Karla's Literary Korner

https://www.amazon.com/Elizabeth-Bedlam/

Amazon Author Page:

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/

I, Zombie: A Different Point of View by Garry Engkent

D&T Publishing LLC & Godless, Emerge #4

Rating:★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 63

Read: 06/29/22

Synopsis:

Gregory Laine inexplicably resurrects during his funeral and surprises his close friends and mourners. Almost immediately, he is captured by iASK, the institute for Abnormal Scientific Knowledge, an ultra-secret organization. The scientists/doctors, led by Dr. Lori, experiment on him relentlessly. Being an Undead, Laine discovers some new talents and uses them to escape. He takes vengeance on those who caused his “death.” However, he has trouble eluding iASK, until he discovers their secret. At this point, to be totally free, he must sacrifice something precious.

Review:

“Dying I remember Not, but…”

Told through the perspective of a newly undead. Gregory Lane becomes a whole new breed of Zombie. The more he eats, the more he becomes. After going through some brutal experimentation at the hands of iASK, he becomes determined to escape from their clutches. He then seeks out those who had a hand in his death and exacts his revenge. He discovers that iASK is always on his tail and how. Now he must undo their secret and sacrifice a part of him that is very delicate but must be done to elude iASK and live a life of eternity.

This was a lot of fun to read. It was a refreshing take on the Zombie trope, giving the story through the mind of the Zombie. Many surprises included and some parts that had me chuckling.

This had me totally routing for the Zombie and not the humans!!

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1346938.Garry_Engkent

Godless Purchase Link:

https://godless.com/products/

D&T Publishing Godless Link:

https://godless.com/collections/

Review Link:

The Crow and the Cardinal by Robert Ford

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Children's Folktales and Myths

Format: eBook

Pages: 60

Read: 06/29/22

Amazon Synopsis:

Inspired by classic tales such as The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, and the many works of E.B. White, The Crow and the Cardinal is a bedtime story of what friendship and sacrifice means, what it means to give of yourself, no matter the cost, and that we can triumph over anything that comes our way.

Review:

As someone who works with children, I can attest that this is a stroy they would enjoy.

A wonderful tale of friendship and the sacrifice from one to another out of love, kindness and care.

The importance of believing in oneself and never giving up.

Captivating artwork!

Beautiful story!

Most definitely recommend!

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-Ford/e/

Amazon Author Page:

Link to Book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B

Quiet Places: A Novella of Cosmic Folk Horror by Jasper Bark

Rating:★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 141

Read: 06/29/22

Amazon Synopsis:

Folk horror at its most cosmic and terrifying.

In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born. The people of Dunballan harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip.

It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places.

Blending folklore with psychological terror, Quiet Places contains stories within stories, each one leading to revelations more unsettling than the last. Revelations that will change the way you view your place in the cosmos, and haunt you, relentlessly, long after you have put down this book.

Represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.

Review:

"There were chapters on hauntings, witchcraft, and faery folk that were local to the area. The chapter that really caught Sally's attention contained a story about the Gaelic Teine Biorach, a series of Will o' the Wisp sightings, and finally her heart raced when she read this passage:

The locals call the eerie voice 'Hettie of the Hedgerow', and claim she is either an ancient spirit, or daemon from another realm. She is drawn to those in the depths of despair, and she often gives dire warnings which you would be foolish to ignore."

David McCavendish has inherited an estate in the Scottish Highlands, an estate in the town of Dunballan. One that has a long suffering family connection and must always have a McCavendish upon its property. The legacy is dark and there are secrets hidden deep within. The residents of the town are also in the clutches of the curse. An ancient history that comes from the beginning of time, an ancient beast lurking in the depths of the forest, and a voice that calls from the quiet places of the forest.

A blend of folklore, cosmic horror, ancient religious revelations, secret societies, ancient occult practices and beasts from another dimension.

This story is foreboding and unsettling. Such unrelenting sorrow and darkness pressing into the mind and making one feel as if they have just been sucked into a black hole. It is dark and there are no feelings of happiness. Only despair and tragedy. Accept one theme that shows the capability of humanity; sacrifice for another done with love and care.

Atmospheric detail and imagery, quite beguiling.

I was enchanted by the beautiful darkness and depth within.

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Jasper-Bark/e/

Amazon Author Page:

Review Links:

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/

https://app.thestorygraph.com/user_reviews/

Monday, June 27, 2022

Gorefest: An Anthology of G’orror Stories-Grinded Up by K. Trap Jones

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror Anthology

Format: eBook/Paperback (Signed by K. Trap Jones)

Pages: 150/202

Read: 06/27/22

Goodreads Synopsis:

The Evil Cookie Publishing presents Gorefest, an extreme horror anthology. 14 Authors carve their path through the muck and grime to celebrate the art of gore. From a demented love triangle to the hollowed pleas of a blood-soaked savior, the following stories grip and grind through a labyrinth of demented deception of unflinching and often humorous betrayals of society. The only thing for sure is that after each encounter...only the stain remains. Edited by K. Trap Jones

*Including the never before published, Stephen Kozeniewski’s 2x winning stories from 2016 & 2018 KillerCon’s Gross-Out Contests.

Review:

A completely entertaining book filled with the extreme and disgusting. Anyone familiar with the writing of the authors and the genre should know what to expect and most certainly enjoy the gore infested trip. Oftentimes humorous, most times gross, other times humanities deceptions and betrayals, but most definitely a creation of gore infested stories for fans of the genre.

Fuckin’ Maggots by Natasha Sinclair

A metal band tale of jealousy and revenge against a new corporate marketing label. It’s a bloodbath of epic proportions. The crowd roars as the music blares, the chainsaw revs, and bodily fluids fill the air.

Cut Around The Ass by Daniel J. Volpe

A father and son hunting trip turns into a deer’s revenge and a creatures feast.

Little Elvis by Armand Rosamilia

The only thing that makes Little Elvis stand at attention is his love affair and obsession with tools. Pain and desire becomes a gorefest of delight for these two with a tool fetish.

Bloodsoaked Savior by Wrath James White

A heartbreaking and beautiful tale of covid revenge written in poetic form.

Influencers by Donnie Goodman

A peanut butter shit fest has those internet fans hitting those likes. Especially when a man has them fulfilling his obsession with Apotemnophilia.

Beneath the Moor by Jonathon Butcher

A cheater will not cheat death when navigating the consuming beast of the misty moors.

The Terrible Two by Stephen Kozeniewski

Dildoey McDildoface: A Poop Dildo’s Odyssey

Everybody Poops, Especially Godzilla

The 2 Winners of the Gross Out Contest/World Horror/KillerCon

Well deserved!!

.38 Special by Amy Grech

A splattery tale of Russian Roulette ends in 2 big…WHOOPS!

Winner Digs the Grave by Jay Wilburn

A fight to the death and the winner gets the dinner of muscle, sinew, marrow and bone. A little bit gamey, who’s next?

You Can’t Kill the Dead by Jack Bantry and Robert Essig

Zombies and fishing, what could go wrong? A toxic waster earns his comeuppance.

The Cart Don’t Go There by Patrick C. Harrison III

Do not mess with an obsessed parking lot security, must keep it clean and tidy.

Do not mess with a lady that leaves her cart where she pleases, especially if she carries a hatchet.

Infested by Lucas Milliron

Big, huge, monstrous wasp! Nasty, nasty, nasty!

The Negative One by Wesley Southard

A new perspective of a blood sucker. She doles out her weapons and lets the fighting ensue into a huge, bloody imminent death.

Bonus:

Grudge Pipes by K. Trap Jones

A grandfather passing on his legacy of his basement creations.

“Grudges; some people discard them, some dwell within them. For me, I hold onto them dearly….”

Goodreads Link:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/

Review Links:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/

Sunday, June 26, 2022

The House of Drought by Dennis Mombauer

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 119

Read: 06/25/22

Synopsis:

A HAUNTED HOUSE FOR THE CLIMATE CHANGE ERA.

On the island of Sri Lanka, at a colonial mansion between the forest and the paddy fields, a caretaker arrives with four children in tow after pledging to keep them safe. When violent thugs storm the house demanding that Ushu repay his debt, young Jasmit and the other children hide in an upstairs bathroom where a running tap opens a gateway to escape. But the Dry House is not the only force at work in the place where the forest and the estate meet-something else stirs in the trees, something ancient, something that demands retribution.

The Sap Mother bides her time, watching and learning from the house's inhabitants. She burrows beneath the foundations of the Dry House, hungry for atonement. Pulled between these warring powers, Jasmit must choose between saving those trapped in the mansion's bulging stomachs and preparing the house for when the Mother emerges again.

Advanced Review:

“The House of Drought. The upside-down house. The house hibernating inside the house.”

Bernhard Zimmerkrug and his associate travel to Sri-Lanka to record a documentary exposing climate change and the severe drought in Anathakandu. While there he comes upon an old mansion and out of curiosity, he decides to explore and learn the history of the house. He believes his documentary needs something more; a human connection. What he learns and experiences will change his life.

We are given the history of the house during different eras and the people that were in some way connected. From the original builder and the people who once dwelled there. There is an ancient lore connected to the mansion, one that has always watched over the land to preserve and prosper it, a ghost of the forest. The building of the house has hurt the spirit and the forest in which she dwells. The house has become a curse upon the land.

The house has many, many secrets.

I feel one must keep an open mind while reading this. Read it for what it is, a work of fiction to entertain and yet still give a look into climate change and its effects. It has many unsettling moments as we are introduced to the lore of the forest and how the house is perceived as a labyrinth of hidden halls, an otherworldly side, with a very dry, dusty, parching, claustrophobic setting. It is never really explained how the house became a curse, but we are given a story of a woman who hides her children within to protect them from harm. A lineage of stories piecing each puzzle together, but never quite getting that foothold because we are shifted from the characters experiences within the house and then brought back to their entry into the house, but as the house is a labyrinth, it gives the feeling of also being taken through the many layers within. I felt it was very effective keeping with the themes that eventually are more revealed.

Good imagery, descriptive and atmospheric. Not necessarily frightening, a bit unsettling if one imagines oneself stepping into an old colonial mansion and becoming trapped within its corridors of dryness and dust.

“It’s worse than the world outside, worse than the forest and the fields. This place doesn’t belong here; it never should have been built.”

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/House-Drought-Dennis-Mombauer-ebook/dp/

Amazon Purchase Page:

Review Links:

https://godless.com/products/

Thursday, June 23, 2022

DARKNESS VISIBLE (THE GODLESS BIBLE - SERMON 1) BY THE REVEREND

Rating: ★★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 22

Read: 06/23/22

Synopsis:

Introducing THE REVEREND.

The Professor has found God and this is the first of his X-rated sermons casting new light on key narratives from the Bible.

Are you prepared for a particularly provocative, yet deeply spiritual, presentation of God and humanity?

Sermon One begins where it must. In the beginning...

Review:

“The Lord knows why you are here. You have come seeking salvation. You saw the light in my tent, glowing in the deep darkness of the night and you knew it was calling you.”

Step into the tent and hear the voice of the Reverend. Listen to him speak. He will tell you that God is always watching, that he has always been watching. Let him open your eyes to what lies within the storytelling. He will open your eyes from the darkness to the light from the beginning. He will tell you of the creation of man and woman and the great garden of their dwelling. The tempting existence of the Tree, the serpent and the tantalizing sweetness of the fruit that calls. It is waiting there, too enticing to resist and it will tell you to make the choice to truly live, to feel, to live a full life before death consumes your existence.

“You will know.

You will know what it is to weep,

to scream,

to cry,

to laugh,

to ache,

to bleed,

to fear,

to hope.”

From the first moment I heard that The Professor was beginning this series, I had no doubt that we were all in for something truly unique and extra special. If one is at all familiar with the stories of the bible and has an understanding of what lies within, then one should also understand that we all have our own interpretations and stories that connect within ourselves. We all see and feel it at many different levels. We have our favorites and our own beliefs. One must always have an open mind to learning and accepting our own beliefs along with what others may believe.

The same holds true for storytelling and reading. We all have our own thoughts and we take from each story what our hearts and souls reach out for. It’s all personal and an experience to treasure.

Anyone familiar with The Professor’s storytelling will know what to expect. He creates something new from ancient and classic stories and writes it into something sensual and exotic. There is always something more that is being offered to us from his mind to ours. He opens our minds and makes our souls burn for more.

The beauty lies within the words.

“God understands storytelling and there was a moment in darkness when He began to tell our story. “

The first installment of The Sermons is available on Godless.com

For the price of $0.50 you not only get the eBook but you also get the earworm. Listening to the voice of the Professor/Reverend makes the story that much more enticing and fully immersible.

Link to Godless:

Link to The Professor:

https://godless.com/collections/

Becoming 2: Rage by Lucas Milliron

Rating: ★★★★

Genre: Horror

Format: eBook

Pages: 150

Read: 06/23/22

Goodreads Synopsis:

The rats are just behind the walls. Can you hear them? Scratching and gnawing their way through?

Cody's first change was just a glimpse. The world he left behind was a lie, and the new is built on secrets. Angela didn't ask to become a monster, especially not for her thirst for blood. It's not the humans she has to worry about, but the vampires closest to her.

Strangers in their own skins, Cody and Angela must find their way through this world of darkness, with so much blood already on their hands.

Rage is the second book in the Becoming series, full of monsters, magic, and creatures older than time itself. We don't always choose the path ahead of us, only the sins we drag behind.

If you don't like the skin you're in...change it.

Advanced Review:

"Violence is one facet of what we become. We do not fight for the sake of fighting or take life for the pleasure of it. Death is nature. Life is nature. Survival is life. We fight for our very survival. The violence is simply part of our gift."

A world of darkness and depravity. An underworld of covens. Vampires, skin changers, shape shifting werewolves, and the Fae; creatures of the wood – trolls, satyrs, nymphs, and fairies.

The second installment of Cody’s becoming. This is his sharing of his new life. He is still learning all that he is and what he can become if he would only accept what resides within him. He sees with new eyes all the darkness of the world. Learning all the secrets of his new family and what must be done for survival in a world full of secrets and lies, as protectors of realms and the world. He must also gain acceptance of his new family, learn their ways, let his inner rage unleash to truly understand his capabilities. He is not only battling the war that rages inside of him, he is fighting in a war against the evils of the world he is now a part of.

This was like stepping into a dark underworld of fantasy and horror combined. There are realms of magic, suburban slums, ghetto’s, the tainted parts of humanity and an underworld of vampire covens. There is terror, violence, deception, and action packed survival.

The creativity of the werewolves are different from the typical. They have completely unique abilities and they are the protectors against the other evil beings and terrors that hide in the shadows. And so becomes the true nature of Cody’s new existence.

Another captivating story of what exists beneath the surfaces.

A thought and lesson to contemplate and take to heart:

“Oh, what it is to be young and dumb. We all make mistakes, and we learn from them, we grow from them."

“….but if you don't like the skin you're in, change it. Become something better, something stronger. Take that hate, that rage, and make it useful. Become."

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Lucas-Milliron/e/

Amazon Author Page:

Review Links:

https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/

Tuesday, June 21, 2022

The Deep by Alma Katsu

Rating: ★★★☆

Genre: Historical/Supernatural

Format: eBook

Pages: 431

Read: 06/21/22

Amazon Synopsis:

From the acclaimed and award-winning author of The Hunger comes an eerie, psychological twist on one of the world's most renowned tragedies, the sinking of the Titanic and the ill-fated sail of its sister ship, the Britannic.

Someone, or something, is haunting the ship. Between mysterious disappearances and sudden deaths, the guests of the Titanic have found themselves suspended in an eerie, unsettling twilight zone from the moment they set sail. Several of them, including maid Annie Hebley, guest Mark Fletcher, and millionaires Madeleine Astor and Benjamin Guggenheim, are convinced there's something sinister--almost otherwordly--afoot. But before they can locate the source of the danger, as the world knows, disaster strikes.

Years later, Annie, having survived that fateful night, has attempted to put her life back together. Working as a nurse on the sixth voyage of the Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, newly refitted as a hospital ship, she happens across an unconscious Mark, now a soldier fighting in World War I. At first, Annie is thrilled and relieved to learn that he too survived the sinking, but soon, Mark's presence awakens deep-buried feelings and secrets, forcing her to reckon with the demons of her past--as they both discover that the terror may not yet be over.

Brilliantly combining the supernatural with the height of historical disaster, The Deep is an exploration of love and destiny, desire and innocence, and, above all, a quest to understand how our choices can lead us inexorably toward our doom.

Review:

"We are all, men and women, creatures of desires both good and bad. But everything has a price, and the price of indulging in that which is bad for us is often guilt; and too much guilt results in a sickness of the mind. We have poisoned our conscience, and something poisoned will need treatment one day—or it will rot."

With a large cast of characters that have a vast amount of diversity from upper class(persnicketies and scandalous), lower class(a bit of shenanigans going on), staff(must meet the demands of all the passengers and try to stay a bit unseen in the process), and many others besides, I felt that each and every one of them were represented clearly and accurately considering the setting is aboard the Titanic in the year, 1912 and the Britanic in the year, 1916.

The historical facts were on par and clearly researched, although maybe a bit too much of that was included, almost identically to a certain degree when describing events that occurred during the sinking of the Titanic, but obviously intended as to maybe not detract too far away from the facts of the sinking.

I very much enjoyed the speculative historical fiction, characters, and the mystery that was hidden until the ending, but I honestly did not quite connect with the supernatural elements. There really is not anything scary about the haunting that is occuring, what I found to be more unsettling is the overall human character and their mentalities.

There is much to be pondered upon with some of the very beautiful, heartfelt prose. Very descriptive imagery that floats the reader out to sea, experiencing the trauma and unfortunate events.

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.amazon.com/Alma-Katsu/

Amazon Author Page:

Review Links:

https://www.bookbub.com/