Ash and Bone

by Lisa von Biela

Every town hides secrets…and Cromwell Bay is no exception.

Eileen Maroni is running from her past, but she envisions a new life in the tough little fishing village, where no one knows who she is—including the police.

Frank Foster just buried his best friend, and is struggling to come to terms with the devastating loss and his own self-doubt.

Nothing will ever be the same for them again when their paths cross at the Harbor Motel, and they learn what lies behind the door of room #8.

Genres: Horror, Novella, Paranormal

150 pages, Hardcover

First published May 13, 2014

About the author

Lisa started writing dark fiction just after the turn of the century. Her very first short story appeared in Greg F. Gifune’s small press ’zine The Edge in 2002. After working in Information Technology for 25 years, Lisa dropped out of everything—including writing—to attend the University of Minnesota Law School. She graduated magna cum laude in 2009, relocated to Washington State, and began her second career as a legal aid attorney helping homeowners during the Great Recession/first foreclosure crisis. Retired now, she spends her time writing, painting, scratch baking, and honing her photographic skills.

Lisa’s novel-length works are best described as near-future dystopian thrillers that explore the dark side of a particular technology or development. Targets of her fiction include: implantable brain chips (THE GENESIS CODE), human cloning (THE JANUS LEGACY), manufactured pathogens (BLOCKBUSTER), food chain mutations (BROKEN CHAIN), for-profit prison systems (DOWN THE BRINK), pathogenic cell phone technology (INCIDENTAL FINDINGS), and climate change (SCORCHED EARTH). On the other hand, her novella-length works take a different tack. They range from a straight present-time thriller, no dystopia (MOON OVER RUIN) to downright supernatural (ASH AND BONE, SKINSHIFT).

Reviews

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out with good atmosphere and the characters were interesting. It reads a lot like a traditional ghost story in many respects, including nightmares and noises. The novel builds slowly and it almost seems to be a mystery genre novel rather than horror. It feels like it is going somewhere, but it never really does.
While basically a good read, this feels a lot like a missed opportunity when the conclusion arrives. It has the sense of being rushed right at the end. This book is a good idea for a full length novel, but it would’ve taken some twists and turns to make it engaging. It’s not bad- it just needs some surprises.

[Paul Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Couldn’t help feeling a little bit let down after finishing Ash & Bone, the start was intriguing but the finish was done with safety in mind instead of surprise or plot twist.

With a fresh start in mind, Eileen Maroni buys a vacant motel and sets to doing it up, guests come and go, all seems well apart from the odd complaint and the uneasy feeling coming from room 8. A disgruntled guest decides to look into the history of the place, queue run of the mill ghost story and surprisingly flat ending, didn’t really feel any tension or unease.

Really enjoyed The Janus Legacy but Ash & Bone I guess just wasn’t for me.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eileen and her dog move into and purchase an old motel that just so happened to be built on the ground of a burned down sawmill. Frank (who may be the world’s worst reporter), still reeling from the loss of a dear friend, stays in the motel and dreams of fire and a sinister undercurrent involving the towns founding father.

This one was written well and paced nicely, but seemed liked it missed a few opportunities to be really creepy and just stuck to the mainstream plot line. There was really no growing sense of dread or unease and the puzzle of the “events” was solved too quickly and easily explained. This one from Lisa von Biela was better than ok, but I think that it could have been a lot more. 3 Stars.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the premise of this novella. The atmosphere was spot-on, characterization not "spectacular", but good enough for the length of the story, and the idea sucked me in right from the start. Lisa's writing is excellent, and the narration and events flowed very smoothly from scene to scene.

The only thing I felt it fell short on was the ending. This was a great storyline with a lot of potential...I think a few more scenes/graphic descriptions could have been added dealing with "Room #8" to beef up the intensity of the story and give it some more "depth". Also, the ending just seemed a little abrupt... no real surprises (in my opinion), and no lingering sense of unease to make the story stick in the reader's imagination longer.

Still, a solid, enjoyable read.

Recommended.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A past almost forgotten by the living, the dead crying out to be heard, what is really going on in room #8 at the Harbor Motel? A woman, looking to start a new life after a checkered past travels through a quiet and run down small harbor town, Cromwell Bay. Intrigued by an abandoned motel with a for sale sign out front, Eileen makes the decision to put down roots in this town. An air of evil, chill and an ominous feeling is emanating from room #8. Occupants claim they suffer from garish nightmares in this room.
When a freelance reporter, exhausted and emotionally drained from the funeral of his best friend requests a room, Eileen hands him the key to room 8, a decision that will forever change both their lives and the lives of Cromwell’s residents. Long ago, on this same property, a factory stood in its place, until the night it burned to the ground, killing the employees trapped inside. Will the mystery of what happened to these men finally be uncovered? Will they finally receive the justice they call for? Lives will be changed, some for the better, some, maybe not. Are the visions and dreams from room 8 really voices from beyond reaching out?

Ash and Bone by Lisa von Biela is a walk on the dark side, a mystery, a horror story and most definitely an intriguing tale. In very few words Ms. Von Biela presents us with another piece of her vivid imagination and ability to keep the reader on the edge of their seat, just waiting for something to go bump in the night! Well-written, with the feel of a much longer read, Ash and Bone is a must read for lovers of all things “a little scary and unexplainable.”


I received an ARC edition from Darkfuse in exchange for my honest review.

Publication Date: May 13, 2014
Publisher: Darkfuse
ISBN: 9781940544342
Genre: Adult Mystery & Thrillers
Number of Pages: 150
Available from: Amazon

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts out with Eileen coming into some money from a drug deal gone bad and decides to go some where to start new. Eileen and her dog Beau decided to buy this old motel in Cromwell Bay. When fixing up the motel she goes into room #8 and has this weird feeling and gets this chill. Beau barks and hides and is afraid to go into #8. Now enters Frank Foster after going to a funeral for his best friend Roger, decides to stop at the motel and stay the night. Needless to say he gets room #8. This is when the story get going. I enjoyed reading the story like I have with all of Lisa's books I have read. The story was well written. But it fell a little short for me, could of had a little more meat on the bone. The story needed to be longer and more detail. I gave Ash and Bone 3 stars.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another quality novella from Darkfuse. I really enjoy my membership and recommend it to anyone interested in current trends and leaders in dark fiction.

This is a good novella. Well written. Characters are well drawn. No real complaints but as with the other reviews that I have read I am to some extent damning it with faint praise because while it was good, it just didn’t do anything to raise it above a three star rating. Good atmosphere, yes. Nice build up, it’s there. But the end seems lukewarm at best and anti-climactic after a fine set up.

I have two novels by this author on my Kindle (also Darkfuse releases) and am interested to see what she does with sci-fi/techno thrillers since I see that she clearly is a very good writer.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ash and Bone by Lisa Von Biela is a 2014 Darkfuse publication. I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Eileen packs up what she can carry and takes off on a quest to leave her rather sordid past behind and start a new life for herself. She and her dog, Beau, are passing through a very small harbor town named Cromwell Bay, when she discovers a run down motel and the wheels start spinning in her mind. She looks into purchasing the motel and the real estate agent is all too happy to have a buyer. Things are going very smoothly except for one thing... room number 8. Beau will not go near it and Eileen is chilled to bone while cleaning the room no matter what the weather is. But, it's nothing she can't handle until the guest begin to complain about nightmares after spending the night in # 8.
Finally, Eileen decides to look into the history of the motel. The nervous real estate agent explains that the motel has no sordid history, but once upon a time a mill stood where the motel was built and it burned to the ground killing several of the workers.
When Frank , a freelance journalist, is traveling back home after attending a funeral, he finds himself in a state of sheer exhaustion. He stops in Cromwell Bay to stay the night. Eileen gives him the key to room # 8. Frank experiences some of the most vivid and horrific nightmares he' s ever had. Eileen tells him the story of the mill and it's demise, setting off Frank's investigative instincts. Now, after all these years will the workers who lost their lives in the mill finally get justice? Will the truth come out about what really happened during the fire ?
This is a perfect story to tell around a campfire or read on a dark cold winter night. I love ghost stories because in most instances the hauntings have a purpose and that was certainly the case here. A cautionary tale in many respects, the author examines the damage done by being too stubborn, too controlling, and too greedy to do the right thing and having it come back to haunt you... literally. Once a good portion of the mystery comes to light, lives in the small harbor town will never be the same. Some will have peace , while others will grapple with the consequences of their actions. Overall the story will give you a little chill down your spine and raise the hairs on the back of neck without graphic, overly detailed violence. In other words, the author created an imaginative story that will suck you in by creating a slow build up of suspense and using her skills as a writer to create an atmosphere that will have you on the edge of your seat. A horror story and a mystery combine to give the reader the perfect thrill. I loved it! Overall this one is an A+.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eileen is starting afresh and upon coming to Cromwell Bay, decides to settle there and buys the Harbor Motel, which unknown to her hides a sad history. Frank is a guest at the motel, room #8, he begins to have disturbing dreams and starts to dig into the history of the motel.

This read just never really came together for me, I felt the two main characters and their storylines should have connected at some point but they never did. It made it feel a bit disjointed.

The writing was solid enough but there was no tension built up and ultimately it fell very short of what it could have been.

[Majanka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/reviews/...

DarkFuse puts out a book just about every week, and they’re always a delight. Ash and Bone is no different, although it feels a bit rushed. It’s a novella, but could’ve easily expanded into a novel. The plot builds up to this epic climax, and then…boom. Done. Just like that. I kind of expected more, to be honest.

Anyway, back to the plot. Eileen Maroni is running away from her past. When she ends up in the charming fishing village of Cromwell Bay, she wants to carve a new future for herself, even a new identity. She stumbles upon Harbor Motel, an abandoned motel up for sale. Being impulsive, she buys it, and decides to freshen it up and run the motel herself. But as soon as she opens up, guests start complaining about room number eight. Nobody wants to stay there for very long. Frank Foster is trying to come to terms with losing his best friend, and doubting himself. He decides to check in at the motel, and gets room eight. Tormented by strange sightings in the darkest hours of the night, Frank wants to discover the truth about room eight, and it’s history.

Ash and Bone has everything needed for a sublime ghost story: a rundown motel, troubled protagonists with secrets in their past, a haunted room, and a chilly, eerie atmosphere that grabs you around the throat from the get-go. Unfortunately, it falls short. The ending is rushed. There’s so much wasted potential. Things get mentioned once, and then are forgotten, even though they could’ve made excellent side plots. There’s so much tension leading up to the climax, and then it all falls into one big heap, and doesn’t rise to meet expectations. So much more could’ve been done with this.

Anyway, but it is what it is, and as such, it’s quite good. Minus the ending, there’s solid build-up, the characters are flawed and one can easily relate to them. There’s plenty of background on both of them, and the writing meets the high standard I’ve grown to expect from books published by DarkFuse.

[Mommacat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Von Biela's first novella was very different from her novels not just in length but in content. A very complicated story condensed perfectly to it's bare minimum. A fast paced story of a woman who purchases a haunted motel.

Recommended.

[Josef Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very good book by Lisa von Biela

For a full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/ash-an... and follow me on Twitter @josenher

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creepy town and motel. Very much enjoyed it. Highly recommend this.

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read by this author and I will read more. The book was good and held my interest. It was short but it ended well.

[Suspense Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eileen takes off, leaving her rather sordid past behind to start a new life. She and her dog, Beau, are passing through a small harbor town named Cromwell Bay, when she discovers a rundown motel. She looks into purchasing the motel and the real estate agent is all too happy to have a buyer. Things are going smoothly except for one thing...room number 8. Beau will not go near it and Eileen is chilled to the bone while cleaning the room no matter the weather. But it’s nothing she can’t handle until the guests begin to complain about nightmares.
Finally, Eileen decides to look into its history. The agent explains that a mill once stood where the motel was built and burned to the ground killing several of the workers.
When Frank, a freelance journalist, stops for the night, Eileen gives him the key to room number 8. Frank experiences horrific nightmares and Eileen tells him the story of the mill and its demise, setting off Frank’s investigative instincts. Now, after all these years will the workers who lost their lives finally get justice? Will the truth come out about what really happened?
This is a perfect story to read on a dark cold night. I love ghost stories because in most instances the hauntings have a purpose and that was certainly the case here. A cautionary tale in many respects, the author examines the damage done by being too stubborn, too controlling, and too greedy and having it come back to haunt you...literally. Once the mystery comes to light, lives in the small harbor town will never be the same. Some will have peace, while others will grapple with the consequences of their actions. Von Biela created an imaginative story that will suck you in by creating a slow build up of suspense and using her skills to create an edge-of-your-seat atmosphere without graphic, overly detailed violence. A horror story and mystery combined offer the perfect thrill. This one is an A+.
Reviewed by Julie Whiteley

[Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa von Biela is best-known for her contemporary/near-future sci-fi/horror novels, so when I heard she was writing a ghost story, I was intrigued. The end result was not quite what I expected, but it's a great story nonetheless.

The story opens with Eileen setting out to start her life anew and landing in Cromwell Bay, a small town that has seen better days. She buys the local inn and gets to work cleaning it up and getting it ready to reopen. While cleaning room 8, she feels something isn't right, and her dog refuses to enter. Once the inn is open, guests she puts in that room often complain and ask to be moved.

A bit later, Frank stops at the inn on his way home from a close friend's funeral. Eileen puts him in room 8. Strange things happen, but Frank is a journalist, so instead of running away, he digs in and tries to get to the bottom of everything.

As mentioned, Ash and Bone is ostensibly a ghost story. But more than that, it's a character study. Von Biela seems more interested in how Frank reacts to ghosts and other weirdness than the ghosts and weirdness themselves. It's a different approach to a ghost story, and one that is likely going to struggle to find support with fans, but I feel it's an welcome departure from the tried and true method of telling ghost stories.

That said, there are a few things I would have liked to see, most prominently a bit more exposition or research into room 8. It's just kind of there, a catalyst to get Frank investigating the history of Cromwell Bay, but that's it. I also hope the author revisits Eileen in a future story, because I feel like there's more of her story yet to be told.

[Joe Hempel · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you take a look at the description, you’d think that this novella is pretty high on characterization, especially with the two main characters. That’s not the case though. The true star of this novella is the Harbor Motel, and Room #8. All things extend from the horrors that this room provides to its inhabitants.

While not very high on characterization, the story is fraught with tension as you slowly discover the towns horrible secret. Lisa von Biela does a good job stringing you along and giving you just the right amount of information so that you know the horrors of the town, but you don’t know how or why until the very end.

While the story itself was decent enough, and there was a great build up of tension, and what happened in the town was truly horrific, I was looking for more. More characterization, more town history, and a bit of a better ending. Everything is sort of tied up in a neat little bow, which is fine, but I found that the end of the novella left much to be desired.

The Bottom Line: While it’s an easy read, and there are moments of brilliance, the story is really hampered by its length. I felt that it wanted to be more, and that it could have been more had every thing been fleshed out. You get these inklings of a great moment, but then it switches to something else. I wanted more with Room #8, I wanted more with Frank and Eileen, and I wanted more with Cromwell Bay. Perhaps there was be a revisit of this setting at a later date, but for now, I’m left with a feeling of indifference. It wasn’t a bad novella, per-say, but it wasn’t anything to write home about either.

[Anthony Hains · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ash and Bone by Lisa Von Biela is a spooky little tale published by Darkfuse. This novella starts nicely, with Eileen Maroni escaping her criminal past and looking to start life anew. With money that she hid away after a drug deal went bad, she finds herself in a rundown coastal town where she impulsively purchases a small motel. There is a problem with room #8, however. She feels uneasy when cleaning the room, guests have strange experiences, and her dog is so terrified that it will not step foot into the room. So far, so good. The author has set the stage for a nifty ghost story. Unfortunately, the last portion of the tale does not deliver as well. The author shifts perspectives to a second, and then briefly a third, character who are not as interesting or fleshed out as Eileen. While the reader learns about room #8, there is no drama in the tale, and I did not feel an emotional connection to the characters as they learned the backstory. I also felt the author was padding what could have been tight short story in order to make it a novella. For instance, there are numerous trips to and from a diner, complete with multiple descriptions of the same greasy laminated menu and the attitude of the waitresses. The result was a watering down of the story. Overall, an okay ghost story and a quick read.

[Kim (Wistfulskimmies Book Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Eileen Maroni and Frank Foster. Eileen is running from her past and ends up in sleepy Cromwell Bay. Deciding to put her past behind her, she ends up buying the Harbor Motel. Frank is driving home from his best friends funeral and ends up at the motel for a rest. Soon their lives will clash in a major way as they try to find out what is wrong with Room #8...

I enjoyed this, it was a gentle horror mystery type of tale. Not as horrific or gory as some I have read but enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, any more than that I think would have spoiled the overall effect. The pace started off slowly, allowing me to become immersed in the story, but I think it finished off a little short. This didn't ruin the story at all, but I feel it could have been expanded a little. That being said it was still a well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable novella. I look forward eagerly to Lisa's next release.

[Robert Mingee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure I have much to add over and above what other reviewers have said. While I agree with many that there was the potential here for a full novel, it was never fleshed out, and in fact some of the sections even felt a little stretched to me, to the point where the actual content was appropriate to a longer short story or novelette rather than a novella. A lot of focus is put into fleshing out the characters, but there's not as much connection as there could have been between the story and the backgrounds of the characters. The ending didn't really seem to pull everything together, either. While there was good stuff here, and it's clear Lisa is a talented writer (The Janus Legacy is excellent, for example, but it and her first novel were techno-thrillers rather than supernatural ghost stories), I can't help but feel that the whole was less than the sum of the parts.

All that said, for the investment of time, I did enjoy it. I just felt like it could have been so much more.

[Jenna Scribbles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa van Biela is a talented author. I enjoyed the characters and settings she created. The dog was a nice touch. I was quickly drawn into Eileen and Beau's situation. 

I feel this would have made a better mystery. I wasn't scared or even grossed out at all. The horror elements were so scarce. I also wasn't thrilled with the flow of the story. First we followed Eileen, then the salesman, and finally the factory owner. I found it difficult to stay invested in the story since the main character kept switching. 

I received an ARC via NetGalley and Dark Fuse Press in exchange for an honest review.

A nice read. I feel a creepy mystery should be written by this author - one that has an awesome dog. 

[Frank Errington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ash and Bone is an OK ghost story set in the fictional town of Cromwell Bay, California.

Lisa Von Biela's writing shows promise, "The whole town stank of rot. As did his soul. He'd kept his secret for years. No one alive knew what really happened that day. No one had deprived him of the spoils of his acts. Whatever remorse he'd felt at the time had been tucked away so thoroughly he couldn't recall it at all."

My problem with this novella is its predictability and seemingly forced story. The circumstances are just too convenient and the characters are one dimensional.

Ash and Bone is available now from Darkfuse Publications through Amazon.com. If you have an Amazon Prime membership you can read it for FREE through the Kindle Owner's Lending Library.

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa von Biela has created an intriguing short story that in the end comes up a bit short. The characters, albeit a bit cliché, are well-developed and the plot itself has a great deal of potential. There was certainly enough mystery and intrigue to keep me turning to the next page. However, the ending felt extremely lacking for me and the overall "fear factor" that I've come to expect from any type of dark fiction was simply non-existent. A few twists and turns and unexpected surprises would have enhanced this story tremendously. Overall, it was a mildly spooky read that kept me entertained on a rainy afternoon and I give it THREE stars for effort.

[Deb Novack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this could have been turned into a full length novel, I finished it in one day. Eileen Maroni goes to Cromwell Bay for a new life and she buys an abandoned hotel, she cleans it up and opens, but from the start people are complaining about the goings on in Room #8. The only thing that really disappointed me was the great build up and then the let down at the end. I love this author as I have also read the Janus Legacy and enjoyed it immensely.

***I received this book in return for an honest review***

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not too often that I encounter a horror story as intensely character-driven as this one. Author Lisa von Biela peels her characters down to muscle and Bone, even those more secondary ( for example, the waitress; and the near-telepathy of two local police officers). Make no mistake, there is outright horror contained here--in some notably terrifying scenes; yet the real horror exists just where 19th century Polish author Joseph Conrad identified it: in the human heart.

[Timothy Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short, well-paced enjoyable read with a couple of story arcs converging on a small coastal town. Lisa von Biela does a good job in fleshing out her characters and nicely sets up the small coastal town in a misty, creepy fashion. It’s a little light on tension build up but creates enough apprehension to keep you flipping pages. Nice spooky read.

[Troy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the writing but I really thought the story was going to go in a different direction then it did. I guess I was hoping for more supernatural goings-on throughout the story, maybe some more background information on the woman who bought the motel. It seemed like the conclusion or resolution was somewhat blaise.