I’m sad to see the series end, but Allie Nighthawk deserves a little happiness.
H R Boldwood has included bits of Cincinnati history, so you know where to avoid when the zombies arise. LOL
All is a badass bitch, so beware when confronting her…about anything. I love her kickass and take names attitude. She rides a Harley, carries her trusty Ka Bar and Hawk,her custom 9mm along a backup Glock. She also carries a bag of Doritos. Even zombies love Doritos. To her zombie hunting is simple.
Step One: Lure deadhead
Step Two: Drop deadhead.
In Corpse Whisperer: Torn, Allie and Toussaint will have their final showdown.
Allie has a wild crowd hanging around her house, Nonnie her next door neighbor, Headbutt, her bitersniffing bulldog, her African Grey feather duster and a new addition to the bird family, Hyrum, the feather duster’s baby.
Allie will have some romantic moments and I, for one, think it’s about time. She deserves something good in her life every now and then.
I love everything H R Boldwood did to wrap up the series. We had some good people die and that is a necessary thing in a novel like Torn. Not everyone can get out of the zombified world unharmed. Allie kinda hits the lottery. Maybe she can afford a better snack than check flavored dog biscuits. She has some romance in her life and her nemesis is no more.
I laughed and cried. I sat on the edge of my seat with white knuckles and I leaned back in my seat, wiping the sweat off my brow. Or was that some zushi. LOL I will sure miss the Corpse Whisperer gang. I wish them luck in all their future endeavors. 🙂
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Corpse Whisperer: Torn by H R Boldwood.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
“Just after sunrise, I jumped on my Harley and hurtled toward Templeman’s Funeral Home, packing Hawk, my custom 9mm, a backup Glock, and a seven-inch Ka-Bar knife—the standard-issue zombie-hunter’s tool kit. Not that I’m standard-issue, by any stretch. I was born with the ability to raise the dead. It’s a genetic thing. Don’t ask me how it works. I didn’t write the playbook. I’m just living the dream.”
Allie Nighthawk faces a ghost from her past as she explores the fascinating and historic world of Cincinnati’s underground. When the Z-virus threatens world-wide contamination, it’s up to Allie to save the day. Is her magick strong enough to turn the tide? Or will doubt and inner demons stand in her way? And will those she loves survive?
H.R. Boldwood, author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and Imadjinn Award finalist, is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity when some poor unsuspecting publisher welcomes them with open arms. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.
Corpse Whisperer Sworn by H R Boldwood is the third book in the Corpse Whisperer Series and I am fortunate to have them all, thanks to the author. The books are quick reads, because it’s hard to stop myself from racing through the pages.
With a gun in one hand and a blade in the other, Allie Nighthawk searches the streets of New Orleans for the necromancer, Toussaint. Who will win the face to face confrontation?
She can raise the dead, but spends most of her time putting down the freshies, flesh eaters and corpsicles with the help of her hotty, wantta be boyfriend, Ferris.
As I picture the zombies from The Walking Dead, I am laughing most of the way through the blood and guts, the zushi. The writing is humorous, even when they are shooting, slashing and stabbing, and their lives are on the line.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Corpse Whisperer Sworn by H R Boldwood.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Follow Allie Nighthawk to exciting New Orleans where she raises the dead, puts down rotters, and dabbles in the mystical world of hoodoo. She’s on the trail of an evil necromancer who will stop at nothing to rule the world with his army of deadheads. Is her magick strong enough to save the day? Or will this necromancer from her past kill her before she gets the chance? She figures she’s got a fifty-fifty shot. Make that forty-sixty.
H.R. Boldwood, author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and Imadjinn Award finalist, is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity when some poor unsuspecting publisher welcomes them with open arms. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.
Great cover, title and story is found in the prequel, Life Among The Tombstones by H R Boldwood. I was super excited when I received three more books in the Allie Nighthawk Mysteries series. MMMMMM! Zombies may want brains, but I want more of Allie.
Allie comes home to Cincinnati, Ohio, to murder, mayhem, and zombies. Her past rears its ugly head…wanting revenge. I’m not too worried about her, because she is a kickass womance who runs towards danger, instead of away from it.
Life Among The Tombstones was a pretty quick read. It kept me flipping pages, leaving me wanting more. It’s a good thing I was able to get the next three books in the series. I am eager to share them, so let’s get to it.
In this prequel to The Corpse Whisperer series, financially challenged zombie hunter, Allie Nighthawk, returns to her hometown of Cincinnati and finds herself knee-deep in murder, mayhem, and zombies. Can she solve not one but two murders, and get away unscathed — when the good guys might not be so good, and a presence from her past returns for revenge?
H.R. Boldwood, author of the Corpse Whisperer series, countless short stories, and Imadjinn Award finalist, is a writer of horror and speculative fiction. In another incarnation, Boldwood is a Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2009 Bilbo Award for creative writing by Thomas More College. Boldwood’s characters are often disreputable and not to be trusted. They are kicked to the curb at every conceivable opportunity when some poor unsuspecting publisher welcomes them with open arms. No responsibility is taken by this author for the dastardly and sometimes criminal acts committed by this ragtag group of miscreants.
Looking for a ‘fresh’ and original take on zombies? Look no further than River Of Souls by T L Bodine. I am so happy that T contacted me about her Neverest story. I knew then that I would read anything she writes. The depth and details of her stories have me engulfed in her novels, not wanting to put them down for anything.
River Of Souls, the first book of the Lazarus series by T L Bodine, was so intriguing that I began reading almost as soon as I received it. I mean, considering Undeath a manageable condition as long as they have Lazarus, a life extension drug?
…the zombies are here, but instead of tearing down civilization, they’re standing in line at the Social Security office, waiting for their checks like everyone else.
In the small, sleepy town of Los Ojos, New Mexico, Davin Montoya struggles to care for his zombie father and his teenage sister. When a car accident turns him into one of the Undead, he hides it to keep his sister, Zoe, from being sent into foster care.
Davin begins to discover that things are not as they seem. He is unregistered, so getting access to Lazarus becomes a black market misadventure. Now he is dealing with dangerous drug dealers. The supply dries up, Davin becomes desperate, and questions arise.
I would share something in this review, then delete it. I don’t know how to say what I want without giving away too much. Are there lies? Sure. Is there a conspiracy? Probably. Is there more to the story? Absolutely. And, one thing sticks in my mind and makes me laugh…can zombies get it up? I mean…I get shivers and my mind just won’t let me go there. LOL
River Of Souls by T L Bodine is such a unique take on zombies, I couldn’t stop reading and am (im)patiently waiting for what comes next.
4 Stars
GOODREADS
Undeath is a manageable condition.
That’s what the media says, anyway: with the help of the miracle life-extension drug, Lazarus, the Undead can retain their humanity and live normal, happy lives. Without it, they become violent, mindless walking corpses.
Davin Montoya was eager to believe all of that. Forced to drop out of college to take care of his teenage sister, Zoe, after their father drank himself to death, he was more than happy to sign the no-good alcoholic over to the government’s Lazarus House for treatment. That was one less thing for him to worry about.
Until an accident left him joining the ranks of the freshly deceased himself.
Now, keeping his death a secret is the only way to keep his sister out of foster care. But to do so, he must venture into the underground society of Unregistered Undead – a dangerous world of drug deals and government resistance. But when their access to Lazarus begins to run dry, the truth starts to unravel…and it’s not what anyone expected.
Genre: Fiction, Halloween, Horror, Zombies
216 pages, Paperback
Published August 23, 2019 by Trepidatio Publishing
T.L. Bodine writes dark fantasy and horror. She’s interested in uncanny, fantastic things, and the way real people with real problems interact with them.
You can also read up-and-coming stories on Wattpad, or check out her Tumblr for writing advice, creepypasta, and more.
When not writing, she can usually be found watching horror movies, playing story-heavy video games, or experimenting in the kitchen.
She lives in New Mexico with her husband, David, and two small dogs.
WOW, such an amazing cover for Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv. There is no way I could say no when Olivia asked me if I wanted to read the series. Sure, there are a lot of trigger warnings that readers need to be aware of, but I love the dark world the authors have created.
Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is not available for purchase. It is a bonus that I received from the Olivia Boothe and is included as part of a special edition Afterworld hardcover and Renegade City anthology.
I want to thank Olivia Boothe for allowing me to get my introduction to Jax and Kate through Afterworld: Losing Salvation, a prequel. I was immediately drawn into this dark world that made me think of Supernatural and The Walking Dead. I love it!
A virus is spreading throughout the city creating zombie like creatures that can only be killed by a blow to the head or decapitation. Sound familiar? But, how they came to be…well…
I love the dog!
Everything comes full circle and we are on to the next ‘adventure’ in the Afterworld series.
EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH: GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.
Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is Jax and Kate’s love story. It was a traumatizing meeting for her…and him…
In the beginning, we bounce between Kate’s journal and Jax’s Grimoire in the year 2031.
I love one of Kate’s first entries…out scavenging and she scores some tampons. Aunt Flow still flows, even during an apocalypse. AND, she meets Hank, a service dog who lost his master. They become hard and fast companions. As they fight the beasts, there comes a blinding light…an angel, who gives his life to save hers.
Jax sees the light, knows it’s an angel, and races to get there. It’s his only hope of getting rid of the demon, War, one of The Four Horsemen, who resides inside him. When he sees her fight, he realizes she is more than a woman.
We do have that gruesome, brutal, blood and guts going on, The Walking Dead vibe, but we also have the, sort of, lightness of Supernatural. I found myself laughing in the middle of danger. Couldn’t help myself.
I would think if there is any kind of attraction, sex would arise. After all, how often do you come across a human that doesn’t want to kill you? She found it easy to trust him, but he has yet to tell all to her and how dangerous he can be. I feel there is even a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey…some smoking hot scenes.
At 65% an amazing surprise came to light…and I loved it.
There is one scene with rats in the sewers that The Walking Dead made it so easy to visualize. Also, the movie references made me think of Denizzo on NCIS. So many things I referenced to TV shows made the book even more special because it had those familiar elements that had me smiling or cringing.
Well, I read and read and read, slept, then read and read and read. It was so hard to put the book down, but I couldn’t get it read in one sitting. The pace and danger kept rising, the suspense off the charts, the action so fast paced near the end I was shouting out loud…NO, NO, NO…I was so fearful, but…well…all I can say is, if you love the dark side of paranormal romance, some Supernatural, some Walking Dead, some angels and demons, the Four Horsement of the Apocalypse…..this is a must read.
The story does end with a happy ever after, but there is more to come and I can hardly wait to begin. Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe & Victoria Liiv.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH: GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.
After a deadly virus wipes out most of the world’s population, those of us who survive are left as food for the Damned, the walking corpses ravaged by the infection.
Yet, something far more sinister stirs in the bowels of New York City. The Four Horsemen are prowling the streets, kidnapping young girls and dragging them back to their lair. And when a supply run becomes a rescue mission turned deadly, I’m left at the mercy of a sexy stranger.
Jax Constantine weaves himself into my life with blood tingling charisma and a smile that rekindles my hope in love. But a dark secret lurks beneath his penetrating gaze and sizzling touch. One he’s not willing to share, leading me to believe he might not be the man I thought.
Now, humanity’s last stand rests in my hands. To save a world consumed by evil, I must choose between stopping Lucifer from claiming an already scorched Earth as his own or saving the man I love.
The same man destined to curse my soul.
This is a dark apocalyptic paranormal romance and is intended for audiences 18 years+.
Please see below for the full list of content/trigger warnings: Angels and demons, biblical lore, zombies, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, blood and gore, PTSD, trauma, profanity, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, and kidnappings.
Reader discretion is advised.
While Afterworld can be read as a standalone and has a resolution, this is a planned series, and the book ends with a Happily For Now.
Published: September 16, 2022 by Three Brothers Press
Language: English
Series: Hell’s Angel, Book I
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
OLIVIA BOOTHE
REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY, COMPLICATED & SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.
Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a story teller.
If you enjoy deadly-hot romance novels with deep, layered plots, she’s your gal. Because it’s not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.
In addition to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, Olivia is currently working on an adult contemporary fantasy.
Fun Facts: When not locked away in her writing tower at the wee hours of the night, Olivia works a government 9-5 job and manages a house full of males (a husband, three sons, and a doggo named Hunter). On occasion, she summons her tribe for a night of wine and shenanigans. Dark chocolate is her kryptonite, she hates/loves to ugly cry during movies, and is a die-hard Bon Jovi fan.
Don’t forget to subscribe to her newsletter to receive exclusive news and updates such as book releases, giveaways, sales, events, sneak peeks and bonus material for upcoming projects.
Victoria Liiv is a writer, reader, nature lover and traveler at heart. She has been traveling through magical worlds since a very young age and wants more than anything to share the wonder with everyone else eager to escape from all things mundane. Let it be a magical adventure through slowly darkening Earth or a soul crushing fight for survival and love while the world burns. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of romance.
She self published her debut novel Through Hell & Highwater on 2020 when the pandemics keeping her isolated gave her the reason to follow her dream of becoming an author. She hasn’t looked back since. Afterworld: Road to Redemption is Victoria’s second novel. She is grateful for the opportunity to be able to co-write it with Olivia. This February 2023, she’ll also be releasing Treasure Me, a contemporary romance, as part of Tease Me box set. With many more ideas and characters keeping her awake at night this is only the beginning of her writing career.
In her everyday life she found the magic in her partner, who gave her courage to move out of Estonia, the country she was born in, to an equally small but more known The Netherlands. He was also the one who encourages and supports her throughout her writing process.
First off, I LOVE THE COVER! I have been indulging in my need for an apocalyptic fix and The Infected by Perry Prete was a great addition to my binging. The Infected is an original take on a zombie apocalypse.
John awakens, not even remembering his name, as one of The Infected.
We meet Carrie Jordan when she is alone. She is a badass. She does what is necessary to survive. I thought I knew where this was going, but….
The humans rule the day, the zombies the night. I knew John and Carrie would have to come together at some point, seeing they are the main characters, but I didn’t anticipate how. Perry Prete is not afraid to kill any of his characters off, so, even though I came to like a couple of others and thought they might join up with Carrie, it was not to be.
We do have all the grossness of zombies, attacking and eating most anything they can get their hands on. Even mice, fox, and other animals became zombified. One of the grossest moments to me, was when Perry Prete had a zombie with their lip ripped off, and as the zombie attacked another, they didn’t realize they were eating their own lip. LOL People travel miles alone, sometimes meeting up in small groups for the protection it offered. Big groups did the normal, used and abused others they considered beneath them and disposable. Of course, The Walking Dead came to mind and made visualizing Carrie’s dilemma easy.
I had many notes in my ereader, but because I was surprised by the ending, I didn’t want to share too much. I didn’t see it coming and I want you to enjoy finding out for yourself. The ending deserves a star of it’s own and I LOVED IT! I could see it playing out in my mind. I was sad, angry, may have even cheered when….I love an author who writes with such mastery that the book comes to life right before my eyes. If you are looking for some zombies that are a little bit different, The Infected by Perry Prete is a must read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Infected by Perry Prete.
4 Stars
GOODREAD BLURB
A virus infects the world, altering human DNA. The Infected live at night, humans during the day. Each group avoids the other, as humans search for an area free of The Infected until an unlikely bond occurs between the two.
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Zombies
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2022 by Sands Press
ABOUT PERRY PRETE
Perry Prete is a Canadian crime writer and paramedic. His first novel, All Good Things, introduced us to Ethan Tennant, a City of Ottawa paramedic who looks at crimes from the medical perspective.
Perry continues to work full-time as a paramedic and uses his thirty plus years of life changing and sometimes dramatic experiences to bring realism to his gripping medical novels. His other works include, The Things That Matter Most and All Good Things.
He is also a business owner, specializing in the pre-hospital care field. His company sells medical equipment across North America, primarily to EMS agencies.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Perry, graduated from Fanshawe College in London but now lives and works in Brockville, Ontario.
I love scary stories. I’m also a total chicken. I grew up telling stories on the playground, huddled around trees or crawling into quiet places with friends to to listen to urban legends and frightening tales, from La Llorona to to Bloody Mary, to strange tales of a woman with the ribbon around her throat that literally held her head on to creepy dolls come to life the moment you closed your eyes to sleep at night…I couldn’t help myself. I devoured them!
In class, we learned more about La Llorona (a figure that inspired my novella, Weep, Woman, Weep), Baba Yaga, and all sorts of spooky stories that gave me a good chill but were rather less terrifying than what I heard on the playground.
Of course, there was no better time to tell and listen to these stories than the fall, as the season slowly ripened into Halloween, the days got shorter, and the cool evenings and turning leaves were the perfect backdrop for stories that reminded us that there is more to this world than meets the eye.
I would come home from school filled up on those terrible tales and, after playing in piles of leaves in my backyard, would feel a growing sense of unease as the sun began to set and darkness took over. I was certainly grateful for the comforting presence of my dogs when darkness stole across the sky. The feelings were pushed away with dinner, in the cozy brightness of the kitchen and the warmth of family, but readily came back when I was tuckedin bed later that night.
Every creek, howl of wind, or cricket chirp sounded like aghostly footstep, theweeping woman, or all manner of supernatural threats. Mirrors were not to be looked in, when the sun went down. Windows must be closed at night, lest La Llorona find a way in. Blankets were to be tucked around you up to your chin to protect you from whatever might be lurking under the bed.
I felt would never fall asleep!
But, of course, I did. And with the coming sun, came the confidence of youth that there was nothing truly scary in this world and I went right back to the playground ready to consume more lurid and horrible tales.
They were terrifying. They were also thrilling. I couldn’t help myself—even when they gave me nightmares and my mom tried to get me to stop listening to these stories—they had this allure to me, pulling me into a world of the strange and gothic.
The feeling didn’t go away as I got older. Take, for example, the time I went trick o’ treating with a friend in middle school, one of the last times I would venture out on that childhood ritual. I was no stranger to haunted houses—there were plenty in my neighborhood. I livednext door to one and there was another a few blocks away that looked like something out of a gothic novel: big, dark, looming, and a story about a murder so strange and unexpected it devolved into its own neighborhood legend with everyone having a slightly different explanation for why the house just felt…off.
My friend and I were alone on the street and were doing our best to casually walk past the house, feeling very brave and very adult in our fairy costumes, proud of the fact that we could trick-or-treating unchaperoned. But once we neared that house, suddenly home felt so very far away, the other groups of Halloween revelers so very far away. There was only the darkness surround us and the specter of that gina those before us.
Then we heard something—a yip, a yell, from someone in the distance—and we screamed, running for the safety of my home.Gone were the bold, brave adults and in their place were two frightened children who wanted nothing more than the warm lights and safety of home. As it turns out, the noise we heard was from a bunch of wildpartiers, but it became so much morefrightening when it was disembodied and the shadows fed my imagination, as did all the terrible tales I’d been coming that season.
As scary as that was, and as silly as my friend and I felt in retrospect, there was no denying the fun we had, nor the deep sense of comfort we felt in returning to my house. That’s what scary stories do for us. They bring us home. We find catharsis in facing the darkness and making it out the other side. We appreciate the light where and when we can find it.
Here I am now—still loving scary stories. Still a total chicken. Still ready for a good tale of terror…in the daylight. Still not looking in mirrors and closing all my windows at night. And I speed up whenever I have to walk by that haunted house, indeed any haunted house, less the specters inside think to invite me in.
That’s the beauty of these early childhood frights. They gave me a solid appreciate of the thrills of a good scary story and a healthy respect for the unseen worlds or even vibes I get that tell me a person or situation is more than meets the eye.
This is why I tell spooky stories today. They reveal so much more about ourselves and the world around us than many an ordinary tale. From writing horror comedy about the terrors of dating in Hungry Business to the haunting wails of La Llorona in Weep, Woman, Weep, all my tales are inspired by the ordinary gothic all around us, pairing catharsis as we face the dark and find the light. What do you love about scary stories?
MY REVIEW
Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is a quick read horror story with a little snark on the side. Dating during a zombie apocalypse is not and easy thing to do. Are you eating or being eaten? Do they have a heartbeat, even if half their face is missing? Will she be alone for the rest of her days? Is there any point in leaving the house? The cat in the window….
Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is an okay read and the cover does intrigue me.
2 Stars
Hungry Business: A Gothic Story about the Horrors of Dating
Maria DeBlassie
Genre: horror, comedy
Publisher: Kitchen Witch Press
Date of Publication: October 12, 2020
ASIN: B08L48MVHD
Number of pages: 20
Word Count: 4400
Tagline: Dating. It’s hungry business.
Book Description:
Looking for love can be deadly…
A short story on the horrors of dating during a zombie apocalypse by bruja and award-winning writer and educator, Maria DeBlassie.
“Simple yet detailed, unique, and innovative. A brilliantly written little gem that is equal part creepy with the plague of walking dead and equal parts cozy with the hot chocolate and watching the neighbor’s cat.”
“Drawing parallels between the pitfalls of dating and dating in the zombie apocalypse, this short story packs a big world into a few pages.”
“Just the right size to occupy your time while waiting. I hope you find the humor I found.”
You know how it goes.
You go out, hoping to meet someone.
You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead, good at passing as human.
The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.
But you keep at it.
All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.
How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?
He said he’d
love to have you for dinner—but you are careful.
A woman has to
be careful. Never give them your address. Don’t drink too much.
Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Carry grave dirt to
throw at them if they get too forward. Be ready to run to the nearest
safe space if needed. The good news is that the Hungries, while
persistent, are dumb as fuck (brain rot, you know) and slower than the sickness
overtaking their bodies. Unless, of course, they are well fed, which is
rarely the case.
This one looks a
little better, you think optimistically.
You sit across
from each other at the dinner table. The white tablecloth is as smooth
and unblemished as his collared shirt. He has dressed for the occasion,
taking care to hide the evidence of his affliction as best he can (though truly
there is only so much he can do with a missing ear and half a brain).
Still, the tuxedo and carefully applied makeup are enough to create the
illusion of pumping blood beneath his pallid, blush-stained cheeks—in the right
light. Which is another reason why you chose this place. Candlelight can
hide a multitude of sins.
His manners are
studied and smooth, as if he has spent a lot of time practicing more human-like
movements and behavior. You admire a man who makes that kind of effort.
He watches you as much as you do him, as if he is trying to remember what
it was like to be alive. When you reach for your wine glass, so does he—only
his thick decaying fingers almost crush the stem, whereas your nimble live ones
carefully bring the dark red liquid to your mouth. You try not to notice how he
stares at your lips—stained now from the wine—wondering, perhaps, how you
taste. As it turns out, he does get a taste of you. You’ve been surreptitiously
picking at a hangnail on your pinky finger—that’s how scintillating the
conversation is—when you looked down and realize it is your whole fingernail
that has come off. You stare at it in horror, letting the truth of your
situation sink in.
At least he has
the decency to wait until you’ve left the table before grabbing your napkin and
stuffing your bloodied nail in his mouth. A little color comes back into
his face. He groans in ecstasy.
Nice to know you
could still have that effect on a man.
About the Author:
Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, award-winning writer, and award-winning educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her first book, Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings (Moon Books 2018), and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning and Living are about everyday magic, ordinary gothic, and the life of a kitchen witch. When she is not practicing her own brand of brujeria, she’s reading, teaching, and writing about bodice rippers and things that go bump in the night. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.
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.
Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack’s fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it’s great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend “T-Rex” from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he’s the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he’s destined to be in the family business. Second, that there’s a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits…until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.
As if that weren’t enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the “One?” Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.
I added Jack Templar Monster Hunter, Book One, by Jeff Gunhus to my TBR on 1.29.13. I have read some of his work and enjoyed it, so why not? I’m sure I got it free, probably during a tour as he was promoting future books in the series and offered this one for free. I do love reading about monsters of all kinds. How about you? Do you have a favorite monster?
Nick Clausen has done an amazing job with the Dead Meat series and I am totally invested in sticking with it til the end to see how he wraps it up. That being said, I have my fingers crossed that my favorite characters will still be alive when it is all said and done.
Brains. Brains. Brains. Zombies are everywhere. Nowhere is safe. And my favorite characters, Dan, a young man taking on the evils of his world, is determined to go home. What he will find there? Will it be the death of him? After all, Nick Clausen is not afraid to kill off his characters, and every time I find one I like, I worry…
Book 7 ended with a cliffhanger, and I would like to thank Nick for getting Book 8 written so quickly. I was hanging by a fingernail, because…well. I can’t really say. You will need to find out for yourself what I’m talking about.
As soon as I finished Chapter One, I could see that Nick was going to torture me the very end, and all I can say is…BRING IT ON.
More zombies. More heroics. More Death.
Many surprises and heart stopping moments, and another threat, other than zombies, hangs over their heads.
I have been amazed how Nick Clause has kept the series moving, able to keep me eagerly devouring the words, watching, wondering, how it will all end.
So much I could not anticipate and I loved it. Even though I am not sure how I feel about the ending for this book, once I started I couldn’t stop.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day by Nick Clausen.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The end is getting closer and the last hope for humanity is dying. The hours tick by with lightning speed as our last survivors grasp for one more desperate attempt at stopping the pandemic before it can turn the entire world’s population into flesh eating corpses.
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
The Dead Meat series reads like current events…except for the walking dead.
The virus is spreading and, even though, I was immediately drawn to some of the new characters in Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen, I knew not all of them would survive. Everything happens over the course of one day. Each story in the series leads to the next, so I highly recommend reading in order.
As usual, Dead Meat grabbed me from the beginning and never let me go.
Gory, grisly horror, but amongst the dark some light shines in the people who sacrifice their lives to save others. Some wonderful characters are still alive, fighting for survival. All the good and bad humanity has to offer comes forth in this novel of terror and horror. Some show courage and grace, others show the despicable side of us humans.
Unputdownable. Want to be grossed out? Want to fret and worry about characters and have to know what happens next? This series is for you.
And Dan…he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s just a boy, but quickly grows up to meet what fate has in store for him. He shows great courage.
WOW! The suspense level is off the charts, the characters fabulous, even the not so good ones. I love watching the rag tag groups grow, change and learn to do whatever must be done…against all odds.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. The world is ending. Can the disaster still be stopped?
The
group of survivors head for the Faroe Islands in the hopes of reaching
safety. But their journey won’t be easy, as the dead are following them
every step of the way, and not everyone is destined to make it.
This is Day 6 of the zombie apocalypse.
Fans
of Mark Tufo, TW Piperbrook, Bobby Adair and Camille Picott will devour
this action-packed zombie book. And if you liked The Orphans, Dead
State or The End of Everything, you’ll love Dead Meat.
What readers are saying about Dead Meat:
★★★★★ “like reading an episode of The Walking Dead” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “I’ve read a lot of zombie series, and this is the best” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “terrifying, nightmare-inducing, impossible to put down” – Amazon review
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
