In late March London, I
decided to begin a new life. All of the people who I cared for were gone.
Headed off to find something new, I made my way through the busy streets.
Beggars lined the route to the Atlantic transport.
Stepping to the ticket
window, I asked, “where is the boat headed?”
“America,” He
answered.
“One, please!”
I said, handing the man my money. He gave me a ticket and asked my name.
“Randis Blackburn.”
He wrote my name along with the other ship passengers.
“Age?”
“22.” seems
like a good number. After all, my age was unbelievable.
I was waiting for my
turn to board the ship. Watching the ship’s two giant smokestacks as they
puffed angrily. Parents said goodbye to their children, knowing they might
never see them again. A child smiled, waving frantically. I waved back. Her
smile was sweet, intentions pure. The feeling of life surged through me. Would
I have the strength to leave if I had a child?
“Excuse me,”
a quiet voice said, breaking me from my thoughts. I stepped to the side,
apologizing for being in her way. “Is that yours?” she asked, looking down
at an old worn brown trunk that sat at my feet.
“No,” I
answered, gazing into her deep green eyes. I was frozen in place by the depth
of her stare. There was something familiar about her; I couldn’t say what. She
bent down, picking up the lock in her hand. She turned the key, opening the
lock. She let out a sigh of relief as she pulled open the trunk.
The smell of wild roses
filled the air around me. She turned and smiled at me quickly before shutting
the lid. The scent of roses hit me once again. Locking the trunk and standing
to her feet, she held her lacey gloves that she had taken from the chest in her
pale hands. With a smile, she said,
“Good day,
sir.”
“Please, Call me
Randis,” I stuttered out.
“You are?” I
asked as I took her hand, slowly lifting it to my lips and kissing her warm
hand gently. I looked up to see her rosy cheeks. I had made her blush.
“Sarah.” She
said in a nervous voice.
“Nice to make your
acquaintance, Sarah.” Holding her hand in mine, I said, “Safe
journey.”
“Same to you,
Randis,” she said, pulling her hand from mine.
As she walked away, I
felt that a part of me was now missing. I felt so alone, more alone than I ever
had, as she disappeared into the crowd.
Vampire Musings
Articles and Short Stories
Compiled by Bertena Varney
ASIN : B0B2QJ5FQC
Publication Date: May 29, 2022
Print Length: 259 pages
Book Description:
Join 16 vampire fans and writers from around the world for their musings on vampire music, movies, fun facts, and even mesmerizing short stories. This book will make you feel like you are in a room with friends discussing the various vampires that each of you love spanning from aristocratic vampires, to primal monsters, to the Twilight vamps. So, sit down in your comfy chair, turn on the vampire music provided in this book, pick up that Bloody Mary, and escape to a world full of vampires.
There is a recount of the life of Anne Rice, reviews of books, movies, and television shows, a look at vampires as religious figures, romantic stories, and traditional stories of the vampire.
Each of these stories holds intrigue for fans of creatures of the night.
Contributors include: Audrey A’Cladh, Azurdee Garland, Bitten Twice, Bertena Varney, Carrie Rogers, Isabella Gibbons, Jacqueline Gibbons, Kathryne LeFevre, Kyle Germann, Mary Jackson, Matthew Banks, Phaedra Walker, Roxanne Rhoads, Selah Janel, Simon Bacon, and Stavros Cockrell.
These contributors range from a 12-year-old actress, to college professors, librarians, paranormal romance authors, and even those that live the life of a vampire.
The cover art was created by Stavros while showcasing the model Xamie wearing fangs from Kaos Kustom Fangs, LLC. The model is both alluring but dangerous. She is a great representation of the book and the various stories that are told within.
Vampire Musings is the 11th vampire book written, compiled, and/or published by Bertena Varney, M.A., M.Ed. This book is an anthology of articles and short stories from academics and fans from around the world. The topics range from Anne Rice’s Life Chronology, vampire detectives, vampire art, vampire films, modern short stories of vampire romance and traditional gothic reads of tortured souls.
Bertena is a former Assistant Professor of Sociology and is still working in higher education.
She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Morehead State University in sociology, criminology, history, and education. She spent these educational years studying pop culture.
She has been a guest speaker for multiple conventions including:
– Pop Culture Association National Conference in Washington DC
– Pop Culture Association Regional Conference in New Orleans
– Conjuration- A Harry Potter Convention in Atlanta, GA
Celebrate the holidays with mistletoe, mayhem, and murder. Join your favorite authors as they cozy up by the fire with twelve festive short mysteries that feature treasured holiday traditions. Serve up a slice of fatal fruitcake and deck the halls with danger, because the holiday season has never been so much fun.
This original collection is available for a limited time only, so grab your copy today.
Includes: A Pickle in a Pear Tree by Erin Scoggins Mistletoe and Murder by Dianne Ascroft O Deadly Night by Estelle Richards Larceny and Gingerbread Lattes by Justine Maxwell Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas by Gayle Leeson
About the Authors
About Gayle Leeson
Gayle Leeson is a pseudonym for Gayle Trent. Gayle has also written as Amanda Lee. She is currently writing the Kinsey Falls chick-lit/women’s fiction series, the Down South Cafe cozy mystery series, and the Ghostly Fashionista cozy mystery series. Her book KILLER WEDDING CAKE won the Bronze Medal in the 20th Anniversary IPPY Awards. Gayle lives in Southwest Virginia with her family and enjoys hearing from readers.
About Mollie Cox Bryan
Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries with edge. She’s the author of several bestselling mystery series, also writing under the pen name Maggie Blackburn. Her books have been selected as finalists for an Agatha Award and a Daphne du Maurier Award and as a Top 10 Beach Reads by Woman’s World. She has also been short-listed for the Virginia Library People’s Choice Award. She’s also penned a historical fiction: MEMORY OF LIGHT: AN AFTERMATH OF GETTYSBURG. She’s the mother of two nearly perfect daughters, each pursuing careers in music.
About Erin Scoggins
USA Today Bestselling Author Erin Scoggins is a long-time Southerner with a fondness for offbeat humor and fresh fried chicken. After fifteen years in marketing with a Fortune 500 company, she traded her MBA for fictional crime scenes and feisty small-town families. She writes fun, flirty mysteries that are celebrations of food, family, and the killer South.
Visit her at www.erinscoggins.com for book news and shenanigans.
About Estelle Richards
Estelle Richards lives in the beautiful American Southwest and writes cozy mysteries. Connect with Estelle at estellerichards.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/estellerichardswriter/.
About Justine Maxwell
Justine Maxwell writes cozy mysteries with brave heroines, strong family bonds, and a touch of romance. She has degrees in psychology from Northern Arizona University and Grand Canyon University. She hopes to one day become a reclusive author in a mountain cabin near Flagstaff, AZ. Until then, she’ll be a busy mom of four small children and one (allegedly) hypoallergenic pup, writing in the midst of chaos.
About Wendy H. Jones
International Award Winning Author Wendy H. Jones lives in Scotland, and her police procedural series featuring DI Shona McKenzie are set.Wendy has led a varied and adventurous life. Her love for adventure led to her joining the Royal Navy to undertake nurse training. After six years in the Navy she joined the Army where she served as an Officer for a further 17 years. Killer’s Countdown was her first novel and the first book in the Shona McKenzie Mysteries. Killer’s Crew won the Books Go Social Book of the Year 2017. The seventh book in the series. Killer’s Curse will be released early august 2020. The Dagger’s Curse, the first book in The Fergus and Flora Mysteries, was a finalist in the Woman Alive Magazine Readers Choice Award Book of the Year. Turning to humorous crime the Cass Claymore Investigates series was born. She is also a highly successful marketer and is currently in the process of rereleasing her completely updated marketing book Marketing Matters. This will be part of the Writing Matters Series following the release of Motivation Matters. She is also the author of the Bertie the Buffalo picture book and associated soft toy and colouring book. Wendy is delighted to be one of the authors in two anthologies aimed at empowering women – The Power of Why, and Women Win Against All Odds. She is proud to be the President of the Scottish Association of Writers and is the host of The Writing and Marketing Show podcast, a writing and marketing coach. and CEO of Writing Matters online writing school, Authorpreneur Accelerator Academy.
Dianne Ascroft
Dianne Ascroft is a Canadian writer living in Britain. Since moving to Britain in 1990 she has lived in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Online she can be found at http://www.dianneascroft.com.
She writes cozy mystery, historical and contemporary fiction, often with an Irish connection. Her non-fiction articles and short stories have been printed in Canadian and Irish magazines and regional newspapers including the Toronto Star, Ireland’s Own, Senior Times, Celtic Connection and Irish Connections Canada.
She was co-editor of The Fermanagh Miscellany, the Fermanagh Authors’ Association’s yearly anthology for several years and she also contributes material to other local history and writers’ anthologies.
Dianne is a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors, Sisters in Crime, Historical Novel Society, Writers Abroad, Fermanagh Authors’ Association and Fermanagh Writers.
Dianne started life in a quiet residential neighbourhood in the buzzing city of Toronto and has progressively moved to smaller places through the years. She now lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong willed animals. If she ever decides to write her autobiography the working title will be ‘Downsizing’.
Sam Cheever
USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 80+ books.
NEWSLETTER: Join Sam’s Monthly newsletter and get a FREE book! You can also keep up with her appearances, enjoy special content, and get previews of her upcoming work! https://www.samcheever.com/newsletter.html
TEXT NEWS ALERTS: Or if you’d rather not receive a monthly newsletter, you can sign up for text alerts and just receive a brief text when Sam’s launching a new release or appearing somewhere fun. Just text SAMNEWS to 781-728-9542 to be added!
ONLINE HOT SPOTS: To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit: Her website: https://www.samcheever.com; Her blog: https://www.samcheever.com/blog; and Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SamCheeverAuthor. She looks forward to chatting with you!
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Dr Audrey Gilbert is in trouble, and the only way to save her job is to get Kevin to return the fold. She is a paranormal psychiatrist and her specialty is healing hackers with PTSD. With minimal information, she meets him…face to face.
Kevin Jorgensen is a recluse, but there is something about Audrey that intrigues him.
Nothing earth shattering, but a nice story and a quick read. I love reading paranormal/supernatural stories and Amanda Uhl has given me a fresh look at a familiar genre, filled with plenty of intrigue.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dark Waves by Amanda Uhl.
3 Stars
BLURB
A
fearless doctor
Paranormal psychiatrist
Dr. Audrey Gilbert is not used to failure, especially when it comes to her
career. She possesses an uncanny ability to see into her patients’ souls and
mend their brokenness. When she misdiagnosis a patient and is fired, she is
given a chance to regain her job. Her task? Restore the health of a deranged
mind hacker. But safeguarding her heart while convincing the detached and
bitter man to trust her, just might be the challenge of a lifetime.
A tormented hacker
Born into a family of
powerful psychics, Kevin Jorgensen has always had a quick wit and a sunny
disposition. But that was before he nearly lost his life battling a rogue mind
hacker. Now he spends his days in isolation, fighting for his sanity. He swears
never to use his gift, not even if he’s drawn to the woman determined to help
him recover.
A battle for survival
When Audrey and Kevin
discover someone has tampered with her mind, they must work together to
determine why. Because if they fail, their lives and the lives of many other
hackers will be destroyed.
EXCERPT
“Besides the hacker who went rogue, have there been any
other disgruntled patients of yours over the last few years?”
Audrey frowned and rubbed her temple. “Not that I recall.”
“You have a headache?”
The pain in her head throbbed as if in answer. “I… Yes, a
small one.”
“Have you noticed any recent gaps in your memory? Fuzzy
thoughts?”
She narrowed her gaze. “What are you suggesting?”
“Audrey, some of your memories have been wiped.”
Her heartbeat sped up, and it felt like all the blood
drained from her forehead at once. The room tilted in a crazy circle, and she
saw white spots in front of her eyes. There was a rushing sound, and in an
instant, all the colors in the room faded to black. She blinked and realized
she was slumped in the recliner with Kevin leaning over her, shaking her
shoulders, the earthy scent of him filling her nostrils.
“You okay?”
“Yes,” she managed. Her skull felt like someone had stuffed
it with cotton. “I…”
“You fainted. Take it easy.” He crouched next to her, tucked
a pillow behind her head, and helped her sit up. “I probably should have found
a better way to tell you.”
Ya think? What was even more shocking was him hovering over
her like she was his patient. He needed to move far away so she didn’t have to
breathe in his rich, masculine smell. She had the insane desire to reach out
and hug him so she’d feel safe.
Heat rushed to her cheeks, and her head cleared. “I’m…I’m
all right now.”
Kevin didn’t budge, sending her blood pressure up a notch.
She brushed her hair behind her ears and tried to think.
“You said my mind had been wiped. How can you know for certain?”
“I’m a former hacker, remember. I know the signs. What’s
more, your blocks have been removed.”
“My…blocks?” She sat forward, the hair on her arms rising
with her. The blocks were for her safety—to protect her as she worked with
hackers. “They’re permanent. It’s impossible to remove them…isn’t it?”
He must have been reassured she had recovered from her faint
because he stood and returned to the couch before answering, and she managed to
get her breathing under control.
“Not quite. It’s difficult for the vast majority of hackers,
but not everyone.”
“You mean you can do it,” she said, hardly daring to breath.
“Yes, and any other class tens who specialize in blocks.
After all, we’re the ones who put them in place. Audrey, I need you to think
really hard about when you first started having headaches.”
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Award-winning author Amanda Uhl has always had a fascination with the mystical. Having drawn her first breath in a century home rumored to be haunted, you might say she was “born” into it. After a brief stint in college as a paid psychic, Amanda graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in theatre and a master’s degree in marketing. Over the past twenty years, she has worked as an admissions representative and graphic designer, owned her own freelance writing company, and managed communications for several Fortune 500 companies, most recently specializing in cyber security. Amanda is an avid reader and writes fast-paced, paranormal romantic suspense and humorous contemporary romance from her home in Cleveland, Ohio. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find Amanda with her husband and three children, gathering beach glass on the Lake Erie shoreline or biking in Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Visit her online at www.amandauhl.com.
Magnum Opus by Caitlin Marceau is a quick story, that read like a Twilight Zone episode, where a person’s mind can become so twisted they see shadows, or in this case, eyes, at every turn and an ending that will make you think…WT?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Magnum Opus by Caitlin Marceau.
2 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Charlotte Curran is willing to do whatever it takes to make sure her newest book is a best seller… even if that means murdering her best friend.
Nobody suspects her of killing renowned author Kim Lavoie, but when Charlotte starts seeing Kim everywhere she turns, she quickly realizes it’s more than just her guilty conscience haunting her. With each passing day, Kim’s judging gaze grows more difficult to escape.
Magnum Opus is a dark look at the price of fame and the legacy we leave behind.
ABOUT CAITLIN MARCEAU
Caitlin Marceau is an author and lecturer living and working in Montreal. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing, is an active member of both the Horror Writers Association and the Quebec Writers’ Federation, and spends most of her time writing horror and experimental fiction. She’s been published for journalism, poetry, as well as creative non-fiction, and has spoken about horror literature at several Canadian conventions. Her debut collection, Palimpsest, is available from Ghost Orchid Press and her second collection, A Blackness Absolute, is slated for publication later this year. If she’s not covered in ink or wading through stacks of paper, you can find her ranting about issues in pop culture or nerding out over a good book. For more, check out CaitlinMarceau.ca.
One Kind Hero Christine DePetrillo (Heart of a Wounded Hero) Publication date: July 14th 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
What do you do when your life plan goes up in flames?
Army sniper Reid Colborn has nothing left. His last mission was technically a success. Enemy hit. Boy rescued. Day saved. Getting trapped in a burning building, however, wasn’t part of the plan. Now Reid doesn’t have a steady shooting arm, and his military career is over. Heading back to his hometown of Maplehaven, Vermont is not the next target he’d hoped for, but he’s out of choices.
Until architect Valerie Bellerose gives him another option.
When Valerie sees Reid, every detail of their one night together as teens nearly ten years ago comes flooding back. Not that the memory had ever died. Reid had given her something that had made it impossible to forget him. Now that he’s back, can they have a second chance to hit their mark?
Is one kind hero high enough caliber to build the family they’ve always wanted?
One Kind Hero is a second-chance, small-town, steamy contemporary romance novella with a wounded military hero searching for what comes next after losing everything. For more romances set in Maplehaven, check out the One Kind Deed Series also by Christine DePetrillo.
The Heart of the Wounded Hero series was created to pay tribute to and raise awareness of our wounded heroes. Each of the over eighty authors involved have contributed time, money, and stories to the cause. These love stories are inspiring and uplifting, showing the sacrifice of our veterans but also giving them the happily ever after they deserve.
By increasing awareness through our books, we believe we can in a small part help the wounded heroes that have sacrificed so much. Thank you for reading.
I have a place to stay and a job to go to. I need to quit whining and suck it up. That’s hard to do, however, when the treasured motorcycle I owned and rebuilt myself as a teenager is staring at me right now.
Straddling it, I love feeling it beneath me. The seat contours to my body. The paint finish is still glossy because Uncle Karl kept a cover over it. The chrome parts glint in the overhead lights. My left hand wraps around the left handlebar, the grip molding to my palm, as I lean forward a bit. I tighten my hold and imagine zipping down the open road.
I reach for the right handlebar with my right hand. The grip hits my palm, but my fingers won’t close all the way around it. My entire right arm shakes at being stretched out. There’s absolutely no way I can steer this motorcycle ever again.
I slam my left hand into the handlebar and get off the bike. The urge to kick the thing onto its side is overwhelming, but I get rational at the last second and refrain from doing so. Instead, I drape the cover back over the motorcycle.
Out of sight, out of mind.
If only I could drape a cover over myself, but all I have is a green Brenton Sawmill baseball hat and a matching sawmill T-shirt. Smoothing the wrinkles out of the shirt, I stomp out of the barn. The morning sunlight is too harsh, too cheerful. I should have picked a rainier, gloomier place to restart my entire life.
Author Bio:
Christine DePetrillo can often be found hugging trees, conversing with dragonflies, and walking barefoot through sun-warmed soil. She finds joy in listening to the wind, bathing in moonlight, and breathing in the fragrances of things that bloom. If she had her way, the sky would be the only roof over her head.
Her love of nature seeps into every story she tells. As does her obsession with bearded mountain men who build, often smell like sawdust, and know how to cherish the women they love. Today she writes tales meant to make you laugh, maybe make you sweat, and definitely make you believe in the power of love.
She lives in Vermont with her husband and cat who defend her fiercely from all evils.
Visit her and sign up for her newsletter at www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com anytime.
I love the awesome cover. Both shorts mention dementia.
MYSTERY ROAD: WOW. Mystery Road may be a short story, but it sure is powerful. Memories. Dreams. He prepares himself for his father’s death. A chance encounter leaves more questions than answers. Brought tears to my eyes. 4 Stars
A NIGHT AT OLD WEBB: Who’s to say ghosts don’t walk among us? Sometimes a nudge can take us to places we never would have reached on our own. Places where we were meant to be. We just needed that passing moment in time that lingers in our dreams, hopes, and desires. Well written, flowing smoothly to a thoughtprovoking conclusion. 3 Stars
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Mystery Road by Kevin Lucia.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Two Kevin Ellison Stories in One!
Mystery Road
Choices are like roads, taking us to destinations both planned and unexpected, but lofty thoughts like that are of no concern to young Kevin Ellison, who only cares about his dreams of basketball glory.
One day, however, while riding his bicycle to shoot baskets with his best friend, he comes across a side-road he doesn’t recognize, curving away into the woods. Intrigued, he rides down this unmarked road and encounters something both wonderful and quietly terrible, something that forever changes his understanding of the world…
A Night at Old Webb
Old Webb, an abandoned grammar school just outside Clifton Heights, is the place to be late summer nights in Webb County. A gathering place for friends to be themselves, away from grownups who have forgotten what it means to be young and free.
The summer of 1992, Kevin Ellison spent his Saturday nights there like everyone else. Everything was running according to plan: a college basketball scholarship, school, all the things everyone expected of him.
Then he met a girl named Michelle Titchner, and everything changed…
ABOUT KEVIN LUCIA
Kevin Lucia’s short fiction has appeared in several anthologies, most recently with Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Bentley Little, Peter Straub and Robert McCammon.
His first short story collection, Things Slip Through was published November 2013, followed by Devourer of Souls in June 2014, Through A Mirror, Darkly, June 2015, and and his second short story collection, Things You Need, September 2018. His novella Mystery Road is forthcoming from Cemetery Dance Publications.
I am excited to have Quint Emm Ellis sharing her thoughts about being a writer.
Starting out in the world of writing is such an exciting
adventure. As a self-publisher, it’s been quite the learning curve in every
arena. It’s also been an amazing opportunity to connect with new friends and
fans of stories that I’ve come to love myself.
“For Better & For Worse” is the third installment in my latest
series “The
Sisterhood of the Tiny House Revolution”. This series peeks into the intertwining love stories of four ladies who’ve
become fast-friends and have fallen for the men helping them achieve their
dreams. I’ve always appreciated the fact that many of our own tales overlap
with that of another, most times in ways in which we are unaware. In this
series, I hoped to allude to that reality; that an integral aspect of one
person’s love story could show up as a barely noted absence in someone else’s.
In the final installment of this series, I intend to continue that, hopefully
subtle, trend.
My latest novel, “For Better & For Worse” is a second-chance
love story featuring two people who were faced with difficult realizations and
difficult choices. This is my second novel boasting a “Second Chance” theme,
and I was pleased to have an opportunity to explore this fun dynamic. My
favorite part of the book is when the two ex-love birds reminisce about their
past; but do so in a manner that was rather fun for me to orchestrate.
We all have a beginning to the many stories that make up our
lives. I look forward to looking back, one day, and enjoying the journey that
transformed me from a reader to a reader and an author.
For Better & For Worse by Quint Emm Ellis
GENRE: Christian Romance
BLURB
These
ex-lovebirds are busy building a nest for one. But can she be convinced to make
room for him, too?
Despite attending the same congregation and
university, Ashe and Stephen’s circles had never seemed to cross.
One class project changed everything…for the
better; until secrecy and youthful indiscretion pulled them apart.
Will an unexpectant reunion in their adult years
allow Ashe and Stephen to rewrite a history riddled with regret and
heartbreaking choices?
EXCERPT
“It’s open,
Dear. Come on in. We’re all in the backyard,” she heard an unfamiliar woman’s
voice say over the doorbell’s integrated camera and intercom system.
“Oh,” she
responded, bending down a bit to look into the camera as she resettled the pan
in both hands. Unsure if the ghost that’d just occupied the device was still
there, she decided to err on the side of caution and manners. “Thank you.”
Rebalancing her
offering on one hand, she wrapped her free hand around the cool, metal door
knob. The scent of bar-b-que, the sound of laughter and an overwhelming sense
of home and comfort greeted her as she took her first steps inside the cozy
home. Her shoulders relaxed as she continued to follow the sounds of something
sizzling on the grill and of voices that felt both familiar and foreign.
“Ashe?”
Though Ashe
paused, the hairs on her skin slowly stood on end.
That didn’t
sound like Josiah or Liam. And yet, she recognized that man’s voice from
somewhere. She tilted her head to one side, blinking through a fog of memory.
“Ashe,” the
voice insisted.
Recognition
rippled down Ashe’s spine; she knew who was standing just a few feet behind
her.
And if she
could have just kept walking, she would have; but her body betrayed her—
turning of its own volition to meet the source.
The world
became dull except for the man who carefully stood from his chair, tossing his
book upon the seat’s cushion before striding toward Ashe. He stood in sharp
contrast against the scenery that seemed to have become a blur. When he
stopped, he was so close she could catch a faint whiff of soap intertwined with
a husky, sweet aroma.
He changed
colognes, came the wayward thought in Ashe’s mind.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
“If there’s a
book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write
it.”
–
Toni Morrison
Quint Emm Ellis enjoys penning plots
centering around unabashedly nerdy, introverted, cinnamon-roll mantic,
passionate, fallible women who happen to be black, who happen to be Christian,
and who happen to love an uplifting and, possibly, inspirational story.
She enjoys listening to audio books,
watching movies, finding great deals and spoiling her cat and dog rotten. Her
dream is to be able to walk around in loose pajama pants all day and geek out
while mastering niche crafts like music production, film editing and electro
etching.
I had read another book, Professor Charlatan Bardot’s Travel Anthology to the Most (Fictional) Haunted Buildings in the Weird, Wild World by Eric J Guignard and really enjoyed it, so when given the opportunity to read and review another work, Horror Library, Volume 7 by Eric, I hopped on it.
Besides that, I couldn’t resist the fabulously creepy cover.
First off, I want to tell you about the special guests gallery of horror(ible) images by Allen Koszowski included in the anthology. His first published piece was in 1973 and he is still going strong.
Horror Library, Volume 7 by Eric J Guignard includes 30 original short stories. We have plenty of thrills and creepiness. These leaders of the macabre with take you down a dark path…and I hope you return…wanting more. Some authors were familiar and others were new to me, but they all contributed something that gave me chills, leading me on to the next one and the next one and the next one.
The great thing about short stories is you can finish them while waiting…whether in line at the drug store, waiting in the doctor’s office, or just having a minute or two to spare. Whether you like to read your horror in the light of day or in the dark, be wary. You may get more than you bargained for.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Horror Library, Volume 7 by Eric J Guignard.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The +Horror Library+
anthologies are internationally praised as a groundbreaking source of
contemporary horror short fiction stories—relevant to the moment and
stunning in impact—from leading authors of the macabre and darkly
imaginative.
Filled with Fears and Fantasy. Death and Dark
Dreams. Monsters and Mayhem. Literary Vision and Wonder. Each volume of
the +Horror Library+ series is packed with heart-pounding thrills and
creepy contemplations as to what truly lurks among the shadows of the
world(s) we live in.
Containing 30 all-original stories, read Volume 7 in this ongoing anthology series, and then continue with the other volumes.
Shamble no longer through the banal humdrum of normalcy, but ENTER THE HORROR LIBRARY!
Included within Volume 7:
• In “Hand of Glory,” a despairing prison inmate studies astral projection in order to escape his cell.
•
In “The Key to Mabella,” a cemetery groundskeeper discovers a
mysterious vault key held by his predecessor and investigates what it
unlocks.
• In “Abandon,” a tour guide takes friends to visit his home village, long-since deserted and languishing under superstition.
• . . . and more!
• Also including a special guest-artist’s gallery of Allen Koszowski!
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.
Pamela Crane’s damaged characters do surprising things that do hold my attention. She has packed a lot into this small package that caught me off guard, because I was sure I knew what was coming…and I was so far off. I am happy that I have the next book, The Art of Fear, hanging around my Kindle, though The Scream of Silence is a complete short story that can stand alone. I wonder…will you be teased by it and desire more? I sure did.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In this riveting prequel to international best-selling author Pamela Crane’s The Little Things That Kill Series, “The Scream of Silence” unravels the darkest depths of human nature. A chilling tale consumed in under an hour, but not so quickly digested.
She had secretly wanted the baby to die, but Fate never sided with her until twenty-three years later, when Destiny Childs got her wish.
Broken, middle-aged Destiny daily struggles to survive her haunting past. Dead parents. Unplanned teen pregnancy. Cyclic addiction and depression. Life hasn’t treated her kindly. Then one day she sees the name of her castaway daughter on the news: a victim of murder.
Seeing this as an opportunity to extort the rich family her daughter left behind, Destiny crafts a plan. But as all her plans go, it loosens a mess of secrets long buried, along with the truth behind the killing.
In this haunting murder mystery short story, discover the gruesomely intimate stranger harbored within Destiny… and who may lurk within any one of us.
“The Scream of Silence” originally appeared in Reader’s Circle of Avenue Park’s “Crooked Tales” anthology but is now published for the first time as a standalone short story.
ABOUT PAMELA CRANE
PAMELA CRANE is a USA TODAY best-selling author and professional
juggler. Not one who can toss flaming torches in the air, but a juggler
of four kids, a writing addiction, and a horse rescuer. She lives on
the edge (her Arabian horse can tell you about their wild adventures
while trying to train him) and she writes on the edge…where her sanity
resides. Her thrillers unravel flawed women who aren’t always pretty.
In fact, her characters are rarely pretty, which makes them
interesting…and perfect for doing crazy things worth writing about.
When she’s not cleaning horse stalls or changing diapers, she’s
psychoanalyzing others.
The creepy cover for The Doll does fit the creepy story inside of a trip to an island of dolls that it is wise not to touch, but a young girl finds them so irresistible…so beware, what is done cannot always be undone and the ending undone me, which was worth a star on its own.
