Bark At The Ghouls

Don't Breathe, Released 2016 A trio of friends break into the house of a wealthy blind man, thinking they’ll get away with the perfect heist. They’re wrong. 4 1/2 out of 5, here's why: Today, to change things up, I am reviewing a movie I actually enjoyed. In Don’t Breathe, we have a trio of down on their luck teens stuck in a desolate, hopeless land where anyone with the means has already hightailed it out of there. These kids are too inexperienced and young to get real jobs, if there were any, and too desperate to leave town without cash so their solution is thievery. I know, I know but I kind of feel for two of them (one of them is just a dick but there always has to be one, right?). Their plan seems to be working out for them until they set their sights on a retired veteran who, they learn, is sitting on a big pile of cash he received in a settlement when his daughter was killed in a car accident. They think it’ll be an easy score, he

Dread by Clive Barker, Graphic Horror Novel I'm giving this 4 out of 5 stars & here's why: I actually hit up the TBR tower for this one. I bought it brand new. In 1993! I read Dread in Books of Blood Volume 2 a few years back and found it a bit difficult to get into. This graphic novel still makes the skin crawl but cuts out a lot of the tedious talk that bogged down the novella. The artwork is dread-worthy, washed with a dark-hued palette that certainly fits the tone of the story. This isn't my favorite Barker short but this version is worth seeking out of if you’re a fan. Because I’m super lazy, here’s my plot synopsis/review of the novella from 2010. Stephen Grace is a university student who catches the eye of a teacher named Quaid. Stephen is afraid of public speaking but Quaid instructs him not only to give voice to his fears but to analyze them. Quaid is fascinated with dread in all its facets and revels in learning more about it. I have to ad

Come the Chupacabra by Ffion Rhys What happens when you stir together a sultry Mexican setting, ten college students, Mayan ruins, and a sex-crazed, mythological monster pack? An eruption of bloodshed and tears, and screams and moans that never stop, that’s what. So lick your lips and bend your hips, because this deliciously sexy creature feature is about to redefine "horror" forever. I'm giving this 4 out of 5 & here's why: It's a Chupacabra freebie ! You know you want it. What's not to want? A VW packed with silly, sexy grad students decides to trek out to see "The Ruins" and find the mysterious Chupacabra (that, my dears, is never a good idea but they do it anyway). Instead of finding deadly man-eating vines like those fools in Scott B. Smith's novel  "The Ruins" , t hey do indeed find the Chupacabra. A whole bunch of them and they're super friendly. All they want is a wee bit of good lovin'. This wasn

The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston, Dark Historical Fiction My name is Elizabeth Anne Hawksmith, and my age is three hundred and eighty-four years. If you will listen, I will tell you a tale of witches. A tale of magic and love and loss. A story of how simple ignorance breeds fear, and how deadly that fear can be. Let me tell you what it means to be a witch. In the spring of 1628, the Witchfinder of Wessex finds himself a true Witch. As Bess Hawksmith watches her mother swing from the Hanging Tree she knows that only one man can save her from the same fate: the Warlock Gideon Masters. Secluded at his cottage, Gideon instructs Bess, awakening formidable powers she didn’t know she had. She couldn’t have foreseen that even now, centuries later, he would be hunting her across time, determined to claim payment for saving her life. In present-day England, Elizabeth has built a quiet life. She has spent the centuries in solitude, moving from place to place, surviving plague

Borrasca by C.K. Walker, Dark Fiction on Audio Sam Walker and his family have moved to a small town in the Ozarks.The seemingly picturesque town is a perfect place for them to settle down. Soon Sam finds friendship in some of the native children Kimber and Kyle. Unfortunately, everything is not as it seems. As Kimber and Kyle open up Sam's eyes to a local urban legend, this sleepy small town becomes much more dark. Shadows of the past are attempting to rise up into a final requiem of frightening proportions. Will everyone fall to the legend of Borrasca? 4 1/2 out of 5, here's why: I just realized that I have never reviewed a NoSleep production . That's going to have to change because they are doing some amazing work and I need to stop keeping them all to myself. I listen to a ton of podcasts but this is the one I look forward to every Sunday morning when I'm making breakfast or cleaning up someone's mess. Borrasca is a longer story than typically foun

So today we have yet another 2 star movie. I know it doesn't appear to be so but I do love horror films. Home Movie, Released 2008 Everyone in their upstate suburban community agrees that The Poes are the picture-perfect family: Pastor dad David, psychologist mom Clare, and the adorable 10-year-old twins Emily and Jack. But something has gone horribly wrong with the Poe children between Halloween and Easter, a grisly descent into madness and murder that David and Claire have captured on video. This found footage will reveal the shocking series of events. This is their HOME MOVIE. Adrian Pasdar of HEROES and Cady McClain of ALL MY CHILDREN and AS THE WORLD TURNS star in this critically acclaimed and ferociously disturbing debut feature from writer/director Christopher Denham that rips open the dark side of the modern American family. You may never look at home videos the same way again... This one gets a 2 out of 5, here's why: A family moves into a

Perfect Nightmare by John Saul, Abridged Audiobook Every parent’s nightmare becomes reality for Kara Marshall when her daughter, Lindsay, vanishes from her bedroom during the night. The police suspect that the girl is just another moody teenage runaway, angry over leaving behind her school and friends because her family is moving. But Lindsay’s recent eerie claim - that someone invaded her room when the house was opened to prospective buyers - drives Kara to fear the worst: a nameless, faceless stalker has walked the halls of her home in search of more than a place to live. Patrick Shields recognizes Kara’s pain - and carries plenty of his own since he lost his wife and two children in a devastating house fire. But more than grief draws Patrick and Kara together. He, too, senses the hand of a malevolent stranger in this tragedy. And as more people go missing from houses up for sale, Patrick’s suspicion, like Kara’s, blooms into horrified certainty. Someone is trolling this pe

Thief by Alexa Riley, Erotic Romance Sean Sparrow has one more job to pull: break into the bank, steal what he was hired to take, and get out. He plans everything to the very last detail, sure of success... until he sees Tessa. Tessa Martin lives a humdrum life. With a boring job and a crappy roommate, she's sure there must be more to life than this. She's not prepared for the muscle-bound bearded man who walks into her life, offering her everything she's ever wanted. When Sean breaks down all of Tessa's walls, she has no choice but to fall hard and fast. But when the truth comes out, and Sean is fully revealed to her, will their instalove be enough to hold them together? 3 out of 5 and here's why: Sean Sparrow is a thief planning to rob a bank. It will be his last job, he says. He intends to retire after this nasty bit of work and live a life of leisure with Tessa, the curvy bank employee. Only she doesn’t know any of this. She doesn't even k

The Jersey Devil by Hunter Shea, Horror Fiction THE LEGEND LIVES Everyone knows the legend of the Jersey Devil. Some believe it is an abomination of nature, a hybrid winged beast from hell that stalks the Pine Barrens of southern New Jersey searching for prey. Others believe it is a hoax, a campfire story designed to scare children. But one man knows the truth... THE DEVIL AWAKES Sixty years ago, Boompa Willet came face to face with the Devil—and lived to tell the tale. Now, the creature’s stomping grounds are alive once again with strange sightings, disappearances, and worse. After all these years, Boompa must return to the Barrens, not to prove the legend is real but to wipe it off the face of the earth... THE BEAST MUST DIE It’ll take more than just courage to defeat the Devil. It will take four generations of the Willet clan, a lifetime of survivalist training, and all the firepower they can carry. But timing is critical. A summer music festival has attracted crowds

Dominated by Vikings by Chelsea Chaynes, A Murderous Rapey Sex Book It was 794 AD in Ravenscrest, Scotland. Ainsley Buchanan awakens one autumn morning to the sound of terror, the sound of vikings. As the blood thirsty pagan Leif Axelsen makes landfall and ravages Ravenscrest her life will never be the same. She is forced to come to terms with his domination of her as she assimilates into Viking life as his slave. Demon Kitty Review Demon Kitty gives it  1 star out of 5, here's why: From the author who brought you Creamed by Cave Creatures , here is a freebie I found at  Amazon . I could not resist. I really wish I had. I don't know what this is but it certainly isn't erotica by any stretch of the imagination. There's stilted dialogue, stilted narration, beheading, town razing and rape, not even the old forced seduction trope but  violent rape. None of this is what I'd call erotic but, hey, whatever works for ya. Maybe it's just me

Lookie what's free over @ Amazon US today!         Shifterella and the Billionaire Bear by Sable Sylvan To human waitress Eleanor, the Asher Ball isn’t the social event of the season, just another work gig, but when a mysterious older woman dresses curvy Eleanor up, Eleanor becomes the belle of the ball and catches the eye of Aspen Asher, billionaire bear shifter, heir to the Asher Lumber fortune. Tall, muscular werebear Aspen is tired of attending his mother’s balls, but when he meets the short curvy girl who introduces herself as Ella, he know he’s found his fated mate. Kind, hardworking, and stunningly gorgeous, Ella is like nobody else he’s ever met in his privileged world, and he knows she’s the one. Of course, Eleanor’s stepfamily refuses to allow anyone but their two tall, thin daughters near the shifter prince. Can Eleanor and Aspen find true love while Eleanor’s family works against her and tries to keep the two apart? A turn of events forces E

Today I'm featuring a film that was based on a book based on a true story and written by the great Jack Ketchum. Sadly, the movie was not so great but thems are the breaks. The Lost  (DVD Release March 2008) Once upon a time, a boy named Ray Pye put crushed beer cans in his boots to make himself taller. But this is no fairy tale: For suburban sociopath Ray (Marc Senter) and his friends, small-town life is a dead-end road of sex, drugs, liars and losers. And what begins with a sudden act of senseless violence will climax in a mind-blowing frenzy of depravity…with the worst still yet to come. Michael Bowen (Kill Bill), Dee Wallace-Stone (The Hills Have Eyes), Ed Lauter (True Romance), Megan Henning (Seventh Heaven), Katie Cassidy (Black Christmas) and Erin Brown (aka Misty Mundae) co-star in this controversial shocker adapted from the infamous novel by Jack Ketchum and based on the true story that stunned America. I'm giving this film a 2 out of 5, her

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, Narrated by Anna Massey, Gothic Fiction Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.... The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives - resenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave. First published in 1938, this classic gothic novel is such a compelling tale that it won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century. I'm giving this book a 5 out of 5 and this is why: I read this for the "Classic Horror" square for Halloween Bingo over at Booklikes. Want to join? It's not too late! Click here. Because the world needs one more Rebecca review . . . A sh

Bare-Knuckle Love by K.A. Merikan, MM Erotic Romance Jason is back in his home town and trying to make money the only way he knows - in an illegal MMA fight. Bare knuckles. Hardly any rules. All he needs to do is... lose. The Rabid Mongrels Motorcycle Club bet against him, and they are set to make a killing, but when Jason spots his high school crush in the audience, he can’t bear to lose. All he wants is to have Hyde notice him. He gets more than he bargained for when Hyde turns out to be the president of the MC, now out for his blood. To survive, Jason will have to make a deal with the blond devil. No matter how manipulative and vicious Hyde can be, he is a dark wet dream come to life, and Jason can’t keep his hands to himself. Soon enough, the self-destructive lust he has for Hyde becomes a dangerous obsession that takes Jason to the most forgotten corners of his soul. WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, mentions of past animal abuse, m

Snowblind by Christopher Golden, Horror Fiction The small New England town of Coventry had weathered a thousand blizzards...but never one like this. Icy figures danced in the wind and gazed through children's windows with soul-chilling eyes. People wandered into the whiteout and were never seen again. Families were torn apart, and the town would never be the same. Now, as a new storm approaches twelve years later, the folks of Coventry are haunted by the memories of that dreadful blizzard and those who were lost in the snow. Photographer Jake Schapiro mourns his little brother, Isaac, even as-tonight-another little boy is missing. Mechanic and part-time thief Doug Manning's life has been forever scarred by the mysterious death of his wife, Cherie, and now he’s starting over with another woman and more ambitious crimes. Police detective Joe Keenan has never been the same since that night, when he failed to save the life of a young boy . . . and the boy’s father vanished

Dark Horse by Kate Sherwood, MMM Romance Dan thinks about just driving, leaving the whole mess behind. He's got enough money. He could just arrange to get his stuff and his horse shipped to wherever he's going. Taking off is what he used to do when things got to be too much, and it worked pretty well, really. Dan Wheeler thought he'd found lasting love and stability with his life and work partner, Justin Archer. But when Dan finds himself alone again, still working as a horse trainer for Justin's parents, he has to find a way to accept that his perfect life is gone forever. Then he meets billionaire Evan Kaminski, who arrives to buy a horse for his younger sister, and Evan's lover Jeff Stevens, a horse trainer who seems to understand more than just Dan's job. Struggling to deal with all the upheavals in his life, Dan finds himself drawn to both Evan's mercurial passion and Jeff's quiet wisdom. Is Dan strong enough to take a chance on new love,

I always promise myself that I am going to read more books but then I end up watching something like this instead. It's a problem but I don't see myself fixing it anytime soon. Chernobyl Diaries (DVD Release Oct. 2012) Oren Peli, the creator of Paranormal Activity, Insidious and television’s The River, brings forth a new and entirely compelling vision of terror. Based upon an original story by Peli, CHERNOBYL DIARIES is set in the Russian city of Pripyat at that once housed the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. In this xenophobic horror-thriller, a group of friends, vacationing in Europe, find themselves stranded in the eerie, abandoned city... only to discover that they are not alone. In the aftermath of nuclear disaster years before, nature has begun to reclaim everything. And as the sun sets on this desolate ghost town, inhuman cries cut through the night air. Nature may have taken hold of the radioactive ghost town, but the supernatural stalks the