I have read some of Calvin Demmer’s stories and Dark Celebrations is an anthology that may make you want to party…or not.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Dark Celebrations is not my first foray into Calvin Demmer’s world and I look forward to going wherever he wants to take me in this collection of stories.

I was going to review each story separately, but with Covid -19 around and being cooped up for six weeks now, I find my motivation running a bit empty. So…

I enjoyed all the stories and spending time in the world of horror and the supernatural. Calvin Demmer is skilled at crafting tales that give me the creepy crawlies,making me glad that it is fiction.

Wantta party? The door is open. Come on in. But, lock the doors and turn on the lights.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dark Celebrations by Calvin Demmer.

4 Stars

Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard is the oldest book on my want to read shelf of Goodreads. I added it on 5.13.12, the same month I joined Goodreads and began blogging. That’s a long time to wait…

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I feel Lethal Circuit by Lars Guignard reads like a Clive Cussler novel or an Indiana Jones movie and I do love a grand adventure.

Michael flies to China to investigate his father’s so called accidental death. The shit hits the fan as soon as he lands…and thank goodness Kate was there. Was it by coincidence?

Well, there are plenty of twists, turns, and betrayal that kept me reading until the last page was turned. I do love book surprises, and Lethal Circuit has its fair share.

3 'Stars

Strangers by Michaelbrent Collings is a fabulous read. I love the covers, but the second one from Amazon is sooooo cool.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I didn’t realize I had this on my Kindle from an Amazon free day, when I read the second book, Stranger Still by Michaelbrent Collings. Any questions I had from the second book were answered here, but I feel both books could stand alone.

Horror of horrors, trapped in your house, no way out, a stranger dead set on playing a deadly game of cat and mouse. Who or will anyone survive?

The bogeyman…

The punisher…

Do you run? There’s nowhere to go.

Do you hide? There’s nowhere to hide.

Strangers is a psychological thriller that ranks up there with Dean Koontz and Stephen King. The horror is nonstop, nail biting suspense that makes each person face their shortcomings…and maybe pay for them in a gruesome way.

4 Stars

The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz is the third book in the Jane Hawk series.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been binge reading the Jane Hawk series, checking them out from the library.

The danger increases for Jane Hawk. ‘They’ dog her every step. In this day of the digital footprint, she strives to stay off the grid, but even burner phones could lead to her destruction.

She finds some unlikely allies along the way, always on the run.

Jane Hawk is a character that hits all the high marks for me. To say she is strong is putting it mildly. It takes all the skills she possesses to stay one step ahead of those who want to take her down. She does not want to kill, but will do so when necessary.

She plots and plans each step she takes, but when she has to make a quick decision, her mind quickly runs through her options and she commits to her course of action.

The books are loooooong and richly detailed. Sometimes I just wanted to skim through to get to the action, but as I walked…or ran…step by step with Jane, I felt it also increased my anticipation, knowing something wicked this way comes.

4 Stars

I started listening to Bob by Tegon Maus in July of 2019. Why did it take me so long?

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I am new to audiobooks and it took me a very long time to listen to the entire book. I feel my review may not reflect my true feelings about the story, because of my brain wanting to wander all the time. Anyway….

I did spend a lot of time laughing, especially with the dialogue. Jonathon Cook did an awesome job with the narration. He had me laughing my head off with Bob’s accent and made it easy to determine who was talking. Tegon Maus has created an interesting storyline and the missing girl is much more than she seems. Peter Anderson’s search for her leads him on a wild adventure, filled with danger and new friends.

I voluntarily reviewed a free ecopy of the audible for Bob by Tegon Maus.

3 stars

I have seen Darynda Jones name bandied about for a long time now, so I am glad to finally pick up one of her books and have an introduction into her world with A Bad Day for Sunshine. I couldn’t resist this fabulous cover. I want to thank Darynda Jones and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review my first Darynda Jones novel.

It will be released on April 7, 2020 and is available for preorder HERE.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I have been wanting to read a Darynda Jones novel for some time now, so when I saw the chance to grab this advanced review copy from NetGalley, I jumped all over it.

Sunshine Vicram is back in town after some shenanigans pulled by her parents, getting her elected as the sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, and supplying her with an adorable home for her and her daughter, Aurora.

Right off I liked Sunshine and Auri’s relationship, their verbal banter leads to some very humorous dialogue, and I could there are some underlying problems.

• Sunshine has a past that demands answers and she is going to find them
• Auri has seemed a bit off since the New Year’s party she went to when they arrived.

Del Sol is a small town with all kinds of crazy going on. We have some unique, quirky, entertaining characters and lots of secrets surround them. There is a sense of mystery underlying every event that transpires and no one gives answers easily.

I enjoyed the beginning of the book, but began to wonder what all the hoopla was about Darynda Jones’ work. The fun writing and character’s personalities had me liking them and the undercurrent in town made me think there was danger coming, but where is that feeling that I can’t stop reading until I have all the answers? At 30%, I became more involved, but the verdict is still out.

At 62%, Darynda Jones got my attention with a twist and I even teared up thinking about Auri…and the rest of the pack. After this it moved quickly. I know how this will end, but the last third of the book is what made it all worthwhile, keeping me glued to the pages.

Well…I love it and, even though this story is told, I am sure there is more to come for these fabulous characters and I hope to be there with them.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of A Bad Day For Sunshine by Darynda Jones.

4 Stars

I have been a long time fan of Dean Koontz, though I haven’t reviewed many of his books. I especially love his old time horror, but The Whispering Room is horror of a human kind and I am lovin’ the Jane Hawk series.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz is Book II of the Jane Hawk series. The books need to be read in order, and when I started the series, I had no idea there are five books, looooong books, but I am lovin’ them.

The Whispering Room picks up where The Silent Room leaves off.

I must warn you about the characters. There are so many great ones introduced, but many will not survive, so be careful who you become enamored with. She has ‘friends’ that offer their help, some willingly, some not so willingly, but this is a solo operation and she works best alone.

“They’ll all know about you in The Whispering Room.”

I loved when Jane put her mission aside to render assistance to a family. It shows what kind of person she really is. This is a nice touch, because most of the story is spent with Jane traveling here to there in search for answers.

The high and mighty sociopaths are culling the population. Why? What makes the victims such a threat? How did they even come to think of such horror? And all the other twisted, perverted things they do?

Iron Furnace, Kentucky makes the Stepford Wives look like child’s play.

Utopia…one man’s vision is another man’s horror.

I know, with the digital world we live in, there is no such thing as privacy. Every time we step foot outside our homes, we are being watched. Anyone can be found anywhere. But there are even more threats out there and I wonder if something like this could happen in the future.

I loved that I made a quick appearance, or at least my name did, Sherry. That’s always fun to see.

The action ramps up in The Whispering Room. I was not able to quit reading, rapidly flipping the pages and I mourn for some of the characters that fall victim.

Are ‘they’ going to ‘win’? How can they not? But this is fiction, so I know (?) Jane has to come out victorious.

I checked out The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz from the library and have already downloaded the next book, The Crooked Staircase.

4 Stars

It’s been a while since I’ve read a Dean Koontz novel, so I joined the Library Challenge to encourage myself to catch up on some authors I have been missing. I am so glad I did and have already downloaded Book II, The Whispering Room.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I checked out The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz from the library and I am so glad I did. I love characters like Jane Hawk, who do what must be done when others are unable to stand for themselves.

Call her a vigilante? Maybe. Call her a savior? Well, she can’t save them all and she pays a huge price. It was the suicide of her husband that sets her on the hunt. She doesn’t believe it. She must find out for herself…WHY.

The hunter becomes the hunted, when those who want to keep the suicides secret find out she is on the hunt. She finds some unlikely allies as she struggles to stay one step ahead of those who want her dead.

I thoroughly enjoyed joining Jane Hawk on her wild adventure. It made me think…could this happen today? Nanobots…are they good or bad, or both? Someone always finds a way to take something good and make it bad and ‘they’ do it in a frightening way in The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz.

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz is part of the Jane Hawk series and does not stand alone. Read in order of release.

I immediately downloaded The Whispering Room, Book II in the Jane Hawk series.

4 stars

Last year I took in numerous books from new to me authors. None were disappointing, though some were better than others. Shepherd’s Warning by Cailyn Lloyd was a delightful surprise.

Cover by Rose Miller

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

A house in the woods. The man. The woman. A hidden entity.

Who doesn’t love a good haunted house story?

Lucas and his brother, Nate, had inherited the MacKenzie mansion in the small town of Lost Arrow. It had sat deserted for years and they were there to make it their home. HGTV would be along for the ride, documenting the transformation.

They had no knowledge of it’s reputation, the accidents, the things that go bump in the night.

Tom Wolfe had sworn to protect the house, while he waits for the owner, his love, Elizabeth, to return. He wonders why, now, they are people here. Is it at her whim? He likes that they are fixing it up, but once they are done, he wants them gone.

A premonition brought Kenric Shepherd to Wisconsin. His vision warns of danger, but he must wait for more to be revealed.

As soon as the chainsaw did it’s thing, I would have been long gone.

Laura had been treated for epilepsy and was bullied and teased growing up. She learned to enjoy her own company. I guess now she’ll learn it was so much more than epilepsy.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Shepherd’s Warning by Cailyn Lloyd.

4 Stars

Jaye Frances can write some fabulous stories that go places I never thought I would be…and I love it!

Amazon / Goodreads

Due to mature content, this book is best suited for a Mature YA/New-Adult or Adult reader.

John looked at the sign, Lucius D Harwell.

He approached the doctor’s door and knew he had to go in…now. Before anyone saw him, “So”, the doctor said, “Are you ready?”

When he saw the bucket full of the slithering slime he remembered the woman he had brought in a while back. It hadn’t ended so well for her.

What would become of him? There had to be another way. He couldn’t bring himself to let the doctor begin. He had heard stories whispers, quickly hushed when someone approached. The doctor tried to talk him into beginning but he thought it couldn’t hurt to hypothetically discuss other options. The doctor tried to explain that it wasn’t like an elixir or ointment, couldn’t be found in a battle or jar – more like a potion, it was witchcraft. It went against church and state, but John couldn’t help himself.

Three conditions would let the doctor begin his recommended treatment, after he told him he would have to “cast away his good name and denounce all things holey and pure”. He would never speak of the books or what was contained in the pages. He agreed. The doctor retrieved the book and John watched him place it on the desk.

He saw only one word, KURE. The doctor gave him one more chance to change his mind, but he placed his hand on the cover of the book and felt an evil. As the book turned its pages on its own volition the doctor began reading.

How did Jaye Frances go there? It makes me wonder how her mind works.

Jaye France’s books have taken me on some wild journeys I never could have imagined, and I always breathe a sigh of relief, for leaving with my sanity, when the story is told.

5 Stars

The Vampire Next Door

The True Story of the Vampire Rapist

by JT Hunter

on Tour February 1-29, 2020

The Vampire Next Door is my second book by J T Hunter. I love reading true crime. Of course, a lot of time, the fiction I read seems all too real. So come on in and enjoy the tour.

There are two covers for the book, one on Goodreads (above) and one on Amazon (below). Which do you like best?

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

I love the way The Vampire Next Door by J T Hunter was written. The story flows smoothly, drawing me in to the twisted story of John Crutchley.

Factual accounting, but J T Hunter writes with a flair, bringing to life the depraved and gruesome action John Crutchley, a serial killer,walks on a super dark side, not content with just killiing, but rapes and tortures for fun. It’s so hard to understand how someone can do these terrible thing, but I am fascinated trying to figure out what makes them tick.

One victim survives to give details that may never have been known otherwise.

He had a terrible upbringing, but I make no excuses for him. We all make choices, and he made some depraved ones. He is brilliant, a genius IQ, equivalent to Bill Gates, but socially and romantically inept. Some of the jobs he held are amazing, working for NASA, the pentagon, and other top secret clearance companies.

He is vicious. Delights in seeing terror and suffering in his victims. He was a thief and, even with a top secret clearance, he dealt drugs, because he could. He loved the thrill of getting away with it. Definitely shows his personality.

J T Hunter’s research includes letters written by him, interviews, police reports, etc. He is a Ted Bundy type of serial killer, coming across as the harmless guy net door, with a psychopathic ability to fake caring and able to manipulate others to do his bidding. Watch out when the dark comes to light. No conscience. No qualms about lying to achieve his ends.

Makes me sick, lying and whining, trying to invoke sympathy. Why does a serial killer think he deserves any mercy? It’s novels like this that leave me feeling angry, enraged, disgusted and totally pissed off…not only at the pathetic excuse for a human being, but the justice system and law enforcement.

I take some solace in the advancements that have been made in forensic science and investigation techniques, treating rape as the felonious violent crime it is and the changing of laws, where hopefully the punishment fits the crime.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Vampire Next Door by J T Hunter.

4 Stars

I actually picked up Itsy Bitsy Spider by Willow Rose on an Amazon free day on 11.22.14. I didn’t read it until 6.8.19, but that’s not the books fault. LOL

I am thoroughly creeped out by spiders, so I do love this cover.

Amazon / Audiobook / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Oh Astrid. My heart is breaking and I’ve only read the Prologue. I am one of those people that love Prologues and Epilogues.

Emma Frost is new to the island due to an inheritance, a house from her grandmother. let’s see what kind of trouble will come her way, seeing I know Willow Rose from other stories of hers I have read and she tends to blow my mind.

There’s a murder next door. “Welcome to the neighborhood.”

Willow has a way of grabbing me by the throat, gaining my full attention as I struggle like the characters to survive the evil.

WTF! Sure led me down a twisted, horrifying path to the killer.

Willow Rose draws me in slowly…I know it’s hard to come up with something new..and BAM, in your face, but Willow seems able to do that many times over!

From past to present an evil secret in Emma’s family is expose.

Blew me away. Saying OMG, Omg, omg…

5 Stars