#suspense and thriller fiction

[sherryfundin]

Come on by and check it out at fundinmental

[itsfullofstars]

It's official: I'm publishing my first work of fiction, the unhinged novella SKIN & BONES, on 10/22/24 (just in time for Halloween). Pre-order the ebook now!

A mind-bending psychological thriller told in first person by a broken man who submits to a bizarre medical experiment in an effort to redeem himself, and loses his mind in the process.

It's Fight Club meets The Parallax View meets E.R. meets Shutter Island... and utterly unique in its own right. A quick, propulsive, hallucinatory read, rich with supernatural elements and medical suspense, SKIN & BONES takes you on a journey into the labyrinth of one man's fractured psyche.

Skull art by @paul.hollingworth - and it's NOT AI!

[writing-to-survive]

#209

"Someone screwed with the controls."

"It's not my fault they made them so damn complicated!"

[archergrid]

BE GAY DO CRIME

archergrid.substack.com NEW CHAPTER EVERY WEDNESDAY 👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩 Butch/femme 💰 Steal from the rich 👾 Hacker main character 🌹 Butch-fatale love interest 🌶️ Spicy love scenes When her former boss is acquitted of the crime she gave up everything to expose, a hypervigilant hacker masterminds a heist to get her revenge. But when a sexy yet reckless ex-yakuza joins the crew, the hacker’s meticulous plan begins to unravel. "Six of Crows" meets "Mr. Robot" in this snappy sapphic heist full of colorful criminals ripping off a megalomaniacal tech CEO in the South American port city of Valparaíso.

[artist-issues]

Want to Analyze Together?

In M. Knight Shyamalan’s 2002 movie Signs, why do you guys think he has not one, but two scenes like this where Graham wakes up and a character is standing right in front of him, staring at him while his eyes are closed? What can we get from that?

share with me in your reblogs! I want to see

[caixinliang]

Practice 1

assignment 6, concept art - concept and storyboards

. Blog post 02

I plan to illustrate the storyboard for the science fiction flash fiction story "Knock."

“The last man on Earth sat alone in a room. There was a knock on the door ...“

1. The protagonist looks at the mutated fish in the fish tank.

2. The camera focuses on the protagonist's face, and he appears somewhat impatient.

3. The protagonist turns around, drawing the audience's attention to the knife rack behind.

4. The protagonist walks towards the knife rack (revealing the approximate layout of the room and the sealed windows).

5. The protagonist selects a knife.

6. The protagonist walks towards the sofa (camera focuses on the sofa).

7. The protagonist sits on the sofa.

8. There's a knocking sound from outside.

I'm very interested in storyboarding, and hopefully I'll have time to do more and more in-depth storyboarding work afterwards.

[wedarkacademia]

[cate-cassena-author]

Quotes from my novel "Belladonna: The Art of Retribution" now available on Amazon. Buy here.

[sherryfundin]

Giveaway & Review – A River Of Crows by Shanessa Ghulm @parnersincr1me @ghulmshanessa

Overwhelmed by memories and unanswered questions, Sloan returns to the last place her brother was seen all those years ago: Crow’s Nest Creek. There, she is shocked to hear a crow murmuring the same syllable over and over: Ridge, Ridge, Ridge. 

Read more and enter the giveaway HERE.

[inopinatus-ea]

1

The Princes get their first glimpse of Adelia

“Emery, Raiden, the King of Uchelgais and his entourage will be here soon. Ensure you are appropriately prepared for their arrival and your introduction to the Princess Royal.”  King Branoc looked at his two sons.  He knew Emery was not happy about this, to say the least, but he cared not.  If the man wouldn’t get engaged on his own, then he’d take matters into his own hands.  There was already trouble in the kingdom and he had to ensure that his heirs were secure should the worst happen.  His son had dallied enough with the plebbian woman he'd been infatuated with, now Branoc had taken matters into his own hands.

“Father, we’ve been prepared for hours.  I’m sure that when King Mavros shows up with darling and precious daughter, he will be impressed with his awaiting son-in-law.” Emery replied sarcastically.  Why couldn’t Raiden be the one to marry the insipid daughter of the neighboring King?  He neither desired to be married, nor wanted a Princess that he was sure would be as interesting as the others that had come forward before her.  That his father had arranged the marriage without even consulting him still burned in his breast like a hot coal from the fire.  

Raiden prudently remained silent.  The volley of fire had not stopped between the King and Crowne Prince since the negotiated betrothal had been announced.  Now that the Princess was arriving imminently, they weren’t slowing down either.  He could hardly wait to see what fate had befallen his older brother.  If she was anything like the previous options their father had presented to Emery, Raiden was quite sure that he would be glad that he was the younger of the two of them.  Although, once Emery was wed, he was sure that their father’s eyes would turn to him.

“He had better.  This marriage is going to help us in the ongoing war and form an allieship that we desperately need. Do not fuck this up, Emery.  I’m tired of your failures!” The king turned on his heel and left the room, clearly done talking to his eldest, again. Not that this conversation had been long.  Few had been lately.  

Since the moment he was born, Emery had been a constant source of disappointment to him.  Dark hair, eyes that matched, he had the brooding scowl of his mother, not the fairer and more refined features of royalty like his brother Raiden.  His face was more round, his eyebrows lower, and he was shorter with more narrow shoulders. There was no one that would say that Emery was not handsome, but he did not resemble his father in the slightest, and to Branoc, there was no greater insult that could be given.  For that, he almost loathed the Prince.  Had the kingdom not been aware of his dalliance with Emery’s mother, the child would not have survived infancy.

“Hoping to give him a stroke before the short engagement period is over so that you can get out of the wedding?” Raiden couldn’t help but tease his brother. He couldn’t wait to see what kind of woman his father had decided upon.  There had been a couple of options he could have chosen from.  Secretly he hoped she was hideous, mewling, and so utterly worthless as a partner that it would drive Emery insane.  Someone just like his mother - a living mannequin to dress up and put a tiara on, produce heirs, and parade around at events.   Nothing would be a worse curse for his brother.

“You’re next in line for this fun, you know?  If you think he’s being an asshole to me, do you think he’ll be any different to you?” In truth Emery couldn’t wait until it was Raiden’s turn at this shit. Then he would get to see how insufferable the Princesses were that came to court to be considered.  Adding to his frustration was that his father picked one that he had never met. Six short weeks to get to know her then they’d be married. Lovely.

“I’m not the heir to the throne.  Something tells me father won’t be nearly as hard on me as he has been on you. I also don’t purposefully get under his skin for fun. I’ve learned how to manipulate him to get what I want.” Raiden’s smug smile irritated his brother, he could tell from the twitch in his brother’s eye.  They both knew he was right.  It wasn’t because he was younger, they had two younger brothers and a sister.  It was because he had learned long ago just how to talk to his father in order to hit the notes that his father wanted to hear.

“I’d offer to let you have the Princess if father wouldn’t literally have a stroke.  Heir has to marry first and all of that.  I’m sure whatever contract and treaty he has struck with her father wouldn’t work for second in line to the throne.”  Emery’s eyes rolled and he groaned. He had been in a relationship with Siara for years, but she was not high enough nobility for the next King. When it grew time for marriage, she and her family had disappeared one day and ended up on the other side of the kingdom.  His father had ways of making a statement.

“Oh no, I’m sure the one he’s chosen for you is your perfect match.  I wouldn’t want to steal her from you, dear brother.” Sarcasm dripped so heavily from Raiden’s voice it was pooling on the ground around his feet as he smirked at his brother and chuckled.  There was no way for Emery to get out of this one, no matter how much the elder brother wished he could.  No amount of charisma or negotiations could change what was going to happen; and he was going to get to sit back and watch it all happen with glee.

The sound of bells tolling told the brothers that the guests from the neighboring kingdom had entered the palace grounds.  Soon their entourage would be pulling up to the doors below them.  The men walked over to the windows, standing slightly off to the sides and pulling back the shears to look down unobtrusively for when the vehicles carrying all the guests pulled into view.  It only took a minute for the black vehicles to do so.  When the pulled to a stop, the footmen moved from the palace doors to open those of the vehicles.

From the lead vehicle exited a man who was obviously the King.  A stately and statuesque woman followed behind him, the obvious Queen.  If the Princess possessed her mother’s beauty, Emery had to admit this might not be too untenable. Then the rear door of the second vehicle was opened.  First to exit was a male with sharp eyes, a jawline and nose to match.  Emery’s first thought was of a bird, but at the way the man held himself shortly afterward it was reinforced and specified: an eagle.  He extended his hand toward the still open door, leading both Princes to lean forward in anticipation of who would exit next.

A delicate and elegant hand took that of the male’s.  Alabaster skin contrasted with that of the more tan man, his fingers gently taking hold and assisting the female exiting the vehicle, and as she did both brothers swore under their breath and glanced at one another.  Long, dark hair curled down her back, framing a sweetheart face that was beauty personified. Her moves were graceful and fluid, as if she were dancing.  It was clear that the Princess had arrived, and as dark emerald her gown flowed around her like a gossamer mist, she resembled a fairy tale come to life.  Both Princes were falling in love, but only one would admit it.

“You sure you don’t want to actually offer to let me take her off your hands, Emery?”

reblog - @cafekitsune

[obamasleftkidney]

Do not scroll.

I have a deal for you.

I receive: Your follow

You receive: Your username will go down in a small pretty notebook as my first few followers for my novel + a novel with exactly what you like, as if this fell onto your page, you're the target audience

With regards to the novel: Premise? No I refuse to say. Main character? I refuse to say. Tropes? I refuse to say. I'd like to make this a project of trust, and perhaps the suspense of the storyline will only enhance your reading experience. I'll post quotes, paragraphs, and more little clues. And the first person to guess the plot (I hope my publishers allow this) will receive a free signed copy once the novel is published (maybe merch depending on the accuracy of the plot guessed).

I may disappoint. But how do you know for sure I will?

[writing-to-survive]

#201

"There's a hoard coming from the west. We have to get going."

"I can't walk. You've gotta go."

[daisyvramien]

Cold cases are the ghosts that haunt the corridors of justice, their ethereal presence a constant reminder of the sins of the past. Each one whispers its tale of forgotten victims and unsolved mysteries, their voices echoing through the halls of time. But beneath the surface lies a deeper truth, a truth that festers like a wound left untended. Guilt is the specter that rots and festers within the hearts of those touched by these cold cases. It gnaws at the soul like a relentless beast, devouring every shred of peace and sanity. With each passing day, it grows stronger, its tendrils reaching deeper into the darkest recesses of the mind.

Sometimes, the doors of the past are best left locked, their secrets buried beneath layers of dust and decay. Within those forgotten chambers lies a darkness that knows no bounds, a darkness that consumes all who dare to venture too close. Curiosity is a dangerous thing, a voracious beast that devours all in its path. It gnaws at the edges of reason, tempting the unwary with promises of truth and enlightenment. But beware, for behind every locked door lies a truth more terrible than any lie...

[thepersonalwords]

Surprised huh, thought you had me back in prison didn’t you? To answer your question what keeps me alive is my drive, my drive to kill you! I have nothing, but hate for you and your family. It will be my pleasure taking you out. I don’t care about power, plutonium or even being rich. None of that matters to me. I only care about taking you out. Even if I die I want to be the one who is called the killer of Angel Medina! There’s no where for you to go. Now we will truly see who is better! Come on put up you hands and prepare for your final battle of your life! - Orlando from Framed: The Second Book of the Thousand Years War

Angel Ramon Medina, Framed: The Second Book of the Thousand Years War

[cljordan-imperium]

14

Chapter 13

“You know we might want to get in there pretty soon, kitten.”  Kase’s voice sounded a little hoarse to his own ears before he chuckled.  He had a pretty good idea that was partly because of the thoughts and emotions he was having at the moment, the ones that had led him to a spur of the moment decision he was hoping she wouldn’t make him regret anytime in the near future.  As much as he wanted to stay in the garage and keep kissing her, or talking about what this meant for the two of them, he knew that they were being waited on.  It was better to end the moment now, than have his partner, or Spencer, interrupting.  Not to mention that there was an eye in a cooler down next to his leg.

“Not that I want to let you go.” He added, one side of his mouth lifting.  Why did his timing have to suck for shit like this?  He could have waited till he took her back to her car after the examination of the eye.  But, as Kase knew all too well, some moments never happen again and he wasn’t wanting to chance this being one of them.

As Serena nodded, she couldn’t take her eyes off of his sparkling crystalline blue ones.  As she felt drawn into him, she wondered if he realized how open his emotions were in that moment.  It was like his feelings were flowing through his expression.  She didn’t regret even a second of what happened, but they both knew that it was going to complicate things for them.  At the moment, she was not really caring about that, but they would have to talk about it eventually.  Now, however, was not the time.

“I don’t want you to either, but I think you’re right.”  Finally Serena answered, her voice soft as the butterflies in her stomach took flight again.  “There’ll be time later, Karsten.  All the time we want.”  That both excited her and scared her.  How did she end up in this situation again?  Abandoned by Rob, only to now be torn between Keegan and Karsten.

Giving him one last, quick and soft kiss, her hands slid down his back as she pulled away.  She was dreading going into the morgue, and dealing with things; but it could only be put off for so long. The faster she got to work with the examination of the eye, the faster that they would be done and able to focus on other things. Now it was time to get to work.

“Look alive!  Boss lady and your partner incoming!”  Spencer called out with a laugh as he spun his chair away from the monitor, then stood to start to get everything organized for the examination of the eye.  Things would have to be done with meticulous attention to detail and documentation. Everything would have to be recorded via video, audio, and written records, backups of backups made. No detail of the exam would be too small to be recorded in the record.  For the next few days, Spencer and Serena would be a team working in tandem to accomplish only one goal: to ascertain as much information from that one small eye as they could.  Technically there had been no breach in protocol, and as long as no one ever looked at that security tape, there would be no questions regarding the chain of custody and transportation of the eye.  Even then, the eye was never really out of sight or reach of the ME and the lead detective, even if they were paying absolutely no attention to it for a few minutes.  Spencer was certainly not going to be the one to make mention of it.  Sometimes you just knew to employ discretion.

“I will avoid embarrassing your boss, but I’m going to bust Kase’s balls over that one.”  Declan pointed at the screen where he could see Kase and Rena heading in.  There was no way he could pass that up.

“Just don’t cause a fight in the morgue and I honestly don’t give a shit.  He needs to have them busted for taking so long.”  Spencer chuckled then grew serious.  “Time to look like we’ve been doing something other than standing and watching what they were doing.”  He gave a brief chuckle then hit the button that started the video and audio recording in the room for evidentiary purposes, “beginning recording of examination of the human eye and attached partial ocular nerve that was delivered to the offices of the Cook County Assistant District Attorney Colin Masterson’s office….”  Spencer went on to record all the pertinent case information and details as he laid out the surgical instruments that Serena would need to perform the post mortem on the eye.  There was a great deal of procedural information that had to be recorded in just the right order and with just the right verbiage that Spencer could almost do it from memory except for the parts that changed.

When he heard the click of Serena unlocking the door to her private suite where the eye autopsy was to take place, he made a note of the time to the second, and paused the recording so that any chit chat wasn’t about to become public record. 

support banner - @cafekitsune

[the-andromeda-effect]

23

Chapter 22

Coffee and gossip...

“Do you think they’re going to come down?”  Marcin smirked over at Lars.  He was making the second pot of coffee of the morning.  Both guards had noticed that neither of the couple had been seen, or heard, all morning.  Both also found this amusing.  After how Caliban had arrived at the gatehouse the day before, both were pretty sure that the marriage was a whole lot less fake than the boss would have them believe.  Not that Lars could say he blamed him, Adira was easy on the eyes, and seemed very sweet.

“I think the odds are even right now.  Can you blame Caliban for not rushing?  When have you seen him with a woman this calm?” Lars’ eyebrows were raised as he looked over at Marcin from where he was leaned up against the counter.  “Can you imagine that last one he dated if she’d had a gun held to her head?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me of that one.  That time she screamed about a spider in the pool house almost got someone shot.” Marcin’s eyes rolled as he shook his head.  All of the women Caliban had dated over the years had been beautiful, the vast majority of them had also been overly dramatic about everything.  That Adira had been so calm during the whole situation with Kondrat when he’d been confronted at the drive, set her far apart from any woman that Caliban had brought onto the estate.  Marcin might not know her well, but he already had a feeling about her.  

“Theron said the only time he’s even heard her raise her voice was when she took that swing at the boss when she was still three-quarters asleep.”  Lars chuckled as he poured them both more coffee.  “I still envy that you got to see that.  Even the night before during the storm, she was scared, but I cannot imagine her trying to grapple with Caliban.  She’s a tiny little thing, up against the boss, and him pretty much letting her.”  He shook his head and let out a wry laugh.

“It won’t be a sight you get to see often either.”  Caliban’s voice from the doorway to the kitchen had both men straightening quickly and Lars clearing his throat, much to Caliban’s amusement.  “Two cups please.  Sweetener or sugar in one.  The other black.  Then I’ll let you two ladies get back to gossiping about me and my wife.”  He smirked.  His hair was still disheveled and he was sans shirt. Neither he nor Adira were really ready to get up, but both needed liquid sanity before they could even start considering how to spend their daylight hours.

Both guards chuckled as Lars pulled down two more mugs and got them ready for Caliban.  “Seems she’s settling into that role pretty well.  I take it we’re keeping her?  We don’t have to fill out return paperwork?” Marcin questioned, amused and winked at his boss.

“She’s not a pet.”  Caliban answered with a raised brow.  “However, you are correct, I believe that we are both enjoying having one another as companions.  I think she will be staying around for a while in the role of my wife.  I don’t foresee wanting to change that anytime myself, either”  He smirked as he took the two mugs Lars offered. No, after the night before, and the morning they’d already had, he was of any mind to have her leaving his side.  She brought a sense of peace and calm to him that he hadn’t experienced from a woman before.  He liked it, and he liked the way she felt in his arms. What had he gotten himself into?  Moreso, what had he gotten her into?

“She’s not a pet, but she’s also not a toy, Cal.” This time it was Lars, who had turned around to face Caliban and leaned up against the counter again.   “She seems like she’s already been played with enough.”  He took a sip of his coffee, looking at his boss over the rim of the cup.  There was no need for elaboration, both men knew exactly what he was referring to in all ways.  Since he’d seen the terror in her eyes that one bolt of lightning could cause, Lars had felt a sense of protection over her. 

“Yes, and that will stop.  There will be no games or deception in her future.”  Both men nodded at one another.  Few men could challenge him in the way that Lars just had, but Caliban knew that Lars had Adira’s best interest at heart.  He was still feeling Marcin out, but as far as he could tell, he was solid as well.