C.A. Verstraete's Blog, page 25

Lizzie Borden, #Zombie Hunter 2 in Lizzie's Hometown Paper!

Check it out!


A new story on the sequel, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall  was in Lizzie's hometown newspaper, The Herald News! 

NOTE: A new monthly reading list is coming tomorrow! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter on my website  (top center column).

** A SALE is also coming. Stay tuned!

Today in History: Lizzie Borden Murders #truecrime & New Movie!

Today in History:

You remember the rhyme? Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her father 40 whacks...
It's not exactly accurate, but today does mark the 126th anniversary of the Borden murders. 
It was August 4th, 1892 that Lizzie Borden supposedly took an axe (hatchet) and killed her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Durfee Borden.
Decades later, the crime still continues to fascinate.Did she or didn't she? 

I took one view in my books, 
now there's another view coming out in the new movie, Lizzie. 


       * I followed the crimes and the trial, along with offering an entirely different solution to the crime, in my book,  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter . (new 2nd edition & new cover!)
** New story on Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2 in Lizzie's hometown, Fall River, Mass. Newspaper - The Herald News!  **

* The story continues in  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall. ..  After the trial and being acquitted of murder, Lizzie thought her life would be "normal' again, but can it? When her sister, Emma, is caught up in the latest zombie outbreak, Lizzie has no choice but to pick up her axe again...
* See the trailer for the new movie, Lizzie.




*  I also give Dr. Bowen an opportunity to share his side of things... and look at whether he was haunted by the events of that day in my latest,  The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River.
* I hope you enjoy reading them. Please leave a review. Even a line helps!

Vote for Haunting of Dr. Bowen Ghost Story #Horror

Round 2 of the Raven Awards at Uncaged Book Reviews is open until  August 4. The award celebrates top books reviewed in the last year.


Vote for The Haunting of Dr. Bowen by C.A. Verstraete (in the last section, Horror/Psychological Thriller) at the awards page. Top 5 go to the finals!

No email required - just vote! Thank you!

Wet Work #Thriller Blog Tour!

Today I welcome "Writer on Demand" TM  Donald J. Bingle, who's touring for his latest book, Wet Work, a Dick Thornby spy thriller.
About Wet Work:   Dick Thornby is not Hollywood’s idea of a spy. In his rough and tumble job there are no tailored Italian suits, no bimbos eager to please, and no massive underground fortresses built by evil overlords seeking world domination—just an endless series of sinister threats to the safety and security of the billions of mundane citizens of the planet. Sure, Dick's tough and he knows a few tricks to help him get out of a tight spot, even if his boss accuses him of over-reliance on an abundance of explosives. But he's also got a mortgage, a wife upset by his frequent absences on "business" trips, and an increasingly alienated teen-age son who spends way too much time playing in gaming worlds on the computer.   After taking personal revenge on the criminal behind both his son’s injuries and the continued disintegration of his marriage, Dick Thornby is teamed with Acacia (“Ace”) Zyreb, a young, female agent from the East European office of the Subsidiary, to deal with the mystery behind coordinated hacking of the braking systems of several car models.   Doing his best to maintain his vows to his wife, Dick struggles to deal with the inexperience and provocative attitude of Ace on her first non-European mission. Their somewhat combative investigation takes a left turn by uncovering a much more sinister threat to the world and to Dick's family. He's willing to risk his job, his partner, and his life to eliminate the threat, but the clock is ticking.
 ** Buy: ** * Amazon -  * Nook -  * Kobo -  * Print  
Favorite Quote:Here, Dick and his new partner look up at the sky at night:She heard her companion give out a short huff. “Some people see it that way. Me, I think that if ... just possibly, mind you ... if we’re the only intelligent life in the big, wide universe of which the Milky Way is only an infinitesimal fraction, then keeping the world safe and its inhabitants as happy and healthy as possible is the most important, most monumental, and most sacred task in the universe.” He paused. “And, I think I’d damn well better not screw it up.”
Story Inspiration:     Well, of course, Wet Work is a new adventure in a series which started with Net Impact, so my biggest inspiration was to find something new for Dick to do that was in the same spirit as the first adventure. And, I don't want to be too specific and create any spoilers for the reader. But, I think there are a couple of hallmarks for my Dick Thornby adventures: The first is that Dick is a regular guy who always does what needs to be done in a situation, despite the personal cost to himself. Secondly, there are a lot of weird facts in the world and a lot of even weirder websites, blogs, YouTube videos, and conspiracy theories about those things on the World Wide Web about those things. I like to both educate the reader about such things and have some fun with the wild theories that get so much attention about those things.
Excerpt:Dick’s foot jabbed repeatedly at the brake, but nothing happened. The car kept picking up speed as it rapidly approached the steeper portion of the unimproved roadway leading hikers to the pathways at the south end of the Route of the Volcanoes.“Pull the emergency brake,” Dick yelled as he suddenly started yanking the wheel left and right in rapid succession, the car caroming from soft shoulder to soft shoulder, sending dirt and gravel flying.Was he insane?She grasped the center-mounted lever for the emergency brake on the second attempt and yanked awkwardly upward. There was no resistance; there was no effect. She stared at Dick in horror for a split second before his gaze shifted to the rock-strewn slope plummeting away on both sides of the steep crest roadway. Dick jerked the gear shift, dropping the transmission into a lower gear, causing the transmission to whine like a banshee. Their momentum slowed and her mood shifted just as rapidly. Then they tilted over to the steeper portion of the descent. In no time, they were plunging just as fast as before. To the right, on the wetter west slope, a tangle of bushes gave way to saplings and trees at lower elevations. Dick continued to slalom from side to side of the narrow roadway as his head jerked from side to side. Ace gritted her teeth as a huge pothole loomed.Sakra!Dick seemed to steer straight into it, twisting the steering wheel hard to the right, so the left front tire hit the far edge of the deep divot sideways. She heard an explosive pop as the left front tire burst. The car shuddered for a moment as the corner dipped, slowing the jalopy momentarily before it powered out of the hole, headed for the narrow right shoulder and the rocky slope beyond.Kurva!This time her partner didn’t turn the wheel back to the left. Instead, they tilted over the edge and the car picked up even more speed. With the left rim slicing into the shallow volcanic grit, the rear of the vehicle slid faster downslope than the front. Dick once again wrenched the steering wheel hard left. Sharp, heavy volcanic rocks bumped against the bottom, tires, and side of the car. If she hadn’t belted in, Ace was sure she would have been thrown into the roll-bar and canvas top of the four-wheel drive, if not thrown out of the vehicle completely. As it was, she hung on for precious life, pressing herself against the seat back, bracing herself as best she could against the terrors of the inevitable, when the car would flip and roll topsy-turvy until it hit a tree or rock too big to dislodge.Wham! Bam! It was if Dick was aiming for the largest rocks in their path. The car groaned and metal squealed as parts of the undercarriage—exhaust system, oil pan, rocker panels, transmission—were ripped away during their tumultuous descent. The shrubs and trees were coming up faster ... much faster ... than she liked. Seconds before they hit, Dick grabbed the gear shift again, this time forcefully ramming it into reverse. She heard a grinding sound as the car spasmed, a rapid series of jerks slowing the momentum, then a sudden bang as the transmission, no doubt, dropped off the vehicle.The four-wheel drive jalopy jolted forward, unimpeded by the friction of the gears for a microsecond just as they got to the tree line. She threw her arms over her face to protect herself from being impaled when a branch thrust through the windscreen. She heard the shushing scrape of vegetation envelop the vehicle, then the scraping and snapping of splintering branches, as her body leaned forward from deceleration.Then, the front of the car seemed to tilt upward and her head nearly bumped into the windshield before the airbags deployed as the jeep slammed to a sudden stop. The airbag thrust her arms hard into her face, which shoved her head into the headrest behind. Then the bag rapidly deflated.When she lowered her arms and opened her eyes, she saw a miasma of white powder swirling in the air and coating both the car and her. She looked to her left and saw Dick, dusted in white and his face in a fierce expression, like some Kabuki Samurai. His arms were folded over his chest as he gulped in huge breaths of air. His demeanor and his breathing quickly calmed.Finally, he looked toward her and spoke. “Well, that was interesting.”Kurva to hovno! “Interesting?” She vibrated in rage. “You almost fucking killed us!”Dick tilted his head to one side. “How’s that? I didn’t make the brakes fail.”
About the author:  Donald J. Bingle  is the author of six books and a member of The International Thriller Writers, the Horror Writers Association, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. He was once hit by lightning, which might explain his writing more than 50 short stories featuring killer bunnies, Renaissance Faire orcs, giant battling robots, demons, cats, werewolves, time travelers and about everything else.     He also was the world's top-ranked tournament player of classic roleplaying games like Advanced Dungeons & Dragons for 15 years. Learn more at his website.

Giveaway:  Runs 7/23 thru 8/10a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Review! Lizzie Borden,. #Zombie Hunter!

Maybe you're tired of hearing about these, I hope not! I'm excited as I'm now at 39 reviews for Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter !

I'd love to get to the magic 50 number, so please, pretty please, review it, won't you? Even a short sentence helps the book get more exposure!

The latest: Fleur at Post Apocalyptic  Playground  "absolutely loved the twist on twist" and "was hooked on this read." 5 stars.

Also, there was a review that kept disappearing on Amazon, with the number fluctuating. Seems there is a review I didn't see that is on the second page although it's recent. 

It's a fun one too, from Amazon reviewer Helen. Loved this line! "It was horrifying, disgusting, and strangely interesting." And she gets it. See more at my website page.

Lizzie Borden #Zombie #horror Flash Fiction

I've got a new zombie-horror flash fiction story out as part of the Ladies of Horror Flash Project.

The cool thing is the flash stories at Nina D'Arc's blog all start with a picture prompt.


Here's mine - and this one is set somewhere familiar to Lizzie Borden enthusiasts as the title suggests: Midnight in the Oak Grove Cemetery And yes, she's swinging that axe again.

New Series: The Other Side of Writers, Meet #Mystery Author Mary Cunningham

You can't help but wonder sometimes - just who is that person behind the book or story?  What do they do when they're not writing? What are their interests or hobbies?

Well, this new series will lift the veil a bit and show you who these various authors are outside of their creations!

Today, my first guest is Mary Cunningham, author of the middle grade Cynthia's Attic series and the mystery, Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder, Andi Anna Jones Mystery Book 1. 

She talks about one of my favorite topics, genealogy. And in this case, it seems those old family tales had some truth to them!


Discovering (and writing about) My Ancestors
Thanks, Christine, for inviting me to share my hobby with your blog readers. While I love sports (I’m a tomboy from waaaaay back), swim, and play a little golf, my first love, after reading and writing of course, is genealogy.    Family Search has become one of my favorite websites. I’ve traced my family tree, on my mother’s side, back to kings and queens in England, France, and Scotland.    I relax by digging up research about my ancestors. Sometimes I relax, too much, and hours have gone by before I know it! My time and interest in family members and stories paid off, however, by sparking a five-book middle-grade series, Cynthia’s Attic .   When I realized a recurring dream I’d had for almost 20 years was about a mysterious attic was in the home of my childhood best friend, Cynthia, the writing, and my search for characters, began. It didn’t take long to realize genealogy could provide some interesting characters.    Like most of us, I had regrets about ignoring my grandparents, and even my parents, when  I was young. Their stories about “the good ol’ days” bored me to tears. (I would’ve much rather been outside, playing baseball.)    So, when I came up with the book idea to send Augusta Lee (Gus) and her best friend, Cynthia, back in time to meet their 12-year-old grandmothers, Bess and Clara, I found the perfect opportunity to honor my ancestors by sharing adventures with them.    Besides my grandmother, I wrote about my dad, my mother, great-grandparents, Charles and Samantha, and even my great-great-grandparents; the best story of all!        As I mentioned above, I had no use, back then, for old family stories; with one exception. According to family legend, my great-great grandfather, Augustus Bulleit, made a living transporting “produce” from his farm in Southern Indiana down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on a flatboat. He sold his “produce” all the way to New Orleans until, during a fateful trip in 1860, he disappeared. Although some of the “produce”, along with his boat, was recovered, no trace of him, or his remains, was ever found.
   Lots of speculation surrounded his disappearance. Did he simply vanish into the streets of New Orleans to escape the responsibility of providing for five children (four additional children died in infancy) and a wife, Marie Julia, who had a somewhat less than sparkling personality? (See for yourself!) Or... was he murdered for a boat full of corn and soybeans? That sounded implausible, even when I was a 10-year-old!   
   Ah-ha! Mystery solved years later when we discovered he was actually the maker and transporter of his own rye bourbon. I suppose those who knew the truth thought his image would be tarnished if it was discovered Gramps made and sold booze for a living. These days his reputation is spread far and wide with sales of Bulleit Frontier Bourbon. A couple of decades back a very smart cousin of mine discovered the old recipe and decided to revive it. Now, it’s one of the leading rye bourbons in the world.    So, what does this have to do with writing, you ask?
   The third book in the Cynthia’s Attic series, Curse of the Bayou , is loosely based on that fateful trip. The two best friends time-travel back to Louisiana to see if they can discover what happened to Augustus, or Beau, as he’s portrayed in the story. Do they find him? Guess you’ll just have to read the book!
   Bottom line is, I wish I’d spent more time “researching” my relatives while they were still alive. Oh, the stories I could’ve written about their childhood
About the Author:

    Mary Cunningham, grew on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana. Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired her imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn”. Childhood experiences, and a recurring dream about a mysterious attic, inspired characters, Cynthia and Augusta Lee, for her award-winning middle-grade series, Cynthia's Attic. 
   Through a horrifying stint as a travel agent and a more rewarding experience teaching travel and tourism, Andi Anna Jones, travel agent/amateur sleuth, sprang to life in her latest, Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder, Andi Anna Jones Mystery Book 1. Book 2 is on the way!    Cunningham is currently writing another middle-grade series, The Adventures of Max and Maddie, an adult mystery, For the Life of Claire , and the biography of an army brat/former UConn basketball star. She is a member of The Georgia Reading Association, and the Carrollton Writers Guild.    When not writing, she enjoys golf, swimming and exploring the mountains of West Georgia  with her husband or spending time with their three children, two granddaughters, a grandson, great-grandson, and an adopted, four-legged, furry daughter, Lucy.

Finding Mary Cunningham
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/marycunninghambooks/Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/CynthiasatticTwitter: http://twitter.com/MaryCunninghamPinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/gus65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marycunningham1/Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/367223.Mary_CunninghamAmazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B002BLNEK4

 Thanks, Mary, for sharing your fascinating family story with us and letting us peek into your life. Stay tuned for our next guest!

New Review: Lizzie Borden, #Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall

Somehow I missed this! Great new 5-star review for
Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter 2: The Axe Will Fall @Nerdgirl.com by Dezzy.

"The thing is, most books don’t have a well enough follow through for me to read the entire second book to a series or a duo. BUT…. I mean a huge but, C. A.
entire thing! I was captivated by how well the story panned out. It was Verstraete was able to not only keep my attention, but she friggin’ executed the thrilling in all the right places and not once did it let up on suspense."
* See full review @ the NerdGirl website. 

Lydia Pinkham & Lizzie Borden, #1LineWed

I just went back through the last two years of the blog, (yes, I really did that) and updated most of the Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter posts to reflect the new book link. I may have missed a few but the link is also on the pages tab on top or the link and cover photo in the left column.

One thing is that over time, old posts get buried. I found a couple interesting ones, so I'll be updating and re-posting a few for those who haven't seen them. 


A Did You Know? Post for #1LineWed - 1 Line Wednesday:


When you research, you come across all kinds of details. As this type of "medicinal" preparation has something to do with the plot in Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter (new 2nd edition & new cover), I thought I'd share what I found on Lydia Pinkham.



My #1LineWed – 1 Line Wednesday -   from Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter  based on the vintage label (sold 1873-1906.):

“… Lydia Pinkham’s… a cure for all those powerful complaints and weaknesses so common to our best female population.”

You have to read the book to learn about the strange connection!! Find out more about Lydia Pinkham.
Lydia Pinkham’s was a herbal remedies firm located in Lynn, Mass. The best-known product, Lydia Pinkham’s Vegetable Compound, was distributed until the 1930s when the FDA labeling laws forced it to change its ingredients. (Patent medicines back then had huge alcohol content and often opium as well.) 

Here's more information on the original product. 

An interesting side-note: Oops! With the new Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 requiring listing of ingredients in patent medicines, the compound was found to have 15% alcohol. (No wonder you felt better - or felt no pain anyway!)
Guess what? A new herbal version for “women’s problems” is still being sold today (by a pharmaceutical company.) 

#Zombie Box Set!

 Get it while it's 99 cents! 

The Apocalypse Has Begun!Today marks the release of this limited edition box set! 13 First-in-series novels of zombie apocalypse fiction! On sale for release week at just .99c! Available on Amazon, iBooks, Kobo and Nook!https://page.co/30pQ