Title: The Curse of the Manitou
Author Stephen B King
Genre Horror/thriller
Book Blurb:
Bob Harford thinks it’s his lucky day when he discovers his estranged Grandfather has left him a luxury cabin on the banks of Lake Manitou. Miriam, Bob’s wife, doesn’t agree. She believes if it’s any kind of luck, it must be bad because inherited wealth always comes at a cost.
Bob discovers his grandfather died in mysterious circumstances, as his previous generations had, going back to Colonel Ramsay Harford of the 7th Cavalry. He led a massacre against a Shawnee Native Indian village, murdering the women and children. The sole survivor invoked The Manitou of the Lake, cursing the Harford family and all future generations.
Bob convinces Miriam to visit the lakehouse, and with their two children, they head toward a confrontation with The Manitou, who will not rest until the last of the Harfords are dead.
Excerpt:
Her parents were still sitting at the table on the deck, talking to an old guy who looked like a cross between a farmer and a cowboy, so Charlie stormed past without a hello and went upstairs to her bedroom. She had unpacked her bag on arrival, so after slamming her door shut, she grabbed fresh underwear and a change of clothes and headed into her bathroom, locking the door to keep her brother out.
Charlie reached into the shower cubicle and turned on the taps. She waited until the water warmed up, undressed, and stepped inside, closing the glass door behind her. The moment she stepped underneath the rainmaker shower, the water flow slowed to a trickle, and a weird, sloshing kind of noise emanated and echoed in the cubicle.
"God damn it, will anything go right today?" she cried, turning the taps forwards and backward in frustration, but no more water came out, and the scurrying noise increased. Must be a blockage in the shower head, she thought.
Charlie contemplated getting dressed again and getting her father to fix the shower, but that seemed like too much work. Plus, he had company and wouldn't want to leave to fix it, so she would have to feel the slime from the frog on her skin for who knew how long, which was unacceptable. Groaning with frustration, she yanked the taps to the off position, reached up, gripped the shower head, and turned it anti-clockwise. Slowly, it moved, then gained momentum as it unscrewed. Charlie smiled; soon, she thought, I can wash the scent of that filthy frog off my tummy.
She felt proud of herself for being an adult and not needing her father until the shower head came apart, and a plague of tiny wriggling, hopping, creepy, slimy frogs spewed from the pipe. Hundreds of the creatures rained down in a torrent of obscenity.
Charlotte Harford had never felt so scared in all her life; this was worse than the worst kind of nightmare she could imagine. She screamed in abject terror and fainted, falling to the marble-tiled floor while the frogs, still streaming out of the pipe, rained down and covered her naked body.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4eZ4pxQ
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-curse-of-the-manitou-a-friday-the-13th-story-by-stephen-b-king
Author Biography:
I left school very early to join a rock band and spent a few years writing poems, short stories, and music. I won two short story writing competitions, had poems published, and enjoyed being a long-haired rock guitarist before life got in the way. I settled down, married, and had children. I’ve owned my own businesses and managed large vehicle sales dealerships, and observed people from all walks of life. These observations have aided in creating characters; some good and some evil.
Among my inspirations to become an author are the other slightly more famous Stephen King, Stieg Larsen, Val McDermid and Leonard Cohen.
Social Media Links:
Website: www.stephen-b-king.com
Facebook: @StephenBKingauthor