Eight unscrupulous guests have been invited to the centuries old Blackstone Resorts. Each patron has his or her own reason for needing an escape from unpleasant circumstances. Tensions mount quickly as, one-by-one, they come to face their worst nightmare. Will they repent their evil ways or remain in Blackstone for the rest of their lives?
Kathy Finfrock is the author of the horror thriller House of Redemption and host of a podcast series Spooky Tales where you can find her short stories. An avid supporter of other writers, she is the organizer of a local writer’s group and has published The Ten-Minute Writing Prompt (Volume 1). She is currently working on a paranormal ghost novel.
Abby Henderson has lived her whole life under a dark cloud. When she was born, a demon called the Deacon claimed her family as his property. When she turned 13, she was traumatized by an ominous psychic vision. When she turned 14, her dad had a psychotic breakdown and tried to kill her.
She’s just turned 25, and now people are dying all around her.
This is all according to the Deacon’s plan. He believes that Abby is the key to a ritual that will unleash an ancient evil on the world, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that ritual succeeds.
Now, Abby is in the fight of her life against an enemy that defies all reason. Together with her pious girlfriend, her magic-slinging ex-teacher, and a hotheaded Amazon with a machete, Abby will have to use every trick in the book to outlast the Deacon. Because if she can’t, her next birthday is going to be Hell.
Samuel Thomas Fraser is a writer and actor from the rainy mountains of Vancouver, BC, Canada. A lover of medieval literature and truly weird fiction, Sam holds a BA in English and a Certificate in Creative Writing from Simon Fraser University. His short fiction and poetry has appeared in outlets including The Macabre Museum and Unleashed: Monsters Vs. Zombies Vol. 1. As a performer, he has inhabited such memorable stage roles as Algernon Moncrieff in The Importance of Being Earnest and Charlie Cowell in The Music Man. Abby Normal is his first novel.
It started with rumors of a plague that turned people into flesh-eating predators. The governments of the world and the media tried to suppress it, but little by little the truth got out. The economy had been in a freefall, banks closed, protests turned into riots, people began hoarding and panicking. And then on a Friday morning, the collapse came.
After the government office where Ray Daniels works shuts down, he just wants to get home to his wife and kids. On his arduous journey home, Ray gets a call from Craig, his supervisor, inviting him and his family to his home where the answers to the collapse and the Ripper Plague are waiting for him, but the phone call breaks up and Ray only hears the word Avalon.
When Ray gets home to his family, the TV stations have been replaced with a loop of the President of the United States declaring martial law. The electricity and water are shut off soon after that. They hole up in their bedroom for the night – they have no weapons, little food, and no information about why everything collapsed so quickly.
After Ray’s neighbor, Helen, holds a secret meeting to try to fight back against martial law, she asks Ray to help her blind daughter Emma, promising that Emma can help him and his family find the way to Avalon. But what is Avalon, and what does Emma know about it?
Hours later, after soldiers in gas masks take Helen away, Ray has no choice but to flee with his family. Society has crumbled within the last twenty-four hours. Hordes of flesh-eating infected are loose on the streets. The police and military are doing their best to fight back, but they are losing the battle now. The collapse is here, and Ray wants the answers that Craig has, but he must keep his family alive first.
Josh Hooper has always been a screw-up. He’s done his share of jail time and has battled drugs and alcohol throughout his life. But since moving to Pittsburgh with his sister, Josh has gotten clean and turned his life around . . . just in time for the apocalypse.
As society begins to collapse on a Friday morning, Josh drives into the city to get some lifesaving medications for his nephew. When he tries to avoid the mass of panicked people and gridlocked traffic downtown, Josh is arrested, beaten, and detained.
Josh and some of the other uninfected are taken to a FEMA camp miles outside the city as the Ripper Plague continues to spread. They are taken to the camp for their protection, but Josh soon realizes that the camp is not what it seems to be . . . he believes terrible things may be happening there. Not only does he need to get back to his sister and nephew, but he needs to escape the evil brewing in the camp.
At night, while making his plans to escape, Josh dreams of a beautiful blind woman who calls to him, inviting him to head south to join her and others. And there’s someone else in his dreams, a man in the shadows with eyes that shine in the darkness, an evil man who will try to stop Josh and the others. But Josh can’t worry about people he sees in his dreams, people that he convinces himself aren’t real, because even though the chances of his sister and nephew being alive and uninfected are dwindling, he has to try to get to them.
Luke is not a nice man. He’s not a good person. But he’s a fighter . . . a survivor. A former MMA fighter who was sent to prison for attempted murder, Luke is accepted into a crime family run by Vincent, and during his years there he’s trained in weapons and the art of delivering pain.
When civilization collapses, Luke is sent to protect Vincent’s brother and his family. Luke finds the family slaughtered and the brother responsible, already infected by the Ripper Plague. After killing the brother, Luke knows he needs to flee the city. But with martial law declared and Vincent vowing revenge, sending the assassin who trained Luke after him, Luke’s chances of getting out of the city don’t look very good.
But Luke won’t give up, and with help from a woman who’s nearly as skilled and deadly as he is, Luke finds himself heading out of the city, on a new path, a journey south. In his dreams, Luke has seen a beautiful blind woman calling him south to be with her and the others. But there’s someone else in his dreams, a shadowy man of pure evil who is amassing an army to collect and control all the food and dwindling resources left behind. Not only will Luke and Wilma have to contend with the hordes of rippers on their journey, but they will have to run right through the shadowy man’s dark army.
Ray, Emma, and Mike are on their way to Doug’s cabin in the woods, their hope of refuge, when they drive into a trap in a small mountain town in West Virginia, a trap set by the Dark Angels, a gang controlled by the shadowy man they’ve seen in their dreams, the man who calls himself the Dragon.
Just when things are bleakest, Josh helps save Ray and the others. Josh is shocked when he sees Emma, the woman he’s seen in his dreams, the woman who has helped him along the way. And Josh has also seen Ray and Mike in his dreams. And he’s seen Luke and others. He knows that they are all meant to be together . . . if they can survive.
Miles away, Luke has made his way south from the Camp, but he gets trapped in the small town of Heaven, West Virginia, hunkered down in a building, the place surrounded by Dark Angels. But Luke has weapons and ammo to hold them off for a little while. A Dark Angel calls out to Luke on a megaphone, trying to convince him to surrender and promising that he has a surprise coming for him.
After a nearly-deadly encounter with a horde of rippers, Ray drives Josh, Emma, and Mike right into the battle in Heaven, West Virginia. And soon they are banded together with Luke. But now they are trapped together, making plans to escape, as the surprise the Dark Angels have promised comes into town.
Will they make it to their refuge, the cabin in the mountains? And if they do, is the refuge truly the safe place they’ve been dreaming of . . . or is it even more dangerous?
Kate Crawford’s world was shattered when the Collapse came. It seemed like one moment she was a university professor of Anthropology, and the next moment she was hiding in her home from the Ripper Plague, tortured by nightmares of a shadowy man with shining eyes. And then the Dark Angels came to her neighborhood, marking front doors and searching homes – she had no choice but to leave.
She planned to travel west, back to her hometown in the mountains of North Carolina, back to an oppressive family she vowed never to return to . . . but she has nowhere else to turn now.
Before she can even make it out of the city, she’s stuck on the roof of a building with a possible madman, the streets below overrun with tens of thousands of rippers. But she knows she needs to get out of the city, because the blind woman in her dreams tells her to head west, telling her that there are others like her, that they will all be together . . . they just need to find each other first.
Ray, Mike, Emma, Luke, and Josh think they’ve found their refuge at the West Virginia cabin, but it all falls apart when Luke finds tracks in the snow at the edge of the woods. Someone has been watching them. A ripper? A Dark Angel? Someone else? Soon they find their stalker, a young woman, but is she who she says she is? Can they believe her story?
To the south, in North Carolina, Lisey brings a horde of rippers to Kate’s parents’ home where Kate, Brooke, Petra, and Max are holed up. They don’t have time to pack their truck as they try to get away from the mob of rippers. But even if they get away, they don’t realize that something is waiting for them in the shadows of the woods just down the street.
Each group faces its own challenges, yet they are getting closer and closer to coming together. They need to be strong because the Dragon and his evil forces have ramped up their game, herding them where he wants them, ready for the final attack.
Mark Lukens has been writing since the second grade when his teacher called his parents in for a conference because the ghost story he’d written had her a little concerned.
Since then he’s had several stories published and four screenplays optioned by producers in Hollywood. He is the author of many bestselling books including: Ancient Enemy, Sightings, Devil’s Island, The Exorcist’s Apprentice, Followed, and more. He is a member of The Horror Writers Association.
He grew up in Daytona Beach, Florida. But after many travels and adventures, he settled down near Tampa, Florida with his wonderful wife and son … and a stray cat they adopted.
He loves to hear from readers! He can be found on Facebook at Mark Lukens Books, on Twitter @marklukensbooks, and you can follow his blog at www.marklukensbooks.wordpress.com. He can be reached by e-mail at mark@marklukensbooks.com.
Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation
by Francis H. Powell
Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Scifi Short Stories
What if the human race was considered irrelevant and then each being was just uploaded then locked away on hard drives called “brain pods” ?
What if a sub species was to come into fruition, then the human race turned on it, hunted it down before trying to annihilate it? Imagine you found out you were an ancient soul, who is reunited with another being from your former life?
Set in different times in a variety of settings and time periods, the past, the present and the future, the book explores the inevitable unknown that lies before us all “death”. Death can arrive in a multitude of forms. Each part of the book explores different themes. There are characters who following their demises have to face up to their lurid pasts. There are some who face annihilation and others who are in a crazy pursuit of world destruction. We are living in an age in which it appears that the doomsday clock is ticking ever faster, as we teeter over the edge of world destruction. The book aims to contain some ironic twists. Even as young children we build up nightmare visions of what death involves. The reader is often left to distinguish between what is real and what is not, as stories reside within stories and the storytellers can never be fully trusted. Not all the book is doom and gloom, there are Elsa Grun’s bizarre encounters with men and Shellys’ hapless husband Arnie.
From secluded beach houses, to obscure motels, to visions of heaven, which takes the form of the Hotel Paradiso, to the world of the future death is always a wild adventure.
Born in 1961, in Reading, England Francis H Powell attended Art Schools, receiving a degree in painting and an MA in printmaking. In 1995, Powell moved to Austria, teaching English as a foreign language while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Brittany, France writing both prose and poetry. Powell has published short stories in the magazine, “Rat Mort” and other works on the internet site “Multi-dimensions.” His two published books are Flight of Destiny and Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation
A.D. Wayne and I met through social media. She’s a lovely person who is an incredible writer. She sheds a unique perspective on horror and darker side of writing and a wonderful artist. I’m impressed with her work.
Author Bio
A.D.
Wayne grew up in the artistic and publishing world. She studied visual art as
well as creative literature, parapsychology, and astronomy. Despite her
introverted personality, Wayne decided to realize one of her secret dreams to
create a gothic magazine that would reach out to all who had a passion for what
goes bump in the night. That is when Gothic Bite Magazine was born.
Wayne’s first dream achieved, she then desired nothing more than to publish her series of novels. Torn between two passions she unites with science, Wayne created a Gothic series and Sci-Fi series. She made her place in the author’s world by believing she could do it as long as she followed the words of her favorite villains, “Resistance is futile,” and keep writing.
Tell us about yourself.
Hi! I’m Alexa Wayne, aka the OCD Vampire and creator of Gothic Bite Magazine. I’m obsessed with Vlad III or Vlad the Impaler. I am an introvert, and I do not hide it anymore. I even believe it to be an asset for someone who is like me. I am writing and drawing all day long with my little dog, Carey, by my side.
I
studied graphic and web design a decade ago, along with 2D and 3D Animation. I
also took online Sequential Art | Inking & Rendering | Anatomy and Comic
Book Art classes with Comics Experience. I then went to Syn Studio and studied
Digital Painting | Storytelling & Design | Character Rendering | Comic
Book. I own a diploma in WordPress with TechUComp. I have various certifications
and qualifications in Proofreading & Editing | Creative Writing | Novel
Writing | Successful Self- Publishing | Social Media Marketing | Blogging
Business | Virtual Assistance | Ufology | Astronomy | Cryptozoology | Wicca |
Hoodoo | Kitchen Witchery, with Centre of Excellence.
I
took many art classes to help me in my development as a well-rounded artist. I
didn’t wish to rely on anyone to become the writer that I envisioned in my
head. I love everything when it comes to creating something. I like doing
research, marketing, graphic, and web design. I enjoy the entire process of
turning a piece of art, including a novel, into something incredible.
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I grew up in the artistic world. I went to acting school for thirteen years of my life, and that included classical ballet, along with singing and various types of acting and dancing styles.
If
someone asked me why I love to read and watch the most, it would be Dracula or
vampires in general. To me, the comic book is the most accurate form of art
when it gets closer to acting. Some would argue, of course, debate it to the
contrary, but acting has many faces.
Time
passed, I needed something more, and that was to gain writing experience. The
Geek Initiative became the first professional blog I worked for, and it was
epic. I enjoy the geeky environment and the opportunity they gave me. The
founder, Tara M. Clapper, and editor in chief became my first novel editor.
She
gave me the backbone I needed to find my way as an artist and author. I am now
the proud creator of Gothic Bite Magazine. I write paranormal suspense novels
in the horror genre. It took me some time, but now I know that I am proud to be
a monster nerd, and a hundred percent living in her twisted mind!
What genres do you like to read? Are these the same genres you write in?
I like to read history books in the subjects I love the most such as The Knight Templars, The Dark Ages, Kings & Queens of the Middle Ages, Pharaohs, Vikings and a lot about Vlad the Impaler!
I
also read a lot in the genre that I write to understand better and learn from
authors that made a name for themselves or simply to keep me updated. Those
would include Oliver Bowden, Bernard Cornwell, C.C. Humphreys, Charlaine
Harris, Jeaniene Frost, and Stephen King, to name my “go-to.”
Is your book for adults, young adults, or children?
My books are for a mature audience, 18+ because of the explicit goriness and some violent graphic scenes. The language is also a factor when dialogs take place between characters.
I
also put warnings if there are mentions of PTSD, chronic anxiety, suicidal
thoughts, or even any type of phobias. I keep my characters, despite them being
fictional, as real as possible in the environment that they are. So, they do
have psychological problems or obstacles to overcome. Again, those are factors
that make it more for a mature audience.
What is your current release or project?
My latest novel that came out on January 31st, 2020, is The Gravedigger. It is the second installment in the Lord Impaler series, the sequel to Mrs. Blackwood. Although it is a sequel, it is not necessary to read Mrs. Blackwood to enjoy the novel, as it was an introduction, an extra to the series.
Tell us about the key characters
The main female character, Clémentine Lyon or Dr. Lyon, is a professional vampirologist who studied anthropology and ancient history. She worked for the RunwayLAB, who denied her the recognition she deserved when discovering the legitimate remains of a petrified vampire corpse near the Moosham Castle in Austria.
She
is a quite special hereditary witch, gifted with a strong bloodline that
allowed her the title of Gravedigger. She is quite aware of the monster world,
referred to as “Frankensteins.” Furthermore, her passion for Vlad the Impaler
brings her to question quite a few obstacles on her quest to save and protect
the Frankensteins and peace between humans and her people, the Nightfall Coven.
Of
course, Vlad the Impaler is part of the novel series. His history that we know
is quite hard to understand and pinpoint because although he was noble,
Wallachia—now Romania, was always under assault. Mixing history and taking
liberties between gaps in his life were hard choices. I wanted to create an
authentic Vlad. However, it is the first book with him present. Much more
remains to be seen concerning him, his life, as a vampire, and when alive.
Other
historical characters make their entrance, such as Matthias Corvinus, Elizabeth
Báthory, Ragnar Lothbrok, Cennétig mac Lorcáin, and others. Moreover, you have
one character named, Naten, who is quite important not only because he is
Vlad’s best friend but also because he is a revamp of a classic monster.
All
characters have a central role to play. Because it is the second installment
but also the actual “first” novel of the series, pawns have their
place to be. I like for everyone to have a reason, or at least, I try my best.
What is your blurb or synopsis of the book?
Lord Impaler Series — The Gravedigger
Clémentine
Lyons is determined to prove the existence of monsters, including vampires, to
the masses. In her attempts, she found herself face to face with her all-time
hero, the Impaler.
Quickly,
Clémentine is brought neck-deep in the horror of what it means to be an actual
vampire. Monsters are not what they seem to be, and humans are those that
should be taken down. By the Impaler’s side and her crew, Clémentine realizes
that life is a game of survival.
Share an excerpt
Chapter 1: Bad Blood
“I told you not to drink from
strangers!” He growled through his teeth, where a strong impact resonated
from the wall when propping his guard against it. “We have givers and
VitaL for a reason!” He let go of the body that fell on the wooden floor
of the French mansion, and with his smoky voice, he added, “Wipe that
blood off your face and put away those fangs, before I smack them off your
mouth.”
The vampire used his sleeve to wipe the
sanguine liquid dripping from his mouth. He looked up toward the tall and dark
lead vampire and said, “It’s strange hearing those words from the one who
used to have a forest of impaled bodies…remind me how many were there, twenty,
thirty, or was it—”
“A hundred thousand, and don’t make
me add you to that list!” He shouted through his smoky voice, adding with
a carved frown as he pulled him back up against the wall by the collar of his
shirt, “Don’t think for one moment that because you’re part of Matthias’
House, I won’t hesitate to impale you and turn you inside out! You, filthy
piece of shit!”
“I was sent by Corvinus to keep an
eye on your doings, Vladislav. The Dark Ages Council is doubting your loyalty
to our people.” His voice, reminiscent of a snake crawled up Vlad’s skin
and so he stared at the bloodsucker with his vampire’s eyes, showing a red dot
in his pupils.
“You’re abusing your rank,
Ragnar.”
“Corvinus paid me to be your
shadow, and so I shall be.”
Vladislav lost patience and threw Ragnar
out of the boudoir and closed the double doors. “Piss off!”
As he walked back toward the fireplace,
near his friend François, he thought about the many rules to follow as a
vampire leader ever since he was turned. His name had him placed on the highest
of ranks. His actions had him been feared by many vampires that demanded proof
of his maker but found none. It had Vladislav seen as a First. In spite of it
all, his reputation and life as a human who died over five centuries ago,
Vladislav had to comply with the Dark Ages Council.
Ragnar belonged to Matthias Corvinus’
House, a man who had stabbed him in the back and sold him out to their enemy
while he was still human. Vladislav despised the conservative vampires, which
were all part of the Dark Ages Council. As he was the leader of the idealists,
those who wished to be part of the human world, one female vampire was the
opposite and protected the old ways. There were many cherished traditions, and
Ragnar was one who enjoyed applying these traditions ever since he had been
turned around eight hundred years ago.
Vladislav felt a pat on his back, then
the hand moved to his shoulder with a firm grip, “Like it or not my friend,
if you don’t control yourself and start acting with that overly high IQ brain
of yours, you’ll perish at Matthias’ hand once again.”
“I lost my token, François. If I
don’t find it soon, I’ll die no matter what.”
“Any leads on who took it?”
“All of those I suspected came out
clean. I need a witch to help me find it and find the rat who sold me out,
again.”
All of the conservatives Vladislav
suspected stealing his token came out clean once under his mindspell. He
thought because the idealists desired nothing more than to live at peace with
humans, that those opposed to it and fighting for the old ways would send
someone to steal his one object, preventing him from turning into a puddle of
muddy blood. Yet, he came out empty-handed. The smell of burning logs from the
fireplace brought comfort to Vladislav’s mind, but his problems kept surfacing,
and when François showed a grin, he bent over to stare at his computer screen.
“This is Clémentine Lyon. She’s a
vampirologist and parapsychologist. She teaches classes at three different
universities. She’s also the one who found the body of an ancient vampire
petrified not too far from the Moosham Castle in Austria. She made the news,
and she traveled around until she was silenced.”
“Conservatives?”
“Yes. They stopped her from sharing
the truth and alienated the body as proof.”
Vladislav looked at her black hair going
down her neck, hazel green eyes, and fair skin. In her picture, she wore a
black tank top with a beaked hoodie and had a subtle smile while standing in
front of an iron gate. He couldn’t help but smirk when he heard his friend say,
“By doing some more research on her, I found that she has a Ph.D. in
history and specialized in legends and folklore. She is also part of the Life
at Dusk documentary series on the Dark Channel.”
Do you have a favorite scene?
I do have a favorite scene. Challenging my characters are what I enjoy the most, torturing them, and have them agonize on decisions they must make. As Spock best said, “Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.” Followed by Captain Kirk, “…or the one.”
My
favorite scene is when Vlad’s best friend, Naten, must decide if he’s life is
worth more than Vlad’s importance to the Nightfall Coven and the survival of
humanity. He must take upon himself the role of King again for a while, but a
mummy can only survive so long before they need their own “coffin.”
That scene is one of the most exhausting ones I wrote because I could feel the
weight I put on the shoulders of Naten, Vlad, Mr. Priest, and Clementine.
What advice would you give a beginner?
I grew up in the art and publishing world. Books surrounded me since I was born. Raised by my grandparents and mother, my grandpa worked for a binding & printing company. He would often come back with boxes of books and encyclopedia worth so much money but didn’t “make the cut” because of small printing errors.
So,
my advice would be if you wish to become a graphic/web designer or illustrator,
do not be afraid to stand out. I mean, by that, do not fit in any cookie
cutters. Look at the latest trends, yes, but also, don’t be afraid to find
inspiration in the past.
Myself,
I am more of a European stylist in design than North American simply because I
prefer certain aspects of it. Put together your portfolio and a professional
website. Don’t be afraid to pay for a professional website if you must.
Graphic/web design requires a certification because of the complexity of the
rules and printing industry, as well as the online industry.
When
it comes to authors, do not stop writing because people tell you that you
cannot make it. It is NOT true. Do not listen to those voices. Keep writing and
again, stand out. When everyone goes right for the style of writing or book
cover, don’t be afraid to go left. Do not settle for anyone but yourself and
how much you believe in your story.
Another
common mistake to avoid, do not do everything yourself. Do not fear your limits
and hire a graphic designer or illustrator for your book cover. The phrase
“do not judge a book by its cover” is an excellent lesson to learn, but
sadly, every one of us bought at least one book just because the cover was
amazing. So, investing in editors, graphic designers, and web designers are
crucial parts of being an indie author. It is in those details that one can
stand out from the sea of indie authors.
In conclusion, do not let fear and peer pressure dictate what you wish to become or do with your creation. Just keep going, and you won’t regret it.
August 1888. Jericho Mannion is the captain of an old, cash-strapped steamer named the Orion. He’s been steadily losing money to his competitors, the railways. When he finds out from his first mate, Tal MacTavish, that the next passage across Lake Erie has only a few passengers, his hopes sink of ever getting out of debt. But Providence has smiled upon him. Though the passenger list is small, they have almost a full cargo hold, thanks to William Ross and the university he works for.Ross is the team leader of a university archeology dig tasked with retrieving the debris from a meteorite crash in western Ohio. He is quite anxious to get his find back to the university for study and is willing to pay Jericho double the fare for his team and cargo for a straight shot across Lake Erie from Toledo, Ohio to Buffalo, NY. Jericho becomes suspicious when Ross refuses to divulge the contents of his cargo and the haste in which he wants to cross. Desperately needing money, Jericho reluctantly agrees when Ross finally offers him triple the fare; he will take him and his cargo on the nonstop 14-hour trek across the lake.But what few people on the ship know is what was initially thought to be a meteorite crash turned out to be an alien craft. The crates in the cargo area hold the remains of the ship. And what no one knows, not even the university team, is that something in those crates is still alive.Now, in a growing storm, alone in the middle of the lake, people are turning up dead. Who will survive the crossing when something wicked this way comes?
I have been writing online since the early 2000’s, primarily writing horror stories in the style of Poe and Lovecraft. I was the 2nd most popular author on the website storiesbyemail.com for two years before moving on. I had my first book, a Victorian era horror compilation called Bumps in the Night, published by Mystic Moon Press just a week before they closed their website and never saw my hard work pay off. Afterwards I took publishing into my own hands, became an Indie author and haven’t looked back. My first self-published book was Dead of Night, another compilation of Victorian horror stories, published September 2016 by Createspace and on Kindle by KDP. After its publication I left my comfort zone for mystery and wrote a short story about Sherlock Holmes in the Conan Doyle style. I loved it so much I then did a longer story A Reflection of Evil, both published in 2017 through Createspace and KDP. I have just release Beyond the Gossamer Veil, another compilation of both Victorian and modern supernatural/horror stories and am in the beginning stages of my third Sherlock Holmes installment.
Ben is an award winning actor and voice over professional, who has performed all across the United States. From Shakespeare to Neil Simon, he has displayed a versatility and diversity in the characters and dialects he has portrayed. Ben received the Joseph Jefferson Award for Leading Actor as abusive talk show host Barry Champlain in Eric Bogosian’s TALK RADIO, and was nominated for Best Supporting Actor as Prosecutor Villeforte in Alexander Dumas’ THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO, also in Chicago. He has worked with an extensive list of theaters in Chicago over the last three decades: Steppenwolf, Bailiwick, Famous Door, Next, A Red Orchid, Raven Theater, First Folio, Writer’s Theater, Buffalo Theater Ensemble, as well as Utah Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Indiana Repertory, Madison Repertory, and Allenberry Playhouse in Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania. He is an Ensemble member of Shattered Globe Theater in Chicago. For almost a decade he was the voice of the Adler Planetarium, hosting live shows and pointing out the stars, planets and constellations on the big dome. Ben has an eponymous weekly vlog on YouTube, that he films, produces, edits and narrates. He lives in Chicago with his wife Amy, two dogs and three cats.I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by William Todd. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.
Q&A with Author William Todd
Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook.
I never used to even think about how a book would sound as an audiobook…until I finally had one done. Now, I do. The story is most important, whether read or heard. I a bad story is a bad story. But I am more cognizant now when I write with how a phrase might sound read aloud. I think my audiobooks now are much easier on the ear then my first ones because of that. And my narrator, Ben Werling, I’ve used on every story. He’s great and has a wide vocal range. He makes turning a book into audio so much easier on me. I think we’re a good team. I basically give him my manuscript with some simple directions as to accents, maybe weird words that might pop up, since I write typically late Victorian era material, and he does the rest. He does a chapter at a time and sends them to me to okay. We rarely have to redo anything. I am truly lucky because the process, at least for me, is very simple with Ben at the helm.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing?
Because audiobooks are so prevalent and getting more and more popular by the day, I think you have to be conscious of it becoming an audiobook while writing, especially if you plan on using that format. And I think an author is selling himself short if he doesn’t at least consider putting his creations on audiobook. It is another channel to garner readers and followers…and revenue.
How did you select your narrator?
I put up three pages of my book for narrators to “audition”. I listen to each audition and pick the best one. But because Ben and I have such a good working relationship, ultimately, he gets my jobs. It is not only because he is such a good narrator. I write Sherlock Holmes and gothic horror. At least for the Holmes stories, I prefer having the same Holmes and Watson in each of my stories. Ben has been hands down the best Holmes and Watson I have found so why would I switch? I don’t think my readers would like that, and I know they would hear the difference.
Are you an audiobook listener? What about the audiobook format appeals to you?
I am. Until I land on the best-sellers list or get a movie deal, I have a job to pay bills and raise my family. I drive 45 minutes one way. Sometimes, that hour and a half is the only time I have to myself, and the perfect way to spend that time is listening to audiobooks. There are just times in this hustle and bustle life where cracking open a paperback is not possible. But your ears are always available to listen.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format?
I might have to say all of it, but there’s a reason. Well, okay I’ll narrow it down to the final scenes of the book during a storm. But the reason I say all of it is because Ben employs subtle sound effects in the background much like the old radio stories. There is one part of the story where there is a storm, and the thunder and lightning in the background of the narrations lends itself perfectly to the feel of the scene.
How did you celebrate after finishing this novel?
I usually don’t. I breathe a sigh of relief, take a few days off to unwind, then jump right back in. I usually have several ideas floating around in my head or jotted down on paper. I’ll pick one, let it percolate then start the process all over again. Being an indie author and all that entails, you rarely have down time. I’m a bit OCD. Just like Monk on the TV show who has to touch things as he walks by them, my fingers have to constantly be tapping on a keyboard. I’ll celebrate when I’m dead.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump?
For both it is the same–just do it. It is very easy for life to get in the way of writing. And it’s also very easy to fall out of the habit of writing. Mowing, cleaning, doing things with family, work, prepare for holidays, just plain being lazy (guilty as charged), etc. You have to make the time. This just happened to me where I wrote nothing for over two weeks, and I have deadline to have a Holmes story written by the end of the year for a publication next year. I had been under the weather and busy with life on top of that. There were times where I could have written but didn’t. The good habit of writing almost daily had been broken. But for me, all it took was forcing myself to sit at the lap top and writing a few sentences. Those few sentences ended at ten pages. Same with reading. Even if you have to force yourself, do it. If you love to read and love to write, just the mere act will set you right again. At least it does for me.
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams?
That is where I usually get impetus for my stories, so yeah. Many characters I’ve come up with have appeared in my dreams. The trick is finding the story in which they will appear, especially when I might be working on more than one story at a time.
Do you have any tips for authors going through the process of turning their books into audiobooks?
Be picky in who you choose. The narrator is 50 percent of the audiobook, the other 50 percent being the story itself. I have heard many good stories butchered by bad narration.
What’s next for you?
I am finishing up a compilation of Sherlock Holmes stories that should be out sometime in the first half of 2020.
Author William Todd’s Picks For Something Wicked This Way Comes
Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned– but when that woman is a witch, hell is nothing but a tropical vacation.
I’ve been summoned to pronounce sentence on the men who have conned, lied, deceived, stolen or abused my worldly sisters. The time of laughing in the face of justice is over for, at least, one such man. His sins have been exposed and when he attempts to place me on his list of victims, he discovers that he made a fatal error.
An eternity of suffering is nothing compared to the fate I have in mind for him as he realizes there’s no escape from the truth. The question remains: how high a price should be paid to heal the pain he caused?
BDSM/AP lifestyler Breanna Hayse strives to give her readers truth and reality of the BDSM/Age-Play/Total Power and Erotic Exchange lifestyle.
Who am I?
I’m a native Californian gone ‘wild’, and had the opportunity to travel the globe and discover the world through the eyes of both a Marine Intelligence specialist and a BDSM lifestyler. I left the service to go into hospice nursing and grief counseling, eventually working as a marriage and family therapist for those involved in alternative lifestyle development. This experience has allowed me to gain unique inspiration for my books and offer realistic plots and relatable characters.
In 2004, my husband, John, and I joined forces to work with both submissives and dominants- teaching, training, listening and loving. Our goal was to take the mystery and fear out of the lifestyle and mentor people in safe, consensual and healthy relationships.
My first book, The Game Plan, was published in 2012 and opened the door to the now-booming world of Age-Play literature. Since that time, I’ve devoted my ‘spare’ time to writing, researching, community involvement, and private and group pro bono counseling in deviant behavior, alternative lifestyle, and addiction recovery.
I was formally ‘dungeon trained’ as a Domme before discovering my submissive side when I joined the service. My scenarios are pulled primarily from either personal experience or observation, including spending time in BDSM clubs as the safety/medical officer. My multi-faceted background allows me to glean from many avenues and give a unique and intelligent literary experience through elements of fantasy and fiction. I also discuss the questions and psychology of the lifestyle in a manner that is fun and informative, and based on ‘the real deal.’
I live with my husband, musician, and fellow-author, John Hayse, and two border collies in southern California. We practice a 24/7 D&S relationship with speckles of AP (and many trips to Build-A-Bear), and happily spend every moment together that we can. My hobbies include my puppies, hiding my vanilla salt-water taffy where John can’t find it, exotic art, collecting inspirational trinkets, and developing my own paddle line. You can also see me as a featured author/instructor in professional conference settings and as a Sexpert for kinkyliterature.com.
On July 15, 1991, an isolated village in Northern Wisconsin is ground zero for an unprecedented, fiery tragedy. Of the community’s 600 residents, there are only five survivors. Detailed accounts by the victims contradict each other; the only link is a man named Anthony Guntram, but because he is presumed to be dead, this claim can’t be verified. Further investigations reveal a culture enshrouded in mystery. What are the survivors hiding? Only the villagers know the secret of Amber Hollow, a place where sanity is checked at the town line and the parameters of reality become blurred. An unconventional horror story by design, Edgar Swamp delivers an action-driven page-turner that will keep readers guessing until the calamitous ending.
About the Author
Edgar Swamp is the author of the “Gyre Mission,” “Glitch in the Machine,” and “Blackout.” His short stories have appeared in Alienskin, Macabre Cadaver, and Urban Reinventors. When he isn’t holed up in his office playing online poker, he likes to dig up the recently deceased and make furniture out of their skin. He lives and works in San Diego, California.
“Five of us stand between a vengeful God,
his monsters and end of the world.”
As Queen of the seas, the fate of the world
now rests upon my shoulders. My powers are raw and untapped, I must learn to
harness them quickly before my father kills me and everything I love.
With just four weeks before Poseidon plans to
wipe out all of humankind, my men and I must work together to formulate a plan
to destroy him, adding one more problem to the mix could make or break us.
As a Selkie army moves closer and closer and
other outside forces threaten to destroy all that I hold dear, can we
survive long enough to put that plan into action?
Should we fail, it would mean the end.
⚠️ This is a reverse harem novel suitable for over 18’s ONLY. Rape and domestic violence are mentioned in this book. Sexually explicit scenes. Heavy M/M scenes. I would love for you to read this book, but please be aware of these advisements. Mental health is extremely important. ⚠️
About the Author:
Amelia Oliver lives at the seaside in England
with her husband and son, Oliver. When she’s not busy being a mum and wife, she
writes. Luckily, her husband supports her 100% and helps her bring life to the
characters in her head, who demands she writes their story. If there’s one
thing Amelia doesn’t like it’s to choose, and neither does her fictional women.
That’s why she’s writing in the reverse harem genre, where her heroines will
never have to choose just one guy.
Amelia is no stranger to mental and physical
health problems, so she loves writing about women who overcome struggles.
Amelia is a self-proclaimed potty mouth with a naughty sense of humour.
Seriously, who said “he/she said” jokes aren’t funny???
Dawn Daniels has always been aware of the dark force within her; a possession that is both the bane of her life and her fierce protector, Dawn must find a way to accept her reality and embrace her destiny.
Meagan J. Meehan is a published author, poet, cartoonist, and produced playwright. She pens columns for the Great South Bay Magazine, Blasting News, KidskinthaBlog, and Entertainment Vine. She is also a stop-motion animator and an award-winning abstract artist. Meagan holds a Bachelors in English Literature, a Masters in Communication, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Educational Psychology. She is an animal advocate and a fledgling toy, game, and shoe designer.
Feb. 9th
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