Book Readers Heaven: Long Island

Showing posts with label Long Island. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

The Hanging Tree By Michael Phillip Cash --A Fun YA Ghost(s) Story!

"He's not being nice because she thinks she's holding out
on him," Martin's boyish voice added from a distant branch
interrupting her pensive thought.
"How do you know that?"
"I'm a guy."
The girl sniffed at this, rolling what used to be baby-blue
eyes, and he finished. "Well, I was a guy."
~~~.

"So, Goody Bennett" Arthur, a dapper man dressed in preppy clothing of another century asked softly from a lower branch, hisL voice the barest shisper. "Is she gonna give it up tonight?"

"What do you think, I'm a witch?" the ghost cackled, and the branches shook with mirth.
Laughter echoed in the still air, and both teenagers looked at each other. Arielle dropped the knife and ran to the safety of Chad's arms.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her face bleached of color.
"Chad held her tightly in the security of his arms, liking it. "Must be coming from somebody's car further down. It's nothing," he replied more confidently than he felt.

"Just my opinion, of course..."

If you are taking your girl out for a little time together, you may want to remember NOT to sit under The Hanging Tree...

The Hanging Tree

By Michael Phillip Cash

The bark bit into the delicate skin
of Arielle's back. Stars twinkled
above her, dancing in the reflection
Chad's eyes. "Stop, really, Stop."
She pushed at Chad's shoulders as
he resisted her, his lips caressing
the side of her neck. "I don't want to."
~~~

English: Chad Michael Murray in 2007 at the Pi...

"Arielle, you promised,
Chad whispered, assaulting
her lips. "I thought you said
you love me," he whispered.
~~~

So there they were... It was Summer of last year, and Chad was up to his usual--taking Arielle where they would be sure to be alone...and then tryin' it...

For one thing, she really wasn't sure she wanted to participate in this...

And, second, this place was creepy...

Six months had been long enough for Chad to wait...after all, he had many other girls he's already had and could

have...

So,,,what do you think of my suggested actors to play the lead "human" roles???

Clare gasped, her hand on her chest, her breath coming in short pants. How did she know? She thought wildly.
They met in private, the good reverend and Claire, in the meadows by the large oak. They had lain together
under the leafy branches. The sun warmed their bodies, and he spoke of her beauty and their future together.
He was a good man, leading the flock, keeping them in the light of the Lord, guarding against evil.
His loving hands caressed her, urging her to tell him the true nature of her family. How could she resist
such a man? The grim cabin filled with witch's tools and the evil devil's familiar were of her past.
She was impatient to disregard it for a future as the respected wife of leader in their small community.
..."Where's the good reverend now?...
~~~

Well, you can guess why there were ghosts in a Hanging Tree, right? Goody Bennett had been the first to reside in the tree...and Charles the First was King... Charles' father had written the book, Demonologie, hated witches and started the trouble. One man, the Reverend Harmond would watch Claire and trifle with her affections just like the boys still do...But when she was to have a child and expected to be married... why, who better than a saintly reverend to cry, "Witch..."

English: Pen and ink drawing
of the Gibson Girl by illustrator
Sarah Kaplan
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gibson Girl, who had retained her loss of hair in death had been admiring Arielle's lovely locks. The doctor had demanded her hair be cut, saying it was suffocating her. She hated it because she thought her hair was the best feature she had... She was always asking Goody to retell her story because she couldn't remember much of her own...ending... But she'd always remember what she had looked like when looking like a Gibson Girl was the latest hair style

And so each of the ghosts who had been living...ah, staying in The Hanging Tree will share their story with readers...

And in between, each of the tree's residents would argue about whether to stop Chad and keep Arielle safe or to just wait and see what happened. But then, Goodie's cat, Remedy, felt right out of the tree!

Then Chad got tired of playing, requesting, pleading...and he decided--he held her down and Arielle was no match against his physical strength...

Who knew that we could have a psychological suspense historical horror story? Whew! Well, you didn't really think that the ghosts weren't going to get involved somehow, did you? Maybe even find out that ghosts from the 1600s had just as many...and...similar issues that we have today...

This is a short novella with under 100 pages that soon becomes a page turner... I enjoyed it...and makes a nice little gift for young adults and those who enjoy reading ghost stories!

GABixlerReviews

Born and raised on Long Island, Michael has always had a fascination with horror writing and found footage films. He wanted to incorporate both with his debut novel, Brood X. Earning a degree in English and an MBA, he has worked various jobs before settling into being a full-time author. He currently resides on Long Island with his wife and children.

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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Beware Purchasing Flipped Houses--They Might Already Be Occupied! Check out Michael Cash's Latest Horror...

This had to be the worst flip they'd ever attempted.
He gave the creaky stairs a gimlet-eyed glance
and for a nanosecond hated Julie. Really hated
her and her cockamamie ideas. Where did that
idea of hate come from? He loved his wife,
didn't he?

The Flip

If you are considering going into Real Estate

to make a decent income, one of the ways you

might choose is to buy older houses in need of

work, either doing it yourself or having a con-

tractor bring it up to a basic standard at which

it can be sold, can get you started, but in order

to build up a business, you need to immediately

take another house, and start over!

"I hate this place," Brad grumbled, as he shoved another piece of crap into the superthick black garbage bad. The basement smelled like shit, and here he was, alone on his birthday and shoveling hundred-year-old junk from a dank cellar..."

There was the sound of metal scraping against metal on the other side of the room. Brad walked closer, gingerly putting his ear against the cool wall. Tapping the surface with his knuckle, he heard the emptiness of the other side. It was a secret room, a walled-up scape, he thought with astonishment. He laughed uneasily when the old Edgar Allan Poe story popped into his mind--what was it? "The Tell-Tale Heart." He wondered if he'd find a chained skeleton bolted to the wall. His fingers caressed the surface looking for an opening. Another thump. Something fell on the hidden side. He banged on the wall, feeling foolish. There was a rumble of sound. Brad shrugged with impatience. Using his shovel as an ax, he hit the wall, breaking plaster, raining dust all over him. With all his might, he hit it again, pulverizing the anchient slat work under the wall to break into a vacant space. Stale air hit him in the face, and he created enough of an opening to slide into the pitch-black area through the rent in the wall. Placing his hands on either side of it, he lowered himself through the opening. The floor of the other side was a good five feet deeper than the basement

~~~.

By Michael Phillip Cash

He didn't see her green eyes light up, but he
heard her squeal of delight at the price.
Three weeks and a construction loan later
they were the proud owners of Bedlam House
built in 1859 and owned by one of the
prominent families of Cold Spring Harbor. It was named
for the street near which it was built...
Bedlam Street was the main artery of the
tiny Harbor town, which was now a
picturesque village filled with quaint shops.
The house was built by Frank Hemmings
and inherited by his daughter after he
died...
It had never left the Hemmings family
until the last descendant died.
It was on sale for $15,000...
~~~

Brad's skin prickled, and he felt the caress of a light breeze travel up his spine.
Tessa drew close to the human. The Sentinel had pulled him to safety. She hated their interference.
Just when she had control of a situation, they would step in to block her from doing as she pleased...
She was afraid of them and found herself backed into a corner when she felt their presence...
She glanced around, making sure she was alone. Smiling, she let her hands linger near Brad's face and felt him shudder as she led them down the back of his body...
~~~

Julie and Brad Evans were newlyweds. She had already been in real estate and so when they were a couple and she brought up the idea of flipping houses, he was willing to try since he could do quite a bit of the work himself. They were on their way and Julie's boss was able to let her know about potential houses that could be flipped rather than sold as is... But when she saw Bedlam House, she fell for it, secretly wanting it to flip and hopefully to own! Brad was opposed to both, when she finally suggested it... But it was only when he got into how bad the house was that he really began to hate the project. And the atmosphere was able to affect anybody who was in the house for a short period...

Gerald and Tessa, and one other, were still living in Tessa's home. She had been a woman that liked the carnal activities she enjoyed as often as she could and really didn't want to leave--even if she died.

Gerald had been in love with her forever...and her father before he died, had asked him to watch out for Tessa and hopefully get her to accept him as husband... Gerald had been trying ever since, even though she was still chasing after any man who happened to come into the house.

The other one is from a concurrent storyline that was also fascinating...only hint is that one used to reside in the hidden room that Brad had found! And which resulted in stopping the whole project when his skeleton was found...

Then the real fun began for Tessa...and Gerald as well! I didn't have a clue that the book was going to end as it did! Let's just say that the bedroom got some action... LOL

I guess ghost stories are considered horror, but I found myself feeling more sorry for the ghosts--It's more drama than scary stuff in my opinion... Only one issue about the book itself is that it was totally double-spaced...made for getting those pages turning too quickly. After I got into the story, though, I got used to it. I enjoyed the book... The concept buying a house to flip, only to find it's already housing ghosts would sure put a damper on your plans...but, actually, the ending was perfect and more satisfying that if it had turned out to be an evil house! It's a fun, quick read and I'm thinking you'll enjoy it too...unless you're a scaredy cat

G.A.BixlerReviews

About

Author of:Brood X, Stillwell: A Haunting On Long Island, The Hanging Tree, Schism: The Battle for Darracia, Collision and The Flip!

Biography

Book Readers Heaven - Have You Noticed?

Some of you may have noticed that I've started writing about books again. But I am not now accepting nor will I return to reviewing books on request. You will perhaps see that has allowed me to write more opinionated thoughts about read books... For instance, I might compare the writing of another author...or just allude to the type of book and how I respond to the topic.And, when appropriate, especially for political books, I use relevant news videos to document what is being said in the post. If I do post as a review, I will not be posting the entire blog article on sales sites. I hope you like hearing my personal thoughts more often and hope you will let me know what you think of the change, the expansion beyond a basic review... Insofar as possible, I try to bring together relevant videos or music that speaks to the issue, or which I've been led to use... In all things, now, I am about my Father's Business. I Speak Jesus--of His Love for all and of His Truth... Comments are always welcomed and will be treated with respect...

Here's BRH Feedback--Cool!

Dear Glenda, you're not only an excellent book reviewer, but a true friend. I thank you very much not only for the review, but for the care you have taken not to give away secrets which the reader must discover for her/him self. Thanks again, Stan Glenda, Wow, wow, wow! You captured what I set out to say in this work. Thank you for your insight and willingness to bear witness to the truth. HMH Glenda. I think I love you and I am sure Jerry does. We’ve already started the second in the series. Yes, it’s going to be a series—he has a treasure trove of high profile casework. He did Casey Anthony. Worked on the 13 year old who tRump and Epstein raped, and so many others. Thank you again for another wonderful review! You do us proud… This is amazing... I've never seen a review in this depth before, and I'm honored beyond words. Thank you for highlighting the subject matter in this way. ❤Sharon Sala Glenda A Bixler The irony of all of this is that I wrote this book in 2021 and turned it in to my publisher, and look what all has happened SINCE then. The release was also scheduled before all of these most recent, horrific incidents, and such is the way of the world in these times. Thank You for bringing attention to this ongoing travesty and tragedy. ❤ I am Lior, the author of The Milk Moon Assassin. You are the first reader, reviewer, that brought tears to my eyes. You have grasped the heart of my story from the angle it was aimed for. Dear Glenda, Double thanks are not enough. Thanks for following. A second thank you for your uplifting review of Alexa's Gold is hardly sufficient. While I apologize for disturbing your sleep patterns, I'm extremely pleased you enjoyed this fictional read. May God bless. Again, multiple, multiple heartfelt thanks. Donan Just saw your review on Amazon and then visited your site. Holy Smoke! As usual, I was amazed at what a fabulous job you did, reviewing the book and adding in all that related material. I was particularly thrilled that you included the book trailer I put on Utube. You adding it to your review made me very happy. In fact, I had a big smile on my face the whole time I looked at what you'd done. I even listened to the violin concerto and watched the video of Dog Hill. Every year it gets harder and harder to bring a new book to the attention of potential readers. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have you as an ally in that endeavor. Thank you so much for all you do for me and for other writers. There's no-one else like you. And that's no exaggeration.With profound gratitude, I remain, Your Friend, Don Thank you. Your commitment to your craft is wonderful. Whether it's one star or 5, your reviews are detailed, considerate, and most of all, beneficial to the prospective reader. What an amazing presentation. Stellar. I never expected anything like that. Do you have a separate link that I can share? I'd love to post this everywhere I can. You did such a fabulous job.cheers Connie Thank you so much for your glowing review of my new book. Your review really highlighted all the things that I try to incorporate in my books - they're the very things I want as a reader. I'm nearly finished writing the next book in the series - Walker and Munoz are back, and interestingly as you referenced in your review, this time it's personal. Again, thank you. I'd read your amazing review before I looked at my Facebook page and was blessed. Hitting the link you posted, I was surprised for few would have gone to so much trouble, fewer still know that Lauren Bacall (born Betty Joan Perske) was Sephardic and bequeathed a large amount of primary source information about the Sephardim to a university, which I was able to view online when corroborating Naomi's story. Your review stands as one of the highlights of this profoundly dyslexic authors’ life. Thank and bless you heart I thought I'd reach out to you for your heartfelt review on my novel. It was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes that someone was so moved by my tale... That it resonated that deeply with someone. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone. Signed... Wow, this is the most awesome blog post I've ever seen. Thank you for writing it! grin I was thrilled with the details you offered in my review - like a literary movie trailer built on suspense and intrigue. I'm glad you're still reviewing books by aspiring authors like me. We need people like you! Keep up the good work and maintain that passion, Glenda! Words fail me. Hi Glenda, I visited your review website today and was thrilled to see your marvelous features relating to Ms. Cramer's book. I passed them along to the author, and she is very excited and deeply grateful for your attention. Your review of the book is wonderfully anecdotal and insightful, and it will be helpful I believe as an introduction to readers approaching Ms. Cramer's work for the first time. I found the opening of the review to be quite touching, with a wonderful sense of personal experience that I believe is all too often missing in critical review publications. In the context of the article, your remembrances from childhood add a truly beautiful layer to the photopoem you present.We're very impressed by what you put together using the press kit materials, and we will do our best to provide exposure for your features through our mailing list and other avenues.I do look forward to reading your articles in the future.We appreciate your considering our book and thank you very much for your fine and generous review coverage. Saw the review and treatment of THE BLOOD BETRAYAL on your site. Once again, you've amazed me with what you do. Fantastic, fabulous… No, those words aren't good enough to describe your work and you. I wrote up a short piece about what you did, directing people to your site from mine. That was really interesting and something I've never seen anyone do before. Great job, and I'm glad you enjoyed the novel. Yo, my truly heartfelt thank you for your very generous and kind review! I appreciate very much the time and effort you put into this review for me, and your so graciously posting it in multiple locations. Your blogsite is extremely professional and well-done! What you posted for me there has completely blown me away! Thank you again very much for such a comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining review. It's one of the best reviews I have received and I'm very proud to have it. Most Gratefully, Glenda, You review blew my mind. When I listened to the songs you inserted, they brought tears to my eyes. You added a dimension to my work that was missing. In the attachment I have attempted to answer your question about anger. Thank you so much for your raving review. There are no words in the English language to express the gratitude I feel for you. I wish you a wonderful and blessed day. I've been sitting in my chair for nearly fifteen minutes, stuck in an infinite loop of visual digestion and stunned amazement because of what you put together on your site for The Doppler Affect review. The time alone that you put into crafting the page is humbling, but the creativity and flair adds a layer I've never seen in reviews. Of course, the frosting of your very positive evaluation makes it the best cake I've eaten yet! I was also amazed at how you could step away from any biases due to your preferred genre and frame it for others...thank you. My newest book, Patriot's Point, will be released imminently. The publisher wants to know if I knew of any one in particular who has blogs or review sites that I would want to use. I immediately thought of you. Thanks, Doug Glenda, I am truly in awe of your reviews and your review style. I have never seen anyone do a review as you can do one. I was entertained, informed, enlightened and amazed. There should be awards for creative, insightful and captivating reviews -- and you should be a recipient. Thanks for reviewing my book. And thanks for giving it an aura and image and feel that only your review could give it. I am very appreciative. All the best, Patrick During the period of time that you requested my story, I also had other blog sites asking for the book as well. I had received three reviews prior to yours, and although I am very happy to report that all three were positive and enthusiastic, your entire presentation of the book, from the actual commentary to the ambitious visuals, blew me away and has left me emotionally weak-kneed in gratitude. I am extremely touched by all that you had to say and how you visually presented the concept of the book. Please note that I will place your website on the book's Facebook page which will hopefully bring your blog site more readership. Again, please know how grateful I am for your emotionally thrilling review. You have certainly made my day, Glenda! With much appreciation, Author/The Poe Consequence I wanted to make sure I got a chance to properly thank you for posting the wonderful review of The Medici Boy! It was terrific, not just because you like the book (thank you) but because your analysis was thoughtful and honest. You put your heart into it, (Photos were out of this world) and you wrote like a friend would (we think that’s the very best kind of review). I appreciate your time and passion for literature! We’ve been promoting the site, since you went live, and we’re going to continue to promote your site on Social Media throughout the month. Senior Publicist Blue Dot Literary Dear Glenda, I have to start this response with a BIG WOW! I have been very gratified with my experience as a new writer for both my books now and am working on a third. However, your review is like nothing I've ever seen, and I consider it a great piece of writing and creativity in itself. Thank you so very much for your kind words and treatment of Millstone. Once again, thank you for this review. I plan to pass it on in every venue available to me. My best wishes to you JackH Thank you so much for your glowing review of my new book. Your review really highlighted all the things that I try to incorporate in my books - they're the very things I want as a reader. I'm nearly finished writing the next book in the series - Walker and Munoz are back, and interestingly as you referenced in your review, this time it's personal. Again, thank you. I'd read your amazing review before I looked at my Facebook page and was blessed. Hitting the link you posted, I was surprised for few would have gone to so much trouble You review blew my mind. When I listened to the songs you inserted, they brought tears to my eyes. You added a dimension to my work that was missing. In the attachment I have attempted to answer your question about anger. Thank you so much for your raving review. There are no words in the English language to express the gratitude I feel for you. I wish you a wonderful and blessed day. James Womack WOW! What a beautiful post you did for ALMOST PERFECT ON YOUR I can’t imagine how much time you must have taken to create some thing so imaginative and special. I feel truly humbled and touched and quite unequal to saying how much it meant to me. A real present. You must be a very special person. I wish you were my neighbor and we could have a real chat over coffee. Maybe someday. But meanwhile know how wonderful your work made me feel and buoyed to keep on keeping on! Diane