Release Day - Clare at Sixteen by Don Roff

Clare at Sixteen s a thrilling read for fans of Bret Easton Ellis’ Patrick Bateman (American Psycho), Jeff Linsday’s Dexter Morgan (Dexter series), and Jim Thompson’s Lou Ford (The Killer Inside Me). Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale) is set to play Clare in an adaptation directed by Anna Margarita Albelo.

The small town of Pickman Flats offers a bright sunny place filled with quaint shopping and wine tasting. 

But underneath the town's inviting exterior lies a dark underbelly, a sinister element that lurks in the shadows.

Clare is a devoted vegan who goes to Catholic high school, is fastidious in her manner, and also, well, a killer. The Other Clare takes over at the most inopportune of times. She tries to keep her inner beast at bay, but it's hard when there are so many creeps around who help to unleash it.

What secret lies hidden beneath Pickman Flats? And who is Clare really?

If you want answers, well…there’s only one way to find out—even if it kills you.

Slay Responsibly,
XOXO Clare

Movie Review - Saint Maud (2019)

The headline of an article on Daily Beast "Inside the Terrifying 'Saint Maud,' the First Great Horror Movie of 2021." Unfortunately, I have to disagree. "Saint Maud" is an A24 movie and anyone who knows me knows I'm a big fan of their movies. The "Blackcoat's Daughter," "It Comes At Night," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer," "The Lighthouse," and three of my most favorite movies, "The Witch," "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." "Saint Maud" definitely fits the style of those movies in some ways (slow burn, creepy moments), but not enough to be called "Terrifying." I was not terrified. Yes, Maud's religious fervor could be construed as terrifying to those of us who do not identify as religious, but that, I believe, is stretching the context of what is scary. Religion has been used to good effect to terrify and disturb (see "The Witch"), but not so much in this movie. The performances are good. Jennifer Ehle as Maud's patient was excellent as always. Morfydd Clark does portray Maud with intensity, but it's not enough to truly be scary. Luckily, the movie is only around 84 minutes, but when the most terrifying part of the movie (more gross than terrifying) is at the very beginning, watching the rest is just a let down.

Review also posted on Jackmeats Flix.

Cover Reveal - Usher House Rising by Don Roff

The first of a brand new trilogy and a modern retelling of Edgar Allen Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher." This trilogy will entice fans of American Horror Story, Bates Motel, and American Psycho.

Life after her high school graduation sucks for Mads Bland—her foster mother has died, her boyfriend has broken up with her, she can't afford community college, and it seems that she'll work in a grocery store forever.

When a mysterious invitation to Usher House arrives at her door, however, everything changes. Mads soon learns that her real name is Madeline Usher and that she has inherited the crumbling mansion in a remote part of Georgia. What's more, she discovers that she has a twin brother, the quick-witted and devil-may-care Roderick Usher. At first, things seem excellent—Mads meets a beautiful guy, Liam Delaney, who operates his father's farm down the road, she has inherited the remainder of the Usher fortune, and she now has a sprawling home, a place of her own.

However, Mads finds out that she's a pawn in a deadly game—her narcissistic brother is jealous of her romantic relationship with Liam, so he gaslights and imprisons his new-found sister within the haunted confines of the manor. Mads must battle against the inherited insanity that every Usher family member has succumbed to and embrace her hidden strengths that she didn't know she had to survive the madness of Usher House. (Goodreads)

About the author

Don Roff is no stranger to scary and suspenseful fiction. Over the past 12 years, his terrifying yarns have been published under the Scholastic banner with titles like Scary Stories, Werewolf Tales, Dragon Adventures, and Terrifying Tales. In adult fiction, he has written two bestselling works—Zombies: A Record of the Year of Infection, published by Chronicle Books/Simon & Schuster UK, as well as the supernatural thriller, Snowblind, published by Brambleberry Books. Snowblind a chilling story about four Army Rangers snowbound in a haunted lodge, is currently in development as a major motion picture starring Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok, Star Trek), Ashley Greene (Twilight), and Forrest Goodluck (The Revenant). In addition, his darkly humorous YA novel, CLARE AT 16, will be published in 2019, as well as a major film. His suspense radio series Darkside Drive, on CJSW 90.9 FM radio (now available on iTunes), has completed its second season. He also writes a popular monthly "Monster in the House" screenwriting blog for the Save the Cat website based on Blake Snyder's ubiquitous, blockbuster book. A former US Army Ranger, Don resides in the Pacific Northwest. (Website)

Announcing the I Read Horror Year-Round Reading Challenge #IReadHorror

After determining there were no good horror reading challenges (that I could find), I decided to create one of my own. I'm going to host this one here at Castle Macabre, instead of at Gather Together and Read, because...horror. 

I mulled over different ideas for this challenge and finally came up with something I think horror lovers will like. There are 12 categories and 4 levels of participation. 

Here are the categories, or themes. (I created the additional graphic below which can be printed out, if desired.) 

• Winter theme, or winter appearance on the cover (snow, ice, etc.)
• Ghosts or spirits
• Psychological
• Monster or monsters
• A body of water (featured in story, on cover, or in title)
• Really scary book cover
• Woman on cover
• Written by a woman
• Written by a best-selling horror author
• Written by an indie author
• Historical horror (must be an historical novel written by a contemporary author. Example: The Historian, Mexican Gothic, Interview with the Vampire) 
• Folk horror (Ideas: https://tinyurl.com/yy8jj56a or https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/83087.Folk_Horror_Mystery)

Levels:

Spooky: Read 6 books from 6 categories
Chilling: Read 12 Books from all 12 categories
Frightful: Read 2 books from each category for a total of 24 books
Horrifying: Read 3 books from each category for a total of 36 books

Challenge runs from January 2021 (anything you've read thus far counts) through December 31, 2021. Cross overs with other challenges count. Short stories are allowed if you're reading an entire collection or anthology. Books must be over 100 pages. You do not have to pick your books ahead of time, but you can if you want.

That's it! I hope you will join me.

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Images credit: Image by Stefan Keller from Pixabay