Month: May 2020
Book Review by Ligeia Resurrected: The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux
Phil Slattery’s Sci-Fi Novelette “Alien Embrace” is Free Today on Amazon Kindle.
Logan Rickover, owner of a hardware store in a small town in Kentucky, has lucid dreams of life as an astronaut that intrude upon his life at any moment. Which of his lives is real? The quiet paradise of Danville or the terrifying jungle world of Stheno D?
This novelette is a terrific read for those who have only a quick break to take a breather and escape to another reality. In this sci-fi thriller, I endeavor to blur the boundaries between alien-induced hallucinations, the brutal reality of the present, and memories of an idyllic past.
Ron Baker calls it “Nightmare Planet”, gives it five stars, and comments: “This short has exactly what I like in science fiction: planet exploration and bizarre otherworldly aliens, in this case insectoid. The horrendous purpose the aliens have for the hapless astronauts who make planetfall to find the numerous previous missing exploration teams is grisly. I love the mystery of the planet and the authors device of alternating from the aliens bizarre perspective then switching to the astronauts point of view.”
Follow this link to obtain your free copy.
Don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other social media.
Check back frequently for updates and check out my Amazon Author’s page for more great works.
This novelette is included in my horror collection A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror.
Reviews Needed
I am seeking people to review my works and who post their reviews to markets in the US, Australia, New Zealand, or Canada. I offer my Kindle e-books for free periodically according to Amazon policy. You can find my works on my Amazon author’s page. Let me know which you would like to review and I will let you know when it available for free or set up a date that you can have it for fee. I am most interested in having reviewed either my short horror (A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror), my collected poetry (Nocturne: Poems of Love, Distance, and the Night, a callous and disinterested lover), my short fiction on relationships (The Scent and Other Stories), or my action-adventure novelette (Click). The other two works are contained in A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror.
4 Newbie Writer Mistakes that can Derail a Great Book Idea – Written By Anne R. Allen — Writer’s Treasure Chest
Anne R. Allen informs us on her blog about four newbie writer mistakes that can derail a great book idea. Thanks for your information on that, Anne. You’ve got a fantastic idea for a novel. It’s been hanging around for quite a while, knocking inside your noggin. The idea keeps saying, “Let me out! Release […]
The Saturday Night Special: Lovecraft’s “The Outsider”
Phil Slattery’s Sci-Fi Novelette “Alien Embrace” is Free Today on Amazon Kindle.
Logan Rickover, owner of a hardware store in a small town in Kentucky, has lucid dreams of life as an astronaut that intrude upon his life at any moment. Which of his lives is real? The quiet paradise of Danville or the terrifying jungle world of Stheno D?
This novelette is a terrific read for those who have only a quick break to take a breather and escape to another reality. In this sci-fi thriller, I endeavor to blur the boundaries between alien-induced hallucinations, the brutal reality of the present, and memories of an idyllic past.
Ron Baker calls it “Nightmare Planet”, gives it five stars, and comments: “This short has exactly what I like in science fiction: planet exploration and bizarre otherworldly aliens, in this case insectoid. The horrendous purpose the aliens have for the hapless astronauts who make planetfall to find the numerous previous missing exploration teams is grisly. I love the mystery of the planet and the authors device of alternating from the aliens bizarre perspective then switching to the astronauts point of view.”
Follow this link to obtain your free copy.
Don’t forget to leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other social media.
Check back frequently for updates and check out my Amazon Author’s page for more great works.
This novelette is included in my horror collection A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror.
Epic Rap Battles of History: JRR Tolkien vs. George RR Martin
Seriously, you need to check out the Epic Rap Battles of History Channel on YouTube.
“Diabolical: Three Tales of Vengeance and the Sorcerer Jack Thurston” is Free Today
Today, Diabolical is free.
Go to amazon.com/author/philslattery or Goodreads or any other social media to leave a review.
Jack Thurston is a retired professor of medieval literature and history. He is also a widower and father and a retired sorcerer who has returned to the black arts to exact revenge for the death of his wife, daughter, and brother. He has an intriguing position in the universe at a focal point of life, the afterlife, logic and reason, anger and hatred, the ancient and the modern worlds, grief and his attempts to escape grief through self-destruction. Though he wants to have the peace he once found with his wife, Agatha, he is pulled in many directions by circumstance and by his powerful negative emotions.
Reader Edward Z says about these three tales:
“Three of the stories feature a sorcerer named Jack Thurston, who is a really well done evil sort of character and the best of the bunch in my opinion. The author methodically goes through his rather complicated and gross preparations for the spells and it adds a bit more weight to them then usually found in these kinds of stories.”
Reader Tabs says about this collection of three tales:
“I very much enjoyed this short read. It was interesting and allowed for me to develop great imagery. Will recommend to friends.”
This collection of three short tales is perfect for those who have only a few short breaks to escape into the hidden world of horror, black magic, sorcery, and anger-fueled revenge.
I am a fan of the old school horror practiced by such authors as H.P. Lovecraft, Poe, Edward Lucas White, and Arthur Machen. I endeavor to make a story as terrifying and suspenseful for the reader as possible without resorting to gratuitous blood and gore for a simple shock or quick feeling of disgust.
You can find this and other works at my Amazon author’s page: www.amazon.com/author/philslattery.
Currently, Jack has a Twitter account (@jthurston666), where he has attracted a small following.
Information on more social media accounts and other characters (as they are developed) can be found at: philslattery.wordpress.com.
Show your appreciation for these stories by leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or other social media.
If you enjoy horror, check out my collection of horror short stories A Tale of Hell and Other Works of Horror: Stories of wizards, werewolves, serial killers, alien worlds, and the damned, which includes these stories.
Chilling Chat: Dark Divinations – Naching T. Kassa — HorrorAddicts.net
Naching T. Kassa is a wife, mother, and horror writer. She’s created short stories, novellas, poems, and co-created three children. She lives in Eastern Washington State with Dan Kassa, her husband and biggest supporter. Naching is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Head of Publishing and Interviewer for HorrorAddicts.net, and an assistant at Crystal […]
via Chilling Chat: Dark Divinations – Naching T. Kassa — HorrorAddicts.net
Audiobook Review: If It Bleeds by Stephen King — The BiblioSanctum
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own. If It Bleeds by Stephen King Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 4 of 5 stars Genre: Horror, Paranormal, Mystery Series: Short Story Collection Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (April 21, 2020) Length: 15 hrs and 12 […]
via Audiobook Review: If It Bleeds by Stephen King — The BiblioSanctum
Autumn Cozy on YouTube: Pub Ambience
I found this tonight while looking for something to play in the background while working on Shadows and Stars. This is exactly the kind of place where I love to write, usually with some coffee or tea in a cheap spiral notebook and a simple, but quality pen. I have tried writing while drinking and it usually doesn’t work out for me if I drink anything other than wine. Wine, though, seems a comfortable drink to have while scribbling down whatever drifts into my consciousness and having a small, good quality cigar. Since I don’t drink anymore, I have only fond memories of these places.
In fact, I enjoyed this type of place so much and am so comfortable in that environment, that I will probably be playing this video a LOT at night while I write. Night is the best time to play this video, particularly with the light downs to match those in the pub. When I play an ambience video like this, I like to make my surroundings as close as possible resemble the scene in the video, so that I can almost feel being in that place. In the daytime, I like to play videos that show a woods in the daytime, as that is what I see out my window next to where I write on my laptop.
On the other hand, I would be perfectly at home in this setting with friends, new found friends or old friends, just smoking and joking (as they say in the Navy) and getting slowly wasted, but not so wasted that I couldn’t make it out the door to a cab.
If you read my previous post, you know this is the kind of place I would love to gather a small circle of friends to discuss book reviews like Clifford Sargeant does on Better than Food.
I intend to write up some of my experiences of those bygone days, though they will be changed enough to be classified as fiction and people’s names will be changed to protect the guilty.
This video is three hours long, but if you watch the first minute you will get the idea. Try watching it sometime on a rainy night with the lights out while enjoying your favorite adult beverage or smoke.
Better than Food Book Review: Black Spring by Henry Miller
If I haven’t said this before, I love Cliff Sargeant’s book reviews. He discusses them as if you were just sitting with him in his house having coffee or in a bar having a beer, and not in any boring, monotonous scholarly way either. His reviews seem to come straight from the heart out of a genuine love for literature. He seems to connect on some spiritual level with many of the books he reviews. He is excited about them. I haven’t been able to find him on Goodreads yet. I’m sure, that, if he is on Goodreads, his list must be immense. Check out his channel at Better than Food.
I watched this one about half an hour ago. I read Tropic of Cancer several years ago. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Miller was living the kind of life I wanted to live at the time, drunk, rambunctious, full of sex and smoke-filled rooms. I have always felt that, though I felt I should live in a more intellectual fashion, in the sense of looking out from the ivory tower and down upon the world, I am more cut out for the Henry Miller lifestyle, which is a hell of a ride, but came close to being my undoing once or twice. I miss those times. I never enjoyed being absolutely schnockered, but I did love living the night life with a nearly consistent buzz and a pack of small, Nicaraguan cigars in my pocket and my eye on every woman that entered the bar. But those days are long gone and I am now living a quiet, temperate life deep in the Arkansas woods. I still love the spirit of Tropic of Cancer though.
Dark Divinations Party – Facebook, Saturday, May 23rd — Emz Newz
Come join Emz and the whole cast of authors at the Facebook Book Party! Readings, Games, Prizes, Fun, Trivia! This Saturday, May 23rd, 2020 starting with a WatchParty @ 1pm PDT and a Facebook Party @ 2pm PDT Dark Divinations Edited by Naching T. Kassa Authors: Stephanie Ellis, Michael Fassbender, Alan Fisher, H.R.R. Gorman, Ash […]
via Dark Divinations Party – Facebook, Saturday, May 23rd — Emz Newz
DUNE 2020 FILM: SANDWORMS — Grady P Brown – Author
As the 2020 adaptation of Dune draws closer, I begin to think about the book’s most iconic creature: the sandworms of Arrakis! In the 1984 film, the special effects made the sandworms look underwhelming. The sandworms in the miniseries version of Dune looked even better. Now, I have been keeping tabs on the sandworms in […]
Phil Slattery, Writer, Publisher 