Thorns in Dark Place - Lake Lopez

Alright, what attracted me to this story was simply the author’s name. Lake Lopez, it’s just ‘effin cool, real or pen - is it just me? No matter - it’s cool.

So, the story. A supernatural thriller … ok. Twelve and a dilapidated boarding school in the midst of a dense thicket of forest with much else to do but wallow or explore. Like many a tale on Amazon you see a lot of variation on reader reviews and stars assigned that make little sense after reading the review. Here there is more of the same.

I must confess that I am a gore and fright horror (or thriller) lover. I found Thorns in Dark Places somewhat haunting, atmospheric and horrifically woven. As a shock and awe horror fan it is good to sit down every now and then with a good book. This is just that kind of book. It drips with supernatural tension and drowns the reader in suspense and thrills with a brooding tale of, well horror. 

The central character, Luke is twelve and his life is a mess. With the tragic death of his mother and his father’s lack of love or interest in the boy, it’s hard not to be engaged in Luke under these circumstances. Then to follow him to Bain Ridge and the events that unfold, impossible. The suspense builds naturally and the supernatural happenings are very well drawn out and presented. 

Lake Lopez weaves a interesting and enthralling tale that will keep the reader engaged and at the edge of their seat. Well done and to the author, welcome to my virtual library. 

On the writer's iPod – U.N.S.I.N

U.N.S.I.N frankly seems to be an obscure rock band from Greece. Fronted by Christina Nikolaidou and crew seem to be keeping a low profile. They do have a home on FB but the update is back in 2012. That aside, my muse has found a home with one of their tunes and is forever waiting for more. Their debut EP 0154 spots an exceptional tune called Acid.

Strong guitar spiders throughout the song and Christina’s vocals are raw and inviting. My muse was mused by this tune quite by accident. The wandering through the new looking for female fronted bands that weren’t on the lips of everyone else. You see, my muse likes a little originality and enjoys turning others on to her finds. U.N.S.I.N. is one of those; if you happen to know more then please do share, as my muse remains starved.

For now take in Acid (not drop some) and crank up the volume:

Spyder's music note - Maximum the Hormone

Here's a bit of old school stuff - fans of Japanese amine and the series Death Note might recognize this -   many of these popular anime series provided closing songs from up and coming and established bands. Here we have Zetsubou Billy:

A Little Girl in My Room & Other Stories - Claire Farrell

As a writer the last thing I want to do is talk down another writer's work. A Little Girl in My Room & Other Stories by Claire Farrell is as advertise, a collection of thirteen (13) short stories from the author. I did a little hooping and discovered that Farrell has quite a number of books under her belt. Amazon is riddled with tales, series and whatnots. Doesn't make for a good writer tho. So, I took a try with Thirst and Ava Delaney paranormal tale.

This is not a review of that book however but it did make me feel better and confident that this A Little Girl … is not indicative of the writing talent's of Farrell. In fact, I question perhaps why Farrell would leave this book for sale other than for the sole purpose of gaining sales off her paranormal series. Not wise in my humble opinion.

A Little Girl in My room os a choppy, uncomfortably written tales of shock rather than horror, intended terror or even for speculative fiction entertainment. The stories (all of them) are choppy and in some instances non-sensical. Talented writer with a collection of shorts that really aren't that good and not worth a read. 

Really hate saying that as a fellow writer … for the writer, this looks much like older work tossed together for a quick buck without editing or even proofreading. For the reader … pass.

Spyder's music notes: Slot

Here's a bit of musical culture for you - from Russia a band called Slot or The SLoT (english) "AngelOK"my muse totally loves this tune as well as "2 Wars."

Check out - "AngelOK" in Russian as it should be -

Contamination 1: The Onset - T.W. Piperbrook

Am I just not seeing the wave of the future? I am totally at odds with what seems to be every indie book I read is part of a series. There is such an abundance of cliffhanger tales that one can only believe that every aspect of the future is a cliffhanger. I am half expecting to go to the grocery store and find half full bags of chips - awaiting my next purchase to "fill the bag." Ok, bad choice as it seems all bags of chips are half full, but hopefully you get my drift.

Contamination 1 is - yup - book one of what appears to be a three parter with a prequel (which is mercifully, free). This is a post apocalyptic zombie story about a gentleman by the name of Sam Cook. Sam is the sole resident of White Mist NM. He is forced to leave his home after the appearance of a stranger.

The tale is mostly well-written with a nice spin on the same old zombie tale. The flow is good and the actions is believable and workable in the context of the story. Much to do about conflict with the zombies and survival. Some may complain about the actions and the 'untrained' peeps fending them off. Keep in mind you don't need to be Special Forces to beat the walking dead. That said, I really don't know because I have never engaged in such activities. Neither have you, I suspect.

Not a bad read in the end but the last look for me as I stated before … tired of series.

For the writer - check out the chaptering … and the constant use of cliffhangers throughout as if the book were a series of television shows leading you to next weeks conclusion or further cliff hanger. Not a good ploy - in my humble opinion.

For the reader - like zombies, then this is a great read. Enjoy a good story, that's is here as well, just a little cumbersome at times.