nightmarefoodauthor

[nightmarefoodauthor]

If you know, you know. A few of these little "easter eggs" are hidden throughout this story, and I can't wait to see who finds them and understands them. If anyone does. I'll leave it at that. ;)

[nightmarefoodauthor]

The state of mind Andy operates in on a constant basis is something I don't wish upon anyone. Being in a constant battle with two voices that want entirely different things is incredibly difficult, and there is the possibility that you could end up doing something you regret just to make them quiet. I've been there.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

i’m team “not all transformative works are fanfiction, fanfiction is a specific modern phenomenon founded on a specific relationship between reader and text that doesn’t require historical proofs to be a legitimate form” up until people start being snotty and obnoxious about it and then i am there going “hamlet is gesta danorum fanfiction”

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Kinda rude, Valerie XD

Kindle: https://a.co/d/8OA0mHi

Print: https://a.co/d/4yIrxpk

[nightmarefoodauthor]

A description of Andy's paintings. They explain a little about the character, and are an insight into his personality and mental status.

Serenade

[nightmarefoodauthor]

I'm done with "all natural"

People say all natural like it makes things automatically safe and good for you. You know what is all natural?

Lava. Sulfuric acid A bear.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

A Song of the Reaper ARC Review

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Rating

Outro

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Introduction

Title

A Song of the Reaper

Author

Daniel Brown

Author Bio

There are a tremendous number of authors named Dan or Daniel Brown. If you’re searching for the latest work of an old favorite, the author suggests confirming you’re where you want to be.

This particular Mr. Brown is a Certified Snooze-Hitter. His body has been sculpted by an imbalance of Pilates and nachos. He’s heard that he laughs like Peter Griffin and that the Cheshire cat would appreciate his smile. He’s mostly sure these aren’t compliments.

As a child, he aspired to a life of restfulness and sanity. He happened to become an author instead. He thinks that if you happen to read a book—or enjoy the thrill of action and the macabre—then A Song of the Reaper might be your match.

Genre

Horror, Adult Fiction

Summary

A beautiful forest. A terrifying legend.

There’s a spirit in the valley that’s dealing in death, and it’s ready to make an offer: your soul for a second chance. For one old rancher who’s bleeding out on the mountain, this sounds like a fine trade. For Jack Stott, who’s returning to his childhood valley, this means supremely bad timing.

The story of a missing man sweeps him into a search party on a blizzarding mountain, and when the party returns, it’s to the bodies of old neighbors cut up in dark corners and strewn along the valley’s only road. Two truths are unmistakably clear. The killer is close, and the killer isn’t human… anymore.

With no way to escape and survivors in diminishing supply, it’s up to Jack to make a stand, even if it means taking on a killer that might be immortal or a spirit that’s hellbent on reaping one more soul.

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Rating

Favourite Part

So, as we learned with the last ARC I reviewed, I have a serious thing for horror stories that use NATURE to evoke terror. This book does NOT disappoint with the scary setting of a blizzard and a tall mountain in small town. I also liked some of the characters. The antagonist is fantastic in my opinion (there is so much to unpack here). The monster, thereaper, was a shocker, completely unexpected. There are a lot of little surprises in this book, little nibbles of information here and there that build up to the reveal and then the final battle. It definitely had my heart rate up at different points.

Least Favourite Part

I can’t really say my least favourite part because it’ll spoil something in the book. But if you read it, I am sure you will figure it out.

Recommendation

Honestly, yeah I’d recommend this to someone who wants a nice, simple horror to read. No real frills but some pretty good thrills, and very easy to read. Perfect for a cozy fireside reading session.

Stars

★ ★ ★ ★

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Outro

Final Notes

Definitely an interesting story. Worth a read, in my opinion.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Serenade--Playlist

I grew up listening to all different types of music, but one of the major players in my childhood was classical music. I listened to it on the way to school, at home while I did my chores or my homework. I dreamed of, one day, being a violinist or a pianist. I wanted to play in an orchestra. I did pick up the violin in 6th grade, where I played with the school orchestra. We did a battle of the bands style concert with other middle school orchestras from around the Bay Area. A boyfriend from my early teen years taught me a few songs on piano, and the rest I learned from the little lights on the keys of my keyboard. I composed a song during this time, my one and only musical composition. It was supposed to be much longer than it is, so I called it Symphony of the Stars. I never finished it.

All of this is just history. I chose to write a story with a playlist made up entirely of classical music because classical music has always had a… it has always made me think of mental illness. Maybe it is because my mother was the one to listen to classical. Maybe it is just the melancholy that I feel whenever I hear violins screaming. I think the saddest classical song I have ever heard is Serenade by Franz Schubert, the song which this novella is named after.

Okay, I hope you enjoy this playlist :D

Für Elise – Beethoven Ride of the Valkyries – Richard Wagner Requiem: Lacrimosa – Mozart Pavane Op 50 – Gabriel Fauré Symphony No. 5 Op. 67 – Beethoven The Hungarian Dance – Brahms Adagio in G Minor – Albinoni Moonlight Sonata – Beethoven Symphony No. 9 Op.125 – Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Op. 92 – Beethoven Swan Lake – Tchaikovsky Adagio for Strings, Op. 11 – Samuel Barber Symphony No. 25 – Mozart Waltz No. 10, Op. 69 – Chopin Orchestral Suite No. 3 – Bach Serenade – Franz Schubert

[nightmarefoodauthor]

The Creature of the Wandering Woods

Here is a story I wrote specifically for a prompt in one of the communities I am a part of. We had to write something paranormal. Decide what the creature is at the end, there isn't a wrong answer :)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The forest loomed over her like fairytale towers waiting to be scaled. The trees were bare, their spindly branches sticking out every which way. Their shadows raced around her like fingers stretching out. A shiver ran along her spine and the hairs on her arms stood up–someone was watching her. She spun around, bouncing her gaze from left to right, trying to see who was with her in the quiet forest. 

No one. There was no one around her. She was as alone as alone could get, in the middle of nowhere. She adjusted her backpack and continued along the trail for another fifty feet before the feeling washed over her again. The trees were getting closer as if they were moving toward her. Up ahead, the trees appeared to overtake the path. She was sure the trailhead said five miles to the waterfall–she had only been walking for two miles, give or take a couple hundred feet. Maybe it turned up or down, around the trees. She continued forward until the end of the trail–it didn’t turn off, it just stopped. Maybe the post had been wrong? She shook her head at the thought. Someone would have come along and corrected it, right?

As she moved, she saw a shadow dart back into the trees from the corner of her eye. Someone was following her. She called out once, twice, and three times and received no response. She walked to the area of the trail where she thought the figure had run from, but when she turned to look through the trees, there was no sign of anything. The ground was undisturbed. She couldn’t remember if she heard anything as the figure moved off the trail. It appeared that, once again, she was alone on the forest path. She must have imagined it. 

With the trail’s abrupt end, she was left with nothing to do but make the walk back to her car. She heaved a sigh and took a few steps forward. A crack echoed around her. She stopped, lowering her foot slowly to the ground. It could be a mountain lion or even a bear. What did she do again? She was too afraid to turn around and look her stalker in the eye. Her heart rate started to speed up and her breathing was coming faster and faster as she slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. 

It wasn’t a mountain lion or a bear, and it moved impossibly fast. In the second she had seen it, it looked impossibly tall and dark, like a stretched out shadow. It was playing with her, she just knew it. This was a game. She turned her eyes back to the front and continued walking down the path. Every time a twig would snap, or the leaves on the path would crunch behind her, she had to fight herself not to stop and look. 

A mile to go. She was almost there. The crunching of leaves was still echoing around her as she picked up speed. It followed closely behind her. She could feel warm, wet breath through her hair. She fought off waves of shivers threatening to make her shake. Half a mile more. She broke into a speed walk, and whatever it was continued to follow. 

A growl rumbled out of the creature. She shrieked against her better judgment and started to run. As she neared the parking lot, she fumbled with her keys–when she had a hold of the fob, she pressed the button and her car beeped. When she cleared the line of trees and stepped onto the gravel parking lot, she spun around to face her stalker.

It was at least eight feet tall, it’s hands and feet tipped in claws as long as daggers. It was covered in matted fur, and under that there were dozens of white and pink scars. It’s face was both human and animal, which didn’t seem rational. Its eyes were a person’s eyes, but its mouth was filled with razar sharp teeth.

It didn’t follow her out of the forest. It stood on the edge, watching her with its wide eyes. As she backed into her car and felt around, refusing to take her eyes off of it, the creature lowered itself to the ground and let out a long, mournful howl. She couldn’t fight the shiver anymore, and her entire body shook as it ran down her spine. 

She jumped into her car, turned the key in the ignition, and sped out of the parking lot. She would not be returning to the Wandering Woods again. 

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Spirit Board

The rain fell in heavy drops against the window. Sarah could see them running in rivulets down to the sill. Thunder rumbled overhead, and each flash of lightning sent shadows dancing across her wall. The flickering flames of a dozen candles scattered around the room illuminated the space between the flashes of lightning. She put her hand on the planchette and took a deep breath. It was Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, the night when the Veil between this world and the Spirit world was thinnest. She was sure she would get through. 

“Is there anyone in the room with me?” She pressed firmly on the planchette, her eyes closed. Nothing happened, save for another flash of lightning and the following rumble of thunder. Another deep breath and she repeated herself. She waited a few minutes before opening her eyes. “Come on, you have to be here,” she whispered. The planchette jerked forward on the board, dragging her fingers toward YES.

Yes, there was someone in the room with her! A smile curved the corners of her mouth and she wiggled a little deeper into the pillows at her back.

“Can you tell me your name?”

The planchette moved toward the letters. MARCIE. Marcey. Her eyes widened and she let out a surprised noise. Her Marcie? She tried to come up with another question, but her fingers were dragged to more letters before she could ask.

I MISS YOU. 

“I miss you too, Marcie. Are you comfortable? 

SOMETHING. She waited a moment before opening her mouth again:

“Something? Something what?” The planchette stopped moving. “Hello? Marcie, are you still there?” The flashes of lightning were coming more frequently now, and the shadows were stretching toward her. She could feel something watching her from the dark corners of her room. 

SOMETHING COMING.

“Marcie? What is coming? Are you safe?” Her voice was getting higher and higher with each word she said, and her breathing was coming in quick gasps. There was something in the room with her, and it wasn’t Marcie. 

IT IS HERE.

“What is here? Is it in the room with me?” YES. “Marcie, you need to tell me what it is!”

Quiet. All was quiet. The rain continued to fall outside, and lightning flashed, but there was no sound. She was in a soundproof bubble. The shadows were coming alive in the corners, and when she turned away, she could see large white eyes staring out at her from the darkness. 

She opened her mouth, and her lips moved to form words, but there was no sound. She sucked in a breath and tried to scream, but again there was only silence. The thing in the corner had moved closer. It was tall, impossibly tall, hunched over to fit in the room. Its presence was so massive that she was suffocating under its gaze. 

It was at the foot of her bed, and the eyes were glowing white in its black body. She looked at it head-on now, and it didn’t shy away from her eyes. The creature–because that was all she could think of to call it–reached out a thin hand, its fingers like claws stretching out to touch her, grab her, drag her into whatever dark, cold abyss it came from. As it grasped her leg and began pulling her down the bed toward it, a loud pounding broke the silence.

It was gone. She straightened herself and moved back into a sitting position. “Come in!”

“What are you doing in here? Why are all these candles lit?” Her mother flipped the light switch and looked at her threw narrow eyes. It had just been her imagination. Maybe she had fallen asleep for a minute, just a quick little trip into dreamland. “Come on, I need you to hand out candy while your dad and I are at the party.”

“Right, yeah, I’ll be down in a sec.” She slid the spirit board under her bed and planted her feet on the floor. Her mother shook her head and left the room mumbling under her breath. Sarah went around the room, blowing out every candle, but when she got to the corner where the creature had first appeared, she stopped–there was nothing there, but she could still feel something watching her. With a shrug, she turned away and left her room, flipping the switch off. 

White eyes stared at the door from the corner, and a low rumbling laugh filled the room. She hadn’t said GOODBYE. 

[nightmarefoodauthor]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Rating

Outro

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Introduction

Title

Sleepwalkers

Author

Izzi Breigh

Author Bio

Izzi Breigh, raised by a family of peacocks, grew up on a rutabaga farm. She now resides in a small cottage made entirely of pinecones. Izzi enjoys knitting shirts for starfish, rooms without corners, and peddling time. Her day job is filling hourglasses with precisely the right amount of sand, which she sells for 2 copper pennies every Saturday at her local flea market. Hide and seek is her favorite sport and though she has repeatedly spotted Waldo, she has yet to figure out where in the world Carmen Sandiego is.

(Bio taken from Goodreads)

Genre

Children's Middle Grade

Summary

You know this pattern: Go to school. Go home. Go to sleep. You know where school is, where home is, but where is sleep? Is it a place like any other? That secret has been long kept by the Sleepwalkers and hidden from the waking world. In the dead of night, the Sleepwalkers roam the Round, keeping children like themselves safe from the nightmares lurking in sleep. They have never lost one of their own, until now. It's the summer of '86 and 11-year-old Ellie Dasher is not a Sleepwalker. She doesn't know who they are or what they do. She couldn't find Inzien on a map or tell you what a Jaghound looks like. She's just a kid, trying on a new town, with an imaginary friend who might not be imaginary. It takes one fateful night for Ellie to learn that dreams have sharp teeth and, yes, they do bite. 

(Summary taken from Goodreads)

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Rating

Favourite Part

Definitely the descriptions of the dreamland setting. When the main character enters Inzien, that is where the author is really able to go wild with their imagination!

Least Favourite Part

The ending felt a bit rushed--the twist comes and goes without much consequence. I wasn't particularly attached to the "villain" in the end, so their punishment sort of didn't hit the way I assume the author wanted it to.

Recommendation

I highly recommend this for anyone, of any age, because it is a truly well written story with a lot of horror elements and a lot of suspense and thrills throughout!

Stars

☆☆☆☆

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Outro

Final Notes

I went into this book sceptical, mostly because of the age of the characters. In the first chapter, I was intrigued and continued to read, and after reading chapter two I was completely invested in the story. It has a lot of horror elements, and the author does a fairly good job of creating suspense. The dreamland setting is completely unique and fantastical, exactly what a dreamland is supposed to be. The role that children play in dreams is also fairly unique, but it definitely makes sense. The author does a wonderful job of bringing all of their ideas together to form a coherent, eerie story.

I honestly didn't go into this thinking it was a children's book. While writing this review and looking into the genre, I found out it is Middle Grade! It is so well written with a definite adult voice--perhaps it being about children should have tipped me off! Either way, regardless of reading level, it was a fun and imaginative read!

Print Book Kindle Edition

[nightmarefoodauthor]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Rating

Outro

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Introduction

Title

The Root Witch

Author

Debra Castaneda

Author Bio

Debra Castaneda has lived in five states, but she’s a Californian through and through. After a career as a journalist in radio and TV, she now devotes her time to writing horror and dark fiction.

Her novella, "The Monsters of Chavez Ravine", is a 2021 International Latino Book Awards gold medal winner for Fantasy/SciFi-English. It also made two CrimeReads Best of 2021 lists: Horror and Historical Fiction.

When she’s not at her computer, you can find her taking long walks, making Mexican food, binge-watching creepy shows, and texting her two daughters. She lives with her husband in Capitola, California.

Genre

Horror, Adult Fiction

Summary

A beautiful forest. A terrifying legend.

It’s 1986. Two strangers, hundreds of miles apart, grapple with disturbing incidents in a one-of-a-kind quaking aspen forest.

Knox is a new Forest Service ranger assigned to a vast, remote territory in Utah.

Sandy is a producer fighting for her place in a tough TV newsroom.

Both have heard about the shadowy figure believed to menace visitors to the forest. When a man disappears and reports of the Root Witch begin coming in, Knox and Sandy are plunged into a living nightmare.

Their lives converge on Halloween. Sandy sends a news crew to investigate the sightings. But when the team goes missing, and a shocking video surfaces revealing the ghastly truth, Knox and Sandy face the biggest decision of their lives.

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Rating

Favourite Part

To be honest, my favourite part was the forest. I love the way the author describes it. I am a sucker for forests and natural settings, especially in spooky/horror stories. There is so much you can play with, like all the senses. The author does a great job using all the senses in this book. She did a wonderful job setting everything up for the big reveal of the Root Witch.

Honestly, it totally gives me Blair Witch vibes, which is actually why I picked it up in the first place. I love urban legends and folk tales so much. This is a very unique story, though.

Least Favourite Part

Oh jeez, Colleen is definitely my least favourite part of this book. I hate her character. I don't know if the author intended for her to be as terrible as she was, but man. I can't stand her. She just beats her husband, Knox, down for everything he does.

Recommendation

I definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys spooky stories and/or urban legends, and natural settings.

Stars

★ ★ ★ ★

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Outro

Final Notes

This book wasn't as SCARY as I wanted, but that doesn't mean it didn't send shivers down my spine or make my pulse speed up. It definitely had its thrills and suspense. Keeping the Root Witch an unknown and building up to the reveal was definitely the way to go, though.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

I've gone through a lot of challenges with this story recently. I am mostly freaking out about it and wrestling with myself about whether I want to publish it.

A little backstory: I have a serious desire to be loved and accepted. I want my characters, and my stories, to be enjoyed.

Serenade is a completely unique story, with original characters, but the original concept was inspired by fanfictions of JTHM where characters are romantically paired with our favourite homicidal maniac. My novella is a PARODY of those romance fics. It's a White Knight Syndrome story.

The characters in the Nightmares and Bloodshed series are not role models. They are not good people. They are the villains. They do terrible things. That's the POINT though. Andy is not a good person, and he acknowledges this. I don't EVER want anyone to look at my characters and see a love interest, though I know there is the possibility that that will happen (JTHM fanfics, for example).

I understand it might get backlash and how that will affect me. I do this because it is a fun little story and I enjoyed writing it. Andy is an incredibly fun character to write because he is an exploration of Nihilism and a very prominent mental illness for me. And no, I am not a serial killer.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Serenade has been out for like... 2 weeks. I made a promise to a lot of people that I would publish it and keep it up. I'm not concerned about it anymore, to be honest. I am proud of the story. I have explained what inspired it and provided trigger warnings, as suggested by a few people.

If people find the book distasteful, that is their opinion. I've never been shy about the content of the stories written within the Nightmares and Bloodshed universe. The characters are not good people, and they do terrible things. The relationships they have may be considered toxic, and yes at least one of them was written with the full intent to make people upset. It's tough when you are processing your own illnesses and experiences, and that is exactly what this entire universe was created for me to do.

I love Andy. He is a piece of me that has needed an outlet for so long, and I hadn't even realised he was needed until I wrote Serenade.

I am not asking anyone to be gentle with this book. Be harsh, critique it, discuss why it made you upset, attack me if it will make you feel better. This book is fiction, no matter how much of my honest, actual-factual thoughts and feelings went into it. This book should remain firmly planted in the realm of fantasy.

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Another quote from Serenade :D

Serenade

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Quote from my recently published novella, Serenade.

Serenade

[nightmarefoodauthor]

Posting this here since a lot of my old jthm art applies to this—

I’ve been struggling with paranoid thoughts lately, mostly because of my old fanart and my perceptions of using it to cope with trauma.

So here’s a cautionary tale about using fictional characters to cope.

There’s a voice that constantly haunts me, an inescapable auditory hallucination that speaks in riddles and fills my head with the worst thoughts imaginable. I started applying this face to Jimmy, because the voice reminds me of him, crude, ugly and a monster with no morals.

It helped a lot at first, being able to apply a face to one of the voices I’ve been struggling with for so long, but after months it started to take a drastic turn from coping to completely feeding my delusions, writing everything they say down and over analyzing it in an attempt to figure myself out. At some point I didn’t even consider it fanart, just my intrusive thoughts and the voice being projected onto this character.

Suddenly everything starts to get blurry and I can’t tell fiction apart from reality, I start to get extremely paranoid because now the character is suddenly a piece of me but no one else knows this, every comment about them and every controversial opinion feels like an attack on me personally, but I’ve put myself in this situation in my attempt to cope with fictional drawings that don’t exist.

Now everyday I still hear the same voice but it’s stuck to this fucking cartoon character that I hate and I have a hard time drawing him constructively without overthinking about how much time I spent losing myself over it.

If you’re already having difficulties coping with reality, please tread carefully when bringing fictional characters you enjoy into the mix. It doesn’t always help and learning the hard way fucking sucks.