Tag: novella

Book Review & Author Interview: Open House by Nico Bell

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When he looked at the blood, his head began to spin.

PLOT SUMMARY:

Realtor Caleb Birch is on the precipice of earning everything he’s ever dreamed: a partner position at his prestigious realty firm, financial stability that would make his mother proud, and a respectable professional reputation amongst Los Angeles’s wealthy and elite. All he has to do is nail his open house and secure a contract. Enter a mysterious woman with an air of familiarity claiming to be the perfect buyer. Her ruse dissolves revealing nefarious intentions and a twisted game that Caleb must win to survive the night. But she isn’t the only threat lurking behind closed doors. There are skeletons in the closet, and they’re coming out to play.

GRADE: A

REVIEW:

This novella was an action-packed supernatural thriller/horror. It begins with Caleb who is showing off a home that he’s certain if he sells will pretty much settle him into a rich life. Only things go awry when the potential buyer locks him in the Smart Home he was too eager to sell to her. Soon, the novella becomes a cat and mouse chase, as the protagonist tries to survive the night in the Smart Home. There are creepy supernatural elements to this story as well as real-life issues, and they both weave seamlessly well together. I loved how fast paced the novella was and how I wasn’t able to anticipate anything that would happen, which I love when that happens cause I can be just as surprised as the characters when something does happen.

I recommend this novella if you want a short read that is action-packed and filled with some seriously creepy thrills.

Short Q & A With Author

What inspired you to write this novella?

When a friend of mine got her Realtor’s license, my first thought was, “aren’t you afraid to be alone in the house with a bunch of strangers?” That’s where the spark came from. Realtors invite people into homes that they aren’t 100% familiar with, so maybe the house has some secrets, or maybe the potential buyers have dubious intentions. I wanted to explore that setting and see what spooky story manifested.

Caleb is a complex character, he believes he’s doing good although he really isn’t. He’s morally grey. What about him compelled you to tell his story?

Caleb is my first experience writing from the point-of-view of a male protagonist! I considered writing it from the mysterious woman’s experience, but at the end of the day, it was Caleb that needed to be taught a lesson. You’re right. He thinks he’s a good guy. In that way, he’s a bit of a narcissist, but readers quickly learn about the skeletons in his closet. I felt that the only way Caleb would really understand the magnitude of what he did was to make him the star of the show, so to speak.

Novellas are having a golden era right now, especially in the horror genre. Why do you think this format best suited for the genre?

First, I’m THRILLED that novellas are finally getting their time in the spotlight! As a reader, I prefer the shorter length, so give me more novellas!

Horror always seems to work well in shorter lengths whether it’s short stories, novelettes, or even a tight 90 minute movie. The beauty of the shorter form is that it forces writers to focus on what’s really important to the story. Hit the plot beat and move on to the next. Villain attacks hero. Hero reacts. Hero fights back. It’s quick, but it doesn’t jeopardize scene building, story world construction, or character arcs. Really, short form fiction can leave a lot up to the imagination, which adds to the overall suspense, tension, and scary elements of a horror book. In horror, the elements left of the page prove just as haunting as those included.

Do smart homes and robots frighten you or do you find the supernatural more frightening?

Yes! LOL!

Once, I asked Alexa a question and after she responded, I said, “Thank you,” and she replied, “You’re welcome. Have a good day.” Ever since then, I’ve been polite to her because I’m 99% certain she’s secretly becoming human and planning our demise. When she gains full awareness, I want her to remember all the times I was nice to her!

I love supernatural horror! In fact, I have a science fiction horror novella coming out in October 2023 also touches on the supernatural. In real life, I don’t mess with it! No Ouija boards, no haunted house tours, no seances…I’ve seen too many movies and read too many books where characters accidentally conjure a horrific spirit seeking revenge.

No thanks!

What horror books have you recently read that you enjoyed?

I just finished Our Own Unique Affliction by Scott J Moses. It’s a horror novella with vampires, but the heart of the story is emotional and haunting, a truly tragic beautiful story of family and love. I highly recommend!

What are your upcoming projects and where can readers find you?

My science fiction horror novella Static is scheduled for release October 13, 2023 by Aesthetic Press!

Here’s a bit about it:

Ever since her mother’s death, nineteen-year-old Carmen has been seeing black buzzing dots zipping through the air, but are they real or just a figment of her imagination? They escalate in dire fashion, causing Carmen to crash her car, which lands her in a hospital. When Carmen confesses to seeing these hallucinations, psychologist Dr. Barbara MacDonald steps in.

Barbara, a grieving mother, is obsessed with finding a way to communicate and bring back the spirit of her deceased daughter. She believes Carmen’s hallucinations are the key. Under false pretenses, Barbara lures Carmen into her secret laboratory, holds the young woman, and starts conducting unlawful experiments. There’s no one to help Carmen escape; at least, no one alive.

Readers can find me on TikTok, Twitter, Instagram, Substack, Threads, and YouTube all under the handle of @nicobellfiction.

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Book Review: We Can Never Leave This Place by Eric LaRocca

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When you’re given a gift, something else gets taken away.

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Release Date: June 24, 2022

Publisher: Trepidatio Publishing

Price: $12.95 (paperback)

PLOT SUMMARY:

A precocious young girl with an unusual imagination is sent on an odyssey into the depths of depravity. After her father dies violently, young Mara is surprised to find her mother welcoming a new guest into their home, claiming that he will protect them from the world of devastation and destruction outside their door.

A grotesque and thrilling dark fantasy, We Can Never Leave This Place is a harrowing portrait of inherited grief and familial trauma.

GRADE: A-

REVIEW:

I’m still trying to make sense of this fever dream that reads like a horror induced Alice in Wonderland tale. Mara has just lost her father, and she lives with her abusive mother who’s expecting a baby, while an unexpected visitor shows up and wreaks havoc in their lives. We’re frequently told that Mara is an expert storyteller throughout the novella (or liar as her mother likes to chide), so take what happens within the pages of this novella with a grain of salt. What is real and what is fantasy? And ultimately, does it really matter to know the difference? LaRocca weaves a dreadful tale soaked in trauma and grief that is easily gulped in one sitting, but that leaves the reader feeling a bit disorientated. If you’re a fan of Kafka, I think you might enjoy this horror novella very much.

*Thank you so much to Nightworms & the author for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

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Book Review & Author Interview: Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke by Eric LaRocca

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Sadomasochism. Obsession. Death.

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Release Date: June 1, 2021

Publisher: Wierdpunk Books

Price: $11.37 (paperback)

Plot Summary:

A whirlpool of darkness churns at the heart of a macabre ballet between two lonely young women in an internet chat room in the early 2000s—a darkness that threatens to forever transform them once they finally succumb to their most horrific desires.

What have you done today to deserve your eyes?

Grade: A-

Review:

This dark tale begins with Agnes looking to sell an antique apple peeler and Zoe contacting her to buy said peeler. I know, I found the way the two protagonists virtually met strange for a horror novella, but it was very intriguing how their bond slowly grows. As the days go by the two women forge a tight relationship which slowly descends to sadomasochism and careens to absolute horrific madness.

The writing is very engaging and very vivid, creating a visceral rollercoaster that will leave you wondering WTF did you experience. It’s told in epistolary format of email exchanges and IM’s, making the reader feel that extra layer of voyeurism that ramps up the creepiness factor. I recommend reading this book in one sitting – it’s much more impactful that way as the tension and dread increases with each passing page.

The ending is a masterclass of true horror and one that readers won’t easily forget. Read this novella for a violent, wild ride full of debauchery and horror.

*Thank you so much to the author for the digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

SHORT Q & A WITH AUTHOR

What inspired you to write the novella in the format that you did?

I’ve always been fascinated by books with unconventional formatting. I admire any opportunity to tell a story in a way that might be unique for the reader. The reason I chose this particular format for the novella was because I wanted the reader to feel voyeuristic in their reading, as if they were reading something they knew they shouldn’t be reading. That’s profoundly unsettling to me as a highly desensitized lover of horror. I shudder when I think of accidentally stumbling upon something that wasn’t meant for me to see—something horrible, something truly disturbing. I’ve been dabbling in unconventional formatting for many years now and this novella seemed like a natural progression for me and my work.

The novella establishes that the two protagonists are women – but the internet being the internet I was suspicious whether one of them or both were being truthful about their identities and their genders since it was commonplace in the 2000s to find men trying to pass off as women in lesbian chatrooms. The fact that the two protagonists never see each other through webcam nor exchange photos kind of makes you wonder if one of them is being catfished. Was it a conscious decision to create that suspicion in the reader?

That’s a fascinating reaction to the work. I actually had never considered that before and I’m quite disappointed in myself for not thinking of it first. I approached this concept quite literally when I first wrote it. In my head, they were always two women interacting with one another across the infinite gulf of the internet. As I was working on this piece, I definitely wanted there to be a sense of suspicion—a sense of distrust in the reader when considering the two main characters. Who can you trust? Who is telling the truth? Which one of them is the real monster? Of course, Zoe is less than savory for asking Agnes to perform such horrible acts. However, is Agnes a monster as well for being so agreeable?

What are your current fave horror books that you recommend?

Oh, so many to list. I’ll try to be brief. Lately I’ve been recommending Hauntedby Chuck Palahniuk quite a bit to fellow readers. I’ve read that book several times and it always unsettles me. I also heartily recommend Gwendolyn Kiste’s phenomenal The Rust Maidensif you’re looking for truly poignant body horror. Lastly, I usually recommend I’m Thinking of Ending Things by Ian Reid. Such an inspiring tale of existential dread.

Do you have any other projects that you’re currently working on and are going to be released soon?

I’m currently at work on a bunch of different writing projects. Most of them involve contracts, so unfortunately I’m unable to share full details until the publisher makes the official announcement on social media. I’m so happy to report that I’ll have work being consistently published over the course of the next few years and I certainly hope my readers stick with me as I continue to release new material.

Honestly, this is too good not to ask but what have you done today to deserve your eyes?

Nice try, Zoe . . . Just kidding. But seriously. Kindness. The answer is always kindness. Whether it’s showing kindness to another living thing or receiving kindness gracefully, that should be our priority as human beings every day we’re on this planet.

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