#ShortReadsSaturdays Spotlight of Last Request: A Victorian Gothic

Instead of reviewing a new book this Saturday I've chosen to spotlight a particular short book that I read last year that I really loved. 

This 42 page story really stuck out to me!

It is a chilling and thrilling story of dedicated niece who embarks on a dangerous journey to fulfill her uncle's last request... to be beheaded. 

Read my 5* Review for it here.

Last Request: A Victorian Gothic
by Jeff Chapman

Description off Amazon:

For the love of God, cut off my head."

The last request in Uncle Silas's will shocks everyone speechless, everyone except his favorite niece, Anna. More than death itself, the claustrophobic Silas fears a premature burial. Will her elders carry out his request? Anna is certain they will not. It's up to her to do the right thing, even if it is a bit grisly. Armed with butcher knife and candle, Anna heads for the crypt underneath the church in the dead of night. All does not proceed according to Anna's careful planning. Graves have a way of not letting go.

Last Request is a historical novella set in Victorian England with gothic sensibilities. What's more gothic than beheadings, nightmares, and a dusty crypt filled with moldering corpses? Your heroine faces plenty of suspense, terror, and horror in her quest to fulfill her uncle's wish, but there are also moments of comedy along the way. Fans of historical fiction, gothic thrillers, and Edgar Allan Poe will find something to like in Last Request.

So step inside a dark story in the tradition of the penny dreadful, at times humorous and horrifying, but don't close the door behind you. Someone might lock you in.

Categories: 19th century historical fiction, historical fiction novellas, gothic historical suspense, Victorian horror stories, gothic thrillers, Victorian thrillers.

$0.99 on Amazon or Free with KindleUnlimited

Don't have Kindle Unlimited, Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial

Please join me next Saturday I will be reading and reviewing:
HEY DOORMAN VIII:
True Tales of an Uncommon Bouncer in Los Angeles
by John P. Kildemm

#ShortReadsSaturdays

What are you reading?

To Trust a Wolf (REVIEW) #ShortReadsSaturdays

 

To Trust a Wolf

Unnatural Alliances Book 1

Author: Danielle Hardgrave
Category: Short, Supernatural, Romance, Werewolves

Suitable for: Adults Only

My Rating: 4 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy provided by the author or publisher in return for an honest review.

Pages: 76

Description: Helen is an archivist for a museum and is planning a fundraising gala featuring a collection of Viking relics that have recently been discovered in an unusual location. These relics attract the attention of a mysterious and wealthy man, Rune, who shows as much interest in Helen as the artifacts. When things go wrong at the gala Helen is caught in the middle of a supernatural battle, unsure of who she can trust.   

In Short: This is a fun, quick read that is perfect for when you need a supernatural romance fix. This short romance novelette is the first in a series about a conflict between vampires and werewolves with a human woman, whose knowledge of ancient artifacts brings her right into the action.

Pros: This is a well written story with an intriguing plot that includes mysterious artifacts and characters. The ending didn't leave me on a cliff hanger but did make me curious to see what happens next, now that the powerful relic has found new hands. I liked the characters and dialogue but at first I had a hard time getting into Helen's character. To me, she came across very stuck up when comparing her accomplishments to that of her secretary's. I wanted to tell her to get over herself, but eventually her character developed, became interesting and sympathetic. As the story progressed I saw what a hard worker she was and how stressed out it made her. I was very happy for her in the end and I really did love the conclusion of this book. 

Cons: The supernatural themes could have been more pronounced for me. Even Helen didn't seem interested in the fact that vampires or werewolves were real. Besides their interest in the artifact there were no other conflicts created by the supernatural elements of this story. That being said, I do imagine those aspects could be explored more in the sequel as the action continues. Due to the short length of the story the romance develops quickly, a tad unnaturally and lacking suspense. I think to really appreciate the love story I'll need to read more of the series and watch their love grow.

Parent's Guide: Rated for adults, swearing, violence, sex.

#ShortReadsSaturdays

In effort to find more time for reading in my currently very busy schedule I had an idea to read a short story, novella or novelette on Saturdays. I'll occasionally review short books on Saturdays and I hope you'll join me in discussing great short reads!


This book is $0.99 on Amazon or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Don't have Kindle Unlimited? Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial

Give Me Your Teeth: A Fae Tale (REVIEW)

Give Me Your Teeth: A Fae Tale

Author: Jeff Chapman

Category: Fantasy Horror Thriller Novelette

Suitable for: pre-teens and up

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy from the author

Pages: 38

Description: This story is about a 10 year old boy named Jimmy. Jimmy thought his biggest problems were the bullies until he lost a tooth and had a frightening encounter with the tooth fairy. What if the tooth fairy you knew as your loving mommy turned out to be a horrifying creature?

In Short: What makes this novel scary is not just the faerie with sharpened teeth but the helplessness of our child protagonist. If you like horror this is a fun read that is longer than your typical short story so it is packed with action but still a quick read.

This book is $0.99 on Amazon

Pros: This book is very, very well written. What you can really appreciate about Jeff Chapman's writing is that the language matches the setting and characters of a particular story. As a result you find yourself deeply immersed. It is very descriptive and includes a lot of fun and interesting details. I liked the use of the mom and her nail file and a chilling explanation for why mothers always seem to have a nail file handy. I thought this was a entertaining story and I would love to see more. I thought the description of the tooth fairy was awesome and terrifying. I felt danger for Jimmy the entire time and I loved the ending.

Cons: I have no notable issues with this book.

Parent's Guide: Pretty clean book and not too scary. Some violence in the form of children brawling. I would say it is a safe read for most adolescents.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon. 

Find more information about this book here on Amazon

Past Reviews of books by Jeff Chapman:

Full Review of Soul Thief

Full Review of Last Request: A Victorian Gothic

Last Request: A Victorian Gothic (REVIEW)

Last Request: A Victorian Gothic

Author: Jeff Chapman
Category: Horror, Novelette, Historical Fiction, Short, Gothic, Thriller

Suitable for: Teens and up.

My Rating: 5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle copy from the author

Pages: 42

Description: Silas had an extreme case of claustrophobia so naturally he was terrified of being buried alive. In his Will his Last Request was to be beheaded. Will his loving niece be up for the gruesome job? What horrors will she discover in his tomb?   

In Short: A wonderful horror short novelette that will chill you to your bones and leave you on the edge of your seat until it's satisfying conclusion. Anyone who likes a good scary story should grab this book!   

Pros: This book is incredibly well written. It is set in Victorian England and not only is the setting realistic but the language of the book is perfect for this period. It is very descriptive, Jeff Chapman has done a wonderful job surrounding you in this world so that you feel the full effect of this chilling story. It is a wonderful length. It is longer than your typical short story, so you see a lot of unique characters with detailed personalities and there are plenty of exciting plot twists to keep you guessing. I was completely glued from the start. It is just the right amount of scary and gore, nothing too overwhelming, but enough to make you feel the thrilling tension of the plot. The ending was awesome. I honestly had no idea how the story was going to turn out as I was reading it and my predictions for the end were totally wrong.

Cons: I have no issues with this book.

Parent's Guide: Some gore and horror relating to beheading and claustrophobia that may be disturbing to some readers. No swearing, no sexual content.

I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest review.

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.

Get this highly rated book on Amazon for Kindle for only $0.99

See a guest post with Jeff Chapman here where he talks about the inspiration for this and another chilling tale. 

My review of Soul Thief - another tale by Jeff Chapman. 

Jeff Chapman's Official Site - and two free exclusive e-books!

Jeff Chapman on Twitter
Jeff Chapman's Amazon Page - See all his books and even discover some freebies to sample his work!

Review of Give Me Your Teeth: A Fae Tale by Jeff Chapman

Guest Post with Jeff Chapman

Hello everyone! Today I am thrilled to welcome Jeff Chapman to the blog for a guest post. I am so psyched that he has agreed to share the inspiration for his marvelously creepy books: Last Request - A Victorian Gothic and Give Me Your Teeth - A Fae Tale 

Sometimes story ideas come to a writer fully formed--an intriguing incident paired with an exciting climax. When those kinds of ideas shoot out of your subconscious, you fall to your knees and thank the muses. More often, a writer starts with an interesting premise which grows into a story as the what if questions are answered.

Fear is a great place to start for any story idea. If being buried in a cramped box under six feet of dirt doesn't terrify you, nothing will. In the nineteenth century, before embalming became common practice and medical science could distinguish between a dead patient and a comatose one, a premature burial was not out of the question. The theme looms large in several of Edgar Allan Poe's stories, including "The Premature Burial" and "The Fall of the House of Usher." If a character fears a premature burial, how will that character make certain their death? I figure beheading removes all doubt. Combining my love of Gothic literature with the beheading premise, I built the story for Last Request, adding a plucky, though naive, heroine and a very odd sextant.

You won't find many Tooth Fairy stories on Amazon. The poor fairy doesn't receive much serious attention as a fantasy character. Everyone learns the Tooth Fairy is really their mother or father and all those little teeth find a resting place in the bottom of the trash. It's sad many people treat the Tooth Fairy as a joke because I see a lot of potential. What would happen if we reverse the joke. What if someone's mother really is a Tooth Fairy? And what if the Tooth Fairy keeps all those teeth where teeth belong? Give Me Your Teeth builds on those questions and explores a mother's unique solution to combating a bully terrorizing her son. You should never cross a fae where its children are concerned.

Special thanks to O. D. Book Reviews for the guest posting opportunity and for featuring two of my titles in this month's giveaway. 

                               

Thank you for joining us on the blog today, Jeff Chapman. What shocking and creative inspirations! If you guys found that as interesting as I did good news, you can buy these books for just $0.99 on Amazon. Or if you have Kindle Unlimited they are free! You can even win these books in this contest until May 31st. 

You can get a free Book from Jeff Chapman's official website by signing up for the mailing list.

Twitter

Facebook

Quick Amazon affiliate links to purchase them for $0.99 each on Amazon:




Review of Last Request: A Victorian Gothic
Review of Give Me Your Teeth: A Fae Tale
Review of Soul Thief

Soul Thief (REVIEW)

Soul Thief

Author:  Jeff Chapman
Category: Horror Short Story

Suitable for: Teens+

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Format Read for Review: Kindle

Pages: 22

Description: This is a short story about a monster that steals souls. One unfortunate night while James is alone it comes for him...

In Short: This novelette is free on amazon. There is not a lot I can say about this book without giving away spoilers, so I will keep this review brief. Overall it is a very creepy tale and a great book for anyone looking for a scary short story.      

Pros: Very well written book. It is very descriptive and creates a clear mental picture for you at all times. The character development is surprisingly good considering it is only 22 pages. You get a clear image of the protagonist, James and why this particular unfortunate event is happening to him, and there is also a change in the relationship of the siblings as the story goes on, which is just really good writing. Even though the main story is about James who is being attacked by a monster, I felt the heart of the story is the strong theme of 'family'. Overall great, fun read. Short and fast story that created feelings of fear, suspense and anticipation.

Cons: I don't have any notable issues with this book.

Parent's Guide: Some violence.  

This novelette is free on Amazon.

Here is another free book by Jeff Chapman on Amazon: Sixpence and Rye and a Snake in a Pie

If you go to his official website you can get another one of his books for free!

We are also doing a giveaway contest where you could win 2 of his books, and other great prizes. Click here.