Book
details:
Title:
Four Rubbings, The Stone Witch Society Book 1
Author:
Jennifer L. Hotes
Genre:
young adult gothic thriller
Publisher:
Booktrope Publishing
Synopsis:
Halloween.
The night the barrier
between the dead and the living is as thin as muslin. Fourteen-year old Josie,
haunted by the death of her mother, leads her best friends to an ancient
cemetery to rub graves. Convinced she will come away with proof of her mother’s
spirit at last, the evening takes an unexpected turn as the teens gravitate
four ways into the haunted grounds.
Set against the
backdrop of the rainy Pacific Northwest, four graves will be rubbed, touching
off a series of events that will rattle their once mundane lives. From the
lonely World War II hero to an accused witch, the people buried beneath the
stones have stories that need an ending.
The journey to unravel
the mysteries leaves the friends wondering if the graves would’ve been better
off left alone.
Book
links:
About
the author:
Encouraged by her mother-in-law, Elizabeth A.
Hotes, who told her to create something and share it with others, Jennifer
writes and illustrates to keep her memory alive.
To date, Jennifer’s favorite medium is pen and
ink, but she also loves to paint a wall or canvas.
Her works have been featured at benefit art
auctions, adorned the walls of public spaces, graced homes and enhanced
books with vibrant covers and internal illustrations.
Four Rubbings is Jennifer’s first novel,
though she’s busy writing the second book in the Stone Witch Series presently.
Four Rubbings is great for readers that enjoyed the Harry Potter series, and
has been a fun book club pick across the country. The author loves Skyping into
book clubs, so email her and ask – she may just surprise you with a cyber-visit!
Social
Media links:
Website:
http://www.jenniferlhotes.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JenniferLHotes
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/JenniferLHotes
Ghost Story, Peter Straub. It’s the story of four old men that
have gotten away with murder, but the past is about to catch up with them in
Technicolor. I devoured this book in high school. Unfortunately, my bedroom was
in the basement of a low rambler and the closest bathroom was a cold, dark
hallway and long staircase away. The
combination made for a few torturous nights of reading!
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey. The story of a newly-admitted mental patient
and a domineering nurse. It chronicles a system that professes to cure people,
when the results of being institutionalized crush the spirit of the protagonist
and shatter his life. Though our modern mental health system has problems, this
novel shows us keenly how far we have come. It is an uncomfortable read with an
unforgettable result. This may be the reason I wouldn’t leave my undergraduate
studies without earning a degree in psychology.
The Scarecrow, Michael Connelly. Crime-writer,
Michael Connelly is at his best in this riveting novel. A soon-to-be unemployed
newspaper reporter is looking into the story of a teen murderer only to find he
didn’t commit the crime. The reporter digs into the case to find a serial
killer is at work. This novel is well-written, filled with plot twists and
finger-tingling anticipation.
Pet Sematary, Stephen King.
No list of terrifying books would be complete without an entry from the
King of Horror himself, Stephen King. In his opening chapters of Pet Sematary, we come to know a young
family; wife, doctor and kids, as they set up their new life in a small town.
When the family pet dies, a neighbor takes them to the quaint pet cemetery to
bury their loved one. But, it’s the place past the brambles that ultimately
lures the family in. King is the professor of storytelling and this is his
dissertation.
The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood. This novel is a different
kind of scary – in the realm of, “What if this actually happened?” As a woman,
the whole concept of a dystopian society where females are only valued for
bearing children and no longer allowed to learn to read, is chilling. Atwood’s
novel is a call to action. Be aware of efforts to strip away the rights of
people, especially women, defend those rights, and raise thinking, financially
independent women.
The Lovely Bones, Alice Sebold. So, I picked up this book soon
after giving birth to my first child. It opens with the rape and murder of a
teen. Sebold doesn’t leave us there though, she shows us the people left
behind, the subsequent murder investigation and all through the eyes of the
victim. It is awful and tender and beautiful and ugly. An excellent read,
overall, but not for the thin-skinned.
A Chorus of Wolves, Alex Kimmell. Short stories? They’re too
short to get me really scared! Yeah, right. Kimmell’s collection holds
something for every fan of the horror genre. He paints a happy picture of
domestic life, then warps the canvas with delicious twists and
can’t-look-away-horrors. I slept with the lights on after reading this book!
The Bad Beginning, (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1), Lemony
Snicket – Yes, admittedly, this is a middle-grade book, I was invested in
the fate of the Baudelaire orphans from the first chapter when they stand on a
beach and learn of their parents’ demise. Cheeky, savory, awful and horrible; I
loved every book of this series. Like the Bugs
Bunny cartoons of old, this book is not just for kids.
Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, Ransom Riggs. The
black and white pictures that accompany each chapter are disturbing and were
allegedly found in author, Riggs’ attic. The photos introduce the cast of
characters in this story of a boy that runs away from his life and smack dab
into the arms of a complicated family heritage. He ultimately finds his place
in this new truth. The book, photos, and character are haunting and the story
kept me turning the pages long after bedtime.
The Shining, Stephen King. A grand, historic hotel perches in a
remote mountain range. A family is hired to take care of the property during
the off-season; the brutal months when nature sends an unrelenting amount of
ice and snow. Alone, removed from the world – except for a crude radio, the
family disintegrates into madness, left to fend off the ghosts of the property
with only half their wits. This is must-read material for those of you that
wish to write this genre. King’s storytelling builds in tiny, terrifying blocks
until the entire tale crashes down in a shocking show.
This is a great collection of scary books, Jennifer! Cool post :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to read Four Rubbings! Congratulations Jennifer!
ReplyDeleteThe scariest book I've ever read was The Exorcist - I had nightmares for weeks.
ReplyDelete