Halloween – Leonberger Life

Horror at the Observatory

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Halloween is over but I would like to promote a great thriller or horror story taking place at an astronomical observatory in New Mexico, The Astronomer’s Crypt by David Lee Summers. It is an action packed and fun story that is not as heavy as the previous book I reviewed (Mr. B. Gone).

Paperback – Publisher : Hadrosaur Press (June 2, 2020), ISBN-10 : 1885093918, ISBN-13 : 978-1885093912, 256 pages, Item Weight : 11.7 ounces, Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.64 x 8.5 inches, it cost $12.95 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Hadrosaur Press; 2nd edition (June 2, 2020), ASIN : B089LRV6BC, 258 pages, it costs $3.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

Complex machinery, a telescope, and a creature looking like a cross between an owl and a velociraptor. — Front cover of The Astronomer’s Crypt. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

Two years ago on a stormy night, in the dead of winter, Mike Teter experienced something that would change his life forever. Mike was a telescope operator at the world renowned Carson Peak Observatory in New Mexico. We won’t tell you what he saw that night on the mountain nor what happened afterward on a dark stretch of highway, because it would haunt you just as it has haunted Mike. But what we will tell you is that Mike is back at Carson Peak. And what he witnessed that night two years ago is about to become a reality…

This is my Amazon five-star review for The Astronomer’s Crypt by David Lee Summers

An Intense and Fun Horror Thriller Taking Place in an Astronomical Observatory

The protagonist Mike Teter is a telescope operator at a fictitious observatory in New Mexico, the Carson Peak observatory. The Carson Peak observatory features two large buildings hosting a 5-meter and a 2.5-meter telescope. It is located on sacred land adjacent to an Apache reservation. There are caves nearby that host ancient sacred artifacts that should not be removed from the caves. The observatory is a labyrinthine and dangerous place that appears to be haunted. There are long corridors and hidden rooms. The observatory has a history of deadly accidents. For example, a Dr. Burroughs and a graduate student had been killed there.

One day Mike has what seems to be hallucinations. A large ancient evil creature looking like a mix of a dinosaur and a bird appears before him, and he encounters a talking coyote that gives him a warning about the sacred portals, he sees the ghost of Dr. Burroughs, and he witnesses the gruesome death of his friend the Astronomer Dr. Wallerstein. He’s had enough and he quit his job only to return to it at a later time. He thought that the things he saw were just nerves. However, this time things really go amiss. A creepy but wealthy lawyer by name of Mr. Vassago is trying to acquire sacred artifacts. There are drug cartel thugs, greedy adventurers, freak accidents, severe storms, hostage situations, ghosts, and ancient evil monsters. Mike Teter is faced with a very complicated and nightmarish situation.

The story is action packed, suspenseful and features a lot of plot twists. The characters are well-developed, relatable and multi-layered. The observatory is realistically described, and it is obvious that the author is very familiar with astronomical observatories. As you read this book you will learn something about observatories as well as the job of telescope operators. The author skillfully creates a chilling scenery of a dark haunted observatory, which brought my imagination to the spaceship in the movie Alien. It is obvious that the author is highly intelligent. A lot of things happened in just a few pages, and it was difficult to put the book down. It is one of the most intense and fun horror thrillers I’ve ever read, and I highly recommend it.

The back cover is black and red and has a description of the book. — Back cover of The Astronomer’s Crypt. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the kindle version of the book.

About the Author

David Lee Summers is an author, editor and astronomer living somewhere between the western and final frontiers in Southern New Mexico. He is the author of twelve novels. His short stories and poems have appeared in numerous magazines including Cemetery Dance, Realms of Fantasy, Star*Line, and The Santa Clara Review.

David also edited Tales of the Talisman Magazine for ten years. When he’s not writing, he operates telescopes at Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Click here to visit his website

Click here to visit his blog

Warning Danger the Memoirs of a Demon

The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote. Since it is Halloween, I decided to post a review for one of the most disturbing horror books that I’ve ever read. The book is Mister B Gone by Clive Barker, and it is the memoirs of a Demon. If “Clive Barker” does not ring a bell, his novel Hellbound Heart was the foundation for the Hellraiser series of eleven movies (with Pinhead). Clive Barker’s books have spawned dozens of movies.

Warning

First a warning. As you read this book a demon from hell will start speaking to you inside your head. It happens to everybody reading this book. The book also contains information about good and evil not meant for humans. Ask yourself, do you really want to know? In fact, the first words of the book are “Burn this book. Go on. Quickly, while there’s still time. Don’t look at another word. Did you hear me? Not. One. More. Word.”

Unlike many other books by Clive Barker, this book is not about gore and the macabre. It is not disgusting. However, it is very creepy. The narrator of the story is a demon from hell by the name of Jakabok Botch. He is evil and he eats babies, but he’s got a lot of interesting things to say. The question is whether you can stomach it. I should say I got the hardcover version.

Paperback – Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (October 21, 2008), ISBN-10 : 0061562491, ISBN-13 : 978-0061562495, 248 pages, Item Weight : 10.4 ounces, Dimensions : 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches, it cost $ 14.39 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardcover – HarperCollins; First Edition (October 30, 2007), ISBN-10 : 0060182989, ISBN-13 : 978-0060182984, 256 pages, Item Weight : 1.1 pounds, Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.95 x 8.25 inches, it costs $17.03 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : HarperCollins e-books; Reprint edition (October 13, 2009), ASIN : B000W9661Q, 258 pages, it costs $1.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio – ASIN : B000Y4RRZ8, Narrator : Doug Bradley, Listening Length : 6 hours 28 minutes, it costs $0.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

Black background, title and author with a small demon face in the middle. — Front cover of Mister B. Gone. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback version of the book.

Amazon’s description of the book

From Clive Barker, the great master of horror and the macabre, comes a brilliant and truly unsettling tour de force of the supernatural—a terrifying work that escorts the reader on an intimate and revelatory journey to uncover the shocking truth of the battle between Good and Evil.

“Burn this book!”

So warns Jakerbok, the spellbinding narrator of this fabulously original “memoir,” a tale of good and evil deliberately “lost” for nearly six hundred years. Jakerbok is no ordinary soul; he is a minion of hell with a terrifying plan to cast the world into darkness and despair—a plan thwarted by a young apprentice of Johannes Gutenberg who buried the one and only copy of this damnable manuscript that his master printed in 1438.

Compelling and direct, Jakerbok shares the secrets of his life, going back centuries to recall the events that shaped his childhood, including the traumas he suffered at the hands of his parents, super demons themselves. He explains how he rose from “minor” to “major” demon status, and gleefully reveals his nefarious plot to “invade” the minds and hearts of unwitting humans everywhere thanks to the ingenious Gutenberg and his invention. “Burn this book!” he advises throughout—a taunt, a warning, and a command that will actually unleash the evil with which he has hidden in every word and every page, infusing the very ink and paper upon which they are printed.

Inventive and irresistible, Mister B. Good reaffirms Clive Barker is one of our most brilliant and original voices, an artist with a keen insight into mysteries deep within the human heart.

Below is my review written for this blog post. I have not yet written a review for Amazon.

This is a quite unique book. It is both a story about a demon and a disturbing conversation with that demon. The demon, Jakabok Botch, escaped the ninth circle of Hell in the 14th century. He has been with us ever since and if you buy this book and read it, he will be with you too. Clive Barker has made sure, through his writing style, that you will hear the demon’s voice. He will be much closer to you than you could guess. Jakabok Botch is ugly, severely burned, he has two tails, he hates mankind, and he likes to take warm baths in the fresh blood of infants. He had a hellish childhood so despite him raising hell on earth and being so cruel, you also feel sorry for the demon, and you sort of start liking him too, like a beast you feel close too.

In the book there are several requests to stop reading the book and burn it instead. This may seem odd, but it sets the tone for the book. The book tells a strange and disturbing but good story. It is creepy as well as philosophical. The demon, Jakabok Botch, asks the reader at some point why demons are condemned to hell, but humans are given a chance to escape hell, when humans can be just as evil. The demon had just witnessed people in the 14th century lustfully murder and torture each other, including burning pregnant women as witches. He thinks he can’t do any worse himself, so why shouldn’t all humans be with him in hell. No wonder he hates humans. What choices do we have, and what choices do demons have?

An episode in the book that I found to be quite intriguing was the war and the subsequent negotiation between the angels of heaven and the demons of hell over the written word at the time and place of Gutenberg’s invention. This event determined our future, and this book also has a in this history.

I found the book to be interesting and creative. Clive Barker’s imagination is amazing. The comparisons between the heartless barbarism of people in less enlightened times, as well as today, and that of demons in hell were enlightening. Is earth just like another circle of hell in which we are our own demons? I think this book was an attempt by Clive Barker to reach a wider audience. A lot of people cannot stomach his gory, macabre and often disgusting stories. This book did not have much of that. Instead, it focused on maximizing the creepiness factor. Therefore, I highly recommend this book to horror fans, even those who are turned off by the gore in Clive Barkers more typical stories. However, be aware, it is very creepy, and you will hear the voice of a demon in your head.

The back cover is black with a small demon face. — Back cover of Mister B. Gone. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the hardcover version of the book.

Happy Halloween

Screams Waxahachie

Last Saturday my wife and I and our daughter visited Screams. It is something we tend to do around every Halloween. Screams is the world’s largest Halloween theme park. It is located half an hour south of Dallas in a small town called Waxahachie. The park features a haunted cemetery, five haunted houses, a horror museum, games, live shows, horror movies, dozens of eateries, restaurants and pubs, and other entertainment. There are a lot of dressed up actors walking around and scaring people. You are not allowed to dress up yourself as that can cause confusion. The actors will never touch you, but you can’t guarantee that there will not be problems if visitors are allowed to be dressed up as well.

Claudia dressed in black and blue jeans on my right. I am wearing dark blue and blue jeans. We are sitting in front of dozens of Jack’O Lanterns — My wife Claudia and me at Screams. I am holding a milk stout from Left Hand Brewing in my left hand (where else).

Claudia and our daughter is standing inside a long tunnel lit my colorful lights. — My wife Claudia and our daughter in the spooky tunnel.

At Screams, there are several places to buy a drink or get something to eat. However, in the middle of the park there is a dedicated area with restaurants and several places where you can buy Mexican food, Greek food, corn dogs, turkey legs, sausages, hot dogs, hamburgers, funnel cake, desserts, beers of various kinds including craft beer, German beer, cocktails and other drinks. On each side of this area there are covered seating areas. The restaurant naturally has its own indoor seating area.

The photos show two spooky props lit up by colorful lights. They are standing in the corner of the playground. — A portion of a children’s playground. It had a large inflatable (not shown). In the background is an eating area for several restaurants and bars.

The image shows a female zombie dressed in brown. — A portion of the haunted cemetery. It was dark and it was very difficult to take photos with my phone camera unless the objects were nearby.

A dimly lit castle that looks like the Bran castle in Transylvania. — The haunted castle is one of the five haunted houses. It is very big and features several floors. It might be the biggest haunted house I’ve been to.

It is a fun place to visit even if you don’t like haunted houses. There are a lot of less extreme entertainment to choose from.

Another spooky thing happened this evening. I took a swim in my in-law’s swimming pool (not heated so a bit cool). As I was swimming, an owl flew right above my head and sat down in a nearby palm tree and just sat there and stared at me. As I continued swimming I was attacked by this big black thing. I thought it was maybe a big insect or a black bird, and I thought it tried to bite me. Then I realized it was a leaf. I decided to take a photo of the owl who was still staring at me. So, I went inside the house to get my phone. As I came back out and approached the owl, he kept staring at me. In should have taken a photo at this point but I kept getting closer to the owl and unfortunately it flew off before I could take a photo. The photo below from pexels will do.

The incidence was a little bit creepy because according to Scandinavian folklore an owl that flies right above you or in front of you is a bad omen. Typically, someone will die. My grandmother died the day an owl flew in front of my dad. Anyway, if I’ll make another post tomorrow, you’ll know that I am still alive.

Close up of owl with bright yellow eyes. — Owl from pexels pixabay.

Happy Halloween

A Happy Leonberger Halloween

This photo was provided by Jen O’Keefe, Urgent Animal Care of Arlington. From left to right; Rilian (Bear Costume), Caspian (Bull Costume).

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween

In the Tree’s Shadow Nightmares and Beautiful Dreams

In this Leonberger blog I sometimes post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I want to promote, and this is a book that I would like to promote. I recently read In the Tree’s Shadow: A collection of stories that exist in your dreams… and nightmares the paperback version, by D. L. Finn. I found this book to be very imaginative, fun and great reading for Halloween, and therefore I would like to promote it. It comes in a paperback edition and a Kindle edition.

Paperback – April 14, 2023, ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0C1J5GSFZ, ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8986158723, 214 pages, item weight ‏ : ‎ 10.2 ounces, dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.49 x 9 inches, it is currently $ 11.24 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – April 17, 2023, ASIN B0BWL7LX9K, 225 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.

This is a photo of the front cover of the book In the Tree's Shadow. The front cover features trees in a fog and small clearing. — This is a photo of the front cover of the book In the Tree’s Shadow. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the paperback version of the book.

This book is a delightful collection of entertaining and suspenseful horror, paranormal, sci-fi, and fantasy stories. There are a few dark ones, but the stories are mostly imaginative, fun and captivating. Perfect for Halloween for those of you who want something a bit less disturbing than Hellbound Heart. At the end of the book there is also a 23-page teaser for another of her books “This Second Chance”.

This is Amazon’s description of the book.

Nestled inside these pages, you’ll meet a couple in their golden years who take a trip with an unexpected detour, a boy desperate to give his brother the Christmas gift he asked for, a girl with a small glass dragon who is at the mercy of her cruel uncles, and a young mother who has a recurring dream about murder. You’ll be introduced to worlds where people get second chances and monsters might be allowed their desires, while angels and dragons try to help. Happy endings occur, but perspective can blur the line between good and evil in these twenty-seven tales. Since the stories vary between 99 and 12,000 words, whether you have only five minutes or an entire evening to settle into reading, there is something that will suit your time and taste.

My Amazon Five Star Review of In the Tree’s Shadow

Nightmares and Beautiful Dreams

In the tree’s shadow is a collection of 27 captivating and unique short stories ranging from half a page to almost 30 pages. Some of the stories are paranormal horror stories, other stories are delightful fantasy and science fiction stories and yet other stories are personal journeys about finding your self-worth and inner strength to live the life you want. The stories feature nightmares, beautiful dreams, fantasy creatures, ghosts, space aliens, demon-like entities, castaways, karma, and civil war. You just don’t know what you are going to read next as you finish one story.

The book engages your imagination a lot, which I enjoy. It is also well written and easy to read. Some of the stories are dark and scary, like “A man on the pier”, but most of these stories are entertaining and intriguing, and even heartwarming. It is a perfect book for Halloween if you want to keep it a little bit on the lighter and happier side. For me the book was a page turner and I highly recommend it.

This is a photo of the back cover of the book In the Tree's Shadow. — This is a photo of the back cover of the book In the Tree’s Shadow. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the kindle version of the book.

About the Author

D.L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA. She immersed herself in reading all types of books, but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed.

Her creations vary from children’s books, young adult fantasy, and adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with poetry. She continues on her adventures with an open invitation for her readers to join her.

The Hay Bale Better Horror Than the Books of Blood

This blog is primarily about Leonbergers and Leonberger books but on rare occasion I write a review for a book or story that I find to be exceptional and therefore want to promote. Yesterday I read a horror story on my kindle that I found to be unprecedented and therefore I want to promote it. Incidentally, strange things happened today, which tells me this is going to be an interesting Halloween. The Hay Bale Kindle Edition by Priscilla Bettis is a short story that cost $0.99 or nothing if you have Kindle Unlimited, which I don’t. However, one dollar is quite frankly almost nothing. It is 42 pages, was released in January 2022 and the ASIN number is B09P4PJQLT.

Cover image of The Hale Bale by Priscilla Bettis a very creepy story. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle story. — The Hay Bale is a creepy short horror story that is better than any short horror story I’ve ever read. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the Kindle story.

Horror is not the literary category I primarily focus on, but I do like horror, and I’ve read a significant amount of horror literature including some classic horror, Stephen King’s books and several of Clive Barker’s books, such as Hell bound Heart and Mister. B Gone. I especially loved Clive Barker’s Books of Blood, which are collections of his short stories. I and my son are also inscribed into Dracula’s or Vlad III (Vlad the Impaler’s) family of protectors, which happened in a ceremony led by Dracula’s monk at the Snagov monastery in Romania. Therefore, horror is not a literary category that is foreign to me. It should be noted that the ceremony was a tourist ploy. We are not really vampires.

Photo of Books of blood, which was a large collection of short horror stories that really impressed me. Despite that fact “The Hay Bale” is the best short horror story I’ve ever read. — Books of blood was a large collection of short horror stories that really impressed me. Despite that fact “The Hay Bale” is the best short horror story I’ve ever read.

A few decades ago, Stephen King said of Clive Barker; I have seen the future of horror and his name is Clive Barker. Considering that “The Hay Bale” is the best short horror story I’ve ever read and assuming Priscilla Bettis will continue writing great short horror stories I would like to say, “I have seen the future of horror and her name is Priscilla Bettis”.

The Hay Bale is creepy, disturbing, scary and odd. The main character Claire is a Microbiologist. She is separated from her ex-husband Dan, who seems to have emotionally abused her. She has also suffered several miscarriages and is unable to adopt due to her emotional state. To get away for a while she rents a home in rural Virginia for the summer. The setting is a bit “children of the corn” like, perhaps “midsommar” like, whilst the story development reminded me of some of the stories in the Books of Blood.

What Claire experiences is both creepy and bizarre but unlike many of Clive Barker’s stories it’s not too adult, which I personally appreciate. It also makes the story readable by both adults as well as teenagers. The story is fast paced, unsettling, atmospheric, and it’s full of creepy imagery. I read the story while drinking two Halloween themed Texas beers, which I almost forgot to drink because I couldn’t take my eyes of the Kindle. I should add that Priscilla has her own unique style. She is not a Clive Barker clone. I am very much looking forward to more of her stories.

Photo of Kindle displaying the “The Hay Bale” plus a Halloween Themed Pumpkin Ale called Rumpy. — Me reading the “The Hay Bale” and drinking a Halloween Themed Pumpkin Ale.

Photo of the Kindle showing the last page of "The Hay Bale" and a Halloween Themed Stout. — Finished reading the “The Hay Bale” and drinking a Halloween Stout.

I should mention that following my Amazon review for the story and me posting about it in a dozen beer groups with around 30,000 members something strange happened. It is possible someone played a prank on us. This afternoon my daughter and I saw a horror movie and then we sat outside in the backyard and discussed it, Dracula and this story. That’s when she noticed that there was an old rusty medieval axe in our backyard. Someone must have placed it into our fenced in backyard today. But who? The strange Axe is included in the photo below. Where is this axe coming from? Any suggestions?