Lachelle Redd's Blog, page 5
November 19, 2013
When Angels Fall by Lachelle Redd
Pondering his tedious existence, the demon breathed a heavy sigh. A fresh soul would arrive soon and his chamber of pain would come alive again. The raven, mail carrier of hell, squawked his landing on a wrought iron perch. The tormentor, aware there was fresh meat, gazed into the bird’s cold, black eyes studying the victim’s soul. A young male seated at a large oak desk was in the throes of committing suicide. Too much money, power, and women proved detrimental and now the darkened soul of the young CEO begged for relief. David Thornbrook, wealthy, spoiled, and silver-spooned seemed the answer to the demon’s relief. Hmm embezzlement, bankruptcy, and loss of financial status, this may be worth looking into. Margonne teleported forth and found David, a silver plated semi-automatic handgun in his mouth. Shocked at the appearance of the dark figure before him, the yuppie pointed the gun and fired off one round. The bullets penetrate and exit the being and scorch a nearby vase and wall.“Now, is that any way to treat your master?” Margonne removed the weapon from his quivering hand. “My, my you are a shivering, limped dick son of a bitch aren’t you? This is gonna be too easy.”
David managed a sentence, tears streaming down his face. “Who are you? Am I dead, did I pull the trigger?”
Margonne laughed an evil chuckle and replied. “No you didn’t, but I did.” With a loud crackle, the monstrous instrument exploded into the night igniting a hole in young David’s skull. The demon licked the crimson liquid from the wound and examined his handiwork. “What a pissant, see you in a month or two. I’m taking a vacation.” The specter possessed the body of the dead man, healing the gaping hole, and taking on his very countenance. I should be able to get tons of pussy with this body, not a bad looking kid.
The following morning David Thornbrook marched into Thornbrook, Hall, and Caine just like any other day. The shocked looks on the faces of staff and colleagues were plentiful. Speaking casually he strolled to his office and took a seat. Amanda, his secretary, was quick to appear with the usual, a notepad, and his morning coffee.
“Sir, there is a board meeting to appoint a new CEO. Am I to submit your resignation?” Amanda was baffled at David’s composure.
“No, Amanda.” His smile sly and straight lined. “What you can do is go to your fucking desk and wait for me to call you. I have a few words for the board and will remain in charge like always."
November 12, 2013
The Hot Cauldron Presents: The Virgin Charmer by Rachel Olson
Today, I take great pleasure in presenting Rachel Olson's The Virgin Charmer Book One of The Triple Goddess Trilogy
Hope Richards has only ever known the life of a big city girl. When her boss gives her an ultimatum, she decided to try out the country life during her forced vacation. After falling in love with a mysterious old mansion on the edge of a town that time forgot, Hope finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of someone else's crazy love obsession, and realizes in the middle of it all how lacking her own life is in that department. Hope is faced with a decision: return to the mundane life she thought was her passion, or find a way to experience something far stronger that she secretly yearns for.
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About Rachel Somewhere amidst her forty-hour job and playtime with her three-year-old, Rachel finds time to walk the streets of worlds only existing on manmade paper. She resides in small college town Northwestern Nebraska with her young son, just a few blocks from a city park, the public schools, and her parents. She enjoys socializing with adults, sipping strawberry wine, and head banging to music that doesn't carry a beat worth the effort of rock star hair slinging.
"The paranormal world is a much more desired realm. There's no limit to possibilities, no comparison to probabilities, no concept of actualities. There's no solid platform for racism, judgment, or hierarchy. It is exactly the manifestation you choose it to be, darkness and death included."
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://rachelaolson.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorrachelaolson
Twitter: http://facebook.com/whitesouljamma
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/whitesouljamma
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/rachelaolson
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/authorrachelaolson
Excerpt “I think we should get a drink before we start Q and A.” The soAbigail snapped her fingers in the air two times, and the man behind the bar immediately jumped on command. The closer he got, the stronger the pull became that Hope had felt previously. He walked with his face downcast, most likely watching where he stepped in an attempt to avoid tripping on anything or anyone. When he finally reached their table, Hope was in the middle of scrambling away, utterly terrified by what she was feeling. As soon as she caught sight of his face, her chair tipped back with her still in it.
Hope found herself sprawled out on a grubby wooden floor that didn’t look like it’d been swept in several days. Her sweater had somehow tangled itself around and between her knees, making any attempt she made to stand look very similar to a fish out of water.
Hope stopped all futile attempts to stand independently when a very masculine hand jabbed itself in front of her nose. With large, crossed eyes, she gasped and managed to scoot away from the floating hand by a few measly inches. A deep, silky chuckle rolled across languid airwaves and nearly choked Hope with its thick perfume. Hope glanced up through half mast eyes at the blurred face hovering just beyond the floating hand, and smiled crookedly, one eyebrow popping up a hair higher than the other. Another bout of chuckling ensued just as something lifted Hope to her seat.
“...Bump her head?”
“I’m...sure.”
Hope was only grasping portions of surrounding conversation. Her head swam through an enervated, unknown substance, causing a reaction similar to that of narcotics. She tried to shake herself and clear her mind, but whatever it was, it insisted on clinging tightly to every inch of her, inside and out.
“Do you mind telling me what your nose is doing on my boyfriend?” Hope was ripped from her strange trance when a cold, bony little hand landed abruptly on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, finding that her nose was indeed buried into the chest of a man.
No, not just any man. Theman. The one that was causing the pull.
“Holy shit,” she muttered to herself, stuck in the glistening eyes of a man several years younger than herself. She was fully aware of the stares she was earning, as well as a perfectly annoyed Abigail behind her. She was also aware that, at that particular moment, she didn’t have the willpower to pull away from the younger man directly in front of her, or whatever it was that possessed her.
Slowly, Mr. Gloriously Addictive stepped away from her snout, swallowing loudly as he did. Hope could hear Abigail impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. The further he got from her, the stronger she felt. Finally, Hope managed to turn a bit to look at Abigail over her shoulder, knowing her cheeks would match the color of unfriendly fire. She opened her mouth to apologize, and the next thing she knew, she was falling face first toward the table. Abigail clumsily caught her full weight, gently lowering her into the nearest chair. Hope opened a single eye, finding the bartender entirely too close for comfort, and no doubt the cause of her sudden lack of leg control and balance.
He was frowning at her, probably just like Hope frowned at him. Abigail popped up out of nowhere next to him, the man that was yet to own a name, offering Hope a crystal clear glass of liquid heaven. She swallowed a mouthful, expecting it to slide down like the cool, refreshing water it should’ve been. Except it wasn’t water, and it ignited the very fires of hell in her throat and belly.
“Sorry,” Abigail winced as Hope coughed and sputtered. “I should’ve told you it was Vodka. Your weird dizzy spells and swooning had me convinced you were in desperate need of a hard drink.” Hope only offered a half smile, practically glaring up at the man still standing entirely too close to her. “Oh jeez, my manners ran away with my good mood. This is Garrett, my boyfriend.” Garrett offered a friendly hand to shake, but Hope just stared at it. She was more concerned about the close proximity of that hand, and why his very presence made her feel like her skeleton had decided to take a vacation without the rest of her.
“I think I need some fresh air,” Hope finally managed to announce.
Hope Richards has only ever known the life of a big city girl. When her boss gives her an ultimatum, she decided to try out the country life during her forced vacation. After falling in love with a mysterious old mansion on the edge of a town that time forgot, Hope finds herself caught up in a whirlwind of someone else's crazy love obsession, and realizes in the middle of it all how lacking her own life is in that department. Hope is faced with a decision: return to the mundane life she thought was her passion, or find a way to experience something far stronger that she secretly yearns for.
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About Rachel Somewhere amidst her forty-hour job and playtime with her three-year-old, Rachel finds time to walk the streets of worlds only existing on manmade paper. She resides in small college town Northwestern Nebraska with her young son, just a few blocks from a city park, the public schools, and her parents. She enjoys socializing with adults, sipping strawberry wine, and head banging to music that doesn't carry a beat worth the effort of rock star hair slinging."The paranormal world is a much more desired realm. There's no limit to possibilities, no comparison to probabilities, no concept of actualities. There's no solid platform for racism, judgment, or hierarchy. It is exactly the manifestation you choose it to be, darkness and death included."
AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://rachelaolson.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/authorrachelaolson
Twitter: http://facebook.com/whitesouljamma
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/whitesouljamma
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/rachelaolson
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/authorrachelaolson
Excerpt “I think we should get a drink before we start Q and A.” The soAbigail snapped her fingers in the air two times, and the man behind the bar immediately jumped on command. The closer he got, the stronger the pull became that Hope had felt previously. He walked with his face downcast, most likely watching where he stepped in an attempt to avoid tripping on anything or anyone. When he finally reached their table, Hope was in the middle of scrambling away, utterly terrified by what she was feeling. As soon as she caught sight of his face, her chair tipped back with her still in it.
Hope found herself sprawled out on a grubby wooden floor that didn’t look like it’d been swept in several days. Her sweater had somehow tangled itself around and between her knees, making any attempt she made to stand look very similar to a fish out of water.
Hope stopped all futile attempts to stand independently when a very masculine hand jabbed itself in front of her nose. With large, crossed eyes, she gasped and managed to scoot away from the floating hand by a few measly inches. A deep, silky chuckle rolled across languid airwaves and nearly choked Hope with its thick perfume. Hope glanced up through half mast eyes at the blurred face hovering just beyond the floating hand, and smiled crookedly, one eyebrow popping up a hair higher than the other. Another bout of chuckling ensued just as something lifted Hope to her seat.
“...Bump her head?”
“I’m...sure.”
Hope was only grasping portions of surrounding conversation. Her head swam through an enervated, unknown substance, causing a reaction similar to that of narcotics. She tried to shake herself and clear her mind, but whatever it was, it insisted on clinging tightly to every inch of her, inside and out.
“Do you mind telling me what your nose is doing on my boyfriend?” Hope was ripped from her strange trance when a cold, bony little hand landed abruptly on her shoulder. Her eyes flew open, finding that her nose was indeed buried into the chest of a man.
No, not just any man. Theman. The one that was causing the pull.
“Holy shit,” she muttered to herself, stuck in the glistening eyes of a man several years younger than herself. She was fully aware of the stares she was earning, as well as a perfectly annoyed Abigail behind her. She was also aware that, at that particular moment, she didn’t have the willpower to pull away from the younger man directly in front of her, or whatever it was that possessed her.
Slowly, Mr. Gloriously Addictive stepped away from her snout, swallowing loudly as he did. Hope could hear Abigail impatiently tapping her foot on the floor. The further he got from her, the stronger she felt. Finally, Hope managed to turn a bit to look at Abigail over her shoulder, knowing her cheeks would match the color of unfriendly fire. She opened her mouth to apologize, and the next thing she knew, she was falling face first toward the table. Abigail clumsily caught her full weight, gently lowering her into the nearest chair. Hope opened a single eye, finding the bartender entirely too close for comfort, and no doubt the cause of her sudden lack of leg control and balance.
He was frowning at her, probably just like Hope frowned at him. Abigail popped up out of nowhere next to him, the man that was yet to own a name, offering Hope a crystal clear glass of liquid heaven. She swallowed a mouthful, expecting it to slide down like the cool, refreshing water it should’ve been. Except it wasn’t water, and it ignited the very fires of hell in her throat and belly.
“Sorry,” Abigail winced as Hope coughed and sputtered. “I should’ve told you it was Vodka. Your weird dizzy spells and swooning had me convinced you were in desperate need of a hard drink.” Hope only offered a half smile, practically glaring up at the man still standing entirely too close to her. “Oh jeez, my manners ran away with my good mood. This is Garrett, my boyfriend.” Garrett offered a friendly hand to shake, but Hope just stared at it. She was more concerned about the close proximity of that hand, and why his very presence made her feel like her skeleton had decided to take a vacation without the rest of her.
“I think I need some fresh air,” Hope finally managed to announce.
November 10, 2013
The Hot Caudron Presents the Virginia Templeton Stories
Another romantic and steamy tale from Marsha Cook. Please meet the beautiful, graceful, and attention loving Virginia Templeton.
Nicholas watched Virginia, waiting until she was ready to start. It always took her a little bit, as she prepared to start the sessions in her own way.
After strutting around the office, Virginia kicked off her leopard, four-inch Stuart Weitzman pumps and sat her ass right smack in the middle of Nicholas’s desk. She was wearing a very tight, black leather skirt, and a see-through, white lace shirt. Because she was all leg when she crossed them, which she liked to do, Nicholas could see her black lace panties and the tiny rose tattoo on her upper right thigh.
“So, Nick, where shall I begin today?” Nicholas didn’t answer, and that angered her more than he knew. “What the fuck? Help me out here, Doc. I need some answers.”
For months, everything Nicholas had tried had completely pissed her off. At that moment, he felt she might be ready for a breakthrough, and quietly let her continue.
“Okay, let me tell you what happened last night,” she went on. “Slater, my loving, sweet jerk of a husband was out of town. I got in my car, went right back to my old stomping grounds, drank too much, and fucked a whole lot of times. Since you didn’t ask who I was with, let me tell you. Two men were in my bed last night. One was very tall, with dark curly hair. The other was very short with a long blonde ponytail, kind of a freaky looking guy. One was on my right and one was on my left. Blondie had one finger in my ass and the other dark, sexy guy, who looked a lot like you, was in my cunt. What do you think about that?”
Nicholas began to write notes. All thoughts of him having a conversation with his patient were off the board for now. He was so busy picturing the details that he couldn’t really concentrate. He was so far away from where he should be ethically that he stopped himself, took a breath, and then continued with his notes.
Virginia took full advantage of the moment, as she quickly scooted off his desk and proceeded to strut around the office. “Wow, Doc, when did you get that picture-perfect plant?” She didn’t actually give a shit about the plant on the floor; she just wanted Nicholas to enjoy the view as she leaned down to touch it. “Follow me, Doc.” Bending down even lower, she spread her legs, once again exposing her lace-covered bottom. Then, just as quickly as she had lowered herself, she stood up, turned around, and smiled beautifully.
“You know, Nick, you’re such a bore. You just sit there and write and write and write. Come on. Say something. Do you ever answer your patients, or do you like to totally piss them off? If that was your intention, it worked. You win. I’m totally pissed off.”
Nicholas watched Virginia, waiting until she was ready to start. It always took her a little bit, as she prepared to start the sessions in her own way. After strutting around the office, Virginia kicked off her leopard, four-inch Stuart Weitzman pumps and sat her ass right smack in the middle of Nicholas’s desk. She was wearing a very tight, black leather skirt, and a see-through, white lace shirt. Because she was all leg when she crossed them, which she liked to do, Nicholas could see her black lace panties and the tiny rose tattoo on her upper right thigh.
“So, Nick, where shall I begin today?” Nicholas didn’t answer, and that angered her more than he knew. “What the fuck? Help me out here, Doc. I need some answers.”
For months, everything Nicholas had tried had completely pissed her off. At that moment, he felt she might be ready for a breakthrough, and quietly let her continue.
“Okay, let me tell you what happened last night,” she went on. “Slater, my loving, sweet jerk of a husband was out of town. I got in my car, went right back to my old stomping grounds, drank too much, and fucked a whole lot of times. Since you didn’t ask who I was with, let me tell you. Two men were in my bed last night. One was very tall, with dark curly hair. The other was very short with a long blonde ponytail, kind of a freaky looking guy. One was on my right and one was on my left. Blondie had one finger in my ass and the other dark, sexy guy, who looked a lot like you, was in my cunt. What do you think about that?”
Nicholas began to write notes. All thoughts of him having a conversation with his patient were off the board for now. He was so busy picturing the details that he couldn’t really concentrate. He was so far away from where he should be ethically that he stopped himself, took a breath, and then continued with his notes.
Virginia took full advantage of the moment, as she quickly scooted off his desk and proceeded to strut around the office. “Wow, Doc, when did you get that picture-perfect plant?” She didn’t actually give a shit about the plant on the floor; she just wanted Nicholas to enjoy the view as she leaned down to touch it. “Follow me, Doc.” Bending down even lower, she spread her legs, once again exposing her lace-covered bottom. Then, just as quickly as she had lowered herself, she stood up, turned around, and smiled beautifully.
“You know, Nick, you’re such a bore. You just sit there and write and write and write. Come on. Say something. Do you ever answer your patients, or do you like to totally piss them off? If that was your intention, it worked. You win. I’m totally pissed off.”
November 2, 2013
The Cauldron Presents: Merita King
Merita King is the mastermind behind a number of science fiction and fantasy novels that are currently available for purchase. So the cauldron asks that you take a moment and share with a fellow friend, you may find your next read.
Bygora Vandos ~ Sinclair V-Log LB734/A Sam Sinclair didn’t usually play the role of detective. His job was just to chase and catch a specific target and deliver them into the hands of the Inter Galactic Law Enforcement Agency, so when his boss offered him an undercover job, he was only too happy to accept. Together with his new partner Ren, Sam begins the slow process of investigating the secluded and secretive Calmarin Research Station. Although set up to apparently investigate the cause of dying trees in the locale, rumours run rife among the local people about what really goes on there. What Sam and Ren discover after weeks of carefully working their way in, is one of the most terrible crimes against humanity that either of them have ever encountered and both vow to do their utmost to bring it to an end. Sam finds many allies amongst the local people but with his cover blown and Ren taken prisoner, he no longer knows who can be trusted. As the job reaches its explosive climax and the personal cost to Sam takes its toll, the shocking truth finally comes out.
About the author:Merita King has loved the science fiction and fantasy genre in both books and movies since she was a young child. She has been greatly inspired by years of watching movies and reading books and has wanted to make a contribution to this genre for many years. Her stories all contain a spiritual thread as she believes that spirituality is universal and crosses all boundaries. She believes that the creative process is largely intuitive and can be very effectively blocked by too much pre-planning. “Plot lines, characters and events all come to me intuitively,” she says, “and this makes the act of writing a constant pleasure.” She is a psychic medium and lives alone in Hampshire, UK. Excerpt from Bygora Vandos – Sinclair V-Log LB734/A Thirty minutes later I was kitted up and had received a huge welcome from Essy, involving lots of face licking and belly rubs and both of us were standing outside Spurrell’s office. I raised my hand to knock but a thought raced through my mind and I looked at Essy. “I need you to obey me without question tonight baby,” I sent her the thought and she looked up at me, her eyes focussed in that way I had come to recognise as understanding. “I will ask you to do some things that are a little different from our normal work but I need you to trust me and obey.” We locked eyes and I knew she understood and I breathed a sigh of relief as I knocked on Spurrell’s door. “Come in Joss,” he said as he stepped aside. “Thanks once again for coming in at such short notice.” “No problem,” I replied. “What’s the panic? You said there was an accident?” “Yes, one of our latest umm, patients went a bit crazy and injured a couple of our security guys. It started a bit of a riot and we had to lock the place down to contain it.” “Oh I see. Are the guys okay?” “Yeah, they’ll live. They’re in the infirmary now. It took several guys to hold the patient down so we could get some sedative into him. He’s calm now.” “Where would you like me to begin my patrol Sir?” “If you go and relax for a while and maybe begin at eight? Is that okay with you?” “Of course Boss.” “Thanks. You’ll be starting with the patient’s cubicles tonight so report there for duty at eight okay?” “Yes Sir,” I nodded and turned to leave, Essy at my heels as always. I raced back to the staff accommodation and went into the same room I had used the week before. First, I called Marlo and asked if Ren had got home okay. His reply chilled me to the bone. “He never arrived home Joss. We’re worried sick.” “Oh shit no,” I said as I remembered my conversation with Spurrell just minutes before. “I think they have him prisoner here. Oh fuck I have to get him out of here.” “What can we do?” “Get to the tunnels as quick as you can and wait for my call. I’m going to call in the troops now, which will mean we have two hours until the shit hits the fan.” “Okay, I’ll round everyone up and we’ll be there within the hour. Be safe buddy.” I then called the troops, gave them the details, and heard the siren going off in the background as I spoke with their commander. “We’ll be with you in two hours Joss. Just hold on. We’ll have you both out of there, I promise.” Another call to Kobey sent him into a panic, which did not surprise me knowing his obsession with schedules. He rose to the occasion though and said he would do what he could with the guards he had on duty and promised the troops would not encounter any problems when they arrived. The next two hours dragged by, the slowest two hours of my entire life and I spent every minute worrying for Ren. Eventually I couldn’t stand it any longer and reported for duty fifteen minutes early. Spurrell was in the patient cubicle when I arrived and smiled when he saw me enter. “Hello there Joss, nice to see you eager for work tonight. Come and meet the source of all our problems.” I sent a thought to Essy as I walked to the end of the narrow corridor lined with patient cubicles. “Be ready girl, watch my back.” She slowed her pace a tiny bit and fell into line behind me. I reached the cubicle at the end of the corridor and slowly turned to look through the glass partition wall. He was hunched on the floor, one knee drawn up, his head resting in his hand. Bloodied scraps of cloth dotted around the small cubicle explained why he was shirtless, the bruises already forming over his chest and shoulders telling me of a severe beating. I leapt forward and banged on the glass. “Ren, buddy. What the fuck? Why is he being held here? He’s my friend, he works here. I don’t understand. What the fuck is going on?” I yelled at Spurrell, who took a step back from my angry onslaught. I heard growls from behind me and turned to see Essy holding off an approaching lab guy who wielded a huge injector. Instinct drove my hand to my tranquiliser pistol, hidden beneath my jacket and shot Spurrell at point blank range. He was unconscious within twenty seconds and I turned back to see how Essy was doing. The lab guy was retreating towards the door at the far end. He didn’t make it; the sedative dart ensuring he was out cold before he was halfway there. I turned back to Ren, who was almost unconscious in his prison. “I’ll be back for you buddy, I promise.” I called Essy and together, we raced out into the corridor. LINKSWhere to purchase Bygora Vandos. For paperbacks. Amazon usa - http://amzn.to/19CRsGj Amazon uk - http://amzn.to/GPyLDn For E-books Amazon usa - http://amzn.to/1cA2LAl Amazon uk - http://amzn.to/GPyTCY Contact Merita Merita King’s website – http://www.meritaking.com Merita King on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MeritaKingNovelist Merita King on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MeritaKing
Bygora Vandos ~ Sinclair V-Log LB734/A Sam Sinclair didn’t usually play the role of detective. His job was just to chase and catch a specific target and deliver them into the hands of the Inter Galactic Law Enforcement Agency, so when his boss offered him an undercover job, he was only too happy to accept. Together with his new partner Ren, Sam begins the slow process of investigating the secluded and secretive Calmarin Research Station. Although set up to apparently investigate the cause of dying trees in the locale, rumours run rife among the local people about what really goes on there. What Sam and Ren discover after weeks of carefully working their way in, is one of the most terrible crimes against humanity that either of them have ever encountered and both vow to do their utmost to bring it to an end. Sam finds many allies amongst the local people but with his cover blown and Ren taken prisoner, he no longer knows who can be trusted. As the job reaches its explosive climax and the personal cost to Sam takes its toll, the shocking truth finally comes out.
About the author:Merita King has loved the science fiction and fantasy genre in both books and movies since she was a young child. She has been greatly inspired by years of watching movies and reading books and has wanted to make a contribution to this genre for many years. Her stories all contain a spiritual thread as she believes that spirituality is universal and crosses all boundaries. She believes that the creative process is largely intuitive and can be very effectively blocked by too much pre-planning. “Plot lines, characters and events all come to me intuitively,” she says, “and this makes the act of writing a constant pleasure.” She is a psychic medium and lives alone in Hampshire, UK. Excerpt from Bygora Vandos – Sinclair V-Log LB734/A Thirty minutes later I was kitted up and had received a huge welcome from Essy, involving lots of face licking and belly rubs and both of us were standing outside Spurrell’s office. I raised my hand to knock but a thought raced through my mind and I looked at Essy. “I need you to obey me without question tonight baby,” I sent her the thought and she looked up at me, her eyes focussed in that way I had come to recognise as understanding. “I will ask you to do some things that are a little different from our normal work but I need you to trust me and obey.” We locked eyes and I knew she understood and I breathed a sigh of relief as I knocked on Spurrell’s door. “Come in Joss,” he said as he stepped aside. “Thanks once again for coming in at such short notice.” “No problem,” I replied. “What’s the panic? You said there was an accident?” “Yes, one of our latest umm, patients went a bit crazy and injured a couple of our security guys. It started a bit of a riot and we had to lock the place down to contain it.” “Oh I see. Are the guys okay?” “Yeah, they’ll live. They’re in the infirmary now. It took several guys to hold the patient down so we could get some sedative into him. He’s calm now.” “Where would you like me to begin my patrol Sir?” “If you go and relax for a while and maybe begin at eight? Is that okay with you?” “Of course Boss.” “Thanks. You’ll be starting with the patient’s cubicles tonight so report there for duty at eight okay?” “Yes Sir,” I nodded and turned to leave, Essy at my heels as always. I raced back to the staff accommodation and went into the same room I had used the week before. First, I called Marlo and asked if Ren had got home okay. His reply chilled me to the bone. “He never arrived home Joss. We’re worried sick.” “Oh shit no,” I said as I remembered my conversation with Spurrell just minutes before. “I think they have him prisoner here. Oh fuck I have to get him out of here.” “What can we do?” “Get to the tunnels as quick as you can and wait for my call. I’m going to call in the troops now, which will mean we have two hours until the shit hits the fan.” “Okay, I’ll round everyone up and we’ll be there within the hour. Be safe buddy.” I then called the troops, gave them the details, and heard the siren going off in the background as I spoke with their commander. “We’ll be with you in two hours Joss. Just hold on. We’ll have you both out of there, I promise.” Another call to Kobey sent him into a panic, which did not surprise me knowing his obsession with schedules. He rose to the occasion though and said he would do what he could with the guards he had on duty and promised the troops would not encounter any problems when they arrived. The next two hours dragged by, the slowest two hours of my entire life and I spent every minute worrying for Ren. Eventually I couldn’t stand it any longer and reported for duty fifteen minutes early. Spurrell was in the patient cubicle when I arrived and smiled when he saw me enter. “Hello there Joss, nice to see you eager for work tonight. Come and meet the source of all our problems.” I sent a thought to Essy as I walked to the end of the narrow corridor lined with patient cubicles. “Be ready girl, watch my back.” She slowed her pace a tiny bit and fell into line behind me. I reached the cubicle at the end of the corridor and slowly turned to look through the glass partition wall. He was hunched on the floor, one knee drawn up, his head resting in his hand. Bloodied scraps of cloth dotted around the small cubicle explained why he was shirtless, the bruises already forming over his chest and shoulders telling me of a severe beating. I leapt forward and banged on the glass. “Ren, buddy. What the fuck? Why is he being held here? He’s my friend, he works here. I don’t understand. What the fuck is going on?” I yelled at Spurrell, who took a step back from my angry onslaught. I heard growls from behind me and turned to see Essy holding off an approaching lab guy who wielded a huge injector. Instinct drove my hand to my tranquiliser pistol, hidden beneath my jacket and shot Spurrell at point blank range. He was unconscious within twenty seconds and I turned back to see how Essy was doing. The lab guy was retreating towards the door at the far end. He didn’t make it; the sedative dart ensuring he was out cold before he was halfway there. I turned back to Ren, who was almost unconscious in his prison. “I’ll be back for you buddy, I promise.” I called Essy and together, we raced out into the corridor. LINKSWhere to purchase Bygora Vandos. For paperbacks. Amazon usa - http://amzn.to/19CRsGj Amazon uk - http://amzn.to/GPyLDn For E-books Amazon usa - http://amzn.to/1cA2LAl Amazon uk - http://amzn.to/GPyTCY Contact Merita Merita King’s website – http://www.meritaking.com Merita King on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MeritaKingNovelist Merita King on Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MeritaKing
October 28, 2013
The Hot Cauldron Presents: Risen by Christine James
Witness the beginning:
A fun night in a small town carnival will change Erin’s life forever with a simple visit to a bizarre and mysterious fortune teller. Scared to death by what the haggard woman reveals, Erin quickly
flees and quite literally collides with Angelo, a mysterious and captivating carnival worker. Later
that night, he appears in her dreams but he’s not the only one visiting her slumber. Evil is
lurking on the edge of the shadows and it's coming for her. Angelo is not what he
seems, but then again no one ever is. Not even Erin.
Loyalties are tested and the lines of friendship begin to blur as long hidden truths
come to light and fate bears down upon them all. Everyone has secrets but when
some turn out to be more than heart wrenching, Erin has to decide who she can
trust. Can Erin deal with the harsh past that Angelo has been harboring or will it prevent her from doing what she's been chosen to do?
And introducing Christine James
Christine and her husband coach a little league baseball team. Loves all things baseball and enjoys the out doors; camping, swimming, fishing, the whole nine yards. While she writes a lot of romance in her books, romance movies aren't really her thing. She likes to watch the action thrillers, scary movies, and anything suspense. She loves to read a good historical romance! Also, she is completely fascinated by all things pirate. Her husband has been her cheerleader as she strives to achieve her writing goals; he's helped pick her up and dusted her off when she went through rejections; he laughs with her, and more times than not he laughs AT her. But more importantly he's there to lend her a shoulder for her to cry on. He's her rock but more importantly she considers him her best friend. Together they have two beautiful son's ages 8 and 2. She considers them her angels and by becoming an author she wants to show them that their dreams can come true.The thing Christine loves the most, outside of writing and her family, is making people laugh. People come and go from our lives, influencing and changing us in all kinds of ways. Sometimes the influences are positive, but then again, some are negative. If we use the negative as a tool for learning, we could very well change or even save someone's life down the road. She strives to be the type of person that touches someone’s life in a positive way, even if it is by writing a book. She believes that if only a quarter of the people in the world would loosen up and smile, it would be a better place.If she could share one message with the world, it would be that nothing is impossible and you should never stop following your dreams.
Excerpt:
Erin could see him standing across the street, looking dashing in a tuxedo and a broad smile. He held out his hand, beckoning her. She stepped down off the curb but something caught her eye. Looking down, she saw she was wearing a beautiful red satin gown that shimmered beautifully in the pale street light. The strapless bodice fit snugly, pushing up her ample chest, while the bottom fanned out gracefully in waves. On her feet was a pair of matching red heels with thin straps and sparkling rhinestones. Never before had she felt so beautiful.
She went into his arms with ease and he swept her along the street, dancing and twirling around to softly lilting music. He held her close, her body fitting to his easily. She could feel his heart beating steadily against hers. The same smell from earlier seemed so much stronger than before. His eyes were such a light shade of gray, they were almost transparent. Dense fog swirled around their legs as they twirled and moved as one.
Then something changed and they were no longer dancing. She was standing in the middle of the street alone, wearing her pajamas. Somewhere a streetlight began to flicker eerily. The light made the fog appear bluish white and very sinister. Erin looked around, frantically searching for Angelo. She found him standing at the entrance of the fairgrounds. He no longer wore the tux. Even in the darkness she could see his eyes were no longer shimmering silver but dark gray bordering on black. His hair was pulled back tightly and his once beautiful face had turned stone cold and dangerous. He wore a black t-shirt tucked neatly into a pair of black cargo pants. The pants resembled the style that she’d seen paramedics wearing. The bottoms of the pants were tucked tightly into a pair of snugly laced, slightly worn, combat boots. Something glistened in his hand. It appeared to be a long blade that glistened in the dim light. Erin began to slowly back away but he moved toward her. She could see he was saying something but couldn’t make out the words.
When she blinked they were no longer standing in the middle of the street but in the center of a meadow surrounded by trees. The loud sound of beating wings came from somewhere behind her. Briefly she thought of a horror movie where everything was in slow motion. She tried to run but her feet felt as if they were encased in concrete. Slowly she turned. The sound of beating wings stirred the cold night air around her. When she looked up, huge black wings angled toward her. She tried to scream but the smell of sulfur was suffocating. Angry red eyes glared down at her and pain suddenly sliced through her body.
She tried frantically to get away, silently willing her feet to move. She had to get away from the wings and the blinding pain but the pain only intensified with each movement. Erin could smell something foul over the stinging scent of sulfur and she realized it was the unmistakable smell of burning flesh. She looked down and realized it was her flesh that was burning. She screamed as her sweats began to melt to her legs.
“Someone, help me!” she screeched and the answer she received was an angry hiss.Erin sagged to the ground in pain as the flames raged over her lower body; she could hear the harsh sound of metal clanging against metal. Another shrill hiss and screech sliced through the night and soon the flapping noise was gone. Everything was cast into silence.
Review quotes:
The premise of this story captures the reader's attention from the get-go. I've read quite a good many stories about angels/fallen angels, but nothing like what Christine has put together for us.~~~~~ Lissette from www.simplistik.org Wow, what can I say, I loved this book, has a great story, about fallen angels, and a chosen one. It’s quite different than any other fallen angel books I had read. Its fast paced and easy to read. There is a great story here, so it’s got the romance too, but it’s not just about the romance, which I found refreshing. ~~~ Michelle from http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com/This story is told in just the right way, with just the right amount of clues being given out so the story can build slowly. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. ~~~~ Celeste from The Book Hookup Author Links http://christinejames28.blogspot.com/ www.facebook.com/ChristineJameswrites twitter @christinejames2 email. christinejames28@ymail.com http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2951405.Christine_Jameshttps://plus.google.com/u/0/114439050144880802739/posts https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113849123945250643044 Sell Links....
http://www.amazon.com/Risen-Chosen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DX6XLWM/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1382665868&sr=8-1&keywords=Christine+James
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/Risen%2FChristine-James/1115409306?ean=2940148580881
A fun night in a small town carnival will change Erin’s life forever with a simple visit to a bizarre and mysterious fortune teller. Scared to death by what the haggard woman reveals, Erin quickly flees and quite literally collides with Angelo, a mysterious and captivating carnival worker. Later
that night, he appears in her dreams but he’s not the only one visiting her slumber. Evil is
lurking on the edge of the shadows and it's coming for her. Angelo is not what he
seems, but then again no one ever is. Not even Erin.
Loyalties are tested and the lines of friendship begin to blur as long hidden truths
come to light and fate bears down upon them all. Everyone has secrets but when
some turn out to be more than heart wrenching, Erin has to decide who she can
trust. Can Erin deal with the harsh past that Angelo has been harboring or will it prevent her from doing what she's been chosen to do?
And introducing Christine James
Christine and her husband coach a little league baseball team. Loves all things baseball and enjoys the out doors; camping, swimming, fishing, the whole nine yards. While she writes a lot of romance in her books, romance movies aren't really her thing. She likes to watch the action thrillers, scary movies, and anything suspense. She loves to read a good historical romance! Also, she is completely fascinated by all things pirate. Her husband has been her cheerleader as she strives to achieve her writing goals; he's helped pick her up and dusted her off when she went through rejections; he laughs with her, and more times than not he laughs AT her. But more importantly he's there to lend her a shoulder for her to cry on. He's her rock but more importantly she considers him her best friend. Together they have two beautiful son's ages 8 and 2. She considers them her angels and by becoming an author she wants to show them that their dreams can come true.The thing Christine loves the most, outside of writing and her family, is making people laugh. People come and go from our lives, influencing and changing us in all kinds of ways. Sometimes the influences are positive, but then again, some are negative. If we use the negative as a tool for learning, we could very well change or even save someone's life down the road. She strives to be the type of person that touches someone’s life in a positive way, even if it is by writing a book. She believes that if only a quarter of the people in the world would loosen up and smile, it would be a better place.If she could share one message with the world, it would be that nothing is impossible and you should never stop following your dreams.Excerpt:
Erin could see him standing across the street, looking dashing in a tuxedo and a broad smile. He held out his hand, beckoning her. She stepped down off the curb but something caught her eye. Looking down, she saw she was wearing a beautiful red satin gown that shimmered beautifully in the pale street light. The strapless bodice fit snugly, pushing up her ample chest, while the bottom fanned out gracefully in waves. On her feet was a pair of matching red heels with thin straps and sparkling rhinestones. Never before had she felt so beautiful.
She went into his arms with ease and he swept her along the street, dancing and twirling around to softly lilting music. He held her close, her body fitting to his easily. She could feel his heart beating steadily against hers. The same smell from earlier seemed so much stronger than before. His eyes were such a light shade of gray, they were almost transparent. Dense fog swirled around their legs as they twirled and moved as one.
Then something changed and they were no longer dancing. She was standing in the middle of the street alone, wearing her pajamas. Somewhere a streetlight began to flicker eerily. The light made the fog appear bluish white and very sinister. Erin looked around, frantically searching for Angelo. She found him standing at the entrance of the fairgrounds. He no longer wore the tux. Even in the darkness she could see his eyes were no longer shimmering silver but dark gray bordering on black. His hair was pulled back tightly and his once beautiful face had turned stone cold and dangerous. He wore a black t-shirt tucked neatly into a pair of black cargo pants. The pants resembled the style that she’d seen paramedics wearing. The bottoms of the pants were tucked tightly into a pair of snugly laced, slightly worn, combat boots. Something glistened in his hand. It appeared to be a long blade that glistened in the dim light. Erin began to slowly back away but he moved toward her. She could see he was saying something but couldn’t make out the words.
When she blinked they were no longer standing in the middle of the street but in the center of a meadow surrounded by trees. The loud sound of beating wings came from somewhere behind her. Briefly she thought of a horror movie where everything was in slow motion. She tried to run but her feet felt as if they were encased in concrete. Slowly she turned. The sound of beating wings stirred the cold night air around her. When she looked up, huge black wings angled toward her. She tried to scream but the smell of sulfur was suffocating. Angry red eyes glared down at her and pain suddenly sliced through her body.
She tried frantically to get away, silently willing her feet to move. She had to get away from the wings and the blinding pain but the pain only intensified with each movement. Erin could smell something foul over the stinging scent of sulfur and she realized it was the unmistakable smell of burning flesh. She looked down and realized it was her flesh that was burning. She screamed as her sweats began to melt to her legs.
“Someone, help me!” she screeched and the answer she received was an angry hiss.Erin sagged to the ground in pain as the flames raged over her lower body; she could hear the harsh sound of metal clanging against metal. Another shrill hiss and screech sliced through the night and soon the flapping noise was gone. Everything was cast into silence.
Review quotes:
The premise of this story captures the reader's attention from the get-go. I've read quite a good many stories about angels/fallen angels, but nothing like what Christine has put together for us.~~~~~ Lissette from www.simplistik.org Wow, what can I say, I loved this book, has a great story, about fallen angels, and a chosen one. It’s quite different than any other fallen angel books I had read. Its fast paced and easy to read. There is a great story here, so it’s got the romance too, but it’s not just about the romance, which I found refreshing. ~~~ Michelle from http://concisebookreviewsbymichelle.blogspot.com/This story is told in just the right way, with just the right amount of clues being given out so the story can build slowly. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. ~~~~ Celeste from The Book Hookup Author Links http://christinejames28.blogspot.com/ www.facebook.com/ChristineJameswrites twitter @christinejames2 email. christinejames28@ymail.com http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2951405.Christine_Jameshttps://plus.google.com/u/0/114439050144880802739/posts https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113849123945250643044 Sell Links....
http://www.amazon.com/Risen-Chosen-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DX6XLWM/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1382665868&sr=8-1&keywords=Christine+James
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/reviews/Risen%2FChristine-James/1115409306?ean=2940148580881
October 21, 2013
More Horror Favorites
What do you get when you mix teenage sexuality and the curse of the wolf? Ginger Snaps, and notice it isn't like the cookie cause Ginger truly snaps in this film.
Two sisters Ginger and Brigitte are obsessed with death and not conforming to the usual girl standards. They are outcasts of the school and freaks of the community. Then one night while their parents are gone to counseling, Ginger is attacked by a wild animal. From there, her journey from outcast to sexually driven, blood lusting monster begins. Her sister, desperate to save her from a deadly destiny, enlists the help of local teen drug dealer. All this, while Ginger begins to sprout hairs, a tail and a taste for the neighborhood pooch.
Check out this classic followed by two sequels, that are just as strange, and have a snappy Halloween.
It was about time for a creepy, sub-humanoid, chick horror flick to surface. In Descent, a group of friends are joined together by their love for cave climbing. Sarah is going through a tough time as she has recently lost her entire family in a tragic car accident. The journey through this new cave is one to bring her back to life and hopefully start putting the tragedy behind her. However, the competitive, Juno, has plans for the team that they had no idea. The cave that she has chosen is not the one the ladies thought they were exploring. In addition, there are carnivorous, cannibal, sub-humans deep in the bowels of the labyrinth. Oh and did I mention that Juno's affair with Sarah's husband surfaces as well.For a bloody good time, check out The Descent, and its sequel.
Dracula meets the Bible and you get Dracula 2000. An interesting take on the one creature that has remained a mystery and obsession with horror fans everywhere, Dracula delivers.
In this reboot, a misguided group of thieves is under the impression that Van Helsing has buried treasure in a vault beneath London. Of course, when they break in, they find a silver coffin. The alarms are triggered and the professor's assistant rushes to the scene. However, the criminals manage to get the coffin on a plain headed for the states, but before they get there, things go wrong.
To make a long story short, Dracula, played by Gerard Butler, ends up in New Orleans and in search of Van Helsing's daughter, Mary. It turns out that they share the same blood as Van Helsing used Dracula's blood to prolong his life and in the midst, father a child.
What makes this film different? The team races to find out who Dracula is and why he is damned. In the end, the biblical implications are more than enough to have you on the edge of your seat.
Pitch Black was a great success in rebooting the monster movie. In this film, a band of earthlings are on their way to a new planet in one of the many systems now available for traveling. While in flight, the passengers are in a sleep mode, kinda like Alien, and they enter an asteroid belt and crash land on an foreign planet. While surveying their situation, they discover that there was a team there at one time taking samples and getting the lay of the area, however, everyone is gone. In addition, they become aware of an everlasting eclipse that will cover the planet in darkness and that's not all. There are boney, blood thirsty creatures that come out at night and prey on anything they can pick up using their sonar. Did I mention there is also a murdering prisoner on board that the crew must befriend in order to survive. Blood, deception and a slew of awkward choices makes this nail biter worth seeing again and again. In addition, let's not forget a very muscular and bald Vin Diesel.
From the mind of H.P. Lovecraft comes the tale of a young man who discovers that his dreams are the stuff of nightmares and are rooted in reality.
A shipwrecked group of friends soon find themselves in the grips of a mysterious little seaside town and its even stranger beings. Not quite human and somewhat marine like, this place is crawling with death, isolation and a ritual that promises to bring one of the party goers to grips with where his true destiny lies.
This was my introduction to Lovecraft and it was a tentacle infused obsession. I watch this movie whenever it is on and remain glued to the spot.
October 15, 2013
Horror Evolves
Ok the first blog was dedicated to the 80s and the movies that made us sleep with the lights on. Now join me as I move along to the 90s.
You can't have horror without the King, Stephen King of course. Although I did miss mentioning my favorite, Silver Bullet, with the last post, there is no way I could miss The Dark Half. This movie is one of my favorites because it is well acted and the idea is down right devilish.
Horror author Thad Beaumont is ending his successful George Stark series due to a sudden blackmail scheme. The only problem is that George doesn't want to die. After coming to life amid unusual circumstances, the character lets loose on a killing spree and leaves Thad's DNA all over the place. This cat and mouse kinda antic will keep you wondering just how the author will handle it and who will save the day.
I loved the storyline and even read the book. Very close adaptation this time and well done on the big screen.
Another King success, The Night Flier sends you on a trail of a legendary creature. Richard Deese is a reporter searching for answers in a string of brutal murders. He has been on the trail of the killer and knows that where ever the being goes, he flies his own plane and upon landing, people start dying. As the trail gets hotter, Deese is offered an out and told to turn back, but the eager over zealous reporter doesn't quit and finds himself in a situation where he comes face to face with death and destiny. The blood and gore factor in this movie is high so prepare yourself for The Night Flier.
I loved, loved, loved this film. Jeff Goldblum and
Alicia Silverstone are part of cast that is in the grips of the murderous rampage of a teen killer, played by Jeremy Sisto. This young man turns out to have a deadly secret that once revealed turns this movie into a downright nail biter.
Dr. Nyebern is the physician who performs a life saving technique that brings Goldblum's character, Hatch, back to life after being dead for some time. However, soon after, Hatch discovers that something is very wrong. He begins to have visions of horrible things and is soon on the same frequency as a murderous madman. In addition, the evil that has infested his mind also wants his daughter and that's when Hideaway really gets interesting.
Based on a Koontz book, this is must see during the Halloween season.
Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children only dolls
And if you see her in your dreams
You should never ever scream
Ok, dolls are just scary. Add a old dead ventriloquist and a creepy nursery rhyme and you have your self one hell of a horror story.
In this movie, a young man is forced to deal with the sudden and strange death of his wife. The only clue is a ventriloquist's doll that was delivered to their doorstep. Jamie Ashen, played by Ryan Kwanten, returns home to make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, he is being followed by a kooky cop character played the less popular Wahlberg brother, but he does an excellent job. He is convinced that Jamie murdered his wife and is on the run. However, they both soon realize that there is more than one murder at hand. Soon the curse of Mary Shaw infests both their lives leaving them in a fight for survival.
Ok even with the comedic element thrown in like grapes in a chicken salad, this movie delivers horror on the high seas. A group of high paid pirates takes on a job that involves them in a high priced sabotage scheme. However, they are soon in the midst of a terror cruise that no one paid for. The owner of large cruise ship has planned to sink the massive vessel for profit. But what he doesn't plan on are the ravenously hungry creatures that live in the darkest depths of the ocean. Soon the ship is overcome with these slithering, fang filled, mucous oozing, man eating eel like creatures and everyone is on the menu.
Staring Treat Williams and Famke Jensen this is a must see during the Halloween season.
You can't have horror without the King, Stephen King of course. Although I did miss mentioning my favorite, Silver Bullet, with the last post, there is no way I could miss The Dark Half. This movie is one of my favorites because it is well acted and the idea is down right devilish.Horror author Thad Beaumont is ending his successful George Stark series due to a sudden blackmail scheme. The only problem is that George doesn't want to die. After coming to life amid unusual circumstances, the character lets loose on a killing spree and leaves Thad's DNA all over the place. This cat and mouse kinda antic will keep you wondering just how the author will handle it and who will save the day.
I loved the storyline and even read the book. Very close adaptation this time and well done on the big screen.
Another King success, The Night Flier sends you on a trail of a legendary creature. Richard Deese is a reporter searching for answers in a string of brutal murders. He has been on the trail of the killer and knows that where ever the being goes, he flies his own plane and upon landing, people start dying. As the trail gets hotter, Deese is offered an out and told to turn back, but the eager over zealous reporter doesn't quit and finds himself in a situation where he comes face to face with death and destiny. The blood and gore factor in this movie is high so prepare yourself for The Night Flier.
I loved, loved, loved this film. Jeff Goldblum and
Alicia Silverstone are part of cast that is in the grips of the murderous rampage of a teen killer, played by Jeremy Sisto. This young man turns out to have a deadly secret that once revealed turns this movie into a downright nail biter.
Dr. Nyebern is the physician who performs a life saving technique that brings Goldblum's character, Hatch, back to life after being dead for some time. However, soon after, Hatch discovers that something is very wrong. He begins to have visions of horrible things and is soon on the same frequency as a murderous madman. In addition, the evil that has infested his mind also wants his daughter and that's when Hideaway really gets interesting.
Based on a Koontz book, this is must see during the Halloween season.
Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children only dolls
And if you see her in your dreams
You should never ever scream
Ok, dolls are just scary. Add a old dead ventriloquist and a creepy nursery rhyme and you have your self one hell of a horror story.
In this movie, a young man is forced to deal with the sudden and strange death of his wife. The only clue is a ventriloquist's doll that was delivered to their doorstep. Jamie Ashen, played by Ryan Kwanten, returns home to make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, he is being followed by a kooky cop character played the less popular Wahlberg brother, but he does an excellent job. He is convinced that Jamie murdered his wife and is on the run. However, they both soon realize that there is more than one murder at hand. Soon the curse of Mary Shaw infests both their lives leaving them in a fight for survival.
Ok even with the comedic element thrown in like grapes in a chicken salad, this movie delivers horror on the high seas. A group of high paid pirates takes on a job that involves them in a high priced sabotage scheme. However, they are soon in the midst of a terror cruise that no one paid for. The owner of large cruise ship has planned to sink the massive vessel for profit. But what he doesn't plan on are the ravenously hungry creatures that live in the darkest depths of the ocean. Soon the ship is overcome with these slithering, fang filled, mucous oozing, man eating eel like creatures and everyone is on the menu.
Staring Treat Williams and Famke Jensen this is a must see during the Halloween season.
Horror in the 90s
Ok the first blog was dedicated to the 80s and the movies that made us sleep with the lights on. Now join me as I move along to the 90s.
You can't have horror without the King, Stephen King of course. Although I did miss mentioning my favorite, Silver Bullet, with the last post, there is no way I could miss The Dark Half. This movie is one of my favorites because it is well acted and the idea is down right devilish.
Horror author Thad Beaumont is ending his successful George Stark series due to a sudden blackmail scheme. The only problem is that George doesn't want to die. After coming to life amid unusual circumstances, the character lets loose on a killing spree and leaves Thad's DNA all over the place. This cat and mouse kinda antic will keep you wondering just how the author will handle it and who will save the day.
I loved the storyline and even read the book. Very close adaptation this time and well done on the big screen.
Another King success, The Night Flier sends you on a trail of a legendary creature. Richard Deese is a reporter searching for answers in a string of brutal murders. He has been on the trail of the killer and knows that where ever the being goes, he flies his own plane and upon landing, people start dying. As the trail gets hotter, Deese is offered an out and told to turn back, but the eager over zealous reporter doesn't quit and finds himself in a situation where he comes face to face with death and destiny. The blood and gore factor in this movie is high so prepare yourself for The Night Flier.
I loved, loved, loved this film. Jeff Goldblum and
Alicia Silverstone are part of cast that is in the grips of the murderous rampage of a teen killer, played by Jeremy Sisto. This young man turns out to have a deadly secret that once revealed turns this movie into a downright nail biter.
Dr. Nyebern is the physician who performs a life saving technique that brings Goldblum's character, Hatch, back to life after being dead for some time. However, soon after, Hatch discovers that something is very wrong. He begins to have visions of horrible things and is soon on the same frequency as a murderous madman. In addition, the evil that has infested his mind also wants his daughter and that's when Hideaway really gets interesting.
Based on a Koontz book, this is must see during the Halloween season.
Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children only dolls
And if you see her in your dreams
You should never ever scream
Ok, dolls are just scary. Add a old dead ventriloquist and a creepy nursery rhyme and you have your self one hell of a horror story.
In this movie, a young man is forced to deal with the sudden and strange death of his wife. The only clue is a ventriloquist's doll that was delivered to their doorstep. Jamie Ashen, played by Ryan Kwanten, returns home to make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, he is being followed by a kooky cop character played the less popular Wahlberg brother, but he does an excellent job. He is convinced that Jamie murdered his wife and is on the run. However, they both soon realize that there is more than one murder at hand. Soon the curse of Mary Shaw infests both their lives leaving them in a fight for survival.
Ok even with the comedic element thrown in like grapes in a chicken salad, this movie delivers horror on the high seas. A group of high paid pirates takes on a job that involves them in a high priced sabotage scheme. However, they are soon in the midst of a terror cruise that no one paid for. The owner of large cruise ship has planned to sink the massive vessel for profit. But what he doesn't plan on are the ravenously hungry creatures that live in the darkest depths of the ocean. Soon the ship is overcome with these slithering, fang filled, mucous oozing, man eating eel like creatures and everyone is on the menu.
Staring Treat Williams and Famke Jensen this is a must see during the Halloween season.
You can't have horror without the King, Stephen King of course. Although I did miss mentioning my favorite, Silver Bullet, with the last post, there is no way I could miss The Dark Half. This movie is one of my favorites because it is well acted and the idea is down right devilish.Horror author Thad Beaumont is ending his successful George Stark series due to a sudden blackmail scheme. The only problem is that George doesn't want to die. After coming to life amid unusual circumstances, the character lets loose on a killing spree and leaves Thad's DNA all over the place. This cat and mouse kinda antic will keep you wondering just how the author will handle it and who will save the day.
I loved the storyline and even read the book. Very close adaptation this time and well done on the big screen.
Another King success, The Night Flier sends you on a trail of a legendary creature. Richard Deese is a reporter searching for answers in a string of brutal murders. He has been on the trail of the killer and knows that where ever the being goes, he flies his own plane and upon landing, people start dying. As the trail gets hotter, Deese is offered an out and told to turn back, but the eager over zealous reporter doesn't quit and finds himself in a situation where he comes face to face with death and destiny. The blood and gore factor in this movie is high so prepare yourself for The Night Flier.
I loved, loved, loved this film. Jeff Goldblum and
Alicia Silverstone are part of cast that is in the grips of the murderous rampage of a teen killer, played by Jeremy Sisto. This young man turns out to have a deadly secret that once revealed turns this movie into a downright nail biter.
Dr. Nyebern is the physician who performs a life saving technique that brings Goldblum's character, Hatch, back to life after being dead for some time. However, soon after, Hatch discovers that something is very wrong. He begins to have visions of horrible things and is soon on the same frequency as a murderous madman. In addition, the evil that has infested his mind also wants his daughter and that's when Hideaway really gets interesting.
Based on a Koontz book, this is must see during the Halloween season.
Beware the stare of Mary Shaw
She had no children only dolls
And if you see her in your dreams
You should never ever scream
Ok, dolls are just scary. Add a old dead ventriloquist and a creepy nursery rhyme and you have your self one hell of a horror story.
In this movie, a young man is forced to deal with the sudden and strange death of his wife. The only clue is a ventriloquist's doll that was delivered to their doorstep. Jamie Ashen, played by Ryan Kwanten, returns home to make the necessary arrangements. In the meantime, he is being followed by a kooky cop character played the less popular Wahlberg brother, but he does an excellent job. He is convinced that Jamie murdered his wife and is on the run. However, they both soon realize that there is more than one murder at hand. Soon the curse of Mary Shaw infests both their lives leaving them in a fight for survival.
Ok even with the comedic element thrown in like grapes in a chicken salad, this movie delivers horror on the high seas. A group of high paid pirates takes on a job that involves them in a high priced sabotage scheme. However, they are soon in the midst of a terror cruise that no one paid for. The owner of large cruise ship has planned to sink the massive vessel for profit. But what he doesn't plan on are the ravenously hungry creatures that live in the darkest depths of the ocean. Soon the ship is overcome with these slithering, fang filled, mucous oozing, man eating eel like creatures and everyone is on the menu.
Staring Treat Williams and Famke Jensen this is a must see during the Halloween season.
October 12, 2013
The Hot Cauldron Salutes Halloween
Well my favorite month is here. Yep, October. I am a huge fan of the Halloween season and of course that means scary movies. For my post, I have decided to recap a few of my favorites. Hope you enjoy.
I will kick this series off with a classic. I remember watching this movie as a child and squirming non stop. With the tag line, "The night he came home," Halloween etched its way into our culture and quickly became a cult classic. Produced on a $300,00 budget, John Carpenter and Debra Hill brought a chilling tale to life of babysitters being stalked by a murderous madman.
I watched the backstory of the film and the creative talent behind making this film is awesome. They bagged leaves and use them over and over to make the season appear to be more fall like. Different people actually wore the Michael Myers costume in because there were issues with the main actor where he couldn't always be there. In addition, Jamie Lee Curtis didn't think she was any good after day 1 and was afraid of being fired. That was 1978 and here we are in 2013 and this movie is still a leader in terror and mass murder.
Another Carpenter classic, The Fog, and I do mean the original, was a thrill and a ghost story. The tiny town of Antonio Bay has a wicked secret. It seems the founding fathers of the prosperous seaside city murdered a crew of men, women and children 100 years ago in order to secure their gold and other riches. So, as the town prepares it's celebration of the men's "sacrifice," the spirits are awakened and hell comes to collect. The townspeople are unaware of the deadly pact that has doomed them to death and when Blake and his band of dead crew members arrive, it is far too late for apologies.
Once again, a great movie and terrific story. I enjoyed seeing Carpenter use characters that were flawed and not the hot and beautiful teens that the remake turned into. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a beautiful cast. For its time, the original hosted the belle's of the day. But there is just something about Jamie Lee and Adrienne Barbeau that make this film a must see.
Ok, as you can tell, this is going to be the old school horror section of the blog. Don't worry, I will get around the newer stuff, but proper tribute must be paid to the original slashers.
Jason Vorhees drowned at Camp Crystal Lake and his mother sought revenge in his death. That was the first tale in a series that will never die. In the first movie, Jason's mom is hacking up a group of horny, teen campers that are just out to drink beer and get laid. We get a brief introduction to a young Kevin Bacon who also falls victim to her anger.
Slashing through a screaming, half dressed cast of 80s hair flips and basketball shorts, this movie does not disappoint. The blood and gore even for its time are both realistic and well crafted. Yes, there is a remake for the younger crowd, but as usual, I am an old school horror gal.
Save a horse, ride a Vampire. Yep, for Frank Langella I am hot in the ass anyday. I remember watching this film as a young girl and feeling terribly wicked. In this loose adaption of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula arrives by sea and is the only survivor aboard a ship wrecked cargo vessel. He is discovered by a sickly Mina Van Helsing and from there death ensues. Charming, charismatic and oh too gorgeous, Dracula seeps his way in and lays claim to Ms. Lucy, who is engaged to Jonathan Harker. See I told you a loose adaptation. Even though this story is quite backwards from the original novel, it is poetry watching Frank work the room and the cape. He is slick and cat like and just oozes, "bite me." Even now as a grey older man, I still see my first Dracula and still love it just as if it were yesterday.
A young woman, Jane Hardy, inherits her devil worshipping aunt's home in the small town of Blackford. When Jane arrives, she learns more than what she bargained for and is being haunted by the hearse that her late aunt was in during her final travels.
I listed this film because it is so rare to find and such a good tale. The actress, not really known to me, was quite convincing and the storyline kept me wondering. You are on this quest with this woman to renew her life and suddenly she is being sucked into a world of strangers, ghosts and a car that won't let her be.
If you find this classic, give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.
I will kick this series off with a classic. I remember watching this movie as a child and squirming non stop. With the tag line, "The night he came home," Halloween etched its way into our culture and quickly became a cult classic. Produced on a $300,00 budget, John Carpenter and Debra Hill brought a chilling tale to life of babysitters being stalked by a murderous madman.I watched the backstory of the film and the creative talent behind making this film is awesome. They bagged leaves and use them over and over to make the season appear to be more fall like. Different people actually wore the Michael Myers costume in because there were issues with the main actor where he couldn't always be there. In addition, Jamie Lee Curtis didn't think she was any good after day 1 and was afraid of being fired. That was 1978 and here we are in 2013 and this movie is still a leader in terror and mass murder.
Another Carpenter classic, The Fog, and I do mean the original, was a thrill and a ghost story. The tiny town of Antonio Bay has a wicked secret. It seems the founding fathers of the prosperous seaside city murdered a crew of men, women and children 100 years ago in order to secure their gold and other riches. So, as the town prepares it's celebration of the men's "sacrifice," the spirits are awakened and hell comes to collect. The townspeople are unaware of the deadly pact that has doomed them to death and when Blake and his band of dead crew members arrive, it is far too late for apologies.Once again, a great movie and terrific story. I enjoyed seeing Carpenter use characters that were flawed and not the hot and beautiful teens that the remake turned into. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with a beautiful cast. For its time, the original hosted the belle's of the day. But there is just something about Jamie Lee and Adrienne Barbeau that make this film a must see.
Ok, as you can tell, this is going to be the old school horror section of the blog. Don't worry, I will get around the newer stuff, but proper tribute must be paid to the original slashers.
Jason Vorhees drowned at Camp Crystal Lake and his mother sought revenge in his death. That was the first tale in a series that will never die. In the first movie, Jason's mom is hacking up a group of horny, teen campers that are just out to drink beer and get laid. We get a brief introduction to a young Kevin Bacon who also falls victim to her anger.
Slashing through a screaming, half dressed cast of 80s hair flips and basketball shorts, this movie does not disappoint. The blood and gore even for its time are both realistic and well crafted. Yes, there is a remake for the younger crowd, but as usual, I am an old school horror gal.
Save a horse, ride a Vampire. Yep, for Frank Langella I am hot in the ass anyday. I remember watching this film as a young girl and feeling terribly wicked. In this loose adaption of Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula arrives by sea and is the only survivor aboard a ship wrecked cargo vessel. He is discovered by a sickly Mina Van Helsing and from there death ensues. Charming, charismatic and oh too gorgeous, Dracula seeps his way in and lays claim to Ms. Lucy, who is engaged to Jonathan Harker. See I told you a loose adaptation. Even though this story is quite backwards from the original novel, it is poetry watching Frank work the room and the cape. He is slick and cat like and just oozes, "bite me." Even now as a grey older man, I still see my first Dracula and still love it just as if it were yesterday.
A young woman, Jane Hardy, inherits her devil worshipping aunt's home in the small town of Blackford. When Jane arrives, she learns more than what she bargained for and is being haunted by the hearse that her late aunt was in during her final travels.
I listed this film because it is so rare to find and such a good tale. The actress, not really known to me, was quite convincing and the storyline kept me wondering. You are on this quest with this woman to renew her life and suddenly she is being sucked into a world of strangers, ghosts and a car that won't let her be.
If you find this classic, give it a try. I don't think you will be disappointed.
October 4, 2013
The History of Halloween
Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. The word Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows’ Evening also known as Hallowe'en or All Hallows' Eve.
Traditional activities include trick-or-treating, bonfires, costume parties, visiting "haunted houses" and carving jack-o-lanterns. Irish and Scottish immigrants carried versions of the tradition to North America in the nineteenth century. Other western countries embraced the holiday in the late twentieth century including Ireland, the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom as well as of Australia and New Zealand.
Halloween has its origins in the ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain (pronounced "sah-win").
The festival of Samhain is a celebration of the end of the harvest season in Gaelic culture. Samhain was a time used by the ancient pagans to take stock of supplies and prepare for winter. The ancient Gaels believed that on October 31, the boundaries between the worlds of the living and the dead overlapped and the deceased would come back to life and cause havoc such as sickness or damaged crops.
The festival would frequently involve bonfires. It is believed that the fires attracted insects to the area which attracted bats to the area. These are additional attributes of the history of Halloween.
Masks and costumes were worn in an attempt to mimic the evil spirits or appease them.
Trick-or-treating, is an activity for children on or around Halloween in which they proceed from house to house in costumes, asking for treats such as confectionery with the question, "Trick or treat?" The "trick" part of "trick or treat" is a threat to play a trick on the homeowner or his property if no treat is given. Trick-or-treating is one of the main traditions of Halloween. It has become socially expected that if one lives in a neighborhood with children one should purchase treats in preparation for trick-or-treaters.
The history of Halloween has evolved. The activity is popular in the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and due to increased American cultural influence in recent years, imported through exposure to US television and other media, trick-or-treating has started to occur among children in many parts of Europe, and in the Saudi Aramco camps of Dhahran, Akaria compounds and Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia. The most significant growth and resistance is in the United Kingdom, where the police have threatened to prosecute parents who allow their children to carry out the "trick" element. In continental Europe, where the commerce-driven importation of Halloween is seen with more skepticism, numerous destructive or illegal "tricks" and police warnings have further raised suspicion about this game and Halloween in general.
In Ohio, Iowa, and Massachusetts, the night designated for Trick-or-treating is often referred to as Beggars Night.
Part of the history of Halloween is Halloween costumes. The practice of dressing up in costumes and begging door to door for treats on holidays goes back to the Middle Ages, and includes Christmas wassailing. Trick-or-treating resembles the late medieval practice of "souling," when poor folk would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2). It originated in Ireland and Britain, although similar practices for the souls of the dead were found as far south as Italy. Shakespeare mentions the practice in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593), when Speed accuses his master of "puling [whimpering, whining], like a beggar at Hallowmas."
Yet there is no evidence that souling was ever practiced in America, and trick-or-treating may have developed in America independent of any Irish or British antecedent. There is little primary Halloween history documentation of masking or costuming on Halloween � in Ireland, the UK, or America � before 1900. The earliest known reference to ritual begging on Halloween in English speaking North America occurs in 1911, when a newspaper in Kingston, Ontario, near the border of upstate New York, reported that it was normal for the smaller children to go street guising (see below) on Halloween between 6 and 7 p.m., visiting shops and neighbors to be rewarded with nuts and candies for their rhymes and songs. Another isolated reference appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between the turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but do not depict trick-or-treating. Ruth Edna Kelley, in her 1919 history of the holiday, The Book of Hallowe'en, makes no mention of such a custom in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America." It does not seem to have become a widespread practice until the 1930s, with the earliest known uses in print of the term "trick or treat" appearing in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. Thus, although a quarter million Scots-Irish immigrated to America between 1717 and 1770, the Irish Potato Famine brought almost a million immigrants in 1845–1849, and British and Irish immigration to America peaked in the 1880s, ritualized begging on Halloween was virtually unknown in America until generations later.
Trick-or-treating spread from the western United States eastward, stalled by sugar rationing that began in April 1942 during World War II and did not end until June 1947.
Early national attention to trick-or-treating was given in October 1947 issues of the children's magazines Jack and Jill and Children's Activities, and by Halloween episodes of the network radio programs The Baby Snooks Show in 1946 and The Jack Benny Show and The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet in 1948. The custom had become firmly established in popular culture by 1952, when Walt Disney portrayed it in the cartoon Trick or Treat, Ozzie and Harriet were besieged by trick-or-treaters on an episode of their television show, and UNICEF first conducted a national campaign for children to raise funds for the charity while trick-or-treating.
Trick-or-treating on the prairie. Although some popular histories of Halloween have characterized trick-or-treating as an adult invention to re-channel Halloween activities away from vandalism, nothing in the historical record supports this theory. To the contrary, adults, as reported in newspapers from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, typically saw it as a form of extortion, with reactions ranging from bemused indulgence to anger. Likewise, as portrayed on radio shows, children would have to explain what trick-or-treating was to puzzled adults, and not the other way around. Sometimes even the children protested: for Halloween 1948, members of the Madison Square Boys Club in New York City carried a parade banner that read "American Boys Don't Beg."
Taken from Halloweenhistory.org
