Authors: Bryan Smith
Soultaker (37 page)
Some readers of this book may imagine they detect a whiff of autobiography within these pages. This is not the case. While I do share one or two superficial things in common with the protagonist, Jake McAllister, he is not meant to represent me in any way. I come from a much, much less deprived background, and I was raised by wonderful parents who always did their best by me, even when I was struggling. Without the love and support of my mother, Cherie Smith, and Lonnie Smith, my still deeply missed late father, I could never have come as far as I have. I was also blessed enough to have two of the greatest brothers anyone could ever ask for in Jeff and Eric Smith. My brothers, thanks for making a big chunk of my younger days so memorable and fun. And as always, my love and gratitude to my wife. Rachael, without you sharing my life, the world would be a much darker place indeed.
Thanks also go out to the usual cast of colorful characters and friends: Shannon Turbeville and Keith Ashley, without whom the good old days would just have been the old days. Kent Gowran, Tod Clark, Mark Hickerson, David T. Wilbanks, Derek Tatum, the denizens of Brian Keene’s message board, Brian Keene, Don D’Auria (for making it all happen), and the core MySpace gang (keep those comments and messages coming).
Last, but not least, thanks to the readers for buying enough of these things to keep them coming.
BRYAN SMITH!
QUEEN OF BLOOD
“I can’t see any fan of 80s-style pulp horror novels not leaving this one with a huge, gory grin on their face.”
—
The Horror Fiction Review
“
Queen of Blood
is a great follow-up…taking all the elements that worked so well in the first book and ramping them up. Not just the gore or the violence, though there’s plenty of both, but the characterizations Smith is so adept at as well. He has weaved a very intricate tale with multiple levels of deception and sadism and managed to have it all make sense and be a helluva lot of fun at the same time.”
—Dread Central
“A non-stop thrill ride…
Queen of Blood
is flying off the shelves. Bryan Smith seems poised for a major career explosion, and if you want to be trendy, read him now, before he becomes a household name. Incidentally, although
Queen of Blood
has a definite conclusion, there is plenty of room for a third volume in the same series. You can count me as someone who is eager to read it.”
—Skullring
“Dark fantasy and psychological suspense might be the new norm, but the old slice and dice set hasn’t kicked the bucket yet. Smith’s lean and mean prose never lets up, allowing for a smooth, leisurely reading experience…a refreshing change of pace.”
—Fear Zone
HOUSE OF BLOOD
“
House of Blood
is a unique and riveting excursion into modern horror. Here’s an author exploding onto the genre.”
—Edward Lee, author of
Brides of the Impaler
“Smith promises unimaginable brutality, bile-inducing fear, and unfathomable despair; and then delivers monumentally!”
—Horror Web
“Bryan Smith is a force to be reckoned with!”
—Douglas Clegg, author of
The Attraction
“A feast of good old-fashioned horror. Don’t pass this one up!”
—Brian Keene, author of
Castaways
“In the vein of Bentley Little and Edward Lee…sometimes scary, sometimes amusing,
House of Blood
is a quick, enjoyable read suitable for all fans of horror and dark fantasy.”
—Michael Laimo, author of
Fires Rising
THE FREAKSHOW
“Bryan Smith is truly a glowing example of the type of horror author born straight from the ashes of the genre’s glorious heyday of the 80s. Smith really shines with his latest example of no-holds-barred horror fiction that proves there are no limits holding him back when it comes to truly terrifying his readers. I highly recommend
The Freakshow
to anyone who loves an intense ride through a truly dark and terrifying novel.”
—Horror World
“The action kicks in literally from the first page and doesn’t let up for the entire book. The pacing is dead-on and the horror is exceptional. Good characters, a good story and some nasty imagery combine to make
The Freakshow
one of the most fun reads I’ve had in a long time.”
—Dread Central
Leisure
books by Bryan Smith:
QUEEN OF BLOOD
THE FREAKSHOW
DEATHBRINGER
HOUSE OF BLOOD
A LEISURE BOOK®
February 2009
Published by
Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016
Copyright © 2009 by Bryan Smith
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E-ISBN: 978-1-4285-0601-5
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