Circus of Horrors 99 CENTS JULY 28 - AUG 3!

Carole Gill

Serious horror for dark horror fans. Follow them on the road to their next engagement which might be a hell of a gig! 

“This is horrific in the best way! It is extreme ... and disturbing.

"Riveting. Imaginative. Chilling. Fantastical."

"Wonderful horror with a side order of ribs."

"Outstanding story line and strong characters. I felt like I was right there and a part of the sideshow!"

"An awesome little creepfest!"

"Never going to the circus again!"

"True horror!"

“Scary from beginning to end! Sit back and read your way into a horror filled tale! Enjoy!”

Remember! Price is 99 cents for Circus of Horror

JULY 28 - AUG. 3

AMAZON 

The need for Beta-Readers

As of late publishing companies are starting to see the value in having a beta-reader. Once upon a time aspiring authors submitted their manuscripts to publishing companies by the thousands. If they were turned away then they’d submit it to other publishing companies or give up on their dreams. But if a publishing company so happens to go forward with a manuscript it must go through the editing process then back to the author for approval and so forth until it is finally published. 

Now in the days of self-publishing, a lot more ambitious authors have started to submit their manuscripts to publishers. Therefore the editor’s job has become overwhelming, hence the need for beta-readers. 

A beta readers jobs is to identify inconsistencies, advise on character development, add description to opening scenes, suggest clarity or expansion of scenes, take note if something is missing or if development is needed, add to the flow or pace of a scene, and the over-usage of words.

Is a beta reader a necessity? In my opinion, yes.  It helps stream-line the manuscript to published works go smoother and more efficiently. In this day and age of increased manuscripts, time is of the essence with productivity as the end result. As a beta-reader myself, I believe it helps tremendously to have a professional review your works. I personally use one and will never publish or submit a manuscript to a publisher without one. It makes a world of a difference. 

Thank you for stopping by. 

Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess, an excerpt from this historical fiction fright!

Amazon

Excerpt:
On their way to her house Lilly no longer questioned her actions tonight but only worried that her new companions wouldn’t be able to avenge her by wreaking the havoc she so desired. By the time they came to stand behind the house she was already disappointed as they seemed too relaxed for her liking. They appeared harmless now, not monstrous at all, but it was too late to turn back. The night was drawing to a close and the party was sure to end soon. It was now or never.

     Peering into the back of the house Lilly could see the party was dying down but still going strong. She sighed with relief as that meant the occupants would be too drunk to put up much of a fight.

     Lilly faced the others, who were watching and waiting from a distance still with complacency in their stance as if they had not a care in the world, though she acknowledged to herself that this world was not really theirs to care about. She wasn’t really sure how tonight would end but she needed them to know they must not kill Henry. He was hers and hers only.

     Walking over to them she explained, “I need you two . . .” Theolus put a finger up to her lips to shush her. “We already know what to do, Madame.” Then a smile crept across his face as he walked backwards towards the house, observing her the whole way. Hearon, already ahead of them, slowly ascended the back stairs of the house still not speaking. She only nodded to Lilly in recognition that she knew what to do.

     Lilly watched in anticipation as they crept inside, hoping not to be let down by them. But she never once stopped to question how they knew exactly what to do. Lilly’s heart was too consumed with rage; she wanted revenge so badly on those who had wronged her, she never thought to ask.

Raven's Peak by Lincoln Cole Blog Tour

Raven's Peak
By Lincoln Cole
Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Thriller

A quiet little mountain town is hiding a big problem. When the townsfolk of Raven's Peak start acting crazy, Abigail Dressler is called upon to find out what is happening. She uncovers a demonic threat unlike any she's ever faced and finds herself in a fight just to stay alive.

She rescues Haatim Arison from a terrifying fate and discovers that he has a family legacy in the supernatural that he knows nothing about. Now she's forced to protect him, which is easy, and also trust him if she wants to save the townsfolk of Raven's Peak. Trust, however, is considerably more difficult for someone who grew up living on the knife's edge of danger.

Can they discover the cause of the town's insanity and put a stop to it before it is too late?

Author Bio

Lincoln Cole is a Columbus, Ohio-based author who enjoys traveling and has visited many different parts of the world, including Australia and Cambodia, but always returns home to his pugamonster puppy, Luther, and family. His love for writing was kindled at an early age through the works of Isaac Asimov and Stephen King and he enjoys telling stories to anyone who will listen.



https://www.facebook.com/lincolnjcole
https://www.twitter.com/lincolnjcole
http://www.LincolnCole.net

Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess Vol 1 Excerpt

Amazon

Chapter 6
Excerpt

Tears filled Lilly’s eyes as she remembered all that Henry had put her through. She told herself she was helping this silly girl, Dalila the new placee, but truthfully she didn’t care how the girl felt. She was going to make her strong, so strong that no man would ever take from her what she didn’t give freely.
     So she chanted her magic spell, making her sacrifices, offering food to call forth the spirits from the other side—but only the dark spirits, the spirits with no mind to control their wicked ways. She wanted two sprits that could bring on the destruction of mankind, not caring what hell came with them. The rage inside her took hold as it completely enthralled her sensibility.
     She called, she danced, she cried for them to come forth into the two bodies lying before her, their eyes pleading with her to stop, pleading to let them go, pleading to be freed.
     Her body danced to the beat of the drums, the heat prompted beads of sweat to trickle down her back, causing her white dress to contour to her body. She did not care that she was not properly dressed as her bare feet kicked up the dirt beneath her.
      The music played, louder now, as she called them from the place between the spirit and the physical world. “Come forth!” she shouted, holding up the bowl of blood. She felt them before she saw them which caused her heart to race. She drank of the blood and danced until she saw the spirits coming in a slow march.
      The warm wind stirred, causing the earth to swirl around all of them within the circle. They were the dead walking, the ones who had lingered too long on the other side, now mere fragments of the selves they had been when were still alive. They walked slowly but she knew they were hungry for the bodies, the fresh meat unable to get free.

Excerpt; ADDICTION CAN BE HELL!

Carole Gill

Ever try to quit something and find you can't, it's too difficult? Join the group and see if they can help. Personally, I doubt they can. But I do guarantee you soon won't worry about why you came in the first place!

"Addicts are us, messed up losers—you know the kind: coke heads, overeaters, serious self-harmers/suicide groupies, sex addicts—each of them so completely fucked up they finally end up in a kind of terminal rehab center which is what this place was.


Yes, the Big House gave such places free reign to run themselves as they saw fit. They were after all evaluation centers to review the clients’ varying addictions and to best access what the next step was, that was what Executive Management said, what they did however was another matter.
Joe knew. He had taken the job happily ages ago but now he found his second thoughts had third, fourth and fifth thoughts.


But there was worse, there always is.


Joe sighed. He was Director, Houseman, whatever anyone wanted to call it—that was okay with him.


In truth, he ran the place—this weigh station, recovery home, haven—care facility.


Actually, he thought of it as ‘losers are us.’ The place where the lost, the hopeless, the monumentally fucked up finally end up—in short it was the repository for addicts. He ran the men’s section.


He saw the new batch arrive in the van nicknamed Pegasus. Someone with a misplaced sense of humor named it that because if that horse flew, these poor bastards were now to be grounded for an indeterminate time (to say the least).


The staff were like that. It made things less tense. Why not have a sense of fun—a joke or two. It helped to relieve the stress. And there was plenty of stress.


Joe took a deep breath. This was the most important part of his job. He had to greet them. Poor bastards were always confused. Well, it was daunting coming to a place like this especially when there was no choice.


When he saw them he wasn’t surprised. They all looked the same, unified by desperation and denial. Their features and manner marked by what they were, what they had become. Losers.

Madame Lilly, Voodoo Priestess Vol 1 Excerpt

Amazon 

Summary

In the late 1800’s Odara, a Creole girl in New Orleans, grew up wealthy and having the best of everything. She was taught the ways of plaçage: to be a wealthy man’s common-law wife. She didn’t want to follow the ways of plaçage as her mother had, until she met the man of her dreams, Henry Nicolas. He was handsome, charming and rich; perfect in every way until their first night of marriage when she saw his true malevolent side.

For twelve long years Odara endured abuse in the worst ways possible, taking her from a naive child to a scorned woman. A woman fueled with such revulsion towards Henry she would give anything for vengeance.

Through voodoo, Madame Lilly was born, but with it came consequences beyond even her comprehension.

Chapter 3 
Excerpt

Finally, after their first six months of marriage, he took her on a ride but wouldn’t tell her where they were going. Arriving at a house that was similar to hers but grander she figured they were finally attending one of the dinners he always talked about being given by his business partner.

     A woman she had never met before stood on the steps, not looking pleased at their arrival. She was a homely, round woman who seemed old enough to be Henry’s mother. Henry introduced her to Odara as his wife, his legal white wife. Odara nearly fainted right there on the steps. Henry had never told her he had another wife. He was always around so she assumed she was the only one he loved.

     She knew the Louisiana law but after all this time she thought she was the only one.

     Did Papa know?

     Henry smiled at Odara as if he hadn’t just dropped the weight of the world on her shoulders. His wife said nothing, only walked back inside. The house looked just like hers, down to the colors and paintings.

      How could I have been so naive?

     They were forced to have dinner together at the same table along with his two sons: five-year-old Jake and Thomas, aged three, of whom she also knew nothing. Throughout the dinner Odara received displeased glances from the wife as well as the servants.

     As if sitting there wasn’t unbearable enough, he made her sit next to him so he could lean over and whisper disgusting things in her ear, smiling as if he spoke pleasantries.

     He said things such as, “All three of us are going to engage in sexual activity later,” and “You better not get fat and disgusting like her.” Throughout the meal Odara could barely eat. All she really wanted to do was throw up. Never once during the dinner did he acknowledge the mother of his children.

     Later that night he confessed to Odara that today was his and Mrs. Nicolas’ anniversary, their marriage was an arranged one and he had brought her there as a reminder to his legal wife that he had never loved her.

     Odara was waiting for him to say something about never mentioning his legal wife before but he did not. She figured he didn’t love her either or he would never force her to play a part in such an activity. He only wanted to remind both women who was in charge.

      Him.

***

The Saga So Far

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Book Four Madame Lilly, Wicked is coming this Summer.

Stay Tuned!