As I’ve mentioned before, I sent my book It Lives In the Basement to Readers’ Favorite to see if I could snag one of their coveted 5 star seals to attach to my cover.  Well, I did, but this time it left me feeling all topsy-turvy.  Let me explain.

My first review came from Melinda Hills, and it was a stellar review:

If you don’t want to be terrified, don’t read this book in the dark or while alone! It Lives in the Basement by Sahara Foley is a gripping, fast paced horror tale that is essentially three separate stories in one. Beginning with the disappearance of a young couple and their three cats, the house on 18th Street is responsible for countless deadly incidents, including the disappearance of the detective investigating the case. As the police become more and more involved in the second part of the story, with the partner of the original missing police officer called to a grisly crime scene at the same house, a detective with a special background lends a hand in trying to deal with the ancient evil that has manifested itself on the property. The action continues into the third section of the tale with a sighting of the suspected evil creature and the attempts to capture it. From the edge of a moonlit lake back to the basement of the 18th Street house, a team of officers and a large mammal specialist follow the creature into the sewer tunnels below the city. Will they finally succeed in catching or killing the beast?

This is one of the scariest stories to come along in a while. Gripping, horrifying, and almost over the edge of belief, It Lives in the Basement by Sahara Foley keeps you turning the pages as you continually look over your shoulder. The characters are diverse and dedicated to their mission and you just wish you could get their attention to help them through the non-stop action. This is certainly well worth reading, as long as you lock your basement door and keep the lights on. Great book! I couldn’t put it down.

I was flying on cloud nine after reading this review.  This made my day.  She loved my story and thought it was the scariest story to come along in a while.  After reading such high praise, I couldn’t wait to see what the other two reviewers would write.  Could I possible get a hat trick?  Something I couldn’t get with The Secret of Excalibur? 

Then, the second review came along, leaving me thinking, WTH?  This is from Francine Zane. 

Thank you for the opportunity to read It Lives in the Basement. You have a good plot here. I really liked how you share more and more of the history and detail about the monster with each subsequent section. In concept, this is excellent. I even enjoyed the tickled anus thing and the don’t sit on the toilet idea. While men may not see as much humor and horror in sitting on a toilet as much as women do, it is something most people can relate with.

Your challenge and the reason I couldn’t give you a higher rating is in the development. I didn’t feel the fear in the first story. In the second, you did much better. I felt the fear and revulsion. The real problem came with the third section. It felt rushed and failed to deliver the action-packed horror that one might expect from a night in the sewers. Perhaps if you had followed the thoughts and better described the fear of just one of the characters, followed by an in depth description of his death and maybe his last thoughts.

Good luck with your writing. You have a creative mind. You just need to hone the delivery a bit more.

This review shot my hat trick to hell and back, and it had me shaking my head.  How could there be such a difference from one reviewer to another?  Is she not a horror reader?  If so, why did she review my book?  Does she have ice in her veins.

I’ve had enough people read my book since it’s been published to know it’s a darn scary story.  It even creeps me out.  So, I started thinking.  I had a bit of trouble with another Reader’s Favorite reviewer that gave me a 3 star for this book on a FB group we belonged to.  He just didn’t seem to like me.  At that time I didn’t know he reviewed for Readers’ Favorite, until I submitted my first book, and he gave a terrible 3 star review, over things they are not supposed to take into consideration.  Not about the actually story, just technical issues.  So I complained, and he can no longer review my books for Readers’ Favorite.  Is he a friend of Francine’s?  Am I seeing a conspiracy that isn’t here? 

So I swallowed my pride, and nervously waited for my last review, which came today from Jack Magnus

It Lives in the Basement is a collection of interconnected dark horror stories written by Sahara Foley. Lieutenant Mike Flynn is investigating the mysterious disappearance of a couple that seems to have vanished into thin air. Pat Forbes hasn’t been to her office for several days, and John Sempak, a writer, hasn’t been seen in any of the bars he always frequents. Their landlord wonders if perhaps they quarreled and John murdered Pat. His wife finally had him call the police and report the situation. The couple’s three cats have also gone missing, making the situation seem even stranger, especially when the police discover Pat’s wallet, clothes, books and car still at the premises. After Mike dismisses the police officers investigating the scene, he decides to take a look at the spiral-bound notebook one of the officers had found. In it was a story that began in a most ominous fashion.

Sahara Foley’s horror collection, It Lives in the Basement, is guaranteed to bring a smile of delight to the face of any horror fan lucky enough to pick this book up and read it. I love horror, but having grown up enjoying the works of Poe, Lovecraft and Derleth, rarely come across horror tales that reach the sublimely scary heights those classic authors mastered. This series of interconnected tales does just that. Foley’s work is also an inspired police procedural at the same time, as the Omaha police follow a most unusual suspect in a series of disappearances and a particularly brutal murder. Foley’s story is marvelous! The plot sizzles with tension, and the characters are compelling and real people you quickly come to care about. It Lives in the Basement is as good — and as terrifying — as it gets, and it’s most highly recommended.

All I can say is: WOW!  Can I say WOW again?  He actually compared me to Poe and Lovecraft.  To be honest, this story has been compared to some of the great horror writers before, but not as wonderful as this. 

But, now I’m really baffled.  Why such a low review by Francine?  How could she not see the horror in my story?  Am I right about the conspiracy?  I guess I’ll never know.  It just makes a little gun shy about Readers’ Favorite now.  It won’t stop me from sending my books to them as we all want those 5 star seals, and they aren’t that easy to earn.  And I think I’ll send this one in for their 2016 Readers’ Favorite Awards  I might actually have a chance of winning, just as long as Francine’s not one of the judges.