Smokin' Hot Reads: Book Blast: THE TRUTH OF A KALEIDOSCOPE MIND

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: The Truth of a Kaleidoscope Mind

Author: Patrick Bryce Wright

Publisher: Wicked Ink Publishing, Ltd.

Release Date: October 29, 2024

Pairing: MMF

Tense/POV: third person, past tense, single POV

Genres: Paranormal horror, psychological horror

Tropes: Haunted house, dark family secret, damaged guy finds love, childhood friends to lovers

Themes: Healing from trauma, found family

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 82 000 words/ 300 pages

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Universal Link

When cleaning his dead mother’s cellar, Fredrick discovers his family’s dark secrets, unleashing angry spirits in the house that threaten both him and his new love.

Shorter blurb

When Fredrick Anderson’s mother dies, he cleans her house and discovers his diary in the cellar. To his shock, it reveals what his mind hid from him: his parents abused him. The family secrets provoke the ghosts haunting the house. As the spirits threaten his life, Fredrick must uncover the truth of his family’s traumas and tragedies both to survive and find love.

Longer Blurb

In a 1950s Craftsman house steeped in the weight of the departed, Fredrick Michael Anderson faces a daunting task: preparing his late mother's home for auction. Battling memories of a turbulent childhood marred by gender conflicts, Fredrick delves into the cellar alongside his faithful friend. Amidst unearthed relics, Fredrick stumbles upon his locked diary, triggering a chilling revelation.

Within its pages lie secrets of his father's sinister past, fracturing Fredrick's fragile psyche. Unleashed by the diary's opening are dormant spirits—some benevolent, others malevolent. As Fredrick grapples with Dissociative Identity Disorder, his mind splinters into distinct personalities. Amidst this psychological turmoil, a battle of good and evil ensues within the haunted confines of his home.

Confronting his family's dark truths, Fredrick must navigate the volatile terrain of his own mind. Cryptic messages from a flapper ghost serve as a guide, unraveling his family's sinister history. To survive the malevolent forces unleashed by the diary, Fredrick must confront his inner demons, embracing painful truths and finding strength within. In this supernatural horror tale, the boundary between the paranormal and the psychological blurs, leaving Fredrick to confront the ghosts of his past—and possibly find love along the way.

The spirit of Fredrick’s mom appeared in front of the pantry doors. Like the day before, she wore jeans with a long-sleeved blue t-shirt. Orange conch earrings still dangled from her ears. She narrowed her eyes at them.

“God!” Toni shot to his feet, and Largo jumped off the table and scrambled out of the room.

Chalsey froze, her can halfway to the can opener.

“I told you it’s none of your business!” Marilyn Smith Anderson snapped. Also like before, her short, permed hair was dyed brown in a perfect imitation of life. “Quit digging around in my life. All three of you have secrets you want to keep. So stay out of mine.” She pointed at the angel figurine collection. “And put my angels back where you found them! I didn’t give you permission to get rid of my possessions.”

The entity vanished.

Fredrick stared at the empty spot, too numb to panic. Sounds just like her. Can’t be her. But sounds just like her.

Toni had pressed himself into the kitchen corner.

Chalsey set down the can with a thump, as if her arm muscles gave out.

The electricity popped back on, a dozen electronic devices beeping.

“Well. That happened.” Fredrick turned toward Toni and discovered he was pale and sweating. I bet he’ll leave and never come back. “My life: the sudden horror novel. I write horror. I didn’t expect to live it.”

You already have lived it, said a conversational voice in his mind. That’s why you write it.

Fredrick cringed. Touché. “Okay. Why don’t you go outside into the sunlight?” Behold the power of shock. Now I’m as calm as Chalsey. Or fake calm, anyway. “Can you stand or sit on the grass and ground yourself?”

“Mmm,” was the extent of Toni’s reply. He edged out of the corner, slipped around Fredrick, and shot out the back door.

“That’s what you saw yesterday?” Chalsey’s tone was sharp.

“Yep.”

Chalsey shook her head. “That’s the most powerful evil entity I have ever seen. Or even heard of.” Her voice was strained. “That has to be the demon.”

“My mom died and became a demon?” Fredrick was only half-joking, and he burst into laughter. “God, that’s amazing!” Even to his own ears, his laughter sounded hysterical. My mom, the demon!

Abruptly, with no warning inside of himself, Fredrick grabbed an angel off the counter and hurled it at the floor with all his strength. It shattered, tiny white shards flying everywhere. “You bitch! You tortured me!”

Chalsey jumped and knocked into the refrigerator.

“God! Sorry. I’ll clean that up in a minute.” Fredrick raced out the door after Toni, needing fresh air and a large, open space. The blasting heat of the June sun hit Fredrick’s face, and he inhaled the thick, humid air. Get it together, man. You’ve got to get it together. Throwing things like an angry teenager isn’t gonna cut it.

Fredrick closed his eyes and lifted his face, the sunlight halfway piercing his eyelids. Mother Mary, if you’re real, deliver me.

I’m a quirky English professor with tattoos, piercings, and an addiction to supernatural thriller, horror, fantasy, and science fiction. I'm proudly neurodivergent, third gender, and a trauma survivor, all things often reflected in my novels. I have degrees in both English and psychology, both of which inform my writing. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, off-road biking, and pyrography.