Book Review: KHOST, by Vincent Hobbes

I was doubtful when I picked up Khost for review. I’d never read a military horror novel before, though I’ve always been a big fan of the first two Alien movies. The Alien movies are military science fiction, so I thought that perhaps the two genres would be similar. They were.

Well, as it turned out, I had no reason to be apprehensive. Khost was a very pleasant surprise, and I found myself caring about the characters and their predicament and engrossed in the story until the end.

The tale begins in 1984, with the Soviet Union engaged in the bloody war with Afghanistan. Afraid of losing, the Soviets develop a chemical weapon unlike any other in history, one with the power to enhance their soldiers in the battlefield.  They soon put it to the test in the province of Khost, where the Mujahideen hide inside a massive cave complex.

But things go awfully wrong. Instead of enhancing the humans, the chemical mutates them into beings that are way beyond human, into something horrifying and evil.

Move forward to 2010. The USA is at war with Afghanistan. And it becomes increasingly challenging in the province of Khost, where already an elite team of Delta Force Operators has gone missing. That is, except only one survivor, who has an incredible, terrifying story to tell, and whom nobody believes—nobody except the CIA, which soon sends a top-secret team to deal with the situation…

Khost is nonstop suspense, action, and thrills. The story moves at a heart-racing pace. The dialogue and descriptions ring with authenticity, and I was especially impressed with all the military language and details. I also found compelling the dynamic between the characters and their sense of comradeship.

None of them are your regular nice guy, yet they show admirable courage, honor, and responsibility for the wellbeing of their team. The scenes inside the cave are quite graphic and violent at times, but somehow they all felt essential to the story and not gratuitous. In sum, I enjoyed reading this novel and can fully recommend it to fans of thrillers, horror and science fiction, and well as those of you who would like to try something different.

Purchase KHOST on Amazon.

This review previously appeared in Blogcritics. 

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5 Questions with The Dark Phantom: Featuring Patrick C. Greene, author of PROGENY

Some dark serendipity plopped a young Patrick Greene in front of a series of ever stranger films-and experiences-in his formative years, leading to a unique viewpoint. His odd interests have led to pursuits in film acting, paranormal investigation, martial arts, quantum physics, bizarre folklore and eastern philosophy. These elements flavor his screenplays and fiction works, often leading to strange and unexpected detours designed to keep viewers and readers on their toes.

Literary influences range from Poe to Clive Barker to John Keel to a certain best selling Bangorian. Suspense, irony, and outrageously surreal circumstances test the characters who populate his work, taking them and the reader on a grandly bizarre journey into the furthest realms of darkness. The uneasy notion that reality itself is not only relative but indeed elastic- is the hallmark of Greene’s writing.

Website: http://www.PatrickCGreene.com

Q: Welcome to The Dark Phantom, Patrick. In a nutshell, tell us why readers should buy PROGENY.

A: Because my Netflix bill is due. Plus, it has re-readability. PROGENY is written as more than just a horror thriller. It’s very much a coming-of-age story for not just the two boys in the story, but also for their fathers. Most of the characters have hard lessons to learn. And the book’s monsters are just the ones to teach them. …The survivors, that is.

Q: What makes a good horror adventure?

A: For me, aside from the obvious thrills, a story like this should present relatable characters who get a chance to grow through the horror they experience–not just be traumatized by it. Though that is surely going to happen as well.

Q: What is a regular writing day like for you?

A: I get up late, go to the gym, then set up my computer and work through the night, taking breaks every hour or so to think through the plot and see if some backtracking or some strange twist is in order. Usually it is.

Q: What do you find most rewarding about being an author?

A:  The accolades showered upon me by the loving masses. Also, it’s a great form of therapy. I have a vivid imagination anyway so it’s good to find people who enjoy what I come up with; it means I’m maybe not so crazy after all. Or else, they are too. Whichever, it’s all good.

Q: What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

A: My dad told me that if you don’t give an outlet to your creative impulses they will destroy you. So if doing it because you love it isn’t good enough, there’s always that, I guess.

Purchase PROGENY on AMAZON.

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Guest post: “Human No Longer Backstory,” by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

AMAZON KINDLE

Human No Longer. It’s my 17^th published book – yeah! – and my fourth vampire novel. First, let me tell you where I got the idea for it. About five years ago, I was still trying to please the agent (who I no longer have) who’d sold four of my earlier paperback novels to Zebra in the 1990’s and, because she didn’t seem to like any of my new potential concepts, I asked her what she would like to see. Out of nowhere, she said, “You know your 1991 Zebra vampire novel, Vampire Blood? I liked that one a lot. The characters. Well, how about writing me a sort of sequel with basically the same cast, but with this premise: A woman, a mother, after being turned into a bloodthirsty vampire, must learn to adapt to the human world and still be a good mother. You know, how would she deal with everything when she had children she loved; didn’t want to hurt or leave them…but still had the need to feed on blood? Still had all the urges and desires of a vampire?

Yikes. I hated the idea but, to please her, I went ahead and begrudgingly wrote the book. I tentatively called it The Vampire’s Children or The Vampire Mother or something like that. I finished it. Not too happy with it. I had never liked writing what other people wanted me to write. Stubborn, I guess.

My agent, in the meantime, had begun her own online erotic (which I don’t much care to write) publishing company and when I’d gotten done with the novel she was too busy to even read the finished book. She handed it off to an apprentice intern. An intern? What? Who didn’t like it at all. Duh. So, disgusted, I tucked the file away on my computer and, fed up with the whole agent thing, returned to writing what I wanted to write. An end of days novel called A Time of Demons and a new vampire novel where the evil vampire wasn’t a mother. In 2010 I went with a new publisher, Kim Richards at Damnation Books/Eternal Press, and she contracted not only those two books but asked me if I’d like to rewrite, update and rerelease all 7 of my older out-of-print Leisure and Zebra paperbacks going back to 1984. Heck yes, I said! So for the next 2 years I was busy doing that. Some of those books were over twenty-five years old and very outdated. Their rewriting, editing and rereleasing took a lot of work and time.

Then, in late 2012, I decided to take a very old book of mine (Predator) which was contracted to Zebra Paperbacks in 1993 but, in the end, never actually released, and just for the heck of it, as my 16^th novel, self-publish it to Amazon Kindle Direct. Just in ebook form. A kind of grand experiment. The first time I’ve ever tried self-publishing. See how it’d sell. Dinosaur Lake. A story about a hungry mutant dinosaur loose in the waters of Crater Lake that goes on a rampage. Hey, I wrote Dinosaur Lake before Jurassic Park, the book, ever came out! Really. I had my cover artist, Dawne Dominique make a cover for it…and it was stunning with a dinosaur roaring on the front. And I did everything else myself. Editing. Proofing. Formatting. With forty years and endless publishers behind me I felt I was capable. And it’d been selling so well I decided to self-publish another one…and I remembered the mother/vampire book. Hmmm. So I revamped (ha, ha, inside joke), polished, and self-published it, as well. I retitled it Human No Longer. Got my fabulous cover artist, Dawne Dominique, to make me a lovely haunting cover with a troubled-looking woman standing outside a spooky house, with two children behind her in its shadows, on the front and voila! All in all, I don’t think the book turned out half bad. In fact, with the changes I made I think it’s not bad at all. Now I just hope my readers will like it.

So that’s the story of Human No Longer. My 17^th published novel.***

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About Kathryn Meyer Griffith…

Since childhood I’ve always been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. I began writing novels at 21, over forty years ago now, and have had seventeen (ten romantic horror, two romantic SF horror, one romantic suspense, one romantic time travel, one historical romance and two murder mysteries) previous novels, two novellas and twelve short stories published from Zebra Books, Leisure Books, Avalon Books, The Wild Rose Press, Damnation Books/Eternal Press and Amazon Kindle Direct.

I’ve been married to Russell for almost thirty-five years; have a son, James, and two grandchildren, Joshua and Caitlyn, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois called Columbia, which is right across the JB Bridge from St. Louis, Mo. We have three quirky cats, ghost cat Sasha, live cats Cleo and Sasha (Too), and the five of us live happily in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk singer in my youth with my brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.

All Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s Books available at Amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Kathryn+Meyer+Griffith

Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:

Evil Stalks the Night (Leisure, 1984; Damnation Books, 2012)

The Heart of the Rose (Leisure, 1985; Eternal Press Author’s Revised Edition 2010)

Blood Forge (Leisure, 1989; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2012)

Vampire Blood (Zebra, 1991; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

The Last Vampire (Zebra, 1992; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition 2010)

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZU77j_q4S8

Witches (Zebra, 1993; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition 2011)

The Nameless One (short story in 1993 Zebra Anthology Dark Seductions; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

The Calling (Zebra, 1994; Damnation Books Author’s Revised Edition, 2011)

All Things Slip Away (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2006…Amazon Kindle Direct ebook & paperback 2013)

Egyptian Heart (The Wild Rose Press, 2007; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011) My self-made

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cogCNYKzPqc

Winter’s Journey (The Wild Rose Press, 2008; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011)

You Tube Book Trailer address: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZYCs2DVhHg

The Ice Bridge (The Wild Rose Press, 2008; Author’s Revised Edition, Eternal Press 2011)

You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28HZqu-my1g

Don’t Look Back, Agnes novella & bonus short story: In This House (2008; ghostly romantic short story out; Eternal Press 2012) You Tube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3q9rZryFMo

BEFORE THE END: A Time of Demons (Damnation Books 2010)

You Tube self-made Book trailer with original song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0-U9c2Lwfo

The Woman in Crimson (Eternal Press 2010)

You Tube Book Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcRBvDI5G4Y

The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Fiction: Volume 1 (I did the Introduction)

4 Spooky Short Stories (Amazon Kindle 2012)

Telling Tales of Terror (I did the chapter on Putting the Occult into your Fiction)

Dinosaur Lake (from Amazon Kindle Direct 2012)

Human No Longer (Amazon Kindle 2013)

Scraps of Paper –Revised Author’s Edition (Avalon Books Murder Mystery, 2003; Amazon Kindle ebook 2013)

My Websites:

http://www.myspace.com/kathrynmeyergriffith (to see all my book trailers with original music by my singer/songwriter brother JS Meyer)

http://www.bebo.com/kathrynmeyerG

http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1019954486

http://www.authorsden.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.goodreads.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://www.jacketflap.com/K.griffith

http://www.shoutlife.com/kathrynmeyergriffith

http://romancewriterandreader.ning.com/profile/KathrynMeyerGriffith

http://www.romancebookjunction.ning.com/profile/kathrynmeyergriffith

***

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Profile: Military Horror Author Vincent Hobbes

An avid reader as a child, horror author Vincent Hobbes grew up nurtured by parents who encouraged his creativity. His dad used to read to him, Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls, over and over. In high school, he had two wonderful teachers who motivated him and gave him the confidence to pursue his creative mind.

“My parents always pushed me to be creative,” states Hobbes. “They allowed me to harness that side, something I believe few parents do. I read a lot, and always enjoyed reading and writing. In high school, I had two English teachers that urged me on. They made the subject interesting, and sparked a wild ride where I eventually became a writer.”

His fascination with horror fiction began at an early age. Like many authors of his generation, he read a lot of Stephen King. He also loved horror movies. To top it off, he also liked scaring people. “Ask my sister, I absolutely loved scaring her the most while growing up. I suppose she was my test subject. Horror has always come natural to me.”

Today, Hobbes is the author of The Contrived Senator, Exiles, Plight of the Warrior, To Read or Not to Read, The Hour of the Time, Limbo-population 428, The Dragon of Delinar, THEY, Khost, Charms Indigo, and Seal Team 2025. His job consists of writing and producing other books for writers. “I’m one of the lucky ones,” he says, “I get to do this full time.” One of his latest novels, Khost, is a military horror/thriller inspired by actual events about a group of Special Operators in Afghanistan who are sent on a mission to kill ‘something’ in a cave. He calls military horror Militainment, or military entertainment, a category that can cross into horror, action, adventure, and thrillers.

Hobbes describes his working environment as “unorganized madness,” and tries to keep a disciplined writing schedule to stay in practice and exercise his creative muscles. He believes that’s what defines a professional writer from one who simply likes to write. He may stray from it at times, but usually the pressure of a deadline keeps him on track. As far as his writing process, he doesn’t edit as he goes. He believes a story must be put on paper first, and he tries to write as fast as he can until he has a completed manuscript. “In my opinion, you lose momentum if you try to perfect your work before finishing. Editing can wait,” he says.

Success can be hard to define, but this writer seems to have clarity about this facet of being an author: “If I can have readers enjoy some down time with one of my books, I feel I’ve been successful,” he states. “And if I continue to grow as a writer, and get better as time passes, I feel that’s successful too.”

Hobbes’s advice to aspiring horror authors is to “Write and write what you want. Going outside the box is more important than following a certain mold. To do this, a writer must write.” He also reviews books on his blog and is happy to consider novels from other authors.

Presently, the author is enjoying the Militainment sub-genre and has a novella, Charms Indigo, and a short novel, Seal Team 2025 coming up soon.

Find Vincent Hobbes on the Web:

Website: www.VincentHobbes.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VincentHobbes

Twitter: @HobbesEnd

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1054429.Vincent_Hobbes

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Interview with Vincent Hobbes, author of KHOST

Today my guest is horror author Vincent Hobbes, whose latest novel, KHOST, is a military horror set in the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. In 2004 he founded Hobbes End Publishing, but later sold the company and now writes full time. He’s the author of The Contrived Senator, Exiles, Plight of the Warrior, and, together with 17 other authors, of the anthology The Endlands. He recently finished producing the second volume of The Endlands. His latest novel, KHOST, released last year, is currently being considering for production in Hollywood. He resides in North Texas with his wife and German short-haired pointer. 

Find Vincent Hobbes on the Web: 

Website: www.VincentHobbes.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/VincentHobbes

Twitter: @HobbesEnd

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1054429.Vincent_Hobbes 

Watch the trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXZWy5I1vtQ 

Thank you for this interview, Vincent. Why don’t you begin by telling us what’s inside the mind of a horror author? 

Do you really want to know? 

I suppose like any other horror writer, I delve into the human mind. Our inner fears, what excites us. What scares us. I’m an observer. 

Your novel, KHOST, can be categorized as military horror. Can you tell us about this horror subcategory and what got you into it? 

Military horror is exactly what it sounds like—a horror story with military aspects. I was first introduced to the genre by author Stephen Knight who has some great novels in the genre. 

As writing for writing in the genre…I began working with some guys who served their country. Proud Americans with military background or experiences. It’s been refreshing, actually. 

Khost is inspired by a variety of actual events, and I spoke with some men who were involved in this. Of course it’s fictionalized, but I’d say their enthusiasm got me into this. 

Tell us something compelling about your protagonist. 

There are several main characters in Khost. My personal favorite is Sgt. York. He’s a Delta Force member stationed in Afghanistan, served several tours, likes to fight. The man lives for war, and for his team. He experiences something beyond the imagination while out on patrol. The man has demons, but loves his Delta brothers and will do anything for the men he fights beside. He’s a warrior. 

KHOST is set partly in the Soviet Union and Afghanistan. Did you have to do a lot of research about these places and the military? Do you have a military background? 

My best-friend is a Marine, and I’ve spoken with dozens of Special Forces Operators to cover the military side. Even still, I had to do tons of research. I found it quite liberating, actually. I learned much about a war I didn’t have a clue about, and even  more about our current conflict in Afghanistan. Luckily, I enjoy military-type things, so that helped. 

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this novel? 

Two things. First, I didn’t have much to work with. I knew certain facts that needed to be included, but past that, had to wing it. I suppose that’s natural with any idea turned into a book. The second was the time frame. I wrote like a madman, because I had a deadline of sorts. I’d usually take my time on such an endeavor, but I didn’t have that luxury. It was good, though. It forced me to write. 

How would you describe your creative process while writing this book? Was it stream-of-consciousness writing, or did you first write an outline? 

I never write outlines. I think it hinders a writer’s creativity. Most people have no clue what it’s like to put together such a word count, and Khost was like any other—a battle. I do believe a writer must simply write. I had a character list, a few highlights, and that’s about it. The rest just came as it did, and I put it to paper. 

Who is the target audience for KHOST? 

For Khost, my target audience isn’t necessarily the literature buffs. Wasn’t intended to be. It’s for your average reader who enjoys a fun  read. Nothing more, nothing less. Anyone who enjoys a militaristic novel would enjoy Khost, as will horror fans as well. 

What is your writing schedule like? Are you disciplined? 

I’m a chaotic, unorganized disciplined. With Khost, I had to be. Catch was, I had weeks,  months worth of research. I needed to be as accurate as possible, and do so without boring the reader with details. I usually try to keep a minimum word count daily. A writer needs to practice, and with Khost, I kept an absurd word count. 

 I hear you have a new book coming up in March. Would you like to tell us about it? 

I do. Two, actually. The first is a short novella. It’s called Charms Indigo. It’s a fun read, geared again to a casual reader looking to pass the time with a fun story. It deals with plane crashes. I figured I’d touch on an innate fear most of us have. It’s due to be released in early March. 

Secondly, I’ve been working on a short novel titled Seal Team 2025. It’s another military book, though not horror. More action and adventure, and  it’s a fun one. I like to call it Militainment! 

Is there anything else you’d like to tell my readers? 

Never venture into Khost.

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On the Spotlight: Once Upon A Twisted Time: An Anthology of Dark Adult Fairytales

Once Upon A Twisted Time: An Anthology of Dark Adult Fairytales

By: Tara Stogner Wood, Trish Marie Dawson, Lindsay Avalon, and Miranda Stork

Genre: Fairytales/Paranormal

 Publisher: Moon Rose Publishing

Date of Publication: 31^st October 2012

 Number of pages: 250

Word Count: 76,000

 Cover Artist: Miranda Stork

 Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/6IAdJ6ihdmw

 www.moonrosepublishing.com 

Book Description: 

Think you know your fairytales? Think again. These aren’t your normal happily-ever-after. Within these pages, a murderous Little Mermaid gets her revenge, the Cinderella doesn’t really want to wear the slipper, Snow White is up to her eyes in industrial experiments, and the Beauty is in fact the Beast.

This collection of four novellas will surprise you, make you gasp in horror, sigh with relief, and sit on the edge of your seat. And most of all…they will make you rethink everything you think you know about dark fairytales…

Song of the Abyss-Lindsay Avalon 

Princess Nerissa had envisioned a perfect wedding to a handsome prince. Instead, she fell into a nightmare. When her new husband tries to murder her just hours after pledging his life to her, she must flee towards the sea. Caught in transition from woman to selkie, she is trapped by the dark waters she hoped would be her salvation. Now her destiny becomes that of luring young men to their death…until one comes along that reignites the spark of love inside her. However to ensure her future, she must first face her past. Revenge must be taken…for both her life, and the life of the young man she now loves.

Miss Cavendish and the Spark of Salvation-Tara Stogner Wood

In a city toiling under the iron fist of the Spiegel Syndicate and its monopoly on coal, Miss Georgina “George” Cavendish is on the brink of a breakthrough that could change the world forever. There’s just one thing standing in her way, her aunt – Xenobia Cavendish. Threatened by her efforts, the Syndicate procures the services of a notorious assassin with a past tied to her own, known as The Huntsman, to dispatch the brilliant scientist. But once he gets a glimpse of the headstrong beauty, will he be able to do the job, or will Georgina sway him to The Cause? And will George find the breakthrough she needs in time, or is New London Town doomed to forever lie under the dark shadow of her aunt’s factories?

Hawke and the Beast-Trish Marie Dawson 

Some curses last forever, and some can be broken with the whisper of three little words. Isabella Rose Woodward fell in love with a witch’s son over a century ago. Her punishment for breaking the young man’s heart was a beastly one. Every month she turns into a different creature, aging on the full moon when her curse allows for a brief return to her human form. Her only salvation is to find a man that will love her as she is…be it adorned in feathers, fur or scales. Has she found this love with the handsome Jasper Hawke? Or will a mysteriously determined Hunter find her first, and snuff out the life she so desperately seeks? A life of normalcy, where she loves and is loved in return… just as she is.

Reborn City-Miranda Stork

Nyx has one mission in life; bring down the brainwashing of New Omsk’s citizens, and release them from their mundane lives of toil. The year is 2355, and the world is a new place. A Governor is in charge of every city in the world, and humanity is attempting to rebuild itself after recovering from a war that nearly killed it. But this Governor has set his eyes on the intrepid little hacker, Nyx, and he will stop at nothing to get her. But perhaps he needs her more than he ever dreamed he would…as do his citizens. 

 

About the Authors:

Tara Stogner Wood-

Tara Wood divides her time between creating domestic bliss and creating hot paranormal romance with the occasional side of kink. When not playing June Cleaver for her hubby and daughter, she can be found at the local Starbucks slamming back Frappuccinos and plotting out her next idea. Or she’s watching the BBC. Tara resides with her wonderful and tolerant family in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She is currently at work on several projects, one of them being the next book in her In Blood series.

Trish Marie Dawson-

I was born and mostly raised in San Diego, California where I live now with my  family and pets. I’ve been writing short stories and poetry since high school after an obsession with Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’. After over fifteen years of crazy dreams and an overactive imagination, I began my first book ‘I Hope You Find Me’ in December of 2011. When I’m not writing, I am homeschooling my amazing daughter and mildly autistic son, reading whatever I can get my hands on, or enjoying the Southern California sun. As a strict Vegetarian, I hold a special place in my heart for animal rights and dash into the backyard weekly to rescue lizards and mice from our mini-lab/aussie shepherd/cocker spaniel mixed dog, Zoey…who is always getting into some sort of trouble.

Miranda Stork-

I was born in Guisborough, North Yorkshire in 1987 and have lived in various places around Britain, including Newcastle and Glasgow.

My writing is inspired by various writers, including the vivid characters of Charles Dickens, the imagination of Stephen King, and the gothic imagery of Anne Rice.

My love of horror began at an early age, when I was only three or four. I could read proficiently at the age of three, and devoured fairy-stories, but I always had a bent towards the darker stories, such as the Brother’s Grimm’s tales…Red Riding Hood was always a firm favourite, although I always felt sorry for the wolf, despite him having tried to eat everyone!

Lindsay Avalon-

I am a wife, a mother to an adorable mini schnauzer, a programmer, and now an author. I love reading romance because no matter what may be happening in my life, I can always count on my books to end happily ever after. My sister drilled into me an appreciation for fantasy and mythology, something I try to bring to my books. After hearing me complain a few too many times that I had “nothing” to read despite the hundreds of paperbacks scattered around the house, my husband began suggesting I write my own stories. When I finally took his advice I discovered that although I enjoy my day job as a software engineer, my true calling is to be an author.

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Review of WITCHES, by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

About the book

There are witches in the world…some are good and some of them are downright evil. Amanda Givens is careful how she uses her powers. She doesn’t want the people of Canaan, Connecticut, to know they have a witch among them…even a good, white witch. For years, she’s lived quietly in a remote cabin in the woods with Amadeus, her feline familiar. When she’s wrongly blamed for a rash of ritualistic murders committed by a satanic cult, she knows she can’t hide any longer. She’s the one the cult’s after. More than that, she’s the only one who can stop them and prove her innocence. In doing this, she’s drawn back in time by the ghost of the malevolent witch, Rachel Coxe, who was drowned for practicing black magic in the 17th century. Now, as Amanda tries to rehabilitate Rachel’s reputation in an effort to save lives, as well as her own, she has to rely on a sister’s love and magical knowledge, and a powerful sect of witches called the Guardians, to help her get home safely.

Find on Amazon

My thoughts…

First of all, I’d like to say that I LOVE the cover and that’s the main reason I initially decided to read the book. How can you not be persuaded by a cover like that? Also, this being the Halloween season, I thought the topic appealing. That said, I did have my reservations. I don’t like books about witchcraft if things get too grim and graphic. Fortunately, the author didn’t disappoint me in this aspect. Witches is a light horror novel with an old traditional quality to it. It’s spooky at times, and certainly suspenseful, but not scary.

Apart from this, there are many other things I liked about this novel. Let me talk first about the main character, the good witch Amanda Givens. Except for the part about being a witch and having her shape-shifting familiar Amadeus, she’s your regular, next-door widow in her mid thirties. Pretty yes, but not beautiful or in any way extraordinary. She’s quiet, with a kind heart, and lives a solitary life in the woods. She also has a mature, thoughtful voice that I enjoyed a lot. So Amanda certainly is a sympathetic character that made me care for her and her predicament.

I also enjoyed the well-plotted storyline which includes all the elements paranormal fans enjoy: magic, shape-shifting, ghosts, and even there’s a little of time-travel thrown into the mix. Add to that a dash of love and you have a very entertaining story to sit by the fire this Halloween.

The prose flows well and, as I mentioned, the style is kind of traditional, taking me back to those horror novels I used to love reading in the 80′s. Some of the descriptions are beautiful, with vivid images. In addition, the author does a good job in bringing the ‘small New England town’ to life, making her fictional world real to the reader.

In sum, this is a novel about good vs. evil with a good share of twists and turns and exciting scenes, some spooky, others sad, yet others humorous. If you’re looking for a light horror about witches to read this Halloween, pick this one up!

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Guest Post by Conrad Johnson, author of Jesus Told Me to Kill Her

With all the hundreds of thousands of self published writers trying to find an agent or make a name for themselves in today’s rapidly changing book market, I thought it would be interesting to satirically comment on the situation and write a crime fiction novella on the topic.  I’ve written four novels in the genre and, although some talented and successful writers who are friends of mine thought they were excellent, I haven’t yet reached that elusive ‘breakthrough’ status.  Undaunted, I decided to write this book, streamlining my style and trying a minimalistic approach since the supply of words on the world is plentiful but the demands seems to be falling.  Maybe it’s time for a novella renaissance?

About the book: Struggling writer, Sam Uhl, unable to find a foothold in the traditional publishing industry for his work, decides to go to New York and hunt down the literary agent who he believes unfairly led him along. From the very first sentence to the last, the story is a contradiction of comedic horror that Sam narrates with pseudo-intellectual aplomb.

Author’s bio: Conrad Johnson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan where he escaped violence, poverty and despair by going to sea and studying literature. Now he writes about what he’s lived and learned.

Link to author’s website: http://johnbyk.blogspot.com

Link to excerpt: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009MADSNA

Link to purchase page: http://www.amazon.com/dpB009MADSNA

Link to book trailer: http://youtu.be/0c3lxFYCFPQ 

 

 

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Giveaway + Guest post by Mark Tufo, author of The Spirit Clearing

GIVEAWAY!

Mark Tufo is giving away:

$50 Amazon Gift Card

8 copies of The Spirit Clearing (signed print or digital winner’s choice)

audio copy of Zombie Fallout

audio copy of Indian Hill

To enter, sign up HERE.

*****

Some of the elements that make a good ghost story can translate over into any genre, but first and foremost a good ghost story should be scary. It should make you pull your legs in tight to the rest of your body where you can cover them with the monster repelling blanket. It should make you put on extra lights in your house DURING the day. It should keep you up at night wondering if the noise you heard was within the normal scope of things or perhaps paranormal.

There should be characters you are truly vested in, who cares if a cardboard character is whisked away in the cemetery, you need to care, you need to be involved in their lives to make the story more than words on a page. It needs to make you forget that you are reading fiction and that you are now living it. These are things I try to instill in every book I have written, from Paranormal to Zombies to Science Fiction.

A couple of things I try very hard to steer away from is predictability and easy outs. If I get my characters in a tough jam there has to be some fairly believable explanation as to how they got out (if they ever do). I read a story once about young kids as wizards (not Harry) where every time they got in trouble they would instantly discover that they now possessed the exact power they needed to repel the evil. I always thought of that as the author taking the easy way out, kind of phoning it in at that point. So that’s my take on a good ghost story, Have characters you care about, BE SCARY, don’t be predictable, steer clear away from contriteness, and most importantly have fun writing. We write stories because we have a story to share not because we think it’s going to make us rich and famous, writing is hard enough don’t add any more stress to it! Thank you for allowing me to spend some on your blog!

The Spirit Clearing      
by Mark Tufo 

Genre: Horror/ Ghost 

ASIN: B0094JWLYG 

Number of pages: 264

Word Count: 85,713 

Cover Artist: shaedstudios.com 

Amazon    Barnes and Noble   Kobo   Smashwords 

About the book: 

After a horrific accident Mike wakes to find himself blind in one eye. He now sees things that others can’t and nobody will listen to him.

That is until he meets Jandilyn Hollow. Will she be able to pull him out of the depths of his despair?

Can love transcend even death?

About the Author: 

Mark Tufo was born in Boston Massachusetts. He attended UMASS Amherst where he obtained a BA and later joined the US Marine Corp. He was stationed in Parris Island SC, Twenty Nine Palms CA and Kaneohe Bay Hawaii. After his tour he went into the Human Resources field with a worldwide financial institution and has gone back to college at CTU to complete his masters.

He has written the Indian Hill trilogy with the first Indian Hill – Encounters being published for the Amazon Kindle in July 2009. He has since written the Zombie Fallout series and is working on a new zombie book.

He lives in Maine with his wife, three kids and two English bulldogs.

Visit him at www.marktufo.com  or http://zombiefallout.blogspot.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mark-Tufo/133954330009843 for news on his next two installments of the Indian Hill trilogy and upcoming installments of the Zombie Fallout series.

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Review of Dinosaur Lake, by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Book description: 

An ancient predator has been reborn in the caves beneath Crater Lake…and it’s hungry.

Ex-cop Henry Shore has been Chief Park Ranger at Crater Lake National Park for eight years and he likes his park and his life the way it’s been. Safe. Tranquil. Predictable. But he’s about to be tested in so many ways. First the earthquakes begin…people begin to go missing…then there’s some mysterious water creature that’s taken up residence in the caves below Crater Lake and it’s not only growing in size, it’s aggressive and cunning…and very hungry.

And it’s decided it likes human beings. To eat.

And it can come up onto land.

So Henry, with the help of his wife, Ann; a young paleontologist named Justin; and a band of brave men must not only protect his park and his people from the monster but somehow find where it lives and destroy it…before it can kill again.

Find on Amazon 

My thoughts…

Dinosaur Lake will appeal to fans of Jurassic Park and Jaws.

Author Kathryn Meyer Griffith creates a strong opening, deftly pulling the reader into the story and into the world of Henry Shore and Crater Lake National Park. The setting plays an important part in this tale and I was able to transport myself to the woods and striking, postcard-perfect scenery that eventually plays an ironic contrast to the inevitable horror. From the beginning, the conflict is clear and the stakes are high, and Griffith keeps the tension mounting as the creature becomes more and more daring and the bodies begin to pile up.

Though the idea isn’t unique (killer creature sets out to kill humans), Griffith makes her novel stand out among others in the genre by creating real, genuine characters readers root for. The author certainly pays special attention to characterization and I especially enjoyed the dynamics between the men and the way they come to know each other and bond during their search for the creature. This aspect reminded me of the movie Jaws and the way Chief Brody bonds with Hooper and Quint. Because of this, at times the story seems to get off track as each of the characters reveal their personalities and their own special demons.

Having now read two of Griffith’s novels (look for my review of WITCHES in a few days), I can say she has a distinct writing style: her prose is smooth; her images vivid, and she pays a lot of attention to the characters, often getting lost in the details–but, as far as I’m concerned, the same goes for Stephen King and Anne Rice, so…

Another thing I noticed about her style is that, even though there’s a high body count and the manner of deaths is gruesome, her horror is ‘soft’ and one that won’t offend the average reader. In other words, no slasher scenes and the murders are more often alluded upon than graphically described.

Dinosaur Lake has several subplots that don’t get in the way of the main story. I also like the way Griffith weaves in and portrays various themes such as man over beast, nature against man, the evilness of greed and the power of friendship.

Is it a page-turner? No. But it is a suspenseful novel with realistic, compelling characters. I enjoyed reading Dinosaur Lake and can honestly recommend it.

One last thing I’d like to add is that I’m glad I discovered Griffith because back in the nineties she was one of the horror authors writing for Leisure Books. I was a big fan of this publisher back then.  Many of her Leisure titles (among them, WITCHES) are now being republished by Damnation Books.

Find out more about this author on Author’s Den.

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