A New Lizzie Borden Zombie Story & Anthology!

  

NEWS!! A new anthology is coming out featuring Lizzie Borden!

The anthology, edited by author and editor Sèphera Girón is being launched on Kickstarter. (Love that cover!)

* Hurry! Get in on the Kickstarter now for all kinds of goodies! A party at the Lizzie Borden House, seance, books, and more. It includes more than 20 stories by authors including NYT Bestselling Author Heather Graham, Stoker-award winning author Linda D. Addison, and others. 

NEWS! I have a new Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter story in it: "You Can Go Home Again."  Another Lizzie and Pierre adventure with zombies, thrills, chills, and some surprises, taking the Lizzie story into a new direction!

     Edited by Sèphera Girón, multi-published author and former head for nearly 30 years of the Ontario/Canadian Chapter of the Horror Writers Association. She's worked in the film industry, recently delivering a low-budget slasher screenplay to a local film company in Toronto. She's had roles in films including Slime City Massacre, Killer Rack, Pandora, and Pandora’s Return, and has done background work appearing in episodes of What We Do in the Shadows, Schitt’s Creek, The Boys, Interview with a Vampire, and dozens of other shows and movies. 

A Scary #Horror #Mystery: O is for Outbreak

One of my favorite strange stories I wrote, "The Rumor That Refused to Die" is now out in O is for Outbreak, Book 15 in the A to Z of Horror anthology series from Red Cape Publishing. Check out the cover! (Pre-order, releases Nov. 18)

The pandemic-flavored book features 13 stories of government conspiracies, historic plagues, otherworldly viruses, deadly insects, and more.

In my story, Amanda Hayes tries to solve the mystery behind a 1950s accident - and discovers that some secrets and rumors are best left buried. 

* Reviewers: contact me if you want to review the book!

New Mysterical-E #Mystery Column

 

Late, but the new Mysterical-e issue and my mystery books Author Snapshot column is out! Some great free fiction, too!

See issue: https://mystericale.com/current-issue/

Author Snapshot column: https://mystericale.com/article/some-books-for-winter-reading/

New #Horror: Farewell Ghost, Rock 'N Roll Never Dies

 Rock 'N Roll never dies...right? Today I'm featuring a new book with an interesting premise... 

Farewell Ghost, Larry Caldwell - (Just released!) When rock-star Rocco Boyle dies at the height of his fame, guitarist Clay Harper losses the idol whose life he always wanted. In his wildest dreams, Clay never imagined that he’d soon be living on the infamous estate where Boyle spent his last night. 

Or that Boyle would still be in residence…. 

But in the hills of Los Angeles, things are seldom what they seem, and despite all warnings, Clay ventures deep into the city’s underbelly—touring its famous rock clubs and hangouts, auditioning for a rising local band led by the talented and alluring Savy Marquez— to discover what really happened the night Boyle died…. And though the answer is terrifying, uncovering it may be the very thing that launches Clay to stardom.

More Bites! Tiny #zombie stories 2 out now!

 It's out now in Kindle! All kinds of 100 word stories in 100 Word Bigger Zombie Bites: An Undead Drabble Anthology Book 1.

No matter their name, one thing is for sure, they are the reanimated dead coming to get the living to feast on their delicious brains! We gave authors 100 words exactly to tell you stories that revolve around zombies and the humans fighting them to survive.

Includes my two stories, Fido, Fetch! and The Comedians by C.A. Verstraete

 You can also get the first volume, 100 Word Zombie Bites: An Undead Drabble Anthology with my two stories, The Awakening and The Heist.

#Review: A Change of Heart #reading #bollywood

(Image: pixabay.com)

I admit I love Bollywood dancing and films. I remember watching them on TV years ago. Always loved the colors, costuming and especially the dancing. Every now and then, I go look some of them up on YouTube.

Recent movies like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and the sequel with Judy Dench reflected some of that feeling, if not the authentic thing.

I've read a few Bollywood-India based authors in the past and always enjoyed them. It's been a while, but someone mentioned an Indian author I hadn't read, so off to the library I went. 

Well, I just found a favorite new author! I'm reading the books out of order, I realized, but that's okay. I just finished A Change of Heart by Sonali Dev and --- wow!!!  Suspense, a thriller, love story and a crime with writing as exotic and flowing as the colors of a beautiful silk sari. The lovely turns of phrases and imagery has my writer's heart melting!

The story centers on a heartbroken doctor, Nikhil, whose pregnant wife, Jen, also a doctor, was killed by a ruthless gang leader who's developed an underworld organ black market based on Jen's donor patient registry.

A woman who says she has Jen's transplanted heart and whose young son is in danger from this gang befriends the doctor in hopes of finding those records and protecting her son. It's a web of deceit and danger, all told with a rich background of Indian life and family. And yes, there's a wonderful ending... Just loved it.


 Now I'm reading her book, The Bollywood Bride, which I realize is a previous book in the series. It tells the story of Nikhil, his cousin, Ria, a Bollywood star, her fiance Vik, and Jen... But since I just finished the other book and know the characters, I don't mind reading them out of order.  Just soaking in the flavor and colors, and looking forward to see where the story leads.

New #Zombie #Fiction Coming!

A great way to start the new year!

Got word that two of my latest "drabbles" - 100 word stories - have been accepted!

The stories, "The Comedians" and "Fido, fetch!" will be coming soon in the upcoming 100 Word Bigger Zombie Bites. This is book 2 in the series put out by the Reanimated Writers Group. Oh, and the second book will be as cool-looking and neat to read as the first.

I had fun writing these as it's a challenge to try to stick to that short-short format. The first story, "The Comedians" also is a fun, tie-in to the book covers. Stay tuned for more details!!

 100 Word Zombie Bites, An Undead Drabble Anthology  - Reanimated Writers - Bite-size stories by group of writers. Includes my two new stories, The Heist and The Awakening by C.A. Verstraete

October Frights: Descent Into Darkness #Horror Stories

How about some more tasty horror morsels
 for the October Frights Blog Hop?

There are all kinds of spooky stories, excerpts, contests and more.  See the Facebook group for all info.  Be sure to visit the rest of the stops at the end of this blog. *  See the Halloween Horror Giveaway 1 and Giveaway 2!

* NOTE: I'll be in Kenosha WI tonight signing books - and they have a MONSTERS! show! 6-9 p.m., Left of the Lake Gallery,  4615 7th Ave. 
**********

Here's a look at a few of the stories 
from the just released new horror anthology, DESCENT INTO DARKNESS  

What keeps you awake at night?

Murder and monsters...

Demons and forces of evil...

Ghosts and urban legends...

Dive into the darkness with twenty tales of terror that will keep you awake long after the lights go out.

A horror anthology featuring featuring several best-selling and award-winning authors from around the globe, "Descent into Darkness" contains a variety of terrifying short stories and novellas.

Includes: 
Baba by Tony Urban - Blood Note by Sylvester Barzey  - Nail Gun Glissando by Steve Vernon  - The Evil in Devil’s Creek by Paul B. Kohler  -  What’s Been Keeping Me Awake by Amanda Luzzader  - Mark of Perdition by R. L. Blalock - The Sun Makes Me Turn Purple by Gretta Penelope - Send in the Clowns by David J. Schmidt - The Nine Lives of Captain Osborne by E.E. Isherwood - They Want to Die, Let ‘em by L J Parker
Simon Says by Rachel McClellan - The Door by Delia Rai 
Thirteen Horses by C.A. Verstraete - Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood
Fetch by Joe Jackson - Knock, Knock by Cindy Carroll
His Model Son by Brian J.W. Lee - Ascension by G M Sherwin
Through a Dark Wood by Shayne Rutherford - Lock and Key by Patrick Logan

About the anthology:

I asked a few of the authors to give me some details on their stories. Here's what they said: 

Paul B. Kohler - The Evil in Devil’s Creek.

About the story:

A road trip to visit Sheri's son turns deadly when Owen runs over a stray dog in the road. As they look for help, their fear climbs when they discover the nearby town deserted . . . but only of humans. There are others watching.

What inspired the story?

“I was inspired to write this story after a dozen or so trips to visit my daughter in college. Several of the oddities along the way are included in the story. The scary stuff was added because of my wandering mind.”

Quote from The Evil in Devil’s Creek:

Blood, rusty and dirty streaked the walls and countertops and left dried lakes on the floor. With a shaky voice, he called out again, “Hello? Is there someone—anyone?” But the hollowness in his stomach told him he was alone.

** Paul B. Kohler is author of The Humanity’s Edge Trilogy (Turn, Book 1 and Detour, Book 2.) He is working on Book 3, Reversion.   

* * * 

C.A. Verstraete - Thirteen Horses

About the story:

A couple think they're being set free from jail, accused of a crime they say they didn't commit. But sometimes the punishment does fit the crime...

What inspired the story?
A couple had been arrested after a number of horses were found dead on their property. The story stuck with me. They continued to say they were not guilty but were out on bail. The husband killed the wife and himself once they were found guilty and sentenced. 

Quote from Thirteen Horses:

That wasn’t the only odd thing, she realized. The shadows…

In the few minutes since she’d come in, they’d edged closer. They now stood right behind her, almost as if—

As if they’re following me. How can that be?

** C.A. Verstraete is the author of Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter and The Haunting of Dr. Bowen. Learn more at her website, www.cverstraete.com.

* * * 

Tony Urban, Baba

About the story::

After seeing a murdered girl in the forest, Phil convinces his two best friends to visit the scene, unaware that they were hiking into a nightmare.

What inspired the story?

I've always loved coming of age horror stories and wanted to put a darker, realistic spin on it.

Quote from Baba:

They had long blonde hair which was dirty and matted. Blood from the holes in their torsos swam up their bodies and formed rivulets on their upside down faces.

** Tony Urban is the author of the Life of the Dead series. The third book, The Ark, just came out. 

* * *

Brian J.W. Lee, His Model Son

About the story:

All hell breaks loose as dark forces connected to an ancient secret in Pulau Purba sweeps through the island. An old gun technician working in a remote military base there must learn to overcome both physical and mental threats to reach his son, a conscripted marine.

What inspired the story:

My real life experiences in the military, of real conscripts coming to terms with a life they're unsuited to. Local folklore amped up a thousand times to a point where it doesn't resemble the original source material And of course, Stephen King, H. P. Lovecraft.

Quote from His Model Son:

Help was further than Boon Teck thought, and so was his breath.

** Brian J.W. Lee is the author of a horror story collection, Through the Abyssal Gates. 

* * *

Delia Rai, The Door

What is the story about?

Not all doors are meant to be opened.

What inspired your story?

I was talking to a friend about writing inspiration and he said, you know, there are many writing prompts online, you should do a search and see what you can find. I did just that and found this: "You know...there is nothing as tempting as a locked door." All my horror bells went off at once and I sat down to write. The prompt became the first line in the story.

Quote from The Door:

“A locked door, a red scarf, a tiny key, an old paperback. I say these words again and again, a litany of sorts, or a spell meant to reveal something. The devil is in the details. And yet there are no revelations.”

** This is Delia Rai’s first published story. She is working on a short story collection and her first fantasy novel, and is aiming for 2018 publication.

* * *

New! #Horror Story & Anthology: Descent Into Darkness

New Horror Anthology - Pre-Order!

DESCENT INTO DARKNESS  

Releases Oct. 10!

What keeps you awake at night?

Murder and monsters...
Demons and forces of evil...
Ghosts and urban legends...
Dive into the darkness with twenty tales of terror that will keep you awake long after the lights go out.

A horror anthology featuring featuring several best-selling and award-winning authors from around the globe, "Descent into Darkness" contains a variety of terrifying short stories and novellas.

In my story, Thirteen Horses, a couple discovers the true price of their crime.  And sometimes, the punishment fits...

---

Includes: 
Baba by Tony Urban
Blood Note by Sylvester Barzey 
Nail Gun Glissando by Steve Vernon 
The Evil in Devil’s Creek by Paul B. Kohler 
What’s Been Keeping Me Awake by Amanda Luzzader 
Mark of Perdition by R. L. Blalock
The Sun Makes Me Turn Purple by Gretta Penelope
Send in the Clowns by David J. Schmidt
The Nine Lives of Captain Osborne by E.E. Isherwood
They Want to Die, Let ‘em by L J Parker
Simon Says by Rachel McClellan
The Door by Delia Rai 
Thirteen Horses by C.A. Verstraete
Zombie Apocalypse by Max Lockwood
Fetch by Joe Jackson
Knock, Knock by Cindy Carroll
His Model Son by Brian J.W. Lee
Ascension by G M Sherwin
Through a Dark Wood by Shayne Rutherford
Lock and Key by Patrick Logan

What's up this week?

Friday starts the Brain to Books Convention! All kinds of books, blog hops, prizes and more.

Stop by Friday for the links, etc.

Here's the preliminary info:

There'll be a whole bunch of blogs to stop by during the event where you can find out more some great books and authors!

* See the B2Bcy events page for all events!   

 * I'll be in the Horror and Fantasy Genre Tours. See all here. 

*  I'll be in the Horror and Fantasy Blog Hops - get all links here.

* View all the books at the Book Expo!

New & Upcoming Books #Horror #Mystery

Some fantastic new books out and coming out soon. Fun Reading!! I'll be featuring some of them later here on the blog and I'll be doing Halloween themed books too, so check back! Now, how to buy them all??? 

 ** Coming Soon:**

Canoe Cops vs. The Mummy, Stephen D. Sullivan - A madcap, 1930s-flavored adventure. And a mummy! You can't beat that! It's based on and inspired by the upcoming film of the same name by indie filmmaker Christopher R. Mihm. (Mihm also reads the book chapters online at his monthly podcast or see Stephen's website above to read the chapters.) Coming soon - details and links to come!

  
 The Dead of Winter, Jean Rabe - a new mystery involving a Christmas card killer. Coming Nov. 1 - Now on Pre-Order!

Horror Haiku and Other Poems, A.F. Stewart - Love this concept and such a cool cover! 38 Haiku, 18 creepy little poems and photos, what's not to like?  Coming Oct. 11. Details and links to come!

** Just Released: **

Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter, C.A. Verstraete - What if Lizzie did do it... because she had no other choice?  Hit #8 in Hot New Releases, Historical Fiction Fantasy and Top 100 in mystery, thriller, suspense categories on Amazon! Kindle and print. 

* Want a print copy? There's a giveaway on Goodreads, ending soon!  (US only.)

Matrimony in Miniature, Margaret Grace - The latest in the fun miniatures mystery series. It doesn't get any better than miniatures and a mystery! Print. 

Murder Goes to the Dogs, Deb Baker - A Gertie Johnson Mystery - With dogs in the title and  a German Shepherd on the cover, it sounds like a winner to me!

Top 10 Writing Pitfalls

As a writer, there are things you can't seem to get away from, no matter how hard you try. (Or at least I can't. ha!)

Photo: goldy, freedigitalphotos.net

1. Even after X rewrites and re-reads, you'll still find a mistake you didn't see the first 10 times.

2. You'll see that mistake, clunky sentence, oft-repeated word etc. only after you're ready to send it out again.

3. Better yet, you won't see that mistake (see above) until after you hit Send.

4. That sentence you changed still sounds better the first time instead of the 10th or 15th time you rewrote it.

5. If you keep reading something long enough, you won't know if it's used right or wrong.

6. Even when you use a grammar check online, you still won't know if it sounds or looks right.

7.  The longer you read something, the more the whole thing sounds wrong.

8. That sentence is bad.

9. So is that one.

10. Arggh! This project stinks. The whole thing is terrible.  I'm terrible. I suck. 

So it goes. Happy Writing!!  
--Christine Verstraete

Oh, the joys of being a writer!!

Cover Reveal!! #Zombie & Other Stories Anthology!

Check out the cool cover for the upcoming Young Adventurers Anthology!!!

The anthology comes out Dec. 1. Author and story list coming. 

In my story, "Puppy Love & Zombies," Becca, (from GIRL Z: My Life as a Teenage Zombie,) faces her fear of dogs, fights some (bad) zombies, and solves a mystery as she searches for a cute German Shepherd puppy. 

Can't wait to read all the stories!!!  (See the Young Adventurers Facebook page for updates, news on stories, etc.) 

Excerpt! Baby Shoes Anthology #Zombie Story

 Thought I'd share a little teaser from my story, "Second Chances" in the Baby Shoes: 100 Stories by 100 Authors, 100 flash stories under 1,000 words by 100 authors - 

 *** 8/26 - On Sale! Marked down half for at least next 12 hours!

That weird old lady hoarder turns out to have the last laugh when zombies actually do appear.  When she goes to the day care in town, she spots the baby shoes in the hall and hopes she's not too late...


Excerpt from Second Chances by C.A. Verstraete... 

The strange flu came from nowhere. The news blared the rising death tolls hour by hour. Then came the panic and looting, especially once the real disaster became clear—the dead didn’t stay dead.

Lucky for me, being the “crazy hoarder” in the rundown house on the hill has some advantages: the zombies have easy pickings of the panicked citizens below, and I have a house full of goods. With everything I could need on hand from ointments and paper goods, to baby items, and all kinds of food, along with my rain barrels and homemade solar panels, I almost never have to leave home.

As I stood on my roof, rifle in hand, and watched people fleeing and trying to fight off the ghoulish hordes, something hit me. The fate of the adults didn’t matter. Heartless it might sound, but I knew it was them or me. But what about the truly helpless and defenseless? I didn't want to go out, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the day care center in town. I had to find out what had happened there.

I headed inside and threw some supplies into my backpack, my eyes drawn to the old box of baby clothes on the shelf. This time, instead of making me mourn my own loss, it filled me with purpose.

The back roads remained empty, most of the action centered along the main streets where people frantically tried to escape the encroaching undead. My ancient but reliable van putted up and around the hills, my luck holding as I encountered only a few ghouls wandering here and there. They turned and moaned at sight of my vehicle, then shambled after it at a snail's pace. I let them be, not wanting to draw others with the sound of gunfire.

To my relief, the downtown appeared pretty deserted as well, due to most people having been at work or home sick with the flu. The worst part is that many died at home, alone and forgotten, until they emerged undead.

*** Read  the rest in Baby Shoes: 100 Stories by 100 Authors

(Well, I did say it was a teaser!)

A to Z Blog Challenge - W is for Wonderland Fiction

 * Today is Letter W of the daily A to Z Blog Challenge *

W is for... Alice in Wonderland
Short Fiction....

I’m using story prompts from “Story Prompts that Don’t Suck.”

Prompt 612-Use three things in a story –a bucket filled with a mysterious pink substance, an unopened letter, an elderly white horse. (I used two.)

Return to Wonderland

By C.A. Verstraete

She must be dreaming.

   Melody looked in the bucket again. Whatever it was looked slimy and was colored a Pepto-Bismal pink. Just thinking of it made her stomach hurt.

   What was she supposed to do with it?

   The letter.

   She grabbed the envelope tied to the bucket handle. An ivory-colored paper sat inside. Written on it in a hard-to-read script were two words: Drink Me.

   Eyes wide, she looked around again, expecting to see a dessert laden table and a talking rabbit from her favorite story, Alice in Wonderland. It was s place she’d always wished she could visit. Nothing greeted her eyes but a dim sky and dark shadows in what looked like a forest.

   Yes, she had to be dreaming. Had to be!

   Melody pinched herself. “Owww.”

   She felt that, so it must be real, right?

   To drink or not to drink?

   She could stand here all day or do what the note said.

   Taking a deep breath, she picked up the bucket, tipped it to her mouth, and drank. The stuff was thick, but good. It tasted like strawberry.

   She drank her fill, set the bucket down, and sat to wait. Soon, the sky began to lighten. The shadows faded revealing bright green trees surrounded by flowers in a rainbow of colors.

   “Ohhh! It’s my story. It’s real!”

   It’s only when it got to full sunlight that Melody saw the table. At each place sat a familiar figure—the rabbit, a playing card soldier, the red queen, and others. It’s only when she got up for a closer look that she saw their heads sitting on the plates in front of them and began to scream.

   Then she looked down and saw the blue dress she had on and the swordsman standing at the head of the table. One place remained open for the main character, Alice. Her.

   She screamed and ran, soon realizing there was no way out. She found herself trapped by the paper forest and flowers around her.

   Melody looked up in horror at the laughing face staring down at her over the edge of the page.

   Her wish of being able to go inside her favorite book had come true in the worst possible way.

© C. Verstraete  http://girlzombieauthors.blogspot.com  372 words