Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal Suspense
Publisher: R.J. Buckley Publishing (Oct. 31, 2011)

Synopsis:

It is bizarre to say in our civilized culture some human beings still act out in a violent primitive manner causing bodily harm and death. For this reason alone incarcerating facilities will always exist. The terror of being thrust into a world in which time cannot be calculated, distance cannot be measured, and our own true existence is in question is incomprehensible. In 1971, a mysterious stranger warned a small community of their impending doom. She prophesied that if they ignored her warnings they would experience a chain of devastating events. The outcome of their fate would remain in whether they chose to believe in something that could not be scientifically validated. Is it safe to say that unexplained phenomenon does exist? If you asked the people of Patton, they would say, “Of course it does and its name is Lola.”

My thoughts:

This book has all the elements of the kinds of stories I love; a mysterious person with a warning, a small tight knit town, a curse, complex relationships. Barbara Watkins does a great job of pulling all of those elements together into a story that really is hard to put down. Just when you think you have something figured out, another element comes out of nowhere to throw you off track and keep you guessing, but without feeling forced or as if it’s a deus ex machina.

With such a complex cast and so many emotions,  thoughts, etc. flying around, I would have liked to have seen more physical descriptions of things and people. Even the town the story takes place in, Patton, could become another character with a little more description just to help the reader really feel as if they are there. As far as the people, a little more show and less tell would go a long way to flesh them out a little more, especially Lola. She’s a great character and as I read, I couldn’t wait for her to make another appearance.

“Hollowing Screams” is definitely a solid story in the Paranormal/Suspense genre. You know from the onset that you’re going to be going for a crazy ride and it once you’re on it, there’s no turning back.

Author Info: Barbara Watkins was born on October 6th 1959 at the Missouri Delta Hospital in Sikeston Missouri to Jackie Dean and Betty Lucille White. She attended Sikeston High School where she met and would later marry her childhood sweetheart Jim Watkins. Wasting no time, they started a family.

Writing in the genre of supernatural/psychological thrillers’ she loves to evoke a sense of terror and fright like no other for her
readers. In 2005 her novella, ‘Behind the Red Door’ caught the attention of Escape Artists Studio, and in return they requested the
manuscript for review. Her dream is to one day see her work adapted to film. Currently she is working on yet another
psychological thriller and promises her readers won’t be disappointed.