The Search for Sasha Lockwood by Thomas Grant Bruso
The Search for Sasha Lockwood is ideal for readers who enjoy tense, folklore-infused mysteries with LGBTQIA+ representation. It blends small-town horror and psychological unease to explore the thin line between myth and reality. ( StoryGraph)
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
The Search for Sasha Lockwood by Thomas Grant Bruso ~ #Spotlight #Horror #LGBT #Mystery #ShortStory @GoddessFish @thomasgrantbruso #NineStarPress
Book Details
The Search for Sasha Lockwood by Thomas Grant Bruso Published by NineStar Press on February 25, 2025
Genres: Fiction, LGBTQ, Mystery, Short Stories, Horror
Format: eBook
Pages: 55
Something is stalking the campgrounds at Pine Hill Creek.
Rumor has it that local folklore about the notorious Bigfoot is responsible for the mystery of a missing young woman.
When eighteen-year-old high school senior Sasha Lockwood vanishes without a trace while camping with her friends, fear and horror sequester a small community. Local and federal law enforcement officers begin an exhausting twenty-four-hour investigation of seventy acres of vast forest, looking for the victim.
The tight-knit community is in an uproar, horrified by these unexpected events. An unrelenting sheriff’s department and a media-savage system doggedly interrogate Sasha’s parents and close friends.
What happened the night Sasha Lockwood disappeared? Is it real or part of a cruel joke? Is Bigfoot responsible, or is something more sinister at play in the deep, dark woods?
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Excerpt from The Search for Sasha Lockwood
Journal thoughts:
I’ve got a secret.
I can’t stop thinking about my best friend, Annie Monroe. We’ve been friends since forever. I don’t know what I’d do without Annie. She’s not only a friend, but a decent, caring person. She is beautiful, artistic, and somebody I don’t ever want to lose.
We went swimming in her parents’ inground pool today. We ordered pizza and had a few beers. Her parents were out of town. So, it was refreshing to be alone with Annie. Finally. Usually, we see each other at school, while passing in the hallways or after ninth period study hall, or by our cars in the parking lot. Rarely are we alone, which I’d prefer. I love hanging out with her. She makes me feel good. We laugh and smile when we’re around each other. She makes me feel safe. I admire her self-deprecating personality and wise-cracking jokes.
It’s as if time stops when we’re together. Annie introduced me to her shoe collection and the new painting she’s been working on since the beginning of the school year.
She’s so talented, and everything she creates shines like the gorgeous high heels and charm bracelets and that great big smile she wears every day.
Her new pastel and watercolor painting is of Lake Champlain where we used to sit every weekend by the water’s rocky edge. She unveiled the final product to me last weekend when she invited me for a picnic by the lake.
She also told me she loved me more than a friend.
Hearing the words over egg salad sandwiches and potato leek soup (her signature dish) hit me like a hot skillet on the back of the head.
I was floored, speechless, and thrilled—all at the same time. I knew how I felt about Annie. And being around a person for so long only heightens those emotions. But I never knew how Annie felt about us. We’d never done anything sexual together, not even kiss, obviously.
Years ago, I struggled with my sexuality and my feelings for girls, especially Annie. I wanted to make a move and kiss her or hold her hand and tell her I loved her. But I was naïve and scared because I was unaware of her thoughts—whether she liked me the way I liked her or not.
What if Annie wasn’t sympathetic? What if she wasn’t a lesbian? What if my open-hearted discussion about love and romance spiraled out of control and left egg on my face? I didn’t want to ruin a good thing with Annie. Our friendship meant everything to me, like life or death.
I always wondered or worried that she’d notice how I looked at her when we were together, sitting by the lake, or walking by each other in the hallways at school, or during one of our sleepovers.
Annie Monroe is a stunning beauty, an eye catcher for both sexes. I almost drown staring at her peaches and cream complexion and losing myself in her illuminating blue eyes.
There is a sunset glow about her when you’re in her company. Life feels less lonely, unhinged. At least, for me. Reality blurs and all my problems vanish when Annie opens her mouth to talk, or smile. The way she curls the feathery locks of her hair around her earlobe weakens my soul in a wonderful way.
So, when she told me she loved me, more than a friend, I cried happy tears.
We held hands for the first time in public, by the lapping water, in the gathering dusk.
It was magical. Our relationship was more than just…friends.
Love is a powerful thing.
The way Annie and I love is unmatched by all the other romantics walking around: fighting, cheating, and living a lie.
We are happy together.
Our secret is safe with us.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for The Search for Sasha Lockwood
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About Thomas Grant Bruso
Thomas Grant Bruso knew he wanted to be a writer at an early age. He has been a voracious reader of genre fiction since childhood.
His literary inspirations are Ray Bradbury, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, Jim Grimsley, Karin Fossum, and Joyce Carol Oates.
Bruso loves animals, reading books, and writing fiction, and prefers Sudoku to crossword puzzles.
In another life, he was a freelance writer and wrote for magazines and newspapers. In college, he won the Hermon H. Doh Sonnet Competition. Now, he writes and publishes fiction and reviews books for his hometown newspaper, The Press-Republican.
He lives in upstate New York.
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Giveaway!
Thomas Grant Bruso will award a randomly drawn winner a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for The Search for Sasha Lockwood
Full Tour Schedule:
March 17: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
March 18: Gina Rae Mitchell
March 19: Always Reading
March 19: A Wonderful World of Words
March 20: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
March 21: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
March 24: The Avid Reader review
March 25: Fabulous and Brunette
March 26: Sandra’s Book Club review
March 26: Long and Short Reviews
March 27: Westveil Publishing
March 28: FUONLYKNEW
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This sounds really interesting. I definitely want to know what happens in this story.
Thank you so much for featuring THE SEARCH FOR SASHA LOCKWOOD today.
Thanks for hosting my new mystery/horror. I will check in later today to answer questions about the story, my writing process, or publication. Ask away. Happy reading!