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Heaven's Witches
Lou, an alcoholic, is sick of the fake churches that drive him to drink. An honest, kind man, he needs a revivalist church that will keep him dry, so he can support his family. And where is that damned bus as he parks and rides to save gas money and the planet? Good thing Ren shows up to give him a ride, so he’ll be on time . . . and also to tell him he’s also tired of the hypocrisy and is starting a real church.
Farrell has just been excommunicated because the van driver at Praiseville wouldn’t go get all the souls he won, and Farrell rebuked him. A young, long-haired rocker, Farrell also wants to start a Christian rock band. When will he find the right church? When Ren gives him a ride home from Praiseville, that’s when, and speaks of also hating all the fake churches. And Ren needs musicians for the church band.
Hank is looking for a church that preaches the faith spoken of in many of those country-western songs he holds near and dear. But, in the boonies, where he lives—a circle of shacks called Gooney Hill—doesn’t have a church, and the ones out of town he’s attended with his family were greedy and fake. Good thing he runs into Ren at the gas station after work, where Hank’s giving a rapping B-boy what fer for holding up the line, buying too many lottery tickets.
Burt is sick of his job at the siding-and-window company, where his boss is the devil and promotes rapper, corrupt youth instead of Burt, who has seniority. But when Ren walks into his bar, he encourages Burt to be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease and reminds him those worldly fools will suffer damnation. And when Burt complains about his wife, Ren reminds him he must earn a woman’s trust. Then it’s off to Ren’s new church, Burt not driving, for obvious reasons.
Sky is already in the praise-and-worship band at Ren’s church, and he’s the leader. But is he ever sick of the slacker band members, who can’t even stay in tune and keep time correctly. But as a former local rock star who’d kill anybody for a quarter, it won’t be hard to keep the rule with a rod of iron. And when the new members show, he’ll keep them in line, also—except for Hank. That God the country bumpkin isn’t a musician.
Yes, Ren, a preacher and a prophet, may be the answer these searching souls need. Or is he? What’s with the profanity, put-downs of people not like him and the racial slurs? Why do his eyes look like a demon’s when he finally takes off his sunglasses? Why does the praise band eerily write their own hymns? And why has Ren hired Hank—the huge, country-western convert—to enforce his crazy rules?
Yet when all but Hank try to leave, Lou and Burt find themselves about to fall off the wagon . . . until Ren shows up wherever they are and stops them. Prophet, remember? Only Farrell is run off, Ren rebuking his fake Christian-rock music and his look. Ren says he looks like a girl, and Hank agrees. But it’s only a matter of time till Ren finds him self-medicating at the strip club.
Grotesquely, it’s not long before Ren wants special privileges he says only the pastor of a “real church” should have. Indeed, Ren's "parish" has become sinister. Now Lou and Burt must decide to go back to the hooch or endure the corruption. And the latter could be fatal. And Farrell, having escaped the crazy church again, must find a way to bring Ren to justice . . . with any means necessary, when he finds Ren has brainwashed the authorities, also.
Farrell has just been excommunicated because the van driver at Praiseville wouldn’t go get all the souls he won, and Farrell rebuked him. A young, long-haired rocker, Farrell also wants to start a Christian rock band. When will he find the right church? When Ren gives him a ride home from Praiseville, that’s when, and speaks of also hating all the fake churches. And Ren needs musicians for the church band.
Hank is looking for a church that preaches the faith spoken of in many of those country-western songs he holds near and dear. But, in the boonies, where he lives—a circle of shacks called Gooney Hill—doesn’t have a church, and the ones out of town he’s attended with his family were greedy and fake. Good thing he runs into Ren at the gas station after work, where Hank’s giving a rapping B-boy what fer for holding up the line, buying too many lottery tickets.
Burt is sick of his job at the siding-and-window company, where his boss is the devil and promotes rapper, corrupt youth instead of Burt, who has seniority. But when Ren walks into his bar, he encourages Burt to be the squeaky wheel that gets the grease and reminds him those worldly fools will suffer damnation. And when Burt complains about his wife, Ren reminds him he must earn a woman’s trust. Then it’s off to Ren’s new church, Burt not driving, for obvious reasons.
Sky is already in the praise-and-worship band at Ren’s church, and he’s the leader. But is he ever sick of the slacker band members, who can’t even stay in tune and keep time correctly. But as a former local rock star who’d kill anybody for a quarter, it won’t be hard to keep the rule with a rod of iron. And when the new members show, he’ll keep them in line, also—except for Hank. That God the country bumpkin isn’t a musician.
Yes, Ren, a preacher and a prophet, may be the answer these searching souls need. Or is he? What’s with the profanity, put-downs of people not like him and the racial slurs? Why do his eyes look like a demon’s when he finally takes off his sunglasses? Why does the praise band eerily write their own hymns? And why has Ren hired Hank—the huge, country-western convert—to enforce his crazy rules?
Yet when all but Hank try to leave, Lou and Burt find themselves about to fall off the wagon . . . until Ren shows up wherever they are and stops them. Prophet, remember? Only Farrell is run off, Ren rebuking his fake Christian-rock music and his look. Ren says he looks like a girl, and Hank agrees. But it’s only a matter of time till Ren finds him self-medicating at the strip club.
Grotesquely, it’s not long before Ren wants special privileges he says only the pastor of a “real church” should have. Indeed, Ren's "parish" has become sinister. Now Lou and Burt must decide to go back to the hooch or endure the corruption. And the latter could be fatal. And Farrell, having escaped the crazy church again, must find a way to bring Ren to justice . . . with any means necessary, when he finds Ren has brainwashed the authorities, also.
210 pages, Paperback
Published November 14, 2018
About the author
A.R. Braun
16 books59 followersA. R. Braun is the author of the horror novella, 66SICK, and the horror novels, Dogman of Illinois, Heaven's Witches, Autonomy, The Not, and Only Women in Hell, as well as the short-story collections Phantom World, Insanity, and Horrorbook. He became interested in horror when he read “The Telltale Heart” as an assignment in high school. By the time he was eighteen, he had the whole Stephen King collection and started writing short stories for friends and family. His main goal was to put together a heavy metal band, and he spent many years working blue collar jobs and seeking out musicians, but never fell in with the right kind of guys.
He has numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine; and “The Interloper” in the Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red anthology. Weightlifting, mixed martial arts, and audio comedy are a few of his current interests.
He has numerous publication credits, including “NREM Sleep” in the D.O.A. anthology; “Freaks” in Downstate Story magazine; “The Unwanted Visitors” in the Vermin anthology; “Coven” in the Heavy Metal Horror anthology; “Remember Me?” in Horror Bound magazine; “Shades of Gray (the Symbiosis of Light and Dark)” in Micro Horror magazine; and “The Interloper” in the Bonded by Blood 2: a Romance in Red anthology. Weightlifting, mixed martial arts, and audio comedy are a few of his current interests.
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October 31, 2018Just wanted y'all to know my new novel, Heaven's Witches, is out. I'm not going to give a review or rate it.
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