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Heartless
Friends. Family. Monsters.
Urban legends of a murderous figure called Springheel Jack date back to the 19th century. What 16-year-old Baylee is about to learn is that “he” is most certainly for real…and not alone.
Baylee and her older brother Elijah are orphans, their parents brutally murdered in what appears to be a random act of violence along an empty Nevada highway. Living now in another state with friends of the family they hardly know, the two teens do their best to build new shy Elijah with a small and loyal group of gamers, and quiet Baylee with exactly one tomboy skater friend, Krista...plus a strikingly beautiful and kind boyfriend Baylee won't tell anyone about.
When Elijah suddenly gets his first girlfriend and Krista is picked up by a new boyfriend, both of them cease talking to Baylee. Determined to prove the two new kids are bad somehow, maybe even criminal, Baylee follows them out to the desert one night, and finds her worst fears are nothing compared to the bloody, gruesome truth. And her secret beau is right at the center of it...
As Elijah slowly turns into something dangerous and otherworldly and Baylee's adoptive family moves to put her into a psychiatric health facility after she tells the truth about what she knows, Baylee turns to the only people who might be able to Elijah human her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
Urban legends of a murderous figure called Springheel Jack date back to the 19th century. What 16-year-old Baylee is about to learn is that “he” is most certainly for real…and not alone.
Baylee and her older brother Elijah are orphans, their parents brutally murdered in what appears to be a random act of violence along an empty Nevada highway. Living now in another state with friends of the family they hardly know, the two teens do their best to build new shy Elijah with a small and loyal group of gamers, and quiet Baylee with exactly one tomboy skater friend, Krista...plus a strikingly beautiful and kind boyfriend Baylee won't tell anyone about.
When Elijah suddenly gets his first girlfriend and Krista is picked up by a new boyfriend, both of them cease talking to Baylee. Determined to prove the two new kids are bad somehow, maybe even criminal, Baylee follows them out to the desert one night, and finds her worst fears are nothing compared to the bloody, gruesome truth. And her secret beau is right at the center of it...
As Elijah slowly turns into something dangerous and otherworldly and Baylee's adoptive family moves to put her into a psychiatric health facility after she tells the truth about what she knows, Baylee turns to the only people who might be able to Elijah human her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
282 pages, Paperback
Published April 17, 2019
38 people want to read
About the author
Tom Leveen
46 books238 followersTom Leveen is the author of nine novels originally with imprints of Random House, Simon & Schuster, Abrams, and more. He has written with Todd McFarlane on SPAWN, the comic book series, and fiction for the TTRPG BattleTech for Topps, Inc.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
Recently an early literacy specialist with Phoenix Public Library, Tom has twelve years of previous library work experience. He also has 22 years of theatre experience as an actor and director, and has been the Artistic Director for two different award-winning theatre companies.
Tom wrote his first story in second grade and has been writing and telling stories ever since. His first horror novel, SICK, won the Westchester Fiction Award and the Grand Canyon Reader Award. His novel ZERO was a Best Book of 2013 (American Library Association/Young Adult Library Services Association).
A frequent guest speaker and teacher, Tom has taught, paneled, and/or keynoted for SCBWI, RWA, Desert Nights Rising Stars, Phoenix ComiCon, AzLA, NCTE, TEDx, People of Color Network, Western New Mexico University, Arizona State University, Arizona Reading Association, Kennesaw State University, multiple schools and conferences throughout Germany, AETA, the Los Angeles Teen Book Fest, and many others.
In addition, apropos of absolutely nothing, Tom:
Finished a marathon (in six and half hours) and a triathalon sprint in 2 hours, earned a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do, co-hosted a public access comedy show, directed 30 plays and acted in 30 more, ran a theatre company out of his backyard, met almost all of his literary heroes except for Stephen King, played in a punk band live in front of actual people (once), prefers the Hero System but nevertheless runs a warlock minotaur and storm cleric elf when time permits, trained at the Utah Shakespeare Festival Actor Training program for five sessions, was Best Masque & Gavel Member in high school, lettered in Speech, has a rock in one finger from a pretty bad bail on his (now stolen) Tony Hawk, was the safari train driver for the Phoenix Zoo for a short time, worked in the stock room for Forever 21 for an even shorter time, completed a Spartan Sprint with three friends, and spent twenty years earning his Bachelor of Science degree. He is currently in an MFA program at a major international university.
So if there's something you want to do, go do it.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 4, 2019
4 September 2018
Tom Leveen: Heartless
Reviewed by D.K. Hundt posted on Kendall Reviews
Braving the torrid Arizona climate, protagonist Baylee Ross, in Tom Leveen’s contemporary horror novel, Heartless, finds herself in the middle of a real-life Urban Legend starring Springheel Jack, a murderous figure from the 19th century. When her only living relative—her older brother—becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures, Baylee’s sole chance to turn him back rests with the only people inclined to believe her story: her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
I can honestly say that I was pulled into Tom Leveen’s novel from the very first sentence “He died painfully, in white-hot agony only truly expressed in poetry,” and I eagerly followed along to find out who died and why in such an eloquent and assuredly grotesque fashion. I wasn’t disappointed. Now, I won’t reveal to you any spoilers, but I will tell you that after reading this novel in its entirety, I definitely got a Stranger Things/Silver Bullet vibe that I like. Some may say that the Urban Legend cinematic trope has been done to death, but that hasn’t stopped this eager viewer, along with millions of others, from planting our wide-eyed selves in front of a glowing screen, binge-watching the latest Netflix series. I think this curiosity, at least for me, still holds true in literary and genre fiction, as it did when I first read – and can’t get enough of – the stylistic prose in Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which, like Heartless, may or may not make believers out of all of us.
Leveen is certainly not lacking in his ability to create characters that are relatable, and frankly, the dialogue his characters use reminds me of my teenage children only a few years ago. I especially like the feistiness of skateboarding Krista and her unapologetic banter with tobacco chewing, “Dungeon Master” Ralph. The callousness of Eli, call me “Elijah,” is both believable and heartbreaking at the same time, which adds a deeper meaning to the title.
The one disappointment I had while reading this novel, is a lack of what I call the “shock factor” within the narrative. You know, those slap your readers in the face moments, while the author casually has one of their character’s ordering two extra shots of espresso at the local Starbucks, the author then slips in a bit of foreshadowing by way of sneaky prose about said character getting hit by a bus in the near or distant future. Love it! There is a slow build in tension as we get closer to the climax in Heartless, but nothing that makes me stand up and shout “I can’t believe that just happened!” I think if we hadn’t been told in the back-cover description of the book that Baylee’s brother is now the newest member of Springheel Jack’s crew, it would have created that slow tension fueled build that would have kept me on the edge of my seat with white-knuckled anticipation. In all due fairness, this is the first book I’ve read by Bram Stoker Award nominee Tom Leveen (Sick; Shackled), but I assure you it won’t be the last. I’ve already purchased Sick, and I’m dying to read it!
In closing, and just as a side note, if you look at these reviews as the “Gospel Truth” regarding the literary value of a book, then I urge you not to. If what the reviewer says, or the description of the book itself sparks your interest, then by all means, take a bite and delve into the creative mind of the author, and perhaps you too will be asking yourself as I did at the end of this story “What price would I be willing to pay for immortality?”
Bram Stoker Award nominee Tom Leveen (Sick; Shackled) asks: What price will you pay for immortality?
Urban legends of a murderous figure called Springheel Jack date back to the 19th century. What Baylee is about to learn is that “he” is most certainly for real…and not alone. When her only living relative—her older brother—becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures, Baylee’s sole chance to turn him back rests with the only people inclined to believe her story: her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
You can buy Heartless from Amazon UK & Amazon US
D. K. Hundt is an American writer with a BA degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. When she’s not writing contemporary fiction and horror/supernatural stories, she likes to spend her free time working as a volunteer in her community, being a minion for her cat Simon, warding off carnivorous spiders, and throwing herself into and around the dark alleyways of Stephen King novels in search of inspiration. D. K. resides in California with her husband, and she is currently working on a horror novel titled, Cheveyo–a story about a young boy who goes to live with his grandpa on a reservation, and soon discovers that the malevolent creatures that lurk in the Okanogan Forest aren’t the only deadly secret the locals are hiding.
You can follow D.K. on Twitter @DKHundt1
Please visit D.K.’s official website www.dkhundt.com
Tom Leveen: Heartless
Reviewed by D.K. Hundt posted on Kendall Reviews
Braving the torrid Arizona climate, protagonist Baylee Ross, in Tom Leveen’s contemporary horror novel, Heartless, finds herself in the middle of a real-life Urban Legend starring Springheel Jack, a murderous figure from the 19th century. When her only living relative—her older brother—becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures, Baylee’s sole chance to turn him back rests with the only people inclined to believe her story: her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
I can honestly say that I was pulled into Tom Leveen’s novel from the very first sentence “He died painfully, in white-hot agony only truly expressed in poetry,” and I eagerly followed along to find out who died and why in such an eloquent and assuredly grotesque fashion. I wasn’t disappointed. Now, I won’t reveal to you any spoilers, but I will tell you that after reading this novel in its entirety, I definitely got a Stranger Things/Silver Bullet vibe that I like. Some may say that the Urban Legend cinematic trope has been done to death, but that hasn’t stopped this eager viewer, along with millions of others, from planting our wide-eyed selves in front of a glowing screen, binge-watching the latest Netflix series. I think this curiosity, at least for me, still holds true in literary and genre fiction, as it did when I first read – and can’t get enough of – the stylistic prose in Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which, like Heartless, may or may not make believers out of all of us.
Leveen is certainly not lacking in his ability to create characters that are relatable, and frankly, the dialogue his characters use reminds me of my teenage children only a few years ago. I especially like the feistiness of skateboarding Krista and her unapologetic banter with tobacco chewing, “Dungeon Master” Ralph. The callousness of Eli, call me “Elijah,” is both believable and heartbreaking at the same time, which adds a deeper meaning to the title.
The one disappointment I had while reading this novel, is a lack of what I call the “shock factor” within the narrative. You know, those slap your readers in the face moments, while the author casually has one of their character’s ordering two extra shots of espresso at the local Starbucks, the author then slips in a bit of foreshadowing by way of sneaky prose about said character getting hit by a bus in the near or distant future. Love it! There is a slow build in tension as we get closer to the climax in Heartless, but nothing that makes me stand up and shout “I can’t believe that just happened!” I think if we hadn’t been told in the back-cover description of the book that Baylee’s brother is now the newest member of Springheel Jack’s crew, it would have created that slow tension fueled build that would have kept me on the edge of my seat with white-knuckled anticipation. In all due fairness, this is the first book I’ve read by Bram Stoker Award nominee Tom Leveen (Sick; Shackled), but I assure you it won’t be the last. I’ve already purchased Sick, and I’m dying to read it!
In closing, and just as a side note, if you look at these reviews as the “Gospel Truth” regarding the literary value of a book, then I urge you not to. If what the reviewer says, or the description of the book itself sparks your interest, then by all means, take a bite and delve into the creative mind of the author, and perhaps you too will be asking yourself as I did at the end of this story “What price would I be willing to pay for immortality?”
Bram Stoker Award nominee Tom Leveen (Sick; Shackled) asks: What price will you pay for immortality?
Urban legends of a murderous figure called Springheel Jack date back to the 19th century. What Baylee is about to learn is that “he” is most certainly for real…and not alone. When her only living relative—her older brother—becomes one of the bloodthirsty creatures, Baylee’s sole chance to turn him back rests with the only people inclined to believe her story: her brother’s nerdy RPG gamer friends.
You can buy Heartless from Amazon UK & Amazon US
D. K. Hundt is an American writer with a BA degree in Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. When she’s not writing contemporary fiction and horror/supernatural stories, she likes to spend her free time working as a volunteer in her community, being a minion for her cat Simon, warding off carnivorous spiders, and throwing herself into and around the dark alleyways of Stephen King novels in search of inspiration. D. K. resides in California with her husband, and she is currently working on a horror novel titled, Cheveyo–a story about a young boy who goes to live with his grandpa on a reservation, and soon discovers that the malevolent creatures that lurk in the Okanogan Forest aren’t the only deadly secret the locals are hiding.
You can follow D.K. on Twitter @DKHundt1
Please visit D.K.’s official website www.dkhundt.com
November 21, 2019
Gamers. Urban legends from real life put into a fictional setting. Seductive bad guys. An ending that gets the imagination going while still making for a complete story. A gamer chick that seems like a real gamer chick instead of being inserted at random to set a quota. These are a few of my favorite things.
Just read this, okay? It's a horror story worth the time I spent with it. I may have wanted to yell at the main character a few times, but I'm a mom and she's a teenager, so that's probably how the world is supposed to work. (To be fair, I wanted to yell at her foster parents a few times, too.)
Why aren't you reading it yet? Stop reading my review and go read.
Just read this, okay? It's a horror story worth the time I spent with it. I may have wanted to yell at the main character a few times, but I'm a mom and she's a teenager, so that's probably how the world is supposed to work. (To be fair, I wanted to yell at her foster parents a few times, too.)
Why aren't you reading it yet? Stop reading my review and go read.
September 19, 2018
I love the character development in the novel. I love how you couldn’t guess the plot besides suspecting one character. This was a very unpredictable book. I didn’t expect the book to end the way it did, nor did I expect events to carry out in such a way that I haven’t seen in a novel. This book is definitely for people who love horror and all things supernatural
August 15, 2019
This one left me waiting for a #2! The characters were likable and relatable, especially the D&D nerds. Though I am somewhat skeptical about one of them. I don't trust the quiet ones. I am interested to know more about the monsters and what magic makes them what they are, so I do hope Tom plans for a sequel. Read it if you like spooky tales!
November 16, 2019
Great story
I love Tom's female characters. They are strong even when they are scared. The characters are real. You can picture them in your own adolescent years. Great read for a teen who enjoys dark stories.
I love Tom's female characters. They are strong even when they are scared. The characters are real. You can picture them in your own adolescent years. Great read for a teen who enjoys dark stories.
March 27, 2023
What I Did Like:
+GREAT opening line! In fact, good opening scene. The juxtaposition between this scene and the next is just shocking enough to get your attention while still being connected to the story in a way that works.
+Excellent characters. It took ONE chapter for me to feel connected to Baylee and Elijah. They’re just incredibly well written.
+The banter with this group of teens is PHENOMENAL. I was laughing out loud in public. It was great!
+LOVE the inclusion of a monster we don’t see a lot in horror stories. Also loved the characters batting down the idea of the mainstream ones so quickly. Mention them but throw them out!
Who Should Read This One:
-Stranger Things fans. The mix of horror, dangerous creatures, and teenagers just works!
My Rating: 4 Stars
Excellent horror, recommended for all fans of the genre!
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/...
+GREAT opening line! In fact, good opening scene. The juxtaposition between this scene and the next is just shocking enough to get your attention while still being connected to the story in a way that works.
+Excellent characters. It took ONE chapter for me to feel connected to Baylee and Elijah. They’re just incredibly well written.
+The banter with this group of teens is PHENOMENAL. I was laughing out loud in public. It was great!
+LOVE the inclusion of a monster we don’t see a lot in horror stories. Also loved the characters batting down the idea of the mainstream ones so quickly. Mention them but throw them out!
Who Should Read This One:
-Stranger Things fans. The mix of horror, dangerous creatures, and teenagers just works!
My Rating: 4 Stars
Excellent horror, recommended for all fans of the genre!
For Full Review: https://tabathashipleybooks.com/2023/...
December 7, 2019
This story had me hooked! I read it all in one sitting while I was getting over a cold, and just couldn't put it down! I love myth and legend horror (especially vampire and the *occasional* werewolf) and have found Springheel Jack stories to be quite interesting (such as Stephen King's short story). This story was suspenseful, entertaining, and scary just like any horror story should be.
All the characters were unique and interesting. My favorite was Timothy. I wanted to know more about him. Some of the story was left open in case there is a sequel, which I hope there is (won't explain because of spoilers) but it came to a good close as well.
All in all, I highly recommend for anyone who likes horror and wants to be scared, especially if they live in the desert (damn it, Tom Leveen!).
All the characters were unique and interesting. My favorite was Timothy. I wanted to know more about him. Some of the story was left open in case there is a sequel, which I hope there is (won't explain because of spoilers) but it came to a good close as well.
All in all, I highly recommend for anyone who likes horror and wants to be scared, especially if they live in the desert (damn it, Tom Leveen!).
July 17, 2020
*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*
3.5/5
This book was twisted - in a good way. I felt really bad for the MC, she went through a LOT in this story. What I really liked about it was the coming of age feel it had near the end of the story with the MC and her brother's friends banding together, it really worked. The protagonists were scary and strange; well drawn out. I liked the tie-in with Spring-heel Jack as well, that was a nice touch that I had only heard bits and pieced of before, but got a deeper dive into with this book. Definitely worth the read!
3.5/5
This book was twisted - in a good way. I felt really bad for the MC, she went through a LOT in this story. What I really liked about it was the coming of age feel it had near the end of the story with the MC and her brother's friends banding together, it really worked. The protagonists were scary and strange; well drawn out. I liked the tie-in with Spring-heel Jack as well, that was a nice touch that I had only heard bits and pieced of before, but got a deeper dive into with this book. Definitely worth the read!
August 15, 2021
I met Tom Leveen in the early 90s so I'm going to flatter myself and say he kept the name Krista in mind and named one of the characters in this book after me. This was a great story. Like every other book of his there were some lines that made me laugh out loud. I love that.
April 27, 2023
I loved this so much! I have never been so stunned and thrown around by a story in my life! 🤯
I now want to pull of majors highways in the middle of the night.... just to see...
And I SOOOOO would have said YESSSSSS.... just won't eat with them 😅😅😅
I now want to pull of majors highways in the middle of the night.... just to see...
And I SOOOOO would have said YESSSSSS.... just won't eat with them 😅😅😅
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews