I was recently given two awards and it is so appropriate that the first two awards I ever received are from my sister, Laura, at fuonlyknew .
She is the one who introduced me to blogging, Goodreads and Twitter. I can’t thank her enough for all her help and support in helping me learn the ropes and introducing me to some of her great friends on the internet. It has brought us closer together. Thank you so much, Laura!
For the Fabulous Blog Ribbon you tell 5 fabulous moments, five things you love and 5 things you hate, and then nominate 5 friends.
For the Versatile Blogger award you tell seven things about yourself and nominate seven friends.
Emily Guido nominated me for not one, but three awesome awards. Even though she is extremely busy writing her Light-Bearer series, she still finds time to stop by my blog and say hi. Thanks so much.
If you haven’t met Emily yet, you can meet her here
3) Nominate 7 other bloggers and let them know you’ve done so.
and then
There is only one rule:
1) Don’t do a damned thing!
I have decided to combine all the tasks into one. I will tell you seven things about myself. And keep it on the down low, because I have a reputation to protect. LOL
1. It took me an odd route (from Michigan to Alabama to Georgia to Florida to Alabama to New York and back to Florida) to make it here, Florida, but I feel like I am home.
2. I am a car nut, I love fast cars.
3. My husband calls me a mermaid because I spend so much time in the pool. I am a water and sun worshipper.
4. I have a love/hate relationship with golf. I hack around the course every chance I get and take along some beers to soothe my savage beast.
5. I am a bit of a loner, so the power of invisibility would be awesome.
6. I used to be a neat freak, but have found a little dust never hurt anyone. There are not enough hours in the day to do all I want to do.
7. My two hobbies are my passions, other than my husband, of course. I love reading and photography. I like to start my morning, with my coffee, kindle or physical book and camera on the patio by the pool.
All the header photos on my blog were taken by me and I will change them out every now and then.
What a life and I’m loving every minute of it.
Below are my nominees. I spend a lot of time browsing their blogs. Thanks guys. Stop by their blogs and check them out.
Not sure what I expected, but it was so much more. Good things do come in small packages.
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In the 20’s it was unusual for a woman to be unmarried, work and live on her own. Olivia had never considered herself a spinster, she just liked her life. She didn’t want to be one of the herd or do what was expected of her. She was terrified of kids. Her father had disowned her at 26 and her mother told her that no one would want an old woman.
It was totally unexpected when she met Charles Doyle. They fell for each other at first glance. When he proposed, she choked on the chocolate truffle she was eating. She told him no and it broke her heart. He told her he didn’t want kids. And if she didn’t want to clean or cook, no problem. Those things weren’t important to him. He had a son he hadn’t seen in fifteen years and a grandson he had never met.
She was very superstitious. During the wedding ceremony, a hail storm broke out. Charlie blew it off, so she did too. She was afraid of the number eleven. On the tenth day of marriage they arrived in Miami for their honeymoon. On the eleventh day, she talked him into staying low-key, taking no chances. They went shopping, she was thinking that nothing could go wrong shopping. He snuck off and bought her a surprise. Back in the room, he told her to close her eyes and he put the necklace around her neck. When she what it was, her heart fell. Opals were bad luck. He died that night.
Susanna Doyle told her husband she had to be in New York City for her singing career. Benjamin knew he would lose her if they went anywhere near there, so he’d played a stalling game with her. He would promise her they would go, then find an excuse not to.
When she became pregnant, life got even worse. To get even, when the baby was born, she named him Ethan Allen, after the furniture store she worked at. As Ethan grew older, their fights became so vicious that he built a fort out back to get away from them.
One day at the diner, he noticed Mister Scooter, the owner, touching his mom’s butt. He asked her about it and she said if he kept quiet, she would make sure she always had enough spare change for him to go to the movies.
Susanna was very excited because Benjamin had promised they would go to New York City in September. When September rolled around, he found another excuse not to go. She had been working and saving the money, so she told Ethan they were going without him, but not to say anything so he wouldn’t find out and try to stop them. She went to the bank for her money, but Benjamin had already closed the account.
Susanna immediately went to Scooter, telling him she wanted to run away with him and Ethan to New York City. He thought about his own kid, for only a moment, and said okay.
Ethan was eleven years old and his mom had always promised him she would never run off without him. But that night, Ethan’s whole world changed.
I don’t know why I was drawn to the cover, title, then the blurb. Something tugged at me.The cover conveyed such a sense of sorrow from the boy. I loved the second reference to spare change, but you will have to read the book to find out what it is, and why the title is so very appropriate.
I am not much for a story without some murder, killing, death, blood, gore, mystery, magic; in other words, some kind of action or adventure. This was a different kind of murder story, more a story of a woman alone, and a boy with no home and no one to love him. The murder was just a small piece.
For a short book, Bette made me feel like the story covered a lifetime. I kept reading faster and faster. I was afraid for Ethan and then both him and Olivia. She put so much story into a small book. Plot was detailed and suspenseful. I kept waiting for…..
The characters were amazing. Her descriptions left me feeling like they were my neighbors. I felt like I knew them. They were realistic and reminiscent of a time when we knew our neighbors. Such a feel good book. Made me tear up and cry because of its sweetness. I know my neighbors and speak to them, but I am a solitary creature, so it really surprised me that I felt such strong emotions while reading the story.
How do you get an eleven year old boy to trust you? I felt Ethan’s fear and panic. To win him over, it took much empathy, patience and compassion. So much, packed into its 280 pages. I know I keep repeating myself, but I still can’t get over how much this book affected me.
I received this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Not only was the author gracious enough to send me a paperback, she also autographed it for me. I love to add another book to my collection.
Giveaway – Bette Lee Crosby is offering for the giveaway:
International – ebook of Spare Change – OR – US and Canada a signed paperback. As always the entry is easy. Leave a comment telling us what you do with your spare change and an email address.
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. The Winners Are:
Kimba – won the signed paperback Alana – won the ebook
Thanks to all of you for the wonderful, warm and touching comments. I hope you will continue to follow fundinmental.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bette Lee Crosby’s work was first recognized in 2006, when she won the National League of American Pen Women Award for unpublished fiction with What Matters Most. Her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, received the 2009 Royal Palm Literary Award and then went on to win the 2011 FPA President’s Book Award Gold Medal. In 2011 Spare Change received the Reviewer’s Choice Awards and it garnered a second Royal Palm Literary Award. Her books have earned numerous five-star ratings with readers acclaiming them as heartwarming and captivating.
Most recently, Bette completed a memoir written for Lani Deauville, a woman the Guinness Book of Records lists as The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic.
For the next two weeks, Wormwood is on sale for 99 cents !
Against a devastated landscape, a legion of one hundred fierce half-angels is hell-bent on purging the Earth of all humans. But one of them, the tormented Tiamat, struggles against his mission, and when he rescues a beautiful woman named Kali, he finds the attraction as troubling as it is miraculous. Can Kali trust the one creature who could be responsible for her ultimate demise? Beautifully written and excitingly told, Wormwood creates a world that is as strange as it is compelling. Filled with brilliantly executed twists and turns on every page that are guaranteed to keep you guessing, Wormwood is one of the most exciting debuts of the year.
You can read my review of Wormwood by DH Nevin here.
Check out this awesome Wormwood book trailer!
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Danielle just reduced Wormwood’s price to 99 cents on both
in appreciation of all the lovely comments from her readers. We had such a huge response to the giveaways and review post and I agree with Danielle that it was very special. Just click on the links to get your copy! Here’s to ya’ll!
D. H. Nevins was born in Toronto and currently lives in a relatively remote area of Ontario, surrounded by forests and lakes. By day she is a personable, friendly school teacher. By night, she silently chuckles as she writes about angels destroying the world. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys hiking, camping, flying around on her motorcycle or dabbling in live theatre.
She loves to connect with others and can be contacted or followed a number of ways:
Her description in her bio is appropriate: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”
I was walking back to Sofia’s from the bakery and saw a man in the square. He seemed to be eying me, but I was late and hurried on. Somehow I got lost and when I turned around, he was there. I explained what happened, described Sofia’s street and he took me there. I joked along the way, but he didn’t seem to get it. I do have a sarcastic wit. To repay him, I told him I would buy him a gelato and we agreed to meet at the pizzeria later. His name was Paolo.
I had come to Italy to go to the university and study art. I was living with my host, Sofia, and because I was so late, she instituted a 9:00 pm curfew and I was to meet Paolo at 9:15. Now what? I came up with the idea to leave a message for him at the pizzeria and meet him there at 3:30 Monday afternoon.
That night, as I lay in bed, I heard my name. I went to the window, looked out and Paolo was there. He talked me into climbing out the window and trespassing into the church. We stood by the collection box and he whispered in my ear, “I’m going to kill you.”
He turned toward the altar and I ran into the office. I saw a door, so I ran through it and down the stairs. The room was lit by candles that ringed a hole in the floor. Paolo kept backing me toward the hole, until someone yelled stop. I lost my balance and fell into the hole. It was so dark and I felt I was drowning. How I climbed out, I don’t know.
Uther explained, I was in his quarters in the church. He was the guardian of the sanctum. His niece, Lettie came into the room and asked me if I felt different. Why would I feel different? When I told Uther I had to go home, he said I couldn’t ever go home. He went on to explain that when I fell into the well, I had died. He said they were dead too. It was true. I had no pulse, no heartbeat. We were vampires.
When I saw myself in the mirror, my eyes were lit up as if on fire. Uther and Lettie told me I was a miracle. Never before had someone become a vampire without drinking someone’s blood. The well I fell into was full of vampire blood.
I didn’t think it could get any worse, until the General came. He called me an abomination and was taking me to the Empress. I had been thrown in the back of the truck, alone. I felt no pain and as I licked my lips I tasted blood. Soon I was cleaning blood from my body, lapping it up like a cat.
We arrived at the castle. I was chained and had a bag thrown over my head. I was made to kneel. When the bag was removed I saw hundreds of men and women surrounding me. Paolo was brought in. The Empress called him Transporter. She condemned us both to death.
I didn’t know where we were, but I tried to find a way to escape. As the sun moved around the room, I saw Paolo burn and turn to dust. Why didn’t I burn in the sun like Paolo? I amazed myself by climbing out of the tower. As I looked around, I saw nothing but rocks and water.
When I dove and began swimming, I realized I didn’t need to breathe. Apparently there were some benefits to being a vampire. I woke up and found I had washed up on shore, so I began walking. As I walked, I talked to myself. It was something I did all the time.
I was startled when someone answered me. I thought I was alone. He introduced himself as Noel and said he could remove my chains. He took me home and introduced me to the boys, Lucas and Jerome. I didn’t want to, but felt I had to tell them my story.
They said they made weapons for the Aramatta, the Monarchy’s guards. They told me the guards would come here, looking for me. Noel said they would take care of me and meant it. We prepared to leave, but had waited too long.
They beheaded Jerome in seconds. Noel fought hard but was outnumbered. I saw the jar of fuel by the sink, rolled it across the floor and threw the lantern. I grabbed Lucas and ran out the door, as the cabin went up in flames.
We decided to hide for the day, then go to see Uther. He had to tell us what was going on, why they wanted me so bad. When we arrived at the church, Lettie told us Uther had gone to Romania to consult the Sacriva, the vampire scripture. It had foretold of her arrival.
She proceeded to tell them about the Ancients, and the prediction. There were seven Ancients with super strength and great powers. They could walk in the sun, read your mind and predict the future. When two Ancients fought and one was killed, any vampires created by the Ancients died, the entire blood line. The Monarchy imprisoned the ancients, dug a well and put all their blood in the well. It was called the Crucivium.
The prophesy became the Sacriva. It says, when the natural world is threatened by the vampire empire, a human girl will be born, a vampire by unholy means. She will restore order.
The Monarchy is afraid of me. They will hunt me down and kill me. I told Lucas to leave, but he put his hand out and I took it.
4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others
The cover is gorgeous and the title led me to learn more about the book.
When the General fought with Lucas, it made me picture Twilight, when Edward fought to save Bella in the church. I could picture them both, flying through the air and bouncing off the walls.
Wynne Channing created Axelia with a sense of humor and a sarcastic wit. She would need it. The trials and tribulations she goes through to save her and Lucas, create a strong character. I was running and climbing with her, as I rooted for her and hoped she’d get what she needs and wants.
The story was unique and creative. Very different from the vampire novels I have read. It captured me from the beginning and I eagerly ate it up. The action was non-stop, keeping me reading to find out what would happen next.
I loved the ending and it left me wanting more, but you will have to read the book to find out for yourself. I am eagerly awaiting the next book.
About the top-rated, best-selling book (#1 in occult, October 2012): An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race. So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive. How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?
About Wynne: Wynne Channing is a national newspaper reporter and award-winning young adult novelist. Wynne loves telling stories and as a journalist, she has interviewed everyone from Daniel Radcliffe and Hugh Jackman to the president of the Maldives and Duchess Sarah Ferguson. The closest she has come to interviewing a vampire is sitting down with True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard (he didn’t bite). She briefly considered calling her debut novel “Well” so then everyone would say: “Well written by Wynne Channing.”
Wynne Channing has offered 3 ebooks for the giveaway. It is International and easy to enter, as always. Just answer the question – WHAT VAMPIRIC POWER WOULD YOU WANT TO HAVE? – and leave your email.
Now comes my favorite time of any giveaway. Announcing the winners.
Drum roll, please!!
Emily Guido / Denise Z /Melanie
Congratulations. Your comments were wonderful and very much appreciated. This was a fun giveaway and I hope you will all come back again.
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To get your copy of I Am Forever, or another Wynne Channing novel, click on the cover below.
Before we get to the snippet, I wanted to tell my friends about why I chose the paranormal genre to write in and especially… “The Light-Bearer Series.”
I love romance and yes, I could have written a romance novel or novels. They would have been lovely to write.
However, what gets my blood pumping is not only romance, but mystery, intrigue and terror from the supernatural! Forces that we have no control over or forces that twist our fate.
In “Mactus,” Tabbruis and Charmeine are so in love but their love is threatened by those supernatural forces that they have no control over.
The Elder Council, (the Blood-Hunter’s ruling body) are sort of ‘Mystic Bullies’ who mark this couple for death because one race cannot stand the other race. ”Light cannot have dark and dark cannot have light.” Both races rage this war because of prejudice.
So, I just thought a little insight might make you possibly want to download and read this wonderful continuation of “The Light-Bearer Series.” I hope you enjoy and onto the Snippet!
Shane shook his head while taking huge bites and swallowing the food down. He said, “Nope, not with that voodoo stare Dad has. He can convince anyone to do anything. Sort of like Obi-Wan Kenobi in Mos Eisley, when he stares down the Imperial Storm troopers to let them pass, you know? I would love to have that trick up my sleeve.” Shane mock stared at her grinning wide while he was gulping the last of his food down.
Among other things, Charmeine wondered why Shane had not inherited any of their powers. However, she thought it was better he was a normal human. This was his world since he was a child. Charmeine’s mind was flinging question after question one right after another as she was eating her cold toast and drinking her lukewarm coffee.
Tabbruis came into the room rubbing his hands together and smiling. He had already showered, shaved and changed. Charmeine thought how could ever think he was human; he was dressed in black jeans and boots with a tight fitted black T-shirt over his muscles. His green eyes were bright and his hair was combed back with his bangs of dark chestnut hair on his forehead. He also smelled terrific and she warmed when she caught his scent in her nose.
Tabbruis said, “Listen you two; I have a lot of things to say and I need no arguments from you…” He scanned their eyes for confirmation.
Charmeine nodded and Shane said, “Okay… shoot.”
Tabbruis took a breath and said, “I have wealth. I have a place where we can go and be secure. I know the terrain there and have security put into place for our transport and transition there. First, Charmeine…” he bent down and picked up her hand while it was sparking. He said, “My love, my Charmeine. I love you!”
Charmeine looked into his deep green eyes and saw he was telling the truth. She sighed.
Then Tabbruis and Charmeine heard a chuckle across the table and both stared at Shane. He said, “Oh, go ahead folks… just keep the mushy stuff to a minimum here. I’m trying to keep down my cold breakfast.” They all started to laugh.
Tabbruis pulled a dining room chair out and sat down. With a serious look, he said, “Now, I am having both of your apartments cleaned out and your belongings are being shipped with us. All of our cars are coming too. We leave on my jet in 90 minutes. If you do not have your passports, do not worry I have connections that will get yours done and waiting at the airport for us. I need you two to get your showers and change into comfortable clothes for travel. It will take us several hours to arrive there.”
Tabbruis held up hands and said, “I do not want any arguments, it is being done so our family can be safe. Nothing and I mean nothing is more important than our family being safe. Do you both understand? No arguments!”
Shane and Charmeine began to speak, but he looked at them in their eyes and said, “It is for the best we do this to protect our family. I need you dressed and ready to go to the heliport in about twenty-five minutes. Do not worry about packing what you have at the hotel either, everything is being shipped, and we will have it shortly after our arrival.”
Charmeine took a deep breath, no use arguing with her ‘husband’ when he used the ‘voodoo stare’ as her son called it, even though she knew it never worked on her. She said, “May I ask one question?”
He nodded reticently, “Where are we going Tabbruis?”
Tabbruis looked her and Shane in the eye with a big smile. Charmeine looked at Shane with a bit of anxiousness in her stomach.
Tabbruis said with a sparkle in his eye, “Romania!”
For everyone who didn’t win the giveaway, now is your opportunity to snag yourself a copy of Revamp by Beck Sherman. Be sure to tell all your friends and family.
FOR THREE DAYS, IT WAS DARK.
News reporters scrambled. This was the biggest story to come along in weeks.
They called it a blackout.
The last one was in New York City in 2003, but this one was different, special, because the grids in six major cities across the country had been fried, kaput, see-you-next-Sunday. Everyone with some jurisdiction blamed each other, and when there was no one left to blame, terrorism rode in on its gallant steed.
It was the media’s fault. They were so busy stuffing fanatical Muslims with a penchant for Allah and decapitations down the American citizen’s throat, that they never saw it coming. I guess I shouldn’t be too hard on them.
They were partially right.
It was terror after all, but a whole new kind. And when the lights came back on, things had changed.
Yay!!! The contest has ended, but before I announce the winners I would like to thank Beck Sherman for the opportunity to have the giveaway. There were 3 ebook winners.
If you were not a winner and would like to order the book, simply click on the cover.
Congratulations!!! The three ebook winners are listed below:
.
Krystal
Tiffany
Adrinthsky
I will be emailing the winners and forwarding their information to Beck Sherman. I would like to thank everyone who stopped by my blog, whether to enter the contest or just to browse.
To check out Beck Sherman, click on the links below:
Yippee!! The giveaway has ended and winners have been selected. I would like to thank D. H. Nevins for offering the 5 ebooks for the giveaway.
If you were not one of the winners and would like to order the book, simply click on the cover.
Congratulations to the five ebooks winners listed below:
Naomi
Christina
Beth
Amber
Charity
I will be contacting the winners by email and forwarding their information to D. H. Nevins. I would like to thank everyone who stopped by my blog, whether to enter or just browse around.
If you would like to check out D. H. Nevins, simply click on the links below:
My office is above Robby’s Auto and I feel it is an appropriate place. There is a car graveyard behind the building and Webster Investigations is built on ruined lives.
My wife, Molly had asked for a divorce and right after that I had shot a drug addict. I was on suspension when Patrolman Mike Poirier pushed me past the breaking point and I punched him. I had been a police officer, but had belted him in front of way too many witnesses and was asked for my resignation.
It was Thanksgiving weekend and I figured no one would be coming into the office, so I would try to clean it up a bit. The building left a lot to be desired.
In walked a woman asking for Clayton Webster, that was me. She introduced herself as Bonita Esquivez and told me her husband was missing. He had been gone since last night and she was afraid he may be hurt. Why would she think that?
She pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills and asked when I could start. They had come here from Miami, so I couldn’t help but wonder why they would stop here, in Lowell, Massachusetts.
She said a black officer at the precinct had given her my name. I figured that must be Lieutenant Willis Chubb. I picked up a cup of coffee for him and went to his office. He confirmed it was him who sent her. He warned me to be careful with her, you know, the femme fatale are always trouble.
I started with the hotel bartender. His roommate Chicken Man told me he had seen a man hitting on another man’s wife. The man punched him and Chicken Man said he helped him outside. He left him puking by the canal. Could he have fallen in and drowned? When I left, Chicken Man came down right after and jumped in his car, a beat up Volvo. I had seen one when I was with Bonita earlier and looked at the license plate – EJAQL8. I wouldn’t forget that.
I went around asking more questions, but couldn’t find out anything. I went looking along the canal to see if I could find a sign of Lucky. I recognized Choop, from when I was on the force, and yelled for him to wait up. I wanted to talk to him. He was looking down at the canal and I wondered if he saw something. He ran and lost his footing, falling in the canal. The cold water jolted my system as I dove into the canal. He almost strangled me as I tried to save him and I had to knock him out.
My next step would be to check out hotbed motels and the city bars.
Bonita called me to thank me for the box of chocolates, but I told her I didn’t send them. I heard her vomiting, as she was trying to talk to me on the phone. I called the front desk and told them to get up there in a hurry.When I got there, I checked the box. It said, with compliments from Webster Investigations. I could see tiny holes in the bottom of the candies. She wouldn’t let me call the police. I was now really motivated to find Lucky.
Bonita had said her husband might be with his cousin, Carlos Chavez, in Boston. I told her I was headed there and she said not to leave without her. She had to go back to the hotel first. She found that her purse had been ransacked and her gun was missing. Nothing else was touched. I had to find a safe place for her.
I headed to Boston on my own. While I was there, I was knocked out and robbed. I figured someone didn’t want me to find Chavez.
I found out Bonita had lied to me. No big surprise there. Bonita had told me Lucky was in the jewelry business, but I found out he was dealing in porn. Bonita had sent me to the warehouse where I was attacked. Bonita had been out at 2:00 am. What does she really want from me?
3 STARS – Would Recommend To Others
I liked the cover. Anything with water and vibrant colors catches my attention. The title is appropriate and could have more than one meaning.
The book was detailed and well written. The storyline was easy to follow. I always like these kinds of books. No big surprises.
The femme fatale, as usual, lies and can never be trusted. You don’t know who or what to believe.
Lucky was scum, abusing his wife and stepchild. The plot dealt with the seedy parts of life. How low could someone go? Lucky was pretty low. Who cared if he died?
The blurb caught my attention because of Boston and Lowell, Massachusetts. They are places very familiar to me and I am always drawn to a book that has a location I know.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bob Sanchez was born in New Orleans, grew up and worked in Massachusetts, and lives with his wife and two cats in New Mexico. Bob has published three novels: When Pigs Fly, Getting Lucky, and Little Mountain. He actively participates in several writers’ groups, edits nonfiction reviews for The Internet Review of Books, and maintains or contributes to several blogs.
I believe that Annette Dobson, The SIDS Killer, is not dead, even though the state says they executed her, filed a death certificate and closed the case. Her husband does not believe it either. She had been convicted of killing six of her children before they could reach a year old. She was pregnant at the time of her incarceration and plead for an abortion, so she wouldn’t take the baby to hell with her. She is only one of the seven I think they have brought to Uphir.
I will go to almost any lengths to get the story, that is why I am coming to the Uphir Behavioral Health Center in Uphir, Texas, and agreeing to being “treated” by Dr. Alan Hayworth, a clinical psychologist and the Reverend William H. Billings, a local minister.
When I was interviewed by Dr. Hayworth, he asked me what I really wanted. He also wanted to know how I found him.
While I sit in the diner in Dell City, Texas, where the song Farmer in the Dell came from, I wonder about what I am doing here. The only safety measure I have taken, is having my assistant and girlfriend, Melody Swann, receive and transcribe any diary notes and tapes that I will send to her on and off during my stay.
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The waitress at the diner seemed surprised to see me. I had been here a month ago to work out the details of my commitment to Uphir. She said she had never seen anyone that went up there, come back. She told me that everyone who lived out by the center had moved away or outright disappeared. They were afraid of the demons running wild.
We kept talking, and I told her I was there because of Renaldo, a reporter. He had contacted me about strange things going on at Uphir, and had never contacted me again. She knew his name was Ose. She said she heard him say it and that he was coming for Eddie, for me. I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about or why she would say that.
When I arrived, I stood and stared at the building. It felt alive, as if it was speaking to me. I entered and was greeted by a nurse. The Doctor came out and escorted me to his office, telling me the protocol. I could only record when I was given permission. I felt I was being watched and thought it was probably the Reverend, because he came in shortly after. He creeped me out.
He seems to be focused on demonic forces that can influence us all, but I didn’t really believe any of what he was saying. I thought there must be some kind of blocker, because even though I had recorded our meeting, the playback was intermittent. There were parts missing and I could hear odd voices and static. The recording seems to be trying to tell me something, like someone is trying to communicate with me outside normal channels. It speaks in a language I cannot understand.
They put me in the house from “Psycho”. Even though it is separate from the “hospital”, I have no food and only one window to look out. It looks right back at the institution. There is no cable, internet or phone service. There is a VCR. The tapes all have a theme, The Exorcist, Rosemary’s Baby, Jacob’s Ladder, Altered States, The Brood, In The Mouth of Madness. My thought is, they are trying to mess with my mind.
It’s 2:00am and I can’t sleep, so I look out the window. The moonlight has an eerie glow, like in the horror movies. I’m waiting for someone with a hockey mask or chainsaw to come busting in. I always feel as if I am being watched. The Reverend had left a Bible with passages marked. as if I’m supposed to read them and make me ponder the evil in me.
I’m thinking they brought Annette Dobson here for the sole purpose of studying the baby after it was born. Maybe they felt they could learn something from a baby that was born from a cold-blooded killer. Will it be an Angel or a Demon? If what I think is true, she should be due in a week or so.
I arrive for breakfast and run into Donald. He starts telling me about all my secrets. How could he possibly know? His voice sounds different, and as he keeps on, I can feel myself getting more and more angry. I am so mad, I can feel my body vibrate with tension. I have such a feeling of rage, hate, shame, guilt, pain and violation that I am furious beyond my control.
Melody becomes freaked out transcribing the tapes. She hears screaming and cries for help. As she types, she feels like someone is typing for her. Words come out that she didn’t put down. They are in a language she doesn’t know. It is talking to her, telling her things. Warning her? She feels any urgency to get the results to Eddie fast.
I met with the Reverend. He asked if I believed the bible was true. I asked him, what does it matter? He proceeds to tell me, I have entered a world where good and evil are at war. He wants to make sure I am safe from possession before he will let me meet with Annette Dobson.
Renaldo Gonzalez had brought a tape to me made by Timothy Nathan Tyler, another executed inmate, saying he was going to be resurrected. Then Renaldo just disappeared off the face of the earth. Tyler is sitting in front of my right now and looks as if he is dead. Annette is there too.
Melody becomes more afraid with the next transcription.She can hear Eddie speaking another language, ranting and raving like a madman. It seems like her laptop has a mind of its own. It won’t shut off. It’s as if someone is with her. She is terrified to move, so she keeps writing. A voice filled with evil is making her write and she cannot quit until she has written down what it wants. Melody doesn’t want to do this any more.
I get my computer back and want to write about the visit with the others. It scares me shitless.They looked as if possessed and I am living inside the movies of Carrie or The Omen. I had completely lost it when Tyler had told me things that no one here could have known. He even used the same tone of voice and projected the same feelings onto me that my ex-wife had.
I seemed to be going down into a pit of desolation, so I started to sing happy songs. Songs like The Flintstones and Sesame Street. I think of my little girl and feel like I’m evil, cursed, should just up and die. I continue singing trying to fight off the sense of impending madness.
Because I had reacted so badly, they had put me in an isolation cell. I typed until my battery died, then lay listening to the screams and the metal clanging footsteps. Pitch blackness amplified everything I heard and felt.
As I sat in the Doctor’s office, ready to record, they said they had warned me of the supernatural. According to him and the Reverend, Tyler, Annette and the rest of the patients, were all possessed and they were trying to help them. They went on to say that one of the demons had come for me. He proceeded to tell me that I was really here to record my story. He quoted scriptures for me to read and sent me on my way.
Matthew Chapter 12 Verse 43-46
Luke Chapter 11 Verse 24-26
I read the scriptures and thought it odd that two different people, Matthew and Luke, said the same thing. It was written that seven times the evil had returned. What if the demons are real? I decided that the title of my story would be SEVEN-X.
3 STARS – Would Recommend To Others
I was gifted this book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I gave it only three stars, because it didn’t quite get me to the point of being terrified. The suspense kept me reading, but I was left wanting something more. It was written as a diary, and that may be why I couldn’t seem to lose myself in the plot.
Awesome cover. Eyes always make me want to look deeper into them and see what’s there. The title made me curious and I did find out that it was an appropriate title.
The writing was very good and I can see how the story can be continued. The main character of Eddie Hanson is well developed and credible, with a need to solve the puzzle of the missing convicts. It would be his scoop. Put him on top. Can you imagine how a person, so sure of their convictions, would feel if he found them to be otherwise? His plan to solve the puzzle, simply creates another.
What if you couldn’t tell what was real? It wouldn’t be that difficult to become paranoid and believe they are messing with your head when you are isolated from the outside world. We all know how cults can brainwash people. Are there really demons? Are they out to have us do their bidding? Or is it just the evil inside us?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Wech is a writer, director and editor living in Los Angeles CA.
Originally from Buffalo, Mike began his career in New York as an actor with appearances on Liquid Television, America’s Most Wanted, One Life To Live and All My Children as well as numerous stage plays.
Moving behind the camera Mike began work as a writer crafting television commercials and shows like VH1’s Fairway to Heaven. Mike worked as a writer, producer, director, editor, camera operator and in various other capacities learning his craft as he moved into feature films.
His first feature, the post apocalyptic “The Moment After2, The Awakening, directed by Wes Llewellyn sold over a million dollars on DVD. More features and television shows followed including the critically acclaimed docu-drama “South Dakota” with Star Wars Producer Howard Kazanjian and Director Bruce Isacson, and the gritty crime drama, “The Exodus of Charlie Wright” starring Andy Garcia, Aidan Quinn, Gina Gershon and Luke Goss, directed by R. Ellis Frazier.
With an eye on producing his own material, Mike continued writing for his clients, while penning the Award Nominated screenplay, “Your Life The Movie.”
SEVEN-X is Mike’s debut novel and the first in the forthcoming SEVEN-X series of books. He is excited about the feature film adaptation of SEVEN-X to be shot in West Virginia at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum. Seven-X is the first film to be given permission to film on the grounds and it boasts being the second largest stone mason building in the world next to The Kremlin.
Horror fans get ready for a creepy, unsettling ride into your worst nightmare!
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entered and was greeted by a nurse. The Doctor came out and escorted me to his office, telling me the protocol. I could only record when I was given permission. I felt I was being watched and thought it was probably the Reverend, because he came in shortly after. He creeped me out.
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