Twelve Nights at Rotter House by J.W. Ocker

Felix Allsey is a travel writer with a keen eye for the paranormal, and he's carved out a unique, if only slightly lucrative, niche for himself in nonfiction; he writes travelogues of the country's most haunted places, after haunting them himself.

When he convinces the owner of the infamous Rotterdam Mansion to let him stay on the premises for 13 nights, he believes he's finally found the location that will bring him a bestseller. As with his other gigs, he sets rules for himself: no leaving the house for any reason, refrain from outside contact, and sleep during the day.

When Thomas Ruth, Felix's oldest friend and fellow horror film obsessive, joins him on the project, the two dance around a recent and unspeakably painful rough-patch in their friendship, but eventually fall into their old rhythms of dark humor and movie trivia. That's when things start going wrong: screams from upstairs, figures in the thresholds, and more than what should be in any basement. Felix realizes the book he's writing, and his very state of mind, is tilting from nonfiction into all out horror, and the shocking climax answers a question that's been staring these men in the face all along: In Rotter House, who's haunting who?

"The first floor had plenty of furniture, surely bought and left by countless past residents who dared call this behemoth home. When you flee in terror, you rarely stop for the ottomans."

This was not at all what I was expecting from what sounded like a "typical haunted house" novel.
Yes Felix moves into an abandoned house in order to write a book about his experiences, but from the start the alleged haunted history of this home is a bit vague which only serves to emphasize that it may not be the main theme in this story. Enter Thomas, the estranged best friend. We don't really know why these former best buds have stopped speaking to each other, only that Felix has reached out to him for help with his book and although it is the first time they've bothered with each other in a year, Thomas has agreed. The pace is a bit slow here and we are given only the briefest of hints as to what could have caused their falling out. At this point I thought I had it all figured out and that the ghosts were not meant to be literal but  whether or not this ghost of a friendship could be resurrected from it's death. I can't share much more of my thought process or tell you if I was right or wrong in my assumptions without ruining the reveal at the end but I will say that although it was a leisurely arrival the pay off was with the wait.

I received an advance copy for review.

Pre-order a copy

Visit the author's website

Lucifer Sam by Leo Darke

The Day the Music DiedWhen a private jet carrying internationally acclaimed rock band Cat O' Nine Tails vanishes over the Indian Ocean, the shockwaves were felt around the world. There was no wreckage, no bodies, no black box recordings to provide clues as to what happened to the musicians. They were simply gone.
Rock 'n' Roll Will Never Die
Just as the world is recovering from the loss of Cat O' Nine Tails comes news that the jet carrying the band has mysteriously re-appeared in the same air space from which it had vanished six months ago. Was it a publicity stunt? The band is unable—or unwilling—to answer that question. They were "lost. But now we're back…" with the promise of a new album with a killer new sound coming soon.

There's something definitely not right with the band, but the nation is too firmly in the grip of Cat O' Nine Fever to notice. And as the formerly affable, much-loved Cat O' Nine Tails gears up for a new stadium show, it falls to Cat's original front man, sacked years before, and the members of a virtually unknown punk band, Lucifer Sam, to uncover the real threat behind the massive publicity drive.


Sex and drugs and rock-n-roll meet murder and mayhem in this heavy metal horror story.
When renowned band Cat O' Nine Tails miraculously reappears in the same spot as their mysterious disappearance 6 months earlier, their fans are elated. So what if they look younger and speak in faltering monotones. Who cares if they can't or won't say where they've been? What counts is the music and that they are back with a brand new sound. It's not that odd that they keep themselves secluded from friends and family is it? They're just too busy preparing for a concert and recording their new CD. Their new music is like nothing anyone has ever heard before. Those who listen to it are changed. For some it only takes the first few malignant notes to turn their thoughts to murder. For others it's a more gradual decline into wickedness. Either way, if a recording holds such power, one wonders what evil could be conjured by listening to them live and in person at their upcoming concert.  A few unlikely heroes band together to try to thwart what one believes is the coming apocalypse.
5 out of 5 stars
I received a complimentary copy for review.

Get a copy

Echoes of Violence by Glen Krisch

From the best-selling author of WHERE DARKNESS DWELLS and NOTHING LASTING.

In a secret lab in the southern Illinois woodlands, scientists break through the barriers between universes. While trying to decode the mysteries of the multiverse, they unwittingly bring a deadly flu virus into their own world. At first, people die in great numbers. Then, the newly dead rise, preying upon the living like a plague of locusts.

Not only have the scientists unleashed a deadly plague, but they've changed the very fabric of time, causing those who remain to continue to re-live the same day.

The Upton family has lived and died through thousands of todays. A married couple with three kids, they run the Cherryhill Campground next to the lab. In a day of unending chaos and violence, the only thing they know for certain is they must fight to stay together no matter what.

An apocalyptic thriller with nonstop action. It's THE WALKING DEAD meets HAPPY DEATH DAY

A scientific experiment has unleashed not only a zombie apocalypse, but ripped it's way through the fabric of time. As the Upton family prepares to close up their campground the zombie plague has already happened, is about to happen, and is happening now. All at the same time. After repeated and failed attempts to survive the day with their family intact, brothers Charlie and Billy begin to suspect they have made these same mistakes before. Will this strong feeling of Deja vu  be their salvation or are they forever doomed to repeat this day?
Each course of action risks a multitude of ways to die, and not just from hordes of the dead.
4 out of 5 stars.

I received an advance copy for review.



Get a copy

About the author
A native of the Chicago suburbs, Glen Krisch hopes to add to his list of ghosts he's witnessed (two), as well as develop his rather pedestrian telekinetic and precognitive skills. His novels include Amazon Bestseller WHERE DARKNESS DWELLS, THE NIGHTMARE WITHIN, NOTHING LASTING, ARKADIUM RISING, and LITTLE WHISPERS (forthcoming).

Before becoming a full-time writer, he worked a lot of unfulfilling jobs that only reinforced his ambition to chase his dreams. Besides writing and reading, he enjoys spending time with his wife, his three boys, simple living, and ultra-running.

Sign up for his newsletter at the following link to hear the latest news about upcoming projects (and receive freebies along the way).

http://eepurl.com/qFUfP

House of Skin by Jonathan Janz

Myles Carver is dead. But his estate, Watermere, lives on, waiting for a new Carver to move in. Myles's wife, Annabel, is dead too, but she is also waiting, lying in her grave in the woods. For nearly half a century she was responsible for a nightmarish reign of terror, and she's not prepared to stop now. She is hungry to live again...and her unsuspecting nephew, Paul, will be the key. Julia Merrow has a secret almost as dark as Watermere's. But when she and Paul fall in love they think their problems might be over. How can they know what Fate--and Annabel--have in store for them? Who could imagine that what was once a moldering corpse in a forest grave is growing stronger every day, eager to take her rightful place amongst the horrors of Watermere?


Paul Carver never knew his uncle Myles or anything about him other than the fact that his family disliked him. He was never spoken of and never to be asked about. Still, that seems no reason to refuse a free mansion and a large sum of cash. Paul packs up, leaves his old life and former girlfriend behind and drives all night to claim his inheritance. When Paul arrives he finds that his family are not the only ones who hated  Myles Carver. The local sheriff seems to bear a grudge as well. Strange changes begin to over take Paul as he settles in to Watermere. Has he taken possession of the house or has it taken possession of him?
This was a masterful story of evil that never dies.
5 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy for review.


pre-order a copy



About the author
Jonathan Janz is the author of more than a dozen novels and numerous short stories. His work has been championed by authors like Joe R. Lansdale, Jack Ketchum, and Brian Keene; he has also been lauded by Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and School Library Journal. His ghost story The Siren and the Specter was selected as a Goodreads Choice nominee for Best Horror. Additionally, his novel Children of the Dark was chosen by Booklist as a Top Ten Horror Book of the Year. Jonathan’s main interests are his wonderful wife and his three amazing children. You can sign up for his newsletter (http://jonathanjanz.us12.list-manage....), and you can follow him on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads.