tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38794161564149164902024-03-14T08:24:05.500-04:00Well Worth A ReadBook ReviewsWell Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.comBlogger845125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-73938154109470886002024-03-14T08:23:00.000-04:002024-03-14T08:23:33.179-04:00Alfred Hitchcock's Tales of the Supernatural and the Fantastic<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc3UnREdpBsxeQreIESUyinhZlGQ8DMvfYQ_9z90yJ3jCjGKNODi6sIPDKwtIT9zzopBfZSIaJkK6sIMhzXBDuQqlu4IWRqeBXOMoBEt_DofhsuBFyAiwWVRXHUglzi78MnQBCPCILBHVhKqGIzqMtkJaRSm9S6pAz8wgd6lQkAv0uUb4dl4GkfCRtGA/s473/1469241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="473" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFc3UnREdpBsxeQreIESUyinhZlGQ8DMvfYQ_9z90yJ3jCjGKNODi6sIPDKwtIT9zzopBfZSIaJkK6sIMhzXBDuQqlu4IWRqeBXOMoBEt_DofhsuBFyAiwWVRXHUglzi78MnQBCPCILBHVhKqGIzqMtkJaRSm9S6pAz8wgd6lQkAv0uUb4dl4GkfCRtGA/w269-h400/1469241.jpg" width="269" /></a></div><br /> <span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">Drawn from the pages of
Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, this collection of more than thirty stories
features the talents of Lawrence Block, Rob Kanter, Patricia Moyes, Chet
Williamson, Taylor McCafferty, and George Chesbro.</span><p></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">I've been collecting these old anthologies for a while now. They are out of print but you can usually find used copies in decent condition still floating around. I have too many to count but have only read a few. I think this is my third.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">This is a huge volume of stories at over 400 pages.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">There are some classics included by Poe and H.G. Wells but I more enjoyed the stories that were new to me. One of the few stories that had enough bite to creep me out was The Balancing Man by Charles Ardai in which a young boy follows his big brother to a mysterious red barn where he sees something unforgettable.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">I also loved Roughing It by Michael Beres, probably because I have had some unusual experiences in the great outdoors myself. I found this story quite sinister from the start when a large and luxurious motor home takes over the space next to a tent where a married couple are trying to enjoy some peace and quiet while camping out. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">Some stories are more humorous, including one where a ghost still shows up for work every day. </span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;">They are all pretty tame compared to today's standards, but most were entertaining. A few fell flat and a couple I just skimmed because they didn't interest me. If you are looking for subtle chills and mild thrills this may be for you.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0831704373/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0831704373&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></p>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-33224375786200034842024-03-07T14:37:00.000-05:002024-03-07T14:37:49.249-05:00Of All Things Sacred by Moses Yuriyvich Mikheyev<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHH2nTvkpnh6AA8Sx9oCevcP1H7YSNwaAJwM0ilzWcH_nNe8rZuxnMJO_fz7fRrY1jnLbO5wKaidjlu7QG4DcQsQqPJyH3qESQ0cGGiEbrOThHullJW6wN5xYtNDe96bFiUjVWY648_wb_VM6lEm25tjstgEjb15LaE1uz6jZ-zPo3Jya_k4BSnC1I7w/s2408/204470855.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2408" data-original-width="1499" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLHH2nTvkpnh6AA8Sx9oCevcP1H7YSNwaAJwM0ilzWcH_nNe8rZuxnMJO_fz7fRrY1jnLbO5wKaidjlu7QG4DcQsQqPJyH3qESQ0cGGiEbrOThHullJW6wN5xYtNDe96bFiUjVWY648_wb_VM6lEm25tjstgEjb15LaE1uz6jZ-zPo3Jya_k4BSnC1I7w/w249-h400/204470855.jpg" width="249" /></a></div><br /> <span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.6pt;">Beware of false prophets, which come to
you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves.</span><p></p><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 9.6pt;"><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">A
prophet has arrived in the small mountain town of Red Tree, California, bringing
with him a revival. Repenting of sins. Healings. Exorcisms. Speaking in tongues.
Visions. Prophecies.<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" />Something
big is happening in Red Tree, something so transformative the small town can
barely contain it. And Iron King's mother is the Prophet's most committed
follower, even though Iron's father isn't totally on board.<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" />Any
doubts the townspeople have that the Prophet was anointed by God evaporate when
a man who questions his integrity is struck by lightning on the church steps.
Unreproachable, the Prophet's stature—and his control over the souls in his
care—grows along with the size of his church, despite whispered rumors and his
increasingly strange prophecies.<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /></span></span><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;">Until Iron falls in love with a girl and
realizes that between God and Satan, between truth and deception, lies a great
contradiction. And a horrific terror.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">After a great start with an intriguing and gory prologue this turned into an unexpected disappointment, considering it was labeled as horror.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">A self-proclaimed prophet arrives in a small town and soon has everyone speaking in tongues and believing that everything from wearing jeans to owning a TV is a sin.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">The prophet himself is just hiding behind religion as a front for molesting teenage girls.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">The book could have been cut by half if all the bible passages were removed. They did not contribute to the story or help the flow, they merely increased the length.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">The teenage characters seemed strangely innocent for their years, lacking basic knowledge.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">The author doesn't know how the morning after pill works and doesn't know the difference between plan B and abortion.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">For some reason, the letter L was omitted at the end of every word that should have ended with two instead of one, making it very distracting. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;">This is not a book I can recommend personally, although others have enjoyed it so perhaps you will too.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-58660470942115508312024-03-05T07:09:00.000-05:002024-03-05T07:09:09.803-05:00Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7CoIQXOOqxJHvJj3cwECGzIgUuMQNC3mOlj4xlXmZ3LZnvSkn9wPhyphenhyphends0p8iUZsSXlG5BoOYNrkt61O3oI-AZYLK9sawu5opqYl1QLORgnDLMACPSR6VI_kj9THcSi7vw1sREP-_fuKoCBO3TC9XO6DIrysYvbTz7GHtL5Z7FvrMrhtqZhSLksEJgh0/s1500/199221815%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="977" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ7CoIQXOOqxJHvJj3cwECGzIgUuMQNC3mOlj4xlXmZ3LZnvSkn9wPhyphenhyphends0p8iUZsSXlG5BoOYNrkt61O3oI-AZYLK9sawu5opqYl1QLORgnDLMACPSR6VI_kj9THcSi7vw1sREP-_fuKoCBO3TC9XO6DIrysYvbTz7GHtL5Z7FvrMrhtqZhSLksEJgh0/w260-h400/199221815%20(1).jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br /><strong><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-size: 8.4pt;">Five childhood friends are forced to confront their own
dark past as well as the curse placed upon them in this horror masterpiece from
the bestselling author of </span></span><span style="font-size: 8.4pt;"><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em>Come
with Me. </em></span></span></span></strong><p></p><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><em><span style="color: #0f1111;">Maybe this is a ghost story…</span></em></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span></span></span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">Andrew Larimer has left his
past behind. Rising up the ranks in a New York law firm, and with a heavily
pregnant wife, he is settling into a new life far from Kingsport, the town in
which he grew up. But when he receives a late-night phone call from an old
friend, he has no choice but to return home.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Coming home
means returning to his late father’s house, which has seen better days. It means
lying to his wife. But it also means reuniting with his friends: Eric, now the
town’s deputy sheriff; Dale, a real-estate mogul living in the shadow of a
failed career; his childhood sweetheart Tig who never could escape town; and
poor Meach, whose ravings about a curse upon the group have driven him to drugs
and alcohol. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Together, the five friends will have to confront
the memories—and the horror—of a night, years ago, that changed everything for
them. <br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Because Andrew and his friends have a secret. A
thing they have kept to themselves for twenty years. Something no one else
should know. But the past is not dead, and Kingsport is a town with secrets of
its own.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />One dark secret... One small-town
horror...</span></span></span><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Andrew has already been troubled by a constant pervasive worry over his wife and their unborn child. A phone call from a former friend summoning him back to his hometown only increases his anxiety. Feeling as if he has no choice, he lies to his wife and heads to his childhood home. Is it karma or witchcraft that reunites these former best friends? Are they haunted by a ghost or is it their guilt?</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Secrets are revealed slowly at first but just as I thought I knew everything there was to know I could almost hear the author say BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! as the final bombshells nearly had my heart in my throat.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Small Town Horror was everything I could possibly want in a chilling, spooky read. Told on two timelines it is both a coming-of-age tale of five childhood friends and a story of the consequences that plague them as adults who have kept a shocking secret for longer than anyone could hope to get away with. </span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In my humble opinion, it is Ronald Malfi's best work to date.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">5 out of 5 stars</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My thanks to Titan Books.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CJTPY8FQ/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Available for Preorder</b></a><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3512996.Ronald_Malfi"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #0f1111;"><br /></span></span></span></div></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-4467562536592881612024-02-22T12:57:00.000-05:002024-02-22T12:57:40.723-05:00The Devil's Backbone: Appalachian Horror by Ronald Kelly, Laurel Hightower, and Red Lagoe<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRlscML2_qm_Rzu1KAekUY2s2H48d4xfUflQaZnLaELUsod-Im3TAe9dciWgxTmEU2VndfPb8YeRiuMaaxtsNHlODPZr3Ha83n9sCaPTsBkv_iJzK7TTBzc8fZRr6nvpV_dL4GHjaBl9svpZ3qQI9Sm6Amm_bRI7iXRmjRvvfyPHE5VIULtXn_iXk8-s/s500/208814009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRlscML2_qm_Rzu1KAekUY2s2H48d4xfUflQaZnLaELUsod-Im3TAe9dciWgxTmEU2VndfPb8YeRiuMaaxtsNHlODPZr3Ha83n9sCaPTsBkv_iJzK7TTBzc8fZRr6nvpV_dL4GHjaBl9svpZ3qQI9Sm6Amm_bRI7iXRmjRvvfyPHE5VIULtXn_iXk8-s/w261-h400/208814009.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;">Join three of horror’s finest
storytellers on a journey through the dark heart of
Appalachia…</span><span style="font-size: 9.6pt;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"></b><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="color: #1e1915;">AFOOT
IN THE NETHERWILD by Ronald When the children of Bowden Ayres mysteriously
disappear in the woods near their homestead, he enlists the aid of Uriah
Coldcreek, a seventh son and purveyor of mountain magic. Together, they travel
into the deepest depths of the Devil’s Backbone, intent on locating a place
known as the Netherwild… the realm of the Coveter, an otherworldly being who
steals away the mountains’ youth for its own selfish needs.<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" />SPIRIT
COVEN by Laurel For generations, Jude and her coven of witches have co-existed
peacefully with the citizens of Arnett, providing them with remedies and top
shelf bourbon, especially valued during the draconian days of Prohibition. But
when too many townsfolk go missing and dead, trust is broken and the witches
find themselves on shaky ground, facing threats from frightened families, from
the mountain they protect, and the very magic they steward.<br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" />THE
GATHERER by Red Gray Hollow lies at the foot of evil—a dark part of the forest
home to The Devil’s Bathtub. Martin is skeptical of the local folklore warning
of the dangers of dipping even a toe into its waters. However, after his brother
leaves for Vietnam, more people fall victim to the water's summoning darkness,
and Martin struggles to make sense of it all, determined to hold onto life's
fraying reality.Proudly represented by </span></span><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="color: #1e1915; font-size: 9.6pt;">Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the
Darkest Depths.</span></b></span><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">When I saw this gorgeous cover pass through my feed, with the names Laurel Hightower and Ronald Kelly, I barely read the description before I begged, pleaded, threatened, and cajoled a review copy out of the publisher. (Kidding! I asked politely. Always be polite and do not threaten publishers.)</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Red Lagoe was not a familiar name to me and is not currently a name that appears in my TBR or on my bookshelves but I plan to remedy that as soon as possible.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">In Ronald Kelly's story <span style="color: #1e1915;"><b>AFOOT
IN THE NETHERWILD</b>, Two children are lured into the woods by a figure that appears to them as their deceased mother. What is it really and how many children has it stolen? Their father will embark on a dangerous journey in an attempt to rescue them. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>SPIRIT
COVEN</b> by Laurel Hightower features a group of moonshining witches who have selflessly protected the mountain and the townsfolk. They have always borne the burden of keeping things in balance. Now that too many townspeople have turned up dead, the witches are the first to be blamed. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>THE
GATHERER</b> by Red Lagoe was my favorite story. Deep in the woods where people are forbidden to go, lies the devil's bathtub. A body of water that will grant your desire to know the unknowable... for a price. Would you be able to resist? Things don't bode well for those who take a dip.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This trio of authors have created a powerhouse of folk horror. Old traditions, superstitions, unexpected heroes, magic, and sacrifices that will break your heart share these pages with otherworldly beings. The Devil's Backbone was a lot of fear-filled fun to read.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">5 out of 5 stars.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My thanks to Crystal Lake Publishing.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CV8MGC7L/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-43592722561471928112024-02-14T07:16:00.000-05:002024-02-14T07:16:54.805-05:00Cumberland Furnace and Other Fear-Forged Fables by Ronald Kelly<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJMXabv_oKQi0LpjfBuclvk0wHauYUxjBjriGvY9HPE2Umv_YHxjhKDt5qfCiIUlzpDuYfI89VXTZwMClMY_rBs2WU9IBYaU6wzCU9qF-I5S_jpY6QK1XSahOw0_k2_1GHBunRyFJLCTCcnR7q6VDAKiVRHr7dU3qCiTFvunk93ikUivnjZT3MI1EDYM/s444/11558684.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="444" data-original-width="300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJMXabv_oKQi0LpjfBuclvk0wHauYUxjBjriGvY9HPE2Umv_YHxjhKDt5qfCiIUlzpDuYfI89VXTZwMClMY_rBs2WU9IBYaU6wzCU9qF-I5S_jpY6QK1XSahOw0_k2_1GHBunRyFJLCTCcnR7q6VDAKiVRHr7dU3qCiTFvunk93ikUivnjZT3MI1EDYM/w270-h400/11558684.jpg" width="270" /></a></div><br /> <span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" tahoma="" verdana="">From the Master of Southern-Fried Horror comes a collection of stories that could only beat in the dark, diseased heart of Dixie...- An abandoned furnace, choked with shadow and haunted by tormented ghosts, stands as a grim testament to a time when cruelty and the abuse of human flesh was woefully commonplace...- A man's obsession with mysterious roadkill on a lonesome country avenue awakens a horrifying hunger that can not be satisfied...- Two boys let curiosity get the better of them and discover that a collector of monster movie memorabilia is something more than a retired master of greasepaint and latex...- A dimwitted projectionist at a small-town drive-in theatre upsets a Saturday night crowd when he unwilling releases a dark secret from a dusty and forgotten film can...- A grandfather's Christmas Eve story of a unfinished journey by a drunken peddler captivates a young boy and brings about the delivery of a yuletide gift once thought to be forever lost...- It started out as nothing more than a shortcut home... a detour through a shadowy stretch of forest known as Tanglewood. But what awaited an unsuspecting driver, amid the brush and bramble, made a simple flat tire seem like a horrifying journey into madness... 22 terrifying tales of Southern darkness and depravity</span><p></p><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana="">First I should say that I read the complete paperback version which contains the full 22 stories in 328 pages and NOT the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cumberland-Furnace-Other-Forged-Fables-ebook/dp/B00381B58O/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2UOVMYU0GBQ23&keywords=Cumberland+Furnace+and+Other+Fear-Forged+Fables&qid=1705495861&sprefix=cumberland+furnace+and+other+fear-forged+fables+%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-1">kindle</a> version which contains only 7 stories. </span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana="">I'm not sure if there are any of these paperbacks still in circulation but you might find a used copy <a href="https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/cumberland-furnace-and-other-fear-forged-fables_ronald-kelly_zach-mccain/13691094/?resultid=14dc3a85-57cf-4f19-a787-247119ad0704#isbn=0983221170&edition=13386647">here</a> even though you will probably have to wishlist it for quite a while before a copy finally becomes available. If you don't want to wait or get fed up searching for used copies in good condition the kindle version is an option and the seven selected stories are excellent.</span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana="">Some of these stories were new to me, but as a long time fan of Ronald Kelly I had read some of these in other collections. It was still a joy to revisit them.</span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There are ghosts, stories of revenge, magical and deadly places, psycho killers, satanists, and more in this entertaining and delightfully dark collection.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Ronald Kelly is a master story teller and I recommend him even to people who say they don't like short stories! Often what they don't like is the ambiguous or abrupt endings. It takes skill to fit a satisfying conclusion into a short story and Ronald Kelly is adept at doing just that.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">5 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/783444.Ronald_Kelly"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana="">.</span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div><div><span font-family:="" sans-serif="" segoe="" style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;" tahoma="" verdana=""><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-60291185363772428382024-02-08T05:50:00.000-05:002024-02-08T05:50:27.587-05:00The Colour Out of Deathlehem<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W_CnZBy5dF7SALof3p0WFQrnxyDqzfoQy3KRtdBDd-MPCEKl3ECdq-92vATMgfX47syX8nUWTmfxdO_g9Q-Sfu2m6SMkP_ugEN4zI60CVsKsdy3o2GQpv2Sx3E7F_L3ZiAriMUMmQigZIk5Qh5VS76A1102NYOpVS784v6mVPpgZef3CTBn-1RfmswI/s2700/59983284.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0W_CnZBy5dF7SALof3p0WFQrnxyDqzfoQy3KRtdBDd-MPCEKl3ECdq-92vATMgfX47syX8nUWTmfxdO_g9Q-Sfu2m6SMkP_ugEN4zI60CVsKsdy3o2GQpv2Sx3E7F_L3ZiAriMUMmQigZIk5Qh5VS76A1102NYOpVS784v6mVPpgZef3CTBn-1RfmswI/w266-h400/59983284.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Welcome back to Deathlehem, where…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">…the holiday décor has a voracious appetite…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">…your past can—and will—come back to haunt you…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">…a one-night stand leads to an unexpected climax…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">…a son brings home more than nightmares from his tour of duty…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif font-size: 16px;">…and many more!</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Twenty-four more tales of holiday horrors to benefit</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.</span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Not many folks in these stories are having the merriest of times but some are getting exactly what they deserve.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">A few of my favorites involved a ghost who haunts a run down tenement building, a man who visits an unusual toymaker when he helps a lost boy get home, a witch who is spending the holidays with her daughter and abusive son-in-law, and a miraculous gift exchange in which you do not get to choose what you give.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">I enjoyed every story in this collection. The</span></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"> holidays may be over but you can keep Christmas in your heart (and all your other organs and entrails too) with this frightfully festive anthology from Grinning Skull Press.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Colour-Out-Deathlehem-Anthology-Holiday/dp/1947227696/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22SFQ5TCRAMJQ&keywords=colour+out+of+deathlehem&qid=1705589185&sprefix=the+colour+out+of+deathlehem%2Caps%2C97&sr=8-1"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-89182624322007224792024-02-02T13:10:00.000-05:002024-02-02T13:10:02.316-05:00This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances by Eric LaRocca<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEMIzeC5oxw2pKxnwV_ZpeZ1DRizv8ismbVInspa8NLVSSiduiWWCLo3Pgzn5WVkPU8tqA5MMUvpa0YrERJ5VcOOuWl4iK3a-k-ksjwaL2V0lHFAmId8O3hl5Mb66TzZ9sjwxZcJA3ESNgSoP2mSaUMJ5TeOAE4fITQ_OdjNn3a1fEGoYPs3wCix58vI/s445/152011917.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="287" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDEMIzeC5oxw2pKxnwV_ZpeZ1DRizv8ismbVInspa8NLVSSiduiWWCLo3Pgzn5WVkPU8tqA5MMUvpa0YrERJ5VcOOuWl4iK3a-k-ksjwaL2V0lHFAmId8O3hl5Mb66TzZ9sjwxZcJA3ESNgSoP2mSaUMJ5TeOAE4fITQ_OdjNn3a1fEGoYPs3wCix58vI/w258-h400/152011917.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">A brand-new collection of four intense, claustrophobic and terrifying horror tales from the Bram Stoker Award®-nominated and Splatterpunk Award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Four devastating tales from a master of modern horror…</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">This Skin Was Once Mine</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">When her father dies under mysterious circumstances, Jillian Finch finds herself grieving the man she idolized while struggling to feel comfortable in the childhood home she was sent away from nearly twenty years ago by her venomous mother. Then Jillian discovers a dark secret in her family's past--a secret that will threaten to undo everything she has ever known to be true about her beloved father and, more importantly, herself. It's only natural to hurt the things we love the most...</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Seedling</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">A young man's father calls him early in the morning to say that his mother has passed away. He arrives home to find his mother's body still in the house. Struggling to process what has happened he notices a small black wound appear on his wrist—the inside of the wound as black as onyx and as seemingly limitless as the cosmos. He is even more unsettled when he discovers his father is cursed with the same affliction. The young man becomes obsessed with his father's new wounds, exploring the boundless insides and tethering himself to the black threads that curl from inside his poor father...</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Prickle</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Two old men revive a cruel game with devastating consequences...</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">All the Parts of You That Won't Easily Burn</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Enoch Leadbetter goes to buy a knife for his husband to use at a forthcoming dinner party. He encounters a strange shopkeeper who draws him into an intoxicating new obsession and sets him on a path towards mutilation and destruction..</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">The dark side of human nature mixes with the bizarre and uncanny in these disturbing stories. </span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">A beloved father passes away and a neglected daughter returns home to the mother who hasn't bothered with her in decades.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The death of his mother leads a young man to a strange new connection with his father.</span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">A one-upmanship of cruelty goes way too far. </span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">A cutlery purchase turns into a shocking tale of body horror.</span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;">Heed the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If I were a writer I might have the skill to describe for you the depravity and suffering you will find in these tales. Every story begins with what seems to be a normal situation but don't be lulled into a false sense of security because there is much ugliness festering below the surface waiting to appear. Sometimes the worst monsters are just people.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Eric LaRocca has created some spectacularly revolting characters for this book. The stories are unique and sickening. I couldn't look away if I tried.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to Titan Books.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C4RS4QK4/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0C4RS4QK4&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7134334.Eric_LaRocca"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">About the author</span></b></a><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-14462994926553423292024-02-01T05:47:00.002-05:002024-02-01T05:47:44.930-05:00Myrrh by Polly Hall<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuGpFqcxNNRriq71tGq5Qb1UAd6MMeAcLXR8-wJrhXLBAPYvBOol0n-OfPnKhwOlfUfpht_kW2O8cfpRm092aFZSpOu42Sdsqtc2aGl7bc5bQZwNhrwEFdzom_xVOYeaPicShrPCV3Y9fiyAt3qrUqLxXZoPM3vBRle3xSOhg7uqPVs7q6oJZ7-n6I-A/s2560/175736614.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1668" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFuGpFqcxNNRriq71tGq5Qb1UAd6MMeAcLXR8-wJrhXLBAPYvBOol0n-OfPnKhwOlfUfpht_kW2O8cfpRm092aFZSpOu42Sdsqtc2aGl7bc5bQZwNhrwEFdzom_xVOYeaPicShrPCV3Y9fiyAt3qrUqLxXZoPM3vBRle3xSOhg7uqPVs7q6oJZ7-n6I-A/w261-h400/175736614.jpg" width="261" /></a></div><p></p><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Myrrh has a goblin inside her, a voice in her head that tells her all the things she's done wrong, that berates her and drags her down. Desperately searching for her birth-parents across dilapidated seaside towns in the South coast of England, she finds herself silenced and cut off at every step.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Cayenne is trapped in a loveless marriage, the distance between her and her husband growing further and further each day. Longing for a child, she has visions promising her a baby.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">As Myrrh's frustrations grow, the goblin in her grows louder and louder, threatening to tear apart the few relationships she holds dear and destroy everything around her. When Cayenne finds her husband growing closer to his daughter, Cayenne's stepdaughter, pushing her further out of his life, she makes a decision that sends her into a terrible spiral.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">The stories of these women will unlock a past filled with dark secrets, strange connections; all leading to an unforgettable, horrific climax.</span><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" font-size:="" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">To be honest this book almost landed in my DNF pile. The synopsis was intriguing, and the blurb comparing it to one of my favorite authors compelled me to read it, but once I started it was a slog to get through. It felt much longer than its 128 pages and I kept checking to see how much longer I had to go. </span></div><div><span 16px="" font-size:="" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I really wanted to love
this but I can't. It's not horror. It's confusing what one character has to do
with the other until you realize how it's forced to be connected, and it just
doesn't work for me at all. Learning what the "goblin" is left me feeling cheated.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">You may enjoy it more than I did but it's not one I can recommend.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span 16px="" font-size:="" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My thanks to Titan Books.</span></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-44932484177667721752024-01-22T03:00:00.000-05:002024-01-22T09:06:22.378-05:00The House of Small Shadows by Adam Nevill<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-oJViV1IstXWrRzsvKJcRI95CvOR3QPLGRpW-JUUjxL-j2j0DlYyzIXZyvRq2j5hjBfh7lCasqWwSv7IJvnqVyYXfWiMXJ5m9TwH6N_nT0W9PqAVbvyxe-Hj-1P94UZZL2u13jVg27vB4gt080dow2ULQTL4v0wqnejGo3m8zK_OciY1UrfMVB4SYXs/s475/18404205.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="313" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-oJViV1IstXWrRzsvKJcRI95CvOR3QPLGRpW-JUUjxL-j2j0DlYyzIXZyvRq2j5hjBfh7lCasqWwSv7IJvnqVyYXfWiMXJ5m9TwH6N_nT0W9PqAVbvyxe-Hj-1P94UZZL2u13jVg27vB4gt080dow2ULQTL4v0wqnejGo3m8zK_OciY1UrfMVB4SYXs/w264-h400/18404205.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Catherine's last job ended badly. Corporate bullying at a top TV network saw her fired and forced to leave London, but she was determined to get her life back. A new job and a few therapists later, things look much brighter. Especially when a challenging new project presents itself -- to catalogue the late M. H. Mason's wildly eccentric cache of antique dolls and puppets. Rarest of all, she'll get to examine his elaborate displays of posed, costumed and preserved animals, depicting bloody scenes from the Great War. Catherine can't believe her luck when Mason's elderly niece invites her to stay at Red House itself, where she maintains the collection until his niece exposes her to the dark message behind her uncle's "Art." Catherine tries to concentrate on the job, but Mason's damaged visions begin to raise dark shadows from her own past. Shadows she'd hoped therapy had finally erased. Soon the barriers between reality, sanity and memory start to merge and some truths seem too terrible to be real... in </span><i 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">The House of Small Shadows</i><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""> by Adam Nevill.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:=""><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">An emotionally fragile woman heads to </span>an old mansion, to catalog an enormous collection of antique dolls and hoards of creepy puppets. What could possibly go wrong?</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Well, for starters she is expected to stay in the house until the job is complete. The owner's appearance is unnerving to say the least. She and her maid are rude and sullen, There is no phone service, and the job will take longer than planned since the owner seems weirdly intent on dragging it out.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"> The main character Catherine has suffered multiple traumatic incidents and after years of therapy and learning how to deal with what she is told is her "paranoia" she does not always trust her own judgement. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">There is a pervasive atmosphere of wrongness in the house that would have had me saying take this job and shove it, but sadly Catherine ignores her gut feelings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">This was a deeply disturbing gothic horror, slightly reminiscent of "Burnt Offerings."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">4 out of 5 stars.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HP1JYRW/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3381686.Adam_Nevill"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">About the author</span></b></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-50541278532231901812024-01-18T14:02:00.000-05:002024-01-18T14:02:20.207-05:00The Last Slaughter BY Douglas Ford<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9KcXDhCiuCGuUS7mPsKzjDfNNRLWPo6W1BkQ1kW5Jr1GIGtVizvbFQrGoEskJ9OrruHHFtP2t9H4xeiJdM5AFVxplfd8KqHkIYcW0HEVu1i8MFqqUocoGvQ1RkSxJ58ZRzRI2TYrIj3EGyM1Qt2ENEcXD51fQhhMP-5cVmergep-vWr_UcDBJRf_6J0/s500/202695249.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9KcXDhCiuCGuUS7mPsKzjDfNNRLWPo6W1BkQ1kW5Jr1GIGtVizvbFQrGoEskJ9OrruHHFtP2t9H4xeiJdM5AFVxplfd8KqHkIYcW0HEVu1i8MFqqUocoGvQ1RkSxJ58ZRzRI2TYrIj3EGyM1Qt2ENEcXD51fQhhMP-5cVmergep-vWr_UcDBJRf_6J0/w266-h400/202695249.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">As the land withers under a changing climate and resources grow scarce, a hungry family confronts a dark legacy. An old storehouse holds an ancient an imprisoned girl who can bestow bounties of food and prosperity. But in return she requires sacrifices.Her ancient power contains the truth they must face. You can deny family, but you can’t deny blood.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">John grew up never knowing his dad, but knowing who he is and resenting him all the same. His mother Laura has told the story many times. How her "date" with a rich boy led to having to run home beaten and bloody, and soon to be a single mom.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This resentment festers into hatred because John and his mother struggle to make ends meet, while his father has wealth and property that John will never inherit.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">An act of vandalism leads John to a shocking discovery and his life will never be the same.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Last Slaughter is a riveting folk horror where sins of the past come home to roost. It's a quick read so I can't say much else about the plot without spoiling it so I'm just going to say this was an awesomely entertaining read full of unnerving surprises.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">5 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to Douglas Ford</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CNZSZJKX/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18840478.Douglas_Ford"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-17620703824101326842024-01-14T07:53:00.000-05:002024-01-14T07:53:45.660-05:00Our Fathers' Burden by William F. Gray<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfufdvMzwO1lGcC1J-FQ4_iV9fuXzCN8I24N1-Z3Vk6Tin3b4LyEYdPlKs3_pEKSMGc9xlCtVfDTePvFey0wnLatHRBEY217ynrVYOtvKGGKwXCASaGVimGZ-y3-I_PNrvoEsQ_0tNsLb4oAUp7nJSXYtF10sQemVLYf4-0QLeNR6dmbpIZ-g5sgXwM/s500/204309930.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbnfufdvMzwO1lGcC1J-FQ4_iV9fuXzCN8I24N1-Z3Vk6Tin3b4LyEYdPlKs3_pEKSMGc9xlCtVfDTePvFey0wnLatHRBEY217ynrVYOtvKGGKwXCASaGVimGZ-y3-I_PNrvoEsQ_0tNsLb4oAUp7nJSXYtF10sQemVLYf4-0QLeNR6dmbpIZ-g5sgXwM/w266-h400/204309930.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Tragedy strikes Harry’s family leaving him with nothing but sorrow, grief, and a mysterious box whose contents leave him shaken to the core. Everything he thought he knew about his father teetered on the edge of lies. Despite this, he decides to carry out his late father’s final to meet up with some of his old friends whose fathers had been best friends with his own - for a traditional camping trip their fathers had taken annually in years passed. But what they find up there in the Appalachian Mountains, and the mysterious circumstances that sent them there, reveal that their fathers had kept a terrible, deadly secret. And now that burden is theirs, and they must pay the price.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Our Fathers' Burden is a terror in the woods type creature feature. If you like those you'll probably enjoy this one.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">Five men who grew up taking part in an annual hunting trip with their fathers are reunited after the last living father kills himself and leaves behind a mysterious box of cassette tapes with a final wish that his son gather the other men together in the Appalachian Mountains to listen to them at their old hunting spot.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">It's hard for me to review this without giving too much away so I will just say it touches on depression, grief, and deep dark secrets on top of the horror aspects. There's a lot going on and much to unpack in this book. Sometimes I lost track of who was who and which son belonged to which father or who was the most dysfunctional. The flashbacks didn't really help me get to know the fathers or sons any better. They seemed nearly interchangeable to the point that maybe one or two characters could have been eliminated from the story altogether.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">All in all it is worth a read if you enjoy this type.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">3 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;">I received an advance copy for review.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CQQ5KJ8S/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22251963.William_F_Gray"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">About the author</span></b></a><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-26042886637038114962024-01-09T06:07:00.000-05:002024-01-09T06:07:53.429-05:00These Things Linger by Dan Franklin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPi3Wszd8zbFLqzRbgqa33ogq0wQ9OdqfCfcykEHqXB4rq6NC2vbVuFDUyL0krvYSnKvN4d3-xe-1kqG7IB7bDcRRbvlUW7wnWOWqA32PgrHuE_ISClQImYJHMh_7QoIuFTt5RPBFObCBa6zuNEdY2Ye2WSMOcFMIZYfR0dCfTp5YIg9vUos5jOpwCARk/s1280/201739730.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="876" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPi3Wszd8zbFLqzRbgqa33ogq0wQ9OdqfCfcykEHqXB4rq6NC2vbVuFDUyL0krvYSnKvN4d3-xe-1kqG7IB7bDcRRbvlUW7wnWOWqA32PgrHuE_ISClQImYJHMh_7QoIuFTt5RPBFObCBa6zuNEdY2Ye2WSMOcFMIZYfR0dCfTp5YIg9vUos5jOpwCARk/w274-h400/201739730.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">When Alex Wilson's estranged uncle unexpectedly dies, Alex realizes he would do just about anything to make peace with the man who had raised him as his own.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">He'd even reach out to the dead.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">But things more dangerous than ghosts haunt his uncle's broken down trailer and the nearly abandoned one-gas-station town of Fair Hill just beyond. Things that can devour the living and the dead alike, and are all too ready to answer his call.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Some parts of our past never really leave us. There are things that don't know how to die.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">These things linger.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Dan Franklin's supernatural thriller novel These Things Linger is a twisting and unforgiving tale of desperation, depression, heritage, and of other hungry, vicious things.</span><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">Alex Wilson never put much stock in the supernatural. Not even when he witnessed a strange occurrence after participating in an unfinished ritual with a girlfriend years ago.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">But now that his uncle has passed away, with so much unresolved between them, he would do anything to talk to him one last time. Desperate for closure he uses the half-remembered spell from his youth, and something answers his call.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">Alex is now the target of an evil entity, putting his life and the lives of his fiancé and their unborn child in peril. Can he undo what has been done?</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">What has begun as a doleful tale of loss and regret soon plunges into all out terror when the entity shows its power. Dan Franklin is adept at building empathy for the characters on one hand while ratcheting up the fear of a grim outcome on the other. It made me wonder what I would risk for a chance to speak to loved ones a final time, but it also drives home the point that if you have something to say or hard feelings to clear up you shouldn't put it off until it's too late. Do not disturb the dead, you never know what may be waiting to come through from the other side.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">I received an advance copy for review.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">4 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CRC6B335/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy.</b></a></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-1627415989746699842024-01-05T13:56:00.001-05:002024-01-05T14:09:42.763-05:00The Changeling by Victor LaValle<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM3UmxgyjZ3VcR89AjxQYzvNxAVutgXNZ58e-HDblJzRLx_QP00hjswPjBHH577vOK9dFlKcMaq3QnNyvuh5sXK2DR5DLqFiODMMXQchyyVovi8HZ8wv_eG5t1uwpEXWJ4_ZkSxxOYt99jEQyiiN-fZ8CbtNAQP0q8jFQRp4HTWiNG51DpjDiIgv74kE/s400/31147267.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="263" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdM3UmxgyjZ3VcR89AjxQYzvNxAVutgXNZ58e-HDblJzRLx_QP00hjswPjBHH577vOK9dFlKcMaq3QnNyvuh5sXK2DR5DLqFiODMMXQchyyVovi8HZ8wv_eG5t1uwpEXWJ4_ZkSxxOYt99jEQyiiN-fZ8CbtNAQP0q8jFQRp4HTWiNG51DpjDiIgv74kE/w263-h400/31147267.jpg" width="263" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">When Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, all he left his son were strange recurring dreams and a box of books stamped with the word IMPROBABILIA. Now Apollo is a father himself–and as he and his wife, Emma, are settling into their new lives as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. Irritable and disconnected from their new baby boy, at first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go even deeper. Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act–beyond any parent’s comprehension–and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he understood, to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His quest, which begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have information about Emma’s whereabouts, takes him to a forgotten island, a graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">This captivating retelling of a classic fairy tale imaginatively explores parental obsession, spousal love, and the secrets that make strangers out of the people we love the most. It’s a thrilling and emotionally devastating journey through the gruesome legacies that threaten to devour us and the homely, messy magic that saves us, if we’re lucky.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">I've been wanting to read more by Victor Lavalle ever since reading <a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/03/lone-women-by-victor-lavalle.html"><b>Lone Women</b></a>. In fact, as soon as I finished that I bought several more of his books. However, this one did not quite meet my expectations.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">I didn't mind that it started off as a love story that turned into a mystery. I didn't mind that it took a long time for the child produced by the first love story to grow up and begin his own love story, although quite frankly I am not into love stories. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">What I did mind was how long it took for anything remotely spooky to happen, and that once it did, it just turned into a mystery again. I was expecting something scarier from the way I have heard others talk about this book. I was not prepared for a long drawn out fairy tale/fantasy type read, which is just not my thing. Also, the constant referring to their new baby as "the kid" grated on my nerves after a while.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">By the middle of the book I was skimming the pages hoping for something exciting to happen. I was mostly bored with this story and glad when it was over. You may enjoy it more than I did, others certainly have. It's even been made into a TV show so there must be something to love about it. Some books are just too crazy even for me.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">2.25 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1762294.Victor_LaValle"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-53906042019245978762024-01-01T11:11:00.001-05:002024-01-01T11:28:04.342-05:00The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_vgqLk0k7IZwP_1GOjAOeZTUst3QNrfByG3NEwHNl4x7WAot84pA-wvmTSiy-XWDyI1K9QlpGeB9drsGUD-RQlWb8mWObULmJo_qesijRloP7gNSZFumphYOd8nrtTR53YC2AxudP1_e8yM46tfI411hNtVpSBOB2TdBTEy4hISqHPgqcEGmglQRrUQ/s500/126918644.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="329" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK_vgqLk0k7IZwP_1GOjAOeZTUst3QNrfByG3NEwHNl4x7WAot84pA-wvmTSiy-XWDyI1K9QlpGeB9drsGUD-RQlWb8mWObULmJo_qesijRloP7gNSZFumphYOd8nrtTR53YC2AxudP1_e8yM46tfI411hNtVpSBOB2TdBTEy4hISqHPgqcEGmglQRrUQ/w264-h400/126918644.jpg" width="264" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Across Italy there are many half-empty towns, nearly abandoned by those who migrate to the coast or to cities. The beautiful, crumbling hilltop town of Becchina is among them, but its mayor has taken drastic measures to rebuild—selling abandoned homes to anyone in the world for a single Euro, as long as the buyer promises to live there for at least five years. It’s a no-brainer for American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi. Both work remotely, and Becchina is the home of Tommy’s grandparents, his closest living relatives. It feels like a romantic adventure, an opportunity the young couple would be crazy not to seize. But from the moment they move in, they both feel a shadow has fallen on them. Tommy’s grandmother is furious, even a little frightened, when she realizes which house they’ve bought. There are rooms in an annex at the back of the house that they didn’t know were there. The place makes strange noises at night, locked doors are suddenly open, and when they go to a family gathering, they’re certain people are whispering about them, and about their house, which one neighbor refers to as </span><i 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">The House of Last Resort</i><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">. Soon, they learn that the home was owned for generations by the Church, but the real secret, and the true dread, is unlocked when they finally learn what the priests were doing in this house for all those long years…and how many people died in the strange chapel inside. While down in the catacombs beneath Becchina…something stirs.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">This is in part, a love story between Tommy and Kate, a mystery of what caused the rift between Tommy's father and grandfather, and the unraveling of dark family secrets.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">Tommy and Kate seize an opportunity to own a beautiful house in Italy for practically no money. All they have to do is fix it up. It's a huge change for them from living in the United States, but Tommy has family there and they hope with a little time and effort they can convince some of their friends to follow in their footsteps to revive the economy in the half empty town.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">When Tommy's grandmother sees which home they've chosen she is angry and fearful but won't say why.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">Bumps in the night and slamming doors lead the couple to entertain the idea that their house may be haunted, but it took longer than I would have liked for the reveal of why their home is known as the House of Last Resort.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">The pace was slow for the first part of the book. There were some odd occurrences but nothing really scary happened until close to the halfway mark when a shocking event led to the exposure of family secrets, Something happened at this point that just plain scared the bejeezers out of me.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">The final third of the book is terrifying and the conclusion is a knock out.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to St. Martin's Press.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C1X93LG7/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4522.Christopher_Golden"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">About the author</span></b></a><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">,</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-36858136816325263452023-12-28T07:42:00.000-05:002023-12-28T07:42:56.553-05:00Dead Cats of Civilization by Douglas Ford<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWw8uzkq64uiadcD84139Z0ngEafU44F_qxCDTcLxJ3xiM7UlT1UesZNE0y4_dS29TUj7c1OdAcFA7r2db-v916dnhAJyxMQlFzMxERG8gY-a-QjzIbeTe5_RLrLbHn8xddIGOfcQylWjXA0VH3ODYSIPuRwRzAfjJ0bhLksLUM_7BnnFUpbOewx0Ijd4/s500/201382590.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWw8uzkq64uiadcD84139Z0ngEafU44F_qxCDTcLxJ3xiM7UlT1UesZNE0y4_dS29TUj7c1OdAcFA7r2db-v916dnhAJyxMQlFzMxERG8gY-a-QjzIbeTe5_RLrLbHn8xddIGOfcQylWjXA0VH3ODYSIPuRwRzAfjJ0bhLksLUM_7BnnFUpbOewx0Ijd4/w266-h400/201382590.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">From the author of The Beasts of Vissaria County and The Infection Party comes a novelette about natural disasters and the unspeakable things they awaken from the ocean’s depths. When a hurricane strikes his hometown, a young man rushes away from his new life so he can help with the recovery effort. He finds his old neighborhood dealing with the storm’s aftermath in some macabre ways, including the construction of a strange totem. Even worse, nothing can prepare him for the twisted horror that awaits him inside the walls of what he once called home.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">This was a wild and weird short story about the aftermath of a hurricane. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">A young man drives for hours to get to his parents' home after a storm ravages their neighborhood.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The damage is still being assessed when he arrives so he is happy to see that his parents are among the living. However, they are not as happy to see him as he expected and they don't seem to want his help with repairs. In fact, they are reluctant to even let him in the house at all. I wondered what they were hiding in there but even my wildest guess could not have come close to what's been going on in there. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This is not my usual type of read. I go for the scary over the stomach-churning, but it's a well written story if you can handle it. Be warned, it's pretty gross in their bathroom and it's not just from the flood waters or the stench of fish.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">4 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to Douglas Ford for the Kindle copy.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dead-Cats-Civilization-Douglas-Ford-ebook/dp/B0CMFXB62R/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18840478.Douglas_Ford"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-52020738369040472202023-12-22T06:37:00.000-05:002023-12-22T06:37:51.327-05:00Bruises on a Butterfly by Chad Lutzke<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXE5Zzq1PwU_Tva27lVtkkpSWdN6ZZB9DgzeMVY8_pgzFUVF4ZcvwpYzP66XbMMkjnam3A_O4EDpz6oWtArHNhUl__N7BGu7Ee74mCYZ54s-g6GTFcbfA-Lg_y5MoKiXWunRIR6Di48sP_sek6v_8hOZL2wzEeK31Mr2PVMga39TVRJXJkK2QOLVsMCU/s1042/115493625.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="673" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgXE5Zzq1PwU_Tva27lVtkkpSWdN6ZZB9DgzeMVY8_pgzFUVF4ZcvwpYzP66XbMMkjnam3A_O4EDpz6oWtArHNhUl__N7BGu7Ee74mCYZ54s-g6GTFcbfA-Lg_y5MoKiXWunRIR6Di48sP_sek6v_8hOZL2wzEeK31Mr2PVMga39TVRJXJkK2QOLVsMCU/w259-h400/115493625.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><p></p><div 0.8rem="" 0px="" 1.37="" 16px="" arial="" class="BookPageMetadataSection__description" data-testid="description" font-family:="" font-size:="" line-height:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><div class="TruncatedContent" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;" tabindex="-1"><div class="TruncatedContent__text TruncatedContent__text--large" data-testid="contentContainer" style="box-sizing: border-box; max-height: 16rem; overflow: hidden; word-break: break-word;" tabindex="-1"><div class="DetailsLayoutRightParagraph" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: grid; gap: 3%; grid-template-columns: repeat(var(--num-right-col), minmax(0, 1fr)); margin-left: calc(-1 * var(--right-col-left-offset)); padding-left: var(--right-col-left-offset);"><div class="DetailsLayoutRightParagraph__widthConstrained" style="box-sizing: border-box; grid-column: span var(--num-right-col);"><span class="Formatted" style="box-sizing: border-box;">A young boy runs away from his abusive home to live in the fort he'd built with friends, smack dab in the middle of a Michigan cornfield. But when a cosmic discovery one night warps reality into a mutating nightmare, it's up to loyal friends to fix what they can, and bury what they can't.<br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;" />A dark coming-of-age tale that fuses COLOR OUT OF SPACE with STAND BY ME.</span></div></div></div><div style="box-sizing: border-box;"></div></div></div><div 16px="" arial="" class="BookDetails" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><div class="CollapsableList" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;" tabindex="-1"><span class="Text Text__body3" color="var(--color-text-body-light)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 1.8rem;"><div class="FeaturedDetails" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 3.2rem;"><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.4rem; margin: 1.2rem 0px;">Expected publication January 1, 2024</p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 1.4rem; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><br /></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">From the opening lines of the prologue, it's clear that someone will not survive this story. Two young boys stand at a grave they have visited often, but we don't know which two are above ground and which friend is buried. It's just enough to provide a taste of things to come. To cast a shadow of foreboding over this heart-stopping coming-of-age tale.</span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Three best friends, 12 year old Taylor, Jackie, and Kevin do everything together. Their friendship and loyalty to one another is fierce. But one in this trio is not like the others. Jackie and Kevin have normal happy homes. Taylor lives with constant abuse and neglect. His home life is a never ending torment. His friends know that his father hits him but they have no idea the depths of suffering he endures. Taylor doesn't speak about it, and out of respect for his privacy, they never ask.</span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Taylor has taken more than he can stand, he leaves a note that </span>guarantees<span style="font-family: inherit;"> he can never return home and goes off to spend the night with his friends in a fort they have built. He has no plans for what he'll do when the night is over, he only knows he never wants to see his father again. </span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Secrets will come out, and a twist of fate will change everything this night.</span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I finished this book in one sitting. I almost never do that, but once I started there was no way I could stop. It put me through a gamut of emotions from rage, to hope, to sorrow. Chad Lutzke is an expert at testing your empathy by writing characters that are impossible not to connect with.</span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5 out of 5 stars</span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My thanks to Cemetery Dance Publications.</span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8436955.Chad_Lutzke"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></span></p><p data-testid="publicationInfo" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1.2rem 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.cemeterydance.com/butterflyLutzke"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></p></div></span></span></div></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-77533911294439698632023-12-17T11:13:00.001-05:002023-12-17T11:27:46.311-05:00THE BEDMAKERS by Chad Lutzke and John Boden<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8O9y7cq2M1N3UXbjQFMp0jX5ejCs2UTJY9BiB2amyM7F-5B1wt_n5uRu23jPBn6azwL5jhckeJyop554Qgn0MUGqoN6R1EAc8yhSF_qaCHYZAd8okuFtXwg_dsKut361Q2XIr-PMNhz15fzXD84HWOVQg5Nng3s-jvEz_N3JwqjalC-tLmKY1xoE5Xw/s1024/The-Bedmakers-LR-662x1024.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="662" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn8O9y7cq2M1N3UXbjQFMp0jX5ejCs2UTJY9BiB2amyM7F-5B1wt_n5uRu23jPBn6azwL5jhckeJyop554Qgn0MUGqoN6R1EAc8yhSF_qaCHYZAd8okuFtXwg_dsKut361Q2XIr-PMNhz15fzXD84HWOVQg5Nng3s-jvEz_N3JwqjalC-tLmKY1xoE5Xw/w259-h400/The-Bedmakers-LR-662x1024.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">After two elderly men tire of their homelessness in downtown Chicago 1979, they hop a train in search of work out west. But before their last stop, a traumatic event in an empty train car steers their once-hopeful journey into a path of chaos filled with deceit, murder, graverobbing, and dormant secrets.</span><p></p><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">Once in a while, I take a break from horror to read something different. It takes a gifted storyteller to pull my attention out of my horror novels so it doesn't happen often. When I saw this collaboration from Chad Lutzke and John Boden there was just no way I was going to be able to concentrate on any other book before reading The Bedmakers.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">So who are The Bedmakers? I'm glad you asked.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">Calvin and Eugene are former servicemen and homeless best friends facing hard times in 1979 Chicago. They decide to head out west for the warmer climate and possible work.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""> Even though they share everything, one is keeping a secret from the other, or at least he's trying to... On the way they run across some shocking trouble but that's nothing compared to what they find when they settle in at their destination. A quaint little town they think of as Mayberry has some secrets of its own and a few dangerous residents.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">Eugene and Calvin have such a genuine friendship that I couldn't help but fall in love with both of them. They are the kind of gentlemen I'd be happy to sit down and share a conversation with or invite to my table for a meal, and if anyone said a word against them or their too worn out clothes I'd smack them. Although for elderly gentlemen they do quite well at defending themselves and each other when needed.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">I still feel a little emotionally hungover from this story. If you are looking for a book with all the feels this is it.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">5 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">I received an advance copy for review.</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:="">Expected publication date February 13 2024</span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><br /></span></div><div><span 17.5px="" arial="" elvetica="" font-family:="" font-size:="" helvetica="" lato="" neue="" preserve="" quot="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;" white-space-collapse:=""><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/203621092-the-bedmakers">Goodreads page</a><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-51958057612650611962023-12-13T09:50:00.000-05:002023-12-13T09:50:20.927-05:00The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Belanger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwMjnAnswFLn12xnhIE5uaqWgcn0h1pZsPj4iD7SXDBKcbMaPXtPdCGH0kLexXQxuMtUTdf-7uSbCbwYNfoiqyW0nMB1EkkRfkJsdmuc-Ea3K-8oO3KDVDWzcOLy9awQPXruCj-DWBSH_MghIp6E6U_-Xwzi07DA1913KcTHIjdNt4RV4m4yp8pBJaWM/s600/123164629.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="440" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwwMjnAnswFLn12xnhIE5uaqWgcn0h1pZsPj4iD7SXDBKcbMaPXtPdCGH0kLexXQxuMtUTdf-7uSbCbwYNfoiqyW0nMB1EkkRfkJsdmuc-Ea3K-8oO3KDVDWzcOLy9awQPXruCj-DWBSH_MghIp6E6U_-Xwzi07DA1913KcTHIjdNt4RV4m4yp8pBJaWM/w294-h400/123164629.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Step into the dark roots of Christmas past where the Krampus punishes the bad boys and girls.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" />Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us. Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs. There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those who need it.<br 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" />The Fright Before Christmas will delve into the folklore of Krampus and his friends with the elf-like Tomten and the goblinesque Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope they can save us from ourselves. <br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light. The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It’s the shortest day of the year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn’t rise at all. It’s dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with The Fright Before Christmas you'll see the other side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Be good or the Krampus will get you!</span><br /><br />J<span style="font-size: medium;">ust a super quick review today because I'm still on a break.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The Fright Before Christmas by Jeff Belanger is a well-researched, entertaining, and informative look at the history of Christmas, Santa, Krampus, Belsnickel, The Yule Cat, and more. It includes the traditions, beliefs, and origins of Christmas trees, wreaths and several winter time creatures that I was not familiar with. I quite enjoyed it.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This is a must read for anyone who loves folklore as well as Christmas. I never knew where the tradition of hanging garlands came from or why we kiss under the mistletoe. I learned this and so much more in this fascinating and educational book. The illustrations are spectacular too!</span></div><div><br /></div><div>5 out of 5 stars</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BX88NC6L/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/51507.Jeff_Belanger"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-87657898134870651902023-12-09T07:48:00.000-05:002023-12-09T07:48:46.686-05:00Twelve Days of Christmas Horror Volume 3 by Rick Wood<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XwH-QyEohQTSA7FWF9emD1r-NcW5SeSJ7TqyCCbJvjw4KHcnIXv5fp9CXvoE3_JmuZwsJgBzSKtBC8XCiOAEfTR40d26VUpd5Z3DYbGJ2tvKuol06PrRxbWLsxbWuzj5Wdm3M_p0PsfClPaK-Wprtqx2j02xK7Q-w-lVxBhf2CPaOaock-zDstClU_A/s2560/59743725.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0XwH-QyEohQTSA7FWF9emD1r-NcW5SeSJ7TqyCCbJvjw4KHcnIXv5fp9CXvoE3_JmuZwsJgBzSKtBC8XCiOAEfTR40d26VUpd5Z3DYbGJ2tvKuol06PrRxbWLsxbWuzj5Wdm3M_p0PsfClPaK-Wprtqx2j02xK7Q-w-lVxBhf2CPaOaock-zDstClU_A/w250-h400/59743725.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">The third Christmas horror anthology from horror master Rick Wood...</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Featuring such stories</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">- Santa Vs Krampus</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">- Charades With a Side of Rage</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">- Carolling With Killers</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">- Christmas in Hell</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">- Christmas Night of the Living Year Two</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">(and much more...)</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">It's time to bring a little horror to the festivities...</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Having enjoyed the first two volumes of Twelve Days of Christmas Horror I looked forward to this final installment. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Unfortunately for me, this did not live up to my expectations. Some of the sarcastic wit is still present but the dark humor that I so loved in the previous volumes was not up to par. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">There were only two stories that I enjoyed. The majority of this book was more flat than fearsome. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Also, I don't know if it was done purposely or if there was a mishap at the printer but my copy has no page numbers until you get to 104 and then they end at 114 even though the book continues on for several more pages. It just added to the feeling that not much effort was put into this volume.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">You may enjoy it more than I did, but this one was just not for me.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">2 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5294953.Rick_Wood"><b>About the author</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""> </span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-16833001186846605192023-12-02T13:15:00.001-05:002023-12-02T13:15:36.433-05:00Best Horror of 2023<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Another year of great books has gone by and I have been privileged to have a front-row seat for some fabulous reading</span>. These are my picks for the Best Horror of 2023. The title links will take you to the book synopsis, review, author information if available on Goodreads, and Amazon page. If you're looking for something spectacular to read allow me to recommend any or all of these twelve books.</span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhIQVwtJGSCo56hSJSrzh_y98fk4CwHxokQy5CDpUDPFzYjwQYuApLzKfhLwNhcCn3Hu6dLLBqnjO7g7zWzdQA3ElljnFkrHRuYHi1vro2fLx44wIRn9itYSkcofEjSUxb7UhZVDlCZAmGuXbycF-QmCXI02MxRXoiiQ66pO3FY1y9zkNm5FqctvZlhs/s504/besthorror2023.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="504" data-original-width="504" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhIQVwtJGSCo56hSJSrzh_y98fk4CwHxokQy5CDpUDPFzYjwQYuApLzKfhLwNhcCn3Hu6dLLBqnjO7g7zWzdQA3ElljnFkrHRuYHi1vro2fLx44wIRn9itYSkcofEjSUxb7UhZVDlCZAmGuXbycF-QmCXI02MxRXoiiQ66pO3FY1y9zkNm5FqctvZlhs/w400-h400/besthorror2023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/01/dmv-by-bentley-little.html" style="font-weight: bold;">DMV by Bentley Little</a><b> </b><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/01/all-hallows-by-christopher-golden.html"><b>All Hallows by Christopher Golden</b></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/03/lone-women-by-victor-lavalle.html"><b>Lone Women by Victor LaValle </b></a> <a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-broken-places-by-blaine-daigle.html"><b>The Broken Places by Blaine Daigle </b></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/03/the-trees-grew-because-i-bled-there.html"><b>The Trees Grew Because I Bled There by Eric LaRocca</b></a> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/02/wasps-in-ice-cream-by-tim-mcgregor.html"><b>Wasps in the Ice Cream by Tim McGregor</b></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePeqo63pJbo-kIJaAEsiOuEff9m7LZrwrEP9uX9a1IGJ3ETrFpTsL_3LpHtUp9Ot6yHjE_OuNAjp0g5eFBI4ULXFeJX73PfnMoGiipku3Mr87Rrc2ZUa0dxZFdGinN1vDBKh6oe9XINr5my2uWcfvU-CGKyEcPWzxvBQTg77uKtMtw0SlZyPMCVRChFY/s512/besthorror20232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="512" height="399" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePeqo63pJbo-kIJaAEsiOuEff9m7LZrwrEP9uX9a1IGJ3ETrFpTsL_3LpHtUp9Ot6yHjE_OuNAjp0g5eFBI4ULXFeJX73PfnMoGiipku3Mr87Rrc2ZUa0dxZFdGinN1vDBKh6oe9XINr5my2uWcfvU-CGKyEcPWzxvBQTg77uKtMtw0SlZyPMCVRChFY/w400-h399/besthorror20232.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/04/conjuring-witch-by-jessica-leonard.html"><b>Conjuring The Witch by Jessica Leonard</b></a> <a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/04/guests-by-kealan-patrick-burke.html"><b>Guests by Kealan Patrick Burke</b></a><p></p><div><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/10/nestlings-by-nat-cassidy.html"><b>Nestlings by Nat Cassidy</b></a> <a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/07/nightmare-abbey-volume-3-edited-by-tom.html"><b>Nightmare Abbey 3</b></a> <a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/07/the-dead-pennies-by-robert-ford.html"><b>The Dead Pennies by Robert Ford</b></a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://wellwortharead.blogspot.com/2023/08/riding-nightmare-by-lisa-tuttle.html"><b>Riding The Nightmare by Lisa Tuttle</b></a><br /></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-60377850853401265992023-11-30T11:37:00.000-05:002023-11-30T11:37:07.083-05:00Appalachian Winter Hauntings: Weird Tales from the Mountains<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkbRNxUuQ75519QIgO3a2liSs41vtndUIlvhJzshRPKT3ZHKTOykzJVjHYqNGLzxnUqXNor_Br4HHK8OZ_JQxgL6ubAed74xjDqlMHjdex_webYfW_kVDLmZO4b13Cbzt9rNmGPoeNs0WIlVCW4QKdl46BjEkog4iU9YGPlb3g03DdMQjGkBX-Ne1Wt4/s400/7168409.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwkbRNxUuQ75519QIgO3a2liSs41vtndUIlvhJzshRPKT3ZHKTOykzJVjHYqNGLzxnUqXNor_Br4HHK8OZ_JQxgL6ubAed74xjDqlMHjdex_webYfW_kVDLmZO4b13Cbzt9rNmGPoeNs0WIlVCW4QKdl46BjEkog4iU9YGPlb3g03DdMQjGkBX-Ne1Wt4/w266-h400/7168409.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Appalachian Winter Hauntings includes eleven bone-chilling accounts-penned by many of the preeminent storytellers in the business-that are appropriate to the Appalachian region and relative to the heart of the holiday season. This anthology, edited by Michael Knost and Mark Justice, is designed for cozying up close to a blazing fireplace on the coldest of winter nights. Contributors include: Ronald Kelly, Brian J. Hatcher, Patricia Hughes, Steve Vernon, S. Clayton Rhodes, Steve Rasnic Tem, Sara J. Larson, Scott Nicholson, J.G. Faherty. EmmaLee Pallai, and Elizabeth Massie. The texture is gritty and the stories are moving. Think Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" turned up a notch with a ghostly Appalachian backdrop. So, pour yourself a mug of hot cocoa, wrap your favorite blanket around you, and brace yourself for ghostly stories and weird encounters that take place in the shadows of snowy hilltops or along icy mountain trails. Family friendly.</span><p></p><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">This was a case of "Don't judge a book by its cover" but that is what I did. I saw this gorgeous cover and expected some terrifying tales. Had I read the description down to the very bottom I would have noticed the "family friendly" part at the end. I believe that may be the reason this book has so few reviews. The cover may have caught the eye of horror fans like me while turning off its target audience, which would be people of all ages who like ghost stories. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">These tales are not gory horror. and there is nothing particularly scary. They are more in tune with the classic style of "Ghost Stories for Christmas."</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Most of the stories are heartwarming, poignant, and bittersweet.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">There is some Christmas cheer but I'm not sure I would recommend this book to anyone who struggles with depression at this time of year. There is much poverty, sadness, grief, and loss in these wintery tales, more than a few of which left me feeling quite melancholy even though some of the ghosts offered solace to the living. A couple of these stories had me close to tears. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">All of the stories except <b>The Peddler's Journey</b> by Ronald Kelly were new to me. I had read that one in a different collection. It's one of my favorites about a spirit with unfinished business.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A Sky Full of Stars and a Big Green Forever</b> by Steve Vernon is a lonely tale of a man spending another Christmas on his own.. I think the message conveyed was not to let grief steal what's left of your life.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">A man returns to his childhood home after the death of his parents in<b> Smoke In A Bottle </b>by Steve Rasnic Tem. Clearing out the house brings back childhood memories that look a bit different through the eyes of an adult.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Nativity Tray</b> by Sara J. Larson is one of the stories that had me close to tears. A grief-stricken woman who has lost her family to tragedy prepares for her lonely Christmas Eve until she is interrupted by a visitor.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Apple Head Dolly</b> by Scott Nicholson was closer to the type of story I was expecting to find here. No ghosts in this one, just a boy who is resentful of his sister when his financially struggling parents spend more on her Christmas presents than his,</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Christmas Letter </b>by Emmalee Pallai is another story that had me a little misty eyed. A boy who lost his dad when he was too young to remember him gets an unforgettable Christmas gift that he will always cherish.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Beggars at Dawn </b>by Elizabeth Massie is about a man at the end of his rope, who finds a reason to hold on a little longer.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So bottom line, I would recommend this anthology to anyone who likes ghost stories, but not for someone specifically in search of a scary read.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0982493959/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0982493959&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-4907227874073218342023-11-27T10:17:00.000-05:002023-11-27T10:17:27.986-05:00Cursed by Leigh Kenny<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37IAACCtEQf2UUGYy3GTm4M7_4hnnCJ8YAGK70UQbPqo7Rm0Pe5yHLx4PoqOBKFZVhDfOxT9jgn4pycognC0uZQKwddR0jVEjz1ktbKIoobVD5X0OLengTcD0iyIf_y0KZVsbkZhBONtyFrVqhBDDGcKw3Lgw9r0ifvfhU_1wZYRi3L9fp-uBT0b-0GA/s500/201576919.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="299" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37IAACCtEQf2UUGYy3GTm4M7_4hnnCJ8YAGK70UQbPqo7Rm0Pe5yHLx4PoqOBKFZVhDfOxT9jgn4pycognC0uZQKwddR0jVEjz1ktbKIoobVD5X0OLengTcD0iyIf_y0KZVsbkZhBONtyFrVqhBDDGcKw3Lgw9r0ifvfhU_1wZYRi3L9fp-uBT0b-0GA/w239-h400/201576919.jpg" width="239" /></a></div> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Have you ever agreed to something without understanding the consequences? What would you do if a cursed object came into your possession? </span><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Burn it? </span><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Seek spiritual help? </span><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Pass it on?</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">This is the impossible choice Curtis must face as a sinister entity is thrust upon him. As the walls close in and the evil takes hold, he must act before his life is forever altered.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Curtis is haunted.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="">Curtis is afraid.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Curtis is... </span><span 16px="" 600="" face=""Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif" font-size:="" font-weight:="">Cursed</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">The ideal read for fans of horror, mystery thrillers, possessions, and supernatural beings. The Grudge meets Drag Me To Hell, Cursed is the story of one man's relentless journey through darkness and isolation, as he discovers how far he's willing to go to save himself and those closest to him.</span><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Cursed is a fairly straight forward horror novella debut from Leigh Kenny. </span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The unlucky protagonist in Cursed is a likable young man named Curtis, who is a trash collector, having an ordinary day in his workaday life until he unknowingly accepts a cursed object from a woman in obvious distress. Curtis notices strange symbols and markings on this otherwise run-of-the-mill cardboard box he has accepted, but still, he assumes it is only trash that she is asking him to take because it wouldn't fit in her garbage bin. He throws it away and thinks no more about it... until it reappears, and it's not as empty as he first thought.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I liked Curtis, and I anxiously awaited a solution to the curse he was saddled with. I wanted him to be ok. There were several chilling scenes as the curse took deeper hold, along with the suspense of "will he or won't he" be able to escape it's clutches. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">This was a quick and creepy read and a praiseworthy first book.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My thanks to Leigh Kenny.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMNNBD5M/ref=x_gr_bb_kindle?caller=Goodreads&tag=x_gr_bb_kindle-20"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><br /></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-25778462285108494992023-11-21T18:46:00.005-05:002023-11-21T19:37:36.732-05:00Nightmare Abbey 4 Edited by Tom English<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuyTsVVTrAoFM67h5UqcOJ-7odYHZVpRLbeaNFO-op-UXi72fOnpyMiujDSy24Kzo7O_GEKTuoGVjTHcIcZdsEpwbu5iB75ErsBgJRW4p4oQG_sLS6ChA58zOXW1hOyVh7FnOUjJOEqc-1ee4vYN3gCEnblUvNhPleZt9AssfcClLF3XV2wghMG__Qv8/s500/201600654%20(1).jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="350" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxuyTsVVTrAoFM67h5UqcOJ-7odYHZVpRLbeaNFO-op-UXi72fOnpyMiujDSy24Kzo7O_GEKTuoGVjTHcIcZdsEpwbu5iB75ErsBgJRW4p4oQG_sLS6ChA58zOXW1hOyVh7FnOUjJOEqc-1ee4vYN3gCEnblUvNhPleZt9AssfcClLF3XV2wghMG__Qv8/w280-h400/201600654%20(1).jpg" width="280" /></a></div><br />Nightmare Abby 4 is a delight to behold. I'm going to confess something to you that I have never admitted in the bookish world before...</span><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">I often skim or skip the introductions to books. (I'm sorry but it's true.) But I never skip the introductions here because Tom English is a hoot in the Dear Abbey section, which tells you what to expect and is a damn sight clever in the process.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">The artwork is gorgeous and every volume contains top-notch fiction, and of course, the stories are my favorite part but I also learn something new every time. Nightmare Abbey is informative as well as entertaining. This volume contains an interview with Paul Finch, in which is mentioned an old TV show from the 70's called Beasts. I had never heard of it before and I love all those old spooky series so I immediately had to search it out and grab a copy on DVD.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">As for the stories I enjoyed them all, but the ones that stood out the most to me were <b>Finding The Hollow Man </b>by David Surface about the sole survivor in a group of kids who entered a cave 50 years ago. She has never told anyone the whole truth of what happened until now. You can be the first to hear it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Another favorite was <b>Devils of Lakeland </b>by Paul Finch in which a man traces his deceased brother's last steps in an attempt to answer whether his death was a suicide or an accident. The answer he finds is shocking and unexpected. The ending shook me a bit.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>Invasive Species </b>by Helen Grant also deals with deceased relatives, this time as a woman who has been estranged from her father tries to reach him before his death. Finding out she would be too late didn't stop her but she would have been better off if it had. This was one of the creepier stories and not the first I have enjoyed by this author. I think it's time for me to look into her full length novels because she is adept at building tension and spine-tingly suspense.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><b>The Brightest Heaven </b>by John Llewellyn Probert a weekend writing course and a chance meeting lead two writers on a hunt for a muse. Consequences await.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Two couples meet by chance or proximity on their vacations in paradise in <b>Get Away</b> by Ray Cluley. You may have heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but in this story, the same can be said for the sea. Don't look too long or too deep you may not like what you see.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">Last but not least in my favorites was<b> Sundown In Duffield </b>by Steve Rasnic Tem.This was a frightening and emotional story about a man with dementia who convinces his grandson to take him to visit his childhood home. He can't remember why he and his family had to flee but he should have stayed away.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">If you like short horror stories, and learning about classic horror movies you may have missed, along with gorgeous still shots from the films and amazing artwork you need all 4 volumes of Nightmare Abbey.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;">My thanks to Dead Letter Press.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CMPBG7FS/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_bb_amazon-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0CMPBG7FS&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Get a copy</span></b></a><br /></p>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-17510547659007578142023-11-16T14:22:00.001-05:002023-11-16T14:30:39.014-05:00The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror: Volume 4 Edited by Paula Guran<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmIHzT7Nx8vv_YBzkZi9XvCczPK9zyZ2u5YQCrsF56838-hjTgvJYwvWuOSz_QMlxMNM6TJ412Z7Z2Dn8DCjQaID8Wu0MKyPLYdpz41uKDBFLkKmjV7ieDhQRy9qGY0iINA8_TqeKcOL0Bl82qNNfDej9pyd63aXH1f9xphyphenhyphenSH3fXl2z_SwqJ7WqkFB4/s500/171119529.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="344" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdmIHzT7Nx8vv_YBzkZi9XvCczPK9zyZ2u5YQCrsF56838-hjTgvJYwvWuOSz_QMlxMNM6TJ412Z7Z2Dn8DCjQaID8Wu0MKyPLYdpz41uKDBFLkKmjV7ieDhQRy9qGY0iINA8_TqeKcOL0Bl82qNNfDej9pyd63aXH1f9xphyphenhyphenSH3fXl2z_SwqJ7WqkFB4/w275-h400/171119529.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br /> <span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror series returns with a splendidly startling fourth volume!</span><p></p><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">From paranormal plots to stories of the supernatural, tales of the unfamiliar have always fascinated us humans. To keep the tradition alive, fantasy aficionado Paula Guran has gathered the most delightfully disturbing work from some of today’s finest writers of the fantastique!</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">No two mysterious shadows are alike, and the same can be said for the books in this series. T he Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Volume 4 contains more than three hundred pages of mystical fiction. Reader beware and indulge if you dare, because these chilling tales are sure to spook and surprise!</span><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">The Year's Best Dark Fantasy and Horror Volume 4 is an exceptional anthology that makes me want to search out and read the previous volumes because apparently, I have been missing out on something special.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;">The first story, <b>Shadow Plane by Fran Wilde </b>set the bar pretty high. If surviving a plane crash and being trapped in the bitter-cold wilderness isn't scary enough just wait until you see what those shadows are up to. This was a super freaky story that will have you scared of your own shadow.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Red Wet Grin by Gemma Files</b> is a creepy story that is set in a nursing home where a new patient with a wicked smile has evil plans for staff and residents.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Lending Library of Final Lines by Octavia Cade</b> is gruesome, sad, original, and twisted. Complete books don't exist in this world but loose pages have an incredible and heartbreaking use. Reading can be dangerous.</span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stephen Graham Jones knocks it out of the park with his story <b>Men, Women, and Chainsaws. </b>Breakups can be messy, but this story of romance, revenge, and the bonds of parental love was a riveting page-turner.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Feeding of Closed Mouths</b> by Eden Royce was another of my favorites. I knew it would be from the opening line "When the news said three more young men had been found dead in their homes, Grace knew her mother had come to town." All I'm going to say about this story is WOW! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>A Belly Full Of Spiders </b>by Mario Coellho is a story of abuse and the supernatural. It is dark and disturbing and brilliant.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Long Way Up </b>by Alix E. Harrow is a tale of loss, and grief, and what one woman is willing to do for the love of her life.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The past catches up with a small group of teens in <b>Sharp Things, Killing Things </b>by A.C. Wise. This is a story that gave me goosebumps!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Swim the Darkness by Michael Kelly kind of broke my heart. Life is short even if you're not a girl with a strange affliction, so live as if you're on borrowed time. I'm not crying you're crying.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>In The Smile Place</b> by Tobi Ogundiran is about a boy who suffers a traumatic experience then later goes missing, and the big brother who lives with guilt over it. It's also scary as hell!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If you love dark fiction you need this anthology!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to Pyr Books</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Years-Best-Dark-Fantasy-Horror-ebook/dp/B0C3RML3KP/ref=monarch_sidesheet"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif=""><br /></span></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3879416156414916490.post-43681870501404514592023-11-09T11:45:00.000-05:002023-11-09T11:45:57.628-05:00Dread: 22 Tales of Terror by Kevin Bachar<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLFqwb_K9sg7hzZMsbMkh0iaTCOW83KQTQ2epuhfEF2IXpkqRWKuQff0YqWvoMK38UTxs2L4Owa6c57G-6iGz1FNx24uQzS_B1wHS_LnPpUkmo8Gi7U5NIYYy6e3TvYXthqLTmaeZwOPBu9iPa3gSJUDaLtgcMB5LjZZWAAhk5hhoS-1ejHIijPJqWe4/s500/200237106.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="324" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLFqwb_K9sg7hzZMsbMkh0iaTCOW83KQTQ2epuhfEF2IXpkqRWKuQff0YqWvoMK38UTxs2L4Owa6c57G-6iGz1FNx24uQzS_B1wHS_LnPpUkmo8Gi7U5NIYYy6e3TvYXthqLTmaeZwOPBu9iPa3gSJUDaLtgcMB5LjZZWAAhk5hhoS-1ejHIijPJqWe4/w259-h400/200237106.jpg" width="259" /></a></div><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">A child died in an avalanche, and she won’t leave me alone.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">A woman plagued by blood-draining mosquitoes on the Alaskan tundra figures out a horrific way to scratch her unending itching.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">There’s something outside my tent…and I think it’s hungry.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">A collector of rare tropical fish, receives a new species that is both fascinating and terrifying.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">DREAD - Thousands of people have gone missing out in the wild and here is a collection of tales that offer up some horrifying reasons why. Emmy-award-winning National Geographic cinematographer Kevin Bachar has swum with sharks, climbed the peaks of mountains, and explored the darkest of forests. In DREAD, he weaves together terrifying true stories from his real-life adventures with twisted fiction from the depths of his frightening imagination. Flip open the pages to indulge in the dark side of nature— haunted forests, tree demons, monstrous snakes, and a search-and-rescue team terrorized by the ghosts of those they couldn’t save.</span><br 0px="" 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" margin:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="" /><span 16px="" arial="" font-family:="" font-size:="" montserrat="" nova="" quot="" roxima="" sans-serif="">Read... if you dare.</span><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Angry spirits, swarms of bugs, strange lights that lead people astray, Bigfoot, and more are featured in these 22 new tales of Dread. Most take place in wild and dangerous outdoor settings because like they say, write what you know, and the author certainly has lots of experience with such places.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Some of the stories were too short for my taste but that is just my own preference. I love short horror stories but I tend to avoid flash fiction. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">It was the longer stories that gave me chills, and I enjoyed all of them starting from the opening lines of <b>The Peak of Fear </b>in which a search and rescue team is haunted by a mistake. There was more than the icy temperatures in this one that gave me the shivers!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> Another </span>of my many favorites was <b>Forest For The Trees. </b>I love a woodsy setting, probably due to my own complete lack of a sense of direction. I always get an uneasy feeling from these kinds of stories because I live vicariously through the characters from the safety of my cozy chair knowing full well that if it were me I would be the one lost and never seen again. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Working Like A Dog </b>was another of my favorites.<b> </b>While not a scary story there are some supernatural aspects to this tale of a New England grave digger and his best pal, a loyal dog named Rex. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I also loved <b>The Starter, </b>which is about a man with a struggling pizza restaurant. If you've ever wondered how to make the perfect crust at home like your favorite pizzeria does you can find an alarming secret here.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Branching Out</b> was the final and creepiest of the stories, in which a grumpy old man who just wants some peace and quiet on his own property, goes a little overboard and pays a horrific price. All the stories were good but those are the ones that I am still thinking about that will be cemented in my memories for quite a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">If you like dark fiction this collection is for you.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">4 out of 5 stars</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">My thanks to Kevin Bachar</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CLBR988H?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_0&storeType=ebooks"><b>Get a copy</b></a><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6289862.Kevin_Bachar"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>About the author</b></span></a><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /> <p></p></div></div></div>Well Worth A Readhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01841653540881053885noreply@blogger.com0