Still Dark, a novel by D.W. Gillespie – #Horror #Paranormal #MindControl @dw_gillespie

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Blog Tour, book, D.W. Gillespie, Horror, mind control, mindcontrol, novel, paranormal, Still Dark

Still Dark blog tour with D.W. Gillespie

If you could be any inanimate object from your book, which would it be?

What an odd and interesting question.

I really had to spend some time mulling this one over, but it made me think about the story in ways that I hadn’t before. Considering all the objects around the book, I was able to dig a bit deeper into some of the character’s lives and back stories in ways that I might not have otherwise.

With that said, I would have to pick Walt’s International Scout. My dad had one when I was younger, and if you aren’t familiar, you should Google it. It’s what we would call an SUV nowadays, though I’m not sure that the term existed back then. They have a very distinct look, and some of them had removable tops so you could turn it into a convertible. They’re old and cool and certainly on the verge of extinction, which made it the perfect vehicle for Walt.

Spoilers follow:

There are a few reasons I’d pick the Scout. For one, Walt is just my favorite character in the story, so I’d love to see more of him. He’s an adventurer past his prime, a world traveler who lost a leg to a crocodile in Africa. He’s been around the block a few times, and I can only imagine what sorts of trouble the Scout got into.

The other reason is Walt’s tragic backstory. He found love as a young man, but he tragically lost it when his young bride died of cancer. The two of them ran off and got married together, and though I hadn’t really considered it before, I’d almost guarantee they drove through the mountains in the Scout, the top off, the wind in their hair. It would be a sad thing to see, but lovely all the same.

The Scout didn’t meet a grand end, crushed by a mad bull in the middle of town, but that leads to the last reason to choose Walt’s ride. It would have a front row seat to the craziest damn show of all time.

There might be some other solid choices out there, but I think the Scout wins on variety alone. Give the book a read and let me know what you’d pick.

When a thunderous explosion rocks an idyllic cabin resort in the Great Smoky Mountains, animals and humans alike begin to act strange. Jim, along with his wife Laura and son, Sam, are cut off from the outside world, but they soon realize the true nightmare is just beginning…

Deep in the snow-covered woods, something is waiting. The creature calls itself Apex, and it’s a traveler. Reading the minds of those around it, Apex brings the terrifying fears hidden in the human psyche to life with a singular purpose: to kill any that stand in its way.

Locked in a fight for their lives, Jim and his family must uncover the truth behind Apex, and stop the creature from wreaking a horrifying fate upon the rest of the world!

Amazon Digital and Print:

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Other Sources:

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR — D.W. Gillespie has been writing dark fiction in one form or another since he was old enough to hold a pencil. He’s been featured in multiple horror anthologies, both in print and online. Still Dark is his debut novel, and his second book, a short collection titled Handmade Monsters, arrives in 2017. He lives in Tennessee with his wife and two children.

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A guest post by Sam Mortimer, #author of Screams The Machine – Bloody Standards, Bionic Madness @gravesideblues

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book, dark fiction, disease, Dystopian Fiction, novel, Sam Mortimer, sci-fi, science fiction, Sirens Call Publications

Bloody Standards, Bionic Madness

Sam Mortimer

Horror is a heavy word. It distorts the image of safety in your mind, invades your mental and physical barriers, and everything you believe will protect you melts. We’re reminded of how fragile life is, how vulnerable our minds can be. Horror is everything dangerous and painful about being human.

Authors of classics like The Exorcist, Hell House, The Hellbound Heart, executed horror stories with an assassin’s skill and grace. The tales were well-wrought and proved sacred ground isn’t always safe, and there’s nothing on the planet that can’t be harmed or desecrated. Nothing is safe. These books raised the bar, and helped horror become a force to be reckoned with. It’s always good to keep the classics’ standards and expectations in mind, but obviously not to copy them. There’s still some bloody terra incognita to uncover.

Technology is great. I love it. It’s always developing, which means there’s always a playing field. Benefiting a horror writer, technology is relevant to the point of great and terrible awe. What was considered science fiction has become (or can become) actualized in the real world. For example, take the circa 1902 silent film, A Trip to the Moon. In the movie, folks are shot to the moon.  Over a century later, we have an international space station. Quantum computing is around the corner, and the Chinese have teleported a photon to outer space.

We have profoundly interesting breakthroughs with artificial intelligence, and we have learned that Facebook’s AI had created its own shorthand form of English, communicating in way humans couldn’t understand. That raised major concerns, and Facebook had to shut the AI down. We also have mass surveillance, and algorithms predicting human behavior with more precision than humans. Bionic limbs. Augmented Reality. Virtual Reality. To boot, I’ve also read about a pending head transplant.

Many developments are fantastic and can be beneficial, but alas, it’s horror’s job to point out what ‘could’ go wrong, what we don’t want to happen, and what would genuinely horrify us if it does happen. Technology is the cornucopia of ideas, and a dark fiction writer’s dream—speaking for myself at least.

A blend of science fiction and horror resounds on a realistic level. Highlighting subjects that are culturally relevant, and developments that might impact humanity’s future, can be steered in deeply horrifying directions.

Many of us grew up with love and respect for science fiction and horror. The genres remain to be the most important styles to me, and I hope my love burns hot in Screams The Machine. Of course, throw some dark fantasy in there as well and the deal is sealed.

Science fiction and horror can wreak serious havoc in the best way possible. The two unleash some bionic madness, expanding the readers mind and hurling them for a strange flight through the phantasmagoric and macabre. I hope Screams The Machine does a fraction of what great books like Richard K. Morgan’s Woken Furies, Steve Nile’s comic Criminal Macabre, and so many more have done for me: Tap ‘dat brain.

Cash carries a disease; one that’s already killed a large majority of the population and something needs to be done. To stop the crisis from escalating, The Solution (a worldwide organization) is formed and rises to great power. They monitor people’s dreams and shape reality to fit their own wants and needs. In an effort to control existence itself, The Solution is searching for what they believe to be the ultimate tool; a person with the ability to master a deep connection with the mysterious, pervasive energy known only as The Ultimate Reality.

Watching her neighborhood decay, her friends and family perish, Elizabeth Reznik needs to find meaning in her life. She discovers her existence is more meaningful than she could ever have imagined. Operatives of The Solution seek her out, take her from her home and perform brutal experiments on her. Their conclusion? Elizabeth is the one they have been searching for; she is the key to gaining complete power.

The stratagem of The Solution is single minded – own the resources and you own the people. And the last resource available is free will. They will own your thoughts, they will orchestrate your dreams; they will dine on your fears. But there is always a cog in the machine… or in this case, a scream.

Available on:

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About the Author:

Sam Mortimer has worked the graveyard shift in law enforcement, attended film school, and has been writing strange stories since age eleven.

He loves reading, music, and strives to meet the demands of his five cats.

 

Guest Post: Writing the Unreal with Brent Abell, Author of The Calling @BrentTAbell #horror #supernatural #book

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author, book, Brent Abell, dark fiction, fiction, Horror, novel, novella, Supernatural, The Calling

Writing the Unreal
Brent Abell

I write fiction. It is dark and filled with the things that go bump in the night. In the end, the sun rises and hope fills the world again. Sometimes, what I write for fiction doesn’t hold a candle to our reality. Think of speculative fiction as a mirror. What does the reflection look like when we gaze in to it?

The world needs speculative fiction to make sense of what is happening in reality. One can’t watch the news without seeing the horrors inflicted on fellow human beings on a daily basis. When I write about the unreal, I try to rationalize the real with it. It is hard to explain why people can be so cruel to each other. Yes, it’s human nature, but placing the blame on an evil presence, or on the supernatural, is easier.

Fiction is also an escape, but what are we escaping from when we read? Is it an escape when what you read isn’t any happier than reality? I watch the world go by and it saddens me. I use fiction to help sort my thoughts out about it. Writing fiction is a cathartic exercise to express the fears and concerns I have for the world.

Zombie fiction is a great mirror for the world. I use it to judge us. The genre has moved beyond the Romero comparisons to how mankind is being turned into zombies through commercialism. I use the zombies as a backdrop now to explore humanity. Instead of how do we get to the point of zombies, I write about the survivors and at what price will a person pay to live. We see on a daily basis the lengths people will go to in society to live, heck just to survive in some cases. But when the constraints of society are broken down and removed, how much will the living regress? When inspected under the mirror, not much more.

In the end, we use fiction for what we need it to be. If you need an escape, a coping mechanism, or a way to reflect; speculative fiction is there for everyone who chooses it. Maybe when you watch the news or look out the window, you can see behind the veil of this world and imagine what lies beyond. Pick up the book on the table next to you and escape. Escape into other worlds and enjoy the break from reality.

What do you see when you look into the mirror?

Carl Volker has a problem. After waking one morning with a hangover to find his wife gone, he notices a crow stalking around his yard.  As days go by with no word from his wife, more and more crows gather.

Frank Hill is sheriff in the seemingly pleasant town of White Creek. Up until recently, his job has been fairly mundane but after a recent spree of murders, bodies are beginning to pile up and Frank has no clue as to who the killer may be.

White Creek has kept its secrets hidden well over the years but the sins of its past are coming to light; the town harbors an evil and the bindings that keep it in check are beginning to unravel.

As Frank and Carl’s friendship is tested and their destinies are revealed, the dead accumulate while the crows watch and The Calling begins!

Available on:

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Amazon Print: US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Brazil| India | The Netherlands

Kobo | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Smashwords | CreateSpace (Print)

Brent Abell lives in Southern Indiana with his wife, sons, and a pug who sits around eating the souls of wayward people. His stories have been featured in over 30 publications from multiple presses. His work includes his novella In Memoriam, collection Wicked Tales for Wicked People, and novel Southern Devils; which are available now. He also co-authored the horror-comedy Hellmouth series. Currently, he is working on the second book in the Southern Devils series and the next book with Frank Hill in the White Creek Saga.

Facebook: Brent T. Abell
Twitter: @BrentTAbell
Blog: Our Darkest Fears

Horror and the Wild West – A guest Post by Maynard Blackoak @MaynardBlackoak #horror #darkfiction #author @Sotet_Angyal

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author, collection, dark fiction, Eerie Trails of the Wild Weird West, Haunting, Horror, Maynard Blackoak, Short Story

Horror and the Wild West

Maynard Blackoak

Horror by definition is a very strong feeling of fear, dread, and shock or something that creates those feelings.  Why is it many only focus on horror in the usual or contemporary settings?  From Shelley to Poe to Stoker to King, most classic horror literature tends to remain within the constraints of its own genre.

Picture Dracula moonlighting as a homicide detective.  Could the Frankenstein monster have had a second career as a Hollywood stuntman?  Do those sound humorous?  It they do, might I recommend Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.  Comedy and horror blend well together.  The trick is, a writer needs to be proficient writing in both genres, or it comes out reading like an observer making jokes about a tragic plane crash.

The one genre, which tends to work best with horror, is science fiction.  The two are so closely related, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between them.  Oftentimes, the line is blurred to the point a film or story is classified as sci-fi horror.  This combination tends to be easier to write than comedy and horror.  For many, it is easier to be terrifying with science gone awry than to be funny.

There have been other genres, which have worked well with horror.  I would be remiss if I failed to mention the success of Anne Rice’s vampire novels.  She, more than any other author, romanticized the vampire, splendidly casting them in dreamy, gothic light.  Love them or hate them, the Twilight series also accomplished the same thing, albeit with a teenage angst angle.

All this brings me to my collection, Eerie Trails of the Wild Weird West.  Two of my greatest passions are horror stories and the cowboy way of life.  I grew up watching the old classic horror movies from the silent era and the golden age of Hollywood.  When I learned to read, some of the first real novels I read were the classic tales of horror.  While it would be arrogant of me to put my writing on the level of a Poe or Shelley, I would like to think some of their style rubbed off on me.

Growing up in Texas and Oklahoma, I was exposed to cowboy songs and literature.  My dad was a HUGE fan of authors like Zane Grey and Louis L’Amour.  He listened tomusical acts such as Roy Rogers and The Sons of the Pioneers, Marty Robbins, and Gene Autry.  While I failed to appreciate his taste in books and music as a youth, they did grow on me.  In my later teen years, I developed an appreciation for some of his literature and songs.  It was also during that time I became a big fan of classic western films and the music of Chris Ledoux, all the while maintaining my love of classic horror.

One day as I spun the splintered windmill in my mind, pondering an original storyline, I came up with the idea of a marriage between westerns and horror.  As I processed the notion further, my thoughts were flooded with several dusty trails my story could take.  I decided no single story could satisfy the craving to tell a tale of my two favorite genres.  The idea of a western horror novel became an anthology of fourteen tales; I think my readers will find a unique telling of the wild Old West.

From Brethren to The Guns of Clay Allison, Eerie Trails of the Wild Weird West will take you on a bizarre ride of cowboys and Indians versus monsters, myths, and legends.  So saddle up your horses, partner and experience a telling of the Wild West like you have never heard.  Tell all your friends, neighbors, and kinfolk to pick up a copy.  I would sure like to write a second volume of these tales.

Eerie Trails of the Wild Weird West

A Short Story Collection
by Maynard Blackoak

Eerie Trails… of the Wild Weird West

In this collection of fourteen strange tales from the wild west, Cowboys and Indians face down supernatural beings of all varieties – from vampires and werewolves; to ghosts and vengeful spirits; to mythological creatures.

Saddle up cowboys and ladies alike, once the journey begins, Eerie Trails of the Wild Weird West will take you down a strange and bizarre path though the old west that you’ve never been on before.

Available from:

Amazon (eBook): US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan  

Mexico | Brazil |India | The Netherlands

 

Amazon (Print): US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan 

Mexico | Brazil |India | The Netherlands

 

Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

 

CreateSpace (Print)

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About the Author —

Maynard Blackoak is a freelance writer living in the backwoods of Pawnee County, Oklahoma. He draws upon the sights of neglect and unusual sounds around him for inspiration. A bit of a recluse, he can often be found strolling through an old, forgotten cemetery or in the woods among the twisted black oaks and native elms under the light of the moon.

Twitter: @maynardblackoak
Facebook: Maynard Blackoak

‘When the Muse Takes Me’ – a guest post by John Mc Caffrey | Nora’s Wish #blogtour #romance #novella

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book, elderly, Guest Post, John Mc Caffrey, love, magical, Muse, Nora's Wish, novella, old age, Romance, second life, Writing

When the Muse Takes Me
John Mc Caffrey

I have never been one for self-imposed writing schedules. I know many writers do, but it doesn’t work for me. I may not write for weeks, then hit the keys hard for a few months, averaging about 2500-5000 words a day. I read that Stephen King can write as many as 50k words a day, which just amazes me. The only time I ever set a goal was when I wrote my first novel, and I set myself a dead line for a particular month I wanted to be finished. I only just made it.

Usually I write late at night, long after everyone’s gone to bed. I find it adds mood to the material. I always have music playing when I write, either classical or new age, volume turned low. If I have notes I’m following, I’ll have those strewn on the desk in front of me and a cup of tea. Then I just go at it until I find a place where I want to stop. Sometimes, I need to stop; closing a scene or chapter. I often like to stop at crucial changes to gain a fresh perspective the following day. To allow what I’ve written to simmer overnight. These are my prolific times.

I wrote Nora’s Wish during one of these prolific times. It held me to the keys for days until I was able to finish it. Some stories have that effect on me, as if they take on a life of their own, demanding to be written. I felt a connection with the major characters in Nora’s Wish, and as a result, many parts of the book almost seemed to write itself. A little strange perhaps, but that’s the way it felt. It’s much the same way when I write anything, especially when I’m dealing with the characters, often times it’s as if they speak to me, and I just jot down what they’re saying.

Not all of what I consider my writing time is about the creative process, or should I say, tapping away at the keys. I also put aside a lot of time for editing, rewriting, and reading what I wrote the day before. I’ll process ideas, going over my notes when I’m able to read them, (I have horrible penmanship), elaborating or discarding plots. I don’t web surf or go on social media when I’m writing. I don’t answer the phone or start rearranging my desk. I stay focused on the task at hand and every now and then, if I’m lucky, everything around me ceases to exist. I enter that creative area of my brain where nothing matters except for what I’m writing. Hours can pass during these times and it’s usually when I’m at my most prolific and most creative. I don’t get writers block, and to be frank, I don’t believe it exists. When I’m in the mood for writing, I can always find something to do. It’s all about the craft and the desire to be better at it than you were the day before.

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Nora’s Wish
by John Mc Caffrey

Ben Jameson is a bitter retiree residing at Willow Manor, a home for the aged or those in need of care, and has nothing more to do than await the inevitable conclusion of a life wasted. Forgotten by his family, his days are marked by the solitary existence of books, loneliness, and regret.

A chance meeting with a terminally ill resident named Nora, and her unshakeable optimism in the face of her eventual demise, rekindles emotions he was certain were gone forever. Nora reawakens his ability to love, and with her compassion and her companionship, he comes to realize that even a life as wasted as his own can be salvaged and, given the right incentive, is still worth living.

As Nora’s health declines, they both dare to hope that the magic of a strange pendant Ben purchased from an antique shop as a gift for Nora will overcome the odds, offering them more time with one another.

Nora’s Wish is available on:

Amazon: US | UK | Australia | Canada | Germany | Italy | France | Spain | Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India | The Netherlands

Other sources: Barnes & Noble (Print & eBook) | Kobo |
iTunes | Smashwords

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR — John Mc Caffrey writes tales of horror, the supernatural, science fiction, and fantasy. He was born in Illinois and grew up on the south side of Chicago. While still in grade school, he developed a passion for reading through the works of Tolkien, Poe, and Lovecraft as well as being addicted to watching Hammer Film’s at the local Saturday matinee. Today he lives in Northern Indiana with his wife where he writes in his spare time.

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Creating a New World – Guest post by Ela Lourenco, author of Dragon Born, a #YA #fantasy #novel. @ElaLourenco

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book, Dragon Born, Ela Lourenco, fantasy, magic, novel, Sirens Call Publications, YA, young adult

Creating a new world…
Ela Lourenco

The idea for Dragon Born literally just popped into my head after a request from my eldest daughter to write something she could read. I could barely stop myself from hogging the computer and losing myself yet again in a new story and yet I did. Why? Before I could begin the tale of Lara and her friends, before the story could move forward we all had to go back – back into the past of Azmantium (the planet the story takes place on)…

I know some writers plan their stories in great detail while others just let it flow spontaneously – I fall somewhere in between. Once I actually start writing it is all spontaneous and freestyle, but then there are the months of planning that go on in the background before the first chapter is ever started.

World creation – possibly one of the hardest and yet most fun aspects of writing a fantasy adventure. There is much more to it than merely describing a planet or setting. In fact I will let you in on a little secret, it takes me longer to establish the world then to write the actual book! There are all the various races to describe; the dragons, mages, witches… And there is so much to detail beyond their physical descriptions and magical powers. Each race needs its own past – an entire history which helps explain why and how they have become who and what they are. They all have their own rituals, belief-systems, relics which are all essential to the creation and melding together of the world they inhabit.

Every potion, weapon and magical object in Dragon Born has a purpose and ties to the plot and many subplots in a vital way. Each one contributes towards making Azmantium not just a make-believe fantastical planet but a three dimensional real one which the reader can connect with more and more as the histories of the races are unravelled.

Some might argue that creating your own world is easier than writing something factual as there is no chance that you can get anything wrong – I beg to differ!! When establishing Azmantium and telling the tale of its various races, I spent many an hour reading and rereading my own notes just to make sure that all of the details fit, that nothing contradicted itself, and that everything I had ‘created’ built on the story and was not merely added in just because it seemed fun. It is vital to create a ‘believable’ world when writing fantasy or the reader will not bond with the characters or empathise with their plight.

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Far in the distant reaches of the universe is a world called Azmantium. A planet with lilac skies, jade green seas and fiery red suns. A planet where everything, from the tides of the sea to life itself, is rooted in magic. Children are assessed at an early age and trained according to their unique magical talents.

Lara, an orphan who has no memory of her true origins, is unaware that she has a vital role to play in the ancient prophesies that are about to begin coming true. Older than most who are just beginning their magical training, Lara will soon find out that destiny waits for no one, especially when the fate of the world rests on their shoulders.

With the help of her new friends, Lara will learn that in order to save the future, she must journey into the past – to a time when Dragons ruled the world!

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Dragon Born is available from:

Amazon:  US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India | The Netherlands

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About the Author — Ela Lourenco lives in Scotland with her two daughters and husband. She has been an avid reader since childhood and has long enjoyed mysteries, mythology and anything related to the paranormal/supernatural/mystical/science fiction. She loves nothing more than making up stories about faraway people and places (helped somewhat by a mind that just won’t grow up!). When she isn’t nose deep in a book or writing herself she can be found dancing around the kitchen whilst baking. Her biggest wish in life is to infect others with a passion for reading.

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Follow the rest of Ela’s Dragon Born blog tour – click the image below for participating blogs and dates!

Blog Tour for One Bad Fur Day, by K. Trap Jones – Originality in Writing #horror #thriller #novel @ktrapjones

Tags

book, dark fiction, Horror, K Trap Jones, novel, One Bad Fur Day, Sirens Call Publications, Writing

Originality in Writing
K. Trap Jones

Writers have the ability to create anything they want. A blank page is a massive sandbox; a canvas before a brushstroke even adds color. My favorite part of writing is the brainstorming aspect of the process. I will daydream for days regarding a potential topic and won’t write a single word until I have all of the details organized. In my opinion, there is nothing better than when a story comes together and works. Let’s face it, unless you are making a living at writing, it is a hobby and hobbies should be fun. Otherwise, why do it? Just get another hobby. The fun and creativity in writing keep me coming back to create new tales.

Originality plays a big part in my writing. I refuse to write what others write. An author I look up to is Wrath James White. I read an interview with him back in the day and he said, “If another writer can write your book better than you, then you shouldn’t write it.” That quote conjures up during my brainstorming sessions. I’ve discarded a lot of cool stories because I just didn’t think they were original enough.

Stick three people in a sandbox and instruct them to build a sandcastle. One will push the limits and try to erect a masterpiece, one will play it safe by building a standard castle and the last one will try to copy the others. Originality is the key to any of the arts whether you are a painter, sculptor or writer. Find your voice and carve out your own niche. After all of the fascination of being a ‘published author’ wears off, that is when you truly become a writer.

A few years back, I wrote a short story which completely changed my outlook on writing. It was a story I never thought would see the light of day. The concept was insane, but I had the most fun ever writing when I created it. From that point on, every story was about me having fun at a hobby I enjoy. One Bad Fur Day is a book based on that particular mindset. It was extremely fun to construct this story and push the limits of not only the horror genre, but characterization as well. In order for the book to work, each animal needed to be unique and still keep with the stereotypes of their real life counterparts. In the end, One Bad Fur Day is a unique rollercoaster ride through the beauty and harsh reality of the animal population through times of turmoil.

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ONE BAD FUR DAY

Call it odd, call it off-beat, call it fantasy; but don’t think for a moment that One Bad Fur Day is anything other than a suspense driven horror ride that blurs the lines between harsh reality and brutal imagery…

As Hurricane Katrina barrels through the Louisiana bayous, the animal population is forced to deal with the tumultuous upheaval of their world. Sheriff Sid and his wife are caught completely off-guard by the natural disaster unfolding around them as they battle not only the turbulent winds and flooding waters, but heinous acts committed by other creatures inhabiting the backwaters. Following a brutal assault on his wife, Sid is forced to fight off voodoo-priestess snakes, a junkyard raccoon, deceitful badgers, and a band of roving power-hungry alligators. While clinging to his tenuous hold as sheriff, Sid must find a way to recapture what is rightfully his and exact his revenge.

K. Trap Jones does a fantastic job of pairing the genuine horror of a natural disaster with a story of deceit, betrayal and vengeance that pulls you in and forces the reader to identify with Sid as he journeys through the darkest reaches of the bayous, facing deadly encounters, on One Bad Fur Day!

One Bad Fur Day is available at: 

Amazon: US | UK | Canada | Australia | Germany | France | Spain | Italy | Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India | The Netherlands

Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

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About the Author: K. Trap Jones is an author of horror novels and short stories. With inspiration from Dante Alighieri and Edgar Allan Poe, he has a temptation towards narrative folklore, classic literary works and obscure segments within society. His short stories have appeared in various anthologies and magazines. His novel, The Sinner won the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award. He is also a member of the Horror Writers Association and can be found lurking around Tampa, FL.

“Today, there’s a new generation of horror writers bursting onto the scene, and Jones is one of the leaders of the pack.” –Edward Lee, author of City Infernal, Header, and The Bighead

Novels:
-The Sinner
-The Harvester
-The Drunken Exorcist
-The Charm Hunter
-One Bad Fur Day
-The King’s Ox
-The Crossroads

The Cornelius Correspondence: The Cradle Book Tour: Letter 4 of 5 – #horror #novel #Cradle @JoshuaSkye1

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author gust post, book, Cradle, Crepuscule's Cradle, haunted, Haunting, Horror, Joshua Skye, novel, Sirens Call Publications, Supernatural

 

The Cornelius Correspondence: The Cradle Book Tour:
Letter 4 of 5

by Joshua Skye

Dear Joshua,

One hopes one’s letter reaches you while in a pleasant state of mind. If you’re not, so be it. Someone or something has been scratching at the chamber door for hours this evening, so one finds oneself without much concern for your emotional well-being at this time. Oh dear, did that sound catty, in any way unkind? Allow me an hour’s reprieve.

Two hours have passed and still the scratching continues raking cat-like claws across one’s back, down the spine, sending frosty fingertips over the whole of one’s body. One realizes this is a rather eerie opening to a personal letter, but perhaps your Muse has taken form in this, our correspondence. Please, feel free to use this unnerving discomfort in some future story. Don’t forget a wink or a nod in the dedication.

You might ask why one simply doesn’t fling open the door and investigate, and the answer would have to be a resounding: one doesn’t know. Imaginations run wild and fear becomes addiction after a while. One likes it, like a dog to a bone, moth to a flame, an obsession to a fetishist. Ah, one’s latest fixation… fear. Rather ironic, wouldn’t you say? A Shadow fetishizing shadow. Or maybe it’s just fittingly amusing. Like your Muse, the boogeyman, Krampus, or your favorite porn star, one exists to arouse you, nothing more.

One does admire that you love your characters, even those of unredeeming quality. It makes your stories exponentially more disturbing. How could anyone love a mother… or, more distinctively, Scotty’s mother in the wake of her ghastly neglect? Are you the victim of some sort of variant of Stockholm Syndrome, a childhood pathology that crafts a bond with such a vile parent regardless of said parent’s shortcomings? In fact, your “mommy issues” seem a regular motif in your writing. The relationship between Kincaid and his mother in The Angels of Autumn was dysfunctional as well, though in a resplendently dissimilar way. Love takes on many guises, most of which are just plain unsettling in your world. How bravely and incestuously gothic of you, Joshua.

We’ve corresponded about your main characters, what compels you to bring them to life in all their dysfunctional grandeur, the fact they have eerie similarities to the people you know, but allow one to ask you of monsters. Do they too have origins in entities around you? Your fiends in Angels were truly horrific. I was spellbound by your graphic depictions of those oceanic monstrosities and the vivid transformations from their human forms. What made you deviate from revisiting them in Cradle, though it takes place in the same nightmarish realm?

Dreaming,
Cornelius

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Cradle
Joshua Skye

In the deepest vale of Crepuscule’s Cradle, in the cul-de-sac at the end of Direful Hollow Road, is a once grand Folk-Victorian home known as The Habersham House. It’s a place haunted by far more than rot and neglect – evil dwells here, an evil that craves children.

Eight-year-old Scott Michaels-Greene has a fascination for tales of the strange and unusual, especially local folklore. His favorite story is the one about Habersham House; a ruined old place where many curious children have disappeared.

Hours away from Crepuscule’s Cradle, in Philadelphia, author Radley Barrette has just lost the love of his life to a random act of violence. Amongst his endowments from Danny’s estate is an old house in the backwoods of Pennsylvania, Habersham House. Though grief stricken at leaving behind the only home he and Danny had ever known, he knows he cannot remain in the city. Besides, the isolation may be just what he needs to clear his mind of the writer’s block he’s suffering from.

Crepuscule’s Cradle is not as he imagined. The locals are inhospitable. The skeletal forest surrounding it is as unwelcoming as the town. And the house itself – there is something menacing, something angry inhabiting it with him, and it’s hungry. Radley’s world slowly begins to unravel; the fringes of his reality begin to fray. In the midst of his breakdown, a local boy with an unhealthy fascination for Habersham House begins sneaking around and the evil residing within has taken notice.

Blending fantasy with horror, Crepuscule’s Cradle is the darkest of fairy tales. The morbidity of classic folklore and contemporary style weaves a web of slowly encroaching unease. Radley Barrette’ winter bound home is more than a haunted house, and Crepuscule’s Cradle is more than a mere horror tale. It’s a bedtime story that will pull you into its icy embrace, lull you into a disquiet state, and leave you shivering in the dark.

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Cradle is available online at:
Amazon: US | UK | Australia | Canada | Germany | Italy | France | Spain | Japan | Mexico | Brazil | India | The Netherlands

Barnes & Noble (Print & eBook) | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

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About the Author – Award winning, bestselling author Joshua Skye was born in Jamestown, New York. Growing up, he split his time between Pennsylvania and Texas. Ultimately he settled in the DFW area with his partner, Ray – of nearly two decades, and their son Syrian. They share their lives with two dogs, Gizmo and Gypsy, and a chinchilla named Bella. Skye’s short fiction has appeared in numerous anthologies including Childhood Nightmares: Under the Bed, and periodicals such as The Sirens Call. He is the author of over ten critically acclaimed novels, among them The Angels of Autumn that takes place in the same nightmarish universe as Cradle.

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An Interview with Julie Barnson, #Author of ‘Go Gentle’ in Beyond the Wail – @JulieBarnson1

Tags

Anthology, Beyond the Wail, Blog Tour, ghost, Go Gentle, Julie Barnson, Short Story

An Interview with Julie Barnson, author of ‘Go Gentle’ in Beyond the Wail, plus a ‘just for fun’ list!

How did you come up with the concept of your story?
I was thinking about the song The Devil Went Down to Georgia.  I had just heard other stories like it, and randomly googled fiddle folklore. I learned some really awesome things, and I decided to use what I learned in a story.

What is your preferred writing genre?
I love ghost stories.

Who is your favorite author?
Neil Gaiman

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?  
When I was in third grade.  Then I became an adult and decided that I didn’t have anything to say.  Recently my children have been growing up and leaving home, and I’m starting to realize that maybe third grade me had the right idea.

Given unlimited resources, what would be your ideal writing environment?  
A lovely custom office at home that didn’t have access to the internet so I couldn’t distract myself with Facebook.

What is your writing drive? The power that keeps you going when your writing gets difficult?
I don’t know yet.  I’m still discovering me as an author.

How does writing impact other parts of your life?  
I’m a professional storyteller, and I’m hoping to use writing to tie in to some of my performances and to define who I am as a storyteller of the oral AND the written word combined.

What activities best give your brain a break?
I’m a solitaire addict.  This is actually a bad thing, because I play solitaire on the computer.  If I lose a game, It could be awhile before I can get back to writing, because I have to play again.

What are some of your other published works?
I have a CD that I self published, and have stories in two other cd’s that were produced by the Utah Storytelling Guild.  Beyond that and a few contributing recipes in local recipe books, this is my first foray into the publishing world.

What is your advice to writers?
I don’t have any advice to writers, except to keep doing what you love.  To aspiring writers, be courageous and bold and just do it.

What’s up next for you?
I’m putting together an anthology of Victorian ghost stories.  I have been learning to tell them for shows, and I want to put all of my favorites into one place.

What is your favorite snack while writing?
Diet coke

If you had three wishes, what would they be?
Oh no, I’m not falling for THAT trap.  There’s always a catch when you make wishes in the ghost stories and horror novels.  Monkey’s Paw, anyone?

Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you?  
I love to play dress up, but not as any particular character, so I’m not really a cosplayer, more a costumer.  I ADORE Halloween.  It’s my favorite holiday. I love to cook.

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Julie’s Just for fun nerd list:
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars
Hunger Games or Divergent? Hunger Games.
James Bond or Jack Ryan? Jack Ryan
Sherlock: Robert Downey, Jr. or Benedict Cumberbatch? Benedict Cumberbatch, absolutely
Spock: Leonard Nimoy or Zachary Quinto? Leonard Nimoy
X-Men or Avengers? Avengers
Aliens or Predators? Aliens
Minions or Penguins? Neither
Batman or Superman? Batman
Harry Potter or Pirates of the Caribbean? Yes.

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What is it about fear and the unknown that pulls so passionately at the human heart? Perhaps we are drawn not to the darkness itself, but to the resolution, the overcoming of what we most deeply dread. After all, the more terrible the struggle, the greater the victory when it comes at last. Presented in this anthology are twelve remarkable stories of the darkness that overshadows us, and the resolution that may be found beyond them. They are stories of fear and oppression, but ultimately stories of hope, stories that will take you BEYOND THE WAIL.

GO GENTLE by Julie Barnson: After the death of her boyfriend, a young musician uses her talents and a fabled violin to stop the fatal accidents at a dead man’s curve.
Blog: Tales by Julie
Twitter: @JulieBarnson1

Available on Amazon >>>

‘STRUCK’ – The 1 Year Anniversary Tour of Clarissa Johal’s Novel @ClarissaJohal

Tags

book, Clarissa Johal, Gothic, Horror, novel, paranormal, Sapphyria's Book Promotions, STRUCK

Welcome to the blog tour celebrating the
1 Year Anniversary of the release of the
Paranormal Gothic Horror Novel

STRUCK
by Clarissa Johal

Follow the tour to read new reviews, interviews with Clarissa,
and exclusive excerpts.

“The shadows hadn’t been waiting. The shadows had been invited.”

About STRUCK

After a painful breakup, Gwynneth Reese moves in with her best friend and takes a job at a retirement home. She grows especially close to one resident, who dies alone the night of a terrific storm. On the way home from paying her last respects, Gwynneth is caught in another storm and is struck by lightning. She wakes in the hospital with a vague memory of being rescued by a mysterious stranger. Following her release from the hospital, the stranger visits her at will and offers Gwynneth a gift–one that will stay the hands of death. Gwynneth is uncertain whether Julian is a savior or something more sinister… for as he shares more and more of this gift, his price becomes more and more deadly.

Book Details:

Title: STRUCK

Genre: Paranormal Gothic Horror

Author(s): Clarissa Johal

Publisher: Musa Publishing

http://www.musapublishing.com/

Cover Artist: Kelly Shorten

ISBN: 978-1-61937-690-8

Number of Pages: 255

Price: $4.99

Purchase Links:

 

 Amazon Author Page

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Exclusive Excerpt:

They perused the aisles of clothing together, Fenten carrying a mountain of clothes to try on and Gwynneth with two T-shirts.

“Pick something else, Gwennie,” he complained. “A dress or something that looks hot.”

“Where am I going to wear something hot, Fenten?” she scoffed. “I’m sure all the residents would appreciate that.”

“Not for work, girl. For going out.”

“I don’t go out.”

“Maybe you should. When’s the last time you and Seth went out for a night on the town? Dancing or clubbing? You two need to get drunk together.”

She felt her cheeks warm slightly. It was stuffy in the clothing store. “I don’t know of any place to go.”

“In San Francisco? Honey, there are more places than you could cover in a lifetime. Next time I go out, you’re both coming with me.”

She didn’t say anything to that. The idea of trolling the singles clubs scared her more than she cared to admit.

“How about this?” Fenten held up a red dress.

“It’s nice.”

“Nice? There’s no nice about this dress. It’s hot, is what it is. You’d look great in it, too. Try it on.” He tossed it at her.

She sighed, exasperated. “It’s too fancy. I don’t think it will look good on me.”

“Go.” He gave her a little push toward the changing room. “Just try it on. And give me those.” He grabbed the T-shirts from her. “Enough with the T-shirts. Think grown-up clothes. You’ve got a body underneath those poor excuses for fashion. You need to find it.”

“Fine, I’ll try it on,” she said. “You can be so pushy, seriously.”

She checked the corridor of changing rooms. They were all empty, save for the one at the end, which seemed to have some movement in it. She started for the first door and found it locked. She tried the second and again found it locked. All of them, except for the changing room next to the one occupied, were locked. Exasperated, she set the dress hanger on the post of that one and closed the door. Shimmying out of her jeans and T-shirt, she unzipped the red dress and slipped it over her head, carefully navigating her burn. She decided not to zip it up and then checked the mirror. It was a beautiful dress. Really it was. “It’s just not me,” she murmured. “Too fancy.”

Gwynneth stared at her reflection and frowned. It was getting darker in the store. She looked up. Over-bright fluorescent lights glared down at her. “What the hell?” Her T-shirt slipped from the peg. As she bent to pick it up, something dark shot out from under the changing room beside her and snatched it. “Hey!” She knocked on the wall. “Hello? That’s my T-shirt!”

Silence.

She peered under the short wall that separated the changing rooms. The room next to hers appeared empty. I swear there was somebody in there a second ago. Maybe they’re standing on the chair. “Hello?” She knocked again. Hesitant, she stepped out of her changing room and tried the perpetrator’s door. The light overhead flickered, and the door swung open.

The dressing room was empty. Her T-shirt lay on the ground. She bent to retrieve it and caught what should have been her reflection in the mirror. But it wasn’t her reflection. The mirror was completely black. Gwynneth froze in horror. Something was watching her from the other side. She could feel its presence, poised and waiting to spring. A hissing whisper made its way into her ear and trailed away. She backed out of the dressing room and fled down the corridor.

“Okay, now you look hot, Gwennie,” Fenten remarked as she joined him.“The fact that you didn’t zip it up? Even better.”

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Praise for STRUCK:

Lovely Reads

“This book grabs you in right away and hold your attention…I so loved this book and didn’t put it down until the very end.” Read More ~ Lovely Reads

Bex ‘n’ Books

“This is a spooky thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. You won’t be able to put it down because you must finish it to see what happens, even if it keeps you up late at night to do so.” Read More ~ Bex’n’Books

Bibliophilic Book Blog

“STRUCK will get beneath your skin from the very beginning. Gwen’s a likable character with a difficult past and tenuous future after meeting Julian. I liked the secondary characters, especially Fenten and Poppy. The characters were definitely all well-developed and engaging.” Read More ~ Bibliophilic Book Blog

Straight from the Library

“The characters are well drawn and likable….The action is fast paced– I read the book in one sitting.” Read More ~ Straight from the Library

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About the Author:

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles. She shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

*Member of the Author’s Guild

Coming May 19, 2015 from Permuted Press

VOICES, a paranormal psychological horror

 

STRUCK, a paranormal gothic horror

(2014) Musa Publishing

*Indie Book of the Day Award

*Nominated for the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2014

BETWEEN, a story of the paranormal

(2012) Musa Publishing

*Second place in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll 2012

*Paranormal Reads gives BETWEEN 4 out of 5 Bats

PRADEE, a young adult fantasy

(2010) CreateSpace

*Second round finalist in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award Contest 2012

Short stories:

PIGEONS, published in the literary journal Susurrus

THE ROPE, published in the literary journal Susurrus

Non-Fiction:

A WAY OF LIFE, published in The Sacramento Bee

 

Find Clarissa Online:

Author Website
Amazon Author Page

Author Blog

Author Facebook Page

Twitter

Author Goodreads

Pinterest

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

 

How did you come up with the idea for STRUCK?

Some stories begin as random scenes, some as characters, and some are born from asking the question, “What if?” I was hit with the idea of STRUCK while running on a forest trail near my house. It was during a thunderstorm and I wondered what it would be like to be hit by lightning. I write about ghosts and things that go bump in the night and in essence, those entities are energy. What if a portal was opened by a lightning strike? And what if that portal allowed the energy from those entities to escape? The idea was intriguing and I went to bed still thinking about it. That night, I dreamt I stood in a field, with lightning striking the ground all around me. But the lightning wasn’t just releasing electrical energy, the lightning was releasing negative entities from the Otherworld. I woke from the nightmare in a panic, thinking those entities had somehow attached themselves to me. And so a story is born.

I went on to research the effects of being struck by lightning, interviewed several lightning survivors, and began writing STRUCK. I’m continually amazed how a, “What if?” idea can expand into a novel.

What first inspired you to become a writer? And what compels you to continue your career as an author?

I wrote my first short story in grade six. I was asked by the teacher to read it aloud to the class, which terrified me. After I was finished, I realized that I actually had everyone’s attention! I was shy and we moved every year, so I was always the new kid. When you’re in that situation, it’s kind of like being invisible. Finding my voice through story-telling made me realize how powerful writing could be. As far as continuing—truthfully? I think I’d go nuts if I didn’t write.

What made you choose the genre of paranormal gothic horror?

I started out writing fantasy fiction. I was working on the second installment to my PRADEE series when there were two characters that kept showing up on the page, over and over. They didn’t belong in fantasy novel, nor did they belong in my story! But their backstory came to me so vividly, that I set aside my series and wrote my first paranormal novel, BETWEEN. I’ve been pulled into the Otherworld permanently now. The ideas come faster than I can write them down.

Tour Presented by:

Tour Schedule:

January 1: Tour Kick-Off http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/
January 2: Exclusive Excerpt http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/
January 4: Review http://www.carolynspearromance.com/blog
January 5: Review HorrorMade.blogspot.com
January 7: Exclusive Excerpt http://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/
January 9: Exclusive Excerpt http://aliciajoseph.com/
January 12: Review https://twitter.com/peach83352
January 15: Exclusive Excerpt https://darcnina.wordpress.com
January 17: Review http://mullenarmyfamily.blogspot.com/
January 19: Exclusive Excerpt http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com/
January 20: Exclusive Excerpt http://www.babsbookbistro.net/
January 21: Interview http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/
January 23: Exclusive Excerpt https://fillingspaces.wordpress.com/
January 26: Interview http://karengreco.blogspot.com/
January 28: Review http://neutiquamerro.wordpress.com
January 31: Reviews (by 3 different tour hosts)
1) http://ifeeltheneedtheneedtoread.com/
2) http://www.themoralofourstories.com
3) http://hello-booklover.tumblr.com/