Nightmare Scuttler Island by Chris von Halle and a Cover Reveal

With Halloween sliding closer and closer, it's time to turn the creepy factor up with today's read. This is the latest in a series of books, and yes, I have read some of them already. (Wow, right?) So far, these have given me a bit of Goosebump vibes but with a slightly darker twist. Each one is very different, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this latest addition seems to nod towards scifi. 

But first.....

******************

I have an awesome cover reveal, I want to share with you (because the author is such a lovely person, too!) This one comes from Valinora Troy and her upcoming release, Lianna and the Hombit. 

LIANNA AND THE HOMBIT

A grieving girl in need of a friend. A magical creature with a secret task. Can they end the ancient curse threatening their new home?

13-year-old Lianna has lost everything: her home, her friends, and most devastatingly, her beloved Papa. Sent to live with her uncle, Lianna is certain he will be cruel and unkind, for why else would Papa have run away when he was young? Robbed on arrival of her precious keepsakes, Lianna receives a worse-than-expected welcome from her uncle. His servants are hostile and even her grandparents seem to glare at her from their portraits over the fire.

When a magical creature resembling a small glass bird bursts into her life in a mix of sparks and fire, Lianna is eager to assist the hombit with its secret mission if it helps her return home. Which leads to Lianna undertaking a risky dive near perilous sea stacks known as ‘living rocks’.

When her dive goes wrong, she awakens a creature that seeks to rob her of her humanity.

To survive, Lianna must uncover the dark secrets of her father’s past. Now she faces a stark decision: does she save herself or the town that rejects both her and her father?

A heart-warming story of the healing power of friendship when all seems lost.

ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Valinora Troy is a children’s fantasy writer from Ireland. She has a MA in Creative Writing Specialising in Writing for Children and Young Adults, and has served as a panellist for the CYBILS awards (elementary & middle grade speculative fiction category). Her short stories for adults have been in a number of publications. She is the author of ‘The Lucky Diamond’ trilogy, three middle grade children’s fantasy adventures. She has recently been shortlisted for the Staróg prize, and has served as a Reading Ambassador for Louth County Libraries.

*********************

Okie dokie! Now, let's open up this spookier read and see what it holds!

 

NIGHTMARE ON SCUTTLER ISLAND

Between Dark and Light

by Chris von Halle

Upper Middle Grade & YA Horror

191 pages

ages 10 to 18

What if everything you knew about your life was a carefully constructed lie?

Thirteen-year-old Billy and his younger sister Megan have never seen the sun. Raised by their AI mother Darla two hundred feet underground, they’ve lived their entire lives in a two-room den—safe, comfortable, and completely isolated from the outside world. That is, until the power cuts out.

Armed with laser guns, protective gear, and a cryptic mission, Billy and Megan are forced to evacuate to the surface… and step straight into a waking nightmare.

The island above is cloaked in heavy, black mist. Withering trees line the roads. And massive black machines marked with an eerie corporate insignia patrol the streets—firing on sight. While dodging death at every turn, the siblings encounter other kids who also emerged from underground dens. But when the group uncovers the first clues about why they were hidden away, a terrifying truth begins to surface.

The world outside isn’t just dangerous—it was designed that way.

And the greatest threat may already be among them.

Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, The City of Ember, and Escape from Furnace, Nightmare on Scuttler Island is a pulse-pounding middle-grade horror adventure packed with high-stakes suspense, emotional twists, and unforgettable scares.

Between Dark and Light is a series of nonconnected children’s horror books featuring strange, eerie, supernatural events. Ages 10 and up!

GOODREADS     /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Danger meets a dystopian world, where a dark mist hides not only secrets but death.

Billy and Megan have lived underground in tight quarters with an AI mother raising them. While they question what might lay beyond their home and what happened to their parents, they aren't necessarily ready to leave until the power shuts off and they're forced to head out into the unknown world beyond. The world outside is dark and dreary with a heavy mist hiding more than a few secrets. It quickly becomes clear that the world around them is patrolled by machines, which kill on sight. When Billy and Megan discover other children in the same predicament, they begin to piece the secrets together and slowly uncover the truth...one that darker than any of them could have ever dreamed.

Tension runs high in these pages as Billy and his sister do their best to survive. It centers mostly around Billy and follows him as he tries to figure out what is happening and deals with the situations as best as possible. The stakes are more than high, which doesn't leave tons of room for careful consideration or thought as every moment becomes a fight to live. The danger is more than clear as life hangs on a deadly edge. It makes for a very, quick paced read the entire way through.

This isn't a read to give much thought to the foundation, but rather, lets the adventure take over. Emotions run high as every move turns into a terrifying situation. The plot is well-laid and keeps the reader in the tale the entire way through. It isn't one for sensitive readers, either, but does carry violence and horrific moments to slide into into the tween and young adult category.

Paul the Peacock by Tilly Matthews

Today's read had me smiling the second I saw the cover. It's so bright and joyful...and that small loris at the bottom adds a cute touch. Yep, a loris. It's been awhile since I've seen a loris in a picture book. What about you?

Anyway, I'm hoping this one doesn't kill things by being too heavy on the messaging end and let's the fun shine. Let's take a peek and find out how it does!

PAUL THE PEACOCK

by Tilly Matthews

Happy Yak

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 4 to 8

COMING AUGUST 6th!!!

Paul has everything. He has the biggest nest, the most loyal friend, and of course, the most beautiful feathers in the forest. But as you can guess, he’s not the humblest of birds… 

In fact… 

Paul is a selfish, rude, and arrogant peacock who isn’t very nice to his friend Norris the Loris and the other animals in the forest. He’s pampered by everyone around him, and never has to shake a feather. Then, one evening, "after another long, tiring day of being perfect", there is a huge storm. Paul loses everything (including his precious feathers). He has to go on an adventure through the forest to try and retrieve his most prized possession. He sets off to find his feathers and ultimately discovers something even more important… 

This hilarious story with comic deadpan moments and vivid, expressive illustrations conveys an important message about kindness, friendship, and humility. Follow Paul as he’s brought down to earth from his treetop penthouse and learns to appreciate the friends he’s lucky to have around him. This is a fantastically funny fable that gently shows young readers how to be less materialistic, and more modest and mindful of other people’s feelings.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Learning to value others shines bright and bold in this enjoyably silly and thought-filled read.

Paul the peacock is an amazing bird...and he makes sure he stays that way. His beautiful feathers are his pride and joy. He's pampered day and night, never allowing even the slightest strain or harm to draw near, and that's all thanks to his friend, Noris the loris. One day, Noris has had enough of serving Paul without the slightest hint of thanks. Sick of being taken for granted, he leaves, and at the worst time for Paul. Paul wakes up to not only find Noris gone, but an unimaginable disaster has taken place. Determined to keep his dignity, Paul heads out on his own, but life isn't as simple as he thinks.

The vibrant illustrations fit wonderfully to Paul the peacock. The bright and bold colors demand as much attention as the bird himself, making the situation very clear as poor Noris does his best to satisfy. The imbalanced relationship between the two is easy to notice and will draw sympathy as readers see what's going on. The emotions come across clearly and make the message surrounding thankfulness, friendship, and kindness sit in an understandable way. But it's the little, silly details which hook and make this into an entertaining read from beginning to end. The message might be serious, but giggles and laughs are guaranteed from one page to the next.

The tale makes a lovely read aloud and is well-suited for the age group. It presents just enough to keep the story clear, while the illustrations do the rest. It's one of those reads, which is sure to hear the phrase 'again'. 

Today's read... Why They Came by Chris von Halle

My oldest kids were RL Stine fans...okay, I need to add that there weren't exactly many great English books available at the library, where we lived in Germany, but they had several of these spookier reads, and those were some of their favorites. 

And what does that have to do with today's read? Quite a bit, actually.

Today, we're taking a look at the 4th book in the Between Dark and Light series, one which does remind of RL Stine but with more thrills and less nonsensical-weirdness (I'm thinking gooey monster under summer camp, which wasn't scary in the slightest—my kids weren't won over by that RL Stine one, either). But today's series is also for slightly older readers, ages 10 and up. 

I've taken a look at some of the earlier books in this one (yes, it can happen) and was thrilled to learn there's a new tale. These books do not relate to each other, meaning they can be picked up in any order. Each story holds an independent plot with new characters.

So, let's see if this latest story is as good as the first ones in the series.

WHY THEY CAME

Between Dark and Light

by Chris von Halle

Upper Middle Grade Horror

163 pages

ages 10 and up

Dad's been acting strange lately...

Like everyone else on Earth, twelve-year-old Drake Hamilton’s just trying to survive a terrifying alien invasion. All around the world, more and more people are witnessing a small, pale, human-like creature randomly appearing next to them, touching their bare skin with its own, and then disappearing. Afterward, the Touched people possess all kinds of superpowers, like the ability to fly, turn invisible, among other things. Trouble is, the vast majority of their heads explode shortly after that.

So, Drake and his family follow all the new societal rules to a tee—wear gloves, long sleeves, and pants at all times, and never touch an extra-terrestrial. But then something happens with Drake’s dad. Something incredibly strange, unexpected, and horrifying in its own right. And something that makes Drake start to suspect he, his family, and the rest of humanity have a lot more on their plates concerning the alien invasion than they ever could’ve imagined…

Between Dark and Light is a series of nonconnected children’s horror books featuring strange, eerie, supernatural events. Ages 10 & older!

GOODREADS    /    AMAZON  

MY TIDBITS

Aliens and superpowers mix with mystery, exploding heads, and chilling moments to form an exciting and surprising adventure.

Drake doesn't recognize the world, anymore. A week before, little human-like creatures began to pop up around the world. They'd touch an unexpecting human's skin, disappear instantly, and the person developed amazing superpowers. For one hour. Then, their heads exploded. There was the 5% chance the person would survive, but then, their powers would be gone. There are rules in place to keep everyone as safe as possible, but the incidents grow by the day...and then, a boy in Drake's class gains the power to fly. But that's not the only disturbing thing. Drake's own father is acting more than weird...and not telling the truth.

The story dives right into the middle of the already-underway, alien invasion with Drake witnessing his first possession right in front of his eyes. The tension mounts high and fast as this newly formed superhero turns out to tilt toward the super-villain side. And it gets a tiny bit gritty, which means this one is for less sensitive readers ages 10 and up (but it's not overly heavy, by any means, either). Horror, mystery and action fans will be hooked right away. 

There's a nice bit of character arc, family love, and friendship built in as well. While Drake is trying to mentally sort through the alien thing, while dealing with his dad's odd behaviors, he's also learning more about himself and his relationships to those around him. Now, that isn't to say this is an emotional/heartfelt tale because it is mystery with a bit of horror thrown in. But this deeper side-step does make Drake a more realistic character and engaging to follow as he faces the impossible. 

With less than 150 pages, this is a short, quick read, too...which is great for more reluctant readers out there. The story runs along smoothly, sticking to the action and important factors to drive it forward. The ending does follow a more quirky-ish twist, which makes it great for the age group and does remind a little more of RL Stine's fun. Everything is wrapped up nicely and in a very surprising way. So, I do recommend this one for thriller fans, who are ready for a unique and exciting tale. 

Review: Uncle Jed's Secret by Chris von Halle

Today's read comes from a series, which I have visited before...and enjoyed. These remind me a bit of the Goosebump reads with a tiny more bite. This one is the latest (released end of February) and promises chills and thrills. I was excited to see that the ebook version is only 99 cents on Amazon, at the moment. So, bonus for you guys, too!

Since ghost stories and 'things that go bump in the night' are always on the hot-to-grab shelf for middle graders, I'm not waiting until Halloween for this read.

Grab that flashlight and let's take a peek into the shadows!

UNCLE JED'S SECRET

Between Dark and Light

by Chris von Halle

Upper Middle Grade Horror

135 pages

ages 10 to 12

Don’t go to sleep…

As usual, twelve-year-old Jason is staying with his Uncle Jed in small-town Minnesota for a few days during the summer while his parents are away on business. But this time something’s horribly off. Ever since Uncle Jed’s wife died a few weeks ago, he’s been acting like a totally different person. He doesn’t eat the same food, have the same interests, or even use the same turns of phrases.

Grief can do strange things to a person, but Jason’s about to find out it’s far more than grief that’s plaguing his uncle. It’s something deeper. Something darker. Something else…

Between Dark and Light is a series of nonconnected children’s horror books featuring strange, eerie, supernatural events. Ages 10 & older! 

GOODREADS   /     AMAZON

MY TIDBITS

Spooks and chills accompany unexpected twists to form an exciting...and short adventure.

While his parents attend a business trip, Jason is spending his usual time with his uncle, but this time will be a bit different since his aunt passed away a few months before. He expects his uncle to be depressed. He doesn't expect the big changes, though. Knowing that everyone mourns differently, he tries his best to go with the flow until things go downhill fast.

This does remind of a Goosebumps read with all the haunting moments and creepy surprises. The tale is told by Jason, who comes across as a nice kid. He has great relations with his parents and uncle, and seems like the boy next door. He's very understanding when it comes to his uncle's sudden changes, which works for the age group and makes him come across as simply a nice kid. His choices are understandable. Plus, he's easy to connect with and root for.

Creepiness settles in slowly with hints and nods, the entire time, at what is truly going on. It's not impossible to guess, but also not fully clear, either, and will keep readers on the edge of their seat. Tension mounts from page to page, and the end resolution comes quick but satisfyingly rounded. Younger and more sensitive readers should be aware that this does hit upon death and being threatened with a gun. It makes a great read for a fast thrill and is appropriate for the intended age group. 

Review: The Old Person Curse by Chris von Halle

Spooky mysteries and curses hit today's review...just in time for the Halloween season! This is the first book in a new series for middle graders, and it promises to pack tons of chills and thrills and bumps in the dark. I do have the impression that this one leans more in a Goosebump  direction... which is totally fine with me!

Grab those flashlights and throw that blanket over your head because its time to take a peek. 

THE OLD PERSON CURSE

Between Dark and Light

by Chris von Halle

Middle Grade Horror

36 pages

ages 10 to 14

12 years old one day, 80 the next…

Azie has no idea she and her family just moved into a cursed Victorian house in small town upstate New York. Until she learns about the Old Person Disease. Apparently, all the kids who ever lived in Azie’s new house over the past few generations died of a mysterious illness nobody ever knew the source of or how to cure. The disease slowly made the victims’ skin crinkle and hair gray out like an elderly person’s until they died a few days later. And now the same thing’s happening to Azie! Can she and her new friends find out what’s at the root of the bizarre illness and finally stop it—before she and future generations meet the same untimely fate?

Between Dark and Light is a series of nonconnected children’s horror books featuring strange, eerie, supernatural events. Ages 10 & older!

GOODREADS   /   AMAZON   

MY TIDBITS

Chills, thrills, and unexpected twists and turns mark every page in this slightly dark and oh-so-fun read.

Twelve-years-old Azie knows that moving into a new home means a few challenges, but she never expects things to become as difficult as they do in her families' Victorian home. She hears rumors that every child, who's lived in the house, has died of an Old Person's Disease. When she wakes up one morning to find herself aging, too, she can't believe her eyes. The house is cursed and the clock is ticking. If she and her friends don't figure out how to reverse the curse soon, she'll be the next child to join the house's growing list.

This book is suggested for the older end of the middle grade audience, and it fits that level perfectly. The writing flows and draws into the story as Azie moves into her new home. Everything is familiar enough to allow the reader to fall into the scenes and get lost in the tale. Azie and the other characters come across naturally, make understandable decisions and react in a sympathetic way. So, when the curse takes hold and Azie finds herself fighting for her life, it's hard not to get invested and hope she makes it.

While this does stay appropriate for the age group and there isn't any gore, death, or extreme violence, the author still creates eerie moments and lets the tension rise in all the right spots. Something is always happening, making it hard to put the book down. And there are surprises, which are not easy to see coming. It's a fun read for dark mystery and thriller fans.

And here he is...

Chris von Halle has always been fascinated with the dark edges of life, and the light that always seems to be trying to prick through. Between Dark and Light represents the war that’s constantly raging between the two forces. Chris lives in Mendham, New Jersey, and enjoys watching tennis, playing video games, and creating the occasional comic strip.

Review: Picket Town by Chris von Halle

PICKET TOWN

by Chris von Halle

Clean Reads

Middle Grade Science Fiction

178 pages

 ages 8 to 12

Don’t go into the woods… 

Just when twelve-year-old Amanda’s town couldn’t possibly get any more boring, a bacterium breaks out. The disease only affects kids, giving them cold-like symptoms and a ring of gross, purple sores on their foreheads. Even more disturbing, none of the infected have returned from the hospital. 

Meanwhile, Amanda drags her wimpy friend Sam along to explore the woods near her house. They stumble on what appears to be a spaceship in a clearing, but before they can begin to wrap their minds around that bizarre and eerie discovery, something flies out of the ship. Something they couldn’t possibly ever expect. Something far more terrifying than they ever could’ve imagined. 

And something that poses a major threat to not only their town, but the entire world. 

MY TIDBITS

Imagination teams up with science fiction adventure for a mystery with unique twists and turns.

Amanda is bored out of her gourd, mostly because Picket Town never involves anything exciting. Except for a new disease, that is. Kids are dropping from school like flies thanks to a mysterious disease. In an attempt to find some sort of adventure, Amanda convinces her best friend, Sam, to climb a fence and explore the forbidden forest. There they discover a UFO. And that's where the real excitement begins.

This was an enjoyable science fiction read with just the right amount of mystery, thrilling moments, and several unexpected surprises. The first chapter begins with a fairly normal school setting, allowing readers to grasp somewhat familiar moments before heading off into fantasy. And there is tons of imagination in these pages. With well done descriptions, which are detailed yet kept brief enough not to ruin the flow, the author creates a vivid world and scenes.

Amanda is a very determined character, who lets her mouth get the best of her as well as her spontaneous decisions. Her personality is balanced out with the more careful one of Sam, making them a great duo. In other words, friendship is key. 

The plot moves along quickly, and while some surprises are fairly easy to see coming, others are unexpected. The first chapters dive in to the situation almost too quickly, but later on, the story grabs. There are several logic stumbles and holes intermixed with the adventure. Many of these find their solutions toward the end. And this isn't an ending to expect! It's an easy read which leaves no room for boredom, and will even interest more reluctant readers with the short length. This isn't a deep read but concentrates on aliens, rapid adventure and science fiction fun.

SNEAK PEEK

Chapter One

An Irritating Bacterium

Mr. Garrison walked to the front of the class, put his briefcase on his desk, and drilled everyone with a gaze way more intense than usual.

I shuddered at my desk in the third row. I knew that look. He had news, all right. Big news. And I was pretty sure I already knew what it was.

"Good morning, everyone," he said in his calm voice. Kind of ironic because of his extreme face, though he always talked like that no matter what mood he was in. His huge body towered over the class like a tsunami about to crash.

“Morning,” a couple kids said. Others just grunted.

Mr. Garrison adjusted his thick-framed glasses on his wide nose. “Before we begin, I would like to announce that Zack Goldman has come down with the purple circle, and, therefore, has been transferred to Sedgewick Hospital for treatment.”

Yep. Just like I thought. The room’s temp seemed to drop even more, like someone just cranked the AC up to full blast. I wrapped my arms around my body, but it didn’t make me any warmer.

Not that Mr. Garrison’s news was all that much of a surprise, though. Zack had been coughing and sniffling ever since homeroom. And his symptoms kept getting worse. By lunch, his face even looked like it belonged in a wax museum, his eyes all red and puffy.

Yeah, he’d definitely been coming down with something. But it was the sores that made my lunch want to come back up and say hello again—the real tiny, purple sores that formed a perfect circle on his forehead, like they always did on people infected with the creepy bacterium. I’d only noticed the freaky little things because I’d been waiting in line behind him at the water fountain in the hallway right after lunch. When he’d gotten his fill, he turned around and nodded weakly toward me, basically saying, “It’s your turn to lick up some purple circle germs I just left on the fountain, Amanda. You know, so you can get sick with the nasty bacterium along with me.”

Yeah, right. Like I was going to do that.

“Umm… Naw, I’m good,” I said a little too quickly. “Turns out I’m actually not all that thirsty. Thanks anyway, though.” And I spun around and left.

Okay, it’d been a bit awkward, but what else could I have said after seeing those horrible little buggers up close? And they were real shiny, too, like they wanted to announce to everybody that they were officially here, like they wanted to let everyone know the purple circle had gotten Zack and the rest of us kids at New Pines Middle School were next. Maybe even all the kids in the whole town.

I shivered at my desk, my history book already open to the Lewis and Clark Expedition chapter since we’d been studying their voyage out west. Those tiny, purple sores were the only real sign you had the purple circle. At least, that’s what the news was calling the creepy bacterium nobody had ever seen before that had suddenly swept our small town, bringing all its victims to the hospital.

Mr. Garrison opened his mouth to say more, but my best friend Sam shuddered so violently in his desk next to mine that his chair’s legs vibrated loudly against the floor.

Every head in class snapped toward him, including mine.

“S-Sorry,” Sam said. “The purple circle k-kind of freaks me out.”

Aw. Poor guy. He was so scared he was in full-on stuttering mode. Not that it took much to trigger that.

A couple snickers broke out in class.

“Wimp,” Alex Watson’s slightly nasally voice muttered from the desk behind mine. The stupid bully was always giving Sam a hard time about being scared of stuff. And being scrawny, too.

I whipped my head around. “Shut up, Alex! The purple circle is a seriously creepy disease and you know it. Stop being such a jerk all the time.”

“Oh—I’m a jerk all the time, am I?” Alex tilted his freckly, pig-nosed face at me, an ugly scowl pasted to it.

“You’re not only a jerk all the time, you’re the biggest jerk in the whole—”

“Stop it right this minute, you two!” Mr. Garrison snapped in a loud, stern voice.

I bit my tongue and turned back around, even though I would’ve kept railing on that stupid, bigheaded Alex Watson all day if I could.

Mr. Garrison dug his sharp gaze at me then Alex.

We both kept quiet.

Mr. Garrison looked at Sam, his eyes softening. “I can see how you could find the bacterium a tad unnerving, Sam. However, there is absolutely no need to worry whatsoever. Zack will be completely fine and he will return to school as soon as he has been effectively treated.” He smiled warmly as he looked at the whole class. “Just like the others currently afflicted with the irritating bacterium.”

Irritating bacterium? Irritating bacterium? How could Mr. Garrison call a brand-new bacterium that doctors had never seen before and that nobody had recovered from yet—including the kids who’d had it for a whole month since it broke out—irritating?

And here he is...

Chris von Halle has had many different lives in many different worlds—the near and distant future Earth, other planets, and even other dimensions—and his books recreate his childhood memories of such outlandish locations. In this world and life, he lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey, and enjoys such extraordinary activities as playing videogames, tennis, and basketball, and writing the occasional comic strip.

Social Media Links:

Website: chrisvonhalle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.v.halle?fref=browse_search

Blog: http://chrisvonhalle.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @ChrisvonHalle