Tag: horror

books

Book Announcement: The Black Crow Book of Best New Horror Volume 1

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13 original tales to terrify in a brand new anthology showcasing the very best and bizarre in horror fiction Featuring horror legends and worldwide bestsellers Olivie Blake, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Tuttle, Tim Lebbon, V Castro, Ally Wilkes, Rian Hughes, Lindy Ryan, Susi Holliday, Lily Kade, TL Huchu, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Clay McLeod Chapman.

Be careful what you wish for. Whether searching for love, fame, money or revenge, remember that everything comes with a price. From stepping into an unknown in nature to ignoring the warnings of locals, to finding your perfect match or facing the hidden horrors of your past, beware. The thirteen stories in this brand-new anthology explore the dark side of human nature and take us into the hidden, terrifying recesses of a world we never see. Until it’s too late . . .

Following record breaking sales in horror fiction and the rise of new imprints focusing on the genre, the appetite for all things weird and wonderful is bigger than ever. Both a new venture and passion project, The Black Crow Book of Best New Horror combines stories from the biggest and best authors writing today, brought to you by industry experts, uber nerds and fans. Genre bookseller Matt Holland (The Broken Binding) and genre comms specialist Jamie-Lee Nardone (Black Crow PR) joined forces in 2024 to launch Black Crow Books; an agile and bespoke publisher and bookseller with a mission to publish the best new names in horror while also bringing out special editions of classics both old and new as well as subscription boxes. The Black Crow Book of Best New Horror Volume 1 is their inaugural anthology. Cover design, logo and typography by Rian Hughes. http://www.blackcrowbooks.co.uk

The Black Crow Book of Best New Horror (Volume 1)

13 original tales to terrify in a brand new anthology showcasing the very best and bizarre in horror fiction

Publishing 07 October from @blackcrow_bks worldwide £17.99 | $27.95

Original design, artwork and logo by Rian Hughes

Canada (various)

UK Amazon Bookshop.org Waterstones

US (various)

ROW coming soon

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Blog Tour: Where the Daybreak Ends – Brennan LaFaro

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Alone in the desert and covered in blood, Josiah Dennis comes across an abandoned town, and two unlikely storytellers burdened with sharing its history—past, present, and future.
Rogue gangs of vampires, young witches, flayed cadavers, giant lizards, and men with dark hearts dwell in these pages, looming over Buzzard’s Edge, a town full of people struggling to survive in an unforgiving Arizona frontier.
So, sit down a spell, and settle where the daybreak ends.

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Brennan LaFaro is a music teacher by day, horror writer by night, living in southeastern Massachusetts with his wife, two sons, and his hounds. He is the author of the Slattery Falls trilogy, the Buzzard’s Edge Saga, as well as Illusions of Isolation and Last Stay. You can read his short fiction in various anthologies and find him on Twitter at @brennanlafaro or at
http://www.brennanlafaro.com

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My thoughts: a series of short stories featuring the residents of the terrifying frontier town of Buzzard’s Edge, related to a lost traveller by Coyote and Vulture as they lead him across the desert.

Each story features horrifying creatures, some of them in human form. There are murders, creatures that literally appear out of the ground, vampires, and other nasties, all terrorising the brave (foolish?) inhabitants of this desert town.

I don’t know the other Buzzard’s Edge books, and it might be helpful to read them first, but not essential. I read this as a standalone collection and was quite happy with it as that. Although I now want to read the other stories, I especially want to know more about Alice.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Cover Reveal: Vessel – Poppy L. Roberts

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Check out this amazing cover for upcoming Horrormance, Vessel by Poppy L. Roberts — Available June 6th!

Vessel

Expected Publication Date: June 6, 2025

Genre: Paranormal/Horrormance

  • Cults
  • Ritual Sacrifice
  • River Baths
  • Morally Gray FMCs
  • Hand Necklaces
  • Dark Secrets
  • Forced Proximity
  • Demons and Dark Magic

The hollow waits.

Harper is lost—drowning in a life that feels hollow, disconnected, and disenchanting. Technology, consumerism, and monotony have drained the world of meaning, leaving her restless and yearning for something real. Then one day in her search for feeling, she stumbles across an obscure online forum whispering about Saint’s Hollow, an off-grid commune hidden deep in the mountains. They promise her a detox from the bog of her overwhelming life and reconnection with herself. They promise belonging.

Desperate for escape, Harper sells everything, erases her old life, and follows the invitation that simply reads: We’ve been waiting for you.

Saint’s Hollow is beautiful, untouched by the decay of modern life. Its people are warm, and its leader, Naamah, is intoxicating. But the deeper Harper sinks into their world, the more her reality fractures. Strangeness seeps into every crevice of life in Saint’s Hollow. Shadowed figures haunt her movements and the darkness whispers back.

As Harper unravels, she faces an impossible choice: fight for her fading humanity or surrender to the darkness that has always been waiting.

Because Saint’s Hollow doesn’t just want her dreams.

It wants all of her.

COMING SOON!

CW:
This book is intended for adults and may contain graphic or distressing content, including graphic on-page violence, death, gore, and explicit sexual content. A detailed list of content notes can be found at authorpoppyroberts.com.

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Blog Tour: The Legend of Mildred Wells – Michael Clark

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Formerly The Patience of a Dead Man trilogy

Newly remastered, re-edited, reworked, unabridged, and released as one volume
Perfect for new readers, and old fans will love the new content.

After a bitter and costly divorce, construction handyman Tim Russell buys a farmhouse in the country. Aiming to renovate and re-sell, Tim’s plans take a turn when he discovers the house is haunted by a fractured family whose ancient problems outweigh his own.
Tim sees a soaking-wet ghost boy and his mother, who is often seen chasing him around the house and property. Someone leaves Tim clues and burning candles, but who? Footsteps and wailing can happen anytime and anywhere. Tim, it seems, has been invited to the chaos.
Pressed into duty, Tim soon realizes he’s made a mistake. He’s been tricked and has started a war with a scorned dead woman, a woman whose middle name is Vengeance. Leaving is not an option.


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Michael Clark is the author of Hell on High and The Patience of a Dead Man trilogy. He lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Josi, and dog, Bubba, and takes long walks in the woods daily, thinking of new ways to scare you.

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My thoughts: I don’t believe in ghosts, never have but my mum reckons that when we moved into my childhood home (I was 6) she felt a distinct presence, that of the old lady who’d previously lived there, and it was only after she decided we were going to look after her house, after my mum reassured her (yes, out loud) that we would take care of it, that she left.

However, Mildred Wells is something altogether less friendly than this presence my mum felt. Instead she, and her family, are deeply unwelcoming. They act out a series of scenes from their lives on the farm that terrify Tim and his girlfriend Holly.

Mildred is angry, violent and driven by a deep seated rage. According to the local stories she killed her son and herself after her husband Thomas died during training for the American Civil War.

Both Thomas and son Elmer appear to Tim too, they seem to be seeking a resolution to their time trapped on Earth, and through the diaries the last home owner left, Holly maps out the events that the trio seem doomed to repeat.

Divided into three sections, first Tim and Holly’s experiences, then Mildred’s story, before returning to Tim and Holly, as they, and Mildred, try to find an end to this cycle of horror, this is a well researched and well written book. It’s gripping and chilling, Mildred’s rage is something else. But when you read the middle section, you will understand her a bit better, the things she saw and went through growing up are pretty dire.

That final section, where she returns, but now just wants to be with her family, leading her to do something desperate but ultimately redeemable, is slightly different, she’s both more sympathetic but more monstrous at the same time.

Both Tim and Holly are changed by their experience at Mildred’s hands, and yet somehow, they haven’t been driven completely mad. The shocking things the returned Mildred does, the number of deaths she leaves in her wake is crazy, but all she truly wants is be done and at peace. If she communicated this better, a lot could be avoided!

Sinister and dark, this isn’t a book to read just before bed, especially if you leave near the woods!

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: A Light of Little Radiance – Keith Anthony Baird & Beverley Lee

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Selina Dragavei wanders the northern wastes in fear of persecution from the Holy Roman Church. In Europe’s Dark Age, witchfinders scour the lands and traveller folk such as she are put to flame and suffering. On the ruthless steppes, she evades them but something far sinister will lay claim to her soul.

Returning to the world of men, a dark, transformed Selina has a thirst for blood and only the drift down through the centuries will quench it. But she won’t make that journey alone, as she determines to bring others to her. As a troupe of entertainers, they attend pageants, festivals, and even royal galas, where a family bound to darkness feed on unsuspecting mortals. Such debauchery, however, does not go unnoticed. Famed witchfinder, Desider von Brandenburg, becomes obsessed with bringing this band of vampire-devils to a righteous cleansing, and so a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.

Will the holy man bring God’s wrath down upon them, or will Selina and her nightwalkers battle the might of Heaven and emerge unscathed? Only instinct, cunning, and a little luck under the watch of a wolf moon will tell…

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Keith Anthony Baird has written a number of works, all of which can be found using your browser – get busy!

He lives in Cumbria, in the United Kingdom, on the edge of the Lake District National Park.

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Beverley Lee is a bestselling dark fiction author who lives close to the dreaming spires of Oxford, England. Her work specialises in atmospheric horror, creeping dread, and broken boys – sometimes altogether – but are always filled with heart and the tenuous threads of relationships pushed to the brink. All the Feels all the time. Vampires are her first love and occasionally they stop whispering long enough for her to write other books. When she’s not writing you’ll find her rambling through the countryside, dreaming about male vampires kissing, and exploring time-worn graveyards.

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My thoughts: Roaming Europe, a family of vampires has been lucky so far, they move on before anyone finds their victims, but their luck is running out. A team of hunters is on their trail and their leader has sworn not to stop until they, or he, are dead.

As the hunters harry their undead prey across Europe’s wintery depths, they must use all their skills to stay one step ahead of the men who see it as a holy duty to wipe out the creatures. The two parties clash and both sides suffer losses, who will prevail and at what cost? 

A dark and bloody tale of monsters and men, wolves and snow. Selina is cunning and has stayed “alive” a long time but she and her family may just have met their match, can all her centuries of wandering last or will she be brought to an end?

There’s some clever twists in this story and fans of horror and folklore will enjoy it.

*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.

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Blog Tour: Inked in Blood and Memory- Allison Ivy

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Welcome to the tour for upcoming sapphic horror, Inked in Blood and Memory by Allison Ivy!

Inked in Blood and Memory

Expected Publication Date: December 3, 2024

Genre: Sapphic Horror

  • Eat the rich
  • “Family is complicated”
  • Sapphic (f/f) romance
  • 2/5 spice level
  • Multi-POV
  • Vietnamese FMC
  • Plus size FMC
  • Mixed race FMC
  • FMC who wears glasses
  • New Year’s Eve Horror
  • Dark Academia
  • Estranged friends to lovers
  • Grownup “The Pagemaster” vibes

Recluse Sophie Vanguard’s winter cabin retreat turns ominous when blue flowers mysteriously appear. They’re everywhere. On her front porch, in kitchen cabinets, and even on her pillow. It isn’t long before chilling whispers echo in the halls, and her journal repeats seven unsettling entries.

Enter the bloodied and beautifully eccentric Ly Thi Ren. Though Ren seems familiar, Sophie refuses to believe the girl’s insistence that they are trapped inside a book.

In a land of fiction, truth and lies blur together, clear decisions are marred by doubt, and shared family trauma lurks just below the surface.

Can Ren and Sophie make it out alive? Or will they end up nothing more than words inked in blood and memory?

With elements of gothic horror, splatterpunk, romance, and fantasy, Inked in Blood and Memory is a self-aware LGBTQ+ horror that wraps its clutches around the reader and doesn’t let go.

PRE-ORDER HERE

Triggers:

Swearing (Not overboard. Three or four F-words and three or four other words.)
Gore/violence/body horror (not gratuitous and nothing sexual)
one scene of main character drug use (joint)
Brief suicidal ideation
Child endangerment
Self-deprecation in terms of weight (one paragraph).

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Blog Tour: The Lavender Fields – Derek Mola

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Welcome to the tour for The Lavender Fields, a collection of eerie tales by Derek Mola!



The Lavender Fields


Publication Date: October 19, 2024


Genre: Horror Anthology/ Short Stories


In the heart of the cosmos lies a dimension unlike any other—a realm of shimmering lavender fields where every possible universe is visible in the tapestry of existence. When an astronaut accidentally teleports to this mysterious plane, he finds himself in a front-row seat to the bizarre and terrifying narratives of alternate realities.

The Lavender Fields invites readers to journey as the astronaut recounts six chilling and fantastical stories from the multiverse. From eldritch cults that worship ancient deities to a drug that can freeze time itself, each tale plunges into the cosmic and supernatural horrors lurking at the edges of reality. Witness a meteor that incites unbridled rage, a shapeshifting prostitute who blurs the line between pleasure and peril, possessed pigs with unfinished business, and a witch mother whose dark magic has evil plans for her daughter.

Prepare for a mind-bending adventure through worlds where the unimaginable becomes real, and the only certainty is that fear transcends dimensions.

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Cover Reveal: Infestation – Aileen Erin

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Infestation (Days of Iron and Clay Book 2)

Expected Publication Date: January 21, 2025

Genre: YA Dark Fantasy

  • Good v. Evil
  • Found Family
  • Angels & Demons
  • Slow Burn Romance
  • YA Dark Fantasy

“Invocation is a brilliantly crafted, action-packed romantasy thriller you won’t be able to put down.” – Erin Michelle Sky, Author

SAMANTHA

I never thought I’d willingly walk into Hell again, but I did.

I survived and am back where I belong—at home. But Gabe, my demon-dead friend, is still missing. And the guilt is crippling me.

While I’m laughing and happy with my boyfriend, Gabe is suffering. While I’m resting and healing, Gabe is being endlessly tortured. But every plan I come up with is a suicide mission. And despite what it sometimes looks like, I’m not ready to die.

So, when my werewolf friends ask me to help their pack with a problem, there’s no way I can say no—even if I’m not ready to jump into another fight. There’s a mysterious evil the werewolves can’t track, and they need me to help them kill it.

It’s the perfect distraction. The only problem? Phoenix, a mortal, wants to go with me.

Even though he’s proven he can handle the supernatural, I can’t help but think nothing good can come from him getting an even better glimpse of how not normal my work life is. But I can’t say no to him; all I can do is pray Phoenix is still by my side when this is over.

PHOENIX

My life pre-Samantha was turmoil. Soccer career, over. Family life, devastated after the loss of my grandmother. Dating? Laughable. Every relationship fell apart because the door in my heart had been shut tight. I was unknowingly holding out for the one girl who had completely changed my world.

Samantha is it for me; my heart knew it before I did. I’d go anywhere as long as it’s with her.

But her guardian angel, Eli, said something to me that makes me think something truly terrible will happen to Samantha. And I’m not about to let that happen. I’ll do anything to keep her safe.

“I absolutely loved this book, it blew my mind…I laughed, I cried, I swooned…it’s a heartfelt epic adventure! – Sheila Kay, Author

AUTHOR NOTE: The Days of Iron & Clay is a spin-off the Alpha Girls Series, but can be fully enjoyed alone and is best enjoyed in order! Infestation picks up right where Invocation left off. Be sure to read Invocation first!

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE $1.99

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Blog Tour: Rebirth – Agnes Henbane

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image (1)

We’re celebrating the release of Rebirth by Agnes Henbane all this week. If you would like, you can pre-order the book until October 11th and take advantage of the pre-order incentives (see author’s bio for link)!

Rebirth-AHenbane-8x5

Rebirth (Lost Souls Book 1)

Publication Date: October 11, 2024

Genre: Dark PNR/ Horror Fantasy

• Dark paranormal romance
• Beauty and the Beast
• Horror fantasy
• Angels & demons
• Slow burn enemies to lovers
• Forced proximity
• Revenge plot
• Unique magic system

My first life, my human life, was nothing like the fairy tales. It may have started the same—“Once upon a time, I fell in love…”—but devolved into a nightmare where I was mistreated and eventually discarded by my so-called husband. I quickly learned there are no happily-ever-afters.
Searching for an escape, I find myself faced with a second chance, but one that is more like a gilded cage than a genuine fresh start. I wake in an unknown place with no memory of my old life or awareness of where I am. Relying on two strangers, who just so happen to also be my rivals for his favor, I learn to navigate this supernatural domain and my newfound power.
The man who brought me here showers me with both his magic and cruelty once I’ve proven myself worthy of his attention, shaping me to suit his needs. Despite his ulterior motive, he provides me the knowledge and opportunity to avenge myself for all I have endured, so I play into his hand as a means to my own end. After all, that’s what I am to him.
There is nothing I won’t do to reclaim what’s mine and break free from the bloodred hands that mean to imprison me. I just hope my fragile heart won’t get in the way of my schemes.

Rebirth is a Dark Paranormal Romance, please check TW’s before reading.

CONTENT WARNINGS

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Blog Tour: Doll Face – C. Herbert & D.J. Kimmer

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We’re celebrating the upcoming release of DOLL FACE by C. Hebert and D.J. Krimmer! Pre-order now or get your copy on October 5th!

Doll Face

Publication Date: October 5, 2024

Genre: Dark Romance/ Retelling/ Novella

Shall We Play A Game?

Amid the suffocating embrace of night,
I stumble upon him, a beacon of light.
The Boogeyman, a seductive terror,
Whispers haunting promises, cruel and fair.
Eyes that glint with otherworldly fire,
In his grasp, I’m consumed by dark desire.
A love twisted and sickeningly sweet,
Tangled in the depths of darkness, where nightmares meet.
Should I trust my button eyes,
Or should I doubt them and follow my firefly?

This story is a dark retelling created by two spooky queens who combined the iconic stories of The Nightmare Before Christmas (specifically Oogie Boogie) and Coraline into a mash up of spooky goodness filled with banter, chaos, and lots of spice.

GET IT ON AMAZON

TRIGGERS:

Mental Abuse, Physical Abuse, Attempted Sexual Assault, Torture, Blood, Biting, Attempted Murder, Murder, Death, Detailed Sexual Scenes, Anxiety, Mention of Child Abduction and Death, Kidnapping, Unprotected Sex, Stalking, Somnophilia, Emotional Abuse, Needles, Sewing of Flesh, Mention of Rape, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Profanity, Sexual Harassment, Slut Shaming, Violence, Dubious Consent, Desecration of a Corpse, Masturbation, Mention of Blood Orgies, Verbal Abuse, Taxidermy, Light Bondage, Virgin FMC, Sodomy, Rough Sexual Interactions, Removal of Eyes, Emotional Addiction, Intrusive Thoughts, PTSD Characteristics, Sex Addiction, Gambling, Body Modifications, Toxic Relationships, Body Horror, Dead Bodies, Emotional Scars, Emotional Trauma, Attempted Strangulation, Abuse of a Deceased Animal, Sexual Manipulation, Emotional Manipulation, Lying, Shared Trauma, Panic Attacks, and a Cliff Hanger Ending.

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