Halloween Week: Book Spotlight - Doll

For our last Halloween Week post, I bring you a look at the YA horror novel Doll by Miracle Austin.

Doll by Miracle Austin 

Welcome to Frost High; I bet you’ve heard about or currently may be attending. Small school, lots of secrets, a popular mean girl, Pepper Fox, and of course a few outcasts--Tomie Dupuy, Sarifena Green, and Opal Dawn--who all shined on Pepper’s tormented list, since junior high. Opal shined the brightest. Tomie, Sari, and Opal made a pact and traveled to Monroe Creek, Louisiana with the goal to end their torment in an untraditional way. Sometimes things don’t end up, as we wish. Fate always possesses a way to redirect everything. Will they finally find the solution to their agonizing problem or will all spiral out of control, as they never anticipated?

Be Careful What You Wish For… 

"Doll is a frightening 5 star read with enough scary voodoo magic to give just the right amount of twists and turns." 

~Brandy Corona, best-selling author of Midnight Outbreak~

Doll is available at:

Amazon (paperback)

Amazon (kindle)

Author Bio:

YA/NA Cross-Genre Hybrid Author

Miracle Austin works in the social work arena by day and in the writer’s world at night and weekends. She’s been writing since junior high and Drive by The Cars being one of her biggest inspirations.

She enjoys writing short stories with horror/suspense being her favorite genres; however, she’s not limited to.

Her debut release was a YA/NA paranormal novel, Doll, which released on 2-14-16. Doll won the Purple Dragonfly Award 2nd place in the Young Adult Fiction category 2016. Her second release will be a very eclectic collection of short storie of diverse themes--Boundless, to be released in the Winter of 2016.

She enjoys attending diverse book festivals and comic conventions, where she has been so honored to be one of the panelists on some. She hopes to conduct more author visits at junior high and high schools in the future. Miracle resides in Texas with her family.

Website:  www.miracleaustin.com

Twitter: @MiracleAustin

InstaGram: MiracleAustin7

“Lingering fiction that ignites diverse mind journeys and beyond…”

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Week: Book Spotlight On The Witch of Willow Lake by Leta Hawk

Today's post for Halloween Week is another book spotlight, this time on the paranormal mystery, The Witch of Willow Lake by Leta Hawk. This is the newest edition to her Kyrie Carter: Supernatural Sleuth series, and I have a look at the book and an excerpt. Enjoy!

The Witch of Willow Lake by Leta Hawk

A book of local folklore may hold the key to solving a mystery…

Left with unanswered questions after the paranormal investigation at Willow Lake College, Kyrie Carter vows to discover the events leading up to the fire in Appleton Hall’s bell tower that took Mary Bollinger’s life in 1958. Her research leads to a book of legends written by a local historian. Kyr’s sense of obligation borders on obsession as she redoubles her efforts to locate the out-of-print book. She is cautiously optimistic when the book arrives anonymously to her workplace.

…but is it also a portal for an evil from the past?

Almost immediately, Kyr is plagued by terrifying visions—a cabin in the woods,  a mysterious woman who calls to her, ominous words chanted in an unfamiliar language. Discovering evidence of a witch in Willow Lake’s past leads Kyr to believe her visions are more than bad dreams, and that there is more to Mary Bollinger’s story than anyone realized.
When Mary’s fiancé, Warren McKnight, agrees to break his decades-long silence about the fire, Kyr and Spook return to Willow Lake. Something in Warren’s account of that tragic night tells Kyr that she was not the witch’s first target, and she will not be the last, unless she can find a way to defeat the evil spirit.

The Witch of Willow Lake is available at:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Excerpt:

Without warning, my vision suddenly narrowed as it had earlier, and Sean’s cabin again wavered and morphed into the same primitive structure I’d seen when we first arrived. The air around me shimmered, and I couldn’t tell if it was day or night. The familiar sounds of the woods faded into a muffled rushing sound that made me wonder if I were dreaming, even though I knew I was awake. I wanted to cry out, but my throat constricted so that I could barely breathe, let alone speak. I doubted anyone would hear me anyway.
The shimmering air settled, and the noise in my ears silenced. A single shutter partially covered the window of the little cabin, and I watched as a figure passed by. At the same time, I became aware of the now-familiar voice chanting inside the house. A soft gasp escaped my throat, and the chanting ceased abruptly. As though the person inside sensed my presence, she came closer to the window, and a gnarled hand threw the shutter open. I ducked behind the closest tree, which wasn’t anywhere near being wide enough to hide even my slim frame.
After a moment the figure left the window and moved in the direction of the door. My heart pounded loudly in my ears as I heard the latch being lifted, and then the door slowly opened. A short, heavyset woman stood silhouetted in the doorway. The firelight behind her made a reddish glow around her form. Although I couldn’t make out any features, I knew this woman was malicious. My eyes widened in horror as she turned to face the very tree I hid behind. She raised a hand and beckoned to me. “We’ve been waiting for you. Come; it is time.”
My feet began to move of their own accord towards the little cabin. A second voice, one I didn’t recognize, spoke in my mind. Don’t go to her! You must escape, now! Ione’s voice joined the other one. Be careful, Kyr. She means to do you harm! My own voice joined the others, screaming for my body to stop moving towards the cabin, to run in the opposite direction, but my feet would not comply. Step by halting step I kept walking towards the cabin, until suddenly, my foot came down on a twig, snapping it in two.
The sound wrenched me out of my stupor and broke whatever spell I was under. I shouted, “No! Leave me alone!” Dropping the lantern in the path, I dashed back to the outhouse, slamming the door and sitting on the ground with my back against the door, heedless of dirt, bugs, or whatever else might have been in there with me. I drew my knees up to my chest, covered my ears with my fists, and squeezed my eyes shut.

Author Bio:

Leta Hawk had her first encounter with a ghost at four years of age. Since then, she has been fascinated with ghoulies and ghosties and all things that go bump in the night, and now she writes about them. She lives vicariously as a ghost-chasing mystery solver through her Kyrie Carter: Supernatural Sleuth series, which includes The Newbie, School Spirits, and The Witch of Willow Lake.
When Leta isn’t penning spooky stories, she can be found rounding up dust bunnies, or tackling Mt. Dishmore and Laundrypile Peak in her Central Pennsylvania home, which she shares with her husband Mike, sons Wesley and Wayde, and black lab Raven (but no ghosts).

Website  Facebook  Goodreads  Twitter

And so ends today's post for Halloween Week, but be sure to pop by tomorrow on Halloween. And don't forget my Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway (live until October 31st) You can find it by clicking on the Giveaway Tab at the top of the blog or this link: Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway!

Halloween Week: A Fireside Chat with Lizzie Borden

Today, I have a special treat with another Fireside Chat. Our favourite fictional interviewer, Richard Dale, sits down with Lizzie Borden (from Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter), to talk monsters and murder.  Plus, there's a quick peek at the book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter by C.A. Verstraete. Enjoy.

Fireside Chat with Lizzie Borden

"Welcome everyone, to another Fireside Chat. I’m Richard Dale, your host. Today, we have a most special and infamous guest, none other than Lizzie Borden." Richard grins with obvious excitement and delight. “It is a most delightful pleasure and honour to have you here, Miss Borden.”

"Thank you. I am pleased to be here."

“Your story is been told many times and, dare I say, even become part of American folklore. Yet, the dark truth of the matter has remained shrouded over the years. I think our audience would like to hear your version, about who you are. Would you care to a bit about this tale of tragedy?”

(Sighs.) "I still find it difficult to talk about, as you may understand. That August 4th was a terrible day. You see, people have it all wrong." (Sniffs and wipes her eyes.) "I-I had no choice! I didn’t want to do it. I didn’t! But when Mrs. Borden came at me so… (Shudders.) It was ghastly. I’ve never seen anything like that before—and I hope I never do again."

“Before this unnatural event, did you believe in paranormal forces, Miss Borden?”

"I never believed in such things before. I had sneakily read a copy of Miss Shelley’s Frankenstein. It is not my reading taste, but I had heard others speak of it. It’s pretty gruesome. But you never expect such things to be real. Not at all. Not ever."

“Has it been hard, living with secrets?”

(Sighs again.) "I have been a private person, but with the attacks and murder of my father and stepmother, and then the trial, of course, I was thrust into the center of something I never dreamed would happen. The hardest part was not telling anyone the whole truth, the real truth, of what happened that day for fear of compromising the Society’s work in stopping this terrible scourge. All I wanted was for it to go away and never threaten my family again."

Richard leans forward the look on his face intense. “Tell us about John, Miss Borden.”

(Her face turns red.) "John? Mr. Fremont was a big help as part of my legal team and a good friend. He introduced me to the St Alphonsus Society. I don’t know what else I can really say."

Any further discussion is interrupted by the arrival of a gentleman carrying a tea tray. “Is it time for tea, Jenkins?”

“Indeed, sir. I have a lovely Earl Grey today.” The butler turns to Lizzie. “Would you care for a cup, Miss Borden? We have milk and lemon for the tea, and sugar should you take your tea that way. And some lovely cinnamon tea cakes as well.”

"Thank you. Yes, I believe I will have a cup. I’m feeling rather parched."

Jenkins pours two cups, and discreetly withdraws, leaving the tray.

“Shall we return to the interview?” Richard smiles softly and sips his tea, not waiting for her answer. “What would you consider your greatest character flaw?”

"That’s a rather personal question." (Clears throat.) "We all have our flaws, don’t we?" 

(She looks to the side and then dabs her eyes.) "My one flaw, my greatest regret, may be in not being firmer that my sister, Emma, not be so involved in fighting off those monsters. She just isn’t as strong as I am. I should’ve insisted she stay inside and let me or our instructor Pierre handle things."

“Much of the world regards you as a bit of a villain, but your story is more complicated now isn’t it? So I ask, do you consider your actions heroic?”

"I’m neither a villain nor a hero. I’m simply someone who wanted to protect her family and her hometown from the horrors unleashed on us. I wanted the scourge to end and see our family name cleared. I’m not sure I succeeded in that."

“What one word best describes you, Miss Borden?”

"Determined."

“How do you think your life would have turned out, under more normal circumstance?”

"Emma and I had plans. Once we moved into my beloved Maplecroft, we felt comfortable and almost free of the spirits of the past. We wanted to travel more. We both enjoy the theater. But life doesn’t always turn out as you expect, does it?"

“Any violent actions aside, what is your biggest regret?”

"I think I’ve addressed that already. I really don’t have much else to say on the subject."

Well thank you Miss Borden, for agreeing to this interview. It has been illuminating.

~*~

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter by C.A. Verstraete:

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?

Available on: 

Amazon, Print & Kindle - also on Kindle Unlimited: http://getbook.at/LizzieBordenZombieHunter

B&N Print: - http://tinyurl.com/hz6c8cz

Add it on Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/hp9rvyd

For more about the author, C. A. Verstraete, check out these sites:

Website: http://cverstraete.com

Blog: http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com

  

Halloween Week: Killer Clowns?

Today, I welcome author Jim McDonald as a guest to talk a little Halloween, and to give a couple of quick shout outs to some charitable projects he’s involved in. Take it away Jim…

Over the last few weeks, the leaves have exposed their hidden colors and many have taken their quick trip to the ground to be blown to the wind. Others fight to hold onto their green color to soak up just a few more of the fleeting hours of sunlight.

I walk into the stores, and much like the trees, the shelves are shedding their aisles of horrors abound for ones laden in cheerful faces, colorful bobbles, and blinking lights. Which is the real nightmare?

Please, can’t we get through Halloween first?

Yes, I resist the urge to put devil horns on Santa, or a bloody dagger in the hand of an elf on the shelf. Mostly.

And what am I hearing the most about?

Nothing less than that beast of nightmares.

Am I speaking of vampires? Werewolves? Political pollsters?

No.

Clowns.

And no, no the variety running for office either.

I’ve never been a real big fan of clowns, but I’ve never been scared of them either. But I do know a lot of people who are. And I don’t just mean they don’t like clowns. A pure visceral reaction, worse than to spiders.

Being that I’m fascinated by people and behavior, I’ve often wondered about this. Granted, I’m the sick kind of person that will put up a picture of Pennywise from Stephen King’s IT with a note that says Happy Humpday.

Our culture often shows clowns as people to be feared. The Joker is a prime example.

And now?

We have a rash of clown sightings, not only in the US, but worldwide. Clowns hiding in the woods, allegedly attempting to kidnap people.

Is it a cultural meme whose time has taken hold? A PR stunt gone wrong?

No one seems to know, but now, many schools and localities have gone so far as to ban the clown costume.

Really?

So now we have taken to banning those things that scare us. Pass an ordinance, or a law.

Yep, that’s effective. How do we even really define “Clown?” Must we also ban the Joker?

But I digress.

Why do clowns scare us? Why is an image of something seemingly innocent so easily turned into something so terrifying, it should be banned?

Psychologists suggest it’s the twisting of the visual and verbal queues we rely on to communicate. A fixed and unchanging smile (or grimace). Oversized eyes. Bright and startling colors. It takes us back to our childhood, to a time when everything had the ability to scare us.

It’s also the power of having a mask. The clown makeup not only obscures the details of the person’s face, it allows the clown to step into a new identity, a new persona. We as people depend on understanding the people around us, especially the ones we don’t know. Instinctively, we see a person in a mask as someone having something to hide.

Clowns, under the guise of many names and many identities are one of the oldest and many ways most important functions in society. In tribal cultures, many of them have a clown-like figure who wears a mask to embody the fears of the tribe.  Court Jesters and harlequins served much the same purpose, but had even more power. They had the ability to mock and jeer the ruling elite, using humor and barbs to relieve the stress of the people and yet communicate with the ruling class in a mostly safe way. The comedians and political pundits of the day.

Even today, we have seen people don the guise for nefarious purposes (I’m looking at you, John Wayne Gacy).

But why do we seem to fear this costume over all others?

I think it’s all of the above.

Which is why it’s important.

Every culture of the world has a person or group that serves this purpose. We need to have that embodiment of our doubts and fears we can see and confront. That we can take out of the shadows. That wears a mask.

Halloween is the time of year every one of us is called to face our fears, and laugh at them. It’s why we dress up like the characters that frighten us. It gives us power.

So this Halloween, when you are debating between dressing like a princess, a politician, or a clown, pick the one that terrifies you.

But this year, I’d probably put some body armor underneath the clown costume while you hunt for the Great Pumpkin.

Or just go with a werewolf.  Clowns will always be in vogue.

Happy Halloween!

For others, this can be too much to handle. For those who have survived real horrors. I’ve been honored to contribute to the #HoldOnToTheLight campaign with over a hundred other authors writing about #MentalHealth, #PTSD, and #Depression. Please check out the web page

Also, just released, I was honored to be a contributor to We Are Not This: Carolina Writers for Equality. Please check out this charity anthology on Amazon



I want to thank Jim for appearing in my Halloween Week, and be sure to check out the website and his charity anthology.  You can also find out more about him and his books at his website. And come back tomorrow for a chat with Lizzie Borden.

Halloween Week: Spotlight on Furr by Axel Howerton

Today's Halloween Week post shines the spotlight of a new release, the urban fantasy novel, Furr: A Modern Gothic Fairytale by Axel Howerton. Enjoy!

Furr: A Modern Gothic Fairytale by Axel Howerton

From the South three sisters fair ran athwart the gloom.

Dressed of fur and fierce of tooth... the maidens of the moon.

Jimmy Finn is having a real bad day. He woke up drunk and on the wrong end of a nightstick. He lost his job, had to see his shrink, and he's fallen way off the wagon. Now the cops are after him, he's falling apart, and his only friend is a volatile drug lord. How could it get any worse?

As smoke envelopes the city, he finds himself on the run, and out of time. He's either losing his mind, or becoming a monster. Or maybe it's both. Jimmy Finn has one last hope. A long-buried family secret, lost somewhere in a mysterious town in the Rocky Mountains, a town full of bizarre shadows and a strange girl that haunts his memories.

Furr is available at:

Amazon

AUTHOR BIO:

Axel Howerton is the author of the Arthur Ellis Award nominated "Hot Sinatra", the gothic urban fantasy "Furr" and the forthcoming "Wolf & Devil" series. His work, including short stories, columns, poetry and essays, have appeared the world over, in no fewer than five languages. Axel is the Prairies director of the Crime Writers of Canada and a member of the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Association, the Calgary Crime Writers, and the Kintsugi Poets. He is also the editor of the books "Death by Drive-In", "AB Negative", and "Tall Tales of the Weird West", and is the organizer behind one of Canada's first recurring "Noir At The Bar" events, #NoirBarYYC.

Visit Axel online at www.axelhow.com to sign up for the GotHow? email list and receive free exclusive ebook collections, sneak peeks, and more. #AxelHow #GotHow




That's it for today, but don't forget my Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway (live until October 31st) You can find it by clicking on the Giveaway Tab at the top of the blog or this link: Halloween Horror Haiku Giveaway!