I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the DON'T LOOK, JUST RUN by R.A. Clarke Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: R.A. Clarke
Pub. Date: October 30, 2024
Publisher: Page Turn Press
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 272
Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!
Consider this book a cautionary
tale. The short stories, flash fiction,
micro fiction, and poems contained within this collection are the stuff of
nightmares—things you should’ve run from when you had the chance.
You’ll read a rhyming tale about a crafty northern witch with a deathly holiday
fetish, the journal of a troubled woman who's been offered revitalization in
the form of experimental skin therapy, and two flirty college students who
learn exactly why taking strange drugs is bad. Lock your doors and pull your
blanket up a little higher while you navigate a feud between neighbours that
spirals out of control, operate a camera with a thirst for blood, and even
chuckle while a family of vacationing demons let their hungry lil’ guy
trick-or-treat, human-style.
If you take away anything from this book, besides a cramp from turning pages
too fast or a case of spine tingles that won't quit—it should be this... Don't
look, just run!
Excerpt:
From the moment I met Terri, I knew it was fate.
She was looking to hire a very particular kind of somebody,
and stumbled across my Craigslist ad, which read: The Finisher - A Step Above
the Rest. Proof on Film, Every Time. Completion, Discretion & Creativity
Guaranteed.
She’d sent me a message and, though I wasn’t sure if I’d
accept the job, I agreed to meet her here. Not exactly the nicest part of town,
but it made sense, considering.
I smiled and shook her hand. "I’m Winston. Nice to meet
you."
"H-hello, yes, I'm Terri. Same to you, too." She
seemed nervous, her eyes darting around and hands quaking. But, after a few
moments, her posture relaxed a little. Probably realized the shabby pub was
practically empty—nobody to overhear our conversation.
What a beautiful creature...
I ordered two bourbons, sliding one across the table to
further ease her worry. I wanted to assure her I wasn’t some generic thug, but
rather an educated and well-mannered man who possessed a unique set of skills
for which others paid handsomely. A professional.
Terri sipped her drink and proceeded to explain why she’d
called. She wanted someone to scare her cousin, Damien. They lived next door to
each other, stuck in a horrible feud that was getting out of control. Terri had
apparently cared for Damien's ailing mother, a woman he sorely neglected. Years
later, when the mother finally died, she’d left Damien's share of the
inheritance to Terri instead of her own son. He began tormenting her, poisoning
her flowers, leaving hateful notes on her car, and shooting paint balls at her
cat.
“He even accused me of stealing!” she said, cheeks flushed.
I suspected this accusation wasn’t entirely untrue. Clearly, the pretty thing
had stolen his mother's heart. It wasn't a shock to me. Of course, the old lady
would love Terri. Not only was she lovely, but this Damien guy sounded like a
real asshat.
"Anyway, I eventually got fed up and fought back,"
she explained, staring at her hands. "I'm not proud of it, but I
spray-painted Damien’s precious sports car, poured bleach onto his lawn, and
tossed cat poop into his yard."
Good for her.
"I didn't know what else to do. None of it worked! He
didn’t back off." She flung her hands out, then reeled them back in with a
nervous glance at the bearded bartender.
"Oh, don't worry about ol' Bob—he's heard a lot worse
things than that in this bar," I said with a reassuring smile. I leaned
back, waving a hand at her. "Please, continue."
Terri took a deep breath. "Damien slandered my name all
over our neighbourhood, calling me a scheming gold digger who had manipulated
his mother. Said I was toxic. He turned most of my extended family against me;
made me into a black sheep."
Terri explained she went to the police, and I shook my head.
Calling the police almost never solves these kinds of issues. The way her voice
shook, I could tell she was torn up inside.
Poor thing.
“I just need someone to make him believe bad things will
happen if he keeps harassing me,” she said with a weak smile. "I think
that will make him stop."
I was unsure about the job. Honestly, it seemed a little
beneath me. Sure, it would be easy money, and cultivating fear was definitely
in my wheelhouse. But my true specialty was death and disappearance. Money
wasn’t everything, after all. This kind of gig offered little opportunity to
indulge in the creative expression I enjoyed.
I nearly said no, but then Terri looked up at me with her
big, innocent eyes. The delicate curve of her lips buckled my resolve, swaying
me. Seducing me. A woman like this needed a white knight—a protector. Knowing I
could be that for her, I obliged.
About R.A. Clarke:
When she's not writing children's literature, Rachael Clarke enjoys writing short stories in all kinds of genres, including dark fiction, and horror. So not to confuse or frustrate her younger readership, Rachael publishes her short fiction under the pen name R.A. Clarke.
R.A. Clarke
has a dedicated Facebook page for fans of her work.
You're
invited (and very welcome) to join the community!
https://www.facebook.com/raclarkeauthor
Thank you
for reading!
Sign up for R.A.’s
newsletter! (scroll to the bottom)
https://linktr.ee/raclarkewrites
Giveaway Details:
1 winner
will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card, International.
Ends December
3rd, midnight EST.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
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11/4/2024 |
Guest Post/IG Post |
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11/5/2024 |
Excerpt |
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11/6/2024 |
IG Post/TikTok Post |
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11/7/2024 |
Interview/IG Post |
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11/8/2024 |
Guest Post |
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11/9/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
Week Two:
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11/10/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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11/11/2024 |
IG Post |
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11/12/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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11/13/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/14/2024 |
Review |
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11/15/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/16/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
Week Three:
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11/17/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/18/2024 |
Excerpt |
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11/19/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/20/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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11/21/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/22/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/23/2024 |
IG Review |
Week Four:
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11/24/2024 |
Review |
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11/25/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/26/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/27/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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11/28/2024 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
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11/29/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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