Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk Blog Tour

Today is my turn on the blog tour for "Will Haunt You" by author Brian Kirk, I am closing the tour. If you have missed the previous stops please check them out, we all offer different content.

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk
• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: FLAME TREE PRESS; New edition edition (14 Mar. 2019)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1787581373
• ISBN-13: 978-1787581371

• Buy Link from Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/Will-Haunt-Fiction-WithoutFrontiers/dp/1787581373/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1551890615&sr=1- 1&keywords=will+haunt+you




BLURB: You don’t read the book. It reads you. Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the dark corners of the deep web. A disturbing tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror. Jesse Wheeler―former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead―was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. It takes more than some urban legend to frighten him. Hell, reality is scary enough. Seven years ago his greatest responsibility was the nightly guitar solo. Then one night when Jesse was blackout drunk, he accidentally injured his son, leaving him permanently disabled. Dreams of being a rock star died when he destroyed his son's future. Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to stay clean. But Jesse is wrong. The legend is real―and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on his fears and resurrect the ghosts from his past. Jesse is not the only one in danger, however. By reading the book, you have volunteered to participate in the author’s deadly game, with every page drawing you closer to your own personalized nightmare. The real horror doesn’t begin until you reach the end. That’s when the evil comes for you.





ABOUT THE PUBLISHER: FLAME TREE PRESS is the new fiction imprint of Flame Tree Publishing. Launching in 2018 the list brings together brilliant new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices. http://www.flametreepublishing.com/





ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brian Kirk is an author of dark thrillers and psychological suspense. His debut novel, We Are Monsters, was released in July 2015 and was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a First Novel. His short fiction has been published in many notable magazines and anthologies. Most recently, Gutted: Beautiful Horror Stories and Behold! Oddities, Curiosities and Undefinable Wonders, where his work appears alongside multiple New York Times bestselling authors, and received an honorable mention in Ellen Datlow’s Best Horror of the Year compilation. During the day, Brian works as a freelance marketing and creative consultant. His experience working on large, integrated advertising campaigns for international companies has helped him build an effective author platform, and makes him a strong marketing ally for his publishing partners. In addition, Brian has an eye for emerging media trends and an ability to integrate storytelling into new technologies and platforms. While he’s worked to make this bio sound as impressive as possible, he’s actually a rather humble guy who believes in hard work and big dreams. Feel free to connect with him through one of the following channels. Don’t worry, he only kills his characters.


Twitter : @Brian_Kirk
Website : http://www.briankirkblog.com/


For my stop I have my review for the book, enjoy.

Will Haunt You by Brian Kirk
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - In and out over 4 days

Pages - 288

Publisher - Flame Tree Press

Source - Review Copy

Blurb from Goodreads

You don't read the book. It reads you.

Rumors of a deadly book have been floating around the dark corners of the deep web. A disturbing tale about a mysterious figure who preys on those who read the book and subjects them to a world of personalized terror. Jesse Wheeler--former guitarist of the heavy metal group The Rising Dead--was quick to discount the ominous folklore associated with the book. It takes more than some urban legend to frighten him. Hell, reality is scary enough. Seven years ago his greatest responsibility was the nightly guitar solo. Then one night when Jesse was blackout drunk, he accidentally injured his son, leaving him permanently disabled. Dreams of being a rock star died when he destroyed his son's future. Now he cuts radio jingles and fights to stay clean. But Jesse is wrong.

The legend is real--and tonight he will become the protagonist in an elaborate scheme specifically tailored to prey on his fears and resurrect the ghosts from his past. Jesse is not the only one in danger, however.

By reading the book, you have volunteered to participate in the author's deadly game, with every page drawing you closer to your own personalized nightmare.

The real horror doesn't begin until you reach the end. That's when the evil comes for you.



My review

I need to point out this book has "a prequel" if you like but it is in website format, if I hadn't agree to the tour and read this I would have went out and bought it right away. Check it out before going any further, be warned though it will freak you out it is so well done! http://briankirkblog.com/obsideo-the-...

Jesse Wheeler is tee total and the lead guitarist in a old rock band reuniting for one night and then they all disappeared. Before it Jesse had read a book, the book you are now familiar with if you clicked the link above, if not check it out, seriously. This is what happened, this is the story and warning of the book he read, the story you are now reading, you have been warned.

So the concept for this book is pretty original, I read A LOT of horror and weird books and this was a first for me. Jesse is the main character and not very likable at times, he is tee total for a reason and as you read you will get some background on him, his son, his other half and why he is being tormented. It is without a doubt one of the most trippy, weird and at times freaky books I have came across. Jesse is the narrator and I got lost in some of what was happening, I think this was to add an authentic feel to what he is experiencing and taking the reader along with him.

The book gave me echos of the movie Cabin in the Woods as I felt like that when I watched that, not always knowing what was going on, weirded out, creeped out and having so many questions. Add in a flash feel of The Matrix combined with the very old school "invaders" type movies it is a whole bowl of unique weirdness that will have the hair on the back of your neck standing up. The dialogue is a bit spacey too but again I think that is to give the reader a chance to absorb exactly what Jesse is going through and he is warning the reader as you go the peril you are in by reading his story. I think this is going to be a marmite book, some folk are going to just get it and devour it whilst others may struggle to appreciate what the author has created. Certainly a new angle at spooky horror and I can't wait to hear what you guys thought of it, 3/5 for me this time. This was my first dance with this author, I will keep a wee eye out for his other creations.

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Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz

Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - 3 days

Pages - 752

Publisher - Bantam

Source - Bought in America

Blurb from Goodreads


The girl who said no to death.

Bibi Blair is a fierce, funny, dauntless young woman—whose doctor says she has one year to live.

She replies, “We’ll see.”

Her sudden recovery astonishes medical science.

An enigmatic woman convinces Bibi that she escaped death so that she can save someone else. Someone named Ashley Bell.

But save her from what, from whom? And who is Ashley Bell? Where is she?

Bibi’s obsession with finding Ashley sends her on the run from threats both mystical and worldly, including a rich and charismatic cult leader with terrifying ambitions.

Here is an eloquent, riveting, brilliantly paced story with an exhilarating heroine and a twisting, ingenious plot filled with staggering surprises. Ashley Bell is a new milestone in literary suspense from the long-acclaimed master.

My Review

Bibi is a writer and doing pretty well for being in her early twenty's. When she is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer it kicks off a chain of events that changes not only her life but for that of everyone around her. Who is Ashley Bell, why is she so special and how will Bibi find and save her before it is too late?

The book, for me, broke into different sections, the pre and diagnosis and then everything that kicked off after it. Dealing in the occult Bibi opens herself up to supernatural but she needs answers and when the unlikely happens Bibi knows her life is now about Ashley and keeping ahead of "the bad guys".

The book covers so many themes, Bibi's boyfriend is a soldier and we flip through chapters with him undercover and no idea what is going on with Bibi. The others who are threatening of Bibi, the journey to finding Ashley and who are the killers chasing Bibi that will stop at nothing to get her.

The book got a bit confusing at points for me, then would become clear then something else would be started or said and I wasn't sure where it was going. Certainly an interesting story with different tangents and supernatural spookiness, murder, family and health issues. I do like Koontz but think maybe if I got the thinner version maybe I would have enjoyed it more as some parts, to me, just seemed to have little to no bearing on the actual tale. I will read this author again but this isn't my favourite of his to be honest, 3/5 for me this time.

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IT by Stephen King

It by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - dipped in and out over 6 days

Pages - 912

Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton

Blurb from Amazon

To the children, the town was their whole world. To the adults, knowing better, Derry Maine was just their home town: familiar, well-ordered for the most part. A good place to live.

It is the children who see - and feel - what makes the small town of Derry so horribly different. In the storm drains, in the sewers, IT lurks, taking on the shape of every nightmare, each one's deepest dread. Sometimes IT reaches up, seizing, tearing, killing . . .

Time passes and the children grow up, move away and forget. Until they are called back, once more to confront IT as IT stirs and coils in the sullen depths of their memories, reaching up again to make their past nightmares a terrible present reality.


My Review

This is a re read for me, I read it as a kid (yes I had no place reading such a book at a young age but it began my love of reading and horror), re read it seven years ago and again in prep for the new movie. There is a killer in Derry Main, supernatural and targeting kids, killing them in vicious and terrifying ways. With the killing of young Georgie it kicks starts something IT (the monster) could never have foreseen. Georgie's brother Bill and his friends go on a journey of terror and with a beautiful childlike innocence to confront IT and make a pact for the future, if IT comes back they will too.

The book is split over two timelines, back in the 50s when it all first happens and in the 80s (present day) where the group are now adults and called upon from their pact they made when kids. The killer takes the form of many, Pennywise the clown being one of the most that we readers and fans of the movie know best. But IT has many forms and has gone unchallenged for a long long time. Bill, Ben, Eddie, Bev, Stan, Mike & Ritchie are brought together in friendship and fear to form the Losers Club, they are uniting against the local thug and unknowingly IT. A tale that covers so so much, yes it is a horror and yes there are some claustrophobic gut churning moments of absolute terror but there is also so much more. Friendship, loyalty, innocence, love, racism, marriage, violence, abuse, supernatural and that is just scratching the surface. I loved this book as a kid although I was caught up in the horror side of it. As an adult the other themes really stand out, the racism is horrific and really strong through a huge portion of the book.

I only got to read this in snippets as I have had work and other things on, but I found myself sitting at 3am not realizing how many hours had passed as you just get absorbed into the story. I know some folk have mixed views on how the book turns and wraps up, I think because this was pretty much one of the first books I ever read it will always have that power for me. Clowns are particularly frightening for so many folk, I never had issues with them but Pennywise is indeed something else. I have this book in hardback and ebook and it is absolutely a keeper for me, master King has long been one of my favourite authors and I still have a few of his I haven't gotten to yet. 5/5 for me this time, absolutely not for the faint hearted of easily offended and it is a huge book at almost 1000 pages, if you like King or horror I think you will love this one!

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Nothing Is Strange by Mike Russell

Nothing Is Strange by Mike Russell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Time taken to read - less than 1 hour

Pages - 146

Publisher - StrangeBooks

Blurb from Goodreads


20 mind-expanding short stories.
Inspiring, liberating, otherworldly, magical, surreal, bizarre, funny, disturbing, unique... all of these words have been used to describe the stories of Mike Russell so put on your top hat, open your third eye and enjoy: Nothing Is Strange



My Review

I could have read this in twenty minutes, but for the fact pretty much after each story I sat and pondered what I had just read. Bizarre, different, strange to say the least, certainly thought provoking. After reading them I wondered did the author have other levels to the stories to provoke thought, or was I reading the stories of someone under the influence? You know sometimes when you read, say Irvine Welsh or the like and you just think what did I just read there and even go over it again? Kind of like that.

Sometimes with short stories I will try and do a wee bit of commentary on each, however they are so short and few pages, not to mention bizarre I don't feel I can here. Some definitely highlight morality I would say, how choices and actions have consequences that we then must live with. Some are just bat crazy and even after going over them twice I genuinely don't know what to say or think about them. There is small content of sex, love, relationships, a wee bit of swearing and a whole mixed bag of crazy, you can dip in and out of the book as the stories are so short. I have never read this author before but I would read him again, would be interesting to see a novel and longer narration rather than just short sharp bites from him. If you like a book that is a bit trippy, mind bending and throws you a wee bit then this is absolutely the book for you, 3/5 for me this time.

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