Lizzie gazed about the room in alarm. The tips of Father’s slippers peeking out from beneath the bed also glistened with the same viscous red liquid. All that blood! What happened here? What happened? - Excerpt from Chapter 1

With Halloween just around the corner, there's no better time than the present to read a good old fashioned horror novel, which was exactly what I did yesterday morning.

What did I read?

Well, I read the exciting horror-thriller "Lizzie Borden, Zombie Hunter" by C.A. Verstraete. Published by Imajin Books, the book is now available in print and Kindle.

No, this isn't a non-fiction novel about the real Lizzie Borden who was accused of killing her father and step-mother with an ax at their family home in Fall River, Massachusetts in 1892. Instead, the author puts a spin on the original crime story by adding zombies!

The novel opens up on hot August morning in 1892, where the fictional-version Lizzie Borden find her stepmother wandering into house in a zombie-like state, forcing Lizzie to defend herself. After searching the house for her father, she finds him in the same state as her stepmother, and with the help of her older sister, Emma, they kill him.

It seems there is a zombie epidemic spreading across Fall River and it's up to Lizzie to protect her sister at all cost.

Being released on October 11th is the contemporary romance  “Crosswind” (book three in The Flyboy Trilogy) by G.L. Ross.

You can Pre-Order "Crosswind" on Amazon & Smashwords.

The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.
 

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I can remember in sixth grade writing an essay and loving the fact I could paint a picture with words. Then in college my professors encouraged me to pursue writing, but it wasn’t until my son left for college that I wrote my first novel.

What was your first book/story published?

November 2013, “Turbulent Passion” book one in The Flyboy Trilogy.

What inspired you to write Crosswind?

Crosswind is book three in The Flyboy Trilogy. I’ve been excited, yet nervous, to write the conclusion. I knew my readers would be surprised and confused by Lance’s half-brother appearing and throwing Lance and Lisa’s relationship off course, but I also knew it was necessary.

What character in Crosswind is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Lisa is a lot like me. She’s a flight attendant who studied psychology. She dreams of her Prince Charming and is strong in her faith and love of family and friends. We’re different is the sense she gives her heart away easily and allows lust to guide her. I must admit at her age I might have reacted the same when in her situation—who knows. I love Lisa because she says it like it is. She doesn’t hold back. In this book, Lisa comes into her own. I love the strength she possesses.

James at GoOnWrite.com

Rated R; 117 minutes; $34.99; Amazon

Arriving today on Blu-ray and DVD from Broad Green Pictures is the horror-thriller The Neon Demon. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, the film stars Elle Fanning, Kapl Glusman, Jena Malone, Bella Heathcote, Abbey Lee, Christina Hendricks, and Keanu Reeves.

The Neon Demon centers on Jesse (played by Elle Fanning), a teenager who had left her small Georgia town in the hopes of becoming a fashion model in Los Angeles. During her first photo shoot, Jesse befriends Ruby (played b Jena Malone), a makeup artist, who later takes her to a party where she meets two other models Gigi (played by Bella Heathcote) and Sarah (played by Abbey Lee). Let's just say the models aren't exactly nice to her; both judging her natural beauty.

Jesse quickly gets signed by a modeling agent (played by  Christina Hendricks) by telling the woman she is nineteen-years-old instead of her real age - sixteen. This leads to her landing a test shoot with the famous photographer Jack (played by Desmond Harrington), which outrages Gigi and Sarah.

Despite her possible rise to stardom in the fashion world, Jesse is still living in a ruined down motel, managed by the creepy Hank (played by Keanu Reeves). She tries to begin a relationship with aspiring photographer Dean (played by Karl Glusman), but her narcissism ruins everything.

Unfortunately for Jesse, she's about to learn that the saying, "Beauty is more than skin deep," means nothing in the high-fashion modeling world.

Rated R; 98 minutes; $24.99; Amazon

Arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital HD) today from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the horror-thriller CELL, based up n the novel by Stephen King.

Directed by Tod Williams, the film stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman, Owen Teague, Clark Sarullo, Anthony Reynolds, Erin Elizabeth Burns, and Stacy Keach.

CELL centers on a graphic novel artist Clayton "Clay" Riddell (played by John Cusack) who is on a business trip in Boston when "The Pulse" is released, an unknown signal that spreads across all cell phones around the world that turns humans into mindless zombie-like killers. After barely escaping Boston Common from the "phoners," he crosses path with a subway worker Tom McCourt (played by Samuel L. Jackson), and later a teenager named Alice Maxwell (played by Isabelle Fuhrman).

Clay, Tom, and Alice travel together, trying to avoid the "phoners" as they make their way to Maine to search for Clay's estranged wife and son.

From left to right: Samuel L. Jackson ("Tom McCourt," left), Isabelle Fuhrman ("Alice Maxwell," center) and John Cusack ("Clay Riddell," right) star in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's CELL.

Special Features on the Blu-ray includes:

• Audio Commentary with Director Tod Williams

• To Cell and Back: The Making of the Film

Cold or iced coffee isn't something that I don't normally drink very often, not unless I'm just too lazy to reheat the old coffee I had brewed earlier in the day.

Nevertheless, the idea of a Hand Built Coffee Maker intrigued me, which is one of the reasons why I wanted to review this product.

The Hand Built Coffee Maker Kit is basically just an ordinary Kerr wide-mouth glass jar with a lid that you use for canning. The only difference is that it comes with a 304 stainless steel mesh filter.

How do you make coffee with this?

All you have to do is fill the mesh filter with whatever amount of coffee you want to use (up to two cups), place the filter inside the mason jar, pour a desired amount of water into the jar, and tightly secure the lid. Then you need to patiently wait for the coffee to slowly brew, which takes between 6 to 24 hours.

G.P. Putnam's Sons; 320 pages; $27; Amazon

A few of you might remember me reviewing Robert B. Parker's Blackjack, book eight in the Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch series, earlier this year. Well, shortly after I posted my review, out of nowhere I received an advanced copy of Robert B. Parker's Slow Burn, which is part of the "Spenser" book series. At the time I had other books to read & review, so this title got put on the back-burner until I could squeeze in some time to review it.

The "Spenser" book series began with The Godwulf Manuscript in 1973. It centered on the character named Spenser, a Boston private detective. The books were adapted into a short-lived series in the '80s called Spenser: For Hire; later followed by a short-lived spinoff, A Man Called Hawk, and four made-for-television movies. Small Vices, Thin Air, and Walking Shadows were adapted into made-for-television movies for A&E from 1999 to 2001. After Robert B. Parker's death in 2010, author and an American journalist Ace Atkins took over writing the "Spenser" novels, including Slow Burn.

Slow Burn centers Spenser, his buddy Hawk, and Sixkill (sorta like his apprentice) tracking down an arsonist throughout Boston. Jack McGee, a firefighter and an old buddy of Spenser's, had asked them to look a church fire that occurred a year ago. Three fireman were killed in that fire and Jack suspects foul play, but he doesn't have any proof!

Of course this is where Spenser and crew get involved; taking their investigation into the underworld of Boston, where they learn that the arsonist/killer has already planned his next target - Spenser.

If you want schedule next week's post, click here to find the next prompt question. To submit a question, fill out this form.

What to do:

1. Post on your blog answering this question:

  This week's question is submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews!

How many years have you been blogging? Anything special you want to tell everyone about your experiences?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.

  

My Answer: 

 I've been blogging since April 1, 2009! Experiences? Nothing I wanting share comes to mind.