Giveaway – Hungry Business Maria DeBlassie @EnchantmentLL @RoxanneRhoads

 
 
The Terrible Delights of Spooky Stories
 
I love scary stories. I’m also a total chicken. I grew up telling stories on the playground, huddled around trees or crawling into quiet places with friends to to listen to urban legends and frightening tales, from La Llorona to to Bloody Mary, to strange tales of a woman with the ribbon around her throat that literally held her head on to creepy dolls come to life the moment you closed your eyes to sleep at night…I couldn’t help myself. I devoured them!  
 
In class, we learned more about La Llorona (a figure that inspired my novella, Weep, Woman, Weep), Baba Yaga, and all sorts of spooky stories that gave me a good chill but were rather less terrifying than what I heard on the playground.
Of course, there was no better time to tell and listen to these stories than the fall, as the season slowly ripened into Halloween, the days got shorter, and the cool evenings and turning leaves were the perfect backdrop for stories that reminded us that there is more to this world than meets the eye.
 
I would come home from school filled up on those terrible tales and, after playing in piles of leaves in my backyard, would feel a growing sense of unease as the sun began to set and darkness took over. I was certainly grateful for the comforting presence of my dogs when darkness stole across the sky. The feelings were pushed away with dinner, in the cozy brightness of the kitchen and the warmth of family, but readily came back when I was tuckedin bed later that night.
 
Every creek, howl of wind, or cricket chirp sounded like aghostly footstep, theweeping woman, or all manner of supernatural threats. Mirrors were not to be looked in, when the sun went down. Windows must be closed at night, lest La Llorona find a way in. Blankets were to be tucked around you up to your chin to protect you from whatever might be lurking under the bed.
 
I felt would never fall asleep!
 
But, of course, I did. And with the coming sun, came the confidence of youth that there was nothing truly scary in this world and I went right back to the playground ready to consume more lurid and horrible tales. 
 
They were terrifying. They were also thrilling.  I couldn’t help myself—even when they gave me nightmares and my mom tried to get me to stop listening to these stories—they had this allure to me, pulling me into a world of the strange and gothic.
 
The feeling didn’t go away as I got older. Take, for example, the time I went trick o’ treating with a friend in middle school, one of the last times I would venture out on that childhood ritual. I was no stranger to haunted houses—there were plenty in my neighborhood. I livednext door to one and there was another a few blocks away that looked like something out of a gothic novel: big, dark, looming, and a story about a murder so strange and unexpected it devolved into its own neighborhood legend with everyone having a slightly different explanation for why the house just felt…off.
 
My friend and I were alone on the street and were doing our best to casually walk past the house, feeling very brave and very adult in our fairy costumes, proud of the fact that we could trick-or-treating unchaperoned. But once we neared that house, suddenly home felt so very far away, the other groups of Halloween revelers so very far away.  There was only the darkness surround us and the specter of that gina those before us. 
 
Then we heard something—a yip, a yell, from someone in the distance—and we screamed, running for the safety of my home.Gone were the bold, brave adults and in their place were two frightened children who wanted nothing more than the warm lights and safety of home. As it turns out, the noise we heard was from a bunch of wildpartiers, but it became so much morefrightening when it was disembodied and the shadows fed my imagination, as did all the terrible tales I’d been coming that season.
 
As scary as that was, and as silly as my friend and I felt in retrospect, there was no denying the fun we had, nor the deep sense of comfort we felt in returning to my house. That’s what scary stories do for us. They bring us home. We find catharsis in facing the darkness and making it out the other side. We appreciate the light where and when we can find it.  
 
Here I am now—still loving scary stories. Still a total chicken. Still ready for a good tale of terror…in the daylight. Still not looking in mirrors and closing all my windows at night. And I speed up whenever I have to walk by that haunted house, indeed any haunted house, less the specters inside think to invite me in.
 
That’s the beauty of these early childhood frights. They gave me a solid appreciate of the thrills of a good scary story and a healthy respect for the unseen worlds or even vibes I get that tell me a person or situation is more than meets the eye. 
 
This is why I tell spooky stories today. They reveal so much more about ourselves and the world around us than many an ordinary tale. From writing horror comedy about the terrors of dating in Hungry Business to the haunting wails of La Llorona in Weep, Woman, Weep, all my tales are inspired by the ordinary gothic all around us, pairing catharsis as we face the dark and find the light.  What do you love about scary stories?

MY REVIEW

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is a quick read horror story with a little snark on the side. Dating during a zombie apocalypse is not and easy thing to do. Are you eating or being eaten? Do they have a heartbeat, even if half their face is missing? Will she be alone for the rest of her days? Is there any point in leaving the house? The cat in the window….

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is an okay read and the cover does intrigue me.

2 Stars





Hungry Business: A Gothic Story about the Horrors of Dating
Maria DeBlassie

Genre: horror, comedy
Publisher: Kitchen Witch Press
Date of Publication: October 12, 2020
ASIN: B08L48MVHD
Number of pages: 20
Word Count: 4400

Tagline: Dating. It’s hungry business. 

Book Description:

Looking for love can be deadly…

A short story on the horrors of dating during a zombie apocalypse by bruja and award-winning writer and educator, Maria DeBlassie.

“Simple yet detailed, unique, and innovative. A brilliantly written little gem that is equal part creepy with the plague of walking dead and equal parts cozy with the hot chocolate and watching the neighbor’s cat.”

“Drawing parallels between the pitfalls of dating and dating in the zombie apocalypse, this short story packs a big world into a few pages.”

“Just the right size to occupy your time while waiting. I hope you find the humor I found.”

You know how it goes.

You go out, hoping to meet someone.

You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead, good at passing as human.

The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.

But you keep at it.

All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.

How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?

Dating.

It’s hungry business.

CW: Assault



He said he’d love to have you for dinner—but you are careful.

A woman has to be careful.  Never give them your address.  Don’t drink too much.  Be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Carry grave dirt to throw at them if they get too forward.  Be ready to run to the nearest safe space if needed.  The good news is that the Hungries, while persistent, are dumb as fuck (brain rot, you know) and slower than the sickness overtaking their bodies.  Unless, of course, they are well fed, which is rarely the case.

This one looks a little better, you think optimistically.

You sit across from each other at the dinner table.  The white tablecloth is as smooth and unblemished as his collared shirt.  He has dressed for the occasion, taking care to hide the evidence of his affliction as best he can (though truly there is only so much he can do with a missing ear and half a brain).  Still, the tuxedo and carefully applied makeup are enough to create the illusion of pumping blood beneath his pallid, blush-stained cheeks—in the right light. Which is another reason why you chose this place.  Candlelight can hide a multitude of sins.

His manners are studied and smooth, as if he has spent a lot of time practicing more human-like movements and behavior. You admire a man who makes that kind of effort.  He watches you as much as you do him, as if he is trying to remember what it was like to be alive. When you reach for your wine glass, so does he—only his thick decaying fingers almost crush the stem, whereas your nimble live ones carefully bring the dark red liquid to your mouth. You try not to notice how he stares at your lips—stained now from the wine—wondering, perhaps, how you taste. As it turns out, he does get a taste of you. You’ve been surreptitiously picking at a hangnail on your pinky finger—that’s how scintillating the conversation is—when you looked down and realize it is your whole fingernail that has come off.  You stare at it in horror, letting the truth of your situation sink in.  

At least he has the decency to wait until you’ve left the table before grabbing your napkin and stuffing your bloodied nail in his mouth.  A little color comes back into his face.  He groans in ecstasy.

Nice to know you could still have that effect on a man.




About the Author:

Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, award-winning writer, and award-winning educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her first book, Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings (Moon Books 2018), and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning and Living are about everyday magic, ordinary gothic, and the life of a kitchen witch. When she is not practicing her own brand of brujeria, she’s reading, teaching, and writing about bodice rippers and things that go bump in the night. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.


Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at www.mariaddeblassie.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/enchantmentll

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/enchantmentll

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdeblassie.writer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rY-gLkSH-w8uuVyrhVALA





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Books From The Backlog – Jack Templar by Jeff Gunhus @jeffgunhus

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread.  If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.

If you would like to join in, swing by Carole’s Random Life in Books.

Jack Templar, Monster Hunter (The Templar Chronicles, #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

GOODREADS BLURB

Orphan Jack Templar has no memory of his parents and only the smallest details from his Aunt Sophie about how they died. The day before Jack’s fourteenth birthday, things start to change for him. At first it’s great: A sudden new strength helps him defend his nose-picking friend “T-Rex” from the school bully, and even his crush, Cindy Adams, takes notice. But then a mysterious girl named Eva arrives and tells him two facts that will change his life forever. First, that he’s the descendent of a long line of monster hunters and he’s destined to be in the family business. Second, that there’s a truce between man and monster that children are off-limits…until their fourteenth birthday! Jack has only one day before hundreds of monsters will descend on his little town of Sunnyvale and try to kill him.

As if that weren’t enough, things get even more complicated when Jack discovers that the Lord of the Creach (as the monsters are collectively known) holds a personal grudge against him and will do anything to see that Jack has a slow and painful death. To stay alive and save his friends, Jack will have to battle werewolves, vampires, harpies, trolls, zombies and more. But perhaps the most dangerous thing he must face is the truth about his past. Why do the other hunters call him the last Templar? Why do they whisper that he may be the “One?” Why do the monsters want him dead so badly? Even as these questions plague him, he quickly discovers survival is his new full-time job and that in the world of monster hunters, nothing is really what it seems.

Goodreads Ratings: 3.74  · 613 ratings  ·  156 reviews

I added Jack Templar Monster Hunter, Book One, by Jeff Gunhus to my TBR on 1.29.13. I have read some of his work and enjoyed it, so why not? I’m sure I got it free, probably during a tour as he was promoting future books in the series and offered this one for free. I do love reading about monsters of all kinds. How about you? Do you have a favorite monster?

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Zombies Are Everywhere in Dead Meat: Day 8 by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Nick Clausen has done an amazing job with the Dead Meat series and I am totally invested in sticking with it til the end to see how he wraps it up. That being said, I have my fingers crossed that my favorite characters will still be alive when it is all said and done.

Dead Meat: Day 8

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Brains. Brains. Brains. Zombies are everywhere. Nowhere is safe. And my favorite characters, Dan, a young man taking on the evils of his world, is determined to go home. What he will find there? Will it be the death of him? After all, Nick Clausen is not afraid to kill off his characters, and every time I find one I like, I worry…

Book 7 ended with a cliffhanger, and I would like to thank Nick for getting Book 8 written so quickly. I was hanging by a fingernail, because…well. I can’t really say. You will need to find out for yourself what I’m talking about.

As soon as I finished Chapter One, I could see that Nick was going to torture me the very end, and all I can say is…BRING IT ON.

More zombies. More heroics. More Death.

Many surprises and heart stopping moments, and another threat, other than zombies, hangs over their heads.

I have been amazed how Nick Clause has kept the series moving, able to keep me eagerly devouring the words, watching, wondering, how it will all end.

So much I could not anticipate and I loved it. Even though I am not sure how I feel about the ending for this book, once I started I couldn’t stop.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The end is getting closer and the last hope for humanity is dying. The hours tick by with lightning speed as our last survivors grasp for one more desperate attempt at stopping the pandemic before it can turn the entire world’s population into flesh eating corpses.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

The Virus Spreads in Dead Meat: 6 by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Reads like current events…except for the zombies.

Dead Meat: Day 6

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Dead Meat series reads like current events…except for the walking dead.

The virus is spreading and, even though, I was immediately drawn to some of the new characters in Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen, I knew not all of them would survive. Everything happens over the course of one day. Each story in the series leads to the next, so I highly recommend reading in order.

As usual, Dead Meat grabbed me from the beginning and never let me go.

Gory, grisly horror, but amongst the dark some light shines in the people who sacrifice their lives to save others. Some wonderful characters are still alive, fighting for survival. All the good and bad humanity has to offer comes forth in this novel of terror and horror. Some show courage and grace, others show the despicable side of us humans.

Unputdownable. Want to be grossed out? Want to fret and worry about characters and have to know what happens next? This series is for you.

And Dan…he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s just a boy, but quickly grows up to meet what fate has in store for him. He shows great courage.

WOW! The suspense level is off the charts, the characters fabulous, even the not so good ones. I love watching the rag tag groups grow, change and learn to do whatever must be done…against all odds.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The dead have awakened. The world is ending. Can the disaster still be stopped?

The group of survivors head for the Faroe Islands in the hopes of reaching safety. But their journey won’t be easy, as the dead are following them every step of the way, and not everyone is destined to make it.

This is Day 6 of the zombie apocalypse.

Fans of Mark Tufo, TW Piperbrook, Bobby Adair and Camille Picott will devour this action-packed zombie book. And if you liked The Orphans, Dead State or The End of Everything, you’ll love Dead Meat.

What readers are saying about Dead Meat:

★★★★★ “like reading an episode of The Walking Dead” – Amazon review

★★★★★ “I’ve read a lot of zombie series, and this is the best” – Amazon review

★★★★★ “terrifying, nightmare-inducing, impossible to put down” – Amazon review

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Dead Meat: Day 5 by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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I received an email from Nick’s Reader’s Club with all those beautiful covers lined up in a row. Do you wonder who’s watching you now? LOL

Dead Meat: Day 5 (Dead Meat, #5)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Dead Meat series started out as novellas and I am so excited that Nick Clausen has so much to share that now he has a full scale novel.

Nick Clausen takes a view from current events and expands on his Zombie virus, crossing borders and hop skipping across the water. He introduces new characters, some that I quickly grew to care for, and, of course, he is not afraid to kill them off. Goes to show ya, when your time is up, it is up.

Bloody, gory, horrific, people come and people, go, zombies walk and zombies fall, everything I look for in a good zombie story. Non stop blood and guts action, killing those who get bitten or scratched.

City to city, country to country, the virus spreads like wildfire, with no one able to curb the spread, let alone stop it.

You will want to read the series in order and I can hardly wait to see where Nick Clausen takes me next.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 5 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

Mille is aboard the ferry headed for Sweden, and so is the living dead. She tries desperately to stop the infection from spreading before the ferry reaches its destination.

By Day 5, the infection has reached several countries across Europe, leaving death and chaos in its wake. The fate of the world seems still closer to the brink.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow – Day 4 by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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I received an email from Nick’s Reader’s Club with all those beautiful covers lined up in a row. Do you wonder who’s watching you now? LOL

Also, Dead Meat: Day 1 is free, while Nick has heavily discounted Day 2 And Day 3, so now is the time to jump in. You can also read for free on Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading.

Dead Meat: Day 4 (Dead Meat, #4)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The Dead Meat series by Nick Clausen covers the apocalyptic/dystopian world he has created on a day by day basis. I highly recommend reading the series in order as each book picks up where the previous book left off.

It is so easy to visualize and relate to the storyline because we are going through it now, sans the zombies. I began reading this before Covid-19, but the characters careless actions read too much like real people’s disregard for others in spreading the disease. All it take is one person to break the rules, one moment of carelessness, others thinking, oh, it will be alright. It only takes one person to set off an explosion.

Day 4 is longer than the other books. It seems to grow as I meet new characters and keep up with the old ones.

I could not stop reading this action packed, heart in my throat, nonstop suspense with tension that left be a bit sore from my muscles being clenched so tight.

OMG…you better be prepared to lose some of your friends along the way, because Nick Clausen doesn’t hesitate to kill them off in gruesome, tragic, heartbreaking fashion.

AND…he ends with my emotions reeling as I mourn, yet I have hope.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 4 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
5 Stars

AMAZON SYNOPSIS

The dead have awakened.
Driven by insatiable hunger.
In eternal search of fresh meat.
The infection spreads like the plague.
Nothing stands between the undead and humanity.
Is it too late to save the world from disaster?

The end of the world one day at a time

 In this new apocalyptic zombie series from the author of They Come at Night and Human Flesh, we follow events day for day as the world slowly decends into mayhem and the zombies take over. Don’t miss the thrilling ride!

For fans of The Walking Dead and The Orphan Books.

Day 4 of the zombie apocalypse

 The story picks up from Day 3. Dorte, a young doctor, desperately tries to find a cure for her sister, who got scratched by one of the infected. It’s a race against time, and it’s only the beginning of another day in hell.

By Day 4, the infection begins to spread across nation borders, and it looks like none of the governments will be able to contain it. Is it too late to save the world?

  • ★★★★★ “Definitely the best day yet!”
  • ★★★★★ “This series just gets more and more exciting”
  • ★★★★★ “had me hooked from the first page”

EXCERPT

Henrik has turned away to go back inside the bedroom and pack a fresh set of clothes, when Kirsten screams.

He spins around and sees Finn come lunging out from Jennie’s old room, throwing himself at Kirsten, who backs away into the wall in a vain attempt to get out of reach. But it’s too late, and Finn bites down hard on her neck.

Kirsten’s scream turns even higher and more piercing.

Oh, Jesus Christ!

Henrik runs down the hallway and grabs Kirsten’s flailing arm. He begins tugging hard to get her away from Finn, but Finn acts like a predator who just caught his breakfast and isn’t intent at all on letting it go. He bears down harder with his teeth, growling and blowing bubbles in the blood from Kirsten’s throat. He also reaches up and grabs her by the grey hair, yanking her head sideways.

Kirsten screams again, very high-pitched, but a little weaker than before, and for an awful moment, she looks like a piece of toy torn between two big kids, as Henrik pulls her one way, while Finn pulls her the other.

Let go of her!” Henrik shouts, and then, without thinking, he lets go of Kirsten with one hand in order to throw a punch at Finn. His knuckles connect with the old guy’s temple, and his jaw pops open for a moment, as he blinks his dead eyes and staggers backwards, loosening his grip on Kirsten’s hair and allowing Henrik to pull her free. She almost collapses into his arms, and Henrik half drags, half lifts her backwards down the hallway, away from Finn.

But the neighbor quickly regains his bearings and comes waddling after them, arms stretched out, the lower part of his face smothered in blood …

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
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  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
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And So It Begins – Day O by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Oh yeah! More of the zombie apocalypse and my question is answered,” How did the zombie apocalypse begin?”

Another fabulous cover in the series.

Day O is an exclusive through he readers club HERE. I am a follower and Nick and I would love for you to join us.

Dead Meat: Day 0 (Dead Meat, #0)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen was released after Day 3, but tells us how the zombie apocalypse began.

Let me start off by saying, I wanted to reach through my kindle screen and wring Brigit’s neck.

Dennis may be mentally challenged, and I have my own thoughts on why that is, but he knows right from wrong, and this is very wrong.

How the apocalypse came about was a surprise to me and I loved the way Nick Clausen handled it.

Dead Meat: Day 0 is the best one yet and the cause of the outbreak was a refreshing zombie twist.

Bring it on, Nick!

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 0 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The exciting beginning of the zombie apocalypse.

What happened to set it all off? Who was responsible for the disaster? And could it have been avoided? You’ll find all the answers in Day 0.

Whether you already read the Dead Meat series or haven’t begun yet, you can enjoy Day 0.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

The Infection Is Spreading – Day 3 by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Another wildly entertaining day in the Dead Meat series by Nick Clausen.

Dead Meat: Day 3 by [Clausen, Nick]

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

“Perhaps it’s only just begun.”

“Perhaps I’m one of the first to meet the undead?”

William is right. The zombie apocalypse is in the early stages. You won’t find it on social media. I love this tidbit.

Dan had woke up to a normal day, until…It was too late to stop it. A moments hesitation ended the possibility. Now, it’s a matter of who will survive.

William…oh man.

Millie…were any of her friends left alive?

Holger…mentally impaired, or is he? After all his paranoia and prepping, the time is at hand to make use of it.

Bad things happen to good people. Sometimes helping comes with a mortal, lethal cost.

I can hardly wait to find out what happens next and who will survive to tell the story.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 2 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The dead have awakened.
Driven by insatiable hunger.
In eternal search of fresh meat.
The infection spreads like the plague.
Nothing stands between the undead and humanity.
Is it too late to save the world from disaster?

Day 3 of the zombie apocalypse

The story picks up from Day 2. We meet William who works at the hospital. His workday starts out like any other—until he finds two zombies locked in a utility room in the basement. From there, things quickly escalate.

By Day 3, the infection is picking up speed, the zombies are spreading rapidly, and very soon everything could spiral out of control. Is it too late to save the world?

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

Zombies – Day 2: Dead Meat by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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We are back with Nick Clausen and Dead Meat: Day 2. Dan is my favorite character, though Nick didn’t plan for him to play such a big part. Sometimes the characters speak and will not be denied.

There are two covers. Both are great, but I love the first one below. There is something about eyes that speak to me…silently. Look deeply. What do you see? Which do you like best?

Dead Meat: Day 2 by [Clausen, Nick]
Dead Meat: Day 2 (Dead Meat, #2)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

Zombies. A missing girl, Jennie Nygaard. A bloody bite.

Selena, a young girl with big courage.

Allen, a cop who saw the truth.

Dan, my favorite character and brother of Jennie, knows what’s happening.

Nick Clausen gives us lots of gruesome violence and tons of action.

There’s a moment in time when in could have been stopped…but what’s the fun in that?

The saying about courage overcoming fear is pertinent to Dan. Does the world rest on his shoulders and his refusal to quit?

Nick Clausen does not hesitate to kill off his characters, regardless of how good they are, so be careful who you choose as your favorite.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat: Day 2 by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The dead have awakened.
Driven by insatiable hunger.
In eternal search of fresh meat.
The infection spreads like the plague.
Nothing stands between the undead and humanity.

Is it too late to save the world from disaster?

Day 2 follows the second day in the story of Dead Meat.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!

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If This Is Day 1…Dead Meat by Nick Clausen @NickClausen9

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Dead Meat: Day 1 is not my first Nick Clausen story. Just like it says, Dead Meat is only the first day in the series, and I am super excited to see where Nick Clausen takes us.

Dead Meat: Day 1 (Dead Meat #1)

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

It’s hot as Hades, as the kids find themselves in the suffocating basement, dodging a zombie that salivates at the thought of taking a bite out of them…

Dead Meat by Nick Clausen gets creepy bad very early and time is of the essence.

OMG! Want bloody, gory, gruesome, sad, tragic, heroic and…?

Read about a day in the life of Dan, a teenager that was only delivering newpapers on a freakishly hot day when all hell broke loose in his world. I love this character!

I am drooling over the thought of reading more of this delicious series.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat by Nick Clausen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
4 Star

GOODREADS BLURB

The end of the world one day at a time

In this new apocalyptic zombie series from the author of They Come at Night and Human Flesh, we follow events day for day as the world slowly but surely decends into mayhem as the zombies take over. Don’t miss the thrilling ride!

For fans of The Walking Dead, The Orphans Book and World War Z.

How it all began
:

Three teenagers find themselves trapped in a stuffy, warm basement. The old lady who used to own the house is now dead. She’s also standing right on the other side of the basement door, scraping and moaning, trying to get in. Patiently. Tirelessly.

How did they end up here? Just a few hours ago, all three of of them were sitting in Thomas’ car, sweating and listening to music, not a care in the world. They were almost done with the paper route when they came to the old lady’s house. And that’s when everything turned to chaos.

ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN

Born 1988 in North Jutland, where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a much more powerful pull on me.

Nick Clausen

I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book, Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at 14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should be an author.

That day I made a promise to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the publisher and came out a year later.

I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

MY NICK CLAUSEN REVIEWS

They Come At Night

  • You can see my Giveaways HERE.
  • You can see my Reviews HERE.
  • If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
  • Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
  • Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
  • I am an Amazon affiliate/product images are linked.
  • Thanks for visiting fundinmental!