The Basement
by Dianne Hartsock
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
GENRE: Paranormal Horror
Alex is haunted by visions of the dying, but now it seems the ghosts he’s seeing are real as well.
In this sequel to ALEX and THE SHED, Alex wonders if he’s seeing ghosts. His friend Justin has bought the Fulton place, a beautiful old mansion on the edge of Oakton. But something’s wrong in the house. Alex has visions of a small boy, trapped in the basement, and a man at the top of the stairs who won’t let him leave.
And Logan Fulton has come to town, Helen Kramer’s cousin, a psychic medium who wants something from Helen, whatever the cost. He and Helen had spent time in the Fulton house as children and Alex suspects Logan has something to do with the spirits now awakening in the old mansion. But whether Logan is calling them forth or if something else is controlling them, Alex can’t be sure.
The child’s spirit calls to Alex, as do others trapped in the house. There is a dark entity holding them there, keeping the child forever in the basement, the others for his amusement. But Alex has never believed in ghosts, so what is really going on? As he strives to learn the boy’s secret, his friends are one by one pulled to the Fulton place and put in danger while Logan works against Alex, having an agenda of his own. Will Alex be able to solve the haunting of the old house, or will he and his friends be taken one by one, doomed to walk the dark hallways forever?
Read an Excerpt
“So, Alex… What’s up?” he drawled, shaking his head when Alex gave him a confused look. He waved his hand at Alex’s clothing and Alex glanced down. Dark color flooded his face, and he plucked at his shirt, coughing as dust rose up around him.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Alex said quietly. He sounded humiliated, not meeting Justin’s gaze. Justin could have kicked himself. He hadn’t meant to make him feel self-conscious.
“Not a problem,” he hastened to say. “Just wondering what you’re doing under my house.”
Alex glanced at him, eyes dark with emotion, definitely troubled. “I had to get in…” He covered his face with his dirty hands, voice catching on a ragged breath. “Give me a minute. This one’s hard. He’s so scared…”
He began to shake, obviously fighting for control. A sob escaped him, and Angie flung an arm around his waist despite the dust. “Hey, we’re here. Everything’s okay.”
They waited, and Justin unclenched the fists he hadn’t known he’d made, his hands sore.
Taking a deep breath, Alex looked up at them, and his expression turned puzzled. “What’s going on? Justin, you look like you’ve seen a…ghost.”
“I think he has, but he won’t tell me,” Angie said, frowning at Justin.
He tried to shrug it off. “I thought I saw something… A little girl.”
“Oh, her.” Alex looked unimpressed. “She’s just residual, a memory of a girl who once lived here. No consciousness. Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Oh really?” Justin said dryly. “Well, she scared the crap out of me.”
My Review:
The Basement by Dianne Hartsock is actually the 3rd book written about the main character Alex even though this is not a named series. The book is a stand alone and you can understand all of the characters represented from the previous books as well as situations mentioned in this book from those as well. This is the first book I have read about Alex and by Dianne Hartsock. I would like to go back and read the other 2 books just so I get the full story on Alex as well as some of the other characters in this book. If you have a problem with reading books including LGBT you may not want to read this book, I personally do not and think that it has added to the story in some ways.
I do love a good haunted house book and this one is a really great one. Once I picked up the book it was very hard to put it down. Alex was a severely abused child, now he is a confused man. He also has psychic abilities he is learning to control with the help of his therapist Scott Reid and some of his friends.
When his friend Justin buys Fulton Manor, a grand mansion in a neighboring town he has weird feelings the first time he go to the house after getting the keys. His ominous feelings send him to ask Alex to use his abilities to sweep the house. The house felt fine when Justin had been to their before he purchased it but now the truth of the house comes out. Alex does go with Justin and his happy home turns into a house of horrors.
There is a mystery involved in this book as well as the ghosts haunting Fulton Manor. Logan Fulton shows up. There is just something about him. He has some abilities which Alex picks up on the second he lays eyes on him. Now Alex must figure out what he is doing in town and if he is the reason the ghosts of Fulton Manor have awakened and also why his friends are being pulled into Fulton Manor, and also how to release them before it's to late.
About the Author:
She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-
Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Hartsock-Author-107985445959828/
Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basement-Dianne-Hartsock-
ebook/dp/B07MCVMFJN/ref=sr_1_18
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130301217
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticeempire.com/products.aspx?categoryid=102
Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteI would love to read your book.
ReplyDeleteThat's terrific! Thanks Bridget, and thanks for stopping in.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHi Rita! Thanks for taking the tour with me. :)
DeleteThanks so much Teresa for hosting me today and for that wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed following the tour for The Basement and can't wait to check it out. Thanks for sharing all of the great posts along the way :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Victoria! I had a great time. <3
DeleteCongratulations on this great review! I hope that you've enjoyed your book tour and I wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. I'm really looking forward to reading these books. Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bea! It was a great tour. Thanks for coming along!
Delete