Anthony Hollownton
Book 1
Gretchen S. B.
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Mystery
ISBN: 978-1495499463
ASIN:
Number of pages: 258
Word Count: 82,628
Cover Artist: Talina Perkins
Book Description:
Homicide detective Anthony Hollownton thought he had seen it all until he and his partner, Rick Nelson, are called to a murder scene unlike any Tony has come across. There are no witnesses and none of the neighbors heard a thing.
Once Tony starts to investigate the facts of the case become stranger and stranger.
As the body count rises Tony is drawn into a world he did not know existed.
Starting with a visit from a dead woman from his past.
He must decide whether the paranormal truly exists or if these killing are some kind of delusional gang war.
Anthony swung up in bed. What had woken him? Had his alarm gone off? There was a ringing noise. He turned to his left and made a grab for the phone next to his bed.
“Anthony Hollownton.”
That was as polite as they were getting for the middle of the night. If they had a problem with that they could deal with it. He looked at his alarm clock, five am. That meant barely more than two hours of sleep. Why would someone call him at five am?
There was a pause on the other end.
“Hello.” He repeated. He felt himself freeze.
He could hear talking on the other end. He silently pleaded that it wasn’t the same woman from earlier. He was just frustrated enough to trace the call and chew her out. He heard a male voice come on to the other end and Anthony exhaled, forcing his muscles to relax one by one. He had to get sleep; he was jumping to ridiculous conclusions.
“Hey Tony, sorry to call so early man, but I gotta ask you a question.” It was his partner. The tone in the man’s voice sounded serious but genuinely upset about saying whatever it was he was about to say.
Tony felt himself tense again, what if something was wrong with Amanda or the baby? “What is it Rick?” Tony tried to sound neutral.
When he heard his partner sigh he relaxed again feeling more tired than before.
“Look man, I don’t believe it but Amanda asked me to so I’m doing it.”
Tony screamed in his head. He wanted to get back to sleep. “Get to the point Nelson. I want to go back to bed.”
The use of the last name was usually reserved for when they were working. It showed Rick he meant business and told him to get to the point.
“As you know the land line is on Amanda’s side of the bed and she has picked up three phone calls since we went to bed she says it was a woman who laughs and hangs up. After the third time Amanda called *69 and the number is yours, your land line anyway. I wasn't sure at first since you don't really use it. But when I double checked in my cell, the numbers matched. I told her it was crazy, since you never have women over. I told her that outside of her and other cops you don’t even know any women, no offence, but she’s making me call anyway to make sure.”
Tony’s jaw dropped. Now he was wide-awake. He must have been silent too long because his partner’s voice came on with a worried tone.
“Hey Tony, you still there?”
Tony flicked on his bedroom light and scanned the room, empty. “Yeah man, I’m here, just shocked. I don’t have anyone here and I’ve been asleep. You know it could be some prank caller who knows how to reroute numbers or something.”
Tony debated telling his partner about the call at work but quickly dismissed it. With a wife and a four-month-old daughter Rick had enough on his plate.
“Yeah, I figured as much. I was just calling to make sure. Sorry for waking you up man. I hope you can get back to sleep.”
Tony nodded. So did he. “Yeah, good night Rick.”
He heard his partner say something to his wife. “Good night Tony, See you tomorrow, I mean today.”
As he hung up the phone Tony looked about his room. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Against the wall at the foot of his bed was his 42' TV. To the left of the bed was the closet, which was still open from when he put away his work clothes, no one was in there. To the right of the TV was the door out into the rest of the apartment, still closed. Everything on the nightstand was still where he left it. Turning, he looked at the window above the bed, still locked. He turned back reaching into the top drawer of his nightstand and pulled out his gun and got out of bed. If there was anyone in his apartment he was going to find them.
For my top ten list I wanted to do, Movies that have stuck with me since I first saw them. This isn't a list of my favorites, but of movies I just can't shake. So in no particular order… (Side Note: I am excluding Human Centipede because it is horrible and no one should ever speak of it.)
1. The Dark Crystal - I seriously watched the first half (Because I only had a recording of the first half and did not know it was not the whole movie until I was 11) of this movie EVERY DAY, no exaggeration, for about six months when I was four. Then periodically after that. Why has this movie stuck with me...really it hasn't, but my uncle who babysat me at that time was driven nuts having to watch this everyday. He finally found/bought the tape so that he could see the end (about 10 years later) I wasn't even aware I have never seen the ending! To this day he'll grin and me and say "Are you gelfling?" So it sticks with me because it broke my uncle.
2. Ghostbusters (1&2) - I watched this so much it was second only to the Dark Crystal. No matter how many times I did the librarian scared the crap out of me. I remember sitting on the couch alone eating my nerds knowing that part was coming up so I slid off the couch with the white blank over my head and went to the corner of the room, part way up the stairs, facing the wall. Just image how creepy that would have been if my parents had come downstairs. I would do this every time. Waiting until I heard the screaming then I would calming walk back down and watch the rest of the movie. Slimer and Mr. Staypuft were my favorite characters. GB2 was the first movie I ever saw in theaters. My dad took me and when Viggo comes out of the painting I held my breath and grabbed/leaned on my dad's arm. Knowing that if the man came out of the movie screen Daddy would protect me. My addiction to those movies continues today. Yes, I dragged my fiancée to a thirtieth anniversary screening!
3. The Shining - Saw this when I was 11. It was the first horror movie to ever give me nightmares. Quite the feet when you think of the crap my parents had me watch as a kid.
4. What Women Want - Great movie, pre-crazy Mel Gibson cracks me up every time. But what burned this movie into my brain was that I saw it with my little sister, a cousin, and my maternal Grandmother. We all liked the film (I had picked it out) but in the theater parking lot my grandmother teared up because it was filmed in Chicago, where she and my Grandfather lived until their twenties. He had dies less than a year earlier and the places they filmed brought back many memories for her. It wasn't until that moment I realized the real effect movies can have on people. I with I could take back the movie pick.
5. General's Daughter - This movie breaks one of my cardinal movie rules for films that I am okay watching. Yet things are so intricate and the acting to so good that I actually very much like it, but every time I watch it I feel dirty and dark.
6. Stir of Echoes - This movie sticks with me because it continues to scare the crap out of me. I enjoy it but the real reason I bought it is because I couldn't let it get the best of me.
7. Practical Magic - I could put that movie on loop and you would lose me for days. It never gets old for me. I love everything about it, the music, the story, the cinematography. It stuck with me because there is something about it, it creates a world I want to be in. I try to make my books the same way. I still watch it when feeling down or in a creative slump.
8. Newsies - Seriously, this movies has everything! It's Disney happy, there's singing, history from what was my favorite historical period and it is singularly responsible for my mini-obsession with Christian Bale. That is pretty much why it makes the list. This spawned my Christian Bale swooning there much longer than I would like to admit.
9. Brotherhood of the Wolf - This is my favorite movie, even if it is French. The cinematography, direction, and costuming are amazing. Every time I watch it I see something new. It made me want to write like that. To take an idea and grow an intriguing and complicated story from it. I almost always recommend this movie...to people that are not bothered by French nudity. Ironically dad took me to see this one two...I didn't know it was a foreign until it actually started. Which he found hilarious.
10. The Truman Show - While last, this is most definitely not least! The film is the cause of constant paranoia for the rest of my life....Thanks guys
Gretchen happily lives in Seattle, Washington where she spends her time creating new characters and situations to put them in. She also enjoys cheering on her local sports teams, even though it sometimes seems they are allergic to winning (Except the Super Bowl!).
She graduated from Central Washington University with a BA in History and a BA in Philosophy. She loves that Washington provides a large range of activities, from Shakespeare in the park to rodeos. At the end of her adventures she unwinds by curling up on the couch, knitting while catching up TV shows via Netflix.
https://twitter.com/GretchenSB
Thank you for having me on your blog.
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