Halloween Week: Forsaken

In keeping with the monster theme this Halloween Week, I bring you the strange world of lost Egyptian tombs and mummies. I have a spotlight on my horror story, Forsaken, published in the anthology, Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal. Enjoy.

Forsaken

Greed meets magic under the sands of Egypt as a lost tomb is discovered. Betrayal and danger lurk in the dark tunnels and something powerful waits to be awakened.

A short snippet from the story.

Forsaken by A. F. Stewart

A hot desert wind blew down a dark London street, and fine grains of sand sputtered against the street lamps. A cloaked figure of a woman shimmered out of air and shadows, thrust into the lonely night, seemingly from nowhere. Sirocco and the ancient world travelled with her, clinging to the folds of her garments.
The edge of loneliness stole out from her mind’s dark recesses, a sense of displacement she carried whenever she ventured into the bastions of civilization. Cities such as London were not her home; that had been taken from her a long time ago.
She paused, staring down the empty street to get her bearings and drew in a breath. She heard the wind tickling at her ear; the whoosh of the air, mixed with a hint of the desert, stirred her thoughts. Long buried, ever festering words conjured themselves into her consciousness.
May the desert claim you for your transgressions.
Memories flickered, of being left in the sand dunes to die. Of surviving.
Cast out because I would not renounce my loyalties.
With a sigh, she squeezed the pain back into its box and returned to the present.
She walked with quiet footfalls, and the agility of a cat, to the entrance of a large house nestled on the street. Its windows reflected a murky interior, and no sign of life offered welcome; a foreboding place most would avoid. Yet, the woman rapped on the door, the echo of the brass knocker breaking the night’s peace. Moments later, a tall lanky man answered, his sallow face and grin peering out from beneath a bowler hat.
The woman smiled, repressing the upsurge of revulsion. “Jackal. Is your master at home?”
“Hello to you too, Hagar. He’s here waiting for you. Come in.”

You can find the story (plus many more fabulous tales) in the horror anthology, Abandon: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal

ABANDON: 13 Tales of Impulse, Betrayal, Surrender, & Withdrawal

To act with abandon, in any sense of the word, is human. Whether it’s the sudden, strong urge to do something, either good or bad, or the act of betraying someone you love, we make choices that forever change our lives. Do you give into something or someone completely, or withdraw wholly into yourself? These thirteen stories run the gamut of emotions and express horror as you’ve never imagined it.

The story of a woman alone at the end of the world and the small lifeline she hopes will prove humanity still exists challenges the search for anything left behind after the death of a child. What if you hid a secret you’d thought no one else knew? Would its revelation spark the monster hiding within? A downward spiral into madness juxtaposes the ultimate, but impossible, (re)birth. Would you choose the frigid winds of winter over the warmth and safety of your lover’s arms?

Abandon hope, all who enter here…

Chills, Thrills and Grey: A Review of The Egyptian by Layton Green

My Book Review of The Egyptian by Layton Green:

The Egyptian is an engaging blend of corporate espionage and paranormal conspiracy wound together a tense, gripping thriller. It has a tight, well constructed plot, engaging characters and did a nice job of pulling me, the reader, through to the end while retaining that air of mystery.

The Egyptian is the second novel featuring Dominic Grey first introduced in the novel The Summoner. In this go-round Grey is working for Viktor Radek, professor of religious phenomenology, investigator and consultant on the subject of dangerous cults. Viktor is contacted by an Egyptian businessman, Al-Miri, and he puts Grey on the case to track down a mysterious stolen test tube. As the case progresses Grey has to unravel lies, murder and the secrets of a strange and ancient Egyptian deity, while navigating the perils of a possible romance with a beautiful reporter, Veronica Brown.

I liked the book and found it a compelling read. The characterizations in this novel are excellent, bringing vigorous personalities to life with both strengths and flaws. All the individuals portrayed are absorbing as they play their parts in the taut cat-and-mouse drama of the story. And I appreciated that the romance subplot was built without the overkill of the typical “damsel-in-distress” mentality.

I enjoyed the subtle undertone of the arcane in the book. It never develops into a full-blown paranormal, but maintains its hint of the unknown enough to keep the reader intrigued. The author walks the fine line between realism and fantasy expertly. Also, the plotline was logical, flowed with a good pace and the science was worked in to the story without boring the reader. A few times I thought the book was headed into standard thriller territory, but the plot never became overly predictable. The ending was an especially nice surprise, avoiding any inevitable showdown clichés.

The Egyptian is an entertaining, fully satisfying book that kept my rapt attention from start to finish.