Majanka Verstraete's Blog, page 20
July 27, 2018
Release Blitz The Heart of Aleppo
About the Book
Title: The Heart of Aleppo
Author: Ammar Habib
Genre: Young Adult / Coming of Age / Contemporary
Page Count: 235
After standing for over 7,000 years, Aleppo’s ruin came overnight. Separated from his family during the night the rebels attacked the city, thirteen-year-old Zaid Kadir is lost in the middle of a war zone. Alongside his friends, he is forced to survive the dangers of a civil war he does not even fully understand. Zaid witnesses the destruction of the brutal Syrian Civil War as it grows more deadly by the day and rips his city apart. However, as he braves this destruction, as he desperately tries to survive this catastrophe, he discovers something. Zaid realizes that it is in the darkest hours when humanity’s spirit of hope burns brightest.
Links
About the Author
Ammar Habib is a bestselling and award-winning author who was born in Lake Jackson, Texas in 1993. Ammar enjoys crafting stories that are not only entertaining but will also stay with the reader for a long time. Ammar presently resides in his hometown with his family, all of whom are his biggest fans. He draws his inspiration from his family, imagination, and the world around him.
Social Media
Website:www.ammarahsenhabib.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ammarahsenhabib
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmmarAHabib1
@AmmarAHabib1
Blog: www.ammarhabibblog.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/Ammar_Habib
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ammar.a.habib/
@Ammar.A.Habib
Giveaway
In conjunction with the release of The Heart of Aleppo, Ammar is running a giveaway from July 26th to August 3rd. The prize of the giveaway is a signed copy of his national award-winning novel, Memories of My Future. Memories of My Future is a historical/inspirational novel that was published in 2016. It received several accolades after its release, including the Independent Press Award in May 2017.
Go here to visit the giveaway!
Why Ammar wrote The Heart of Aleppo:
I personally believe that the Syrian Civil War is one of this generation’s greatest tragedies. With the way it is proceeding, it’ll be remembered by future generations in the same manner that we remember the Rwandan genocide and the Bosnian War of the 1990s.
The motivation for writing The Heart of Aleppo was simple: I wished to bring more global attention to this crisis. Although the characters are fictitious, this novel accurately depicts the events that transpired in Aleppo during the summer of 2012. I hope that reading this will lead readers to have a greater understanding of the plight those in Syria face, as well as those in other war-torn regions. If this work helps garner more attention for those in Syria, then I will have considered this project a success.
In an over-politicized world, my wish is for this work to humanize those we call “refugees”. The Heart of Aleppo is not about the politics of the Syrian Civil War or any other conflict. Its aim is not to convince readers to support any faction or political party. Instead, this story is about the unbreakable spirit of humanity. It is about how humanity often shows its true strength during the darkest times.
I truly hope that these themes of hope and strength will resonate with readers. I know that simply writing this The Heart of Aleppo changed me as a person, and it made me more aware of everything that transpires in the world around me. Although the world will never be perfect, I believe that if we keep our faith in the human spirit and keep striving to always better ourselves and those around us, then we can create a little piece of heaven on earth.
Writing Playlist for The Heart of Aleppo
“Sadness and Sorrow”
“Sound of Hugh Glass”
“Despair”
“Man of the World”
First excerpt from The Heart of Aleppo:
Two days before Nabeel leaves for the last time, I find him standing at the kitchen counter with his friend, Zakariah. I don’t know his rank, but Zakariah serves directly under Nabeel in the army and only lives two miles down the road. The two of them always seem to be on leave at the same time.
Their voices are low, almost secretive, but I catch the look in Nabeel’s eye. Except back then, I didn’t recognize it.
“What are you guys talking about?”
Seeing me enter and hearing my voice, they both look my way before exchanging glances. That gleam in Nabeel’s eyes disappears.
I excitedly run up to the two of them. “Tell me!”
Nabeel looks back down at me as he stops leaning against the counter. Reaching down, he ruffles my hair. “You’re too young to know about that, Zaid.”
“Aww, what’s that about? I’m not part of the group now—”
My brother playfully flicks me on the forehead as he crouches down a little. “I’m sorry, buddy. Maybe next time.”
“You’re always saying that.”
Zakariah laughs as he comes closer to me. He puts his hand on my shoulder. “That’s just not fair, Nabeel. You’re a horrible brother for leaving Zaid out like that.”
I see a concerned expression momentarily wash over Nabeel’s face.
However, Zakariah glances up at Nabeel and shoots him a quick wink as he continues. “Why don’t I just tell you then?”
My eyes light up. “Really! You’re the best, Zakariah.”
Coming to his knees, he puts his arm around my shoulders and leans close, acting as if he is about to tell me the world’s biggest secret. “You see, Zaid, your brother and I were having a discussion about which one of us would win in a wrestling match. We all know that I’m stronger, but he just won’t admit it.” He sighs and shakes his head as he looks back at Nabeel. “But you agree with me, don’t you, Zaid?”
I don’t hesitate to respond. “No way!”
He moves his head back in surprise. “Huh?”
“Sure you’re pretty strong, but my brother would beat you!”
Zakariah is slow to reply, taken aback by the statement. “C’mon, Zaid. You do realize that I’m older than him—”
“Age has nothing to do with it, Zakariah! My brother was the school’s wrestling champion. He wouldn’t lose to you.” I whip my head to look back at Nabeel. “Right, big brother?”
Nabeel is slightly smiling now.
With a chuckle, Zakariah rises back to his feet. “Alright, alright. Well, I best be off, Nabeel. We can finish our little discussion next time.”
Nabeel shakes his hand. “Give my greetings to your folks.”
“I will.” Zakariah grabs my shoulder and gives it a squeeze. “See you, Zaid—no, sorry: Dr. Zaid.”
Did he really just call me that? How did he know?
Hearing Zakariah’s footsteps grow faint, I turn back to Nabeel. He opens the fridge door and rummages through it.
“You told him?” I ask.
Nabeel doesn’t look my way. “I tell everyone.”
I watch him pull out a pound of chicken meat rolled up in brown paper as he turns back to me.
“Aisha is visiting her parents tonight and Abbi and Ummi are having dinner with friends. So looks like it’ll just be you and me.” Nabeel shoots me a wink. “I’m going to make some shwarma for dinner. Just the way you like it: tomatoes, lettuce, onions, lots of chicken, and even more spices.” He starts setting the ingredients on the countertop. “I went by Sohail’s shop today. The mangoes he was selling were ripe, so I picked some up. We can have them for dessert. That is if we have room.”
He looks back at me with a smile, but it fades when he sees my expression.
“What’s wrong, Zaid?”
I glance at the ground before replying, “I don’t think I want to be a doctor anymore.”
“Why not?”
“…I don’t think I can.”
He takes a few steps towards me before crouching down to come to my eye level, urging me to continue.
“Ms. Farooq said I’m not smart enough.”
“She did?”
“I got the lowest score in the class on the last math test. She said I’m not cut out for it.”
“I didn’t realize Ms. Farooq could tell the future.”
I don’t respond.
“Did you tell Abbi or Ummi?”
I shake my head.
He takes a deep breath and glances down at my feet. His eyes look like he’s weighing something, wondering if he should say it or not. When he does speak, his voice is different. It’s no longer speaking to me as his younger brother but as his friend. “You know, Zaid, Zakariah was joking about what we were talking about.”
“Really?”
He nods before his gaze focuses back on me. “Not even a few weeks ago, my soldiers and I were in a bit of a… well, situation.”
“What happened?”
“We were in Homs. The people we were fighting—the rebels—had heavy control of some neighborhoods. We were trying to take them back. It was…”
A silence ensues as he searches for the word.
“Difficult.” Nabeel pauses. “Some soldiers were pinned. The army tried an airstrike to break the rebel lines. It was a heavy bombardment that leveled entire streets. The cost was high. But we couldn’t break their lines.”
I don’t interrupt him.
“Our intelligence said it was a lost cause. We were ordered to abandon the soldiers. They said we would lose more men than we would save. But even the army’s ‘intelligence’ doesn’t know everything.” He looks away. “Zakariah and I disobeyed our commanding officer. As did our men. Those soldiers that were pinned weren’t just men. They were my friends… my brothers. And I would never abandon them, even if it led to…”
For a moment, his eyes again display that same gleam, but it disappears as quickly as it came.
His gaze again meets mine. It’s firmer this time, stronger. “It doesn’t matter what people say, Zaid. It doesn’t matter what the facts say. All that matters is what you say. And, maybe more importantly, what you do.”
I hang on his words, unable to say anything.
“Why do you want to be a doctor, Zaid?”
“I’ve always wanted to.”
“But why?”
“Because… I don’t want to see people suffer. I… I want to be the one to help others. I want to save lives, make a difference and put others before myself. I want to make this world a better place. Just like the Imam always talks about.”
Nabeel smiles. “Never forget that. And never go back on your word. No matter what happens. Please never forget one thing, Zaid: I love you. No matter the circumstance—no matter if I’m so far from you that you may never see me again, know that I’m with you.” He presses his finger against my heart. “I believe in you, Zaid.”
June 26, 2018
Author Interview Everything Under The Sun
Author Interview
Tell us a little about why you write in so many different genres. Does it work for you?
I can’t stick to one genre. I love writing all types of stories. Does it work for me? Yes and no. Yes, because I’d start to feel claustrophobic if I had to write in the same genre all the time. No, because I think it confuses my readers that I write everything under the same author name. I regret that decision to this day. My advice to authors considering it: Don’t make this mistake! I’m in the process now of correcting that error.
How do you plot your novels? Do you outline?
I never outline because I like to let the story and the characters take me where they want to go. Some authors can outline very well and it works for them, but I can’t do it. It has always felt more natural to me to just go along for the ride and see where it takes me, kind of like in real life, I guess. Some scenes in my books were figured out ahead of time, but not ‘planned out’ ahead of time, and there’s a big difference. The only exception to this method is that I do always know my ending before I begin. (Except with my book DIRTY EDEN)
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
I’m impatient. Very impatient. It’s challenging for me to get through the first 2‐3 chapters of every book because I have a bad habit of looking at how much I have left to go. I just want to be done with it already so that my readers can enjoy!
What is your favorite part of the writing process?
The last sentence. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love getting into the story, living out my character’s lives, but there’s nothing like a finished manuscript. It’s a huge accomplishment and I doubt I’ll ever tire of it.
What would you like for readers to take away from your
novels?
I just want my readers to be able to connect on some level with the characters I create and take with them an experience rather than just a story. I want them to think about the characters long after they’ve finished the book. I want tears! And genuine laughter! And, I admit, I also want them so mad at me they *almost* want to physically hurt me, LOL! If I can accomplish any of those things, then I’ve done my job.
What would you say is your writing style regarding theme?
I tend to always write about deep issues, and even when I try to write a ‘fun’ and ‘flirty’ story with just a little average relationship drama, it never turns out that way. Somehow, I always end up dragging my characters through some really tough stuff before they even think of seeing any light on the other side. So, I guess my style tends to be ‘dark, emotional, intense, with a happy ending’.
When did you first realize that you wanted to become a writer?
I started my first novel at the age of thirteen and I’ve been writing ever since. Writing has been the one consistent thing throughout my life and I can’t imagine life without it.
What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I never stop writing for the day at the end of a scene or sentence, but instead right in the middle of them. This helps me prevent writer’s block and keeps my mind fresh.
Do you have a routine that you use to get into the writing frame-of-mind?
Cold brew coffee.
Do you think children are more encouraged these days to read and/or write?
I think more than ever children are encouraged to read and write and I LOVE it. I know Harry Potter had A LOT to do with this and that’s just another reason why I have so much love and respect for J.K. Rowling.
When it comes to writing, what are your strong points? What are your weaknesses?
I love to write dialogue. It feels and flows more natural to me. I feel like I struggle a little more with description, because I’m impatient and sometimes it feels like the description is slowing me down. But I pace myself! If I didn’t, the entire novel would be one giant conversation.
About the Book
Title: Everything Under The Sun
Author: Jessica Redmerski
Genre: YA/NA Crossover; Dystopian
Thais Fenwick was eleven-years-old when civilization fell, devastated by a virus that killed off the majority of the world’s population. For seven years, Thais and her family lived in a community of survivors deep in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. But when her town is attacked by raiders, she and her blind sister are taken away to the East-Central Territory where she is destined to live the cruel and unjust kind of life her late mother warned her about.
Atticus Hunt is a troubled soldier in Lexington City who has spent the past seven years trying to conform to the vicious nature of men in a post-apocalyptic society. He knows that in order to survive, he must abandon his morals and his conscience and become like those he is surrounded by. But when he meets Thais, morals and conscience win out over conformity, and he risks his rank and his life to help her. They escape the city and set out together on a long and perilous journey to find safety in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Struggling to survive in a world without electricity, food, shelter, and clean water, Atticus and Thais shed their fear of growing too close, and they fall hopelessly in love. But can love survive in such dark times, or is it fated to die with them?
Author Bio
Jessica Redmerski is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, international bestseller, and award winner, who juggles several different genres. She began self-publishing in 2012, and later with the success of THE EDGE OF NEVER, signed on with Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance. Her works have been translated into more than twenty languages.
Jessica is a hybrid author who, in addition to working with a traditional publisher, also continues to self-publish. Her popular crime and suspense series, In the Company of Killers, has been optioned for television and film by actor and model William Levy.
She also writes as J.A. Redmerski.
Links
Buy from Amazon (eBook)
Buy from Amazon (Paperback)
Giveaway
5 lucky winners will get signed paperback copies of the book, signed bookmarks and post cards! (US and CA only)
June 25, 2018
Launch Day for A Study in Shifters
Finally, the countdown is over, and the moment we’ve all (or well, I have) been waiting for, has arrived! It’s launch day for A Study in Shifters.
A Study in Shifters
“The game is afoot.”
Seventeen-year-old Marisol Holmes wants to live up to the family legacy; after all, she is the great-great-great granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes. What’s more Holmesian than a grisly murder? The Conclave, an underground organization of detectives solving supernatural cases, is giving her just one chance to catch a killer and join them. After all, as a half-blood jaguar shifter, Marisol is uniquely qualified to solve this murder—since every scrap of evidence points toward the culprit being a fellow jaguar shifter.
“There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact.”
There’s more to this than just evidence. Is one of her own people really involved, or is this all a ploy to kick Marisol’s mother off the shifter throne?
When Marisol discovers her handsome best friend, Roan, is missing, she realizes Roan may be the killer’s next target. The stakes just got higher than political intrigue.
“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”
Just when things couldn’t get worse, Marisol’s ex-boyfriend-turned-nemesis, Mannix, starts leaving sinister clues for her. In her last case, Mannix broke her heart and ruined her case, and Marisol isn’t sure which is worse. Marisol fears this case too might be far more personal than she could’ve imagined.
“Elementary.”
It’s time for Marisol to prove her worth, or her people could fall into chaos while her best friend loses his life.
This book is perfect for fans of: shapeshifters, steampunk, paranormal, high school drama, teen romance, Sherlock Holmes and deadly intrigue.
Amazon, B&N, Google Play, iTunes, Kobo
Giveaway
To celebrate the launch for A Study in Shifters, my publisher has set up a Raffle where you can win a cool detective’s mug, an eBook copy of the book, and many more amazing prizes!
Visit the Blog Tour
The blog tour for A Study in Shifters started on June 25, and so far, the line-up is looking amazing. The schedule is below. Visit the tour page here.
June 25th
–Indie Wish List >> Excerpt
–Devouring Books >> Review
–Rainy Days and Pajamas >> Excerpt
–tfaulcbookreviews >> Excerpt
June 26th
–Book Bite Reviews >> Excerpt
–Loves Great Reads >> Excerpt
–Movies, Shows, & Books >> Guest post
–Padme’s Library >> Interview
–Am Kinda Busy Reading >> Review
June 27th
–Adventures in Writing >> Excerpt
–Hauntedbybooks >> Excerpt
–Two Ends of the Pen >> Interview
–Butterfly-o-Meter Books >> Guest post
June 28th
–The Book Club page >> Review
–FUONLYKNEW >> Excerpt
–Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest >> Review
–Book Lady’s Reviews >> Review
June 29th
–Evermore Books >> Excerpt
–The Avid Reader >> Review
–Viviana MacKade >> Top 10 List
–Storyteller Alley >> Review
—
July 2nd
–Stacking My Book Shelves! >> Excerpt
–The Book Girl >> Top 10 List
–Melanie Jayne Ashford >> Review
–Lisa Loves Literature >> Interview
July 3rd
–Brooke Blogs >> Excerpt
–Jazzy Book Reviews >> Review
–Bibliobibuli YA >> Guest post
–Literary Flits >>Excerpt
July 4th
–The Phantom Paragrapher >> Review
–The Howling Turtle >> Top 10 List
–Don’t Judge, Read >> Interview
–So Many Books, So Little Time >> Excerpt
July 5th
–Alternative-Read.com >> Review
–The Cover Contessa >> Interview
–Teaser Addicts Book Blog >> Excerpt
–Ruff Day Reviews >> Review
July 6th
–Smada’s Book Smack >> Review
–From The Journal Of A Reader >> Top 10 List
–Cranky TBC >> Review
Release Blitz Oak Seer
About Oak Seer
Thrust into the public eye as the “Green Lady,” Effie of Glen Coe has become a living legend, the fey woman who saved Scotland from devastation. But to some, she’s a threat to human existence and a traitor to fey-kind.
Determined more than ever to forge a peace between fey and humans, Effie finds herself navigating a realm increasingly divided. The lords of London have other plans, and once again Effie is pulled into a quagmire of politics and greed. She must stand against plots to remove her kind from the shores of the empire and madmen who murder fey without regard.
Even worse, heinous cults have arisen, enthralled by an unseen enemy. With violent thugs and unruly mobs all around, wits and courage are not enough. Effie must become something more than herself, an Oak Seer, a fey mantle long lost. But can she survive long enough to claim it?
Author Bio
Craig Comer is the author of the gaslamp fantasy series A FEY MATTER, which includes THE LAIRD OF DUNCAIRN and OAK SEER. He is a co-author of the mosaic fantasy novel THE ROADS TO BALDAIRN MOTTE. Craig earned a Master’s Degree in Writing from the University of Southern California and enjoys tramping across countries in his spare time, preferably those strewn with pubs and castles. His website is: https://craigcomer.com/
Links
Get your copy on Amazon
An excerpt from Oak Seer – Chapter One
Heavy spring rains flooded the road to Langmire. The village sprouted to the north of Stirling along the River Teith. It smelled old to Effie, full of moldy timbers, damp leaves, and rusting iron. The collection of buildings, crofters’ homes mostly, sagged like the slumped back of a crone. Grey smoke wafted from a few blackened chimneys that sprouted from thatched roofs. Someone baked fresh bread. She caught it on the wind, and another something sweeter. Eager for a warm hearth and a cup of honeyed tea, she licked her parched lips. She’d travelled a full day to reach the village. She’d come because Conall Murray had begged her, because without her an innocent woman would hang.
In the heart of the village grew a stout oak. Muckle Ben the locals called it, Effie had once heard. They’d carved a Green Man into its bark long ago, during a time when such things held power. Now banners pronouncing some celebration hung from its limbs more often than not, but none remained there currently. Its trunk stood as somber as an undertaker. Chickens picked at worms in the upturned soil near its roots, and a lone hound howled at the rustling leaves as the branches creaked above.
Fergus Alpin hacked into his handkerchief, a wet, miserable noise she’d had to contend with the entire journey from Stirling. The Fey Finder sat across from her in the steam carriage’s tight compartment. His wrinkled face was spotted and thin, and he kept tugging his coat tighter about his frail bones. She tried to avoid his gaze, but nothing adorned the compartment for her to study, and she could only stare out the window for so long before feeling rude.
“I’ll do the speaking,” the man said. “You will remain silent.” The quiver at his lip turned into another fit of hacking, yet she still heard his mumbling. “Send a fey to catch a fey, and one with paps at that!”
The steam carriage rocked and bounced, splashing through the flooded road as if fording a stony riverbed. Its benches were worn and hard, the padding flattened from years of service. A lightly stained wood paneling formed its walls, floor, and roof. The boiler at the rear of the carriage warmed the compartment, but at the expense of the coal smoke that clouded the air.
Effie shifted to relieve her sore hips. Her eyes narrowed. “The Fey Finder General bade me accompany you, Mr. Alpin, and not so I would stand and do nothing.” She tried to keep the bite from her tongue. Of Fey Finders, Alpin was a journeyman and not a zealot. At least there was that. He sought not to be bothered rather than possessing the fiery hatred common to his profession.
She pressed her palms into the cushion on either side of her, to steady herself. It still marveled her she could sit so close to a Sniffer, a man the crown tasked with hunting down malevolent fey. Malevolent, as if they knew what the word meant. They hunted all with fey blood, and as a Sithling—one with the ancient blood of the Daoine Sith coursing through her—that included her. But things had changed after Caldwell House, and she had a need to trust where once she dared not. The fierce battle there had forced the lords of the empire to open their eyes. They could not rest on centuries of intolerance any longer. They had to welcome the fey into society’s ranks and accept a permanent treaty. They had witnessed the fate awaiting them if they did not.
Effie’s heart warmed. If the lords of the empire could learn to trust, so could she, and perhaps the Scottish fey would live freely for the first time in millennia.
Alpin’s jaw worked. He’d likely never had someone with paps stand up to him. Most Scots of either gender avoided Sniffers as if they carried the plague. “Look here, Miss Effie,” he snapped. “I’ll not have it. You may dine with the likes of lords, but you’re not in some grand procession here. I know the hearts of these gentle folk better than you ever will, and I will not banter with the mind of a devious hag.”
“When you see one, I’m sure,” said Effie, not knowing whether the man had meant her or the poor Spae Wife they’d come to question.
Heavy spring rains flooded the road to Langmire. The village sprouted to the north of Stirling along the River Teith. It smelled old to Effie, full of moldy timbers, damp leaves, and rusting iron. The collection of buildings, crofters’ homes mostly, sagged like the slumped back of a crone. Grey smoke wafted from a few blackened chimneys that sprouted from thatched roofs. Someone baked fresh bread. She caught it on the wind, and another something sweeter. Eager for a warm hearth and a cup of honeyed tea, she licked her parched lips. She’d travelled a full day to reach the village. She’d come because Conall Murray had begged her, because without her an innocent woman would hang.
In the heart of the village grew a stout oak. Muckle Ben the locals called it, Effie had once heard. They’d carved a Green Man into its bark long ago, during a time when such things held power. Now banners pronouncing some celebration hung from its limbs more often than not, but none remained there currently. Its trunk stood as somber as an undertaker. Chickens picked at worms in the upturned soil near its roots, and a lone hound howled at the rustling leaves as the branches creaked above.
Fergus Alpin hacked into his handkerchief, a wet, miserable noise she’d had to contend with the entire journey from Stirling. The Fey Finder sat across from her in the steam carriage’s tight compartment. His wrinkled face was spotted and thin, and he kept tugging his coat tighter about his frail bones. She tried to avoid his gaze, but nothing adorned the compartment for her to study, and she could only stare out the window for so long before feeling rude.
“I’ll do the speaking,” the man said. “You will remain silent.” The quiver at his lip turned into another fit of hacking, yet she still heard his mumbling. “Send a fey to catch a fey, and one with paps at that!”
The steam carriage rocked and bounced, splashing through the flooded road as if fording a stony riverbed. Its benches were worn and hard, the padding flattened from years of service. A lightly stained wood paneling formed its walls, floor, and roof. The boiler at the rear of the carriage warmed the compartment, but at the expense of the coal smoke that clouded the air.
Effie shifted to relieve her sore hips. Her eyes narrowed. “The Fey Finder General bade me accompany you, Mr. Alpin, and not so I would stand and do nothing.” She tried to keep the bite from her tongue. Of Fey Finders, Alpin was a journeyman and not a zealot. At least there was that. He sought not to be bothered rather than possessing the fiery hatred common to his profession.
She pressed her palms into the cushion on either side of her, to steady herself. It still marveled her she could sit so close to a Sniffer, a man the crown tasked with hunting down malevolent fey. Malevolent, as if they knew what the word meant. They hunted all with fey blood, and as a Sithling—one with the ancient blood of the Daoine Sith coursing through her—that included her. But things had changed after Caldwell House, and she had a need to trust where once she dared not. The fierce battle there had forced the lords of the empire to open their eyes. They could not rest on centuries of intolerance any longer. They had to welcome the fey into society’s ranks and accept a permanent treaty. They had witnessed the fate awaiting them if they did not.
Effie’s heart warmed. If the lords of the empire could learn to trust, so could she, and perhaps the Scottish fey would live freely for the first time in millennia.
Alpin’s jaw worked. He’d likely never had someone with paps stand up to him. Most Scots of either gender avoided Sniffers as if they carried the plague. “Look here, Miss Effie,” he snapped. “I’ll not have it. You may dine with the likes of lords, but you’re not in some grand procession here. I know the hearts of these gentle folk better than you ever will, and I will not banter with the mind of a devious hag.”
“When you see one, I’m sure,” said Effie, not knowing whether the man had meant her or the poor Spae Wife they’d come to question.
Book Tour A Study in Shifters
The blog tour for A Study in Shifters starts today, and the line-up is looking amazing. Visit the tour page here and check out the schedule below. Thanks a million to everyone who chose to participate!
June 25th
–Indie Wish List >> Excerpt
–Devouring Books >> Review
–Rainy Days and Pajamas >> Excerpt
–tfaulcbookreviews >> Excerpt
June 26th
–Book Bite Reviews >> Excerpt
–Loves Great Reads >> Excerpt
–Movies, Shows, & Books >> Guest post
–Padme’s Library >> Interview
–Am Kinda Busy Reading >> Review
June 27th
–Adventures in Writing >> Excerpt
–Hauntedbybooks >> Excerpt
–Two Ends of the Pen >> Interview
–Butterfly-o-Meter Books >> Guest post
June 28th
–The Book Club page >> Review
–FUONLYKNEW >> Excerpt
–Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest >> Review
–Book Lady’s Reviews >> Review
June 29th
–Evermore Books >> Excerpt
–The Avid Reader >> Review
–Viviana MacKade >> Top 10 List
–Storyteller Alley >> Review
—
July 2nd
–Stacking My Book Shelves! >> Excerpt
–The Book Girl >> Top 10 List
–Melanie Jayne Ashford >> Review
–Lisa Loves Literature >> Interview
July 3rd
–Brooke Blogs >> Excerpt
–Jazzy Book Reviews >> Review
–Bibliobibuli YA >> Guest post
–Literary Flits >>Excerpt
July 4th
–The Phantom Paragrapher >> Review
–The Howling Turtle >> Top 10 List
–Don’t Judge, Read >> Interview
–So Many Books, So Little Time >> Excerpt
July 5th
–Alternative-Read.com >> Review
–The Cover Contessa >> Interview
–Teaser Addicts Book Blog >> Excerpt
–Ruff Day Reviews >> Review
July 6th
–Smada’s Book Smack >> Review
–From The Journal Of A Reader >> Top 10 List
–Cranky TBC >> Review
June 21, 2018
Urban Legends Investigated: The Expressionless
So, I’ve spent the last few weeks slightly obsessed with urban legends of the internet, CreepyPasta and the like. There’s just something about urban legends, you know? A hundred years ago, people told each other scary stories huddled around campfires. Now, we have to hear (or well, read) about our creepy stories through the internet. The principle is the same, just the medium has changed. Still, when you read these stories late at night, you’ll certainly end up with more than a few chills…
Today, I want to talk about a picture that looks pretty scary at first, with a matching creepy story added: The Expressionless.
The Expressionless: The Story
Above is the picture usually associated with the story, and which the story is based on. Credit for the picture goes to the original photographer.
Anyway, the legend goes like this: in 1972, a woman who eerily resembled a mannequin showed up at a hospital in a blood-stained gown. While the woman had the dexerity and fluidity of a human being, her face looked as flawless (and eerie) as a mannequin’s. She had a kitten clamped into her mouth, so tight none of her teeth showed, and blood was still straming out of the poor animal. She then pulled it out of her mouth, tossed the poor creature aside, and collapsed.
The woman was then taken to an examination room, where she stayed completely calm and motionless. That was, until the staff tried to sedate her. Then, the woman/mannequin fought back with extreme force, yet still with that same, blank expression on her face. Then, eventually, the woman/mannequin turned to one of the doctors and her expression changed: she smiled.
The doctor screamed in shock, because in the woman’s mouth, rather than teeth, were long, sharp spikes. Too long for her mouth to fully close without causing any damage. Then, as security approached, the woman/mannequin attacked one of the doctors, and later on security, eventually fleeing from the hospital.
The story originally appeared on CreepyPasta.
The Expressionless: The Truth
Nowhere in the CreepyPasta does the author allege the story to be true, but still, some people have speculated on the story being true or not. Well, just by going over the text of the story alone, some of the details are already off-putting:
Cedar Senai is an actual hospital, with its own Wikipedia page. No mention of this incident anywhere, though. If several people ended up dead, you would think someone would report it, at least.
When she pulls the kitten out of her mouth (again, poor animal), someone should’ve been able to see the sharp spikes already, but that’s not the case.
Also, the picture often associated with the story is not at all what the story implies. In fact, the picture itself is labelled as “student nurses with waxworks patient”, and it was taken by Anthony Armstrong-Jones, the then Earl of Snowdon, in 1968. Lord Snowdon was an English photographer and fim maker, and the picture was published in his 1972 book, “Assignments”. The book is available from Amazon, albeit only in hardcover edition. On the Wikipedia page about Anthony Armstrong-Jones, the book is also listed under publications.
Back in the day, nurses often used waxwork dummies for training, and it was nothing out of the ordinary. It’s similar to the “Resusci Anne” figure used for training First Aid students in CPR techniques.
The Verdict
With the picture being debunked, the story is most likely fake as well (with about 99% certainty). Although, if you do happen to come across a woman resembling a mannequin with a waxworks face, maybe a) ask her to open up her mouth and b) if she has sharp spikes instead of teeth, start running. Or smash her in the head with whatever you can find, if you’re feeling particularly brave, and then start running.
June 7, 2018
Urban Legends Investigated: The Noise Coming From Inside Children
I have to admit that I have a horrible obsession with checking YouTube videos, usually late at night, that have enticing, not-scary-at-all titles like “Top 5 Scariest Urban Legends of the Internet” or “Top 15 Ghosts Caught on Camera”. Somehow, watching these videos keeps me up until late at night wondering if the shadow in the corner is just a shadow or something far more sinister. In short, I torture myself with an obsession I just can’t seem to stop.
Although I’m familiar with about a dozen urban legends, if not more, I never had the urge to blog about it… Until now. Because this one is pretty weird, and coming from me, that’s saying something.
The Noise Coming From Inside Children
That title alone is enough to give you the heebie-jeebies, right? With a title like that, you know whatever story is behind it, it will surely freak you out and probably make you wish you didn’t read it.
Well, “The Noise Coming From Inside Children”, is allegedly a horror story written by a man named Ed Kann in either the 1970s or 1990s. The story was so horrible that it freaked most of the readers out, at least judging by this review the blogger found in a newspaper magazine concerning the story.
I quote from the review: “I hated the entire experience of reading it, and only through some strange combination of obsession and masochism did I finish it.”
Well, yikes.
Because I too often suffer from obsession and masochism, of course I now absolutely had to find this story, read it, and discover what all the fuss is about.
Only problem? The story can’t be found. Anywhere.
Who is Ed Kann?
However, there’s an entire website (okay, I admit, the thing is only 4 pages long) written about the mysterious author, Ed Kann. This is the website, aptly named “Who is Ed Kann?”
From this website, if its contents are to be believed, we can gather the following:
Ed Kann is an author whose major hit work was called “The Noise Coming From Inside Children”
It’s a book, not a short story.
The blogger surely is convinced it exists, but there’s no trace of it on the internet… or anywhere else.
The blog only has four posts, and they all date back to November 2010. No activity since.
Once of the commenters shows he/she has found information about Ed Kann’s identity from yet another blog, Rainwood Works. According to this blog, Ed Kann was a former member of the development team for the Nintendo RPG Game “The Secret of Evermore”.
The Secret of Evermore
However, Rainwood Works only has one post, and it dates back to September 2010. This posts makes allegations as to Ed Kann having worked on the game, and as to how his storyline was simply too disturbing to be included in the released version, hence wshy he was fired from the team.
The poster also posts some “evidence” of sorts, namely an image in which one of the characters from the game says: “How can you live with what you’ve done? Those poor chidren…” However, when playing through the game, this sentence never pops up.
Some people comment on the post, including one person who claims to be Alan Weiss, who was the concept producer of the game and was also on the development team, and who states no Ed Kann was ever involved in the project. Whether this person is really Alan Weiss or not, I can’t say for sure (although the Google profile his avatar links to only has 7 followers, but he did post a lot a while back) since people post as others all the time on the internet, and the profile isn’t that convincing. The answers sound real, but a big fan of the game probably could’ve answered those questions too.
Anyway, those comments aren’t what’s at stake here – it’s Ed Kann.
Back to Ed Kann
According to the Who Is Ed Kann? blog, the blogger first saw the name Ed Kann in relation to an event at the local library, advertised through flyers throughout the neighborhoods. The flyers were scary, Halloween-themed, showing a basement window covered by rusty bars. The flyer had a list of author and story names on it, one of the names being Ed Kann and his story “Concrete Basements”.
The blogger later found a magazine with an article about Ed Kann, his huge hit “Concrete Basements” and his upcoming release, “The Noise Coming From Inside Children”. Read the whole story about how the blogger first came upon Ed Kann here.
Now, we have two books allegedly written by author Ed Kann: “Concrete Basements” and “The Noise Coming From Inside Children”. He’s about to come up somewhere, right?
Except, he doesn’t.
An Amazon search for his name, or the title of any of his books, turns up zilch.
The books aren’t on Goodreads, Barnes&Noble, LibraryThing, or any of the usual haunts either.
Sure, you could argue, maybe the stories are too old to be on there (one theory is they actually date back from the 70s, not the 90s) or maybe they just appeared in a print magazine once, and there’s no record of them online.
Fine, I say, let’s checkWorldCat then, the largest book search machine in the world. For both titles, zero results. For Ed Kann, no results that point to any potential horror author.
The Verdict
The Verdict: It’s a hoax (with about 99% certainty, because well, stranger things have happened).
It’s a good hoax, with a solid base, especially considering the mysterious blogger didn’t pop up again since 2010 and the internet is still wondering about this story.
June 4, 2018
Monthly Goals June 2018
May has come and gone in the blink of an eye! Wow. But I did a LOT of stuff last month, so I’m pretty pleased with my progress so far.
Here’s a look at my May goals and progress:
Write two blog posts on my blog per week. Total: 8/8. DONE
Rewrite / Revise Allegro Academy #1, the first book in the Allegro Academy series. Progress: 4/14 chapters. – still 10 chapters to go, but progress is progress!
Schedule all posts for this month on the Monster House Books Blog. DONE
Finish writing my reviews for Ind’Tale Magazine (Total: 3/3). DONE
Write first draft of The Sign of the Serpent , the second book in The Adventures of Marisol Holmes Series. DONE. Wow, still can’t believe it!
Keep on marketing Ghost Slayer this month. Could’ve done better on this one…
Prepare for the cover reveal for A Study in Shfiters , the first book in The Adventures of Marisol Holmes Series. DONE
Do at least 6 newsletter exchanges. DONE
Schedule my bi-weekly newsletters and send them out. Total: 2/2. DONE
Write ten reviews for on my book review blog. Total: 10/10. DONE
Here are my June goals and progress:
Write two blog posts on my blog per week. Total: 0/8.
Rewrite / Revise Allegro Academy #1, the first book in the Allegro Academy series. Progress: 4/14 chapters.
Schedule all posts for this month on the Monster House Books Blog.
Finish writing my reviews for Ind’Tale Magazine (Total: 0/3).
Rewrite the first 10 chapters of The Sign Of The Serpent, the second book in The Adventures of Marisol Holmes Series.
Keep on marketing Ghost Slayer this month.
Prepare for the release for A Study in Shfiters , the first book in The Adventures of Marisol Holmes Series, on June 26! YIKES.
Do at least 6 newsletter exchanges.
Schedule my bi-weekly newsletters and send them out. Total: 0/2.
Write ten reviews for on my book review blog. Total: 0/10.
May 29, 2018
Real Haunted Houses: Thornewood Castle
The Thornewood Castle in Lakewood, Washington, is a beautiful, romantic, sprawling castle that is ideal for weddings and other parties. Although by all means extaordinary, the castle is also supposedly haunted. The castle of Thornewood was used as a set for Stephen King’s horror movie “Rose Red”.
The History
Built by Chester Thorne, one of the founders of the Port of Tacoma, the house is a three-story, gigantic castle that was finally ready in 1911. Several 400-year-old bricks from an original English castle were used to build the manor. The stained glass panels date back to 1300.
Having 54 rooms, the house is huge and a solid reflection of the grandeu of English castles. Thorne also hired landscape architects to make the gardens mimic traditional English gardens. Thorne had to recruit a full-time staff of 28 gardeners just to keep the gardens in order. But for Thorne, a man with 40 servants to look after his needs inside his home, this posed no problem at all.
On October 16, 1927, Chester Thorne passed away. Anna Thorne, his wife, was elected to the board of directors of her late husband’s bank, and continued to live in the house with her daughter, Anita. Anita had previously married Cadwaller Corse, and the couple and their son lived in the mansion with Anna Thorne.
Anita divorced her first husband not too long after, and remarried Major General David C. Stone. When Anita and Stone had to move due to him being transferred, Anna Thorne didn’t want to live in the enormous mansion on her own anymore. She moved into a smaller home but kept Thornewood as well. When the Stones returned to Thornewood several years later, she moved back in with them as well. Anna Thorne passed away in 1954.
General Stone, Anita’s husband, passed away in 1959. Anita, not wanting to live here on her own, sold the house and lands to Harold St. John. St. John subdivided the land and house in 30 home sits, reserving four acres for the mansion.
The mansion moved hands several times over the next few years, until it was purchased by the current owners in 2000: Wayne and Danna Robinson.
The Hauntings
The house presumably hosts quite a few ghosts, including Chester Thorne who often unscrews lightbulbs. Maybe playing a trick, maybe he just wants to show he’s still there. Anna Thorne can also often be spotted, overlooking the garden from the window seat of her old room.
Some guests reported seeing a lone child near the lake, rushing down and then finding no child at all. Supposedly, a child once drowned in the lake near Thornewood.
Hautned or not, the castle surely is spectacular! If you want to stay the night, or find out more, visit the website.
May 22, 2018
Real Haunted Houses: Croke-Patterson Mansion
The Croke-Patterson Mansion can be found at 420 E. Eleventh Avenue in Denver. Today, it’s a hotel, but it was home to Senator Thomas Macdonald Patterson once. The house looks pretty much like a castle, but apart from an architectural marble, it’s supposedly very haunted as well.
Thomas Croke
The first owner of the mansion was Thomas Croke. Born in 1846 to Irish immigrants in Magnolia, Wisconsin, he moved to Denver in 1874 with several younger siblings. He took a job as a clerk in a store, but quickly rose up in the ranks, becoming manager in the store. Through a partnership with Daniels & Fisher, Croke opened up his own store, Thomas B. Croke & Co. The carpet store earned Thomas a lot of money – enough to build a mansion.
In December 1890, Croke requested a permit to build a home on East Eleventh Avenue. It would be a chateau-style structure with gables and turrents, meant to mimic Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, a sixteenth-century French castle. “Chateauesque style” this was called, and the castle eventually boasted three stories and a basement. It had a massive grand staircase, a library, and ornate fireplaces throughout. There were at least five bedrooms, and several other rooms for servants.
Unfortunately, Croke’s wife died before they moved into the mansion. Thomas Croke did move there with his two young children and his parents, but when his mother also died, Croke decided to sell the property he had taken so long to build, after living in it for only six months. Croke much preferred the ranch he owned north of Denver, so he traded the house to Thomas Patterson in exchange for additional ranchland.
Thomas Patterson
After the trade, Thomas Patterson moved into the house. Patterson was born in Ireland in 1839, and came to the United States with his family when he was just ten years old. He worked as a jeweler and printer in his father’s business. He studied at university to become a lawyer, and eventually passed the bar in 1867.
Patterson wanted the Croke mansion because he thought it would be more fitting for his new standing in the community. After a few years of living in the house, Patterson’s daughter Margaret got married to a man named Richard Campbell, osn of a newspaper publisher. The Campbells lived in the home as well, with three children of their own. They shared a house with the Pattersons until 1924 when Richard Campbell had saved enough money to buy a more modern mansion for his wife and children.
They bought a house at 909 York Street, but unfortunately didn’t live in it very long. Margaret died in 1929, and Richard died in February 1930.
The 1930s and later
After those tragic events, the Croke-Patterson Mansion was sold numerous times, turned into a school, apartments, and eventually turned into a bed-and-breakfast by the latest owner, director and architect Brian Higgins. The renovation work uncovered ancient artifacts, such as children’s clothing, old newspapers and toys, but the crew soon complained about ghostly visits from children, disembodied voices, and frequent temperature drops.
The house is now a bed-and-breakfast and also offers tours. Rates can be found here. If you want to see photos from the inside, you can see them here. In particular, the grand staircase shown on is definitely worth taking a look at.
The Hauntings
As if the impressive architecture and setting is not sufficient to convince you to go fo a visit, the mansion is also supposedly haunted. Most of the occurences focus on the renovation crew hired by Brian Higgins to renovate hte property – no haunting claims dated back to the time the Pattersons lived in the house can be found. Perhaps whatever haunts the property, is from a later date – the house was a boarding school at some point after the time the Pattersons lived in it, for example.
Equipment would go missing, tasks completed the day before were undone, and the crew often heard voices when no one was around. When a séance was supposedly held to determine who was haunting the property, the spirit told them it was the spirit of a young girl whose body was entombed in the cellar. When the basement was excavated, they did find a hidden chamber covered with sea sand… but no remains of a little girl. Even though, admittingly, a chamber covered with sea sand is pretty odd either way.
If you want to figure out if the house is haunted or not, maybe spend a night at the Bed and Breakfast… and then decide for yourself.
