The Initial Insult, 5/5
Edition: Kindle
Publication Date: February 23, 2020
ISBN: 0062982427
The Initial Insult, 5/5
Branded by the Pink Triangle, 5/5
His Hidden Wings, 3.5/5
Pages: 332
Book Number: 1 of 1
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Romance, Coming of Age
Summary by Author: Megan Gallagher has only ever seen her mother as neurotic and overworked.
When a Whitney Houston song at the 80s dance sends Megan back to 1987, she discovers her teenage mom dressed in all black and sneaking liquor in the bathroom. After preventing her mom's drunk car accident, Megan realizes she has one month to get her teenage parents to stop partying and learn enough about her family's secret to getting back home. Too bad the much cuter teenage version of her history teacher is such a distraction. With time running out and her future at stake, Megan must learn that, when it comes to family, you can't always get what you want, but you might just get what you need.Opinions: To put it simply, Time After Time is a cute story. To put it complicatedly, Time After Time is a heart-throbbing, long-winded, emotional, electrifying tale that will leave you on the edge of your seat and a billion questions boggling your mind. Although it is nearly a scene-for-scene remake of “Back to the Future” (complete with time travelling, a school dance, meeting your parents when they were teenagers, and struggling to not use modern language), this is a fresh and resonating read for its themes on respect, empathy, and self-worth. Not only are readers taught such things through Megan’s 180° personality flip between the beginning and middle of the book, but we’re taught to not judge a book by its cover when we learn that Megan isn’t the entitled, revolting teenager we assumed she was in the beginning. By the climax, Megan and the rest of her family, whether from the original timeline or the past, have a place in my heart.
My Favourite Thing: The abundance of themes is my favourite part, but I also must mention the writing style of Crawford. It is smooth, easy to understand, and very engaging! Not once did I reread a paragraph to understand the sentence structure nor did I yawn because I’d lost track of who’s speaking ten sentences ago. Crawford’s gentle and natural tone made the read easy and fun, how I believe reading should be!
My Least Favourite Thing: Personally, I didn’t have a problem with this, but other readers may have a problem with how similar Time After Time is to “Back to the Future”. Granted, there are only so many traveling time adventures to write AND the overall theme of the novel is different, but objectively, the storylines are very similar.
Recommended For and Similar Reads: Time After Time is a heartfelt and zapping read for teens who want a bit of flare in their reading. Each page is packed with excitement and lessons, so be sure you’re ready for a climactic read! If you’re a fan of “Back to the Future,” The Time Machine, or A Wrinkle in Time, you’re bound to love Time After Time!
I’m thrilled to share this epic new novel by K.T. Rose! The Haunting of Gallagher Hotel proves that ghost stories are perfect any time of the year!
Read on for an exclusive sneak peek and an amazing giveaway to enter!
Title: The Haunting of Gallagher Hotel
Publication Date: November 5th, 2020
Genre: Supernatural, Horror
Summary
Pride and greed infect the soul, anchoring the dead to Gallagher Hotel.
When Chris, a master thief, and Riley, a contract waitress, get mysterious invites to an exclusive party at the haunted Gallagher Hotel, they discover that there is more at play than simple celebrations.
Hidden truths are revealed, and all hell breaks loose. But the “party” has just begun.
Now, Chris and Riley face their demons as they fight to survive a hellish nightmare full of spoiled secrets, carnage, and vengeful spirits lost to the hotel dating back to the turn of the 20th century.
Will they survive the night? Or will their souls be devoured by the most haunted building in Michigan?
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Excerpt
She’ll never forget the day she died.
Torches lit up the town square, illuminating scowling and shouting faces. The townspeople launched stones and spit, pegging Trudy’s arms and face as she trudged through the abhorrent mob. She cringed when a pebble struck her cheek. Pain erupted, shooting through her face like lightning striking the earth.
Deputy Hill yanked her arm, leading her through the narrow path the townspeople created. Fists balled, Trudy groaned as the rope around her wrists dug into her skin. Her bare feet picked up glass shards and debris from the cobblestone path as she shuffled along.
She glared around at the angry faces and recognized the men, women, and children of Holloway. She’d done more for them than any God before her. Many of those people owned the very businesses that lined the stone slab she marched across that night. Building and financing the rows of wooden businesses lining the town’s square accounted for half the things she’d done for Holloway. She fed the hungry, made clothes for cold children, and taught woman’s independence. The ever-growing list of the townspeople’s wants was endless. At one point, she didn’t mind the busy work. Fulfilling dreams of the once poor town kept her boisterous and distracted from her bitter reality. Trudy was Holloway’s personal shepherd, making the people her needy sheep.
Hands snagged at her lavender tea gown, adding dirty prints to the blood drops and grime from the beatings in that putrid cell. She glared at the bare-faced man towering over her. The brim of his deputy hat cast a thick shadow, hiding his dark eyes and pale face.
Deputy would miss her. She was sure of it. He got off on the assaults that bruised her face. His heavy fists pounded her bones and scraped her skin until she confessed. And even after her confession, he continued with his evening visits, slamming her body into cinder block walls and passing off open-handed blows to her nose, cheeks, and eyes.
Trudy sighed. A bath with lavender and Epsom salt sounded good for the swelling. She didn’t realize how bloated and purple her once beautiful, fairly smooth skin had become until she passed by the picture window in front of the town’s jail just before they began her walk of shame. Her dark hair matted to her forehead, washed by sweat and blood. Her plump lips were chapped and bloated with bruises.
Even then, her face pulsed with intense hurt. Pain shot through it whenever she winced.
The sea of convictions roared, growing louder as she drew closer to the opposite end of the square.
“Adulterer,” yelled a woman.
“Traitor,” screeched a boy.
“Murderer,” said a pot-bellied man.
Their accusations sent a sickening jolt through her bones. She watched the path underneath her slowing feet, fighting back the tears.
How could they turn on me like this?
Available on Amazon!
Review, 3/5!
Opinions: “The Haunting of Gallagher Hotel” may not be the best book I’ve read, but it’s certainly not the worst! In my opinion, this was your classic horror story: a lengthy introduction full of hearty character background to ensure an electrifying climax that readers will remember. However, this makes for a rather cliche and over-told story. Whereas I honestly can’t imagine another way to write an impressionable horror tale, we can’t give the author credit for doing so either. On the other hand, speaking of characters, I found them very strong and viable, taking appreciation of the flaws that allowed readers to relate and engage with the story. The protagonists led us through a twisting and complex tale that taught plenty of lessons about teamwork, trust, and self-respect. I, for one, will never assume that fantasy doesn’t have resonating themes again! To put it simply, “The Haunting of Gallagher Hotel” was not as horrifying or atmospheric as I expected (and hoped) but it was definitely worth the read.
My Favourite Thing: Just to quickly reiterate, I am impressed with the themes and motifs represented in the book; “The Haunting of Gallagher Hotel” is perfect if you’re looking for meaning in fantasy. The harmonised writing style could also provide a sense of security for readers as lots of motifs are circular and always come back around. Perhaps there aren’t as many jump scares as you can find in a Stephen King novel, but anybody will enjoy reading this scary story!
My Least Favourite Thing: Whereas I see the draw to a comforting, circular atmosphere, I didn’t find the repetition necessary for the plot and themes to matter. In my opinion, this made the writing itself a bit messy. However, this didn’t effect my reading experience too much so I was still able to enjoy the overall read!
About the Author
K.T. Rose is a horror, thriller, and dark fiction writer from Detroit, Michigan. She posts suspense and horror flash fiction on her blog at kyrobooks.com and is the author of a suspenseful short story series titled Trinity of Horror, an erotic thriller novel titled When We Swing, and A Dark Web Horror Series. She also writes supernatural and paranormal horror novels and short stories.
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