Mute and Years Have Won Awards!

Hi all,

This week I’m writing about the 2023 Author Shout Reader Ready Awards. I entered both Years and Mute in around June last year and pushed it to the back of my mind until November. I received an email stating that both books had made through the first stage so I was pretty excited to see if they would place anywhere. Then I finally got the emails with the results…

Both of them won ‘Recommended Read’ awards!

I don’t enter my books in many awards as there are quite a few that are scams. They prey on writers who want to be an ‘award-winning’ author. A lot of these charge extortionate fees which then don’t end up going towards the prize pool. I always do my research before entering any awards. Usually Googling an award can show up with several results from other authors about their experiences. Another part that I came across that disappointed me is the amount of awards that won’t touch self-published books.

I entered Elemental Dragons #1: Blood and Water in the 2020 Reader Ready Awards so I knew that I could trust Author Shout. I just thought that I’d enter Mute and Years just to see how they would get on, I didn’t expect them to place in the second category!

I will be entering my books in more awards in the future but for now I’m going to take a break and focus on my writing. There are plenty of awards out there, after all! Maybe I’ll enter Celestial Plague #1: Nirvana in an award of some sort later in the year, when I have more books out in that series.

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading. Next week I’m going to unveil a new piece of merchandise that I hope you will be excited to see! See you next week.

PS; don’t forget to check out these book bundles while they’re still available:

Mid-Christmas Horror Giveaway

New Year, New Monsters 3: From the Darkness

The Children of Purgatory

Hi all!

This week I have decided to talk about the Children of Purgatory, the mysterious group in Mute who have a vast knowledge of wendigos and are able to catch them and release them into the world. I did release a few facts in the Mute Advent Calendar, but I thought I would expand on them a bit more for those who are curious!

As stated in one of my daily facts, they were created in 1908. Several small towns across the United Kingdom were suffering from animal attacks. First it was livestock and general wildlife that would be found in forests torn to shreds. Then, people started going missing. Their bodies never showed up however, and although those still alive took more precautions the amount of people that disappeared without a trace increased each day. Hunters flocked to these areas in an attempt to hunt whatever beast was causing all the destruction, but they too would disappear after a few days.

One man, Hubert Ward, was a prolific hunter in his youth but had to lessen his hunting trips due to ill health. However, he had been reading about the incidents with great interest. Every disappearance made him more interested in the hunt, especially when townspeople started calling out for 'monster hunters' to help with their issue. He eventually persuaded his two sons, Jack and Robert, to go with him to the nearest town. He told them he only wanted to inspect the tracks and talk to the townspeople and not participate in the hunt itself.

So, they travelled and were met with solemn faces and distraught townspeople. That night three men and two women had gone missing, seemingly snatched right out of their beds. Each house was left a mess, with possessions being upturned and blood all over the floors and walls. Many had heard the screams during the night, but they were too afraid to offer any assistance. Hubert visited each house and made notes of what he found in each one. They all had the same pattern: claw marks all over the walls and floors, a blood trailing leading towards the door and to the trees not far off. But no bodies. He assumed that whatever was attacking the townspeople was dragging the bodies back to its lair, but the tracks didn't match this.

Both him and his sons decided to spend the night in the town, and set a trap outside the inn they were staying at. That night a couple went missing and their trap was untouched. Robert was starting to lose his nerve at this point and tried to convince his father and brother to return home, but they dismissed him. They were both fascinated by the mystery at this point and wanted to join the hunt.

Hubert noticed that the creature mostly attacked at night and decided to conduct his hunt then. Visibility would be poor, but he hoped that setting a trap might enable him to catch the beast once and for all. He and his sons dug out a pit in the forest and covered it with a net which was then hidden by leaves. Not wanting either of his sons to come to harm, he decided to use a dead cow as bait for the creature. All three of them crouched in the bushes and waited for hours. They shivered in the cold but didn't dare move too much just in case it alerted the creature.

Once the sun started to peak over the horizon, they gave up. Jack was the first to move to dismantle the trap, when the creature struck. Hubert described the creature in his notes as being: "a hideously disfigured man with unnaturally pale skin" with "sharp talons on each finger that could slice through bone with ease". Hubert doesn't elaborate on his son's attack, but they are able to get him back to the town with grave injuries. The townspeople had never seen a survivor of the beast before and crowded around all three of them as they tried to find help. Eventually they find a doctor who is willing to take a look at Jack.

As the day goes on his son's condition worsens and Robert again tries to convince his father to abandon the hunt. Hubert refuses, blinded by rage. Jack doesn't succumb to his injuries and instead starts to change, which Hubert notes as if: "a demon had entered him and changed him beyond recognition". What happens next is not documented well, as many of the pages are torn or damaged. From what the Children of Purgatory pieced together Jack transformed and attacked the townspeople. The missing townspeople, most of whom were transformed into wendigos, also descend on the town in a massacre. Hubert, Robert and the surviving townspeople, including the doctor who treated Jack, burned the town to the ground. This was successful, as he noted: "so many charred remains" of the wendigos.

He, Robert and the doctor, William, returned to Hubert's home and started writing up their findings. With the events in town and his poor health, Hubert's health declined quickly. However, his surviving son continued to read about the beast in other areas across the country. William suggested capturing the creatures and keeping them hidden somewhere so they could not terrorise people again. But Hubert argued: "these souls cannot pass on, if we stop them they will be suffering for all eternity" and "what happened to those we killed? Do they get to see the gates of Heaven or are they forever trapped in a grotesque form?". Instead, he elected to capture them and release them on those who "committed grave sins".

The three of them created the Children of Purgatory but Hubert unfortunately passed a few months later due to his ill health. Robert and William kept to their word and discovered ways of catching the wendigo. By this point however word had spread that the creatures could be killed with fire. So, they only managed to capture five from the remaining towns. As they travelled they recruited more members and studied the wendigos where they discovered their weakness to silver. So, each member always kept a piece of silver on them in case of an attack. Over the decades the Children of Purgatory kept to Hubert's word of only releasing wendigo on those who committed sin. But in Mute, that has all changed thanks to new leadership...

That's it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading! See you next week!

PS; looking for some new books to read in 2022? Check out the ones in these bundles:

New Year, New Worlds SF/F Giveaway

New Year, New Monsters 2: From the Ashes

Unlimited Reading

Mute Virtual Advent Calendar

Hi all!

If you weren’t here last year, I made an Elemental Dragons Virtual Advent Calendar on my Facebook page. 24 facts - all about different dragon species in the Elemental Dragons universe, This year I thought I’d do the same thing for Mute! Each day I’ll be posting a fact about the following:

Wendigo

Guardians

Children of Purgatory

Each topic will get eight days each.

As with last year - I’m doing another giveaway for day 25, Christmas Day! One of the following ebook versions will be won:

Blood and Water

Venom and Earth

Glass and Ice

Cinder and Fire

Mute

Years - eligible to claim on release day in April 2022

If you would like a chance at winning one of my ebooks, please read the rules below and go to my Facebook page: Jessica Turnbull Author.

If you’re unsure what to look out for, here is yesterday’s post:

The giveaway closes December 24th - when the last fact has been posted. Make sure to keep an eye out December 25th for the winner! Here is my Facebook page again: Jessica Turnbull Author.

That’s it for this week, if you decide to enter - good luck! See you next week!

PS; looking for a good book to snuggle up with in the cold? Check out the ones in this bundle:

Magical Winter - Fantasy in Kindle Unlimited

Famished - Excerpt

Hi all!

This week I thought I’d share a short excerpt from one of my reader magnets - Famished. This is the prequel story to Mute, and is completely free to download when you sign up to my mailing list.

You can sign up here: Famished

All it knows is this relentless hunger. It can't remember the last time it ate, but its stomach is telling it that it never has. It paces back and forth in its cage, its flat nostrils flaring. It knows that food is out there, it just needs to find it. 

***

Violetta can't help but stare at the screen in fascination. The creature prowls around its metal cage like a cat, stopping every so often to look at the camera. Every time it does, she feels like it's looking into her very soul. 

"Violetta. You're needed in interrogation." A voice crackles over the intercom. 

For a moment she's tempted to ignore it. They don't have to know that she's in here, watching the specimen. But, if she doesn't, she'll never get trusted with her own mission. 

Then she could see the creature in action. 

With a sigh she stands up with a stretch, pushing her chair back underneath the table. The creature pauses to look at the camera once more, and it sends a shiver down her spine. 

Does it really know what she's doing? 

Pushing that thought aside she exits the dull grey room into the hallway. Here things are a bit brighter, the walls have been adorned with colourful paintings. Some depict the creature hunting in a forest, while others have it feeding on some poor soul. It makes her want to see the creature again. 

Underneath one of the paintings is the creature's name - wendigo. 

She could stand here all day if they'd let her, admiring the way that the wendigo kills. 

Later. First let's see what they want. 

No-one apart from the higher-ups know people's names. When on a mission however you can choose to share it. She's not sure if she will yet. 

Once she gets past the colourful paintings, she picks the first door on the left. Inside are two men and one woman.

Am I interrogating all of them? 

It's then she notices the small silver knives dangling around their necks. They weren't prisoners, they were her own people. 

"Please, sit down." The woman motions with a fake smile. 

They're all seated at one end of the table with a single chair on the other end. As she sits down, she can't help but feel like she'll be the one who is interrogated. 

"Why am I here?" She asks calmly. 

One of the men, who's short with a thick black beard, is the next one to speak. "You have been chosen for a mission."

Her heart races in excitement. "When?"

The bearded man smiles. "Three months from now. We've managed to get you a job at a university in Plymouth. Librarian." 

"A University?" She repeats. "That's... That's a large hunting ground." 

"Indeed. But as you know we like to test our children in different ways." 

Violetta had always hated to be called a child. She's almost thirty. But that's what everyone is called around here. The Children of Purgatory. The name meant more to her father than her, but God knows where he is now. On some grand mission probably. 

"Is it just me?" 

"No, you and one other," The bearded man leans his hands on the table. "We expect great things from you." 

Her heart swells. "I won't let you down, I promise." 

"Good. Because the person you're working with hasn't been fully initiated yet." 

Her heart plummets. "What?" 

"We picked him up when retrieving this wendigo. Apparently, it was his father. He seems desperate to protect it." 

She can't believe what she's hearing. She had to wait years for her first mission and this guy gets one without even joining properly? Her hands ball into fists under the table. 

What makes him so special? 

***

I hope you enjoyed reading! If you would like to read the rest of the story, you can download it here:

That’s it for this week! Next week will be the launch week of an anthology that I have been published in, so keep an eye out for that! See you next week!

Mute Now Available on Amazon

Hi all,

This week my first horror book released! It is available in ebook, paperback and hardcover on Amazon.

As with previous books, keep an eye on my Twitter account for a giveaway of a signed paperback copy!

Find out what happens to Audra below…

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When Audra goes off to university by herself for the first time, she quickly realizes that nothing will ever be the same again.

After joining a videogame society, she soon finds herself in a fight for her life and those of her groupmates when they are attacked by a mysterious creature. Injured and with her voice stolen by the monster; it is up to Audra to put a stop to the attacks before it’s too late.

There is only one problem - the monster hunting them in real life bears an uncanny resemblance to the one they’re creating in the game.

But Yang doesn’t believe them. As president of the society, he actively tries to get her to drop it and turns the others against her.

With only a mysterious stray cat to help her, Audra has to get to the bottom of the monster attacking them and the connection to the game before it’s too late.

Will Audra be able to save herself in time or will her first year at university be her last?

That’s it for this week! If you check out my new book, I hope you enjoy reading! See you next week.

PS; looking for some new horror books for Halloween? Check out the ones in these bundles:

October Tricks and Treats

Halloween Frights

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A New Gift for my Newsletter Subscribers

Hi all,

If you’re subscribed to my mailing list you may already know about this. But if you aren’t, Famished, the prequel novella to Mute, is now available to download!

You can only get this as a part of my mailing list, and it is completely free. This will not be sold anywhere else.

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Violetta wants a chance to prove herself.

Yang wants to save his father.

Lunaris wants to stop the monster before it kills more people.

The three of them all have a goal that involves a wendigo, but each want different outcomes. Will Violetta get the chance to take her own life into her hands? Will Yang stop his father’s suffering? Will Lunaris stop the wendigo before it creates more?

When you sign up to my mailing list, you get a monthly newsletter filled with:

  • Monthly News.

  • Character Polls.

  • Writing Excerpts.

  • Cover Reveals.

  • Free/Discounted Books and Book Bundles.

  • Merch Giveaways.

Alongside Famished, you also get the Elemental Dragons Short Story Collection, which is also completely free!

That’s it for this week, if you sign up, let me know how you enjoyed the stories! see you next week.

PS; looking for some new books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle!

High Summer: August Fantasy & Science Fiction Giveaway

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Mute Pre-Order Live

Hi all,

If you haven’t been keeping up with my social media, then you won’t know about my announcement!

Mute is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

I can confirm that it will be available in ebook and paperback on October 12th 2021.

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You can pre-order it here:

While you’re waiting for it to come out, why not sign up to my mailing list?

You get:

  • Two FREE enovellas. (With more to come in the future!).

  • Cover reveals before anyone else.

  • First chapter reads before anyone else.

  • Monthly news.

  • Character design polls.

  • Merch giveaways.

  • Free and discounted book deals.

  • Exclusive short stories.

What are you waiting for? Sign up below:

Keep an eye out for next week’s blog post, as I’ll be launching Famished, the prequel enovella to Mute that is available only to my newsletter subscribers!

Thanks for reading, see you next week!

PS; horror not really your thing? Check out these free sci-fi and fantasy books!

High Summer: August Fantasy & Science Fiction Giveaway

Audra's Mental Health in Mute

Hi all!

This week I'm talking about Mute again! It's only a few months until its available, and I thought I would discuss the main character.

Her treatment throughout the book is based off of mine when I was in school. Although Audra's is a lot worse. She doesn't verbally speak a line of dialogue throughout the book, which is intentional. Her anxiety is so bad that she can only communicate through text message. Even within her own family, she barely speaks.

Because of the fact that she can't speak, the other characters treat her differently. They turn on her quite easily, and see her as below them. This is especially prevalent with two of her lecturers. One threatens to fail her if she doesn't speak, while the other is passive aggressive towards her. Neither offer to make her feel more comfortable in their classes, or allow her to defend herself. One lecturer, Yang, manipulates her into believing he's on her side. He helps her when the other lecturers are nasty, and punishes students who bully her. However, his motives for doing this aren't the best.

When she does try to stand up for herself the other characters instantly shut her down. They try to make her feel bad for lashing out, and try to justify their behaviour that their lives are worth something while hers isn't. This obviously takes a toll on Audra, who for the first time believed that she was starting to make friends. As the book goes on, she starts losing faith in everyone around her. A few times she tries to prove herself as useful, but the others don't care. Her own thoughts make her feel worse and worse, and she even considers if she deserves this reaction from them. They are deliberately making her anxiety worse, which just makes them more frustrated with her.

That's why she cares about Solaris so much. As a cat, he doesn't care if she speaks or not. She's helping him try to defeat the wendigo, which is more than good enough in his eyes. I used to rely heavily on my cat, Rocky, when I got home from school as I felt like he was the only one who wouldn't judge me. He'd sit on my lap and purr away without a care in the world, which would also ease my feelings of helplessness and inadequacy. You could say that Solaris is based off Rocky, apart from tracking down a cannibalistic wendigo!

This is an uncomfortable topic to talk about as it resonates with me so strongly. I hope you enjoyed reading, and now feel you have a better insight into Audra's actions and feelings. See you next week.

PS; take a look at the books in this fantasy bundle, all on sale!

Fantasy Books for Sale

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Mute Chapter One Preview

Hi all!

Mute will be going up for pre-order next month, so I thought I would give you a little taste of the story! This is an Adult Horror novel, about a girl who is being hunted down by a monster who has stolen her voice.

Mute Cover.jpg

***

It will all be fine. Stop worrying. 

Audra reads that message over and over, trying to convince herself that it's true. Eventually, she replies: whatever. 

The three little dots that signify typing pop on the screen before disappearing a few moments later. Her sister had obviously given up trying to convince her. With a sigh, Audra grabs her worn black backpack and slings it over her shoulder, making sure to pack both her laptop and tablet, just in case her laptop breaks down and she needs a backup.

She had only moved into university halls two days ago, far later than everyone else. As late as possible, in fact. She had missed out on all the celebratory drinks and meet and greets. A lot of people had already formed cliques. 

Good thing I'm fine on my own, she tells herself, thinking back to last year in school. 

At first people treated her like an outcast, but then she just accepted it herself and avoided everyone. Most days she went hours without saying a word or being noticed by anyone. After a while she just got used to it. 

Only three more years. Then hopefully I won't have to live like this anymore. 

She places one hand on the door handle, looking around at her tiny room, which is filled with unpacked boxes. The snacks her mother left her are still uneaten on the side, Audra being too anxious to even attempt eating them.

Come on.

With a deep breath she flings the door open and steps out before she loses her nerve. The halls are empty; a few beer cans scattered around, but that's all. She pushes forward, clinging to the Velcro strap of her backpack. 

This year she gets the chance to live in halls with the other first-year students. Next year she’ll have to find her own accommodation, a thought that had crossed her mind several times. She couldn't afford to live on her own, so she would have to move in with others. 

Except no-one knows I exist yet, she internally curses herself. 

Once outside, she takes a breath of cool morning air, tinged with sea salt. Although many chose this university because it was near the coast, she picked it because it had the only course that she could just about tolerate: minimal group work and lots of essays, just the way she liked it. 

There aren't many other students out yet. The ones that are look groggy from the early-morning start. She walks past them without a glance, though they don't seem bothered. The university is only a four-minute walk away, which she had timed many times in case she ever needed to run if she was late. The glass buildings loom above her as she gets closer, fixed with signs about open days and events. She follows the orange brick path to reach the philosophy department, where she will be spending most of her time. She passes cafés filled with people, all picking strong coffees and sweet-smelling pastries to wake them up. Her stomach lurches in fear, and she doesn't dare stop to buy anything. If she feels better after the introduction, she'll get something to eat, but right now she isn’t hungry. 

"Hey!" 

She whips round on instinct, but the person calling jogs past her to join another student. He gives her a strange look as he passes by, which she reciprocates with a glare. 

There's no point trying to make friends. But I need to, her mind argues. 

She gets to the entrance of the philosophy department in no time. The glass is mostly mottled so she cannot see inside. A student representative stands at the door, chatting to people who enter and passing them some sort of bag. Her heart thumps as the people who stared at her earlier go in first, happily talking to the brunette girl at the door. 

She looks nice enough, she tells herself, gripping her strap even harder. 

The people in front go inside too quickly, leaving her next in line. 

Come on, you can do this. 

"Hi!" the girl says with a smile. "My name is Moss. I'm a second-year maths student." 

Audra manages a sweet smile and a nod. 

"Nervous, huh? Don't worry! I just wanted to give you this before you go in." Audra takes the bag from her with trembling hands. "We're starting a video game development club. This year we're focusing on horror! It'll be fun. You can learn all the basics there, so don't worry about not knowing anything." Moss flashes another smile, her eyes darting over Audra's head. "I'll let you go in, but please don't worry. You look like a deer in the headlights; it's not that bad!" 

Audra nods politely and clutches the bag as she goes inside, instantly enveloped by the smell of bleach. Either someone made a mess before the first day or they want to give a really good impression. She already knows where the room is, thanks to hours of searching for the best route and quickest escapes. A lot of the crowd split off in different directions, but the people she encountered earlier are unfortunately heading in the same direction as her. 

Great. They'll tell everyone how weird I am. 

Her phone vibrates in her jacket, but she doesn't dare look. It's probably from her mother, wishing her good luck. Or her sister finally decided to reply. Either way, looking now might make her cry. And she did not want to be known as the girl who cried for the rest of her time here. 

"Philosophy and ethics!" a man, probably the lecturer guessing by how smartly he's dressed, calls from the room she's supposed to go in. 

Again, the people in front go in first, with massive smiles on their faces and giving the man a friendly wave. She rushes in after them, ignoring the lecturer's good morning spiel. The lecture hall isn't that big, with a few rows of desks facing a screen at the front. There doesn't seem to be a seating plan, so people are just sitting wherever they want. 

Just pick a seat. 

She goes to the middle row and settles for a desk on the end, close to the door. For an easy escape if she needs it. As she unpacks her stuff, she wipes her sweaty palms on her jeans. 

"Ah, piss." 

Her head shoots up at a group of girls standing next to her. They're all carrying laptops and folders and are glaring at her. 

Audra boots her laptop up when one of the girls slams a hand on her desk. "Excuse me." 

The girls loom over her as she looks up, but says nothing. 

"Hello?" another says, waving a hand in her face. 

Again, she says nothing. A nervous glance towards the door tells her that the lecturer hasn't noticed what's going on a foot away. 

"We want this row," the lead girl snarls, her black curls bouncing across her face. 

There's no use making enemies. 

Audra grabs as much of her stuff as she can with shaking hands and goes a row back, further from the door but still in sight of it if she needs a quick escape. The lead girl takes her former desk, pretending to flick crumbs off the top of it. 

Don't cry. 

Tears sting her eyes and her throat is closing up. As she closes her eyes to take a few deep breaths, the sound of a slamming door makes her jump. 

"Welcome, students!" the lecturer announces, leaning on his desk. "My name is Yang and I will be your lead lecturer for Philosophy and Ethics." 

There are a couple of grumbled hello's from the front, but everyone else stays silent. Audra focuses on her breathing and trying not to cry. 

"Today is just an induction day, so we won't be doing anything for your modules today. Instead, I would like to set you a task – to join a society." 

A couple of people start hollering, waving their arms in the air. She isn't sure what they're doing, but Yang gives them a thumbs up. 

"In particular I would like to talk about the Game Development Society, which I co-run with Moss Nielsen."

Audra fiddles with her bag, remembering Moss's bright smile. She hadn't seemed so bad, but it could have just been an act to attract new members. She hadn't spent enough time with her to suss her out. 

"This year we’ll be working on a horror game. You will be taught the basics before going on to the really hard stuff. I hope that some of you will be interested. Please, a show of hands." 

The two people who passed her earlier put their hands up, as well as two of the girls who had kicked her out of her seat. She didn't think they seemed like the type to be interested in game design. 

"Even if you don't join our society, there are plenty of others you can join. By this time tomorrow I want you all to have joined a society. If not, it won't be a particularly good start to our student–teacher relationship." 

A wave of fear rushes through Audra. She doesn't want to be singled out as someone who didn't join a society. By the way his jaw is set, and the way he fiddles with his tie, she can tell he's serious. 

Maybe there's one that will take me. 

***

I hope you enjoyed reading! Are you looking forward to Mute? It will be out in October 2021.

See you next week!

PS, looking for some new books to read? Check out the ones in this bundle:

Multigenre Kindle Unlimited Finds

Inside the Dragon’s Cave…

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Mute Cover Design

Hi all!

If you haven’t seen my social media posts, then you might not know that I have revealed the cover for Mute! Without further ado…

2021-0110 Jessica Turnbull.jpg

Again, this cover has been designed by the wonderful people at Deranged Doctor Design! As with all of my previous covers, I thought I’d explain some parts of the design!

  • The cat on the cover is Solaris, one of the guardians. He is not the main character, but he does assist her in her fight against the wendigo.

  • The colour scheme for this book is grey and pale green.

  • The background is a forest that is present in the book. Audra will sometimes dream herself there and be pursued by the wendigo.

  • The buildings in the background are also a part of the forest, where the wendigo hunts.

  • The blade beneath Solaris’ paws is a dagger, which Audra uses to defend herself against the wendigo.

  • I originally wanted the wendigo to appear on this cover in some form, but I thought it would look too messy and also doesn’t fit with the overall look.

  • I had a difficult time picking the font for this one but I think the one I chose is easy to read and also very fitting for the story.

  • The cover is very dark and dreary, fitting the horror theme of the book.

  • The design put my author name at the bottom this time as it is more standard for horror books.

All in all I am very happy with how this cover turned out as I’m not as well-versed with horror covers as I am with fantasy. I’ve a lot of people tell me that the cover reminds them of Stephen King’s Pet Sematary, and that was the book that got me into horror!

Mute will be out in October 2021, pre-order will be available in August!

That’s it for this week, I hope you enjoyed reading, see you next week!

PS; love reading about dragons? Check out this bundle full of FREE dragon books!

Dragon’s Lair

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