Showing posts with label book launch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book launch. Show all posts

Friday 8 September 2023

Book Feature: NEVER WAKE: An Anthology of Dream Horror

Where do we go when we dream?

  Since the beginning of time, people have argued the meaning of dreams. Are they symbolic visions that hold great meaning and personal significance? Are they portals into other worlds? Or are they just a series of random events our mind shows us when we fall asleep? Whatever the case, this much is true—the mind can be a scary place to venture, even for a few hours.

  NEVER WAKE is an anthology of dream horror, bringing you several mind-bending tales of nightmares, hallucinations, and phantasmagoria from some of the hottest talent in horror fiction. But don’t worry—when you (wake up screaming) flip the last page, just remember to tell yourself, “It was only just a story…”

  Unless it wasn’t.

  Featuring an introduction from Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann and stories from: Cynthia Pelayo, Philip Fracassi, Gwendolyn Kiste, Eric LaRocca, Lee Murray, Todd Keisling, Laurel Hightower, and many more!

Buy link: https://getbook.at/NeverWake


An excerpt from the anthology, from Philip Fracassi's story, "Specter."

  The book is large, almost like a dictionary. The cover is black leather, and there’s no title. No words at all. There are designs, however, carved into the leather. Intricate, beautiful designs: a pair of large hands holding sand that spills between cupped fingers; a snake eating its own tail; a large, closed eye in the center; stars, moons, planets…

  Jenna lifts the cover to reveal a neat inscription written in the center of the first, blank, page.

For Jenna,
When you dream, dream of me.
Nana

  “It’s beautiful,” Jenna says, part of her wanting to leaf through the book then and there, feel the thick pages within, read the different meanings of dream symbols…
  But her friends are already standing, antsy and ready for the cake and ice cream portion of the event. The final meal before the party is officially over and they can go home to daydream about their own childhood birthday parties, the wonderful gifts they’ll hope to receive.
  Jenna carefully sets the book back into the sturdy black box, her eyes unable to leave the cover.
  “Jenna?” her mother says. “Come on, let’s blow out the candles.”
  “Okay,” she replies, and begins to fold the thin tissue paper back over the book’s cover, when she pauses. 
  The embossed eye in the center—the one she would have sworn was closed only a moment ago—is now open wide. As if watching her.
  As if seeing her for the very first time.
  Realizing she must have seen it wrong the first time, Jenna dismisses the chill that climbs up her spine at the sight of the open eye. She dutifully covers it with the paper, replaces the cardboard lid, then heads for the kitchen to have cake and ice cream with her friends.
  She doesn’t notice Nana watching her as she passes by the table, a rare smile curling the old woman’s lips.


EDITOR BIOS:

 


Kenneth W. Cain
 is an author of horror and dark fiction, and a Splatterpunk Award nominated freelance editor. To date, he has had over one hundred short stories and thirteen novels/novellas, as well as a handful each of nonfiction pieces, books for children, and poems released by many great publishers such as Crystal Lake Publishing, JournalStone, and Cemetery Gates Media.


He has also edited eight anthologies, with two more coming in 2023. He lives in Chester County PA with his family and two furbabies, Butterbean and Bodhi. His full publishing history is available on his website at kennethwcain.com

 



Tim Meyer
 dwells in a dark cave near the Jersey Shore. He’s the author of more than fifteen novels, including Malignant SummerThe Switch HouseDead DaughtersLimbs, and many other titles. When he's not working on the next book, he's usually hanging out with his 
wife and son, shooting around on the basketball court, playing video games, or messing with a new screenplay.


He bleeds coffee and IPAs. You can learn more about his books at timmeyerwrites.com







Friday 16 June 2023

Book Feature: IT HAUNTS THE MIND and Other Stories by Nick Roberts

From Nick Roberts, the best-selling author of The Exorcist's House and Anathema, comes fifteen dark tales that are as horrific as they are moving.

Witness absolute evil in “Sally Under the Bed” and “It Haunts the Mind.” Endure vengeance and violence in “The Noose” and “The Bitter End.” Face the realities of addiction and grief in “Thanks for Sharing” and “The Weeping Wind.” Survive otherworldly monsters in “The Paperboy” and “Voodoo Bay.”

In balancing the terrors of the supernatural with the horrors of real life, this collection drags you down the dark alleys of a haunted mind, forcing you to confront your demons, both real and imaginary.

BUY THE BOOK: https://getbook.at/ItHaunts


EXCERPT from the WEEPING WIND by Nick Roberts

The porch swing squeaked as I rocked back and forth with the tips of my boots. A frozen wind found its way to my bones despite my multiple layers. Steam rolled over the brim of my coffee mug, and I gently blew it away. I looked out at the rolling Appalachian hills enshrined in a starless night. I take time every year to reflect, and it’s been thirty since the accident. My family is safely tucked away inside. Even if they were awake, they know not to disturb me on December 6th. I was only five years old at the time. Little girls aren’t meant to see such things. 

 

*** 

 

Maddie, my older sister, was in the backseat of the car with me. She was nine. Even in the blackness of the winter night, I could see the shiny streaks of her tears in the moonlight. She stared at the back of the empty passenger seat then let her gaze drift to the dark world passing by her window. 

 

Something heavy thumped in the trunk as Daddy turned the steering wheel just in time to avoid driving off the sharp turn. My booster seat rocked at having not been properly secured. He made an agitated grunt and breathed rapidly. The car straightened out just in time for Daddy to whip it around another curve. Such were the roads in the mountains of Fayette County, West Virginia. 

 

I haven’t been back since. 

 

“Don’t worry, girls,” Daddy said through a strained throat. “Your mama is just fine. We’ll go back for her.” 

 

I looked at Maddie for guidance, but she continued staring out the window. I wondered if she even heard Daddy. 

 

“Where is Mommy?” I asked the back of Daddy’s headrest. 

 

Maddie shot me a look that seared my right cheek. I returned her gaze. My stomach got that cold feeling when I saw the wide-eyed look on her face. Daddy snorted deeply, clearing his sinuses like usual. He always told us he had bad allergies.


“Your mama…” Daddy began but seemed to lose his voice. 

 

He snorted again and cleared his throat. 

 

“Your mama stayed at the scenic overlook, baby. I told you that.” 

 

“But it’s so cold, Daddy,” I replied. “Does Mommy have her coat?” 

 

Maddie looked back out the window. 

 

“Of course, she does,” Daddy answered.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Roberts is a native West Virginian and a graduate of Marshall University where he earned his doctorate in Leadership Studies. As an active member of the Horror Writers Association, his short works have been published in various literary magazines and anthologies. His novel, 
Anathema, won Debut Novel of the Year at the 2020-2021 Horror Authors Guild Awards.

His best-selling novel, The Exorcist's House, was released in 2022 by Crystal Lake Publishing. He currently resides in South Carolina with his wife and three children and is an advocate for people struggling with substance use disorders.

Friday 29 July 2022

Book Feature: I HAVE ASKED TO BE WHERE NO STORMS COME by Gwendolyn N. Nix


I HAVE ASKED TO BE WHERE NO STORMS COME by Gwendolyn N. Nix

The facts of Domino Bluepoint’s afterlife are simple: he’s a half-breed witch from a people without a name, and no one wants to be stuck in Hell with witch blood. When a demon bounty-hunter comes calling, Domino pairs up with his mother, who died too young and carries the witch lineage in her veins, to survive. Soon the two of them are Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid running from whatever torture awaits them and whoever wants to harvest their magic. Yet, Domino doesn’t know that his brother, Wicasah, is behind this and is desperate to resurrect Domino out of long-lasting guilt and a sensation of belonging to no place and no one.

As Wicasah dives deeper into darker magic that ends in an ill-made deal, Domino must overcome addiction, depression, and hone his own brand of witch-magic to help save his brother—and the world—from an ancient god of lighting and thunder.

GET THE BOOK @ AMAZON

SYNOPSIS

The facts of Domino Bluepoint's life are simple: he's a half-breed witch from a people without a name, living out a cursed Butch Cassidy afterlife, and no one wants to be stuck in Hell with witch blood. When he discovers bounty hunters are on his trail, he dodges monsters until caught… and learns his own brother, who wields insurmountable power, is behind it all.

Revenge and guilt have eaten at Wicasah Bluepoint ever since he murdered his father at a young age and ushered in powerful magic linked to his lineage. Yet, when he learns his brother, Domino, has been killed by his enemies and now resides in hell, he is determined to resurrect him. But doing so means rolling the dice and rubbing shoulders with monsters and demons full of ulterior motives, ultimately leaving him crafting an ill-fated deal with his sanity at stake.

Bound to an ancient entity of thunder and lightning, he finds himself enslaved and transforming hell in ways unimagined.

As the two fight through hell to find each other again, they discover an even darker power behind their cursed lineage, one that lies deep under the earth and who will use Wicasah’s power to seek freedom.

Desperate to escape their own dark destiny, the two must decide if they will save the world… or let it burn.


😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱😱

PART I: HELL

CHAPTER 1

I have desired to go
Where springs not fail,
To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail,
And a few lilies blow.

And I have asked to be
Where no storms come,
Where the green swell is in the havens dumb,
And out of the swing of the sea.

"Heaven-Haven" by Gerard Manley Hopkins



Domino learned he had to be adaptable. 

He may have died sometime in the twentieth century, but the world still spun on above. New-fangled ideas, technology, and culture leaked into Hell’s subterranean world. He’d noticed it before: the women sporting blue jeans, the short leather jackets, the abandoned pickit signs with painted mantras calling to burn the bra alongsidefrack the Bloody, but it didn’t truly hit him until he found a contained black box of glass. Something from the Brightside—the East-side. Nothing so fancy would be found in the West, on his side of the Dark and Bloody, no matter how much time passed.

That was the problem with adaptability. If you didn’t do it, refused to, you ended up stranded in your own time. Locked in a whirlwind of denial, because life had moved on without you and you weren’t ready to be forgotten.

It fractured his heart when he found people like that, like the young thing before him, sitting crossed-legged in the desert with her fleshless fingers curled in boned zen. His throat cracked as he called out to her, too long silent on this never-ending peregrination. Her long bleached hair swept across a face blistered and peeling from the sun. He snapped his fingers bare inches from her nose, but she didn’t blink. Didn’t move. Returned to dust.

He eyed her ripped jeans, her canvas tennis shoes worn through the soles, and the square black metal brick balanced on her bent knee. He took it, steadily working through the mechanics of a touch screen. Hellish burble cooed through the earpiece, but he ignored it. This was damnation, after all. What did you expect? This was how you survived in Hell. Stealing, hijacking, and fast-talking just to get what you needed.

His face remained passive as applications opened up bright colored hieroglyphic bubbles. He sat, hoping this wasn’t a laid trap, and mimicked her crossed legs. Their kneecaps brushed. 

It might’ve been minutes or a whole year that he sat next to her, figuring out the black box. Time had conditioned him to approach things with childish glee, instead of like a frustrated fogey. Puzzles kept him sane. Taught him to accept new appliances that were only science fiction pulp in his time. 

He tapped the glass with his fingernail and scrolled through her pictures: three smiling friends, a chocolate colored puppy, and a rainbow cutting through the gray from far away. He stared at the picture until the screen blacked out. He thought about centuries of black skies full of peace, like the good book said. He thought about a horizon that wasn’t red-lit with hellfire. He looked up. No rainbows here.

Pocketing the device, he patted the girl gently on her shoulder and wished her well on her journey.

😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱  😱


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gwendolyn N. Nix is a professional editor and author, penning the Celestial Scripts series (The Falling Dawn, and Seams of Shadow), Sharks of the Wasteland (Cataclysm Cycle), and the new release from Crystal Lake Publishing, I Have Asked To Be Where No Storms Come.

She is also the editor of the Marvel Xavier's Institute: School of X anthology. A member of SFWA and Horror Writer's Association, her short fiction has appeared in a variety of anthologies, such as Pileaus Symphony No. 1, Where the Veil Is Thin, and Apex: Worlds of Dinosaurs.

She lives in Montana with her husband, young son, and wild gray Labrador.

Find her online at gwendolynnix.com, on Twitter at @gwendolynnix or Instagram at @gwendolyn.nix.



Tuesday 12 July 2022

Book Review: Verissimus by Donald Robertson and Zé Nuno Fraga

 
FIND the book at you favourite book seller << click

Linzé's rating: 🦋🦋🦋🦋 - read on to find out what I liked about this graphic novel

   I have been a student of Stoicism for a few years now, so when the opportunity presented itself to review this book, I jumped to volunteer.
   It is not a book about Stoicism, but rather a mix of history, Stoicism practice and the life of the emperor Marcus Aurelius. The graphic novel format worked quite well to keep the reader's attention in mixing these three elements successfully, without being overly educational.
   I liked the illustrations. They were composed with a pleasing colour scheme and well done to enhance the story elements, as well as the historical setting of the novel. The artist was successful in bringing to life the difficulties and life experiences that Marcus faced in his life with the way the characters are portrayed. Evaluating each illustration as a painting would not be possible, but overall the story was a cohesive with both text and art contributing equally.
   While the story, and the additional text, engages the reader the historical facts and Stoic philosophy is brought to life in an entertaining way.
   I have never read or reviewed a graphic novel before, and was quite impressed with the execution on especially such a subject matter.
   I recommend this graphic novel for people interested in the life and history of Marcus Aurelius (or Verissimus as he was also known), but it is not a book to learn the philosophy or daily practice of Stoicism. It does not claim to be such a teaching aid, but rather to entertain and inform.

If you are interested to learn more about Marcus Aurelius and Stoicism, click here for a free copy of a guide written by Donald Robertson.

Link https://donaldrobertson.name/2022/06/25/get-our-guide-to-marcus-aurelius-and-stoicism/













Until next time!

💜 Linzé


Thursday 19 May 2022

BOOK FEATURE: Once Upon a Mistake (Il Cuore #1) by Shilpa Suraj

 

There are no second chances, only missed ones...


Five years ago, an accident changed Maya's life forever. From an engaged, MBA graduate with her entire life in front of her, she'd ended up dumped, bedridden, and in enough debt to drown her and her family.
Five years ago, Yash had been looking forward to marrying the woman of his dreams. Then his father died, he lost his job and his fiancee dumped him over a text.
Neither have forgiven each other and neither has forgotten the other. When their paths cross at Il Couer, a vineyard owned by common friends, sparks fly, past hurts are stoked and present dreams are destroyed.
And that is just the beginning. As their lives get entangled, both professionally and personally, they find themselves fighting familial disapproval, professional jealousy, and a mutual attraction that threatens to burn them down.
Can Maya and Yash ever unravel their tangled past? And will the truth of their past define or destroy them? Can you build a future on a posioned past? They're about to find out...

Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon.in * Amazon.com


Read an Excerpt from Once Upon A Mistake


The door slammed behind her and he heaved a sigh of relief. Peace and quiet at last. He put on his reading glasses, opened up the book and started to read.

And then he heard her laugh. He shouldn’t, he told himself. He really shouldn’t stand up and try to see where she was or what she was doing. Maya Patgaonkar was not someone he should be looking at or looking for or any other type of looking. 

He got to his feet and walked to the balcony railing, peering out through the dusky light of early evening. He was definitely looking.

She was walking down the endlessly sloping green lawn with the guy she’d arrived with and another guy and girl. All four of them seemed to be talking at the same time, practically talking over each other. 

Her hair was loose and hung in waves down her back. She wore a loose, floral skirt with a billowing white shirt that gave her a distinctly free, bohemian look. And she still limped. 

Not a temporary thing then, this limp. Had she gotten it in the accident that had killed Vikram? Aakash’s bitter recounting of their wild night of debauchery that had ended in his brother’s death had been both sordid and distasteful. 

It had also been deeply disturbing. That had not been the girl he’d thought he was marrying. Maybe her dumping him for being a penniless loser had been a true blessing in disguise. And yet, Yash continued to stand and watch her and her friends meander along in what was clearly an aimless walk. 

Maya. The name resonated in his head. Almost as if she heard him, she turned, her gaze drawn to the house. He saw her scanning the side of the house facing them and was about to step back and out of sight when her gaze snagged on him. 

The guy who’d arrived with her, Ved, said something to her and she responded but she didn’t look away. 

The moment between them stretched into an eternity that should never have existed. His heart was thudding, a drumbeat that he didn’t want to hear but one that thrummed through his veins nevertheless. 

She took a step toward him, a miniscule movement that nobody caught but him. It broke the spell. Yash stepped back and away from the railing, consciously turning away from her. 

The few months they’d known each other had been a lasting lesson. Maya wouldn’t get another chance to play him for a fool again. 

About the Author:


Shilpa Suraj wears many hats - corporate drone, homemaker, mother to a fabulous toddler and author.

An avid reader with an overactive imagination, Shilpa has weaved stories in her head since she was a child. Her previous stints at Google, in an ad agency and as an entrepreneur provide colour to her present day stories, both fiction and non-fiction.


Contact the Author:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Newsletter




Friday 10 December 2021

Book Release Day! 🖤 SARAH KILLIAN: THE MARCHING TIDES by Mark Sheldon 🖤

 

Book 3 in a trilogy of dark humor novels, this hilarious series follows the bloody journey of Sarah Killian, a strong female…serial killer for hire.

Hi there! Sarah Killian, your friendly neighbourhood serial killer, back again for more bloody, violent fun.

For my final mission, I (begrudgingly) team up with my good for nothing, S.O.B. assassin ex, Jason. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Well, aside from the obvious answer that I am crazy, we are fleeing from the mysterious organization known only as the Marching Tides—a collective hell-bent on bringing down the Trusted Hierarchy of Everyday Murderers (T.H.E.M.) and exposing their shady dealings to the world at large.

As Jason and I try—often unsuccessfully—to stay one step ahead of the Marching Tides and their nefarious associates, we draw ever closer to the shocking truth of who the mastermind behind the Marching Tides really is.

Something tells me I’ll regret learning the answers at the end of my journey.

Buy @ AMAZON

Excerpt from Chapter 1

My name is Sarah, and I work for a super-secret organization called the Trusted Hierarchy of Everyday Murderers (T.H.E.M.) that employs Professional Serial Killers (P.S.K.’s), and assassins. I hate, hate, hate assassins – so I find it particularly appropriate that their title starts with two asses.


T.H.E.M. is contracted by various entities—a few wealthy private citizens and corporations who can afford us, but most of our work comes from the government. Completely off the books, of course.


Assassins’ work is pretty boring and straightforward, so I won’t waste my time on them. The P.S.K.’s is where T.H.E.M. gets innovative. As a P.S.K., when on a project I get sent to a location, usually for several months—if not years—at a time, where I integrate myself into the community under a pseudonymous ‘Dupe’ personality. My Dupe personality is the everyday person who just goes to work and lives their life and is my cover for being in the area of the murders.


Meanwhile, I also have to create the persona of the killer—the ‘Herring.’ The Herring for each project has to have a unique M.O. and set of characteristics that distinguish itself from other projects I may have worked on, to avoid anyone being able to connect the dots from one project to another. I also have to make sure no one connects the dots between my Dupe personality and my Herring personality.


Fortunately, seeing as I mentioned the government is one of our biggest contractors, we have a certain amount of immunity from the F.B.I., but there are enough Private Dicks in the world that it’s not a bad idea to take the extra precaution.


As you can imagine, the fact that many serial killers suffer from multiple personality disorders lends itself well to developing these dual personas when on a project.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark Sheldon is the author of The Noricin Chronicles and the Sarah Killian: The Joy of Killing series. He lives in Southern California with his wife Betsy.

Follow Mark on FACEBOOK and AMAZON









Friday 3 September 2021

Book feature: Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass! by Seelie Kay

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Publisher: eXtasy Books
ISBN: 978-1-4874-3357-4
Page: 145
Word Count:44705
Publication Date: 2021-09-03

Book Blurb:

It was the Great Lie, and it could destroy the Vampire Nation.

In First, We Kill All the Lawyers, vampire lawyer Donovan Trait survived repeated attacks by a serial killer. Now, after violating a marital agreement with the Vampire Coalition, and several ancient Vampire Laws, Donovan, and his newly-turned vampire bride are on the run. You see, in exchange for permitting a pure-blood vampire to marry a turned human, the Traits agreed to allow vampire scientists to monitor the conception and birth of their children. When Judge Shirley Magnusen Trait turns up accidentally pregnant on her wedding day, the fury of the Coalition is unleashed. The tribunal recommends unacceptable punitive action and the Traits are forced to flee to a mysterious island of vampire nuns. The Traits are, by profession, seekers of the truth. But this time, the truth may not set them free. In fact, it could start a revolution. Will the Traits escape the clutches of the Coalition and keep their babies safe? Or will their family be…eliminated?

Book Links:
Goodreads * eXtasy Books

A Quick Interview with Seelie Kay

Why do you write romance?

Because I am fascinated by the games people play to find and secure a lasting relationship, which is not always love. There’s the chase, the courtship, the falling, the surrender. That’s what I try to capture in my stories.

Do you prefer a certain type of romantic hero?

I adore smart, dashing gentlemen who aren’t afraid to live on the edge. They can be a bad boy, a billionaire, a prince, or a secret agent. That hint of danger just hooks me! However, I they have to be paired with strong, independent women who aren’t afraid to fight for what they want, even love.

Why did you write “Ye Gods! The Law is an Ass?”

Donovan Trait is a vampire lawyer. In the human world, a very respected lawyer. I wanted to give him the opportunity to shine in the vampire world. So I created a scenario where his turned vampire bride Shirley is unfairly punished for an unintentionally violating their marital agreement, as well as other outdated, outrageous, and outright discriminatory laws—she unintentionally  To survive and protect their unborn child, they must not only fight back, but also rebel. In this instance, human history provides them with the path. That gave me the opportunity to draw parallels between the fight for human rights and the rights of vampires who aren’t purebloods. It also allowed me to poke at the continued need of both societies to embrace social change. Perhaps surprisingly, the vampires lag far behind the humans in terms of equality and individual freedoms. However, in the end, the message is clear: Whether human or vampire, an individual is entitled to certain rights and liberties. And no human or vampire has a right to deny them.

About Seelie Kay:

Award-winning author Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, sometimes with a dash of kink.
Writing under a nom de plume, the former lawyer and journalist draws her stories from more than 30 years in the legal world. Seelie’s wicked pen has resulted in nineteen works of fiction, including the new paranormal romance series Donovan Trait, as well the erotic romance Kinky Briefs series and The Feisty Lawyers romantic suspense series. She also authored The Last Christmas, The Garage Dweller, A Touchdown to Remember, The President’s Wife, The President’s Daughter, Seizing Hope, The White House Wedding, and participated in the romance anthology Pieces of Us.
When not spinning romantic tales, Seelie ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals. Currently, she resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, WI, where she enjoys opera, the Green Bay Packers, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine. 

Seelie is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS: Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Seelie on the Web:
Website * Blog * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram * Author's Amazon Page



Tuesday 25 August 2020

Book Feature: BELLE VUE by CS Alleyne

 

ABOUT THE BOOK

Jealousy, betrayal, murder and a hunger for vengeance that spans the centuries…

History student Alex Palmer is thrilled when his girlfriend, Claire Ryan, buys an apartment in Belle Vue Manor, formerly a Victorian lunatic asylum.

But as Alex begins to discover the dark truth about the asylum’s past, he, Claire, and their friend Marianne find themselves on a nightmarish journey. Each will face the deadly consequences of the evil that began with the construction of the first Belle Vue Manor by an aristocratic French émigré in 1789, as well as the cruelty and satanic practices that continued when it became an asylum for the insane.

As the two strands—past and present—unfold, Alex uncovers a supernatural mystery where revenge is paramount and innocence irrelevant—without being aware of the price he, and those around him, will pay.

READ MORE / EXCERPT

http://csalleyne.com/excerpt-belle-vue/

BUY LINKS

Universal Amazon - http://getbook.at/BelleVue

Blackwells - https://bit.ly/2PAMEKP

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

C S Alleyne grew up in Australia and originally trained as a hotel manager in the UK. After several postings in the Caribbean she changed tack and completed her MBA followed several years later by a PhD in Information Systems. She is a management consultant and also lectures in several universities.

With a lifelong love of reading, anything historical and a fascination with the supernatural and death, her vacations usually include visits to such places as the Pere La Chaise cemetery and the catacombs in Paris, the tombs in Egypt, the Popes’ crypts in the Vatican and any church yard with gravestones – you get the picture…

Cheryl was inspired to write Belle Vue by her daily journey past a block of luxury apartments that had been converted from an old asylum. Like her protagonist, Alex Palmer, she started to investigate its past and learnt that one of the inmates was murdered there in the late 19th century. The victim’s sister was hung for the crime. Cheryl was also thrilled to discover the asylum’s overgrown cemetery in her explorations of the area!

Friday 29 May 2020

BOOK RELEASE: SOLANGE an ebook by Linzé

Will she get the future she wants?

M/F/M Erotic vampire romance (18+ only)

  Solange knows that she is not like the average woman who frequents the bar of her two vampire lovers. When the vampire king's messenger stirs everything into a near disaster, she knew things were about to change forever.

  She knows that being human in a threesome that includes two deadly and powerful male vampires will take everything she has to keep them together. 


  Solange never lacked courage or intelligence, and demanding to see the king could result in something that she may not be prepared for: the enforcement of the centuries-old execution decision.

  The history behind the decision made her even more determined to prevent their relationship from being destroyed over a long-dead woman's mistake.


  Is her courage and commitment to this relationship enough to convince the king or is there another way to get what she wants?

Buy links

Smashwords     Apple Books    B&N    Kobo


Sunday 3 March 2019

Pre-order and Cover reveal: REFLECT. GROW. BECOME by Linzé Brandon

Pre-order on: SMASHWORDS

Keeping a journal is a personal experience, and yet many people are reluctant to start or quick to give up the practice for various reasons.

This book is a personal reflection on the history of the author's experience of more than thirty years of journaling. But it is also an exploration of some new techniques that young or aspiring journal writers may be unfamiliar with. Exploring the various techniques will give new insight on how methods, other than writing, can assist in a journey of personal reflection and growth.


The contents is broken down into six sections:
1. Background and history of journaling;
2. Creative journaling;
3. Journal writing and mindfulness in the NOW focused journal;
4. Reflecting on the past, and the future in the FUTURE/PAST journal;
5. Other kinds of journals not reflective in themselves, but which can be used in combination with the reflective styles; and
6. Practical guidelines on using both handwritten and electronic journals.

The various techniques are explained, and exercises are given at the end of each section for the reader's own reflection and experience.
Links and references are provided for further reading.


Pre-order link: SMASHWORDS

PS: Subscribers to my newsletter will receive a discount voucher in the next newsletter out on 11 March 2019.

Monday 29 October 2018

Book Feature: TALES FROM THE LAKE - Volume 5 (pre-order)

“If you’re a short story reader, this is an absolute must-read. Volume five is even better than the four preceding volumes, which is a very hard bar to hit. Go buy this!” — John R. Little, author of The Memory TreeMiranda, and Soul Mates

😱 PRE-ORDER LINK: http://mybook.to/Lake5

The Legend Continues…
In the spirit of popular Dark Fiction and Horror anthologies such as Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories and Behold: Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders, and the best of Stephen King’s short fiction, comes Crystal Lake Publishing’s Tales from The Lake anthologies.
Where are the real horrors? Whether they be a family member returning from the dead, exploring the depths of depression or the deterioration of the mind, you’ll find them here.
This anthology contains twenty-two tales and three poems to elicit unexpected emotions, to bring you into the story. Welcome to my lake, where dreams really do come true…
As nightmares!
😱 PRE-ORDER LINK: http://mybook.to/Lake5
This fifth volume of speculative fiction contains:
Poetry:
  • “From the Mouths of Plague-Mongers” by Stephanie M. Wytovich – A wonderful look at our world and the cruel reality of it all.
  • “Malign and Chronic Recreation” by Bruce Boston – Where Internet addiction meets sexual addiction.
  • “Final Passage” by Bruce Boston – A breakdown of mental acuity as it leads to the inevitability of death.
Short stories:
  • “Always After Three” by Gemma Files – A young couple discovers that in a downtown condo you almost never know who your neighbours are, or what they might be doing.
  • “In the Family” by Lucy A. Snyder – A former child actress reveals dark family secrets to her long-lost niece.
  • “Voices Like Barbed Wire” by Tim Waggoner – Sometimes forgetting is more painful than remembering.
  • “The Flutter of Silent Wings” by Gene O’Neill – A heartbreaking tribute to a Shirley Jackson classic.
  • “Guardian” by Paul Michael Anderson – Even creatures beyond time and space need friendship.
  • “Farewell Valencia” by Craig Wallwork – When you’ve got no reason to live, there’s a hotel that can give you every reason to die. So book in, unpack, and prepare to be checked out, forever.
  • “A Dream Most Ancient and Alone” by Allison Pang – A lake mermaid with a penchant for eating children forms a tenuous friendship with an abused girl trying to escape her past.
  • “The Monster Told Me To” by Stephanie M. Wytovich – In order for Bria to deal with her past, she must confront the ghosts of her present.
  • “Dead Bodies Don’t Scream” by Michelle Ann King – If the universe won’t give her a miracle, Allie will make one for herself. But dark magic has a price, and paying it is going to hurt.
  • “The Boy” by Cory Cone – Grief-stricken from the sudden loss of her husband, a young woman fears she may lose her son as well, if she hasn’t already.
  • “Starve a Fever” by Jonah Buck – Fleeing down a bayou highway with a sick criminal in the backseat, a getaway driver must sate his passenger’s horrifying needs while evading the police.
  • “Umbilicus” by Lucy Taylor – A father becomes involved in a scheme to rescue a friend’s lost son—with terrifying results.
  • “Nonpareil” by Laura Blackwell – Maisie’s wedding cake business needs every client it can get—especially rich ones—but between the groom’s unpleasant family and the mysterious bride’s strange requests, Maisie has a tough job baking a cake that will please everyone.
  • “The Midland Hotel” by Marge Simon – If walls of a hotel could talk is one thing, but what if it happens to be a sentient collector of souls?
  • “The Weeds and the Wildness Yet” by Robert Stahl – Still reeling over the sudden death of his wife, Charlie stumbles across a mysterious object at a yard sale—a monkey’s paw, like the one in the legendary story. Despite the terrible events that befall that fictional family, he can’t help but want to give it a try.
  • “The Color of Loss and Love” by Jason Sizemore – A couple set out to rescue an unfamiliar couple, only to face an airborne disease that overtook the world.
  • “The Loudest Silence” by Meghan Arcuri – A woman is trapped by her worst enemy: her mind.
  • “The Followers” by Peter Mark May – The Followers are slow, but they never tire. Nor do they or have to stop to drink, eat or sleep like us living. They are on a relentless death march and we are only delaying the inevitable.
  • “A Bathtub at the End of the World” by Lane Waldman – A little girl plays with her toys in a locked bathroom. Everything is fine, except for the zombies outside.
  • “Twelve by Noon” by Joanna Parypinski – An old farmer goes about his routine tending to the nine scarecrows that preside over his field, when three college student show up and cause a strange disturbance.
  • “Hollow Skulls” by Samuel Marzioli – When Orson’s son is born, the memory of a tragedy creeps back into his life, threatening his very sanity.
  • “Maggie” by Andi Rawson – An intense, disturbing relationship between love and murder is exposed.
With an introduction by editor Kenneth W. Cain. Cover art by Ben Baldwin. Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from The Darkest Depths.
😱 PRE-ORDER LINK: http://mybook.to/Lake5


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