Monster Behind the Wheel

by Michael McCarty, Mark McLaughlin

As a child, Jeremy Carmichael fell from a Ferris wheel at a carnival. When he landed on a beautiful young woman, his fall was broken. Unfortunately, so was the woman's spine. Years later, while delivering pizzas, Jeremy is injured in a car accident . . . that opens the gates between the worlds of the living and the dead, awakening the spirit of cruel Frank Edmondson. Frank, the policeman who arrived at the scene of that carnival accident long ago, was that woman's lover. Now, ready for revenge, Frank devises a cunning plan. Soon Jeremy finds himself visiting the realm of the dead in dreams and visions. Is this Frank's doing, or is there another explanation? Using a sleek muscle car called Monster, Frank gains control over Jeremy's life. But what Frank doesn't know is that he's tampering with the fate of the entire universe . . . because Jeremy isn't your average pizza delivery boy, and all hell is about to break loose?literally.

Genres: Horror, Zombies

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

A former stand-up comedian and musician, Michael McCarty has been a professional writer since 1983. The author of over 40 books (fiction and nonfiction). He has also penned hundred of articles, short stories, poems, etc. He is a David R. Collins’ Literary Achievement Award winner from the Midwest Writing Center and a 5 times Bram Stoker Finalist. He lives in Rock Island, Illinois with his wife Cindy and pet rabbit Latte.
He published his first book in 2003, GIANTS OF THE GENRE. He also the author of such books MODERN MYTHMAKERS, LIQUID DIET & MIDNIGHT SNACK, I KISSED A GHOUL, A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FIENDS, DARK DUETS, LOST GIRL OF THE LAKE (with Joe McKinney), DRACULA TRANSFORMED (with Mark McLaughlin), CONVERSATIONS WITH KRESKIN (with The Amazing Kreskin) MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL (with Mark McLaughlin), BLOODLESS and BLOODLUST and BLOODLINE (with Jody LaGreca) and many more.
He can be found on Facebook at:
http://www.facebook.com/michaelmccart...
Blog: https://monstermikeyaauthor.wordpress...

Reviews

[BattyKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visceral!

[Keith Milstead · Rating 5 out of 5]

After completing MONSTER BEHIND THE WHEEL by Michael McCarty and Mark McLaughlin, all I could say was wow! This book has it all, zombies, possession, a Texas setting and living dead women as well as a pitch black Barracuda. This book and the talent of the two authors take the reader on a wild ride. Instead of a haunted house, you have a haunted car, possessed by the spirit of a demonic, murdering, graft taking, drug dealing, pimp police officer, Frank Edmondson who committed suicide. Jeremy Carmichael is the poor soul that buys the car. Jeremy is a man that has been victimized all his life. From childhood, when he fell from a carnival ride, killing a carnival attendee through losing his parents and then to add insult to injury, he is mangled in a car wreck, where he meets the aforementioned Barracuda and with some interesting payment agreements, takes possession of the car and found that he is able to crossover to the Land of the Dead, where the world goes horribly wrong but the characters Jeremy meets are quite interesting. McCarty and McLaughlin combine humor and terror to take the reader on a rollercoaster ride from HELL.

This book is set in Texas where I was born and raised and it brings me back to the days of cruising the back streets of the Dallas and surrounding settings. The authors bring this setting to life in my mind due to the accuracy of their prose. Mike and Mark are both incredible authors who are capable of taking your imagination to its limits and then thrusting you a few more feet beyond. This is a tale of horror and fantasy, of life and death and of, wait for it…man’s inhumanity to man and beast. The story takes you to a place you would never want to go in reality but if you have that dark side, like I do, relish in the opportunity. I enjoyed every freaking page of this story. It is a tale you won’t want to put down. It gives you a look at the potential of being able to start over in your life with all the knowledge you attained through your previous life. After reading this book, you will definitely feel the need to grab up all the works of these two guys. I cannot recommend this book enough for a fun romp through life, purgatory and Hell. You won't want it to stop!!

[Wanda Hartzenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so I adore horror.
This book has loads of that. Why then only 3 *?
Due to the glorification of sex and death!
The writing is excellent. The story is engaging and the plot is fast for the most part.
If not for the sex with skeletons etc I would have loved this.
I could deal with the main protagonist " deal" with the car owner but once ghosts, skeletons etc started to be portrayed as sexy and sexual the story lost me!
WaAr

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book, chock full of horrific descriptions of dead, ghoulish creatures in the Land of the Dead, a loser pizza delivery driver with a secret identity or two, a haunted muscle car, the ghost of a sociopathic, pimping, drug-dealing crooked cop, a middle-aged nymphomaniac floozey, a hot Texas location. I could go on, but my way with words in no way equals that of these two authors, who seem to relish in the witty banter and decaying depictions of demons and zombies and other unholy things. Overall, it's a fun book, and reminds me a bit of William Bebb's "Valley of Death, Zombie Trailer Park." Kudos to the authors!