Let's Play Catch-Up

Hello, all.
No, I didn't die, though I have been absent for quite a bit. Various things going on in my personal life have kept me busy and I honestly haven't been reading as much of late. So in this post, I will share the few indie books I have read since April. 
Before I get to that, let me plug my newest release that hit the market in July. Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic is a collection of short stories that span various genres.

Here is the blurb and buy links:
Sink your teeth into this book of fantastical short stories that will leave you wanting more. This collection mixes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more into one big boiling pot of tastiness. Stories may include princesses, talking birds, alien species, magical items, terrifying creatures, cyborgs, or assassins. You’ll get your fill of thrills and chills.
BUY LINKS: Universal link - Amazon - Goodreads - Books2Read


Now on to the indie books!

Valkyrie on Planet Fury
by Lynne Murray

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:
Lynne Murray knocks it out of the park again!
It had been a while since I read the first book Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone. I had almost forgotten what an amazing storyteller this author is but two pages in and it all came rushing back. Her memorable characters. Her own sci-fi take on various mythologies. Her amazing building of complex societies. Everything about this book makes it such a pleasure to read.
Though there are some editing issues, the storytelling shines through as we are whisked away on another edge-of-your-seat adventure with Sybil, our favorite oddball from Planet Valkyrie. Tension, romance, devious plots, and sexy fun are in store. We even meet Medusa!
I highly recommend this one.

American Darkness
by Garrison Kelly

Rating: 3 Stars

Review:
If you're looking for a collection of short stories where everyone is pissed off all the time, look no further. Each story certainly delves into the darkness of humankind, showing how unreasonable and crazy some people can be. Though most of the characters are over-the-top and violence is the word of the day, there is usually a happy-ish ending in store. Be sure to listen to some angry screamo while reading this one!

Once Upon a Fabulous Time
Various Authors

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
Here are a bunch of random fairy tale stories from various authors put together nicely in one anthology. Though I still didn't see how each story tied into the main story throughout, I enjoyed this book more than expected. I have to say that both Aliya DalRae stories were my favorite of the bunch. "Where Darkness Lies" by Joanna Van Leerdam was my next favorite. Their stories were the strongest and best written.
Though some of the other stories were okay, my least favorite was Mr. Wizardo. There was confusing head-hopping as well as scene jumping that would jolt me out of the story. To be honest, I skipped the rest of the story after Chapter Two. The author's need to slap the reader in the face with a Wizard of Oz reference in every single paragraph got really old really fast, especially when most references didn't come across as making any sense.
Overall, a nice collection with a few tales I wouldn't mind seeing fleshed out into novel length stories.

Ghostly Writes 2017
by Various Authors

Rating: 3 Stars 

Review:
An entertaining collection of short stories. Only a few of the stories were scary, though all contained some aspect of the supernatural. My favorite stories were "A Grave Business" by Michael Lynes and "The Big Escape" by Marjorie Hembroff.

 Happy reading, all!

Exciting Things are Coming!

That's right, my friends! Now that Hollow Hills is up and running, I have gotten back to writing again and I am bringing the goods. Next month, I have a collection of short stories coming out that is sure to please. Let me give you the low-down on Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic. 

I'm pretty pumped about my first book to be published through Hollows Hills. So what is it about? Horror, fantasy, paranormal, science fiction, and more come together in a mesmerizing collection hitting your favorite online book sellers on July 27th, 2018. 

Here is the synopsis:

Sink your teeth into this book of fantastical short stories that will leave you wanting more. This collection mixes fantasy, science fiction, horror, and more into one big boiling pot of tastiness. Stories may include princesses, talking birds, alien species, magical items, terrifying creatures, cyborgs, or assassins. You’ll get your fill of thrills and chills.

As if that isn't exciting enough, you are all invited to a party. That's right, you! Come join us on release day for our Facebook event Madness, Magic, and Mayhem. Games, teasers, and giveaways galore! Whew, I haven't done a FB event in quite some time and I fully intend to let loose and have a blast. I hope you stop by for some fun.

Meanwhile, drop by your favorite store and pre-order Tantalizing Tales of the Horrific and Fantastic. It has a bit of something for everyone. The universal link is here. Have a great weekend, readers.

Stay tuned for news on another upcoming release from Hollow Hills that features another brand new short story from yours truly.

Hollow Hills, A New Publisher

Hello faithful readers and fellow book lovers!
I wanted to tell everyone about a new publishing company for independent authors. Hollow Hills, LLC. was co-founded by my friend Aurora Styles and myself as a place for authors whose works might be considered too "different" for traditional publishers. We don't believe in formula writing or writing by the numbers. We are looking for stories without all the usual tropes. We want original. We want unique. We want fantasy!

Though we do specialize in fantasy and all it's sub-genres, we will also consider horror, romance, mythology, and erotica. The most important thing to us is the story itself. Are the characters three-dimensional? Does the story reach down inside and pull out all those feels? Do the vivid setting details make you feel like you are really there? Does the story not fit neatly into one genre? Then we are interested!

For those indie authors who prefer self-publishing, we offer services that are vital to creating a sell-able product. As some of you may know, I have been a paid beta reader for a few years now and I am bringing my experience to Hollow Hills.
Aurora instructs Composition 101 and Freelance Writing. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing. She has experience editing papers and manuscripts full-time. So if you need a beta reader or editor, we've got you covered.

Two other services we offer through our company are the sales of pre-made book covers, and extra promotional services for authors. We have a variety of choices for book covers and we guarantee that any sold will never be sold again. Hollow Hills understands that most authors work other jobs and may not have the time to promote their books. We offer affordable services that include daily posts on social media accounts and posts on blogs.

To start our company off with a bang, we have decided to publish an anthology later this year. This collection of short stories and/or poetry will give new authors a chance to shine. All royalties earned from the sales of the anthology will go towards a charity. We are still in talks about which charity, but it will be one that involves the theme of the stories.

This first anthology will be titled "Still Standing" and the stories will involve a protagonist who has undergone some kind of ill treatment from a person in power, whether they were abused, harassed, fired, dismissed, etc. The antagonist can be a boss, co-worker, evil overlord, whatever you would like. The story can be a revenge story, but the main theme is empowerment and the healing process. The victim came through and is standing on their own two (or more) feet. Again, though we specialize in fantasy, we would gladly consider horror or romance submissions.
For more information on the submission guidelines, please visit our blog on our website here: www.hollowhillsbooks.com

Be sure to stop by and see what our company can do for you, independent author!

January Reads & Reviews

Hello my faithful readers! Tis I, Marie, your reviewer of indie books, here to give you another list of interesting books I read in January. So without further ado, here are the indies I enjoyed last month.

Undressed
by Karina Kantas

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
This book delivers on everything the blurb promises: introductions to a couple novels that leave you wanting more, flash fiction, and poetry. Well written and full of emotion, this was certainly an enjoyable read. 

Pretty Guilty
by K.L. Cottrell

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:
A perfectly beautiful story.
K.L. Cottrell has such an amazing way with words. Her characters instantly jump off the page and the story immediately draws you in. She makes it so easy to fall in love with her characters, to feel their joy and sadness as your own. This story is laden with life lessons and really tugs at the heartstrings. 10 stars!

The Guardians
by Gina Moray

Rating: 4 Stars

Review:
Equal parts thriller and murder mystery, this book will take you to dark places. I was reminded of Needful Things by Stephen King, with the way a demon drove into town and made deals, for a price. In the end, the price was too steep. Corpses and fields overflowing with blood were all that was left.
Gina Moray certainly puts you in the middle of all the action and horror. A creepy read that is not for weak stomachs!

Lunatic Justice
by Garrison Kelly

Rating: 5 Stars

Review:
This collection of poetry and songs will keep you on your toes and leave you shaking your head at the world at large. Garrison Kelly not only exposes the sad truths of mankind but puts them on display. The results are sometimes hard to swallow, or hard to read, but will elicit an emotional reaction from you. Whether that emotion is fear, anger, sadness, or disgust depends on the reader.
My favorites of the collection were "I Apologize," "My Body," "Thank You," "Rise and Shine," "Shadow Hawk," "Coasting," "I Still Remember," "Screaming Into the Abyss," and "STEM Sell."


All four and five star reviews last month! Woohoo, that's some entertaining reads! I hope you find a title from this list that sparks your interest. Always remember to tip your waitresses and review the indie products you enjoy. 
Happy reading!

#Horrorweek

Hello, fellow readers!
To help celebrate #Horrorweek on Goodreads, I decided to get in on the fun and use one of the writing prompts they offer to authors. I used the prompt "And they were hungry." Enjoy the story, ladies and gents.


My breath hitched in my throat as I dashed inside the abandoned house. Slamming the door so hard that tiny splinters of wood broke off the edges, I leaned against it and tried to calm my frantic heartbeat.
What were those things? Where exactly am I now?
I had been running for far too long, caught up in the fear of being found. I tried to convince myself that this was a nightmare. I pictured myself waking up and laughing over such a silly dream. But my mind knew better. I couldn't lie to myself. Those things had been real. Those hideous monsters in the woods behind my house were not some figment of my imagination or trick of the dim light of dusk.
They were real. Their long ears and black skin. Their claw-like hands. Their huge blue eyes that searched for new prey. The clicking sounds that emitted from their puckered lips.
They were real, all right. And they were hungry.
What should I do? Where should I go?
How would I ever be able to get back to the safety, however false, of my own home when those things were still out there? Even as my mind reeled, my body was still in the here and now. And I realized that I wasn't alone in the old, dilapidated house. As my eyes focused in the dark around me, the last rays of light coming through a broken window nearby fading away, I saw something glimmer to my right.
It was almost like eye-shine, from a cat or dog. A soft clicking sound to my left had me whirling around to see what was there. More eyes near the window. As full dark fell over me, the eyes began to emit a soft blue glow. The same blue color as those freaky things outside.
And there were dozens of them, all low to the ground.
I hadn't escaped into the safety of a temporary hiding place. I had run right smack into the nesting ground of those monsters. These tiny, clicking terrors all turned their eyes on me, as if smelling my fear.
And they were hungry, too.


What did you think? Let me know! Have a safe and enjoyable Halloween, everyone.

Summer Indie Book Awards 2017

Hello, fellow readers. I hope your summer has been awesome. School might be back in, but the heat is still on, and I'm here to tell you about a hot event happening now.

I’m excited to announce that it’s that time of year again. The Summer Indie Book Awards are here!
Every year, Metamorph Publishing hosts this amazing event that focuses on indie books. Readers nominate their favorite books in a variety of categories and at the end of the summer, it’s voting time. Voting for the 2107 SIBA starts tomorrow, September 1st and ends on September 11th. You can vote in each category once a day.

This year, two of my books have been nominated in the Summer Indie Book Awards!
Under Anthologies, we have Reaching for the Light by myself and TL Katt. These two short stories talk about dealing with mental illness on a daily basis, with happy endings in store.
Under Horror, is Headstones and Dead Bodies. This collection contains two short stories that will chill you.

Please stop by and vote for our books! While you are there, check out the other awesome indie books that have been nominated this year. Vote for your favorites and discover some new-to-you authors.
For more information about the awards, and voting links, visit Metamorph Publishing's website or find the awards on Facebook.
Keep cool and have a great weekend!

Amazing Things to Come!

Magical things are coming your way! Well, magical and science fiction-y. I will soon be publishing another book of short stories. These stories will contain fantasy or sci-fi elements, or sometimes both blended together. This will be my tenth published work and I am excited to bring these tales to life in the pages of a new book. Here is a teaser with a little sneak peek into "Four Items," a tale in Cyborgs and Sorcery:

Also coming your way early this year is an erotic thriller set in the 1930s. The Blood Files: The Case of Arnus Mortem is the first of a trilogy of horrific short stories co-written by myself and the wonderful B.J. Taylor. 

Vampires running loose in San Francisco? Who better to investigate than a pair of P.I.'s? When Randall and Penny are given a missing person's case, they don't realize the true monsters behind what's going on are no mere mortals. Soon, they find out just how far the vampires and their minions will go to wreak havoc and destruction on the city. Can two humans save the day or will America be overrun with the undead?

I hope you are ready for some thrills and chills this year, friends. More amazing things to come!

Spooky, Creepy, Frightening Fun!

Hello, ladies and gents!
I'm excited to tell you about a new release I have coming out tomorrow. Headstones and Dead Bodies is a book containing two short horror stories. That's right, I am ready for Halloween early this year. 
Here is the short synopsis:

Two short stories to make your skin crawl.

A teen takes a dare that soon becomes a nightmare.

An innocent young boy traveling with two coffins is more than meets the eye.

Sure to make you squirm!

Woohoo, scary story time!
To celebrate it's release on September 30th, I am having a release party on Facebook. Myself and other awesome indie authors will be hosting an event that will be sure to please horror fans. Come on by, have a few scares, and maybe win some prizes!

Dead Things, the release party for Headstones and Dead Bodies