C.L. Raven's Blog, page 18

Treasure Seekers

Welcome to week 4 of the treasure hunt! This time there is shiny new booty added to the buried treasure – $10 Amazon voucher! Here are the answers you need to find:

The answers to the following questions can be found on www.TheOrionChronicles.com

What are the names of Orion’s parents?
What is the name of the Card Game Jeremy created for The Orion Chronicles: Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood? (You can LEARN THE GAMES if you want).
What does Francine make Orion in the 3rd chapter of The Orion Chronicles: The Journal of Forgotten Secrets?

The answers to these questions will be found on www.CLRaven.wordpress.com

What is the name of C L Raven’s newest book? (Out now on Amazon by the way)
What’s the name of the movie considered to be the twins’ favorite?
The twins stayed in “the Mecca for Ghost Hunters.” Name it.

These answers will located on the pages of www.ReeceBridger.com

Why does Reece write what he does?
What is Reece’s Twitter handle? (Great way to contact him by the way.)
What is the name of the main villain for Reece’s newest work, Company of Heroes?

Don’t forget to ready yer crew and sail to Jeremy’s blog to be the first to deposit the treasure.

Release the Ghosts!

Deadly Reflections is out now! It’s available on Amazon and Smashwords . For once the launch has gone smoothly and there hasn’t been a single meltdown from us. Which is rare on launch days. If you want to see the trailer for Deadly Reflections, check it out here.

In true gothic style, the heavens opened, accompanied by atmospheric thunderstorms. Unfortunately there was no lightning.

It will be out in print, probably next month.

Here’s the blurb:

Death is only the beginning…

You’re born, you live and you die. And sometimes, you come back.

When the veil between life and death is torn down, the darkest souls crawl from the shadows to wander the world that rejected them.

But these are not the restless spirits that haunt the pages of folklore, or the childishly gruesome tales whispered over torchlight. These are the ghosts that dwell in the deepest dungeons of your imagination and prey on you when you think you’re alone: bored ghosts trapped in the monotony of office life at the Scare Department; a haunted jail where the prisoners believe in revenge over rehabilitation; a mirror that steals the souls of whoever falls under its spell; and a ghost bride who makes sure the wedding vows are never broken.

Thirteen stories that prove the monsters in your mind might just be real.

The past is no longer a nightmare.

Deadly Reflections Cover Reveal

Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the unveiling of Deadly Reflections’ cover! *insert applause* It gives us great pleasure to share our beautiful cover. It’s a combined effort of stunning artwork from Lizzie Rose (check out her page here) and typography from Ryan Ashcroft from Love Your Covers. *tugs rope to part curtains.* *smiles nervously. Tugs harder. Pole falls down to an embarrassed silence.*

We give you Deadly Reflections!

Treasure Island

Have ye repaired your ships from the canon attacks from the other treasure hunters? Are ye ready to set sail to be the first to claim the treasure? Here be the map ye need:

From the darkened corridors of Ravens Retreat, ye must find the answers to these questions:

What album do the twins think would be their ‘Death Row album’?
Which debut novelist visited the twins on the 1st of August last year?
What kind of car does the main character in Soul Asylum drive?

Time to turn your ships to face the Atlantic and sail to the shores of the Orion Chronicles for the booty of Jeremy Shory:

What is a grouping of Fangtooths known as?
What is Jeremy’s birth year?
What organisation do Leslie and the ‘mysterious man’ discuss in the prologue of ‘Curse of the Phantom Brotherhood’?

Now race the other ships back across the Atlantic and invade the shores of Reece Bridger:

What sport does Reece engage in besides scuba diving and kayaking?
What is Reece’s favourite genre of music?
In Reece’s opinion, what is the worst job to have during the Apocalypse?

Found all the treasure? Be amongst the first three to stake your claim on Reece’s blog to win.

Here be Treasure

Welcome to the second week of the scavenger hunt! Are your ships still intact from battling other pirates for the booty? Are your canons restocked and ready to fire at the other ships circling the treasure? Have you sent the smallest crew member to the crows nest? Then check your compass and it shall lead you to your heart’s desire! Free ebooks!

If you want to read the blurbs to these blogs, check them out here

Enter the dark corridors of Ravens Retreat to find the answers to these questions. Beware the patients. Some of them are hungry for revenge.

What is the title of our Horsemen of the Apocalypse WIP novel?
What happened when we visited Soul Asylum’s real life location?
In which cursed Calamityville Horror location did us and team member, Neen, perform zumba moves, to the horror of our tour group?

Board yer vessels and sail across the Severn to the shores of the olde enemy, England and dig for the treasure on Reece’s blog.

What does Reece usually wear for good luck?
What does Reece have in common with Tim Burton, Courtney Love, Dan Aykroyd and Mozart?
What is the name of the villain in the second book in the Buan trilogy Company of Heroes?

Raise yer anchors and turns the sails to cross the treacherous Atlantic Ocean to Jeremy’s blog and beware the Sirens which await ye.

What are the names of Jeremy’s gorgeous Golden Retrievers?
What did try to do to his wife when she had a horrible cold?
What is the name of the world Orion stumbles into?

Avast! Grab the booty and sail as though the kraken has been released! The first three pirates to return to Ravens Retreat with the correct answers will win all 3 books.

Are you ready?

 

Trick or Treat

Halloween is galloping towards us like the four horsemen of the Apocalypse and as excited as we are about the best day of the year, we’re trying to focus on Deadly Reflections. It will be out soon and if you’re a subscriber to the Ravens Retreat newsletter, the ravens should have delivered the scroll containing the opening 600 words of Paranormality, the first story in the collection. If you’d like the ravens to deliver you that same October treat, sign up here.

But we thought it would only be fair if our faithful blog followers also got a spooky treat, so here in keeping with our recent ghost hunting expedition where we tried to find the Gwrach y Rhibyn, here’s an extract from The Witching Hour, where you’ll get to meet her in all her fleshy glory.

The Witching Hour

Something stirred in the water. My K2 meter bleeped once, its red lights flashing. I pressed record on my digital voice recorder.

“EVP at Caerphilly Castle waiting for the moat hag.”

I checked the video camera had plenty of battery life. I needed backup in case the photos were blurry, although if they were too clear, I would be branded a fraud and shunned. Photoshop would become complicit in my crime.

My hands shook from excitement as I zoomed in, finger on the button like a trigger-happy executioner in a firing squad. I stepped closer, my black fishtail skirt clinging to my legs. The K2 bleeped twice. I hoped this wouldn’t mirror old horror films where you spend the entire film waiting to see the monster, only to find he came from Funzo’s Fancy Dress Shop and not the bowels of Hell.

“Come on,” I whispered. “I’m not catching hypothermia for a rubber mask.”

I had been here every evening of Halloweek. People took one look at my Gothic clothes and presumed I was here to open the gateway to the spirit realm and release the demons to walk the earth so they could feast on the souls of those destined for the fiery lakes. Perhaps I was, but I wasn’t about to admit that. I didn’t want them branding me as a stereotype.

Bubbles popped on the surface. Another ripple distorted the moat. The K2 bleeped slowly, like a life support machine about to die, the needle climbing towards the red zone. This was it. This was the moment that made showering with my clothes on worth it. I hoped the bubbles were from the creature I sought. I didn’t want to spend all night in the rain and catch pneumonia only to find I had photographed a frog.

A shadow crept across the moat then vanished. This was the moment I unveiled the legend for all its brutal reality. This was the moment I brought the dead to life.

The moat yawned, water gushing off the entity that rose from the hellacious depths.

She was real.

And she definitely wasn’t a frog. The K2 responded urgently, its lights staying on red as it bleeped like a TV presenter having a swearing fit. My finger instinctively pressed the shutter button. The flash banished the darkness; a thrown lightning bolt as the storm gods waged war in the skies. Dark hair trailed down her waxy face like matted seaweed. Funereal, ragged robes shrouded her skeletal form, like a supermodel displaying the latest Halloween Collection. Wizened decaying skin caressed her bones. Not even Hollywood could conjure this horror, even after five hours in the makeup chair. Guttural moans escaped her peeling lips. I snapped off photos, praying my camera captured the nightmare. Unfortunately, my Panasonic didn’t have Monster Mode on its settings. But she was real.

The Gwrach y Rhibyn.

She was one tourist attraction you didn’t want your photo taken with.

Unsurprisingly, she didn’t feature in the guide book of Things to See and Do in Wales.

I scanned the stragglers patrolling the castle. Nobody glanced her way. Not even the resident ducks and geese noticed her. I was privy to a private performance. I hoped the after show party wasn’t in Satan’s palace.

Her wails were a siren song of suffering. Piercing eyes were sunken into her repulsive face. Bat wings fanned out, beating the air. Her talons clawed the water, her screeching suddenly dying. She smiled, revealing gruesome razor sharp teeth set in decomposing gums. As she disappeared into her gloomy watery grave, she hissed her next victim’s name.

“Saffron.”

My name.

Scavenger Hunt

Alright ye filthy landlubbers, ’tis time to hoist the mainsail, raise the anchor and steer yer fine vessels into the treacherous seas in search of treasure. Here be the first scavenger hunt.

The first three landlubbers to reply with all the correct answers will win a FREE copy of The Orion Chronicles: The Journal of Forgotten Secrets by Jeremy Shory, BUAN: The Perfect Mortals by Reece Bridger, and Soul Asylum by the dread pirates C L Raven. All answers for this one will have to be posted on Jeremy’s Blog here.

        

If you’ve read the rules to this contest then you’ll know you’ll have to answer three (3) questions for each of our websites. If you haven’t read them yet, you can check out the gist of the contest here: (add link here). Without further ado, let’s get the party started.

The answers to the following questions can be found on www.TheOrionChronicles.com

What are the colors of the Spellcaster Flag?
What is the name of the first character we are introduced to in The Journal of Forgotten Secrets?
What is the name of the period of time when a Paranormal loses their previous abilities and inherit their new Paranormal abilities?

The answers to these questions will be found on our blog.

What Horror movie legend took time to pose with us (and his famous prop) when wevisited ComiCon: Cardiff?
What is the name of the character who works for “the paper” and unexpectedly shows up looking for a tour in Chapter 1 of Soul Asylum?
What do we not believe in, but are “desperate to be proved wrong?”

These answers will located on the pages of www.ReeceBridger.com

How many words did Company of Heroes end up at?
What is the name of the main characters in The Perfect Mortals?
What instrument does Reece play in his college band?

Don’t forget to post the answers to Jeremy’s blog. Good luck!

Carry on Camping

Three Cliffs Bay

After we’d been camping in Tenby in July, Ryan bought a tent and was determined to use it before camping season ended. So he booked a two night stay in Three Cliffs Bay in the Gower for himself and our mates Rich and Hannah. We weren’t going to go because Cat had her knee operation on August 28th and we weren’t sure if her knee could withstand camping four weeks after the op. Then we heard the forecast was for rain. Camping in the rain wouldn’t bother us, but being stuck in a tent with nothing to do would drive us insane, especially when we knew there were castles to explore. This week we’d finally made up our minds to go. And the forecast improved. We discovered that two of the castles nearby were haunted so we arranged for Neen, the newest member of Calamityvile to join us at Oystermouth. Forget camping, this was Calamping.

Ryan went straight to the Gower after work so we joined him later in the evening, doing some beast spotting as we travelled through country lanes. We’re not experts in cryptozoology but we debunked some beast sightings as sheep and wild ponies. By the time we got to the campsite, the daylight was dying, so we assembled Ryan’s tent by headlights and luck. Rich & Hannah got lost so didn’t arrive for another hour. We spent the evening playing the card game Avalon, which always descends into wild accusations of treachery and passionate pleas of innocence and causes you to manipulate and yell at your friends. It’s a lot of fun.

Pennard Castle

Saturday morning we were all set for exploring Three Cliffs Bay and Pennard Castle. Pennard is supposedly haunted by a Gwrach y Rhibyn, a Welsh banshee. She’s hideous with black leathery bat wings, waxy skin, rotting teeth and straggly hair. She usually haunts moats and crossroads and on a rainy night, will rise from the depths and call the name of the person doomed to die, like a terrifying game show host. Once she’s called your name, she returns for you and knocks on your bedroom window before dragging your soul to Hell, without giving you the chance to claim the star prize. She features in one of our stories in Deadly Reflections so we had to see if we could find her. There is also a rumour that if you spend the night in Pennard Castle, the Gwrach y Rhibyn causes you to go mad. We were tempted.

We tried to find a way to the beach from our campsite. Us and Rich were all for hacking our way through the brambles and steep drop that bordered our campsite but Ryan and Hannah talked us out of it. After failing to find a way down, we asked the owner. Having to ask how to get to our locations kind of ruined the adventure feel we’d set out with. We walked to the beach and crossed the serpentine estuary via stepping stones onto sand dunes. They soon gave way to marshland, where we determined grooves gouged into the ground were the drag marks of beast victims. We spotted paw prints with claws, which we were certain were beast prints. We considered warning other tourists as they seemed oblivious to the danger, but then we decided against it. The beast would need to eat and we refused to be on the menu. With the castle lurking on the cliff above us, we could believe we were in an epic fantasy, as part of an invading army marching to storm the castle. Well, if you can have an army of five armed only with crutches, shortbread and determination.

this way to the castle

After marching across a wooden walkway beside the estuary, we saw the way to the castle – a steep sandy slope. We decided to rest at the bottom and eat a bag of Sainsbury’s ready salted crisps before attempting to tackle it. By the time we got to the top we were too exhausted to storm it so just stumbled up to it, trying to catch our breaths. It was hardly the ferocious siege we’d envisioned. We beat the other three to the top and had already explored it by the time they joined us. Turns out, Pennard is basically two walls. It the hardest we’ve ever worked to get to a castle and we had to cross a field of murderous cows to reach Old Beaupre. Behind the castle was a golf course, which totally ruined our imaginations of this epic fantasy setting. You wouldn’t wander out of Winterfell onto the eighteenth hole.

Hannah, Rich, Ryan & creepy guy

Whilst we were exploring, we saw a guy walking through the grounds. We avoided him and hid through one of the arches. He stopped to talk to the others. After a while, we wandered over to join them and within seconds, our spidey senses were tingling. This guy gave off a vibe so wrong it almost made our K2 light up. After he told us we’d look good in films, we scarpered. And his teeth were unnaturally white and straight. They really didn’t fit with his face. Our first thought was the police might have his teeth impressions on file after a dastardly case of cannibalism and he’d replaced them with dentures to avoid detection. After he’d gone, Rich and Hannah both said they’d been creeped out by him. Luckily Rich had one of Cat’s crutches, so if the guy had tried anything, Rich could have whacked him off the mountain with the crutch. Rich even pulled Hannah away from the guy and got the crutch ready should the creepy teeth man attempt anything murderous.

Then there was another bizarre incident. A woman was cradling some cloth then sat beside our group and opened the cloth. Inside were 6 or 7 enormous mushrooms. She kept watching us as she examined the mushrooms, like she was paranoid we were going to take them. We half expected her to snarl ‘my precioussss’ whilst glowering. She then gathered them up in the cloth and walked away.

We decided to rest and enjoy the view – we could see General Pinkinton perched on the top of the slope even from this distance, like a glowing pink beacon of hope – before heading back when a dog started barking. We could see it in the ferns not far from us. Then we heard a bag rustling in the bushes, along with a quiet voice telling the dog to shush. The dog wouldn’t stop barking. Every now and again, its owner tried to stop it barking, but she didn’t leave the bush or raise her voice. After thinking back on the events at the castle, Rich came up with a theory – everyone we’d met at the castle had been driven mad by the Gwrach y Rhibyn. Then we heard a strange musical whistling. After standing there, confused and wondering if we were all hallucinating, Hannah worked out what it was – the wind blowing through the holes in Cat’s crutches and turning them into musical instruments. After the experiences we’d had, we wouldn’t have been surprised if the music came from fairies trying to lead us into the perpetual dance.

The trip back to the campsite was a mad rush because we’d arranged to meet Neen at 3 p.m. at Oystermouth and it was already 2:25 p.m. By the time we got back to the campsite, it was about 3 p.m. After guzzling some cake and Red Bull, we were ready to go. Cat was back on her crutches on the way back and had slapped an ice pack on her knee. The rest of our group were too exhausted to come, so we headed out alone.

And got utterly, horribly lost.

Oystermouth Castle

First off, the AA route planner forgot to mention a T junction then the next instructions were to drive for 4 miles and we’d arrive on Newton Road. We were on the phone to Neen, who was trying to find us on her 3G. She was on Newton Road and according to the road sign, so were we. But we weren’t in the same place. We were wondering whether there was some weird parallel universe thing happening. Turns out, we were above Newton Road, on some sort of fake Newton Road. We had to take a windy downhill road to join Newton Road. Neen was parked opposite the police station. We drove through Oystermouth. No police station. We drove back through Oystermouth. Still no police station. And so began another Calamityville meltdown. Most of that journey will have to be bleeped out. We turned around again and found Neen waiting for us in a junction. We sheepishly followed her to the car park. By this time it was 4:15 p.m. and the castle closed at 5 p.m.

The prison at Oystermouth

The worker who greeted us was lovely and gave us a map of the castle and told us a bit about it. He was concerned about Cat, as she was on her crutches, but she assured him she’d be fine and we set off. Oystermouth is reputedly haunted by a white lady, with bloodied lashes on her back. The legend is that she was whipped to death and has been seen wandering the grounds, crying. Unfortunately, our tour of the castle was a bit rushed and we only had time to do one EVP session in the prison. The worker told us about other ghosts that had been spotted there – 36 in total. We only wish we’d had more time to explore it properly. As he was ringing the bell for chucking out time, we snuck off for comedy photos with cutout heads.

St Illtyd’s churchyard

Then it was on to St Illtyd’s church in Oxwich, which is supposedly haunted by a Ceffyl Dwr – a water horse. We found no traces of it but the graveyard was stunning, partially set in woods and surrounding a beautiful old church. The horse has been seen by a well in the graveyard. There was no well. Turns out we’re as bad at hunting mythological beasts as we are at hunting ghosts. So we returned to the campsite for a game of Cyclades and more finger pointing rounds of Avalon. Loud music blared out – a band were filming a music video on the beach, complete with floodlights. And they were staying a few tents away from us. They were really good and had a Thirty Seconds to Mars sound to them. After that we were asked by two different people if we were in the band. For some reason, “are you in a band?” is one of the most common questions we’re asked. Guess camping in our best Gothic clothes makes us stand out. Unfortunately, we have the musical talents of an octopus.

Weobley Castle

The next morning we packed up, hung out at the campsite for a bit then we headed for Weobley castle while Ryan, Rich and Hannah headed home. We only got lost twice. Once we ended up driving through what appeared to be moors, with ponies and cows guarding the road. We knew we’d gone wrong when the turning right in 0.7 miles didn’t exist over 2 miles later. We turned around and ventured off down country lanes, once again taking another wrong turn before some ramblers pointed us in the right direction. Weobley castle was lovely. We closed the gate behind us, declared the castle ours and kicked out the peasants. At one point we were the only people there. A sign warned visitors to take care to avoid accidents. Cat nearly had two, going over on her ankle which resulted in her nearly falling off the wall we were climbing on. Then she tripped.

Then we tried to get home. With no AA route planner and only an Atlas and our dodgy memories to help us. We figured we’d just retrace our route back to the campsite. It seemed easy. Bad move. We put a call into NASA to see if their satellites could find us and even they shrugged their shoulders and wished us luck. Miles and miles of country lanes and moor type lands later, we found houses and pulled over to stare at the map, trying to look like we knew what we were doing. We clearly weren’t fooling anyone as a nice pensioner came over to offer assistance. He soon pointed us in the right way. So we set off, full of hope.

And promptly got lost.

Taking over Weobley Castle

It’s Only Words

Those of you who follow us on Twitter will already know of one of our most recent epic battles. For once it wasn’t with our regular enemies the tax people, Amazon, Power Director or Photoshop. It was with the blurb for Deadly Reflections. In fact, our struggle to overcome this beast was so epic, that one of our tweeps, Tim, even after taking a week off Twitter, asked us how we we were faring as soon as he came back online. It was that brutal.

We spent ages on Amazon reading the product descriptions of countless short story collections; some by famous authors, some by unknowns. Some were ghost story collections, others weren’t. But none of them shifted the block. We spent hours staring at the blank Word document, trying to force the words from our brains, but it was harder than trying to steal chocolate from an angry badger.

It wasn’t down to lack of experience – we’ve written blurbs for every novel/novella we’ve written over the past 18 years. Most of them are kept in A5 notebooks and never even reached the typing up stage. It wan’t even because it’s for a short story collection – we’ve published three and their blurbs were easy. We think the culprits were our conscious brains. 

When we write, we don’t think about what we’re writing. Most of the time we have no idea what we’re going to write; we just put our fingers to the laptop and start typing. Our fingers are linked to our subconscious brains, those shy brains which lurk in the background, keeping notes of everything you see, hear, do, all stored away until you need them. The subconscious brain is a genius. Unfortunately, it’s rarely in charge. But the conscious brain, that’s the one that chatters at you constantly and as every writer knows, it’s impossible to write/edit when someone is talking to you, which is why our family obey the fundamental rule – if we are in the writing shed, that mean we are working. And they do not come in unless absolutely necessary. And that’s what our conscious brains were doing. They were reminding us that the blurb would sell the book, so it had to be good, seeing how much we suck at selling. It had to be enticing, maybe a bit scary, covering every story in the collection without specifically mentioning every one. They told us if we worded it wrong, nobody would buy the book that we’ve spent most of the year slaving over.

The blurb took well over a week to write. It took longer than the two longest stories in collection which are both 7000 words. It was driving us insane. There was only one thing for it – we had to silence our conscious brains. The equivalent of gagging someone who won’t shut up. And when we’re having a hard time, there is always one thing we turn to to help us through the darkshines: My Chemical Romance.

We opened YouTube, blasted MCR songs and waited, fingers poised on the keys. The words began to flow. They didn’t come easily at first, but the more MCR songs we listened to, the easier the words came. But it wasn’t a foolproof plan. The minute the music stopped, so did the words. We had to play the music until the blurb and the longer product description were finished. So if it wasn’t for MCR, the product description box on Amazon would be blank, except for maybe the old expletive.

If you want to read an exclusive extract of the upcoming Deadly Reflections collection, sign up to our newsletter.

This is the blurb and the extra product description :

Death is only the beginning…

You’re born, you live and you die. And sometimes, you come back.

When the veil between life and death is torn down, the darkest souls crawl from the shadows to wander the world that rejected them.

But these are not the restless spirits that haunt the pages of folklore, or the childishly gruesome tales whispered over torchlight. These are the ghosts that dwell in the deepest dungeons of your imagination and prey on you when you think you’re alone: bored ghosts trapped in the monotony of office life at the Scare Department; a haunted jail where the prisoners believe in revenge over rehabilitation; a mirror that steals the souls of whoever falls under its spell; and a ghost bride who makes sure the wedding vows are never broken.

Thirteen stories that prove the monsters in your mind might just be real.

The past is no longer a nightmare.

 

Paranormality – Three ghost hunters exploring an abandoned asylum accidentally awaken it and the ghosts trapped inside its nightmare.

Field of Screams – nobody believes in ghosts anymore. And that’s a problem for the ghosts who work for the Shadow Council’s Scare Department, where Hell is a boardroom run by Jenkins.

The Witching Hour – beneath the moats of Wales, the Gwrach y Rhibyn lurks, ready to whisper the name of those doomed to die, before dragging their souls to Hell.

The Ghost of You – a rock star has a creepy encounter in a graveyard that will haunt him forever.

Fallen Flag – urban explorers investigating an abandoned train station discover it’s haunted by the ghost of a serial killer. And his bloodlust has not been sated.

Memento Mori – the village of Pentref Ysbryd burned down years ago before being flooded. Yet Simeon & Taylor discover that below the lake, the damned village is still alive.

When the Dead Awaken – After a poltergeist vows to kill anyone who enters her house, three ghost hunters try to banish her, only for one them to become possessed by her murderous spirit.

Rest In Peace – Sick of ghost hunters harassing them, two castle ghosts give the Barry Paranormal Group exactly what they want, only to have their plan backfire.

Death Sentence – during a ghost tour of a Victorian jail, the dead prisoners who believe in revenge over rehabilitation awaken to reclaim the jail and execute everyone who disturbed them.

Sea of Souls – a sceptic writer who debunks ghosts waits on lonely cliff for the gruesome ghost of a smuggler.

Deadly Reflections – a haunted mirror sucks the souls from everyone who falls under its spell.

Carnival of the Damned – after discovering tales about a woman being mutilated in an abandoned fairground, uni students decide to recreate it in a film, only to bring the legend to life.

Whiter Shade of Pale – a ghost bride murdered at the altar waits for the perfect groom to lure him into the land of the dead, and ensures the wedding vows are never broken.

MCR – Thank you for the venom.

Deceived

We’re thrilled to be welcoming back Julie Anne Lindsey to Ravens Retreat. If we could, we’d keep her here and never let her leave. Mwahahahahaaaaaaa On Wednesday she released her new YA suspense novel, Deceived. Check out the trailer here. As people who have suffered from paranoia, we can fully empathise with Elle. And we love her best friend Pixie, who’s a Goth, so we might be a little biased there It’s got everything you need in a story – great characters, a chilling serial killer and it’s written by one of our favourite people in the world. So check it out now and follow Julie on Twitter, in a nice stalking way, not the creepy stalking way of the Reaper…

 

DECEIVED by Julie Anne Lindsey

Ever since she could remember, Elle has had to hop from town to town to keep up with her dad’s demanding career as a corporate insurance agent. Each time, a reoccurring nightmare followed her wherever she went–until the day that the frightening figures haunting her at night became all too real. When news of a serial killer spreads throughout her new school, Elle worries that the Reaper has been leaving her his calling card in the form of cigarette butts on her doormat and an unusual ribbon in her locker. With the help of Brian, a boy she meets at a flea market, she discovers that this isn’t her first encounter with the murderer and that her father has been concealing her true identity for the past twelve years. But despite her father’s desperate attempts to protect her, Elle still comes face to face with the darkness she has been running from her whole life. Trapped in the woods and with help hundreds of miles away, will Elle be able to confront the Reaper and reclaim the life she lost?

Available September 18th on Amazon Barnes & Noble Book Depository and more.

 

About Julie:

Julie Anne Lindsey is a multi-genre author who writes the stories that keep her up at night. In 2013, Julie welcomed five new releases in three genres including her newest title, DECEIVED, a YA suspense from Merit Press, and her first cozy mystery, MURDER BY THE SEASIDE, book one in the Patience Price, Counselor at Large series from Carina Press (a digital imprint of Harlequin).

Julie is a self-proclaimed word nerd who would rather read than almost anything else. She started writing to make people smile. Someday she plans to change the world. Most days you’ll find her online, amped up on caffeine and wielding a book.

Julie is a member of the International Thriller Writers (ITW), Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), Sisters in Crime (SinC) and the Canton Writer’s Guild.

Find her online:

Tweeting her crazy @JulieALindsey

Soothing her book obsession on GoodReads

Pinning the pretty on Pinterest

Tumbling lamely on Tumblr

Blogging about books and writing at Musings from the Slush Pile

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