THE GIRL WHO HID IN THE TREES by Steve Stred

THE GIRL WHO HID IN THE TREES by Steve Stred

Published February 28th 2019

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(from the book description)

Something lurks just beyond.

Centuries ago a heinous act created a ripple that still haunts the residents to this very day.

Now the kids who reside near McConnell's Forest live forever in fear.

Jason lost his brother when he was young. He left with his friends to ‘debunk’ the urban legend and never came back.

Now Jason and his group of friends are fed up and want to discover what is happening, what is the real cause of the terror holding their small town hostage.

But something is waiting for them. She may look sweet and innocent, but the friends are about to find out that pure evil can exist in the smallest of packages.

She's out there. And while you may not know her name or what she looks like, the local kids will tell you if you ask, that you should fear for your life from the girl who hid in the trees.

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 I have been a fan of Steve Stred since I read his novella WAGON BUDDY last year.  Since then I have read through his existing works, and his newest novella THE GIRL WHO HID IN THE TREES is his best yet. A coming-of-age type tale, reminiscent of Stephen Kings' IT, and more recently TAMER ANIMALS by Justin M. Woodward.

The story centers around Jason, who looses his older brother at a young age to what the residents of his town call an Urban Legend. The mystery of a young girl who hides in the local forest and lures people to their deaths. Years later, after having a horrifying vision of his brother, Jason decides to gather his friends and end the legend once and for all. What starts as a weekend in the woods with friends, turns into a night a terror that will change Jason's life forever.

The author puts a lot of work into his characters. Making them likable and more importantly, believable. These could be your personal group of childhood friends. The story moves along at a good pace and then jumps into overdrive towards the end. The blood and gore flow freely in the final pages and the author does not hold back. No one is safe and he manages to pull off a few surprises  that will catch readers off guard. The author manages to give us a conclusion that is both heartbreaking and totally satisfying. 

You may never want to walk alone in the woods again after reading this tale.

 This is definitely one book you will want to pick up and spend the afternoon reading. I recommend it highly.

A little added bonus is a forward by Gavin Kendall of KENDALL REVIEWS. I have been a follower of Gavin's for some time and was happy to see him get the opportunity to write this forward. Make sure to check out his site for some really awesome book reviews.

You can purchase THE GIRL WHO HID IN THE TREES in ebook and print on AMAZON. 

You can learn more about the author Steve Stred by visiting his site HERE.

LIMBS: A LOVE STORY by Tim Meyer

LIMBS: A LOVE STORY by Tim Meyer

Published February 9th 2019

Published by Grindhouse Press

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(from book description)

I am not a monster.

Ray Bridges, a professional electronics salesman, is looking for love in all the strange places. He spends most nights sneaking into support group meetings for the disabled in order to satisfy his deepest, darkest desires—to hook up with unfortunate, down-on-their-luck women who’ve recently lost a limb. There's a name for Ray’s preference; it’s called acrotomophilia, a paraphilia involving amputees.

Conflicted, Ray wishes he could change. But he can’t. His body won’t let him. Nor will his mind. He’s destined to live this life, forever. That is . . . until he meets the perfect girl. Falls in love with her. Only problem: her arms and legs are attached.

Unable to find her attractive, Ray embarks on a dark, twisted journey of self-discovery, one that will force him to make an impossible choice: abandon his pursuit of true love or find a way to make it work, even if that means getting the girl of his dreams to shed an appendage.  

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It is February and love is in the air as we approach Valentines day. There is no better time than now to read a touching, heartfelt love story. Or better yet a love story peppered with blood, dismemberment and deceit. That is exactly what we get and more in the new release LIMBS: A LOVE STORY by Tim Meyer.

I do not have to go into too much detail of the story, as the above description from the book gives you a lot of the story background. Let's just say that Ray is a very complicated guy. His peculiar preferences has lead him to lead a life of lies and deceit as he trolls support groups for his next fix. But when true love finally finds him, can he truly love her when his mind is not happy with her body, or more so the completeness of it.

By all accounts this is a love story at heart, but it is also contains a good dose of horror and gore. The author sets up a great story that may start off slow to some, but he uses this time to really develop Ray and helps the reader make that connection. Some will hate him and others will sympathize with him as he deals with his internal struggles. There is a small set of supporting characters, my favorite being Ray's horror movie loving friend from work who adds a touch of humor and lightheartedness to the story.

The third act of the story is where the author throws the tale into overdrive and delivers a few unexpected surprises and the blood truly starts to flow. I do have to admit that the author had me fooled as to the outcome as the tale progressed, and I loved it.

On a personal note, being an amputee myself and having attended support groups, I had heard stories about just this kind of character that the author created in Ray. We had a leader who told us a story of one guy who would came to the meetings for almost a year and no one ever knew he was faking until a member ran in to him outside the meeting. It's was really interesting to me to see the author create a story about this real life occurrence and it's possible outcomes.

I highly recommend this book. In fact it would be a wonderful Valentines gift for your loved ones (if they have a slight dark side), along with a nice box of chocolates of course.


You can purchase LIMBS: A LOVE STORY on Amazon in EBOOK and PRINT.

To learn more about Tim Meyer and his other works click HERE.

And to learn more about the publisher and their other great books please visit
GRINDHOUSE PRESS.