C.A. Verstraete's Blog, page 40

Vote for Lizzie Borden, #Zombie Hunter for Best #Horror!

I'm looking for your votes in the Summer Indie Book Awards!

VOTE HERE for Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter for Best Horror! 
 Thank you!!
   Here's more about Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter:

Every family has its secrets…

One hot August morning in 1892, Lizzie Borden picked up an axe and murdered her father and stepmother. Newspapers claim she did it for the oldest of reasons: family conflicts, jealousy and greed. But what if her parents were already dead? What if Lizzie slaughtered them because they’d become... zombies? 

Sept Reading List: #horror #zombie #mystery

September Reading ListFill those Kindles in your book bags and back-to-school backpacks with some great reads (other than boring textbooks!)


HORRORSale: 99 cents! Last Meal: Based on the true story of the Bloody Benders, Paul Ibbetson


In 1873, the largest serial killing spree in American history happened along the Osage Trail in Kansas. The family would later be identified as the Bloody Benders. Unlike most criminals of their time, they escaped and were never caught. This true history is now captured in a gripping fictional tale that takes the horror of murder on the plains to a dark new level.
New! Satanipedes, Abe Stroud Archeology vs. Supernatural Thriller - Bloodscreams #8, Robert W. Walker - The latest horrifying offering from Walker sure to make your skin crawl!

Just when Archeologist and Vampire Slayer, Dr. Abraham Stroud thinks he can take it easy, take a second seat on a dig in West Texas, he is wrong from the outset. Plagued by warnings he does not at first recognize, Abe soon finds himself in the thick of an attack on humankind by a pod of prehistoric, giant centipedes that have cultivated a taste beyond livestock to a taste for humans. The creatures are known to local Native Americans as 'Burrowers' as they have seen them before, but for Abe and those around him, there is a brewing war anticipated and soon engaged, the results of which are horrific in terms of human life.
Satanipedes follows Skitters, and six previous Bloodscreams titles, beginning with Vampire Dreams, Werewolf's Grief, Zombie Eyes, Bayou Wulf, SubterraneanS and Random Violence.
MYSTERY Anthology
New!
Day of the Dark, Stories of Eclipse, Edited by Kaye George - One solar eclipse and what do you get? Two dozen spine-chilling short mysteries!
MYSTERY


Pre-order!! Releases Sept. 15
The Dead of Night, Piper Blackwell Book 2, Jean Rabe - As Sheriff Piper Blackwell rushes to a clandestine meeting with an aging, paranoid veteran who believes spies are trailing his every move, she is caught in a fierce thunderstorm. Pounding rain drums against the bluff, washing away the earth and revealing a grisly secret someone tried to bury a long time ago.
Putting a name to the skeleton on the bluff, and searching for the thief who robbed the old veteran of his life’s earnings, sends Piper delving into the sleepy towns that dot her rural county. Now she’s digging into pasts perhaps best left alone.


 The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River - C.A. Verstraete -   I give Dr. Bowen - Lizzie's doctor -  an opportunity to share his side of things... and look at whether he was haunted by the murders of his neighbors, Andrew and Abby Durfee Borden, allegedly committed by their daughter, Lizzie Borden, on August 4, 1892.  

** Check it out! Did you see the cool new book trailer for The Haunting of Dr. Bowen? 
************* Pre-order - 99 cents sale!
Murder and Mayhem , Limited Edition Collection, Assorted Authors - From tales of spies and espionage to small-town mysteries and traditional courtroom thrillers to hard-boiled noir, this collection offers a cross-section of modern thriller and mystery.Scroll Up Now and Pre-order Today to secure your 20 stories from the masters of thrills and kills!

Including Titles From...
Award-Winning author Nathan M. Farrugia, Nick Thacker, John Birmingham, N.D. Hill, Eva Winters, Lee Hayton, USA Today bestselling author Olivia Wildenstein, Nathan Goodman, John Ling, Award-Winning author Fiona Quinn, M.R. Graham. USA Today bestselling author H.B. Moore , Award-Winning author Pamela Crane, Award-Winning author Ashley C. Harris, Award-Winning author Terry Keys, Steve P. Vincent, Tina Glasneck
Award-Wining author Pauline Creeden, Dave Sinclair, New York Times bestselling author Monica Corwin
** Bonus Freebies!  - Horror:

  Monsters of Myth,  Gary J. Green - All you ever wanted to know about Bigfoot,  Chupacabra, Fairies, and more. Teens to adults! Get it free at Bookfunnel.




* If you didn't get it yet... Grab a free copy of my new Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter story, The View from #7 French Street, at Instafreebie! - I'd love your feedback! Contact me via the website.

PARANORMAL

 The Revelation of Faithe Eileen, Melanie McFarlane - Faithe Eileen can't remember why ex-boyfriend Jake won't talk to her anymore. She can't remember the reason her daddy ran away or why her momma paces the hallway outside her bedroom door at night. All Faithe knows is something goes wrong everytime she gets upset, and she's starting to lose control. This novelette is perfect for fans who want a short read filled with mystery and terror.

ZOMBIE: Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete -  I followed the crimes and the trial, along with offering a "different"  solution to the murders of the Bordens by their daughter, accused murderess Lizzie Borden, on August 4, 1892. 
*** PLEASE VOTE FOR LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER FOR BEST HORROR IN THE SUMMER INDIE BOOK AWARDS!
VOTE HERE!! ** *

New! Pre-order - 99 cents. Releases Nov. 25
Paxton vs. The Undead, Kristen Middleton - Meet Paxton. A man who barely survived a plane crash and is now slapped in the face with a zombie apocalypse. Unfortunately, Paxton hasn't been out of his apartment for the last year, due to his Agoraphobia. But, he knows that the only way to survive this horror is to leave the safety of his home, whether he likes it or not. Especially, since Coborn's no longer delivers....Dark humor, profanity, and violence. (Related to Zombie Games? She's not sure yet....)

#1LineWed - #Dogs, #Books & Lizzie Borden

 ** My friend Jean Rabe is on a blog book tour for her upcoming new mystery, The Dead of Night . Be sure to check it out! See all the post links here.

Her latest post on dogs got me thinking....

In it, she underlines the importance and value of dogs, which she also includes in her upcoming book. 

Everyone should have a dog...


Did You Know? 


(Pictured: Jean Rabe's Boston Terrier, Missy; see other dogs at her website.)

Yes, even the infamous Lizzie Borden had dogs, namely three Boston Terriers, which also were a "fashionable" breed at the time.

Well, someone who loves dogs can't be all bad... right? It is one redeeming quality, though someone might say that despite having but a few loyal friends and staff, Lizzie still had to be lonely.

She was acquitted of the crimes a year after the horrific 1892 axe (hatchet) murders of her father and stepmother, but she remained a social pariah. Not convicted, but guilty nonetheless. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the Borden murders.

Even Lizzie and her sister had a falling out and never talked again. But she had her dogs. They are buried in the Pine Ridge Pet Cemetery in Dedham, MA.

 Since I based my book, Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter , on the real life events, trial, and some of Lizzie's life after she was acquitted, I naturally had to put a dog in the story. 

So, here's the first line for #1 Line Wednesday - and I've included a bit more of an excerpt, which happens further into the book.  **  I hope you'll get a copy - and please leave a review. Even a line or two helps! I seem to be stuck at #32! **

 ** Excerpt from  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter,


The only change Lizzie was certain Emma disliked had been her decision to get a dog. “Emma, I know how you feel about dogs, but I decided to bring the most darling Boston Terrier home. I promise to keep himout of your way upstairs.”
Oddly enough, once the actual danger passed and those who had left in the height of the attacks began returning to their homes, Lizzie soon learned that her former status as the local pariah had not changed a whit.
      When  she  took  the  dog  for  a  morning  walk  down  the  street,  any neighbors who appeared outside at the same time pretended not to see her. They turned their backs on her or hurried inside. It hurt, she had to admit, and soon she confined her outdoor excursions to her gardens and the area around herown house. She andthe dog had to be content in their own backyard.

New! Haunting of Dr. Bowen #Mystery Book Trailer!

This is cool! I now have a new book trailer for The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River . Or here's the YouTube link.

Thanks to Julien Saindon of JM Trailer Productions! See below.




Here's more about the book, available in print, Kindle and Kindle Unlimited - buy it here.

Jean Rabe #Mystery Dead of Night Blog Tour!

Today, USA Bestselling Author Jean Rabe's blog tour stops HERE! 

Check out more about the upcoming release of her book,  The Dead of Night, A Piper Blackwell Mystery Book 2 , the sequel to  The Dead of Winter. (Get it now on pre-order. Releases Sept. 15.)



 About The Dead of Night: 


In Spencer County’s history, mysteries are numerous—and lethal…
As Sheriff Piper Blackwell rushes to a clandestine meeting with an aging, paranoid veteran who believes spies are trailing his every move, she is caught in a fierce thunderstorm. Pounding rain drums against the bluff, washing away the earth and revealing a grisly secret someone tried to bury a long time ago.
Putting a name to the skeleton on the bluff, and searching for the thief who robbed the old veteran of his life’s earnings, sends Piper delving into the sleepy towns that dot her rural county. Now she’s digging into pasts perhaps best left alone. Uncovering fragments of Spencer County’s history could prove more dangerous—and deadlier—than she ever expected.

S.C.D.D.Same Characters, a very Different Day - by Jean Rabe
Piper Blackwell, four months into her term as Spencer County Sheriff, is hot to solve a cold case. Rain, late at night, bones on the bluff…wonderfully eerie, and something to vex my favorite sheriff with. The book is The Dead of Night, the second in her series, and it is set for a September 15 release by Imajin. Her previous outing, The Dead of Winter, started with her first day on the job.
Piper is twenty-three, and won the sheriff’s race by campaigning on her last name. Her father, Paul Blackwell, had been with the department thirty years and had several turns at sheriff. Some in the county think folks didn’t realize they were voting for a different Blackwell. There’s still some friction in her department—over her age and lack of experience, but there’s also growing respect for the Army veteran. She has many of her supporting characters from the previous book—Chief Deputy Oren Rosenberg; Coroner Dr. Annie Neufeld; Teegan, a quirky Goth dispatcher; and Nang, Vietnamese caterer and quick stop owner…and potential love-interest. But there are some new ones thrown into the mix.
Series feel good because you can share the action with old friends. They’re like comfortable shoes that you’ve broken in just right. Though while there’s a sameness, Piper and Spencer County keep the story fresh. There are a lot of differences from the first book.
What makes this book dissimilar? Piper’s had a few months to grow into her role of sheriff, has become more familiar with her deputies and local politics, and has started to hear the county’s heartbeat. Oren’s had a few months to adjust to the young sheriff; he claims he still doesn’t like her, but he tolerates her…and that’s a big step from the first book. In this tale she’s involved with some of the little things that are a big deal to the rural residents, such as drunk drivers and an unbalanced octogenarian that is hell-bent on destroying mailboxes. She also nabs that cold case—and who doesn’t love a mysterious death from decades past?
There are few characters that readers should both love and hate…the drunk on a tractor that annoys the young sheriff. Drunk driving is the number one ticked offense in Spencer County; I figured I needed to address that in the book, putting a little spin on it. The Mailbox Mauler is another such soul. She was inspired by someone I know who has a vicious streak involving mis-delivered mail—downright NASTY; I had to vent by putting it in a Piper book. If the Mailbox Mauler feels real…it’s ‘cause she sort of is.
The Dead of Night was inspired by lots of things…among them three Navy veterans who live in a senior apartment complex; I rolled them into one character called Mark the Shark. He opens the book, and I hope the readers love him as much as I do. It was also inspired by the woman in my neighborhood who goes postal, by the drunk on the tractor who needed to be there so I could correctly write an airbag scene, and by an old skeleton because I’d read a forensic book about bones and wanted to put some of that knowledge to fictional use.

Is there someone to root for in Piper’s second outing? Absolutely…Piper, of course; she’s determined and feisty, and maybe she’s falling in love. Oren because he’s driven and proves that age in an asset, not a hindrance. Mark the Shark…because he’s Mark the Shark. There are also some folks to root against, but I don’t want to spoil the plot.
** Excerpt of The Dead of Night, A Piper Blackwell Mystery Book 2:   


It was a big red Case tractor, double wheels on the back, hitch, with a raised disc harrow  attachment used for cultivating the ground prior to planting—all of it caked with dried mud and  in need of washing. Piper was stuck behind it on 66, on her way to Hatfield, an unincorporated  dinkburg where Mark the Shark lived. 
Piper figured this ten-mile endeavor would take her an hour away from her cold  case…fourteen minutes to Mark’s, fourteen minutes b ack, and a half hour at the bank or looking through his records to show him the bookkeeping error and ease his conspiracy fears.
But the tractor was fouling her time-frame.
It belched fumes; her windows rolled down, the stink wafted inside and made her eyes water.  It was noisy; overwhelming the oldies station she’d had on and just now clicked off. It was slow,  riding in the center of the road, impossible for her to pass on either side without risking the ditch.  And it wasn’t traveling straight, sometimes in the proper lane, sometimes veering into the left  lane. Usually it held to roughly the middle.
She honked.
The driver raised his left hand and flipped his middle finger.
“Really?” Piper stuck her head out the window and hollered: “Pick a lane!” Then thinking he might not be able to hear over the racket the tractor was making, she used the PA in her car. “Pull over. Spencer County Sheriff. Pull over.”
The tractor wobbled farther right, then left, shuddered, and went faster still. Thirty miles an  hour.
“What the hell?”
Then the driver tossed an empty whiskey bottle off to the side of the road.
“That’s it.”
Bonus Giveaway! 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

* * * *GIVEAWAY 
There’s a tour-wide giveaway for Cracker Barrel and Starbucks gift cards or a little password book. In addition, two lucky bloggers will be chosen at random to win a Starbucks or Cracker Barrel Gift card. Open to US residents only. Also see direct link to giveaway.***a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jean Rabe’s  The Dead of Night Blog Tour runs August 21st thru September 15th. Follow tour stops below to check out the reviews, excerpts, Q&As, and to enter the giveaway! Tomorrow's stop:  Lisa Ks Book Reviews           8/24/2017
Praise for The Dead of Night: 
Jean Rabe always manages to surprise and never fails to deliver the goods! The Dead of Night…Highly recommended! —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Dogs of War and Mars One
 Jean Rabe writes the perfect mystery! I was kept guessing about everything to the very last word. The girl can write! —New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter, writing as Gwen Hunter
 In The Dead of Night …a thoroughly satisfying and complex novel with deeply realized characters and beautifully vivid writing. —Jaden Terrell, Shamus Award nominee and internationally published author of the Jared McKean Mysteries

Jean Rabe #Mystery Dead of Night Book Blog Tour Begins!

There's nothing more fun than following along in the excitement of a new book coming out!



  Like mysteries? Then follow along this week with my writer pal and USA Bestselling Author Jean Rabe's blog tour for the upcoming release of her book,  The Dead of Night, A Piper Blackwell Mystery Book 2.  (Get it now on pre-order. Releases Sept. 15.)

This is the sequel to The Dead of Winter.  - See today and this week's blog links below!

And if you think, oh, boring.... well... there are prizes and stuff, too, you know. And... this book is the furthest from boring you're gonna get!!

About The Dead of Night: 


In Spencer County’s history, mysteries are numerous—and lethal…
As Sheriff Piper Blackwell rushes to a clandestine meeting with an aging, paranoid veteran who believes spies are trailing his every move, she is caught in a fierce thunderstorm. Pounding rain drums against the bluff, washing away the earth and revealing a grisly secret someone tried to bury a long time ago.
Putting a name to the skeleton on the bluff, and searching for the thief who robbed the old veteran of his life’s earnings, sends Piper delving into the sleepy towns that dot her rural county. Now she’s digging into pasts perhaps best left alone. Uncovering fragments of Spencer County’s history could prove more dangerous—and deadlier—than she ever expected.
Here's this week's schedule. ** Come back to my blog here Wednesday and/or at my website blog for the 8/23 stop. All the blog stops are here.



Jean Rabe’s THE DEAD OF NIGHT Blog Tour and Giveaway! 
Jean Rabe’s  The Dead of Night Blog Tour runs August 21st thru September 15th. Follow tour stops below to check out the reviews, excerpts, Q&As, and to enter the giveaway!  Books,Dreams,Life              8/21/2017C.A Verstraete                      8/23/2017 and here at GirlZombieAuthorsLisa Ks Book Reviews           8/24/2017Chill and Read                     8/25/2017Ken Schrader                       8/27/2017

August Reading List 2: More #zombie #horror #mystery #dystopian

While you're out shopping for school supplies, add a GOOD BOOK to your shopping list! MORE Fantastic Reads to Dive Into!!



NOTE: Prices were valid at time of blog. Check for any changes.
DystopianSale - 99 cents! 

Shattered Worlds , various authors set- Escape into 23 epic worlds that will leave you breathless. From dystopian nightmares to gorgeous steampunk and fantasy settings to fairy-tale retellings and beyond, SHATTERED WORLDS has every story you've been dying to get your hands on!





HORROR Pre-order! Releases Sept. 15 Goatbusters , Quickie Horror Novella, Robert W. Walker - Something escaped the old Riverview sideshow exhibit when it closed. It's in the Chicago River - and it's hungry. When bodies start turning up, the Old Fart Squad is called out of retirement. Now they must double as "Goatbusters" - if they find the right bait... If you love old Chicago history... fun, humorous horror. Third in the Chicaghosts novella series with The Monster Pit (#2) and Gone Gorilla (#1)





Thicker Than Blood, Justin Hamelin - Short story collection of monsters - werewolves, ghosts--and ourselves, sure to make you sleep with a light on. Features fantasticly gruesome artwork by Kevin Spencer. (Paperback - Kindle book coming.)



MYSTERY
Pre-order!! Releases Sept. 15
The Dead of Night, Piper Blackwell Book 2, Jean Rabe - As Sheriff Piper Blackwell rushes to a clandestine meeting with an aging, paranoid veteran who believes spies are trailing his every move, she is caught in a fierce thunderstorm. Pounding rain drums against the bluff, washing away the earth and revealing a grisly secret someone tried to bury a long time ago.

Putting a name to the skeleton on the bluff, and searching for the thief who robbed the old veteran of his life’s earnings, sends Piper delving into the sleepy towns that dot her rural county. Now she’s digging into pasts perhaps best left alone.


New!    
The Haunting of Dr. Bowen, A Mystery in Lizzie Borden's Fall River, C.A. Verstraete -  125 years later, I give Dr. Bowen - Lizzie's doctor and neighbor -  an opportunity to share his side of things... 
Gruesome deaths haunt the industrial city of Fall River, Massachusetts.

Dr. Seabury Bowen—physician to the infamous Lizzie Borden—swears he’s being stalked by spirits, though his beloved wife thinks it’s merely his imagination. But the retired doctor insists that neither greed nor anger provoked the recent sensational axe murders in Fall River. Rather, he believes the city is poisoned by bad blood and a thirst for revenge dating back to the Indian and Colonial wars.

Now, two years after the Borden murders, Dr. Bowen is determined to uncover the mysteries stirring up the city’s ancient, bloodthirsty specters. Can he discover who, or what, is shattering the peace before Fall River runs red? Or will he be the next victim?



THRILLER

Now on Kindle!  Under the Dead Man's Hat, Dr. Jude Avery Thriller, Killing Time Book 1, Robert W. Walker - Two Chicago and Cook County, Ill. medical examiners team up to go after the most depraved killers in the city. Now they're headed to LA,  on the heels of a killer who's filmed and uploaded his horrors. Now the investigators must rely on their weapons and their skills to stop evil in its track.



ZOMBIE - Apocalypse


** Get a new  LIZZIE BORDEN, ZOMBIE HUNTER  story -- and in all, 20+ free zombie-apocalyptic samples, books, novellas and short stories. WOW!!!


***** Get the free Apocalyptic Samples here.  ***** 



  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete - August 4th was the 125th anniversary of the infamous Borden murders. I followed the crimes and the trial, along with offering a possible solution - What if Lizzie Borden did it... because she had no other choice?  






Upcoming Zombie Anthology  - Cover Reveal!! Keep the Date Open!

The Reanimated Writers Group on FB is having a cover reveal party for a new, upcoming zombie anthology, Undead Worlds , at 7 p.m. EST, Sept 9 to 12 p.m., Sept. 10. Visit the FB group HERE.


Pre-order. Releases Aug. 15
 I'm reading an arc of Scott Kenemore's latest,  Zombie-In-Chief: Eater of the Free World,  A Novel Take on a Brain-Dead Election.

Kenemore, author of Zombie, Illinois (a funny take on Chicago politics), has the 2016 election pegged dead-on when "The Tycoon" wins the election. His "secret?" He's a zombie! It's like reading about the real-life events - but with zombies and strange twists. Stranger than real life? Well... read it and see!  

I’ve Been Sucked In

Several weeks ago, I saw a commercial for the show American Ripper on History.  It looked intriguing, so I thought I would give it a try.



At first, honestly, I didn’t think I would enjoy it.  I’m not exactly sure what I expected when I started watching it, something sensationalized and hyped up for TV, I suppose, but I found myself getting sucked in.
Don’t get me wrong, the show does what it can to keep watchers hooked by feeding us bits of information and asking questions that are promised to be answered later.  It’s classic TV fare, but it’s interesting TV fare.
I knew some about H.H. Holmes before watching the show, and I knew enough about Jack the Ripper to get me by.  However, this show delves as deep as possible into each killer to figure out if they are one and the same person.  It also takes a very analytical and scientific approach to the process of proving if they are one and the same.  That really appeals to me.
At the end of the day, I’m not sure if they’ll get their hard evidence to prove that H.H. Holmes and Jack the Ripper were the same person, but the evidence they have is compelling enough to convince me they could be the same person.
Has anyone else been watching this series?  What are your thoughts?

Today in History: Lizzie Borden Inquest Starts - #1LineWed

On this Day in History:
The inquest for the murders of Andrew Borden and his wife, Abby Durfee Borden began today on August 9, 1892. The inquest concluded on August 11.

Lizzie Borden was also called on to testify, though her testimony appeared mixed-up and sometimes nonsensical, maybe due to her being given morphine by her neighbor and family physician Dr. Seabury Bowen beforehand. Or maybe not. The testimony was not used at her trial the following year.

You can read Lizzie's testimony with questioning by District Attorney Hosea Knowlton HERE. 

It makes for interesting reading as she goes from saying she'd gone into the barn to find sinkers and then she was standing there eating pears.

** Does reading it change your mind as to Lizzie's guilt or innocence? Feel free to share your thoughts!

** As it's also 1 Line Wednesday - #1LineWed, here's a line from the inquest testimony asked by DA Knowlton. You really have to read or skim much of the testimony to get an idea of how this line fits in.

Q. I ask you again to explain to me why you took those pears from the pear tree?

A. I did not take them from the pear tree. 

  

     
* I followed the crimes and the trial, along with offering a possible solution to the crime, in my book,  Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter .
* NEW! 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!
* BONUS!! Look for a new Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter story and a bunch of other fantastic apocalyptic stories and books. Get it here - wow!

Elections, #Zombies & Truth Stranger Than Fiction

Truth really is stranger than fiction, they say. 



I just started reading - Zombie-In-Chief   by Scott Kenemore - a "novel" take on the 2016 elections, but with zombies. (Releases Aug. 15)

Holy cow! It's like watching the news in another dimension! Kenemore, known for his Zombie, Illinois and other titles, that one a clever take on Chicago politics, now takes on the national election. Yes "that" election. The subtitle says it all. 

Looking forward to seeing how this story develops!