Thursday, May 26, 2016

Out of the Dark

Claire C. Riley brings us into a world where a disease has spread, pretty much everything has died off and there are monsters running around.

That's right- monsters. Not the kind that lurk. These monsters are the kind that hunt you down, rip cars apart and wear pearls.

The narrator never introduces herself, but we know she's traveling with Lily, her daughter. The narrator found Lily on her travels and quickly adopted her. It would appear Lily is an oddity, not because she has something supernaturally special about her, it's because she's a child. Most children died when the disease started spreading.

The narrator and Lily travel together, trying to find somewhere safe to stay where there is food while they tried to avoid the monsters. They do meet other survivors, but like most survival situations, hell is other people. For everyone willing to sacrifice their safe haven to save you, there's someone out for their own intentions.

When the end of their journey comes, Lily is faced with the one thing she doesn't want.

And we feel her despair.

But Lily is safe now and the time of monsters is coming to an end.

Right? Right?!



Monday, May 16, 2016

COVER REVEAL!

Author Claire C. Riley has a new book series coming out and the cover got revealed today!!!!!

‘Out of the Dark #1’


We are temporary. Finite.
The choices we’ve made, the people we have loved. Who we used to be no longer matters.
Because now it is all about the ending. And the ending always comes too soon.
There’s fear in the dark. And behind every drop of light, the shadows creep and the darkness comes in the form of clawing, red-eyed monsters. They hunt us—stalk us…they are desperate to destroy us.
But I have a reason to fight the darkness and everything in it. A small glimpse of light that lives within my golden-haired daughter, Lilly. She is my strength. She is my everything.
Every life is an untold story, each scene unfolding until the final act. But our ending has yet to be written, and I will continue to protect us, until I can not.

Uh, no. That's a book blurb. Try again.

"Riley delivers a story that is equal parts thrilling and breathtaking. It beautifully illustrates the lengths we go to survive and what it means to love when we've lost everything." 
NYT & USA Today bestselling Author A. Meredith Walters

"Riley’s ‘Out of the Dark’ holds a special place in my heart. Before I’d devoured it, I’d never read a book that so beautifully and eloquently captured the distressing, aching love a mother holds for her child. It is built into the heart strings of a woman, natural and uncontainable. It goes past biological and into spiritual.In her most unique and mysterious way, Riley has given us a transcendent picture of love in the midst of a terrifying climate. She has shown us what it means to choose your family, that it is a matter of honor and earning and not a matter of a blood bond and obligation. I am honored to have read this book pre-release and I know it will stick to me like honey, nearly glued onto the fabric of who I am as a human being."
Speculative fiction author - Eli Constant

"A beautifully written story that makes you realize that you should always have hope, even in the most desperate of circumstances. It will tug at your heart strings, until by the end, there isn’t a dry eye in the house."
Goodreads & Amazon reviewer

Now see, that's not a cover either. Those are review snippets for the book. Look, the folks came here for the cover, let's show them the cover!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Claire C. Riley is a USA Today and International bestselling author. She is also a bestselling British horror writer and an Amazon top 100 bestseller.
Her work is best described as the modernization of classic, old-school horror. She fuses multi-genre elements to develop storylines that pay homage to cult classics while still feeling fresh and cutting edge. She writes characters that are realistic, and kills them without mercy. Claire lives in the United Kingdom with her husband, three daughters, and one scruffy dog.

Author of:
Odium The Dead Saga Series (3 books), 
Odium Origins Series (3 books),
Limerence (The Obsession Series) (2 books),
Thicker than Blood series (2 books),
& Shut Up & Kiss me,
Plus much more.

Contact Links:

www.clairecriley.com
www.facebook.com/ClaireCRileyAuthor
http://amzn.to/1GDpF3I


‘She writes characters that are realistic and then kills them without mercy’ – Eli Constant author of Z-Children, Dead Trees, Mastic and much more.


See now you're just being silly. That's the author's biography and how to find them on the web and social media. Where's the cover?

Add it to your bookshelves here --> Out of the Dark #1

No, that's how you can add the book to your shelf on Goodreads. Well hang on a second, let's click on the link. And then the cover.



Oh for #$%*^ sake, that's not the cover, that's the author! Look, if the cover is being shy, we can wait until they're ready.





Nice.



Oh stop showing off.

Look for Out of the Dark by Claire C. Riley on May 26th wherever you happen to look for books. I recommend the nearest pocket dimension or zombie friendly book seller.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Urban Temples of Cthulhu

Most people think of Cthulhu from that South Park "Coon and Friends," but people who don't rely on pop culture to give them everything know Cthulhu as an elder God brought to life by H.P. Lovecraft. The stories in this anthology center around showing modern takes of the elder God....sans Eric Cartman.....


Little Gods- James Pratt's character talks about his beliefs and his encounter with someone who brings in some perspective.

Sects and the Single Girl- Steven A. Roman shows that sexual harassment suits can happen anywhere, but sometimes it's just a little understanding that's needed.

The Kings in Rebel Yellow- Kurt Khave presents the tale of a very sought after couch.

The Face of God Within- Brian H. Seitzman shows us what happens when a loser decides to take his life back by following a friend's referral to a place that sounds too good to be true.

The Black Metal of Derek Zann- Aaron Besson's Bleak Cathedral bring a new member into the fold and he brings them into a whole new level.

Cosmic Cavity or The Mouth of Man- Carl R. Jennings lets us meet the dentist of the damned.

Along the Shore of Old Ridge- Stuart Conover's soldier wants to satisfy his curiosity, to find an answer to something he found so many years ago.

Sleep Talking- Jeff C. Stevenson puts new meaning to getting rid of the ol' ball and chain.

Matriarch of Skid Row- M.C. Bluhm shows what happens when a cop gets a little too curious in the name of being righteous.

Uncle Lovecraft: The Complete Oral History- David Acord talks about a show that may or may not have existed and how it affected those who were able to see it.

Strange Communion- Allen Griffin shows how accepting new things can lead in very interesting directions

Death in the Sunset- Guy Riessen talks about what we do to fix things, but ultimately, we become fodder for something else.

The Abomination of St. Jude- David F. Gray introduces us to Destin. Destin meets Sloan. Sloan shows Destin his new destiny.

Flesh-Bound Shadow- M.S. Swift's gardens should be closely watched and not disregarded.

Doorstepping- Kelda Crich finally gives a third option that seems to more sense than what we're experiencing right now.

Saturday Night at the Esoteric Order of Dagon- Jill Hand talks about belief and dashed hopes. Bet they didn't think the belief was so strong to escape the mistaken identity.

City of our Lady, Queen of the Angels, Virgin Mother of a Thousand Young- Keven Wetmore lets us see what happens when you think you know more than you really do.

Warm Red Sea- Jaap Boekstein wraps things up with Nathalie's journey to become who she really is and not what Leon thinks he's manipulated her into.

The stories collected in this anthology were great to read and the way the voices came together was just great, but my biggest problem was the digital formatting. There were times it became difficult to read because of weird spacing and randomly inserted images.