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Monday 30 September 2024

It's Release Day!!

 That's right!

Today's the day! ☺️🎉

My horror novel, about a teenager whose mother goes missing and she becomes a target for demonic possession, is now available:

SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE.

THE MONSTER IS ALREADY INSIDE HER HEAD.

Chester is no stranger to hearing voices, but after her mother disappears without a trace, the demonic voice trying to consume her is getting stronger every day.

The threat of possession might be her biggest problem, but it's not her only one. Chester's confidence in the stepmother who is trying to keep her safe is now unstable. The safe and comfortable connection with her very supportive stepbrother is slowly becoming a tangled mess that threatens their strong bond.

When Chester stumbles on her mother's precious journal, she hopes to find some answers about what's happening to her. But what she really wants to uncover is how to find her missing mother. And the answer to that mystery might come from the most unexpected source. Herself.


If you're interested, you can purchase an eBook or print copy from these stores:

AMAZON | B&N

ANUCI PRESS WEBSITE

You can also...

ADD IT TO GOODREADS


I want to thank Tony Anuci for proofreading this story and giving another one of my books a home, plus Ruth Anna Evans for the beautiful cover.

I'M SO EXCITED!

😁


Sunday 29 September 2024

STATIC by Stacey L. Pierson

StaticStatic by Stacey L. Pierson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"A nostalgic, dual-timeline trip that twists the ghost story trope into a never-ending groundhog nightmare with deadly revelations."

I want to thank Stacey for giving me the chance to read an ARC of this cool novel.

Jesse leads an average life during the late 1990s. Tatum is trying to get used to life changes in 2024. Both might be living in a haunted house with plenty of secrets...

This is an intriguing story told by several characters, and certainly throws the traditional ghost story upside down. At many times, it feels like a fever dream on repeat, that reveals a little more with the building tension until the devastating truth is revealed.

Friday 27 September 2024

NANA by Mark Towse

NanaNana by Mark Towse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this on my Paperwhite for a while and decided to get stuck into it last night.

Olly’s parents are going through a hard time so they're going out to dinner to talk things out. That means that Olly will be spending some time with his nana and her friends from Newhaven Crescent. Lucky for him, it's the night of a talent night unlike any other...

Well, that was a delightful, heartwarming tale about growing old gracefully. I'm kidding, of course, because Nana is none of those things. 😅

I had a blast reading this novella. Although everything unravels slowly and all the characters are introduced at their own pace, the story still somehow flies. Mainly it's because it's intriguing and dark, surreal in many places. Definitely disorienting and full of body horror. But you know what? It's also funny. I laughed out loud many times because the dialogue from some of the more deranged codgers was hilarious.

Don't let the fun fool you, though. This tale about the unhinged residents of Newhaven Crescent is disturbing, and gross. Some of the darker imagery in the later half of the book will forever be turned into your brain, and the inappropriate behaviour will make you cringe... but it's a great story.

I especially liked Olly and his mother, even poor Alex.

Glad I finally read it!


View all my reviews

Thursday 26 September 2024

BLACKOUT: Micropoetry by Brian Bowyer

BLACKOUT: MicropoetryBLACKOUT: Micropoetry by Brian Bowyer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been feeling a little restless this week, and that means that I haven't been able to pick one book to concentrate on for longer than five minutes.

That's when I remembered I had this lovely book on my Paperwhite...

So, with the rain falling outside and a chill in the air, I sat down on the couch and lost myself in this wondrous poetry collection that's broken up into months. A whole year packed full of small shards that cut deep. Really deep.

One of my favourite things about poetry is when the words are slim but the effect is wide. And every single one of these little drops of somber beauty really hits. Brian Bowyer manipulates words very well, until they bloom into piercing images that fill your mind.

Yeah, I loved these emotionally-charged poems and read the entire collection in one sitting because I couldn't put it down.


View all my reviews

Thursday 19 September 2024

A cool announcement!

My first self-published book will be released this Halloween! 🎃

ONLY DARKNESS is a novel told in two parts. Both parts originally started their very separate lives as novellas featuring the Roscoe family, and the dark curse that threatens to destroy them.

You might recognise the first part, because it was previously published for a while, but after I got my rights back... I wasn't sure what to do. Until my husband suggested we self-publish it.

And I thought, why not add the sequel/companion to the mix? I mean, it made sense. This way, anyone who already read the novella can now experience a slightly different version while finding out what happens in the previously unpublished story that follows.

So, I purchased an awesome cover made by Fabled Beast Design, revised/reworked both parts, hired Erin Al-Mehairi to do the final copy edit, and Adrian Medina to format the book, then decided to publish via KDP.

It just made sense.

Here's the result:
 

DARKNESS IN THE WOODS BECKONS HER...

SUFFER

Kae Roscoe’s daughter vanished sixteen months ago and all she wanted during her absence was for Molly to return. But when her daughter comes back, she isn’t the same. 

Molly hardly speaks and refuses to eat. The only emotion she displays is violence.

As much as Kae hates to admit it, there’s definitely something wrong with Molly, and her reappearance sets off a dark turn of events that threatens to tear the town apart. 

SURRENDER

Summer Urbina has finally graduated from college and is excited about spending time with her mother. But as soon as she gets home, everything feels odd.

When her best friend sends an ominous text, Summer decides to trek across the country to make sure he’s okay.

She might not understand why, but the town of Brittle seems very familiar. The darkness calling her from the woods threatens to consume her entirely, and she’s not strong enough to resist.


EBOOK IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT AMAZON


PAPERBACK WILL BE AVAILABLE OCTOBER 31.


YOU CAN ADD TO GOODREADS NOW!


I'm happy and very proud about how this book turned out. I hope you decide to revisit or discover how this family saga ends.

Thanks for reading! 😊


Thursday 12 September 2024

I have some awesome news!



My haunted house ghost story novel will be published under Horrorsmith's Fear Forge imprint next year.

I'm SO excited and can't wait to share my creepy tale about a hellish house.

Here's a bit about THESE STAINED WALLS:

The walls within Helston House are alive, and they're very hungry.
 
Matilda Ashbrooke has been uprooted from her family home and forced to isolate with her eccentric grandfather during the pandemic. But the creepy Helston House has many secrets, starting with the stain on the bedroom wall that seems to be getting bigger every day...

I'm so happy to have signed a contract with Horrorsmith and can't wait to share more info as we get closer to release date.

Yay!! 😊


Thursday 5 September 2024

THE RACK: Stories Inspired by Vintage Horror Paperbacks, edited by Tom Deady

The Rack: Stories Inspired By Vintage Horror PaperbacksThe Rack: Stories Inspired By Vintage Horror Paperbacks by Tom Deady
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this awesome and packed anthology. I have to admit that I took my time with it, savouring a handful of stories a night.

Here's what I thought of each story:

BLACK PAGES by Cynthia Pelayo: Great story and I really liked the ending.

OTHER THINGS HAVE HAPPENED by Ronald Malfi: This little odd and awesome tale delivered in many ways.

FUZZY SLIPPERS by Jeff Strand: As much fun as it was ridiculous. Poor Grandma.

THE RAFT by Stephen King: Always cool to read a King story.

THAT CHEMICAL GLOW by Larry Hinkle: I enjoyed this creepy little tale.

I AM A HOUSE DEMANDING TO BE HAUNTED by Mercedes M. Yardley: Whimsical. Grotesque. Macabre. Beautiful.

URSA DIRUO by Kristin Dearborn: Really intriguing small-time horror tale with an unexpected and cool ending.

A DEVIL WE USED TO KNOW by Johnny Compton: I found this one a little hard to get into.

IRISH EYES by Bridget Nelson: A total fever dream and a hell of a freaky ride.

THEY LOOK BACK by Candace Nola: Yikes! Didn't expect the twist in this one, but when it hits... creepy.

BLOOD OF MY BLOOD by Christa Carmen: A fun wedding story featuring a very different spin on vampires.

THE KEEPER OF TASWOMET by Errick Nunnally: I REALLY enjoyed this one. The main character really carried this creature feature.

THE LAST CALL OF THE CICADA by Gwendolyn Kiste: A whimsical and lovely, horrific tale about a small town. And cicadas. So many cicadas.

MIGHTIER THAN BULLETS by Laurel Hightower: This story takes the awful real-life horror of school shootings and gives it an unbelievable twist. SO freaking GOOD.

LOUD AND CLEAR by Max Booth III: Interesting tale.

BETTER BY YOU, BETTER THAN ME by Rebecca Rowland: What a fever dream this one turned out to be!

A NIGHTMARE ON ELM LANE by Richard Chizmar: Hooked from start to finish!

THE VISITOR by Philip Fracassi: So creepy. Another one I enjoyed immensely.

LIPS LIKE A SCYTHE by Steve Van Samson: Not bad.

WHITE PAGES by Clay McLeod Chapman: Very nostalgic.

As I said above, this book is jam-packed full of nostalgic, fun and super creepy stories that I enjoyed. A lot. And there are quite a few that will stay with me for a long time.

I want to thank Erin Al-Mehairi for sending me a copy.


View all my reviews

Wednesday 4 September 2024

Cover Reveal!

If you're on social media, then you've probably already seen this absolutely beautiful cover made by Ruth Anna Evans:


It's so bright and absolutely perfect because the imagery captures Chester's struggle in the book SO well.

Speaking of that, here's the story synopsis:


SHE DOESN'T LIVE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE.
THE MONSTER IS ALREADY INSIDE HER HEAD.

Chester is no stranger to hearing voices, but after her mother disappears without a trace, the demonic voice trying to consume her is getting stronger every day.

The threat of possession might be her biggest problem, but it's not her only one. Chester's confidence in the stepmother who is trying to keep her safe is now unstable. The safe and comfortable connection with her very supportive stepbrother is slowly becoming a tangled mess that threatens their strong bond.

When Chester stumbles on her mother's precious journal, she hopes to find some answers about what's happening to her. But what she really wants to uncover is how to find her missing mother. And the answer to that mystery might come from the most unexpected source. Herself.


NUMB will be released on September 30!


You can already pre-order a copy:




And yes, I named this book after a Linkin Park song because it totally fits Chester's story... Also, I named my main character after Chester Bennington.


Thanks for reading! 


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