Steve Stred's Blog, page 22

Book Review: The Wild Dark by Katherine Silva

Title: The Wild Dark

Author: Katherine Silva

Release date: October 12, 2021

Huge thanks to Katherine for sending me a digital copy of this and the upcoming sequel, ‘The Wild Fall,’ which will be released on August 3rd, 2023. When Katherine reached out, I asked if I had to have read this before the sequel and she said it was a must, so I dove into book one, to prepare for book two.

Honestly, I’d seen this one promoted a lot and people had been raving about it, but it remained on my ‘to buy list’ for some time. I’ve got book two preordered now and will be snagging book one shortly as a thanks to her kindness.

What I liked: I went into this one fairly blind. I’d read the synopsis a while back, but I couldn’t completely remember what it was about. I knew that it involved a former cop and a sudden change in life as we know it, but other than that I didn’t re-read the synopsis beforehand, deciding to let the story take me where it wanted.

The novel follows Liz, former police officer who has isolated herself from the world following the death of her partner, Brody. As a snowstorm hits the cabin she’s at, she begins to see odd shadows in the trees and hears strange sounds.

From there, Silva does a wonderful job of creating a new type of apocalypse. Some people can see their dead loved ones. The woods begin to overtake everything and massive, blood-thirsty wolves prowl the trees. Those who can’t see their loved ones believe the others are infected, and the world’s infrastructure crumbles as nature overtakes the cities.

Liz is a damaged character, one who not only recently broke up with her long-time fiancée, but is also struggling with the death of her partner, a man she loved, and blames herself for his demise. This haunting lingers, this sorrow threatens to drag her down, but it also dictates her decisions and this makes for a great protagonist, someone who we want to root for and want to see succeed, all the while they’re making decisions that can be frustrating and head-scratching.

The ending was great. It was filled with an emotional explosion of events but also does a nice job of setting up where the sequel may very well go. It’s also a cathartic ending and taken as a singular novel, you could very well read this and consider it done and wrapped up.

What I didn’t like: The novel jumps back and forth between ‘Now’ and ‘Then.’ While it works really well to fill us in on how Liz got to where she is now and the various relationship dynamics at play between her, Josh and Brody, I found that as the novel went on, it worked to slow the pace and dampen the anxiety and tension that the ‘Now’ chapters were building. I think a lot of it could’ve been condensed and the later quarter would’ve been phenomenally paced if it was purely made up of ‘Now’ chapters.

Why you should buy this: Silva has created a really great character with Liz. You love her, you loathe her and you can’t not follow her story. The setting is fantastic and while I would’ve loved to learn more about the wolves, they worked so well to keep tension high, especially anytime the characters were outside or in the wilderness.

This was a fun take on the ‘end of the world’ trope and I’m excited to see where Silva goes in the sequel.

4/5

3Q’s Special – Van Essler shares her Vial Thoughts!

We got an awesome 3Q’s today for all you folks out there who’ve been awaiting the next one!

Today’s guest joins us days before the release of her debut novel, ‘Vial Thoughts.’ Billed as a horror/steampunk mashup, people have been really excited to see this one arrive through Raw Dog Screaming Press!

Please, welcome Van!

Steve: What does your process look like once you finish your first draft? Do you immediately dive back into it, or do you take some time away?

Van: I always feel like finishing the first draft is an impressive accomplishment, so I try to take some time to quietly enjoy the moment before revising. Giving myself a few weeks to bask in the glow of getting the draft done helps me get a little distance from it. Oddly enough, I tend to prefer revising a project while I write something new. That way, my imagination is obsessed with the new project, and I can approach revising the other project with a more critical eye.

Steve: Do you believe cryptozoological creatures exist? If so, which one do you think has the best chance of being proven to exist?

Van: This is a tough one—I would love for cryptozoological creatures to exist, but little evidence to supports it. Actually, it’s probably best that way. Such fantastical creatures are far more appealing as mysterious, fleeting shadows people barely glimpse rather than something we could observe and study. If any of them did exist, I would put my money on Sasquatch. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I have to support my local cryptid. Other Seattle area locals often tell me about their Bigfoot sightings or their latest expedition to seek him out. With the sheer amount of people hunting Sasquatch, they would have the best chance at finding some concrete evidence of his existence.

Steve: Of the books or stories you’ve released, which is your personal favorite and why?

Van: Now, that’s not a fair question at all. Hahaha. It’s hard to play favorites with stories; it’s like saying you have a favorite child. You love them all for their own unique qualities. If anything, my favorite is the one I’m currently focused on, so my debut novel, Vial Thoughts, is the story I’m doting on at the moment. Although there’s a lot of darkness in this one, but I’m particularly fond of the characters and how they engage themes like feminism throughout the story in a subtle way. I love reading books with layers of meaning and symbolism that doesn’t distract from the overall story, which I feel works really well in this steampunk gothic horror novel.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question – What was the best practical joke you’ve ever been involved in?

Van: I’m afraid I’m not much of a prankster. If anything, I’m the one being pranked. However, in my day job as a teacher, I can occasionally sneak one in on my students. This last year, Rick Rolling has resurged amongst the kids. They were constantly pranking each other with the song. I suppose they didn’t think I noticed or knew about the video, which gave me the opportunity to Rick Roll them good at the end of the school year with a last minute “important” video before our final project presentations. When everyone leaves snickering, I call it a successful prank.

Steve: Oh, that is fantastic!

Thank you so much for doing this Van and best of luck with the book launch!

To follow along, check the links!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VanPunkAuthor

Website: https://www.vanessler.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Van-Essler/author/B0BMBBLKVT

Book Review: The Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro

Title: The Queen of the Cicadas

Author: V. Castro

Release date: June 22, 2021

From the beginning, V. Castro has been one of my biggest supporters. I’m always humbled when people continuously show up for you, and V.’s always done that. From reading and posting about my work, to sharing in celebratory news and blurbing some of my releases, I can’t thank her enough.

In that same time, I’ve been trying to keep up on my reading with her written output, but she’s been super prolific and with my TBR getting to the point of giving my Kindle a migraine, I’ve fallen a bit behind.

So, it was, that I was excited to see this one, her Bram Stoker-nominated, Flame Tree Press novel arrive at the top of my list. I’ll be diving into her ‘Alien’ franchise novel soon, but this one was up first and I began with an anxiousness that I’d not felt in some time.

What I liked: The novel is split into two time periods, the 50’s and present day, and in each, we’re given strong women characters to root for. In the 50’s, its Milagros, a young, Mexican woman who has moved to the States to work on a farm and earn money to send home to her family. In the present day, its Belinda, a Mexican woman trying to find her path in life after some setbacks – personal and professional – but who has a connection with Milagros.

Set on the sprawling farm where a horrific event took Milagros from this earth, Belinda desperately wants to bring Milagros closure, while also trying to get to the bottom of what happened and why the land is cursed.

The scenes between Belinda and the Queen of Death were phenomenal and felt much like what Barker had done with his Cenobites and human characters. It was unnerving, creepy as hell and showed that she had power and restraint.

The folklore/Mexican-lore that influenced this and drove the narrative was really well done and it gave the story a textured and aromatic presence, bringing you directly into each scene as V. wrote like a possessed author pouring forth her soul.

The ending – while expected – still contained an emotional wallop, one that will hit the reader in the guts before pushing you to the floor and driving in deeper with your assailants heel.

What I didn’t like: I found that the novel suffered a few pacing stutters. We would be racing along only for someone to go to bed or they’d wake up the next day and seemingly not want to continue following what had been happening.

As well, there was a huge missed opportunity to create a truly frightening scene, when a Scy Fy ghost hunting show came to the farm. I was expecting a significant portion devoted to them filming, discovering and revealing what was happening, but instead everything involving them was over and done with in five or six paragraphs.

Why you should buy this: V. Castro has found her storytelling voice and fuck if it isn’t powerful and a refreshing change. Strong characters, women who want to have sex, not be taken advantage of and who’ll rip someone’s heart out if they look at them the wrong way. I’ve long been a fan of Castro’s work, but seeing her literary rise has been nothing but amazing and inspiring and this one is a solid read from start to finish.

4/5

Book Review: Blood Opus by L.J. Dougherty

Title: Blood Opus (Espionage Horror #3)

Author: L.J. Dougherty

Release date: April 3rd, 2023

I’ll be the first to admit, this is typically not the type of book (or movie) that I’d be drawn towards. I’ve never been a fan of James Bond, and spy books and movies/TV shows just don’t get me excited. But – and this is where L.J. has caught my attention – I do love creature-feature stories, and after following photographer-turned Nazi Hunter, Jimmy Knotts through two novels, I couldn’t wait to see what L.J. pummeled us with this time.

You 100% absolutely have to have read the first two novels in the series to read this one, so if you’ve not read those yet, stop here and go grab ‘Beasts of the Caliber Lodge’ now. Once done that and the follow up, ‘Primal Reserve,’ then you’ll be here and ready to roll through this, the third novel.

Jimmy Knotts is hot on the trail of his partner, Levi, and not knowing what he’s in for, as he seems to do, he heads in head-first, asking questions later.

What I liked: With ‘Blood Opus,’ you know what you’re in for, for the third novel. We’re going to get deception, double-crossing and a rip-roaring adventure story where our MC, Jimmy Knotts, is doing whatever he can to bring Nazi’s to justice, but to also stay one step ahead of death.

In this one, Jimmy follows the clues to a strange, secretive party in Germany. Dougherty is a master at painting the picture for setting – from what everyone is wearing, what they’re eating and the mood of the evening. It is fantastic and done in such as way that it’s not overboard. We don’t get 3,000 words on the food, but we get enough to have you practically salivate over how real the food feels.

As the story goes on, Jimmy has to partner with a foe, an M16 agent that he can’t decide whether he can trust him or not, as well as with a CIA operative that comes to help, just when Jimmy needs it most.

With this one, L.J. delivers perhaps his beast creature yet, a winged-harbinger-of-death that is driven by blood and swoops in to rip, shred and suck out the marrow. Every time the book introduces/re-introduces this creature, the tensions rise even more and from what Jimmy’s been through over the first two books, that’s saying something.

This one ended with a fitting finale, one that can be interpreted as the closing of the story and the end of the trilogy, or, setting up for potentially more adventures featuring Jimmy.

What I didn’t like: Like the first two novels, it does take some time before the creature shows up. This will either work or not for the reader, depending on just how much they love spy thrillers. As well, there’s a few characters that felt elevated but ultimately fizzled out, so the introduction of them felt a bit flat when it was all said and done.

Why you should buy this: If you’ve read the first two, the third is a no-brainer. L.J. writes so cinematically and everything is fully formed and easy to picture and see the action, not just read it. Dougherty has hit a home run here, Jimmy Knotts being one of the best main characters you’ll come across.

I only hope we get more in this series.

5/5

3Q’s Special – Ali Seay flirts with danger!

Hey hey!! Hello friends!

I know it’s been a little bit, but we’re back today with a wonderful 3Q’s from the also wonderful (and author of some truly brutal horror) Ali Seay!

Welcome Ali!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Ali: It looks like chaos most days. I get up somewhere between 8 and 10. I drink some sort of caffeinated beverage and I often write with that first cup. Some days I don’t get to it until after lunch or even later. The goal, most days, is to write before my afternoon walk. If my brain won’t cooperate, I recalculate. I used to be much more rigid, but I’ve calmed down a bit.

Most days I try to and manage to hit at least 1,000 words. That’s the low-key goal. Some days it can be triple that, others it will only be half that. Some days, I know my brain needs a break, so I don’t write at all.

I’m currently adding a day job to the mix so that should make things even more interesting.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Ali: I would absolutely have to share it with the world. After I read it first and savored the experience of course. But yeah, it’s no fun to discover something that amazing and then keep it to yourself. Everyone needs to know how lucky you were (and how generous you are).

Steve: Tell me about your newest release and why someone should read it!

Ali: My newest is slated for July 2023 with Grindhouse. It’s called Hysteria: Lolly & Lady Vanity. It contains 2 novelettes that feature women coming undone. It’s my (quite bloody) love letter to being a woman and the stresses that come attached whether you’re young or old. I wrote both pieces a while back and knew they’d need a special publisher to give them a home. No surprise that they found an excellent home at Grindhouse. I’m so excited for its release I can’t stand it.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

Ali: Hmm. That’s a hard one. I would have to lean toward Dracula, I guess. I like to flirt with danger (at least in my mind) and I think a blood thirsty host with the ability to glamour and shapeshift is a pretty dangerous scenario. In my mind, all I see when I think of Dracula, is the deliciously vivid movie version with Gary Oldman. A visually stunning tale of love and death. I’d definitely have to traipse through the fog to see what that was all about.

Steve: Great choice!

Thank you so much for doing this, Ali!

To find more of her awesome work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ali-Seay/author/B085RY7ND3

Website: https://aliseay.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliSeay11

Book Review: Chasing Ghosts by Glenn Rolfe

Title: Chasing Ghosts

Author: Glenn Rolfe

Release date: August 1st, 2016

Recently, Glenn Rolfe announced a new novella coming in the Summer of 2023 – called Are We Out of the Woods? I preordered it, because I’m a huge fan of Glenn’s work, but only after preordering it did I see that it said The Cobbs Book 2. I was perplexed. Book 2? Had I missed Book 1? Looking into it, I saw that the first was titled ‘Chasing Ghosts’ AND it had been languishing somewhere on my Kindle since early 2018 when I’d purchased it. Knowing that a sequel was arriving soon, I dove into this, expecting a brutally snappy novella and boy was it ever.

What I liked: To be frank, the characters in this are purely there to head to the woods near the Cobbs cabin and be slaughtered. I could probably just leave this section with that one sentence and people would be racing to read it. This, of course, being a Glenn Rolfe story, has more to it than that, but that is the entire basis of the novella and I suspect the sequel will follow along with the events at the ending – at least I hope so.

After a couple of kids go missing, one being Jesse, his parents world falls apart and issues arise. Tie in a band going to play in a cabin in the woods and a deranged killer wanting to slash and stab any people who disturb his area of the woods and you have a recipe for classic Splatterpunk tale. Glenn holds nothing back and no character is safe.

The ending is a culmination of residents and cops trying to survive while they continue to deal with this figure who won’t die, no matter the damage they give it. This one reads like Rolfe was having a ton of fun while writing it and it really makes me eager for the second novella.

What I didn’t like: The reality is, we don’t get that much character depth so it was hard to connect with a few of them, and when they get ripped to shreds, that does lose some of the emotional impact that otherwise would’ve been there.

Why you should buy this: Splatterpunk fans with love this short, snappy single sitting read. It rips along, we get a ton of carnage and gore and we get the stage nicely set for what’s to come. Another great read from Rolfe who goes from strength to strength with every release.

4/5

Book Review: The Briars by Stephanie Parent

Title: The Briars

Author: Stephanie Parent

Release date: May 9th, 2023

Huge thanks to Stephanie for sending me a digital copy of this one!

‘The Briars’ is Stephanie’s debut novel, being released from Cemetery Gates Media and has developed a sizeable buzz as we inch closer and closer to release date. I was personally intrigued by this one for two reasons – setting and the author’s own history. There hasn’t been many dark fiction releases set in a commercial dungeon, where men go to get spanked or to do the spanking, and adding in the fact that Stephanie herself has worked in a dungeon, I knew it was going to add an extra layer of authenticity to the experience. Multiply that by a potentially haunted dungeon and you’ve got the makings for a novel that would either be explosive or a slow-burn.

What I liked: The story follows Claire, working at The Briars after abandoning her dreams of becoming a professional dancer. She’s found her ‘why,’ a place she loves, doing something she loves even more and is surrounded by a solid group of women she considers to be her closest friends, even if none of them know each other’s real names or much about their lives outside of The Briars.

When new girl, Mara arrives, odd little things begin to occur and it’s here that the story really takes off as items move, things fall and mysterious events happen. Throughout, each of the main girls featured have their own experiences, but the story really focuses on Claire and dominatrix, Ruby. It’s through these experiences and a shared worry that we see a potential budding romance flare, even as Claire struggles to decide if she wants to remain with her long-term boyfriend, a flake in a rock band. I can’t spoil what happens here, but I do want to say the Claire-Ruby storyline – for me at least – was the strongest aspect of this novel, the crux that kept me racing through to see what happened.

The ending ties a lot of things up, gives us some solid answers and clarification on the nature of everything that had been occurring and we get to learn what happens with our characters, which is always a nice way to wrap up a story that is drenched in emotional turmoil.

What I didn’t like: I wasn’t overly keen on the omniscient interludes that we got at the end of most chapters. I think it was the distinct change in tone of the writing that really made it feel off.

As well, I figured out the truth of a specific character and their connection to the ending early on, so as the story goes on, any attempt of sleight of hand didn’t work. Also, there are some chapters that may come across repetitive simply due to the nature of the story – client comes in, selects girl, they go have fun, odd thing occurs – but do believe me there is a reason for this repetition.

Lastly, you will HATE this novel if you are either a prude or someone who doesn’t believe sex work is real work. Avoid this one at all costs, because this one focuses on that and if you can’t get over your own prejudices to other people’s choices and decisions for what they want to do for a living and what they take enjoyment from, you’ll be DNFing this one during chapter one. You’ve been warned.

Why you should buy this: Hey, if you read that last paragraph and are on the OTHER side of that fence, where you believe that love is love, that sex work is real work and that a person can make a choice to pursue a career in something that ass hats might not deem ‘becoming of a lady,’ then this is the novel for you. Wonderful characters, engaging storylines and ultimately a finale that is filled with tension, ‘The Briars’ will be a home run for you. Consider this perhaps the launching of a new rush of spicy-ghost novels, because I think Stephanie has hit a home run here and folks will be eating this up.

5/5

Book Review: The World You Loved by Brennan LaFaro

Title: The World You Loved (Slattery Falls, Book Three)

Author: Brennan LaFaro

Release date: June 13, 2023

Huge thanks to Brennan for sending me an eARC of this one!

So, here we are. The finale. The ending. Book three of three.

If you’ve read any book series in your life, you’ll have an idea of what to expect when you get to the ending of a series. The first is that it may not be the ending. Sometimes authors are assholes like that. They build everything up, they tie off a bunch of loose ends, and then SHABLAM!! Leave the door open for the potential of more. The second is that (as I just said) a bunch of the loose ends will be tied off and you’ll get some answers. The third is that there will be blood. Oh, yes, there will be blood. And action. And devastation. Which is the fourth guaranteed thing in the last book of a series. Devastation. Death. Those you loved and followed along with may not make it to the end of the end.

LaFara has led us on a journey and now that we’re at the potential ending, I had that hint of nervousness you always get when you crack it open. Can the author do the story justice? Will the journey wrap up how you want it to end? Who will survive and what will be left of them?

What I liked: After a brief ‘the story up until now’ refresher – cheers for that Brennan – we dive in, immediately joining Travis and Elsie where we’d left off. The hard part about reviewing the third book in a series is that spoilers are almost impossible to avoid for book 1 and 2 so tread lightly here if you’ve not read either.

Having been separated from Robin and their daughter, April, they find a way to get back to Slattery Falls, only to discover eleven years has past. In the few short hours they were trapped on the other side, over a decade flew by.

After reuniting with Robin and her wife, Penny, they get to see their now-teenaged daughter and the emotions fly. This was a powerful scene and it set the stage for the events to follow. Namely, the return to Slattery, the following of the clues and the desire to end Weeks’ reign of terror once and for all.

LaFaro does a great job of banding this group together, having them work as a team even as things take a few sideways steps and the surviving characters make it to the other side and reunite with an old friend to finally take down Weeks. The explosive finale was powerful and made for some great emotional highs and lows. Fans of this series will find themselves reaching for the tissues as the body count rises.

What I didn’t like: For being a third book and a series ender, there was a significant amount of continued information dump in the form of back story and Youtube videos. It was necessary, but I felt at times that it slowed the pace too much and reduced how much of the last section of the book would be available for that final good versus evil battle.

Why you should buy this: If you loved books 1 and 2, LaFaro confidently destroys book 3 and wraps this one up really nicely. Slattery Falls is a location that works really well and how it is utilized over the course of three books, LaFaro has made it his own paranormal home base. He does leave the ending open to potential further entries, but it felt more like they’d be stand alone or unrelated.

This was a great ending to a very solid series and will make fans of Brennan’s and Slattery Falls very happy.

5/5

Book Review: The Dead Woods by Christian Francis

Title: The Dead Woods

Author: Christian Francis

Release date: May 1st, 2023

Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for a copy of ‘The Dead Woods.’

The cover and the synopsis had me hooked. I was excited to dive into this one and, as a huge fan of coming-of-age, creatures in the woods novels, thought this one would be right up my alley.

I also didn’t mind going in that this was marketed as YA Horror. YA Horror can be some of the most fast-paced, emotionally devastating books, while also scaring the pants off of the reader. So, knowing that, I dove in.

What I liked: The story follows a group of kids trying to find out what actually happened to their friend who disappeared one night. They know he was going to the house where, just a short time prior their own son had disappeared, but when their friends bike and bag are found far from there, they know something is up.

From here, Francis takes his time in setting up a creepy story where there is an obvious desire from our characters to stay out of the woods. As more of the truth gets revealed, it becomes and inevitable task, that the kids will need to enter and we get some really great creature scenes and some well done tension.

The coming-of-age aspect wasn’t as prominent as I expected, but the group of kids work well together and do what they can to survive and attempt to put an end to the evil.

What I didn’t like: This one just didn’t click with me, unfortunately. I didn’t care about any of the kids, and because of that there was no emotional connection between reader and story, which meant when anything happened, I just didn’t care.

It also took a really long time to ramp up. Even by the 50% mark very little actual progress had been made, which meant by the time anything of woodsy note occurred, it felt rushed and not expanded upon.

Why you should buy this: This was good, just not great for me. It had some really fun moments and had enough going on that I wanted to see what happened, but it wasn’t as fast-paced as I would’ve hoped considering the middle range page count.

Overall, a decent entry into the creature-in-the-woods genre but one that won’t appeal to those who stay away from YA.

3/5

Book Review: UFO of GOD by Chris Bledsoe

Title: UFO of GOD: The Extraordinary True Story of Chris Bledsoe

Author: Chris Bledsoe

Release date: February 19th, 2023

This is 100% the first book I’ve purchased because of a Tik Tok video. And it was a random Tik Tok video at that. I know my algorithm will be such to push a video like the one I saw for this video to me, but it wasn’t from an account I follow or one I’d watched any content from.

From a very young age, the idea of UFO’s has fascinated me. I’m not smart enough to completely grasp or understand just how BIG the universe is, I do know it is huge. And I can’t fathom the idea that we’re alone. If we exist, so might others. Maybe not ‘humans’ as we are, or even as little grey figures, but I fully believe that there are other beings out there, some where. Saying that, I don’t believe in a God, as how the Bible portrays one or as Jesus Christ being what he was purported to be. I’m stumped that people believe in a Creationist viewpoint, that the Earth is only thousands of years old, versus what dating data shows us, but this review isn’t to get into any arguments or anything with anyone else about their beliefs, I simply wanted to go into this review sharing a bit of my viewpoint.

The Tik Tok video was from a guy – someone who I guess has a large following in the UFO community – who simply walks down a sidewalk and asks the viewer, if you’ve heard of Chris Bledsoe. This viewer had not. The guy goes on to say how Chris was a successful businessman, lost it all, had an experience, became a local pariah because of sharing his experience, but over the years he’s been repeatedly visited by intelligence members and invited to high level government events regarding his experience. That had me intrigued. For most people, they see videos like this and think that either UFO’s are crazy (even though the US government just released a bunch of interesting info about them) or the person is crazy. Most people can’t accept that something like this might ACTUALLY be real.

So, having watched the video, having went to Instagram and watched some of Chris’ orb videos, I bought it for Kindle and dove in.

What I liked: Opening with a foreword and introduction from two highly esteemed former US government officials kicks this one off with a bang. It lends an air of importance and professionalism that sets this book apart from a lot of the other true-story experience novels I’ve read that end up feeling more like someone trying to make a quick buck than someone who actually had an experience.

The book is exactly what the random guy from Tik Tok said it was. It follows Chris – who wrote it (believe he had a ghostwriter help) in first person POV – from childhood to present day. We see how he came from a poor family, worked his butt off to become a successful contractor, to lose it all to health issues and have to start over. I really liked this opening backstory stuff. It helped me, the reader who couldn’t pick Chris out in a photo, understand that this is a hardworking man, a man of faith and a man who no matter how down he was, would do what it took to provide for his family. That included growing their own food and harvesting their own manure (chicken manure, not their own manure, sheesh), so that he could overcome his health concerns and support them.

The big event, the ‘Fire in the Sky’ moment comes when Chris is at his lowest. Taking his son and some co-workers out fishing near their home, he goes for a walk, stressed about his health and what people say about him. It’s here that he has an experience with lights, figures and missing time. I won’t go too far into it, as I don’t want to be a total spoiler, but it is a gut wrenching, tension-filled section that had me captivated. It was also interesting to learn that not only did his son, Junior, experience ‘things,’ but so did the co-workers. I’ll come back to that in a minute.

From that point on, we get to share in the very low-lows that Chris and his family go through, up to the very highest of highs, with involvement in some phenomenal moments, meetings and events. It was staggering to read this and see who is interested in Chris’ story and what he ends up being involved with. Again, spoiler free, but it absolutely heightens that air of professionalism and believability.

I will say, throughout, the narrative voice doesn’t change or flicker. No disrespect meant to Chris, but it is told through a ‘good-ole-boy-awe-shucks’ writing voice that really works and helps humanize Chris time and time again. It never feels like he’s speaking down to the reader, never saying ‘hey, look what I got to do and you didn’t,’ which again, really works to make this book relatable.

As for the title of the book, this is in reference to not only Chris’ long time belief in God and having solid faith, but also about the vision he sees, the lady that visits him and his own interpretation of this. I think he does a remarkable job of walking the line between stating he believes it is God, but also that it is an unknown entity. I would argue that if this had happened to me – someone who doesn’t believe in God – I may very well interpret it as a space traveler, an inter-dimensional being etc. Chris really remains neutral and never once comes across preachy or holier than though, which works to not turn off any readers who don’t believe in Christianity or God.

Lastly – I thought it was wonderful to read lines that shared this sentiment – I waited until now to publish my story because I was able to gain approval/time clearance etc to share it. That was a stamp of approval for me for believability. That certain key moments in here were only able to be shared after a certain legal time period had past, really levels this up.

What I didn’t like: A few things stood out for me. The first was what I mentioned before. Chris states that Junior and the co-workers all also had experiences. While this profoundly devastates and crushes Junior, I would’ve liked to have heard a bit about what happened with the co-workers. Were they ridiculed? Did they ever speak out about it or in support of the Bledsoe’s?

Secondly, I have come to learn Junior has a podcast etc, but we don’t really hear much about Junior’s interpretation of the events. I know this was Chris’ story and in his POV, but I wanted to hear a bit about how Junior was handling things.

Lastly, the book kind of just ends. The ending works, but we go from a really amazing event Chris is at, to a few paragraphs about believing in that which we can’t see and then it just ends. Will we get a second novel? Is there more to come? What’s next? It wasn’t necessarily a cliff-hanger, more of just air being let out of the balloon.

Why you should buy this: If you’re like me and love reading about UFO stuff, cryptids, paranormal events etc etc, then this book will be right up your alley. The Bledsoe’s story is phenomenally engaging while also shows what can happen to the best of folk in the worst AND best of times. This was riveting and highly engaging and has some truly amazing UFO/unknown entity moments you’ll ever read. Even better – there are videos on his Instagram of some of these events which really ramp up the ultimately overwhelming sense of ‘you’re not alone’ that you’ll experience.

Really enjoyed this one.

5/5