Haven Review Spotlight

Before we bid our final goodbyes to the Halloween season, join us one last time for the book tour for Haven by Mia Dalia in concert with Black Tide Book Tours. 

Prepare to embark on a family vacation with the Baker family as they go to their aunt Gussie's home for a month. As you learn the dynamics of this family, and the history of the previous owner...something sinister will begin to unveil itself. 

Haven is a horror novel by Mia Dalia. This particular horror story is a slow developer but just wait for it. This novel will lure you in with chapters that shift through the family, but the gradual build will bring you something unexpected. So exercise patience, because it will be worth the wait. Just because it's a house...doesn't make it home. 

The Baker family is headed towards Aunt Augusta's old house. After her passing, it was allotted to the living family members to use it as a vacation home shared amongst them all. Well, Jenna Baker has secured the month for her family of four to go and stay there. This is in the hopes that maybe the family can reconnect. Will that be possible? Well, you'll question it for yourself as you read this book. 

As Haven continues to unfold author Dalia alternates each chapter between each member of the family. Told from the third person POV each chapter focuses on that specific family member. In that sense readers are able to get to know them individually and better understand the dynamics. 

Jeff is the father, but he's far from engaged in his children's lives. You'd have to wonder why. Author Dalia reveals that he's disappointed in himself concerning it, but yet, he chooses to do nothing just the same. Jeff will often reflect on how things came to be, but the trend remains...he has chosen to do nothing to change it. 

Jenna, is the wife. Author Dalia portrays her as fastidiously dedicated to her appearance. Jenna watches what she eats, how much she eats, and exercises to keep her lithe form. Jenna appreciates the jealousy and envy that she evokes from other women her age. Unknown to her, her daughter has picked up on this "focus" on her physical appearance...but in a different way. 

Jessie, is the oldest of the two children. As readers delve deeper into her chapters they'll find just how "obsessed" she is with her physical appearance and social media. She wants so desperately to be a social influencer, but seeing as she's more of a "follower" in her behavior...she falls short every time. Her follower count? Not high enough. The attention she so doggedly seeks? Not enough. She wants more. Craves more. But this house? This house is going to bring out a change in her...that will be unexpected. 

JJ is the youngest of the family and named after his father. However, JJ is the one who stands out the most. A teen like his sister, he has taken the opposite approach to food and exercise than that of his mother and sister. JJ is the one more likely to be bullied in school because of his size and appearance. Compound that with his refusal to participate in personal hygiene and it paints a picture of a boy with limited friends and limited contact with most people. 

Then there is Ava. Ava isn't one of the family of four. No, Ava is...Augusta. The chapters on Ava paint a picture of who she was (or is) and her life. Author Dalia provides readers with context on how Ava became the person that she was. The youngest in her family, she wanted a different path than what her family wanted. So, when the opportunity comes...she takes it. 

Haven is a slow building psychological horror story. The story moves at a steady pace as it alternates between the family members and with each of Ava's chapters reveals her past and her life's story. Little by little author Dalia shows the gradual shift between the family members. It's a subtle thing that none of them really notice at first.

As the story goes however, the cracks begin to show. Something in the house is poking them. Provoking their darkest thoughts and feelings to come to the surface. Some of the revelations through Ava's chapters point to the tragedies that Ava suffered throughout her life. Most if not all of it at the hands of her own family. It's absolutely shocking and even heartbreaking. 

As Haven draws to a close, the story takes on a darker element, but also shifts to drawing to a close focusing on Ava's chapters. Since the primary location is Haven (the house) anything that doesn't happen there isn't focused on. Until a new character comes along and shares some shocking news. 

One thing is for sure...this book will leave you puzzled, but also push you into a sense of disbelief. Haven closes on some shocking revelations and leaves you the question...will what happened to the last family happen to this one?

Readers looking for a thrilling fast-paced horror story won't find that within Haven's pages. However, readers looking for a horror novel that plays on the psychological aspect with hints of the supernatural will absolutely find this story intriguing up to the final page. 

Haven

by Mia Dalia

October 29 - November 04

                                

 New Release! Publication date: 10/29/2024

CamCat Books

What if revenge ripples and echoes through time?

You can’t choose your family or your destiny or your legacy. But once upon a time, a woman named Ava St. James had tried to build happiness upon the remains of her broken heart. For better or worse. Decades later, the Bakers are headed for a perfect family vacation. A full month at a house by the lake; the house passed down from a mysterious aunt no one ever talks about. Love and good intentions aside, what begins like a relaxing vacation turns into a nightmare as each of the Bakers’ nerves slowly but steadily begin to wear away at the edges. Is it their fraught family dynamics or is something more sinister at work?

The house has welcomed them, but will it ever let them leave?

About the author

Mia Dalia is the internationally published author of Estate Sale and Haven (CamCat Books Fall 2024), and many other novellas and novelettes. Her short fiction has been published online by Night Terror Novels, 50-Word Stories, Flash Fiction Magazine, Pyre Magazine, Tales from the Moonlit Path, among others, and in print anthologies by Sunbury Press, Nightshade Press, HellBound Press, Black Ink Fiction, and many others. She is a lifelong reader, and a longtime reviewer of all things fantastic, thrilling, scary, and strange.

https://daliaverse.wixsite.com/author
https://twitter.com/Dalia_Verse
https://www.instagram.com/daliaverse
https://www.facebook.com/people/Read-DaliaVerse/pfbid0nZmDaEb7CoXpMTqQbDCTuTLYnE3tahY9WPkQAmdTHMZxepE3biBTNVS3Rt5QLapkl/
https://linktr.ee/daliaverse

Publisher’s Social Media

http://camcatbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/CamCatBooks
https://www.facebook.com/camcatbooks/
https://www.instagram.com/camcat_books
https://www.tiktok.com/@camcatbooks

 

Since We're Here Spotlight

 

It's release week and we are thrilled to be touring this adorable and spicy romance by Chrissy Hopewell!

Since We’re Here: A Grumpy Sunshine Irish Romance

Genre: Romance/ Interconnected Standalone

Publication Date: September 9

• Grumpy sunshine

• Irish setting

• Close proximity

• He falls first

• Fish out of water

• Main characters in their 30s

• Just once to get it out of our system

• Pet sheep

• Open door/ medium spice

Nine messy breakups, nine jobs lost. When restaurant manager Maddie Hart learns that number ten—a surf instructor based in the Caribbean—is cheating on her, she changes her destination flight (but not the contents of her suitcase) to Ireland. She’ll delay disappointing her family and figure out how to get her life back on track, while also planning her oldest sister’s pre-wedding Irish road trip. Except the groom-to-be’s best friend isn’t replying to her emails.

Ex-pro soccer goalkeeper Patrick McNulty has deep roots in the seaside town of Dingle, Ireland. He’s got clear priorities: be there for his aging parents, support his sister and nieces, and take over the family brewery while also managing his pub. None of that includes dating, because after one disastrous engagement, Patrick is done with relationships.

When the sunshine-y American tourist who asked him to kiss her in the pub turns out to be the same woman emailing for help planning a road trip, Patrick vows to keep it platonic. Especially after his pub manager quits and Maddie jumps in to help. Their sizzling chemistry leads them to sleep together just once, but it’s not nearly enough for either of them.

Maddie knows her future isn’t in Ireland—or with Patrick. And he needs to stay focused before his carefully planned life unravels with the distraction of the American tourist. The Irish road trip is their last chance…Will Patrick be able to convince her (and himself) that fighting for number eleven is worth the journey?

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

Hell's Beginning Review Spotlight

 

Welcome to my stop on Black Tide's Book Tour for Hell's Beginning by John T.M. Herres. Hell's Beginning is one of those spine chillers that will have you biting your tongue the next time you think about trying to get in the last word. You just never know...that person could be a killer you just barely escaped. 

 Hell’s Beginnings by John T.M. Herres is an 80s slasher film that meets the modern era with a supernatural twist. We hope you’re not squeamish because this book? Yeah, it’s bloody. You’re going to love it.

Hell’s Beginnings is a stand-alone horror novel by author John T.M. Herres. This book lures readers of horror in with a cover that is sure to pique many an interest. You’ll first notice an individual standing in the rain. He’s wearing a gray hoodie with the hood pulled to hide his face. His hands appear empty, but that doesn’t mean that you should underestimate this guy by any means. This character appears innocuous enough, but what lies deep within him makes him more than a force to be reckoned with.

Hell’s Beginning starts off in a rather dramatic fashion. Someone has already been taken captive, and she’s found herself in a bad way. You’re going to be thinking “Well, do we get to find out how she got to be in the predicament she’s in?” The answer? Of course, you will! What you’ll learn? That maybe...just maybe...she should have kept her mouth shut. But...alas, pride is a terrible sin...and this case? It seals her fate in the worst way possible.

Hell’s Beginning doesn’t take long to throw a lot of gore and horror in your face. You’re going to be taken along for the ride as this mysterious main character abducts Sharon and hauls her off to force her to experience unthinkable terrors. Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a story if we didn’t get some backstory on Sharon as well.

The first half of the story focuses heavily on this mysterious bad guy who is out to have his pound of flesh. You get the sense that there is a true darkness about him, but author Herres does an excellent job of keeping the true depths hidden in shadows. It’s not until later on in the story that you’re going to get a glimpse.

Readers who enjoy gorey horror are going to devour this book. The first half especially is heavy on the gore factor. The first half of Hell’s Beginning reads much like one would expect an 80s or even 90s slasher horror movie to play out.

In Hell’s Beginning, you’re getting the woman who unwittingly provokes a killer. You wonder exactly how it is all going to play out for her. Is it going to be a long drawn-out torture session? Or does author Herres have something more insidious in store for us readers? And Sharon, too, of course. Well, one thing is for sure and that is that heads are going to roll.

Hell’s Beginning brings the horror in spades as the chapters transition between the killer (still shrouded in mystery) and other characters who will soon find themselves trapped in his orbit. The killer in Hell’s Beginning is literally an equal-opportunity killer. Author Herres throws all the fresh meat into the grinder and turns a few chapters in this book into a literal free-for-all.

To be fair and honest with you, there is some content in this book that even we were taken aback by. Why and what was it? Well, it wasn’t the gore or the violence. No, it was when a young underage girl gets drawn into the mix and appears to be heading toward a sexual situation with a much older guy. Those particular scenes were flirting with disaster by dancing the line, but author Herres keeps things relatively above board...barely.

Are there other sexual situations in this book? Yes, but they all happen off-page. You’re given a hint that something is about to transpire, but you’ll have to use your imagination for those scenes.

Just when you think that Hell’s Beginning is going to be just a full-blown slasher story, author Herres says “Sit tight. There’s more.”

We know what you’re thinking...more? What more could there be? The body count is mounting, the final two are here. Where can the story go from here? Well, wait for it. Hell’s Beginning is going to take a twist that you’re not going to see coming, but it is absolutely going to glue you to the pages.

Hell’s Beginning starts out slasher style, but it morphs into something more that helps to better explain why the killer is an “equal opportunist” when it comes to those encroaching on his temporary lair.

The pace of Hell’s Beginning, even from the beginning, is pretty good. It moves at a decent pace and will keep readers engaged to find out who’s going to make it and who won’t. But when the big reveal comes along the storyline really begins to pick up the pace. It transitions into a race against the clock in more ways than one.

Also, author Herres begins to weave in more of a supernatural twist to help guide the characters in this story, because without that guidance? Well, things could have gotten a lot worse. For sure Hell’s Beginning is packed with twists, turns, surprises, and drama that you won’t see coming.

Pros:

• Engaging storyline
• Twisted
• Slasher movie vibes
• Interesting characters

Cons:

• The sexual angle with the underage girl

4.5 out of 5 stars

Black Tide Book Tours

August 6-9

SPINE-CHILLING ABDUCTION HORROR AT ITS VERY FINEST!

When a stranger arrives in Charity Falls, Utah, he has one intent: get a drink and some rest before hitting the road again. An altercation with a lush brings back dark memories, and the woman's final taunt tips him over the edge. He abducts and drags her off to an abandoned farm.

There, he introduces her to pain and suffering, on a journey into her darkest nightmares, and his bloodthirsty fantasy. However, the farm isn't as secluded as he had hoped, and he is forced to deal with several others who have wandered too close to his lair.

When just two innocents remain, only a battle of survival will decide who will walk away.But, the killer strikes again, and only one who has been close to the horrors will know what must be done. Someone must put an end to the reign of terror that has begun.

Universal link for the book on Amazon

About the Author

John T. M. Herres was born May 26, 1965, to a military family.

His father served in the Air Force, and the family moved around a great deal during John's younger years – which meant a constant change of circumstances.

John tries to use these experiences to add richness and realism to his writing.

Influenced by such authors as Robert E. Howard, Stephen King, Dean R. Koontz, and James Patterson, his genre of choice became action/fantasy-adventure populated by barbarians inspired by Conan, et al, set in rich, exotic landscapes, though he dabbles in other genres.

John's writing has emerged and matured into works with three-dimensional characters, action sequences that read like a movie scene with great visuals for the reader, and plot lines that pull the reader deep into both the action and the psyche of his heroes.

John has written several poems and is dabbling with a sci-fi story, as well as some short stories in the horror genre.

Having lived in the Great state of Texas a majority of his life, he currently resides in Mississippi. His works-in-progress include "Tales of The Barbarian" and "Challenge of The Velah" which he is hoping to have published at some point.

Recently, a few of his writings have been accepted for publication by J Ellington Ashton and HellBound Books.

He also has self-published a poetry book through Xlibris (warning), available on Amazon and other online retailers. On his Amazon Author page one will find links to several Anthologies that include some of his short stories.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=John-T.-M.-Herres

Publisher's Social Media

https://hellboundbookspublishing.com/
https://twitter.com/HellBoundBooks
https://www.instagram.com/hellboundbooks

Insatiable Hunger Review Spotlight

We are thrilled to be celebrating C. Hebert's newest release, Insatiable Hunger! This is the next book in the Living Nightmares series!

 Author C. Hebert is back with a new deliciously dark addition to their Living Nightmare series. Be forewarned, if you weren’t a raving fan of this author before this book...you will be once you finish – Insatiable Hunger.

The first thing that you’re going to notice when you see this book? The cover showcases a wendigo skull adorned with blood, and gravestones, with tree branches coming down to tangle with the antlers of the skull. Insatiable Hunger is a complete temptation for readers who are lovers of fantasy and horror simply based on the cover alone.

Insatiable Hunger is the second book in the Living Nightmares series, but this book can be read as a standalone novel. This dark romance fantasy novel is going to grip readers from the beginning and keep you page-turning eager for all the deliciously gorey and twisted details contained inside.

We will remind readers of this one simple fact – there is an appropriate caution warning in the beginning of this book for readers who are sensitive to certain subject matter. Read it. Unless you are a devourer of horror like we are. Honestly, we read caution warnings to see what tantalizing treats lie inside and nothing more. LOL! If anything they fuel us to want to dig deeper and get all the details. LOL!

Okay, moving on to the actual book, shall we? Insatiable Hunger begins the book with a prologue that sets the stage of what is currently unfolding in the story. Surprise twist...the author draws you in with the present situation of the FMC, Alaska, before boomeranging you back to the beginning to find out how it all actually unfolds.

The first chapter is definitely something truly tantalizing and will leave you...in need of a nice cool shower or a little alone time. Author Hebert takes readers from a horrific situation unfolding to the FMC getting down and dirty with her guy on the side in a cemetery.

Secret rendevous, “forbidden” love, the FMC is seemingly “trapped” in a relationship that she just doesn’t know how to get out of. Where exactly are things going from here? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see. Don’t worry the author is getting there. If we just jumped off back into the chaos from the prologue then this would be one short story.

Gradually, as Insatiable Hunger unfolds author Hebert draws readers in a little at a time with the horror creeping closer a little at a time. With Alaska, her boyfriend, and three other friends going on a ghost-hunting adventure the majority of them have no idea of the danger that they are walking into.

A cemetery outside of a small town boasts of the disappearances of multiple people over the years. Will Alaska and her friends become the newest losses to come? Something sinister haunts this place, and there is a reason why no one makes it out alive.

Insatiable Hunger is packed with drama that unfolds between Alaska and her lover, Lazarus. They both want more from each other, but with Alaska being in a toxic relationship with Cain, well, that’s easier said than done for her. You get the sense that there is something darker going on that keeps her involved with Cain, but it takes time for it to truly come to the forefront.

Meanwhile, you get Alaska and Lazarus sneaking around and having lots of steamy moments together. It’s absolutely delicious, but if you think that those are the only steamy situations you’ll find in this book...guess again. What fun would that be if that were the case? All the more reason to absolutely devour this book. LOL!

Author Hebert really brings horror to this book. You get a dark twisted story with monsters, demons, zealots, and tons of unexpected moments. It is more than safe to say that author Hebert is not one to shy away from the twisted and horror.

If this book were to be made into a movie understand this – we would watch it LOTS of times in the theater, and the minute it DVD we’d have it in our greedy claws. This book is sheer perfection when it comes to the author’s storytelling, the way the drama unfolds, and the ending? OMG!! Give me more!! Please!

Insatiable Hunger will leave you a fan of this author, and keep an eye out for all of their work – past, present and future! If you are a lover of horror...do not miss out on this book! You will absolutely devour it and be begging for more. We 1000% cannot wait for author Hebert to write their next book.

Pros:

• Twisted
• Dark
• Pageturner
• Steamy
• Leaves you wanting more

Cons:

• None of merit

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, C. Hebert, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. We can’t wait for what comes next!  

Insatiable Hunger (Living Nightmares Book 2)

Publication Date: June 10, 2024

Genre: Dark Fantasy Horror/ Dark Romance

𝕿𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘 + 𝕿𝖍𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖘
🩸Dark Romance
🩸Dark Fantasy
🩸Lovers to Enemies
🩸Stalking (hunter/prey)
🩸Ghosts + Creatures
🩸Cult Behavior
🩸Horror/Thriller
🩸Final Girl
🩸80's/90's Grunge

When a group of friends investigate the rumored ghost hauntings of a notorious cemetery, the band of complicated friends never expected their late night adventures would lead them to stumble into the hunting grounds of an ancient evil lurking nearby, enslaved by an unnatural fleshly craving.

Everything and everyone that they know is not as they seem...

AVAILABLE ON AMAZON & KU

Tour Organizer: @rrbooktours

 

Division X Spotlight

I’m not me when I kill people. At least, that’s what I tell myself. I wake up, and I know I’ve done something horrible. My hands are covered in blood, my clothes are gone, and my stomach feels full. I don’t remember what I did. All I remember is the pain. It’s impossible to forget...

                                                                            Division X

Publication Date: October 2022 (First Edition)

Genre: Paranormal Horror

The monster killing business isn't all it's cracked up to be.

We all have a monster within... understatement of the year. For 24-year-old Randi Matheson, she quite literally does. On every full moon, it rears its hairy head. She wasn't always like this. Ever since her attack, the animal comes out to play. And on one full moon, the beast inside tries to eat her younger brother.

Division X, a paramilitary group hellbent on the eradication of monsters, intervenes and saves Randi's brother from being devoured. They take Randi far away and imprison her in a place no monster can escape. Held captive, Randi is given an ultimatum. Work for Division X as a new weapon in the fight against evil or be dissected. Without a real choice, she chooses the former and experiences the dark underbelly of reality as she faces off against vampires, demons, and redneck serial killers. Promised a cure to her condition along the way, Randi does her best to stay alive.

CW: Violence, gore, adult content

GET IT ON AMAZON

 

A Pursuit of Madness Review Spotlight

A Pursuit of Madness is a standalone fantasy novel that takes Alice in Wonderland and gives it a brand new twist. This isn’t the Alice you remember, so brace yourself for a darker more twisted version that will keep you page-turning.

A Pursuit ofMadness’s cover cues you in on the darkness within its pages with a beautifully dark cover with elegant silver framing that is delicate, but draws the eye. In the center of this book’s cover is a keyhole with roses adorning either side of it. Below that is a beautiful crown with a silver pocket watch sitting in the very center of the crown. The cover doesn’t necessarily scream “Wonderland” but it will pique your interest in what the cover hides inside.

A Pursuit of Madness is the first book in author Amber Bunch’s A Twisted Princess Collection. As stated above, this book is a standalone novel with a nice steamy HEA at the end. Technically Alice isn’t a princess, but don’t think that that means that there aren’t any princesses in this book. There is, but you just need to wait a minute before she makes an appearance.

A Pursuit of Madness gives readers a multiple POV throughout this book. You can expect not two, not three, and definitely not four POV with this book. Nope! You get five! Yes! We’re getting spoiled with the POV in this novel. It will for sure keep you on your toes as the author takes you back and forth between the world we are familiar with, and Wonderland.

There is something interesting in how author Bunch depicts Wonderland. Wonderland mimics a lot of what is already familiar to us. They have cars, their own version of the internet, and other technological advances. What they don’t have though...is freedom. Their Queen keeps them shackled in fear. Magic is outlawed. Outrageous, right?! I mean, seriously! Come on! Is it because the Queen fears someone using magic to usurp her? (Which she totally deserves to happen.) Or is it simply so that she can keep the citizens in fear of her assassins and Jabberwocky?

One thing is for sure when it comes to A Pursuit of Madness you are getting two dynamic factors with this novel – 1) dark (which we absolutely loved) and 2)...steamy. Lots of steamy.

One of the things that we absolutely loved about this book is the level of darkness in Alice’s chapters. She’s a very dark character, but she does certain “dark” things...for good. So, she’s a dark character with the intent and plan to make the world...a better place. So, basically, you gotta love her...or she’ll kill you. LOL! Just kidding!! No, seriously, we promise….we’re kidding. LOL!

Think that Alice is the only dark character in this book? Of course, she’s not! We have the twins – Dom and Dean in Wonderland, though Hatter has some darkness in him, too. But of course, we have the assassin pair, too. Now, they are the ones that you don’t want to cross. The Queen’s assassins who do her bidding of hunting down those who are found doing magic. Merciless killers who more than enjoy what they do. You get to witness one of their hunts, but the hunt plays out quickly. We would have liked a touch more detail since they are so feared. You’d think that they’d play with their “food” more than they do. The good news is that you get some of that detail with Alice when she goes on her own “hunt.”

A Pursuit of Madness really brings the drama and the steamy. You get multiple scenes sprinkled through that will keep you entertained and coming back for more. It is a lot of no-holds-barred steamy that at times will dance the fine line of consent. But let’s be clear...consent is always given, so don’t think that anything is done against anyone’s will. Well, except for Princess Rose when she is made to use her tracking magic on the citizens of her kingdom.

A Pursuit of Madness is part of the Twisted Princess Collection. Yet, the story doesn’t give readers a lot of the princess in this story. It’s an expectation that fails to be met. Which is disappointing. You can call Alice “princess” if you want to, but it’s not truly applicable, because she’s not a princess. It would simply be just giving Alice a nickname and nothing more. We really wanted more of Rose with this story, despite the fact that this is an “Alice in Wonderland” style novel.

A Pursuit of Madness has a lot of drama, but what you also get is a lot of...things going the way for the characters. Are there some “hiccups” that force them to reassess and rethink certain situations? Yes. Could there have been more of them? Again...yes. This book honestly needed more of them. We just wanted more drama and for the characters to really have to fight to reclaim what it is that they are after.

Hoping for an epic battle that sees the Queen taken down? Perhaps an epic fight with the assassins that sees their reign of terror ended? This is a potential spoiler, so...read on at your own risk. This story is lacking in an epic fight between the primary character(s) that have been deemed the bad guy(s). It’s honestly disappointing. Th expectation is there for this big fight to come. Granted, the Queen is not depicted as a fighter, so...then that shifts the expectation to the assassins. It’s a disappointment that none of this pans out after all the hype that the characters do of shouting about “taking down the queen and restoring Wonderland.”

A Pursuit of Madness reads like a standalone novel, and so you can expect a full storyline and a HEA ending with a nice little time gap at the end. When we say “time gap” we mean that you get a little passage of time before the author revisits the characters again and shows where they are now. Get ready for one of the most deliciously steamy moments in the book. Saving the best for last. LOL!

A Pursuit of Madness is a dynamic twist on a classic story, and one thing is for sure and that is author Bunch does this story proud. Alice is a character who draws you in, but she works well together with the other characters to create a fun story that will appeal to your dark side and leave you begging for more with the steamy.

Pros:

• Engaging story
• Deliciously dark elements
• Steamy scenes
• Twisted characters

Cons:

• No epic fight between the main bad guys of the story
• Wanted more drama

4.5 out of 5 stars

 

Dirty Spirits Review Spotlight

"The Fall of the House of Usher meets Evil Dead 2. Experience an offbeat occult ghost story from the twisted mind of Sawney Hatton." With that...welcome to the book tour for Dirty Spirits by Sawney Halton in association with Black Tide Book Tours.

 Looking for a twisted paranormal packed horror story? Well, here’s some good news...Sawney Hatton has a book that will draw you in and have you page-turning to find out how it all ends. Dirty Spirits is a book that is not to be missed for fans of novels that are twisted and more than a little bit of horrific.

Dirty Spirits is a standalone horror novel with paranormal elements written by Sawney Hatton. This author moves to draw readers in with a cover that really makes you stop and take a second look. What do you see? What makes you pause and do a double take? The sight of a head coming out of a woman’s torso? The fact that she’s holding a bottle of whiskey and pouring it into his mouth? Or is it the cut that mars her flesh and where the head appears to be erupting from? Regardless of what makes you pause, it’ll be enough to tempt you to pick this book up and see where the storyline leads you.

Dirty Spirits is a story that is heavily focused on drug addiction and alcoholism. Two of the characters – Liam and Michelle, have struggled for years with these two particular substance abuse demons. It destroyed their careers and relationships with other people. But one day, push came to shove and Michelle made a decision for herself. But at what cost?

Dirty Spirits starts off by depicting a news story about an ancestor of Liam’s who passed away by fire on his ship. He was called a “professed necromancer.” Typically that means that people feared him and would have eventually taken steps to see his demise. This is just the beginning of this story, and promises much more to come.

Author Hatton paints a story where Michelle breaks away from her toxic relationship with Liam. Things weren’t always bad, but one day...things escalated from bad to worse and things just kept going downhill. Ultimately, if she hadn’t made a choice, she would have inevitably followed him down a very dark path. But because she chose differently, her path took a different course than Liam’s.

Dirty Spirits runs the race of happening in “present” time for the main line of the story. But author Hatton also takes time to send readers back in time to when Liam and Michelle met and how their lives intermingled. Author Hatton shows readers that Michelle and Liam met at rehab. They both got clean together, they established a romance, and things looked good. But then it begs the question...what happened? Where did things go wrong? Well, hold on to your butts because that particular element? It’s coming. Boy is it coming! Prepare for some seriously interesting elements that even YOU, the reader, won’t see coming. Who would?! Honestly...only author Hatton, and that makes this a delicious twisted element to behold.

Michelle is a troubled soul. That much is apparent, but you get to see that she has people who care about her – Doug, and her father are two such characters. Yes, Liam loved her, but in his own way. You’ll see that Liam, after a particular scene in this book, became Michelle’s enabler. He encouraged and pushed her to surrender to the vices that originally plagued them both and ultimately led to his untimely death.

But while Liam may be dead...that doesn’t mean that he’s gone. Nooo...Liam still lingers, and he has no intent to let Michelle go. In his mind, she belongs to him, and he means to have her. Do her feelings matter? Not a bit. Liam and his family have plans put in place and they are determined to make sure that Michelle helps them fulfill each and every one of them regardless of her feelings. These people will manipulate her any way they can to make sure that Liam has her...even in the afterlife.

Dirty Spirits has a slightly rocky beginning of where it seems like the story is trying to find it’s footing. The story shifts back and forth in the narrative from being present day to the past at random moments. Once you gain your footing with this story, it’s going to engage you and pull you to delve deeper. You’ll be compelled to learn more about Michelle’s and Liam’s toxic relationship. You’ll see how it evolves and ultimately devolves. Hate to say it, but you can thank Liam’s parents. Yeah, we said what we said – sorry not sorry. LOL!

One thing that can be safely said about Dirty Spirits is that there are going to be a lot of elements and scenes that you’re simply not going to see coming. Author Hatton is going to make sure you keep coming back for more when it comes to this book. You’re going to want to know what happens next. What is going to happen to Doug? What is going to happen to Michelle? Are either one of them going to survive the drama, the danger and ultimately the fall out of what takes place in this book? You’re going to want to know – does the image on the cover become depicted in the story itself? Want a spoiler? Well, whether you do or not...we’re not giving you one. LOL! Not this time anyways.

As stated in the trigger warnings there is a lot of focus on alcoholism in this book. It is a primary point of the storyline and isn’t overdone. Author Hatton creates characters who are struggling with real issues and their struggles make them seem all the more realistic. Is there sex in this book? Yes, there is. Technically it can be classified as R-rated, but it’s far from being graphic in anyway. There aren’t heavy details, it’s just enough for you to know that either characters are having sex or there is something sexual in nature taking place.

As a standalone novel, Dirty Spirits has an interesting ending. The final chapters work to ramp up the drama and take the story in an unexpected direction. Author Hatton takes two particular characters and lets them have some unexpected breakout moments that lend them toward the light of...dare we say...hero? Shocking, right? But it’s definitely unexpected and does the job of keeping you on your toes.

Dirty Spirits is an interesting novel that will grip you and intrigue you to the very end.

Pros:

• Gripping storyline
• Realistic characters
• Twists
• Page-turner
• Nice amount of horror

Cons:

• Rocky beginning

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Sawney Hatton, and Black Tide Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next!

Dirty Spirits

by Sawney Hatton

 The Fall of the House of Usher meets Evil Dead 2. Experience an offbeat occult ghost story from the twisted mind of Sawney Hatton.

They say you can’t choose who you fall in love with, and Doug believed it.

He didn’t expect to fall in love with an addict. Once he did, he knew the relationship would be challenging. He knew sometimes it would blow chunks and rain shit. He expected it. He prepared for it. But there are some things you can never imagine happening, crazy stuff you can never prepare for no matter how hard you try. All Doug can do now is hang on and hope the love of his life isn’t dragged back into hell by her ex-fiancé who can’t move on.

Because while Liam Fowlington may be dead… he’s far from departed.

Trigger warnings:
Drug & alcohol addiction plays a large part in the story. R-rated sex and violence.

About the Author

Sawney Hatton is an author, editor, and screenwriter who has long loved taking trips to the dark side.

Weaned on a steady diet of paranormal horror and creature features, he quickly developed an appetite for all things macabre and monstrous. With early literary influences as tonally disparate as Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, and Marquis de Sade’s The 120 Days of Sodom, he enjoys fusing the sinister with the satirical, the abominable with the absurd.

Other incarnations (reincarnations?) of Sawney have produced marketing videos, attended all-night film fests, and played the banjo and sousaphone (not at the same time).

As of this writing he is still very much alive.

https://www.sawneyhatton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/sawney.hatton
https://www.instagram.com/sawneyhatton

  

 

Merchants of Light and Bone Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for author Erika McCorkle's Merchants of Light and Bone with The Write Reads! If you enjoy epic fantasy novels with beautiful descriptions and engaging characters then this is novel for you! 

 Merchants of Light and Bone is a standalone fantasy novel written by Erika McCorkle. Author McCorkle will take readers on a fantastical journey to a beautiful world full of imaginative characters that will captivate the mind and have you wanting to linger for as long as possible. As you explore this novel, you will find yourself along for the journey as a family struggles with the grief of losing a loved one, and then with the struggle to do what they feel is right for the sake of another innocent life.

Merchants of Light and Bone is sure to capture your attention with it’s gorgeously detailed cover. This book’s cover alone conveys the depths of this story. With a myriad of wild life they seem to swirl around and almost swallow up two of the main characters of this story – Amiere while he holds in his embrace his partner, Su. Behind, almost beside them is their faithful Shroom Hound – Maika. Yes, those are actual mushrooms growing on her. This marks her as beautifully unique and adorable.

The giant skeleton behind them all with the animals appearing to be reaching for the top truly draws the eye and teases your mind to want to know more. What is this skeleton? Is it an animal? Is it a demon? What created this thing? At the bottom you see the crystals – the very thing that cost this family the life of one of their daughter’s. Just a little to the right, almost seemingly to be what Maika is looking at – a kiwi with a glowing bell sitting next to it. The very fruit that young Tawny loved, and the bell that she always wore on her tail.

This book’s cover alone is a feast for the eyes, and tells parts of the story that is held inside these covers. One thing is for sure, it will pique your interest in learning more about the family and how they manage to move forward after the heartbreaking loss that affects them so deeply, while crystals promise to bring a time of prosperity to the town.

Merchants of Light and Bone is a story that focuses heavily on Amiere, the merchant of light. He, his wife – Liesle, and Su, the merchant of bone, their partner start the story off in morning for the loss of their daughter Tawny. When the crevice in the earth opened up, she unfortunately fell to her death. This is not a scenario that plays out on the page. Instead, author McCorkle, gives readers a memory of the tragedy through the mind of Amiere.

Readers watch as each member of this family struggle with the loss of their daughter or sister in their own way. As the tragedy is fresh, it is dealt with through tears, lack of desire to truly function or be productive. Of course, each character deals with the tragedy differently. Some sink into even deeper depression, while others seek to find outlets through their work or simply trying to take care of the family and focus on those who still remain.

A small shift begins when someone from their past makes a reappearance – Miltico. There are some bad feelings between him and Amiere especially. As you read the story you’ll quickly come to understand why. Miltico is a rather cruel and vile character, but he suits the purpose of bringing some drama to the story and giving Amiere something to focus on. Why is that? Well, Miltico has a small daughter and he is less than kind to the poor child.

Each of the characters depicted in this book are so beautifully unique. Amiere and his family carry more feline traits in their appearance. Do all the characters carry these traits? No. Miltico and his family lean more towards goats, and his daughter is more of a mix of goat and rabbit. Is it wrong that we just wanted to stroke her adorably long ears? LOL! Of course, young Usana is a rather flighty child, but there are some understandable elements to it...one namely being her father.

The pacing of this story is on the slower side, but there are some engaging moments sprinkled throughout that will draw readers in more and have them eagerly page-turning to find out what happens next. While the story is told through the eyes of Amiere, author McCorkle sprinkles in interludes throughout the story that give readers an idea of what some of the other characters in this story are experiencing themselves. These interludes help to give the story more depth as these interludes include the other children, and spouses.

Merchants of Light and Bone is a dynamic novel that draws you in and fully immerses you in a world full of interesting and beautifully created characters. You get tension, drama, some elements of horror, and a ton of family dynamics. Amiere is a truly engaging character as he struggles with the loss of his daughter, and weighing how to move on, along with the emotions that he feels towards Miltico. Of course, life doesn’t care about what you have going on when you are mourning, and that is effortlessly showcased in this book.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Erika McCorkle, and The Write Reads Book Tour for the opportunity to read and review this book. We look forward to what comes next.

Book Info

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 819 Pages

Publishing: 8^th August 2023

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Merchants-Light-Bone-Pentagonal-Dominion/dp/B0CDNBZFMJ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/184492062-merchants-of-light-and-bone

Blurb

Sorrow in paradise

A parent’s worst nightmare

When grief drives one to revenge

Living in a tropical paradise with his spouses and kids, Amiere is a merchant of light, a sculptor who carves glowing crystals into spectacular and powerful, demon-killing works of art. When the ground opens up near his idyllic village to reveal a massive supply of crystals, the whole nation of Aloutia celebrates. The merchants are guaranteed money for decades and officials predict Aloutia will be safe from demonkind for generations. But Amiere isn’t rejoicing—when the ground split apart, his seven-year-old daughter fell to her death.

Amiere’s grief turns to rage when an old enemy returns to the village with a young daughter displaying signs of starvation and abuse. Having witnessed his own daughter’s death, Amiere cannot bear the thought of watching another child die, especially when he can prevent it. Unable to ask police for help due to the village’s reputation of hostility toward authority figures, Amiere takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of being exiled and separated from his family forever.

About the Author

Erika McCorkle, she/her, lives in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. She is a creator of fantasy worlds and a voyager to the worlds created by others. She spends much of her free time writing, reading, watching anime, and playing video games, all usually of the fantasy genre. She has a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and currently works the night shift at a blood bank, meaning she is most definitely a vampire.

Website: https://www.authormccorkle.com/

Twitter: @Kiraofthewind1