Not Much Horror | Book Review

AMAZON HORROR CRUISE by Eric S. Brown is a horror novella sprinkled with mythology, but surprisingly few monsters. The way Captain Eli carries on, I expected far more problems for the crew along the river journey. The actions scenes are thrilling, but not as many I expected from the author.

Compared to Brown's previous work, this one seemed a little on the bland side. I recommend PRIMAL FORCE for a better jungle nightmare.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Blood and Ice | AstraDaemon

THE HUNGRY MAN by Giovanni Diaz appears to be a combination of Irish mythology and American folklore, in the form of classic storytelling, resulting in a dramatic twist of legendary creature.

The story is a horrific coming of age tragedy, with an ending full of powerful imagery. Diaz is definitely an author to keep on your reading radar.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Peter Pan Is A Killer

PAN by Christopher Ruz is a dark version of the Peter Pan story, mixing folklore and mythology from more than one source. I absolutely love all the sinister secrets revealed through the POV of a Lost Boy named Jimmy. Once the narrator's identity is revealed, this short story became one of my all-time favorites.

This is only the second story I've read by this author (the other is a sci-fi short), but I wish Ruz would write more tales with this writing style and genre. I highly recommend this one to ALL readers.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Return to Chrysalis [Interview]

CHRYSALIS LIGHTS by Lori Titus is a novella which has references to characters in previous stories by the author. However, this story works fine as a stand-alone. Beginning with a sinister attack on a dirt road, Titus introduces the dark past of Chrysalis, a town with a long history of witchcraft.

The rest of the story shifts focus between Amy, a young woman who has just inherited a haunted house, and Lexi, a high school girl who has been experimenting with her heritage in the forms of spells and rituals. When the two become acquainted, the danger in Chrysalis increases for both.

I enjoyed the suspense and I'd love to see more from this town.

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Since I'm giving away a signed copy of The Bell House (see below), I thought I would invite Lori Titus back to the Lair to discuss the success she has had in the past year or so...

This is your third time in the Lair, and a lot has been happening for you since our last interview. Could you give readers an update?

Thank you for having me again!

It’s been an eventful time. I’ve been busy with a lot of different projects. One way that I’ve been working on getting my name out there is to participate in a few boxed sets. One of the sets I was in, Souls and Shadows, hit the USA Today Bestseller’s list this past July.

I’m also working with fellow author and friend Jonathan Lambert.  I’m his co-editor for a brand-new press called Jolly Horror. The vision of the publishing company is to mix dark humor with horror. We feature short stories from both new and established authors.

I’m also working on several projects: a follow up to Soul Bonded titled Personal Demons is the one I hope to finish soon. There’s also another story (and possibly a series depending on how it works out) about a paranormal investigator and a witch who helps him solve cases. There are also a couple of yet unnamed projects brewing as well. I’d love to do another ghost story soon and perhaps a romance that involves horror in a different way than I’ve done it before.

Chrysalis Lights obviously has the same setting as The Bell House and Blood Relations. Refresh my memory please: how do the characters of your novella tie in with your previous two novels?

Iris, the sheriff’s mother in Blood Relations appears as a character in this book too. It’s fun to use Chrysalis because the mood and setting is already locked in before I begin. If you’ve read my books before you’ll catch the subtle tie-ins, but you won’t feel left out of anything if you haven’t.

Blood Relations involved a mix of monsters, some of the worst were human. Do you have a favorite?

Josiah is probably my favorite from Blood. He’s one of those monsters who is mostly human, though part something else. His way of thinking is what’s probably the most frightening. He finds inspiration in the most heinous dictators and tyrants. On top of that, he uses spirituality to force others to submit to his will. For him, the greatest joy is exercising power over others.

Why do you think so many people are drawn to the horror genre?

I think it provides a safe place to explore all the things we tell ourselves we don’t really fear. It’s also a vicarious thrill. Is the killer hiding behind that door? Can my angry lover haunt me from the grave? Is that person across the street following me? We all have things that we try to run from in life, and horror presents it to us in an entertaining way.

What do you think of Halloween? Does the holiday hold any special meaning for you?

I love Halloween! The costumes and candy are fun. When you think about it, what other holiday allows you to be an entirely different person for a day? I especially love to see the little ones out enjoying themselves.

And of course, for us author types, it’s a great reason to promote our wares.

This has been quite a year for you. What do you think you’ll be doing in 2020? Any chance of a convention appearance?

I’ve already got some releases planned for next year, including one that should be out in January or February. I’m not sure about doing the convention circuit next year, but it’s a possibility. It depends on what I’ve got on my plate around the end of this year. There’s a lot of planning that goes into it.

Where can new readers find out more about your current books and future projects?

Readers can find me on Twitter or Instagram under the handle Loribeth215. I’m on Facebook as well.

My author blog is called The Darkest of Lore, and is here:  https://loribeth215.wordpress.com/

Special thanks to Miss Titus for her time!

If you would like a chance to win an autographed copy of The Bell House by Lori Titus, you can enter by leaving a comment below. A winner will be selected on October 20th.

As always,

AstraDaemon

Fantasy, Folklore & Fate

THE FOREST by Julia Blake centers on the villagers of Wyckenwode and the Forest, filled with secrets which have affected the lives of every generation. Lords go missing, and when the White Hind is seen, three village deaths follow. Everything is tied together by love and jealousy, murder and suicide, and, of course, an ancient magic.

This generation, cousins Sally and Jack, and their friend Reuben, form the tragic triangle, but they refuse to let a curse decide their fates. Armed with clues from stories passed down by their elders, the three try to survive the evil which has fallen upon them. Time is running out as they struggle to make sense of the words given to the village from the Green Man through a young girl driven mad by her experience in the Forest.

Blake has skillfully woven folklore, suspense, drama and romance together to create a detailed coming-of-age tapestry. I haven't been this moved by a fantasy novel since the last time I read Ursula K LeGuin. I never knew what to expect, especially with Sally, and the ending left me breathless. Blake deftly ties up the various storylines with a rather intricate finale, spanning yet another generation beyond the main characters, while remaining firmly rooted to the Forest.

I discovered this novel through Instagram of all places, knowing nothing about Julia Blake or her writing style, but I will definitely be reading more of her stories in the coming months.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Wet and Lonely

DARK ON THE WATER by Erik Lynd centers on a grieving husband who lost his wife to a drowning accident near their lake house. There's more focus on his feelings than the past events with his wife. There is a moment with the neighbor, who has also lost his wife to suicide, when the lake appears to have a sinister secret. Unfortunately, the author lets the moment pass without any follow-through.

This is not a horror story. At best, one might be able to call it paranormal-suspense, but the lack of action is disappointing. Lynd has written much better stories than this.

As always,
AstraDaemon

A Quick Drop & A Sudden Stop

THE HANGING TREE by Erik Lynd is a very short story. (Most of the e-file is a preview of Lynd's horror novel, Asylum.) The author had me hooked as soon as Old Man Rudy began his ramblings about the Hanging Tree's dark history. The dynamics of the friend group, and the conflicts between their families fueled the suspense.

The turn of events isn't really surprising, but the ending is somewhat abrupt. I would have read an entire novel about the boys and the tree. Lynd does an amazing job of fleshing out the main characters in just a few pages, but he left me wondering about the nature of the tree and its companions. The author could do so much more with this premise.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Jeremey Deserves Better

SIEGE OF THE BONE CHILDREN by Erik Lynd begins with a grieving father and a memory of a cryptic revelation from his son: "Not me dad, you." Malcom didn't understand why his son felt the need to build a cardboard fort for him, nor did he realize it would be the last thing they did together, before his son is killed in an accident.

"The creaking of the stairs woke him from a sweaty sleep."

From that point on, I was absolutely terrified for Malcom. I also wondered, more than once, if Jeremy had some special gift of sight. I experienced this nightmare as both a parent and a child. Malcolm's son included so many surprises within the fort, increasing the the suspense and drama with every detail. The ending, unfortunately, really aggravated the hell out of me.

I hate to be THAT reviewer, but I can think of several other ways Lynd could've chosen to end the battle. I think Lynd basically gave the finger to Malcolm, and the author needs to do right by Jeremy. PLEASE WRITE A SEQUEL.

As always,
AstraDaemon

It Was An Accident

Samuel is a prisoner, innocent to some, guilty to others. But his prison is different than any other. Here the dead have a habit of coming back to life, madness is just around the corner, and the only real escape is into hell itself.

In the Pit by Erik Lynd is full of terrifying twists. Samuel wakes in his cell into what appears to be a night terror. His reluctance to explain his fear lands him in solitary confinement, where he experiences flashbacks to his troubled childhood. He thinks he might be going crazy, but the secret within the prison walls is more insane than any of Samuel's thoughts.

Lynd's vivid descriptions of the abominations surrounding Samuel left me feeling as trapped and frightened as the prisoner. I focused so much on his tortured soul, the ending came as one hell of a surprise.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Misogyny In Mythology

Set in Ancient Greece, a young woman turns into legend through an unfortunate event.

Ruined by Kiersten Knighting is the telling of a popular Greek myth through the eyes of a rape victim. Considering how victim-blaming has been rampant throughout history, I think it's great to see someone give a voice to this iconic person. Knighting does an excellent job giving the character a voice, as well as drawing attention to the bias of the original myth.

This story is far better than the author's other attempt at addressing social issues in The Solution.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Dreams vs. Memories

Desire will drive a man to do many things and make many mistakes. When magic and witch's brew are involved, however, those mistakes can have unimaginable consequences.

Dreams by Erik Lynd opens with a rather intriguing flashback, setting the main character, Gary, apart from the typical patron of psychics. He belongs to a coven and believes remembering his dreams will help him advance in his lessons. Unfortunately, Gary is obsessed with the coven's leader, Sheila. The means to the end become the end...of Gary.

I feel sorry for Gary in a way. I know what it's like to dream so vividly, for so long, and waking up with extra memories. I think anyone who is into lucid dreaming will really enjoy this short story. Gary's misfortune would make a great full-length novel.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lunar Faerie Circle

Avery Rush is on an expedition into the moon's own version of the Bermuda Triangle - a mysterious region of the lunar surface where many a vessel has disappeared - though he is skeptical they'll find anything at all. But the fantastic world on the other side turns out to be full of surprises and dangers that may prove too much for this seasoned pilot who thought he'd seen it all...

OtherPlace by Michael D. Britton is a short story which takes place in the future. Space travel, everything from luxury cruises to shipping livestock, is a common occurrence. Avery, the pilot of a lunar vessel, is tasked with exploring the infamous Circle of Doom.

The mix of science fiction, fantasy and mythology had me spellbound as soon as the action began. While very little is revealed about the nature of the Circle, I still enjoyed the time twists throughout the story.

I can't remember how I found OtherPlace, but I would recommend it as YA fiction.

As always,
AstraDaemon

At The Water's Edge

The moment Joseph sees the girl he knows she doesn't belong in the hospital. But what can a simple orderly do? When he discovers a chance to heal, can he find the courage to cure the girl's true sickness?

The Dying Girl by Erik Lynd is a flash fiction drama about an orderly attempting to grant the dying request of a young woman. I thought I knew where Lynd was going with the story, since the author likes to blend mythology into his stories, but he managed to surprise me.

The ending is blunt and brutal...I wish Lynd could've revealed more about the patient and the events that led to her being locked up. This could easily be extended into a novella and I would happily read such a book.

As always,
AstraDaemon

Lori Titus is Setting Fires [Interview]

Blood Relations by Lori Titus is the author's best work yet. I knew, when I interviewed her in June 2015, she was working on a novel about a cult, but I had no idea how elaborate her creation would be. While fallen angels, religious fanatics and supernatural creatures have been quite common in the horror genre for decades, Titus has found an original way to incorporate these themes into story filled with murder, drama, mythology and the metaphysical.

Set in the fictional town of Chrysalis, South Carolina (a setting used in some of her other stories as well), Titus introduces readers to the Congregates, worshipers of the Goddess Phoenix, and the Vilkas, a biker gang resembling a wolf pack. The two groups have fought with each other for generations upon generations, but somehow come to an understanding to create peace. That agreement is broken when both groups have members murdered. The sheriff and few others soon find themselves pulled into an ancient feud, revealing the ongoing horrors hidden within the town of Chrysalis.

The main storyline follows the investigation of a murder, but the flashbacks move forward and backward on their own timeline, depending on which character is remembering past events. As the pieces are laid out here and there, readers will discover previously unknown connections between the characters. It's an unusual writing style, but it adds layers to the suspense. There is never a moment without drama. I loved the ending.

I've known a lot of authors who write amazing stories in the beginning of their career, only to lose their spark and fizzle out into a hot mess. Lori Titus not only found her inner fire early on, but she has also been blazing from one book to the next. I can't wait to read more of her work!

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I was so impressed with her latest novel, I invited Titus back to the Lair for another interview:

Q. How did you come up with the premise of Blood Relations? Is this the Creed of Cain project you mentioned back in 2015?

A. Yes, with a few changes. The idea of writing about a cult has been with me for a long time. Back in 2015, I was co-writing on a project with another author. One of the back stories was about a cult, and it got me to thinking about a story idea I had put away and never worked on. I already knew that I wanted this group to utilize supernatural powers, and that one of their ways to keep people submissive is to stalk followers and anyone who dares speak against them.

You’ve probably seen some stories in the news where former members of certain religious organizations have been harassed, stalked or black listed from employment. When you add the supernatural component, it adds an extra amount of pressure and creepiness to the mix.

Q. Did you know from the beginning you would incorporate so many different genres into one story?

A. Yes, I knew it would, but I wasn’t really worried about doing that. There’s a crime story component to it which I thought was important to draw the reader in. There needed to be something to start an investigation. In many cases, you’ll find that the intervention of law enforcement is the only thing that really stops these kind of groups because they aren’t questioned about their lifestyle. No one wants to infringe upon anyone’s religious beliefs.

We follow the sheriff on what appears to be a normal murder investigation, but the reader already knows there’s something worse going on. Eventually we see that all the characters in the story are involved in one way or the other. The mythology aspect comes from adding The Phoenix. I didn’t want a god figure that is like anything focused on in popular religion, so that was an easy fix. I have a thing with birds as symbols of evil in my stories, so it works for me.

Q. How did you decide on your timeline structure? Did you have difficulty placing the pieces of all the different storylines?

A. I started off with the Sheriff. I knew the set-up for the murder, and the story actually began with him. As the story expanded I shifted some scenes, allowing the reader to be one step ahead of Evan as his eyes are being opened to what’s going on around him. I had a clear idea of most of the characters, though a few of them really surprised me. Marlene was originally going to be a character who only appeared in one or two scenes, but she chopped her way into a much bigger role.

As far as timelines, I usually imagine stories beginning at a mid-point that I can work both forward and backwards from. In this case the midpoint is the murder of one of the characters, and the story moves forward from the actions (toward consequences) and backwards (to how this all came to be). Each character holds their own piece of the puzzle.

Q. Some of the characters are involved in deeply traumatizing situations. Were any of the scenes more difficult to write than others?

A. Alexis’ scenes were very hard to write. The words flowed but it was painful. I can say the same about some of the scenes including Bonnie and Sara. Anything involving children and their suffering is difficult.

Q. Will readers see any of these characters again in future novels? Do you think you might write some companion short stories for any of the main characters and their backgrounds, such as Beau and Violet?

A. Violet has actually popped up again in another novella. She’s a descendant of Abigail Drake, the child with supernatural powers in Lazarus. I’m open to maybe working with some of the other characters again. I’m pretty sure people are interested to know more about Marlene.

Q. I have to ask, were any of the characters in Blood Relations related to any of the characters in The Bell House?

A. No, but there is mention of some of the same places since they are in the same town. The bar/burger joint, Finny’s is the same place in both stories, though the owner, William Finny, isn’t mentioned in The Bell House. I imagine Marlene brings Jenna and her friend their lunch in one scene.

Q. Do you have plans to keep using Chrysalis, South Carolina as a setting?

A. Yes, I do. You’ll see that setting mentioned in other stories even when it’s not shown. I am working on a story about a group of characters living in Los Angeles, but one of them is from… you guessed it, Chrysalis. The Vampire Diaries novella I did last year, Chrysalis Lights, is also set there.

Q. We’re only two months into 2018 and you’ve already had an incredible year. Would you please share what you’ve accomplished so far?

A. 2018 has been really something! I started off the year with hitting USA Today Bestseller List in January for Sigils and Spells, a boxed set that I headlined with Hunting in Closed Spaces. I can’t even explain how emotional that was for me, since Hunting was my first full length novel. My fellow authors and I are finalists for The Bram Stoker Award for Sycorax’s Daughters. We’ll find out March 3^rd if we actually win it. Linda Addison is the only black woman to ever win a Stoker, so just being a finalist is a huge thing, especially in an anthology with 33 black female authors.

Q. What will the rest of this year bring for you and your fans?

A. Oh, there’s a lot in store this year. I have three releases planned for this Spring/Summer. I am also working on Soul Bonded, a novel that I hope to have out by the end of the year. I am in contract negotiations for another project and I will let everyone know the details of that when I am able.

Thanks for the updates! Always a pleasure chatting with you!

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Readers can find out more about Lori Titus at these links:

Amazon link:   Lori Titus

Twitter:  Lori Titus (@Loribeth215) | Twitter

As always,
AstraDaemon

A MUST-READ FOR ZOMBIEPHILES!!

Psychopomp by Erik Lynd is a great addition to the zombie genre. Lynd manages to blend horror and mythology in a chilling tale about a mortician who is confronted by a talking corpse. Del is one hell of a character and I think Lynd could write a mini-series centered on the guy and his occupation.

This short story is one of the best I've read so far in 2018.

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It's been a long time since I read a zombie story with such an original twist, although, some may argue that the mythological element is not a new concept, I still think Lynd should get major props for bringing the two genres together in this story.

Even if zombies aren't your usual cup of tea, horror fans really need to check out Lynd's creation!

As always,
AstraDaemon

Whispers In The Dark

Voices In The Sea by N.C. Brooke is a dark spin on a creature often found in folklore, but rarely found in horror. The author uses a few slight-of-hand details to keep readers guessing, which is pretty clever, considering the story begins in the present and then travels to the past. I thought I knew which characters would be safe, but I was fooled. By the time I realized what kind of monster the author conjured up, the story finished.

Brooke did such a great job twisting mythology into a nightmare, it seems a shame this is only a short story. I think there is a potential to turn this sailor's tale into a novella.

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The first week of January appears to have a monster theme. I'm always amazed at the various sources authors use to inspire their writing. Some ideas come from news headlines, some stories are based on more personal experiences. Other authors take the fairy tales of our childhood and transform them into the nightmares that haunt us even as adults.

Nothing impresses me more than an author who can take something old and turn it into something new...always expanding the genres.

As always.
AstraDaemon