Night Terrors has to be one of, if not the, best horror anthology I have read. Eighteen stories that had something frightful to offer. Some were down right terrifying. Most of the time I can pick a favorite, but not this time. We have horrific creatures of all kinds, some supernatural, others of the human persuasion.
We have the Mother Thing, mirrors, missing children, a cannibal witch, human reanimation, vampires, a lycanthrope, unique marine critters, a neighborhood watch, the throb in the back of his head was super gruesome and it even made me shiver a little.
At times I cringed and look around, making sure I was alone. At times, I laughed…well, because I just had to. And my love of trees…well, I might need to rethink that.
If you ever wanted a horror anthology filled with short stories sure to make you pucker up, this may be the one. It sure was for me.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Prepare for a crash course in terror…
Maternal love takes a sinister turn, when a young man discovers that his mother is not quite what she seems. An ancient legend looms over a local street, as the neighborhood children search for their missing friends. And a woman awakens to the ultimate nightmare, after her bad taste in men leads to a horrifying predicament…
Scare Street is proud to present this monstrous new collection of macabre tales. Eighteen stories torn from the shadows, filled with bone-chilling fiends, skin-crawling monsters, and malevolent spirits.
As you lose yourself in the dark depths of another diabolical tale, a school bell rings in the darkness… You look around, shocked to find yourself chained to a school desk. As the teacher’s eyes glow red, she rakes her nails across the chalkboard.
The other students glare at you with hungry eyes and dripping fangs. Their claws scrape the floor as they surround you.
Class is in session. And today’s lesson is human anatomy.
Let the dissection begin…
Night Terrors Vol. 26 features the following 1. Mother Thing by Mathew L. Reyes 2. The Bar Visitor by Travis Lee 3. The Suicide Dead by Mason Gallaway 4. Eternally Yours by Jesse Rosenbaum 5. All the Children of Lesnaya Street by Sabrina Howard 6. The Wrong Kind of Attention by Angela Sylvaine 7. Neighborhood Watch by John Gallant 8. Snow by Edmund Stone 9. The Creek by Joshua Orr 10. Spooks by Christopher J. Nardone 11. B2 by David Barclay 12. My Wife Is Having an Affair by J. M. White 13. High Tension by Justin Boote 14. The Ghosts of Paris by C. A. Verstraete 15. Mark Breaks Up the Band by Ethan Robles 16. The Pitch Pine Witch by E. J. Werrlein 17. An Ocean Black by Stacey Dighton 18. Just Passing Through by Ron Ripley and Kevin Saito
Denying My Wolfe is Book II in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifter series by Scarlett West. It’s a pretty quick read at 165 pages in print, but it does not lack in animal attraction, steamy sex, and danger.
“Run her until she collapses,” my beta called out….
Julia is attacked by her pack, driving her to the enemy, Ethan’s pack. She is an alpha and he is a Beta, but she will bow down to save her sister. Can she find a home with the enemy? Can she save her sister?
Ethan is promised to another, prophesied by a seer. If, Julia can’t change that and create an alliance between the two packs, her sister will die. Of course, nothing is ever cut and dried and the past relationship comes to light when they cannot hide their attraction any longer.
Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West is a quick read, but the writing makes the wolf shifters world come to life. Julia running through the woods, the wind flowing through her fur, the smell of the forest as air rushed through her lungs…
The inner dialogue she has with her wolf has me cracking up, but I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself. It is well worth the smiles.
Because of Twilight, I can see it all unfold before my eyes. Sure, there wasn’t any vampires, but the wolfie scenes came to life. The battles are fought to the death, new alliances are made and we are on to the next romance, Lydia and Jace, who sure do deserve something good in their lives.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Falling for the pack enemy could destroy us both.
Ethan
After my life was destroyed by a curse, the last thing I needed was a mate—especially from the enemy pack. Julia was dumped on our doorstep for me.
No one knows about the time we hooked up in our teens, and damn if I never got her out of my system. Old sparks ignite between us, igniting a feral hunger I can’t stop, driving my wolf to claim her for good.
But can I put aside an old grudge and accept the only woman who stirs my wolf?
Julia
Rejected by my pack as an outcast, I’m delivered to the enemy in an arranged marriage.
No one knows Ethan crushed my heart when we were younger, yet he’s become devastatingly handsome and reawakened an intoxicating attraction my wolf finds impossible to ignore. Still, that doesn’t mean I have to let him back in my heart. I’m determined to fight my wolf’s need to mark him, but Ethan won’t take no for an answer.
And I’ve got secrets of my own.
My father is responsible for the curse and if anyone finds out, I’m dead.
If you love moody alphas, sassy heroines, and hot paranormal romance with a heart, Denying My Wolf, is for you. It’s the first standalone book in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters Series. Scroll up and One-Click this steamy wolf shifter romance that’s bound to pull your heartstrings.
Expected publication: September 21, 2023 by Passion Press
Language: English
Series: Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters
ABOUT SCARLETT WEST
Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy Fae. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing.
An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.
Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.
Scarlett West would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family, and Friends. Thank you forever for your support.
I like the cover, but it was the title, Conversations With Dead Serial Killers, that reeled me in. I found the blend of fact and fiction interesting. I have read my share of nonfiction books about serial killers and lots of fictional ones, so to see an author bring them together in the same story had me curious how he would handle it.
Do you believe in psychics? Derek Turner proclaims to be a psychic, manipulates people into handing over money. His life changes when Sam comes into it. She will not leave him alone, dogging his every step, wanting him to do the right thing.
The more I see Sam, the more I like her.
Clive, his brother, helps with the readings. But, he has his own agenda.
The twists are not exposed until the end, and that is always a good thing. I didn’t see the total picture. Whether Derek knew or wanted things to go down the way they did, I don’t know. I think he just wanted to make money and didn’t care too much about the cost.
I think all too often people do glamorize serial killers. I find them fascinating, but ‘regular’ people are just as interesting. I enjoy delving into people’s minds, wanting to know the why of things.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Conversations With Dead Serial Killers by Ashley Lister.
3 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“A clown can get away with murder.” John Wayne Gacy, the killer clown.
Derek Turner makes his living as a psychic. But, when he makes his first genuine contact with the spirit world, it is an encounter that starts him on a pathway to holding conversations with dead serial killers.
Someone is recreating the most infamous crimes of the world’s sickest serial killers: including Jack the Ripper, BTK, Charles Albright and Ed Gein. Derek learns that it’s within his power to either profit from this situation or bring it to a needed conclusion and prevent further unnecessary deaths.
But profit can be a compelling argument.
Blending the reports from true crime stories with the lies from a professional psychic, Conversations with Dead Serial Killers explores the danger and obscenity that comes from glamourising murderers.
ABOUT ASHLEY LISTER (from Amazon)
Ashley Lister is a prolific writer of fiction across a broad range of genres, having written more than fifty full length titles and over a hundred short stories. He is the co-host of Blackpool’s Pub Poets and a regular participant (and occasional winner) in their monthly Haiku Death Match.
Aside from regularly blogging about writing, Ashley also teaches creative writing in the North West of England. He has recently completed a PhD in creative writing where he looked at the relationship between plot and genre in short fiction.
I read the blurb for Golem…for fans of Silence of the Lambs, Clive Barker….and had to read it. I love the dark side and reading about the demons who walk there.
Newly pinned Detective John Ashton is on his first case and he is following up the lead for the District Attorney’s missing daughter and the criminally insane Alena who swears she has seen her.
John has his own secret. He has psychic abilities and he will need them.
Alena…Annette…
A battle between good and evil, humans and demons. The humans…their goodness… does it give them a chance against a crafty and evil Golem?
P D Alleva has no qualms about putting his characters through hell, suffering and torture.
I would have hope that thing were going well, standing strong, then something would kill it and I would wallow in despair with P D’s characters. I do like villains, but…
I love that P D Alleva was able to give me some of those spine tingling moments where I was afraid to read on,afraid to see what would happen next…and it sure didn’t end the way I thought it would. That is worth a star and solves the problem I had flipping back and forth between a three and a four.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Golem by P D Alleva.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“Excellently written, with a twisted, spiraling, unexpected end that will leave you speechless.” ~ TBM Horror Experts
Detective. Angel. Victim. Devil.
A haunting tale of suspense, loss, isolation, contempt, and fear.
On November 1, 1951, war hero John Ashton was promoted to detective. His first assignment: find the district attorney’s missing daughter. But his only lead is Alena Francon, a high society sculptor and socialite committed to Bellevue’s psychiatric facility.
Alena has a story for the new detective. A story so outlandish John Ashton refuses to heed the warning. Alena admits to incarnating Golem, a demonic force, into her statue. A devil so profound he’s infiltrated every part of New York’s infrastructure. Even worse, he uses children to serve as bodily hosts for his demonic army, unleashing a horde of devils into our world.
When Alena’s confidant, Annette Flemming, confirms the existence of Golem, John is sent on a collision course where fate and destiny spiral into peril, and the future of the human race hangs in the balance.
The Devil Is In The Details!
Fans of The Silence of the Lambs, Clive Barker, John Connolly, old Stephen King, and Anne Rice will be fascinated by this edge of your seat psychological horror thriller with a story that tears out the heart of humanity and throws it on a slab to be feasted on.
ABOUT P D ALLEVA
“This ambitious novel plays unashamedly in the pulp-SF sandbox. . . A conspiracy mavens dream, packed with gory alien-vampire action.” ~ KIRKUS REVIEWS
“An action packed no holds barred adventure with cinematic flair. Great for fans of Jeff Vandermeer’s Annhilation, L. Ron Hubbard’s Battlefield Earth, and John Ringo’s A Hymn Before Battle.” ~ Booklife Reviews
“Forget what you know about vampires and prepare to get a new bite from the tastefully different rules in The Rose Vol. 1. Bringing a new twist to a well-known genre is usually a riskWebsite, but PD Alleva has found a brilliant way to make it work. The Rose Vol. 1 is a fantastic recommendation for fans of vampire, fast-paced action, heart-racing, and dark-themed novels.” ~ Readers Favorite
Born in Brooklyn, New York, raised in Westchester County, New York, living in South Florida since 1992. A child of the 90’s PD has coined a new genre, Alternative Fiction. Why? Because Multi-Genre Author sounds like you’ve got marbles between your cheeks.
An avid reader who loves to talk books, PD will write short reaction reviews for the books he has finished and has not one issue answering questions from readers as they come.
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.
For too long he dwelt apart, watched those who passed him by. With his unique abilities he entered their minds and inflicted terrible suffering upon them. They didn’t even know who he was. The game has lasted for years, but now the game has become stale. On an impulse he decides to make a final and very public last stand. After surrendering himself to the police he enacts his plan to seize the prison for his final bloody act.
There he discovers that he’s not as unique as he once thought.
The Cult of Me by Michael Brooks sounds pretty off the rails. The cover is creepy and I like that a lot. Sounds like this will be a wild ride and I’m looking forward to it.
What do flesh-eating cell phones, brain-enhancing tacos, and a real live
dead foot have in common?
They’re all tools in the destruction of our world, and a weapons-grade team
of heavily-armed Miskatonic University nerds may be humanity’s last hope.
Something is ripping holes in the Veil of energy that separates our world from
that of the ancient evils writhing just beyond what we think is
reality. Time is running out for Professors Derrick LeStrand, Howard
Strauss and their team of researchers as they race to hunt down a
mysterious Frenchman who wields Necromantic Death Magic unlike
anything they’ve seen before.
Tearing open psychological wounds from Derrick’s past, the cabalistic
sorcerer is gathering ancient icons of power to pierce the Veil and
bring down the only thing shielding mankind from the relentless
horrors beyond.
If they fail, the only questions that will remain are who will live in
servitude to the Great Old Ones and who will die…and who will
supply Derrick with tacos?
Set against the backdrop of a world where H.P. Lovecraft was not a
fiction writer, but a Sweep, a special operative trained to protect
the collective sanity of the human race with misinformative blends of
fact and fiction … where the Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual is
little more than a slightly skewed Audubon Field Guide, and the
monster movies you grew up with are more documentary than not.
Guy Riessen is an American author of contemporary dark fiction spanning
the science fiction, horror, fantasy and crime genres. Born in South
Dakota, he grew up in the Southern California beach town of
Huntington Beach. He moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, graduated
with a degree in English from UC Berkeley, and has been living in the
wild lands north of San Francisco ever since. After nearly two
decades of creating artwork in the visual effects industry for
feature films, he returned to his first passion: writing speculative fiction.
He’s been published on Under the Bed, Near to the Knuckle and Shotgun
Honey, and in the anthologies Urban Temples of Cthulhu, Dreams of the
Miskatonic and It’s All Trumped Up.
. The Friday 56 is 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.
Please join Rose City Reader every Friday to share the first sentence or so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Please include the title of the book and the author’s name.
~~~
All I had to do is see the cover and I knew I wanted to read Night Things by Michael Talbot.
This is the cover for my hard copy, but there are a couple awesome ones below.Amazon / Goodreads
My 56
“They’ll probably be from the extraterrestrial equivalent of Holllywood, so by nature they’ll be aggressive.” He laughed.
(Page 56 in hardcover,1st edition, published in 1988)
Book Beginnings
“Are we almost there?” Lauren asked excitedly as the Porsche shifted gears to negotiate the increasing steepness of the mountain road. The highway they were on was one of the old two-laners, and together with dazzling mountain scenery and the verdant walls of tamaracks and pines that surrounded them, it seemed like a scene right out of a picture postcard.
.
GOODREADS BLURB:WELCOME TO LAKE HOUSE…
A sprawling Adirondack “great camp” with 160 rooms, each carpeted in evil and painted with human blood.
ENTER IF YOU DARE…
Explore the miles of dark, twisting hallways, reeking with the stench of death. Journey through a bizarre labyrinth into chambers of unearthly proportions, up creaking stairways leading nowhere. But never…never…venture into the black heart of the awesome edifice.
YOU MAY NEVER LEAVE!
For creatures roam the corridors of Lake House. Hideous beings older than civilization — restless, waiting…hungry! Blood-chilling denizens of Hell that emerge only under cover of darkness… “Things” that will haunt your dreams and devour your soul!
A Human Element is about man’s inhumanity to man, man’s callous disregard of other’s lives, but also, the lengths some people will go to do the right thing.
When her parents are killed and she is left alone, she is committed to finding the killer.
I felt such tension, suspense, fear and dread for the characters, that I was talking to them. Shouting at them. Telling them to watch out. He’s coming.
I LOVE this book. The further into A Human Element I read, the more engrossed I become. My heart beats faster as my eyes race across the words…faster and faster. I just have to know what is going to happen. I read on and it gets creepier and creepier.
One by one, Laura Armstrong’s friends and adoptive family members are being murdered, and despite her unique healing powers, she can do nothing to stop it. The savage killer haunts her dreams, tormenting her with the promise that she is next.
Determined to find the killer, she follows her visions to the site of a crashed meteorite in her hometown. There, she meets Ben Fieldstone, who seeks answers about his parents’ death the night the meteorite struck. In a race to stop a madman, they unravel a frightening secret that binds them together.
But the killer’s desire to destroy Laura face-to-face leads to a showdown that puts Laura and Ben’s emotional relationship and Laura’s pure spirit to the test. With the killer closing in, Laura discovers her destiny is linked to his, and she has two choices—redeem him or kill him.
I loved A Human Element by Donna Galanti, so to continue the story in A Hidden Element was a no brainer. This is Book II of the trilogy, which contains a mish mash of genres: science fiction, mystery, thrills and romance.
A Hidden Element does fill in some of the story from A Human Element, but for the full effect I recommend starting with Book I.
I knew bad stuff was coming and I was afraid for Charlie. He is an innocent, but will he be swayed to the dark side?
Some of the aliens want to just live among us, fit in with us, side by side.
Others want so much more.
Aliens or human, it seems like we all have the same wants and desires, motivations and ego, dark and light, good and bad.
Charlie: Tomorrow. He would tell her everything tomorrow.
Adrian: He couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow delivered.
Ben: Tomorrow. He would fix this tomorrow.
Donna Galanti can sure spin an amazing tale that will keep you reading. The characters captivated me as I journeyed along with them, trying their best to make the right choices. I struggled to figure out who was good and who was bad, who would be the betrayer and who would survive. There are plenty of surprises and suspense and food for thought.
What would we do if we found out aliens walked among us? I have a feeling it wouldn’t be good. Would it be like First Encounter or War of the Worlds? Would you be curious or afraid? Would you want them living next door to you?
I’m just saying….
5 Stars
ABOUT A HIDDEN ELEMENT: Evil lurks within…
When Caleb Madroc is used against his will as part of his father’s plan to breed a secret community and infiltrate society with their unique powers, he vows to save his oppressed people and the two children kept from him. Seven years later, Laura and Ben Fieldstone’s son is abducted, and they are forced to trust a madman’s son who puts his life on the line to save them all. The enemy’s desire to own them—or destroy them—leads to a survival showdown. Laura and Ben must risk everything to defeat a new nemesis that wants to rule the world with their son, and Caleb may be their only hope—if he survives. But must he sacrifice what he most desires to do so?
Writing Your Last Line by Donna Galanti
What makes you decide to buy a book? Do you open it open up to the first page and decide on the first paragraph, or even first line? I have one friend who studies first lines. She roams a library or bookstore and randomly selects books to read their first lines then dissects them based on how drawn in she is. Did it grab her attention? Did it raise a question? Did it introduce the main character? And most importantly, does she want to keep reading?
Those first lines. They either grab you or they don’t. As writers, we only have a few seconds to impress readers enough so they will buy our book.
But what about those last lines? Those lines that complete a scene, chapter, or THE END itself that propel you to turn the page and read on, or that keep the story alive in your mind long after you’ve finished it.
One early reader of A Hidden Element was intrigued by the last lines of my chapters. She actually typed them up and sent them to me because she was so thrilled with how each one ended like a cliffhanger and kept her reading.
Here’s a sampling:
Killing was useful in so many ways.
The dark took her anyway.
She would do anything to save her family.
And that scared him more than anything.
She welcomed Death, but he did not come for her.
The nothing took him.
She screamed and ran into a darker hell.
The last words he heard whispered were, “forever dead”.
And it was not of this Earth.
He drifted away in it.
He could live with that, if only he could be a father to his sons.
The old fear hit him again in the gut.
The words shattered through him like hammer to glass – not from Earth.
He was empty inside, as he had always been.
The first stone flew.
The scars of Rachel and his sons seared his heart forever.
He was just a kid suddenly terrified of his own dad – and his own destiny.
He looked up at the open door that welcomed him.
After fifteen years the nightmare had begun – again.
They marched on toward a hidden enemy who watched – and waited.
Would you turn the page to read the next chapter – and the next? When you read these chapter lines together do they tell a story to you?
And what about our last lines in life? They are the final cliffhanger we leave the world with, leaving those we leave behind to wonder about.
Here are some cliffhanger last lines from famous folks. Would you want to keep reading about their life? Would their life story resonate with you?
Let us cross over the river and sit in the shade of the trees. – General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
I die hard but am not afraid to go. – George Washington, US President
Get my swan costume ready. – Anna Pavlova, ballerina
Go on, get out – last words are for fools who haven’t said enough. – Karl Marx, revolutionary
Why do you weep. Did you think I was immortal? – Louis XIV, King of France
I am about to take my last voyage, a great leap in the dark. – Thomas Hobbes, writer
It is very beautiful over there. – Thomas Edison, inventor
All my possessions for a moment of time. – Elizabeth I, Queen of England
What will be your last line?
PRAISE FOR A HIDDEN ELEMENT:
“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall
“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath
“Will keep you up long past your bedtime…a pulse-pounding read.”—Allan Leverone, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Final Vector
PRAISE FOR THE ELEMENT TRILOGY:
“Unrelenting, devious but full of heart. Highly recommended.” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Code Zero
“Chilling and dark…a twisty journey into another world.” —J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of When Shadows Fall
“Fascinating…a haunting story…”—Rebecca Cantrell, New York Times bestselling author of The World Beneath
Donna Galanti is the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy (Imajin Books) and the fantasy adventure Joshua and The Lightning Road series (Month9Books). Donna is a contributing editor for International Thriller Writers the Big Thrill magazine and blogs with other middle grade authors at Project Middle Grade Mayhem. She’s lived from England as a child, to Hawaii as a U.S. Navy photographer. She lives in Pennsylvania with her family in an old farmhouse that has lots of nooks and crannies, but sadly no ghosts. Visit her at www.elementtrilogy.com and www.donnagalanti.com.
ENTER GIVEAWAY!
Prize Pak:
Win $15 Amazon Gift Card, e-book of The Dark Inside, Element Trilogy story collection, and become a character in the final Element Trilogy book!
I love the cover and as I began reading…OMG…this is so fabulous. Not what I expected. I am horrified and delighted and I don’t believe I will ever look at scarecrows and pumpkins in the same light ever again.
Fear of the Scarecrow was inspired by his Haiku: Fear of the Scarecrow:
GOODREADS BLURB: This short story is about a desperate man hungry for revenge seeking justice. Sometimes justice comes with a price.
ABOUT ANTHONY RENFRO
Anthony lives in Apex, North Carolina. He is a reader, writer, runner, husband, father, and stay at home dad – one of the toughest jobs anyone could ever do. His influence for writing horror is Stephen King.
Welcome to my stop for Lied Ripped Open by Steve McHugh.
I love learning about characters and how authors came up with them, so let me introduce you to Steve McHugh. Welcome Steve.
Characters – sometimes my emphasis is on the story, but lately I have found the characters are speaking pretty loud. Where do you get your inspiration for the characters you write about?
Inspiration for characters can come from anywhere; a video game, another book, TV, real life. At some point I’ll see or hear something, and Ill know it’ll work as character, or a trait, or maybe just a single line or way of saying something. And from there that character will develop into something more.
Mostly my characters develop over time, over the course of thinking and writing the book. I find it easier to let them change and grow naturally, that way their behavior is more organic, more natural. Forcing something to happen because I as the writer want it to, doesn’t mean it’ll work for the characters in question, and balancing those things—what I want and what they want—isn’t always easy. Sometimes you have to forgo the easy thing to do the thing that works best, which in the long run works better for the book and characters.
That means sometimes I’ll be writing a book, and suddenly a new character will appear, someone I had no intention of using, but who fits within the narrative of the book, and they sort of force themselves into the story. It happens with every book, without question, and in my eyes it’s part of the fun of writing. I have to trust in myself not to make anyone do anything out of character, at least not without reason, and I can be hard work to ensure that one character doesn’t behave in a way that would go against their normal personality, but it usually doesn’t take me long to realize my error and go change things.
Character creation, and making those characters come to life off the page for the reader, is one of the harder, but more rewarding parts of being a writer. Yes, I have several dozen voices in my head (although usually only one or two at a time) all making sure I don’t write anything that goes against the order, but anything else would be dull.
Steve McHugh is the author of the popular Hellequin Chronicles. The fifth book, Lies Ripped Open, was out on 25th August 2015. He lives in Southampton on the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games.
I really enjoyed learning more about you and what inspires you, Steve. Thanks so much for joining us today!
Over a hundred years have passed since a group of violent killers went on the rampage, murdering innocent victims for fun. But even back then, sorcerer Nate Garrett, aka Hellequin, knew there was more to it than simple savage pleasure—souls were being stolen.
Nate’s discovery of the souls’ use, and of those supporting the group’s plan, made him question everything he believed.
Now the group Nate thought long dead is back. Violent, angry, and hell-bent on revenge, they have Hellequin firmly in their sights. And if he won’t come willingly, they’ll take those closest to him first.
I walked over to the second agent, whose back was toward me as he stood a little further into the park, and placed my hand on his shoulder. “That’s enough,” I repeated, but he spun around and all of the breath left my body at once, followed immediately by pain as it exploded across my torso. I glanced down as a shimmering blade of ice was pulled free from my chest. It was covered in my blood. I dropped to my knees and watched as the magical weapon vanished from view. The pain forced me to abandon my night vision, and the darkness once again took control.
The overwhelming thought that bounced around my head was that neither of the SOA agents had been sorcerers. My attacker crouched beside me. “They interrupted me and my prey got away,” his accent was from East London, but sounded slightly different from many of those living in the city. As if he’d been away from here for a long time, and had not quite remembered how the accent was meant to sound.
I glanced up at him, still unable to breathe; the blade had punctured a lung. It wouldn’t kill me, but it would be a few hours until I was back to normal, and without my night vision I could have been staring into Merlin’s own face and I’d never have known.
The man got back to his feet and kicked me onto my back. “I should make sure you remember your time here, but I’m sure your comrades over there will be able to do that better than I could.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ABOUT STEVE MCHUGH
Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.
It wasn’t for another decade that he would start work on a full-length novel that was publishable, the results of which was the action-packed Urban Fantasy, Crimes Against Magic.
Steve McHugh lives in Southampton on the south coast of England with his wife and three young daughters. When not writing or spending time with his kids, he enjoys watching movies, reading books and comics, and playing video games.
Steve McHugh will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn host.
The Friday 56 is hosted by 
so of the book you are reading along with you initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.
Amazon 
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5 Stars
Steve’s been writing from an early age, his first completed story was done in an English lesson. Unfortunately, after the teacher read it, he had to have a chat with the head of the year about the violent content and bad language. The follow up ‘One boy and his frog’ was less concerning to his teachers and got him an A.
