L.A. Millett's Blog, page 2

Book Reviews – Four Books

So today to celebrate the release of Truth or Scare, I have made all four of my available books completely free!

They will be free over the next two days and I really hope you enjoy them!

For fans of horror, scare and creative nonfiction;

[image error]

 

Enjoy fantasy and looking for a book holiday this summer? Why not try Verdorso?

[image error]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keepers-Verdorso-Finding-Kin-ebook

Bethany has spent many years in deep regret after her wedding day. What will change her five-year losing streak?

[image error]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Year-Losing-Streak-ebook

 

Finally, perhaps you’re looking for a self-help book that can put a smile on your face.

[image error]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Smashing-Back-Doors-Useless-Advice-ebook 

 

 

 

Truth or Scare – Anthology of Short Stories

I felt an introduction would be appropriate to explain the type of book this is. Although it is an anthology of short stories, it is also a game of ‘Truth or Scare’.

By this I mean, is the story based on truth or just created to scare you?

Truth or Scare allows you to read through the stories first, giving you time to make your decision. Of course, if you’re like me and need to know straight away, the answers are on the last page.

Thank you to all those who donated their chilling true stories. To protect their identities, names and some places have been changed. If after reading this you have your own truth story would be happy to share and discuss, the details can be found after the answers.

Are you ready to play Truth or Scare?

Available on Amazon now!

Short Story – Billy and Wilson

Billy and Wilson is one of many stories due to be released within a collection of horror, scary and odd stories. The anthology will reveal if this story is a tale of true horror or simply a piece of fiction intended to scare.

Before ‘Cries from the Crypt’ was added the selection of stories in the upcoming anthology Truth or Scare, I had posted it as a blog. From that blog a man in his late 30s named Joe contacted me through my website.

Joe had spent many years researching the cemetery at Walton to see if any other strange goings on had occurred. Unfortunately, he was unable to drum up much until he saw the blog.

The email explained that when he was eighteen he moved over from Vancouver, Canada to study at the University of Liverpool. His first three years flew by and soon he found himself starting his next degree in the same university. Joe’s life was going well, just as he had planned. Moving into a small house near the cemetery with his then girlfriend, he was luckily enough that his friend Tony moved into a house on the same road. Settling into his postgraduate life Joe and Tony would often walk their dogs Billy and Wilson.

Walton Cemetery had a good-sized field behind it that was dog friendly. However, to get there you needed to pass through a maze of graves before arriving at the open field. Joe and Tony had made the journey on multiple occasions and never thought much of the graves that they passed. After a few routine checks of the different paths they could take, a discovery of one path that lead straight from the cemetery gate to the field made their nightly walks easier. The keeper of the graveyard warned them to be careful during the colder seasons as the rain would bog down the path making it dangerous.

The months rolled by quickly and soon enough it was approaching Halloween. Meeting at Joe’s house they began their nightly strolls through the houses and into the graveyard. They talked amongst themselves about the ghost stories from where they both grew up and found similarities in the local myths and legends. Even though these myths and legends were in completely different parts of the world.

Billy was a Jack Russell Terrier and Wilson a Wolfhound, the unlikely friends. Billy seemed to be the only dog that Wilson liked. After half an hour of chasing his friend around the field Billy returned to Joe, tired and ready for the walk home. Wilson burnt off the last of his energy by flying across the grass a few times before returning to Tony, soaked in mud. Laughing, they joked about how annoyed their girlfriends would be when they returned home.

Leaving the field, they saw that the path they came down was soaked with water. Too dangerous to walk in, especially for the dogs. They would need to take the longer route which passed by the entire of the cemetery. Walking along they began looking at old graves looking for the oldest one they could see. Beckoning Joe over Tony had managed to find a grave with no name or date. Brushing past another grave Billy and Wilson dragged them back, growling. Moving in the same direction, Joe and Tony turned to see an odd figure. The man was roughly middle-aged, very thin with greying skin. He was dressed in black, including a black Breton cap.  Smoke cascaded from his pipe framing a black leather lead and, on the end, a black Yorkshire Terrier.

Joe and Tony apologised for the dogs and coaxed them away, but the strange man said nothing as he continued to cradle his pipe. Billy and Wilson wouldn’t stop growling. The man in black pursued them keeping around fifty yards behind them.

Eventually they came to a fork in the path, one leading through to the main cemetery and then out, the other through to another village. Glancing behind one last time they noticed the man had disappeared and the dogs stopped growling. They assumed he had gone back from where they had just come from.

The journey through the rest of the cemetery was uneventful.

As they neared the gates to exit there was one last row of graves to walk past. Joe’s heart sank as Billy barked and Wilson howled. It was impossible. The strange man who had followed them was now stood in front of them staring at a grave. All the noise from the dogs must have startled him as he began to float at an inhumane speed towards them.

Joe picked up Billy and began to run as Wilson dragged Tony out of the cemetery. Running almost half way home they stopped to see if the man was behind them still.

Thankfully whoever he was had not followed them. Easing their pace into a quick walk they arrived home. Flushed with a red face Joe’s girlfriend asked him what had happened but not quite believing himself, decided it was best to keep it between the two friends.

That was until several years later. The night of Tony’s stag party they were waiting for more people to arrive before eventually leaving. Amongst the many topics already discussed they began to retell old stories and hilarious shenanigans when Tony started to tell them about this experience. Expecting his group of friends to explode into laughter he was surprised when they cast their eyes down.

“Erm, Tony. Don’t know if you know this like but it’s happened to a few of us.”

Confirming what the guy looked like and that they were forced to take a different path, Joe and Tony knew it wasn’t a living man. This was something far more paranormal.

To this day they still don’t know what haunts the graveyard at Walton. However, with three sightings already brought to me I can safely guess that there is more than just the living that walk the paths of Walton Cemetery.

Perhaps you have had the same experience?

Short Stories – An Anthology

With the second series in Verdorso well underway to be published in autumn, it has given me some time to explore different elements of writing.

I love writing short stories. I truly believe this is the best way to develop and refine your writing techniques. Writing a 90.000 word novel is all fun and games until the editing comes…

This is where short stories and even flash fiction really helps to finely tune your writing instrument.

I have been fortunate enough to interview some incredible people about the paranormal and all things strange.

I started working on Truth or Scare a few months back to get a feel for this type of fiction mixed with creative non-fiction.

Truth or Scare will contain some red herrings. A few conjured up fictional stories slotted between real life events.

The answers to what is fact and what has been fiction only to be revealed at the end of this frightening anthology. Or of course, if you’re like me and grow impatient you can skip to the end!

How does everyone feel about horror and paranormal anthologies?

What about short stories? Do you enjoy reading them? Or writing them?

Let me know how you feel about short stories!

 

Laura

x

Adventure Fantasy

[image error]For today and tomorrow The Keepers of Verdorso will be free to download on eBook.

To get your free copy please click the link below.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Keepers-Verdorso-Finding-Kin-ebook/

 

Self-help or self-hinder?

[image error]

I published this book a little over a year ago.

When I first started to write it I thought of all the self-help books that had been written before. My clear aim was to be nothing like them.

Self-care and self-help is great as a starting point don’t get me wrong but sometimes they lack the real meaning of what is happening in someone’s life. More often than not it could be an underlying mental health issue that hasn’t been addressed.

With so much in the news recently about people taking their own lives after participating in a TV show it reminded me how important seeking professional help is.

Also, how difficult.

This book in all sense of its purpose is suppose to be the drunken chat you have with a friend. Righting all the wrongs in your life but this time remembering the good advice you gave and received.

Most importantly, giving you the Dutch courage to reach out and get any support that might be needed.

Plus it might give you a good giggle at the inappropriateness of the entire book and take your mind off work tomorrow. Who knows!

Laura

x

A Streak of Change

[image error]After a long writing hiatus it has been nice to get back to creating again.

August will see The Keepers of Verdorso: A Traitor’s Return being released.

In the meantime, Bethany is making her return next Tuesday, 21st May 2019. Conquering her five year losing streak it’s time for ‘A Streak of Change’.

If you need a quick recap or perhaps want to give a feel good read a go; the first in the short story series The Five Year Losing Steak is available on Kindle Unlimited. It will be free from tomorrow for the next three days as well.

It would be fantastic to hear from those who enjoyed it so far or new readers! Hopefully you will love this quick summer read.

 

Laura

x

 

 

Animal Cruelty Petition – UK

If you don’t know by now I’m sure you will after this post.

I value animals as equal to humans. They deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity that we are. They deserve a trial when abuse has taken place.

The laws need to become tighter to protect those that do not have a voice!

My beautiful friend, Mark,  has created this petition to go before the UK government.

It might not seem like much by clicking to sign a petition but this is how it starts! Your signature gives a voice to those animals that have suffered abuse at the hands of humans. Let’s give them a voice.

Please sign the below petition. If you are unable to, if being out of the UK, then I urge you to start the same motion in your country or state.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/260405/sponsors/new?token=SyU5mkDZl56U0dZcfrDL

Monks’ Well

Dot’s experience was one she would never forget.

What haunted the Monks’ Well?

Beneath the Well

As a clairvoyant and paranormal investigator Ella travelled around the UK quite often.

Her work sometimes helped to debunk myths or help homeowners find a leaking pipe that was causing paranormal sensations.

However, it sometimes uncovered things that she was not prepared for…

The winter of 2014 Ella was asked to bring her crew to an abandoned asylum in Scotland.

A crew member had suggested stopping at his great uncle’s house. Peter’s uncle had an enormous empty home after his wife left one night with their two children.

Arriving at the home in Aberdeen, Uncle Gary showed them around before retiring to his room. Peter had warned the crew that his great uncle often spoke to himself and still prepared rooms for his wife and children in case they returned.

Ella tired from the journey decided it was best to get some rest. That night Ella’s dreams were tormented. A well with over flowing water in a dark stone room.

The next morning Uncle Gary had prepared a feast for breakfast, an extra three places were laid. He spoke softly as they discussed the journey they take.

Ella mentioned her strange dream and they all agreed this could be what to expect when they arrive at the old asylum.

They spent the rest of the day helping Uncle Gary with odd jobs that his 91 years wouldn’t allow him to do.

Tired from painting an outside fence, Ella decided to take a nap. A small decision that would have catastrophic effects.

Her mind led her to a wooden door. Behind that door, wooden slats. Kicking them through she could see a drop into a basement but no stairs.

Jumping down into the basement she could see a well overflowing with water. Before she could reach the well a teenage girl screamed as she appeared in front.

This jolted Ella awake…

Something propelled Ella out of her room and down the stairs. Ripping at the side of the staircase she managed to pull away a fake plasterboard wall, hiding a wooden door.

Yanking the door open she saw wooden slats. She knew what to expect.

Grabbing a ladder from outside, Ella made her way into the basement. Just as she had seen in her dream an overflowing well, but no apparition.

Suddenly all she could hear was footsteps in the water and screams. This time she didn’t wake up…

Later that day the firemen and a rescue team pulled three bodies from the well. An excavation team unearthed over 40 bodies from the ground.

Uncle Gary was arrested for the murder of over 40 missing teenage girls.

In his confession Gary admitted that his wife found a local girl Tess chained up in the basement. When she tried to flee, Gary killed her and his children to stop them from speaking, hiding them in the well.

Years later tormented by what he had done Gary tried to hide the evidence by making the basement disappear.

He admitted ‘it only made the basement disappear. They were all there with me. I always set a place for my wife and children, they’d come often…’