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snorinlauren · 4 years ago

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The Best Horror Movies Streaming On Netflix Right Now

The number of digital platforms on which fans of horror movies can find a good scare is just as frightening as the films they have available to stream. In fact, there is even one that specializes in bringing the best the genre has to offer (and then some). Of course, for those who only have so much time and money at their disposal, settling on Netflix to help deliver the spooks would not be a mistake.

There are enough horror movies available on the popular platform to keep you streaming into the wee hours of the night, mainly because you will not be able to sleep. Among the many fears you would be facing during this binge with iconically creepy classics, modern masterpieces of the macabre, and even some of Netflix’s own ominous originals, one you should not have to worry about is the fear of disappointment.

That being said, we understand that some phobias are more challenging to get over than others, so allow us to be a beacon of despair and point you in the right direction of what the best horror movies currently available to stream on Netflix. We figured that 13 would be an appropriate number, starting with an influential cult favorite that arguably pioneered the “cabin in the woods” thriller.

The Evil Dead (1981)

A weekend getaway and an old cabin becomes an unrelenting nightmare for one man (Bruce Campbell) after his four friends are possessed by an ancient spirit that turns them into grotesque and cruel creatures.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Writer and director Sam Raimi became the patron saint of low budget indie horror with The Evil Dead, that remains a timeless classic of astonishing influence that spawned two campy sequels, a brilliantly brutal remake, and a hilarious TV series that serves as a perfect send-off for Bruce Campbell's chainsaw-handed hero, Ash Williams.

Stream The Evil Dead on Netflix here.

Poltergeist (1982)

A family seeks help when their youngest daughter is kidnapped by malevolent spirits that have invaded their suburban home.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: From producer Steven Spielberg and directed by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre creator Tobe Hooper (well, depending on who you talk to), Poltergeist is an essential haunted house picture for how it expertly taps into traumas that people of all ages an relate to and may lead you to develop new fears as well, such as television static, perhaps.

Stream Poltergeist on Netflix here.

Child’s Play (1988)

A single mother (Catherine Hicks) enlists the aid of a homicide detective (Chris Sarandon) after discovering that the doll she bought for her young son (Alex Vincent) is possessed by the soul of a dead serial killer (Brad Dourif).

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Before there was Annabelle, there was Chucky, who may not have been the first toy responsible for giving children nightmares, but certainly became every horror fan's favorite of that kind upon the release of Child's Play, a classic slasher but pokes great fun at modern commercialism.

Stream Child's Play on Netflix here.

The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)

To catch a deranged murderer who skins his victims, ambitious FBI trainee Clarice Starling (Academy Award winner Jodie Foster) enlists Hannibal Lecter (Academy Award winner Anthony Hopkins), a former psychiatrist and notorious cannibal, to help get into the mind of a criminal.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: While the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences may prefer their choice for the Best Picture Oscar in 1992 not be called "horror," with Anthony Hopkins' chilling performance and breathlessly suspenseful direction by Jonathan Demme, it is hard to imagine The Silence of the Lambs in any other category.

Stream The Silence of the Lambs on Netflix here.

Candyman (1992)

A graduate student (Virginia Madsen) investigating Chicago myths for her college thesis becomes especially interested on the story of a supernatural entity with a hook for a hand whom locals believe can be summoned by saying his name five times.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Tony Todd created quite a "buzz" in black horror history as the title character of Candyman, a creation from legendary writer Clive Barker based on the deliciously creepy concept of an urban legend whose existence depends on those who believe in him.

Stream Candyman on Netflix here.

Insidious (2011)

After their eldest son (Ty Simpkins) inexplicably falls into something even doctors hesitate to call a coma, a family (led by Patrick Wilson and Rose Byrne) begins to fall prey to a relentless evil that seems to follow them whenever they try to escape.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Director James Wan and writer Leigh Whannell, the dynamic duo behind Saw who have since gone onto great successes on their own, created an indelibly frightening new classic to the haunted house sub-genre with Insidious, particularly for a nearly unprecedented twist that might actually have you thankful when it keeps you up at night.

Stream Insidious on Netflix here.

Sinister (2012)

Desperate for another bestseller, a true crime writer (Ethan Hawke) moves his family into a house where a disturbing murder took place, which he plans to research for his latest masterpiece, only to learn that the truth behind the incident is much worse than he could have imagined.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Oscar-nominee Ethan Hawke became an unexpected "scream king" after playing the tragic hero of Sinister, from Doctor Strange and The Exorcism of Emily Rose director Scott Derrickson, which is, arguably, the most ferociously unsettling supernatural crime thriller ever made.

Stream Sinister on Netflix here.

Creep (2014)

An amateur filmmaker accepts a request over Craigslist to film a terminally ill man's final message to his son, but quickly comes to regret the decision when his host's progressively concerning actions lead him to question if he is the one about to expire.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Conceived by its own stars Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice (the latter of which also directs), Creep is an underrated found footage gem that mostly lives up to its name (with a almost equally haunting 2017 follow-up that is supposedly the second of a planned trilogy), but the biggest shocker is how mumblecore pioneers Duplass and Brice essentially improvised the entire story from scratch.

Stream Creep on Netflix here.

The Invitation (2015)

A man brings his girlfriend to a dinner party hosted by his ex-wife and her new lover, but is immediately, and unshakably, convinced that something sinister is afoot.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: As this tenuous, high-wire act from director Karen Kusama progresses, you may not be sure who among these party guests, even Logan Marshall Green's protagonist, is worth your trust, but one thing I can confidently guarantee is is that the final moment of The Invitation will rupture your brain.

Stream The Invitation on Netflix here.

Train To Busan (2016)

An emotionally distant businessman's commute for his young daughter to visit her mother turns out to be a one-way trip into hell when someone carrying a virus turning people into mindless cannibals invites herself on board.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Not only is the live-action debut of Korean filmmaker Sang-ho Yeon’s one of the most exciting and clever zombie films in recent memory, but Train to Busan, which has spawned a highly anticipated sequel, also succeeds as a moving thriller about the sacrifices we make for ones we love.

Stream Train to Busan on Netflix here.

Terrifier (2017)

Two beautiful late night partygoers (Jenna Kanell and Catherine Corcoran) are in for the worst Halloween of their lives when they fall prey to an unfriendly clown who has plenty of sadistic trick and treats in store for them.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: If you ask me, Pennywise has nothing on Art the Clown (David Howard Thornton), the future slasher icon whom the title of Terrifier appropriately refers to for his whimsically morbid imagination and tenacious blood thirst that makes director Damien Leone’s third feature a masterpiece of unapologetic shock and "ugh."

Stream Terrifier on Netflix here.

In The Tall Grass (2019)

A pregnant woman (Laysla De Oliveira) and her brother (Avery Whitted) follow a young boy's cry for help into a large field of high-growing grass, but it soon it becomes apparent that there is no way out.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: Based on a novella by father/son writing duo Stephen King and Joe Hill, In the Tall Grass is a survivalist thriller with startling fantasy, engrossing mystery, and a menacing performance by "scream king" and The Conjuring star Patrick Wilson that makes this Netflix original one of the coolest surprises in horror of its year.

Stream In the Tall Grass on Netflix here.

Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil (2010)

An idyllic vacation in newly purchased cabin turns into "a real doozy of a day" for a pair of well-meaning hillbillies (Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine) after an awkward misunderstanding with some young campers leads to a bloodbath.

Why It's A Good Option for Horror Fans: The old slasher trope of shady country folk is turned on its head in a most brilliantly hilarious, yet uncompromisingly graphic, way in Tucker and Dale vs. Evil, which may prove to be perfect way to end your Netflix horror binge: with a morbid laugh.

Stream Tucker And Dale Vs. Evil on Netflix here.

What do you think? Have we captured all the best haunts on Netflix, or is the absence of your own favorite horror flick the scariest thing you saw on our list? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the freakiest genre in cinema, as well as even more rattling recommendations of movies and TV shows you can stream, here on CinemaBlend.

What is you favorite horror film currently available to stream on Netflix?

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sciencespies · 5 years ago

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Renaissance Nun's 'Last Supper' Painting Makes Public Debut After 450 Years in Hiding

https://sciencespies.com/history/renaissance-nuns-last-supper-painting-makes-public-debut-after-450-years-in-hiding/

Renaissance Nun's 'Last Supper' Painting Makes Public Debut After 450 Years in Hiding

SMITHSONIAN.COM | Oct. 21, 2019, 9:33 a.m.

Around 1568, Florentine nun Plautilla Nelli—a self-taught painter who ran an all-woman artists’ workshop out of her convent—embarked on her most ambitious project yet: a monumental Last Supper scene featuring life-size depictions of Jesus and the 12 Apostles.

As Alexandra Korey writes for the Florentine, Nelli’s roughly 21- by 6-and-a-half foot canvas is remarkable for its challenging composition, adept treatment of anatomy at a time when women were banned from studying the scientific field, and chosen subject. During the Renaissance, the majority of individuals who painted the biblical scene were male artists at the pinnacle of their careers. Per the nonprofit Advancing Women Artists organization, which restores and exhibits works by Florence’s female artists, Nelli’s masterpiece placed her among the ranks of such painters as Leonardo da Vinci, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Pietro Perugino, all of whom created versions of the Last Supper “to prove their prowess as art professionals.”

Despite boasting such a singular display of skill, the panel has long been overlooked. According to Visible: Plautilla Nelli and Her Last Supper Restored, a monograph edited by AWA Director Linda Falcone, Last Supper hung in the refectory (or dining hall) of the artist’s own convent, Santa Caterina, until the house of worship’s dissolution during the Napoleonic suppression of the early 19th century. The Florentine monastery of Santa Maria Novella acquired the painting in 1817, housing it in the refectory before moving it to a new location around 1865. In 1911, scholar Giovanna Pierattini reported, the portable panel was “removed from its stretcher, rolled up and moved to a warehouse, where it remained neglected for almost three decades.”

Plautilla Nelli’s “Last Supper” prior to restoration

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Plautilla’s Last Supper remained in storage until 1939, when it underwent significant restoration. Returned to the refectory, the painting sustained slight damage during the momentous flooding of Florence in 1966 but escaped largely unscathed. Upon the refectory’s reclassification as the Santa Maria Novella Museum in 1982, the work was transferred to the friars’ private rooms, where it was kept until scholars intervened in the 1990s.

Now, for the first time in some 450 years, Nelli’s Last Supper—newly restored following a four-year campaign by AWA—is finally on public view. No longer consigned to Santa Maria Novella’s private halls, the work is installed in the church’s museum, where it hangs alongside masterpieces by the likes of Masaccio and Brunelleschi.

According to a press release, AWA raised funds for the project through crowdfunding and a donation-based “Adopt an Apostle” program. The Florentine nonprofit’s all-woman team of curators, restorers and scientists then began the arduous process of restoration, performing tasks including removing a thick layer of yellow varnish, treating flaking paint and conducting an analysis of the pigments’ chemical composition.

“We restored the canvas and, while doing so, rediscovered Nelli’s story and her personality,” lead conservator Rossella Lari says. “She had powerful brushstrokes and loaded her brushes with paint.”

Detail of the “Last Supper” table

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Conservator Rossella Lari adds finishing touches to the painting

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Given the fact that reflectography found little evidence of under-drawing, Lari adds, it’s clear the nun-turned-artist “knew what she wanted and had control enough of her craft to achieve it.”

Nelli, born into a Florentine merchant family in 1524, joined the Dominican Santa Caterina convent at age 14. Per Financial Review’s Nicky Lobo, she began her artistic career by making miniature copies in the style of Renaissance master Fra Bartolomeo. Soon, the self-taught artist found herself in high demand, garnering private devotional commissions from the city’s wealthy families.

As one of just four women cited in Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects, Nelli commanded more attention than the majority of her female peers. In fact, the biographer wrote, “There were so many of her paintings in the houses of gentlemen in Florence, it would be tedious to mention them all.”

Nelli’s status as a nun enabled her to pursue art at a time when women were all but banned from the profession. According to Artsy’s Karen Chernick, Renaissance nunneries “extracted women” from domestic duties such as marriage and motherhood, freeing them to engage in otherwise off-limits activities.

“We think of these nuns as imprisoned, but it was a very enriching world for them,” AWA Director Linda Falcone tells Chernick.

Jesus and John prior to restoration

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Jesus and John post-restoration

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Renaissance women “could obviously paint as part of their cultural education,” Falcone says, “but the only way they could paint large-scale works and get public commissions was through their convent.”

Most paintings produced by Nelli and her workshop of some eight fellow nuns were smaller devotional works made for outside collectors. But some canvases—including Last Supper and others designed for private use within the convent—were monumental, requiring expensive scaffolding and assistants that the nuns paid for with funds from their commissions.

Per the AWA statement, the newly restored work was created in true “workshop style”—in other words, different artists of varying levels of expertise contributed to the religious scene.

Nelli’s signature and appeal for viewers to “Pray for the paintress”

(Rabatti & Domingie)

As Chernick reports in a separate Atlas Obscura article, Nelli chose to depict Jesus and his 12 apostles dining on fare typically enjoyed by the residents of Santa Caterina. In addition to traditional wine and bread, she included a whole roasted lamb, lettuce heads and fava beans. And unlike Last Supper scenes painted by male artists, AWA founder Jane Fortune pointed out in a 2017 essay for the Florentine, Nelli’s tableware is incredibly elaborate; among the items on display are turquoise ceramic bowls, fine china platters and silver-adorned glasses.

According to historian Andrea Muzzi, Last Supper builds on the style established by Leonardo da Vinci’s similarly themed work. This monumental fresco, painted for the refectory of Milan’s Santa Maria delle Grazie between 1495 and 1498, was so influential, Muzzi writes in her essay “A Nun Who Paints,” that the “sacred subject could no longer be represented without his work being taken into account.” An apostle painted fourth from the left in Nelli’s version, for example, gestures with open hands in a manner reminiscent of Leonardo’s composition.

For Financial Review, Lobo paints an apt portrait of Nelli’s singular skill: “Picture the nun in her holy garments, mixing her pigments and stepping up onto scaffolding to brush enormous strokes of paint onto a canvas taller than her and wider than a contemporary billboard,” he writes. “The physical undertaking would have been immense, requiring great strength, focus and discipline—to say nothing of the will required to take on this sacred subject attempted before only by the male greats.”

An inscription hidden in the upper left corner of the painting suggests Nelli was keenly aware of the landmark nature of her creation. Written in Latin, it bears the artist’s name (an unusual declaration of authorship for the period) and a poignant appeal to the viewer: “Orate pro pictora,” or “Pray for the paintress.”

The painting is now on view in Santa Maria Novella Museum

(Rabatti & Domingie)

Nelli’s apostles pre-restoration, possibly Thomas and Peter

(Francesco Cacchiani)

Nelli’s apostles post-restoration, possibly Thomas and Peter

(Rabatti & Domingie)

#History

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quinnreadsbooks · 8 years ago

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Monthly Summaries - February and March

Ugh, I’m the worst at blogging.

I also haven’t been reading that much, because I’m moving to Montreal on the 5th and I have these French exams to study for. Plus I felt like doing a whole lot of rereading, and I don’t count those on Goodreads or when I blog.

February:

20. Charlie, Presumed Dead - Anne Heltzel

21. Right Behind You - Lisa Gardner

22. Spare and Found Parts - Sarah Maria Griffin *

23. The Loved Ones - Sonya Chung

24. A Separation - Katie Kitamura

25. The Chaos - Nalo Hopkinson

26. Enter Title Here - Rahul Kinakia

27. The Animators - Kayla Rae Whitaker *

28. Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout

29. I Am Woman: A Native Perspective on Sociology and Feminism - Lee Maracle

30. Girl at War - Sara Novic *

31. The Wolf Wilder - Katharine Rundell

Charlie, Presumed Dead was terrible. I wanted something trashy for night shift number six of six, but it was less "trashy" and more "actual garbage". There's almost no characterization; no one's motives are particularly believable; and it did not have an emotionally satisfying ending. I guess the author planned to write a sequel, but I didn't care enough about the characters to have any interest in a sequel.

I hated The Loved Ones. And there’s a super creepy adult man/minor girl relationship in it that is not at all condemned by the narrative. Which is fucked up, given that she was pre-pubescent when they met and he helped her deal with her first period. I really don’t understand why this one came so highly recommended.

A Separation was incredibly dull. I don’t normally mind books that aren’t plot-driven, but this didn’t resonate emotionally and the prose is really spare, so it didn’t work for me on any level. I’m pretty sure the same three sites that recommended The Loved Ones recommended this.

Enter Title Here was just kind of poorly written. The book’s conceit (a teenage girl writing a “novel” about her life) got in its own way, the pacing was off, and Reshma’s unlikeable nature eventually went from unpleasant but interesting to just plain tedious.

I know it’s early, but The Animators might well end up being my favourite book of the year. Top three for sure. I don’t know if I can quite explain why I liked it so much, but I definitely recommend it.

Girl at War is another one that just worked for me. Recommend.

March:

32. The Hate U Give - Angie Thomas (quite good, but not star-worthy for me personally. It’s a young adult novel and it felt too young for me)

33. The Sun Is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon (see above)

34. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood (my least favourite Atwood)

35. St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves - Karen Russell (did not meet expectations)

36. One Day We’ll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter - Scaachi Koul

Yeah, March was a bad month for reading, though at least I enjoyed my rereads.

2017 HFC Bingo Challenge Progress:

LGBTQ+ author/characters - Everything We Left Behind

Unread book on my shelf - The Folded Earth

Written by a POC - On Beauty

Recommended by the HFC

Indigenous/Native author/characters - I Am Woman

Comfort read/guiltless pleasure - We Were On a Break

Debut novel - The Admissions

Book you’re prejudiced against

Book with disabled character - The Chaos

Published in this year (2017) - Right Behind You

Graphic novel - Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Blue cover - The Loved Ones

Local to you (setting or author) - Hag-Seed

Book for These Apocalyptic Times - The Hate U Give

Social justice inspiration

Set in a country you’d like to visit - Girl at War (I know, but Croatia is lovely now)

Everyone but me has read it - When Breath Becomes Air

Contributes to self-care

Put a bird on it (bird on the cover) - The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase (reread)

Second chances (book you gave up on)

Set during/including a holiday

Novella - The Middle Ground by Zoe Whittall (she’s usually great. This wasn’t)

Nobel winner/finalist - Sula

Non-traditional format - Love Slave

Set in the future - Spare and Found Parts

Short stories (single author) - The Unfinished World

“Girl” in the title - The Girl Who Was Saturday Night

One-word title - Eileen

Booker winner -The Blind Assassin

History/micro-history

Book about sisters

Anthology

Pulitzer winner/finalist - Olive Kitteridge

Readers Gonna Read (free space) - Difficult Women

Readers Gonna Read (free space) - The Animators

Readers Gonna Read (free space)

#100 Books #2017 HFC reader bingo #2017 challenges #the good ones get stars

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krystisyaandwine · 7 years ago

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I’m so thrilled to participate in the blog tour for Seize Today by Pintip Dunn! Be sure to check out the exclusive excerpt and my review below and don’t forget to enter the giveaway! You could win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Seize Today (Forget Tomorrow #3)

by Pintip Dunn

Publication Date: October 3, 2017

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Seventeen-year-old Olivia Dresden is a precognitive. Since different versions of people’s futures flicker before her eyes, she doesn’t have to believe in human decency. She can see the way for everyone to be their best self-if only they would make the right decisions. No one is more conflicted than her mother, and Olivia can only watch as Chairwoman Dresden chooses the dark, destructive course every time. Yet Olivia remains fiercely loyal to the woman her mother could be.

But when the chairwoman captures Ryder Russell, the striking and strong-willed boy from the rebel Underground, Olivia sees a vision of her own imminent death…at Ryder’s hand. Despite her bleak fate, she rescues Ryder and flees with him, drawing her mother’s fury and sparking a romance as doomed as Olivia herself. As the full extent of Chairwoman Dresden’s gruesome plan is revealed, Olivia must find the courage to live in the present-and stop her mother before she destroys the world.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

“Are you sifting through my possible pathways?” he asks, his voice husky.

I freeze. But if I’m a block of ice, his fingers do their job, tracing my lips again and again until I melt. “How…how do you know?”

“Your eyes,” he says. “They dilate when you’re reaching into the future. I’m starting to learn when you’re not here.”

I blink. Nobody’s ever told me that before.

“You…noticed?” I ask.

“I notice everything about you,” he says easily. “So, tell me. What did you see in our possible futures?” His voice is low and liquid, and it reaches inside me and caresses parts I didn’t know existed. “What did I do? More importantly, what did you like?”

Heat floods my face. “What, exactly, are we talking about?”

“I don’t know.” His eyes gleam wickedly. “What do you think we’re talking about?”

“Future pathways,” I snap. If I have to electro-whip my attention back on track, I’ll do it, damn the Fates. “I see everything from me slapping you to…” I trail off, and my cheeks flame even hotter. Oh my. I can’t possibly put into words the images flying through my head like a hailstorm.

“Now I’m really intrigued.” He moves his hand to my hair, tugging slightly. I feel the tension all the way to my toes. “Are you really not going to tell me? Because, you know, then I’ll have to guess.”

“I’m not going to tell you,” I whisper.

His lips curve in a mischievous grin that makes me want to tuck him in my pocket and keep him forever. And then, while I’m still reeling from his cuteness, he leans in.

I’m not ready. My mouth is partway open, and I’m in the middle of a breath. He kisses me anyway. I shut my mouth in a hurry. Lips, so soft. His back and shoulders, so hard. Holy Fates, that was his tongue. His tongue, slipping between my teeth. Sparks. So many sparks, igniting in the air around us.

“How’s this?” he whispers against my mouth. “Did you see this in our future?”

I nod helplessly.

He moves closer, scooping me up and shifting me on the mattress so that he can lie next to me. Our foreheads touch; so do our knees. “And this? Was this in some of our pathways?”

I nod again, but that doesn’t seem to satisfy him anymore. His eyes intent on mine, he catches my lower lip between his teeth. “Do you like it?”

Do I like it? What kind of question is that?

I’ve tasted every emotion in our world. I know the sorrow a mother feels when she clasps her deceased baby to her chest. I know the pride of a gold-star athlete when he stands on a podium and accepts North Amerie’s highest honor. I know the rage that silences the heart of a murderer as he cuts short another’s life.

I even know kisses—hot, frenzied, passionate, fumbling, sweet, aching, innocent kisses. I’ve seen them all in other people’s futures, thousands of kisses, millions of kisses, as varied as the pathways themselves.

And yet…and yet…I’ve felt nothing like kissing Ryder. Even the vision of this moment itself.

So, yeah, I like it. It scares me how much I like it.

In what is certainly my favorite book in the Forget Tomorrow series, SEIZE TODAY is a wonderfully crafted tale that kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first page.

While I enjoyed all three books in this series, I have to say that Dunn has managed to make each book better and better as the series progressed, ending with this stunning conclusion. SEIZE TODAY brilliantly wraps up all the reader’s lingering questions from the first two books, while throwing in some unexpected plot twists along the way.

The plot of this story is intense and fast-paced from the outset, and it’s certainly a story that readers will want to finish in a single sitting.

Dunn has chosen the narrators for these three different books brilliantly, and she transitions between them in a way that serves to propel the overall narrative of the series forward, while giving readers even more insight into the characters and world.

I’m thrilled that Dunn chose to finish this series from Olivia’s POV. Olivia is uniquely gifted in this world, being the only true precognitive, yet Dunn manages to also make her relatable and likable. She has a difficult and emotionally-evocative backstory. That combined with her caring nature will have readers rooting for her from the very beginning. I also enjoyed that her motivators really speak to the very basic human need of wanting to be loved and accepted.

The romance in this book took my by surprise with it’s heart-pounding intensity. Prepare to swoon, because Ryder is destined to be a favorite book boyfriend amongst readers for a long, long time to come.

The sci-fi elements of all three books is so meticulous designed and absolutely fascinating. Dunn does a great job of delving even deeper into them in this final installment in the series while not allowing them to overshadow the overall plot of the story.

I was thrilled to see all the characters we loved from the first books back for the finale. It made the series as a whole feel cohesive and also created a very satisfying ending for fans of the first two books.

No matter how pleased I was with the ending, I am sad to see this series coming to an end, and I will eagerly be awaiting more novels from this author.

Pintip Dunn is a New York Times bestselling author of YA fiction. She graduated from Harvard University, magna cum laude, with an A.B. in English Literature and Language. She received her J.D. at Yale Law School, where she was an editor of the YALE LAW JOURNAL. Pintip’s debut novel, FORGET TOMORROW, won the RWA RITA® for Best First Book. In addition, it is a finalist for the Grand Prix de l’Imaginaire, the Japanese Sakura Medal, and the MASL Truman Award. THE DARKEST LIE was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award. Her other books include REMEMBER YESTERDAY, the novella BEFORE TOMORROW, and GIRL ON THE VERGE. She lives with her husband and children in Maryland. You can learn more about Pintip and her books at http://www.pintipdunn.com

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

$25 Amazon Gift Card

Thank you so much to Chapter by Chapter for hosting this blog tour! Be sure to check out their site here and don’t miss any of the incredible blog posts on this tour!

Week 1

October 9, 2017 – Okie Dreams – Review and Interview

October 9, 2017 – Writer’s Alley – Interview

October 9, 2017 – MrsLeif’s Two Fangs About It – Review

October 10, 2017 – Sincerely Karen Jo – Guest Post

October 10, 2017 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – Spotlight

October 10, 2017 – What Is That Book About – Spotlight

October 10, 2017 – Le sentier des mots – Review

October 11, 2017 – My Book Addiction – Spotlight

October 11, 2017 – Books,Dreams,Life – Spotlight

October 11, 2017 – les chroniques aléatoires – Review

October 12, 2017 – The Candid Cover – Guest Post

October 12, 2017 – The Infinity Words – Review

October 12, 2017 – Lisa’s Loves(Books of Course) – Spotlight

October 13, 2017 – Dani Reviews Things – Review

October 13, 2017 – Alice Reeds – Review

Week 2

October 16, 2017 – Book-Keeping – Review

October 16, 2017 – Literary-ly Obsessed – Review

October 17, 2017 – Lori’s Little House of Reviews– Review

October 17, 2017 – Chapters through life – Interview

October 18, 2017 – BookCrushin – Review

October 18, 2017 – Dauntless Books and Penguins – Review

October 19, 2017 – illbefinealone reads – Review

October 19, 2017 – Book Lover Promo – Guest Post

October 20, 2017 – Cierra’s Bookshelf – Review

October 20, 2017 – Cherry Blossom Chronicles – Review

Week 3

October 23, 2017 – Cimone Watson – Review

October 23, 2017 – Zerina Blossom’s Books – Spotlight

October 23, 2017 – BookHounds YA – Guest Post

October 23, 2017 – To Be Read – Review

October 24, 2017 – The Spinning Pen – Interview

October 24, 2017 – A Room Without Books is Empty – Review

October 24, 2017 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – Guest Post

October 25, 2017 – Read. Eat. Love. – Spotlight

October 25, 2017 – YA and Wine – Review

October 26, 2017 – Feed Your Fiction Addiction – Review

October 26, 2017 – Chapter by Chapter – Guest Post

October 27, 2017 – DystopianCitzn – Review and Inerview

October 27, 2017 – Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest – Interview

October 27, 2017 – A Dream Within A Dream – Spotlight

Follow me online for more YA and Wine!

SEIZE TODAY Review, Excerpt, and Giveaway! I'm so thrilled to participate in the blog tour for Seize Today by Pintip Dunn! Be sure to check out the exclusive excerpt and my review below and don't forget to enter the giveaway!

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marjaystuff · 7 years ago

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Q and A with Karen Rose by Elise Cooper

Monster In The Closet begins with eleven-year-old Jazzie Jarvis witnessing her mother’s horrific murder at the hands of her father, Gage Jarvis. Unfortunately, her five-year-old sister, Janie, is also traumatized when she sees her mother lying in her own blood. Jazzie has not spoken since the incident and Janie has nightmares. Trying to help the girls cope and heal emotionally they are taken to Healing Hearts with Horses that provide therapy to traumatized children. Their counselor is Taylor Dawson who is also facing her own set of demons. Lied to all her life about her real father, Clay Maynard, she's constantly looked over her shoulder in fear. She discovers that her mother dreamed up the monster for her own selfish purposes, while the children’s monster is an abusive murdering father. Now Taylor and her own friends and family must find Gage before he hurts the girls.

About the Author Karen Rose

Internationally bestselling, RITA-award winning, author Karen Rose was born and raised in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. She met her husband, Martin, on a blind date when they were seventeen and after they both graduated from the University of Maryland, (Karen with a degree in Chemical Engineering) they moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Karen worked as an engineer for a large consumer goods company, earning two patents, but as Karen says, “scenes were roiling in my head and I couldn't concentrate on my job so I started writing them down. I started out writing for fun, and soon found I was hooked.”

Her debut suspense novel, DON'T TELL, was released in July, 2003. Since then, she has published more than fifteen novels and two novellas. Her twentieth novel, EDGE OF DARKNESS, will be released in 2018. Karen's books have appeared on the bestseller lists of the New York Times, USA Today, London's Sunday Times, and Germany's der Spiegel (#1), and the Irish Times, as well as lists in South Africa (#1) and Australia!

Her novels, I'M WATCHING YOU and SILENT SCREAM, received the Romance Writers of America's RITA award for Best Romantic Suspense for 2005 and 2011. Five of her other books have been RITA finalists. To date, her books have been translated into more than twenty languages. A former high school teacher of chemistry and physics, Karen lives in Florida with her husband of more than twenty years, two dogs, and a cat.

An Interview with Karen Rose (Interviewer Elise Cooper)

Elise Cooper:This book seemed to be a slight departure from your other novels?

Karen Rose:It was a different book for me. I wrote it in the beginning of 2016 when we lost three people in our family, within a three-week period. I was grieving and needed to write something with a REAL happy ending. Although I was contracted to write another book, the one that will come out in February, I needed to go back and visit with my characters, my old friends. The first parts written were the touchy, feely scenes and then I later added in the mystery/suspense.

EC: There are two plot lines, one suspenseful, and the other a happy resolution for one of your characters?

KR:Clay Maynard had his daughter stolen away from him by his wife. He was a Baltimore PI who is personally and professionally frustrated. Having made a living in finding children he can’t find his own, searching for over twenty years. Because he is not inept I had to find a reasonable explanation why this successful PI could not find his own daughter. This character was actually given his happy ending because I needed it.

EC: Where did you get the idea for the organization, Healing Hearts With Horses?

KR:A friend and I actually thought of starting a therapeutic riding program for children who were abused. Because of the regulations and legal issues we had to jump through we shelved the idea. I understood from my own experiences that taking care of horses could be a stress release and calming. I could go out to the pasture and comb a horse for an hour and it felt liked I had relaxed the whole day.

EC: So you believe in the concept of animal therapy?

KR:Yes, I think the concept of Equine and Canine Therapy is catching on. I read an article put out on Twitter by the FBI where they talk about their victim programs. The canine units will go out to disaster areas and work with the First Responders who need an emotional outlet. These animals provide them a break. In another article I read about dogs that help children testify in court. A sexually assaulted child had to testify in front of her abuser. Having this animal in the court with her allowed her to keep her emotional control.

EC:All your characters seemed to be traumatized?

KR:The more tortured the character the happier their ending. Clays’ stepdaughter Cordy still has nightmares from her experience. Her mother Stevie, has doubts about her ability to reach her child. Another character, Daphne, still gets panic attacks, and deals with them by going to the barn and working with her horses. If she can’t get there she actually keeps objects around her that smell like the barn with that scent able to ground her. Jazzie, the little girl who witnesses her father murder her mother, stopped talking, and lost some of her childhood. Finally, Taylor, Clay’s real daughter, must come to grips with her mother’s lies. When she feels threatened she goes into attack mode, and she feels that she is constantly on the defensive.

EC:Who is the “monster” in the story?

KR:Not who, but what. Fear is the monster. In my books fear is a character of its own. I want to put my characters in situations where they have fears to overcome and show the many different ways to cope. All have something precious stolen from them, that sense of safety and security.

EC:Describe the murderer and abusive father, Gage?

KR: The author Lisa Gardner has a whole series of how to write villains, with the bottom line, that each has their own vulnerability. I want to examine if there is a line they won’t cross. Gage’s line is fluid depending on his mood at the moment. He did a lot of bad things and the scariest part is that he was really smart so he understood what he was doing.

EC:Ice cream plays an important part in this story?

KR:Yes. It goes back to my own childhood where ice cream was a reward. I remember after getting good grades my dad taking me to an all you can eat ice cream bar. When I was grieving about my family losses it became medicine for me. My favorite is from Graeter’s, an ice cream maker in Cincinnati, the flavor Black Raspberry Chip. For Christmas my husband bought me several pints. It lasted for a whole year. Now, whenever I finish a book my reward is getting some of my favorite.

EC:Stepdads play important roles in your books?

KR:I based them on the precious Brad Paisley song “He Didn’t Have To Be.” It is about a man who falls in love with and marries a woman with a child and takes on the duties of a father even though the child is not his. Clay was a stepdad and he used his own stepfather as a role model. A bit of trivia, Clays’ stepdad’s name was Tanner St. James and is based on someone who my mother relied on named James Tanner, a great man. There is a scene in this book where Clay forgives his real daughter Taylor’s stepdad, saying ‘you were a dad to her even though you didn’t have to be.’ I think the title ‘stepfather’ comes from men who have really “stepped” up to be the dad.

EC:Some of your characters have disabilities. Jazzie stutters, and Dillon/Holly have Down syndrome. Please Explain.

KR:: I have a child who is deaf. I think we as writers should make people with disabilities prevalent in fiction, because they are prevalent in our real lives. They should never be invisible. Holly is in all my books because I want to show how she is an important part to the family.

EC:Can you tell us about your next books?

KR:: The one coming out in February is part of my Cincinnati series, entitledEdge Of Darkness. It is the story of homicide detective Adam Kimble and child therapist Meredith Fallon. She is the target of someone hired to murder her. My next Baltimore series book will feature the Defense Attorney who played a role in helping the police find the killer Gage. Taylor and her stepfather will also be in it. I have plans for that family who will be featured in future books.

EC: THANK YOU!!

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