SHOCKAHOLIC by Carrie Fisher

Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While going through my Kindle books this afternoon, this one caught my eye. Then I started reading, and kept going until I reached the end.

Carrie Fisher never fails to capture my attention. She was quite the storyteller. She had such an eventful, and sometimes hard life, but it's impossible not to listen when she talks. Her words are like a spell that captivates the reader. So much that sometimes you forget you're actually reading about someone's real life.

In this book, she talks very honestly about her decision to have ECT to help cure her depression and soften her erratic thoughts. It was fascinating to read about what it involves and the side effect of memory loss. I was also shocked (pardon the pun!) to find out she had this procedure done quite a few times.

I enjoyed how easily she flowed from one thing to another. Nothing is off limits: her parents, step-parents, her drug use, the friendships that hurt the most, her daughter, her connection to Michael Jackson, Star Wars, being a celebrity, her weight... everything and anything.

It's entertaining, hopeful, and sad as well. She was a deeply troubled person who struggled with a lot, but she was also hopeful and interesting. Engaging, cared about people. She was larger than life, and absolutely hilarious.

This is the second Carrie Fisher book I've read but it won't be the last.


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MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS is now available!!

 Happy Release Day to my debut short story collection!

Yay. ☺️🎉

I'd like to thank Cemetery Gates Media for taking a chance on my first collection. Also for publishing and putting together such a lovely book. The end result is amazing! I'm SO excited and proud of this book.

Also, check out the beautiful cover, made by Luke Spooner/Carrion House, which captures the essence and melancholy vibes packed into these pages.

A dark gathering of 17 melancholy horror tales where mothers, lovers, friends and monsters intersect with disastrous and tragic consequences.

1. ALL MY PRETTIES

2. LOST IN TIME

3. GOLDSMITH’S ODDITY 

4. CLARA’S PHONE

5. SOMEWHERE TO BELONG

6. OTHER SIDE OF ME 

7. THE GIRLS DEVOURED BY THE WOODS 

8. SHORELINE

9. THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT 

10. OF YOU, THE END 

11. A PORTRAIT OF DEATH 

12. FADE INTO NIGHTMARE 

13. LADY OF THE HOUSE 

14. SLIPPING INTO 

15. ALLURE

16. STALKING THE SHADOWS 

17. FINDING SURVIVAL 

You can grab a copy right now:

Kindle | Paperback

ADD TO GOODREADS

This collection includes stories that have been with me for many years. Some were previously published, others are new to the world, but all of them have been through several evolutions.

I really hope you'll give these tales a go.

Thanks for reading!

CATS LIKE CREAM by Renee Miller

Cats Like Cream by Renee Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was going through my Paperwhite today and randomly opened this book. Before I knew it, I was 25% in, so I kept going.

Elwin is a realtor and he has a bad habit of watching people as they go about their lives via hidden cameras he installed in their houses. But watching isn't enough sometimes and when he touches, things fall apart very quickly...

OMFG. This book is in the POV of a despicable and very gross man. A serial killer who likes to watch from afar. He also enjoys the taste of hair a little too much. I pretty much hated him the moment he appears on the first page, as he goes about his murderous ways, and all the way to that bittersweet ending.

He's one fucked-up individual.

Yet, as much as I hated this asshole, I also couldn't stop reading his story because this disturbing book hooked me in and everything moved at a good pace. I ended up reading this novella in one sitting.

I really liked the storytelling style too, and how brutal it is. No sugarcoating here.


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WITCHCRAFT FOR WAYWARD GIRLS by Grady Hendrix

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I always look forward to reading the latest Grady Hendrix book. He's an auto-buy. Not just that, I also read it as soon as I get it. And his latest one is as awesome as I expected.

In Wellwood House, Florida, young pregnant girls are hidden away from their lives. Here, they spend their days cleaning and doing whatever it takes to keep their babies healthy and secret. Until it's time to have them ripped away and handed over to someone else. But in the summer of 1970, Fern arrives, and brings a witchy storm with her...

I loved everything about this book! The characters and location, the time period. All the awesome friendships these girls forge. How hard their lives are when everything they do is controlled and heavily supervised. The witchcraft that starts out so intriguing and fun but slowly reveals a corrupt heart in the centre of everything.

There are a lot of creepy scenes in this tale about girls who are made to feel like sinners who should be blamed for the situation they got themselves in, when in fact, they happen to be victims of circumstance. Of a society that takes advantage of girls and woman, then spits insults in their faces when things go wrong. And for the teenagers at Wellwood, a lot goes wrong. Putting their trust in someone who doesn't deserve it, is a mistake that drives much of the story all the way into an unimaginable darkness.

I have to mention that Hendrix did a great job with the uncertainty of pregnancy. He captured the highs and many lows. The birth scenes were graphic and portrayed the true horror of going into labour, as well as the hormonal and physical side effects.

The true horror in this book isn't the witches, although their actions certainly are, it's the real life aspects that are terrifying. What these poor girls endure from the adults who should be compassionate instead judgemental assholes. How their choices are stolen by using guilt against them, until they feel like they're garbage. It's quite sad.

I loved Fern, Zinnia, Holly and Rose. As well as Hagar and Miriam.

This is also an interesting cautionary tale about being careful that you don't become as bad as your oppressors.

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My Debut Collection...

Hey!

How are you today?

If you follow me on Bluesky, then you might have caught a glimpse of the 17 daily posts I've been adding this month. That's one for each of the stories in my upcoming debut short story collection...

MELANCHOLY DELUSIONS.

If you missed them, these are the graphics that I created for each tale:

 

And here's the 

Table of Contents:

1. ALL MY PRETTIES

2. LOST IN TIME

3. GOLDSMITH’S ODDITY

4. CLARA’S PHONE

5. SOMEWHERE TO BELONG

6. OTHER SIDE OF ME

7. THE GIRLS DEVOURED BY THE WOODS

8. SHORELINE

9. THE MAN IN THE RED SUIT

10. OF YOU, THE END

11. A PORTRAIT OF DEATH

12. FADE INTO NIGHTMARE

13. LADY OF THE HOUSE

14. SLIPPING INTO

15. ALLURE

16. STALKING THE SHADOWS

17. FINDING SURVIVAL

Plus, here's the blurb:

A dark gathering of 17 melancholy horror tales where mothers, lovers, friends and monsters intersect with disastrous and tragic consequences.

This beautiful cover was made by Luke Spooner/Carrion House and it's absolutely perfect.

I mean, look at the full paperback cover:

You can now pre-order an eBook copy, and the paperback will be available on release day, which is January 28.

A few very cool reviews have been added on Goodreads already.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll check it out!!

☺️