Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label horror. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 December 2017
Friday, 2 September 2016
Cover Reveal & Giveaway: Season of Decay by Michael W. Garza
About the Book
Title: The Season of Decay
Author: Michael W. Garza
Genre: YA horror
Our world decayed and a new world arose from the ashes of the old.
The Canaan tribe formed from the ruins of their oppressors, struggling to build a new world for themselves, challenged by the rise of a threat within and a familiar foe at their doorstep.
Mia’s position among the tribe has put her at odds with Rowan and their former way of life. Rowan is determined to strike out on his own, but his loyalty to Mia has become a constant battle. The lives of all the members of the Canaan tribe hang in the balance as the council struggles with a path forward. A horde of the dead push toward Canaan driven by the infected, and Mia must choose between the people she loves and the tribe she has sworn to protect.
Evolution always finds a way…
Author Bio
Michael W. Garza often finds himself wondering where his inspiration will come from next and in what form his imagination will bring it to life. The outcomes regularly surprise him and it’s always his ambition to amaze those curious enough to follow him and take in those results. He hopes that everyone will find something that frightens, surprises, or simply astonishes them.Links
@mwgarza
Pre-order on Amazon
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveawaySaturday, 5 March 2016
Multi-Author Promo - Sci-fi, Fantasy and More
http://pattyjansen.com/promo/
Over a hundred books available in this double promotion. Books you can read for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and if not, they will be reduced to 99 cents on the dates of the promo - March 5-6.
The second part is first books of a series free on Kobo. Science-fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal and speculative fiction romances, something for everyone! Here is just a small selection below:
Science-fiction
by Patty Jansen
A collection of fifteen short stories and novellas by Patty Jansen. Includes the Writers of the Future winning story This Peaceful State Of War, as well as fiction published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
by Jane Killick
Waking up without his memories and hunted by Agent Cooper, Michael finds sanctuary with a group of perceivers: telepaths who sense the thoughts and emotions of others. Drawn into their battle to stay free of the cure which threatens to strip them of their powers, he searches for the person who stole his past. As the tension between perceivers and norms erupts into violence, Michael pieces together the shocking truth behind the origin of their power. To save his friends from destruction, he must face Cooper and confront the painful revelations of his forgotten secrets.
A gripping science fiction thriller set on the streets of London, Mind Secrets takes an exciting and dangerous journey into intrigue, friendship and deception.
by E.K. Baxter
Five fantasy and science fiction tales that will sweep you to other worlds.
A tired old woman is the only one who can save a city from the terrifying Pantheon. A boy walks the empty corridors of a starship with only his dog for company. A high-flying city worker learns that fairy tales really do come true. A young slave woman discovers that she carries a power that could set her free. A cyborg demon-hunter meets an angel who throws his world into chaos.
Step into the world of the circle spinner…
Dystopian & Post Apocalyptic
by Ann Christy
One hundred and twelve years after the fall, the Republic of Texas is built on two foundations: total freedom and total responsibility. A law broken means a strike against the lawbreaker. Five strikes means execution. The only hope for the law breaker is to escape Texas—to go Striker—before justice comes for them.
Sixteen-year-old Karas Quick has never had it easy. The daughter of a Striker and an alcoholic mother, she’s gotten everything she has the hard way — even the strike on her neck. Yet try as Karas might to stay above-board with the authorities, there are some things you just can’t plan for.
Like seeing the face of her long-lost father paraded through the town square in chains.
In the blink of an eye, Karas’s life changes forever. Potential strikes be damned, she has to see her father one last time. What she discovers propels her upon an unimaginable journey, one she can only hope she’ll survive.
The Tide
by Anthony J. Melchiorri
Captain Dominic Holland leads a crew of skilled covert operatives and talented scientific personnel. He’s taken them to all corners of the earth to protect the United States from biological and chemical warfare. When his CIA handler, Meredith Webb, gives him a mission to investigate a disturbing lead on a laboratory based out of an abandoned oil rig, they discover the most terrifying threat to mankind they’ve ever faced—a genetically engineered biological weapon called the Oni Agent.
Back in the United States, Meredith discovers a frightening connection between the CIA and the Oni Agent. But her investigations are short-lived when the Agent spreads and brings mankind to its knees. Cities burn as it turns humans into warped creatures hell-bent on destruction.
Dominic and Meredith vow to do everything they can to combat the Agent and find a cure. But will their efforts be enough to turn the tide—or is humanity’s fate already sealed?
Fantasy & Paranormal
by Angela Holder
Two lands, separated for a millennium by divine decree. Each holds the key to the other’s survival.
The Matriarch of Ramunna needs an heir. Only the lost healing magic of the ancient wizards can help her conceive and bear the daughter who will ensure Ramunna’s future. She sends an expedition to seek the wizards who legends say still dwell somewhere far across the uncharted ocean.
Tevenar hovers on the brink of disaster. Elkan, Josiah, and the rest of the Wizard’s Guild battle a virulent wheat blight, but even the Mother’s power might not be enough to prevent a deadly famine. The arrival of the Matriarch’s envoy offers both hope and danger. For in order to strike the bargain that could save both lands, they’ll have to sacrifice the isolation that has protected Tevenar for centuries.
by G.B. Wren
This is Book 2 in The Silvering Series and the second in reading order.
Loran Avileen wants nothing more than a new life in a magical land with Topen, the man who captured her heart. There's only one person who could turn her dream into a nightmare -- her brother.
The evil sorcerer, Nepsaril, left the scars of dark magic on her brother's flesh and power now dominates her sibling's mind. He seeks magical allies to help him strip the rule of his land from his twin. But the opportunistic Listurn may have found a greater purpose for him.
Can Topen and Loran stop her brother's quest in time to keep two powerful magical families from war?
by Annette Gisby
Recently released from a mental institution, Beth Gregory accepts a job as a live-in secretary/PA to the reclusive painter Josh Warrington. From the first moment he sees her, Beth’s long red hair fascinates him, and Josh wants her to be his Rapunzel for a series of fairy tale paintings on which he’s working.
Beth has two major fears: that she will be sent back to the mental hospital and that the visions which landed her there in the first place will return. They do; this time giving her glimpses of murders before they happen. Beth becomes the main suspect in the murder investigation and then she has the most disturbing vision of all: she will become the next victim…
by Megan Crewe
Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the lies and backstabbing between her fellow students.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance...
To see all the books available, please visit the promo page here:
http://pattyjansen.com/promo/
Sunday, 1 November 2015
Author Interview & Giveaway: Cellar by Karen E. Taylor
About the Author:
Karen E. Taylor is the author of the popular Vampire Legacy series, CELLAR (a ghost novel,) numerous short stories, and a collection which earned her a Bram Stoker Award nomination. She is currently working on a new urban fantasy series, along with other projects she is too superstitious to mention.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I do a little bit of both. I start with a general idea of what I want to do, main character sketches, and vague pointers to beginning, middle and end. Then I write the first 3-4 chapters. From there I begin to outline, simple at first, then more and more detailed, until for the last 5 chapters, when I have each scene mapped out. It’s important to know where you start and where you end.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
That’s what characters do, so of course. And I generally indulge them, since they’re right in the middle of the story, they often know better than I do.
What is your favourite food?
Chocolate. And coffee.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Most definitely a night owl.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
Everywhere. Because dreaming is free.
Do distant places feature in your books?
I’ve written about New York City, London, Maine, New Orleans, Paris, and Whitby. Oh, and Pittsburgh, PA. Sometimes the story keeps you close to home.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Absolutely. I have to have a playlist for each project before I can begin in earnest. I use headphones to drown out the outside noise and when I’m really involved in the writing I don’t hear a thing.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
CELLAR isn’t really my latest release, but it’s the feature of the book tour, so we’ll talk about that. It’s a haunted house novel, featuring recovering alcoholic Laura Wagner. She’s a single mom, with two young daughters who live with their father. When she returns from rehab, she discovers that her house is downright creepy and it has nothing to do with drinking.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I could write a whole book about that subject alone. Mostly I’ve learned that good writing is good writing, no matter the topic or genre.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I might have tried to write more books earlier in my career, but other than that, I’m pretty happy with how life has turned out. Although being rich would be nice.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
Reading is the biggest influence, not anything in particular, just keeping your brain open and alert. Getting together with like-minded people is a help, as well.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Just keep writing. Books don’t happen overnight and if you don’t devote yourself to them, they never do.
What are three words that describe you?
Funny. Dark. Dedicated.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Depends on when you ask. Right now, I’m partial to the Bronte Sisters. Oh, and Mary Stewart, Roger Zelazny, and Tom Robbins.
Something’s not quite right about the neighborhood of Woodland Heights. Five years ago six children disappeared in this suburban heaven. When Laura Wagner moves into a house that had been vacant for most of those five years, this something comes alive.
Laura Wagner, divorced mother of two, addicted to alcohol and Valium, sees nothing wrong with her life; she sees nothing much at all. She gets by as well as she can, aided by the solace of her drugs and whiskey, until the day she backs into a police car in the parking lot of her favorite bar and is sentenced to involuntary rehabilitation treatments.
Returning home clean and sober is an eye-opening experience. The spirit dwelling in her house reveals its true, evil nature and begins to prey upon her, her friends, even her children, avid to spread its message of death and despair.
Laura must learn to control her inner demons before she can subdue these outside forces threatening to break free. She must learn how to distinguish hallucinations from reality, learn how to stop the spirit that requires her death and the deaths of her loved ones.
List of previous books if any
I’m best known for my Vampire Legacy series – currently all 7 books have been collected in omnibus editions: HUNGER, CRAVE, THIRST, and BLOOD RED DAWN. I also have a short story collection, MEXICAN MOON AND OTHER STORIES, available now.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
www.karenetaylor.com
@karenetaylor53 at Twitter
www.facebook.com/Karen-E-Taylor-Writer-of-Supernatural-Tales-125652237503799/?ref=hl
www.amazon.com/-/e/B001HMLORI
Links
Buy the Book on Amazon
Giveaway
eBook and paperback copy of Cellar
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, 17 August 2015
Book Spotlight Nightlife: NightTerrors by Matthew Quinn Martin
Title: Nightlife: Night Terrors
Author: Matthew Quinn Martin
Genre: Horror
Release Date: July 7, 2015
“Doesn’t get any darker than this; you can actually feel the blood spatter…” –Hugo & Nebula winner James Patrick Kelly
Enter the world of Nightlife, where the streets crawl with unimaginable demons, and a monster can lurk behind every friendly face...
Matthew Quinn Martin first terrified horror fans with Nightlife, the captivating story of two unlikely monster hunters determined to save the city of New Harbor from the Night Angels—bloodthirsty creatures that feed on the forgotten. Jack Jackson and Beth Becker are among the few who can see these creatures for what they really are, but as they hunt the creatures, a mysterious organization known only as The Division is hunting them.
In the novella Hazardous Material, we get a glimpse of The Division’s origins and aims, when a young man stumbles onto a long-abandoned video arcade—which three decades ago was the site of the largest mass shooting in New York history—and unwittingly uncovers a relic of unimaginable power and mind-altering terror.
And in the never-before-released As the Worm Turns, Jack and Beth are back, along with their faithful dog, Blood. For months they’ve been keeping just one step ahead of The Division, whose enigmatic leader has been pursuing them with the single-minded obsession to capture them by any means necessary. But as Jack and Beth continue their quest to rid the world of the creatures once and for all they find themselves facing off against something even more terrifying than the Night Angels––something that could hold the key to humanity’s salvation…or its doom.
Three amazing horror stories in one chilling bundle...the only thing you won't fear is the price!
***
NIGHTLIFE
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL EXCERPT:
One hour and three busted blades later, Jarrod and Ludwig found themselves in a long abandoned arcade still filled with videogames. The long-dark console games stood on either side of the low-ceilinged warren, facing each other like silent sentinels. And, as odd as it seemed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were judging him. And like the mural they’d torn down, something about this room was off.
“Videogames. Real videogames, not that World of Warcrap.” Ludwig ran his hand across the chipped particleboard façade of one cabinet. A fold of dust bunched up, exposing the title. “Man…I used to live for these things when I was a kid. Look at ‘em now…just junk.”
“Why are they all here?” Jarrod asked, unable to help himself.
“It’s an arcade, Jare’ that’s where they put videogames.”
“Yeah…but why are they all still here? Why was that door welded shut?”
“Like I said…junk,” Ludwig answered, but his voice quavered with a new uncertainty. “More expensive to cart ‘em off, I bet. Seen a lot of things get walled off like this. People making their own private landfills. Found tons of crazy stuff over the years. Crazier than videogames.”
Ludwig’s words went soft in Jarrod’s ear. The diminished to little more than a distant drone. Jarrod kept looking at the games. He wanted to step closer to them, but his boots were velcroed to the floor. “Why just leave them, though? I don’t get it. They’ve got to be worth a fortune. I mean people collect this kind of stuff.”
Ludwig narrowed his gaze at the twin rows of consoles. “I’m gonna’ drag the genny in here and see if these puppies still got any life in ‘em.” He turned, leaving Jarrod with nothing but the scant illumination of his own small flashlight.
Jarrod, knew that look, the avaricious glint in both of Ludwig’s eyes. There might as well have been a pair of cartoon dollar signs there. Ludwig was about to score big, and all Jarrod would get out of it was the privilege of carting his haul out to the curb. He could have put his fist right through one of the screens. He was the one who pulled down the lockers. Ludwig wouldn’t have even found this room except for Jarrod and that stupid stupid Yankee work ethic his father had drilled into him.
His hands went clammy, grabbing reflexively at the sides of his cargos. Ludwig would give him something, right? It was only fair. Ha! Jarrod almost laughed out loud. When did fair every have anything to do with it. All he’d really wanted out of life was to feel a little special. He’d wished that desperately from his parents. But there was always his brother Simon standing in the way. First as the favorite son. Then as the war hero. And now, the ghost who every year inched closer to sainthood, at least in their eyes.
Stop it! This isn’t about Simon. It was true. This was about Jarrod and his best chance of starting over, his best chance of finding that special someplace else. And that chance rested in Ludwig’s greedy mitts.
Jarrod craned his neck, hoping to spot Ludwig, but he was alone in the dark. Alone with the machines. Might as well find the plug. He dropped on all fours and shined his flashlight behind. Some graffiti caught his eye. It was almost lost in the gloom, faded black paint against a gray wall. He squinted, mumbling the words to himself.
die demon die
the end draws nigh
the puppet screamed
all is lies
a curse behind hollow eyes
is lifted now
die demon die
“What’s that there?” Ludwig asked, suddenly crouched beside Jarrod like a blue-collar gargoyle.
Jarrod tried not to jump, and failed. He scrambled back, brushing the cold from his arms as Ludwig cackled at his cowardice.
“Some kind of…some kind of creepy poetry.” He pointed. “Take a look.”
Ludwig did, his lips moving as he read silently.
“What do you think it means?”
“It means don’t do drugs,” Ludwig said, reaching for his Newports. He pulled out a smoke and started tapping it against the box. Tappity. Tappity. Tap Tap.
Jarrod grit his teeth. There it was, the tapping again. Not asking for a smoke was bad enough. Refusing Ludwig’s repeated offers was bad enough. But the tapping––the goddamn tapping was pure water torture. He turned his attention away from the pack and fixed on the graffiti. The tapping followed him, rapping on the side of his skull like a door knocker. Tap. Tap. Tap. Your old friend Smokey here, why don’t you let me inside and we’ll catch up. “Go away.”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing,” Jarrod said quickly, not realizing he’d spoken aloud. He shook his head and focused on the wall, for the first time noticing a few holes in the cinderblock. Beside the holes were big black splotches that looked like…
That looked like bloodstains.
Jarrod’s heart frosted over. Get a grip, he told himself. Just get a grip, that is probably nothing but mold. But his eyes kept ping-ponging between the holes and the stains. “Ludwig?” he asked, pointing to them. “What do you think those might be?”
Ludwig bent in for a closer look, unlit cigarette dangling limply from his mouth. “Well, Jarrod, those––” his voice slipped like a bike chain from its sprocket. “Those…ahem…those look like bullet holes. Thirty-eights I’d bet, if I were a betting man.” He fired up his smoke and took a long drag. Then he took another. The ash column broke and tumbled down his shirt. “Jeez Louise. Sure you don’t want a cigarette?”
***
About the Author
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, it wasn’t until Matthew moved to Manhattan that he realized he was a writer. These days, he lives on a small island off the North Atlantic coast of the United States where it gets quiet in the winter…perhaps too quiet. . .
Links
http://www.matthewquinnmartin.com/
https://twitter.com/matthewqmartin
Buy the book:
Simon and Schuster | BN | Amazon | iTunes | GooglePlay
Tuesday, 30 October 2012
Author Interview: J. Stephen Howard
About the Author:
J. Stephen Howard has written several books in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Also, he contributed several articles to "American Songwriter Magazine," wrote a humor column for "Evansville Business Journal," and recorded essays for public radio station WNIN.
He teaches English in California where he lives with his wife.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I create an outline and brainstorm important details regarding character development. However, I allow the story flow, guided by character motivations, to alter the outcome.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Yes, they often reveal something about themselves that I hadn't known about. I can think right now of an example. In the one story that's a novella, “The Guitar Pick," the singer-songwriter protagonist discovers the malevolent nature of his guitar pick. What I discovered and didn't fully know about beforehand, though, concerned his reaction to this development. Led by his impulses, the ending surprised me.
What is your favourite food?
I love Mexican food. Give me a fully-loaded burrito, freshly made, and I'm a happy man.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I used to be a night owl, but when I became a middle school teacher and had to get up early, that changed. Now, especially on weekends and during vacation, I like to write as soon as I get up. I find I'm still in a dream state.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I'd love to travel to a major country on every continent. This would give me a well-rounded experience of the world. While I take pride in being American, I want to take in the differing viewpoints of various cultures.
Do distant places feature in your books?
No, but I'd argue that having traveled to other places, my philosophy on the human experience has been influenced. In turn, my writing is indirectly affected.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Yes, I listen to film scores on Pandora. It helps put me in the mood of creating a suspenseful, “cinematic" story. I think it's important to keep the action in motion and paint visceral images for the reader. Movies remind me of how to do that.
Frankenstein's Confessional is a book of eleven short stories and one novella. It takes so little to create a monster. Add self-loathing, throw in some jealousy, and maybe a pinch of revenge for starters. Serve it all up with guilt, and voilà--evil is alive, and it has a voice. From the mouths of self-made monsters come these tales, confessionals so to speak, detailing how their lives went wrong.
As a human, a firefighter lived to save people. Now as a vampire, he kills to live, but what happens when he falls in love with a mortal? Will he have the impulse to run into the fire to rescue others, or will he throw them into the flames of his torment?
A priest meets a troubled penitent whose confession hints at murder. When victims turn up with their hearts removed, striking a chord of remembrance, the priest feels somehow responsible.
A former football player-turned New York C.S.I. agent has a new case and an even newer partner. Thundering headaches smash against his temples like brutal linebackers, blocking his ability to solve the crime. Meanwhile, the glory days on the pigskin field keep haunting him as it turns out to be no coincidence that the victim is a pro football player of great fame.
These are just a few of the characters who discovered how forgiveness comes with a price. They learned that in Frankenstein's Confessional, you enter a sinner but leave a monster.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
I've learned you have to write what you would like to read. Then, you can worry about publishing. After the book is written, then it's a matter of reaching out to potential readers who might enjoy reading the type of story you've crafted.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I'd write more if I had the time! However, since I'm a full-time teacher, I like my current approach. During summer vacation, I do all the planning for a book. Then, throughout the school year, I try to write at least one page a day. Typically, I find myself too exhausted at the end of a school day to do too much planning.
The two Stephens, King and Spielberg, introduced me to the magic of using my imagination. If I can transport the reader, I've been successful. Most of us appreciate the ability to escape from the stressfulness of reality.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Believe in yourself, and write first to entertain yourself. Don't let critics stymie your artistic urges.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
I appreciate how Stephen King can combine several layers that may seem incompatible. In the same story, a reader can describe what he's reading as being creepy, humorous, and touching.
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book:
Anita from The Kindle Book Review says: "If you enjoy reading Stephen King, John Saul, or Dean Koontz then you will enjoy reading J. Stephen Howard." Tracy Cook from “Booked Up" says: “This is a good collection and got me more in the mood for Halloween.” Horror writer, Tara Fox Hall, says it's a “very well written collection sure to entertain and enthrall."
List of previous books if any:
Fear in Appleton.
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
http://www.frankensteinsconfessional.com
http://www.facebook.com/FrankensteinsConfessional
http://www.fearinappleton.com
http://www.facebook.com/FearinAppletonbook
Thank you, J. Stephen and good luck with your books!
Monday, 29 October 2012
Book Review: Salem VI: Rebecca's Rising
Salem VI: Rebecca's Rising
by Jack Heath and John Thompson
Horror/Supernatural
Pressque Publishing, LLC
3.5 Stars
Blurb:
Having stepped off the fast track of primetime network television news, John Andrews has chosen a quieter life as editor of Salem News, a small paper in a quiet New England town. Life is perfect until Andrews’ wife is killed in a tragic accident. After several years of trying to numb the pain with alcohol, Andrews is visited by the spirit of a long dead ancestor who opens a door to a shocking family history. After he experiences a surreal glimpse into the past, Andrews must confront the question of whether he is losing his mind or whether for several hundred years his ancestors have been engaged in a secret battle with a coven that worships Satan. Fueled by the need to understand whether his wife's death was really an accident or something far more sinister, Andrews, along with his beautiful assistant editor, risk everything to discover a truth so horrifying it threatens to destroy everything and everyone he knows and loves.
Review:
I've always been fascinated by the Salem witch trials after seeing The Crucible, so it wasn't hard to agree to review this one. Rather than go down the route of an action-packed conspiracy thriller, Jack Heath and John Thompson have gone the route of a more character-driven story and as such it stands out much more than just another religious/conspiracy thriller. What made a God-fearing Puritan community turn against their own?
John Andrews escaped a fire at his college dorm, due to hearing the voice of a woman in his head urging him to wake up. Andrews didn't know it, but the fire was the first of many attempts on his life. He is descended from Rebecca Nurse, one of the accused witches hanged at Salem, and also from Ann Putman, one of Rebecca's accusers.
There is a portrait of Rebecca Nurse in the house he inherited from his aunt, and as part of the will, he must agree never to part with it or sell it. John has never liked it, he always thought Rebecca looked very disapproving.
Four years after his wife's death, coming up to Halloween there have been a spate of runaways going missing. John keeps hearing a woman's voice in his head again, and it helps him save a baby. He hears screams coming from a shop called "Wicca Wonders", but no one else seems to hear it. Is he going mad or is something much more sinister going on?
The authors have created a sympathetic character in John Andrews and you are rooting for him as the story unfolds. However, what disappointed me was that we as readers know a lot about the who, where and why, long before John and Amy, his editor figure it out. It would have been more suspenseful for the readers to find out who the 'baddies' are at the same time as John and Amy. There was one of them who was a surprise near the end of the book, so that part was good.
Amy and John share some romance, but it fell flat for me, I didn't get any spark between them at all. The story would have worked just as well if they were investigating things as colleagues without the romance. Contrary to popular belief, some women will read books even if there is no romance in it.
I couldn't tell it was written by two different authors, the scenes blended so well. It's fast-paced and engaging with interesting characters and a different, imaginative, take on the Salem Witch trials.
Reviewed by Annette Gisby
Monday, 26 March 2012
Book Review: Broadmaw Bay by F G Cottam
Broadmaw Bay
by F G Cottam
Hodder & Stoughton
Horror
Available now
ARC from amazon vine.
Blurb:
Brodmaw Bay seems to be the perfect refuge for James Greer and his family. When his young son is the victim of a brutal mugging, Greer wants to leave London - the sooner the better - for the charming old-fashioned fishing port he has just discovered.
But was finding Brodmaw Bay more than a happy accident? What is the connection between the village and his beautiful wife? When his friendly new neighbours say they'd welcome some new blood - in a village where the same families seem to have lived for generations - are they telling the whole truth?
Perhaps the village isn't so much welcoming them as luring them. To something ancient and evil. As it has lured others before . . .
Review:
3 Stars
After their son is beaten up on his way to school, the Greer family decide that it is now the right time to move out of London and go to somewhere idyllic beside the sea, something that they've talked about for years but never done. James (the father) finds a children's book in the hospital as he is standing vigil at his son's bedside. The book has lovely illustrations of Broadmaw Bay, illustrations very reminiscent of his wife Lily's work, but she insists she's never been to the place. James decides that Broadmaw Bay is where they should relocate too.
For a book called Broadmaw Bay, it was almost half-way through the book befre we got to see the place. James goes there first to see if would be a suitable place for his family, which I found rather strange. Shouldn't all of them have some hand in the decision rather than just him? The locals seemed warm and friendly and up for having some new blood in the village and yes, they would be able to buy a house there.
Most of the first half of the book seemed to dwell far too much on the Greers' disenchantment with London, which to me slowed the plot down considerably. A few chapters in we also discover that Lily was having an affair, which seemed to come out of nowhere and added nothing at all to the story. Why do very few books seem to have any happily married couples in them? I'm fed up reading about affairs and that soured the rest of the book for me. If I wanted a soap opera, I'd watch Eastenders (which I don't.) Why couldn't it have been a happily married couple coping with their son's trauma? Why bring an affair into it at all?
This book had interesting characters, but the writing seemed very old-fashioned and it seemed to plod along with not very much happening for quite some time. I was expecting more pace and more menace from a book billed as horror. I found it a bit predictable, but not a bad story in its way.
Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of The Chosen.
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Captured Warriors of Hir Book One Willow Danes Genre: Science Fiction Romance/Paranormal Erotica Publisher: Here Be Dragons ...
