What starts as an ordinary Christmas night for John and Caitlyn, quickly turns into a nightmare after they crash their car on their way home. It's not the accident that changes everything, though. It's what's out in the woods. It's what they don't understand. It's what they can't explain.
Review:
Christmas, a time when creating memories should be happy and comforting, A time spent with family, friends, or who is most important in life.
For John and Caitlyn, Christmas was challenging. Time with family was an unpleasant experience. Leaving early, not wanting to be there anymore, they head out in a bad storm thinking that they could make it home safely. As the storm becomes more daunting, strange happenings begin to occur, resulting in crashing their car. As the hours pass by, they realize their situation is becoming dire and they must figure out what they should do to survive. Leaving the car and heading out into the woods, they come upon a cabin. Hoping to stay warm and safe inside, they realize that the real nightmare is just beginning.
"The storm turned angry as the seconds ticked by, but Mother Nature didn't distribute her wrath evenly. Instead, she targeted them."
There is something lurking outside, haunting, and sinister.
"The snowman sat just ten feet from the cabin window."
This is an entertaining novella. There are some creepy elements, but mostly I felt that this is a "mind bender." The characters are separated from their reality, but they never really have an answer as to why it's all happening. This leaves everything open to one's own interpretation and it has an open ending, which really keeps one thinking about what the hell just happened and why.
A fun winter read that may give one a different opinion of snowmen lurking in other people's yards!
** Thank you to the author for reaching out, it's much appreciated!
She felt lifeless, her skin glowing like a siren on the hunt, a ghost adrift in the sea.
In the second installment of the Glass Wings series, Hadley has narrowly escaped her own kidnapping. Now hidden away in the remote mountains, she struggles to heal, haunted by her translucent wings and a mysterious shadow self that whispers only to her. But her peace is fleeting. The enigmatic Goddess Ayurveda seeks Hadley’s power for a dazzling and dangerous plan to rule over both the Earth realm and Myrilosis.
As Hadley grapples with her fractured heart and untamed abilities, she must choose between following the Goddess's treacherous path or forging her own destiny. But with the Kinnari and Vrae uniting to stop them, the world teeters on the edge of destruction. The fate of both Earth and Myrilosis hangs in the balance, and Hadley is key to either their salvation or their destruction.
Review:
"Gods were not symbols of bounty and harmony, they were symbols of retribution, of penance, of brutality. There was a special kind of sinister motivation, to create life and then torture it throughout its existence."
Discovering that she is Kinnari, Hadley continues her journey to discover more about who she is. She is confused, hurt, and angry. She has been claimed by her creator; Ayurveda, who is out to increase her power to become the ruler of earth and Myrilosis. She has Hadley assisting her to destroy many but after Hadley is separated from Ayurveda, she begins to question everything pertaining to her existence, her immortality, her new powers, and her feelings of betrayal and loneliness.
The Kinnari and the Vrae have come together to stop Ayurveda from her destruction. There is still descension between them and they are very unbalanced in their beliefs. With much of Myrilosis and its inhabitants now destroyed, there are few survivors left.
The earth's rotation is slowing, the moon is dying, and all is dependent upon the decisions that will be made.
Continuing from Book 1; Glass Wings, we learn so much more about the characters and we are introduced to new characters. The world building is expanded upon creating a vast, dark, magical realm.
Gods and Goddesses. Kinnari and Vrae. New characters from the depth of the sea. Morally gray characters. A wyvern. A realm with portals that allow entry to earth. A fantastical world!
A very adventurous, enjoyable, uniquely created dark fantasy!
**A truly kind thank you to Nicole Kincaid PA and Elle Kaelee for a complimentary copy, it is very much appreciated!
Elle Kaelee is a first-generation American author and mother who lives in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating with her B.F.A in musical theater, she gets inspired by people, relationships, and unique settings. This gives her an excuse to travel frequently. She also had raised an orange cat who yells like a seagull with her husband.
Nine-year-old Pru has many hobbies: inventing things, collecting stuff, and learning new and interesting words.
But her newest passion is discovering the source of the weird sounds she hears at night-coming from beneath her bed. Ever since she was very little, Pru suspected there might be a special kind of creature making a home in her room. But because UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts only come out in the dark, she had never seen one.
That all changes one day after Pru's mom asks her to clean her room-an ordinary request that sets off an extraordinary chain of events. And Pru's life will never be the same.
First depicted in the international sensation Baby Teeth, a novel for adults, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is a quirky and charming story about a girl with a most unusual way of making new friends. Watch what grows underneath the bed...
Review:
"One of my hobbies is collecting words--I really like finding words that roll around in my brain in a special way."
Pru is an endearing child with a healthy love of words and a big imagination. What many children fear, Pru rather takes an interest in all the wonders.
The possibilities are endless as each UnderSlumberBumbleBeast comes to life and opens a whole new world for Pru to discover. Her new friends need to be looked after and provided with care, but it has become overly complicated for young Pru. She sets her mind on figuring out a solution to her problem.
Written with vivid imagery, creativity, and including wonderful illustrations, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast will surely capture the hearts of many children.
**All my thanks to Bad Hand Books for the complimentary Copy!
Zoje Stage is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of the psychological thrillers Baby Teeth and Getaway, and the psychological horror novels Wonderland and Mothered. Her books have been named "best of the year" by Forbes Magazine, Library Journal, PopSugar, LitReactor, Barnes & Noble, Book Riot, and more. Dear Hanna—the follow-up to her international sensation Baby Teeth—will be available Aug. 2024. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cats.
The acclaimed author of Ghost Eaters and What Kind of Mother is coming to Bad Hand Books.
The body of Glenn Partridge’s 15-year-old son was discovered in a vacant lot nearly forty years ago. The police are still no closer to finding the murderer decades later.
Glenn refuses to let the memory of his son fade—or let anyone else within this small working-class community forget. His long-suffering wife signs him up for an amateur fiction-writing workshop at the local library, just to get him out of the house and out of his own head.
Rule number one: Write what you know—so Glenn decides to share his son’s story. The class offers him a chance to make sense of a senseless crime and find the fictional closure life never provided. But as Glenn’s story takes on a life of its own, someone from the past is compelled to come out of hiding before he reaches…
The End.
Review:
"Everybody's got at least one good book in them, so my book is about Billy."
Glenn and Carol have lost their child, their only son at 15 years old. He was brutally murdered, and the case was never solved. 40 years later, Glenn is still feeling the grief and the frustration of not knowing who murdered his son. He has let it consume his entire life, and he does not stop searching until he finds some sort of answer to what happened that senseless night.
The grief in this story is so palpable and unrelenting. My heart still feels the depth of the pain of the character's.
"She tried on a smile, and it didn't fit, so she took it away."
This is grief horror at its deepest level. It is not a beautiful story; it is not a happy story, but it is a story that reaches deep into the depths of ourselves, evoking empathy and compassion. The depths of a parents love and the lengths one will go to find some sort of closure and peace.
An unforgettable experience!
**Thank you so much, Bad Hand Books, for the complimentary copy!
Clay McLeod Chapman is the author of novels What Kind of Mother, Ghost Eaters, Whisper Down the Lane,The Remaking, and miss corpus, story collections nothing untoward, commencement and rest area, as well as The Tribe middlegrade series: Homeroom Headhunters, Camp Cannibal and Academic Assassins.
His new novel, Wake Up and Open Your Eyes, arrives on January 7, 2025. Upcoming projects include the novelette Stay On The Line (Shortwave Books), the novella Kill Your Darling (Bad Hand Books) and the creator-owned comic limited series Seance in the Asylum (Dark Horse Comics).
Quiet Part Loud, a 12-part horror podcast from Jordan Peele/Monkeypaw Productions, written by Chapman and Mac Rogers, is available on Spotify.
Chapman’s story late bloomer was adapted into a short film, directed by Craig William Macneill. An official selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, the short won Best Short at the Lake Placid Film Festival and the Brown Jenkins Award at the 12th Annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival.
Their second short, Henley, based on the chapter “The Henley Road Motel” from Chapman’s novel miss corpus, was an official selection at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. It won Best Short at the 2011 Gen Art Film Festival and the 2011 Carmel Arts and Film Festival. The Boy (SXSW 2015), a feature-length adaptation of Henley, co-written with director Macneill, was produced by SpectreVision (Elijah Wood, Daniel Noah, and Josh C. Waller) in 2015.
In comics, Chapman is the writer of the Marvel series Scream: Curse of Carnage. He has written Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety, Iron Fist: Phantom Limb, Typhoid Fever, as well as for Edge of Spider-Verse and Venomverse, The Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man,American Vampire, Scream: King In Black, and ORIGINS among others.
He is the creator of Self Storage (451 Media) and Lazaretto (BOOM! Studios).
Chapman is the creator of the rigorous storytelling session The Pumpkin Pie Show. In the twenty years of its existence, it has performed internationally at the Romanian Theatre Festival of Sibiu, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, New York International Fringe Festival, Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Edmonton Fringe Festival, Minnesota Fringe Festival, Dublin-based thisisnotashop art space, IGNITE Festival, Women Center Stage Festival and Impact Theatre Festival.
Chapman wrote the book for Hostage Song (music & lyrics by Kyle Jarrow). He is the author of such plays as commencement, the cardiac shadow and volume of smoke. His story-monologues birdfeeder, undertow and the wet echo have been featured in The Best American Short Plays anthologies.
Chapman was educated at the North Carolina School of the Arts for Drama, the Burren College of Art, and Sarah Lawrence College. He currently teaches writing at The Actors Studio MFA Program at Pace University.
DARK TALES is a collection of J.D. Allen’s most haunting and imaginative stories. From science fiction terrors to body horror frights, from haunted dolls to premature tombstones, these dark tales will haunt you long after you’ve read them. Included in this tomb… er… excuse me, I meant, ‘tome’… are four shocking novellas:
CONJOINED The job offer? Spend this winter on the remote, private island of the mysterious Dr. Castor Pollux, as a companion to his surgically abused daughter, Gemini. Sounds like the start of some demented horror story? It is! Lured onto the operating table, and into madness, by the hypnotic silver eyes of a sadistically predatory nurse, you’ll donate every organ to terror as you follow young Danielle on a horrific journey into a medical nightmare where no one escapes unaltered.
SILVER SKY Watching a loved one drift away from illness becomes a literal nightmare for the family and friends of those afflicted with Silver Sky Syndrome, as victims become immune to the laws of gravity, and ascend into the heavens, in this metaphorical horror story.
TOMBSTONES Out at the old cemetery, in the quiet town of Luna Vista, mysterious tombstones are rising up out of the swampy ground in an unused and cursed field, and gruesome deaths are predicted for the unfortunate townsfolk whose names can be found carved into their rocky surfaces! Who will be next?
CAN SUSAN COME OUT AND PLAY? Some ghosts won't allow the living time to properly mourn the dead. Some hauntings begin with the very last heartbeat. And sometimes the living can haunt us too. This is a ghost story about the living.
Review:
"It's scary to think just how quickly a person can
become all alone in the world."
Grotesque body horror, love and loss, death and grief,
the living, and the dead, all wrapped up in this compilation of four novellas
of the dark and macabre.
All four stories are so descriptive it scintillates the
senses of the mind and heart. Taking us to the dark places of the
imagination.
A doctor that only wanted to complete his daughter once
again, but nothing happened as he had planned it. But a sadistic nurse tries to
fulfill his wishes to complete the family once again. Creepy vibes similar
to The Modern Prometheus.
An analogy depicting the loss of family members and dear
loved ones as they drift away.
A witches curse exacting revenge upon the town of Luna
Vista.
When a man loses his greatest loves, his wife and daughter,
his grief is impalpable, but a creepy doll takes him on a journey of an even
darker discovery.
Every one of these stories did not disappoint my horror
loving heart. I found myself excited with the anticipation of being able to
continue reading every chance I could! The stories brought to my mind the Outer
Limits, one of my absolute favorite television series!
This is one I am going to be adding to my top reads of 2024!
Born after midnight on the evening of Halloween, 1963, Joseph Dean Allen stalked the foggy enclaves of the San Francisco Bay Area, by moonlight, for much of his youth. Currently he haunts the rainy Pacific Northwest with his husband, Kyle, and the two gremlins, disguised as house cats, with whom they live.
Meet the original species, Kinnari, and their demon rivals, the Vrae.
This debut novel is quoted as completely original, in its own new category, not following the rules of today's popular booktok books. It's gritty and gothic, with complex emotions and a slew of trigger warnings. This book contains five points of view and two timelines to tell the first chapter of this book series
Pain erupted from Hadley’s shoulders, blood, deep and blue streaked down her back. A metal chain groaned around her ankle, the only sound besides her screams in the dark.
Eighteen and alone in California, Hadley sells the only thing she has left to make ends herself. When strange things start happening, Hadley has nowhere to turn. She will soon learn that there are worse things than humans watching her from the shadows.
Hadley’s existence is an anomaly. She has inherited an ancient feud between immortals both good and evil. With it, powers she can’t yet control. Her path extends back centuries, tying her to five winged immortals: a gentle soul burdened with destructive abilities, twins whose connection to the moon ties them to fate, a woman whose commands shape destinies, and a boy who wanders the realm of unconsciousness.
She will soon learn what they’ve all known for even divine beings aren’t immune to family drama. When the light and the dark prepare for war, only you can decide which side you fall on—and it might not be as clear as you think.
Review:
"All the love that flows from this world is nothing in comparison to how I
feel about you."
Set
in Ancient Rome, 47 B.C. This is where we are introduced to the Kinnari. Seven
ancient immortals with wings of flight. Magical and mystical, they are
protectors of the realm of Earth and the realm of Myrilosis where
they preside.
The Vrae are
the enemy of the Kinnari. Known as Vampires/Demons, they feed on the flesh of
their enemies.
Set in Sacramento, California, in the
early 2000s we are introduced to Hadley. Young, naive, and all alone.
Struggling to make ends meet and simply survive in a world filled with so
much that is unknown. As she takes on a job to earn the money she needs, she
has no idea that she has now put her life at significant risk.
As the plot thickens, a battle of
revenge and survival has now begun. For the Kinnari, the Vrae, and for Hadley.
She learns where she truly has come from and who she truly is.
"Then, she realized that she
wasn't the victim. She was the victor who would rise from the ashes after
dragon flame burned down everything. Her glass wings would scorch her path with
the sun magnifying heat through them."
With totally unique characters and a
mythical world, this is a dark fantasy like no other.
Two timelines, two realms. Winged
immortals, demons, and humans together as their lives are now out of balance,
they will do all they can to protect their own.
With book two being released soon, it
will be interesting to learn more about the characters and their mythical
world. What will they decide and what will Hadley decide? Will they be strong
together or will they meet their demise? Will their world fall apart? Will
earth survive its plight? These are questions that need answering!
As a debut novel, the author did a
fine job at writing. Beautiful prose and a unique
world. Love, heartbreak, death, and betrayal.
Try it if you are a fan of dark
fantasy. I am looking forward to seeing the journey unfold in book two.
**A very kind thank you to Nicole Kincaid PA and Elle Kaelee for a complimentary copy, it is very much appreciated!
Elle Kaelee is a first-generation American author and mother who lives in the Pacific Northwest. After graduating with her B.F.A in musical theater, she gets inspired by people, relationships, and unique settings. This gives her an excuse to travel frequently.
She also had raised an orange cat who yells like a seagull with her husband.
“One thing I learnt early…don’t meddle with anything that isn’t human…that’s never been human…trust me on that.”
The walls between Charlie White’s real life and purgatory are thinning. The realm beyond is increasingly affecting not only her, but her closest companions. The danger deepens the more her two worlds collide.
Charlie has been warned there is more to the Dream than she can comprehend in this life. She knew she was not alone in limbo, but she never dared to seek out the others. One of them, though, is about to find her. Dragging her further into the world beyond.
As she fights not just for her life, but for the lives of her friends, Charlie is forced to question her deepest fears and desires. How long can she hold onto those she loves? What does it mean to be betrayed? And when does justice become malevolence?
Review:
"It was dark, again, like it so often was in the dream."
Charlie'sjourney
continues as she is pulled into the spirit world. She is learning more about
herself and the various spirits in the realm beyond. There are much darker
spirits than her previous encounters. Much more malevolent and harmful, not
only to Charlie, but also to her dearest friends.
The
"Blacks". The lost, unrested souls. Forever seeking that
which was promised and the only way that will provide peace. "The
stormy blasts of hell with restless fury drives them on." The
souls are unbalanced, and Charlie must figure out why to be able to lead them
to be balanced once again. "Grief flowed in waves, but not just
sadness. Loss, anger, betrayal---despair."
"The Forgotten"
Enter Raff, a guide of spirits that
live in purgatory. The "Blacks." Together, Charlie and Raff must work
together to stop the vicious attacks upon Charlie's treasured friend, Tess.
They must restore balance, they have
no choice, but will they be able to?
As with the first two books in this
series, this one is just as fabulous. Each has its own focus on the distinct
characters, spirits, and settings. Settings throughout Australia along with its
rich history.
This one is deeper and darker because
of the malevolence of the spirits and the dark realm they preside in. The
backstory that causes the spirits to be filled with grief and anger is filled
with betrayal and sadness.
I very much enjoyed reading the diary
entries set into the story,1909, forbidden love, lost love, death, and
despair.
I love this series so much! The
characters, the friendships, the history, and the darkness of spirit realms.
Finding out why the souls are lost and how Charlie, as a keeper, must restore
the balance or there will be even more dire consequences. Keeps me on edge and
crossing my fingers as the books open up a whole new world!
As a debut author, beginning with "The
Keeper: The Corner of Her Eye (Book 1)", I highly recommend
reading all of these. J.J. is an author to keep an eye on, her writing is
exceptional! I look forward to reading the rest of the series!
"Je t'aimerai pour toujours."
**Thank you so much, J.J. for the advanced readers copy, you are so appreciated!
JJ Carpenter has been writing books since she was six years old - a collection of kooky tales she would staple together and hide in a shoebox under her bed. Penning her first novel at the age of 12, her love of all things creepy, supernatural and wild has never left her. Join JJ as she journeys through haunted places and chilling mysteries across the beautiful country, and rich history, of Australia.
JJ was born in Canberra, Australia. She spent her childhood in various locations, including the Barossa Valley, South Australia, and Hampshire, England. As an adult, she's spent much of her career living and working in the South Pacific: Solomon Islands (twice), Vanuatu, Fiji and beyond.
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