Getting Uncomfortably Dark with Candace Nola

 

Candace Nola is an award-winning author, editor, and reviewer. Her books include Breach, Beyond the Breach, Hank Flynn, Bishop, and Earth vs The Lava Spiders.  She has short stories in The Baker’s Dozen anthology, Secondhand Creeps, American Cannibal, and Exactly the Wrong Things with many more coming throughout 2023.

Beyond the Breach, won the “Novel of the Year” award for 2021 from the Horror Authors Guild and her Debut Novel, Breach, placed 2nd for “Debut Novel of the Year”, also for the 2021 Horror Authors Guild awards.  She is the publisher and editor of the 2022 Splatterpunk Award Winning Anthology “Uncomfortably Dark Presents: The Baker’s Dozen.”

She is the creator of UncomfortablyDark.com, which hosts her own work but focuses primarily on promoting other indie authors in the industry with weekly book reviews, interviews, and special features.  Uncomfortably Dark Horror stands behind its mission to bring you the best in horror, one uncomfortably dark page at a time! 

Candace's Links  Website  Patreon

 

 

The Tough Questions

 •    Where is your favorite place to write? Read? I write in my home library almost exclusively, but I will write on my phone if I’m on the go. For reading, I tend to read in bed or while hanging out on the couch.
•    What did you want to be when you grew up? An author. This is the only thing I have ever wanted to be.
•    What is one thing you need when you sit down to write?  Caffeine and usually cheese & crackers to snack on. 

•    What is one tip you would like to share with an aspiring author?  Just write. Tell the story that only you can.
•    Are you a pantser or plotter? Pantser.

From BOH reader Heather L.
•    Chili – beans or no beans? I like both and make both.
•    Who’s your favorite superhero and why? Blade, because he’s awesome.
•    You need to hide a body - who do you call to help you? My daughters.
•    What animal would you be and why? A unicorn.  Why not?
•    Next project (what are you currently working on)? Currently finishing Bishop 2, a mini-anthology called The Generator, and finishing the second Hank Flynn.
•    Scary movies - complete darkness or all the lights on? Total darkness, if possible.
•    Cats or dogs? Both. 
•    What inspired you to start writing? Poe
•    How old were you when you wrote your first story?  Eight or Nine.
•    What is your favorite book/story you wrote?  All of them. LOL.
•    Who is your current favorite author? Caitlin Marceau
•    What is your favorite genre? Horror, always.
•    Favorite horror movie? Original Texas Chainsaw Massacre
•    Favorite book of all time? Too many to name.
•    Cake - vanilla or chocolate? Vanilla
•    Pizza - pineapple or definitely never on a pizza?  Never pineapple. 

From BOH reader Derek T.
•    Is there a particular author that inspired you to write horror? Poe and Stephen King.
•    Are there any things required when you write?, i.e., listening to certain music? an adult beverage? complete silence? stuff like that. Silence, whenever possible. Caffeine of some type.
•    Do you read or write anything that's not horror?  I read everything. I only currently write horror or dark fiction.
•    Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island, please discuss.  It’s an enigma.
•    Dogs, cats or ferrets? Hamsters.
•    Mountains or beach? Beach.
•    What's your favorite taco? All of them.
•    Would you go to space?  Yes, when?
•    Do you eat supper or dinner?  Dinner.
•    Favorite ice cream? Raspberry dark chocolate truffle.
•    Were you a good student? Yes
•    Your favorite thing on French fries? BBQ Sauce

From BOH reader Shannon E.
•    What’s something you want to learn/ get better at? Painting
•    Why did you decide you wanted to be an author?  It’s my purpose.
•    Is there anything you don't eat? What I do eat would be a smaller list.
•    What makes you unique? My brain.
•    What’s Your Favorite Place on Earth? Any quiet beach or lake or a library that never closes.
•    Who Are the Special People in Your Life? My children.
•    If your life were a movie who would play you?  Groot.
•    What would you do if there was zombie apocalypse right now? Gear up and have at it.

Thank you Candace for stopping in!  Candace's Links  Website  Patreon

Comment on her post or any blog posts to enter this month's giveaway. Entries end June 3rd, 2023. Or you can enter by using the FORM.

NEVER PLAY FAIR - LEAH CUPPS

 

Please welcome my guest Leah Cupps. 

 

Question: What are the best and worst things about being a writer? 

The best thing about being a writing is the freedom to create any world you want. I love being able to take a story thread in a new direction. But with that freedom, comes a lot of writer’s angst. When you can write anything you want to, how do you decide? I think many writers like to stick to a specific genre because each of these categories come with certain rules to follow. As a writer, that might sound confining, however for me it really helps to organize the story that I want to tell…and still give the readers what they are looking for.

 And now, what you've been waiting for, a look at her latest release Never Play Fair. Would you look at that cover! And do not forget to enter the giveaway below.

Book details: 

Never Play Fair
by Leah Cupps
(Sydney Evans Mystery Series, #2)
Publication date: September 1st 2022
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Thriller

Synopsis:

Can Sydney find her FBI boyfriend in time, or will this gamble be here last?

Instagram Influencer Sydney Evans has seen and lived her share of photo-worthy experiences, but now, she’s found herself entangled in a situation she never saw coming.

After her FBI agent boyfriend, Alex, disappears while working a case involving a notorious Latin gangster, Vincent Estavez, the Department of Defense is forced to change tactics. Determined to bring down Estavez and the illegal online casino crime ring he’s been running by any means necessary, the FBI orchestrates an operation to infiltrate the gangster’s stronghold.

But Sydney only has one motivation for her own investigation: find Alex before he becomes collateral damage.

Desperate to locate her boyfriend in time, she flies to Costa Rica and is forced to seek help from an unlikely ally: her criminal ex-husband, Jack. He may be the last person she wants to see, but she’ll do whatever it takes to find Alex alive.

But Sydney isn’t the only one with a motivation against Vincent Estavez.

Never Play Fair is a fast-paced standalone thriller. If you like real-world issues, lavish socialite parties, and electrifying twists and turns, then you’ll love Leah Cupps’ provocative cozy mystery.

NEVER PLAY FAIR is the second book in the Sydney Evans Mystery Series and can be read as a standalone.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61952066-never-play-fair

Purchase:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3t7co5i

AUTHOR BIO:
Leah Cupps is an entrepreneur and author. She writes Middle Grade Mystery Adventure Books as well as Thriller, Mystery, Suspense for Adults.

Leah’s novels are fast-paced mysteries that will keep you up at night as you can’t wait to see what happens in the next chapter.

Leah lives in Indiana with her husband, three young children and three dogs. When she isn’t losing sleep writing her next novel or scaling her next business, she enjoys reading, golfing working out and spending time with her family.

Author links:
https://www.instagram.com/leahcuppsauthor/
https://leahcupps.com/
https://www.facebook.com/leahcuppsauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17178076.Leah_Cupps
https://leahcupps.com/newsletter

Giveaway:

- One ebook copy of Never Play Fair

Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251235186/

You can follow the rest of the tour here: https://xpressobooktours.com/2022/09/13/tour-sign-up-never-play-fair-by-leah-cupps/

Thriller/Horror/YA Author, and Wildlife Rehabber

Stopping in today on my blog is Author and Wildlife Rehabber Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD. She's here to share a giveaway to celebrate her new release Have You Seen Me?, and to tell us about rehabbing. I was excited to hear more about this topic as we watch the Northwoods Law show and see them dropping various creatures off to rehabbers, but we rarely get to see what they do.

Wildlife rehabbing

I am a licensed and certified wildlife rehabber for the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries. I’ve been one for over fifteen years, and I love it. It’s not easy. We lose many animals and spend our nights fighting to keep an injured or orphaned animal alive, but it is gratifying. Being a nurse, I’m used to the blood and squeamish things that turn many people off. My love of animals, a lifelong affair, drove me to pursue getting my wildlife rehabber license. It started years ago when a neighbor brought me an orphaned baby gray squirrel. I named her Widget McFidgett McFee. I fell in love and learned everything I could about feeding baby squirrels formula, keeping them warm, and what to do as they grew, even how to prepare them for the wild. Rehabbers do not get paid, and everything we do, we do out of love for animals. We must apply for our license annually and stay up to date on all the diseases spreading among the wildlife populations in our territory. I have rescued and rehabbed foxes, opossums, raccoons, bobcats, squirrels, rabbits, skunks, deer, otters, and flying squirrels.

With every orphaned baby I raised or injured adult I set back into the wild, I had the time of my life. I can’t count the times I have cried over losing an animal. It rips you apart, and you swear you will never do it again until you see another adorable furry face asking you for help. Rehabbing has made me a better writer by keeping me in touch with my emotions. I don’t have to go far for inspiration to understand the joy of loving something or losing a precious soul you loved. This vocation is not for everyone. It takes a lot of patience and understanding of animals to survive. My nursing background made it easier to assess and treat many animals, and even though a mammal is a mammal, the differences between our furry brethren and us can be as vast as the Grand Canyon. Since my writing career has grown, I’ve scaled back from my rehabbing. Most rehabbers do. The emotional toll becomes too hard after a time. I am fortunate that I have been able to direct my passion for animals into my writing. Will I ever give it up completely? Hell no. Despite every bite, scratch, scar, heartache, tear, smile, and laugh, my years as a rehabber have changed me. I would not be who I am without the love lessons my precious wildlife babies taught me.

Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INT)

- Signed copy of Have You Seen Me

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d04251234449/

Book details:

Have You Seen Me?

Alexandrea Weis Published by: Vesuvian Books Publication date: August 17th 2021 Genres: Horror, Thriller, Young Adult

Synopsis:

“An intriguing and atmospheric tale of murder and mayhem” ~Booklist Lindsey Gillett is missing. And she’s not the first girl at Waverly Prep to vanish without a trace. To help cope with the tragedy, new history teacher Aubrey LaRoux organizes a small student investigation team. But when the members start turning up dead across campus, Aubrey suspects there’s more going on than anyone is willing to admit. The murdered students all had something in common with Lindsey. They shared a secret. And what they uncovered could threaten the future of the historic school. At Waverly Prep, someone wants to keep the past buried—along with anyone who gets in their way. Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54578759-have-you-seen-me Website: https://vesuvianmedia.com/have-you-seen-me/ Purchase: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3AJonru B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/have-you-seen-me-alexandrea-weis/1137370777?ean=9781645480754 iBooks: https://books.apple.com/gb/book/have-you-seen-me/id1549910454 Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/have-you-seen-me-9 AUTHOR BIO: Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, PhD, is a multi-award-winning author, screenwriter, advanced practice registered nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective. Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable. A member of the Horror Writers Association and International Thriller Writers Association, Weis writes supernatural, horror, mystery, and thrillers. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans where she is a permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries and rescues orphaned and injured animals. Author links: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1211671.Alexandrea_Weis https://www.facebook.com/authoralexandreaweis http://www.alexandreaweis.com/ https://twitter.com/alexandreaweis https://www.instagram.com/alexandreaweis/ Thank you Alexandrea for stopping by. I am in awe of your many talents!

MK Farrer -- Make Them Pay Anthology

 

M K Farrer--Make Them Pay

Let the Count down begin!
I just read one of the many short stories included in this anthology.

System Failure – M.K. Farrar – When the system fails, only murder will put it right.

My quick review:
British author M K Farrer kept me turning pages until the end. A great lunch time read. The story unfolds as a man with a badge seeks vengeance for a deadly wrong that will soon be righted. Detective Ryan Chase has a plan. But will that plan land him on the other side of the bars?

Find out for yourself on Monday, March 15. Click the link below to pre-order Make Them Pay--A Thriller Anthology. You don't want to miss this.
Available in KU as well.
Make Them Pay--A Thriller Anthology

M K Farrer 

Make Them Pay: A Thriller Anthology

 Excitement is in the air.

I have this awesome thing to share with you all. There is an action thriller anthology that is coming to a kindle near you Monday, March 15, 2021! I am Honored to be included in this great round up of thriller authors. Go click the link below to pre-order Make Them Pay--A Thriller Anthology. You do not want to miss this!

Make Them Pay--A Thriller Anthology

**Available in KU, kindle and it will be in paperback soon.

When criminals cross the line, who will make them pay?

From police to vigilantes to secret government organizations, the answer awaits those who think they are beyond the reach of the law-abiding world. They make their own rules.

For that, we must make them pay!

More than twenty thriller authors bring their ‘A’ game with never-before-seen stories, different takes on justice, and maybe that’s the way we want it to be.

Loathsome Justice – M.A. Comley – The game is up!

The First Hit – Craig Martelle – They say the first is the hardest.

An Inside Job – Ian W. Sainsbury – A Bedlam Boy Story

System Failure – M.K. Farrar – When the system fails, only murder will put it right.

The Ninth Man – Jeff Shelby – A man with a reputation for being able to find anyone joins forces with a woman seeking to avenge her daughter’s death.

Cross Your Heart – G.K. Parks – Who will survive when a private investigator’s good deed places him on a collision course with a Russian gangster?

Mine – Michele PW – No good deed goes unpunished.

Rats – J.R. Pomerantz – Ravi’s rat problem is about to blow up.

The Silent One – Jack Probyn – Contract killing’s hard. Especially when the next name on your list is your father’s.

Super Something – John Hindmarsh – Penny was on a mission of revenge and retribution. Russian agents had similar objectives. She was a super recognizer; one of the Russians was the Poisoner. Penny wanted to win.

Innocence Lost – D.K. Greene – When her son goes missing, a terrified mom uncovers a horrific kidnapping scheme.

A Dance with Death – Drew Avera – How do you stop a killer when he’s one of your own?

The Last Assignment – Douglas Dorow – The last assignment for a Military Working Dog Handler and his four-legged partner is more than just another day in the field.

Getting the Wind – Stephen Couch – A man delivering meals to shut-ins finds himself, and his elderly client, caught in a drug war.

Straight Flight – Arleigh Jacobs – When a girl is kidnapped, Colt has one path: Get her back.

The Package – N Gray – All I had to do was hand over the package. What could go wrong?

Hunting Darkness – A. K. Hughey – Death waits for those who dare to stop the traffickers.

Temptress – Fallon Raynes – When local bars become the hot target for thieves, Detective Reyes is reminded that temptation comes in many forms.

Lane Departure – Tom Fowler – John Tyler thought he stumbled into a robbery. If only it were so simple…

Death and Dollars – Jonathan Shipperley – Coast Guard Special Agents Frank Dalton and Jessica Carter pick up the trail of “El Doctor,” a notorious cartel capo wanted for an attack on a U.S. Embassy, but Dalton wants him for his own reasons.

No Reason – Steve Davison – When a hostage exchange goes wrong, special field operative Louis Cane is forced to take matters into his own hands.

Sasquatch Hunting – Kes McDaniel – Stopping for snacks puts Jake Daely’s life in the hands of the mythical Sasquatch.