to examine the body, if you don’t mind.” “You with the cops?” he asked, as he narrowed his brows. “Not exactly.” He probably hated cops. I could even smell traces of drugs in his possession. “Her family hired me to find the killer,” I added. “A PI, eh? Well, you definitely look the part, but you should tone down the Sherlock look. Holy shit, it’s not the sixties,” he laughed before he got up from his chair and walked towards what appeared to be little cupboards with numbers on them. “Sherlock died in 1957.” “A smartass too apparently,” he whispered as he pulled open one of those cupboards, revealing a bed with a body on it. I’ve never seen such a barbaric thing in all my life. “You have quite the stomach I’ll tell you that,” he said to me, then paused for a second. “Most people freak out or even puke their guts out when they see a body like this.” “A body like what?” “Like this,” he said as he removed the covers. I didn’t budge, but that sight was not right. Her throat was hollow, completely empty and void, she had sewing marks on both of her arms and towards her stomach. “She was dismembered?” I asked. The coroner nodded. “That’s very observant. We had to sew back the parts just for the burial. His poor family almost feinted at the sight of her. What kind of an animal does this in your opinion?” he asked me. His pulse didn’t change, so he was merely making small talk. “No animal can do this,” I said, leaning closer towards the corpse. “Then what can?” “A beast,” I said.

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Author Bio:

M.G. Darwish is an award nominated author who writes dark, twisted and action-packed fiction. He tries his best not to base his characters on anyone he knows in real life to avoid that extra weird conversation about how they were brutalized and killed in the book. Oh and he’s terrified of a penguin uprising more than ghosts and demons.

He is best known for his Secret of the Moonlight which was featured on Wattpad.

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#BooksFromTheBacklog – Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba @stacyjuba

Posted on October 17, 2019 by fundinmental

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

This weeks book to share is Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba. I downloaded this from Amazon as a freebie on 6.5.12.

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GOODREADS BLURB

When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak accidents in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her. This novel is aimed at young adults, and at adults who enjoy paranormal YA such as the Twilight series, House of Night, and The Vampire Diaries series, Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series, or Lois Duncan books.

I love a good paranormal young adult story and when I saw they compared it to the Twilight series, House of Night, and The Vampire Diaries series, Meg Cabot’s The Mediator series, or Lois Duncan books, I thought it was hard to go wrong.

3.80 · Rating details · 167 ratings · 54 reviews

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Legend of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler @mhebler

Posted on October 16, 2019 by fundinmental

Allright, Book III of the Chupacabra series by Michael Hebler, Legend of the Chupacabra. I got this book from Michael back in 2015 and finished it on 12.16.15. Man oh man it has been a wild ride…so, let’s get started.

Another fabulous cover in the series.

Legend of the Chupacabra (Chupacabra Series #3)

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MY REVIEW

As I enter the third book in the series, Legend of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler, I have been reading them one after another, I become more fond of Jessie and her tenacity. She had a sordid upbringing, is self reliant, untrusting. Life is not what she would have chosen, but she would make the best of it. If she ever became your friend, it would be for life.

I couldn’t understand her felling of dread and being stalked. After all, the chupacabra was dead…isn’t it? What do you think?

Hate and revenge are strong motivators, leaving some open to being duped and unleashing a horror never known before upon the white man. In this western world, we learn about man’s ability to be good and bad. Are they born that way or do circumstances dictate their actions? I love a book that makes me ponder deep questions.

Suspense, twists and turns, pain and sorrow, but love and hope blossom from the most evil depredations. Sometimes subsequent books in the series don’t hold up, but, no worries. Each book has held more depth, more terror and more suspense than the last. I cannot stop reading, the suspense and sense of urgency driving me to the end…but wait…there’s one more book. YAY!

OMG…NO…Michael, you are sheer evil. I had a feeling something had to happen, but, damn it! I sure didn’t see the ending coming and it was a fabulous surprise.

GOODREADS BLURB

Inside a small village within the Great Plains of Montana, a ritual initiated in blood will be performed. This ceremony has been executed only once before and will mark a rite of honor and justice. Commonly, the Assiniboine are a harmonious people with strong pride and passions, but turn to the spirits for vengeance when wronged. The tribe’s chief will summon the Great Spirit on behalf of his people, for no earthly man can make evil suffer
like a greater evil.

Legend of the Chupacabra finds Jessie and Suzanne living peacefully in Portland, Oregon, six years after they believed to have put an end to the curse of the chupacabra. But the women come to learn of their failure and the futility of their sacrifices when a remarkable reunion brings horror back into their lives; only this time, what they face will be unlike any creature they’ve encountered. Legend of the Chupacabra marks the end of a trilogy but the continuation of a saga that will leave this moment of history drenched in blood.

ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER

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