A Closer Look into the World of Jackson R. Thomas

Last summer, I kicked off the next phase of my publishing company, ALIEN AGENDA PUBLISHING. We decided to go with a summer package featuring re-releases of novels by Mick Ridgewell (The Nightcrawler) and David Bernstein (Skinner), and introduced Jackson R. Thomas. The “Summer of Horror” kicked off with The Beast of Brenton Woods, a fast and ferocious short novel about a legend known in the town of Coopers Mills as “The White Wolf”.

That book was a big hit for AAP, and we sold the audio rights to the fine folks at Tantor Media (with a fine vocal performance from Joe Hempel). That audio edition is available now (To order, click HERE)

To get to know Mr. Thomas a bit better, check out the rare interview he did with House of 1000 Books

11 Questions with Jackson R. Thomas Author of Paradise, Maine

And that brings us to the latest offering: Paradise, Maine

“A short, entertaining read for fans of Edward Lee and Jack Ketchum’s Dead River series.” – Jack Bantry, Splatterpunk Zine and author of The Lucky Ones Died First

“Thomas brings the goods and packs them into bite size zip-lock freezer bags, making sure to keep the horror fresh on every page! A must read.” – Kendall Reviews

This one just came out last month. If you’re into splatterpunk, check it out.

Word on the street is you have two new Thomas books to keep and eye out for coming…/

RISE (the sequel to The Beast of Brenton Woods-coming late 2019 from Alien Agenda Publishing)

and IT CAME FROM THE LAKE (TBA, 2020)

Bio:

Jackson R. Thomas has lived in Colorado, New York, and now resides in Coopers Mills, Maine with his cat, Gizmo.

He loathes social media, and has worked as a janitor, fast-food slave, record store clerk, and night auditor at an unnamed hotel on Route 1.

He loves horror books, horror films, and the band, Ministry.

Some legends never die….

The White Wolf, the Beast of Brenton Woods, a legendary creature said to walk like a man. When the full moon rises, it will feast.

Unseen for years, truth has turned to rumor, mere folklore. Until something lures the monster from exile, calling it home.
For Tyler and Ben, a firsthand encounter leads to an exploration of the forbidden depths of Brenton woods, and for Ben, the discovery of a family secret.

When Wendy and her friends hangout in the abandoned cabin is compromised, the hunt begins. The target of a creature’s desire, Wendy is hearing whispers in the night, finding footprints outside her window, and can’t shake the dreadful feeling that something is waiting for her.

Deputy Kathy Wilcox understands the disturbances, the shredded carcasses, and the growing list of missing persons in town are connected to something larger than life. Will her acceptance of the legend end in tragedy?

There’s a full moon above, the night is coming down, and blood is about to run.

They needed a place to get away from it all… they’ll never be coming back.

When Darren and Vanis set out to free themselves from life’s anxieties and rekindle their relationship, a trip to the beautiful Maine coast sounds perfect.

The breathtaking views and gorgeous cabin seem like another world. One to get lost in and from which they never want to return. But something has an eye on them…

For Zebulun Ayers, a trip to connect with nature is far more than he ever saw on Man vs. Wild or any other reality TV show. This is the real wild life.

Paradise, Maine is home to a monster rarely seen and one never mentioned, even among locals. The Watcher is waiting.

THE WINDOW World Tour 2018: Part One

My new novel, THE WINDOW, has been garnering my best reviews yet. I’m humbled by the love and enjoyment many are experiencing with my 4th book.

“To put it simply; this is Mr. Rolfe’s IT. This is his Boy’s Life.”

“At times, The Window is brutally vicious. It’s a story which pulls no punches and is right up there with my favorite reads of 2018!”

“Gory and perverse on the outside (don’t let the inconspicuous cover fool you!), but character-driven and emotional on the inside, this book really kept me awake reading, a feat not easily achieved these nights…”

“Never gonna look in a mirror or out a window again!”

“A flawlessly executed character driven modern day horror tale…”

I’ve captured the links to the sites that have covered THE WINDOW so far…

KENDALL REVIEWS HORROR AFTER DARK THE HAUNTED READING ROOM

FRANK MICHAEL ERRINGTON’S HORRIBLE BOOK REVIEWS

THE HORROR FICTION REVIEW

MISSPIDER REVIEWS

Here are some links to guest posts I’ve down for the tour so far.

MUSIC FROM THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE (EYES OF MADNESS)

AM I DEMON? (GRIM READER REVIEWS)

COMING OF AGE HORROR (FRANK MICHAEL ERRINGTON’S HORRIBLE BOOK REVIEWS)

THE WINDOW is available in paperback, e-Book, or FREE with KINDLE UNLIMITED

Get yours here: THE WINDOW

See you guys on the 2nd leg of the tour!

Stay tuned!

BONE SAW: A horror book for horror fans and more. Patrick Lacey’s best yet.

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Bone Saw by Patrick Lacey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“Sometimes bad men are scarier than monsters.”

Bone Saw is the latest novel from horror fiend, Patrick Lacey. In this b-movie monster flick come to life, the small town of Bass Falls is about to meet The Pigfoot (a unique creation all on his own, for which the author should be proud).

Lacey’s love for horror flicks shines through this work like a scream queen’s puncturing wail. Is there blood? Yes. Is there gore? Of course. Is there heart? Surprisingly, yes. And that’s a good thing. For our young protagonist, Liam, through a shitstorm of bad luck, he may just find the perfect lady…if they can survive.

“…and bit into the woman’s face like corn on the cob.”

Lacey shows he’s far from a one-trick pony, as he digs deep and fills the spaces with some real grit and emotion. It felt at times as though we were seeing the inner workings and emotions of the author himself. Among the blood and chewed upon body parts, there is a love story.
It’s this type of writing that will help Lacey continue to grow into the great author he’s becoming before our eyes.

I’ve been a fan of Patrick Lacey since his first novella, and having read both his previous novels, DREAM WOODS and WE CAME BACK (both from Sinister Grin Press), I’d say BONE SAW is his best yet. Definitely going in my Top 10 of 2018.

A five-star read.
Highly recommended.

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Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He currently spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable. He lives in Massachusetts with his Pomeranian and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him. Follow him on Twitter (@patlacey), find him on Facebook, or visit his website at https://patrickclacey.wordpress.com/.

(GIVEAWAY) WIN A SIGNED COPY OF BECOMING

This beauty could be yours!

Something ancient has wormed its way up from the earth….
A change has come today.

After Michele Cote’s best friend disappears, no one believes her story about the thing responsible for his abduction. Forced to figure out the mystery for herself, Michele encounters terror she has never known, and witnesses the impossible.

When other members of the community begin to change or vanish, Sheriff Shane Davis must look beyond reason in order to stop the evil seeping into this small town. With help from an unlikely source, Sheriff Davis will come face-to-face with the truth.
You can’t destroy what you don’t understand. For the town of Avalon, Maine, the future is about change…for better or worse.

Becoming is the next horrifying novel from author, Glenn Rolfe.
Includes the bonus novella, Boom Town.

ENTER AT THE GOODREADS LINK BELOW

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Becoming

by Glenn Rolfe

Giveaway ends October 30, 2017.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

(Book Review) THE WARBLERS by Amber Fallon

After the sun would go down, I’d hear them out there, back by the shed, shrieking their twisted warbling cries out there in the night, followed by squeals of whatever prey they’d managed to hunt down.

When his rural farm becomes overrun with terrifying beasts called Warblers capable of eating livestock, dogs, and even people, 14-year-old Dell McDale’s life is torn asunder. He watches through the eyes of a boy on the verge of becoming a man as his father is forced to go to awful lengths to rid the family home of the infestation, culminating in a confrontation between Dell and a local bully-turned-soldier on a night that will change everyone involved, forever.

The Warblers is a mysterious tale of a young man learning what fear can do to people and what happens, when in order to fight monsters, one must side with another monster.

My Review:

The Warblers by Amber Fallon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

THE WARBLERS (Eraserhead Press, 2017) by Amber Fallon is a novella that surprised me. After reading her novella, THE TERMINAL (Flesh Pulp Press, 2016), I thought I knew what to expect (horror, lots of action-filled horror), but with THE WARBLERS, Fallon takes a different approach.

“Don’t be a fool, boy. Graveyard’s full up fools.”

The story is a coming-of-age yarn from the point of view of a 14-year-old boy named, Dell. Dell’s family’s farm is in danger from a group of vicious birds (the Warblers) that have taken up residence behind their shed. Dell’s pa decides to call for a “special” kind of help to eradicate the problem. That’s the gist of the tale, but within, there are so many nice bits and beats.

“I thought of the horses in front of my uncle’s carriage and how they had looked on smelling the warblers. I imagine we must’ve looked about the same way.”

I recently read THE BOTTOMS by Joe R. Lansdale, and I picked up a very similar vibe from Fallon’s story. That’s a fantastic compliment to the author. I was impressed with her style, her patience, and her ability to put together such a well-rounded story, full of characters and heart.
As with the aforementioned Lansdale book, THE WARBLERS isn’t really a horror story, and that’s okay. It’s a great piece of fiction, a wonderfully surprising novella that shows Fallon’s fearless versatility.

I would liked to have seen more of the viscous birds, but I know we can’t always get what we want. Oh, and the handler’s (you’ll know who I’m talking about when you read this book) were totally worthy of more book time, too. See, sometimes the problem is that author creates so much goodness, we want more. That’s a good thing.

I give THE WARBLERS 4-4.5 stars.
Definitely recommend this one to people who like great storytelling.

Amber Fallon lives in a small town outside Boston, Massachusetts that she shares with her husband their two dogs. A techie by day and a horror writer by night, she’s also spent time as a bank manager, motivational speaker, produce wrangler, and apprentice butcher. Her obsessions with sushi, glittery nail polish, and sharp objects have made her a recognized figure around the community.

She’s the author of The Terminal (Flesh Pulp Press, 2016), the forthcoming collection, TV Dinners From Hell, and many other stories that have appeared in a variety of anthologies.

Follow her on Twitter: @Zombiegirl

Visit her blog: http://www.amberfallon.net

or listen to her podcast IT COOKS on Project Radio

View all my reviews

(Review) CAVERN OF THE DAMNED by Russell James

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Broke and desperate, paleontologist Grant Coleman gets the chance of a lifetime exploring a long-sealed cave, the fabled home of a gigantic creatures.

NPS Ranger McKinley Stinson discovers a rancher’s prize bull has been butchered by an airborne killer, and tracks the blood trail back to the re-opened cavern. But as she’s about to arrest the trespassers, the unstable roof collapses, trapping all.

Their only way out is at the cave system’s far end. But an eco-system of terrifying mega fauna stands between them and freedom. Death, double-crosses, and a slew of monstrous cave creatures take their toll as the group battles to what they pray is an exit.

Will anyone survive this cavern of the damned?

MY REVIEW:

Cavern Of The Damned by Russell James

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

James at the top of his game!

From start to finish, Cavern of the Damned is a thrilling, well-written, kick ass piece of dark fiction.
James crafts real characters to life and places them next to impossible pre-historic creatures. Part The Descent, part reality TV, Cavern of the Damned delivers big.

One of the most fun stories I’ve read this year and a top 5 contender for best horror novel of 2017.
Highly recommended!

I give CAVERN OF THE DAMNED 5 stars!

View all my reviews

(REVIEW) WE CAME BACK by Patrick Lacey

Growing up dead.

Melvin Brown sees things that aren’t there. Monsters with tentacles and razor-sharp teeth. Ever the social outcast, he is bullied to the point of suicide. And his hatred of those who did him wrong does not die with him.

One decade after Melvin’s death, something strange is happening to Lynnwood High School’s smartest and most popular students. They begin to act out and spend time at the former high school, now abandoned and said to be haunted. And their numbers grow at an alarming rate.

Is this just a passing fad or are the rumors true? Does Lynnwood really have a teenage cult on their hands?

(REVIEW)

We Came Back by Patrick Lacey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WE CAME BACK is the second novel from Patrick Lacey. After reading his novella, A DEBT TO BE PAID, his collection, SLEEP PARALYSIS, and his debut, DREAM WOODS, I thought I had this guy figured out. I assumed he was gonna slip into a comfortable little spot a lot of horror writers find themselves in and stay there. And he could, but Lacey doesn’t seem to care for complacency. He’s eager, he’s productive, and guess what? He’s pretty damn good. His previous works showed promise. WE CAME BACK delivers on that promise, and I’d be willing to bet that it’s just a hint of things to come.

WE CAME BACK isn’t just a great horror novel, it’s a horror novel with depth. Multiple characters deal with loss throughout, and find themselves figuring out how to move forward. The problem is that, in Lynwood, there may be no future. A past incident at the old Lynwood High School sets into motion the eventual troubles that spring up in town in the present. The Lynwood Vampires, a new and ever-growing clique of honor roll students gone all Marylin Manson, are upsetting expectations and smearing their darkness across this quiet little town. Are they just a pack of good kids going through a rebellious phase, or is there more behind the black outfits and sudden change in moods?

Lacey does a wonderful job drawing these characters–their hurts, their losses, their frustrations, and their faults—on his way to delivering a fantastic piece of horror fiction. The emotional undercurrent is what pulls this dark story along. Lacey crafts and executes some wonderfully frightening scenes throughout and does not disappoint in the blood and carnage department, a playground he’s proved himself as adept at running as a chambered bullet exploding your brains against the wall.

Incorporating pain and heartache with touches of humor, and pound-after-pound of fear and creepiness, Lacey proves that scars are not the exclusive property of weathered vets. Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re not paying attention to Patrick Lacey yet, now is the time, and WE CAME BACK is the book. This author is something special. Introduce yourself to his work now, you won’t regret it.

I give WE CAME BACK 4.5 stars!

View all my reviews

Follow along the tour with these hashtags:
#WeCameBack #monstersandcults #AmericanCancerSociety

**Patrick Lacey will be donating all his proceeds from this book to the American Cancer Society in memory of his dad, who lost his battle with cancer.**

We Came Back, Synopsis

Print Length: 354 pages
Publisher: Sinister Press
Publication Date: April 15, 2017

Patrick Lacey, Biography

Patrick Lacey was born and raised in a haunted house. He spends his nights and weekends writing about things that make the general public uncomfortable. He lives in Massachusetts with his Pomeranian, his mustached cat, and his muse, who is likely trying to kill him. Find him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter (@patlacey), or visit his website.

Praise for Patrick Lacey

“WE CAME BACK is an emotional trip through our darkest fears. One of the best books I’ve read in years.”–Kristopher Rufty, author of SOMETHING VIOLENT, DESOLATION, and JAGGER.

“The man’s imagination is incredible. A must read!!!!” – David Bernstein, author of A Mixed Bag of Blood

“It’s a rare and joyful thing for me to read a book and realize I’m in the hands of an author who can go absolutely anywhere, who works without a formula and without a net. Such is the case with this stellar debut collection.” – Russell Coy, author of The One Who Lies Next to You

“Patrick Lacey’s Dream Woods works a razor’s edge into an after school special.”
– Unnerving Magazine

Purchase Links

Amazon

Also find at other online retailers like B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, etc. Also ask your local indie bookstore to order or ask for your local library to order it!

Want to Feature?

If you’d like to feature Patrick Lacey on your blog or site, or review We Came Back, please give Erin Al-Mehairi, marketing and publicity at Sinister Grin Press, a shout out at hookofabook@hotmail.com.

(REVIEW) BLUE DEMON by David Bernstein

When the meek need defending, they call on Blue Demon, a guardian of bloodshed and retribution. Its loyalty is forever, as long as you remain righteous. For those that oppress the demon’s flock, life grows short. It kills in the most brutal fashion, and maims those it most despises. It has no feelings, only loyalty and devotion for the ones it protects.

Of course, this is all from the Blue Demon television show and Cal Langston, Blue Demon’s biggest fan, knows such things can’t be real, at least not until the people who messed with him start dying in the most horrific of ways.

Frightened and not sure what to believe, he sets out to discover what is truly going on, and if Blue Demon is for real, does he want it watching over him?

First off, look at that freaking cover! Beautiful!

Here’s my review:

Blue Demon by David Bernstein

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderfully entertaining and ruthless novella.

David Bernstein’s BLUE DEMON is about a blue demon action figure that holds the ability to exact revenge upon command. It’s a fun idea that Bernstein runs with and executes like a boss.

The main character here is Cal Langston. He suffers a horrible amount of shitty things in the 100-plus page story. There were multiple times I found myself saying, “Holy fuck, Bernstein!” There’s two scenes in the hospital that got me for different reason. The first shocked me, the second was just a perfectly executed horror scene. Great stuff.

I love how Bernstein’s twisted mind works. He has a vision and follows through fearlessly. I won’t give anything away, but even the most Sherlock of you readers out there are in for some surprises.

The blue demon’s viciousness might seem like a bad thing, but these people have it coming.

I give BLUE DEMON 5 stars!

View all my reviews

Follow along the tour with these hashtags: #BlueDemon #SinisterGrinPress

Biography of David Bernstein

David Bernstein is originally from a small town in Upstate New York called Salisbury Mills. He now resides in NYC and misses being surrounded by chainsaw-wielding maniacs and wild backwoods people that like to eat raw human flesh. He’s grown used to the city, though hiding bodies is much harder there. He is the author of Amongst the Dead, Damaged Souls, The Tree Man, Witch Island, Relic of Death, Apartment 7C and the forthcoming Episodes of Violence. David writes all kinds of horror, from hair-raising ghost stories to gore-filled slashers and apocalyptic tales of terror. He loves hearing from his readers. You can reach him on Facebook, at www.facebook.com/david.bernstein.3. Visit him at his website: davidbernsteinauthor.blogspot.com email dbern77@hotmail.com, or on Twitter at @Bernsteinauthor.

Praise for David Bernstein

“David Bernstein delivers a fast-moving tale of desire and destruction that gives new meaning to the words, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ Relic of Death twists reality and will leave you reflecting on your own personal Achilles heel long after you finished reading…” —Allan Leverone, author of Mr. Midnight

“A fascinating, unpredictable, ever-shifting tale of greed and desperation. Highly recommended!” —Jeff Strand, author of Pressure

“Fast-paced, cinematic, and excellent. Horror fans gather around, it’s time for another chilling tale from David Bernstein.” —Keith Deininger, author of Within and Ghosts of Eden

“A harrowing, brutal thriller, Skinner is Bernstein at his best!” —Peter Giglio, author of Shadowshift

Add to GoodReads

Purchase Link

Amazon

Check out Sinister Grin Press

(Review) WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING by Hunter Shea

They’ve watched over the house for generations…

The move from New York to the decrepit Pennsylvania farmhouse is as bad as West Ridley thought it would be. His father’s crippling vertigo only seems to get worse, and even with his mother working herself to the bone, they’re out of money and options.

Grandpa Abraham is a drunk bastard and the living embodiment of the long neglected farmhouse. He claims the place is haunted. Ghosts roam the hall at night and their muffled cries fill the silence of warm, summer nights.

On the ceiling above West’s bed are the words WE SEE YOU. In a house plagued by death and mysterious visitations, West realizes something beyond the fiction of his favorite horror books has to be faced.

Dark secrets are buried deep, and there are Guardians who want to keep it that way. No matter where they go or what they do, West and his family know one thing… they are always watching.

We Are Always Watching by Hunter Shea

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hunter Shea is one of my current writers that I know will deliver the goods each time out.
WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING (Sinister Grin Press) offers another solid glimpse into an author who is a master of creating characters that are just as fallible as you and I.
Grandpa Abraham is a great, cranky old man. The relationship he builds with his grandson, West, is wonderful to watch (or read) unfold. Their shared scenes throughout most of the book are the heart and soul of this one.

The story is about a family and their home being stalked from the shadows by a someone, or someones, referring to themselves The Guardians. Odd messages are left outside the house, but take a turn for the freakier when the messages appear INSIDE the home. Is it ghosts? Is it neighborhood kids? Is it someone closer than we think?
The ending is action-packed.

Fair warning: There were some slow chapters in here. The story dragged a bit in spots, but nothing that kept me from enjoying the overall story. After finishing the book, there were still “good guys” that I couldn’t pull for, and “bad guys” that didn’t get a fair shake. That could just be me, or maybe Shea wants us to question this, as well.

I think you’ll have fun with this one.

I give WE ARE ALWAYS WATCHING 4 stars!
View all my reviews

We are Always Watching by Hunter Shea
Sinister Grin Press

We Are Always Watching, Synopsis

Print Length: 252 pages
Publisher: Sinister Grin Press
Publication Date: March 1, 2017 Media Kit

Publicist/Marketing: Erin Al-Mehairi
Contact: hookofabook@hotmail.com

Follow along the tour with these hashtags:

#WeAreAlwaysWatching #ISeeYou
#HunterShea #SinisterGrinPress

Hunter Shea, Biography

Hunter Shea is the product of a misspent childhood watching scary movies, reading forbidden books and wishing Bigfoot would walk past his house. He doesn’t just write about the paranormal – he actively seeks out the things that scare the hell out of people and experiences them for himself. Hunter’s novels can even be found on display at the International Cryptozoology Museum. His video podcast, Monster Men, is one of the most watched horror podcasts in the world. He’s a bestselling author of frightful tales such as The Montauk Monster, They Rise, Island of the Forbidden, Tortures of the Damned, The Jersey Devil, and many more, all of them written with the express desire to quicken heartbeats and make spines tingle.

Living with his wonderful family and two cats, he’s happy to be close enough to New York City to gobble down Gray’s Papaya hotdogs when the craving hits.

You can follow Hunter and join his action packed Dark Hunter Newsletter at www.huntershea.com.

Praise for Hunter Shea

“Hunter Shea is a great writer, highly entertaining, and definitely in the upper echelon in the current horror scene. Many other writers mention either loving his work and/or having the man influence their own, and for just cause. His writing suits anyone with a taste for the dark and terrifying!” –Zakk at The Eyes of Madness

“Hunter Shea has his own style. It’s simple, yet well-written, stories that flow with ease. Mr. Shea graciously walks you through the adventure and mystery, all the while, tickling the hairs on the nape of your neck and filling the pit of your guts with lead. It’s this “I’m your friend who just might make you wanna sleep with the lights on” relationship the author builds with us that keeps us comfortable, but not too comfortable, and on our toes throughout his work. I find that an extremely admirable ability.” –Glenn Rolfe, Author of Chasing Ghosts and The Haunted Halls

Purchase

Amazon

Want to Feature?

If you’re a book blogger or media site and would like to feature Hunter Shea or review We Are Always Watching, contact Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, at hookofabook@hotmail.com.

Also, COMING IN APRIL from HUNTER SHEA:

Stay tuned!!!!!

(Review) Splinterlands by John Feffer and Exorcist Falls by Jonathan Janz

I’ve been a bit behind on my reading in the last six weeks or so, but… I did manage to fit in these two fantastic novels. SPLINTERLANDS by John Feffer and EXORCIST FALLS by Jonathan Janz

Up first, we have one of my surprise finds from the library. John Feffer-SPLINTERLANDS

Splinterlands by John Feffer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

“The wolf is at the door. I don’t know why you can’t hear it. But I hear it. And I know how hungry it is.”

Am I glad that I’ve started using the library? Heck yes. Browsing the “New Arrivals” shelf introduces me to works I might otherwise never come across. Such as John Feffers’ SPLINTERLANDS.
Is it horror? Not genre-wise, but it is scary as Hell.

“Water boils fiercely just before it disappears. And so it is, evidently with human affairs.”

Its a short dystopian novel that is eerily tied in with far too many things actually happening right before our eyes in 2017. Hurricane Donald (very apropos), the result of our ignoring climate-change, wipes out Washington DC. The world is in flux under the ever-growing number of countries splintering into separate, self-governed states (see Brexit, or the increasingly popular idea of Cal-Exit), geo-paleontologist and author of “Splinterlands”, Dr. West, sets out to write his follow-up report, and also, to reconnect with his splintered family.
The journey is fantastic. I couldn’t put the book down.

This short novel is freaky with how close we are to following in its “fictitious” future’s footsteps.
I won’t give away any spoilers, but I would suggest anyone out there who loves good fiction, horror or otherwise, to track SPLINTERLANDS down. Hell, I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing this book become “mandatory reading” for high school kids and adults alike.

“Empires, like children, think they’ll live forever.”

I fear the future, especially these past few months of “Hurricane” Donald Drumpf with a too-large number of our country’s citizens eyeing immigrants as enemies. SPLINTERLANDS is scary, and it should be. Anything with an honest message of what-could-be, should be taken seriously and carefully considered. We the people should take a lot more things in our country seriously before they land us in this future.

“I don’t doubt that we still have convictions. We just don’t seem to have the requisite courage to follow them.”

I give SPLINTERLANDS 5 stars!

View all my reviews

And I got the chance to read one of my most-anticipated releases for 2017, Jonathan Janz- EXORCIST FALLS

Exorcist Falls by Jonathan Janz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was my most anticipated release of 2017, so my expectations were extremely high. EXORCIST FALLS did not fail to entertain.

This book starts with the original novella, EXORCIST ROAD, one of my favorite pieces by Janz. It was great to re-read it here and love it just as much.

That brings us to the follow-up, the short novel, EXORCIST FALLS.
This story was pretty great, overall.
I loved not knowing what was going to happen. Every time I thought (or hoped) I knew where Janz was going, he took my someplace else. He really did an amazing job of keeping you off guard throughout.

Father Crowder is definitely the star of the show, and you’ll be praying for Danny Hartman to get his. There’s a lot of great gore and wildly imaginative action going on that is also well balanced with the internal struggle between Crowder and his curse. Janz’s writing is on point.

There were a few characters that fell flat (Liz) or seemed to be a little inconsistent from start to finish (Father Patterson, for instance). That said, neither character ruined the experience for me.

The ending….I won’t give it away, but it was both REALLY awesome and somewhat disappointing. Sound confusing? Yeah, it’s a frustrating thing. I LOVE where Janz goes here, but I think he should have written about three more chapters and brought the story to an even more amazing conclusion. Oh well. Not everything works the way we, the reader, want it to.

I still give EXORCIST FALLS 4 stars! Entertaining as hell.
I look forward to seeing it on many, many year end lists.

View all my reviews

I should have some new reviews for Hunter Shea, Patrick Lacey, William Meikle, and Jason Arnopp coming up…..

STAY TUNED!