Gemini

by Randy Eberle

SPRING, 1987:


Justine Knox and her fiancé, Alex Van Huss, exit a dark movie theater and quickly find themselves in the midst of a torrential, Indiana thunderstorm. Trapped outside in the elements, Alex leads Justine on a shortcut through a rundown apartment complex and into their worst nightmare...


As the two of them rush through the woods behind the apartment buildings, they come across David Hawkins—a distraught, out-of-his-mind drug addict—burying the bodies of his wife and her lover. Unfortunately for the two young lovers, David Hawkins takes out all of his hate and anger on Justine and Alex. After murdering Alex, David rapes Justine and leaves her for dead...


Shortly after the horrible incident in the woods, Justine learns that she is pregnant, and the only man that could possibly have impregnated her is the monster that raped her and killed her fiancé. With the support of her parents, Justine makes the difficult decision to have an abortion...


Unbeknownst to Justine, she would have given birth to twins...


SPRING, 2005:


Nearly twenty years later, with a new name and a family of her own, Adrienne Morgan (formerly Justine Knox) wants nothing more than to forget that fateful night eighteen years in the past. A chance encounter in the local grocery store will shatter all of that...


Is Adrienne losing her mind, as her loving husband and children suspect, or is she being stalked by fragments from her past long dead and buried?

Genres: Horror

309 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2014

About the author

In 1987, when big hair and parachute pants were the benchmark in primary education social status and before "grunge" music marred the face of Rock N' Roll music forever, Randy Eberle won a prize for a "book" he wrote (The Mystery of the Howling Cave; 20 pages, complete with God-awful illustrations and a laminated, construction-paper cover) for his third-grade creative writing class. Ever since, Eberle's passion for writing and telling stories has never left.

Not long after, rummaging through a box of old paperbacks at his grandparents' house, Randy Eberle discovered a battered copy of the movie-tie-in edition of Stephen King's Firestarter. It was then that he quickly realized exactly what kinds of stories he wanted to tell; his Hardy Boys and Three Investigators books became moldering stacks on a make-shift bookshelf, never to be touched again (over the next several years, Mr. Eberle had to hide his new reading habits from his parents, but that's another story...).

In the next three decades, Randy Eberle would go on to study all the masters of modern horror: Stephen King, John Saul, Clive Barker, Dean R. Koontz, Peter Straub, just to name a few.

In April of 2013, Randy Eberle published "Where Dying Flowers Lie", a short story made available in both trade paperback and kindle formats. Also included in this short publication was the first chapter of GEMINI, due to hit bookstores and Amazon.com late spring of this year.

Randy Eberle resides in Indianapolis, Indiana."Gemini" is his first novel.

Reviews

[Stitching Ghost · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot of this one managed to be both paper thin and contrived.

The first 50% or so of the book were actually somewhat decent but after that my did it go downhill.

Adrienne is extra dramatic in all circumstances, and she is absolutely unable not to center herself even when someone confesses to something profoundly traumatic that happened to them. She shouldn't be allowed to have custody of any children and yet we are supposed to root for her or care about what happens to her instead of being angry with the people who are allowing her to keep on traumatizing her children.

There's a bunch of small annoying things about the way this book was written. Per example the author felt the need to remind us semi-regularly that Adrienne's nails are manicured for some reason. There's also a gratuitous fatphobic scene that added exactly nothing to the story.

There's a rapist with magical sperm or a supernatural ability to rape women at the exact moment where it'll get them pregnant.

We have aborted babies showing up as adults manifesting out of thin air (thanks to the magic sperm I guess?), one of them doesn't think twice about eating a stray dog but gets all mopey about being ugly for some reason. The ugly twin has a connection with his long dead (by suicide) rapist dad who talks to him but apparently not to the other twin?

[Marie Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHOA! My mind is kind of blown, right now. The synopsis totally peaked my interest so I had no choice but to one click. Yeah, I’d agree with those of you who say the synopsis is a bit too revealing...however, there still managed to be plenty of surprises and twists to have me stunned, shocked and thrown for a loop or two.

Aside from a few editing touch ups this story was very well written. I’m not familiar with this author’s work but I’m definitely interested in checking out anything else he may have written.

While my reading preferences are most forms of romance and my TV/movie preferences are all thing supernatural, this book gave me the best of both worlds. It was a captivating read that I could totally imagine on the big screen or at least my flat screen on a late night under a comfy blanket on my couch with all my lights off. This is most definitely something I would choose if Netflix recommended it in my menu. The way it was written, the imagery provided had every scene playing in detail behind my minds eye. I could literally see it all unfold which made it all that more eerie!!

Really, I’m just in awe of what I just read. I enjoyed every bit of it.

[Myra Espino · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Complimentary copy provided by author for an honest review**

First of all, I'm glad to receive/read and review Gemini.
Gemini is a great read..
I loved it!
From the start up to the last, I can't put this book down.

The characters of this book are easy to relate with and get attached to.
I love how I got to easily feel their emotion on every part.
The story, well frankly speaking, I don't normally read this kind of books but when I read the synopsis I was intrigued so I gave it a go.
I'm not disappointed with my decision!
I was glad that I read this because this book rocks!
The story is not predictable and it really left me curious.
The way the story ended, I didn't see that one coming.
Amazing read!

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ARC was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review

This is not my typical genre, but I was intrigued by the synopsis, and decided to read it. My typical reads usually have some type of romance theme to them, but vary in degrees of YA / NA / PNR / CR / dark reads, thriller reads etc. So being this book is more classified as suspense / thriller / horror may be why I didn't enjoy it as much other books I typically read.

What I did enjoy:

Randy does a nice job of bringing you into the story, introducing the characters, and snaring your attention from page 1. From the very first chapter I was wondering what was going to happen next, where the story was going to go, and even though from the synopsis I knew partly what would happen, it was still quite a shocker as the details played out. This book flowed throughout and was a quick read.

I connected with the main character Justine / Adrienne, I felt she was a really likeable character. She was relatable, you could feel her pain, her anguish, her fear, and you could sense her strength. I also liked her husband, Peter, although I did not connect with him as much. He sometimes seemed aloof and uncaring. I really liked Alex, her fiancé, who was unfortunately killed off in the beginning of the book. He felt warm and caring, (this is where parts of me with the romantic tendencies goes off to day dream).

Ian and Eli, or Angel and Demon, as I likened them, really were opposites in every way. Ian, beautiful, angel like, protector, loving, and Eli, disfigured / deformed, demon like, loathing, and full of hate. It was an age old epic battle of light and dark.

The suspense was there, and Randy will keep you guessing as to where and what will happen next. What secrets will be revealed, how or if evil will be defeated, and who will escape with their lives.

What I didn't enjoy:

Being as this book wasn't my normal genre, I still couldn't help but look for the romance. I wanted more. I wanted to know more about Alex and Justine, I wanted to know more about how Peter and Adrienne met, I wanted more history, more back story, how did he win her heart? How did she get over Alex? How hard was it for her to fall in love again? How did the incident affect her ability to find love, to trust? But, it was just given, time had moved forward from the incident until the present time, and you took it for what it was. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I didn't connect as well to Peter. I felt at times he truly was uncaring, cold, and aloof. I wanted warm, soothing, reassuring.

Randy has a flair for details, and sometimes that is good and sometimes it was bad. Some of the murder scenes (in my opinion) were quite detailed and graphic. Please remember, I am not a horror reader at heart, so maybe this is common in these themes. To me, (even as a medical professional, or maybe because I am a medical professional), it was quite gory and gruesome. I could have gone without some of the details. Did it enhance the story? I don't really know. What it a shock factor? Yes.

Being a typical romance reader, this book really did not fit the mold I wanted. I wanted romance, drama / angst / problems, resolution, and an HEA. I got the romance (sort of), drama, problems (in spades), some resolution, and some closure. It did not have the ending I would have liked to have read, but alas, I am not the writer and can only go where I am directed. I was not left unsatisfied, only sad for the characters.

Overall:

I would give this book a strong 3.5 stars to a weak 4 stars for me. Again, this is my opinion only. I would recommend this book to someone looking for a new Horror / thriller novel by a new indie author. Sometimes that's where we find the brightest gems!

[Martin Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The synopsis intrigued me, I was given a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This seemed to be a quick read and I felt it was a little short. Imagine my surprise when I looked at the page count and realised I was almost 200 pages in. I did guess where the story was going, but there were enough little twists to keep it enjoyable.
I could tell, even without an author bio that Stephen King was a major influence as it not only had the same feel, but also the feeling that nothing was happening until three-quarters of the way through (although the set-up pieces in those three-quarters are what help you identify with the characters, so it isn't wasted or boring). I did stop having such enthusiasm for Stephen King for this reason but this book did keep interest, so in some ways it surpasses King.
I did feel that more could have been done with the climax, but that could be down to how quickly this seemed to fly by, and as we all know - time flies when you are having.......

[Stephanie Compton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review. I will try not to give any spoilers lol. This book type was a first for me, not usually the kind I stuff I read, but I am truly glad I read it. Great story line and plot. You can relate with the characters and understand their emotions. Very descriptive. I promise this won't be one of those books where you can figure it out half way thru, nope, he has placed a great twist in it! 100% recommended.

[Diamond]

Years after surviving a horrific trauma, Adrienne has changed her name, and is living a pleasant life with her husband and two children. Now, Adrienne's past is forcing it's way into her present, but can she survive the horrors again?

Gemini is a horror-thriller where a woman haunted test by her traumatic past, finds herself literally haunted by the personification of her trauma (which I though was a wonderful concept). There's good versus evil, nature versus nurture, the sins of the father (and mother(s)) etc and while it was a bit on the nose in some respects, it wasn't unbearably so. It does require the reader to easily suspend their disbelief and roll with the punches (luckily I'm pretty skilled in that department) but many readers may find themselves scratching their heads and asking questions that don't really have answers. Also content warning regarding rape, abortion, and animal death. I felt the assault and aftermath were handled with care overall, but it's worth giving warning, and their are two animal deaths that are quite gruesome, so proceed with caution!

The writing style is very descriptive, often down to minute details, which made it hard at times to get in, and stay, immersed in the story. However, quite a few of those descriptions led to some really gorgeous and unique metaphors, and I was actually mostly impressed by the level of thought put into each detail. I also read this during a reading slump (and to be honest, just an overall mental slump) but the final act jolted me out of analytical/disconnected mode, and had me on the edge of my seat, and tense, and thinking, "Surely this is where they catch a break and things turn around right???" Nope, it kept getting worse, and I HATED it...in the best possible way!

While Gemini has it's imperfections, I was entertained and intrigued throughout. I believe what we have here is a talented author getting warmed up, and I'm excited to see more of what Eberle has in store.

[Neko Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemini by Randy Eberle is a morbid tale, filled with atrocities sure to stir your heart. Not your average hack-and-slash’em gorefest by any means, but a gut-wrenching tale of a woman, tainted with hope and memories of her horrific, tragic past.



There’s not a lot I can tell you about Gemini without giving away spoilers, because the entire tale is intricately woven, an almost hypnotic spiral of events. And when I say spiral, I mean that. Just when you think things can’t get worse, that this fairytale may have a happy ending, Randy Eberle thrusts you down again.



What do you do when the decisions from your past, and perhaps decisions you had no say in at all, come back to haunt you? Come back to kill you, even? What do you choose when there is no right answer, only misery or agony?



Life is not always win-win, or even win-lose, we must pick and choose our battles. We must fight relentlessly for some of our most important victories. And even those victories don’t always come out unsoiled by the taints of life. We grasp for whatever hope we have left– for ourselves, and for our children.



Randy Eberle has captured this aspect of life quite keenly in his haunting book, Gemini, due out sometime this August.



It is a tale of tragedy, madness, mistakes… and, of course, death.

“It was as though the black sky above had opened up and birthed him, the cold rain an amniotic fluid from a celestial placenta that continued to shower Ian and the world around him.” — Gemini by Randy Eberle
I give this book five stars for being engaging from the first page, and four knives not because of the unrelenting splatter a la Shane McKenzie, but because his grisly scenes are well-chosen, well-placed, and meaningful. They’re brutal. There’s one scene specifically that when you read it, you’ll know just what I mean, a juxtaposition of “oh-hell-no-he-didn’t” and “I-get-it.” And when you find out how many drafts he wrote in his upcoming interview, you’ll see exactly why this is such an expertly crafted story.



This book is for you if…



…you’d like your innards not only spilled on the floor, but also tugged at in a most emotional fashion.



… you read your horror with your pants on, most of the time, at least.



… you’ve battled with truly heartbreaking decisions.



… you’re prepared for a serious tale of the twists and barbs within humanity.



… you don’t mind a little supernatural spin in the midst of the horrible reality of it all.



I cannot comment on the editing of this book as of yet, because I received a mostly unedited advanced reader copy.



The book is due out this month (August 2014) in hardback, trade paperback, and Kindle. An audio release will be shortly following.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a thriller of a book, dark and twisted with heartbreak and a story that continues over several years. Beautiful writing that paints vivid pictures for the reader:
"Dead ivy crawled up along every inch of the buildings surface, from foundation to gutter, like thousands of long, skeletal fingers reaching toward the sky. It seemed plausible that the deceased ivy was the mortar that held the building together."
"These images continued to play before her mind's eye, frame-by-frame, in a strobe-like fashion... fear and anguish gripped her heart until she thought she could no longer breathe..."
"It was as though the black sky above had opened up and birthed him, the cold rain an amniotic fluid from a celestial womb that continued to show Ian and the world around him."
Not quite finished reading yet, but I will. If you like thrillers and don't mind some gore and death, give this book and author a try.

[SheRa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This isn't the easiest review for me to write, not because of the grisly rape and murder that this book starts with nor the terrible scene where a dog is killed by a deranged boy either. I've been trying to think of a way to describe this story in a way that doesn't give away the main plot, but that's a lot harder to do then I thought it would be.
The root of this tale is about family. Just like any family the one in this story has some real problems, but unlike most families they have some supernatural ones as well. When Adrienne Morgan's past comes back to haunt her she finds herself in her worst nightmare. Facing her past and trying to keep her family together proves to be more difficult then she thought it would be when she comes face to face with the nightmarish reality that the man who attacked her when she was a teenager has come back to finish the job and he's not alone.

[Seth Mowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC from the author. I was unable to put the book down from the get go. The characters were very real, and at many points I feared for them as I read. The setting was described very well, and more than once I found myself looking up a few of the towns on the internet to get a better idea of where it was taking place. A must read if you enjoy supernatural stories in the vein of Stephen King.

[Ed McGinnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Randy Eberle's "Gemini" is a true page-turner. But unlike many page-turners, "Gemini" is well-written and richly detailed, an original and intelligent thriller with some unusual themes, unpredictable plot twists and a cast of vivid and memorable characters. I'd recommend "Gemini" to readers of any genre looking for a great story; I know I'm looking forward to this author's next book.

[Sue Anne Mitchem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting characters

Filled with lots of interesting characters and twists and turns. This book was a quick read for me. What an unexpected ending! A little mystery and a bit of supernatural.

[A.C. Haury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Kristina Eberle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time! Highly recommend!

[Cyndi · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a book meant for a certain crowd; unfortunately, I'm not part of that crowd.

After the first part of this book (when the protagonist still went by the name Justine) I didn't feel that there was anything left to this novel. The bad guy had been taken care of, the detectives had resolved everything, and everything was tied up in a neat bow. I suppose I was expecting more of a thriller novel, not one where the heroine's goal is just an emotional turmoil. Not that overcoming emotional turmoil isn't a good thing, I was just expecting more.

One big issue I had with the story is that I had a hard time connecting to the characters. I don't know anything about Justine except that she went through a really rough ideal. I don't know her dreams or aspirations, really. Who she is, what kind of girl she is, etc. After she changed her name to Adrienne, I just got bored with the story. I put the book down after about halfway through it because I didn't know where the story was going; what was the goal? What was the end achievement? Justine had already moved on and had a wonderful job, husband, and family, what more was there for her to achieve?

One other thing that annoyed me was the language in this book. I can understand the rapist having bad language, but when the other characters had similar foul language like the bad guy, it just blended everyone together into the same personality. I could have used some different use of language among the different types of characters.

I'm sure others would find this book interesting and gripping, but I was not one of those people.

[Garrett Johns · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randy Eberle's Gemini is no stranger to the horror genre. This book is not afraid to dip into controversial topics and subjects while maintaining a good decorum. The plot is a spectacular idea and is executed fairly well with minor bumps. The only issue I have with the book is a couple of actions of the main character that do not seem to fit her personality and customs. However, that does not drag the book down and you are in for one hell of a read if you do pick this book up.