Short and Sweet (and Spooky!) Reads for Halloween!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday!
And please make sure you keep your pets inside. Especially the black ones!
Today I have lots of reviews of quick reads as a special treat.

 

SYNOPSIS: 

On a dare from her best friends, Heather goes inside the town's haunted house, where Frank Blackwell killed his wife and then hung himself in the basement. But while in the house, Heather is confronted by a ghost from her past, her mother who died accidentally one year ago. Now, Heather must not only escape from the evil lurking inside the house, but from the demons of her own past.

 

Review:

 

Disappointing. Predictable. Boring. All these words came to mind reading The Basement. Honestly I didn't enjoy this read. The only redeeming factor was the fact that it was free. 

 

Rating: 2/5 Stars

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

Madeline is a short horror story of approximately 3000 words.

A shed full of macabre secrets... A wife gone crazy... A nine-year-old girl that must die.

Jonah fights for his life while trying to stop his deranged wife from killing their daughter in the name of the Lord.

Sometimes, the Devil truly is in the details.

**Warning** Madeline is a short horror story not intended for anyone who may be offended by graphic language or scenes of violence. Don't read this story if you are squeamish or easily offended because you won't like it.

 

REVIEW:

 

Madeline was really interesting. I would tell you you would like it if you liked xyz but that would be giving things away! It isn't the most original story but it was well written. I thought it would be more gritty given the warning but it wasn't that awful. (Nowhere near the level of Saw!) Well done for a short story and didn't leave me wondering what would happen next.

RATING: 3/5 Stars

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS: 

'THEY' is a short story by Vincent Hobbes. It was first published in 'The Endlands' (Jan. 2010)

A relaxing drive in the Rocky mountains becomes madness as two couples find themselves trapped in a blizzard.

 

REVIEW:

 

They reads like the beginning of a Stephen King novel. It seems utterly ordinary at the start but things start going from bad to worse fast. I could definitely see this short story being expanded into a full length thriller. A great short story that I would recommend to anyone looking for a creepy read today!

RATING: 4/5 Stars

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Rayea isn't daddy's little girl, even if he is the most powerful fallen angel around. He wants her to take an active role in the family business. But she's not interested in his schemes for world domination. Instead she wants to spend her time shopping on the Internet, rescuing humans from a horrific eternity, and practicing martial arts with her seven foot hellhound. Then one day everything changes. Here's the first part of her story about how it all began. (6,155 words)

 

RATING: 4.5 Stars

 

SYNOPSIS:

Living a life with an overbearing father can be a challenge. For Rayea whose father is the fallen angel, Lucifer, it's been torture. In the second installment of the Vampire from Hell series, Rayea finds peace when she visits the House of G. There she hopes for a new beginning among Blick's angelic friends, only to discover a vampire from Hell may not be welcome. (28,776 words)

 

RATING: 4/5 Stars

 

REVIEW:

 

What a wonderful, wonderful, new take on vampires. I loved the first two books in the Vampire from Hell series. I devoured both during my breaks at work. Rayea is a really interesting teenage girl. Raised in hell, daughter of Satan and yet kind, loving and a protector of humankind. I adored her hellhound and how much he cares for her. And the variety of other characters that appear in the novels are all interesting and intriguing. 

There is sex in the second installment of the series so be prepared if you pick it up! 

I can't wait to read more

 

All Hallows Eve Review and Giveaway

 

SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

Halloween is fast approaching and, with it, Alexandria’s eighteenth birthday. Will Alex, Peter and James find Liam’s lost receptacle before the impending sacrifice on All Hallows Eve? Will the anger and darkness that’s plaguing Alex overcome her? Can Alex find a way to defeat Liam or will she suffer the consequences of so many pure blooded witches before her?  

REVIEW: 

I have to say this was my least favorite of the books. So much happened in each of the other books that I kind of found this one anti-climatic. I knew what was going to happen for the most part and I was waiting to be surprised. I wasn't disappointed with the ending, in fact Chelsea Bellingeri wrapped up everything quite nicely. I was just hoping for a little more pizzazz from the last book in the series. 

Overall I really enjoyed this entire series. Chelsea makes Alex's entire world seem very real and relatable despite talking about witches and magic. It also reminds us of the lessons we learned when we first heard about the Salem Witch Trials. Those who seem right and to be protecting all that is good and pure are sometimes the ones who are in the wrong, and may not be as good as they try to pass themselves off as being. And that we shouldn't be quick to judge and persecute others. 

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Wicked Betrayal Review, What's on Chelsea's Desk and Giveaway!

 

SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

The clock is ticking. Alex’s time is running out.

Spring has hit Hazel Cove and with it, the pressure of Alex’s impending fate as Liam’s sacrifice is weighing upon her every thought. There’s so much to do and so little time. How do you stop an ancient pure blooded witch?

But Liam isn’t Alex’s only problem. She must focus on what she can fix in the little time she has left. She must confront the past and the horrible betrayal Ethan suffered at the hands of a once trusted ally. Alex will do anything necessary to save Ethan. Even brave a trip to the supernatural capital of the world - New Orleans.

Voodoo, Hoodoo, witches and spirits are nothing compared to the evil Alex will face in the backwoods of the Louisiana bayou. Will Alex’s desperation to save her family and friends pull her closer to the darkness?

Who can Alex trust? Will James’ connections as a witch hunter help or hurt her? Can she fix her relationship with Peter? Or will the deep seeds of betrayal shatter Alex’s life?

REVIEW:

With this installment of New England Witch Chronicles I have to admit that Alex's story is getting more sinister! She has even more mysteries to solve and some hard, and dark, decisions to make. As she is coming more into her powers we see that, although about a witch, the New England Witch Chronicles is a coming of age story at heart. Facing relationship issues, questions of morality,and the age old question "Am I good or evil?"

 

You may believe that that isn't a normal question a person coming of age may ask themselves but I assure you it is. Did you ever gossip as a teenager? Stab someone in the bacl? Make fun of another? Or steal someones boyfriend or girlfriend? Lie or cheat on a test? And in doing so wasn't your happiness a bit sullied with the though, "Am I a bad person?" How is that any different than Alex wondering if she may be evil?

Overall I loved this installment in the series. I thought Liam was a great character and loved how he was developed. An amazing villain for the series. Alex's growth and struggles are wonderful and the love triangle is still going strong! It has everything I could want for a Halloween novel!

WHAT'S ON YOUR DESK?

With Chelsea Bellingeri

I'm a minimalist - so right now on my desk I have my Mac, a rough draft of Revenge & the Zombie Apocalypse (Book 3, Zombie Apocalypse Trilogy), a lamp, a glass of water, my enormously-giant day planner and lead paperweight with the famous Benjamin Franklin quote: "Either rewrite something worth reading or do something worth writing."

 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID! 

 

Today I am wishing my husband a very very happy 27th birthday! I am so blessed to have this man in my life and I am so happy to have been able to spend another birthday with him.

I met this goofball when we were only 13 years old at summer camp. He finally came to his senses and asked me to be his wife when we were 23. 

I can't wait to spend many many more birthdays celebrating with him. He is the one who got me to start writing my own book, to do something with all the books I read (which led me to start this blog) and to contact the writers I found to be so amazing!

So here's to David and his 27 years. Let's hope the next 27 are even better!

Conjured Review, This or That & Giveaway!

 

 

SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

After the disastrous fallout on Halloween and the tragic events that followed in the Hazel Cove Cemetery, Alexandria is left picking up the pieces of her broken life. Peter is adjusting. James hates her. Grandma Claudia is gone. Emma is incoherent. Victor went rogue. And Gamma still wants her dead.

If that wasn't enough to deal with, two burning questions are driving Alex insane. Who committed that horrible murder in Salem? And what really happened to Ethan?

Alex has come to terms with her new life, but she's yet to truly understand the ramifications of being a pureblooded witch in the supernatural world. And now there is a new danger on the horizon. Alex must find a way to fight. To survive. To protect her remaining family members and her closest friends from an unthinkable new enemy. One much more powerful and much more horrifying than the Gamma witch hunting fraternity.

Review: 

Things are strained in Alex's life when we first meet up with her again and we are soon on a magnificent journey to solve mysteries, figure out these powers and fight injustice in book two of the New England Witch Chronicles. It's in this book that New England Witch Chronicles really hits it's stride and I was delighted to ride the roller-coaster that is Alex's life. She's like a supernatural Nancy Drew who faces a lot more danger!

Chelsea Bellingeri did a magnificent job of further developing her characters. It's hard to pick a favorite since everyone brings something great to the table but it certainly isn't difficult to figure out who you don't like or trust!

I had to buy Conjured as soon as I finished New England Witch Chronicles. Bellingeri's world of witches and secret societies is absolutely captivating and always leaves you wanting the rest of the story! Once again I read the book in a day, I just couldn't put it down!

A perfect read for the Halloween season! 

RATING:  4/5 Stars

THIS OR THAT WITH CHELSEA BELLINGERI

Daytime or Nightime?   Daytime—early morning!
Coke or Pepsi?    Coke
Coffee or Tea?   Definitely, coffee
TV Shows or Movies?   Movies
Standalone Books or Series?   Series!
East Coast or West Coast?  East Coast
Beach or Mountains?   Mountains
Witches or Warlocks?  Witches (of course!)
Sabrina (The Teenage Witch) or Sam (From Bewitched)?  Sabrina the Teenage Witch
Trick or Treat?  Treat!

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New England Witch Chronicles Review, Interview & Giveaway!

 

SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)

NEW ENGLAND WITCH CHRONICLES is the first book in the four-book bestselling young adult series. The Salem Witch Trials of 1692 were an embarrassing stain on America’s revered past. Innocent people were persecuted at the hands of a few overzealous Puritans, but what if real witches existed during those colonial hunts? What if there are witches in present day New England? That’s what Alexandria Ramsey’s crazy grandmother believes. Grandma Claudia claims Alex descends from a long line of New England witches.

Modern day witches in Hazel Cove, Massachusetts? Unlikely, but strange things are occurring in the weeks preceding Alex’s seventeenth birthday. Alex is haunted by bizarre recurring nightmares of a man chasing her through the Hazel Cove Cemetery. On a few occasions, when her emotions have spiraled out of control, inanimate objects have shattered around her. But that’s just a coincidence, right? Alex isn’t so sure, especially after a local girl, who supposedly dabbled in witchcraft, was killed in the nearby forest.

Alex knows something strange is happening. With the arrival of a new boy in town, James Van Curen, who is causing problems between Alex and her best friend, Peter, Alex feels like her entire world is on the verge of chaos. Could Alex really be a witch? Is it possible Hazel Cove will become a battleground for modern-day witches and witch hunters?

REVIEW:

New England witch Chronicles pulled me in the moment I began reading and I had devoured it before the night was through. Bellingeri's world of witches, witch hunters, secrets, betrayals and a touch of a love triangle romance was wonderful and the perfect thing to read for October. 

There is a little bit of a love triangle and a touch of romance included in this book of coming of age, discovery and witchcraft. It is a great way to lighten up some of the more serious parts of the book and add tension to drive the story forward.

I loved Alex! Although a bit naive at times she is strong willed and has dealt with her crappy home life well. I really enjoyed that she is portrayed as a good girl even though she has boys following her around like lost puppies and has co-ed sleepovers with her BFF (who happens to be a boy!)

As soon as I finished it I had to read the next book in the series right away. I just had to know what happened next!

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Interview with Chelsea Bellingeri

1.What is currently on your nightstand or ereader just itching to be read?

I am currently reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. 

So far, so good!  I'm really like the uniqueness of the story. 

2. What is your go to cure for writers block?

I rotate projects to avoid writer's block.  I always have at least two different projects

going on at the same time so when I suffer from writer's block, I can move onto the

second project.  A little bit of distance gives me a fresh perspective and, at the same time,

I'm still being productive. 

3. Your book centers around New England, where the infamous Witch Trials took place, and real life witches. What inspired you to write not only about the persecution of people accused of witchcraft but of real witches as well?

I loved learning about Salem when I was a kid and Halloween has always been my

favorite holiday.  I'm an avid reader and there really wasn't anything out there that caught

my attention regarding Salem Witches, so I thought I'd write my own story! 

4. What inspired the Gamma Witch Hunting Fraternity? Do you believe in the existence of any

secret societies that may be up to no good?

Yes, all secret societies are up to no good - just kidding!  I love the idea of things hiding

in plain sight and what better than to have witch hunters posing as a fraternity?

5. What do you believe would happen in modern day America if people came forward and

displayed the powers we see some of your characters possess?

I think instead of hanging the accused from the tree branches, now they would probably

be forced into a laboratory for testing.  It definitely wouldn't be a good scenario.

6. What are some of your favorite witches from t.v., film, or books?

Hocus Pocus.  I've literally seen the movie hundreds of times and now I have my son

addicted to it, too!

7. I was so disappointed to see the series end! Is there any chance that you might write about any of the other characters we only briefly met in the New England Witch Chronicles series now that Alex's story has come to a close?

Yes!  I've been contemplating writing either prequels or maybe starting another series

within the same world as NEWC, but with different characters.  I'm currently finishing up

the final book in my Zombie Apocalypse Trilogy and I have another project I'm working

on, but I definitely would love to get back to the NEWC world soon.  I need more hours

in the day!

8. If you could turn your books into a film or t.v series who would be in your dream cast?

I love this question!

I always thought Alex Pettyfer would make a great Peter! 

Annasophia Robb as Alex

 

and Michael Trevino as James!!!

9. What do you think the most important lesson to be learned from the Witch Trials is?

The most important lesson from the Witch Trials is to think before we act.  Too often

people react without actually thinking about what they are doing – they go along with the

masses and fail to use their own brains. 



10. What do you hope readers take away from the series?

When people are reading my NEWC series, I hope they are able to escape reality for a

little bit.  I want them to be immersed in Alex's world.  I want them to forget about their

problems and enjoy the roller-coaster ride that is NEWC.

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