 The Devil's Journal is a story over on my Patreon that went live last week, just in time for spooky season. It's a story written in blog format. I've done one of these before and it was a lot of fun and people enjoyed it. So, I thought, why not do it again? The only way to read this full story is by joining my Patreon page here. A new episode comes out every week until the story is finished. Here's the first entry to help you decide if you want to read on!
Entry 1 Something strange has been happening at my house lately. Things are not normal here. The past few weeks have been, well, strange. I think I’ve stumbled onto something very disturbing here and I’m not sure what to do about it. It only now occurs to me that I should be chronicling this adventure here on this blog. I suppose I need to fill you in on what happened. Here we go. My name is Desiree Mitchell. I would occasionally write little blog posts here about the beach, my dog, or whatever I happen to be doing. I’ve only got a handful of followers, so no one ever reads these things. I'm unsure how many people will be reading this. Probably not many. But it doesn’t matter. If I even manage to get one of you to believe me... There I was, vacuuming my house a few weeks ago. I was singing and dancing like an idiot. I always do that. If you have to clean the house, have fun, right? Anyway, my dog Sammie pounced on the vacuum like she does, and the cord got wrapped around my leg. I went down hard. Like a sack of potatoes. My knee broke a whole in the wall just opposite my dining room table. At first, I was nervous and upset. I rent this house. First thing I thought was bye bye security deposit. But then I noticed something. There was a little nook on the other side of the hole. At some point, there must have been a small pantry here or something. Maybe Harry Potter used to live in my house, I don’t know. Okay, stupid joke. But you get the point. I peered inside. It was dusty and filled with cobwebs, but not much else. Except for a single lock box. My curiosity was peaked now. I wanted to know what was in that box. I mean, who wouldn’t? A secret box behind a secret wall? So, I got out the hammer. But that took a long-time because I don’t have a sledgehammer. Just a normal hammer. And it takes longer that I would have thought to bust down a wall. But eventually, I broke the wall down and pulled the little black box free. It was locked and I had no idea how to open it. I thought about breaking the lock, but it looked sturdy. The only way I was getting it open was with a lockpick set. Which, of course, I didn’t own. So, I had to order one on Amazon. I should have left the box alone. I never should have opened it. What I found inside changed my life. It’s still changing my life and I want this never-ending nightmare to quit. I.... Something is downstairs. I have to go. I’ll update this blog later.   Happy Hump Day!
Today's writing prompt: Your favorite superhero has turned evil. No one saw the attack coming. We thought the Avengers would save us all. We looked to the skies on that dreadful day. Iron Man flew through the air like a missile. We all thought he had a plan. Turns out we were right. We just didn't know the plan included blowing up half the city. The worst part is, the Avengers will never come to save us. I heard, their communicators detonated and killed them all. None of us can Stop Tony... Leave yours in the comments below!  Who here has heard of Discord? If not, it's like a chat room from back in the old days of the internet. Remember those? Alright, let's just cut to the chase. I created a Discord server for my Patrons over on Patreon. However, I've decided to open it up to everyone! Please come check it out. Click the link below to accept the invite.
discord.gg/pdWP93c If you want special privileges that only patrons get such as send out invites and special events on Discord, please consider joining my Patreon page. Patrons are listed under their specific reward tier from Patreon so you get bragging rights! Come check out the server. Talk books, memes, pics, whatever! Happy Hump Day!
Today's Prompt: You find a key which opens a door to untold horrors. I twist the key in anticipation, not sure what to expect. When the door swings open, all manner of beings rush over the threshold, knocking me to the floor. There's no time to shut the door before every last one is free. Looking out the window, I realize that I've released a plague upon humanity. Demons of some kind are killing everyone. Leave yours in the comments below!  All across the country, Spirit Halloween stores have popped up. Which means, Halloween is right around the corner! My favorite holiday. It's the time of year to start getting creepy. Put out the Halloween decorations, watch scary movies, and read some horror books! And on that note, here's a few scary books I recommend you check out this year!
The Shining by Stephen King This has become my all time favorite Stephen King book! I won't bother telling you the plot. Chances are, you know about it by now. If you've never heard of it, well, I have no clue what you've been doing with your life. Read it! The spooks stay with you for a while! I am Legend by Richard Matheson The book is different from the movie in many ways. And maybe I'll do a post about that in the future. In the book, people have turned into true vampires. Robert Neville spends his days hunting vampires were they sleep. At night, they stand outside his home and antagonize him. There's something far creepier about them speaking and yelling Neville's name in the middle of the night. Great book. Creepy in many parts. Last Call by Sean Costello There are some scenes in this book that I can vividly remember like I had watched a movie. They're intense. It's about a serial killer named Bobcat who likes female victims and a fascination with their teeth. It's a creepy story that you'll love! 3AM by Amy Cross Don't answer the knock at your door at 3AM. Just don't do it. There's ghosts in this book and it's all about a haunted apartment complex and one woman's search for her missing Aunt. It's wonderfully crafted and creepy. Dracula by Bram Stoker One of the best horror stories of all time. If you don't know what Dracula is about...I don't even know how to finish that sentence. It's such a creepy book and Dracula is such a great villain. And I would highly recommend checking out the prequel book Dracul written by Bram's great grand nephew and J.D. Barker. I do no recommend the sequel he wrote, Dracula The Undead. Flash!, Bang!, and Boom! by Roxie Prince Alright, these are three books. That's cheating. But, they are all collections of flash fiction pieces so if you read all three, it's like reading one large book? Wait, this is my list. I don't need to justify myself. These stories are great and many of them will stick with you for a long time. And don't take my word for it. The No Sleep Podcast thought they were spooky enough to include one in their show! Trust me, you'll love the spooks from these books! The Ruins by Scott Smith Some college students decide to go on an adventure in Mexico and find themselves stuck on some ruins with evil vines. The vines are alive and attack and eat people. As long as the vines stay on the ruins, the world is safe from them. But these kids aren't. It's a gruesome tale. If you like dark horror, this is for you! The Resort by Bryce Gibson The plot is somewhat similar to The Ruins. So, if you liked that, you'll like this. Something strange is going on at Mackenzie Walker's family owned resort island. Some teens on the island are dead and something evil is killing them. Mackenzie takes in on himself to hunt down the thing responsible. A great and creepy tale! Those are some great books that will leave you feeling creeped out, scared, and horrified. And if you're looking for something by me, I would recommend Getaway and Echoes of the Past. My two horror related books. Getaway focuses on a family torn apart by murder, betrayal, and adultery while on a family trip. Echoes of the Past follows Sasha's desperate attempt to rescue her daughter from a town gone mad. Any book on this list would be a perfect addition to your Halloween season read. Trust me! Have you read any of the books above? Drop a comment below and let me know what you thought of them. Have some spooky book recommendations of your own? Let me know!  Want a quick description about my five published books? Well, then you've come to the right blog! Below are rundowns for each of my books and links to where you can find them!
To the Wolves: An Ethan McCormick Novel Let's start with my first published book. To the Wolves. Ethan McCormick is a Miami Police officer at the end of his shift one night. A routine traffic stop turns deadly when the man kills himself. Traumatized, Ethan struggles to understand why. He takes a little time off with his soon-to-be fiance, Sandra, for a vacation to the Florida Keys. But when she's found dead by the pool, having jumped from their balcony, Ethan is thrust into a dangerous world or conspiracy and murder. Sandra's death is eventually pinned on Ethan and he's forced to go on the run to find the person responsible and stop a deadly attack from killing thousands. You can find To the Wolves at your favorite retailer here. Sins of the Mother: An Ethan McCormick Novel Since I don't want to ruin the events of the first book, I'll give a brief description of the sequel. Ethan takes a missing child case only to learn the truth is darker and much more twisted than he could have ever imagined. You can find Sins of the Mother at your favorite retailer here. Death Can Wait Luke and Renee Walker spend a week in Brazil on vacation. When their friends offer to let them return home aboard their luxury yacht, they couldn't be more thrilled. Until a storm smashes the yacht to pieces and thrust Luke and Renee overboard. They was ashore an island and learn they are not alone. The men who rule this island don't like outsiders and they will stop at nothing to protect their island. Luke and Renee must evade the inhabitants while trying to escape the island. You can find Death Can Wait at your favorite retailer here. Getaway A family vacation turns deadly when a hooded figure starts to terrorize those in the cabin. Nobody knows who to trust and eventually the family turns on each other. Murder, betrayal, and adultery rip the family apart. You can find Getaway at your favorite retailer here. Echoes of the Past Sasha and her nine year old daughter, Tara, move to a small town in Maine for a fresh start. When someone starts murdering the people there, the town suspects Sasha. The local sheriff knows she's innocent but the town doesn't listen. They take matters into their own hands and kidnap Tara, using her as bait. Sasha must do everything she can to get her daughter back, flee the town, and fight a monster from her past. You can find Echoes of the Past at your favorite retailer here. If you've read any of my books above, please consider leaving a review. They really help us authors out a lot. You can leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or whichever retailer you choose! I hope you enjoyed this introduction to my books! Let me know in the comments which book was your favorite. And are you looking forward to my upcoming paranormal thriller? Want to know more about it? Sign up for my monthly newsletter where I share first looks at the book I'm currently writing.  Hello there readers!
Recently, I read the book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and I thought it would be fun to give a brief run down of the book versus the movie. Now, if you didn't know, the book was written by Ian Fleming. If that name sounds familiar, that's because he also created another classic character. None of than James Bond. Yeah, I know. Weird. The man responsible for one of the most violent, action packed, spy thriller series of all time also created a children's book about a sentient car. Let's dive into the book vs the movie. There may be spoilers ahead. Although, we're talking about a book published in 1964 and a movie made in 1968. If you haven't checked out either by now, you probably weren't going to. Am I right? Either way, let's jump in. So, for those of you who have seen the movie, you know it's a musical. Well, guess what? So is the book! Nah, just kidding. That makes no sense. Of course, the book wasn't a musical. But other than the name of the car being Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the family name is Potts, there's really not much the same about these two pieces of media. In the book, Professor Potts has just invented a new type of candy that whistles while you suck on it. They make a good portion of money and decide to buy a family car. He decides to buy a wrecked junker and fix it up to save money. When they get it home, professor Potts works to restore the car. Only, he doesn't recognize a lot of the gears in gadgets under the hood. Wait, Fleming was British. Maybe I should say bonnet? Whatever. He fixes up the car and she's as good as new. The family decides to take a picnic in the new car but get bogged down by traffic. No worries! Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to the rescue! She flashes an indicator that calls the professor stupid and tells him to pull a lever, which he does. The car then starts to fly. They land on an island out in the ocean away from everyone else and enjoy their picnic. But when everyone falls asleep and the tide comes in, they fear they will drown. But again, Chitty to the rescue! Another lever and she becomes a boat. So, Professor Potts, being the responsible father and husband that he is, decides they should drive to France! Once there, they drive up into a cave and realize it might belong to some smugglers as there are booby traps of sorts. But they drive through them and get to the exit, only to realize this cave belongs to a dangerous mob boss. Once again, Potts shows us what a good father he is and asks his children to gather up dynamite from the mob boss' stash and the proceed to blow the whole place up. As you can imagine, the mob boss gets kind of angry over this and ambushes the family. Of course, Chitty helps them escape and they decide to spent the night in a hotel. Note, still hasn't called the police. But hey, who's judging? In the middle of the night, the children are kidnapped but Chitty once again saves the day. She tracks the children on a sort of radar and wakes up Potts and his wife. They fly over the city until the find the children, who are being forced to help rob a candy store, and confront the bad guys. Eventually, Potts and his wife rescue the children and the bad guys are arrested and everyone is happy. The End. If you've seen the movie and never read the book, you're probably a little confused. Where's the island where children go missing? Where's the evil child catcher? What about how in the movie, it's all just a story and not even real? Yeah, book isn't like that at all. If you haven't seen the movie, which you should, it's almost nothing like the book. Potts is a widower and meets a woman named Truly Scrumptious, which is a nod to the ridiculous names Fleming would give to female characters in Bond books, and he takes them out for a picnic in his car. When the tide comes in and strands them all on the beach, Potts tells everyone a story about a car that can turn into a boat, fly through the sky, etc. They fly to a kingdom where happiness is illegal and children are imprisoned. It's an incredibly different story from the book. If you haven't read the book or watched the movie, I recommend you do both. They are both great stories on their own. It was fun reading the book and seeing just how different everything was. I really can't tell which one I liked more. The movie will always hold sentimental value to me. It's one of the first movies I watched with my grandmother and was my favorite movie as a kid. The book is a cute tale and I'm glad I read it. But what do you think? Have you seen the movie but never read the book? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Hump Day!
Today's prompt: You discover a portal to another world. I know you won't believe me but it won't matter soon. I found this opening into some sort of alternate dimension. When I slipped through, I found such a different world from our own. Everyone there was happy and peaceful. There was no crime, not hate. Only love. It's the place I want to live. I've since learned that staying here will close the portal and destroy my old dimension forever. There's just a few more things I need to grab before I go. Leave yours in the comments below!  Hello there readers, Over the weekend, my family and i took a short hike. A little over a mile. Nothing major. Ever since buying my 3 year old his own walking stick, he's been anxious to use it. Before I get to the trail, let me tell you about this really cool app called All Trails. If you're in to hiking, you should check it out. They're not sponsoring this blog post or anything, I just thought it was really cool. You can search for hiking trails near you. There's a whole community that rates trails so you know what you're getting in to before you go. And you can even check out trail maps ahead of time. It's great! Anyway, back to the trail. Like I said, it was a short hike. But short hikes can be fun and exciting, too. On this particular hike, we decided to take a turn on a nature trail which cut through the trees and most other people weren't taking. And I'm glad we did. Because along the way, we found a little flooded area and a baby gator sunning itself. Of course, this is Florida so I've seen plenty of Alligators in my time. But it's still always so neat to come up on them in the wild because they're amazing creatures. The closest I will ever get to seeing a dinosaur in person, right? This was too short of a hike so I didn't bring my GoPro with me or anything. However, I did use my GoPro a lot in the Smoky Mountains and I'm actually working on creating a video for that trip. If you're interested in seeing my hikes through the Smoky Mountains, or anything other hikes I've taken or will take in the future, check out my other YouTube channel Bonds' Hikes. It's been a while since I've posted but I'm going to start using it again and sharing our hiking/camping adventures there. I hope you'll check it out! |
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ABOUT BONDTo cover up his search history, Evan Bond is a thriller/suspense author. As an outdoor enthusiast and horror lover, Evan Bond enjoys writing stories where the two come together. He lives in Florida with his wife and two sons. |
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