Steve Stred's Blog, page 9

When I Look… Hardcovers!

Hey all! Long time since I’ve done a real update, so wanted to do a quick one!

Most of my updates are currently being done on my Patreon (Patreon.com/SteveStred – come join, only $5/US per month! Giveaways, updates, writing stuff etc. etc.!) but as you may know, I have a new book out – ‘When I Look At the Sky, All I See Are Stars,’ and I wanted to let you know the hardcover with the alternate artwork from Kristina at Truborn is now live!

It is currently available on Amazon US, Amazon UK and Barnes and Noble. Amazon Canada still hasn’t adjusted the price – so Canadian pals PLEASE DON’T ORDER the hardcover from Amazon Canada. It would actually be cheaper to order it from Amazon US and pay the $7 shipping charge, than buy it on Amazon Canada!

Links –

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/When-Look-Sky-All-Stars/dp/199026039X/

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/When-Look-Sky-All-Stars/dp/199026039X/

B & N – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-i-look-at-the-sky-all-i-see-are-stars-steve-stred/1144407329?ean=9781990260391

A Universal link to find it on Amazon is here – mybook.to/whenilook

Anyways, keeping this short and sweet! Thank you all for your continued support!

Book Review: Drowning in the Drink by Radar DeBoard

Title: Drowning in the Drink

Author: Radar DeBoard

Release date: July 23rd, 2024

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

Over the last few years, I’ve connected with Radar, initially because he was a ravenous reader and reviewer. Recently, he’s started to release his own work and when I saw him put out a call asking for reviewers to try and get more eyes on his most recent release, I reached out.

I wasn’t sure at all what I was getting into, but I knew three things. The first was that it was dealing with alcoholism. The second was that it was about dealing with grief and continuing on. And the third was that it was a short read, print length listed at 78 pages.

Outside of Mark Matthew’s fantastic work detailing addiction issues, I’ve not read much work specifically focused on alcoholism (though, I myself did tackle it in my novella, ‘Wagon Buddy’) so I was keen to dive in and see what Radar offered.

What I liked: The story opens with a mother, struggling to make ends meet and support herself and her son, when a black gunk unknowingly infects her. Soon, the voices begin and the only way to drown them out is to drink. And then drink some more. And then more and then more, until the only thing she can do is drink.

Radar sets this up well, showing her rapid deterioration as the voices increase and her drinking follows. It estranges her from her son, who believes she’s just a useless drunk. But Radar also makes us readers question whether those voices are actually there. Is this a case of the character being so drunk they hear voices? Or is it that the character hears these voices, making them drink? It’s a tactic akin to what Gran did in her claustrophobic ‘Come Closer,’ but instead of us wondering if there’s a haunting like in that novel, in this case we question the reasoning behind the addiction.

Soon, the story switches to the son, who is now dealing with grief, and his own infection. He soon finds that the only way to drown out the voices is to drink, and a new understanding of what his mom was going through dawns on him. This is noted even more when he connects with Angelica, another infected person. At first they simply talk, before it moves into a relationship and they try to support each other. It was another unique look at how those deep into the addiction life, often connect with another addict, but neither knows how to dig themselves out. It was heartbreaking to watch them both continue to deteriorate, but Radar handles it with nothing but professionalism throughout.

The ending worked well to show how the power of positive thinking and hope can sometimes be all someone needs to make a change and rid themselves of negativity. It also spoke to recovery and the struggles those who don’t want to be around the thing they were addicted to face.

What I didn’t like: It’s very minor, but I wasn’t totally sold on the reaction of a parent at a funeral. I want to remain vague, to prevent spoilers, but there’d been no indication previously they were even aware of the deceased significant other and they reacted almost comically. Saying that – sometimes those harboring deep guilt need to find someone to push that blame onto, taking some of it from themselves – and I think this was maybe what DeBoard was doing.

Why you should buy this: This one is dark, sad and though seemingly a never-ending cavalcade of bleakness, also cathartic. There’s a light that leads the reader along, this potential of hope and you desperately turn the pages begging Radar to turn that light on and bring some joy into the world he’s created. Though only 78 pages, we get a story that spans several years and ultimately one that asks a lot of questions – both within the book, but also moral questions – and let’s the reader decide what the answers are. This was a fantastic read and one that I’ll admit really surprised me with the depth displayed here.

5/5

Speaking Up: My DarkLit Experience

I’m just seeing that it looks as though DarkLit Press is pulling all the books & closing up shop. It doesn’t surprise me with the number of authors who pulled their books – myself included – and I very well might’ve been the first one whose book had been published (a few pulled them when the new crew took over before publication) and out in the wider world, when the rights were requested to be returned.

But, behind the scenes I’ve already seen screenshots labelling me as the ‘trouble maker,’ and the reason this is happening. Which, if you know me and have even a passing idea of what’s gone on behind the scenes, you’ll know that is furthest from the truth. I try really hard to support everyone, cheer everyone on, and have helped with the Ladies of Horror Fiction Writers Grant (how I miss that!) and trying to get the Canadian Horror Writers Association up and running.

So, for full disclosure (which is something that wasn’t given to us authors when they took over, even though the term was used multiple times in their responses and posts) I wanted to share the reasons why I decided to pull my book, as well as things that are red flags for fellow authors when signing on with a publishing company. If you’re a publisher and I’m being added to a list to not work with because I’m speaking out, by all means, add me. I probably don’t want to be working with you either. I’ve been around long enough (though not as long as many of you!) that I remember the ChiZine fiasco, the Silver Shamrock fallout and a few others as well. I’ve also seen and heard that some fellow former DarkLit authors are scared of speaking out and any repercussions they might face. I’m hoping that if I share my experience that’ll help them see that they can share – if they want to.

Because I’m wanting to make this simple and not long winded – I’ll be bullet pointing things as many people are TLDR these days and I’ve already written three paragraphs!

– I signed on with DarkLit last year, to first publish my novella, When I Look… with a June 24th, 2024, release date. Initially, this was purely for ebook, audiobook & paperback. I had a standard royalty deal, no advance, and at the time no hardcover was in the works. This was brokered by Andrew. I also sent a list of people who would receive physical ARC’s and digital ARC’s. Andrew indicated he also had a list of folks who would receive it and it would go on Netgalley, but no discounted 99c preorder pricing would be done this time.

– DarkLit had an Instagram group chat of its authors, where we would support each other, cheer each other on and Andrew would often post things for our attention and/or our benefit – promo opportunities, free software for images, royalty/license free images etc. We’d also post cover artist’s art, in case authors were looking for covers and/or cover art sales.

– Not long after preorders for When I Look… opened, in December, 2023, Andrew and I agreed to also do a hardcover edition with a bonus novelette. Andrew contacted Kristina at Truborn for a premade she had, and it was acquired in early 2024.

– In January/February, Andrew began to go radio silent – on the chat, for emails and DMs. At the time, I was trying to finish arranging advance copies for a book box and neither me or the organizer were receiving any replies.

– It was during this time that many of the DarkLit authors signed on with Alec Frankel for film/TV representation.

– Not long after, Andrew shared that he’d be stepping aside, and a new group helmed by Caitlin Marceau would be taking over. Authors were informed they could keep their books with DarkLit, as nothing would be changing, or they could pull their books. At the time, my novella was with Locus and Publisher’s Weekly for potential review, and with two different studios for potential development. I reached out to a dozen people whose opinions I trust to ask what they thought and what I should do. Against the advice of all of them (shame on me), I decided to keep the book with DarkLit and forge forward. We’d been told repeatedly that nothing had changed, that the new group had full access to everything and that everything that was planned was going forward.

– In April, while I was in Halifax at a work conference, I approved the hardcover wrap proof and the interior hardcover formatting.

– Around this time, I’d also signed on for my novel, 456 Blatchford Drive, to be published with DarkLit in 2025.

– Linda Jones was brought on board to narrate the audiobook – which she absolutely killed in bringing the book to life, FYI – and the books did appear in the book box.

– Around that time, the IG chat was scuttled, to make for a Discord group. We were told to fill out forms – such as social media post requests, payments and meeting requests. In hindsight this should’ve been a big red flag, especially as they began to tell us that emails wouldn’t be replied to, that Discord was the preferred form of communication. I questioned why they needed any of that, as we’d filled it out when we signed our contracts.

– A number of us authors were given the runaround about receiving our contracted author copies. In the contract, each author would receive 10 copies with the ability to purchase more if needed. (I never did receive any). We were told to fill out a form, which we did, but still there was no follow up or acknowledgement of receiving the request. I know of one author (whose permission I haven’t received to name so I won’t) who was wondering up to the last minute if the book order he’d placed would arrive in time for a book signing.

– My book was put on Netgalley as discussed, but no advance copies were sent out to readers. Instead, it was offered on the Facebook page Books of Horror Freview, which was disappointing as this wasn’t something I was ever made aware of until after the fact. I ended up emailing digital ARC’s to those who I’d already discussed that with.

– I had arranged for a book launch at a local bookstore here, which was unfortunately cancelled as no books were ordered and no reply to the owner’s email happened. A few days before it was supposed to happen, Caitlin messaged me on Discord to suggest something could still be arranged, but at that point there was no way to promote it in time.

– The lead up to my book release was exactly the same as when I self-publish a book through my Black Void Publishing imprint – in that I was really the only one posting about it. DarkLit had five posts about the book, all from accepting my collaboration when I posted on IG or when they retweeted my posts on Twitter/X. They posted a reel they made about the book, once on their own. The promo train I’d expected to see never appeared, even after I filled out the social media post request.

– I will readily admit to being blinded by the brightness. My novella was garnering movie interest (a director and their partner are attached to adapt and are currently pitching it to a specific studio, but that’s all I can publicly say), I had awesome cover art, a Publishers Weekly review, a mention in Publishers Weekly when DarkLit joined forces with Alec, Linda Jones narrating my book etc. etc. etc. I was still wanting to believe all was above board. But the weekend before pub date came, things shifted.

– First, I was informed that no hardcover would be released for pub date. Instead, they’d consider releasing it as a one-year anniversary release edition.

– I had a dozen people message me to ask if DarkLit was still releasing the book, as they weren’t posting about it.

– I then began to have some DM’s asking about reports/royalty payments and if I knew anything about the Kickstarter. Full disclosure again – my only involvement with the Kickstarter was blurbing two of the books and approving a digital copy of When I Look… to be included for backers. But the reports/royalty stuff had me concerned.

– DarkLit had been known to post sales/preorder numbers. So and so has hit 1000 preorders! So and so has sold 2000 copies etc etc. From when my book went up for preorder, I asked monthly either through DM or emails for updates on the preorder numbers. As of writing this – on August 6th, 2024 – I’ve never been shown a single report, nor given any numbers.

– During the weekend before launch, I had a number of DarkLit authors reach out asking how my experience had been, and I was forthcoming. They shared lack of royalty payments, having to chase down being paid for royalties or even receiving a report, and this was both prior to and after the leadership/ownership take over.

– On that weekend as well, Austrian Spencer reached out to me, asking if I was aware that Yolanda Sfetsos had been asked to pay for editing and covers on the books she’d pulled. Yolanda had been very vocal before leaving the Discord about asking for royalty/sales reports and what was happening with her books. I appreciated Yolanda asking those questions, as they were the same questions that I had. Austrian told me about a blog post he was putting together detailing the issues he was having with his contract being honored and being paid what he was owed for editing. (Full disclosure – I have named Yolanda specifically here, because DarkLit then went and posted publicly some of the screenshots of DarkLit and Yolanda’s emails discussing their issues.)

– Which brings me to the lack of disclosure issues that ultimately forced my hand.

– On June 24th, 2024, my novella was released. Everyone celebrated, it made it to number 5 on Amazon’s Hot New Release Occult Horror chart – which is insane considering how extreme it is – but I also didn’t expect to go number 1, as Tremblay had released his novel a few days prior, as had DiLouie, so the big guns were out.

– Unfortunately, there had been a paperback issue, noted by Ingram and KDP back in November, that prevented the preordered paperbacks from being approved and shipped and instead, everyone who had preordered a paperback received an email stating that they’d be given an updated time once it was known for it to ship. This had not been fixed and wasn’t fixed until coming to light on release date.

– It was at this time, that I learned the new group from DarkLit allegedly did not have access to DarkLit’s accounts. They also claimed to have no access to ACX – the audiobook account – and had only gained access to KDP (Amazon’s publishing page) on May 25th. So, they had no way of seeing any numbers prior to May 25th, according to Caitlin. Initially, we were told that they had no numbers prior to March 1st, but this then shifted to May 25th. Why those dates changed, I’m not sure.

– DarkLit authors began to question how royalties would be paid for books sold prior to that date, if they don’t have access to those numbers. No answer came. I questioned how royalties would be paid to myself or Linda for the audiobook if they had no access to the account and couldn’t get reports. No answer came.

– Linda requested the contract be cancelled on her end, and it was Andrew who approved the cancellation. I can’t speak to whether DarkLit has now gotten access to that account currently, but as of six weeks ago, they still claimed to not have access.

– On the Discord page, I posted my frustrations and requested my rights back and the rights to 456 Blatchford. The failure to disclose so much by Caitlin and the new group ultimately forced my hand. We’d been led to believe that they had full access, but in reality, this was later claimed to not be the case. May 25th onward was when they claimed they could access most things and for the most part that was just website/social media accounts, not the bank accounts for payouts etc.

– Austrian Spencer posted his blog post about dealing with DarkLit. It detailed Yolanda’s payment requests, which was never a contractual stipulation. Caitlin and DarkLit had also decided to renege on the editing services provided by Austrian.

– This resulted in Caitlin and DarkLit posting the screenshots of the email conversation with Yolanda, which put a very bad taste in a lot of our mouths (not just DarkLit authors, but the wider horror community).

– I was told on Discord that 76 copies of When I Look… had been mailed to various Influencers, but six weeks later, I’ve yet to see anyone post about them, nor any indication that they were actually sent. I asked on Discord about why I wasn’t told they were going to be sent, or even why I wasn’t told, but never received an answer.

– During this Discord chat, where I was venting my frustrations, Caitlin claimed that they themselves were also missing back royalty reports/payments and information regarding their own book.

– Book publishing is a business. It became apparent to a number of us that the “full disclosure” Caitlin repeatedly claimed to have been providing was never given to us as authors and without further prodding, we never would’ve received it.

– I was given the rights back to 456, When I Look… for the ebook, paperback, hardcover and audiobook, as well as the cover rights usage. I have now managed to get the ebook and paperback republished and have approved the hardcover. I am working on the audiobook. Truborn stepped aside from working directly with DarkLit as an imprint.

– With the rights reverting to me, DarkLit no longer had the rights to publish the book nor sell it. It was confirmed to be deleted from KDP, as was the paperback, but the paperback was still showing on Amazon and Ingram.

– On July 16th, 2024, I had a virtual meeting with Alec Frankel to confirm that we were still onboard to work together, and we agreed to continue on. He updated me on the forward motion of the novella being adapted, which was very exciting and big reason I wanted to get this book back into the world.

– Through my Black Void imprint the paperback now live. I posted, asking people to buy my edition, not the DarkLit edition. Caitlin almost immediately messaged me and requested I change the wording. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have. As within Caitlin’s own reply to me and in previous messages, they claim to have no data prior to May 25th. I can’t see any way that I’ll ever be paid for the royalties owed by them, as they don’t have data for it (or won’t share it).

– Caitlin also informed me that Ingram states the book was never published through them, though I have had two different bookstores now confirm to me that they could order the book directly from Ingram, both of which did. Additionally, it was originally suggested by Caitlin that maybe they ordered the books through Andrew, which was both not the case, nor should be an option, because, as far as we’ve all been told, Andrew stopped being a part of DarkLit back in April.

– This was then changed to another story: that Amazon and Ingram pre-printed a bunch of the books in expectation of people wanting to buy them. While this does happen, and others have confirmed with me that it has happened to them, I was also told it was pulled from KDP and was never released through Ingram, so I’m left shaking my head.

– Caitlin suggested that if I didn’t want DarkLit to be selling the books through Amazon or elsewhere, they could greatly discount the book so people would buy it on the cheap – also reducing my royalty portion (and a book they have no legal right to sell) or I could buy all of the stock that was printed and use them as author copies, which is something I will 100% NOT be doing, nor should I ever be expected to do that.

– As of right now, that is where I’ve left things.

I am beyond frustrated with this situation. It’s a situation I never foresaw nor one I could’ve predicted, even as others did. I never wanted any of this and it saddens me that so many other authors have had their books become homeless as they’ve pulled their rights or as DarkLit has ceased publishing. What’s to happen with Hedone? I for one have no insight into that, but I’d be very, very cautious dealing with them, considering so many authors are still fighting for royalties from DarkLit and the same person/group is heading that.

As I said at the top, I post this for other authors to hopefully become aware of red flags and things that should make them question what’s happening. I wish I would’ve spoken up sooner and taken action sooner.

And some of you will read this and say to yourself, “But this seems all administrative, and not that big of a deal.” You don’t understand publishing. Except for the writing of the book, the rest of the process from thereon out is administrative. It’s product production, marketing, and paperwork. It may seem glamorous when you see the new, exciting book out, but outside of the writing, it’s tedious, monotonous, bone-grinding administration. And in this case, it was administrative failure after failure after failure.

For those who’ve pulled their books or had their books become homeless, I am here to help in whatever way I can, and I know a number of resources are there, as are more coming in the next weeks and months to help get the word out about your books.

And now that I’ve shared this, I can get back to writing, as for the last six weeks, most of my writing time has been consumed with emailing, formatting, cover art approving, proof reviewing and more emailing, to get the new editions up and going!

Book Review: The Dreams of Demhe by Joseph Sale

Title: The Dreams of Demhe (Lost Carcosa Book Three)

Author: Joseph Sale

Release date: May 8th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Joseph Sale for sending me a digital ARC!*

Apologies, first off, to Joseph. He sent me a digital ARC a while back, but between the number of books I’ve been reading and the diminished reading time I have currently with summer in full effect, I simply didn’t get to this one until now.

I honestly can’t think of a current, modern-day author who is as ambitious as Joseph Sale. Don’t believe me? Or rather, you’ll throw out fantasy writers who write 1,000 page books and put out one every five years. Sale has created wholly unique worlds while also creating interconnected mythology and released epic-poems and developed characters so deep, you can practically see each of the pores on their skin. And then. And then he goes and decides to tackle the King in Yellow mythology. This is book three of his Lost Carcosa series and judging from the build up of books one and two and what we encounter in book three, he’s just getting started. These books fully lean into the erotic-horror side of things, and not so much the fantasy aspect, but Sale still tells us this tale of yearning, love, seeking and whimsical friendships all buried in the rotting corpses of the darkest, most brutal prose that Barker himself ever conceived. In fact, many moments in here will have you wondering if The Hellbound Heart itself was a PG13 read when compared to the onslaught of brutality Joseph unleashes.

And, as this is book three, if you’ve not read the first two, tread carefully going forward, as I’ll try and stay spoiler free, but can’t guarantee that for books one and two.

What I liked: Picking up after the events in book two, we find Alan, the princess and his lover, Cassilda, LeBarron, Petruccio, and Roland in pursuit of Cali, wanting to put an ending to her betrayal once and for all.

Sale’s set things up nicely at this point. We know somethings off with Alan, that he’s beginning to question who he is and where he’s from. We know that the Claw that has taken over his hand speaks to him, wanting him to do unto others horrible things. And we know that Petruccio still is seeking the pigment that creates all.

The majority of the book takes place with the group dealing with dreams and the issues around the dreams there are having as they make their way across the deserts of Demhe.

As this is the third book in the series, we get to see the interpersonal conflict become more of the front and centre aspect, especially as Demhe grabs hold and more of Alan’s history is revealed.

It all leads to the ultimate show down, where Petruccio takes centre stage and his character arc arrives at some answers. It works really well to answer questions, but also ask some that I’m sure book four will address.

What I didn’t like: I found that Cali’s part within this story was minimized compared to the previous two books. Her character is so multi-layered and important to Alan and Cassilda’s narrative, that having her part limited felt like a gap in pushing the narrative forward. Saying that, Sale still does advance Cali’s portion and I’m sure book four will really bring us back around to her role.

Why you should buy this: The scope of these three books is second to none. I know at some point Sale will be doing an omnibus (he’s got a history of them!) and while it’ll probably clock in around 2,000 pages, the reading experience will make you feel like it’s only 200. The prose is silky smooth, the atmosphere heightened and tense, the characters fantastic and engaging and the actual story that Sale is telling is commanding of your attention wholly.

So far, these three books have delivered a bloody mix of action, gore and erotica and throughout every single book, I’ve had a wicked smile on my face.

Now, we patiently wait for the next book in the series.

5/5

Book Review: Thrash Track by Julie Hiner

Title: Thrash Track (Detective Mahoney Series Book 5)

Author: Julie Hiner

Release date: July 28th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Julie for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

I previously read ‘Devil’s Track’ which is book four in the series, and when I saw Julie had a new one coming out in this world, I was very excited for her. Then, when she asked if I wanted a review copy, I was very excited for me, ha! Excited because I enjoy Julie’s storytelling, love the world she’s created here and the mixture of music and detective narrative work so well together. Couple that with the main character of Stella Mahoney and you know you’re in for a good time. Much like with book four, Hiner indicates that you don’t have to have read any of the prior books and I found that to be true here. While there are some call backs to book four I recognized (and probably some to earlier books), I never felt lost, nor as though I’d need to stop and go back and read prior releases.

What I liked: Taking place in 1999, Stella gets called to a found-body crime scene behind a restaurant near Electric Avenue, the party strip of town. There, they find a victim, who has had their skin removed from their hand and not many other clues.

Hiner does a great job of setting the stage for what’s to come and the expected cat-and-mouse game of detective and killer. Throughout, we get a great look into each of their minds and it works really well that we are essentially shown who the killer is early on and learn about their motives and what makes them tick, while also seeing how Stella works, how her mind works and how her and her partner figure things out.

The highlight of this book (and the previous one) was the character of Stella. Part rocker chick, part strung out detective, part adult grappling with changes in their lives, Stella is masterfully crafted and is very, very relatable. She is the lead singer of the book if you will, the one that has the spot light on them and the one that all eyes are drawn too, no matter the situation.

Hiner easily takes us from 0-100 mph time and time again throughout and the finale of this is, I think, much more put together and fleshed out than Book Four wrapped up (not that the ending there was horrible). This one just left a taste in my mouth and scenes replaying in my brain, which is always what you want in an ending.

What I didn’t like: Actually, in this case, I found at times there were too many music references. They’re purposeful and not only set up different parts of the book, but also pay homage to different groups, but at times it became a bit of a distraction when things were running along and suddenly a real name/group was tossed into the book and it pulled me from the fictional narrative. Minor issue on my end, but something I noticed.

Why you should buy this: This book is a pulse-pounding read. Stella is in deep in this one and Hiner decides that’s not far enough, pushing our main character to the very brink. As she always does, Julie deftly weaves a tale punch full of mystery, complexity and buckets of blood.

Had a total blast with this one!

4.5/5

Book Review: Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Title: Mickey7 (Mickey 7 #1)

Author: Edward Ashton

Release date: February 15th, 2022

I didn’t know about this novel until I saw the news the movie had been delayed. Crazy right? I mean, I do read sci-fi, just not in any sort of overabundance, but I certainly don’t follow big sci-fi book news or releases and for the most apart, my sci-fi ingestion is mainly from the Big Five Mainstream world, rarely from the indie world, which is kind of the exact opposite of my horror reading patterns. When I read the synopsis, I was sold and grabbed it immediately.

The whole idea of our main character, Mickey Barnes, being an Expendable, just had me hooked and not too long after grabbing it, I dove in, wondering just what I’d encounter.

What I liked: The story follows Mickey, on a distant planet, as some surviving humans attempt to set up a base to colonize the planet and build a new home for some of remaining survivors. There’s been attempts all around the universe – some successful, some not – but this one had all the hallmarks of being the perfect place. Until they arrived and it wasn’t. Mickey, as I mentioned, is an Expendable. What does that mean? It means, they’ve made a fully synthetic and digital version of Mickey Barnes aka #1, and when a job comes up that requires a human to do it, but that will result in them most likely dying, well, they call on Mickey. So, as the title suggests, we pick up with Mickey #7, who just happens to be dying, again.

One thing I typically struggle with while reading horror is humor. It just pulls me out if it’s not done spot on, even sarcasm. Well, this ain’t horror, and apparently, Ashton nailed the sarcasm/humor angle, because I was chuckling throughout. Much like Martha Wells does with her Murderbot series (yes, this feels similarish to that, but also very very different), Mickey’s sarcasm and desire to not die, even when that’s his main job, are front and center and as the story moves along, it works to alleviate tension, but also keep those who hate him pissed off.

There are two main plot points that drive this novel. The first is that somehow, a second Mickey was created. So, in theory, there are two Mickey 8’s, which makes for some hilarious moments. And the second is the strange, insect-like clawed creatures they call ‘creepers’ that seem to be planning to attack the inhabited dome where the humans currently live.

It’s those two storylines that make this for a fun back and forth between what Mickey needs to do and what he wants to do and unexpectedly, the novel asks a lot of philosophical questions about life, death, where our moral compass lies and what exactly, qualifies as a genocide.

What I didn’t like: I had a blast with this one from start to finish, so if I had to try and find something to be nit-picky about, it might be that the description of the dome was fairly weak, so I wasn’t totally sure if it was massive, medium, or mild in size. It would’ve been great to have that discussed more, so the reader would have a sense of scope.

Why you should buy this: This is essentially Murderbot meets The Martian. I really loved Ashton’s writing throughout, the characters were a blast and there was an odd, subtle tension that was held from page one until the very end, a sort of ‘Hey, you, come read this,’ tightness that never relented. And even though there is a sequel, this one ends perfectly to be a standalone singular read, which is always a wonderful thing.

5/5

Book Review: Daughters of Cruelty by L.J. Dougherty

Title: Daughters of Cruelty

Author: L.J. Dougherty

Release date: August 6th, 2024

*Huge thanks to L.J. for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

‘In the Italian language, giallo is a genre of novel including any literary genre involving crime and mystery, with all its sub-genres such as crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, or thriller-horror.’

The giallo. Whether movie or book, this is a genre of work that I am wholly unfamiliar with. In fact, I believe the only piece of giallo media I’ve ever consumed is David Sodergren’s ‘Dead Girl Blues’ novel, one that I beta read for him. I even remember sending back some feedback, to which he replied something along the lines of ‘that’s counter to what a giallo is trying to do.’ Fair. And Sodergren would know. Not only is he a frequent consumer of such media, but he’s written an essay for a giallo movie release AND the guy learned Italian specifically to go to Italy for a giallo based tour. On top of that, Sodergren provides a very strong introduction to this one, one that helped get me in the right frame of mind.

Because, up to this point, while I’ve not read (or watched) any giallo outside of that one novel, I’ve read each book Dougherty’s released, and each one has been magnificent. From his creature-espionage trilogy to his dystopian novella, L.J. infuses his stories with so much oomph, that each one is an experience to read and each one’s a story that’ll stay with you for a long, long time.

Going in, I didn’t think this novel would be for me. But that was ok, because I was excited to see what he’d delivered with this murder-mystery. Much like how Nick Sullivan delivered ‘Zombie Bigfoot’ as well as ‘Deep Shadow,’ I knew that in the right hands, a novel that I typically wouldn’t enjoy nor choose specifically to read, had the possibility to be fantastic, especially when delivered by an author whose work I love.

What I liked: The novel follows Jack, an American photographer/private investigator, who, after delivering a series of candid scandalous photos to a congressman who has hired him, is sent to Italy as a thank you. An all-expenses paid trip to a five-star, exclusive resort. At first Jack is hesitant, expecting it to actually be a ploy to get him there and have the mafia take him out, but once there, he starts to relax, has some drinks, some casual sex and things seem good. That is until people begin to be killed.

Look, this novel is nothing if not cinematic. Dougherty deftly details (not ridiculously over the top, mind you) the settings and scenarios and it helps to feel like you’re there while reading it. That you can hear the clink of glasses, the laughter of guests and smell the expensive perfumes and the sea air blowing in through an open window.

This works to heighten the tension when things ramp up. As it’s taking place in a hotel, we become intimately aware of the surroundings and when the knife-wielding killer arrives time and time again, the reader is able to picture exactly where they are and what escape routes the characters have. Not that those matter.

Throughout, I kept tossing guesses into the air, as to who the killer was. It had to be the bartender! It had to be the concierge! It had to be Jack himself! It had to be X! etc. etc. Which was a huge part of the fun of reading this. Over and over again, bread crumbs were left behind, but ultimately when they were followed, the reader would end up at the wrong loaf.

The reveal was well done, and in the afterword, Dougherty mentions that part of the giallo-ness of a story is not only who did the killings, but also why they did it, and that was detailed nicely. Which allowed for a very solid ending, answering the numerous questions leading up to that moment.

What I didn’t like: I say this in the nicest way possible – and this is 100% because I’m not familiar with this genre – but the novel does read very formulaic. I knew the killer would be revealed at about the 90% mark, simply because that seems to be how things are set up in this style of story telling. That’s not a bad thing, but if this isn’t something you typically enjoy, it will feel like many characters are purely set up to be taken out – but don’t fret, there is a specific reason for that!

Why you should buy this: I mean, if you love giallo entertainment, this is a no brainer. Dive in, digest, have some drinks, smoke a cigarette and take wild guesses at who the character is in between the spicy scenes. If you’re a fan of Dougherty’s work, also a no brainer. While this wasn’t a horror-style/espionage-style novel, Dougherty’s signature writing voice is there from the very first sentence.

Otherwise, if you’re simply looking for a rollicking, murder-mystery with great set pieces and enjoyable characters, look no further. This was a blast to read and one that did a wonderful job of throwing my expectations through the window and down, down, down to the sandy beach below.

5/5

Book Review: The Miracle Sin by Marcus Hawke

Title: The Miracle Sin

Author: Marcus Hawke

Release date: January 5th, 2021

Over the last few years, I’ve read a number of Hawke’s books and really enjoyed everything I’ve read. But up until now, I’ve not managed to read ‘The Miracle Sin,’ his major novel he’s known for. Everything about this novel had me excited and intrigued, yet it still managed to stay slightly away from the top of my TBR over and over.

But no longer! I made sure to get this to the top, wanting to get it read over the summer months, and help celebrate Canadian horror throughout the month of July.

What I liked: The novel itself reminded me a lot of elements from Clive Barker’s ‘Next Testament,’ and I say that in the best way possible. The story focuses on teenager, Mason. He’s been through a lot, his parents dying in one of the biggest natural disasters ever, one in which Mason himself was the only survivor.

Things take a turn when he finds out that all sorts of the things that are not supposed to be ‘real’ are. And with that, Mason also finds out he just might be the chosen one, the savior descended. While none of this makes sense to Mason or Grim, the stranger who takes him under his wing, it seems to be the truth, when a sinister evil wants to use Mason’s abilities for its own gain.

Hawke takes us on a rollercoaster ride of action/adventure and introspective reflection. Mason works to understand why the events took his parents from him, where he sits within those events and what it means for his current situation. His survival depends on his acceptance of his place in history as well as working with those around him.

The final quarter of this novel works to bring those storylines together and set up an explosive finale. Hawke seems to take special glee in how these things wrap up as even the prose feels heavier with action but weightier with passion.

What I didn’t like: There are a few points where the novel meanders away from its main narrative and at times there’s a few spots where I had to go back and reread the events of a singular scene to follow along, but overall the story is fantastic.

Why you should buy this: Dripping with darkness and some moments of terrific evil, Hawke’s definitively weaved a tale that walks that line between religious possibility and narrative fiction. In the battle between good and evil, our main character takes an all or nothing approach and its this character that really hammers home the depth of Hawke’s convictions for this novel.

I had a blast with this one and see why so many people have recommended it to me over the years.

4/5

Book Review: Breach by Shelly Campbell

Title: Breach (Dark Walker Series Book 2)

Author: Shelly Campbell

Release date: July 9th, 2024

*Huge thanks to Eerie River for sending me a digital ARC of this one!*

Back in 2021, Campbell’s novel ‘Gulf’ was released and I was blown away.

A portal-horror novel that followed David, a lonely teen who finds a doorway to another world in a cabin, it was gripping, moving and utterly terrifying. I’d not previously read any of Campbell’s work, but ‘Gulf’ made me an instant fan. After the original press that released it dissolved, I was super excited to see it get picked up by Eerie River and now, with book two arriving and a third on the way, it was even more amazing to see the books get revamped with matching covers across the series. Saying that, Kealan Patrick Burke’s original cover for ‘Gulf’ will remain one of the single greatest covers I’ve ever laid my eyes upon.

So, what comes next? That was the question after book one ended.

I for one couldn’t wait to see, and on the very day I was about to crack open Campbell’s fantasy novel ‘Under the Lesser Moon,’ the epub of ‘Breach’ landed in my inbox! You’re next ‘Under…’ !!

Before I dive into the review, I do want to say that if you’ve not read book one, there are some aspects here that might be mini-spoiler-ish because this one does follow the first. Enter at your own risk from here on out.

What I liked: The book picks up directly after book one. David awakes, in an observation cell, sick and not alone. The woman who saved him from the creatures is quarantined with him. Her name is Charlie, and she fills David in on where he is and who’s watching. The Embassy. A government entity on the other side keeps things in check. But they’re particularly interested in David, because David was able to cross over between worlds in a way nobody else has ever been able to. And now they want to study him.

Where ‘Gulf’ was a bread-and-butter coming-of-age, portal-horror novel, ‘Breach’ falls closer in alignment to ‘Total Recall.’ More sci-fi action than things that go bump in the night, and that’s not a bad thing. In fact, it adds an element of tension to the world(s) Campbell’s created in that soon, Charlie and David – and another Gatekeeper, Cory, – are heading elsewhere, needing David to heal up so that his powers that The Embassy believes he has will be at 100%. It’s not long after that things are revealed and Charlie and David flee alone.

Campbell does a wonderful job with Charlie. We get a rolling sort of ‘is she or isn’t she into me’ romantic angle between her and David and even after things get spicy, there’s always the subtext of her using David for her own means. This plays out with trying to get David to use his abilities specifically where it relates to her family.

The final quarter of this one takes a turn when The Embassy arrives and it makes for some solid emotional impact. It also nicely sets things up for book three and leaves us readers with some huge questions.

What I didn’t like: This is solidly a book two in that you have to have read book one to know what’s going on.

Also, fans of the coming-of-age horrorness of book one may be disappointed with the direction this one takes as it’s more sci-fi leaning than horror. I personally loved the expansive world building we get here, but I also can see where this one may irk some readers who want more of the same that book one brought us.

Why you should buy this: Campbell has not only done book one justice, but book two takes a giant leap and clobbers the reader over the head. This one is filled with heart, desire, complex emotions and at its core, that same scared kid trying to connect and find where he belongs. David is a startling raw main character, one who embodies the positives and negatives of anxiety, longing and the search for place. The creatures return, the scenes are crisp and frantic and Campbell handles all with a wicked grin on her face.

‘Breach’ levels up the sum of its parts, bringing everything great about ‘Gulf’ into the fold and amplifying it in this new reality introduced and I for one, can’t wait for the third book to arrive.

5/5

RELEASE DAY!

HEY ALL!

Exciting day here for me, as today is the launch of my newest novella, ‘When I Look At The Sky, All I See Are Stars.’

Released through DarkLit Press, this one is related to the Father of Lies series, but can be completely read alone and without any prior knowledge.

Huge thanks to DarkLit Press, David Sodergren for editing this bad boy, Greg Chapman for his amazing artwork/cover, Linda Jones for the performance of a lifetime for the audiobook, all the authors who’ve taken the time to read this and blurb it, Alec Frankel for the amazing behind the scenes film agenting stuff, and every reader who have preordered/liked/shared/read/reviewed and supported this one and me!

If you want to grab it and haven’t done so yet, you can do so here;

https://lnkj.in/p/stars

Also, thank you to everyone who grabbed the Father of Lies ebook while it was on sale for 99c over the last few weeks! That was so very kind of you all!

That’s all I got for now!