
A Different Kind of Monster
Book 3 in A Monstrous Dread Series
Jillian hopes she has finally found a safe haven in the Catskills, but as she looks out at the dense forest surrounding her secluded RV campground, she can’t help but wonder if she’s leapt from the pan into the fire. After leaving a promising career at the FBI, she’s been on the run, constantly pursued by malevolent supernatural entities. Alaska and Wyoming didn’t provide the sanctuary she was hoping for, but maybe upstate New York will be different.
But as Jillian tries to settle into her new life, she can’t shake the feeling that something is off. It’s not just the strange noises she hears at night or the eerie stillness of the forest, it’s the lingering presence of something sinister. And as local young women start to go missing, Jillian suspects she may have stumbled upon a different kind of monster.
Desperate to protect herself and those around her, Jillian must use her unique ability to see the paranormal to unravel the mystery of the missing girls. But as she delves deeper into the dark underbelly of the Catskills, she realizes that she may have met her match. And if she can’t stop the abductions, she may become the next victim.
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To Jackson and Jillian, it is all ” natural ” as they can see what walks among them….but yes, they are “super beings” and being visible to the siblings is NOT part of their plan. Therefore the pair must be eliminated and quickly. However, that is proving much more difficult than expected and patience is fast wearing thin…..A superb and unusual series that continues to improve by leaps and bounds!.
From the first book I read by Nicki Huntsman Smith, I was hooked. I will read anything she writes. I will not hold my breath, but wait, impatiently for the next one to come out. I enjoy her characters and can vividly see the worlds she creates. Getting ready to read ‘Under the Mesa’. I’m sure I will be as thoroughly mesmerized as I have been with everything else she has written. Keep it up Nicki!
‘m loving this series and can’t wait for the next one! Huntsman Smith has a knack for creating enduring characters that you find yourself missing (I hope to see more of them in upcoming installments). I highly recommend checking out this series as well as her other books.

Abominable
Book 4 in A Monstrous Dread Series
JILLIAN:
After a harrowing encounter with a serial killer, a near-fatal battle with a malevolent woodland creature, and a failed assassination attempt on her life, Jillian packs up her Airstream and motors away from the Catskills. Her destination? Sunny California with its sandy beaches and tranquil ocean views. Standing between her and paradise is a white-knuckle drive through Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range, but as long as she can beat the forecasted hundred-year storm, she’s golden.
Of course, as with so many ‘coincidences’ in her life, the ice, wind, and snow arrive early, trapping her in a dangerous blizzard while perched on a treacherous mountain switchback.
Help arrives in the form of a teenage boy, forcing Jillian to choose between freezing to death or accepting his offer of sanctuary in the home of his family.
The decision isn’t the no-brainer one might expect. The deeper Jillian digs into the ideology of the wealthy Olsen family — leaders of an exclusive survivalist community — and the longer she’s forced to stay, the more perilous the situation becomes. Even in this far-flung ‘prepper’ society, walled in by snow-capped mountains and trapped by a raging blizzard, Jillian isn’t safe from the paranormal creatures that hunt her, nor the human monsters who seem hell-bent on pursuing her to the ends of the Earth.
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Get in a comfy chair, good drinks, snacks, and buckle up for good binge story! Can’t tell you the last store that grabbed my attention and brain cells like this one and has kept it. I kinda want to start with the first book again, it’s that good!
I’ve pretty much become addicted to this series! I hope the author has plans to keep exploring this world for a long time.
Jackson and Jillian are on the trail of more monsters and mayhem. After some way too close calls, and finding out really disturbing news about what lies in the future, they both continue with their lives of danger. In a nearing the apocalypse times, these two are who I want to keep close.

Beauty and Dread
Book 2 in the Troop of Shadows Chronicles
Picking up immediately where the first book in the series ended, Beauty and Dread continues the saga of a small group of extraordinary people.
Their unique genetic code allowed them to survive a devastating global pandemic. Now they must continue to fight for their lives, their humanity, and their town’s enviable progress toward rebooting civilization.
The tiny population of Liberty, Kansas, has weathered disease, starvation, marauders from without, and dissension from within. Still, it is a shining star of hope in an otherwise bleak and desolate land.
But a madman approaches with an army at his heels, spurred by blood-lust and fantasies of revenge.
Will he prevail, usurping the town and murdering its citizens? Or will this eclectic group of geniuses and misfits fight back?
Intricately plotted, superbly paced, and brought to life by fully-developed protagonists, quirky supporting characters, and charming villains, the Troop of Shadows Chronicles is a tour de force. It is the unfolding story of the great
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I really like the story and characters! It’s a very unique story! We lost some very interesting characters in this book though! I guess no one is safe! Some of the deaths were a little rushed for such a buildup.
I am a reader. I read every day. It’s my thing. Finding good books you haven’t already read can be really frustrating sometimes. This is one I know I’ll miss when it’s over. These people have have become my friends and I root for them. I’m on to book 3 to see them again and I believe I will like them just as much this visit.
Second book in a series about a new kind of apocalypse. Follow all these fascinating characters after a virus kills off everyone, except those with special skills or intelligence. Each book just seems to get better.

Dead Leaves, Dark Corners
There are no zombies here!
But lurking within the pages of this creepy anthology is every other type of ghoulish creature a horror enthusiast could want.
Do you love monsters? We have plenty.
Are demons your thing? You have your choice of the amusing type or the kind that will make you go insane.
Men in Black? Check.
Cannibals? Yep.
Serial killers? We got ‘em.
There’s even a witch thrown in for good measure.
The settings in this collection range from a decaying urban city to a sinister lighthouse island…from an isolated forest to a decrepit gas station in the Arizona desert…from a suburban kitchen to a Walmart parking lot.
What good thing ever happened in a Walmart parking lot?
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This was a page turner of a read! The perfect amount of spooky for a summer evening (or a chilly winter night). An excellent collection of easy flowing stories. Would be great when read all at once (like I did) or savored one at a time.
Absolutely loved this anthology! The tone is definitely appropriate for a group of horror tales, and I really enjoyed the satirical edge and the underlying humor present throughout. The characters are well-drawn and compelling. Definitely an enjoyable book; I highly recommend it.
Great book! I cannot imagine what type of person, or what type of brain is required to come up with such a divergent group of excellent short stories, Keep up the good, but disturbing work, Nicki.

Demon Chase
Book 1in A Monstrous Dread Series
She can see demons – and they want her dead.
Jillian and her twin brother are haunted by a terrible gift: the power to see the monsters that lurk in plain sight. Unleashed into our world eons ago, the demons relentlessly hunt whoever can see them… and there’s a hellish bounty on Jillian’s head.
She’s powerless – until she can learn to fight back.
Plunged into an impossible struggle against deadly enemies and forced to forsake the life they once held dear, Jillian and her brother must survive long enough to unravel the shadowy secrets of the unseen world and discover a way to fight.
But the demons are closing in… and Jillian can’t run forever.
Can she and her brother overcome insurmountable odds and turn the tide against their demonic hunters? Or will their unusual gift become their greatest curse?
Demon Chase is a page-turning paranormal read that’s perfect for anyone who loves demons, magic, and survival stories with a twist.
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The story pulls you in immediately. Great characters, great plot and tantalizing quirks along the way. Highly recommend for anyone who likes a good ghost story but add witches and spells and lots of good fun. Enjoy!
I knew I was going to love this book! Twins with a certain talent of recognizing the supernatural . Truly could see this set of books expanding beyond two. Characters are well developed and the fact they have that connection only twins share? Perfect ! Fun read with just enough demon interaction to keep one immersed. Now off to the second book😁
I was hooked the moment I started reading this book. One of this authors specialties is creating rich likeable characters. Like 80 something year old shamans that joke about midnight bootie calls. This is shaping up to be a great story and I can’t await to dive in to the next one.

Moving with the Sun
Book 3 in the Troop of Shadows Chronicles
You’re one of the lucky ones – you lived through the global pandemic that eradicated seven billion people. You survived civilization’s collapse and the unspeakable atrocities committed by desperate people.
Now it’s two years later…and you’re still alive.
So are two intriguing groups of survivors living in close proximity on the Florida coast. The first, a harmonious community of highly intelligent people who reside on a former island paradise; they are determined to create sustainable quality of life. The other, camping in a Costco warehouse on the nearby mainland, a ruthless tribe of organized raiders who will stop at nothing to provide for their own.
Not only must they endure hardships and hunger in their ravaged world, fate seems hell bent to crush them all as a monster hurricane seethes in the Atlantic.
Fans of Stephen King’s “The Stand” will love these novels. Intricately plotted, superbly paced, and brought to life by fully-developed protagonists, quirky supporting characters (some you will recognize from the previous books), and charming villains, the Troop of Shadows Chronicles is a tour de force. It is the unfolding story of the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, and is populated with some of the most entertaining people you will ever meet.
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This book surprises me – it approaches the breakdown of civilization via plague in a different way than any other book I’ve read so far. The story is told through the eyes of various members of the group so it bounces from person to person and it works well. Each character is so memorable that it is easy to remember who they are and see them in your mind’s eye. It’s not just a plague/supernatural/Armageddon/Doomsday Prepper book; it’s the best book I’ve read in a long time. Read them all if you get a chance !!
The troop of shadows is an amazing series!! What an exquisite mind the author has to be able to weave her stories in a way that keeps us totally engaged!! Best series Ever!!
I ❤️ this series! It kept my attention day after day, night after night! I snuck time to read it every day! I would love to see a movie made out it the series! But it probably ruin it!

Secrets Under the Mesa
Note: This was Nicki’s first published book on Amazon.
Rumors exist of a secret government base buried deep under the Archuleta Mesa in New Mexico.
Joshua Hawkins, a feature writer for a major newspaper in Dallas, travels to Dulce, New Mexico, in search of his missing uncle. Along with his friend Ben, Josh also hopes to gather information for an article about the mysterious ‘Dulce Base’.
Are the rumors true? Is the government conducting genetic experiments utilizing extraterrestrial DNA? And if so, for what purpose?
Josh discovers the horrific results firsthand. And what’s worse, he has reason to believe the scourge is not contained within the mesa.
No one is safe–especially Josh and his friends back in Dallas.
To what lengths will he go to ensure the safety of the people he loves?
And if he fails, how dire will the consequences be for the rest of the world?
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This was a fun read. An interesting take on the Illuminati, new world order, the end of the world as we know it. Interesting hybrids.
I fell in love with a series from this author and recently became aware of this, her first book.
I’m on a NHS bender right now, on to the brand new series!
Loved this book!!! Kept me up reading till way past my bed time. The characters seemed so realistic and I’m left wondering what happened to them??? Great first novel Nicki Smith…..can’t wait to read your next one! Oh and by the way, you have an awesome vocabulary!
I enjoyed this book very much! Lots of action and interesting dialogue with twists and turns along the way. I bought it to read on the beach over the summer, but couldn’t put it down and finished it in a weekend! Highly recommend.

The Sublime Seven
Following a botched armed robbery, J awakens in a black void and meets Sarah, a Spiritual Guide tasked with mentoring the transcendence of souls.
“Where am I?”
“You’re in the In Between. Are you comfortable? Do you need anything? A Coke? Maybe a cigarette?”
“Why would I want a Coke or a cigarette if I’m dead?”
“They can’t really harm you at this point. If they offer comfort, you may enjoy them now.”
“How? I don’t have a mouth anymore.”
“Sure you do. You’re talking with it.”
“It’s more the suggestion of a mouth. Or maybe the memory of one. That’s what it feels like, at least.”
“Well stated. It’s true your physical body was left behind in that other place, but taking on its form again here serves a purpose. It will make all this easier to get through. Do you think you can manage that?”
“Let me try.”
“Ah, there you are. You were quite handsome in your previous life.”
“You’re drop-dead gorgeous. Are you an angel?”
“We’ll get to all that soon enough. Let’s talk about what happened. Before you died.”
“I think I got shot in the chest. That Kwik Shop clerk had a sawed-off shotgun behind the cash register.”
“He did, but that’s not what I’m referring to. Let’s talk about your life leading up to its tragic end.”
J can travel any WHERE and any WHEN for the boldest, most challenging learning opportunities…transcendence isn’t for the faint-hearted.
The journey spans a pyramid builders’ village in Giza to the Dakota Plains, from Renaissance Italy to prehistory Mesopotamia, from a Martian colony to 1960s Kansas. How many incarnations will it take? What lessons must be learned along the way?
Buy The Sublime Seven and witness one soul’s quest to solve all the mysteries of life, one adventure at a time.
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Took a chapter or two, but very glad I stayed with it! Amazing book with well written characters and just ramps up to higher levels as the plot evolves. Enjoy!
Wonderfully written as always!
Very thought provoking & excellent lives he has lived.
I have loved everyone of this authors books
Honestly, I don’t write reviews… But this book deserves it. I’m an avid reader and some books leave my memory quickly and some linger on not to be forgotten, the Sublime Seven, will most undoubtedly be one of those books I will remember fondly. Thank you Nicki Huntsman Smith your truly a gifted word smyth.

Those Who Come the Last
Book 5 in the Troop of Shadows Chronicles Series
It’s been three years since a global pandemic decimated the earth’s population. The conflicts that continue to rage in its aftermath threaten to tear apart two diverse societies living in Appalachia. The multi-generational feud between the Whitakers and the Murdocks is about to boil over in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains. The Whitakers, led by the fierce and brilliant Serena Jo, can no longer allow the Murdocks’ savagery to exist so close to their own peaceful and prosperous holler.
Will the help of a few outsiders offset the disparity in numbers? Can the Whitakers prevail against the brutality of the former crime-syndicate family and its malevolent leader?
How many lives will be lost if they fail? Or worse, how many prisoners of war will be brutalized if the Murdocks triumph?
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I have read many “end of the world as we know it” books. This series was one of the best. I fell in love with each unique character. Now on to explore novels by this amazing author.
This wasn’t an ordinary apocalyptic book. The characters were delightful not just scared and fighting for existence. Loved the use of magic and spirituality. These books did not follow the typical apocalypse genre. I couldn’t put them down. Well done
I loved every page of these five books. Couldn’t go to bed at night !! I wish there were five more!

Troop of Shadows
Book 1 in the Troop of Shadows Chronicles Series
This book was awarded the #1 Bestseller Badge on Amazon
A catastrophic pandemic ravages the globe, reducing the human population to extinction levels and cleansing the world of mediocrity.
A doomsday prepper, a molecular geneticist, a journal-keeping loner, and a martial arts-trained nerd survive the disease that annihilated almost everyone else on the planet. Despite the miles between Kansas and California, Texas and Arizona, the four share a connection.
They realize that not dying was the easy part.
Now a year later, they navigate a bleak world…one without technology, without modern medicine, and without law and order. They must unify their diverse strengths not only to rebuild civilization but to battle those who would forge empires through brutality and oppression.
“There is one who would rule the world or see it burn.”
Fans of Stephen King’s The Stand, Hugh Howey’s Wool series, and Markus Sakey’s Brilliance trilogy will love this novel. Intricately plotted, superbly paced, and brought to life by fully-developed protagonists, quirky supporting characters, and charming villains, the Troop of Shadows Chronicles is a tour de force. It is the unfolding story of the greatest threat humanity has ever faced, and is populated with some of the most entertaining people you’ll ever meet.
Over 3000 Amazon reviews and counting.
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading Troop of Shadows! Excellent plot, fantastic writing and the best character development I have ever seen. I purposely paced myself so as not to finish it too quickly. Do yourself a favor and start reading immediately!
…Actually, to be honest, this is the second time I’ve read it (and I’ll be going on to the others as well). And why? Because I like the story, obviously but, more, I really love the characters — all different, well-drawn, complete characters done in such a way that one is able to keep track of who each of them are — which is not always easy with multi-story, multi-character novels. Each of the individual stories are interwoven in ways that feel natural, and yet, a bit mystical which it just might be the point.
Easy read and tough to put down. I loved it and now my older son is reading it and is enjoying it. I plan to purchase the full set of books. Seems to be written for the silver screen and that’s OK. If done right could be a fantastic TV series or movie with sequels…but let’s finish the full series of books first. Good stuff.

Troubled Spirits
Book 2 in A Monstrous Dread Series
Jillian barely escaped Forsaken Harbor, Alaska, in one piece. Now, she finds herself in rural Wyoming, settling into a hundred-year-old house filled with musty old furniture and an antique doll for a roommate. Surrounding her in all directions are acres of hay, desolate prairie, and a cornfield long overdue for harvesting…and overseen by a decrepit scarecrow. It’s the perfect setting for a spooky Halloween, until strange and terrifying episodes begin to happen.
What has she stumbled upon in the Wind River Range? What happened here generations ago that resonates so powerfully in the region and compels the residents to behave in bizarre and alarming ways?
Should she leave now while there’s still time? Or stick it out and learn more about the dangerous and mystical supernatural world that upended her life a year ago?
Jillian Beaufort is not quitter. You can bet your last bottle of Sam Adams she’ll find some answers…or die trying.
******
Jackson, no longer a prisoner of the Rosalind Project, but rather a willing ally, joins forces with Dr. Walter Richter and his beautiful and brilliant daughter, Dr. Stacey Richter. Utilizing resources Jillian can only dream about, Jackson and his new partners embark on a quest to identify monsters and unmask demons. The scientists want to study them, but Jackson has different plans.
He has been grappling with monsters far longer than anyone else, and he knows one truth better than anyone: The only good monster is a dead monster.
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She got my attention with Troop of Shadows, the best doomsday series I’ve ever read. Now Nicki Huntsman Smith as enthralled me with her current series, A Monstrous Dread. Witches, demons and monsters? My favorite genre.
Jackson and Jillian Beaufort are bad-ass twins, taking out the monsters, evil spirits and plan ol bad juju, with their competent bad-assery. Huntsman Smiths use of witty repertoire, sarcasm and dry humor will leave you laughing out loud whilst gripping the edge of your seat in fear and anticipation.
Read these books. You’ll be so glad you did.
There are several authors I try to read everything they have written. However, there aren’t that many. I read for entertainment mostly now, and Nicki’s books always keep me entertained. Many times that entertainment is at the expense of other things that might be deemed more important by others in my immediate circle. Not citing any names.
Keep on cranking them out Nicki
Went up the hill to to kick some demon ass.
This book came across my Facebook feed. It had great reviews. I’ve read two now. They are so well written and the stories to me are riveting. Check out this author, you won’t be disappointed!

What Befalls the Children
Book 5 in the Troop of Shadows Chronicles Series
What has Fergus gotten himself into this time?
The residents of Whitaker Holler, nestled in the Tennessee Smoky Mountains, possess the gene (engineered millennia ago) that saved them from perishing during a catastrophic global pandemic three years earlier.
They’re lucky. They knew all about rustic living before the apocalypse. Led by Serena Jo, a brilliant, determined woman who doesn’t hesitate when making impossible, even ruthless decisions about their survival, the Mountain People thrive in this newly primitive world.
Two diverse residents of a secret government warehouse (one of the nation’s seven ‘Strategic National Stockpiles’) camouflaged within a self-storage complex a few miles from Whitaker Holler also survived the pandemic.
Ray, the facility’s former brainy but phobia-plagued supervisor must accommodate his captive, a malevolent psychopath bent on murdering every human she encounters.
Ray knows keeping the survivors safe from Lizzy, despite the toll she takes on his peace of mind, is the most important and dangerous job left in the world.
What if he fails?
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One of the best… really, if you’ve read the first three, there is no reason not to read this one. First of all, the story continues but, mostly, it continues in a surprising, different way. Actually, I think it is the best of the four— but maybe I’m just partial to the Smoky Mountains. Fergus is back in this installment and the only negative is that Amelia is not, really. However, there are several completely original NEW characters that make up for her. And the bad guy, who’s a women, is really one of the most evil characters I’ve come across.
Really, don’t miss this one.
Good twists and turns. Apocalypse combined with fantastical 🧪 science fiction! Be still my heart. The best combo ever. Enhanced with murder mystery thriller romance and heart jerking attachment to characters that aren’t even that loveable sometimes!
Binging to the next Book!
Following this author
It’s been a long long time since I’ve found a series of books I can’t put down yet don’t want to end. I was leery of being able to enjoy the second book after enjoying the first one so much. Book two just made me anxious to start the third. Now on to Book Four!
Thank you Nicki Huntsman Smith!