Steven Ramirez

Fiction

Come As You Are—Goodreads Book Giveaway

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Exciting news! The publication date is nearing for my new horror collection Come As You Are. To celebrate, I am giving away ten signed copies of my book. The giveaway starts tomorrow, August 22nd, and runs through September 20th.

All you need to do is click the link below to enter. Winners will be selected by the folks at Goodreads at the end of the contest. Note that you must be a US resident. Best of luck!

Enter the Contest

[Come As You Are Cover]Come As You Are
by Steven Ramirez
Release date: Sep 07, 2017

Enter for a chance to win one of ten signed copies of Come As You Are by Steven Ramirez.

“Ivan’s innocent and unwitting flirtation with the demonic is first-rate supernatural horror. Ramirez’s characters are beautifully defined, particularly Ivan and Hershey, the school janitor, who turns out to be much more than that. His plot is beautifully scripted and the suspense and supernatural dread emanating throughout this story make it impossible to put down until the last page is read.†—Readers’ Favorite

Opens for entries on August 22, 2017
Format: Print book
Availability: 10 copies available
Giveaway dates: Aug 22 – Sep 20, 2017
Countries available: US

Enter the Contest

Book Review—Dark Screams: Volume Six

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[Dark Screams Volume Six Cover]When I pick up a new collection of short fiction, I am ever hopeful that I will find at least one gem. Dark Screams: Volume Six is such a collection. Happily, though, in addition to the jewel in the crown I discovered in “The Corpse King†by Tim Curran, I also found two other stories I liked very much: “The Manicure†by Nell Quinn-Gibney and “The Comforting Voice†by Norman Prentiss.

But it’s “The Corpse King†I want to talk about. I tried researching to see if it had been made into a movie but was unable to find anything. Pity. The writing is so visual! I could actually see the two boozy, foul-mouthed resurrectionists Clow and Kierney as they moved through the dank, rat-infested cemeteries of Glasgow, retrieving bodies for the insatiable anatomists who paid them.

If you like horror set in a time when brutality and death were the norms, then grab this collection. Oh, and try not to think about what happens to the human body once it’s in the ground. Yeah.

You can find this review at Amazon US.

Book Description
Stephen King, Lisa Morton, Nell Quinn-Gibney, Norman Prentiss, Joyce Carol Oates, and Tim Curran plunge readers into the dark side in this deeply unsettling short-story collection curated by legendary horror editors Brian James Freeman and Richard Chizmar.

THE OLD DUDE’S TICKER by Stephen King
Richard Drogan has been spooked ever since he came back from Nam, but he’s no head case, dig? He just knows the old dude needs to die.

THE RICH ARE DIFFERENT by Lisa Morton
Even though she made her name revealing the private lives of the rich and famous, Sara Peck has no idea how deep their secrets really go . . . or the price they’ll pay to get what they desire.

THE MANICURE by Nell Quinn-Gibney
A trip to the nail salon is supposed to be relaxing. But as the demons of the past creep closer with every clip, even the most serene day of pampering can become a nightmare.

THE COMFORTING VOICE by Norman Prentiss
It’s a little strange how baby Lydia can only be soothed by her grandfather’s unnatural voice, ravaged by throat cancer. The weirdest part? What he’s saying is more disturbing than how he says it.

THE SITUATIONS by Joyce Carol Oates
There are certain lessons children must learn, rules they must follow, scars they must bear. No lesson is more important than this: Never question Daddy. Or else.

THE CORPSE KING by Tim Curran
Grave robbers Kierney and Clow keep one step ahead of the law as they ply their ghoulish trade, but there’s no outrunning a far more frightening enemy that hungers for the dead.

Where to Buy
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Book Review—Mrs. Saint and the Defectives

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[Mrs Saint and the Defectives Cover]Sometimes, life sends us spiraling in directions we never wanted to go. A death in the family, a natural disaster, or a devastating divorce. And more than the actual event, it’s the resulting fallout that keeps the spiral going until we either grab on to something to stop the inevitable descent into despair, or we simply let go.

The author deftly covers this theme—and much more—in Mrs. Saint and the Defectives. As the journey of the protagonist, Markie, and her son, Jesse, unfolds, we come to learn that, generally, people are broken. Some in little ways and some to the point of near self-destruction.

What’s important, of course, is what we do with the information. Recognizing our own faults and shortcomings, do we still find ways to help others or do we simply wallow in our own misery. And which is the road to happiness? In Markie’s case, maybe she still has a chance at a life worth living.

I enjoyed the interplay of the rich, quirky characters who populate the book. Markie is not the brightest bulb when it comes to self-realization. Fortunately, the author has left the work of solving her problems to the reader. Enjoy the ride.

You can find this review at Amazon US.

Book Description
Critically acclaimed author Julie Lawson Timmer returns with a tale of how community can heal the brokenness in all of us.

Markie, a fortysomething divorcée who has suffered a humiliating and very public fall from marital, financial, and professional grace, moves, along with her teenage son, Jesse, to a new town, hoping to lick her wounds in private. But Markie and Jesse are unable to escape the attention of their new neighbor Mrs. Saint, an irascible, elderly New European woman who takes it upon herself, along with her ragtag group of “defectives,†to identify and fix the flaws in those around her, whether they want her to or not.

What Markie doesn’t realize is that Mrs. Saint has big plans for the divorcée’s broken spirit. Soon, the quirky yet endearing woman recruits Markie to join her eccentric community, a world where both hidden truths and hope unite them. But when Mrs. Saint’s own secrets threaten to unravel their fragile web of healing, it’s up to Markie to mend these wounds and usher in a new era for the “defectivesâ€â€”one full of second chances and happiness.

Where to Buy
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Book Review—The Memory Box

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[The Memory Box Cover]This is the story of a madwoman—an unreliable narrator par excellence who creates more twists and turns than a plate of linguine. All the while, I was laughing my ass off at the wry observations of stilted suburban life, and the hilarious inner dialogue comebacks directed at the parade of boobs and morons who actually had the temerity to get in the way.

Am I exaggerating? Possibly. But I can’t help it. Eva Lesko Natiello has given us a story that defies logic—and worse, sends you halfway to the looney bin as you try to sort through the protagonist’s anxiety-ridden bitch of a day-after-day. Halfway through, you almost wish Caroline would just pop and be done with it so you could get half a breath, for crying out loud.

All I can say is, read The Memory Box at your own peril. But first, make sure you’ve got a stiff drink close by. And a pillow to scream into. You’re probably going to need them.

You can find this review at Amazon US.

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestseller

A psychological thriller page-turner with twists and turns until the very last page.

WHAT IF YOU GOOGLED YOURSELF & DISCOVERED SOMETHING SHOCKING?

In this gripping psychological thriller, Caroline Thompson Googles herself and discovers the shocking details of a past she doesn’t remember.

A HOUSTON WRITERS GUILD MANUSCRIPT AWARD WINNER

A fast-paced suspense where a group of privileged suburban moms amuses themselves by Googling everyone in town, digging up dirt to fuel thorny gossip. Caroline Thompson, devoted mother of two, sticks to the moral high ground and attempts to avoid these women. She’s relieved to hear her name appears only three times, citing her philanthropy. Despite being grateful that she has nothing to hide, a delayed pang of insecurity prods Caroline to Google her maiden name–which none of the others know.

The hits cascade like a tsunami. Caroline’s terrified by what she reads. An obituary for her sister, JD? That’s absurd. With every click, the revelations grow more alarming. They can’t be right. She’d know. Caroline is hurled into a state of paranoia–upending her blissful family life–desperate to prove these allegations false before someone discovers they’re true.

The disturbing underpinnings of The Memory Box expose a story of deceit, misconceptions, and an obsession for control. With its twists, taut pacing, and psychological tenor, Natiello’s page turning suspense cautions:

Be careful what you search for.

Where to Buy
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Book Review—Stillhouse Lake

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[Stillhouse Lake Cover]Let me start out by saying that Rachel Caine is an excellent writer. Her prose is concise, controlled, and chillingly violent when the occasion calls for it. This is the first book of hers I’ve read, and I enjoyed it immensely. I especially liked her protagonist, Gina Royal, who is single-minded in her determination to protect her children and herself from the memory of her soulless ex-husband and the thousands of trolls now pursuing the family on social media. Quite a challenge for a former housewife whose main concerns used to be centered around seeing her children off to school and putting dinner on the table.

If you like tense thrillers, I can say with confidence that you will enjoy Stillhouse Lake—with one caveat. For me, when someone says “serial killer,†I expect a high body count. I mean, that’s kind of what they do, right? And though Gina’s ex-husband, Mel, does live up to his reputation, most of it is in backstory. In fact, Caine spends most of the first half of the book on Gina’s inner life. By the time we get to the new peril she finds herself in, we know her intimately—a good thing if you enjoy believable characters. I only wish the author had peppered the introspection with a bit more action, that’s all I’m saying.

All in all, a terrific read. Can’t wait for the next book in the series.

You can find this review at Amazon US.

Book Description
Gina Royal is the definition of average—a shy Midwestern housewife with a happy marriage and two adorable children. But when a car accident reveals her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, she must remake herself as Gwen Proctor—the ultimate warrior mom.

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband’s crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace.

But just when she’s starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake—and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. Gwen Proctor must keep friends close and enemies at bay to avoid being exposed—or watch her kids fall victim to a killer who takes pleasure in tormenting her. One thing is certain: she’s learned how to fight evil. And she’ll never stop.

Where to Buy
Amazon US
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Amazon CA

More Reviews
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