43899212._sy475_Ah, the perils of writing …it can bring out the worst in you. 
Anthony’s world has fallen apart. The good times have gone, the things he treasures have been torn away. Life in tatters, he needs to press the reset button and begin again. And that’s exactly what’s going to happen. 
He’s going to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. 
Trouble is, some dreams turn into nightmares. 

Beautiful wife, successful business, plenty of cash. He had the lot. Until he didn’t have very much at all. It’s taken a while, but Anthony has finally discovered life is full of bastards and betrayal. Weary and washed out, a change of direction is just what the doctor ordered. 
He wants to be a horror writer. 
Write, and in the writing, redefine himself. 
And again, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. He’s about to discover real horrors. The like of which are beyond comprehension. He could well get lost in his own stories. 
Because some stories aren’t right. They aren’t just make-believe ink marks on a page. 
There are worse things in the world than a little double-dealing and deceit. There are things that defy description and beggar the mind. Things that sit outside the walls of reality and scratch at the mortar between the bricks. 
Sometimes they find a crack and worm their way through.

Source Format Pages Publisher Genre Publication Date
Amazon ebook 128 indie Horror February 19th, 2019

There’s something to John F. Leonard’s horror – a feel of gentleness and ‘soft approach’ that tangles with the crude and the disgusting. It’s an interesting mix of wordery that keeps the reader engaged. There’s something deep that John peppers into the story, to factor in the human side to all the horrible that really warps the reality.

Blight is an insidious thing. Invisible, until you look out one day and the garden is a wasteland.

John F. Leonard – A Plague of Pages

The idea of this book has come from the author’s love of pens. He mentions this in the Author’s Note section of the book. He is also one of these observant people who is able to notice and put to good use whatever his eye lands on and his mind gets to work. It’s amazing. This power to observe, to notice, to literally stop and smell the roses. Or well, in this case, use it to his bloody advantage 🙂

The main character of the book – Anthony Eames- is a character that in the space of 128 pages made me feel a number of emotions. I had pity for him, I was angry FOR him and was angry AT him. What a transformation he goes through from feeling powerless and powerful.

Sometimes, when I am not in the mood for horror (I know, weird mood), I associate a bit of dryness with it. Like, yeah, something crazy happens and guts fly and someone’s eyeballs get eaten but then John F. Leonard with his horror reminds me that I have read good horror that isn’t dry. It has humour and splendid writing and great show of penmanship. I swear, A Plague of Pages had about 10+ words in the story that were a) first for me, and 2) gave the story such an elegant feel. You know when you read the story, you actually read it out loud in your head and in this case it’s those small details, how the story is written and told, the words that are being used, that made me go starry-eyed. Not to mention, once A Plague of Pages starts off, the rpms are in the red zone until the end of the book. There’s no retrieve, no space for pause, no take a breath whilst we take a flashback into the prettier days- none of that noodling back and forth; it’s full on balls to the wall, speed-ahead creep-fest. And all because of a pen! Genius!

This hasn’t been my first Leonard book, it won’t be my last. What entertainment, much joy! Recommended!