Loss, a horror novella [Kindle Edition]

Glen Krisch (Author)

Book Description

After Angie Chandler's husband dies in a car crash in which she was driving, her life comes undone. Though her soul mate is gone, her memories of Paul linger as she tries to recover at their secluded wooded estate. Ostracized from Paul's family--the only family she has really known--Angie's life spirals down a dark path of alcohol and pills. In the blur of constant self-medication, Angie is in no position to know what is happening to her.

Is Paul haunting her?
Has she gone mad?
Or is there another possibility, something far worse?


A 29k word (or about 110 printed pages) novella of psychological horror

Editorial Reviews

Review

What the Critics are saying about the works of Glen Krisch

"Krisch writes with sheer force and raw power-a welcome entry to the horror ranks."
-- Scott Nicholson, best-selling author of The Red Church

"Every new book by Glen Krisch is a reason to celebrate. Seeming to come from out of nowhere, he writes with the kind of assured, lyrical style that makes other writers salivate. Count me as one of them. He knows what makes a story tick. He knows the value of character. And he knows how to scare you. And he does it all like someone who has been writing since before King was King. Mark my words: The future for Krisch is going to be a bright one, and I'm hard-pressed to think of anyone who so completely deserves it."
-- Kealan Patrick Burke, author of The Turtle Boy and Kin.

"Where Darkness Dwells is a wonderful story, rich with imagination, adventure, and lots of heart and soul. And yes, it's scary! There is great complexity in the people and the town that Glen Krisch creates. He doesn't give us cardboard paper dolls to represent good and evil. These are living, breathing characters. Most everyone has their faults and even the more villainous characters are in possession of a soft spot. But yikes! The villainous characters do some seriously heinous things."
-- Carole Lanham, author of The Whisper Jar

"Where Darkness Dwells, is fast paced with a lot of twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages, wanting to find out what happens next. Even with such a large and varied group of characters as well as all the twists and turns I never felt that Glen lost focus as the story moved along quickly, and didn't lag for me at all."
-- Famous Monsters of Filmland

About the Author

I have written three novels: The Nightmare Within, Where Darkness Dwells, and Nothing Lasting. My short fiction has appeared in publications across three continents for the last decade. Dog Horn Publishing (U.K.) will publish my story collection debut in 2012.
I am also an editor for Morrigan Books. As a freelance editor, I have worked on books by Tim Lebbon and Lawrence Block, among others.
 
I enjoy speaking with other readers & writers. Feel free to drop by:
goodreads.com/author/show/4525598.Glen_Krisch
facebook.com/glen.krisch

 
or drop me an email at:
[e-mail]

Product Details

• File Size: 255 KB
• Print Length: 89 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Stray King Publishing (January 4, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006TZ8Z4S
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #301,992 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Miscategorized & Mistitled February 14, 2012

By Kat

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Although written well for the most part (the first 70-80%), this is a dramatic story about the loss of a loved one and coping with it in a drug and alcohol induced state. I wouldn't classify it as a "psychological horror" book. There isn't really anything horror, or thriller until the end of the story, and it felt out of place, rushed, and and a little goofy, almost like it had been written by someone else. It just didn't come together well for me.

I was interested in this book because the subject matter seemed like it would be a good ghost story, and the author requested I read it and review it for my horror movie/book review blog. It failed at being what I was expecting, and that doesn't make for a bad book, its just not what I was hoping for, and as I stated, the ending just felt rushed and too different compared to the rest of the book. Because of all of this I'm rating it the way I am.

For a more in depth book review please visit my horror movie/book review blog, Shivers of Horror.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars It's YOUR loss if you pass this one up! January 16, 2012

By Charlene

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a relatively quick read and I absolutely LOVED it.

Rarely do I say that I could not put a book/novella down, but in this case it is true. This story was fast paced, the characters were very likeable and I could feel the ache of the main character as if it were my own. I could also feel her confusion and sadness at what had become of her life. The author brings this story alive and carries you along with it to the conclusion. It will be your loss if you pass this one by.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great novella exploring loss - with a mystery January 22, 2012

By Caleb Blake

Format:Kindle Edition

Cross-posted from Papyrus Independent Author Reviews (http://papyrus.calebblake.net/2012/01/22/loss-by-glen-krisch/)

Angie has suffered a devastating loss. Her husband has been killed in a car accident in the snow and she was the driver. This is basically where we start with "Loss".

Glen Krisch wants to tell a story with this novella, but I think he also wants to explore loss - in this case Angie's loss - in detail. I'm no stranger to Krisch's writing and one thing that I've admired is his writing of characters. There is an honesty about the Angie's portrayal in her time of suffering. Instead of the romantic, swooning with loss but courageous and plucky to the end, we see a decidedly messier and more plausible heroine. By the end of the novella, I'm not even certain if Angie stages any real recovery (something I'll let other readers decide).

If there weren't some small details towards the start of the novella that had already given the story an air of mystery, one could be forgiven for thinking that the widow's suffering is the only purpose - and even then that wouldn't be a bad thing given Krisch's deft handling of the character; but in the second half of the book uncomfortable discoveries are made and the story plummets from a study to a thriller. I'm not about to reveal where the story actually goes, but I can say that although some might regard certain elements as tropes, I liked the "how" of the revelations and I also liked the back stories told to make sense of the characters and actions involved.

I think an author like Krisch understands darkness because he understands reality and is not afraid to write about it. He keeps us on a non-sugar diet that I believe is good for our health in the long run. Even when writing fiction, he abstains from wish fulfilment and gives us characters who sometimes find redemption and sometimes don't, who sometimes find justice and sometimes don't and who are never one dimensional. I keep him on my short list of indie authors because he not only does all of those things, but he does them well. "Loss" is a solid novella that completes its own story at just the right pace allowing us a ringside seat to someone's suffering and loss while intriguing us with a mystery finally revealed.

More About the Author

Glen Krisch has written three novels: The Nightmare Within, Where Darkness Dwells, and Nothing Lasting. His short fiction has appeared in publications across three continents for the last decade. Dog Horn Publishing (U.K.) will publish his story collection debut in 2012.

He is also an editor for Morrigan Books. As a freelance editor, he has worked on books by Tim Lebbon and Lawrence Block, among others.

He enjoys speaking with other readers & writers. Feel free to drop by:


http://glenkrisch.wordpress.com/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4525598.Glen_Krisch
http://www.facebook.com/glen.krisch