Silver Bells (A Christmas Horror Story) by Sandy Lender | #BookReview #HolidayFiction #Horror @GoddessFish @sandylender #BookX #Bookstagram #IndieAuthor
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.
Book Details
Silver Bells: A Christmas Horror Story by Sandy Lender Published by Independent Author on July 6, 2024
Genres: Adult Fiction 18+, Horror
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 217
Source: Goddess Fish PromotionsWith a mature female main character, this Christmas horror story offers a quick read, clean, festive, suspenseful, strategically violent, cleverly humorous view of adults handling spiritual warfare for the holidays.
When Ivy Light travels to her dearest friend's new home for Christmas, an eerie winter backdrop disturbs her, but the Harris family's personal security detail—the debonair John Knightley—intrigues her greatly. The handsome gentleman has his hands full with his client being stalked by more than unethical business moguls. There are hybrid wolf-bear creatures and a manipulative side chick to worry about, after all.
It'll take extra Christmas cheer for Ivy to bring comfort and joy back to her best friend amid the tragedies and paranormal threats this year. Readers are welcome to join in the festivities at Reindeer Creek…and help the families at the Harris house divine what's reality, who's a foe, and how to thwart the evil side of a spiritual war.
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Excerpt from Silver Bells
Ivy considered this. She’d not paid as much attention to the individual lawn ornaments as Lexie had, obviously, but the poor guy carrying an unwieldy aluminum ladder to the back of the property looked like the typical Christmas gnome.
But life-size.
“Notice how his hair sticks out from under his cap,” Lexie said. She nervously rubbed at the silver circle she’d pulled from beneath her shirt while she spoke. “Isn’t it just like the gnome’s hair? It even has a ceramic look to it. Like the wind could whip through the trees and that hair won’t move a bit.”
“The cap certainly won’t blow off,” Ivy muttered. She was starting to agree with Lexie. The guy who’d introduced himself as Dash Heggs looked like he’d stepped away from someone’s lawn display and grown to human size to come work on the tree line behind the Harris house.
The fellow leaned the metal ladder against a tree and shook it as if testing its security. They were far enough from the scene and insulated enough by the thick glass they couldn’t hear the metal clanking of a construction ladder, but Ivy imagined it anyway, complete with heavy bungee cord clunking against its legs. His partner handed him what looked like a battery-powered chainsaw. If the thing could cut through more than one branch, she’d be surprised
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Silver Bells
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My Thoughts on Silver Bells
Silver Bells: A Christmas Horror Story flips the joy and warmth of the holiday season on its head. Instead of cozy traditions and festive cheer, the story throws the protagonist into a battle with a dark, looming threat that could ruin Christmas—and far more. As the usual lights and carols fade into a backdrop of dread, the tension ramps up, making you feel the chill of something sinister creeping closer.
Sandy Lender does a great job blending the festive and the frightening. She contrasts the comforting elements of the holidays with unsettling, horror-filled moments that pull you deeper into the story. You can expect a mix of psychological tension, supernatural creepiness, and maybe even some gothic vibes. Whether it’s haunted places, cursed objects, or otherworldly beings, there’s a sense of building suspense that keeps you hooked.
This book is a great fit if you:
- Love the idea of Christmas horror (like The Nightmare Before Christmas but darker and more intense).
- Enjoy psychological horror with twists that make you question what’s real.
- Want something different for the holidays—a story that’s a far cry from the usual sugary-sweet Christmas fare.
- Appreciate atmospheric storytelling that mixes supernatural elements with a festive backdrop.
It’s definitely not for readers looking for lighthearted, feel-good Christmas stories—this one leans into the creepy and suspenseful.
Horror is not a particular favorite genre of mine, but this one was intriguing enough to pull me into the story before I had even blinked. Were there a couple of spots I might have grimaced and skim-read? Yes, indeed. However, the tale is gripping and focuses on the characters and the highly unique premise, allowing a broader audience to enjoy the book.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Sandy Lender
Sandy Lender is an international best-selling poet and award-winning author of fantasy, literary fiction, poetry, and short story work. She’s a construction magazine editor by day and author of #GirlPower fantasy novels by night, living in Florida to help with sea turtle conservation and parrot rescue. You can follow her author page on Amazon, check her website at SandyLenderInk.com, or subscribe to her newsletter at https://bit.ly/SSReNews.
With a four-year degree in English and a thirty-year career in publishing, Sandy’s successes include traditionally and self-published novels, hundreds of magazine articles, multiple short stories in competitive anthologies, a handful of technical writing awards, a handful of creative writing awards, and the 2023 Michael Knost Wings award. Sandy’s been writing stories since she was knee-high to a grasshopper when her great-grandmother shared her odd little tales of squeaky ghost-spiders around an apartment complex in Southern Illinois. The stories have developed to include strong young ladies working with dragons to save worlds from terrible fates, but those pesky spiders still show up from time to time.
There’s always something brewing at Sandy Lender Ink headquarters where some days, you just want the dragon to win.
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Giveaway!
The author will award a randomly drawn winner a $20 Amazon/BN gift card.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for Silver Bells
Full Tour Schedule:
September 12: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
September 19: The Avid Reader
September 19: Gina Rae Mitchell
September 26: The Faerie Review
September 26: Country Mamas With Kids
October 3: fundinmental
October 3: FUONLYKNEW
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Thank you for sharing SILVER BELLS on your blog today and for giving this “horror” story a chance. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m taking a lunch break at work today to share share share!
Thank you so much for reviewing SILVER BELLS today.