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Mary SanGiovanni
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The Fading Place Kindle Edition

by Mary SanGiovanni (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 38 ratings
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Charlie Van Houten is a single mother running the usual weekend errands with her beautiful baby girl Haley, until a delusional gun-wielding woman named Simone takes them hostage in their own car. As they make their way to an unknown final destination, and Simone's paranoia spirals further out of control, Charlie must stop a different kind of monster from taking away all that she loves.
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  1. Print length
    51 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    December 6, 2018
  5. File size
    481 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary SanGiovanni is the author of a number of novels, novellas, and collected works, as well as a recent project in comic books. Her short fiction has appeared in periodicals, anthologies, and chapbooks for over a decade. She has a Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh. She is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers. Her first novel was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in First Novel, and has received the honor of the NECON Legend Award. She is one of the first women to speak on horror fiction at the CIA.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07L6Q39KT
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 6, 2018
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 481 KB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 51 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 38 ratings

About the author

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Mary SanGiovanni

Mary SanGiovanni

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"Queen of Cosmic Horror" -- Christopher Golden

Mary SanGiovanni is an award-winning American horror and thriller writer of over twenty cosmic horror and supernatural thriller books, as well as numerous short stories, comics (including a Wonder Woman story for DC), a media tie-in book in the ALIEN franchise, and non-fiction. Her work as been translated internationally. She has a Masters degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University, Pittsburgh, and is currently a member of The Authors Guild, The International Thriller Writers, and Penn Writers. She was a co-host on the popular podcast The Horror Show with Brian Keene and her own podcast-turned-blog on cosmic horror, Cosmic Shenanigans, and is currently a cohost of The Ghost Writers Podcast. She has the distinction of being one of the first women to speak about writing at the CIA Headquarters in Langley, VA, and offers talks and workshops on writing around the country. Born and raised in New Jersey, she currently resides in Pennsylvania.

Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
38 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

H. Grove (errantdreams)
4.0 out of 5 stars Tense novella
Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2019
Verified Purchase
Mary SanGiovanni’s novella The Fading Place immediately sees Charlie Van Houten carjacked by Simone. Charlie has her baby Hayley in the back seat, and Simone wants the baby. It gradually becomes clear that Simone is paranoid and off her rocker, and plans to kill Charlie and take her baby. How will Charlie outwit her?

This tale isn’t a high-octane thriller. It spends time explaining why it’s so hard for Charlie to have children, and why she’s raising Hayley without Hayley’s father John. It gets into a bit of exploration of the history of the area of Wexton, New Jersey, and the rate at which people tend to disappear in the area. Note that while this is not a paranormal tale, it clearly takes place in the same world as some of SanGiovanni’s paranormal tales (Chills, Behind the Door, Thrall–in fact, Wexton is next door to the town of Thrall).

Simone and Charlie are both interesting characters, and for a short novella there’s plenty of personality. The question of whether and how Charlie will save herself and Hayley provides plenty of tension and suspense. Well worth a read, I believe.
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Dan Myers
5.0 out of 5 stars Quite the roller coaster ride for a short story!
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2015
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Charlie and Simone have fate draw them together into a car ride for the ages. Simone's tale of post pardem depression makes you feel for her until you realize she means to end Charlie's life and take her baby Hayley. Great short story read!
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Christian Wood
3.0 out of 5 stars Not so great this time
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2017
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The second short novella I've read by this author. The previous one, For Emmy, I thought was brilliant. This one just so so. The prose is great as usual just the story didn't grab me, the lack of overt supernatural elements I think was the main reason. Though the hints of her overarching mythos are tantalising.
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Nikki
2.0 out of 5 stars Fading from my memory
Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2016
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Mary's writing skills still shone through a little, even though the story itself didn't have me on the edge of my seat or biting my nails.
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TheBooksofBlood
4.0 out of 5 stars Tense
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2015
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It has to be every mother’s worst nightmare, standing by your car, the baby strapped in the back seat when a gun is pressed against her and she’s told to drive. This is Charlie’s predicament, a single mother with her infant; suddenly driving away from safety with an unhinged woman named Simone pointing a gun and threatening both of them. This isn’t a carjacking though, Simone wants a baby, Charlie’s baby.

This short story takes us on a road trip through rural New Jersey as Simone instructs Charlie to her end destination. Simone is obsessed with the fade, something that sucks color and life from the world. Simone is extremely volatile and out of control, deeply disturbed and liable to snap at a moment’s notice. The author generates a very tense atmosphere throughout the book. There is an incredible sadness and emotion as we learn more of Simone’s motivations and experiences.

This is a powerful short story, unfortunately all too close to the real world. Gripping, and recommended reading. I will be sure to seek out some full length titles from Mary SanGiovanni.
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Brittney Marie Summers
5.0 out of 5 stars Well written and engaging. I'm not even a mother ...
Reviewed in the United States on November 24, 2015
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Well written and engaging. I'm not even a mother and I could feel the lead character's fright and anxiety. .
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R T Twinem
3.0 out of 5 stars Fun read but in no way outstanding.....
Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2014
This was a fun read, not an outstanding read, and certainly a happening that was more suited to "novella" than story. Charlie and her baby Hayley have been car kidnapped by the somewhat deranged Simone. So we travel with them on a short journey and nervously await what outcome Simone has in store for the unfortunate two. There is a incident just after the midway point that I question just where the author was going.....A state trooper stops the car and perhaps this is the chance that Charlie has been waiting for?..just before the state trooper leaves the following happens..." The baby uttered a few fussy cries and Charlie, through sense of maternal instinct, scooped the baby out of Simone's arms to soothe her. Simone caught off guard, relinquished the baby with a small gape of the mouth and a half word that might have been "hey"....Instantly, she felt a surge of relief that Haley was safely away from traffic. She felt fairly certain that Simone wouldn't do anything to create a scene or arouse suspicion. For that moment, she and the baby were safe.".......So why did she not alert the polieman? He was closeby and Simone would never shoot them in front of the state trooper? This was the ideal moment to escape...this was the opportunity and Simone for the present had the gun hidden in her pocket. Yes it was not a perfect situation but the best that Charlie could hope for. Instead the threesome continue their journey and a more unlikely ending (in my opinion) occurs. I am sure that the author has her reasons for introducing this "escape route" and then refusing to acknowledge and use it? As I said at the start of this short review...a fun read but in no way outstanding.
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Mia
4.0 out of 5 stars Every mother's nightmare
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2016
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This short novella has got to be every mother's nightmare. Tightly paced, real time narrative of a kidnapping and its aftermath. Kudos to SanGiovanni, whom I've read before and found quite talented, for strong writing (particularly some excellently phrased observations on the nature of madness) and an impressive amount of character development for 42 pages. Entertaining quick read. Recommended.
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