THE BEAST OF BRENTON WOODS by Jackson R. Thomas

THE BEAST OF BRENTON WOODS by Jackson R. Thomas

Published as ebook June 19th 2018
print June 24th 2018

Published by Alien Agenda Publishing

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(from the book description)

Some legends never die...

The White Wolf, the Beast of Brenton Woods, a legendary creature said to walk like a man. When the full moon rises, it will feast.

Unseen for years, truth has turned to rumor, mere folklore. Until something lures the monster from exile, calling it home.

For Tyler and Ben, a first hand encounter leads to an exploration of the forbidden depths of Brenton Woods, and for Ben, the discovery of a family secret.

When Wendy and her friend's hangout in the abandoned cabin is compromised, the hunt begins. The target of a creature's desire, Wendy is hearing whispers in the night, finding footprints outside her window, and can't shake the dreadful feeling that something is waiting for her.

Deputy Kathy Wilcox understands the disturbances, the shredded carcasses, and the growing list of missing persons in town are connected to something larger than life. Will her acceptance of the legend end in tragedy?

There's a full moon above, the night is coming down, and blood is about to run.

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A werewolf novel. Ok, I have to admit I was very trepidatious going into this one. Over the years I can probably count on one hand the books about werewolves I really enjoyed. Two that I can say are my favorites are The Wolfman by Nicholas Pekearo and more recently Dog Days o' Summer by James Newman and Marc Allen Gunnells. A good werewolf story is just hard to come by, and lets not even talk about those werewolves that hang out with the sparkly vampires.

The Beast of Brenton Woods was a very pleasant surprise.

(Spoiler free)

There is no first act going on here, no build up to a first encounter, we jump right into the action with best friends Ben and Tyler running from the creature as they are in the woods behind Ben's home. From here the steamroller never stops rolling. As victims start turning up, the legend of The Beast of Brenton Woods starts working it's way into the minds of the people of the town. A legend that has come back with a vengeance.

Jackson Thomas gives us a true werewolf story. No misunderstood creature, no love story, no man fighting his inner beast, this is a monster plain and pure, out for blood and carnage. The White Wolf is a force of nature tearing it's way through anything and anyone that crosses his path.

Don't get me wrong, there is more to this story than blood and gore. The small cast of characters are not given lots of back-story, but they do not need it. They are thrust into the story at full speed and we really only need to know about them in the here and now. I found myself rooting for a character, while wishing the White Wolf would grab another. The character of Ben is more fleshed out as his family has a greater role to play.

The author also shows us that humans can sometimes be as big a monster as the White Wolf itself.
Secrets will be told, cover-ups revealed and blood will flow.

The Beast of Brenton Woods is a gruesomely beautiful take on werewolf lore.


You can order THE BEAST OF BRENTON WOODS in print and ebook on AMAZON.

TAMER ANIMALS by Justin Woodward

TAMER ANIMALS by Justin Woodward

Release date June 22nd 2018

Published by Bloodshot Books

Cover design by François Vaillancourt

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(from the book description)

It was just a camping trip.

Down by the old Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge, four high school friends only wanted to kick back, smoke some weed and forget about their problems for day or two. Sure there were stories that the area was haunted, but there was no way they were true.

It was just a local legend.

Decades earlier, an old goat farmer had been murdered by the Klan, hung from a tree near the bridge solely because of the color of his skin. His body was never found. Since then, numerous sightings of a strange creature -- half-man and half-goat -- had been reported in the surrounding woods. He was called the Goatman

It was just the worst night of their lives.

From the moment they arrived, strange noises echoed around them... a sense that they were being watched pervaded the campsite... and that was just the beginning. When one of them vanishes and a horned monstrosity pursues the others, it becomes clear that the legends are true.

...and the truth is so much more horrific than they could ever have imagined.
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If you read my reviews regularly you will know that I was a instant fan of Justin Woodward after reading his last book CANDY. It was such a outstanding story with enough twists and turns to keep you reading late into the night. What could we expect from his next book?

Then along comes TAMER ANIMALS.

(This review is totally spoiler free, so bear with me as I try to explain why you should have already read this book)

We have a great "coming of age" story revolving around four high school friends who are planning a secret trip to see the supposedly haunted Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge. But the haunted bridge is not the only attraction to the area. There is also the legend of a mysterious "hanging tree" and a creature know only as the "Goatman".

As the time of their trip arrives, they head out on what they hope will be a fun time of camping and smoking weed, with maybe a little adventure mixed in. Little do they know what awaits them in the woods. The Goatman is not the only horror waiting in the dark.

So, no more story from here. Let's just say that by the time you reach the mid-point of the story, you will not want to put it down. Justin takes our nice story of four friends and throws everything, including the kitchen sink at them.

Justin showed us in CANDY that he could write from a teenagers point of view, and in TAMER ANIMALS it has been refined even more. Patrick, Dean, Tim and  John are all likable, and more importantly believable characters. These are teenagers with true teenage problems. None of them lead a perfectly happy life, but they each other to lean on for support and friendship.

In TAMER ANIMALS, Justin lets his dark side out, and it is a thing to behold. This is Stephen King's "Stand By Me" gruesomely mated with the Ed Lee's "Family Tradition".

 It's a story of friendship, adventure and unspeakable horror.

Justin Woodward delivers a true "gut-punch" to the soul with TAMER ANIMALS.



TAMER ANIMALS can be purchased on AMAZON starting June 22nd.

To learn more about Justin Woodward and his work, visit his fan page on FACEBOOK.


                                                              Jim Coniglio
                                                           06/17/2018

ANIMOSITY by James Newman

ANIMOSITY by James Newman

Published March 15th 2014

Published by Permuted Press

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(from the book description)

Andrew Holland is a best selling horror writer.

Although none of his neighbors read "that stuff", they are proud to know a "celebrity".

But everything changes when Andy finds the body of a murdered child several hundred yards from his front door. Before long the writer's life is in danger as his former friends become monsters - more terrifying than any fictional villains he ever imagined.

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I have always loved books that are written with a writer as the main character. Like I have stated before, it always makes me wonder how much of the character is taken from the actual author.

ANIMOSITY by James Newman is such a story.

The main character Andrew is a writer, a writer of horror. His neighbors on the quiet street he lives on all know his profession and think of him as a local celebrity, even though some just don't understand the "horror" genre.

Andrew loves his house and the quiet neighborhood he lives in. He has recently gone through a divorce that he has finally come to terms with and looks forward to the time he gets to spend with his daughter. But his idyllic setting comes to a crashing halt the day he discovers the body of a murdered child on a construction site on his block.

From that point his life spirals out of control as the friends and neighbors in his community slowly turn on him.

James Newman is no stranger to the crafting of a great story. His past works are all top notch in story and character development. With ANIMOSITY he pulls no punches. Poor Andrew is ran through the ringer over and over as his life is plunged into chaos and despair.  Andrew runs the gamut of emotions as the story progresses. Grief, anger, paranoia and downright fear are all on display.

If you are a fan of the classic Twilight Zone series, you will remember an episode titled The Monsters are Due on Maple Street. This episode deals with mass paranoia that erupts in a small neighborhood that ends with neighbor turning on neighbor. Just take that premise and turn it up about 100 notches to understand what Andrew goes through in the story.

As I was sitting on my porch reading ANIMOSITY I found myself looking over at my neighbors across the street as they sat in their yard. They waved and I found myself wondering what they were saying, could they be talking about me. Could they be saying, "that's the guy who collects all the horror stuff."

That's what such a well written book can do. It affects your real world. It makes you question your own reality in the same situation. What would I do if I was set upon like poor Andrew. Could I survive such an onslaught?

I think I will have to keep a better eye on my neighbors.  Thanks James Newman, you have successfully made me a paranoid mess.

Make sure to pick up ANIMOSITY and James Newman's other great books.

You can order ANIMOSITY in print, ebook and audiobook on AMAZON.



                                                          Jim Coniglio
                                                        06-13-2018

SLASHVIVOR by Stephen Kozeniewski & Stevie Kopas

SLASHVIVOR by Stephen Kozeniewski & Stevie Kopas

Published August 2017

Published by Sinister Grin Press

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(from the book description)

TBA. Pirate transmission.

North America's number one reality television show returns with instant fan favorite Dawn Churchill, a plucky, hometown girl from the irradiated ruins of the former United States. Will she survive the night in the electrified, booby-trapped arena or will one of the serial killers pitted against her come out on top?

Returning slashers include evil animatronic Abraham Lincoln, eight-year-old “Daughter of the Devil” Abadonna, and all-time undefeated champion Denney the Killer Clown. (Plus surprise appearances by mad surgeon Doctor Feelbad, silver-tongued “Charming” Charlie Whitmore, and steel-clawed firebrand Razortooth.)

A night of chills, thrills, and endless buckets of blood. A must-see for Dawn’s innovative use of a shotgun alone. Fun for the whole family!

Host: Mark Winters
Producers: Marisol Martinez, Amy Green, Jacob Graves, Derron James

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Ok, I read a lot of books through the coarse of a year. This week alone I have read 3 books. Luckily one of the books was SLASHVIVOR. I have to say that I have not enjoyed reading a book this much in awhile. 2 days is all it took to read this wild ride in a post apocalyptic, alternate history, bloodbath of a story.

In 1983 the US was virtually destroyed in a nuclear exchange with Russia. The United States as we know it is gone and in its place is a irradiated desert, known to those who live there as The Geiger Lands. Populated by the few survivors riddled by radiation and mutations. And a new threat to make their lives even more miserable, the Slashers. Serial Killers preying on the helpless survivors.

What can these poor huddled masses turn to for relief from their plight. How about a sadistic game show that comes on every few months called Try Not To Die. The contestants, picked by lottery, whether they want to or not are thrust into a deathtrap arena to fight for their lives again the most deranged collection on killers on earth. Most of the populace flock to the games to see the violence and death, most even think it a honor to be in the games, but not everyone. Dawn Churchill does not want to be here. She does not want to be fighting for her life in a game run by The Producers, four of the most powerful people in the Geiger Lands. But she knows that to survive she must do anything she can to out wit, out fight and try to survive.

Stephen Kozeniewski and Stevie Kopas give us a dark and violent world, peppered with some of the most colorfully wicked characters you will find anywhere. Yes Dawn is just a woman trying to survive, but Ellen Ripley, bad ass queen of the galaxy,  would be in awe of the transformation that Dawn has to go through in this story. 

Where this story really shines is in it's collection of Slashers.  How can you go wrong with a killer animatronic Abe Lincoln who spouts historical quotes with a twist. Or a giant killer clown named Denney. A well mannered cannibal (eat your heart out Hannibal Lecter (literally)) Charming Charlie Whitmore, to a 8 year old Demon child, Gimps, a razor clawed mad woman, a mad doctor, more Gimps,,,,the list keeps going. 

Now you might be saying,,"But Jim,,characters like this have been done before",,and you would be right. And that's the rub. SLASHVIVOR knows what it is. This a a bubbling, bloody, music blaring, lights flashing, Theater of The Absurd. The characters are over the top, and they need to be. Not only is this a horror/post apocalyptic story, but it is also a commentary on violence and how people respond to it. The denizens of the Geiger Lands have lost all hope, they long for Try Not To Die. The only escape they have from their horrible lives is to see others die in a spectacle that has been created just for them.

The authors do not pull any punches when it come to the gore. So if you are squeamish, then run away now. (and you probably shouldn't be reading a book blog that revolves around horror novels) 

The story is fast paced and has some great character development. With just enough twists to keep you on your toes.

SLASHVIVOR is the unwanted love child of Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome and The Running Man, that grew up and kicked it's parents asses.

I could not recommend this book more. 

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did.

You can purchase SLASHVIVOR in print and ebook on AMAZON. 

To learn more about Stephen Kozeniewski visit his Facebook page.

To learn more about Stevie Kopas visit her website.

                                                   Jim Coniglio
                                                  06/05/2018