Archive for July 18, 2013

Life After Dane

by Edward Lorn

Published by Red Adept Publishing, LLC

August 2013

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Have I got a scare for you!

Red Adept Publishing has put together an amazing tour for Edward Lorn’s Life After Dane.

I have a peek inside for you. Chapter One!

Read on to catch my review and the scary good trailer.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Where you can purchase Life After Dane.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / Goodreads

Description

A mother’s love is undying… and so is Dane.

After the state of Arkansas executes serial killer Dane Peters, the Rest Stop Dentist, his mother discovers that life is darker and more dangerous than she ever expected.

The driving force behind his ghostly return lies buried in his family’s dark past. As Ella desperately seeks a way to lay her son’s troubled soul to rest, she comes face to face with her own failings.

If Ella cannot learn why her son has returned and what he seeks, then the reach of his power will destroy the innocent, and not even his mother will be able to stop him.

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Chapter One

 

The state of Arkansas put my son to sleep on October 25, 2013. All across the country, from Colorado to Virginia, forty-two families were finally able to rest. I knew those grieving souls by faces, not personalities. Their tears were familiar, yet their pain was not. I could recall their loved ones easily, as they were the victims. My son’s name was Dane Peters. The rest of the world called him The Rest Stop Dentist.

Not everybody from Dane’s many court sessions came that night. The watch room only held thirty chairs, and nine were taken up by the cops who had arrested my son, two local reporters, and Sven Gödel, a freelance journalist from Chicago.

When the guards led my son into the execution chamber, he strode tall, his face bereft of emotion. At some point, they’d shaved his head. His mop of brown shag was a five o’clock ghost of its former self. While one officer unshackled Dane, the other made ready the straps on the cross-like table where Dane would serve his final sentence. Unencumbered, Dane stretched his arms wide, bent back at the waist, and rocked forward to meet my eyes.

A chill ran down my spine. He looked so calm, the exact opposite of me. I could feel my hands shaking around the Bible I clutched to my stomach. Oh, God, they’re actually going to kill my child. If I had died, they would have called Dane an orphan, but what would they call a childless mother? At fifty-five, I was left all alone.

Dane groped at the front of his orange jumpsuit, patted it flat, and turned toward the awaiting table. Never breaking eye contact, he craned his neck so he could keep a bead on me. My baby boy was in there somewhere, hiding behind that cold stare. I felt myself reaching for him, though I hadn’t meant to do so.

Someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned my head to find a man wearing a police officer’s uniform.

“You know,” he said, “that’s two-way glass. He can’t actually see you.”

Looking back at my son, I tried to tell myself that the man behind me was wrong. He had to be. Dane was gazing directly at me, into me. He sat on the edge of the metal table, twisted, and threw his legs up onto the surface, then lay back and looked toward the ceiling. The guards went about belting him down. Dane lifted his head, met my eyes, and gave me a mirthless smile.

The officer behind me said, “That monster must think he’s something. Look at that smug expression painted all over his mug. He ain’t a bit sorry ’bout what he done.”

Dane blinked twice and settled back on the table.

Too low for anyone else to hear, I said, “He’s not a monster. He’s my son.”

Dane was thirty years old when they put an IV in his arm and dosed him with pentobarbital to render him unconscious. A pump injected him with pancuronium bromide to relax his breathing until his lungs quit altogether. Potassium chloride, the “humane drug,” ceased the beating of his heart before the failure of his lungs became too painful. I watched, seated with the families of the victims, while my son was put down like a rabid dog.

One of the men behind the glass finally said, “It’s over.”

The father of Lillie Mason clapped, putting his hands together, slowly at first, then faster. Vickie Hancock’s mother joined in. Fredericka Devereau’s parents followed along until everyone surrounding me fell into a fit of raucous applause. I didn’t feel the need to celebrate my child’s death, so I remained stoic and silent.

Dane’s body was transferred from the execution table to a beige body bag atop the stainless surface of an awaiting gurney. I’d seen enough.

Rising from my chair, I took an unsteady step forward and almost fell. A hand wrapped around my bicep, keeping me upright. Glancing to see who’d saved me from a tumble, I came face to face with that Chicago journalist, Sven Gödel.

He asked, “Are you all right?”

“Leave me alone.” I snatched my arm from his grasp, turned on my heel, and headed for the door.

Sven called after me, “We should talk, Mrs. Peters.”

I didn’t justify his comment with an answer.

The watch room door opened onto a courtyard surrounded on all sides by razor-wire-topped fencing. October in Arkansas wasn’t quite as cool as back home in Colorado. In fact, the air was uncomfortably warm, like sitting down on a public toilet and finding the previous users’ body heat radiating up into my own butt. Sweat popped out on my forehead. I swiped it away with the back of one hand.

At the main gate, a bald prison guard let me out into the free world. I thought of it like that, “the free world,” because during Dane’s trial and the time up until his death, I’d felt like a prisoner alongside him. With Dane gone, I was free.

I crossed the parking lot to my gold Camry. Once behind the wheel, I let my emotions take over. Tears choked me. To clear my pipes, I lit a Virginia Slim and allowed the menthol to soothe my clogged throat.

I smoked the entire cigarette in less than three minutes. I rolled down my window and flicked the butt into the prison’s lot, leaving a piece of myself behind. Lighting another one, I drove away from that edifice of justice, wondering what else I had left back there. That thought haunted me across seven hundred miles, two fast-food cheeseburgers, four restroom breaks, and a whole pack of Slims, until I crossed the city limits of Well Being, Colorado. Home sweet home.

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My Review

I’ve read several of Edward’s books and I have to say Life After Dane is his best work yet.

I would call it a psychological thriller and horror story. But it’s more than that. You could also call it a ghost story but it isn’t a house that’s haunted.

They say a serial killer can be born one or made into one. I’m not sure which it was for Dane, but he was prolific, killing 42 people. His moniker, The Rest Stop Dentist, was earned because he stalked and killed his victims at rest stops and left a trail of their teeth, like bread crumbs, leading to their discarded corpses.

Like in real life, the law does catch up with him and on October 25, 2013, Dane Peters is sent to hell.

But Dane isn’t planning on staying there, and before long, he pays a visit to his loving mother, the chain-smoking woman who stood by and watched him suffer at the hands of his abusive father.

Dane is back and he wants his own brand of justice.

I like how the author  showed you both sides of the story, both Danes and his mother, Ella May’s. It helped me to see behind their actions and connect with them.

Dane is horrific, but you almost feel sorry for him. Good writing there.

Ella May is sweet and loving, but she’ll tick you off, making you want to slap her down. More good writing.

I would put the pacing of this story as relentless. Once you start reading, you’ll not want to stop until the white-knuckled read is over.

When I reached the end, my heart was pounding in my ears and my jaw ached from clenching my teeth. I just sat there, thinking. Then I got up and grabbed a romance book to read so I wouldn’t be thinking about Dane when I went to sleep!

5 Stars

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About  Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.
Image of Edward Lorn

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Edward’s page on RAP: http://redadeptpublishing.com/edward-lorn/

Edward’s blog: http://edwardlorn.wordpress.com/

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Prizes:

$20 Amazon Gift Certificate

$10 Amazon Gift Certificate

Dane Tote Bag

Dane Mug

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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I’ve read other books by Edward and loved them.

  !NAME 2240 For Amazon and Smashwords

Go HERE for my reviews

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

BLUE EYES Tour Banner_Button

When I first saw the cover art for The Blue Eyes Series, I was hooked.

Then when I read about blood drinking night humans, I was elated!

Looking at these covers, I wouldn’t really expect something dark is lurking in the pages.

Now, I have to find out more!

What do you think of the cover art?

I like the soft colors with emphasis on blue, as in  her eyes, background and the lovely font.

Read on to learn more about Blue Eyes.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway. It’s awesome!

BLUE EYES TRILOGY SPOTLIGHT:

The Legend of the Blue Eyes (Book One of the Blue Eyes Trilogy)

blue eyes LOTBE Promo Cover

Published: March 7, 2013

Publisher: Lexia Press

*Right now the Kindle version of  The Legend of Blue Eyes is on sale for only $0.99 until 7/13/13

Available Now:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Arianna Grace liked her boring, Midwestern, teenage life where she ignored the many unanswered questions of her childhood. Why were her parents dead? Why did she not have family? Where was she raised until she was five? When someone offers to explain it all, Arianna thinks she’s just getting answers. Instead, she is thrown into a world of night humans who drink blood.

On Arianna’s sixteenth birthday, her world is thrown upside down when she changes into a vampire. Night humans, or demons, as some call them, live in normal society. Learning all of the new rules of a world she didn’t know existed might be hard enough, but it’s further complicated by two former-friends that now want to help her take her role as the successor to her grandfather.

There is a war going on between the night humans. Sides have been taken and lines are not crossed. Four main clans of night humans are struggling for control of the night. Divided into two sides, clans Baku and Tengu have been at war for centuries with the clans Dearg-dul and Lycan. That is, until Arianna Grace finds out the truth; she’s the bridge of peace between the two sides. But not everyone wants peace. With the night humans divided, Arianna is now a pawn in the war between them. She must choose a side—her mother’s family or her father’s—and for once in her life, decide her own fate.

Becoming a Legend (Book 2 in the Blue Eyes Trilogy)

blue eyes becoming_promo

Publication Date: Jun. 7, 2013

Publisher: Lexia Press

Available Now:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Arianna Grace is about to turn seventeen, and her life has been very complicated lately. She is the leader of four clans of night humans: dearg-dul, baku, tengu, and lycan. While the four clans seem to get along better with each other, there is internal conflict on both sides of her family, not to mention the three boys vying for her attention. Devin is set on keeping her safe above all else. Turner’s goal is to make her happy. And Andrew wants her for himself. At some point Arianna will have to choose between them, but first she needs to survive the plots against her.

Edward Lucan is making a chase for the power to lead the baku clans and is playing his cards by using his nephew Andrew to lure Arianna into a trap. Unfortunately for Lucan, Andrew has his own plans. He has spent the last year waiting for Arianna to see him as more than a friend, and he now finds it necessary to make a move for her affection, despite his uncle.

In the dearg-dul estate, Arianna discovers that the ambitious Lord Seeger has been laying his own strategies for power and is slowly poisoning her. After getting away with her grandfather’s murder, he is setting his sights on her. Luckily for Arianna, her team is on to all of the plans and is making their own counter strategies. Will it be enough to keep Arianna safe? Several people close to Arianna have been keeping secrets. If Arianna is to take power and control of the night, she will need to know the truth. Will someone finally tell her what it really means to become the legend everyone is waiting for, before it is too late to turn back?

Winning the Legend(Book 3 in the Blue Eyes Trilogy)  Coming August 2013!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

blue eyes B. Kristin McMichael

Originally from Wisconsin, B. Kristin McMichael currently resides in Ohio with her husband, two small children, and three cats. When not doing the mom thing of chasing kids, baking cookies, and playing outside, she is using her PhD in Biology working as a scientist. In her free time she is hard at work on multiple novels; as each day passes, she has more ideas for both current and future novels.

Connect with B. Kristin:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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GRAND PRIZE:   Autographed paperbacks of  Books One and Two with Necklace.

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2ND PLACE:  autographed paperback of any one of B. Kristin’s books (winners choice of book).

RUNNERS-UP:  Two (2) runners-up will each receive an eBook of book 1 “THE LEGEND OF BLUE EYES”.

(If winner already has book 1 then it can substituted for book 2.)

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

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BLUE EYES TOUR SCHEDULE:

July 8 – July 21

7/09- You Gotta Read Reviews

http://yougottaread.com/

7/10- Auggie Talk

http://auggie-talk.blogspot.com/

7/11- Reading Between the Wines

http://www.readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.com/

7/12- Paranormal Book Club

http://paranormal-bookclub.com/

7/13- Sassy Book Lovers

http://sassybooklovers.blogspot.com

7/13- Literal Hotties Naught Book Reviews

http://literalhottiesnaughtybookreviews.blogspot.com/

7/14- Book Monster Reviews

http://www.bookmonsterreviews.com/

7/15- Cocktails and Books

http://www.cocktailsandbooks.com/

7/15- Moonlight Gleam’s Bookshelf

http://moonlightgleam.com/

7/16- Buffy’s Ramblings

http://buffy-kennedy.blogspot.com/

7/17- Page Flipperz

http://pageflipperz.blogspot.com/

7/18- FUONLYKNEW

http://fuonlyknew.com/

7/19- Night Owl Reviews

http://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/B-Kristin-Mcmichael-The-Legend-Of-The-Blue-Eyes

7/20- Froggarita’s Bookcase

http://www.froggaritasbookcase.com/

7/21- Penny For Them

http://pennyforthem1.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/home

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

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Welcome to Thursday Theatre

Here is where I’ll be posting video clips about books and movies and fun stuff.

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Can you guess what I’m doing this weekend?

Yep! I’m going to go see The Conjouring.

I’m ready to be scared sh!tless

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k10ETZ41q5o]

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I’m crossing my fingers that I won’t be disappointed.

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Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

 Coming to you live from Lada Ray.

I am making my two novelettes, CATHARSIS (Legend of the Lemurians) & GREEN DESERT (Accidental Spy Iraq Prequel), FREE for one day each on Kindle this upcoming week! Grab your copy & spread the word!

GREEN DESERT free Wednesday, 7/17: Amazon US  UK   DE (available in other countries as well).

GREEN DESERT COVER ebook

Add Shudder to Goodreads

Blurb:

“Being in the wrong place at just the right time is my specialty.”

Meet Jade Snow, kick-ass international journalist, turned stay-at-home mom (Stepford USA), turned spy extraordinaire (Gold Train). Set in Iraq, this prequel novelette is her experience before the start of the Accidental Spy Series.

Young, witty and beautiful international journalist, Jade Snow, travels to Iraq to shoot a documentary about the Iraqi insurgency. In Baghdad she, as usual, finds herself in the wrong place at just the right time. After witnessing a dramatic suicide bombing, and as two unlikely letters from the opposite sides of the conflict drop in her lap, Jade must trace the shocking connection between the suicide bomber, a young Iraqi girl and American sergeant killed in the attack.

The Butterfly Effect with an unexpected twist, this short, but full of action and drama read explores how interconnected we really are in this world.

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CATHARSIS free Thursday, 7/18: Amazon US   UK    DE  (available in other countries as well).

CATHARSIS

Add Shudder to Goodreads

Blurb:

Karma can be a beautiful maiden or a bitch… Lemurians… Atlanteans… Hidden origins of Humanity…
Before recorded history, before Humanity, since times immemorial, the Earth Keepers have been watching over our planet. Marked at birth and endowed with supreme powers, the nine chosen ones are the Earth’s record keepers and moderators, and when the time comes, the ultimate decision makers. This is the first of their chronicles.
..
Legend of the Lemurians
The population of the red planet Catharsis, on the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy, is exceedingly beautiful. But Catharsians harbor a terrible secret: they have to share the planet with another race, which they call the Uglies, although the Uglies themselves prefer to be called Lemurians. Alas, no one on Catharsis cares what the Uglies prefer. Being ugly is considered a contagious disease, and the Uglies are herded into a special reservation called Camp Ugly, where they live out their drudgery behind an electric fence. But the Uglies don’t seem to fret as they raise their young, guard the planet’s Crystalline Engine, and sing their heart-stopping songs to the Goddess of All, Mother Mu. And so, both races co-exist without much interaction, until the ultimate disaster strikes.
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Morf is a seventeen-year-old Ugly who finds himself in the middle of it all. He is thrust fatefully into the leadership position when no one else can fill its shoes.
. Will the catastrophe bring to light everyone’s true beauty and true ugliness? Will planet Catharsis survive? What destiny lies in store for the Uglies? We are about to find out…
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This is book 1 of the Earth Keepers Chronicles, a new series of metaphysical fantasy/scifi novelettes. It is companion & prequel to THE EARTH SHIFTER, a top-rated visionary fantasy/thriller.
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To learn more about Lada Ray and her books, go HERE.