Horror – A Well Read Woman Blog 📖

Undercover, Into Shadow 5, by Tamsyn Muir: A Well Read Woman Blog Book Review 💄😘 🧟‍♀️

April 19, 2024April 19, 2024 April the Word WitchLeave a comment

Everything smelled like cigarettes, raspberry liquor, and old blood.”

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Synopsis:

When a stranger comes to town, secrets are sure to come out. New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir spins a twisty—and twisted—short story of revenge and survival.

A fresh-faced newcomer arrives in an isolated, gang-run town and soon finds herself taking a job nobody else wants: bodyguard to a ghoul. Not just your average mindless, half-rotted shuffler, though. Lucille is a dancer who can still put on her own lipstick and whose shows are half burlesque, half gladiator match. But the stranger is no stranger to this particular ghoul. Both women are undercover in their own way. And both have something to lose if their connection comes to light.

Add to your Goodreads TBR

Genre:

- Horror

- Dark Fantasy> Dark Romance (sub-plot)

Tropes & Themes:

- “Attractive Zombie”

- Dystopian

- LGBTQ Rep > FF > Toxic Relationship > Imbalanced Power Dynamic

- Organized Crime > Gangsters

- “The Reveal”

TW: Blood, Gore, Guns, Violence

There were moth- eaten holes in the abdomen and the neck, and one knee and one hip were fully defleshed. The raspberry lips parted to reveal the dancer’s teeth.”

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

In a dystopian society where ghouls, gangsters, and people live among one another, a woman with a secret accepts the position of bodyguard to a ghoul, employed by a hardened and cruel woman known as The Widower.

“You want me to— keep her alive . . . ?” Her voice died away at the Widower’s expression. The eyes were perfectly gray and perfectly empty.

“You’re to look after her and to be answerable for her,” said the Widower. “She needs to be entertained— don’t gape at me, girl, she gets bored— she needs to be fed and watered, and most of all she needs someone to keep her handled. She’s put down five handlers already… If you do good by her, I’ll make sure you retire wealthier than any woman in your line of business has ever retired. By God, you’ll be rich.”

Lucille — the undead ghoul who Starr is tasked with guarding, entertaining, feeding, and yes, watering — isn’t your ordinary zombie. She wears red lipstick, is brunette, and still retains some of the beauty she had when she was still alive. She’s also a burlesque dancer / cage-fighter, forced to dance before gangsters by Starr’s boss, The Widower.

“Once upon a time the dancer had been a good- looking brunette— before early decomp and the rigors of undeath had hit. Now she was only parts of a good- looking brunette. The face that peered at her through the mesh was a wild- eyed, idiot, predator’s face. There was something uncomfortably baby doll about it. Heart shaped. The big dull eyes bluish and glassy without much difference between pupil and white. Like you could pop them out and put new ones back in. Right now the mouth was a pursed little parody of a dolly mouth. Some sick individual had painted it raspberry red with a child’s hand, leaving waxy streaks right up to each nostril.”

This dark fantasy with an even darker FF romantic subplot is so twisty! There are several *big reveals* that had my jaw dropping, especially the backstory of Lucille the ghoul, who was not only a dancer, but also a wife. There is an extremely toxic romantic relationship with an imbalanced power dynamic, but to discuss it would give away too much of the storyline, ruining one of the surprises. But if you like darkly romantic horror shorts set in a dystopian world of gangsters and ghouls, I’d recommend giving this horror-short a try!

About the Author:

TAMSYN MUIR is the bestselling author of the Locked Tomb Trilogy, which begins with Gideon the Ninth, continues with Harrow the Ninth, and concludes with Alecto the Ninth. Her short fiction has been nominated for the Nebula Award, the Shirley Jackson Award, the World Fantasy Award and the Eugie Foster Memorial Award. A Kiwi, she has spent most of her life in Howick, New Zealand, with time living in Waiuku and central Wellington. She currently lives and works in Oxford, in the United Kingdom.

What the Dead Know, by Nghi Vo: A Well Read Woman Blog Book Review

March 30, 2024 April the Word WitchLeave a comment

She could hear Fogg River’s dead now, whispering under the crash of the water on the struts and the stones.”
What the Dead Know

Book: What the Dead Know
Author: Nghi Vo
Series: Into Shadow Collection, 4

As she looked down into the water, Maryse saw an arm flung up from the waves, the curve of a round dark shoulder and the flash of a pink palm rising from the froth before sinking away from sight. “Water women,” Vasyl said. “They have them here too.”

“They have them everywhere,” Maryse said absently, looking for others. “There’s never a shortage of unlucky girls who end up in the water.”

Synopsis:

A woman posing as a medium who can channel the spirit world comes face to face with the truth in this short historical fantasy by Hugo Award–winning author Nghi Vo.

The Fogg River Seminary, a girls’ school in a small Illinois town, is supposed to be just another stop on Maryse and Vasyl’s endless travels. They’ve made lucrative use of Maryse’s “foreign” looks in their melodramatic séance act—and an act is all it is. Then, during their performance, a blizzard sweeps in and cuts them off from town completely. In the freezing halls, there’s a voice speaking the secrets of the dead, and Maryse has no choice but to listen…because this time, the voice is real.

“She is far away, so deeply in the trance of her ancestors that she will not be wakened by conventional means.”

Genre:

Historical Fic
Fantasy > Paranormal
Horror
Short Stories > Collection

Tropes & Themes:

“I see dead people”
Forced Proximity > Blizzard > Seminary School for Girls
The Con > Scams and Money Making Schemes > Silver Tongue
Paranormal > Seance Performance
Ghost Story
Time Period: 1899
Multicultural

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

“How lucky we are, then, to know what the dead say.” They didn’t, of course they didn’t, but it was a living, and thus better than a dying…”
What the Dead Know

Maryse and Vasyl are travellers, onto their next town to perform their morbid yet fascinating seance act, and quite the performance it is:

“Silence!” Vasyl boomed, and they quieted like startled children, taking in the view in front of them: Vasyl in unrelieved black with his pale hair glowing like a halo in the dimmed electric lights, Maryse on the table doing her best impression of a corpse.”
What the Dead Know

After five years of claiming to be a Medium and Spiritualist, Maryse has never even once actually heard the dead speak. However, after a performance with a little extra ✨ razzle dazzle✨ Maryse’s ears are wide open to spiritual communication — much to her absolute horror.

When a snow blizzard hits and she and Vasyl, (and attending guests), are forced to stay overnight at the Fogg River Seminary School for Girls, Maryse gets an earful of what the dead have to say. Knowledge she wished had stayed hidden in the shadows of her brain, now that she has no choice but to listen.

What The Dead Know, oh how I love thee!

This ghostly, historical fantasy surprised me in the best way possible. I absolutely loved Author Nghi Vo’s lyrical and poetic writing style. Spooky and atmospheric, Vo crafted a unique and magical story about a pair of travelers who swindle and con their way across America, and despite this, they are extremely likeable.

I only wish this read wasn’t so short because there were a lot of themes in this horror-short that I would have loved to see explored further, especially that absolutely intense, read-it-again-and-again-AND-again, Kindle-highlight of an ending.

Great story. I would recommend it to fans of paranormal horror, set in a historical setting.

About the Author:

Nghi Vo is an American author of short stories, novellas, and novels. Vo’s fantasy novella The Empress of Salt and Fortune has received acclaim and won the Hugo Award for Best Novella and the IAFA Crawford Award.

Best of Luck 🍀💀Creature Feature Collection, by Author Jason Mott: Book Review ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

March 21, 2024 April the Word WitchLeave a comment

… it’s about time to put a stop to all of this. It’s about time that I got my luck back. And if I can’t get mine back, I’m not gonna let you just walk off with it.”

Did you ever hear the one about the man with a string of bad luck? The worst is still to come in a chilling short story of an insatiable friendship by the New York Times bestselling author of Hell of a Book.

🍀 💀 🍀 💀
Best of Luck

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Book Review by April the Word Witch 💭

Title: Best of Luck
Anthology: Creature Feature Collection
Author: Jason Mott
Published: 2023, Amazon Original Stories

Genre:

Horror-short
Thriller-short
Horror Anthology > Monster

Tropes & Themes:

Monsters
Wheel of Fortune > probability trope
Doom Magnet
Karma
Body Horror
“The Dreaded” > opponent

Blurb:

For best friends with vastly different fortunes, what’s left to hash out other than a forced confession at gunpoint? All that the destitute, sickly, and grieving Will demands is that monstrously successful Barry admit to draining all the luck right out of him. Like blood. As the standoff escalates, the truth is not the only thing ready to come out.

Jason Mott’s ‘Best of Luck’ is part of Creature Feature, a collection of devilishly creepy stories that tingle the spine and twist the mind. They can be read or listened to in one petrifying sitting.

Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

And for the first time since Barry woke up and found his best friend holding a shotgun on him, for the first time since his best friend told him he had come to kill him, Barry Whitmore laughed. He and Will both did.”
Best of Luck

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Jason Mott’s Best of Luck is a gruesomely awesome horror-short installment of the Creature Feature Collection by Amazon Original Stories. This read originally caught my eye because of the striking cover of clovers, skulls, and that hot pink lettering! Be still my heart! 💕🍀💀

Fortunately 🍀 this read is more than just a good looking cover. Best of Luck is a suspenseful tale about two best friends and the monstrously different paths their lives have taken Barry has lived a fortunate life; blessed with a great job, wife, kids, and health. And Will, a seemingly-paranoid and very ill man, who has lost it all.

… finally able to breathe a little now that he wasn’t looking into the hollow eyes of the double- barrel. He rubbed the tension from his brow and cleared his throat, but the gun, and the fear that came with it, didn’t go away.”
Best of Luck

Unfortunately 🍀 for Barry, his best friend Will, has barged into his house – the same home where his wife and children are sleeping upstairs. Barry has been there to support Will through it all — when his child died he held his friend while he wept and when his wife left him, again he was there to support his long-time best friend– so why was Will pointing a deadly weapon at him?

This is just nature at work.”
Best of Luck

This confusion is felt equally between the reader and MMC. The suspense is palpable, making this a (Kindle) page turner, or flipper – whichever. The ending and big reveal wasn’t one I saw coming nor expected, and I just have so many questions, (without revealing spoilers), about the motivation of one of the character’s.

But even before the sight of it, there was the smell. Earthy and hideous. Venom and rot. The stench had seeped into Will’s skin and hair, perhaps even his soul. It knocked Barry on his heels.”
Best of Luck

This would have been a five star read for me if a deeper, thoughtful delving into the motivation of one of the character’s, as mentioned above, had taken place, and certain things like:

💭 How is it that a madman in your living room hootin’ and hollering isn’t waking up your wife and kids? Or was that just yet another example of Barry’s fortuitous life? I was expecting one of the kids to come down or at least get nosy and crouch in the shadows on a dark staircase, or something. And I know it’s a big house but it isn’t exactly the uncharted acres of Forest Park. Someone would have heard something and could have called emergency services.

💭 Someone does eventually come downstairs and I didn’t understand why she wasn’t shielded or protected. Was she next? I couldn’t help but wonder, especially when everything I thought I knew turned completely upside-down!

Overall, a gruesome — in the best way possible — horror-short by Author Jason Mott, I enjoyed reading over the weekend and would recommend to other fans of atmospheric horror. I look forward to checking out other works by this author after this introduction to Mott’s writing style. I love reading novellas and short stories / anthologies because they help me discover new-to-me authors!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195945937-best-of-luck

AWRW Book Blog Presents 31 Days of Halloween Reads Featuring Advice for Aspiring Authors, a Guest post by #Horror and #SFF @PBFiction Author Pete Barber! #eNovAaW #ASMSG #WriteTip

October 22, 2017October 22, 2017 April the Word Witch2 Comments

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween Reads, where A Well Read Woman Blog will be presenting horror and dark fiction novels, book reviews, interviews, guest posts, and more with dark fiction and horror authors, daily!

I shined the spooktacular spotlight on Author Pete Barber earlier this month, when I featured his novel Maya: Symbiogenesis Book One. Today I’m featuring a guest post he wrote for A Well Read Woman Blog, back in November of 2014 as part of his Love Poison Book Tour, offering writing tips for aspiring authors!

“I was born into a blue-collar family in Liverpool, England–missed The Beatles but did go to The Cavern a few times. After immigrating to the US in the early 90s, I became a citizen. Burned out from twenty years in the corporate madhouse, I escaped to Lake Lure, North Carolina where I live with a couple llamas, two spoiled dogs, a brace of cookie-eating goats, numerous chickens, one ferocious cat, and a wonderful wife who thankfully understands my obsessive need to write fiction.”–Goodreads Author Bio

Advice for Aspiring Authors

Seven years ago, my life circumstances finally allowed me the luxury of choosing what I wanted to do with most of my time. I chose to write. Or more precisely, I chose to learn how to write. If you want to judge whether the time was well spent, my newly released novel–Love Poison is only a click away :).

“Love is a dangerous drug.”

Lab assistant and avid climber Amber Wilson is no stranger to risk. But she feels invisible around her handsome boss, Mark, until she accidentally doses him with an irresistible aphrodisiac that leaves him with a suicidal hangover. Abruptly fired, Amber and Mark partner up to research the source of the drug—a rare New Zealand mushroom—in hopes of refining it for safe use.

On their way to New Zealand to collect fungi samples, Amber is blindsided by a deep and intense romantic connection with Mark. Their new business plan is endangered by ruthless Maori mobsters who control a mushroom scheme they’re killing to protect. As the body count rises, Amber struggles to salvage her and Mark’s dreams, but when she risks her heart and acts alone, both of them could end up paying the ultimate price.

Here are six things every aspiring author needs to know:

Learn to explain things as a list because people pay more attention to lists :).
Write a lot of words. Most of the words I wrote in the first three or four years weren’t very compelling. But I’m still using many of those ideas, just expressing them better. No word is ever wasted—if a sentence stinks, don’t do it again. If it’s good, it’s yours to keep for the right moment like an unspent bullet.
Read. I read far more now than I ever did before I started writing—forty or more books a year. I watch a lot less TV, too. I don’t think that’s worth its own place in the list because it’s just a consequence of not having the time. I still watch Modern Family and Big Bang Theory, though. A writing obsession is okay, but you have to keep it real, dude!
Character development. Maybe it’s just me, but I never really understood what that meant when it was a topic heading in a “how to write” book. Here’s how I roll: characters grow on the page just like babies grow into cute kids, awkward (possibly obnoxious) teenagers, and then adults—well-adjusted or not. Their arc isn’t something mysterious, it’s just what happens to them as they get exposed to the challenges they are confronted with in the story. As each of my characters jumps onto the screen, I make a note in a separate document file—name, physical attributes etc. Then as the character grows and fleshes out, I add to their notes. That way I don’t get confused.
Plot. I spent a lot of time knocking my head against hard objects trying to understand Donald Maass, and Swain, and many other writing experts when they insisted that I make it harder for my characters. I did make it tough. Yes, I did, but as I was throwing wrenches at the poor people populating my tale, concurrently, I was working out how they’d overcome the obstacles. Well, I finally figured out that’s not the point those writing sages were making. Frankly, you don’t have to worry about a plot being compelling if you write your characters into a cul-de-sac with eighty-foot walls, set in a valley, and then fracture the water main at the top of the hill during a freak power outage. You’ll need a hell of a compelling plot to get them outta there. So, I try not to worry about my peeps. I just follow them into the latrine and let the latch jam. Once they’re stuck, then I lose sleep working out how to extricate them out without too much soggy Charmin hanging off the heel of their boot.
Compelling story-lines mean a lot, but without good mechanics, they won’t hold a reader’s attention. I learned some stuff about writing mechanics from books, but mostly from the online critique group I belonged to. I joined Scribophile, there are plenty of others, but here’s the thing–it forced me to put my work in the public domain. Even though I was scared to death at first. Heck it is really scary. Especially when you see other work posted by people who can really write, and your only constructive comment is, “Wow! This was great, why aren’t you published?” Of course, you know they’re going to one look at your piece of amateur yuck, and barf, or laugh until their sides split. But the comments I received taught me a lot. Those great writers gave me pointers and shared links to places where I could learn. Not everyone was nice, and the criticism, most valid, some not, hardened me to accept those cutting comments that will continue to go with the territory, because we can’t please everyone.

If you’re an aspiring writer, click over to Scribophile. Take a look at the work and also at the critiques—what have you got to lose?

Thanks, Pete for your helpful advice!

Tomorrow USA TODAY Best Selling Author Carissa Ann Lynch returns for a character interview of Wendy Wise, from Have You Seen This Girl?! See you back then for Day 23 of 31 Days of Halloween Reads!

AWRW Book Blog Presents 31 Days of Halloween Reads Featuring @crazylikeme2015 Author Erin Lee! #31DaysofHalloweenReads #AWellReadWomanBlog #Horror #ReleaseBlitz #TheRanch

October 16, 2017 April the Word Witch2 Comments

Today’s Featured Author is the multi-genre writing MULTI-TALENT, international bestselling Author ERIN LEE!

Erin Lee is a freelance writer and therapist living with her family in southern New Hampshire. She is the author of Crazy Like Me, a novel published in 2015 by Savant Books and Publications, LLC, Wave to Papa, 2015, by Limitless Publishing and Nine Lives, 2016 and When I’m Dead, 2016. She’s also author of Limitless’ Alters, the first book in the “Lola, Party of Eight Series,” Host, and Merge, the final books in the series.

Lee holds a master’s degree in psychology and works with at-risk families as a home based therapist and court appointed special children’s advocate. As a therapist, Lee is passionate about mental wellness and helping people who have experienced trauma. She recently contributed to the Semi Colon Project Anonymous anthology, with a revised excerpt of When I’m Dead—“One Good Reason”—in hopes of raising money toward suicide prevention and awareness. Her short story, “Rest in Peace?” will be featured in Limitless’ Thirteen anthology, to be released in October, 2016, and also aimed at raising money toward mental wellness. — Amazon Author Bio

“Penning Cold Realities
One Crazy Story at a Time”

Erin Lee’s latest release is THE RANCH, a horror novel co-authored by Erin Lee and Chelsi Davis! This one looks downright SCARY! Just check out the teasers!

JUST RELEASED!

The Ranch

“Moving on is painful.”

by Authors Erin Lee and Chelsi Davis

Every business starts with a market and a need.
It was obvious when Heather got out of a quick stint in county lock-up that there was a need for someone to give karma a little shove in the right direction.
We’ve all been there. We know the pain of moving on. But what if, Heather and Suzie wondered, moving on could be pain—guaranteed—for the ones who’d hurt them?
Welcome to The Ranch:
A place where clients are encouraged to order justice ala carte. Torture by the stripping of fingernails? That will cost you $100 a nail. Maybe, if you’re a repeat customer, set on a two-for-one, we’ll give you a deal. It will be worth it. We promise. Because moving on? Well that’s painful…

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Suspense

Page Length: 169 Pages

Published by Crazy Ink (October 13, 2017)

Available for FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Available on Amazon Kindle for only 99 Pennies! (At time of posting) (USA LINK)

Paperback

Coming Soon from ERIN LEE!

The Haunt – TBA – (Crazy Ink)
Momma: Prequel to DIARY OF A SERIAL KILLER SERIES – 11.2.17 – (Crazy Ink)
Moving On – TBA – (Crazy Ink)
Spoiled – 10.25.17
Twice Upon a Reality – TBA (Crazy Ink)
Third Time Charm – TBA (Crazy Ink)
Vegan – TBA (Crazy Ink)
Wendigo – TBA
Circus Freak – 12.15.17 – (Crazy Ink)
Daddy’s Girl – 11.21.17 – (Crazy Ink)
White Antelope – a novella – TBA – (Crazy Ink)
Apryl’s Fools and Soul Less: Escape from Reality Series novellas – TBA – (Crazy Ink)
The Curiosities of Sea Foam – an ERIN LEE short (Crazy Ink) – November 2017

Anthologies

Fractured Fairy Tales, Craving: Secrets – Little Blue Lies – 8.22.17, Twist Me – Acquiring August – 8.15.17, War Cry – An Ordinary Tuesday – summer 2017, Sweet Insanity – TBA, Desperate Measures box set, Wicked Fools box set, Limitless Publishing’s Craving Security, Craving Country, Craving Christmas, 13 Resurrection, Zombie Cupcake’s Madame Scarlet’s Carnival. A Deadly World Anthology – After Paris Crumbled – TBA

As before mentioned, Author Erin Lee is a MULTI TALENT and a literary force to be reckoned with! She has penned MANY dark fiction and horror stories, perfect for this time of year. On top of her being one of my favorite Horror writers, she’s also just a great all-around person, who has unlimited drive, passion and potential. I’m proud to call her my friend and role model.

To sign up for her newsletter, order signed paperbacks, and/or discover all of her work please visit her website, here!

Thanks for stopping by for Day 16 of 31 Days of Halloween Reads! Tomorrow A Well Read Woman Blog is shining the Spooktacular Spotlight on Dark Fiction Author Christa Wojciechowski!

AWRW Book Blog Presents 31 Days of #Halloween Reads: Featuring #Horror Author @JenniferMcMahon! @DoubledayPub @PenguinRandom

October 12, 2017October 11, 2017 April the Word Witch2 Comments

Today’s featured Author is the legendary Horror Writer, Jennifer McMahon!

I was born in 1968 and grew up in my grandmother’s house in suburban Connecticut, where I was convinced a ghost named Virgil lived in the attic. I wrote my first short story in third grade. I graduated with a BA from Goddard College in 1991 and then studied poetry for a year in the MFA in Writing Program at Vermont College. A poem turned into a story, which turned into a novel, and I decided to take some time to think about whether I wanted to write poetry or fiction. After bouncing around the country, I wound up back in Vermont, living in a cabin with no electricity, running water, or phone with my partner, Drea, while we built our own house. Over the years, I have been a house painter, farm worker, paste-up artist, Easter Bunny, pizza delivery person, homeless shelter staff member, and counselor for adults and kids with mental illness — I quit my last real job in 2000 to work on writing full time. In 2004, I gave birth to our daughter, Zella. These days, we’re living in an old Victorian in Montpelier, Vermont. Some neighbors think it looks like the Addams family house, which brings me immense pleasure.

—Amazon Author Bio

Website

Twitter

Facebook

“The latest novel from New York Times best-selling author Jennifer McMahon is an atmospheric, gripping, and suspenseful tale that probes the bond between sisters and the peril of keeping secrets.”

Once the thriving attraction of rural Vermont, the Tower Motel now stands in disrepair, alive only in the memories of Amy, Piper, and Piper’s kid sister, Margot. The three played there as girls until the day that their games uncovered something dark and twisted in the motel’s past, something that ruined their friendship forever.

Now adult, Piper and Margot have tried to forget what they found that fateful summer, but their lives are upended when Piper receives a panicked midnight call from Margot, with news of a horrific crime for which Amy stands accused. Suddenly, Margot and Piper are forced to relive the time that they found the suitcase that once belonged to Silvie Slater, the aunt that Amy claimed had run away to Hollywood to live out her dream of becoming Hitchcock’s next blonde bombshell leading lady. As Margot and Piper investigate, a cleverly woven plot unfolds—revealing the story of Sylvie and Rose, two other sisters who lived at the motel during its 1950s heyday. Each believed the other to be something truly monstrous, but only one carries the secret that would haunt the generations to come.

Hardcover, 322 pages

Published August 4th 2015 by Doubleday

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Thriller, Suspense, Supernatural

AWRW 5 Star Book Review

Synopsis

“Do you believe in monsters?”

When Amy was 12, her and her friend Piper, and Piper’s younger sister Margot, found a suitcase. After that, nothing was ever the same.

“Don’t think about the thing in the tower.”

Years later, Amy’s entire family, except her young daughter Lou, are butchered… Piper and Margot cannot believe that their childhood best friend could be capable of killing her family, as the media is reporting. The deaths bring back that fateful day when the girls found the suitcase.

The motel’s secrets resurface… Piper and Margot are determined to discover the truth behind the strange disappearances over the years, and the murders that seem to be connected to the old Tower Motel.

“When death comes knocking on your door, you’ll think you’ve seen his face before. When he comes creeping up your stairs, you’ll know him from your dark nightmares. If you hold up a mirror, you shall see that he is you and you are he.”

My Thoughts

The Night Sister is a chilling tale about family curses and secrets, that leads to a major discovery that even the most astute mystery detective will not see coming.

Wow, what a read!

I absolutely loved Rose and Sylvie, and then later Amy, Piper, Margot, and Jason! Each character was well developed with unique backstories that I was eager to learn more about. The author featured multiple povs from the characters, which I enjoyed. The characters felt like real living people to me!

My favorite character was Piper. She was my favorite character because I admired her determination and bravado. She stopped at nothing to find out what really happened that tragic night when Amy, her husband, and son were murdered.

The story jumps around to different time periods, but in an organized fashion, allowing the reader small clues to the mystery. As the story progressed, the mystery unraveled, but the Author never gave away all her secrets till the very end. The suspense had my heart up in my throat! I was constantly guessing as to what the girls would discover next, and what it meant!

The Author certainly has a talent for crafting a fictional universe around her characters. The world building was phenomenal. I loved the description of Sylvie running down the gravel road, her blue nightgown billowing at her feet as she ran, (the book cover bears this image). It was like watching the book cover come to life in my brain! The descriptions of the dank, musty motel tower were my favorite. I felt like I could smell the molding leaves and clouds of dust! My imagination soared with the help of the author’s vivid, descriptive storytelling.

The plot stands out the most to me because truly, it wasn’t what I expected when I began to read this novel. I had no idea it was going to play out the way it did, despite taking careful notes and studying every word, cover to cover! I would highly recommend this book to fans of thrilling mysteries with suspense!

Thank you Penguin Doubleday Books Random House Publishing for sending me a hardcover copy of The Night Sister! It’s a favorite of mine!

The Night Sister: A Novel by [McMahon, Jennifer] — New Cover Design!

Purchase your copy, here!

Original book review posted 10/16/2015 on my former AWRW Blog website.

Please join us tomorrow for Day 13 (FRIDAY THE 13TH!) of 31 Days of Halloween Reads, featuring Author Carissa Ann Lynch! I’m excited!

AWRW Book Blog Presents: 31 Days of #Halloween Reads Featuring Author @IslaMorley Isla Morley #31DaysofHalloweenReads #AWellReadWomanBlog

October 7, 2017 April the Word Witch2 Comments

Today’s featured Author is the award winning, critically acclaimed Author of Come Sunday, Isla Morley!

Isla Morley grew up in South Africa during apartheid, the child of a British father and fourth-generation South African mother. During the country’s State of Emergency, she graduated from Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth with a degree in English Literature. By 1994 she was one of the youngest magazine editors in South Africa, but left career, country and kin when she married an American and moved to California. For more than a decade she pursued a career in non-profit work, focusing on the needs of women and children.
She has lived in some of the most culturally diverse places of the world, including Johannesburg, London and Honolulu. Now in the Los Angeles area, she shares a home with her husband, daughter, a cat, two dogs and four tortoises.
“Come Sunday,” her debut novel, was awarded the Janet Heidinger Prize for Fiction in 2009, was a finalist for the Commonwealth Prize, as well as the AudieBook Award. It was longlisted for The Sunday Times award. Her latest novel, “Above,” published in 2014, has been selected as an IndieNext pick, a Best Buzz Book, and Publishers Weekly Best New Book.

“Reeled out with the chilling calmness of a Hitchcock film, Above haunts as it illuminates. Deftly told, this tale of human resilience in the face of madness is a horror classic for our times” ~Lynn Cullen, bestselling author of Mrs. Poe

Blythe Hallowell is sixteen when she is abducted by a survivalist and locked away in an abandoned missile silo in Eudora, Kansas. At first, she focuses frantically on finding a way out, until the harrowing truth of her new existence settles in—the crushing loneliness, the terrifying madness of a captor who believes he is saving her from the end of the world, and the persistent temptation to give up. But nothing prepares Blythe for the burden of raising a child in confinement.

Determined to give the boy everything she has lost, she pushes aside the truth about a world he may never see for a myth that just might give meaning to their lives below ground. Years later, their lives are ambushed by an event at once promising and devastating. As Blythe’s dream of going home hangs in the balance, she faces the ultimate choice—between survival and freedom.

Genre: Dark Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Psychological Thriller

Page Count: 384

Simon and Schuster, March 2014

Goodreads

“Morley scores with an audacious page-turner. In a series of gripping twists, Morley elevates the complexities of Blythe and Adam’s situation, deepening the themes of survival and dependence… a stellar and surprising ride.” ~Publishers Weekly

AWRW 5 STAR BOOK REVIEW

Synopsis

“We are the Remnant, Blythe. After the end, you and I will rise up together. You and me -we will one day seed the new world.”

Blythe is 16 yrs old when a trusted adult who worked at her high school’s library delivers her some distressing news. Told that her brother was in a car accident, she jumps into his car, believing he (Dobbs) will be whisking her away to the local hospital. Unfortunately, Blythe was tricked, and she soon finds herself underground in complete darkness, where she will spend the next 17 years with her deranged conspiracy theorist captor.

“Sometimes, I think putting up with Dobbs and playing by his rules is being strong, but sometimes, like now, I wonder if I didn’t misplace my backbone somewhere.”

Book Review

I really enjoyed Above, by Isla Morley and was happy to participate in the book tour back in 2014 to promote it. It’s dark, suspenseful, and written in a way that you can feel Blythe’s pain, her claustrophobia, and her anguish. This book still creeps me out – but in a good way! If you like books written in a similar style to The Lovely Bones, you will enjoy this story!

Part II of Above really surprised me. I didn’t at all see the second half of the story coming. I assumed that when circumstances changed for Blythe, the story would end — but that’s where it began!

I am giving Above, by Isla Morley 5 very well deserved stars! Please check this book out! You will be glad you did!

Grab your Kindle Copy!

Please join us tomorrow for Day 8 of 31 Days of Halloween Reads, where I will be featuring Author H. Anne Henry!

AWRW Blog Presents 31 Days of #Halloween Reads Featuring Author Rasheedah Prioleau @PrioleauRa #31DaysofHalloweenReads #IARTG #AWellReadWomanBlog

October 4, 2017October 3, 2017 April the Word Witch1 Comment

Today’s featured Author is Rasheedah Prioleau, a southern African American writer with an eclectic range of writing and ghostwriting credits.

After a few years in the corporate world she started over from the bottom as an unpaid intern for a literary manager and never looked back. “I love to write because there are no limits. All it takes is a finite space of time and I can create a story from infinite possibilities.” Writers who have influenced her include: Judy Bloom, Jude Deveraux, V.C. Andrews, Octavia Butler, Stephanie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, Joss Whedon, William Nicholson, Shonda Rhimes, Quentin Tarantino, Tyler Perry, Mike Kelley, and J.J. Abrams… just to name a few.

Website

After another incident of sleepwalking, Aiyana Gamelle wakes up lying under the stars on the Beach of Sa’Fyre Island, an island off the coast of South Carolina with a rich Gullah and Native American history.

Knowing these incidents of sleepwalking have something to do with her long awaited transition into queen of the island, Aiyana shrugs them off as little more than a nuisance to be expected since her lineage leads to a mysterious African goddess.

Aiyana moves forward with plans to host a week long festival that will end with her succession to the island throne, but the murder of an important guest and the passing of her grandmother bring the festivities to a screeching halt and Aiyana learns that the transition involves an unwanted possession and the revelation of a dark family curse.

Series: Sa’Fyre Island Book 1

Genre: Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Speculative Fiction

Theme: A Gullah Horror Story

Published October 31, 2014

216 Pages

Goodreads

AWRW 5 STAR BOOK REVIEW

“What it must be like to be young an free on the island, unburdened by the worry and responsibilities Aiyana juggled on a daily basis.”

Aiyana and her four siblings run a large scenic vacation resort, and are planning a five day music festival for their guests. As their visitors arrive via ferry, Aiyana is surprised to see her old love interest, Caleb, on the island.

Initially, Aiyana isn’t interested in rekindling their relationship. She doesn’t want to see history repeat itself, and more importantly, Aiyana is encumbered with bigger problems.

Aiyana has been sleepwalking and waking up in dangerous places, which she attributes to her “transition” into becoming Queen. Aiyana isn’t prepared to lead the island, and fears she may be responsible for the deaths at her resort.

Aiyana goes outside her family to learn the truth behind the strange occurrences and whirlwind of murders. What she learns makes her wish she was dead…

I loved Author Rasheedah Prioleau’s fresh perspective on her island horror story. So many authors would choose an island resort as the setting of a romance, but not Rasheedah! She crafted an urban fantasy on Gullah territory, with Gullah characters who speak the Gullah language of sea island creole, giving this novel a breath of fresh air. Everlasting Da Eb’Bulastin is unlike any other novel I have ever read set on an island.

The novel is told in third person perspective, and focuses on the main character, Aiyana. There is a sub-plot of romance between her and Caleb, but the main focus of this book is on Aiyana who is unexpectedly drawn into an otherworldly struggle.

My favorite scene was when Aiyana woke up by the ledge, naked, and tourists snap pictures of her with their camera phones. Her response, “Oh, God,” felt real to me in a way that is hard to explain. Something about the actions of the tourists coupled with her reaction grounded this book for me. It was the blending of supernatural fiction with mundane reality that made this dark fantasy feel real.

I also take away from this novel a bit of knowledge about Gullah culture. After reading, I looked it up on the internet because I wanted to learn more. I love to learn about other cultures, and it was fun to do so, even if in a fictionalized setting.

Overall, I would recommend this novel to people who enjoy tales of horror, set in exotic settings!

FREE on Kindle Unlimited and only 99 Pennies at time of posting!

Hope to see you tomorrow for day 5 of 31 Days of Halloween Reads, featuring Author K.P. Ambroziak!

AWRW Book Blog Presents: 31 Days of #Halloween Reads Featuring @JackieSmith114 Author Jacqueline E Smith #IARTG #31DaysOfHalloweenReads #AWellReadWomanBlog #BookPromo

October 3, 2017October 3, 2017 April the Word Witch2 Comments

Today’s featured Author is Jacqueline E Smith, from Dallas, Texas. She attended the University of Texas at Dallas, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Performance in 2010. Two years later, she earned her Master’s Degree in Humanities. Along with writing and publishing, Jacqueline loves photography, traveling, and nature.

Website

Today I’m featuring one of my faves: The Cemetery Tours Book Series!

A Kindle Box Set containing the first three novels in the CEMETERY TOURS series by Jacqueline E. Smith.

CEMETERY TOURS

Some secrets are best kept laid to rest.

At least, that’s as far as Michael Sinclair is concerned. At twenty-seven, he has spent his entire life pretending that the ghosts he encounters on a daily basis do not exist. Now, if only the dead would let him rest in peace.

BETWEEN WORLDS

Someone always dies… Someone is always left behind…

Now that his secret is out, Michael Sinclair finally agrees to join paranormal superstar Luke Rainer and the Cemetery Tours crew on an investigation. Not just any investigation. The biggest investigation of their career.

AFTER DEATH

Welcome to the Circus of the Dead.
When Michael Sinclair receives an invitation to the grand opening of Cirque Somniatis, he figures it will be a good opportunity to get away from ghosts, potential in-laws, and the seemingly endless stream of rejected job applications… And a chance to spend a romantic weekend at the circus with Kate.

Series: Cemetery Tours

Combined Length: 767 Pages

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Themes: Ghosts, Romance, Suspense

Quick Summation of my Thoughts on the Cemetery Tours Series:

I couldn’t possibly put into words how much I love this exciting new paranormal romance box set. Isn’t it fun when your fave books become available as a box set? I think so!
Once you read book one you will be DYING to read books two and three! So it only makes sense to purchase the box set! 🙂
I would HIGHLY recommend this series to fans of paranormal romance and suspense. I give the Cemetery Tours Series a well deserved 5 out of 5 ghosts! Check it out for yourself! You won’t be disappointed! 🙂 The Cemetery Tours Series by Author Jacqueline Smith completely blew me away! — Amazon

Purchase the Kindle Box-Set on Amazon!

Some secrets are best kept laid to rest.

At least, that’s as far as Michael Sinclair is concerned. At twenty-seven, he has spent his entire life perfecting the art of pretending that the ghosts he encounters on a daily basis do not exist. Now, if only the dead would let him rest in peace.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem likely, especially after Kate Avery and her ailing brother, Gavin, move in next door. Kate and Gavin are haunted, and not by a dearly departed loved one. This spirit is aggressive, menacing, and harboring a dark resentment toward Gavin. In spite of every instinct advising him to walk away, Michael finds himself seeking to uncover the mysteries of Gavin’s past, and falling for the bright and lovely Kate. Yet competing for her affection is Luke Rainer, television’s hottest celebrity ghost hunter and the only (living) person to know Michael’s secret.

But the dead have secrets, too. Some will go to any length to withhold what should have gone with them to the grave, while others will risk everything to make their voices heard, even if that means putting another’s life at stake. Now, for the sake of friends and strangers alike, Michael must choose between preserving his cherished anonymity and lending his aid to those for whom all hope seems lost.

AWRW 5 Star Review of Cemetery Tours 1

Michael Sinclair lives a quiet, single, unassuming life, working for a library and um, well… seeing ghosts. Michael may be a medium but he doesn’t take advantage of his special ability. For he feels nothing good comes from interfering in the affairs of the dead.

That is until Gavin and his cute sister Kate move in across the hall at his apartment complex, a complex that is rumored to be haunted. A malevolent spirit has attached itself to Gavin, cute neighbor girl’s brother, and if Micheal doesn’t interfere, Kate could get caught up in the cross fire of the ghost’s intended target, (her brother). Now that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of him, would it?

Micheal has bigger problems than a malevolent spirit next door, when his long time friend, the ‘Ghost Prince of Prime time’ swoops in for a visit. Kate becomes a total fan girl, fawning and hanging on Luke’s every word. How can Micheal compete with Luke, television’s hottest ghost hunter?

Cemetery Tours, a new adult, paranormal, romantic suspense by Jacqueline Smith completely blew me away! There are so many twists and turns, I got whiplash reading this book! But I loved every minute of it. So many things I had questions about were tied up nicely in the end, and the Author alludes to a sequel, *crossing my fingers & hoping*!

I loved the relationship between Gavin and Kate. If I could a pick a brother out for myself, I would pick Gavin. He is sweet, and a bit over-protective of his sister, but he means well. His sister comes before everyone, including himself.

I can’t even tell you how much I enjoyed the antics between Micheal and Luke. Page after page I was cracking up over those two! THANK YOU Jacqueline for weaving Luke Rainer into the story! He was such a great supporting character.

I would HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of paranormal romance, and suspense. I give Cemetery Tours a well deserved 5 out of 5 ghosts! 🙂

In other words, I LOVED THIS BOOK!

Free on Kindle Unlimited!

Purchase on Amazon

Someone always dies… Someone is always left behind…

Once home to the wealthy Sterling Hall and his beloved wife, Joanna, Stanton Hall Manor in Maine is famous for the love story that inspired it… and the ghosts who now inhabit it. For Luke and the crew, Stanton Hall is a dream come true.

Unfortunately, some dreams turn out to be nightmares.

AWRW 5 Star Book Review of Between Worlds

Michael Sinclair is coming to terms with his new-found pseudo-celebrity status, when pro ghost hunter, Luke Rainer comes back in to town.

Luke needs Michael’s help, because the owner at a location he wants to investigate, specifically requested Michael. Now he just needs to get him on board!

Michael, after being coaxed by Kate, agrees, and off they go to investigate Stanton Hall Manor, a haunted mansion in Maine.

But this isn’t an ordinary ghost hunt. This mansion has a dark past, and Michael finds himself in a predicament that even Luke himself didn’t see coming. The crew is in danger, and Michael is the only one who can help.

Between Worlds, by Jacqueline E. Smith is Michael Sinclair’s story. And when you have Michael, you get his ghostly sidekick Brink! -Lovable, hilarious Brink! 🙂

It has been awhile since I read Cemetery Tours, so I was absolutely delighted to read Between Worlds, and fall back in love with the characters all over again. ❤ I really missed Michael, Brink, Kate, Gavin, and Luke! Cemetery Tours is a series I could read FOREVER! I would love to see more CT books from the perspectives of ALL the characters!

Overall, Between Worlds is an excellent, new-adult paranormal romance, with lovable ghost-hunting characters, that I absolutely would recommend to a friend. I love this series, and I look forward to the next installment!

Purchase on Amazon!

Welcome to the Circus of the Dead.

When Michael Sinclair receives an invitation to the grand opening of Cirque Somniatis, he figures it will be a good opportunity to get away from ghosts, potential in-laws, and the seemingly endless stream of rejected job applications… And a chance to spend a romantic weekend at the circus with Kate.

But nothing is as it seems as Michael, Kate, and ghost-hunter extraordinaire Luke Rainer venture onto the haunted fairgrounds in the small town of Hugo, Oklahoma. New rivals, theatrical psychics, and a Ringmaster with a dark secret of his own all wait for them under the Big Top.

Come one, come all. Do not forego.
Step inside, enjoy the show…

AWRW 5 Star Book Review of After Death

“The Cirque Somniatus almost reminded her of fairs and carnivals growing up, but it was far more elegant, more majestic, than the fairgrounds of her childhood. The colors were primarily those of gemstones: garnets and amethysts, with touches of sunlight and moonlight embellishments. It was like stepping through the door to wonderland.”

When Michael Sinclair is offered three free weekend passes to The Circus of Dreams, he invites his girlfriend Kate, and ghost-hunter friend, Luke Rainer along for the ride.

They find themselves in a haunted circus, at the mercy of a lost soul who interferes with Michael and Kate’s relationship; a Ringmaster who may have an ulterior motive for inviting them; an extravagant psychic who warns them off; and even worse, Luke’s rival – who lives to stir up trouble for the three!

This fun, relaxing weekend quickly turns into a disaster…

Will the three land on their feet?

After Death, by Author Jacqueline E. Smith is nightmarishly awesome! I loved this installment of the Cemetery Tours book series.

The world building is phenomenal. I really enjoyed the haunted circus setting as well as all of the extravagant secondary characters. The author truly can paint a scene with her words. Reading this book was such an enjoyable experience.

Speaking of the characters, I loved it when Chance McDermott stepped into the novel. Luke’s reaction to Chance was priceless! My favorite character, (other than Michael, Kate, and Luke, of course,) was Claire. She added a different twist to After Death, and in the end, her interference strengthened Michael and Kate’s relationship. I just love a well-written paranormal romance. ❤

Like a good mystery, every character had me guessing – are they the villain of the story? When all was revealed I was delightfully surprised.I would recommend this series to fans of ghost-hunting shows, and to people who enjoy the paranormal in general. You won’t be disappointed!

Purchase on Amazon!

Hope to see you tomorrow for day three of 31 Days of Halloween Reads, featuring Author Rasheedah Prioleau!

AWRW Book Blog Presents: The Spooktacular Schedule of 31 Days of Halloween Reads #Horror & #DarkFiction #IARTG #Halloween #BookPromo

September 27, 2017October 31, 2017 April the Word Witch35 Comments

Welcome to 31 Days of Halloween, where A Well Read Woman Blog will be presenting horror and dark fiction novels, book reviews, interviews, guest posts, and more with dark fiction and horror authors, daily!