Lovecraft and Bugs

Roachville. Marianne Germain.

A spectacular hallucination of horror, intrigue and suspense. On the surface, this book is a social document outlining the boredom and tedious life of a young woman, BUT, not for long. As soon as the story cranks up, peculiar and enthralling events send poor little Annika Roy into a conundrum she hadn’t anticipated.

So what? It’s nothing a little mild drug use can’t solve!

The thing I love about this book (and I do LOVE it) is that the whole thing is just so damn cool. The characters are all as relatable as they are awesome, and even the life threatening situation that swallows the terrified young crew somehow leaves the reader jealous; you’ll wish you were inside the narrative.

Marianne Germain (the author) is a professional translator and she says she originally began her novel to create a massive text that she could later translate. Now that the work is finished and she’s spent countless hours editing in English, she’s on a mission to transform the awesome action, suspense and drama into French. I wish I were bilingual, so I could enjoy the whole thing again!

Highlights!

Style: The confident and flowing style of Marianne Germain is an absolute treat.

Suspense: There is no way to put this book down, trust me.

Mystery: It’s a whole lot of fun trying to figure the ending out before the final twists.

A Splattering of Nightmares

Dead of Night, William Todd

Several spectacular servings of scary stories.

A feast of fear. This construction of short stories boasts a wonderfully strong range of terrifying narratives. Not only is each fresh tale original but they are all written in contrasting, or complementary, styles. A little Lovecraft with a little Shirley Jackson; exactly what every horror fans dreams of.

This splattering of nightmares is constantly enthralling, consistently frightening and overwhelmingly entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the final story, but after you’ve switched off the lights and sparked up a candle I’m certain you’ll struggle to pick a favourite. I thoroughly recommend this one.

William has this to say about his work:

I will admit that I am more a fan of Dracula, Wolfman, the Devil, and the unknown than I am of Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers or the creature from Alien. I will also admit that I read more HP Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe than Steven King (sacrilege I’m sure). I have always felt I was a misplaced spirit, belonging more in the Victorian age where belief in the supernatural was rampant in the culture, not just a personal belief. And believing that something is true makes it more real when you read it in fiction. That is why the majority of my writing takes place in this time frame. It was a simpler time where things hadn’t yet been disproven by science. The fear of the unknown was purer, and the unknown covered a much broader spectrum then it does now.

I try to capture that purity of fear in my stories, so you don’t necessarily get gore, you get the bumps in the night from something unknown. On a personal note, I work in pathology and have performed hundreds of autopsies in my time. Seeing entrails and blood is a big yawn for me, which might be why I don’t use it often in my stories. Although if employed correctly I believe it can certainly add to the horror. It just shouldn’t be the focus of the horror.

I wrote my stories for Dead of Night over the course of about three years in the early 2000’s when I wrote for Storiesbyemail.com. The Whitaker House Curse is first because it was my first horror story and my personal favorite. I am a firm believer in the afterlife so making a deal with the Devil, knowingly or unknowingly, scares the bejesus out of me. It is actually a mishmash of Irish and English folklore. A leg of this and a finger of that and voila! Whitaker House Curse. This story is my Frankenstein.

Another favorite—and it seems to be a fan favorite, too—is Jack. Jack the Ripper and Hound of the Baskervilles both got me interested in Victorian times when I was young. Jack is the Ripper with a twist. The story follows Jack on the night known as “the double event”. And it is seen through Jack’s eyes, so you get everything Jack is saying and thinking during the times of the murders.

The impetus of the story I’m Still Alive was reading an article on specially made coffins that had air tubes and lines attached to bells at the surface inserted in case the person being buried was still alive.

The Thing in the Shadows was an idea I got because I wanted to put my home town Erie, Pa in a story. Who wouldn’t want to use their home town when it’s called E(e)rie? Erie was pivotal in the War of 1812 so there are lots of ghost stories of this place.

And Bumps in the Night was a story I wrote with my daughter in mind. She has Down Syndrome, and I wove a story around a girl with Down Syndrome whose father happens to be a werewolf.

It’s Just Johnny was just a little ditty I put in at the last minute. My stories tend to be just a bit on the longer side of short stories, and a few approach novella-length. In terms of what I usually write, this story may have been my version of a haiku.

See! I told you it’s tough to pick a favourite! William Todd also has a new book of horror short stories out called Beyond the Gossamer Veil. Enjoy!

Highlights!

Variety: Like all great short story collections, the theme here of horror is complemented by the author’s decision to include an assortment of themes and styles.

Villains: This is not just a series about vampires or werewolves, but a complex collection of many creatures from the underworld.

Setting: The stories move from one locale to another, leader the reader on a frightening journey.

Humour and Horror. Bonus.

The Key to the Demon’s Gate, Daniel M. Quilter

Not only rammed full of action, but hilarious. This book may seem like a juvenile title, and you could stumble across it in the young adult section of your digital bookstore, but I’m a thirty-year-old man and I loved it.

A few teenagers end up in a fictional world with pirates, wizardry and swordplay, but they somehow manage to have a damn good time. Whether our heroes are cross dressing to settle the conflicts of a marital dispute or trying to claim new nicknames by drowning their enemies, this narrative is constantly entertaining. Whether you want giggles, tears or tensions, this book is for you.

Highlights!

Humor: we’ve already covered this; it’s a funny book.

Playful: The entire story flows in waves of mischief.

Compartmental: The novel is expertly divided to follow the few protagonists as their divided, giving the reader a little extra variety.

Girls VS. Boys... and the Result is Aready Decided

The EXXtinction: The only hope for mankind is a woman. J.A. Antonio

Some very clear allegory and a few slaps of social commentary. This novel literally forces a war between men and women, and the result is AWESOME. Although this premise could be construed as politically incorrect, the truth is that the conflict works well. The themes and issues around the sex-based savagery are balanced (mostly) and fair (predominantly). However, when you read it, try to put the political stuff to the back of your mind, and enjoy the fun fighting; there’s a lot of it and it’s well written. J.A. Antonio has also focused on the positive aspects of the story, such as the inspirational father-daughter bond, and this ensures the tone of the book remains gratifying.

Highlights!

Premise: Girls vs. boys, it’s as old as good vs. evil with equally dramatic consequences.

Characters: A wonderful cast that will have you wondering why they’re fighting, even though it’s fiction.

Time: The story is set in the future, but it still feels extremely current.

Get it here: The EXXtinction

 

Double the Devil!

Double Feature!

The Devils lieutenant and Escape from Hell, Shervin Jamali.

Both of these novellas are wonderfully miserable with lovely moments of beautiful violence. Sound conflicting? Well, it’s wonderful to dive into Michael’s world as he miserably remembers his lost family. To get them back, these stories tell the beautiful (and fairly gory) tales of his violent reparations.

Join Michael as he battles to appease his conscience, and please the devil.

The Devil's Lieutenant, as the first novella in this series, is predominantly concerned with establishing the birth of the narrative. Who is Michael and why has Satan chosen him? It’s brutal, clever, and entirely fierce.

Escape from Hell builds our hero into a more complete, cunning, and capable warrior. How can he defeat the lord of the underworld? It’s intriguing, suspenseful, and of course, bloody as a bare foot on broken glass.

As these are novellas, I recommend reading them both back to back. If you enjoy one, you’ll love the other, and it’s more fun to consume double the devil.

Highlights!

Gore: Although this isn’t for everyone, if you enjoy a little extra descriptiong with your gunfights, these are the books for you.

Development: The second title here is impressively original, with eclectic characters and a progressive story line.

Pace: This tale moves FAST!

Get The Devil's Lieutenant here: The first in the series

 

HAUNTINGLY Grand

Ghost Killer Series, Margaret Millmore

The dual novels of the “Ghost Killer,” series could not be more packed with excitement. The initial installment, “What Haunts Me,” introduces the reader to a world of paranormal fears, possibility, and conflicts. George begins to learn the constraints and limits of a power he never thought possible, but will it sap his sanity as the undead creatures begin to claw away at his soul? Besides the horde of ghoulish enemies, George finds himself in the presence of a cast of delightful misfits that add to the general enjoyment of this wonderful book.

To continue the narrative in the second novel, “The Edge of the Cemetery,” the author (Margaret Millmore), introduces a swathe of additional possibilities and revitalises the horrors of her earlier work. This book is not a frightening read, but the blend of death and combat brings a macabre action to the “Ghost Killer,” series.

AND luckily for us, there’s a third novel in the series being released quite soon called, “What Hunts Me.” Here’s a sneaky look at the blurb:

Secreted away in the attic of the large Edwardian house in San Francisco owned by the Watchers, a box is discovered, containing various documents from ghost killers dating back more than ninety years. Among those missives are letters, some photographs, and a diary dated in 1915, belonging to George Sinclair of Houtzdale, Pennsylvania. The letters chronicle an epic journey from Pennsylvania to San Francisco along the route of the newly opened Lincoln Highway. However, the diary also indicates something more sinister might have transpired. It contains strange drawings and nonsensical writings, but the final entry is loud and clear; George is a ghost killer and he is being hunted. Modern-day George Sinclair knows there is nothing coincidental in his world, and this discovery could be the key to his unknown paternal heritage—1915 George was probably his great-grandfather.

George and Phil James travel to Houtzdale to investigate, and the more they learn, the more they realize something horrible happened in 1915 and it directly involved George’s great-grandfather. More importantly, they discover a monstrous creature, who 1915 George thought he killed, has risen from its grave and is now on a murderous rampage in search of something. The only clues are in the letters, diary, and photographs. George and Phil follow the path indicated in the letters in pursuit of the creature, with Billy eventually joining in.

They find themselves embroiled in a hundred year old mystery, which grows beyond a reanimated monstrous creature. Mysterious supernatural forces are in play, and the discovery of very dangerous stones and an even more dangerous artifact propel the ghost killers into a fight for their lives.

Sounds great!

Highlights:

Setting: the description and depth of San Francisco is a delight.

Characters: From the devils to the heroes, each character is emotive and inspiring.

Compilation: as the series progresses, new terrors and trials are introduced as the conflicts pile up on one another.

Get book 1, "What Haunts Me," here:  What Haunts Me

Murder, sex, betrayal, and the antichrist - what more do you want?

Newgrange, D.J. Doyle

An international smack of magic, fear, and action. This narrative is propelled by young people making quick decisions and, of course, this leads to tense conflict.

Newgrange provides a great peek into the fictional workings of druids that will leave you as curious as you are tentative; a suspenseful combination. Heap all of this together with believable characters and a little more time-traveling, and you’ve got a very enjoyable read.

A dark and disturbing tale of sacrifice, prophecy, ancient gods, and the antichrist.

Highlights!

Time-travel: It’s not really “travel,” but Doyle manages to weave the ancient memories of additional heroes into the tale in a way that compliments the modern setting.

Range of Characters: In addition to the standard set of adventure seekers, there are a few more memorable participants creeping across the pages.

Mystery: The mystery here is supported by the believable practices of the druids, even if these practices are exaggerated (I hope!).

Get it here: Newgrange