Still alive... you?

It's been a while since I posted a book review so I thought I would just pop in to say no I have not abandoned the blog. It's really hard to concentrate on books these days, I read maybe 10 pages a night and then barely remember what I read. I don't sleep well and my anxiety is high. I do have quite a few books that I am hoping to review in the coming weeks.
Other than that we are ok here, or at least we are not sick. It's getting harder to find basic necessities with all the hoarding going on but other than that we are good and I hope you are too. I am able to stay home, but so far my husband is an "essential worker" and he is forced to go out there every day. It's scary and I worry a lot.
Anyway the title of my post comes from my sister. If either of us do not hear from the other for a while she has taken to emailing me with the subject line "still alive, you?" 
I hope you are doing ok, and please, please PLEASE stay home if you can. We are all in this together.

In The Scrape by James Newman and Mark Steensland

Most kids dream about a new bike, a pair of top-dollar sneakers endorsed by their favorite athlete, or that totally awesome video game everyone's raving about. But thirteen-year-old Jake and his little brother Matthew want nothing more than to escape from their abusive father. As soon as possible, they plan to run away to California, where they will reunite with their mother and live happily ever after.It won't be easy, though. After a scuffle with a local bully puts Jake's arch-nemesis in the hospital, Sheriff Theresa McLelland starts poking her nose into their feud. During a trip to the family cabin for the opening weekend of deer-hunting season, Jake and Matthew kick their plan into action, leaving Dad tied to a chair as they flee into the night.

Meanwhile, the bully and his father have their own plans for revenge, and the events to follow will forever change the lives of everyone involved...




Jake and Matthew have not seen their mother for years. They live in constant fear of beatings from their abusive alcoholic father. Jake  longs for the day that he will have enough money to take his little brother and run away to find their mom in California, never believing their father that it is their fault she ran off. The relationship between the brothers, and Jake's fierce desire to protect Matthew is palpable. It made me wish I could rip them from the book and rescue them myself.
When Jake is finally ready to implement his plan, outside forces conspire against them and ugly truths long hidden, come to light.
5 out of 5 stars

I received a complimentary copy for review

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The Passengers You Cannot See by The Behrg

Description

Every story has its beginning and end. But some stories won’t let go. Some stories dig their claws into you. They infect your dreams. They carve out a residence in your mind. They become passengers . . .

Ones that never leave.

Within this collection of short stories by esteemed horror author The Behrg you will discover a haunted house that is not quite what it seems. A trophy collector who prefers living statues to cold ones. A truck driver who, with one good deed, finds more than he bargained for. And a world where happiness can no longer be felt. 

Light and darkness. Hope and despair. Depravities and humanity. These passengers and more await. And they’ve been sharpening their claws to greet you.

This is an eclectic collection of dark tales that run the gamut from supernatural horror to fantasy/sci fi.
Some of these stories were better than others, a few I felt were a bit vague when it came to the ending. My favorites all involved children, as I'm sure I have told you more than once kids creep me out anyway!  From the horror that befalls those who take in an abandoned baby in "Reborn" to the complete and utter devastation of coming home from the maternity ward in need of a tiny coffin instead of a crib in "Still Born", those were the tales in this collection that most resonated with me. "Amado" also involved children as an attempted rescue goes awry. I just can't say that I enjoyed the rest of the book as much as those three stories.

I received an advance copy for review.
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About the author
The Behrg is the author of dark literary works ranging from screenplays to 'to-do' lists. His debut novel, Housebroken, was a First-Round Kindle Scout Selection, and semi-finalist in the Kindle Book Awards. Author of The Creation Series, his short fiction has been featured in various publications and Best-Of Anthologies. His 'to-do' list, however, will likely never be completed.
A former child actor turned wanna-be rockstar, Behrg lives outside Los Angeles with his wife and four children. Discover why he writes as "The Behrg" at his website: thebehrg.com

Jon Richter's Disturbing Works (Volume Two)

Another compendium of delightfully macabre stories by Jon Richter, author of Deadly Burial and Never Rest. Jon's first short fiction collection was described as 'Black Mirror meets Tales Of The Unexpected', and here he brings you another chilling assortment of twisted tales encompassing killer creatures, terrifying technology, and scientific experiments gone horribly wrong... These dark fables are perfect for anyone who likes their reads short, shocking, and laced with a dash of black humour.


The first thing I have to say about Disturbing Works volume 2 is that after reading it I need to get my hands on Volume one. These 10 short stories both shock and horrify as we are plunged into what feels like a realistic nightmare. I was hooked from the first story where something as believable as a garbage strike springboards into a tale of corruption, murder and monsters.
There are stories of mythical creatures, medical breakthroughs that go horribly wrong, which I suppose is to be expected when one has the option to be injected with animal DNA to address human weaknesses or aging. The scariest factor for me was my belief that in reality if such medical treatment became available there would be people willing to try it. Have you ever watched any of those Urban Exploration videos online or maybe even considered exploring an abandoned place on your own? I have watched a few and often thought it might be exciting to join in but the story Urbex cured me of that desire. Sometimes abandoned places are best left to decay in peace. Jon Richter's writing is smooth and expressive, making me feel as if I did not merely read these stories but experienced them.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

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About the author

Jon Richter writes dark fiction, including his two gripping crime thrillers, Deadly Burial and Never Rest, and his two collections of short horror fiction, volumes one and two of Jon Richter's Disturbing Works.

Jon lives in Elephant & Castle and is a self-confessed nerd who loves books, films and video games – basically any way to tell a great story.  He writes whenever he can, and hopes to bring you more macabre tales in the very near future, including his upcoming cyberpunk noir thriller, London 2039: Auxiliary.  He also co-hosts the Dark Natter podcast, a fortnightly dissection of the greatest works of dark fiction, available wherever you get your podcast fix.

If you want to chat to him about any of this, you can find him on Twitter @RichterWrites or Instagram @jonrichterwrites.

His website haunts the internet at www.jon-richter.com, and you can find his books at Amazon here: https://amzn.to/2OXXRVP.