Accusations

by Fran Lewis

A funeral can evoke sadness on the faces of those that attend it, especially when they reach the cemetery. Looking at those faces, I began to wonder what they were thinking, and possibly what they were hiding.

As I scanned the tombstones, I contemplated whether many of the faces behind these stones were wronged during their lives. I can almost hear the voices behind those stones barely standing straight. Will they tell me how they ended up here? Were they guilty of great evil in life, or were they wrongly accused?

Listen as they tell their stories, and chills will run down your spine as you What lies behind the stones.

The story each voice will tell you was silenced in life by the evil of others. Hear their words, understand their reasons, and then you the Were the Accusations wrong?

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2023

About the author

Biography: Fran Lewis

Born in the South Bronx, I grew up with people from many ethnic backgrounds. I learned to play and work with children in my school that came from other countries and different places.
I was always over weight as a child and got picked on a lot by the other children in my class and even my teachers. I found it hard to do many of the sporting activities that my sister and cousins could do. I learned at an early age that kids can be mean and I promised myself that I would never retaliate or do mean things to other kids in return.


When I decided to write my short stories I realized that I had a lot to say about my youth and in both of my books I tell about a ten year old girl named Bertha who learns to deal with real life issues kids face today at home and in school. I write reviews for other sites and I wrote three children’s books and currently writing one on Alzheimer’s Disease.

As an educator I the New York City Public Schools for over 36 years, I realized just how unique and precious our children are. I was the reading and writing staff developer in my school and the dean. I loved the children and had the respect of my fellow teachers and parents.

Teaching children to read was really very rewarding and introducing them to writing and creating their own stories was exciting for the students. I am a member of WhosWho of America’s Executives and Professionals as well as a member of WhosWho of America’s Teachers. I am the author of three children’s books and my fourth entitled Memories Are Precious: Alzheimer’s Journey: Ruth’s Story will be out next month. I am currently writing my fourth Bertha Book and a second on cognitive ways to keep your brain alert. The tentative title is Sharp as a Tack or Scrambled Eggs: Which Describes Your Brain. This book will deal with how we should help those who are seniors keep their minds and bodies active as well as ways to help delay dementia and Alzheimer’s.


I review books for Manic Readers, I justfinished.com and BookPleasures.com. I review books for authors upon request and would love to get paid for doing my reviews. There are publicists that send me books to review and that get paid for my reviews. I wrote five books that are self-published and I am going to complete one book children’s book and one based on a true story.

I host two radio shows on Red River Radio. The first is a book discussion where I interview or ask authors questions about their writing and books along with a book club panel to ask additional questions. I am going to host a show for children’s and Ya authors starting in August. I have been interviewed many times. I will be interviewed on D’s Roundtable on August 19th at and page Page Readers on Sept. 27th at three. My book discussion show is the third Wed. of every month at one eastern and my children’s author’s show will be four times a year. I am also going to interview Dr. Kenneth Weene on Sept. 21st at four. I had to reschedule the interview due to personal reasons. We will discuss the inside scoop about insane asylums and his career working in one plus his book Memoirs from an Asylum.

I hope this gives you a picture of what I do. Fran

I am a reading and writing staff developer and I worked with children with reading and writing disabilities.
https://profiles.google.com/gabina49

Reviews

[M.M. Hudson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally spotlighted this book on my blog but now, I have read the book and wow! I was not aware the book was part of a series when I began reading. In fact, this is book five and I cannot attest to books prior.

This book is written in a eerie fashion,telling the tales of people who are dead and most likely forgotten. Written as short stories, the author puts a "face" to the names written on cemetery stones. Some of these people have been wrongly accused, some not at all but revenge is the name of their game.

As someone who likes to visit cemeteries, I was sucked right in and could not put this book down. I read this in one sitting. How often I wonder who the people are, what their lives were like, and who laid them "to rest".The author does a fine job of claiming who is buried, even if they claimed their own fate. Again, wow!!

TRIGGER WARNING I do want to note: In "John's Story" on page 63, there is talk of suicide.(There are a couple of other stories on the topic.) His story includes ways to see warning signs and ways to help those who are suicidal. It is a great resource for ideas. However, the author left out the suicide hotline numbers which has been vital for prevention. I actually wrote the text message number of 988 inside the book. I encourage the author to maybe include that as a back page source in subsequent books.

Hint: book six is coming soon. I love this author and recommend this book! 4 stars.

Disclosure: I received a copy of the book from the author. The review expressed here is 100% my own opinions and may differ from yours. ~Michelle, Reading Authors Network

[Karen Siddall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The irresistible premise – the vengeful stories behind the names on the headstones – really caught my imagination!

Accusations is the fifth book of short stories in author Fran Lewis’s Faces Behind the Stones series and is another interesting collection of tales from the grave. Headstone by headstone, the spirit of the person below ground narrates their life story and how they came to their final resting place. Many relate a story of a voice silenced too soon; others will need the reader to decide whether or not they deserved what happened.

There is quite a range of tales and circumstances for the reader’s consideration. Although the first couple dealt with teachers and working in a public school district, the rest have few similarities or connections. Some tell of desperate situations and despair, with the speakers ending their misery themselves. Further into the collection, the stories get darker and more horrific in nature. Quite a few characters are horrible, horrible people. I couldn’t stop reading.

The stories are told in an almost stream-of-consciousness fashion and, at times, are difficult to follow. Some offerings still felt like rough drafts in need of additional polish. Still, I recommend ACCUSATIONS to readers who enjoy short stories and horror fiction.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

[Shelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite memories from elementary school was when we visited our local cemetery and did grave rubbings of anyone who was in our family. I remember looking at the variety of headstones that people had, often wondering if there was more than a financial meaning behind them. Some had quotes from songs while others opted to include glass bubble frames that displayed a picture of the deceased. It was interesting what was included. Was it by the deceased or chosen by the family? Those final words could tell some interesting stories!

Fran gives us a lurid look at the stories behind those faceless headstones. I love that there are a variety of stories, giving us the eclectic mix of who is actually buried in a cemetery. Each one is unique and reads like the details of their personal stories. Yet they all have one thing in common – they’re so enticing that you can’t stop.

In particular, I found myself fully engrossed in the worst of the worst — their stories almost too scary to tell. I was both fascinated and creeped out – in the best of ways.

I received a complimentary copy for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accusations by Fran Lewis is the most intriguing book I have ever read. Fran Lewis crafts a paranormal horror story that gets darker with every page. The dead behind their tombstones tell their stories. It is up to the reader to decide were the Accusations wrong. I loved how unique the situations were, how some were similar and how others were completely different. Each character in the book added to the suspense and dark atmosphere. It was very interesting. Fran Lewis writes well. Her words became vivid images in my mind. They played out like a movie before me. I cannot wait to read the other books by this talented writer!

I received this copy from the publisher. This is my voluntary review.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haunting Tales

Fran Lewis specializes in macabre stories and this collection has its share of them. These tales look beyond the accusations and provides the details and circumstances that provoked the characters to act as they did. Each story is different, interesting, and entertaining.

[Tj O'Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accused is eerily captivating … thought provoking… a warning. The stories convey a dark, eye-opening theme—pay attention! Fran Lewis dives into timeless issues with an almost gothic-style of story-telling that will keep you reading and feeling every story as it unfolds. Fran sends a message in her stories. Can you feel it?

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accusations by Fran Lewis were in my mind, very creepy. I read it in one sitting, glued to the pages until the end. The book comprises of a collection of stories from the Grave with each headstone telling the story of the person within the grave.

Each story tells of the person within, whether they were good or bad, each story about the wrongs done to that person or the wrongs they did to someone else. You know what they say about Karma. I would have to say that the story that I liked the best was The Grandmother, don't mess with grandmother.

If you like a quick read, a bit of a horror book, then give this one a try. I give it 5 stars just for the creepiness alone!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only.