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Ghost Heart: A Novel
Live fast, die young, and leave a bloodthirsty corpse.That’s the saying of a new pack of fiendish predators infesting a New England town. They’re infected with the Ghost Heart, a condition that causes them to become irresistible and invincible…as long as they drink the blood of the living. But these vampires don’t live forever, and as the Ghost Heart claims them, their skin loses color and their hearts turn pale. When a young mechanic is seduced by the pack’s muse, he finds falling in love will break more than his heart.“Possessing a firm grasp of tradition but with his vision clearly focused on the future, John Palisano is exactly the type of writer horror needs right bold, brave, imaginative and unflinching.”—Bentley Little“John Palisano’s GHOST HEART is a gritty, action-packed novel with strong characterization and some truly nasty vampires. Highly recommended!”—Tim Waggoner, author of Eat the Night and The Way of All Flesh“GHOST HEART is a hauntingly beautiful, equally tragic and terrifying journey through your innermost fears and desires.”—Kya Aliana, author of The Vampiress Thrillogy
- GenresHorror
254 pages, Paperback
Published February 8, 2020
4 people are currently reading
76 people want to read
About the author
John Palisano
103 books164 followersOne evening when I was only a small boy, my father allowed me to stay up late with him and watch NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD on television. He fell asleep, but I waited for the end. I couldn’t believe they’d let the lead guy die after all that. I was horrified. Later that summer we went to the drive-in, which was a big deal in Norwalk, Connecticut in the 1970s. Everyone went. We all piled into the Bomb, our old station wagon, and saw lots of movies there. There was a swing set right up front where a many of the little kids congregated. We got a kick out of that, especially during GREASE, because there was a similar set-up in the movie. One night, though, there was a double-feature that I’ll never forget.
Demon Seed scared me, and the unforgettable images still haunt me. The film that followed, though, ruined me for good. ALIEN. I don’t think I walked past my attic door after dark that entire summer for fear the alien would snatch me up and away.
Soon I couldn’t even go to the beach. JAWS waited for us. Of course, this was also the time I discovered my father’s treasure trove of old horror comics, most of which I still have safe and sound. My imagination was on fire. We went to some of the early science fiction conventions in New York. I found Fangoria, and used Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions book in an attempt to make my own monsters at home, and experimented with that for several fake-bloodstained years. Eventually, though, I realized my favorite part was in dreaming up the ideas. In all truth, I was better in that regard than in any of my make-ups.
During middle school I put out a xeroxed fanzine Castle Gore that I sold to my classmates for a quarter an issue. Inside, alongside my reviews of whatever movies were coming out, I put some of my own short stories.
By the time I was thirteen I’d completed my first novel . . . novella, really . . . about a time-traveling teenager who saves the world from a monster bred in a Victorian scientist’s lab. He used a flying go-kart to do so.
Songwriting found me. For years I toured with rock n’ roll bands, opening for national acts, and all the while, writing lots of lyrics, poems, and short stories. Winding up at Emerson College, I truly found myself. My short stories were finally professionally published in some of the local academic literary magazines, and also my script He’d Hoped For Mars won the Latent Image Magazine screenwriting contest, but was turned into a successful short film, scored by Aaron Logan at nearby Berklee College of Music.
After college I moved to Los Angeles, taking an internship with Ridley Scott. That was a phenomenal time in my life, and I learned so much. I worked on many big budget films, and got to see how those films I grew up with really came together. Of course, being in that hotbox, I wrote lots of scripts. Had an option or three, and produced a couple of low-budget films while I was at it. Something happened, though.
The movies of the scripts often came out so differently than the original ideas. Budget compromises. With writing stories, well, the only limit is your imagination. You’re not limited to how much money you have, or time, or your location, or the skill of the CG artists on your team.
Shifting gears to prose has not been easy. I had hundreds of rejections from top markets until I began to place my stories. That is not an exaggeration. It was harder to place a pro-level fiction piece than find financing for my first film. I love the challenge, and few things have been as satisfying.
My journey continues, of course. All these years later, we finally have the release of my novel NERVES from Bad Moon Books in the winter of 2012. In the meantime, there’s lots of short stories appearing soon, and several movie projects, too.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
John Palisano
Demon Seed scared me, and the unforgettable images still haunt me. The film that followed, though, ruined me for good. ALIEN. I don’t think I walked past my attic door after dark that entire summer for fear the alien would snatch me up and away.
Soon I couldn’t even go to the beach. JAWS waited for us. Of course, this was also the time I discovered my father’s treasure trove of old horror comics, most of which I still have safe and sound. My imagination was on fire. We went to some of the early science fiction conventions in New York. I found Fangoria, and used Tom Savini’s Grande Illusions book in an attempt to make my own monsters at home, and experimented with that for several fake-bloodstained years. Eventually, though, I realized my favorite part was in dreaming up the ideas. In all truth, I was better in that regard than in any of my make-ups.
During middle school I put out a xeroxed fanzine Castle Gore that I sold to my classmates for a quarter an issue. Inside, alongside my reviews of whatever movies were coming out, I put some of my own short stories.
By the time I was thirteen I’d completed my first novel . . . novella, really . . . about a time-traveling teenager who saves the world from a monster bred in a Victorian scientist’s lab. He used a flying go-kart to do so.
Songwriting found me. For years I toured with rock n’ roll bands, opening for national acts, and all the while, writing lots of lyrics, poems, and short stories. Winding up at Emerson College, I truly found myself. My short stories were finally professionally published in some of the local academic literary magazines, and also my script He’d Hoped For Mars won the Latent Image Magazine screenwriting contest, but was turned into a successful short film, scored by Aaron Logan at nearby Berklee College of Music.
After college I moved to Los Angeles, taking an internship with Ridley Scott. That was a phenomenal time in my life, and I learned so much. I worked on many big budget films, and got to see how those films I grew up with really came together. Of course, being in that hotbox, I wrote lots of scripts. Had an option or three, and produced a couple of low-budget films while I was at it. Something happened, though.
The movies of the scripts often came out so differently than the original ideas. Budget compromises. With writing stories, well, the only limit is your imagination. You’re not limited to how much money you have, or time, or your location, or the skill of the CG artists on your team.
Shifting gears to prose has not been easy. I had hundreds of rejections from top markets until I began to place my stories. That is not an exaggeration. It was harder to place a pro-level fiction piece than find financing for my first film. I love the challenge, and few things have been as satisfying.
My journey continues, of course. All these years later, we finally have the release of my novel NERVES from Bad Moon Books in the winter of 2012. In the meantime, there’s lots of short stories appearing soon, and several movie projects, too.
Thanks for reading.
Best,
John Palisano
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 17, 2016
Review copy
Get this book. Don't even bother reading my review, just drop everything and get yourself a copy. You won't regret it.
Here's the synopsis you'll find on the first page.
"Life fast, die young, and leave a bloodthirsty corpse.
"That's the saying of a new pack of predators infesting a New England town. They're infected with the Ghost Heart, a condition that causes them to become irresistible and invincible...as long as they drink the blood of the living. But these vampires don't live forever, and as the Ghost Heart claims them, their skin loses color and their hearts turn pale. When a young mechanic is seduced by the pack's muse, he finds falling in love will break more than his heart."
Ghost Heart is filled with good writing, a solid tale that rings true and does not at all feel forced despite the subject matter. In addition to the horror aspects, it's also a tragic love story. All in all, a tale well told.
Ghost Heart is available from Samhain Horror in both e-book and paperback formats.
Again, I really can't recommend this book enough. I know 2016 is still young, but this could turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year.
John Palisano's short fiction has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award® three times and has appeared in many magazines and anthologies. In addition to Ghost Heart, John's other novels include Nerves and Dust of the Dead.
Get this book. Don't even bother reading my review, just drop everything and get yourself a copy. You won't regret it.
Here's the synopsis you'll find on the first page.
"Life fast, die young, and leave a bloodthirsty corpse.
"That's the saying of a new pack of predators infesting a New England town. They're infected with the Ghost Heart, a condition that causes them to become irresistible and invincible...as long as they drink the blood of the living. But these vampires don't live forever, and as the Ghost Heart claims them, their skin loses color and their hearts turn pale. When a young mechanic is seduced by the pack's muse, he finds falling in love will break more than his heart."
Ghost Heart is filled with good writing, a solid tale that rings true and does not at all feel forced despite the subject matter. In addition to the horror aspects, it's also a tragic love story. All in all, a tale well told.
Ghost Heart is available from Samhain Horror in both e-book and paperback formats.
Again, I really can't recommend this book enough. I know 2016 is still young, but this could turn out to be one of my favorite books of the year.
John Palisano's short fiction has been nominated for the Bram Stoker Award® three times and has appeared in many magazines and anthologies. In addition to Ghost Heart, John's other novels include Nerves and Dust of the Dead.
May 20, 2017
Rick is a young mechanic in the small New England “bedroom community” of Whistleville. Things are pretty laid back for Rick despite having a girlfriend he is not quite that sure of in the fidelity department. But lately some new people are in town who are causing serious problems for him and his friends. They are infested with a disease called The Ghost Heart. The condition make them strong and invincible as long as they drink human blood. But eventually they fall victim to the disease as they turn pale and fade away, Rick is unfortunate enough to fall in love with one of them.
When reading the summary of John Palisano’s Ghost Heart, it is impossible not to think “Vampire” and it would be fair to call this a variant of the vampire mystique. The author has created a sly variation of a long lasting stalwart of horror novels. Palisano’s vampires are not eternal. They are sick. The condition brings lots of perks to it provided you have a fresh supply of blood. Yet there is a price to be paid. Rick is at first an innocent spectator to this new affliction. He is targeted by the Ghost Heart inflicted gang led by a rather vicious man named Damien. But he has also met Minarette, a devastatingly beautiful girl who seems lost in her own way. The heart of the tale lies in Rick’s inability to avoid misfortune, the penalty his friends pay, and the inevitability of a doomed love. Think Romeo and Juliet with vampire thingies.
But that is the crux of what makes this novel so interesting. It isn’t really a horror story as much as a love story. Now that I’ve chase the horror fans away, it should be mentioned that this is indeed a scary book. There is a lot of eerie atmosphere building throughout the pages. Even though Whistleville is a small town just outside the cities, there is a feeling of isolation in which the town appears powerless against the Ghost Heart carriers and the police is less than competent. As we find out more about the Ghost Heart and its victims, there is some incredibly tense scenes that should satisfy most horror aficionados. Yet it is the relationship between Rick and Minarette that fuel the tale. Rick is young and insecure. Minarette is irresistible and at first seems sure of herself. She is also doomed and her vulnerability starts to come through as the story develops. The author ties this relationship in neatly with the horror plot and it works quite well. This dark resemblance of a romance is a nice deviation from the “scare them and scare them some more” habit of many recent books where human emotions are secondary.
So I would recommend this to someone who likes a good horror novel yet wants something that also features important human interaction and issues. Or someone looking for a novel that is vampire yet not really vampire. It is always nice to see a new bent on the old warhorse and doubly nice to read a book that is able to add some real human dilemmas.
When reading the summary of John Palisano’s Ghost Heart, it is impossible not to think “Vampire” and it would be fair to call this a variant of the vampire mystique. The author has created a sly variation of a long lasting stalwart of horror novels. Palisano’s vampires are not eternal. They are sick. The condition brings lots of perks to it provided you have a fresh supply of blood. Yet there is a price to be paid. Rick is at first an innocent spectator to this new affliction. He is targeted by the Ghost Heart inflicted gang led by a rather vicious man named Damien. But he has also met Minarette, a devastatingly beautiful girl who seems lost in her own way. The heart of the tale lies in Rick’s inability to avoid misfortune, the penalty his friends pay, and the inevitability of a doomed love. Think Romeo and Juliet with vampire thingies.
But that is the crux of what makes this novel so interesting. It isn’t really a horror story as much as a love story. Now that I’ve chase the horror fans away, it should be mentioned that this is indeed a scary book. There is a lot of eerie atmosphere building throughout the pages. Even though Whistleville is a small town just outside the cities, there is a feeling of isolation in which the town appears powerless against the Ghost Heart carriers and the police is less than competent. As we find out more about the Ghost Heart and its victims, there is some incredibly tense scenes that should satisfy most horror aficionados. Yet it is the relationship between Rick and Minarette that fuel the tale. Rick is young and insecure. Minarette is irresistible and at first seems sure of herself. She is also doomed and her vulnerability starts to come through as the story develops. The author ties this relationship in neatly with the horror plot and it works quite well. This dark resemblance of a romance is a nice deviation from the “scare them and scare them some more” habit of many recent books where human emotions are secondary.
So I would recommend this to someone who likes a good horror novel yet wants something that also features important human interaction and issues. Or someone looking for a novel that is vampire yet not really vampire. It is always nice to see a new bent on the old warhorse and doubly nice to read a book that is able to add some real human dilemmas.
January 18, 2016
This is a horror story aimed at young adults and up.
Rick, a mechanic at a family garage, was at a club called the Universe when he met Minarette. The most gorgeous creature he had ever seen, and way out of his league. Strange events start happening around town when the bodies of some of his friends and family turn up drained of blood. Did his passing interest in Minarette stir up jealousy in her friends when they start targeting him for regular beatings? They seem different to most people-stronger and faster. Minarette then lets him in on the secret. They have ghost hearts and must feed on blood to survive for the short time they have left in this world. But will her friends push it too far and decide that killing him would be more expedient?
I'm very on the fence about this book. The tagline "Live fast, die young and leave a bloodthirsty corpse" really caught my eye. While the story did indeed touch on that, I felt that there were many holes in the plot and lots of questions left unanswered. For example what gets revealed under the club is pivotal to the story, yet goes nowhere. I thought that the characters needed more fleshing out. They seemed 2D and I never actually felt that their lives or parts in the story gelled. Rick is supposed to be the hero of the story and even though he has lost friends and family and has been beaten to the point of death a number of times, he comes across as whimsical and fluffy; pining after a dying girl. And this after he had just been used and abused by an ex-girlfriend. I was hoping for an in your face scary horror, but came across a lukewarm love story with dead end sub plots.
The essence of a good idea is there, it really is, but the execution just does not happen. I have no problem finishing a story with some questions when your mind is able to fill in the blanks with possibilities, but there were so many confusing moments and implausible actions, let alone feelings, that I was dissatisfied when I finished the book. Maybe others will pick up on a gem I didn't, but for me this was just average. A little work on it will go a long way.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.
Rick, a mechanic at a family garage, was at a club called the Universe when he met Minarette. The most gorgeous creature he had ever seen, and way out of his league. Strange events start happening around town when the bodies of some of his friends and family turn up drained of blood. Did his passing interest in Minarette stir up jealousy in her friends when they start targeting him for regular beatings? They seem different to most people-stronger and faster. Minarette then lets him in on the secret. They have ghost hearts and must feed on blood to survive for the short time they have left in this world. But will her friends push it too far and decide that killing him would be more expedient?
I'm very on the fence about this book. The tagline "Live fast, die young and leave a bloodthirsty corpse" really caught my eye. While the story did indeed touch on that, I felt that there were many holes in the plot and lots of questions left unanswered. For example what gets revealed under the club is pivotal to the story, yet goes nowhere. I thought that the characters needed more fleshing out. They seemed 2D and I never actually felt that their lives or parts in the story gelled. Rick is supposed to be the hero of the story and even though he has lost friends and family and has been beaten to the point of death a number of times, he comes across as whimsical and fluffy; pining after a dying girl. And this after he had just been used and abused by an ex-girlfriend. I was hoping for an in your face scary horror, but came across a lukewarm love story with dead end sub plots.
The essence of a good idea is there, it really is, but the execution just does not happen. I have no problem finishing a story with some questions when your mind is able to fill in the blanks with possibilities, but there were so many confusing moments and implausible actions, let alone feelings, that I was dissatisfied when I finished the book. Maybe others will pick up on a gem I didn't, but for me this was just average. A little work on it will go a long way.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to review the book.
January 28, 2016
This was the first ARC I received from Samhain Publishing and I am more than pleased with it. I believe John Palisano definitely has a bright future ahead for him. This book tales a vampire tale, but with a completely refreshing take. These vampires aren't invincible and being in the sun is not a death sentence. Basically, they have to feed or their body and heart deteriorate, making them grow paler and paler until they are almost translucent - thus, the concept of Ghost Heart. They don't even consider themselves vampires. Also, they are pretty much governed by a pretty creepy, "don't-go-into-the-basement" monster with the coolest name ever - "Xyx."
I don't scare easily so I won't say this book terrified me, but it has been one of the creepier horror novels I have read lately. Initially I was annoyed with Rick. He doesn't know who or what he wants in life and he seems a tad fickle. But then I realized that Rick is in his early twenties, has few family ties, and dates no more than a lot of guys his age. So pretty much, my irritation was short lived because I grew to understand that Palisano has basically nailed the male MC role right on the head.
This book has a lot of action, but it develops in a slow build. The group of individuals after Rick have to be some of the worst people I have encountered in a vampire novel - they are heartless. And Rick is one tough guy - if you read it, you will know what I mean. I admire Palisano for going back to the vampires of old - ones who are ruthless and mean, who do not live glamorous lives and who aren't envied by everyone they encounter. If you are in the mood for a new take on old vampires, with a few twists thrown in here and there, definitely give "Ghost Heart" a chance.
Again, thanks to Netgalley and Samhain who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I don't scare easily so I won't say this book terrified me, but it has been one of the creepier horror novels I have read lately. Initially I was annoyed with Rick. He doesn't know who or what he wants in life and he seems a tad fickle. But then I realized that Rick is in his early twenties, has few family ties, and dates no more than a lot of guys his age. So pretty much, my irritation was short lived because I grew to understand that Palisano has basically nailed the male MC role right on the head.
This book has a lot of action, but it develops in a slow build. The group of individuals after Rick have to be some of the worst people I have encountered in a vampire novel - they are heartless. And Rick is one tough guy - if you read it, you will know what I mean. I admire Palisano for going back to the vampires of old - ones who are ruthless and mean, who do not live glamorous lives and who aren't envied by everyone they encounter. If you are in the mood for a new take on old vampires, with a few twists thrown in here and there, definitely give "Ghost Heart" a chance.
Again, thanks to Netgalley and Samhain who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2016
I loved John Palisano’s previous book, Dust of the Dead. Ghost Heart though is a quite extraordinary story and one I believe will stay with me for some considerable time. The author has taken an apparently familiar theme – vampires – and managed to create a whole other set of creatures. These are not sparkly, they don’t live forever and they certainly don’t disappear in a puff of smoke and a cloud of ashes when the sun comes up. Yes, they need blood to survive, and yes, many of them are the sheer embodiment of evil. Then we have Minarette and the relationship between her and the main character, Rick., and in this lies the novel’s real strength (for me at least).
The story is told from Rick’s perspective and as the tale unfolds, we get to know his complex and somewhat confused character. As we get further into the story, the quality of writing really takes over and transports the reader on a unique and thrilling journey. The build is gentle at first, but then hots up, just at the right point. The last few chapters ensure you never quite know how the story is going to end. When it does, you wish there could have been more because it really is a novel I didn’t want to put down. A richly deserved 5 star read, to be appreciated not just by horror fans, but by any reader who enjoys a riveting tale combining suspense and drama, with just a dash of humour (in appropriate places). Loved it.
The story is told from Rick’s perspective and as the tale unfolds, we get to know his complex and somewhat confused character. As we get further into the story, the quality of writing really takes over and transports the reader on a unique and thrilling journey. The build is gentle at first, but then hots up, just at the right point. The last few chapters ensure you never quite know how the story is going to end. When it does, you wish there could have been more because it really is a novel I didn’t want to put down. A richly deserved 5 star read, to be appreciated not just by horror fans, but by any reader who enjoys a riveting tale combining suspense and drama, with just a dash of humour (in appropriate places). Loved it.
February 2, 2016
An interesting take on vampires
Fora full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/ghost-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
Fora full review, please go to http://www.examiner.com/review/ghost-... or http://areviewerdarkly.blogspot.com/2... and follow me on Twitter @josenher
January 25, 2020
Love this book. Haunting and different, well worth a read for old fans of Palisano's as well as new readers looking for a new take on vampires. The characters ring real and true, and the heartbreak is real.
February 5, 2016
Palisano's Ghost Heart is at once a terrifically original take on the vampire tale and a fine portrait of narcissistic New York nightclub hopping hipsters. There's a moody, doomed, star-crossed lovers romance at the heart of it, but come for the finely subtle chills Palisano evokes. Palisano also uses the New York backdrop to great effect, including the awful winters they endure, providing physical and mental chills aplenty. I didn't necessarily completely buy into the romance, but that's not my cuppa' tea anyway. There's enough originality at play, including an unexpected Lovecraftian detour, that I can whole-heartedly (no pun intended) recommend Ghost Heart to horror fans.
April 30, 2016
When I first started reading this book I thought I knew what it would be all about. I thought I would be reading a vampire story with a bit of a twist. But what I soon learned was that I was reading a love story wrapped in tragedy. Rick was mesmerized by Minarette the moment he saw her and he somehow knew his life would never be the same. Very unlike vampires, those cursed (or gifted depending on how you look at it) with Ghost Heart are nonetheless figures of loneliness and tragedy. Not destined to live forever they live fast, die young, and leave a bloodthirsty corpse. Will Rick be able to save Minarette from the Ghost Heart or will he succumb to the curse of it himself?
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews