Devil’s Nightmare
Devil’s Nightmare Series
Book One
Robert Pruneda
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Forsaken Imprint / Booktrope Publishing
Date of Publication: July 15, 2015
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo
Book Description:
Veteran homicide detective Aaron Sanders thought he’d seen it all, but nothing could have prepared the seasoned detective for the mutilated remains of a kid’s parents or the equally vicious deaths of three boys at another crime scene.
As Aaron works to solve the cases and protect his only witness, an orphaned child, he learns of an ancient curse that leaves him questioning all he’s ever believed. Now, to save himself and the child, Aaron must confront his own inner demons, and some he never knew existed. But if he does, will he make it out alive?
Devil’s Nightmare is an occult suspense horror novel by Robert Pruneda, who shakes readers with his visually graphic scenes, supernatural twists, and disturbing settings in this first installment of the Devil’s Nightmare series.
Excerpt
Cody’s lungs burned with each frenetic breath as he made his escape toward the gated entrance of the old cemetery. He ran past rows of tombstones and lost his footing several times, whimpering in fear as he picked himself up. His blood curdled from a distant scream. A loud explosion of thunder startled him as he checked over his shoulder and slipped, collapsing onto the wet, muddy ground. He pushed himself backward, his hands frantically splashing in puddles of muddied water. The darkness of the cemetery made it impossible to see anything more than a shadow, but Cody knew what stalked him. He knew the evil coming.
He screamed and jumped back to his feet. He ran as fast as he could on the slippery ground. Another loud crash of thunder followed a bright flash of lightning. He was so close, so close to the entrance to the cemetery, but the rain, stronger than before, hammered down upon him. He splashed through puddles of water, flinching from the sheets of rain slapping his face. He struggled to increase his speed, his tears blending in with the rain. Four bicycles lay scattered on the ground near the entrance of the cemetery. Cody yanked his bicycle upright off the ground and checked behind him, but there wasn’t anything there. He hesitated, his heart breaking at the sight of his friends’ bikes lying next to his.
“I’m so sorry,” he cried before mounting his own bike.
The mud, caked onto the soles of his shoes, caused his feet to slip on the wet pedals. He peered into the dark depths of the cemetery again and found the familiar shadow creeping towards him. Whimpering again, Cody reached down to scrape the mud off with his bare hands, and then pedaled a mile to his home in the heavy rain.
Rain-drenched, Cody jumped the curb in front of his house and dropped his bicycle on the lawn. He ran to his open bedroom window, stumbled through it, and fell onto the floor. His bedroom curtains flapped inward as rain splashed onto the hardwood floor. Picture frames on the walls rattled as Cody grabbed his bedroom window and pulled down on it several times until it slammed shut. He dropped to the floor and wept below the window with his head lowered and arms wrapped around his legs, tucking them close to his chest.
Cody lifted his head when the bedroom light came on. Two adults stood in the doorway. His mother rushed inside the room while his stepfather Tony placed a hand on the door frame, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.
“What in hell’s wrong with ya, boy?” Tony said in a deep southern drawl. His eyes dropped to Cody’s wet shoes and the muddied floor. “And why in hell ya soakin’ wet? Goddamn it, boy, ya sneaked out again, didn’t ya? And where in the hell is—?”
“What’s wrong, honey?” Cody’s mother broke in, noticing her son trembling. “Are you—?”
“He’s in deep shit, that’s what! Told ya we couldn’t trust this little bastard.” Tony pointed a stern finger at Cody and warned, “Ya pull this shit again and I’m gonna bust yer ass! Now get yer ass up and—”
The lights flickered and went dark.
“Goddammit!” Cody’s stepfather yelled. “Piece a shit electricity always goes out when it rains.” He grabbed his wife’s arm. “Carol, get me the goddamn flashlight. And a mop so this little shit can clean up his mess.”
A flash of bright light shot through the curtains as Carol stepped towards the hallway. Cody’s eyes grew wide. He scooted backwards, mumbling and whimpering.
“What in hell’s yer problem?” Tony said.
Cody’s face whitened. Tears flowed from his eyes. He whimpered “No” repeatedly as he scooted further away, only to find himself trapped in a corner of the dark bedroom.
Heavy rain poured outside as a web of lightning scattered across the sky. Intense thunder muffled the screams and breaking glass. A moment later, all was quiet. The rain stopped, the lightning dissipated, and the thunder grew faint in the distance.
About the Author
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror. He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers. He doesn’t only write horror though.
He also pens the occasional family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting alongside his fellow gaming buddies where they all get shot up into Swiss cheese (or turned into little bite-sized chunks because of “Sharky’s” obsession with explosives). Medic!
Pursue your dreams . . . and never look back.
Devil’s Nightmare Series
Book One
Robert Pruneda
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Forsaken Imprint / Booktrope Publishing
Date of Publication: July 15, 2015
Cover Artist: Laura Hidalgo
Book Description:
Veteran homicide detective Aaron Sanders thought he’d seen it all, but nothing could have prepared the seasoned detective for the mutilated remains of a kid’s parents or the equally vicious deaths of three boys at another crime scene.
As Aaron works to solve the cases and protect his only witness, an orphaned child, he learns of an ancient curse that leaves him questioning all he’s ever believed. Now, to save himself and the child, Aaron must confront his own inner demons, and some he never knew existed. But if he does, will he make it out alive?
Devil’s Nightmare is an occult suspense horror novel by Robert Pruneda, who shakes readers with his visually graphic scenes, supernatural twists, and disturbing settings in this first installment of the Devil’s Nightmare series.
Buy Links:
Excerpt
Cody’s lungs burned with each frenetic breath as he made his escape toward the gated entrance of the old cemetery. He ran past rows of tombstones and lost his footing several times, whimpering in fear as he picked himself up. His blood curdled from a distant scream. A loud explosion of thunder startled him as he checked over his shoulder and slipped, collapsing onto the wet, muddy ground. He pushed himself backward, his hands frantically splashing in puddles of muddied water. The darkness of the cemetery made it impossible to see anything more than a shadow, but Cody knew what stalked him. He knew the evil coming.
He screamed and jumped back to his feet. He ran as fast as he could on the slippery ground. Another loud crash of thunder followed a bright flash of lightning. He was so close, so close to the entrance to the cemetery, but the rain, stronger than before, hammered down upon him. He splashed through puddles of water, flinching from the sheets of rain slapping his face. He struggled to increase his speed, his tears blending in with the rain. Four bicycles lay scattered on the ground near the entrance of the cemetery. Cody yanked his bicycle upright off the ground and checked behind him, but there wasn’t anything there. He hesitated, his heart breaking at the sight of his friends’ bikes lying next to his.
“I’m so sorry,” he cried before mounting his own bike.
The mud, caked onto the soles of his shoes, caused his feet to slip on the wet pedals. He peered into the dark depths of the cemetery again and found the familiar shadow creeping towards him. Whimpering again, Cody reached down to scrape the mud off with his bare hands, and then pedaled a mile to his home in the heavy rain.
Rain-drenched, Cody jumped the curb in front of his house and dropped his bicycle on the lawn. He ran to his open bedroom window, stumbled through it, and fell onto the floor. His bedroom curtains flapped inward as rain splashed onto the hardwood floor. Picture frames on the walls rattled as Cody grabbed his bedroom window and pulled down on it several times until it slammed shut. He dropped to the floor and wept below the window with his head lowered and arms wrapped around his legs, tucking them close to his chest.
Cody lifted his head when the bedroom light came on. Two adults stood in the doorway. His mother rushed inside the room while his stepfather Tony placed a hand on the door frame, his jaw clenched and eyes narrowed.
“What in hell’s wrong with ya, boy?” Tony said in a deep southern drawl. His eyes dropped to Cody’s wet shoes and the muddied floor. “And why in hell ya soakin’ wet? Goddamn it, boy, ya sneaked out again, didn’t ya? And where in the hell is—?”
“What’s wrong, honey?” Cody’s mother broke in, noticing her son trembling. “Are you—?”
“He’s in deep shit, that’s what! Told ya we couldn’t trust this little bastard.” Tony pointed a stern finger at Cody and warned, “Ya pull this shit again and I’m gonna bust yer ass! Now get yer ass up and—”
The lights flickered and went dark.
“Goddammit!” Cody’s stepfather yelled. “Piece a shit electricity always goes out when it rains.” He grabbed his wife’s arm. “Carol, get me the goddamn flashlight. And a mop so this little shit can clean up his mess.”
A flash of bright light shot through the curtains as Carol stepped towards the hallway. Cody’s eyes grew wide. He scooted backwards, mumbling and whimpering.
“What in hell’s yer problem?” Tony said.
Cody’s face whitened. Tears flowed from his eyes. He whimpered “No” repeatedly as he scooted further away, only to find himself trapped in a corner of the dark bedroom.
Heavy rain poured outside as a web of lightning scattered across the sky. Intense thunder muffled the screams and breaking glass. A moment later, all was quiet. The rain stopped, the lightning dissipated, and the thunder grew faint in the distance.
About the Author
Robert “Sharky” Pruneda is a native Texan, video game “enthusiast” [addict], and fan of all things horror. He left a career in the newspaper industry in 2011 to pursue the life of a nocturnal author, brainstorming new and creative ways to creep out his readers. He doesn’t only write horror though.
He also pens the occasional family-oriented tale just to keep from going completely nuts with all those creatures of the night whispering in his ears. When he’s not pulling ideas out of his twisted brain, you’ll likely find him on social media or fighting alongside his fellow gaming buddies where they all get shot up into Swiss cheese (or turned into little bite-sized chunks because of “Sharky’s” obsession with explosives). Medic!
Pursue your dreams . . . and never look back.
Author Links:
***GIVEAWAY***
2 paperback copies (US Shipping).
2 ebook copies.
Grand Prize Pack a signed copy of Devil’s Nightmare, swag, and $25 gift card.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
ReplyDeleteHi, Mai! Thanks for stopping by. One of the things I like to tell other writers is avoid gauging your success and confirmation as an author on the amount of books you sell. Everyone gauges success differently. I believe the most important thing for an author is to enjoy the entire process, and that includes marketing. Engage with your readers and avoid the spammy "Buy My Book" strategy. It doesn't work. Obviously, you still need to tell others about your book, but just be yourself and socialize with your readers and you'll find yourself enjoying your career as an author no matter how many books you sell. Oh, and never stop writing. :-) This guest post I wrote for Erindor Press last year may also be helpful: http://www.erindorpress.com/2014/10/5-writing-tips-robert-pruneda/
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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I enjoyed the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Rita! And I wish you the very best with the contest.
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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read the Excerpt sounds like a great read
ReplyDeletetiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
Thank you, bison61. If you read the entire novel, let me know what you think of it.
Deletehttp://sharkbaitwrites.com/contact-the-author/
Cheers!
Sharky
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i enjoyed reading the excerpt.the book sounds good
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting CBY Book Club and checking out the promo for Devil's Nightmare. I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt! Good luck with the contest!
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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I just recently finished reading this and absolutely loved it! Scared me on so many levels and that's saying something as I read a lot of horror and suspense.
ReplyDeleteReading this was the highlight of my day, Laura! Thank you for reading Devil's Nightmare. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Would you consider leaving a short review on Amazon, Goodreads, Nook or iTunes to let others knows what you thought of it?
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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This promises to be a great read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Mary! I hope you like it. Good luck with the contest!
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Sharky
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This one looks pretty good...I love the combination of horror and mystery. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amber! One reader said it has a potpourri of twists and trills. :-) There is definitely a mixture of a few genres in Devil's Nightmare. Good luck with the contest!
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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I enjoyed reading the excerpt. This book sounds very interesting and intriguing. Looking forward to reading it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking out the promo for Devil's Nightmare, Ally! I hope you enjoy the rest of the book.
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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Just reading the excerpt started my heart pounding! Wow! Great read!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words, Ree! Good luck with the contest.
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Sharky
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Wow, terrific excerpt! Book sound really terrific!
ReplyDeleteThank you, cherio1! I'm glad you enjoyed the excerpt.
DeleteCheers!
Sharky
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Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Patricia! Good luck!
DeleteSharky
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