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Isaac Thorne

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Hell Spring Kindle Edition

by Isaac Thorne (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.3 56 ratings

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In the twilight of March 21, 1955, eight people take cover in their local general store while a thundering torrent and flash flooding threatens life and livelihood alike. None of the eight are everything they claim to be. But only one of them hungers for human souls, flesh, and blood.

An overflowing waterway destroys their only path of escape. The tiny band of survivors is forced to confront themselves and each other when a peculiar stranger with a famous face tries to pick them off one by one.

Can the neighbors survive the predator in their midst as well as the 100-year flood that drowns the small town of Lost Hollow?

Or will they become victims of the night the townsfolk all remember as Hell Spring?

ABOUT THE CONTENTS

Hell Spring is a 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Awards finalist in the Horror category. For information about the content and tropes readers might encounter in this story, visit the author's site at isaacthorne.com/hell-spring.

From the Publisher

Interview with Horror Author Isaac Thorne

Hell Spring is the second novel you've set in the Southern small town of Lost Hollow. Your debut novel The Gordon Place is set in the same town, but in 2019. What is it that keeps drawing you to this locale?

Write what you know, I suppose. Lost Hollow is an amalgam of the reality of growing up in a small town along with some of the tropes and archetypes you might find in other fiction set in such locations. The biggest difference is that Lost Hollow never seems to grow or to change very much. The landscape might. People are born and people die. But mostly none of the people who live there learn very much from history or the experiences of their forebears. There's an old song by a Tennessee-based band I loved, The Floating Men, called "Slide Guitar Music." Look it up if you've never heard it. It poetically describes life in a stale small town. If Lost Hollow had a theme song, that would be it.

The events of Hell Spring take place during a horrible flood on the night of March 21, 1955. Was this based on a real event?

It was, in fact! But it was not the only real-life event. On March 21, 1955, something like what people call a 100-year flood occurred over Middle Tennessee. Lost Hollow is a fictional town, but if you overlaid it on a map, it might've been directly in the path of those storms. I did quite a bit of old newspaper research about that storm before I started writing so I could try to get an accurate feel of what that storm might've been like for people living there at the time.

That said, the storm that really inspired some portions of this story occurred on May 1, 2010. Middle Tennessee was again devastated by flooding. So much so that there's actually footage of a temporary steel school building floating down the interstate. That storm was frustrating not only because of property damage and loss of life, but also because national media largely ignored it at first.

The events of Hell Spring take place during a horrible flood on the night of March 21, 1955. Was this based on a real event?

It was, in fact! But it was not the only real-life event. On March 21, 1955, something like what people call a 100-year flood occurred over Middle Tennessee. Lost Hollow is a fictional town, but if you overlaid it on a map, it might've been directly in the path of those storms. I did quite a bit of old newspaper research about that storm before I started writing so I could try to get an accurate feel of what that storm might've been like for people living there at the time.

That said, the storm that really inspired some portions of this story occurred on May 1, 2010. Middle Tennessee was again devastated by flooding. So much so that there's actually footage of a temporary steel school building floating down the interstate. That storm was frustrating not only because of property damage and loss of life, but also because national media largely ignored it at first.

The events of Hell Spring take place during a horrible flood on the night of March 21, 1955. Was this based on a real event?

It was, in fact! But it was not the only real-life event. On March 21, 1955, something like what people call a 100-year flood occurred over Middle Tennessee. Lost Hollow is a fictional town, but if you overlaid it on a map, it might've been directly in the path of those storms. I did quite a bit of old newspaper research about that storm before I started writing so I could try to get an accurate feel of what that storm might've been like for people living there at the time.

That said, the storm that really inspired some portions of this story occurred on May 1, 2010. Middle Tennessee was again devastated by flooding. So much so that there's actually footage of a temporary steel school building floating down the interstate. That storm was frustrating not only because of property damage and loss of life, but also because national media largely ignored it at first.

Partial cover for 'Hell Spring'

An article from the March 22, 1955 edition of the fictional 'Hollow River Echo'

An article from the March 23, 1955 edition of the fictional 'Hollow River Echo'

Do you write anything other than horror? What motivates you to write in this genre?

I mostly write horror and, with the exception of my novels, I try to stick to some combination of horror and comedy. My work previous to the novels was mainly short tales of dark comic horror, along the lines of stuff like Creepshow and Tales From The Crypt. Funny horrific ideas occur to me on a regular basis. Writing them down seems like a simple way to prevent them from eating me inside out. Putting them out there for other people to read seems like a simple way to keep the neighborhood kids off my lawn.

Do you plan to revisit the town of Lost Hollow or any of the characters from Hell Spring or The Gordon Place in future books?

Oh, yes. I absolutely plan to revisit Lost Hollow. I'm working on new stuff set in the town even now.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...the mix of sorrow and shame powering these stories lends substance to the scenes of horror. The shocking moments deliver serious jolts."
—Booklife Review by Publishers Weekly

"Thorne fleshes out each character's backstory in measured detail, making them problematic and relatable, by turns."
—Kirkus Reviews

"Thorne has a firm hand on his characters, who start off as caricatures but slowly develop into real people who struggle with their flaws."
—Jeff Somers for IndieReader

"It is disorienting, grotesque, absurdly funny and oddly hot..."
—Drew Rowsome, My Gay Toronto Magazine

"...packed with tension and credible characters that propel readers forward."
—BlueInk Review

"The small town and the store are compelling, claustrophobic backdrops to this drama, and the book's tension mounts at an exponential rate."
—Foreword Clarion Reviews

"Thorne does a fantastic job of creating a wide cross-section of society..."
—Steve Stred, Splatterpunk-nominated author of Sacrament and Mastodon

About the Author

Isaac Thorne is a Tennessee man who has, over the course of his life, developed a modest ability to spin a good yarn. Really. He promises. The screenplay adaptation of his short story "Diggum" from the collection Road Kills is the winner of several horror film festival awards. His previous novel, The Gordon Place, was a finalist in the 2020 Readers' Favorite Book Awards. The audiobook edition narrated by Sean Duregger won the 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards Horror category. You can find Isaac on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok at @isaacrthorne or on his site at isaacthorne.com. Just don't corner him during a flood.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B69QBRFQ
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Lost Hollow Books (September 21, 2022)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 21, 2022
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2531 KB
Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 335 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,597 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #425 in LGBTQ+ Horror eBooks
- #5,411 in Occult Horror
- #5,706 in Psychological Fiction (Kindle Store)

Customer Reviews:
4.3 56 ratings

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Isaac Thorne

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Isaac Thorne is a Tennessee man who has, over the course of his life, developed a modest ability to spin a good yarn. Really. He promises. The screenplay adaptation of his short story “Diggum” from the collection Road Kills is the winner of several horror film festival awards. His previous novel, The Gordon Place, was a finalist in the 2020 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards. The audiobook edition narrated by Sean Duregger won the 2020 Independent Audiobook Awards horror category.

You can find Isaac on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok at @isaacrthorne or on his site at isaacthorne.com.

As long as you're here, why not click that yellow "Follow" button so Amazon can notify you when I have a new release? Also, check out my site at www.isaacthorne.com and sign up for my email newsletter!

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Bethuel Kibet

Thrilling horror story

Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

Hell Spring is an intriguing horror story about Tennessee’s 1955 floods. The story starts off with an introduction into the tragic event, and builds up into the characters, for example, the stranger looking for shelter in the general store at Lost Hollow’s local store. The horror events begin, and the residents are amazed and scared of what will happen next. The author does well to blend the modern and vintage aspects of the story which makes it come alive, and turns it into an interesting read.
The story is thrilling because of the well-crafted suspense, and the author allows for the cast to evolve, which brings a better understanding and various points of view while following the plot. The investment into the characters, shows how much the author cares about describing human feelings, their behaviors, and contributions to the story. It’s a joy to see characters finding their emotions and fixing their mindset that defines who they are, and how they relate with other people. It’s touching to see how the author covers real life issues like family feuds, that are a great part of what happens in the current world. The story exposes the weaknesses and brings out the strengths in the Lost Hollow residents, making it a memorable moment in their lives.

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Karli

Campy, Fun, Vintage Creature Horror

Reviewed in the United States on January 17, 2024

In March of 1955, a torrential flood will forever change the town of Lost Hollow, TN. Huddled together in the local general store, a group of neighbors and locals anxiously wait out the storm. But a few people taking shelter have much more than the storm to be worried about. Considering their own personal crimes, “sins,” and guilty urges, the group is ripe for the picking - that is if a sin-eating demon is in the midst (which it is).

As the storm rages outside, the folks inside the general store must fight for their lives and their souls. But the evil interloper has disguised itself as a familiar blonde bombshell, and by the time they realize her deadly power, it may be too late… In the meantime, her sinister presence will shake up everything they think they know about sin, guilt, and redemption.

Hell Spring is a campy, graphic horror story that touches on themes of toxic religious and social ideals, and maintains a little edge of philosophy throughout. As a Nashville native myself, I appreciated the familiar setting and a few references to local establishments and history.

I especially enjoyed the first chapter - which graphically (and hilariously) details the demon’s origins. I really didn’t know what to expect after that first chapter, but I’m glad I kept reading - and the uh, "patriarchal" themes (iykyk!) play a big role throughout.

I also appreciated the effort to realistically depict the 1950s values and relationships (especially with the LGBTQ interracial couple and the young mother). A sin-eating demon couldn’t exist without the social norms of shame, fear, and control - especially within the confines of a midcentury southern and religious social circle. The characters must ask themselves if the guilt and shame they feel is valid or internalized by some greater force. It’s an age-old concept with fresh-faced cast of characters.

Thank you to the author for providing a review copy!

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Mrs Mandy Reads

Zombie religious 1950’s Horror

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2023

Verified Purchase

I enjoyed the setting and era in which this work of fictional art takes place. Character build is wonderfully written diving deep into humanity's sins as a whole. It was a good suspense horror enjoyed from start to finish. 🖤❤️‍🔥🖤

One person found this helpful

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Lyndie

Evil comes to a small town...

Reviewed in the United States on October 24, 2023

Isaac Thorne has been on my radar for quite a while now. I am also a Tennessee Native and have been meaning to read his novel, 'The Gordon Place', and having read this title now, I am definitely going to bump it up the list and stop procrastinating!

There is something that's just so enjoyable about reading a fictitious tale, set in your stat. It makes it feel immerisive in a way. While 'Hell Spring' is fictitious, Middle TN truly did suffer an absolutely horrendous flood in 2010. I personally was displaced due to the flood, I was at work, and by the time I was able to close and leave, my route home was no longer passable. Luckily for me, there were no Marilyn's that day!!

"From the day of her birth-- or her creation, or her evolution, or whatever process had belched her into existence-- the gigantic phallus in the center of the fiery arena had wanted her for it's own."

The opening chapter of this book is rough and definitely had me asking what I had gotten myself into. I think it's important to establish what Marilyn is. While it starts a little nasty, the rest of the book is tame in comparison. The story is essentially of seven individuals with their own sins and guilt who find themselves stranded as the result of a flood. They unsuspectingly expose themselves to a "demon" and because of their inability to overcome their guilt and work cohesively, they feed her with their shame.

"Our sins. But it wasn’t our sins that did us in. At least, that’s what Pastor Mark thinks. It was our willingness to judge, to raise ourselves as judge and jury above one another for sins that aren’t even really sins. Or at least they shouldn’t be. Not where there’s love. I don’t think they should be, anyway."

There are seven main characters (and a demon) trapped in the general store, and each have their own sins/guilt. There is quite a range of sins. Things like homosexuality, theft, pornography use, and even murder just to name a couple. I think an important takeaway from this is that we all have our own guilt, shame, and sin, and if we allow it to, that it can and will destroy us.

I definitely appreciated that Thorne dedicated chapters to presenting each of the characters and their backgrounds. He definitely did a phenomenal job with character development and world building. My sole complaint is that some things were overexplained, and there was a bit of fluff in the story that I think the story would have been just as strong or potentially stronger without.

Another thing that I think is worth mentioning is that Thorne included two queer characters in this story. One is a white male, while the other is a POC. Peter is a queer male who suffers extensively in an abusive and homophobic household and, in turns suffers from his own internalized homophobia. Sam is a queer POC and while not a main character, he does have a strong supporting role.

Inclusivity in writing is so very important. The issues presented within the story are very real-life horrors (especially in 1955, and I think they should be represented while not necessarily being the sole focus. I think that Thorne presented these queer struggles in a way that was respectful and added more depth into these particular characters' backgrounds.

Overall, this is a great story, and I would recommend this to readers, especially those who have a love for small town horror.

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