YA Indie Carnival BE AFRAID: Best Indie Scares

Be afraid... be very afraid... because this week us Indie Carnis are recommending our scariest indie reads.

I had no difficulty in choosing my spookiest book because this one had me sitting at the very edge of my seat, biting my nails, eyes wide open in fear.... it's Asylum Lake by R.A Evans.

Here's the blurb:

The State’s second largest Psychopathic Hospital opened in 1917 on 600 wooded acres overlooking a small lake near Bedlam Falls, Michigan. Through its doors came the weak and the weary, the disabled and the discarded, the frail and the forgotten. But an open door is an invitation, and some visitors, once invited, are loath to leave. The hospital abruptly closed in 1958 under a cloud of mystery. It has remained empty and silent, save for the memories trapped both within its walls and far below the surface of the nearby lake that bears its name. At the bottom of Asylum Lake, the unremembered are growing restless.
Brady Tanner is trying to outrun memories of his own. After the sudden death of his wife, Brady retreats to the small town where he spent the summers of his youth. But he soon learns small towns can be stained by memories…and secrets, too. As Brady is drawn into unearthing these secrets, as he discovers a new love in an old friend, he is also drawn into the mystery of Asylum Lake and the evil that lies submerged beneath its sparkling surface. What is the source of this evil – and what does it want with Brady Tanner?

And here's my review:

Being a real scaredy cat I usually tend to avoid reading anything that might freak me out a little, but lately I've succumbed to a number of thriller/horror movies (and really enjoyed them!) so I figured I would take the plunge and try to read something within the same genre. When I first read the blurb on Asylum Lake, I decided to give it a go.
The first night I started reading, I woke up in a cold sweat after having a really scary nightmare! It didn't put me off though and I persevered. I am so glad that I did. R.A Evans has a real talent for the written word and, other than the odd minor spelling error, I couldn't fault his beautiful prose. The story flowed brilliantly and I found it to be a real page-turner. Although I was expecting the ending to conclude with more of a bang, it did leave me feeling more than satisfied.
Asylum Lake would make a terrific movie.... are you listening Hollywood? R.A Evans is a name you should be taking notice of!
All in all, a fantastic thriller / horror (still not sure what to call it!). I shall eagerly await Evans' next novel.

For more indie books that will scare your socks off, check out my fabulous fellow carnis...

1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series

2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self 

4. T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5. Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga 

6. Darby Karchut, author of GRIFFIN RISING
7. Lexus Luke 

8. PJ Hoover, Author of SOLSTICE, Blogging at ROOTS IN MYTH
9. Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy 

10. Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog
11. K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed 

12. Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series
13. Courtney Cole, author of The Bloodstone Saga 

14. Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
15. Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews 

16. Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
17. M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping 

18. Abbi Glines, author of Breathe and The Vincent Boys
19. Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind 

20. Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls
21. Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler 

22. Nicole Williams, author of Eternal Eden, Falling Eden
23. Gwenn Wright, author of Filter 

24. Abbi Glines: Breathe, The Vincent Boys, Existence
25. Ten Things Authors Should Know About Social Media