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Blood Lake
New Novel from Award-Winning Author R.L. Herron
No one knows how long the Cherokee have lived in the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Artifacts have been found that indicate their ancestors were there more than 11,000 years ago...at the end of the last Ice Age.
In 1838, after the discovery of gold in Cherokee territory, one of the most despicable acts in history began. The U.S. Army forcibly removed every Cherokee from land they had occupied for untold generations. More than 4,000 men, women and children died during the brutal 1200-mile forced migration.
It has gone down in history as The Trail of Tears.
Award-winning author R.L. Herron has created a spine-tingling modern horror thriller based on the curse of a Cherokee prophet, executed for defying the forced migration order, that has followed one American family for eight generations with relentless, supernatural horror.
No one knows how long the Cherokee have lived in the Smoky Mountains of eastern Tennessee. Artifacts have been found that indicate their ancestors were there more than 11,000 years ago...at the end of the last Ice Age.
In 1838, after the discovery of gold in Cherokee territory, one of the most despicable acts in history began. The U.S. Army forcibly removed every Cherokee from land they had occupied for untold generations. More than 4,000 men, women and children died during the brutal 1200-mile forced migration.
It has gone down in history as The Trail of Tears.
Award-winning author R.L. Herron has created a spine-tingling modern horror thriller based on the curse of a Cherokee prophet, executed for defying the forced migration order, that has followed one American family for eight generations with relentless, supernatural horror.
222 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2016
1 person is currently reading
201 people want to read
About the author
R.L. Herron
11 books93 followersHis earliest known ancestor arrived in the colony of Virginia, from what is now Northern Ireland, in 1635. A mere 313 years later, Ron was born.
He has written multiple works of fiction.
His novel REICHOLD STREET was a 2012 Readers Favorite Gold Medal Winner that KIRKUS REVIEWS called "Skillfully written and emotionally charged..." and WRITERS' DIGEST commented, "Readers are in for a treat when they pick up Reichold Street..."
His 2013 fantasy collection ZEBULON was a Readers Favorite Silver Medal Winner.
Among his other books are two powerful thriller sequels - ONE WAY STREET, and STREET LIGHT, that Shelf Unbound named as one of their "100 Notable Books for 2015."
His novel, BLOOD LAKE, a modern horror/thriller...that begins with a Cherokee curse uttered in 1838...was published in May 2016. The BookLife Prize in Fiction (Publishers Weekly) called it "...strong prose and well developed characters ... an atmospheric tale..." and Readers' Favorite named it a 2016 Bronze Medal Winner. It was selected by the online review magazine Shelf Unbound as one of their "100 Notable Books for 2016" and it was a Foreword INDIE 2016 Book-of-the-Year Finalist.
For his novel, DEAD END STREET, The BookLife Prize in Fiction (Publishers Weekly) said "...the tension in Dead End Street operates at a slow sizzle..." and Readers' Favorite awarded it 5-Stars "...poignant and moving...highly recommended..."
You're invited to visit his web site BROKEN GLASS for more information, and Ron would be delighted if you'd join those who already follow his illuminating indie-writing blog PAINTING WITH LIGHT. He promises you won't get spammed, since he only updates every couple of weeks.
All of Ron's books are available online at both Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
PICK ONE UP NOW & START THE ADVENTURE!
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 17, 2019
Sad American history and good horror combined
The most difficult part of reading this book was putting it down. It was obviously well researched and thoughtfully crafted. I plan to do some research on the author in order to put his books in the order in which they were written so I can order the next.
The most difficult part of reading this book was putting it down. It was obviously well researched and thoughtfully crafted. I plan to do some research on the author in order to put his books in the order in which they were written so I can order the next.
July 3, 2016
R. L. Herron opens with a gruesome flashback in history - the Cherokee nation's "Trail of Tears." We learn of John Burnett's role in that gruesome event, the curse, and then jump eight generations later to the present day ancestor and main character, John Burnett. Every year John's family meets for a reunion until the year uncle Cyrus drowns. That is the last time his family ever goes. John's life continues, he grows up, heads off to college, gets married, has a child and then suddenly receives an invite from one of his cousins for a guys weekend. A small fishing trip and reunion of sorts. When John arrives, he finds out that this is not just a reunion but something much more ominous. The past is about to catch up to John Burnett and he will have to pay a price to survive.
Herron consistently builds strong characters in every novel he writes. His first person writing style engages the reader and makes it difficult to put any of his novels down. Blood Lake is no different. Herron builds his story effortlessly and weaves suspense and conflict throughout. John meets his cousins Luther, Noah, Harold, and Earl at the lake and learns about the curse for the first time. The weekend is not what he expected and now they must all try and leave alive. Is the curse real or imagined? The cousins prove to be much different than John remembered as a child and, as family secrets are unveiled, John comes face to face with who he really is and that is what Herron conveys well, a creative story that makes you want to read everything he writes. If you have not yet heard of Blood Lake, then you need to read this book. It will make you wonder if curses really do exist." TBR TopBookReviewers
Herron consistently builds strong characters in every novel he writes. His first person writing style engages the reader and makes it difficult to put any of his novels down. Blood Lake is no different. Herron builds his story effortlessly and weaves suspense and conflict throughout. John meets his cousins Luther, Noah, Harold, and Earl at the lake and learns about the curse for the first time. The weekend is not what he expected and now they must all try and leave alive. Is the curse real or imagined? The cousins prove to be much different than John remembered as a child and, as family secrets are unveiled, John comes face to face with who he really is and that is what Herron conveys well, a creative story that makes you want to read everything he writes. If you have not yet heard of Blood Lake, then you need to read this book. It will make you wonder if curses really do exist." TBR TopBookReviewers
June 20, 2016
This book is easy reading. Good build up of story line that flows with each chapter. Interesting characters that we can all identify with. Every family has them. Description of scenery is easily visible and puts you right in the story. Even though the story is fiction, I enjoyed the real history lesson it included. A great summer read.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews