For the book tour for Talking Walls and Cigarettes (And Other Dark Tales), I'm hosting an excerpt this time around. This book is a horror short story anthology.
Book Excerpt
From
"Porcelain" by Kelli Beck
Shadows
of flame danced on the walls from the lanterns. Crickets chirruped outside, a
cool night breeze passed in through the opened window. Eleanor and Alexander
stood in front of the fireplace. Eleanor took one of the dolls from the shelf,
the dark haired doll with the red dress and lace trim. It had been Serenity's
favorite since before she could speak. She set it on the side of the table, the
spot reserved for Eden. Serenity's smile was questioning.
“She's going to eat with
us tonight if you don't mind.” Eleanor said, standing next to Alexander in
front of the fire.
Serenity laughed, taking
her seat at the head of the table, an honor bestowed upon the girls at each
birthday. “That's fine, but where's Eden?”
Eleanor and Alexander
looked at each other but neither seemed to have an answer. Eleanor shrugged,
“She's out playing. She'll be back in a while.”
Serenity tossed a thumb
over her shoulder towards the door, “We were just outside. I didn't see her.”
Eleanor laughed, “Of
course you didn't! She went out to retrieve your present.”
“By herself?”
Eleanor was getting
weary of the questions. She placed a hand on her hip and frowned, “I think she's
plenty capable of going to retrieve your present and getting back here just
fine.”
“She's five.”
“And? When you were five
you were helping your father split firewood.”
“I--”
Eleanor put a hand in
the air to silence her daughter. She gestured to the steaming bowl of soup in
front of Serenity.
“Aren't you guys going
to sit down?” Serenity asked.
“Not until you take a
bite. We want to make sure it's perfect." Eleanor said.
Serenity took the spoon
and scooped it into her mouth. Eleanor and Alexander watched as she chewed on
the meat, swallowed and smiled up at them. There was something missing in that
smile, Eleanor thought, then brushed it away. She didn't need thoughts like that
ruining a perfectly good dinner.
"It's delicious,
thank you." she said.
Eleanor clapped her
hands together, "Splendid!" she said. Alexander kissed Serenity's
forehead and took a seat next to her. Eleanor filled his bowl with soup and
placed it in front of him. She poured herself a bowl and sat down to eat.
Hunger getting the best of them, they neglected their spoons and put the bowls
to their lips. They lapped at the soup, the broth dripping onto their shirts
and down to the table. Never had Eleanor experienced such a delicious dinner.
True, the meat was a little tough, but it was easy to overlook with the
interesting undertones the flavor of the meat added to the whole dish.
About the Book
Title: Talking Walls and Cigarettes (And Other Dark Tales)
Author: Erin Beck and Kelli Beck
Genre: Horror, Short Story Anthology
Talking
Walls and Cigarettes is a collection of seven dark short stories that
deals with both real life monsters and those that dwell within us. A
bartender still grieving the tragic death of her brother, shunning from
her family, and the whispers in the street is visited by a man who
appears out of thin air to offer her a way out of her own personal hell
in The Salesman. A poor family is cursed by a mysterious old man in the
woods and the children are at risk for falling victim to their parent's
unspeakable acts in Porcelain. The title story follows a man as he is
tormented by demons in his own mind. In Homecoming, can a young woman
find what she's looking for years after her father's abduction by
other-worldly beings?
Author Bio
Erin
Beck was born and raised on the mean streets of Chatsworth Illinois.
Every day was a struggle to survive, to overcome, to persevere. At the
age of twelve, she took up writing. This passion for the written word
saved her from such fates as teen pregnancy and tooth decay, that which
have befallen many other great Chastworthians. Erin is also the author
of The Pursuit of Hair and co-author of Grabappleberry Punch: The
Adventures of Mister Tennison Volumes One and Two. Her influences
include Kurt Vonnegut, Stephen King, and Christopher Moore. Erin spends
her leisure time tossing a ball around with her dogs and parasailing,
and has on more than one occasion been caught napping in a box full of
packing peanuts. She is a drop-out of Hogwarts where she majored in
English and minored in the contortion arts. She has scaled the dark
tower; she has trekked through middle earth; and she thinks cannibalism
is a real hoot. Erin now lives in the woods with her boyfriend and
survives off of insects and pine needles. She wrote portions of this
short fiction collection on homemade paper and her own blood.
When
she is not gold mining or globetrotting with her husband, Kelli spends
her time writing, reading, and playing with her two dogs. Often
described as “worldly” and “well-traveled,” Kelli is envied amongst
co-workers and friends alike. She has a knack for reading minds and can
often predict the future. Many people worldwide come to her for
financial advice and money as she is the sole proprietor of the only
money tree in existence. Her heroes include her father, Stephen King,
and Albus Dumbledore. She has read the Harry Potter series many times
over and is proud to share her birthday with The Chosen One. She has
been described as a fearless leader, charismatic, even bulletproof.
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