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Japanese Hauntings #3
The Message
Dexter Steele used to be an avid fan of horror movies until his best friend’s dad was taken by a ghost. Now he has to accept a new reality of spine-chilling ghost encounters where strange occurrences don’t always have a rational explanation.
He must put aside his doubts about whether or not ghosts actually exist and help Selena figure out how to help save her dad. But the situation around campus grows precarious as people go missing and the police are called in to investigate.
As Oiwa’s appearances grow more frequent and more violent, will they discover whether she’s taking more victims, or if there is a new Japanese ghost haunting campus? Can they figure out how to protect themselves or will splitting their focus leave them vulnerable to attacks from all sides and ultimately cost them their lives?
He must put aside his doubts about whether or not ghosts actually exist and help Selena figure out how to help save her dad. But the situation around campus grows precarious as people go missing and the police are called in to investigate.
As Oiwa’s appearances grow more frequent and more violent, will they discover whether she’s taking more victims, or if there is a new Japanese ghost haunting campus? Can they figure out how to protect themselves or will splitting their focus leave them vulnerable to attacks from all sides and ultimately cost them their lives?
125 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 19, 2021
1 person is currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
Laura M. Drake
25 books182 followersMy name is Laura M. Drake, and I'm the youngest of five kids. I grew up in Arkansas and moved to Utah to attend Brigham Young University. After spending three summers abroad in France, Japan, and China, I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education and began teaching 4th grade near Salt Lake City. A few years later I moved back to Japan to fulfill a life-long dream of living there. When Covid got bad, I came back to America and have been living in Arkansas and writing full-time ever since. I'll soon be moving to UT and look forward to the new adventures that await me there. When I'm not writing (which isn't very often--I should probably get a life haha) I love playing ultimate frisbee, board games, writing in my journal, and spending time with friends and family.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 29, 2022
I put off reading this because I didn't want a story from Dex's POV, but it was good. This story doesn't focus on Oiwa, although she shows up quite a few times. It's about a different, separate specter that latches onto Dex via a completely different channel. I felt bad about Dex's roommate because I liked him a lot. Anyhow, now I'll move on to the 4th book.
October 31, 2021
This is such a chilling addition to this awesome and a little scary series! As with the previous books I immediately found myself lost in this story and forgot the actual world existed for a while! A well written, spooky and creepy story in which we get another point of view which actually enhances the story as we follow Selena as she tries to find her dad who has been taken by Oiaw the Japanese ghost who seems to be getting stronger and more violent. I am so excited to read the next book and a little scared!!
October 23, 2021
This story never ceases to amaze me.
Just like the first two books I couldn’t stop reading once I started. And when this came to an end I found myself wanting it to just keep going. That’s how good it is in my opinion.
I was surprised to see this in another’s point of view but I’ll admit it was totally fine. It added to make this story even more interesting. And nice to see from that character’s thoughts and feelings too. But I’m still shipping Selena & Lincoln though hahahah.
If you love spooky creepy ghost stories then this is definitely for you. I’m a super fan of stories like these. I absolutely enjoy it. And can’t wait for more. Definitely abit sad the next book is the final one. But I highly recommend this story as a must read.
You’ll want to find out what happens next too!
Just like the first two books I couldn’t stop reading once I started. And when this came to an end I found myself wanting it to just keep going. That’s how good it is in my opinion.
I was surprised to see this in another’s point of view but I’ll admit it was totally fine. It added to make this story even more interesting. And nice to see from that character’s thoughts and feelings too. But I’m still shipping Selena & Lincoln though hahahah.
If you love spooky creepy ghost stories then this is definitely for you. I’m a super fan of stories like these. I absolutely enjoy it. And can’t wait for more. Definitely abit sad the next book is the final one. But I highly recommend this story as a must read.
You’ll want to find out what happens next too!
December 13, 2021
Book 3! Oh boy! Loving this series so much because it's making me want to research Japanese ghosts, but also scaring the bejeez out of me. The mystery of Selena’s ghost is sucking me in!
In book 3, we are seeing the situation through Dex's eyes and we are fast forward to him and Selena in college. They are settling into their freshmen lives. Dex has a really cool friend in his room mate, Nick, while Selena's room mate is like meh.
Selena and Dex get to hang out more and really rekindle the best friendship they had before her move to Oregon. I loved the scenes where they get to hang out! Those were really cute and I could see why Selena had a crush on Dex before. He's really sweet and fun!
Dex is dealing with his maybe not so great long distance relationship, his complicated feelings for Selena, jealousy of Lincoln with Selena, and being a broke college student. When his laptop completely breaks, Dex gets his hands on a cursed laptop and it causes a new kind of trouble. Weird creepy pop ups. Red room?!? People go missing! And a shadow creeps out of the corner of his eye.
Though Oiwa hasn’t stopped causing problems, this is not Oiwa. This is something new and he needs Selena's help to figure it out.
While Dex is so super adorable and cares so much about Selena, I will say that I ship her with Lincoln more. Team Lincoln!
I can't wait for book 4! It turns out there are a lot of people in need of saving now.
In book 3, we are seeing the situation through Dex's eyes and we are fast forward to him and Selena in college. They are settling into their freshmen lives. Dex has a really cool friend in his room mate, Nick, while Selena's room mate is like meh.
Selena and Dex get to hang out more and really rekindle the best friendship they had before her move to Oregon. I loved the scenes where they get to hang out! Those were really cute and I could see why Selena had a crush on Dex before. He's really sweet and fun!
Dex is dealing with his maybe not so great long distance relationship, his complicated feelings for Selena, jealousy of Lincoln with Selena, and being a broke college student. When his laptop completely breaks, Dex gets his hands on a cursed laptop and it causes a new kind of trouble. Weird creepy pop ups. Red room?!? People go missing! And a shadow creeps out of the corner of his eye.
Though Oiwa hasn’t stopped causing problems, this is not Oiwa. This is something new and he needs Selena's help to figure it out.
While Dex is so super adorable and cares so much about Selena, I will say that I ship her with Lincoln more. Team Lincoln!
I can't wait for book 4! It turns out there are a lot of people in need of saving now.
November 12, 2021
The Message: A paranormal romantic suspense novella (Japanese Hauntings Book 3) by Laura M. Drake is an amazing paranormal romance story to read. This is book number three in this amazing series and can not wait to read the rest of this amazing series. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about paranormal romance.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review.
September 28, 2023
Book three of this fantastically thrilling Japanese horror story is seen through the eyes of Dex, the life long best friend and former crush, as he navigates his new found feelings and terrors. While starting their first year at college, can these friends battle their newest monster or will they end up destroying their own friendships in the process? A must read if you love Japanese horror with a bit of relationship issues as well.
November 8, 2021
A haunting and engaging read written so well I read this in one sitting. I got so hooked on the story and I couldn't put it down. Perfect for a nice cool fall day like today with a cozy sweater and grey skies. Seeing this from Dex's perspective was a great way to continue this story, and with the stakes now being higher than ever before, I can't wait to see how it continues.
December 30, 2021
This is the darkest of the three short stories I've read so far and I found it genuinely scary. I'm really enjoying the novelty of ghost stories drawing inspiration from a different culture. I just want to know how it all gets resolved!
June 22, 2023
My favorite in the series thus far, I enjoyed seeing things from Dex’s perspective and immediately found myself liking his roommate, Nick. The pop-up ghost makes for an excellent ghost story to be told late at night to a willing audience.
On to the next one!
On to the next one!
October 23, 2021
This POV was a great addition to the existing story.
Loved seeing it from another person. Loved how he finally got the 'message' LOL.
Can't wait for the next one.
Definitely a 5 star from me.
Loved seeing it from another person. Loved how he finally got the 'message' LOL.
Can't wait for the next one.
Definitely a 5 star from me.
October 24, 2021
This was a great book and I enjoyed reading this series.
November 1, 2021
This is book3 of the Japanese Hauntings series. I love this series. Book 3 was very hard to put down once I started. So well written with a great flow. I highly recommend!!!
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December 2, 2022I edited this novella collection. Japanese ghost stories meets Pacific coast Japanese-American culture.
January 14, 2022
(Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book! The following opinion is of my own wording.)
The Message, Japanese Hauntings, book 3
by: Laura M. Drake
What I really liked about this 3rd book was how it was told from a different person's perspective! This time the story was told from Selena's friend, Dexter's point of view. And with another haunting tale, this time involving a computer! There was also a love triangle involved in this one with Lincoln and Selena and Dexter on the sidelines. But I liked how both of the guys just wanted to do what was best to keep Selena safe from Oiwa, no matter what that meant. This was definitely a story that had you on your toes and wanting to bite your fingernails from everything that was happening in it. I am ready for the next one, because I have to know what happens at the end!
The Message, Japanese Hauntings, book 3
by: Laura M. Drake
What I really liked about this 3rd book was how it was told from a different person's perspective! This time the story was told from Selena's friend, Dexter's point of view. And with another haunting tale, this time involving a computer! There was also a love triangle involved in this one with Lincoln and Selena and Dexter on the sidelines. But I liked how both of the guys just wanted to do what was best to keep Selena safe from Oiwa, no matter what that meant. This was definitely a story that had you on your toes and wanting to bite your fingernails from everything that was happening in it. I am ready for the next one, because I have to know what happens at the end!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews