Spookiest Stories Ever

Roberta S. and Lonnie E. Brown have spent a lifetime collecting stories of actual experiences with ghosts. They have complied these stories from family and friends in Spookiest Stories Ever: Four Seasons of Kentucky Ghosts published by The University Press of Kentucky.
Encounters with the paranormal does not occur just at Hallowe'en, but at any time when the veil to the world beyond has a window in time. Roberta and Lonnie recognizes this and have arranged their tales of phychic phenomena as to when they occurred.
Lonnie tells of his first encounter with something beyond the grave in The Cold Touch when the newly dead left a flower to indicate their presence.
Roberta tells of her experience at the Tab in Ghost of Berea College. I recognized the old theater building; it was there when I was a member of the library staff and teacher at Berea. A young boy could see the ghost, but Roberta could only hear his footsteps.
A suicide that keeps on dying is the subject Ghost Chains. No one has been able to live in the house in south Central Kentucky since the death occurred. It is a dripping, dripping, chilling tale of death; a perfect story to read on a warm summer's night.
When an event is of extreme importance to two individuals it isn't unusual for the dead to visit the living. From the winter section Roberta retells a story of the bond that existed between a young woman graduating from college and her father.

I've cited a sampling of these eerie true stories for each season. This is a book to savor and put down, pickup and reread as you visit with some very spooky haints.

Roberta Simpson Brown is a noted folklorist, oral story teller, and author. Other books by her are Queen of the Cold-Blooded Tales and The Walking Trees and Other Scary Stories. Her husband Lonnie E. Brown is a musician and author of Stories You Won't Believe. They currently live outside of Louisville, but were born in Russell County, KY.
Look for their books in bookstores and on Amazon.com as they are a perfect gift at any time of the year.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning

Nancy Pichard adds one more stunning mystery to a long line of successes. The Scent of Rain and Lightning sparks across the Kansas plains with storm flashes as Jody Linder prepares to enter the world of professional work as an English teacher.
Jody has been sheltered by her grandparents and uncles. They have love and protected her since the night her world was blown apart by Billy Crosby. Billy was tried and convicted of the murder of Jody's father and sentenced to life in prison.
The burning question for Laurie is what happened to her mother the night her father was killed. Laurie Linder disappeared; her body was never recovered; she was never seen again. Throughout her childhood Jody has been drawn to Testament Rocks and collected artifacts from the soil and sand to discover a connection to her mother.
Old vague memories rise out of the past to haunt Jody when she learns that Billy Crosby will be released from prison and return home for a new trail that was arranged by his attorney son, Colin.
The cadence of the novel pounds like the thud of hail on a tin roof as Jody relives her childhood images and discovers a new direction for her heart that leaves her head spinning with shock before justice is served.

The Scent of Rain and Lightning is available at bookstores everywhere and visit with the prolific author at http://nancypickardmysteries.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Broken

Karin Slaughter's Broken will be her next award winner. The complex story of depression, revenge, greed, disabilities, and hatred is told with the stunning brilliance of a master writer.
There is never any let-up in this fast-paced police procedural. A young woman is murdered and the young man who is arrested for her killing commits suicide in his cell.
Their deaths reunited some of Slaughter's most intriguing characters as Dr. Sara Linton calls the state crime division to report Detective Lena Adams for negligence and lying about the circumstances surrounding the arrest. Dr. Linton believes this previous behavior of evading responsibility caused the death of her husband and she wants Lena punished.

Special Agent Will Trent is sent to the scene to investigate and is thwarted at every turn by the members of the force to prevent him from doing his job. He must turn both to Sara and Lena for help after the boy friend of the murdered girl is also killed by the same methods. The conflict between the two woman is detrimental to his efforts to complete his investigation, but for both women an internal devotion to their respective jobs finally supersedes their hatred of each other.
Slaughter exhibits a fantastic talent for descriptive prose that will have you putting the book in your lap to savor her images. Her strength shows in the small ordinary experiences of life and vividness of the surroundings. She handles the raw scenes of death with the crisp flat style of a police report, never broaching sensationalism.

I had the privilege of sharing a head table at a writing workshop with Karin. One of the things we discussed was, "Why are women never taught to protect and respect themselves as children?" It is a question I've not forgotten and for which I still seek an answer.
Broken will be available in bookstores everywhere in late June, until then you can visit with Karin, who loves to get letters at http://karinslaughter.com/.

Nash Black, author of Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Devil's Island

Carl Brookins continues the story of Mary Whitney and her husband, Michael Tanner in Devils Island.
Brookins gives the reader an inside view of a strong relationship between two unique individuals through his complex suspense/thriller. There is never any question in the story line as to who is the bad guy. He is Mary's ex-husband. Edwin Tobias can not endure to let Mary live after escaping from his domination.
Michael Tanner and Edmund Hochstein (director of Whitney Enterprises) do their best to protect Mary from the danger they foresee on the horizon, but how far does one go without becoming the same oppressive menace Mary escaped from when she left Tobias?
A planned vacation to Lake Superior divides Michael and Mary. He has obligations on the West Coast, which can not be ignored or postponed. Mary travels to Minnesota alone for a few days of sailing and research to trace her family's early logging interest on the islands of the lake.
Mary enjoys her time on the lake with the aid of a young woman who is a novice sailor. Then this fast paced story churns the turbulent waters even faster as Tobias plays cat-and-mouse games before moving in for the kill.
The conclusion is one of the most exciting and illuminating I have read in a long time. You must read the story for yourself to understand the gallant respect Michael has for Mary despite his own fears for her safety.

It is a gripping tale from start to finish. Put it on your must read list.
Devils Island is available on-line and from http://www.echelonpress.com/.

Carl is a professional reviewer, a member of the Minnesota Crime Wave, and you can visit with him at http://carlbrookins.com/.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Talking About Detective Fiction

Master crime fiction writer P. D. James explores the development of the detective, both amateur and professional in Talking About Detective Fiction. She does not slight the American authors who contributed so much to development of this genre, but she also uses many British examples.

Dame James gives the reader valuable insight into the famous characters of yesteryear who have become household names and continue to delight readers of the genre. She shows us her way of looking at Lord Peter and Miss Marple, while introducing fans to other more obscure characters to expand our appreciation of the field. My "to be read" list has expanded by a page.

If you are an author taking the time to read a professional book during any given year is mandatory for keeping abreast of your field. For crime fiction authors a good history of the genre that is not heavily weighed toward an academic style is provided by Talking About Detective Fiction. She does not try to lift the genre into the realms of literature or degraded it as unworthy of regard, which is a refreshing attitude to this reader.

If you are a mystery fans, Dame James gives you some hints as to why you keep reading and asking for more from your favorite author.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.

Saintly Remains

Tony Perona has stepped over to the dark side of the human experience with the forthcoming addition to his Nick Bertetto mystery series, Saintly Remains.

A shooting spree at the high school of Nick's wife, Joan leaves five students and the killers dead. The small town of Jasper, IN in shock and parents of all the young victims devastated.

Nick, Joan, and their daughter, Stephanie return for a well-earned vacation six months after the tragedy, but a residue of confusion and loss clouds their home coming.

When Joan's mother opens the back door for her cat Mr. Jangles, the horror is overwhelming; someone has skinned the pet and left him to die. While Nick and his mother-in-law are in the vet's office they learn of another mutilated pet in the neighborhood plus several dogs and cats who have disappeared. Nick vows he will find the vicious person who is practicing these vicious acts of cruelty on helpless victims. His search for the truth uncovers rumors of the existence of a Satanic cult, which emerged during the police investigation of the killings at the high school.

The reporter in Nick shouts "no" to coincidence.

The next blow to the close knit community comes when the body of the young girl who said she believed in Jesus before she died in the massacre is stolen from her grave. The grave has become a point of reverence as friends and believers leave tokens of faith, while her parents cope with pickers who are stealing their garbage to recover a possession of Keri's to sell on the illicit trade in saintly artifacts.

Are the seemingly random acts connected? The reporter in Nick again shouts "no" to coincidence.

Page after page will slip by as your eyes race across the type to follow the adroit narrative of Tony Perona as he covers a dark subject. Nick, his family, and friends dig deep to write the true story behind the deaths of Jasper's young citizens.

Who hides in the dark and commits acts of revenge against the unsuspecting? Who will kill and kill again to protect a deadly secret?

If you haven't met Nick Bertetto, a father who works from home and cares for his daughter while Joan follows her career try Saintly Remains, which will be available on March 17th on Amazon.com. Then you will want to go back and enjoy Second Advent and Angels Whisper for a good visit with a nice guy who gets a little help from above.

Visit with Tony at http://tonyperona.com/ to learn more about Nick Bertetto.

Nash Black, author of Indie finalists Writing as a Small Business and Haints.

Deadly Dues

Have you paid your dues? Lulu Malone's are paid-in-full, but that doesn't exempt her from greater hassles with Stan Pope, her repulsive union representative.

Linda Kupecek's new character in the annals of crime fiction will steal your heart from the first page of Deadly Dues. Clear space on your shelf for Lulu and her friends to reside when you want a break from the heavy noir/thrillers that are abundant in the current crime fiction scene.

This is a delightful caper filled with sly allusions to our current culture, which will have you laughing out loud. It is a world of label fashion where no actress can step out her door unless she is well shod, even if her shoes are bargain purchases from thrift and consignment shops. Lulu's condo (bought when she was in the money) is furnished in the same style, which now in her reduced circumstances she is slowly selling off to meet the cost of living until the next break comes along.

Lulu and four friends receive a call from Stan to meet to resolve their differences. When they reach his HAMS (Honourable Association of Minstrels and Singers) office, someone has been there before them and ended their controversy by knifing Stan in the back. Where he had planted his own invectives in theirs. This crew does not want to acknowledge they were near that office as they each had a motive for eliminating the decreased. They exit the scene, flee, and reconvene at Murphy's to plot their next next course of action.

For Lulu it gets worse as thugs and killers invade her home demanding "a key," but taking her dog. Bodies appear in Lulu's home, but Stan's body disappears. Who killed him and removed his body? Who is master minding the attacks on Lulu?

A girl can't even shop the mall without getting mauled.

Lulu Malone and her quirky actor friends are an excellent group to fill the shoes of the late Charlotte MacLeod and Donald E. Westlake in the realm of humorous mystery fiction. Lulu's next adventure is Trashing the Trailer.

Linda Kupecek is a Canadian author, a retired actress with a slew of credits to her name and she knows the world of which she writes.

Her books: Deadly Dues, Rebel Women: Achievements Beyond the Ordinary, Rebel Cook; Entertaining Advice for the Clueless and Fiction and Folly for the Festive Season are available on Amazon.

Deadly Dues is worth the purchase price of $9.95, it will last longer than Lulu's job at McDonald's.

Nash Black, author of Sins of the Fathers.