Category Archives: Novella

Apocalyptic, Novella, Paranormal, Part of a Series, Review, Sci Fi, Suspense, Vampire, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR25 #Review – Resonant (The Vampires of Vegas Prequel) by Alexis Purdy

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Surviving is worse than death…

As the first days of the end of humanity tumble across the city of Las Vegas in the form of an overwhelming viral infection, turning almost everyone into vampire-like creatures, April Tate will find out what it really means to survive. What does it take to make it out alive in a place where everything is but a withered echo of its former self, and death does not come willingly?

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I love Prequels! Especially after you get invested with the main character and just NEED to see what the heck they went through at the beginning. However, in this instance, I started with the prequel. Sometimes, this is a big no no because you are just not committed to the story yet. Well, Alexia Purdy is a new to me author and I am now invested in this story. I need to know what craziness April and her family are about to get into. APOCALYPTIC VAMPIRES! I read this in less than an hour and was so bummed that the story was over. But the best part is, I get to dive right into Reign of Blood like, RIGHT NOW! See ya on the flip side!

Alexia Purdy profile image

Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she’s always lost in her head. She is best known for her award-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

Sign up for email updates and exclusive giveaways: http://smarturl.it/AlexiaPurdyNews

Follow links: https://linktr.ee/alexiapurdy

Coming of Age, Fantasy, LGBTQ, Mythology, Novella, Review

#Review #GoddessofDeath – Morana by Piper Laksari-Minenco

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My name is Morana. The humans call me Death.

Forget all you thought you knew about myth and folklore. This is an unheard story; the story of death.

A new spin on mythology, told through the perspective of one of the most hated goddesses of them all.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Kelly

I am a lover of all things mythology so when I seen Morana, I knew that I had to read it. Morana is definitely an interesting and unique spin on the gods and goddesses that we have all come to know. Some we love and some we love to hate. This is a coming-of-age story about Morana, who ultimately becomes the Goddess of Death. Morana is struggling with the gift that the sprits are going to bestow upon her as she fears that she will be hated by everyone.

There is a LOT going on with Morana and the additional characters. The family dynamic is very tense but she makes every effort not to clash with them. She has a schoolmate, Athena, who is the “cool kid” that everyone loves but she constantly locks horns with on the daily. And then there is her girlfriend, Devana. She is so sweet and understanding.

The overall story is really good but there is so much potential for this to be really great! This is a short story and as you got closer to the end, it felt like there were longer breaks in between events. With the jump in between events, I felt like I lost a bit of a connection with the other characters and even Morana while she may have processed what she went through. Overall, the story is very intriguing and is definitely a page turner. I do wish it was a bit longer so that we could discover a bit more about Morana…there is so much more, I just know it!

This is a new author for me, and I didn’t realize she was a young author, but I am extremely impressed! I look forward to reading other works by this author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Piper Laksari-Minenco profile image

I’m a young writer who is super passionate about my craft, and who loves to weave a little exploration of mental health themes into my work. When I’m not penning my newest work, you can find me cuddling up under my fabulous periodic table blanket with a book in my hands, surrounded by my anatomy posters and whatnot. Passionate about the power of storytelling, I truly cherish the feeling of bringing hope or light to someone through a good book. I hope you’ll tag along and give my work a try!

Kindle Unlimited, Novella, Psychological Thriller, short story, Thriller

#Review – App by Rayne Havok

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Salem logs on to her favorite app. Her and Kyle are a match. The night starts out fun, with both of them eager to take things further.

The next morning, however, Salem wakes with no recollection of the evening.

Salem joins a dating app that is used for a one night thing only. Those are the rules. No commitments or anything. Just some fun. She comes across Kyle’s profile and decides to choose him for her fun. They meet up and go on a date. But the night doesn’t exactly go as planned. Or does it? She wakes up with no memory of the night before but ends up getting proof of what happened. There’s a nice little twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting. This story is a short, fun read that proves that they do in fact have an app for anything. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3W91PgQ

Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella, short story

#Review – Test Town by Leigh Kenny

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Welcome to Test Town.
Population: Zero

When Savannah and her friends decide on a sightseeing pit stop at a long-abandoned nuclear testing facility, something feels off from the outset.
Dilapidated houses. Quiet, dusty streets. And mannequins.
So many mannequins.

With a growing sense of unease, the group soon learns that even in an abandoned town in the middle of nowhere, you’re never truly alone.

Oh this was a fun and super creepy little read. There’s just something about dolls and mannequins that give me the heebie jeebies. 

Savannahs, her brother and his friends, are driving through the dessert and decide to stop at Test Town. There’s no human life and only mannequins. So not unsettling in the least right? Unfortunately for the group, things take a turn for the worse.

Although this was a super short story, I really enjoyed it! Now I need to find more books about creepy dolls and mannequins.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3PJdmQJ

Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella, Psychological Thriller

#Review – Writer’s Block: How a desperate search for inspiration went terribly wrong by Geoff A. Wilson

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A psychological short story by the author of ‘Depravity’, ‘The dream’, ‘Meltdown’, ‘The machine’ and ‘(Un)happy Christmas’.

Ross Stubbard is a failed, angry, and depressed writer who struggles to find inspiration for his next book. One night a strange apparition stands by his bedside – an apparition that embodies Ross’s ghostly alter ego. The apparition urges Ross to write a short story. At first, working with the apparition helps Ross to rediscover his lost writing skills, get him out of his writer’s block, and to develop a gripping story. But then what his alter ego suggests takes on a much darker hue and urges Ross to write a tale of darkness and despair based on himself and his own failed life.

The apparition unlocks a Pandora’s box of Ross’s suppressed emotions and memories where accounts of his deep depression intermix with his fear of alcoholism, where the abuse he has metered out on his wife and kids bleeds into narratives about his darkest suicidal thoughts, and where memories of wanting to hurt people and his readers, who have so selfishly abandoned him, intertwine with his darkest visions of extreme violence and murder.

Too late, Ross realises that his alter ego has become his puppet master, guiding him down a path of self-destruction. The apparition has made him slip further into the abyss, forcing him to lose his grip on reality, urging him to re-enact the horrors he has written, to make the story a reality. The failed, angry, and depressed author, has himself become the embodiment of the darkness he has conjured up in his own, final, story. He, who has sought solace in the cold embrace of his alter ego’s story writing, has unwittingly become the protagonist of his own macabre masterpiece, a story of a man consumed by his own demons, and a cautionary tale of the perilous path that lies at the intersection of creativity and madness.

Oh this one is creepy and disturbing. Especially since I’m an author as well. 

We meet Ross who is a failed author and tries so desperately to find his words again. He looks to an unknown source for inspiration and while it helps him get the words down, he slowly slips into insanity as a result. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/40jGXX2

Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella, Zombie

#Review – The Zed Conspiracy by Meera Masen

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Previously published under S.M. Phoenix
Based on a writing prompt.

These short stories will have you second guessing how much control the government has over its citizens and whether zombies can be created in a science lab.

PART ONE
On trial for murder, Jonathan Bigwell must prove his innocence after killing what he thought was a zombie. But how innocent is the judge?

PART TWO
Successfully creating a genetic mutation isn’t easy, but scientist Tonya Farris did it. What will her new gene do and why does the government want it?

PART THREE
The government elite must now tie up loose ends and figure out their next move. Will they successfully launch Project Zed?

This was a fun short little zombie read. The government has a gene created that can turn people into zombies. Nothing could go wrong with thay right? Clearly these people have never watched a zombie movie in their life. The story shows the gene being created, the zombies being formed and an attack from some zombies. Cause again, creating zombies is alwahs a good idea. Insert eye roll here. The story also shows a court hearing and how one guy gets convicted of murdering a zombie. While this is just a story, it makes me wonder if it could actually happen. Good thing I’ve watched a lot of zombie movies. You know…for research purposes and all. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/40hErjG

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#Review – Sewer Rat by Meera Masen

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Ben Jansen has been bullied relentlessly since the third grade by his ex-best friend, Jimmy Norton, after he spills an important secret that destroys not only each of their families but also their friendship.

In an odd twist of fate, Ben finds friendship and comfort in a new and unlikely ally under the city streets. His new friend, Henry encourages Ben to stand up for himself.

Armed with newfound confidence, Ben seeks revenge on Jimmy and his Goon Squad, one by one.

This is an extreme psychological horror story. If you are not familiar with the genre, please note that this is extremely dark and twisted.

I really liked this one. I knew something was off, especially when the author said that she hopes the ending makes the reader mad. But I wasn’t sure how it was going to play out.

Ben had been bullied by the Goons for years for reasons that he truly honestly believed happened. But did they?

He ends up meeting a rat, Henry, and this rat and his family help Ben. Not sure it ends exactly how Ben expected though.

I read this one in a single sitting and while it was short, it didn’t feel like it. I think it packed the perfect punch for the length it was. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/4a21odW

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#Review – Gaping Wound by Meera Masen

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Caden always knew that he was different and now he would stop at nothing to match who he is on the outside with who he is on the inside. With a mother who doesn’t share his ideologies, Caden begins research on the deep dark web, looking up do-it-yourself gender reassignment surgeries.

This is a splatterpunk/extreme horror story. If you are not familiar with the genre, please note that this is extremely dark and twisted.

This story instantly hurt my heart. To not have the support from your parent where you have to take things upon yourself in the most drastic way. I know this is just a book but I also know that so many people in the world, feel exactly like this character does. I also wonder just how many people do these kinds of things on their own. This was my first book from this author and I can’t wait to read more. This story is extreme and has several triggers. It made me wince and take deep breaths at times. Which is saying something, given the books I’ve read in the past year. Most of all, I loved that Delilah is finally happy. But oy, what a way to find that happiness. Makes me sad that she had to go through all of that.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3ZQziOk

Extreme Horror, Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#Review – Tapewyrmin’: An Extreme Horror Short by Judith Sonnet

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Clyde thinks he’s in luck when the hottest babe on campus starts asking after him . . .
Until he’s confronted by her ex. A jock, who claims that Amira isn’t all she seems to be. And that getting her into bed . . . might not be a great idea.
Ignoring his warnings, Clyde meets up with Amira, hoping to have some fun.
But he quickly learns that something unnatural is going on inside Amira’s body.
Something . . . inhuman.

WARNING: This is an extreme horror short. If you don’t like crude content or gore . . . don’t read this story.

This book was gross in the best of ways. I just love the way Judith always comes up with something utterly disturbing in her stories and makes it awesome.

So we meet Clyde who is nothing super special. He’s not popular and only okay looking. He can’t get the ladies either.

After an unexpected encounter with a popular and beautiful girl, his world takes a turn for…the better? I guess it depends on how you look at it. 

This book is a short and super quick read and doesn’t disappoint in the odd department. 

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/3PfX4yn

Horror, Kindle Unlimited, Novella

#Review – 100% Match by Patrick C. Harrison III

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“What The One Minute Manager was to business, 100% Match is to relationships.” -PC3 Books

Bart is thirty. He is bald. He is overweight. He wears glasses. He is a fry cook. He hates cats. And kids. Bart occasionally does very bad things. He is looking for his perfect match. He has done his research.

“Depraved, deranged, and blackly hilarious. PC3 does what he does best here, and doesn’t hold back. I suspect 89.3% of you will love this story. The other 10.7% are humorless prudes.” -Chris Miller, author of Dust and Dub-Town Blues

“Vile, repulsive, and smart, with a kick-in-the-ass ending. You know, all the stuff we’ve come to love about PC3” -Rayne Havok, author of Necrosis

“Get ready to squirm, cringe, and maybe even laugh! Patrick C. Harrison III’s prose is as slick as it is sick, and 100% Match is one you won’t want to miss. Especially if you’re deranged and looking for love.” -Judith Sonnet, author of No One Rides for Free

“If you like your fiction sick and twisted, this one will be a 100% match for you. PC3 gives us a glimpse into the mind of the truly depraved, and despite the nature of spending time in such a nasty headspace, the story is entertaining as hell. Just don’t read it on a full stomach.” -Robert Essig, author of The Circus Oasis and Tweaker Creatures

Ok this book was so much fun and so random at times, that I couldn’t stop laughing and thinking “WTF am I reading?”

We meet Bart who is trying to find his perfect lady and 100% match. We find out his daily routine and how he lives his life. The things he does, are vile and disgusting at times. The scenes aren’t in the greatest detail but the way the author wrote them, it almost makes it seem worse. It’s like he wrote it in a way that you’re forced to use your imagination and if yours is anything like mine, that’s not a good thing.

I really enjoyed this book and it’s the first I read by this author, so I’ll definitely be picking up more from him. I also absolutely loved the twist at the end.

This book was so entertaining and one I won’t stop thinking about. Oh and I’m never eating a fast food place again.

Can be read in Kindle Unlimited: https://amzn.to/3BtuK8j