Category Archives: Horror

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The launch of publishing house – Hashtag Books!!!! Plus 2 e-copy GIVEAWAYS of Demonica!

Hi guys, I am so pleased to announce that Hashtag Books are launching today, 1st December 2013. Hashtag Books is a new publishing company established by author Tim O’Rourke, Lynda O’Rourke and Peter Buckman (who sold the movie rights for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ amongst many other accolades spanning 50 years in the TV, Movie and publishing industry).

To kickstart their launch today they have three fantastic novels to release:-

Stilts (Tessa Dark Trilogy, #1) by Tim O’Rourke

(Please click on the title for our review)

‘Stilts’ – the first book in a new dystopian trilogy by #1 bestselling author Tim O’Rourke.

Stilts ResizedWhile eighteen-year-old, Tessa Dark was serving her prison sentence for murder, the world beyond her cell walls changed forever. The thunder came and destroyed the world she had once known. 

Trapped inside the prison and faced with no future, Tessa’s only glimmer of hope is her friendship with fellow inmate Joe McBride. 

Despite Tessa’s fear, Joe decides to go beyond the prison walls to seek help. But when he fails to return, Tessa is determined to go and search for him. 

To gain her freedom, Tessa must first learn to walk, run, and fight on stilts if she is to survive the new and terrifying world on the other side of the prison walls.

Stilts can be found on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Demonica by Will Davis

(Please click on the title for our review to enter our GIVEAWAY! We have 2 e-copies to giveaway – simply add your name in the comments below to enter. The winners will be randomly selected on FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2013.)

Demonica_Cover_(Resized)

When spoilt eighteen year old Miranda suffers a terrible accident she survives, but her face is hideously scarred.

Unable to bear what has happened to her, she locks herself away. Her only companions are Veronica, her cruel and beautiful mother, and Nelly, the sympathetic housekeeper.

As time passes Veronica inflicts cruelty after cruelty on her disfigured daughter. Lonely and filled with despair, Miranda is astonished when Bernard, Veronica’s handsome younger boyfriend, takes an interest in her circumstances.

For Bernard believes there is an operation that can restore Miranda’s face. But it will involve committing an unspeakable crime. A decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life…

In the tradition of Angela Carter and Daphne du Maurier, Demonica is a terrifying modern fairy tale.

Demonica is now available on Amazon US and Amazon UK.

Gentleman_traitor_final_RESIZEDGentleman Traitor by Alan Williams

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS MASTER-SPY COMES IN FROM THE RUSSIAN COLD?

After years of exile in Russia, Kim Philby has had enough. He wants out. But where can he go? He knows too much to be let loose. Above all, he knows too much about his old accomplices who still operate at the highest levels of the British Establishment, occupying top Whitehall positions. So once he sticks his nose outside his privileged Soviet lair, the old wolf’s as good as dead. MI6, the KGB – above all, MI6 – will ruthlessly hunt him down. But Philby is, after all, one of the most skilful agents of all time. So he risks it.

Vicious power politics in London and Moscow… murder beside the Black Sea… bloody massacres in the heart of Africa – as Philby makes his break, violent death follows him. And British Intelligence is threatened with the exposure of the greatest infamy in its history…

Spy fiction from the same stable as Ian Fleming’s James Bond.

You can find my reviews of DEMONICA (WILL DAVIS) and STILTS (Tim O’Rourke) live on our blog and Gentleman Traitor (Alan Williams) will follow soon!

Don’t forget to enter our Demonica GIVEAWAY!

We wish Hashtag Books every success!!!

Caroline 🙂

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Demonica by Will Davis plus 2 free ebook GIVEAWAYS

Demonica_Cover_(Resized)

The dark, psychological, modern day fairy tale and horror ‘Demonica’ by Will Davis  is released today by Hashtag Books!

Already a renowned author, Will Davis is already published by Bloomsbury and a prize winning author for his debut novel ‘My Side of The Story’.

Check out the blurb for new novel ‘Demonica’ below followed by our review! SCROLL DOWN FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF DEMONICA!!!

When spoilt eighteen year old Miranda suffers a terrible accident she survives, but her face is hideously scarred.

Unable to bear what has happened to her, she locks herself away. Her only companions are Veronica, her cruel and beautiful mother, and Nelly, the sympathetic housekeeper.

As time passes Veronica inflicts cruelty after cruelty on her disfigured daughter. Lonely and filled with despair, Miranda is astonished when Bernard, Veronica’s handsome younger boyfriend, takes an interest in her circumstances.

For Bernard believes there is an operation that can restore Miranda’s face. But it will involve committing an unspeakable crime. A decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life…

In the tradition of Angela Carter and Daphne du Maurier, Demonica is a terrifying modern fairy tale.

Caroline’s review:-

Will Davis’ Demonica has disturbed me like no other book! This sickening, twisted, dark psychological horror will certainly overhang your mind for weeks, if not months to come. It is a brilliant read for those that enjoy reading an uncertain trail of events as the storyline for the main character, Miranda, goes from bad to worse. It sure is a dark, dark read but I love the unpredictability and how stories like this feed my morbid curiosities.

The reader does not necessarily like or sympathise with Miranda initially as she is quite mean and cruel. She is the type of girl that uses her beauty to get what she wants and being left to her own devices she regularly finds herself in some sort of mischief. However, the reader is aware of the lack of attention paid to her by her parents and can begin to understand why Miranda is the way she is.

Will Davis wastes no time in reaching the beginning of the terror with the accident that is to change Miranda’s life forever. The description and account of the accident is a very powerful, dramatic and horrifying piece of writing which is a little bit too real at times, as well as being surreal. I think this is what makes it so chilling – that it is so realistic at times!

“I landed several metres away, my body twisting terribly as I hit the earth for a second time. Then the noise and light was joined by pain. Bright red was streaking out around my eyes and this time it wasn’t my hair. It was because my head was on fire. I couldn’t move to do anything about it. I couldn’t feel my legs. All I could feel was the white hot sensation of the flames.”

After the accident Miranda’s face is left severely scarred. This is extremely difficult for her to come to terms with and so she locks herself away at home. She not only has to deal with her physical and mental scars of the accident, but she has to suffer emotional abuse from her mother, Veronica, leaving her more than completely ruined. The reader is appalled at Veronica’s reaction to her daughter. Veronica truly is cruel, making her own daughter call her Veronica and indulging in beauty treatments and men right before Miranda’s eyes.

Hatred is probably the feeling the reader has for Veronica. Just like the feelings a little girl has for all of those step-mothers of princesses in traditional fairytales. Within the actual story, Demonica has been likened to Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella. We’ve all come to learn the traditional fairytales where the role of the step-mother is to be jealous of their step-daughters and cause or plan to harm them. However, in this instance it is Miranda’s birth mother – which makes it even more bewildering for the reader to believe and this creates very dark, passionate feelings of hate towards Veronica. The reader feels Miranda’s pain and can easily sympathise with her at this point.

Miranda received her care and attention from their housekeeper, Nelly. I absolutely adored the character, Nelly. Nelly saw sense and was aware of the relationship that Miranda had with Veronica. Nelly, although always kind and caring, was also very matter-of-fact, and tried to encourage Miranda to make the most of what she had. Nelly was always very accepting of Miranda and made everything sound so practical. These moments lightened the mood a little and the reader is grateful for Nelly’s input as she is someone who sees sense and can hopefully give Miranda a nudge in the right direction.

However, to make matters worse still, Miranda begins to fall for one of Veronica’s male friends, Bernard. Apart from Nelly, he is the only one to take notice of her and not be horrified of her looks but accept her for who she is. Bernard provides hope for Miranda that one day she will look beautiful again with the help of a surgeon he is familiar with. To go ahead would mean that Miranda would have to carry out a twisted, immoral crime for her own selfish reasons. But will it work out? Will it be worth it?

Demonica surely provides the reader with many emotions, which are constantly changing from one extreme to another. Morals are certainly questioned and I found myself trying to empathise with Miranda’s situation. However, I’m sure many readers would agree that Miranda made a sickening choice, despite what she had been through prior to her decision, to go along with Bernard’s hint of a suggestion. This selfish decision surely did haunt Miranda forever and readers will question Miranda’s integrity!

I found it fascinating that there was not a true hero/heroine in Demonica. Nelly would be my heroine of the whole story even though she is more of a supporting character. I think, for me, that this is what makes Demonica quite realistic as many of the characters are flawed, just as many people are. It is not the fact that there are good and bad but the fact that we are all both. Only in Demonica, the bad is really bad, downright cruel and completely unforgiveable. As a reader, you’re mind will be scarred after experiencing Demonica. Be warned!

An Advanced Reader’s Copy was provided by Tim O’Rourke of Hashtag Books for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

Will Davis’ Demonica is now available on Amazon UK and Amazon US. For more information please check out Hashtag Books.

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE E-COPY OF DEMONICA PLEASE ADD YOUR NAME IN THE COMMENTS BELOW! THE CLOSING DATE WILL BE FRIDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2013!

The lucky winners will be randomly selected on this date! Good luck everyone!!!

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Coming soon: DEMONICA by Will Davis

Demonica_Cover_(Resized)Due for release in two weeks time, 1st December 2013, author Will Davis will be releasing his new novel, a horrifying modern-day fairytale , ‘Demonica‘!

Demonica will be published by Hashtag Books. Hashtag Books is a new publishing company established by author Tim O’Rourke, Lynda O’Rourke and Peter Buckman (who sold the movie rights for ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ amongst many other accolades spanning 50 years in the TV, Movie and publishing industry).

Tim O’Rourke: “This is one great read that will stay with you long after you’ve finished the book!”

I will certainly be reviewing this one very, very soon. In the meantime, check out the blurb below and add to your to-read lists:-

When spoilt eighteen year old Miranda suffers a terrible accident she survives, but her face is hideously scarred.

Unable to bear what has happened to her, she locks herself away. Her only companions are Veronica, her cruel and beautiful mother, and Nelly, the sympathetic housekeeper.

As time passes Veronica inflicts cruelty after cruelty on her disfigured daughter. Lonely and filled with despair, Miranda is astonished when Bernard, Veronica’s handsome younger boyfriend, takes an interest in her circumstances.

For Bernard believes there is an operation that can restore Miranda’s face. But it will involve committing an unspeakable crime. A decision that will haunt her for the rest of her life…

In the tradition of Angela Carter and Daphne du Maurier, Demonica is a terrifying modern fairy tale.

Will Davis is already published by Bloomsbury and a prize winning author for his debut novel ‘My Side of The Story’.

Happy reading, guys!

Caroline 🙂

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Tatterdemon by Steve Vernon – HALLOWEEN HORROR!!!

PumpkinSteve Vernon’s ‘Tatterdemon’ is a horror like no other! It is more than appropriate to read at this time of year during the harvest and Halloween season! Highly recommended for adults only due to its violent, gory and horrific theme, Tatterdemon is full of terrifying tales as well as being one complete horrifying nightmare based in the small town of Crossfall. TatterdemonThe town’s people have all been cursed by Thessaly Cross, a witch, 300 years previous and now after a wife-beating husband is killed by his wife he returns from being buried in his field as a zombie scarecrow – the Tatterdemon! Many of the local folk begin to take their personal matters into their own hands and face the ones they feel ridiculed or belittled by. As each person is killed the Tatterdemon is able to have them buried and then begins to raise the dead for more mayhem and to destroy the town of Crossfall for good!

The prologue introduces the reader to Thessaly Cross, a witch who has been condemned by the townsfolk and is being buried alive, after many various methods of trying to kill her has failed. She accuses them of trying to take her land and as she is being buried she ensures that she leaves the people of Crossfall with a curse for their descendants to encounter some 300 years later. We then fast forward to the present where Maddy Harker has had enough of her violent and abusive husband and kills him spontaneously with a frying pan after he comes home late complaining about his dinner or lack of it. Maddy then buries her husband, Vic, in the very same field that Thessaly Cross had been buried in all of those years before. Only for Vic to be raised from the dead as a demon of the witch, the Tatterdemon, a somewhat strange and scary vision of a scarecrow mixed together with mud, straw and of course Vic.

From the very beginning the reader is introduced to the atmosphere of Tatterdemon. It is dark and horrific, tense and terrifying with a great deal of violence and gore. Tatterdemon is certainly not for the young reader or those faint of heart, however it provides a story complete with action and evil depths that provides readers of the horror genre something profound to become gripped with instantaneously. It is a nail-biting and under-the covers type of read and works brilliantly late at night with the lights dimmed! Steve Vernon also shares his sense of humour which really relieves the tension and calms the blood in between the most tense scenes before it begins to boil with adrenalin again for more fear.

One of my favourite aspects of Tatterdemon are the characters. Many of them seem to be going through their own personal ordeals, however they are familiar with each other and as their paths cross their own troubles do too. From the victim of an abusive husband, Maddy, to the grieving husband of a suicide victim (who just so happens to keep his wife’s body in his freezer at home – and that is the Chief of Police for you), you can already begin to imagine what life might be like in Crossfall. From the creepy peeking mailman to the reclusive circus freak living reclusively in a trailer and to many, many more wonderful and weird characters. Tatterdemon in many respects is a fascinating read from the vivid imagination of Steve Vernon. If this genre is for you, Tatterdemon will tick all of the boxes that intrigues you and draws you in to this surreality.

Within each chapter the reader visits the different characters of Crossfall. And even though they have their own story to tell they are not too dissimilar from each other. The chapters themselves are broken down into smaller sections so that the reader can discover which character is doing what. In this way there is no waiting pages or whole chapters to find out what your favourite character is up to. The chapters have been put together cleverly and carefully in this manner. I also found this method to be faster to read and keep up with the story, especially with Vernon’s style of writing that is direct and easy to follow, allowing for plenty of momentum and horror to build up!

To make Tatterdemon the perfect horror story Steve Vernon hasn’t missed a thing from this genre. Tatterdemon holds it all, from witches, ghosts, zombies and killer scarecrows and complete with resurrections, spells and voodoo. There is no shortage of crime with murders and suicides taking place regularly. Yes, Tatterdemon is very disturbing but for all of the right reasons in this fantastic fun and gruesome horror!

Tatterdemon was provided by the author, Steve Vernon, for the purpose of an honest and fair review.

The Kindle version of Tatterdemon is available at Amazon.com for $1.24 and at Amazon.co.uk for 77p! (Prices correct at the time of posting.)

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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Beware the Lure of the Fairy Ring on Halloween & some Spine Chilling Book Recommendations

Summer 2013 169Be Very Careful where you Tread!

I have always been fascinated by toadstools and fungi, finding the sight of them particularly magical due to their connection with fairies, whether they occur singly or in a what I was told as a child is a fairy ring. I thought that I would look into the folklore and legends surrounding them in the run up to Halloween and reflect on their appearance in a book that I have read recently, Elena Han’s Hunter on a Moonless Night, click for my review. Although not set at Halloween, it is nevertheless a short, entertaining and tasty erotic dark fantasy read for this time of the year and which fits in well with the images that writing this post conjure up for me. The novella has a scene with a fairy ring that has magical qualities and plays a key role in the fate of the heroine. For some spine chilling book recommendations that we’ve reviewed which would make suitable Halloween reads scroll down.

hunterWhilst we are not lucky enough to have a fairy ring in our garden, we do have a number of toadstools in our lawn, hence the pic. According to what I have learned from Wikipedia, one of the largest fairy rings ever found is near Belfort in France, thought to be about 600m in diameter and over 700 years old – how hufungus is that (apologies for the terrible pun)!

There are a host of traditions and folklore surrounding fairy rings, cited on Wikipedia and sites such as Envirinmentalgraffitti.com, (scroll down for the links). They are known as ronds de sorciers  ‘sorcerers’ rings’) in France and Hexenringe (‘witches’ rings’) in Germany. European superstitions tend to warn against entering a fairy ring or dire consequences will follow, from curses to loss or an eye or worse…..

In English, Scandanavian and Celtic mythology, fairy rings are said to be the result of elves or fairies dancing. British folklorist Thomas Keightley noted that in Scandanavia in the early Twentieth Century it was believed that fairy rings (elfdans) arose from the dancing of elves and whilst entering an elfdans would permit one to see the elves it could put the person in thrall to them and their illusions. In the British Isles fairy rings are regarded as dangerous and best avoided, lest the fairies become angry and curse the interloper, who may be unable to leave the circle or be forced to dance to the point of exhaustion, death or madness. Entering the fairy ring on May Eve or Halloween night is also thought to be particularly dangerous.

Fairy rings also feature in literature: Shakespeare mentions them in A  Midsummer Nights Dream and The Tempest and Thomas Hardy uses a a fairy ring as a symbol of lost love in the Mayor of Casterbridge, the character of Michael Henshaw passes a fairy ring and remembers that he last saw his wife Susan there when he sold her to a sailor in a drunken rage.

In some parts fairy rings are regarded as omens of good luck – the Welsh believe that mountain sheep eating fairy ring grass flourish and so do nearby crops. What do you think? Will you be avoiding fairy rings on Halloween or will you be celebrating their mystical qualities?

Spine Chilling Book Recommendations (click titles for our reviews)

Bloodroom, by Naima Haviland

The Bad Death, by Naima Haviland

The Wolfstone Curse, by Justin Richards

Ways to see a Ghost, by Emily Diamand

Welcome to Skullcrusher Mountain, by Christine Pope

Hunter on a Moonless Night, by Elena Han

On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews

Happy Halloween to all our readers. Tina and Caroline 🙂

Sources consulted for information on the mythology and folklore surrounding toadstools, fungi and fairy rings:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_ring

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/plants/news-fantastic-folklore-surrounding-fairy-rings

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On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews (with author bio and author post link)

PumpkinHappy Halloween, readers. If you’re looking for something that’s chilling-to-the-bone to read on this cold, dark day then you may want to try Mark Matthews’ On the Lips of Children! You’ll most certainly need those bed covers to hide behind!

Caroline & Tina 🙂

Caroline Barker's avatarareadersreviewblog

on-the-lips-of-children_1On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews is absolutely terrifying and chilling to the bone, quite literally within the first few pages of the prologue. Certainly not for the younger reader, On the Lips of Children is an over 18yrs read due to the horror and gore, not to mention the emotional scar it leaves behind. This is definitely a must-read for all horror fans that like a book to leave a profound impact on them.

Macon is a tattoo artist and an avid marathon runner. These two interests of his are his life along with his partner, Erin, and their six year old daughter, Lyric. Erin and Macon have had their fair share of dark ordeals before they met, however nothing could have prepared them for the terrifying horror that they were about to encounter.

After arriving in San Diego to run a marathon in two days time…

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On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews (with author bio and author post link)

on-the-lips-of-children_1On the Lips of Children by Mark Matthews is absolutely terrifying and chilling to the bone, quite literally within the first few pages of the prologue. Certainly not for the younger reader, On the Lips of Children is an over 18yrs read due to the horror and gore, not to mention the emotional scar it leaves behind. This is definitely a must-read for all horror fans that like a book to leave a profound impact on them.

Macon is a tattoo artist and an avid marathon runner. These two interests of his are his life along with his partner, Erin, and their six year old daughter, Lyric. Erin and Macon have had their fair share of dark ordeals before they met, however nothing could have prepared them for the terrifying horror that they were about to encounter.

After arriving in San Diego to run a marathon in two days time, Macon and his family check into their hotel. When Macon goes out for a pre-dawn training run in preparation for the marathon the following day, he runs along a trail that takes him across a baseball field, and further down into the dark depths of underpasses and bridges, with the highway above and the trail goes on until it reaches the beach.

Along the route, Macon disturbs a homeless camp under a dark bridge, by running into a metal trolley that he couldn’t see in front of him. He tries to apologise but there are definitely some strange vibes coming from these homeless guys. Macon runs on with the thought that there was nothing more that he could do when he notices he’s being followed. Although mostly keeping their distance they do keep him within sight.

Meanwhile, Erin has an awkward moment of her own when it feels that Mex, the hotel clerk, is lingering outside their hotel door, after Lyric escaped to buy a Pop Tart from the machine outside. Erin then takes Lyric out in the stroller to look for Macon along the trail……

……Along the dark, remote trail at dawn, underneath the buzzing highway Erin and Lyric are kidnapped by a family of scavenging humans, dwelling in an old caved-in drug-smuggling tunnel that runs from San Diego, USA to Tijuana, Mexico. These dirty, animalistic scavengers have spent years surviving off the blood and flesh of humans. Although, completely oblivious to all what has happened as he was on the beach at the time, Macon runs back along the trail to the hotel only to be informed by Mex of where Erin and his daughter have gone. Macon returns to the trail in the hunt for his family. Now it’s time for Macon and his family!!!

The prologue itself is torturously horrifying as the mention of eating human flesh is written so early on. Mark Matthews’ writing is so clear, the reader doesn’t miss a thing – even though they may wish they had at times. But the setting is absolutely brilliant, with the time of day, the contrast from the busy, noisy highway to this dark, narrow, remote trail, the homeless guys that are not even visible in the dark of the bridges and lastly, the tunnels and those that live inside.

Whilst reading that Erin and Lyric are being kidnapped I felt cold all over and noticed how tense I was. I could completely connect to this chilling story as my own partner runs marathons and I have a young daughter that uses a stroller, just as Lyric was in hers when she was caught. The experience of reading On the Lips of Children for me has been quite personal and felt quite realistic to the point that, without wanting to, I pictured my own family going through this traumatic ordeal. As a partner, mother and a reader, I had to continue no matter how chilling it was as I simply had to know the outcome.

There are also moments in the book that are quite upsetting as during Lyric’s capture Mark Matthews takes you through what she is seeing and feeling. She questions her safety. Where is her Mommy? This doesn’t feel right but she doesn’t want to scream, instead finding herself holding her breath with just a McDonalds toy of Buzz Lightyear in her pocket that she clings onto. She doesn’t want to pull her toy out of her pocket in case these other children take it from her. (My little one loves her little Smurf toys that came from McDonalds – and it’s these little pieces of information that defines what a ‘normal’ family they are. The reader just places themselves in this family’s shoes and the story completely tears through your mind and insides, just as the scavengers tear the flesh from humans.)

All of the characters were written absolutely brilliantly, and Macon and Erin do have well-written, dark histories that the reader comes to discover. I won’t reveal any more but wanted to give it a mention as the plot of this book is so much more than the main capture of Macon’s family. The reader does feel a little torn (if you excuse the pun!) when reading about the scavenging children as they are so young themselves and from a mother’s point of view, you will do absolutely anything necessary to keep your babies alive!

My favourite character was Mex, the hotel clerk, simply because of the way in which Mark Matthews has written him. He made me feel uncomfortable. Can he be trusted? He suggested the route that Macon should run. I thought he was the evil behind this somehow. Yet he alarmed Macon to his missing family as he told him when they’d left and where he thought they were going. But he was outside the hotel door with Lyric and seemingly awkward? He was aware of something surely? Did he tell Macon where his family was in order for him to get captured too? I had so many questions surrounding this one character.

On the Lips of Children is absolutely horrifying, and at times upsetting. It is very quick-paced, just the right length and it does wrap up at the end, leaving no questions unanswered.  It is a novel that will give you the heebie jeebies so if you are looking for a good scare this book is certainly up your street. A marathon like no other!!!

A Reader’s Review Blog received a copy of On the Lips of Children from the author, Mark Matthews, in return for a fair and honest review. We would like to thank Mark Matthews for the copy of his work.

The paperback copy of On the Lips of Children will be released soon this month. If you would like to check it out on Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk just click on the relevant one where it will take you direct to the Kindle edition.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

MARK MATTHEWS Author bio

Mark Matthews is a writer and therapist from Detroit and is the author of 3 novels. On the Lips of Children is his latest piece of dark fiction and has just been released from Books of the Dead Press. His first novel, STRAY, is based on his experiences working at a substance abuse treatment center. He is an avid runner, and has two running based works including The Jade Rabbit and Chasing the Dragon: Running to Get High. He has been in recovery from addiction for over 20 years. Follow his blog at Running, Writing, and Chasing the Dragon at http://markmatthewsauthor.blogspot.com/.

and/or follow Mark on Twitter at @matthews_mark

Author post

Here is a very cool blog post about the background of the novel on how it is based partly on the children’s book “Where the Wild Things Are” called ‘The Night Max Wore His Wolf Suit’ http://markmatthewsauthor.blogspot.com/2013/07/WhereTheWildThingsAre.html.

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The One Percenters by John Podgursky

The One Percenters

In this dark psychological thriller/horror, The One Percenters, the reader has an insight into the mind of Edward Caine, who believes himself to be a one-percenter. A one percenter is one that can assist the natural selection process by ending the lives of those that do not seem fit to breed. Those that are only alive due to advances in medicine, technology and money.

Edward did not always think in this manner but after his wife’s rape and murder by a serial killer his mind drifts over time (and over a drink or two!) and he begins his mentally spiralling journey. His wife, Jill, was a good, loving human being with a kind heart. She was innocent. She didn’t deserve to die. In fact, Jill would have been perfect in the natural selection process, with her beauty and all. She most definitely wouldn’t have been picked by a one percenter!

Ed’s character, I thought, was fairly easy to connect with considering all he had been through with Jill. He is bitter and begins wanting revenge for her murder. However, as his thoughts become so dark as to even consider taking lives of those that had absolutely nothing to do with what happened, the reader begins to understand how disturbed this guy is. Although the connection largely gets lost by this point, I felt I just had to read on to know the outcome as John Podgursky leaves the reader asking questions of what path Ed is going to take and what will become of him.

In the beginning, even though it is a serious subject matter and Ed is in a state of depression and drink after losing Jill, he is so open with his thoughts that some off-the-wall suggestions and sarcastic, cynical remarks are made. However, as the novel continues it does become much more darker and serious.

The story is told from Ed’s POV. The written style of The One Percenters is as if Ed were talking to the reader directly as he tells his story in first person, past tense and the use of language is quite direct. The use of the direct and casual language can, at times, lighten the mood by making Ed’s cynical, sarcastic remarks a little comical. Because of this, I did find myself smiling to myself in some instances at Ed’s dry humour. Due to the written style it is a fairly quick read and set at a reasonable pace.

I was initially surprised as it read as a narrative from Ed’s POV. I was expecting the story to be told in third person, however after reading the story, that idea certainly wouldn’t work so well on the psychological side. I was also expecting the story to follow fellow one-percenter , as the synopsis mentioned ‘Edward and his brethren’. The further into the book you delve the more psycholgical horror you come across as Ed’s actions and indeed his thoughts become darker and darker. This story is definitely not for the faint of heart. The One Percenters is an adult read due to the seriousness of Ed’s thoughts and the violence and pyschological horror that this story offers.

There is a reference to ‘Doctor’ every now and then. This makes the reader think that Ed is possibly speaking to a psychiatrist at the end of the book. Will this be revealed towards the end? What will become of Ed, and will he accomplish what he set out to do? The reader has many questions and must read to the very end to reveal the full truth of this great thriller.

It is the significance of Jill’s rape and murder that start Ed’s pyschological problems. She was so innocent, so helpless. Ed begins to question the behaviour of humans and life, which leads to him believing that those that are ill, are ill for a reason: they are weak and so must die. It is only through money, technology and medicine that the ill are kept alive. This in-turn allows them to breed and pass on their weak genes and possibly weakening mankind. He, as a chosen one-percenter must help control this and eliminate these people. Will Ed allow his thoughts to control his actions, or will he give in?

I would like to thank the author, John Podgursky, for providing us a copy of his book in return for an honest and fair review. If you would like to contact the author, you can e-mail him at darwinspal@hotmail.com.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

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The Bad Death, by Naima Haviland

TheBadDeath-KindleCoverA Gothic Masterpiece of Dark Romance, Horror and Suspense – Review and Author Giveaway

The Bad Death, part of Naima Haviland’s vampire trilogy, tantalises the reader with a spellbinding paranormal tale of romance, horror and suspense. The author skillfully weaves the vampire myth with African Gullah legends to create a dark and gripping narrative, which, when read in conjunction with the accompanying novel Bloodroom, will forever haunt your dreams.

In The Bad Death, set in South Carolina in 1788, a mysterious African beauty emerges from the family crypt of Julian Mouret, the owner of Lion’s Court plantation. This woman enthralls this handsome slave owner with an outlandish tale of peril and flight. Although Julian fears for her sanity, he determines to keep Anika (or Annie as she is known) safe as a series of horrifying mutilation murders ensues, indicating to the slaves the presence of “plat-eyes”—shape-shifting blood-sucking supernatural creatures. Anika becomes empowered to end the rampage, but at stake is not only her own life but the soul of the man she is coming to love.

The Bad Death does contain a  Bloodroom spoiler, so if you intend to read it you may first want to read Bloodroom, to which this book serves as both a prequel and a sequel. Scroll to the end of this review for a link to our Bloodroom review. Naima Haviland is also kindly offering one lucky reader of our blog a digital copy of both Bloodroom and A Bad Death. Scroll down for details of this giveaway, where all you need to do is comment with your name.

I absolutely adore this series! I fell in love with Julian in Bloodroom, being both repelled and attracted to him – I cannot get him out of my head. The Bad Death gives the reader an insight into his actions in Bloodroom, where as a creature of the dark he maintains a thread of humanity. In The Bad Death Julian values rationality over superstition, yet Anika and the events which occur are anything but rational. He refuses to acknowledge the existence of beings which science does not recognise. Julian cannot explain the sexual pull and connection he feels to Anika, whom readers of Bloodroom immediately recognise is possessed by the spirit of Natalie his human lover in that book. Although compelled to keep Anika close, he is also repelled by her as he believes that she is a liar and a trickster at worse and at best mad. What will be Julian’s downfall? – Madness if he realises that such evil actually exists or ignorance as he does not realise the true horror of what he and others face?

Anika is a fantastic kick-ass heroine, protecting those she cares about in any way she can. Although this book is very much focused on Anika, Natalie’s influence is pivotal, as through her possession she imparts her ballet dancer’s strength and flexibility on Anika and also her knowledge of how to defeat vampires. Natalie’s spirit (whom Anika refers to as ‘the Hag’) also gives Anika an insight into Natalie and Julian’s dark romance. Anika regards her possession more favourably as the novel progresses and becomes increasingly attracted to Julian. She is torn between her attraction to Julian and to Marcus, the Mouret’s slave driver, himself a slave. Bitter rivalry and jealousy exist between both men over Anika  and there is also plenty of sexual tension and well crafted sensual love making scenes throughout.

There are a host of supporting characters. These include Tumba, the resident witch doctor, a free black man, whose role appears to be a malevolent one. We also meet the teenage Jane Eliza, whom readers of Bloodroom will recognise as Swisher, who plays such a key role in that book. Julian’s mother, Miss Elizabeth, is a character whom I loved, as she is brave and resourceful and whilst not fully comprehending the true evil around her is supportive of Anika.

The novel contains horror and violence and visceral scenes of bloodlust and gore juxtaposed with passionate lovemaking and lush descriptions of the landscape. I was particularly impressed by the dark, gothic descriptions of the waterways, which link Lion’s Court to adjacent plantations, the descriptions of these and the rice fields and the overarching sky became more and more threatening as the novel progresses. I also enjoyed the magical scenes where Natalie takes possession of Anika  and compels her to dance the ballet and imbues her with visions and feelings from the future. The author has carried out a lot of research into the history of slaves and plantation owners, the Gullah language, folklore and culture and the environment of South Carolina in the late eighteenth century. I was held spellbound and totally immersed in the world and minds of the characters.

The Bad Death is an original and haunting tale. Don’t take my word for it – check out the author’s web and blog sites to read her excerpts and to gain an insight into the characters and the world that she has created. I am certainly looking forward to book 3 of the trilogy, due for release next year.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

A copy of this book was given to me by the author for an honest and fair review.

For my review of Bloodroom click here

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To buy a copy – currently available both in paperback and Kindle. Click to buy at Amazon US Click to buy at Amazon UK

For a chance to win a digital copy of both Bloodroom and The Bad Death simply leave your name below in the comments section. A draw will be made on 27th September 2013 and the lucky winner informed.

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Bloodroom and Release of A Bad Death, by Naima Haviland

13609447[1]A Dark Paranormal/Horror Romance

One of the first books that I reviewed for this blog was Bloodroom by Naima Haviland. It is one of those reads that has stayed with me – the hero, a vampire, has been the subject of both my dreams and my nightmares ever since!

In Bloodroom we see Julian Mouret, a master vampire, have his loyalties torn between upholding vampire law and letting Natalie, the human he has become obsessed with survive when he is honour bound to kill her. I recommend this book to lovers of dark paranormal romance and horror, especially for those with a love of the modern gothic and the erotic. I have reblogged this review alongside this post in case readers missed it the first time around – so scroll down after this post if you want to read the review.

One of my next reads, which I am really looking forward to, will be The Bad Death,  TheBadDeath-KindleCoverwhich is both a sequel and a prequel to Bloodroom. It features Julian before he was a vampire and is set in South Carolina in 1788. It has recently been released in paperback and the Kindle version is now available. Here is an abridged version of the book blurb:

The African beauty emerging from his family crypt is a stranger to plantation owner Julian Mouret. A mystery, she spins a dark tale of peril and flight. Though he fears she must be mad, the handsome slave owner is soon lost to this enchantress. But there can be no safe haven. A series of horrifying mutilation murders screams of the presence of “plat-eyes”—shape-shifting blood-sucking supernatural creatures —and only Anika can end the rampage. But to face the vampire horde she will have to master the darkness within. And the price of  victory in the battle ahead may well be the eternal soul of the man she is coming to love.

The Bad Death can be enjoyed without first having to read Bloodroom, but the author advises readers interested in Bloodroom to read it first as The Bad Death does hold a Bloodroom spoiler. If you like the sound of this series, look out for the review of The Bad Death in the coming weeks and also for details of a giveaway by the author on this blog.

Tina 🙂

http://naimahaviland.com/

Amazon UK

Amazon US