Tuesday, October 24, 2017

#SPOTLIGHT: Cookies, Corpses and the Deadly Haunt by Rachael Stapleton #CryptKeeper #Mysteries #Halloween


Cookies, Corpses & the Deadly Haunt (Haunted House Flippers Inc.) by Rachael Stapleton



Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Self Published Print Length: 164 pages ASIN: B074TY4ZXD
House flippers Jack & Juniper agree to lend and help prep their latest purchase—The Doctors House—an old Victorian mansion to act as the eerie setting for the town’s Halloween bash, they’re expecting to find missing floor boards, and pesky bats, not the ghostly specter of the murdered Doctors Wife. But when the head of the council is found stuffed in a trunk in the attic, it appears history is repeating.

As June and the team, carry on with party preparations, they unravel a century of family secrets, whispers of lunacy—and the number one suspect goes on the run. But the victim’s family insists that the ball must go on, even with a killer on the loose. With Halloween fast approaching, June sees the woman in white and wonders if keeping the killer out was ever really a possibility. Now she’s desperate to unmask the killer before the Annual Halloween Bash turns into even more of a deadly haunt…

    About The Author

Rachael Stapleton lives in a Second Empire Victorian home with her husband and two children in Ontario, Canada and enjoys writing in the comforts of aged wood and arched dormers.

Author Links Webpage Blog Facebook @RaquelleJaxson Amazon GoodReads Purchase Link Amazon a Rafflecopter giveaway 

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Haunted Halloween Facebook Party Wednesday October 25 10am-10pm EST




Haunted Halloween Facebook Party Wednesday October 25 10am-10pm EST
Have you been following Bewitching Book Tours Haunted Halloween Spooktacular?
It's almost over- be sure to enter the giveaways to win tons of prizes including a $50 Powell’s City of Books Gift Card from Night Owl Reviews.

11 Authors, 12 Books, and a whole lot of Halloween fun- read spooky flash fiction, read true tales of ghostly encounters, get ideas for Halloween party planning with music playlists and DIY fun...and enter to win one of the many prizes including a $50 Powell’s City of Books Gift Card from Night Owl Reviews, Amazon Gift Cards, Books, Swag, Prize Packs and more. 

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Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Day 11: #Spotlight: Deep In The Hollow by Brandy Nacole #HalloweenBooks, #CryptKeeper2017






Deep in the Hollow
Chindi Series
Brandy Nacole

Genre: Paranormal

Publisher: Brandy Nacole

Date of Publication: September 15, 2016

ASIN: B014U7BMU0

Number of pages: 232
Word Count: 80,000

Cover Artist: The Book Cover Machine

Tagline: Greed has a price, and the dead do not always rest.

Book Description:

Let me share some wisdom with you. There is evil in this world we cannot see, not because it is hidden from us, but because our minds refuse to accept its existence. But once we are able to get past what everyone says should not be, it becomes our responsibility to stop the evil we now see.

This insight wasn’t given to me until a year after I lost the most important person in my life: Bryce Rowan. Now, after another death at the same spot where he died—the overlook, where the mysterious lights dance amongst the trees—I begin to wonder if they were accidents after all.

Lucky for me, I’m not the only curious one in town. Cooper, a ghost hunter (aka chaser), and his sister Jada have moved to town and are starting to ask questions.

But the more we find out about this town and the people who live here, people who I have known my whole life, the more I begin to think there are those who would rather keep the evil secret, even if it means we will never be safe, and that more will die.


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Excerpt:

Prologue
July 11, 1972 

Once again I’ve fallen prey to MaryAnn’s pleading, and I follow her out the window, my stomach churning with dread, a contrast to her excitement. I don’t know why I let her talk me into these things. She’s always getting us into trouble, has been since we were little. Yet, here I am, still following her after seven years of mistake after mistake. There’s something about her I can’t say no to. I’ve always thought of her as my sister, not my cousin, and considering we were born only two days apart, we are more like sisters—look like it too. But still, even sisters tell each other no every once in a while. Not me. This time though, I should have.
Our tiny flashlights give off little light in the dark forest, mine unsteady as it shakes in my hand. Thorns scrape at my skin and I look back, hoping to see a light in the cabin on and my grandfather coming out to see where us girls have run off to. No such luck. The small, two-bedroom cedar cabin is dark, its frame nothing but an outline against the trees around it.
“I think we should go back,” I whisper, my voice trembling.
“Will you quit whining, Ester? This is no different than walking through the woods during the daylight.”
I beg to differ. During the day, the green leaves look welcoming, not over-powering and creepy like now. I don’t feel trapped and afraid when walking these familiar woods when the sun is shining bright, but now I do.
“But, MaryAnn, grandpa said—”
“He was just trying to scare you,” she hisses, as she shines her light on a raccoon scavenging for food. It rushes off to hide from what he perceives as danger and we continue on through the thicket.
No matter what MaryAnn says, I know she’s wrong. I saw the fear in our grandfather’s eyes as he told us the story of the thing that haunts these woods. MaryAnn had been enthralled as she sat by the fire, her eyes bright, her body unmoving as she absorbed every word. I had been terrified. Our grandfather has never been a skeptical man, always saying rumors and legends are nonsense. “What you don’t see with your eyes, don’t witness with your mouth.” So to see the fear in his eyes as he witnessed the story he told us tonight is enough to convince me he was telling the truth, and not just some tale to scare his grandchildren.
An owl hoots overhead and a chill slowly creeps up my back, making me shiver.
“I think we should wait. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
MaryAnn ignores my pleas, knowing I won’t go back alone.
The leaves rustle as a slight wind picks up. I can no longer see the outline of the cabin. I don’t know if it’s from my fear, but our lights seem to grow dimmer, making the darkness feel as if it is weighing down on us.
A small clearing comes into view, with timber laying hazardously along the ground.  
“We are almost there,” MaryAnn whispers. “This is where grandpa and his workers have been logging close to the overlook.”
Good. Once we reach the overlook and she sees it is the same during the night as it is during the day, we can go back to the safety of the cabin. I can already feel the relief of being back under my blankets, eagerly waiting for morning, with the fresh smell of biscuits baking in the oven and bacon frying in the pan filling the air.
Whoosh.
“What was that?” I ask, panicked, and spin around in a circle, my flashlight shaking with more force.
“Ester, please stop this nonsense. I’m sure it was nothing.”
Once on the other side of the clearing, we start the mile hike up the incline and once again I wish we had stuck to the main road instead of taking the shorter path through the woods. The ground is slick from the rain we had yesterday, and with every step I take, I lose two as I slide back down.
MaryAnn grabs my hand, steadying me, as we both use our weight to climb the impossible hill.
Whoosh.
“Did you hear that?” she asks, her voice a bit higher than before.
I close my eyes, my stomach tensing. She better not be playing any games with me. I will rat her out in a heartbeat if she is.
“Yes. What do you think it is?”
Before she can answer, a strange mist builds in front of us. I examine it closely and point it out to MaryAnn, but before it takes on a shape, it’s gone.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
A strong wind spins around us, and not caring about what MaryAnn thinks, I let go of her hand and tumble back down the hill, scared for my life. My feet are unsteady as the land levels out again and I fall over a log. Seconds later, MaryAnn lands on top of me.
“Come on!” she screams, terror in her voice. “We have to get back to the cabin.”
“What did you see?” I demand, as I race after her, dodging fallen limbs. But she doesn’t answer. She keeps running, looking back to make sure that I am close behind her.
A strong force comes from behind me and I’m shoved into MaryAnn’s back, making us both lose our footing.
Whoosh.
Tears pour down my face as we scramble to our feet, our flashlights lost in the darkness. We try our hardest to run through the darkness with no light to guide our way. MaryAnn grabs my hand, our sweaty fingers clinging as tightly as they can while we try to make out where we are.
When MaryAnn screams, her body jerked away from me, I feel as if I can’t breathe. Something is trying to take her from me. My grip on her hand tightens, my small twelve year old frame pulling as hard as possible against whatever is trying to tug her away.
A movement behind her catches my eye as we struggle, but I can’t make out who or what it is. It’s shrouded in a black cloak, practically invisible under the blanket of night. I do make out the grey mist behind it, as if it’s drifting and waiting for its prey.
My heart thrums, feeling as if it’s trying to escape out of my chest, and my throat grows tight as I choke on my tears. MaryAnn screams, begging me not to let go of her, as our fingers begin to slip.
Why can no one hear us? We have to be close to the cabin.
A sharp pain explodes in the back of my head, and I pitch forward, disoriented. My legs slip out from beneath me, and I can feel myself losing consciousness. MaryAnn’s fingers slip out of mine as I land against the damp leaves on the ground. The last thing I hear is her pleading for me to save her.



About the Author:

Gemini Brandy Nacole is a writer of urban fantasy and paranormal books published by Ponahakeola Press. A reader from a young age, Brandy has always loved folklore and stories of beings that go bump in the night.

Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending time with her family and friends, throwing around crazy ideas, teaching, and singing like a rock star at a concert for no one else but herself.  She loves plants, but unfortunately is a killer of anything that requires water but can’t voice (scream) their needs. 






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Saturday, October 7, 2017

Day 7 Countdown to #Halloween: Spot 7 Spooky! by Kids Label



SUMMARY:
Each spread of this Halloween-themed activity book features two spooky photographs that appear identical. Eagle-eyed readers, however, will spot seven things that have changed from one photo to the other. Perfect for fans of the I Spy or Where's Waldo series, the popular Spot 7 books offer benefits the other series don t: Comparing the two photos helps develop important reading skills, such as differentiation and visual memory. With a riddle on each spread and extra things to look for throughout the book, Chronicle's latest search-and-find activity book is sure to provide hours of spooky fun.

MY REVIEW:
As the summary states, this book is along the lines of the "I Spy" books and has that feel. However, in this case, the two-page spreads are very similar and it takes a keen eye to find what the reader is looking for. Each section has a riddle to solve which is pretty simple in nature. That to me was a nice touch but still does not hold up to the original "I Spy" books which I like.


Overall, the book is cute and tries to follow along a Halloween theme but in my mind, falls a bit short. Although I am reviewing it for Halloween books, it could easily follow for any day as it is certainly not spooky enough but kids will like it none-the-less.

3 stars!

Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book from my local library.

WHERE TO FIND THE AUTHOR:
Amazon

Monday, October 2, 2017

Day 2 #Review: Skeleton Meets the Mummy by Steve Metzger #Halloween #CryptKeeper2017 #ScholasticBooks




Summary:
On Halloween night, Sammy has to make a quick trip through the dark woods before he can go trick-or-treating. But someone--or something--is following him. Scritch! Scratch! What could it be?

My review:
I wish I could say that I was overly enthralled with the story line of this book, I wasn't. The story is so-so in my mind and could have been something a bit better. However, that does not mean it is a completely terrible book. 

The illustrations are bold and a bit fun. It is fun to see a skeleton be scared.
Like the story line, the illustrations could have added more but still cute none-the-less.

The twist at the end was actually not predictable as I would have expected and truly was surprised.

I would probably say this book is good for the early reader who likes something a little spooky but not too scary.

I give it three pumpkins.


Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book from my local library. The views here are 100% my own. ~Michelle aka Naila Moon, Crypt Keeper

Where to find the author:

Day 1 #Review: Vampire Boy's Goodnight by Lisa Brown #Halloween #CryptKeeper2017



Summary:


When the sun goes down and everything is wonderfully cold and dark, a vampire boy and a little witch go searching for children in the night.
But this is no ordinary night. It is Halloween, and what they find may surprise them. . . .

My review:

This is an adorable book that I could see myself reading over and over. Bela and Morgan are "real" vampires and witches who want to know about real children. Their adventure takes them to a local Halloween party. What happens there will tickle the reader just a bit.

What I liked most about this book is the subtle insertions in the illustrations. Children who read the book may not be aware of them and I felt it was more for adults reading to children. For example, the raven in the window sill or the pictures of scattered books with popular titles like, "Dracula" by Bram Stoker. There are many to be found and quite clever.

This is a sure win to have on the Halloween shelves and gets five pumpkins from me!


Disclosure: I obtained a copy of this book from my local library. The views expressed here are 100% my own. ~Michelle aka Naila Moon, Crypt Keeper

Where to find the author: