“Julia,” he said softly but those words were lost.
It was as though she were trapped in a frozen lake, with every word elongated, muffled, and faint. She imagined herself deep in the water, safe from all that pain and sorrow, but she needed to break through the ice or drown.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Dead Heads is a post mortal urban fantasy written by independent author Ross Young. As the title implies, this book delves into a subject that few dwell upon, even if people are dying to find out how it turns out.
Written in third-person perspective, Ross Young sets the story in the ethereal reality of Gloomwood, conveniently next to the deadport. This is the home to the Grim Reaper, an individual who inconveniently died as the concept of death came into existence, but no one prophesied what came next.
The premise begins with the Reaper’s head being stolen and the unimaginably dysfunctional bureaucracy supporting Gloomwood is incapable of handling such a delicate matter. In a rare flash of insight, they expedite a new arrival, who they then task to solve this case and others.
Dead Heads is a quick read that delves into a truly imaginative world. The humour, while macabre, is something you would find within the pages or the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This standalone story offers a satisfying conclusion, and sets the stage for a sequel, Get Ted Dead, available now.
“Well, hello there…” Julia said after picking up the shell casing. “Hmmm, a nine-millimetre round.”
The casing was shiny and still had the stench of being fired. Both of which were signs that someone pulled the trigger recently.
“This is how they got the upper hand,” Julia said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“What the,” Julia said after catching a glint of blue light from under a bush.
Julia took a knee and noticed the reflective surface of a phone. There were notifications, and when she picked up the phone, the screen lit up in black and white… Shit! This thing is about to die.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
She imagined Kaylee, travelling with almost no ambient light, and reached the water. Based on the flattened grass behind her, Kaylee took a direct route, but something spooked her. Imagine being mid-way through the water and seeing a pair of glowing eyes staring back at you…
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
Edge of the Breach is a grimdark story, the first part of the Rift Cycle series, and written by independent author Halo Scot.
The author brings forth a world cursed by humanity’s unquenchable thirst for violence. In their most recent war, most of the Earth is rendered uninhabitable, the poles are reversed, and a rift to another dimension is opened. The latter event unleashes gods and magic onto our lands, imbuing powers to humanity based on the season of their birth.
In this post-apocalyptic hellscape, we are introduced to two main characters who are polar opposites of one another. This theme flows out beautifully from out of the prose, and Halo Scot writes each character in first-person form.
Over the span of a decade, you’ll see them grow, adapt to evolving dangers, and find their niche in this dark world. Despite their stark differences, they find themselves inexplicably linked, which comes into play as the story develops.
Edge of the Breach is a wonderfully crafted novel that offers a taste of what is to come. The book itself is an easy read, with short chapters that can be consumed in bite-sized chunks. For what happens next, the reader will need to progress in the series, with hints of a war between immortal Gods.
“Asshole,” her boyfriend said.
“I know, …” Julia found herself saying.
While her lips moved no sound was produced. It seemed there even in her mind, she was incapable of bringing up her boyfriend’s name. Why can’t I remember his name?
“Why didn’t you call me?” he asked.
“I got lost in the moment,” Julia said. “How did you know where I’d be there?”
“A co-worker told me,” he said. “His wife called, she was worried that we were still doing line work at the school.”
“Thank goodness, for worried spouses,” Julia said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“I heard you talking to the cops,” Julia said. “Figured you could use all the help you could get.”
Gwen’s left eye twitched repeatedly, while she digests those words. Fear and prejudice were rather difficult for people to overcome with people, but Julia was not people, she just happened to look like one.
“She never made it home last night,” Gwen said.
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
The first thing she needed to do was to get noticed, so she crested over a hill, her silhouette showing up clearly against the cloudy night sky. Even in these low light conditions, they managed to spot her making a break for the main road and took chase. Come at me!
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
“You crazy bitch,” John said. “You were never worth my—”
Seeing an opportunity, Julia grabbed the full bottle of beer and swung it hard across John’s jaw. With all that adrenaline pumping through her veins, Julia saw it all unfold in slow motion. She watched as his head initially resisted the impact, followed by a shock wave that enveloped his head as though it were a water balloon.
![Picture of a woman with boxing gloves punching out a man. Source Pixabay.com.](/wp-content/uploads/Excerpt_Woman_Boxing.jpg")
Disclaimer: This excerpt from Dark Hearts is currently in development. There may be typos, errors, omissions, inconsistencies and so forth. The image is sourced from Pixabay.
