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Slasher Crasher by David Nora #BookReview
RATING: 5 STARS
SUMMARY:
It was the night HE tried to go home...but got caught in THEIR drama...
It’s Halloween. Nick Roesch, a towering figure of evil and stupidity, escapes from the upstate New York mental hospital he’s been committed to for the past five years. Planning to return to his childhood home, where he brutally murdered his babysitter’s boyfriend, his plans are halted when he crosses paths with an even more terrifying beast—two high school friends with some serious beef. Caught in a battle of loyalty that has been brewing for ten years of their friendship, the two girls, Kathleen Strife and Betsy Coleman, force the feud into a savage showdown, pitting the escaped monster against each other. Who will survive this epic deathmatch, and is it totally wrong to fall in love with the murderous lunatic who just tried to kill your ex-best friend with a machete?
Book Review
I’ve been craving a comedic horror read and Slasher Crasher didn’t disappoint. An escaped lunatic? Teenage drama? Epic deathmatch? Sign me up! From the first page to the last sentence, this book is a juicy festival of gore, perfect for slasher fans. It playfully embraces classic horror tropes, tips its hat to iconic horror movies and references the soundtrack of my youth. What’s not to love?
Sure, this book revolves around a psychopath murdering everyone in site, but at the heart of Slasher Crasher are three teenagers coming of age, dealing with boy drama, bullying and absente parents. They must face Nick, the monster, as well as their own inner demons in order to become the ‘Final Girl’, a trope horror fans know and love. Each character arc undergoes a transformation fitting and realistic to their characters. In addition to the main cast, there’s an array of supporting characters, including Nick’s doctor (who could have walked straight out of The Exorcist and into this book), Betsy dad who is a recovered alcoholic, and a cast of homophobic bullies who make poor David’s life a living hell.
While the main theme of the book lies around the final girl trope, religion plays an interesting role in the plot. One of the police officers insists on ending every conversation with “praise be to God”, an interesting little quirk for an arguably insignificant character. But it adds to the character developments, especially Betsy and her father, who struggle with their faith. And, of course, Nick’s doctor is certain that Nick is no mere mortal, but the Devil arriving in their town to raise hell.
But don’t worry. There’s nothing preaching about this book. It’s a horror novel to it’s core complete with tales of Nick’s sadism that will make your stomach churn. But what makes it powerful is that it doesn’t stop with external horrors, but explores the things that scare us all. Loneliness, jealousy, abandonment, the fear we aren’t good enough and never will be. So while on the surface, this is a teenage slasher with a final girl theme, underneath it’s a brilliant tale of courage and self discovery, even if those realizations lead us down a dangerous path.
This is easily one of my favorite books of 2019, and an absolute must read. Buy it here!
Paperback: 358 pages
Publisher: Black Rose Writing; First Printing ed. edition (August 22, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1684333288
ISBN-13: 978-1684333288
Married to a Writer : An Interview With My Husband
We sit at our kitchen table, the left over turkey burgers and cucumbers not yet sealed in foil and put in the fridge. Mr. Bell wears a red and white “ugly Christmas” shirt with a science theme. I’m rocking my rainbow skirt.
How many times have you wished I would stop talking about disemboweled bodies during a meal?
At least thrice. Wait, don’t say thrice. You can say at least three times that I can remember. I’m sure there were others.
We are pretty different, wouldn’t you agree? Are there any advantages to having a creative as a spouse, especially as a more analytical person?
You’re more imaginative, and when it comes to making decisions, you can see possibilities that I am not able to consider. For me, things are typically one way or the other. For you, there’s a thousand different options. So I feel like, between the two of us, we’re checking all the boxes.
Also, you’re way better at words. It takes me hours to write an email. Literally, hours.
Do I have any writer quirks? Is there anything I do, or a certain way I act, when I'm writing? Any signs that say "go away, I'm busy"?
You get really focused and I can tell when your brain is somewhere else. You’re in the zone, especially if your brainstorming a new story. Sometimes I’ll ask you a question and you’ll give me a short quiet answer. That means I should leave you alone.
Will you allow me to buy another dog?
Nooooooo…. I won’t. You won’t trick me this time.
What's the biggest frustration of being married to a writer?
Seeing you get frustrated, because I want to help and I know I can’t. I want to get you unstuck, but obviously, I don’t want to influence your ideas. Plus, I can’t always relate to your thought process.
Let's play a game. I'm going to use some publishing terms and we're going to see if you can define them:
Query : Is that the cover letter you send when you’re trying to get a publication noticed?
WIP : I think that’s work-in-progress
Proposal : Before you write something, like an outline of where you want the story to go, to try to get someone to pay you to write it.
Slush pile : That’s where the literary agent people put the stories that they don’t accept.
Comps : Like, compositions?
ARCs : A character’s flow, journey throughout the story. How they change and grow.
Blurp : When another author gives you a quote to put on your book cover
Well, thank you so much for sitting down with me. I know you’re not a huge fan of being in the spotlight so I appreciate it.
No problem.
Thanks to Mr. Bell for his time and insight!
Spotlight: LGBTQIA+ Horror Writers and Characters
It’s June which means it’s Pride Month! What better way to celebrate than to showcase amazing members of the LGBTQIA+ horror writing showcase. Take a look and meet the authors:
Lady Dane Figueroa Edidi: What can’t the talented Lady Dane do? She’s a performing artist, writer, advocate, educator, political commentator, and choreographer. In 2013, she became the first trans woman of color author in DC to publish a work of fiction with a trans woman as the main protagonist that centered around indigenous cultures. In addition, her novel Brew is about a trans teenage witch who quickly discovers things in her daily life aren’t what they appear to be.
Clive Barker - What would this list be without the talented Clive Barker? He’s a writer, director and visual artist. His six book series Books of Blood give life to many fascinating characters including members of the LGBTQIA community.
Sarah Waters - She’s an award winning, best selling author and your fix for Victorian lit. Her books such as Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith feature strong lesbian protagonists.
Poppy Z. Brite - Known for gothic and southern horror as well as dark fiction, Poppy Z. Brite writes incredible and sometimes gruesome stories. Her trademarks are most often gay men characters, graphic sex scenes and intense horror.
Tal Bauer - If you’re into romantic thrillers, this is the writer for you. Tal is an award winning best selling author. His books usually feature M/M romance in a political setting.
KC Luck - KC writes a little of everything, including horror, apocalypse horror, action and adventure, plus contemporary romance. Truly, something for everyone.
Between Worlds staring Nicolas Cage #MovieReview
Between Worlds
2018 * Thriller * 1h 30 min
IMDb - 4.9/10 Rotten Tomatoes - 32%
Nicolas Cage might be the most eccentric actor of his generation. He brings an unpredictable and wild charisma to each of his projects, whether he’s a convicted criminal just trying to catch a ride home in Con Air, or a revenge stricken crazy man in Mandy. He delivers entertainment. The good, the bad and the utterly ridiculous.
His latest film Between Worlds falls in the last category.
It’s not a bad premise. Julie, played by Franka Potene, wants to save her comatose daughter. Enter Joe, Nic Cage’s character, a truck driver drinking away life, mourning the loss of his family. Julie enlists his help to jump between worlds in order to coax her daughter back to the living. Except, Joe’s wife jumps into the body of Julie’s daughter.
I expected Joe to play an essential role in the souls passing from the living to the dead. Really, he doesn’t. His only purpose…Actually, I have no idea what his purpose within this movie is. Horrible sex scenes? Cringe worthy dialogue? Now that I’m reflecting on the movie, I honestly can’t come up with a reason why his character decided to stick around with Julie after their first encounter.
And what a crazy amazing first encounter it was. They meet at a gas station bathroom where Julie is being chocked to death. We later find out that in order for Julie to jump between worlds, she needs to have a near death experience. But Joe doesn’t know this, and he saves her. From there, they team up to go visit Julie’s daughter in the hospital. Why? I don’t know. Maybe Julie couldn’t withstand the animal magnetism Joe is radiating. But they go to the hospital and that’s when Julie convinces Joe to strangler her. The goal is to get Julie to help her daughter’s spirit get back into her body.
But I’d argue Julie has no real power. Not then, not ever within this movie. She can enter the spirit world, but does absolutely nothing once there. Literally, she just stands there. And there is no real spirit world, not like I was expecting. It’s just the exact same setting as the real world. No floating spirits. No angels, no devils, no fire and brimstone, no special effects.
And from there, things just continue to slide downhill. You have exorcist style sex scenes, Nic Cage dancing while Julie’s daughter sprays him with a hose, a hand job under a blanket scene, a predictable twist, and an ending that had me groaning in bewilderment.
With all that said, I can’t help but be entertained. It’s a bad movie worth watching with a friend, someone who can laugh along with you at the absurd dialogue and acting. I actually reviewed this movie along with my podcast co-host Ward on our bad movie review podcast Box Office Refund. Ward goes on the record saying this is one of Nic Cage’s best performances. I wouldn’t go that far, but I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
My score: 2 Stars
Should Books Have Ratings?
It’s a discussion that keeps coming up. With movies, TV shows, music and video games already under the umbrella of a ratings system, why not books? Would it be beneficial for readers, especially tweens? Or is it one step away from censorship and book burning parties?
First, it’s important to realize that there is a difference between ratings and censorship. Censorship involves altering or eliminating content while ratings involve classifying content based on some sort of standard. When we’re talking about rating media, we’re referring to the process of an independent group such as Common Sense Media which scores books based on several elements including violence, sex and nudity, educational value, and profanity.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages to applying a rating system to literature? Let’s take a look at the issue from both sides.
Pro Ratings
In 2012, a professor at Brigham Young University's department of family life, named Sarah Coyne, conducted a study suggesting adding a rating to book covers, specifically of young adult books. She claims that this would “empower” parents to make thoughtful and wise decisions in regards to what their young children (ages 9 - 12) should be reading.
That doesn’t sounds so bad. Many parents already monitor their children’s media content, using pre-existing ratings to determine if a movie or TV show is appropriate. I know plenty of parents who have guided their children toward more child-friendly content based on the small rating box in the corner of a video game.
But I can understand how supporting a rating system could spiral out of control. Remember book burning? But maybe if society learns to separate ratings and censorship, there could be a way to please those who benefit from ratings while avoiding censorship.
Editor and writer Rachel Manwill’s article WARNING: On YA, Ratings, and Censorship doesn’t support censorship, but does challenge people to consider a rating system claiming, “The ratings themselves are not a form of censorship; the stores and booksellers that would use those ratings to restrict purchases – they are the ones guilty of censorship. The ratings are NOT. “
Valid point. We know To Kill A Mockingbird was banned from schools based on content. It was the adults and school systems that decided to ban it, along with The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and even Harry Potter got backlash thanks to some Christian parents who felt the witchcraft premise might not be appropriate for their children.
The ratings aren’t the problem. It’s how we handle the ratings that is the concern. So why should people who want the ratings suffer because some people take it too far?
Against Ratings
Well, some people will suffer because people take it too far. At least, that’s one of the anti-ratings arguments. If we were to rate To Kill A Mockingbird “R” based on theme and content, what would happen?
Scenario One - Parents would be allowed to decide if their child can handle the content. Some teenagers might be more mature and advanced than others, and their parents may decide to allow their children to read this book. Others, may decline. And that would be the end of the story.
Scenario Two - Parents would rally together, citing an “R” rating as completely inappropriate for their teenager’s English class. The book would get banned.
See the concern?
The National Coalition Against Censorship argues this exact point, that public education would suffer and what starts out as an innocent request for ratings would end in censorship.
Writer Lauren Davis examines the issue in her article The Thriving Industry That Helps Encourage Book Censorship. She states “rating services tend to boil content down into overly simplified categories, with bullet points that can at times read less as thoughtful dissection of the texts than as a warning to parents.”
Also a valid point. The violence and racism in To Kill A Mockingbird wasn’t frivolous, but if a parent who never read the book were to look at a bulleted list of “questionable” content found within the book, they might be quick to write it off before giving it a chance. And where would we be without books like the ones on the banned list?
My Opinion
I wish there were a way to have ratings without censorship. As a book reviewer, I can’t tell you how many times I wished I knew what trigger warnings were in a book before I started reading. But yes, that means I would have cut those books off my to-be read list. And to be completely honest, I refuse to read certain books with specific triggers. Some books just aren’t for me, and if possible, I appreciate the heads up.
But as a writer, I want to be able to write whatever I want without fear that someone will rally against my work and deem it unfit for the masses. I care deeply about my stories and my characters. They have purpose and meaning, and it would be discouraging to have my work boiled down to bullet points from Common Sense Media.
So I’m somewhere in the middle.
Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
10 Writing Prompts to Spark the Imagination #writingprompts
Coming up with an idea isn’t always easy, so here are 10 writing prompts I’ve created to give you a boost!
National Encourage a Young Writer Day - April 10th #EncourageAYoungWriterDay
Let’s Get Writing!
April 10th is National Encourage a Young Writer Day! To celebrate, I am going to give daily prompts on my twitter account and instagram stories in order to encourage anyone 18 years old or under to explore the world of writing. For those interested, they can send their stories, poems, lyrics or scribbles to my at nicobellfiction@gmail.com and I will compile them in a blog post for later this month. You don’t need to follow my prompts in order to be eligible for the blog post. Just make sure your writing doesn’t contain extreme violence, extreme profanity, sexual assault or excessive gore. And please, only those 18 years or younger can participate :)
Open from April 1st - midnight April 10th. I reserve the right not to publish any content I find that doesn’t meet the requirements.
For other ways to encourage youth writing, check out the National Day Calendar website.
Now get writing!
The Haunted Forest Tour #bookreview
Summary
Bram Stoker Award nominees James A. Moore (BLOOD RED) and Jeff Strand (PRESSURE) join forces for this 87,000-word action-packed, gore-drenched monster extravaganza.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Haunted Forest Tour!
Sit back and enjoy a smooth ride in air-conditioned comfort as your heavily armored tram takes you through nature’s most astonishing creation. The forest is packed to capacity with dangerous and terrifying creatures of all shapes, sizes, and hunger levels, and you’ll get to observe these wonders in complete safety.
Howl with a werewolf! Gaze into the glowing eyes of a giant spider! Look right through a spooky ghost! See horrific monsters you couldn’t even imagine, only inches away from you! Things with fangs, things with claws, things with dripping red jaws—you’ll see them all!
Not thrilling enough? Well, it’s Halloween, and so we’re offering a very special tour through the Haunted Forest. The new route goes deeper into the woods than any civilians have ventured before, and you’re guaranteed to get a good scare! Rest assured that every possible security precaution has been taken. The Haunted Forest Tour has a 100% safety record, and technical difficulties are unheard of. You will be in no danger whatsoever.
We promise.
Review
Wow. Get ready for an insane adventure through the scariest forest on Earth. With an incredible story world and intense plot, The Haunted Forest Tour digs it’s claws into you from the first page until the last.
I had no idea what direction the story would take and the suspense never let up. A forest magically appears in the middle of New Mexico but why and how? It seems the characters care less about these reasons and more about what lurks within the darkness. Monsters. And lots of them. Every monster you can possibly imagine, and many you’ve never considered imagining, dwell within the thick trees and if you’re one of the lucky few, you can take a tram ride through the madness.
And it’s perfectly safe. No deaths, no injuries, no worries.
Until Halloween.
Hell, literally, breaks loose. The monsters attack and slaughter, claw and dismember. This novel isn’t for the weak stomach as blood, guts and gore line the pages. Many people die, including two incidents of child death, so keep that in mind before embarking on this haunted adventure.
The pace doesn’t stop. At one point, I had to set the book down just to catch my breath. Each character is thrown into the worst case scenario only to find out that things can, and do, get worse. Christopher is the lead protagonist, and I admired his evolution from a disgruntled employee to monster killer. Many other characters had equally satisfying and well developed arcs that made me cheer them on as they battled snakes, dragons, aliens and demons. Even grumpy and self-centered tram driver Eddie, who is arguably the least likeable character, managed to win me over as the story progressed.
I only had one main concern. I didn’t love how the majority of females were portrayed in this novel. They are constantly being objectified by the men in their lives. Even when the shit hits the fan, a male character finds a moment of peace by checking out a woman’s chest. Also, when the haunted tour tram gets stuck on the track, in the middle of the forest, and it’s clear that they are in trouble, the female tour guide hands out weapons to men. Only men. She’s told to scout the tram and look for people who can help defend the passengers, who can use a gun, who are able to step up. And she scouts males. In my opinion, only one female had grit. Tina, who was a passenger on the haunted tour, proved to hold her own. Otherwise, I grew tired of men starting at women’s chests, or thinking about how they’d be in bed.
But this book holds nothing back in terms of action, imagination and horror. You’ll be chewing down your nails and holding your breath as you devour this manuscript in one sitting. The twists keep you guessing and the end will turn your stomach in the best way. I hope this gets made into a movie one day. It’d be a terrifying good time.
This book is available at: Amazon I Kobo (Audio version)
Women In Horror Month: Literature Edition #WIHM
From Mary Shelley to Tananarive Due, the landscape of horror literature has been shaped by brilliant women writers. Since it’s Women in Horror Month, I decided to highlight some indie women you may not have heard about. Enjoy!
Gemma Amor
Gemma is a UK horror fiction author, podcaster, artist and voice actor. She writes for the NoSleep Podcast and her short story anthology ‘Cruel Works of Nature: 11 Illustrated Horror Novellas’ is availible on Amazon.
Description of Cruel Works of Nature: 11 Illustrated Horror Novellas
Curiosity may have killed the cat, but supernatural curiosities brought it back.
A Jack-in-the-Box made from skulls.
A monster egg in the mail.
A sketchbook bridging imagination with reality.
What other wondrous and terrible secrets will these survivors tell?
CRUEL WORKS OF NATURE is a collection of 11 horror novellas about strange and exciting supernatural encounters. Reality and the fantastic are blended seamlessly in these immersive tales, with plenty of mystery to lead the reader on a thrilling journey. Some stories are dark and macabre while others whimsical and lighthearted, together ensuring constant surprises and terrifying twists to keep you reading until the very last page.
Website: https://gemmaamorauthor.com/
Mariko Koike
Mariko is an award winning Japanese horror author who wrote her debut novel in 1985. Since then, she has published several dark works such as The Graveyard Apartment, The Silent One and Fig Forest. She is known for combining genres and terrifying readers.
Description of The Graveyard Apartment
One of the most popular writers working in Japan today, Mariko Koike is a recognized master of detective fiction and horror writing. Known in particular for her hybrid works that blend these styles with elements of romance, The Graveyard Apartment is arguably Koike’s masterpiece. Originally published in Japan in 1986, Koike’s novel is the suspenseful tale of a young family that believes it has found the perfect home to grow into, only to realize that the apartment’s idyllic setting harbors the specter of evil and that longer they stay, the more trapped they become.
This tale of a young married couple who harbor a dark secret is packed with dread and terror, as they and their daughter move into a brand new apartment building built next to a graveyard. As strange and terrifying occurrences begin to pile up, people in the building start to move out one by one, until the young family is left alone with someone... or something... lurking in the basement. The psychological horror builds moment after moment, scene after scene, culminating with a conclusion that will make you think twice before ever going into a basement again
Annie Neugebauer
Annie is a Texas based Bram Stoker Award-Nominated author who specializes in horror, gothic, literary fiction, poetry and speculative. Her work appears in Apex, Black Static, and Cemetery Dance, as well as anthologies such as Year’s Best Hardcore Horror Volume 3 and #1 Amazon bestseller Killing It Softly. When she isn’t writing, she’s participating in Denton Writers’ Critique Group and the Horror Writers Association. You can check her out at her website: https://annieneugebauer.com/
Camilla Voiez
Taken from her website, award winning author Camilla says it best. She is “ a proudly bisexual and mildly autistic introvert who finds writing much easier than verbal communication. A life long Goth, living with two kids, two cats and a poet by the sea.” She is an indie and self published author whose work includes sorcery, gothic elements, ghosts, vampires…There’s someone for everyone.
Description of Starblood
Star craves freedom, but Satori refuses to let her go. He casts a spell to make her love him again, opening a gateway through which Lilith, mother of demons, enters his life.
Lilith serves no man. Instead she seduces Star, assuring her that there is no shame in love, only completion. Thus begins a strange and terrible love triangle that leads them to Scotland and the Cairngorm mountains.
An LGBT love story full of horror and dark fantasy - be careful what you wish for.
Winner of HFA's Horror Author of the Year, Fear Venture's Author of the Year (2014), Best Horror Release by The Three Bookateers (2014) and nominated for the Commonwealth Book Prize. Starblood is the first book in a series - Psychonaut, Black Sun, and Ribbons continue Star, Satori and Lilith's stories.
A graphic novel based on this award-winning novel is also available, illustrated by Anna Prashkovich.