Jason Parent's Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween - Happy Release Day (and a giveaway)!

A big congratulations to Jason Parent on the release of Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween!

Guess what? You can win a signed paperback copy! Simply enter via the King Sumo form at the end of this post. (This giveaway is open to U.S. entries only.)

But before you do that, check out all the details on the book...

From the back cover

Halloween. For the costumed child skipping along a safe, well-lit street, pillow case chock full of candy, it is a night of magic and mischief, delightful frights met with sugar-toothed grins. But for the would-be revelers in these tales, Halloween is a horrifying ordeal the likes of which many will not survive. And those who do make it to November may wish they hadn’t.

In this collection, Jason Parent gathers ten tales that embody the holiday in ways surely to surprise and delight the most avid horror reader. From traditional settings like amusement parks, Halloween parties, and haunted houses to more obscure locales where you might think terror couldn’t possibly find you, each story will have you breathing a little faster, startling at every bump in the night.

"If you're looking for a collection that pays homage to all things Halloween, look no further than Jason Parent's Mischief Night Massacre: Ten Tales of Halloween. Featuring its own unique brand of urban legend lore, horror-savvy kids, and more monsters than you could squeeze into an entire season of Creepshow, Mischief Night Massacre is a collection of tales you'll want to reread (and recommend!) every October...and beyond.”
—Christa Carmen, Bram Stoker-winning author of The Daughters of Block Island and Something Borrowed, Something Blood-Soaked

“Every Halloween theme—and many unexpected ones—are featured in this terrifyingly exciting collection. You’ll stay up long past your bedtime gorging on these seasonal confections.”

—Anthony J. Rapino, author of Soundtrack to the End of the World

Purchase the book on Amazon here

About the author

Jason Parent is an author of horror, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction and dark humor, though his many novels, novellas, and short stories tend to blur the boundaries between genres. From his EPIC and eFestival Independent Book Award finalist first novel, What Hides Within, to his widely applauded police procedural/supernatural thriller, Seeing Evil, to his fast and furious sci-fi horror, The Apocalypse Strain, Jason’s work has won him praise from both critics and fans of diverse genres alike. He currently lives in Massachusetts, surrounded by chewed furniture thanks to his corgi and mini Aussie pups.

Author Website

Facebook

Twitter

Watch for my review coming up soon!

I also reviewed another excellent collection by Jason back in 2016, Wrathbone and Other Stories. 

Check out that review here.

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Glenn Rolfe's August's Eyes - Review

Childhood trauma is one of the worst things a person could ever experience. So, what if that trauma started manifesting in adulthood, in your nightmares? 

First, I just want to warn. This book contains sensitive subject matter so be warned. Now that that's out of the way, let's get down to brass tacks. Rolfe knows horror. 

This isn't my first foray into a Rolfe book. Blood and Rain and Chasing Ghosts were standouts for me. This book joins them. Yes, it is a coming of age tale, but it's much more than that. Beyond the horrific moments, there is a story here of human nature and relationships. It gets to the heart of what's at stake when horror enters a life. 

I never go into much detail about the story because I really hate spoilers. I'm sure others do as well so you're welcome. I just have to say that this was a book I did not want to put down. For every parent who has ever feared that lurking stranger, the exact one we warn our children about, this book will chill you to the bone. Be warned. 

I have more of Rolfe's backlist which I plan to read, but if he keeps writing books like this, it's going to be difficult to find the time to get back to them. 

About the book

When dreams start bleeding into reality, a social worker is forced to face the mistakes of his past.

A serial killer has found a way to make his land of graveyards a sinister playground to be bent at his sadistic will.

The secrets behind August's eyes will bring two worlds together, and end in a cataclysm of pain and ruin.

Releases on August 17, 2021

About the author

Glenn Rolfe is an author/singer/songwriter 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, Ronald Malfi, Jack Ketchum, and many others. He and his wife, Meghan, have three children, Ruby, Ramona, and Axl. He is grateful to be loved despite his weirdness.

He is a Splatterpunk Award nominee and the author of The Window, Becoming, Blood and Rain, The Haunted Halls, Chasing Ghosts, Abram's Bridge, Things We Fear, Boom Town, and the collections, Slush. and Land of Bones.

He is hard at work on many more. Stay tuned!

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the opportunity to read this book.

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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

New Release - Jason Parent's A Life Removed

I had intended to post this on release day (May 23), but my life is a constant disaster. My apologies to Jason...I hope he's not too mad at me. Watch for my review sometime in July.

Detectives Bruce Marklin and Jocelyn Beaudette have put plenty of criminals behind bars. But a new terror is stalking their city. The killer’s violent crimes are ritualistic but seemingly indiscriminate. As the death toll rises, the detectives must track a murderer without motive. The next kill could be anyone… maybe even one of their own.

Officer Aaron Pimental sees no hope for himself or humanity. His girlfriend is pulling away, and his best friend has found religion. When Aaron is thrust into the heart of the investigation, he must choose who he will become, the hero or the villain.

If Aaron doesn’t decide soon, the choice will be made for him.

Pick up your copy at Amazon

In his head, Jason Parent lives in many places, but in the real world, he calls New England his home. The region offers an abundance of settings for his writing and many wonderful places in which to write them. He currently resides in Southeastern Massachusetts with his cuddly corgi named Calypso.

In a prior life, Jason spent most of his time in front of a judge . . . as a civil litigator. When he finally tired of Latin phrases no one knew how to pronounce and explaining to people that real lawsuits are not started, tried and finalized within the 60-minute timeframe they see on TV (it's harassing the witness; no one throws vicious woodland creatures at them), he traded in his cheap suits for flip flops and designer stubble. The flops got repossessed the next day, and he's back in the legal field . . . sorta. But that's another story.

When he's not working, Jason likes to kayak, catch a movie, travel any place that will let him enter, and play just about any sport (except that ball tied to the pole thing where you basically just whack the ball until it twists in a knot or takes somebody's head off - he misses the appeal). And read and write, of course. He does that too sometimes.

Please visit the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJasonParent?ref=hl, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AuthorJasParent, or at his website, http://authorjasonparent.com/, for information regarding upcoming events or releases, or if you have any questions or comments for him.

Book Review: Night Demon by Lisa Kessler

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed Lisa's first book in the Night series, Night Walker, and that enjoyment continued by far with the second book, Night Demon. As I was reading, I was struck by how much Lisa's writing reminds me of Anne Rice. I absolutely loved how she incorporated Mayan history and legend in the book; something that Rice does frequently in her novels, mingling bits of history and legend in all of her books. I also felt like I had more of a connection with Lukas and Gretchen. I'm not sure why, but Lukas really grabbed my heart. Quite possibly it was the tortured soul/loner aspect of his character that drew me to him. I'm a sucker for those types of characters.

I can't wait for the next book in the series. It seems Calisto, Lukas and company have quite a lot of adventure and danger ahead of them. I also can't wait to read what's next for Lisa. I know she has a new series coming out, the Moon series, with the first book titled Moonlight. Lisa has a very exciting future in the paranormal genre.

About the book:
Deep within the Yucatan jungle a demon has awakened...

Gretchen Finch's job would be much easier if she weren't alone in the jungle with a brilliant recluse whose every glance sets her on fire. But the more she focuses on her work, the closer she gets to unlocking the mysteries of a terrible creature - the Night Demon - that threatens the world as she knows it. Though her scientific mind tells her it's impossible, she's beginning to believe the ancient Mayan tales as the sinister jungle comes alive around her.

Lukas Smith has spent hundreds of years searching for answers to his immortal Night Walker nature. As a series of ancient glyphs become clear, he's about to find out more than he'd ever hoped, but the more he learns, the more his fate intertwines with the Night Demon, and the harder it becomes to hide his immortal secret from the beautiful, intelligent Gretchen.

Together, they must find a way to stop the inexplicable violence and mass destruction surging across the earth before the Night Demon destroys more than just mankind.

Read my interview with Lisa HERE

Visit Lisa:  Website | Facebook | Twitter | 
Amazon Page

Unspent Time Launch Party

Get free books and win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch

Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive to the opposite sex and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%*
(* These statements have not been evaluated by any person of consequence!)

From the award winning author of ‘No Hope for Gomez!’ comes a collection of impossible tales. Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time; time that was allotted but never spent. This is where we find the stories that could have been true.

Such as the story of Kiala, whose caretaker disappears one day, leaving her as the sole Huntress to battle the giant octopi to feed her village. Or the revealing tale of Goki Feng Ho, the ancient Chinese art of decoding the meaning of car license plates. And the heartbreaking story of the man responsible for choosing the colors of the insides of your shoes. And let’s not forget the story behind Unspent Time itself, the metaphysical ramifications of which will leave the scientific community feeling mostly indifferent about it for decades to come…

For the launch of the new novel I decided to discount it to $0.99 for today (PC and eBook), give away some exclusive content, and raffle off two Kindles. All entrants will get:

• An exclusive spin-off novelette (not available for purchase anywhere!)
• Making of Gomez: behind the scenes eBook
• Signature for their paperback or kindle edition
• Chance to win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch

(Prizes can be traded for Amazon gift certificates if you already own them.)
Just email your receipt to nohopeforgomez@gmail.com to enter.
Each purchase counts, so stock up on birthday presents (for people you don't like that much, for instance) The discount ends today, but be sure to send the receipts no later than June 1st.


(Or order the books from any bookstore.)
Coupon code for today: ZB77D

And then get by tweeting about your purchase:Tweet


Sound bites from Unspent Time:

“I'm looking into my past lives. I'm convinced some of them still owe me money.”

“I'm very polite by nature, even the voices in my head let each other finish their sentences.”

“I didn’t actually want to do it,” Kiala told the boy. “The universe just kind of conspired to force me to make a fool of myself. It does that quite a lot, actually.”

“Sadly, my socks are like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike.”

Here's what reviewers had to say:

"A veritable page turner of nonstop laughs!" -- Reader Views
"An unputdownable read. a Coens Brothers' film in book form." -- BookReview.com
“Extremely witty and clever writing.” -- California Chronicle
"A Party for your Brain!" -- Warren Baxter


Bio:

Graham Parke is responsible for a number of technical publications and has recently patented a self-folding map. He has been described as both a humanitarian and a pathological liar. Convincing evidence to support either allegation has yet to be produced.

www.grahamparke.com
www.grahamparke.blogspot.com
GoodReads
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September Release and Giveaway: Where the Dead Fear to Tread

***GIVEAWAY CLOSED***

Where The Dead Fear To Tread

Description:
A police officer and a serial killer search separately for a missing child while running a malevolent labyrinth populated by creatures they never knew existed. 

Former prosecutor William Chandler, disgusted with his past inaction, spills the blood of those who victimize children to correct the ills he sees in the world. A self-admitted serial killer and uncomfortable with his actions, Chandler attends the funerals of those whose lives he has taken in an effort to retain a true understanding of the nature of violence. 

The carnage left in his wake is investigated by Detective Kate Broadband, who becomes progressively more comfortable with the corpses left by Chandler. Envying the power she sees in him, she pursues Chandler as each search for Maria Verde, a missing eight-year-old girl. 

As Chandler and Broadband draw closer to discovering what happened to Maria they are forced to confront The Devourer, an unnatural being trafficking in stolen children. 

Where the Dead Fear to Tread is a tale of hard-boiled macabre, bridging numerous genres to reveal a story of horror, crime and revenge. 

Available from the Untreed Reads Store, Amazon and most major e-book retailers for $4.99.

Author Bio

M.R. Gott is the author of the novel Where the Dead Fear to Tread and the forthcoming sequel Where the Damned Seek Closure. You can visit M.R. at his website Cutis Anserina. Aside from contacting M.R. you will find his collection of book reviews and a list of small horror films you may have missed. M.R. lives contentedly in central New Hampshire with his wife, and their three pets. Aside from writing M.R. enjoys dark coffee, dark beer and fading light.

GIVEAWAY!

M.R. and Untreed Reads are giving away an eBook copy of Where the Dead Fear to Tread to TWO lucky winners.  To enter, leave a comment with your email address.  Giveaway is open internationally.  Winners will be selected by Random.org.  Ends Friday, October 14 Extended...ends October 31 at 11:59pm CST.

Good luck!