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Hello, my name is Valorie. I have a Master's Degree in History and a license to teach-- I have been both university professor and public school teacher. Currently, I am a middle school social studies teacher. I love horror movies and spooky things. Every day is Halloween. I am also a passionate book blogger.

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Showing posts with label gothic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gothic. Show all posts

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Blog Tour & Excerpt: The Sanguinarian Id by L.M. Labat


About the Book

About the Book
Title: The Sanguinarian Id
Author: L.M. Labat
Artist: L.M. Labat
Genre: Horror, Historical Fiction, Paranormal, Occult, Gothic Horror
Publisher: Night to Dawn Magazine & Books

She’s been beaten, stabbed, poisoned, and shot, but Hael refuses to die. In her pursuit for vengeance and her origin, the Dhampir Hael hunts down the madman responsible for her fateful transformation. As this half-vampire juggernauts her way through a world at war, Hael battles hordes of Nazi soldiers as she struggles to maintain her sanity. However, while Hael gathers knowledge on how to trap and kill her target, her adversary’s network is expanding at an exponential rate, as his sick obsession with Hael grows deeper. Will she have her revenge? Will she find her origin? Or, will she crumble beneath her own insidious bloodlust?

About the Author

Born in 1993, L. M. Labat stems from New Orleans, Louisiana. From the struggles of a broken family and surviving life-threatening events, Labat found refuge within the arts while delving into the fields of medicine, psychology, and the occult. While combining illustration and literature, L. M. Labat was able to cope with endless nightmares as well as hone in on artistic techniques. From confronting the past to facing new shadows, this author gladly invites audiences into the horror of The Sanguinarian Id.

Links
The Sanguinarian Id Website
Website Creator: L. M. Labat

Night to Dawn Magazine & Books Website:

The Sanguinarian Id on Amazon.com:

The Sanguinarian Id on Barnes & Noble:

Book Excerpts


Book Excerpt 1:

Within Europe’s late nineteenth century, marvelous medical miracles came into existence that augmented the intellectual to new horizons. Doctors of all fields were admired for their dedication to health and humanity. However, as their accolades increased, these professionals grew fat with entitlement while their patients starved for love. With speedy developments, the human brain, in its entire splendor, spiraled dangerously into the new era of indulgences that forked the path between masterpiece and monstrosity. **** A group of young women sat on the cold floor. In dirty hospital gowns, they picked and ingested lead paint chips from the wall. Persistently, they crammed more debris into their hungry mouths. Drool covered their cracked fingernails. With muted expressions, the nurses smoked like locomotives at their corridor stations. They watched the self-poisoning, but did nothing to help. The nurses reacted solely when the clock struck seven. The chimes notified them to administer the medication. In the joining corridor, more patients wandered aimlessly. Whimpering like beaten dogs, most patients wore restraints over their mouths and arms. Others fiddled with their gowns as they stumbled from side to side. No matter what they were doing, the inhabitants complemented each other with the same dead-eyed stare against the barred windows. The doctors were devils. They prodded, scraped, and teased the flesh with their instruments. Like foxes, the doctors lured people into their examination rooms with wide-toothed grins and false promises. None of them were in harmony with their patients. These mechanized madmen were fluent with their hands and calculations. Their utensils were never bare. These men constantly wrapped their fingers around their equipment’s silvery curves. They comforted the metal exteriors like newborn children. The wives of these doctors had sullen lives, wishing their husbands would caress their thighs the way they did their clipboards. The patients knew no humanity. The kind gazes they saw reflected off foggy spectacles before the serum blacked out their minds. That was if they were lucky enough to have the straps off their foreheads. This was Halcyon Asylum.

Book Excerpt 2:

The leader of the group yelled and charged at Hael with a dagger. He stabbed her in the back. She fell to the ground. Over and over again, he stabbed his blade deep into her torso. Hael roared in fury. She grabbed the severed limb and brained the leader. When the severed arm gave way, Hael buried her claws into his skull, and gouged his head wide open. Brain matter and blood splattered across her face. Her entire body became a walking nightmare of black and red. She heard the horses go wild in the distance. The coach-man desperately tried to mount one of the horses, but the beast was too frightened to stand still. Hael walked over to the coachman. The front horse saw Hael from the corner of its eye, and reared its back legs frantically. The horse’s hoof clocked the coachman in the chest and sent him plummeting to the ground. His flask flew out of his pocket. The coachman held his beaten torso and coughed violently. A twig snapped in front of him. He looked up. Hael looked down upon him. Her body was still, but the red of her iris swirled like hellfire. The coachman sobbed and pleaded for his life. Hael looked at the carriage. “Where were you going to bring me?” she asked him. “Please, don’t kill me,” he cried.
Hael rammed her heel down onto his hand. His bones broke through his skin upon impact. She repeated herself. “Where were you going to bring me?” Her voice was calm and authoritative. “To the docks,” he answered. “Why the docks?” she asked. “We were supposed to bring you and some others to the docks, and place you all on a boat bound for France.” “Why France?” “I don’t know,” he answered. “That’s all Mendelson wrote to us. I swear it!” “Do you have the instructions?” she asked. The coach-man nodded. He reached into his back pocket and handed her an envelope. She read postage marks. The letter came from Germany. “What others?” she asked. The coachman said that there were other women that they collected during the week to bring to the docks. Hael was a surprise adjustment to the original list. He stated that after the delivery was made, they were instructed to burn the letter. She gave the letter back to him. “Thank you.” She walked over to the flask and unscrewed the top. The coachman shuddered. “What are you doing?” “Following instructions.” She poured the liquor over his body. “Stop! I told you what you wanted to know.” “Yes, you did.” Hael picked up a stone from the grass. She held it firmly in her hand. “And, I said, ‘Thank you.’” She struck her nails against the stone. Sparks flew off her claws and ignited the liquor. The coachman screamed as his body writhed within the flames.

Book Excerpt 3:

The majority of the women held captive by Mendelson were between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine years old, and labeled missing to the general public. The victims’ bodies were found during scattered times of the year. The bodies were either discreetly hidden, or placed directly in the center of the stadt from where they came. All of the women were reported to be sexually assaulted, battered, or starved. The numbers of men who were taken from their families by Mendelson were never seen or heard from again. Hael turned the page. “Abducted children and infants were brought back at separate times, unharmed, to either their families or the nearest local officials. As a whole, the children neither recall where they were held captive, nor can they give details about Mendelson’s appearance. None of the children were sexually assaulted in any matter or form. However, all of the returned children experienced seizures and night terrors at random.” Mendelson’s family once held a highly decorated position in the German military during the early 1800s. After the fire of their family mansion in Frankfurt, the residence was converted to the orphanage Das Männlein Waisenhaus in 1823. Das Männlein Waisenhaus was currently shut down. No photographs or sketches of Mendelson were documented. A few traces of fingerprints, semen, saliva, and skin particles were found on the corpses of eighteen-year-old women and older. The total numbers of people kidnapped by Mendel-son over a seventeen year period were: one hundred and seven women between the ages of eighteen to thirty-nine years old, fifty-eight men above the age of eighteen, twenty-nine female children, and twelve male children.
Hael dropped her lighter. The flame extinguished on the rocky floor. The horrendous sights Hael witnessed were inexhaustible, but the photographs and descriptions of Mendelson’s victims made her vomit. Their bodies were bruised and broken. The women found in the woods had their pelvic bones crushed, and their legs permanently bent. Their necks and wrists were badly discolored from rope burn, and their breasts were purpled with bruises. Their backs were either concaved or arched with their stomachs split open. Hael turned her face to the ground, and retched every-where. From the pictures, she heard the groaning victims. Their bloodshot eyes, broken bones, and gray skin were nothing com-pared to the way their bodies lay open like stockpots holding their mangled organs.

Book Excerpt 4:

The area was a deluge. Hael watched the pond swell as the water engulfed more and more of the bank. “If you keep stalling, you’re going to drown!” she shouted. “Let me pull you up!” Air bubbles popped alongside the boulder’s surface. The man shuddered at the sound. He looked behind him. “Did you hear that?” he asked. She shrugged her shoulders. “An air pocket must’ve ruptured below the mud.” She looked at the surface of the water. The mud continued to bubble. The water level rose rapidly. “Please, let me pull you up!” His eyes bulged like soup plates at the sight of the bub-bling mud. The mud stopped moving. He turned towards her. “Leave.” “What about your legs?” “Forget about my legs!” he shouted. “Just get the fuck out of here!” She ignored his statement and waded towards him. He unsheathed his Bowie knife and swung it wildly in the air. “Go away! Damn it. Go away!” he threatened. “Are you crazy?” she shouted. He began to cry. “Please! Just leave!” A gurgling sound erupted from beneath the water. It was deep and loud. The man gaped in fear. With his face paled to a paper white, his mouth opened and closed in horror like a dying guppy. The noise increased in volume, morphing into a horrid watery groan. He tossed his knife at her feet. She grabbed onto his arms to pull him out. The man made no effort to move. She sank her feet into the mud and pulled. “Please! Help me help you!” He lifted his head up to her. His eyes were drenched in tears and wide with anguish. His mouth quivered sorely. “If you want to help me, heed the words of this old fool. Leave this place. Forget about me. Forget you ever came here. Forget your reason why, and get to the closest source of concrete.” He grabbed her hand. “Take the knife! Stay away from the water banks!” Those were his last words. His body was yanked underneath the boulder. The pull’s tension and the sharpness of her claws severed the man’s hand from his body. She flew backward. The severed hand fell into her lap. The air thickened with danger. She flung the hand back into the water. Something swallowed it from beneath the sur-face. Screaming, she grabbed the knife and ran from the boulders. The hard rain loosened the soil around the trees. Roots were exposed over the ground. She bounded over them to avoid getting caught. A lightning bolt crashed in the distance. She tripped and plummeted to the banks. An exposed tree root slammed against her head when she
hit the ground. Half her face sank into mud. She nearly stumbled back into the water as she hoisted herself out of the sludge. She searched for the knife. It was lodged underneath a tree root. The mud bubbled around her feet. The ground swallowed the knife. She jumped back and ran.

Book Excerpt 5:

Another week passed. The stench of blood and dead flesh polluted the bunker. Her gash across her ribs was fully healed, but her bones and joints ached. Maddened with insomnia, her mouth salivated at the thought of rendering Mendelson’s flesh from the bone. Rotting fumes fogged her senses. As she gazed at the dried blood and pieces of flesh on her fingers, the memories of Josef pooled into her mind, and cooled her rage. “Josef,” she whispered. “Please, stay safe for me. I’m almost there.” In the morning, Alrich made an announcement over the intercom. “Attention to all remaining applicants. In a few moments, the locks on your bunkers will open. All applicants must report to the main building and enter the front doors. But, be aware. Herr Mendelson has informed me that due to new developments in his schedule, the space for applicant reviews has de-creased to six. The main doors have been programmed to open six times. No more. No less. Those who do not enter will be dis-qualified.” Alrich smiled holding the microphone. “You have five minutes.” The people who survived burst from their bunkers and ran in frenzy to the main building. Hael and Harold opened the door. They watched everyone tear each other to pieces. Harold took off his hat. “They’ve all gone mad. Gabriel, we have to go.” She wasn’t in the bunker. “Gabriel?” Hael ran outside. She picked up a flint stone from the ground and hummed it against the bunkers. Sparks flew off the metal. The stone ricocheted through the crowd and sliced the backs of the applicants’ legs. Four men fell. Grabbing Harold’s arm, she threw him in front of her. She rammed her way to the front. She grabbed Harold from off the ground, and pulled him along. Harold spat out gravel. “You could’ve told me you what you were going to do.” She panted, “Keep running!” They made their way into the building. Harold was the last one to enter the doors. Another man tried to pry his way through. The alarm sounded and the door slammed shut. The man’s hand was cut in half. His severed fingers fell to the floor. Hard footsteps sounded behind the men outside. Dressed in black uniforms, a firing squad mowed down the failed applicants.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Book Review: Bone Chiller by R.M. Heske



Title: Bone Chillers: Tales of Suburban Murder & Malice 
Author: R.M. Heske 
Genre: Fiction - Horror 
Finished: August 19, 2009

Cold Blooded Chillers: Tales of Suburban Murder and Malice by R.M. Heske is an anthology of three previously released comic books. The ten comic book stories presented are sectioned off into subcategories: Femme Fatales, Mistrust Thy Neighbor, Someone is Watching, and Extra Pieces. Some of the stories, such as False Pretenses, are quick and to the point, while others like Alibi offer very little graphics and tell the story as if it were a script. Within you have everything from women murders, rape, child abuse, false accusations, to serial killers. The art styles vary because the artists themselves do, but the stories are all written by R.M. Heske, who has a knack for the creepy and the bizarre, as well as for revealing the darkness inside of people. Heske’s characters are common people, housewives and next door neighbors, so some of the chill comes from the fact that they could be living next door to you. The mystery and suspense in some stories is palpable, and some have twists at the end that take you by surprise and thoroughly disturb and amuse you. Some of the stories will definitely make you feel ill at ease because they deal with subjects that people might consider taboo, but I would hope as fans of horror, readers would not worry so much about what is taboo and instead enjoy the feeling of being unsettled. As for the art, I was very impressed with it because the panels are executed beautifully and go perfectly with the story told. I had a great time lying in bed reading this anthology. By their very nature, the stories are all quick reads compiled together into a book you can get through in an hour. I love instant gratification. Each one is like an episode, as vivid as if you were watching it on television. I recommend this comic to anyone who likes the horror genre.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Book Review: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange



Title: Mr. Darcy, Vampyre 
Author: Amanda Grange 
Genre: Fiction - Paranormal 
Finished: August 14, 2009

In this fan follow up to Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre beings with the marriage of Elizabeth and Darcy. The happy occasion is only momentarily sullied by Darcy’s silence and reserve, as well as a moment where Elizabeth reads a particular expression of distress on his face. The two of them embark together on their wedding tour throughout Europe, and the good spirit in Elizabeth’s heart is slowly cast into shadow the more aloof Darcy becomes. Rather, though he is affectionate, there seems a wall that Elizabeth cannot penetrate and she begins to question his love for her. Despite being married, Darcy is refraining from physical affections and Elizabeth wonders if she is the cause, and if Darcy regrets their union since many in his family are not too pleased with their marriage. Strange things begin to happen as the newlyweds travel and visit various cities on their tour. Bats are found flying around the windows, ethereal and beautiful friends of Darcy recall memories of times long past, reflections in mirrors are not cast, and there seems a strange pull to Darcy that is hypnotic and unnatural. While in the castle of a distant uncle of Darcy’s, a Count, an omen is cast that says Elizabeth will cause the death of Darcy. Also, they are driven from the castle by an attack of villagers brandishing weapons and torches, very Frankenstein. During the attack, Elizabeth glimpses something strange about Darcy that she readily brushes off. But the strangeness does not end there. In the palazzo of a Prince, Elizabeth find a book full of illustrations that leave her with a sense of deja vu and a vision of a fire that she couldn’t possibly remember. During this visit, she again glimpses something in Darcy that causes her to faint and promptly forget. About this time, tired of Darcy’s lack of affection, Elizabeth decides to leave for home. Everything that has happened is all very strange and upsetting to Elizabeth who soon learns that she is the target of something more sinister than her ill-feelings could have predicted. 

In some ways, Mr. Darcy, Vampyre is reminiscent of those stunning and dark gothic fiction novels in the style of Shelley and Poe. There are a lot of shadowy undertones and a subtle, sublime feeling of dread that is sliced up by lighter, more romantic moments. In this way, you are taken on the same rollercoaster of light and dark as Elizabeth, feeling the darkness as keenly as she does, and delighting in the happier moments. Grange is very good with how she writes scenes and descriptions so that they flow beautifully and can be easily imagined with vivid detail. Yet I was ultimately disappointed by the book. The bulk of the book was spent on travels and meeting and talking to new people, and as such it was very slow and with minimal excitement. The true nature of Darcy wasn’t even revealed until the nearly the end of the book, and his vampire self was only hinted to slightly. There was very little vampyre in Mr. Darcy, Vamypre. I had expected a lot more out of the book and had thought Elizabeth would interact more with Darcy as a vampire instead of hearing his secret and promptly having a miraculous way arise to rid him of his ‘curse.’ I was even more let down by the very convenient and easy way by which Darcy was cured of his vampiric affliction. It was just so... sentimental and silly. I had at least hoped that the ending would be climactic and thrilling since it drug on so long to the big reveal only to be disappointed. Fortunately for Austen fans, the book is quite good in its characterizations of both Elizabeth and Darcy. In short: was it a good book? Yes, it was. I enjoyed reading it very much, I just think it to be a bit overrated as far as vampire books go and the ending was very quick, too easy, and anti-climactic.