Daniel Sugar
Apr 20, 2018 | 1st pages, Featured, Horror, Paranormal
PROLOGUE
Do you want to read more? Get Salem Burning by Daniel Sugar
ISLE OF SKYE, SCOTLAND. 1550
The late-afternoon sun was slipping away and storm clouds and darkness were rapidly approaching as the happy eight-year-old girl carrying a straw basket filled with freshly-cut roses ran towards Delaney Castle.
Suddenly out of breath, Sarah Delaney stopped, sat down on the soft green grass and looked at her home. Delaney Castle was truly beautiful. Its stone walls and turrets so white they almost shimmered in the rapidly setting sun. It was hard to believe that a magnificent castle perched on top of a hill was actually her home. Hers! How lucky she was to live there and how blessed she was to have such wonderful parents. Parents who loved her so much they were making a magnificent birthday party for her that very evening. Overcome with happiness, Sarah could not help herself and as she stood up and ran into the castle she started to sing. “The birth day is the loveliest day. The birth day is filled with charm.”
Sarah’s beautiful, dark-haired mother, Evelyn Delaney, was clad in a breathtaking saffron gown and she was waiting for her daughter as Sarah ran into the castle.
Evelyn smiled, lifted a rose from Sarah’s straw basket and inhaled the flower’s scent. “Come along, Sarah. Everyone wants to see the birthday girl.”
Sarah kissed her mother on the cheek and said, “I am ready, mother.”
Sarah took her mother’s hand and together they walked into an enormous dining hall which was filled with relatives and friends who began to clap and cheer the moment Sarah entered the room.
Sarah scanned the room. The crowd was thick. There were so many people, too many people – but she only wanted one of them. Yet she could not find him. It was so frustrating. Where was he? Where was he? Suddenly she spotted him – her tall, handsome, blond father, Patrick Delaney, (clad in his finest tartan kilt and a velvet jacket). Sarah rushed into her father’s arms and he laughed and tossed her playfully into the air as Sarah squealed with delight. “Now we eat!” Patrick yelled. “Now we sing and dance as we let it be known to all that eight years ago, on the first of June, fifteen hundred and forty-two, my daughter, this young beauty named Sarah Delaney, was born in Scotland!”
Elisabeth Schaffalitzky
Mar 15, 2017 | Interviews, Paranormal
Today finds us chatting with MD Massey, the author of Junkyard Druid, Book 1 in the Colin McCool Paranormal Suspense Series!
T![Junkyard Druid: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (The Colin McCool Paranormal Suspense Series Book 1) by [Massey, M.D.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CWCRdplJL.jpg "Junkyard Druid - An Interview with MD Massey 3")
ell us something unexpected about yourself!
I was a professional martial arts instructor for 20 years, and I still train several times a week. Currently I'm working on improving my ground fighting skills.
What novels affected you the most growing up?
Tolkien's “The Hobbit” for one. That book introduced me to the world of fantasy fiction. I was also quite a fan of Terry Brooks' novels as well.
Where did the idea for your current book come from?
I wanted to write about druids that were less Dungeons & Dragons and more like the druids of legend. While historical druids were priests and clerics, if you look at the druids in the Irish myths they spent a lot of their time acting as kingmakers and influencing major events. They were more like Gandalf or Allanon than the glorified eco-warriors you see depicted in most modern fantasy fiction.
Do you think there's any way you could ever run out of ideas for books?
Never. Ideas are a dime a dozen. It's executing on them that's the real trick to being an author. I can come up with at least a handful of good novel ideas on any given day, but turning those ideas into compelling stories that feature believable characters who defy death time and again… that takes real skill. I don't know if I'm there yet, but I'm working on it.
What is your routine for writing and has this method changed over the span of your career?
I get up around 5 am and grab a cup of coffee, then I warm-up my writing muscles for an hour or so by writing non-fiction content. Newsletters, blog posts, etc. Then I eat breakfast, shower, and start writing fiction, usually until noon or one. After that I take a break, and I might write again later in the day if I'm in the mood. But mornings are always the most productive time for me to write.
How important is marketing and social media for you?
Very. The only authors who sell books without much marketing are those breakout black swans you hear about occasionally; Weir, Howey, Hocking. But even they have to work to keep their books in front of readers.
What advice would you have for other writers?
Write. Most writers I see online spend all their time talking about writing and publishing. Then they wonder why they aren't selling books. Well, you can't sell what you don't have. There aren't a lot of hard and fast rules for success in this industry, except that you should always be writing your next novel. I think that's the best advice any author can give or take.
What are you reading now?
“Appendix N: The Literary History of Dungeons & Dragons” by Jeffro Johnson, “Princess of Wands” by John Ringo (for the second time), and “Guerrilla Publishing” by Derek Murphy. But, Patricia Briggs' next novel in the Mercy Thompson series releases soon, so I'll probably drop everything when it hits my Kindle to read it straight through.
What's your next step?
I'm currently writing the third book in the Colin McCool Paranormal Suspense series, “Moonlight Druid.” I'm going to finish the first tetralogy in that series with a fourth novel, then I'll decide what to write after that. Probably more books about the Junkyard Druid, or a spin-off. It depends on what readers are asking for next.
Check out Junkyard Druid which is available here
Interested in getting your book promoted? Have a look at http://yourbookpromoter.com
Kharma Kelley
Dec 21, 2016 | 1st pages, Paranormal
“Would you just look at these shoes? Can I please just finish doing this in my sneakers? They're in the trunk of my car!” Chloë chunked the shovel in the earth hard, leaning against the handle. She felt her brand new royal blue pumps sink further into the soft, putrid dirt and she groaned in dismay.
This was total crap.
Not only did she totally screw up by listening to Eddie earlier, getting lured like the grandest of chumps, but she didn't bring any protection at all. Not a single legitimate weapon. Hell, even pepper spray would be welcomed right now. Nada. Just a sore neck from the tranquilizer he darted her with. Yeah, that was real smart Chloë, she thought to herself. If I get out of this alive, I'll never live it down how this nasty Cockney bastard got the drop on me. I must be slipping.
“That's okay. I’d rather not deal with any of your trickery considering you're almost done anyway.” Edward pulled out his gold pocket watch and checked the hour, his other hand pointing a flashlight at the dig site. “Let's get a move on shall we, I haven't got all night. I'm missing The Vampire Journals. I love that show.”
“Ugh. You're a bigger loser than I thought. I have a less lame life than you, and I have three cats.”
Edward hissed at her in response, exposing his yellow fangs. “I'd be nice if I were you. I'm getting a bit peckish and I can either treat you like an appetizer or a buffet, your choice.” He straightened to his full height, puffing his chest out like some classic superhero trying to establish dominance.
Chloë rolled her eyes at his ridiculous attempt at threatening her. Gods, what the hell did I see in him anyway?
She stopped shoveling and put her hand on her hip. Her eyes cut through to him.”Sooo, is this because I dumped you back in '48? Is that where all this hostility is coming from?”
Edward scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I think you have that backwards don't you think, love?”
“Uh, no I don't. In fact, I distinctly remember telling you to quote, unquote ‘piss off' and firing arrows at your chest as you ran from my apartment.” It was by far one of the greatest moments of that decade for her. Kicking Eddie's ass out of her life gave her freedom. If only she did it sooner, maybe she wouldn't have been reaping the stigma of their association even till this day. Seeing him only reminded her of the kinda shit she was in the past and how it always seem to find her.
Edward gave Chloë a sinister grin. “I think you were playing hard to get… and I decided there's far prettier and plentiful fish in the sea. Not to mention, you were simply an enormous pain in my ass!” He pointed at her. “Now shut your hole and keep digging that one!”
David J Castello
Dec 21, 2016 | 1st pages, Paranormal
Death. I was so sick and tired of death. By April of 1945, I considered death, not the German Wehrmacht or the SS, to be my real enemy. I was a twenty-one-year old medic assigned to Rifle Company I, Third Battalion, 157th Regiment, 45th Division of the Seventh United States Army, and though it was obvious we were winning the war I did not count myself among its victors. My job was to save lives, not take them, and I failed many more times than I succeeded.
On Saturday, April 28th, we were approximately thirty miles west of the Bavarian capitol of Munich. The Nazi war machine was convulsing in the final grip of its death throes and nearly every German man, woman, and child was fighting with suicidal desperation to defend what little was left of their precious Fatherland. And every day I bore witness to the desecration of one more law, ethic, or code of humanity as we journeyed one muddy step at a time into the depths of the abyss.
That afternoon, the other company medic stumbled upon a wounded German boy. The child couldn’t have been more than twelve or thirteen and was huddled tightly on the frozen ground curled in the fetal position while clenching his stomach. This medic was fresh off an LST at Marseilles−six feet of smiling, buck-toothed, corn-fed Omaha farm boy. Full of idealistic fervor, he was quite vocal in his belief that we were all on a sacred crusade to save Europe from fascism.
“There, there,” the Nebraskan said tenderly, kneeling beside the boy and softly brushing his dusty hair off his mud caked forehead as if he were calming a newborn calf on his daddy’s farm. “You’ll see, we’re going to get you all fixed up in no time.”
I’d just stretched my legs and was walking over to assist him when I saw something that froze me in my tracks. There was a double black thunderbolt crudely sewn onto the boy’s upper right shirtsleeve. Up until to that point, I’d never suspected the Nazis would recruit children for combat, but all the Nebraskan medic saw was a wounded child writhing in unbearable agony. His senses were so consumed with seeking the source of the boy’s pain that he never noticed that the innocence naturally native to a child’s eyes had slowly transformed into a cold, calculating stare. And that stare was now fixed upon him with a boiling ferocity.
He never heard the first word of my scream.
BooksGoSocial
Oct 27, 2016 | Editors' Blog, Paranormal, Thriller, Uncategorized
Halloween is here and there's a bite in the air.
At BooksGoSocial we have carefully selected a list of 13 excellent books that will keep you spellbound until the last page. So light some candles, curl up, and give yourself the creeps… It's time to bite back.
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“Twists and Turns to the Very Last Page!” Mandy baker Johnson
Dead Women. A Ruthless Killer. A Detective with something to prove. Newly promoted Detective Inspector Shona McKenzie struggles to cope with her new job, the respect of her colleagues, and the need to solve the hardest case of her life. Will she succeed?
A killer stalks the streets of Dundee, Scotland. Shona,having recently returned to Scotland, relies on the local knowledge of Sgt Peter Johnston and the rest of her team to help her track down the killer. However, this is no ordinary killer. Shona needs to use every trick in and out of the book to bring them to justice. The final revelation will shock you to the core.
Available on Amazon here
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Captivating and suspenseful young adult fiction that captures a slice of high school life.
Hanna Clark desperately wants to escape her dark past of self-mutilation and psychosis, but after she moves with her mother to a new city, she soon becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation.
Hanna races against time to prove her innocence, but if she doesn’t find the killer in time she’ll end up behind bars, while her mother is left to pick up the pieces of her life.
Available on Amazon here.
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Delectably Creepy. Gripping. Fascinating. Get Entangled in Onyx Webb: An Addictive New Paranormal Suspense Series. Onyx Webb is a multi-genre mash-up that combines supernatural suspense, crime, horror, and a touch of romance.
Onyx Webb is a ghost. Billionaire playboy Koda Mulvaney becomes obsessed with a girl he sees inside a mirror. Juniper Cole is on her way to the prom and… well, we don't want to spoil anything – we've probably told you too much already.
Available on Amazon here
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Dead of Night is a compilation of turn of the century era horror stories with a Victorian flare and traditional horror story plots with unexpected endings. If you like ghosts and ghouls and demons and werewolves, these stories are for you.
“I couldn’t stop reading to find out how each story ended and loved the twist and turns in each story. I love the Whitaker House Curse and felt like I was transported back in time. I highly recommend this book to everyone” – Amazon Review.
Available on Amazon here
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What would you do for 6 seconds of perfect bliss?
In Deeply Flawed: The Zombie Apocalypse, a new synthetic drug called Primal is giving users the ultimate rush. There’s just one teensy side effect – a mad craving for human flesh. The creator of this drug is the sinister Prospero. An evil chemist gone Breaking Bad, Prospero seems determined to send the entire city into a feeding frenzy.
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Available on Amazon here
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Sarah Bennett doesn’t remember the night her mother tumbled down the stairs at Bennett House, despite allegedly witnessing the fatal fall. There was talk of foul play, dark whispers, and sidelong glances, all aimed at Sarah, prompting her family to send her to The Laurels, an exclusive asylum in San Francisco, under a cloud of suspicion.
In order to clear her name, Sarah must remember what happened the fateful night her mother died. But as she works to regain her memory, the real murderer watches, ready to kill again to protect a dark family secret.
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Available on Amazon here
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An Unbidden Visitor is a Short Read – reading time approximately half an hour. Inspired by the story of the famous Irish poltergeist, the Cooneen ghost.
A tale of family, friends, and fear…
And the unnatural force that threatens to ruin everything…
When an unnatural and terrifying force invades their house, threatening their family, Bridget is surprised to see so many backs turning on her. Will Bridget find a way to save her home and her family before there's nowhere left to turn?
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Available on Amazon here
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An act of violence brought them together… now an act of violence has driven them apart.
Football prodigy Gary Marshall and troubled teen Arnie Dolan are inseparable. As members of the notorious Boxer Boys they tackle challenges head on, both out on the streets and closer to home. Then a rival football fan dies after a match, and their lives change forever. Now Arnie wants a reunion. He needs answers, and has a shattering secret to impart.
But where is Gary? And why is he so desperate not to be found?
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Available on Amazon here
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The first corpse, decomposed and mutilated, is discovered in a small bungalow on a quiet street. It's everybody's worst nightmare as a serial killer descends on this peaceful bedroom community. The Shadow Man's victims are like lambs to the slaughter.
But are these victims truly blameless, or did they somehow bring this horror upon themselves?
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Available on Amazon here
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SEVEN-X is a bone-chilling exploration into the root of evil within us.
Freelance Investigative Reporter Eddie Hansen gets a tip on a missing death row prisoner, Annette Dobson, known as “The SIDS Killer.”
Pregnant at the time of her execution, Eddie adamantly believes it was staged and Dobson was secretly shipped to a Behavioral Health Center in a remote location outside the small town of Dell City, Texas.
But as Eddie dives deeper into his investigation, he is forced to confront his own demons, becoming an unwilling participant in the asylum's paranormal rehabilitation experiment.
Available on Amazon here
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FOR A SMALL PRICE, ANYONE CAN BE IMMORTAL.
WELCOME TO THE BRAVE NEW WORLD.
Dr. Richard Ross has discovered a miracle cure for aging. But it comes at a price. Everyone who wants eternal youth must undergo an operation before passing into adulthood that locks their body in the form of a preadolescent youth. When seniors die off, immortal juveniles rise to power and take over the world.
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Available on Amazon here
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The New York Times bestselling author of Identity Crisis brings you five short stories of gritty and dark crime fiction. If you enjoy stories of psychological suspense, sometimes with a twist of dark humor, these five are sure to satisfy.
“FIVE UNEASY PIECES packs a nasty punch that will keep mystery fans enthralled.” —Simon Wood, author of TERMINATED
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Available on Amazon here
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CIA operative, Titus Ray, is searching for answers. Meanwhile, an assassin searches for him.
In Tehran, while hiding out from the Iranian secret police, CIA officer, Titus Ray, finds shelter with a group of Iranian Christians. Compelled by their unwavering faith, the battle-hardened agent becomes a believer shortly before they smuggle him out of Iran to freedom in Turkey.
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Available on Amazon here
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April Arnold
Sep 30, 2016 | Paranormal, 1st pages, Featured
“What are you getting?” Mick asked, still absorbed in the “entrees” section of the menu as well as the giant glass of iced tea he'd been sipping for the past several minutes.
Katie dropped her own menu onto the table, scrunched her eyes closed in concentration, and waved her right hand around in circles before slamming a single finger down onto a random portion of menu print. She opened her eyes and replied, “Apparently I'm having the ‘printed in USA.'”
“Of course you are. I should've known. But I'll bet the grilled salmon would work better for your stomach.”
“Yeah, you're right. Printer ink always has given me indigestion. Then the salmon it is! What are you having?”
“Hamburger with extra ‘burger,'” Mick said.
“They call that a ‘double' now. C'mon, Mick, this is a seafood restaurant. The surf ‘n turn option is the only scenario in which you're allowed to order anything that doesn't breathe underwater.”
“Who says?”
Kate closed her menu and pointed at the front-page logo. “Eva does. She owns the place. She gets final say.”
Mick grinned. “If she has final say, then why did she put a hamburger on the menu in the first place?”
“Well if you're gonna get all nitpicky,” Katie responded with a teasing pout. She removed the silverware that had been wrapped tightly and sanitarily inside her napkin then looked down just long enough to lay said napkin in her lap. When she looked back up again, Mick was staring disbelievingly at his menu. Precisely where the item “hamburger” had been printed, there was now a big, black, burned spot.
Katie frowned. “That's weird.”
“Tell me about it.”
“You're getting the shrimp.”
*****
Long, long ago, but not so very far away, I, Katie Burgess, was born. Okay, so it wasn't that long ago, but considering the story I'm about to tell, it could be interpreted as such. It all depends upon your definition and perception of time: is it linear or layered?
Masquerade of Lies by Wendy Hinbest
Dead of Night by William Todd
Crossing The Whitewash by Nick Rippington
SEVEN-X by Mike Wech
Five Uneasy Pieces by Debbi Mack
