Book Tour & #Giveaway: Descent of a Broken Man by Ashon Ruffins – Genre: Horror/ Thriller @lifethrufiction @TimesDreadful @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #DescentofaBrokenMan #Horror

May 30, 2022May 30, 2022Reads & Reels Leave a comment

Welcome to the book tour for chilling novel, Descent of a Broken Man by Ashon Ruffons! Read on for details and a chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!

Descent of a Broken Man #1

Publication Date: February 11th, 2022

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Dreadful Times Press

James Corbin is an ambitious high school history teacher who resides in the lively, yet dangerous city of New Orleans. He suffers from severe depression and anxiety and is on a downward spiral, unwilling to seek the help he desperately needs. His troubles are compounded by a lack of progress in his professional career, his disintegrating marriage, and lack of respect from his peers. While his struggles threaten to cripple him, the city is marred by a series of brutal religious murders.

However, it’s soon clear that there is not only one, but two murderers wreaking havoc on the city. While police chase the murderers, James focuses on his quest for professional success and self-worth from his research. Unfortunately for him, the research leads to the discovery of a nefarious essence, which unlocks a darkness and brings James face to face with a monster of his own. Within some people, there is something… off. Something dormant. A terror that, if found, will leave a path of pain in its wake.

TW: Depression/ Mental Health

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Excerpt

The thought of escaping New Orleans and the violence of their hometown after graduation excited their youthful minds. Ever mindful, Cynthia watched her surroundings and stayed aware of some of the dangers in the area, but the pair managed to enjoy their brisk walk among the tourists before they made it to a much thinner crowd and a much rougher neighborhood.

As the young couple’s pace quickened, two large Rottweilers snarled. Drool fell from the dogs’ mouths at the sight of them, as they walked past the housing development.

     “Just keep walking, baby. Don’t make eye contact. They’ll leave us alone,” Damon insisted.

     The dogs sprinted toward them, baring their teeth and leaving a trail of saliva behind them.

     “Oh shit, bae! Run!” Damon yelled.

Cynthia snatched her hand away from Damon and took off toward the police station ahead. Damon beamed and raced behind Cynthia as the dogs caught up to him. The sound of the chattering teeth nipping at his heels pushed his legs faster. The vicious hounds chased and snarled after them as they sped up the block and past the First Precinct Police Station. The sound of their laughter echoed in the night’s air the entire way.

Cynthia and Damon managed to lose the dogs, after they turned and entered the side gates of Louis Armstrong Park, a shortcut to their Treme neighborhood where Damon lived.

The struggle to catch their breaths while guffawing at their experience brought some lively energy to the park’s dreary atmosphere.

     “My God, you are so slow!” Cynthia yelled out, weak from laughter.

     “Shut up!” Damon replied. “I was gonna catch you. Not really though. I tried. Your ass is too fast. I could’ve run behind that ass all night though.”

     “Boy, you play too much!” Cynthia replied, as she playfully slapped Damon softly on his cheek. Both still hunched over with their hands on their knees as they tried to catch their breath.

     “Hey, will you shut up? People are trying to sleep out here,” a voice bellowed from nearby.

     “Oh, shit.” Damon snickered. “Now we are waking up the bums.”

While Cynthia and Damon flirted, they stood under the large oak trees near Congo Square. Sweat dripped from their foreheads from the muggy evening, but the still trees above offered no sign of a breeze to break up the oppressively thick air. The young couple continued their walk through Armstrong Park as they listened to the sound of soft jazz pumped from speakers from the nearby radio station.

As they passed the old Municipal Auditorium, a place of concerts and graduations, Damon gripped Cynthia’s hand once more and pulled her toward him. The two embraced and shared a long passionate kiss under the towering presence of the oak trees. Damon placed both hands on Cynthia’s arms and caressed her smooth skin with his thumbs. Their love had grown since their sophomore year. Cynthia’s hands lay upon both sides of his face, and the engagement ring on Cynthia’s hand glimmered as it managed to capture the little light in the area.

As they stared into each other’s eyes, a sudden movement from above caught Damon’s attention. He looked up into the sturdy wooden structures and noticed a shadowy figure hidden among the cluster of branches that rustled and swayed. A human-like figure moved with a purpose from tree to tree and bent the branches along the way, as if a hurricane force wind blew them about.

The sound of a stick snapping startled Cynthia. Damon held her hand firmly and proceeded to pull his fiancée through the park. Cynthia glanced behind them as they hurried through the darkness, and she dipped “her eyebrows with confusion at the sight of the branches breaking and falling to the ground.

As Damon yanked on Cynthia’s arm, something fell from the tree before them. Damon and Cynthia halted and looked on with horror in their wide eyes. “What the hell?” Damon mumbled as he stared ahead. Paralyzed by fear, he squeezed Cynthia’s hand tighter.

She grimaced in pain, as the couple glared at the enormous figure that panted in the shadows ahea

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Ashon Ruffins is a native New Orleanian and a military Veteran. He earned a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, while also holding certifications for several other professions. He loves the art of storytelling in all genres and believes the best lessons in life can be told through fiction. In his spare time, he likes to read, enjoy movies and develop recipes. Descent of a Broken Man is his debut novel.

Dreadful Times Press | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook

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Book Tour Schedule

May 30^th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Interview) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

@menwholovesbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/menwholovesbooks/

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

May 31^st

@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/

@jypsylynn (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jypsylynn

Latisha’s Low-Key Life (Review) https://latishaslowkeylife.com/

@latishaslowkeylife – https://www.instagram.com/latishaslowkeylife

@itsabookthing2021 (Review) http://www.instagram.com/itsabookthing2021

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

June 1^st

@my_books_and_coffee (Review) https://www.instagram.com/my_books_and_coffee/

@jacleomik33 (Review) https://www.instagram.com/jacleomik33

@ofmoviesandbooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/ofmoviesandbooks/

@takealookatmybookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/takealookatmybookshelf/

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

Dark Whimsical Art (Spotlight) https://www.darkwhimsicalart.com/blogs/news

July 2^nd

Purple Shelf Club (Review) https://www.purpleshelfclub.com/

Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

@beastreader – https://www.instagram.com/beastreader/

Books + Coffee = Happiness (Spotlight) https://bookscoffeehappiness.com/

@bookscoffeehappiness – https://www.instagram.com/bookscoffeehappiness/

Stine Writing (Review) https://christinebialczak.com/

I Smell Sheep (Spotlight) http://www.ismellsheep.com/

June 3^rd

@hodophile_z (Review) https://www.instagram.com/hodophile_z

@better_0ff_read (Review) http://WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM/BETTER_0FF_READ/

Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website

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@2manybooks2littletime (Review) https://www.instagram.com/2manybooks2littletime/

@shhhmommysreading (Review) https://www.instagram.com/shhhmommysreading/

@what.kerry.reads (Review) https://www.instagram.com/what.kerry.reads

The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Book Tour Organized By:

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Book Blitz: The Resurrectionist by A.R. Meyering @PRBookPro @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #Books

October 28, 2021October 29, 2021Reads & Reels Leave a comment

If you enjoy gothic tales, then look no further than The Resurrectionist by A.R. Meyering. A chilling tale inspired by real events!

The Resurrectionist “Inspired by the true story of the Burke and Hare murders”

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2020

Genre: Supernatural/ Horror/ Fantasy/ Based on Real Life Characters

Synopsis:

Scotland, 1854

On a skinny, forgotten road in Edinburgh stood a shop without a name—a shop that could be found only if one had previously been led to its door. William, who was blind, rapped his knuckles on the door. The shop owner opens the door and says, “I recognize you. You’re the thief who slithered away while your partner swung by his neck.”

William begs the woman to break the curse that has been set on him that prevents him from dying. The curse, says the woman, cannot be broken, but it can be displaced. Is your death so precious to you that you would destroy one more innocent life to get it? The life of your own child?”

London 1895

In 19^th century Scotland surgeon Edgar Price has only days to live. He has become host to a revenant that will corrode both his body and soul. Edgar’s fatal mistake has not only doomed him, but also released six more of these malignant wraiths onto the world. In his remaining time, he has vowed to stop the revenants from claiming other victims. His perilous travels lead him to the Witches’ Wood, a haven for a sisterhood of powerful enchantresses. There he meets Ainsley, who is also racing against the clock to save her life and will go to any lengths to spare the life of her lover Colleen from the grief of losing her. Despite their mutual dislike, Edgar and Ainsley find that the only way to traverse the twisted, otherworldly labyrinths that the revenants have created is to work together. Their mission becomes further complicated when Edgar begins to develop feelings for Fana, the guardian goddess of the Wood in spite of Ainsley’s forbidding warnings to stay far away from her.

Though THE RESURRECTIONIST is a work of fantasy, many of the settings and elements are based on fact. Horror and fantasy intermingle in this novel inspired by the true story of the Burke and Hare murders.

From 1828-29, Irish immigrants William Burke and William Hare were responsible for the murders of sixteen people in Edinburgh. Their methods generally involved luring a victim to Hare’s boardinghouse, where they plied them heavily with alcohol before suffocating them. They were motivated by greed, selling the corpses of their victims to a local surgeon, Robert Knox. Each victim was publicly dissected, and Dr. Knox is largely thought to have been complicit in the crimes.

During their ten-month killing spree, William Hare’s common-law wife, Margaret Laird, was pregnant with their child. Hare was pardoned for his crimes due to his confession and condemnation of his accomplice Burke, who was hanged and publicly dissected as punishment.

After being pardoned, Hare, Margaret, and their infant are thought to have escaped to Ireland. It also has been rumored that William Hare was thrown into a lime pit and subsequently suffered blindness before becoming a beggar. The victims in THE RESURRECTIONIST are also based on real life people.

Reminiscent of Tess Gerritsen’s The Bone Garden, THE RESURRECTIONIST explores a real-life horror story through a riveting supernatural thriller that is guaranteed to hook readers from the very first page.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

A.R. Meyering was a graduate student studying philosophy. She has worked as an English teacher in a small town in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Her dark fantasy novel, Unreal City, won a Literary Classics International Book Award gold medal for YA horror and a Moonbeam Award bronze medal in YA horror. While doing her undergrad in English she studied abroad in Edinburgh, focusing on Scottish occult literature and folklore.

Sadly, A.R. Meyering passed away in 2021.

A.R. Meyering

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Book Tour: Sentinel by Drew Starling @ScaryStarling @EerieRiver @RRBookTours1 #RRBookTours #Sentinel #Supernatural #Horror

May 31, 2021Reads & Reels Leave a comment

A Monster. A Missing Boy. And Nowhere to Run.

Welcome to the tour for the chilling debut by Drew Sterling, Sentinel! Read on for more details and a chance to win a great giveaway!

Sentinel

Publication Date: May 14th, 2021

Genre: Supernatural Horror

Publisher: Eerie River Publishing

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO TO GET YOUR SON BACK?

Something is lurking within the woods just beyond the young Dreyer family’s new country home. And an evil that has been hiding in plain sight for centuries is about to emerge.

A neighbor is brutally murdered, their 4-year-old son goes missing in broad daylight, and the local town of Bensalem devolves into a cesspool of finger-pointing and chaos.

With nowhere left to turn, Aaron and Ellen Dreyer are forced to venture into the woods to find their son. But in the process, they uncover a force larger and more sinister than anything they ever could have imagined.

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Excerpt

But from that nothingness, something arose. A click-clacking of claws on hardwood perforated the stillness. It started faintly and grew louder, closer, until a pair of glowing, yellow eyes suddenly stared back at him from the center of the room. Cooper’s eyes. Cooper stood there watching, alert. Aaron pushed himself up off the couch. “You okay? Come here.” But the dog did not heed his owner, instead lumbering through the living room to the front door. It, too, faced the front yard and the meadow across the street. “You need to go out?” With his nose an inch from the solid oak door and his eyes glaring right into it, Cooper’s ears pinned themselves back, and his upper lip curled, exposing a trap of lethal white teeth. His tail, which usually bounced along as he walked, divined itself straight down towards the ground, and his back legs began to quiver. Cooper glared at the door, slightly shaking, growling in a triggered rage. “Cooper, knock that off.” Aaron stood and faced the living room windows. Nothing seemed out of place in the front yard or the meadow, but Cooper continued to growl, his volume low enough not to wake Ellen or Caleb, but so downright out of place for a dog of his character that Aaron kept his distance. Then, like a photo somehow coming alive, a dark object moved on the perfectly-still canvas. A shadow at the edge of the pine forest on the right-hand side of the meadow pulled itself out of the thick black trees.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

An Amazon bestselling author of horror and dark fiction, Drew Starling is a husband and dog dad who loves strong female leads, martial arts, and long walks in the woods with canine companions. He would like to think his plots are better than his prose, but strives to make his words sound both beautiful and terrifying at the same time. He listens to Beethoven, Megadeth, and Enya when he writes, and he’d be absolutely delighted if you’d consider joining his mailing list (which you can find a link to about one and a half mouse scrolls up this page). His only rule of writing: the dog never dies.

Drew Sterling | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon