Steve Stred's Blog, page 32

3Q’s Special – John Durgin takes us Inside the Devil’s Nest!

Exciting 3Q’s Special today with the awesome John Durgin! Since connecting with John, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him, while also reading his great fiction, sharing a TOC together and developing a great, supportive friendship!

With the release of his highly anticipated novel, ‘Inside the Devil’s Nest,’ I’m so happy he was able to stop by for today’s Special 3Q’s!

Welcome John!

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?

JD: My writing time is all over the place. Ideally, I would do all my writing at night after the family is asleep, but the problem is I also get tired by then. I sprinkle in some writing/editing at night, during my lunch breaks, and really any time I have a free thirty minute to hour block of time. Because of the sporadic schedule, I don’t give myself a wordcount to try and hit. Some days I write 750 words, and others I get 3000 words. With both my novels I have written so far, it took each about 3 months to write the first draft.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

JD: This is a tough question to answer, as I really have four names that come to mind. Uncle Steve can sit this one out though. I would go with Brian Keene, Ronald Malfi, and Ronald Kelly. The perfect mix of inspirations to my writing and great personalities I’d love to hang out with.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

JD: My sophomore novel, Inside The Devil’s Nest, releases January 17th on Godless, with Amazon to follow. I’m so excited to share this story. For one, it’s my first time with a publisher (D&T Publishing). I am still learning every day as a writer and feel this second novel will really surprise people. As far as why to read it… If you are intrigued by the combination of an abandoned campground, a supernatural cult, the mob, and what one man would go through to protect his family from all of it, you will want to check this book out. My short pitch to those who want a one sentence synopsis is The Shining meets Ozark.

Inside the Devil's Nest by John Durgin – JANUARY 17th

 

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?

JD: Dracula easily. I would rather wake up an immortal vampire than wake up wondering if my body parts would all be in the correct places. Although I do like garlic, that might be tough to give up.

Great answer!

Thank you so much, John!

To follow along and find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/John-Durgin/e/B09TS2WPYH

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jdurgin1084

Website: https://johndurginauthor.com/

3Q’s – Rayne King and the risks he’s willing to take!

Today’s guest is someone who is always a ton of fun. Whether tweeting funny takes, supporting folks or sharing his writing, Rayne King always brightens people’s days! I was super happy he agreed to do a 3Q’s and I hope you all give him a huge welcome!

Please welcome Rayne!

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?

RK: When I’m in the middle of a project, my writing routine is fairly simple – I have a daily word quota I try to meet. I purposely set the goal to something modest, such as 300 words/day, so it’s easy to achieve. It’s not uncommon for me to surpass that. Either way, I leave the keyboard with a sense of accomplishment. In the past, I’ve tried setting loftier goals (think, 700-1000 words) but often I’d fall short, which left me feeling defeated. And that can be kind of demoralizing. It’s easier on my fragile writing ego this way, haha. The actual schedule varies depending on what I have going on in my personal life, so I’m pretty flexible when it comes to the time/days I write. Generally, it’s in the afternoon, though, and I shoot for 5-6 days a week.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

RK: Oooh, this is a good question. I think I’d invite Cynthia Pelayo, Laird Barron, and Stephen Graham Jones. They’re easily some of my favorite writers, and I think they’d offer great insights in addition to great conversation.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

RK: My newest story is titled ‘Tunnels,’ and can be found within the anthology A 3-B HALLOWEEN (helmed by Kyra R. Torres and Damien Casey). If you enjoy urban legends, this is one might be for it. It introduces an original antagonist of mine, who I may develop further in an upcoming project. It starts off as two cops responding to a call concerning a teenage girl who claims a strange man was watching her in the basement of an apartment building, and goes off the rails from there.

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?

RK: Give me Dracula, no doubt! I’d love to meet any vampire, let alone THE vampire. Yes, he MIGHT feed on me, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take. If he’s willing to invite me to dinner, then I’m guessing he just wants company. Whereas, with Victor…I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. Could be ANYTHING!

Totally fair!

Thanks again for doing this Rayne!

To follow along and find more of his work – check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rayne-King/e/B08TB4PSMR

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Channel_King

 

 

Book Review: Inside the Devil’s Nest by John Durgin

Author: John Durgin

Release date: January 17th, 2023

Last year, I had the pleasure of reading John’s debut novel, ‘The Cursed Among Us.’ It was a fast-paced, coming-of-age novel that was really enjoyable. It was a debut that many people enjoyed and got them super excited for his second novel. When John reached out to see if I’d want to review an early digital ARC of his next release, ‘Inside the Devil’s Nest,’ I said absolutely.

I went in completely blind, not knowing anything about it and I think that was richly rewarding.

What I liked: The story follows a family, forced to flee their home in the city when the father sees something he shouldn’t. He’s a real estate developer, and luckily for them, he had previously purchased a campground outside of the city. The locals say its cursed and he hasn’t been able to sell it, so it makes for a perfect hiding spot – at least on paper.

From here, Durgin weaves a mystery within a supernatural cult thriller, one that had me on the edge of my seat throughout. There’s a lot of pieces that need to be placed within the puzzle and John masterfully throws some down for us right away, while holding others back, allowing us to find them on our own.

Each character has a specific role within the story and I think that’s one of the strengths of this release. As well, Durgin’s writing, at least I found, was significantly more mature in this one. It reads more confidently, showing his growth and willingness to take risks while ensuring the story progresses and we get rewards based off of those risks.

The ending is great – cathartic, emotional and what you would expect from the set up. 

What I didn’t like: I think some of the cult stuff at the beginning might have been stronger in the story if it had been teased out. We get everything shared at once in an information dump and the characters seem to just accept it as truth and not react with incredulity.

Why you should buy this: Durgin is quickly cementing himself as must-read and this book will make fans of his debut really happy. For new readers, this is a cult thriller that’ll have you stopping and starting repeatedly, the fear created on each page palpable throughout.

Really well done.

5/5

Godless Link;

Inside the Devil's Nest by John Durgin – JANUARY 17th

3Q’s Special – Cameron Roubique is bored of the mountains!

Really fun one today! AND the beginning of a new batch of questions!

One of the most skilled slasher writer’s out there, Cameron Roubique has been having reader’s scream for their lives over the course of all of his work. Not only that, but he’s also a talented artist creating some fantastic cover art.

I was so happy to have Cameron stop by today!

Welcome Cameron!

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?

CR: I usually spend a week doing a quick first round of edits immediately after finishing a rough draft, just to clean up obvious things before I send it off to my editors. And immediately after that’s done, I start designing and painting my spooky eyeball skeleton cover art.

Steve: What’s the one thing you’d change now if you’d have known it when you started writing?

CR: I would have changed Kill River 1’s ending to explain more of the killer’s backstory and motivation. Back then (in 2012) I had a “save it for the sequel” mentality. Now my writing mentality is “focus on THIS book and give it all you’ve got, worry about sequels and future books later.”

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

CR: Golf Curse is probably my favorite book so far because there are so many fun real-life memories from my old golf course maintenance job that I got to include in that story. Also, I loved writing about a totally supernatural killer, it opened up a ton of creepy possibilities.

Steve: Bonus Fun Question! Would you rather be lost at sea or in the mountains?

CR: I’d rather be lost at sea. I love the ocean, but I live in landlocked Colorado and rarely get to see it. And since I live in Colorado, I see the mountains so often that I’m kind of bored with them.

Thanks again, Cameron!

To check out more of his work, follow the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Cameron-Roubique/author/B0171542Q4

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lil_cam_ron

Website: https://yearofblood.com/

3Q’s – Daemon Manx and the Last Waltz

We got an excellent 3Q’s today with the driving force behind the Last Waltz Publishing press, as well as a prolific author, Daemon Manx. Daemon is also doing phenomenal work with his prison reform pieces and his honesty around recovery and returning and integrating into society. His Tik Tok videos are refreshingly candid and I’m super happy to have him join me today!

Welcome Daemon!

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?

DM: I am a 9 to 5er, which can often start as early as 8 and go past 6. However, my schedule is typically the same every day. I wake up around five, have two cups of coffee and then head to my father’s house to take his dog for a walk through the cemetery up the street. I return home and dive right in. Sometimes it is strictly writing, but the workload varies as an author and a publisher. So, I wouldn’t say I write everyday, but I am always doing something writing related all the time. I don’t hold myself to a wordcount; I write when I am inspired and stop when I am tired. Honestly, there is so much that comes with being a self-published author and the owner of a small label, that there aren’t enough hours in the day to accomplish everything on my plate. One thing I don’t do is hold myself to impossible expectations. That’s a recipe for stress and burnout.

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?

DM: That’s an easy one! I publish it! Don’t you think, The Lost Manuscript by Ray Bradbury and Last Waltz Publishing has a certain ring to it? Hard covers are available for $39.99, and paperbacks can be purchased for $19.99. So yes, I will be sharing it, but I certainly won’t be giving it away.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

DM: Depending on when this interview is released will have a lot to do with my answer, but to be safe, here it goes. This October “2022” I have put together something special. Last Waltz Publishing, my label, has released, These Lingering Shadows: An Anthology of Gothic Horrors and Haunting Tales. I have gathered fifteen amazing authors to join me in this anthology that focuses on the Gothic and old-world style of horror synonymous with Halloween and the stories of old. And let me tell you, these fine ladies, and gentlemen of the game, hit it out of the park. We have a foreword from the award-winning Candace Nola, and stories from Jeremy Megargee, Jo Kaplan, Michael J. Moore, Jae Mazer, James G. Carlson, Christy Aldridge, D.E. Grant, Guy Quintero, Tony Evans, Jack Wells, Diana Olney, Heather Miller, Matt Scott, Danielle Manx (my sister) and myself. These Lingering Shadows is 310 pages of spirits, terror, tragedy, suspense, and gothic wonderment.

You should read this because it is something different for a change. It isn’t the same old extreme/splatterpunk/trigger warning horror that everyone else is writing. There are stories in this anthology told in the stylistic prose of Poe and Dickens, and I cannot fully express just how proud I am of everyone involved in this project.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

DM: Another easy one – Sarcasta-Man. Never have you met a superhero with the ability to sling sarcasm with such ease and accuracy. His tone is dry, and his delivery is lethal. So much so that enemies don’t even know they are being burned, until it is too late. There is no defense against his unique brand of weaponry, so don’t even try.

Why? Because he never forgets a face, but in your case, he will make an exception.

Haha! Great answer!

Thank you so much, Daemon!

To find more of his work, and the Last Waltz Publishing releases, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Daemon-Manx/e/B09M668V53

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DaemonManx

Website: https://www.daemonmanx.com/

Last Waltz Publishing Website: https://www.lastwaltzpublishing.com/

3Q’s Special – Ian Rogers wants to work on his tan!

I don’t think it’s a secret that I have an affinity to Canadian dark fiction writers. Truthfully, from my small town upbringing, I consider these authors royalty and any time I get to interact with them, I feel flustered and like I’m five years old again. Growing up, watching Wayne Rostad on On the Road Again was always a highlight, but it also showcased (to me at least) how big Canada was and how to make it, you needed to be in the big city lights. Over my writing journey, I’ve connected with a number of Canadian authors who I consider to be on another plain of success in my eyes, and I can’t believe they even have an inkling of who I am. People like Gemma Files, Craig Davidson, J.H. Moncrieff, Duncan Ralston, David Demchuk, Mike Thorn, Michael Kelly, J.R. McConvey, J.-F. Dubeau, Craig DiLouie, Chris Marrs and of course, Andrew Pyper.

Today’s guest falls into my own Canadian Royalty, and is an author that I admire and look up to greatly. Ian Rogers creates phenomenally moving and dark stories that catapult us into another place and time with minimal effort. We’re talking within a few sentences and you know you’re in the hands of a master. He’s a mainstay on Ellen Datlow’s ‘Years Best Horror’ lists and whenever he announces something new, I can barely contain my excitement.

Please welcome Ian as today’s special guest!

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

Ian: I try to write at the same time every day, in the morning, when I feel the most fresh and alert, and when the caffeine is perking in my veins. I don’t have a set daily word count, but since I edit as I go, I’m usually happy with 2 or 3 pages a day.

Steve: You win the lottery, and the only condition is that you need to fund another author’s book to be made into a movie. What book would you choose to be filmed?

Ian: I love a good horror anthology film, and as a big fan of writer Ray Cluley, especially his water-themed stories, I’d like to see an adaptation of some of his short fiction, specifically “Water for Drowning” (which would make a great title for the film), “The Wrong Shark,” and his award-winning story, “Shark! Shark!”

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

Ian: EVERY HOUSE IS HAUNTED is a reprint of my collection first published in 2012. Around our house we call it “The Little Book That Could,” because of all the mileage I’ve gotten out of this collection over the past 10 years. It’s won an award, stories have been selected from it for “best of” anthologies, and now one of the stories, “The House on Ashley Avenue,” is being developed as a Netflix film by Sam Raimi. It doesn’t get much better than that. I’m really excited that Cemetery Dance has decided to reprint the book, with incredible new cover artwork by Ben Baldwin.

Steve: Bonus Question! If you could be an extra on any TV show, which one would it have been and why?

Ian: I’d like to be an extra on LOST, mostly because it’s one of my favourite shows (yes, including the finale!), but also because I think the writers could have come up with a fun and clever way for me to die by some strange creature on the island. Also, I could probably use the sun.

I loved Lost (yes, even the finale!) so that’s a great choice!

Thank you so much for doing this, Ian!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ian-Rogers/author/B00571A3NQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/onemoreshadow

Website: https://www.ian-rogers.com/

3Q’s – Roland Blackburn wants to make lasting memories!

Fun one today with an author who loves going dark and dirty and has no problem bludgeoning the reader over the head. I am of course talking about Roland Blackburn and I’m so happy to have him stop by for today’s 3Q’s!

Welcome Roland!

 

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?

RB: It would be more metal of me to say I’m burning candles and conjuring the words at midnight, but my drab ritual is to just be up for an hour before everyone else in our household. I’m not naturally a morning person, so the best investment I’ve made in a while was a coffee machine with a timer. I grab two cups, lurk in a dark room, run through what I did the day before, then go.  Whatever happens before the kids wake up is what happens. With editing I put the earbuds in (Draconian, My Dying Bride, various soundtracks), but usually when I’m writing it’s silent. A great hour is 1200 words, and I’m disappointed if I can’t hit 500. It wasn’t the easiest to get used to doing, but I’ve been doing it this way for so long now it feels really odd trying to change it up.

Steve:  You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

RB: This is a hard one, because it balances how much writing I actually expect to get done versus how many people I want to pick the brains of. Carlton Mellick III, because besides being a bizarro god, I’ve heard this is pretty much his legendary process (minus the island) and I’d really like to see him grind out a novella in three or four days. Danger Slater, since besides being a fantastic writer and one hell of a creative thinker, I believe he’d beat me to death if I didn’t offer him a free vacation. John Langan is, for my money, one of the best short horror fiction authors on the planet, and I think I could ply him with enough Scotch to get him to release at least one of his secrets. With my luck, he’d probably try to row back to shore after the first day of me pestering him.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

RB: Shameless plug section! My second full novel, Mesonoxian, comes out with Bloodshot Books at the end of October 2022, just in time for Halloween. It’s basically Angel Heart meets The Vanishing, with clowns!

The quick rundown: six years have gone by since Elm woke in the ashes of a burnt-out carnival in Tennessee, his wife Doro missing, and his leg mangled. When he finds an impossible flyer for the extinct Mesonoxian Brothers carnival halfway across the country, Elm embarks on a journey to find those responsible for her disappearance, and in doing so find her. But when people start dying and the otherworldly secrets of the carnival begin to surface, Elm is pitched into an occult nightmare that threatens to tear his mind apart. With the fate of his wife in the balance, can Elm solve the dark question at the heart of her disappearance? Or will the Mesonoxian Brothers find him first?

I mean, I clearly know the answer to this. But most people would need to read the book to find out. If you’re up for dark mystery, cosmic horror, and the carnival occult, this book was made for you.

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?

RB: Dracula. No hesitation.

Victor Frankenstein has a piecemeal Michael Myers stalking him that takes out family members and houseguests with alarming frequency. While the cosmic secret to life itself would be enticing, I’m dead the minute I walk in that door.  The only way to survive the night would be to violently antagonize Victor the entire time, and then what kind of houseguest would I be?

Dracula, on the other hand, has some alarming foibles, but for a bachelor he’s proven to be a great host. Sure, he’s a bit of a tyrant who is constantly wearing disguises, but he also seems to really care about what you think of him. He has a prodigious collection of wines, a fine library, and that chicken dinner he made Harker didn’t paprika itself. I think your first night would be a lot of fun, probably survivable, and you could learn a lot from a virtually immortal undead horror. If things start getting weird, well, you just sneak off at dawn. You might be a pint or two low, but those memories will last forever.

Excellent choice!

Thanks again for doing this Roland!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Roland-Blackburn/e/B07NGKNJW6

Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackburnin4you

 

 

Book Review: In the End, Nothing by Michael Patrick Hicks

Title: In the End, Nothing: A Short Story Collection

Author: Michael Patrick Hicks

Release date: January 24th, 2023

Over the last few years, I’ve read a number of Michael Patrick Hick’s work and each time, I’ve finished, closed my Kindle and shook my head with a smile on my face, while saying “Jesus Christ, he’s done it again. That crazy fucker!” (I can swear in my review here because I’m still banned from reviewing on Amazon, so I can drop some curse words without fear of repercussion hahahah!)

Anyways, over the course of these various readings, I’ve learned a few things about what to expect with a new Patrick Hicks release. The first is topical/societal commentary. It may be layered under gore or hidden within the subtext of character conversations, but you know that no matter what he’s writing about, there’s an alternative angle being subconsciously strained into the reader’s brains. The second is really solid set pieces. No matter where it is set, the action will take place in a fantastically and thoroughly thought out location. And lastly – GORE! Hell, I think one of my own blurbs for his work talks about how very few do gore as well as Michael does and trust me – it’s not even close by a long shot. I know some of you may enjoy the extreme stuff (I’m looking at you – the only read’s ebooks from Godless crowd) – and I can assure you, even those over there strive to write splatter like Michael does.

So, when he announced his first collection, made up of previously released material and some new stuff sprinkled in, I was really excited. Well, most of that excitement was thinking that this would mean even more people would read one of the greatest novelettes ever written – Revolver – which also happens to be Michael’s own Nostradamus moment where he predicted this dystopian future that seems to becoming more and more of a real thing with each news cycle.

I dove in, excited to revisit some pieces, but also to read some works that were new to me.

What I liked: Made up of fifteen stories of varying lengths, Michael starts us off with the incredibly solid ‘A Song of the Earth’ featuring some great creatures and dark moments and it never lets up from there. Every story hums along and hits the perfect beats for the reader.

Highlights for me were;

‘Consumption’ – a great story about an isolated estate and a crazy chef.

‘Let Go’ – a really fun take on the zombie narrative.

‘Meme’ – a scathing flash fiction piece about a Tik Tok trend that turns deadly.

‘Revolver’ – the ultimate highlight for me. A reality show where contestants have to make a life or death choice.

‘Black Site’ – a fun sci-fi/horror mash up set in an old mining station.

Throughout all of the stories, Michael crafts characters you want to root for who are thrust into scenarios that will have you riveted. And, as I mentioned, expect tons of bloody gore.

What I didn’t like: As with every collection, some stories may be a hit or miss for the reader. I really enjoyed every story within, but for some readers, certain aspects may not be your cup of tea and that’s fair and expected in a varied collection like this.

Why you should buy this: As Patrick Hicks says in his introduction, some of the stories here are included for completionism, so if you love his work but don’t have the anthologies he’s appeared in, this is a great collection to pick up and complete your own library. For new readers, this is a really great spot to dive in and see just what you’re in for. Michael is a masterful writer who writes with a solid, commanding style that showcases just how phenomenal he is at crafting a story.

Now that I’m done this, I’ll sit back and wait for Salem Hawley #3!

5/5

3Q’s – Joshua Marsella desires to breathe!

Fun 3Q’s today with the one and only Joshua Marsella. Joshua blasted into the Indie Horror world a few years back with his debut, ‘Scratches,’ and has continued to put out dark fiction that has readers clamoring for more!

Please, welcome Joshua!

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?

JM: As a stay-at-home dad, I’m quite limited to when I can write. When the boys hit the hay and if inspiration strikes, I start writing after the sun has set. If I’m lucky I can get in a couple hours before I get tired and retire to the couch to read or watch a movie. I don’t write everyday. If I’m not feeling it, I don’t force it. As for word counts, I’m happy when I’m able to get any amount of words down. Early on I would try to hit a specific word count goal but I found it to be detrimental to the creative process.

 

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?

JM: Oh, tough question! I feel like it would be my responsibility to get the manuscript into the right hands and get it published for the world to enjoy with the stipulation that the profits go directly to the living family members. That being said, I would definitely read it first.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Josh: 2022 has been a slow year for me as far as publications go, but before the end of the year I do have a middle grade horror novel coming out with the FrightVision series of books. FrightVision is a spiritual successor of the Goosebumps series we all grew up reading and loving. I was approached nearly two years ago with an invitation from the publisher to contribute a book to the series which features the creator Culliver Crantz as well as guest authors that step in to add to the series. Although I was hesitant at first, I eventually agreed to partake and had a great time writing the book. I feel like this will be a fun read for kids and adults, especially if you have read my work before. It also features a few easter eggs from my other works, so definitely check it out!

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

JM: My character would be called Mariana Man and my superpower would underwater breathing and resistance to deep water pressure. Is that two powers? Oh well.

Excellent superpower!

Thanks so much for doing this, Joshua!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Joshua-Marsella/e/B088HBWNMP

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshuaMarsella

 

 

Book Review: The Clackity by Lora Senf

Title: The Clackity

Author: Lora Senf

Release date: June 28th, 2022

While I read a lot of dark fiction books, I would say I’m lacking in any depth of exploring the dark fiction releases in the Middle Grade and Young Adult categories. Usually, the ones I read come from recommendations from my friend, Tony Jones, who is perhaps the most knowledgeable reviewer out there regarding what hits and what misses for these age categories.

‘The Clackity’ was one that he highly recommended and I knew I would need to read it. After I actually won a giveaway copy of this from the author, I decided to hold off and make it one of my first reads of 2023 and boy was it a great book to dive into for a fresh reading year.

What I liked: The story follows early-teen, Evie, who is now living with her aunt, Des, after her parents disappeared following a house fire. Evie doesn’t believe her parents are dead, but she also has no idea where they are. Des happens to live in the haunted town of Blight Harbor, and on one particular day, as she explores an old abandoned slaughterhouse, Evie joins her. They both feel a dark presence and leave, scared. But when Des goes back without telling Evie, she disappears and Evie knows she needs to find her.

It’s at this point that Senf really begins to work her magic. Up to now, we have a strong bond and we see how the two of them have connected since Evie has moved in, but when Des goes missing that gets ramped up and, aided by a little bird, Evie does whatever needs to be done to find Des.

The crux of the story is this – a strange, shadow-dwelling ‘thing’ known as The Clackity makes and agreement with Evie. If Evie can bring The Clackity a notorious killer wandering this other dimension/plain before nightfall, The Clackity will save and give back her aunt. It was really reminiscent of the plight Sarah faced in the movie Labyrinth and parts of the story really reminded me of that movie, which was great. To a degree, I also saw elements of The Neverending Story, as well as the fantastic MirrorMask.

I think that’s what made this one feel special to me. Senf tapped into that nostalgic part of my brain where I loved these dark/scary fantasy stories where nothing is what it seems, everything is a riddle needing to be unraveled and ultimately you need to just jump and believe in order to survive.

The character of The Clackity was really well done. Every time it appeared, you knew you were in for a creepy moment and one that would make your skin crawl.

The ending was powerful, emotional and did a great job of wrapping it up as well as potentially leaving us the opening to continue on the story with Evie and the search for those she loves more than anything.

What I didn’t like: I think the hardest thing for me as an adult horror reader is knowing that things won’t get crazy or too extreme in the Middle Grade reads. It doesn’t mean there isn’t chills, thrills and loss, but it does mean you won’t get ripped open throats or spilled organs, so keep that in mind.

Why you should buy this: My son is six and we’re just beginning to dive into longer reads with less pictures. This one is illustrated at points which I think if you have a young reader at home you want to dip into the dark waters with, this would be a perfect place to start. This is told with a flowing narrative that sucks the reader along and will keep you rooting for Evie until the very last page.

I really loved this one and I do hope Senf continues Evie’s story and her search for the truth.

5/5