Ronald Malfi's Little Girls - Review and {Giveaway}

My thoughts
As I've grown older, I've come to really appreciate the beauty of a horror novel that is creepy yet not so "in your face" with the scary. Little Girls delivers in that respect. Right off the bat, we are treated to a gothic premise, complete with the Lurch-esque man waiting on the porch when Laurie Genarro arrives at her childhood home. Her estranged father recently committed suicide there and Laurie is confronted with dealing with his estate and the memories of a childhood without a father (for the most part).

As I said, the creep factor starts off almost immediately when Laurie is alone in the house and hears footsteps when she knows she is the only one there. Later, we learn that something bad happened in the past in the old greenhouse on the property (I saw something nasty in the greenhouse. lol). And there's a creepy little girl running around and befriending her daughter who largely resembles a girl who died tragically when Laurie was a girl. Yes, creepy.

This is my first read of a Ronald Malfi book and I can clearly see why he has been previously nominated for a Bram Stoker award. He clearly has a talent for the subtle scary that I appreciate in a horror novel. Not to mention a true talent for prose. There is no cheesiness in his writing whatsoever. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good Gothic horror ghost story.

About the book

File Size: 1769 KB

Print Length: 384 pages

Publisher: Kensington (June 30, 2015)

Publication Date: June 30, 2015

From Bram Stoker Award nominee Ronald Malfi comes a brilliantly chilling novel of childhood revisited, memories resurrected, and fears reborn…
When Laurie was a little girl, she was forbidden to enter the room at the top of the stairs. It was one of many rules imposed by her cold, distant father. Now, in a final act of desperation, her father has exorcised his demons. But when Laurie returns to claim the estate with her husband and ten-year-old daughter, it’s as if the past refuses to die. She feels it lurking in the broken moldings, sees it staring from an empty picture frame, and hears it laughing in the moldy greenhouse deep in the woods…

At first, Laurie thinks she’s imagining things. But when she meets her daughter’s new playmate, Abigail, she can’t help but notice her uncanny resemblance to another little girl who used to live next door. Who died next door. With each passing day, Laurie’s uneasiness grows stronger, her thoughts more disturbing. Like her father, is she slowly losing her mind? Or is something truly unspeakable happening to those sweet little girls?

Praise for Ronald Malfi and his novels
“One cannot help but think of writers like Peter Straub and Stephen King.”
—FearNet

"Malfi is a skillful storyteller."—New York Journal of Books

"A complex and chilling tale….terrifying."—Robert McCammon

"Malfi’s lyrical prose creates an atmosphere of eerie claustrophobia…haunting."—Publishers Weekly

"A thrilling, edge-of-your-seat ride that should not be missed."—Suspense Magazine

Links to Purchase
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Or pick up or ask to order at your local independent bookstore or anywhere e-formats are sold!

About the author

Ronald Malfi is an award-winning author of many novels and novellas in the horror, mystery, and thriller categories from various publishers, including Little Girls, this summer’s 2015 release from Kensington.

In 2009, his crime drama, Shamrock Alley, won a Silver IPPY Award. In 2011, his ghost story/mystery novel, Floating Staircase, was a finalist for the Horror Writers Association Bram Stoker Award for best novel, a Gold IPPY Award for best horror novel, and the Vincent Preis International Horror Award. His novel Cradle Lake garnered him the Benjamin Franklin Independent Book Award (silver) in 2014. December Park, his epic childhood story, won the Beverly Hills International Book Award for suspense in 2015.

Most recognized for his haunting, literary style and memorable characters, Malfi's dark fiction has gained acceptance among readers of all genres.

He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1977, and eventually relocated to the Chesapeake Bay area, where he currently resides with his wife and two children.

Visit with Ronald Malfi on Facebook, Twitter (@RonaldMalfi), or at www.ronmalfi.com.

Giveaway

Sign up to win one of two paperback copies of Little Girls by Ronald Malfi by clicking the link to the Rafflecopter below. Be sure to follow the specifics you can do each day to gain more entries.

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Glenn Rolfe's Boom Town - Review

My thoughts
Being a fan of The X Files (it's still my favorite show even though it's not on the air any longer), I love a good alien plot. In this book, the town of Eckert, Wisconsin has experienced it's share of strange occurrences. First a UFO sighting in the 70s and now, earthquake-like tremors underneath the town. When pets and people start disappearing, things start to looks suspicious. Brady decides to investigate based on the rumors he's heard around town and, along with his best friend, Kim, goes to the source of the last rumblings (not a smart move for pre-teens). Some dangerous stuff goes down and all I can say is, not everyone gets out alive.

I really enjoyed the suspense and general creepiness in this story. For a short novella, Boom Town certainly packs a punch.

About the book
File Size: 722 KB
Print Length: 81 pages
Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (April 7, 2015)

Terror from below!

In the summer of 1979, Eckert, Wisconsin, was the sight of the most unique UFO encounter in history. A young couple observed a saucer-like aircraft hovering over Hollers Hill. A blue beam blasted down from the center of the craft into the hill and caused the ground to rumble for miles.

Now, thirty years later, Eckert is experiencing nightly rumbles that stir up wild rumors and garner outside attention. The earthly tremors are being blamed on everything from earthquakes to underground earth dwellers. Two pre-teens discover a pipe out behind Packard’s Flea Market uprooted by the “booms” and come into contact with the powerful ooze bubbling from within. What begins as curiosity will end in an afternoon of unbridled terror for the entire town.

"...Stephen King-lite. (Boom Town) is quick, punchy and goes places you may not see coming before the final page is swiped or turned." - Horror After Dark

"Boom Town is quick and entertaining read that harkens back to the 1980's brand of small town (or intimate invasion) alien pieces. Like a reader’s digest version of Late Night Horror Television presentations (every region had one, for me it was "Fright Night Theatre") of "Invaders From Mars", "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Night of the Creeps" or "Xtro"” – Zachary, Mouths of Madness Podcast

“Rolfe weaves a wonderful tale of big, bad things happening to a small, good town. A sure winner!” – Hunter Shea, author of Island of the Forbidden and The Montauk Monster
GoodReads

Purchase
Amazon
Samhain Horror
Barnes and Noble

About the author
Glenn Rolfe is an author, singer, songwriter and all around fun loving guy from the haunted woods of New England. He has studied Creative Writing at Southern New Hampshire University, and continues his education in the world of horror by devouring the novels of Stephen King and Richard Laymon. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

He is the author the ghost/mystery/thriller novella, ABRAM'S BRIDGE (Samhain Publishing, Jan. 2015) and his latest novella, a Horror/Sci-Fi mash-up, BOOM TOWN (Samhain Publishing). A full-length novel, BLOOD AND RAIN, will come out this Fall from Samhain Publishing and THINGS WE FEAR, a novella, is set to publish from Samhain in 2016.

His debut novel, THE HAUNTED HALLS (James Ward Kirk Publishing, 2014), is available now, as well as his short story collection, SLUSH (Alien Agenda Publishing, 2014).

Look for his punk rock band, The Never Nudes, on Amazon and Facebook.
Check out his website: www.glennrolfe.com

Hunter Shea's Island of the Forbidden - Review and {Giveaway} #theislandawaits

My thoughts
Can I just say wow!? This is my first foray into this author's work and I'll tell you, it won't be my last. I was hooked from the very first word. I can always tell when an author really has something to offer, especially in horror, and Mr. Shea definitely has it.

One premise that makes a great horror novel in my eyes is the creep factor and this book has that written all over it. Eddie sitting in his apartment surrounded by various dead figures brings new meaning to, "I see dead people." Man...I would NOT want to be him. The visual of the pretty blonde women with the black eyes, speaking to him psychically, "Perfect, not perfect. Perfect, not perfect" over and over again was completely unnerving. Throw in the creeptastic Ormsby House (and island) and its history and it's nail biting time, folks!

Jessica and Eddie are terrific characters. Just the right shade of messed up, but with a quiet strength in both of them that comes from enduring a lot in their short lives. I realized that this book is a continuation of the Jessica Backman series and so I will most certainly be getting my hands on the other books...sooner than later.

This was an impressive horror novel. As I said before, the creep factor is what draws me in and keeps me. It's what I deem a must in great horror stories. This book has it and I highly recommend it.

About the book
Island of the Forbidden by Hunter Shea continues the story of Jessica Backman, the ghost-hunting heroine who has appeared in Forest of Shadows, The Graveyard Speaks and Sinister Entity, all published by Samhain Horror.

To read more about the series and Jessica Bockman, read Hunter’s recent article.

Sometimes, the dead are best left in peace.

Jessica Backman has been called to help a strange family living on a haunted island in Charleston Harbor. Ormsby Island was the site of a brutal massacre two decades ago, and now the mysterious Harper family needs someone to exorcise the ghosts that still call it home. The phantoms of over one hundred children cannot rest.

But something far more insidious is living on the island. When the living and the dead guard their true intentions, how can Jessica discover just what sort of evil lurks on Ormsby Island? And why is Jessica the only one who can plumb its dark depths?

Buy the book

GoodReads

Amazon 

Samhain Horror

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Raves for Hunter Shea 
Forest of Shadows "A frightening, gripping story that left me too frightened to sleep with the lights off. This novel scared the hell out of me and it is definitely a creepy ghost story I won't soon forget." --Night Owl Reviews

Sinister Entity "This is the real deal. The fear is palpable. Horror novels don't get much better than this." --Literal Remains

". . .Culminates in a climactic showdown between human and spirit that keeps you glued to the pages!" --Horror Novel Reviews

Evil Eternal "Hunter Shea has crafted another knockout. At turns epic and intimate, both savage and elegant. . .a harrowing, blood-soaked nightmare." --Jonathan Janz, author of The Sorrows

Swamp Monster Massacre "If you're craving an old-school creature-feature that has excessive gore. . .B-horror movie fans rejoice, Hunter Shea is here to bring you the ultimate tale of terror!" --Horror Novel Reviews

About the author

Hunter Shea is the author of paranormal and horror novels Forest of Shadows, Swamp Monster Massacre, Evil Eternal, Sinister Entity, HellHole and Island of the Forbidden, which are all published by Samhain Horror.

The June 3, 2014 release of his horrifying thriller Montauk Monster was published by Kensington/Pinnacle. His second Kensington novel, Tortures of the Damned, will be published later this year.

He has also written a short story to be read prior to Sinister Entity, called The Graveyard Speaks (it’s free, go download!), and a book of stories called Asylum Scrawls.

His work has appeared in numerous magazines, including Dark Moon Digest, Morpheus Tales, and the upcoming anthology, Shocklines : Fresh Voices in Terror. His obsession with all things horrific has led him to real life exploration of the paranormal, interviews with exorcists, and other things that would keep most people awake with the lights on.

He is also half of the two men show, Monster Men, which is a video podcast that takes a fun look at the world of horror. You can read about his latest travails and communicate with him at www.huntershea.com, on Twitter @HunterShea1, Facebook fan page at Hunter Shea or the Monster Men 13 channel on YouTube.

Giveaway

Enter to win one of five Hunter Shea books being given away! Two signed copies of Montauk Monster, one signed copy of Sinister Entity, and two e-books of choice of his titles are up for grabs! One book to each winner, given in order of random drawing. Enter to win at the Rafflecopter link. Must use valid email that winners can be contacted by. Print books are U.S. residents only. Contest ends March 25, 2015. Any questions, contact Erin Al-Mehairi, Publicist, at hookofabook@hotmail.com.

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Russell James' Dreamwalker - Review and {Giveaway}

My thoughts
It would be pretty freaky to dream like Pete does in this book. Especially considering that he can die in either world because he's a Dreamwalker. I kept thinking about all the dreams I've had where I've come close to dying, or being chased by someone/something. In Pete's world, dreams like that would be life or death.

There were two things I found really interesting about this book, and I learned about two real world phenomenons I did not previously know, or knew little about. One was Pete's disorder, Visual Processing Disorder. VPD happens when a person has trouble processing things he/she sees in the world...information gets scrambled. Pete's VPD starts manifesting in a strange way when he starts to receive messages from words in incorrectly processed street signs, like only seeing the word King in a No Parking sign. He soon realizes that these are indeed messages that are pointing him in a certain direction. Very interesting. The second was the practice of Voodoo. We find out in the book through the character of the villain, St. Croix, that the practice of Voodoo was actually against the law in Haiti up until the 1950s, the power of the practice was so believed and feared. As the author so aptly put it in his afterword, "You don't see anyone pushing to make tarot cards illegal." This kind of gave me the creeps. A supernatural practice so feared that's it's outlawed? Yikes!

This book is creepy in all the right ways. I mean, please stop with the snakes already. *shudder* And then you have an evil spirit that can come and manipulate your dreams. No thanks. The story was definitely "edge of the seat" throughout and Pete was such a great, and likable, character. It's so much easier to get really scared when you care about the characters.

This was my first Russell James novel and I will definitely be checking out his other books in the future.

About the book
Dreamwalker is the sixth novel that Russell James has published with Samhain Horror under legendary horror editor Don D’Auria!

Synopsis:

Two realities. One hope.

What if you lived in two worlds, and could die in either? Pete Holm can. He is a dreamwalker, able to travel to the realm of dreams, including the devastated world of Twin Moon City, where an evil voodoo spirit holds living souls in terror with his army of the walking dead.

In the waking world, drug lord Jean St. Croix knows only the power of the dreamwalker can stop him, so St. Croix vows Pete must die.

Pete is the only hope to rescue the lost souls in Twin Moon City…unless St. Croix kills him first. Can anyone survive when two realities collide?

Purchase Links
GoodReads
Amazon
Samhain Horror
Barnes and Noble

Praise for Russell R. James
“James has a talent for combining action-packed vignettes into a powerful, fast-paced whole.”
—Library Journal on Black Magic

(Five Stars, A Night Owl Top Pick) “I loved the story so much that I’m eagerly waiting to read more from him. He carefully and very intricately wove his storyline to have elements of mystery and suspense throughout. I now have a new favorite book I’ll read over and over again.”
—Night Owl Reviews on Dark Inspiration

“The book had me at the edge of my seat. The writing is so vivid I even jumped a few times. If you're a fan of the genre, love ghosts and are drawn to the supernatural, then do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book!”
—Long and Short Reviews on Dark Inspiration

Russell R. James, Biography
Russell James grew up on Long Island, New York and spent too much time watching Chiller, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and The Twilight Zone, despite his parents' warnings. Bookshelves full of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe didn't make things better. He graduated from Cornell University and the University of Central Florida.

After a tour flying helicopters with the U.S. Army, he now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. He has written the paranormal thrillers Dark Inspiration, Sacrifice, Black Magic, Dark Vengeance, and Dreamwalker. He has two horror short story collections, Tales from Beyond and Deeper into Darkness. His next novel, Q Island, releases in 2015.

His wife reads what he writes, rolls her eyes, and says "There is something seriously wrong with you."

Visit his website at www.russellrjames.com and read some free short stories.

He and his wife share their home in sunny Florida with two cats.

To find out more about Russell R. James, please visit his Website or follow him on Facebook! Join him on Twitter, @RRJames14. Also, feel free to drop him at a line at rrj@russellrjames.com.

Giveaways

1) Open reviewer giveaway: Anyone who reviews Dreamwalker on Amazon and one other site like GoodReads, etc. and sends Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, their links to hookofabook@hotmail.com will be entered to win a $20 Amazon gift card. This contest ends on Feb. 28, 2015.

2) Rafflecoper giveaway for two copies of Russell’s previous books. Two winners will each win one of two books, Black Magic and Dark Inspiration. US only, no international shipping. Must use a valid email that you can be reached by. By entering the giveaway, you consent to allow Russell to have your email for very infrequent newsletter updates. Contest ends Feb. 28, 2015. Other contest questions can be referred to Erin Al-Mehairi, publicist, Hook of a Book Media at hookofabook@hotmail.com.

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A copy of this book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for providing it.