Halloween Reading List

                                    13
                                Fantastic Reads 
                           to get you in the mood for 
                              Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and I know to many of us it it one of our favorite holidays. So I thought I would share some great reads to help get you ready for Halloween. These are in no particular order. 

Book 1 available on Kindle Unlimited. Don't forget to check out the rest of the series

Every family has its secrets…
One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become… zombies?

Amazon

A Paranormal Excursion in Four Acts.

It should have been a simple field experiment. Go in, prove I can do what I claim, and walk out with the cash. If they could see what I see. Feel the helplessness I do when something else takes over. I’ll bet they’re not kept awake at night by the voices in this place. They don’t see the darkness with eyes that follows us all around this estate as we gather proof. This money was going to help my little sister with her surgery. Good intentions and the road to Hell.

Amazon

Book 1 available on Kindle Unlimited. Don't forget to check out the rest of the series

Fans of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals will Love Sunwalker.


Lilly is a sunwalker—a vampire born from human parents, able to walk in the daylight. She lives life as human, hiding her true identity from all those around her.

One evening, she comes to the rescue of her best friend, Lex, as a vampire is about to make a meal out of her. Lilly is drawn to him, despite her desire to loathe him for almost murdering Lex, as he is the first of her kind she has ever met.

As the vampire, Tread, begins to open Lilly's eyes to a world she has never known, Lilly must decide where she belongs. After she is betrayed by the person she loves most, Lilly is forced to submerge herself entirely in the vampire world, only to discover that Tread has a secret so shocking it could destroy them all.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

It's a dirty job - but someone's got to do it.

Robert Stephenson burns zombies for a living.

It's a profession that pays the bills and plays tricks on the mind. Still, his life is routine until his four-year-old son becomes stranded in a quarantined zone, teeming with rotters.

Does Rob have what it takes to fight the undead and put his broken family back together?

Or will he also end up in the incinerator - burning with the rest of the dead?

Universal Link

A haunted airship made from living people…

Nineteen-year-old hacker Tim Zaytsev is a traitor, but he never expected his betrayal would earn him the highest honor among the international community—a place among the Camaraderie’s elite council.

Ushered into a glamorous lifestyle of fancy airships and a chance to use his programming skills to better the world, Tim is assigned the task of finishing their secret Legion Spore project—a living airship made from shapeshifters.

Inside the Legion Spore, dozens of humans have been forcibly hooked to the vessel’s computer, but fragments of their memories reside in the airship’s internal code as glitches. Their faces appear in the walls, and their whispers invade the code of the Camaraderie’s base. Tim’s ability to telepathically connect with computers means that he’s the only one who can make the ship fully functional.

But programming a computer is one thing. Dealing with a haunted, living airship will not only test Tim’s wit, but his sanity. If he can’t learn to trust himself and his abilities, his mind will be trapped in the Legion Spore as just another whisper in the code.

Amazon

Kobo

These stories contain naughty necromancers, moderately wicked witches, and zombies who might eat your brains if they don’t succeed at seducing you. This quirky collection gathers the funniest fantasy, weirdest paranormal and most hilarious horror written by award winning author, Sarina Dorie. Included in this book of treats are stories previously published such as:
Putting the Romance Back into Necromancy
Five Tips for Outsmarting Satan—and Your Students 
Bite Me
Night of the Living Deadcrumbs
Zombie Psychology
In all, there are seventeen tales to transport you to another world and tickle your funny bone! 

Amazon

For centuries, many believed that the world would end in 2012. The fact that we are still here dispelled this as just another myth.

But what if the end really had begun, only in a quiet corner of the world that very few knew even existed?

March 1684

Under the guidance of their despicable leader, The Council of Eternal Light sacrifice innocent lives for the sake of his diabolical plan - to complete the Ascension Rite and summon an unfathomable evil to reap revenge on those that shunned them.

Ewan Childs leads the search for the woman he loves; the latest of the Council's intended victims. It will lead him to the Council's lair, face-to-face with a horror beyond his wildest nightmares.

August 2002

A killer claims another life, claiming to be under the control of a terrifying hooded spectre known as The Reaper. The Council of Eternal Light reconvene, aware that the crimes signal the start of the master plan they set in motion over three hundred years earlier.

For Detective Inspector Truman Darke, it is a race against time as he finds himself at the centre of his own manhunt. He must cling to what remains of his life and his sanity, whilst unearthing the secrets of Wildermoor's dark past...as well as his own.

The end has begun. First, for Wildermoor. Next...the world.

Universal Book Link

Three mysterious women inhabit the American southwest. La Llorona, a ghost, haunts the waterways searching for the children she drowned before killing herself. La Muerte, much more than just a ghost, is Santa Muerte, who takes every man to his eternal home. La Lunática, a recent ghost, spent much of her life fighting el Diablo's obsession with her. These three women battle for the soul of another, a human named Rosita, who fears nothing and innocently accepts a gift from la Llorona. After years of learning how to use her skill, Rosita can only free herself from the ghost's spell by complying with her demands. However, her freedom depends on a Pyrrhic victory: she can only win by losing something precious.

Ebook

Paperback

There are gates around the world that lead to Hell, even one close by. Every generation, from the ancient times to the modern eras have believed in them, and one must remember, whatever can enter these entry ways into the infernal regions below, can also come back out. Two couples, John and Holly Billings, and Josh and Jessica McKenzie, search for the ultimate haunted hayride and find one at Milford Grove Farms in picturesque Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It's one of the best in the country, but sometimes too much of a good time is not always good, and when you think it's over and time to leave, that's when the real ride begins.

Amazon

THE FACTS: Soon after the 1947 death of history's most notorious occultist, Aleister "The Beast" Crowley, the urn containing his ashes mysteriously vanished.

THE FICTION: Now, more than 60 years later, the urn has resurfaced and Seattle's clergymen are dying... one at a time... exactly nine days apart.

ASH: RETURN OF THE BEAST pulls you into the shifting shadows of the most bizarre serial killer case that has ever landed on the desk of street-worn Seattle Police Detective, Brian Kane. The case is so "out there" that FBI Special Agent Rowena Ravenwood knows Kane will never solve it without her expert assistance. Her expertise is in realms of reality that Detective Kane thinks only exist in B-grade movies. Ritual magic? The Dark Arts? Kane isn’t buying it. But what about his own dark and deeply personal connection to the case? How long can he keep that a secret? And what about that enigmatic young rock star, Rye Cowl? What is his role in these strange events?

The future of the entire human race hangs in the balance. The clues to help solve the case are in desperately short supply and so is the amount of time remaining before all Hell breaks loose. And, according to Special Agent Ravenwood, that's not just a figure of speech.

Amazon

Join Special Agent Kane in the pursuit of the sacrificial knife of Kali, hunting a werewolf, facing off against an assortment of demons, and trapping a sorcerer who’s turning the statuary of New York into weapons of mass murder.

Travel with him to Iceland to face an ancient Nordic evil, and to the Middle East where he is trapped in a murderous game in the prehistoric abode of the mother of demons.

Amazon

My mom's a zombie, a non-breathing slowly rotting corpse. I say slowly because it’s almost nonexistent when she takes the proper medications whipped up by the family witch doctor. She wasn’t always a zombie, but yeah you guessed it…if she’s a zombie what am I? Yep, half zombie. Here I am the daughter of the Prince of Darkness himself and a zombie - nice combination right. What does this mean for my future? I have no idea I'm just trying to navigate through high school and develop a relationship with my biological father despite my mother's vehement disapproval. I can't blame her, he's the reason she went all zombie. He's doing what he can to mend the fences, but really how do you say I'm sorry for that...it's not really a fruit basket kind of apology.

Amazon

The world is full of horrors if you’re a woman. Vengeful spirits, crazy cowboys, homicidal hillbillies, the grossest case of post-partum depression ever, possessed stuffed animals, and a demented Poseidon – to name a few. So what’s a girl to do?

Well, get this book for starters. Then try not to lose your marbles (or your lunch) as you go about your business after reading some of the most mind-bending horror around. Then you can share all the gory details with your fellow horror fans, if you think they can handle it.

Just remember, always keep it Twisted. 

Amazon

Title Reveal!

Just finished the first draft of book 2 in The Keeper Chronicles!!  I also finally settled on a title.

The

Secret

Of the Realms

The Keeper Chronicles Book 2

If you haven't had a chance to read book 1, now is the time. It's free on Kindle Unlimited and you can read a free sample on amazon.

“Love this book! Couldn't put it down. Cannot wait for the second book!” V. Bruderer 

A shadow of shame has fallen over the once proud Maxwell family, and only their faithful son Ajax, can restore honor to their name. He is tasked with guarding a mysterious portal, the existence of which only a few people outside the King are aware. A prophecy warns of a danger to come, as the new keeper, Ajax fears he will let everyone down. 

When the Prince of Rastella comes to visit the portal for the first time, accompanied by Ajax’s childhood friend Nivara, disaster strikes! In an accident, the Prince falls into the portal and Ajax knows that it’s up to him to venture in and get him back. 

With the knowledge that nobody who has entered it has ever returned, Ajax and Nivara leap through the portal to try to save the Prince. He discovers a world full of magic and fantastic creatures, in an adventure that will test him to his limits, and leave him wondering if he will ever get home. 

If you like Brandon Mull, you’ll love The Portal Keeper!
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Interview with Merc Boyan author of Alonzo's Emotions

Welcome Merc Boyan! Can you tell us a little about yourself? 

My name is Merc Boyan and I am a new children’s book author and illustrator. I work as the Visual Storyteller for The Planetary Society during the day and have been writing kid’s books at night. My wife and I recently completed and selfpublished our first book, Alonzo’s Emotions. In 2017 we were honored to work with the National Park Service and The Planetary Society to create a Junior Ranger book and badge about the Total Solar Eclipse. The book was distributed in National Parks nationwide and was a great success! You can still download the pdf of the book for free here: https://www.nps.gov/home/homestead-eclipse-junior-ranger.htm

We have several other books coming out soon as we are using this as a hobby while we await out first foster child placement!

Congrats on the book and for fostering. I think its wonderful when couples open their homes to children who have lost theirs. What brought about the idea for this book?

I wrote Alonzo’s Emotions some time ago. I wanted to help kids better understand their complex emotions by giving them more vocabulary about them. I often see children’s books with “happy, sad, mad, etc...” but I wanted to teach them about annoyance, melancholy, and irate. There are subtle differences, but just knowing more words will help them realize that it’s okay when they feel is way. Showing them that emotions are complex validates their feelings.

After writing it I kind of put it on the backburner for a while. I wasn’t sure how to do the artwork! It took a little dreaming and a lot of inspiration from my wife to figure out how to make it work right. We are quite pleased with the outcome!

I think that's a great idea. There are so many emotions kids feel and it's a fantastic idea to help them learn about the more complex emotions they feel and the differences between them. Currently, what are you working on?

When we published Alonzo’s Emotions, We created a mini-publishing team called Camp Heartwood Books. This was really just going to be a name for the website where we would post links to all of the books we made. Now some other friends of mine have expressed an interest in writing kid’s books, so I am going to help them create their books through Camp Heartwood. It’s exciting! So I am working on a book called “What if the Cows are Really Saying Mooooon?” and my wife is working on a few other book ideas and there will be a very fun book from a freiend that’s all about Pineapples coming out soon.

Merc, what has been the most difficult thing you have struggled with since you began a career in writing?

Getting people to look at your book is the hardset thing. The second hardest thing is when you come up with a brilliant idea! ...but then need to figure out how to accomplish it. Taking that wild dream out of your head and getting it onto the paper can be a great challenge, but I think sometimes it’s best to just give it a shot. You can always change things later, so I just like to get started as soon as I have the idea. Play with art ideas and word placements on the page. Just making little demo pages in Photoshop with random photos collaged helps me visualizewhat the artwork will end up like.

That can be a struggle. With so many books being published each year it is difficult getting readers to notice your book no matter how good it is. That's one reason I like to do author interviews. I love helping readers find new books. Merc, Can you tell us what your favorite scene was to write?

On one page Alonzo finds himself at a taco trunk that has run out of tacos. He’s very bummed about being handed some tamales instead of tacos and he runs home before the emotions overtake him and paints some delicious looking tacos. It was a fun scene to play out and I think it is suprising realistic. What seems like a simple event of not getting the food we want can really spiral us down if we let it. I hope this let’s kids know that it’s okay to be upset and that it is natural and offer them a suggestion of how to creatively reset their mood once they are ready.

What kind of research do you do before you start a new story?

With kid’s books, I will check around a little to make sure the exact book I am thinking of doesn’t already exist, but I won’t spend too much time hunting down other examples of things that are close to the idea. I don’t like to be over influenced by things like “the book market” or “publishing trends.” I just want to make the best book I can for my own kids, then hope that the rest of the world enjoys it a little as well.

I think that sounds like wise advice. How do you handle criticism when it comes to your writing?

The secret to handling criticism is to love your own work so much that it doesn’t bother you when others don’t. I haven’t had too much negativity on this book yet, but I’ve had it on LOTS of stuff in the past. Use the good criticism to grow and make your next project better. Let the mean criticism go. The hardest critic will be our own future children. Now that’s going to be harder to take! I hope they love the books we are making for them.

That's great advice. Writing a book takes so much work. How many times do you think you read your book before going to print?

So so many times! Since this is a kid’s book and is very short, I read it again and again and again. I still read it now to check it even though it’s done.

amazon.com/gp/product/1724655140

www.campheartwoodbooks.com

facebook.com/campheartwood

twitter @campheartwood

 Thanks so much for sharing with us. Happy Reading!!

Interview with Frances Richardson author of Not All of Me is Dust

Today I would like to welcome author Frances Richardson. Tell us a little about yourself.

I believe a life dedicated to literature is a beautiful existence. Years ago I set out to work on a master's degree in English literature, but halfway in I realized that what I really wanted to do was study theology. After I obtained my master's degree in theology I was able to combine my love of the two disciplines in writing and publishing my novel, Not All Of Me Is Dust.

It's great when you can find out what your passionate about. Frances, tell us something about your main characters.

The book is an account of the cost exacted by living out a high ideal. It tells the story of three members of a particular family: imaginative, high-spirited Clare Engle, the youngest, whose childhood fantasies of Christian perfection are realized in the shattering actuality of adulthood; her beautiful conflicted sister, Kathleen; and her brother, Stephen, a priest and poet and the hero of the novel.

Will you share a short excerpt from your novel?

This is from Part Three of a three-part novel:

     "Jacques, Louis . . ." The emotion of the moment was almost more than Stephen could bear. Dropping his hands, he stepped back.

    Joyeaux shifted into gear and the van lurched forward, heading for the open gate; picking up speed, it veered out into the road.

    Just as the road began to bend to the right, before the van reached the first trees of the woods, Cormier turned round to glance back, and Stephen, standing in the very spot on the mission grounds where he had first stepped down nine months before, looking across the low wall with its purplish haze of bougainvillea, in a profound and awful silence penetrated only by the far-off four note call of some unseen, unknown bird, saw his companion's face one last time.

Have you been given any helpful advice? If so, what?

Yes, especially in regard to writer's block. "Put your work away for a while. But don't stop writing. Write 200-300 words a day on any topic: how to make and serve cucumber sandwiches; how surly your neighbor becomes when he has to mow the lawn, that kind of thing. And read, read the very best writers, whether fiction or nonfiction. Your story will come back to you."

I'll have to try that. I haven't heard that advice. Frances, did you have to do any research for your novel?

The third part takes place in a fictionalized Rwanda. I researched the tragedy that occurred there in the early 1990s extensively: the history of the country, the culture, the scenes people would have witnessed, the conditions they had to cope with.

Do you have people read your drafts before you publish?

Yes, I think every writer needs a good editor. I was very fortunate to have found two. My first editor, Gladys Leithauser, was a treasure: brilliant, nurturing and dedicated to my work. When she died of cancer, I was distraught on many levels. I was blessed to find another excellent editor, Jeanette Piccirelli. She brought me to the finish line.

So sorry to hear about your first editor. Cancer is a horrible disease that takes far too many lives. Can you tell us who designed your cover?

Very fine artists at CreateSpace. I told them what I envisioned and they drew what I consider a beautiful cover, evoking a forest scene from Part Three of the novel.

As an author one thing we all have had to deal with or will deal with is criticism? How do you handle it?

Of course, it can hurt. But sincere criticism from someone whose judgment we value can be a gift. For the rest:  I remember once happening upon Amazon reviews of the 1980 National Book Award for Fiction, William Styron's Sophie's Choice. Here are three of them:

              five stars:   "A masterpiece, one of the most harrowing books I have 

                                 ever read. It is life-changing."

              two stars:   "Hard to plow through."

              one star:    "Very depressing. Pass on it."

     Seeing this keeps one grounded, I think.

I enjoy getting constructive criticism that is done in a non hateful way. Some of it has helped me to become a better writer. It can be tough, I know we all enjoy the positive feedback. What is the best compliment you've ever received?

One of the people who reviewed my book on Amazon said that he/she walked away with a new found respect for their religion. I was very touched by that.

Frances, how many times did you read your book before you published it?

Fifty or sixty. I wrote and rewrote for years. It will never be as good as I hoped it would be, but I had to finish at some point.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I hope I will have learned how to market my work. That has been the hardest part of publishing for me.

I agree it's not anything you think about when your writing a book. I always heard that the real work starts after you write your book. You never really understand that until you start marketing the book. Any last words?

Yes. Someone once said, "Don't die with your song still locked within you."  Keep writing. Believe in yourself. Publish.

Thanks so much for sharing. Happy Reading!!