Amazon Only a Game Category:  Horror Publisher: PublishAmerica ISBN-10:  1591298431 Type: Fiction Pages: 192 Copyright: Jul 1 2002 Horror, suspense filled novel involving a dysfuctional family. The family is being ripped apart by mental illness, or are demons haunting their every move? Super egos are playing a game while evil forces lurk in the background.Only a Game is a suspense filled novel about an emotionally dysfunctional family. Diane, the mother, is an emotional wreck. Alan feeds off his mother’s terror and insecurities. Their battle rages on to a violent conclusion. Diane suspects that all is not as it seems with her son. Diane fears her son may be possessed. Alan deludes himself into thinking he is innocent. Diane’s teen daughter, Crystal, is caught in the middle between her dysfunctional mother and brother This family is locked in the clutches of terror while dementia and demons rage forward.

I loved this book and read it all the way
Nancy Jackson



USA (8/2/2004)



Only a Game is an emotionally charged ride through a dysfunctional family and the secrets they possess. From the very first paragraph I was able to experience all the pain and torture the family had been subjected to. It is quite clear there are demons and angels along for the ride, but who are the pawns and who are the leaders? This is a must read and will really get deep into your head! Playing games, mind games, power trips, obsession, finding control, these are just some of the themes and issues featured in this suspense-ridden novel. You are taken on a roller coaster ride of what is real and what is not. Diane is a mother wracked with voices, memories, and a past that she begs to forget. The pain she endures is something she endures alone. With every outburst and cry for help, she is met with her family questioning her own sanity. Is she the one going crazy or are there darker forces making her think she is? With her husband away at sea constantly, providing their only means of financial support, she battles each day alone with a will that tests her faith and mocks her progress. Her son, Alan, a boy ready to become a man if his mother would just give him some space, doesn’t seem to be himself. Years of altered behaviors, changes in character, and events he barely remembers, for him everything is a nightmare, or at least that is how it seems. Looking into the mirror, the image reflected is not one he’s sure he recognizes. Concerned for his mother’s welfare he tries to take charge of the situation, anything to take the focus away from the images he keeps seeing. What the author has done here is get deep into the headspace of characters that are on the edge, threatening to delve into a state they fear and try to fight. The dialogue is raw, emotions are powerful, and twists run plenty in each chapter. There is such a rush of real inner dialogue, it sweeps you up and doesn’t let go until you are at the conclusion. Sherry L. Gibson gives you an in your face story with a plotline that moves at a speed of light pace. She challenges your own ability to handle a situation and makes you question it every step of the way. I was physically and mentally exhausted by the time I finished the book. This is a clear picture of how dysfunction is handled in families, the way time passes yet nothing changes. These people move along in their lives, consumed by their thoughts, always questioning other’s behavior, yet not taking responsibility for themselves. The characters will stay on your mind long after you’ve finished, and perhaps makes you think about your own inner strengths, and the demons you may battle inside. Only a Game is more than just a novel, it is an inside glimpse into a personal hell.





A Psychological thriller! Can Evil ever realy die?
Douglas Boren,

West Virgina, USA (7/12/2003)



"Only a Game" is a suspense filled fiction novel about an emotionally dysfunctional family. Diane, the mother, is an emotional wreck. Alan feeds off his mother's terror and her insecurities. A battle between good and evil rages throughout the book until it comes to a violent conclusion. Diane suspects her son has committed murder, but her mind cannot accept this. She conceives the idea that Alan is possessed by an evil demon. Is the family gripped in terror because of dementia or are evil forces at work? You decide. The surprise ending not only takes your breath away, it practically screams for a sequel! This is a very well written chiller that hooks you right away. Should definitely be on anyone's "A" list to buy!

Molly's Reviews
Diane Morgan thinks she may be going mad. She loves her family, son Alan 17, daughter Crystal 15 and her husband Robert. Robert is not home as much as the family might like. He is a deep sea fisherman, has his own boat the Donna Lee and cannot fathom what the problem facing Diane might be. Diane would like to discuss her worries centering around Alan with her husband, however Robert is never quite in the mood to listen. Diane fears her own son, or a least his evil counterpart. The game the evil Alan insists they play is one that terrifies Diane. There was one more child in the family, little Becky died as an infant. Diagnosis SIDs. Diane knows it was not. A series of fearsome murders, the last of a popular girl Alan dated down along the docks convinces Diane that she must do something. Alan and Crystal worry that Diane is losing a battle for her sanity, maybe she is suffering from stress. Writer Gibson has crafted an absorbing page turner sure to draw the reader into the tale and hold them fast from the opening lines to the last. If I had to give a one word review of Only a Game that word would be B-r-r-r-r-r. Only a Game is a book sure to appeal to those who enjoy suspense and not a little horror as they read. Well done, happy to recommend. Reviewed by: molly martin http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin