EXCERPT
and REVIEW
Evil Imminent
by Maryann
Weston
Evil Imminent is currently on tour with Enchanted Book Promotions. It is ON SALE for only $0.99 to 5 January. The tour stops here
today for an excerpt and my review. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
A horror/paranormal anthology that lures, grips and exhilarates, leaving
the reader demanding more.
"Normal" will never be the same after reading Evil Imminent.
In Maryann Weston’s exciting new anthology, mundane becomes
extraordinary.
·
Nate is unable to cast off his past;
·
Gabby is devastated by grief;
·
Sal will do whatever it takes;
·
Sybilla’s arrogance leads her to a deadly risk;
·
Dutton’s yearnings become an obsession;
·
Bella is consumed by her disrespect for culture;
·
Michael searches for redemption.
Unresolved dysfunction can have terrifying consequences.
Excerpt from
"On the Edge of Darkness"
She looked for Dan, but inexplicably,
only the endless plains of red dirt and scrub met her eyes.
“It can’t be,” she thought. “I left
Dan and the car on the other side of the trees. Calm yourself Bella. You are
hallucinating.”
She turned in the opposite direction
and empty plains stretched to the horizon. She started to panic. “Dan,” she
called, softly at first and then “Dan,”
as she realised what she saw and felt, could not be real. At that moment a
deep, thunderous beat began. It was neither coming from below the ground, nor
above. It just ‘was’. She spun around, 360 degrees, searching for a landmark
she knew; searching for Dan. The thumping became louder and the horizon
shimmered. Bella was conscious of the sun beating down on her. All at once the
wide brown land seemed to close in. The sweat ran in rivulets down her cheeks
and neck. She swallowed. The noise increased and she felt the earth vibrate
under feet. Her throat was dry with panic; she tried to yell again for Dan but
her voice was a whisper. What was happening to her and, more importantly, why?
She was on the verge of screaming when
she heard a horn blast. She shook her head and the heavy thumping stopped. She
blinked the sweat away from her eyes and saw the blue duco of the car. “Dan,”
she cried. “Dan.”
She slumped to the ground, eyes fixed
on the red flannel material of his shirt as it came closer. It was all she
could do to stop the nausea that was rising in her chest.
“Bella,” he yelled. “Where have you
been?”
“I’m here,” she cried. “Just here.”
He pulled her to her feet and hugged
her. “Don’t ever wander off like that again. You were gone for a good hour.”
My Review
By Lynda Dickson
This is a collection of seven short stories set in Great Britain and
Australia. The author sets the scene in a short introduction.
In "Monsters in the Mist", Nate Phillips is a grown man who has
been under the thumb of his controlling mother far too long. Nate's childhood
fears resurface when the bodies of three young children are found on his work
site. Then he finally gets up the courage to do something about his situation after
being visited by a ghostly presence in the mist.
In "The Bonding", Sally Meekham buys an old mansion that is
thought to be haunted. It turns out she has signed up for much more than she
has bargained for.
In "Love Outlasted" Gabby Allman's husband Levi is missing,
presumed dead. Twelve months later, Gabby decides to pursue their dream of
buying a home in the country. Will Levi ever return to her?
In "Dark Star", Dutton Forrest is a Trekkie who believes in
dark stars and aliens. All he wants is evidence to prove their existence to the
other members of the Star Trek Foundation. Will he get his wish?
In "Trinity of Terror", Sybilla is a ghost hunter on the trail
of Marcus Mason, an evil spirit. But what happens when the hunter becomes the hunted?
In "On the Edge of Darkness", Bella visits the Australian
Outback with her boyfriend Dan and encounters some strange phenomena.
In "From the Book of Redemption", Michael is part of the Merman
society where it is forbidden to feel and where the Killing of the land
dwellers is a regular occurrence. Michael wants to escape this life and be free
to be himself. Will he ever find happiness?
These seven stories share the common themes of alienation, loneliness, ghostly
presences, and the loss of a parent at an early age. The author very skillfully
gives us only as much information as is necessary, forcing us to use our
imaginations and come to our own conclusions.
Be warned, this is a grim collection. No happily-ever-afters here.
About the Author
Maryann Weston is a professional writer and communicator, working in
private enterprise and for government. She lives in the rural town of Goulburn,
Australia.
She has been writing all her life across many mediums and for many
purposes.
Maryann has written for newspapers including feature, news and legal
stories, and for government, niche magazines, websites and social media
campaigns. She has developed, led and implemented countless public relations strategies
for corporate and government clients, including for major national events.
She has successfully edited newspapers and magazines and online
publications.
For the past 25 years Maryann has put words together in various ways, for
a diverse audience and a variety of reasons, through her professional work and as
an author. She has published three books: Belonging Places, Shadowscape,
and Dawn of the Shadowcasters. Evil Imminent is her first collection of horror and paranormal
short stories.
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