Yep, I read another entire book, all the way through! Justin M. Woodward is new, like me, but IMO doing some really exciting work. So I am very happy he asked me back for his most recent novel – TAMER ANIMALS. AND for his new publisher – Bloodshot Books. (Previous book is THE VARIANT)
I am pretty darn happy with what I did here (at minimum, I am getting better) and got to stretch my legs a bit on the types of characters and the gruesome content! If you don’t like graphic horror then this one isn’t for you.
I would say it lives in the “Coming-of-Age meets Holy-Sh*t!! No ONE is SAFE!” genre. Not a genre? Oh well. Check it out if you can and please let me know what you think. HONEST feedback…but you know, be kind.
Here is some more info for you…
Publisher’s Summary
It was just a camping trip.
Down by the old Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge, four high school friends only wanted to kick back, smoke some weed, and forget about their problems for a day or two. Sure, there were stories that the area was haunted, but there was no way they were true.
It was just a local legend.
Decades earlier, an old goat farmer had been murdered by the Klan, hung from a tree near the bridge solely because of the color of his skin. His body was never found. Since then, numerous sightings of a strange creature – half-man and half-goat – had been reported in the surrounding woods. He was called the Goatman.
It was just the worst night of their lives.
From the moment they arrived, strange noises echoed around them…. A sense they were being watched pervaded the campsite…and that was just the beginning. When one of them vanishes and a horned monstrosity pursues the others, it becomes clear that the legends are real…and the truth is so much more horrific than they could ever have imagined.
Critic Reviews
“Justin M. Woodward isn’t playing around – this is a terrifying descent into depravity.” (Jeff Strand, author of Sick House)
“Dark, twisted, and full of surprises.” (Duncan Ralston, author of WOOM and Salvage)
“Woodward is the kind of dick who invites himself into your nightmares, and Tamer Animals is the key he uses to open the door.” (J. Z. Foster, author of The Wicked Ones and Witch Hunter)