David M. Burnham's Blog

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A Halloween Treat With No Tricks Attached

Halloween. A time for ghoulish activities like trick-or-treating, costume parties, carving pumpkins into Jack-o’-Lanterns, lighting bonfires, apple bobbing, visiting haunted attractions, watching horror films, and telling scary stories.

I’m always up for a good horror movie (or a bad one), but the last item on the list is where The Haunted Pen swoops in to save the day. Be honest, who doesn’t love to get comfortable with their beverage of choice (Bourbon for me please), and a good horror story on a cold (or wet) Halloween night? You do? That’s awesome because I’ve got a Halloween treat that your dentist won’t scold you for consuming.

I hope you enjoy reading my offering for the Halloween festivities as much as I did writing it.

ALL…FALL…DOWN!

Blade McGowan white-knuckled the steering wheel. He tried to remain calm as he drove out of the city toward the sanctuary of the hideout. Sweat formed on his brow soaking into his ski mask.

The stolen Mustang’s rear wheels slipped and spun, scrabbling for grip on the wet asphalt. The fat tires finally found some grip and the car accelerated onto the highway like a bullet from a gun, a 420-horsepower killing machine penetrating the night.

McGowan’s accomplice, Killian Sutter, sat in the passenger seat. He peered over his shoulder checking for cop cars through the rear windshield, his nervousness unmistakable.

“Alright Dale Jr., wanna ease off the gas now? This isn’t Talladega. Get us where we need to be in one piece. We’ve got half of Union Springs’ finest lookin’ for us already.”

Click here to read “All…Fall…Down!”

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I’ve been a big fan of J.H. Moncrieff’s work for a couple of years. I’ve read seven of her titles, including all four books in the “Ghost Writers” series plus; “Return to Dyatlov Pass,” “Monsters In Our Wake,” and “The Bear Who Wouldn’t Leave.” J.H. was also the first author to agree to an interview in my “Third Degree” feature on The Haunted Pen website. So when I was offered the chance to read a review copy of “Those Who Came Before,” I jumped at it and wasn’t disappointed.

The story expertly blends several genres – police procedural, historical fiction, supernatural – but at its core, this is a darn good horror story.

Here’s the Goodreads / Amazon blurb:

[image error]People are dying at Strong Lake, and the worst is yet to come.

An idyllic weekend camping trip is cut short when Reese Wallace’s friends are brutally murdered. As the group’s only survivor, Reese is the prime suspect, and his story doesn’t make much sense. A disembodied voice warning him to leave the campground the night before? A strange, blackened tree that gave him an electric shock when he cut it down for firewood?

Detective Greyeyes isn’t having any of it – until she hears the voice herself and finds an arrowhead at the crime scene – an arrowhead she can’t get rid of. Troubling visions of a doomed Native American tribe who once called the campground home, and rumors of cursed land and a mythical beast plague the strangest murder case she’s ever been a part of.

When I first started reading, my initial thought was “Oh, no, not another deserted campground story.” But I should’ve known better than to doubt the author. This is a million miles away from being a standard-issue campground slasher story.

One thing I’ve noticed throughout everything I’ve read by J.H. Moncrieff is she writes great characters and descriptions, and this book is no exception. In fact, I think she’s raised her own bar. The characters have a lifelike feel, like someone you would speak to in a store or a coffee shop. The characters have depth and they elicit genuine feelings from the reader.

Each character has a backstory and a personality. After only a couple of pages I ‘knew’ the characters, or someone like them in real life, and that familiarity kept me reading for long periods at a time. When you, as a reader, connect to a character, the story becomes real and even more compelling. The skill to write such good characterization is an art form and I tip my Fedora to the author for doing it so well.

Told from different points of view from first person to third person, the book is atmospheric in both the present tense and in flashback. Historical fiction has to be gripping to keep me reading, and “Those Who Came Before” gripped me where it hurts.

Any horror fan will know that Native American folklore is dark and scary and the author portrays this aspect wonderfully with the appearance of a demon – the brutal, nightmarish Wendigo. The weaving of historical data into the story is seamless. I found a lot of this part of the book to be thought provoking and has led me to Google for more information on more than a few occasions, I had no idea that small pox was introduced through gifts of infected blankets.

I think it’s one of those rare stories where I can’t find fault. Yes, it was that good. I could write a whole lot more about this book, but I won’t. You need to be reading “Those Who Came Before,” not reading my review. As far as I’m concerned, J.H.’s work gets better and better and this release is a winner from the first word to the last.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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Where to begin? The end is nigh for this post-apocalyptic masterpiece and I have a problem, but it’s a nice one to have. I’m running out of superlatives to use when reviewing John F.D. Taff’s serialized novel, “The Fearing.” I mean, how many different ways are there to say “these books are great, go buy them”?

“Book Three: Air & Dust” is a change of pace from what has already been printed, but the story is no less hard hitting as we move into the final countdown (cue Scandinavian eighties hair rock music).

Here’s the Goodreads / Amazon blurb:

[image error]John F.D. Taff’s apocalyptic novel, “The Fearing,” continues in Book Three: Air & Dust as Adam and Jelnik make their way to a prophetic meeting and a mysterious darkness is creeping inward from the horizon, further threatening the lives of all who remain.

Amid the devastation of his Georgia church, a Baptist minister comforts an orphaned girl suffering from amnesia. All she knows is her name. Together they confront the darkest of fears as they make their way to a gathering point for the remnants of society.

After a disastrous night of attacks at an abandoned airfield, a group of survivors plans its exodus. But their hopes are dashed when an autocratic leader arrives to seize control. Fears are one thing, but could this man represent something far worse?

This is it. The calm before the storm. This is where the characters (and the readers) are allowed a little, but not too much, time to take a breath and take stock of the relentless action that has transpired in the previous two volumes.

That being said there’s still plenty of powerful stuff going on as we meet several new characters and experience more dark deeds. Taff gives us some time with Reverend Mark and his enigmatic amnesiac friend, Monday. The more you read, the more you begin to realize these two characters are going to be pivotal in the final installment.

The majority of “Air & Dust” takes place on a deserted military base called Camp Straggalot. Here we join Mark, Monday, and other survivors in what should be a place of safety. But this is from the ‘King of Pain,’ John F.D. Taff so you know there’s little safety in numbers here. Monsters take many forms, and this is where Tim Jacoby steps in and proclaims himself to be the savior of all. Like other apocalyptic tales, the biggest danger normally stems from humanity itself and Jacoby is no exception as he tries to take full advantage of the situation.

We also reunite with Adam and Jelnik, Kyle and Carli, and Rich’s survivor bus as they work their way toward what appears to be their final destination, Memphis.

Book Three is all about Taff expertly moving the story forward and putting the characters where they need to be for an epic, balls-to-the-wall final installment, that cannot come soon enough.

The final countdown ticks ever closer for “Book Four: Earth & Ember” on November 12th, and I firmly believe it will surpass all expectations. The end of the journey is nearly over, and I’ve loved every minute of it.

If you aren’t reading “The Fearing,” you should be. What the hell have you been doing? You’re missing out on something special. Do yourself a huge favor. You need to take action to right this tragic wrong. Read this series ASAP. What are you waiting for? You’re welcome.

Once more, a big “thank you” to Anthony Rivera and Grey Matter Press for the advanced reader copy.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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The first time I read Australian writer Alan Baxter’s work was the excellent “Manifest Recall.” So when I was offered an ARC by editor Anthony Rivera at Grey Matter Press, I jumped at the chance.

“Served Cold” is a collection of 16 chilling tales that blend elements of horror, fantasy, and the downright weird. And trust me when I tell you, this is a great collection. When it comes to anthologies, Grey Matter Press is the boss as far as I’m concerned. From the awesome “Peel Back the Skin” to John F.D. Taff’s “Little Black Spots” and now Baxter’s “Served Cold,” you don’t need to look anywhere else for great short stories.

Here’s the Goodreads/Amazon blurb:

[image error]Collected together for the first time ever, these sixteen provocative and intensely chilling tales by multi-award-winning-author Alan Baxter venture into the depths of the darkest and most shadowy places where unspeakable horrors are the predators and we the willing prey.

Prepare for an always terrifying, frequently heartbreaking journey in multiple stages, each piece echoing Alan Baxter’s unique voice that effortlessly blends horror, fantasy and the weird with elements of the dark fantastique, resulting in an unforgettable volume of fiction.

As I read the excellent introduction from John F.D. Taff, I knew I missed out on something special. Taff recounts a story of how he met Baxter for the first time at Stokercon 2018 in Providence, Rhode Island. I was poised to be there but the infamous New England weather had other ideas and I missed out on the chance to meet both authors.

My review could just have been a repeat of Taff’s quote from the introduction: “Alan Baxter can write a great goddamn short story.” However, when a short story collection carries glowing tributes from such luminaries as Paul Tremblay and Christopher Golden, a one-line quote will never do it justice.

I read “Served Cold” while on a recent vacation to Cape Cod. The weather was awesome and so was my choice of reading material. There wasn’t a single story I didn’t like. Each one had something to attract horror aficionados. They were that good!

Here are some of the highlights for me:

“Served Cold” is a masterful tale of supernatural revenge. Every character jumped off the page – they were so well written. No more spoilers from me. Read it.

“Crying Demon” is spooky as hell as two friends explore a satanic, dark web video game. This is another engrossing read.

“Crossroads and Carousels” is Baxter’s take on the classic “Crossroads” theme. It tells the story of a musician who wants greatness and will do whatever it takes to achieve it. Naturally, there’s a catch.

“The Goodbye Message” is a tragically haunting story about a writer who receives strange messages on pieces of paper, his typewriter, and answering machine. Read it. I defy you not to be a little misty-eyed by the end.

“Exquisite” is the story of a man who breaks into a house just because he can. We follow him to the basement where the author cuts loose and takes the protagonist on a journey he’ll never come back from in one piece. Beautifully written, this would make a great movie.

That only covered five stories. There’s another 11 great pieces to enjoy after these!

I’ve read a lot of great reviews for another of Baxter’s anthologies, “Crow Shine.” That looks like it will be my next Alan Baxter purchase.

“Served Cold” is a fantastic collection of top-drawer short stories that blew me away. My sincere thanks to Anthony Rivera and Grey Matter Press for the advanced reader copy.

Alan, you did your best boy, Penry, proud.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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My first encounter with the work of Paul D. Brazill was courtesy of the Close to the Bone Publishing website with a short story entitled “The Last Shot”and I enjoyed what I read. I’m a huge fan of this style of dark pulp/noir writing, so it was a no-brainer for me to click on the ad for the author’s latest work “Gumshoe Blues” and pre-order a copy for my tablet. Once loaded and opened, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. The pages oozed with rich, multi-layered plot progression and detail.

“Gumshoe Blues” was one of those books I couldn’t put down and I finished it in one session and three cups of dark roast coffee. Brazill seamlessly blends gritty subject matter with flashes of one-liner comedy throughout the stories. Admit it, who can’t fail to crack a smile at a character named Bryn Laden?

Here’s the Goodreads/Amazon blurb:

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Following the breakdown of his marriage, in a booze-addled flash of inspiration, Peter Ord decides to become a private investigator. Dark farce and tragicomedy soon ensue. Peter must tackle many challenging cases, and when he comes under the radar of a local crime lord, he may have bitten off more than he can chew. With sidekicks, like boozy hack, Bryn Laden, failure is not an option – it’s compulsory.

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“Gumshoe Blues: The Peter Ord Yarns” is made up of four short stories – “Gumshoe Blues,” “Mr. Kiss and Tell,” “Who Killed Skippy?” and “The Lady and the Gimp.” They follow the dubious adventures of bargain-basement private investigator Peter Ord who operates out of Seatown, a rainy, bleak, north-east of England coastal town that, naturally, sees more than its fair share of shady characters and hangouts.

Written in the first-person viewpoint – as all good PI stories should be in my opinion – we go on a grim journey with our ‘hero’ as he ambles from job to job in a sleazy, corrupt seaside town where you get the feeling the sun never shines and nobody smiles.

Brazill’s descriptive work shines as he paints a written image of the colorful, memorable characters and places Ord encounters – pubs, bars, strip joints, cemeteries, and caravan sites to list just a few. I believe that in noir the location is just as much a character as the people who live there, and the author knocks it out of the park with his descriptions and dialog.

If you haven’t read any of Paul D Brazill’s work before, “Gumshoe Blues” is a great way to begin the experience. I’m looking forward to reading more of his work and have just bought “A Case of Noir,” and “Supernatural Noir” for my tablet.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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Many serial killings seem to be completely devoid of meaning or motivation on the part of the criminal. In actuality, however, there is great diversity in the needs and desires of serial killers that lead them to extinguish the lives of others. Sometimes, the act or process of murder can be an end in itself for them.

One aspect of popularly held beliefs and media stereotypes that often holds true is that most serial killers derive great satisfaction from the act of killing. The gratification they receive from the act of murder differentiates them from one-time murderers who kill incidentally – that is, to help commit or conceal another crime. Stated differently, serial killers have a chronic and overwhelming need to commit a murder that distinguishes them from those who kill one time because it serves other criminal interests.

It may seem to be counterintuitive on the surface but many serial killers are actually insecure individuals who are compelled to kill due to a morbid fear of rejection. In many cases, the fear of rejection seems to result from having been abandoned by their mother in early childhood.

Infamous serial killers who were rejected or abandoned by their birth mothers include David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, and Joel Rifkin. Some serial killers such as Edmund Kemper are tormented, abused and even tortured by their birth mothers.

A neophyte serial killer who was traumatized as a child will seek to avoid painful relationships with other human beings as an adult. He will particularly seek to avoid painful relationships with those he desires or covets. Such fear of rejection may compel a fledgling serial killer to want to eliminate any objects of his affections. He may come to believe that by destroying the person he desires prior to entering into a relationship with them, he can eliminate the frightening possibility of being abandoned, humiliated or otherwise hurt by someone he loves, as he was in childhood.

As explained by the FBI in a 2005 report on serial homicide, a serial killer selects victims based on availability, vulnerability, and desirability (Morton, R.J. 2005. Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators. National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Justice).

Availability is primarily determined by the lifestyle of the victim or circumstances in which he/she is involved that may provide the offender access for an attack. For example, a single female who regularly spends her evenings alone at home is available for a break-in attack by a serial predator.

Vulnerability is defined as the extent to which the victim is at-risk or susceptible to attack by the offender. A single female walking down the street at night is less vulnerable to attack if she is accompanied by a large dog.

Desirability is highly subjective and is described as the attractiveness or appeal of the victim to the offender. Victim desirability involves numerous factors related to the motivation of the offender and may include characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, body type or other specific criteria established by the serial killer.

At a symposium on serial homicide in 2005, the FBI and other experts in criminology and forensic psychology had an in-depth discussion about the motivations of serial killers. The attendees made a number of observations and recommendations for serial homicide investigations that are related to the motivations of the killer.

As presented by the FBI in “Serial Murder: Multi-Disciplinary Perspectives for Investigators,” the specific observations made by attendees at the symposium are outlined below:

The motive can be very difficult to determine in a serial murder investigation
A serial murderer can have multiple motives for committing his/her crimes
A serial killer’s motive(s) can evolve both within a single murder and throughout the series of murders
The classification of motivations should be limited to observable behavior and conditions at the scenes of the murders
Even if a motive can be identified, it may not be helpful in identifying a serial murderer
Utilizing investigative resources to discern the motive instead of identifying the offender can derail or bog down an investigation
Investigators should not necessarily equate a serial murderer’s motivation(s) with the level of injury

Finally, regardless of the specific motive(s), most serial killers commit their crimes because they want to. The exception to this would be those few serial killers suffering from a severe mental illness for whom no coherent motive exists.

The attendees of the 2005 FBI symposium on serial murder suggested that broad, non-inclusive categories of motivation be utilized as guidelines for criminal investigation. They argued that such categories can assist law enforcement authorities in narrowing the pool of suspects in a serial homicide case. The attendees at the symposium identified seven general categories of motivation to be used as guidelines for investigative purposes.

The categories are not intended to be a complete measure of serial offenders, nor are they intended to comprise a theory of their motivation. As concisely reported by the FBI in 2005, they are listed below:

Anger is a powerful motivation in which the offender displays rage or hostility toward either a certain subgroup of the population such as the homeless or society as a whole
Criminal enterprise is a motivation in which the offender benefits in status or monetary reward by committing murder that is drug, gang or organized crime-related. For example, murder may be perpetrated by a drug gang in order to eliminate its competition
Financial gain is a motivation in which the offender benefits monetarily from killing that is not drug, gang or organized crime-related. A few examples of these types of crimes are comfort/gain killings, robbery homicide or multiple killings involving insurance or welfare fraud
Ideology is a motivation to commit murder in order to further the goals and ideas of a specific individual or group. Examples of these include terrorist groups or an individual(s) who attacks a specific racial, gender or ethnic group out of sheer hatred for the group
Power/thrill is a motivation in which the offender feels empowered and/or exhilarated when he kills his victims. The act of killing is an end in itself
Psychosis is a rare situation in which the offender is suffering from a severe mental illness and is killing specifically because of that illness. The condition may include auditory and/or visual hallucinations and paranoid, grandiose or bizarre delusions
Sexually-based is a motivation driven by the sexual needs or desires of the offender. There may or may not be evidence of sexual contact present at the crime scene

It is important to remember that regardless of the specific motive(s), serial killers are compelled to commit murder—that is, they do it because they want to and need to.

The Author

Dr. Scott Bonn is a criminologist, professor, and media expert. Follow him @DocBonn on Twitter and visit his website at docbonn.com

Link to original article – https://bit.ly/2nMFacW

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My first experience of William Miller’s writings was when I read and reviewed his excellent “Crafting Fiction Volume 1: Hard-Boiled Outlines.” During the course of the review, I stated “On a side note, I’ve just purchased “Noble Man,” Miller’s first Jake Noble thriller so I can see how the author puts theory into practice.” Well, I’ve read it, enjoyed it, and this is my review.

Here’s the Goodreads / Amazon blurb:

[image error]Jake Noble, Special Forces veteran and ex-CIA operative, is living on his boat, trying to scrape together enough money for his mother’s cancer treatments. When the Agency offers him 150k dollars to track down a missing girl, Noble has no choice but to delve back into the seedy underbelly of Manila’s sex trade.

With the clock ticking on the girl’s life, Noble will need all of his old skills to survive. Every move he makes unravels another deadly secret and what he finds goes deeper than a random kidnapping…

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I try to balance the good and the bad where necessary when I write a review. I’m not afraid to complain about something I didn’t like when needed. That being said it’s confession time. I honestly didn’t think I was going to like the book. I found Miller’s short, staccato Hemingway-esque sentences to be a little off-putting at first, but once I got into the story and stopped reading like a writer, I hardly noticed them. In fact, as the action and tension mounted to a crescendo, they added to the drama and backed up everything Miller talked about in his hardboiled outlines book. Other than that I have nothing negative to offer.

“Noble Man” is a fast-paced, all-action page-turner. Combine that with Miller’s first-rate storytelling and smooth prose and you have a surefire winner. The story is so well written cinematically that I could see the action taking place on the projector screen of my imagination. I know from firsthand experience that fights, car crashes, and shootouts are not easy scenes to write effectively but Miller pulls them off with ease, and aplomb. If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne, you’ll love Jake Noble.

The chief protagonist, Jake Noble, is a flawed, hardboiled, rough-and-ready, but likable badass. My kind of character! He’s not just tough, he has a compassionate side as well. The rest of the characters are believable and well written. There’s not a dull chapter or evidence of a filler scene to be found, once again backing up Miller’s teachings in “Hard-Boiled Outlines.”

I applaud the author and tip my Fedora to him for writing about the true but tragic and disgusting subject of the kidnapping of children, and human sex trafficking. Miller covers these subjects with compassion but also highlights ever-increasing real-world problems.

Here’s the full Jake Noble book list:

• Noble Man (2015)

• Noble Vengeance (2017)

• Noble Intent (2018)

• Noble Sanction (2019)

I’m sure there will be some folks who’ll find fault in certain areas in this story. Have at it, that’s your choice. If you want everything to the letter and factually accurate, read a Special Ops manual at bedtime. I read books like “Noble Man” to be entertained and it ticked all the boxes, so much so that I’ve just bought “Noble Vengeance” for my Kindle to be one of my vacation reads. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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My first experience of William Miller’s writings was when I read and reviewed his excellent “Crafting Fiction Volume 1: Hard-Boiled Outlines.” During the course of the review, I stated “On a side note, I’ve just purchased “Noble Man,” Miller’s first Jake Noble thriller so I can see how the author puts theory into practice.” Well, I’ve read it, enjoyed it, and this is my review.

Here’s the Goodreads / Amazon blurb:

[image error]Jake Noble, Special Forces veteran and ex-CIA operative, is living on his boat, trying to scrape together enough money for his mother’s cancer treatments. When the Agency offers him 150k dollars to track down a missing girl, Noble has no choice but to delve back into the seedy underbelly of Manila’s sex trade.

With the clock ticking on the girl’s life, Noble will need all of his old skills to survive. Every move he makes unravels another deadly secret and what he finds goes deeper than a random kidnapping…

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I try to balance the good and the bad where necessary when I write a review. I’m not afraid to complain about something I didn’t like when needed. That being said it’s confession time. I honestly didn’t think I was going to like the book. I found Miller’s short, staccato Hemingway-esque sentences to be a little off-putting at first, but once I got into the story and stopped reading like a writer, I hardly noticed them. In fact, as the action and tension mounted to a crescendo, they added to the drama and backed up everything Miller talked about in his hardboiled outlines book. Other than that I have nothing negative to offer.

“Noble Man” is a fast-paced, all-action page-turner. Combine that with Miller’s first-rate storytelling and smooth prose and you have a surefire winner. The story is so well written cinematically that I could see the action taking place on the projector screen of my imagination. I know from firsthand experience that fights, car crashes, and shootouts are not easy scenes to write effectively but Miller pulls them off with ease, and aplomb. If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher and Jason Bourne, you’ll love Jake Noble.

The chief protagonist, Jake Noble, is a flawed, hardboiled, rough-and-ready, but likable badass. My kind of character! He’s not just tough, he has a compassionate side as well. The rest of the characters are believable and well written. There’s not a dull chapter or evidence of a filler scene to be found, once again backing up Miller’s teachings in “Hard-Boiled Outlines.”

I applaud the author and tip my Fedora to him for writing about the true but tragic and disgusting subject of the kidnapping of children, and human sex trafficking. Miller covers these subjects with compassion but also highlights ever-increasing real-world problems.

Here’s the full Jake Noble book list:

• Noble Man (2015)

• Noble Vengeance (2017)

• Noble Intent (2018)

• Noble Sanction (2019)

I’m sure there will be some folks who’ll find fault in certain areas in this story. Have at it, that’s your choice. If you want everything to the letter and factually accurate, read a Special Ops manual at bedtime. I read books like “Noble Man” to be entertained and it ticked all the boxes, so much so that I’ve just bought “Noble Vengeance” for my Kindle to be one of my vacation reads. I would recommend it to anyone.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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What is Selaphobia?

Do you have a fear of flashing lights? Flashing lights are annoying and disturbing for a lot of people. There are some who become extremely anxious when witnessing flashing lights. This dread-inducing feeling is called Selaphobia – the fear of flashing lights.

Selaphobia is derived from the Greek word “selas”, meaning “light.” The phobia is related to Photophobia (the fear of light) and Photaugiaphobia/Photaugiophobia or Photoaugliaphobia (which are all the fear of glaring lights).

What are the Causes?

It’s generally accepted that phobias arise from a combination of external events, such as traumatic incidents and internal predispositions (i.e. heredity or genetics). Many specific phobias can be traced back to a specific triggering event, usually a traumatic experience at an early age.

Selaphobia often occurs because of negative experiences involving flashing lights. One trigger could be flashing lights in a disco where a person may have become involved in a fight or was turned down by a potential girlfriend, meaning flashing lights are associated with the trauma or hurt they felt at that moment in time. People with this phobia will keep their eyes closed when they see flashing lights.

Flashing lights are also feared by sufferers of epilepsy because this can trigger a seizure attack. Migraine sufferers may also have attacks when they see flashing lights.

What are the Symptoms?

As with any phobia, the symptoms vary person-to-person depending on the level of fear. The symptoms typically include:

Extreme anxiety, dread and anything associated with panic such as shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, excessive sweating, nausea, dry mouth, inability to articulate words or sentences, and shaking.

Can I Take Medicine?

Medicine can be prescribed, but these medications can produce side effects and/or severe withdrawal systems. It’s important to note that medicines don’t cure phobias; at best they temporarily suppress the symptoms. However, there are treatments for phobias, which include counseling, hypnotherapy, psychotherapy, and neuro-linguistic programming.

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Photo – http://www.pond5.com

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Grey Matter Press’s spectacular serialization of John F.D. Taff’s “The Fearing” continues with “Book Two: Water & Wind.” Once again, let me say a big “thank you” to Anthony Rivera for the advanced reader copy. I devoured this installment of Taff’s apocalyptic epic over the course of a Sunday afternoon and was taken hostage from the first intense, adrenalin-charged page to the thrilling, nail-biting last page.

[image error]A word of warning, before reading “Water & Wind,” read “Book One: Fire & Rain.” This is a must as Book Two picks up the story after the previous installment’s cliffhanger ending and moves the plot forward at breakneck speed as events become even more horrific and frightening.

“The Fearing” is a ‘cinematic’ read that would lend itself perfectly to a TV series. Taff’s vivid writing style does a great job of scaring the bejesus out of the reader with his descriptive writing, and devastating disasters. He has a way with words that keeps you reading, even though what’s taking place in print is horrific.

Here’s the Goodreads/Amazon blurb –

John F.D. Taff’s epic apocalypse of terror, “The Fearing,” continues in “Book Two: Water & Wind” when a group of battle-worn seniors pick up the pieces of their ravaged lives and grapple with survival after the end of the world. And for the first time, they begin to notice an ominous pattern in the deluge of fears now roaming the earth.

Teenagers Kyle, Sarah and Carli sift through the devastation of their lost lives to find anything resembling hope for a future. But when Carli goes missing, the stakes get higher as the search for her takes a diabolical turn.

And the enigmatic Adam retains his tight-fisted grip on his submissive minion Jelnik as a series of unspeakable horrors follow in their wake as the two men travel west toward their dark destiny.

What’s your deepest, darkest, most terrifying fear? I’ll wait.

Now what if that fear manifested itself into real life? A scary scenario, eh? “The Fearing” brings that situation to life with brutal manifestations of the character’s nightmares and phobias, such as catastrophes, and extreme weather. Some of the imagery and fears are predictable, but some will hit you like a runaway train.

The book is a lightning-fast read, not only because of its length, but because Taff pulls you in so deep you can’t help but be invested in the characters. “Water & Wind” ends on an absolute -punch-to-the-gut ending, and by the time you get to this point you realize that Book Three isn’t due to be due released until October. Major league bummer.

John F.D. Taff is a great storyteller. He writes like there’s no rules, it’s game on and he’s having the time of his life dragging his characters, and readers, kicking and screaming through the wringer – that’s why he’s known as the “King of Pain.”

This is an epic read from a true master at the top of his craft. The story will leave you breathless and wanting more. I’m already ticking off the days until “Book Three: Air & Dust” is released.

Here’s the remaining publication schedule:

• Book Three: Air & Dust – October 1st

• Book Four: Earth & Ember – November 11th

If you aren’t reading “The Fearing,” you should be. It’s as simple as that. I’m only halfway through the series, and “The Fearing” is one of my favorite stories of the year. Do yourself a huge favor. Go buy this book ASAP. You’re welcome.

The Haunted Pen Rating:

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