Title: The Clackity

Author: Lora Senf

Release date: June 28th, 2022

While I read a lot of dark fiction books, I would say I’m lacking in any depth of exploring the dark fiction releases in the Middle Grade and Young Adult categories. Usually, the ones I read come from recommendations from my friend, Tony Jones, who is perhaps the most knowledgeable reviewer out there regarding what hits and what misses for these age categories.

‘The Clackity’ was one that he highly recommended and I knew I would need to read it. After I actually won a giveaway copy of this from the author, I decided to hold off and make it one of my first reads of 2023 and boy was it a great book to dive into for a fresh reading year.

What I liked: The story follows early-teen, Evie, who is now living with her aunt, Des, after her parents disappeared following a house fire. Evie doesn’t believe her parents are dead, but she also has no idea where they are. Des happens to live in the haunted town of Blight Harbor, and on one particular day, as she explores an old abandoned slaughterhouse, Evie joins her. They both feel a dark presence and leave, scared. But when Des goes back without telling Evie, she disappears and Evie knows she needs to find her.

It’s at this point that Senf really begins to work her magic. Up to now, we have a strong bond and we see how the two of them have connected since Evie has moved in, but when Des goes missing that gets ramped up and, aided by a little bird, Evie does whatever needs to be done to find Des.

The crux of the story is this – a strange, shadow-dwelling ‘thing’ known as The Clackity makes and agreement with Evie. If Evie can bring The Clackity a notorious killer wandering this other dimension/plain before nightfall, The Clackity will save and give back her aunt. It was really reminiscent of the plight Sarah faced in the movie Labyrinth and parts of the story really reminded me of that movie, which was great. To a degree, I also saw elements of The Neverending Story, as well as the fantastic MirrorMask.

I think that’s what made this one feel special to me. Senf tapped into that nostalgic part of my brain where I loved these dark/scary fantasy stories where nothing is what it seems, everything is a riddle needing to be unraveled and ultimately you need to just jump and believe in order to survive.

The character of The Clackity was really well done. Every time it appeared, you knew you were in for a creepy moment and one that would make your skin crawl.

The ending was powerful, emotional and did a great job of wrapping it up as well as potentially leaving us the opening to continue on the story with Evie and the search for those she loves more than anything.

What I didn’t like: I think the hardest thing for me as an adult horror reader is knowing that things won’t get crazy or too extreme in the Middle Grade reads. It doesn’t mean there isn’t chills, thrills and loss, but it does mean you won’t get ripped open throats or spilled organs, so keep that in mind.

Why you should buy this: My son is six and we’re just beginning to dive into longer reads with less pictures. This one is illustrated at points which I think if you have a young reader at home you want to dip into the dark waters with, this would be a perfect place to start. This is told with a flowing narrative that sucks the reader along and will keep you rooting for Evie until the very last page.

I really loved this one and I do hope Senf continues Evie’s story and her search for the truth.

5/5

Today, I have one half of the electric Crimson Pinnacle Press Duo – Jason Myer’s! Jason is a prolific author, publisher and supporter of the Indie Horror community and, after having RJ on a little while back, it made sense to get him on here and share some of his work!

Do welcome Jason!

 

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

Jason: I am very free with my writing schedule. Basically when an idea comes into my head I don’t map it out, I run with it…straight to my laptop. At that point, I am locked in and…most importantly…remove myself from distraction except for music and type away.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

Jason: I share it with the world! I actually have a novella (non-horror) called The Kaleidoscope available in a 4 novella collection of mine (See No Evil- available on Amazon) that fits this whole subject actually.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

Jason: Newest release for me is called Wentworth Pond and is about a serial killing young adult who is taking on his next victims at a summer camp. It is available from Crimson Pinnacle Press (RJ Roles and my publishing company) in an anthology called Dead Heat.

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

Jason: The Punisher. I am all about the anti-hero and righting wrongs with as much brutality as possible!

Great choice!

Thanks so much for doing this, Jason!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jason-Myers/e/B083CQ47NM

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JMyersAuthor

Website: https://jasonmyersbooks.wixsite.com/home

Title: The Broken Darkness

Author: Theresa Braun

Release date: February 13th, 2023

I’ve been a fan of Theresa Braun’s writing for some time now. She has a way of crafting her stories like few others and she covers different genres so easily and so well that’s it’s a joy when you’re the reader. Theresa also happens to be one of the nicest people out there, so I’m always excited when she has a new release out, knowing people will be clamoring to check out what she’s created this time.

‘The Broken Darkness’ is her first short story collection and it combines a few of her previously released novelette’s/novella’s with some new pieces. One thing you can guarantee when diving into her work, is that the characters will be intriguing and darkness will seep into every corner of the story.

What I liked: Consisting of thirteen stories, Braun wastes no time bashing the reader over the head and in their hearts with ‘Dead Over Heels.’ This was a fun story and one that works as an excellent opening piece in the collection to give you an idea of what you’re in for.

The highlights for me were;

‘Collecting Empties’ – a fun story detailing a drunken encounter.

‘Celestial Assignment’ – love this novelette. We get a really intriguing story that will make the reader wonder about where they fit in the world and what else is going on between the veil of here and there.

‘Guilty as Cell’ – a horror-ized PSA about the dangers of driving while using your cellphone. This one is dark, gripping and horribly sad.

‘Stillborn’ – possibly the craziest story in the collection, this one follows a new nurse working with a doctor facing some conspiracy type accusations. When she investigates them, she finds far more than she’s wanting to discover.

‘Dying for an Invitation’ – really outstanding story that showcases the romantic-aspect of the vampire lore. A real highlight of the highlights.

Throughout, Braun’s enjoyable writing style shines through and really pulls the reader along.

What I didn’t like: A few of the stories didn’t connect that much with me. They were still fun, but compared to the ones I really loved, they were solid, but not as phenomenal as they others. This happens in every collection and anthology and it’ll absolutely be reader preferences.

Why you should buy this: Braun’s writing speaks for itself and honestly I need to be seeing more of YOU sharing her work on all of the social media platforms. She writes phenomenal characters who have to deal with dark scenarios as best as they can and she does it so very well. This was a great collection and a perfect place for those who’ve not read her work to dive in.

5/5

Today’s guest is someone whom I connected with while a member of the Kendall Reviews review team. A.S. joined and offered up solid commentary of dark fiction releases. Then, we became Publisher mates when he was published through Demain Publishing and finally, we became Table of Contents buddies when he appeared in an Anthology that I was also in! Throughout, it’s been great connecting with A.S., seeing his newest releases and supporting along the way.

Please, welcome A.S.!

 

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

AM: My writing time can be summed up in one word: chaos. I try to schedule, and then life happens so the schedule gets upended. I try to write as I have availability, but then the aforementioned life happens again. So far, the best I’ve been able to do is to just make random days my “Writing Day”. It’s not nearly as consistent as it should be, nor as much as my imagination would like, but it allows me to pour a ton of energy into one spot. That’s been really helpful. A recent short I wrote for a western horror anthology submission I wrote in a single morning on my phone. That’s not typical but it does show that if I can pour the energy into as condensed a time as possible, it seems to keep the world at bay long enough for me to finish. As for measured goals, I’m happy when any words on the page because they are more than I had before I started, but I typically try to stick in the 1500-2000 range at a time. It is typically enough to get the gist of what I want to say right then.

 

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?

AM: Funny enough, this was an easy question. I’d bring a buddy of mine, Nicholas Sansbury Smith, because he’s an awesome person to be around, incredibly talented and creative, and he’s really athletic. If there’s a need for someone to run for help or to pull someone from the edge of a cliff, I want it to be the fit one. The second choice would be another friend, T Wood. They are Gen-X, goth-y, sarcastic, brilliant, and would readily be up for animated arguing over which movie is better and why. The third would be Jonathan Maberry because his work has been the single greatest influence on my writing journey. I’ve read everything he’s ever written (and it is a LOT) and met him a few times. He’s a no-nonsense, super nice guy, who could give writing advice that is time-tested and solid. Also, he’s crazy accomplished in multiple fighting martial arts, so that’d be good in case the island is invaded, or we need to fight our way out of the newly discovered cellar in the house.

 

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

AM: My latest release was a self-published novella titled, Long Walk Back. It’s about two guys from the city who decided to go hike and camp and now need to get back, but their inexperience in the wilderness and their own troubles mean they don’t get to go home so easily. Fog, storms, mud slides, bees, and bears are the least of their problems because they may not be able to survive each other. It’s currently available for free through my site. I have another novella coming early next year about a guy who is forced to announce the return of something coming to reclaim the earth. His life turns inside out as the world descends into chaos and he is forced to announce the countdown to their return. It’s titled ‘Herald’ and details on release date/price will be coming soon. Also, have a couple of more projects that I can’t announce yet coming next year.

https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/y1577OjG

 

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?

AM: Dracula, no contest. I can keep enough garlic and crosses around me to keep me safe. Victor I wouldn’t trust to not drug my food and the next thing I know I’m the left arm, right lung, and ears on his next creation. No thanks.

Great choice! Thank you so much for doing this A.S.!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/A-S-MacKenzie/e/B089ZHB7DR/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/a_s_mackenzie

Website: http://www.asmackenzie.com/

Title: The Merry Dredgers

Author: Jeremy C. Shipp

Release date: April 25th, 2023

Our brains process information, it seems to me, in two distinct ways. One way is A-B-C-D. The other is A-M-E-P. One is a straightforward intake and processing, the other is a scrambled mess of stimuli that gets stacked into an ordered piece of data within their heads. This is how I feel when I read anything from Jeremy C. Shipp. Their work is layered and complex but will ultimately lead to a richly rewarding experience. I’d compare it to listening to Faith No More versus Mr. Bungle. If you know what that means, then you’ll understand what you’re in for.

With ‘The Merry Dredgers,’ I was intrigued with how this particular story would be told. After having read a few of Jeremy’s works now, I knew it would task me like few others do (I’m an A-B-C-D reader), but I also was super curious about this cult tale set at an amusement park.

What I liked: The story follows Seraphina, as she finds out her sister, who’d joined a cult and seemingly sworn off contacting her, has a strange accident and ends up in the hospital. She vows to discover the truth and the only way she knows how to do it is by infiltrating this strange and odd group of people.

Shipp has a unique way of approaching their storytelling, so we start off with an almost light-hearted approach, only for things to darken fairly quickly. Throughout, Phina finds herself struggling with several things. The first is that she’s seemingly found love. The second is that she actually enjoys being around these people and within their mantras. And the third is that she simply can’t make any end roads towards what happened to her sister, Eff. Jeremy keeps us guessing and wondering just what will Phina do and what ultimately will occur.

The ending was really well done, which I was so happy with. The ‘spiral’ narrative or abstract way of telling the story within an almost riddle labyrinth (at least in my brain) comes together and ultimately completes the puzzle in a really well done way.

What I didn’t like: It took me a bit to feel engaged with the voice of how Jeremy was telling this story at the beginning. It felt almost too light and not aggressive enough for me, but that shakes itself out down the road.

Why you should buy this: Fans of Shipp’s will be very happy with how they craft this one and the story that is told. It’s dark, it’s textured and it pushes the reader to the far reaches that are expected when reading one of their pieces. Shipp does a fantastic job of controlling the chaos and the reader is richly rewarded because of that.

4/5

Title: Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn

Author: Kealan Patrick Burke

Release date: May 7th, 2012

*I’ve been reading this as part of the Stage Whispers Omnibus. You can find all four reviews here;**

https://stevestredauthor.wordpress.com/2023/01/02/book-review-peregrines-tale-by-kealan-patrick-burke/

Alright. Here we are. The big kablooey. The whole she-bang. THE END. As a reader and a writer, this is the part of the series that can hit a home run or stumble and reduce the journey to a frustrating ending. It’s very similar in nature to a sequel.

Now, leading up to this, a lot of puzzle pieces have been thrown down for us to put together. Over the course of four novellas, Kealan has laid out a sprawling narrative involving a trio of key players as well as the ‘here’ and behind the curtain, on The Stage. It makes for the possibility for a stunning and cinematic conclusion, and let me tell you – that’s just what we get.

What I liked: Following the events of the previous four novellas, we arrive with Timmy and Peregrine destined to meet, destined to learn the truth about each other and Kealan wastes no time re-affirming that this series is an epic battle of good versus evil. To do so, he needed to go to the novel length and that’s just what he did.

I will say, right away – he tells us exactly what to expect. The novel is called Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn and the tag line is ‘The Epic Conclusion of the Acclaimed Series.’ This is 100% a finale, something that leaves a horrendous body count of those who’ve sinned and murdered in its wake and ultimately leads us up to a double climax – we get Timmy and Peregrine and we get the conclusion of Kim’s story and how things affect her and what her life becomes.

This – as most additional parts in series’ are – is really tough to go into any detail about things without spoiling the previous entries, but I will say, it shows the curse for what it is. It shows us how strong of a character Timmy is. We know what’s going to happen to him and even when it does it’s gut wrenching and tear jerking. Kealan seemed to channel some otherworldly cinematic muse for many of these scenes. It felt like reading four or five marathon conclusions in a row which made the epilogue that much more powerful.

What I didn’t like: Honestly, I loved the novella format leading into this, so I found the novel switch to be a bit jarring in that there is just SO MUCH going on. It had to happen that way and there are four or five secondary characters added into the mix for a variety of reasons, but at times it becomes a lot to take in, when all you want is to see what happens.

Why you should buy this: So, as I’ve said before, if you’re looking for a series that’s been concluded – this is a phenomenal one to dive into. If you’ve read any of the first parts, you need to finish it to see what happens. And, if you’ve not read Kealan, but are looking for a place to begin, this would be a wonderful series to dive into and discover Timmy.

4.5/5

Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn

Stage Whispers Omnibus

Fun one today in the 3Q’s world!

Christopher Besonen continues to churn out thought-provoking dark fiction. It’s been great connecting with him on FB and was excited to have him stop by for a visit!

Please, welcome Christopher!

 

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?

B: I try to write a little every day, when I can between work and family time. It also kind of varies based on where I am at in a WIP, if I am rough drafting then I do it when I can, almost daily. If I am final editing, I like to try to do a chapter or short story a day. No specific time frame really, just when I get in the mindset to let it flow naturally. No word count targets, I just write until a story feels complete.

Steve: You end up at an estate sale and discover an unpublished manuscript from an author you love. Do you keep it just for yourself or do you share it with the world?

B: I think I would share it with the world, but only after gaining permission to. I don’t feel like it would be right to just keep it to myself, but that’s a cool question to sit and think on.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!

B: I’m a bit in between releases, but my WIP is meant to be the final collection and “lid” to what I have released. They’re meant to act as stand alone, or also as a puzzle series as they can all also connect. No matter how you read me, I can guarantee you that you’ve never read anything quite like what is within my pages. If you like surreal and creative, I’m your guy!

Steve: Bonus Question! You wake up in a comic book. What is your comic book character and what is your superpower?

B: Man, I love comics, but I am terrified of heights, and creepy crawlers. Hmm, so maybe I would want the ability to know a person’s darkest secrets. Then I could be a Punisher type character, but I’d also want to be invincible because that sounds dangerous!

Oh, great one! That’s awesome!

Thank you so much for doing this!

For more of Christopher’s work, check the links!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21645394.Christopher_Besonen

Truly an honor to have James Sabata here today as my 3Q’s guest. Talented author, super supportive friend and one of the hosts of The Necronomi podcast, James is such a phenomenal member of the dark fiction community.

Please, do welcome James!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do
you have a word count you attempt to hit?
James: From the outside, my writing time probably just looks like I get high and play video games a lot. I am an extensive outliner, but I also just run scenarios in my head over and over again, and I do it while playing Mario Kart or Animal Crossing, while swimming (I live in Arizona, so swimming is important), or while doom-scrolling on Twitter. I don’t have a specific time to write or word count goals. I try to write something every day. Sometimes it’s a few sentences. Sometimes it’s me word vomiting a half-novella. Everything adds up and I get there eventually.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What
three other authors do you invite to come along?
James: Danger Slater, Laurel Hightower, and Vincent V. Cava. These are some of my best friends, so I know we’ll have a great time together, but they’re also very in tune with the way I write. We each do a lot of workshopping for one another, and they each drive me, not only as writers, but in daily life.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should
read it!
James: I don’t have a new release coming out right now, but the most recent thing I finished is a novella currently entitled CADUCEUS: A Cosmetic Horror. It’s a story about a man who is forced to grow a uterus to (hopefully) give birth to the next generation of sea-creature-gods. Hopefully the book will find a home soon.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
James: First, I want people to remember you’re talking about the doctor because the Monster would win this in a landslide and I’d hang out with him all the time.
Now then, we do this panel at different conventions called, “Kill, Marry, Shag – Universal Monsters.” We let the audience members make cases for whether they would murder, marry, or hook up with whatever monster we give them, and then, as a panel, we decide the final fate of each monster. Having done this panel several times now, I have heard a lot of thoughts on each of these doctors and it makes this answer incredibly easy for me. Victor is a jerk. He wanted to play god but then wants to accept no responsibility for his creation or the consequences of creating life. I just don’t feel like we’d get along. Meanwhile, Dracula is an excellent host with a cool castle and you can stay for an eternity. I’m going with Dracula on this one.

Excellent choice!

Thank you so much James for doing this!

To find more of his work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-Sabata/e/B07B12LCF8

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JamesSabata

Website: http://thenecronomi.com/

3Q’s today is with one of my favorite Canuck horror authors! Renee Miller continues to bludgeon the readers furiously with each and every release she conjures! The number of outstanding books she’s released is staggering, which makes it such an honor for me to have her as my guest today!

Please, welcome Renee!

Steve: What does your writing time look like? Do you try and write at the same time each day? Do you have a word count you attempt to hit?
Renee: My writing time looks chaotic. I used to write at the same time every day, but I went back to work full time, and “someone” decided we should have three dogs. (that someone was not me) Both of these things make it extremely difficult to schedule writing time. I try to aim for a few times a week if I can’t write a little every day, but I don’t have a word count goal. I generally end up around 1000-2000 words, but if I don’t, it’s not a big deal.

Steve: You decide to host a writer’s retreat. One weekend in a luxury house on an island. What three other authors do you invite to come along?
Renee: Do I have to invite anyone? A weekend in a luxury house on an island sounds like heaven… alone. 😊
It’s unlikely I’d host anything involving inviting people to hang out, but if I lost my mind and decided to do it, I’d invite writers I know, because meeting new people is not my thing. So, I think I’d have to invite Katrina Monroe (They Drown Our Daughters), because I love that girl. I’d also invite C.M. Saunders, because he’s always been a huge source of encouragement and he’s hilarious (plus, I’ve always wanted to hear his Welsh accent). Finally, I think I’d invite Eddie Generous (Unnerving), because obviously. Not sure how much writing would get done, but it would be fun.

Steve: Tell me about your newest release (novel/story/poem/novella) and why someone should read it!
Renee: My newest release from Unnerving, RETAIL, is about a grocery store manager who finally loses her shit and starts taking out nasty customers. Every nasty customer interaction (aside from the killing) is something I’ve experienced in some form, even though some readers find it hard to believe. I think anyone who has ever worked in a service job should read it because we’ve all imagined doing something dark and ugly to at least one customer. If you haven’t, you’re not normal. I’ve also been told it’s hilarious, so there’s that for anyone who hasn’t worked in customer service.

Steve: Bonus Question! You receive an invitation in the mail from one of these two people. The invitation invites you to have dinner and spend the night in their home. Do you accept the invitation from Victor Frankenstein or Dracula and why?
Renee: Dracula. Because if I’m going to die anyway, hanging out with the vampire of all vampires would be a cool way to spend my last hours.

Well that makes sense!

Thank you so much for doing this Renee!

To find more of her work, check the links!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Renee-Miller/e/B00BL36Y0U

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeMJ

Website: https://authorreneemiller.com/

Title: Guests

Author: Kealan Patrick Burke

Release date: January 1st, 2023

Now, it may look like all I’m reading at the moment is Kealan Patrick Burke stuff, but the truth is – I had expected to finish the Stage Whispers omnibus at the end of 2022 (but I didn’t after getting super sick) and totally forgot his newest one was arriving January 1st. It’s very rare for me to be reading multiple books by the same author at the same time, but I’ll make the exception for Kealan.

‘Guests’ was originally released as a signed/limited Suntup edition in Summer 2022, but luckily for the rest of us, we didn’t have to wait long for a ‘mass-market’ release. When the cover was revealed, there was a collective excitement across the social media platforms over the snowy setting, the figure walking and the strange ‘tentacles’ emanating from them.

What I liked: The story follows Mark Callahan, a young man who is dealing with the recent death of his grandmother. She was his everything and now that she’s gone, he sees that he doesn’t really have anything holding him to the small town he lives in. He has a job – at the hotel – and has a love – who has a boyfriend – and he just no longer thinks his life is in this place.

All seems well, if not topsy-turvy for Mark. But, this is a horror novella. With a huge snow storm about to pummel the area, Mark goes in for one last shift and on this shift, a strange group of seniors make a sudden booking.

It’s from here that Kealan works his magic. We get coworker drama, interpersonal drama and the impending sense that something is horribly wrong with these guests. Even with a shorter page count, Kealan allows these characters space to grow and let us know them and root for them. There’s some really tense scenes between Mark and the hotel manager, years of boss-employee anger coming to the front and erupting and this gives it that extra layer of storytelling. This isn’t simply a ‘it snows and people die’ story, no this has depth and emotions that weave its way through each and every page.

The ending worked really well for me. It might be a miss for others, but there’s a two-part wrap up that not only gave us a brief backstory of the ‘what’ but also shares with the reader what happens beyond the events and just how much Mark was looking for life long love.

What I didn’t like: While the ending worked for me, I think it’ll be the thing that makes it or breaks it for most readers. I loved how we got little bits of the ‘what’ but it wasn’t fully revealed and for some readers that can be a frustration.

Why you should buy this: If you love Kealan’s work – buy it. If you love cold, snowstorm based stories – buy it. If you love creepy folks who have an ulterior motive and when that motive is revealed you’ll be repulsed – buy it. This one is a fast, crisp story that had me desperately wanting to know what happens while wishing the story never ended.

Great stuff.

5/5