Posts Tagged ‘fantasy anthology’

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Spirits in the Water
Elements of Untethered Realms Book 4
Genre: Fantasy Anthology
Authors: 
Catherine Stine, Gwen Gardner, Jeff Chapman, M. Pax, Angela Brown, River
Fairchild, Simon Kewin, Christine Rains, Meradeth Houston,
M. Gerrick, Cherie Reich
 
A haunted journey on a riverboat, water sprites borne of pennies,
preternatural creatures, ancient serpents, and the Lady of the Lake
lurk in dark waters. Raging storms and magical rainbow fountains.
Water is spectacularly beautiful but also treacherous.
Spirits in the Water
is an anthology of eleven magical tales by Untethered Realms, masters
of fantasy & sci-fi. Take a haunted journey on a riverboat, meet
water sprites borne of pennies, preternatural creatures, ancient
serpents, and the Lady of the Lake who lurks in dark waters.
Experience raging storms and magical rainbow fountains. Water is
spectacularly beautiful but also treacherous. This is the last in the
Elements series. Get them all!
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Gwen Gardner gives us Shake, Rattle and Row.
Harlow Grayson has the chance to rid herself of a pesky ghost but she must
first brave a haunted riverboat and recover a family heirloom. What
she finds might be more than she can handle.
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Jeff Chapman offers The Water Wight.
When a drowned girl changes her mind about suicide, Merliss and her
associates face a fearsome, preternatural creature.
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M. Pax presents The Wallows.
Evernee Weems wants to escape this world in the worst way. Her daughter needs
everything, the rent is being raised, Evernee’s job barely pays
minimum wage, and she has little hope for better. Inside a puddle is
a different reality. She jumps in, happy to trade her problems for a
life in which worries don’t exist. Or do they?
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Angela Brown gives us Extraordinary.
Puberty hits Angelique like a gut punch and brings about a change, forcing an
unexpected revelation about her past. All seems well until a vicious
storm tears through her Texas community, and Angelique learns there
are worse things than a little change.
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River Fairchild presents You Can’t Go Home Again.
A young woman, filled with regret about the past, goes on a journey and
discovers more than she bargained for.
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Simon Kewin offers us The Waters, Dividing the Land.
Hyrn the horned god of the woodlands is learning the meaning of fear.
Death magic blights the land, threatening everyone and everything. To
save what he can from spreading corruption, he turns to the ancient
river serpents, but they’ve grown old and distant and may not hear
his call at all.
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Christine Rains gives us Frozen.
A necromancer is on the frozen moon of Saturn where the dead do
scream.
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Meradeth Houston presents The Flood.
Sometimes a flooded kitchen isn’t the unluckiest thing to happen to
you.
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Catherine Stine offers Maizy of Bellagio.
April still searches for her mother who vanished nineteen years ago from
the fountain at Hotel Bellagio in Vegas. Can Maizy, a water sprite
who works the fountain’s pink colors, begin to help the three
generations of eccentric women tortured by this tragedy?
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M. Gerrick gives us The One Who Would Wield the Sword.
Nikka is supposed to be nothing more than dragon bait so a real dragon
hunter can do his job, but the Lady in the Lake has other plans for
her.
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Cherie Reich presents The Folding Point.
Aimee’s fight against those who banned paper magics has begun.

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From USA Today, Amazon bestselling, and popular science fiction and
fantasy authors comes 
Spirits in the Water, a supernatural anthology of eleven thrilling tales. Spirits
in the Water
 is the fourth, long-awaited Elements story collection from the dynamic and inventive Untethered Realms group.
 
 
Elements of Untethered Realms series
Twisted Earths – October 2014
Mayhem in the Air – October 2015
Ghosts of Fire – October 2016
Spirits in the Water – October 2017
Untethered Realms is
celebrating the release of Spirits in the Water, book 4 and the last
in their Elements series! As part of this celebration, book 1,
Twisted Earths goes FREE!
Angela Brown is a lover of Wild Cherry Pepsi
and chocolate/chocolate covered deliciousness. Steampunk, fantasy,
and paranormal to contemporary fill her growing library of books.
Mother to a rambunctious darling girl aptly nicknamed Chipmunk, life
stays busy. Angela’s favorite quote keeps her moving: “You may
never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing,
there will be no result.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi. Find out more at
publishness.blogspot.com.
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Jeff Chapman writes software by day and
speculative fiction when he should be sleeping. Many cups of dark hot
chocolate power his nighttime imagination. His tales range from
fantasy to horror, and they don’t all end badly. He lives with his
wife, children, and cats in a house with more books than bookshelf
space. Learn more at www.jeffchapmanbooks.com.
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River Fairchild is somewhat odd, brandishes a
dry sense of humor, and is owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy
world. A fabricator of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about
it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never staying in one place for
very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories?
Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of
tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can
find your way down the rabbit hole.
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Gwen Gardner writes clean, cozy and quirky
mysteries and don’t be surprised if you meet a few ghosties along
the way.
Since ghosts feature prominently in her books, she
has a secret desire to meet one face to face—but will run screaming
for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing
the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for
an adventure and anything involving chocolate, not necessarily in
that order. For more about her books go to www.gwengardner.com.
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M. Gerrick is the author of The War of Six
Crowns
and a variety of other stories (as Misha Gerrick). She was
born and raised in South Africa, and currently lives on an apple farm
with a small menagerie of animals. You can find her at
www.youtube.com/channel/UCFRZK0eX_vgzbF7jM91N8DA.
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Meradeth Houston likes to write about the
real world, just with a big twist—maybe people can time travel or
fly or aliens are real. It makes things a little more interesting.
She is an anthropology professor by day, spending hours in a lab
studying dead people’s DNA. Currently, she resides in Montana,
where she wishes a beach were just a little closer. You can find more
about her recent adventures here: meradethhouston.com.
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Simon Kewin was born and raised on the misty
Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea, but he now lives in the
English countryside with his wife and their daughters. He is the
author of over a hundred published short stories, and his works have
appeared in Analog, Nature, Daily Science Fiction, Abyss & Apex,
and many more. His cyberpunk novel The Genehunter and his
Cloven Land fantasy trilogy were published not so long ago,
and his clockpunky novel Engn is to be published by Curiosity
Quills Press in 2018. Find him at simonkewin.co.uk.
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M. Pax is author of the space opera adventure
series, The Backworlds, and the urban fantasy series, The
Rifters
. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her.
She blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at
Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide and enjoys
exploring the quirky corners of Oregon with her husband. Find out
more at mpaxauthor.com.
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Christine Rains is a writer, blogger, and
geek mom. She has four degrees, which help nothing with motherhood,
but make her a great Jeopardy player. When she’s not reading
or writing, she’s playing games with friends or watching cheesy
movies on Syfy Channel. She has one novel and several novellas and
short stories published. Find out more at christinerains.net.
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Cherie Reich owns more books than she can
ever read and thinks up more ideas than she can ever write, but that
doesn’t stop this bookworm from trying to complete her goals, even
if it means curbing her TV addiction. A library assistant living in
Virginia, she writes speculative fiction. Her books include the
paranormal horror collection Once upon a Nightmare, the
fantasy short story collection People of Foxwick and Their
Neighbors
, and the fantasy series The Fate Challenges. For
more information about her books, visit smarturl.it/CReichWebsite.
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Catherine Stine is
a USA Today bestselling author, whose novels span the range
from futuristic to supernatural to contemporary. She thinks of
writing as painting with words and as conjuring magic from the ether.
Catherine hails from Philadelphia and lives in NYC. Find out more at
www.catherinestine.com.
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Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
 
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

PortalsTourButton

Most of you know I’m a sucker for short stories and anthologies. It’s such a fun way to sample different authors’ writing and I love the challenge of reviewing them.

Enjoy my review and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Portals_FinalCover

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Genre:Fantasy Anthology (mixed sub genres)

Publisher: Roane Publishing

Release Date:June 5, 2014

Keywords:Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Short Stories, Picture Prompt

Description:

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No matter what world you call home, or what your station in life, there are just some paths that weren’t meant to be tread.

Ordinary World by Laurie Treacy

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Imagine a new neighbor moves next door, a creepy guy who gives fifteen year-old Amy Silva the willies? Amy wonders what the stone archway in the backyard is for. Her life becomes even more stressful when her family reveals they’re witches.

Could Amy’s new neighbor have anything to do with a local girl’s disappearance or be a threat to her magical loved ones?

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Maronda’s Quest by Christy Thomas

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The Grand Wizard has decreed Maronda enter the Portal of Life to embark upon a quest of great importance, but despite her Ma’s claims it is a blessing, premonitions of danger persist.

Lenox works to prove his worth to wed her, his true love, but it appears a wizard plots to remove him from Maronda’s life forever. To secure their future together, Lenox decides to accompany her on the quest, even if forbidden. He must ultimately choose between using his dragon fighting skills which could lead to his death, or give Maronda her greatest desire.

In the end, it’s Maronda who must learn to live with the consequences of his decision.

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Mexmur, the Huntress by Anna Simpson

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Long ago a dragonkeeper betrayed his charges. To bring back magic, to set things right, Mexmur is sent through the portal.

Can she succeed armed with only a poem, talon and blade.

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Entrance of Lost Souls by Echo Shea

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A guardian to the entrances between worlds, Gladys has been called to bring a little girl back from Fairyland. Passing through the Entrance of Lost Souls is no fun, neither is hunting down a deranged banshee, but what is a guardian to do?

And, is the banshee really kidnapping the girl…or saving her from something else?

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Where Once were Hearts by Havva Murat

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After losing both his parents, his entire fortune and his childhood sweetheart, Master Bartholomew Battlesby sets out into the wilds of Northern England to make the acquaintance of his only surviving relation, the landed recluse, Mr. Horatio Grimsby who has an eerie penchant for both tinkering and clockwork. But, on finding his relation dead, with a gaping hole in his chest, and the beautiful, but scornful, Miss Evangeline Witherop ruling in his place, Bartholomew learns there is more than one way to lose your heart.

Can Bartholomew reignite the spirit of love and mercy within Miss Witherop, or will he suffer the same fate as his poor, heartless cousin?

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The Lunatic Queen by Michael Siciliano

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The land of Mershinka has been thrown into perpetual night. Their King is dead and a moon witch, known as The Night Queen, rules from the royal palace in Grosnov. An endless fog shrouds the land, killing crops and starving the populace. Cold-eyed enforcers put down rebellions while volksa, twisted wolf-creatures, roam the mists looking for prey. Many have given up hope and wait for the inevitable end. All seems lost.

Two teenagers, Pavel and Tamara, devise a plan to kill Vazya the Night Queen when the moons Kainsk and Seresnya are down, end the stifling enchantment, and bring the sun back to their dying land. But, they need a watch to tell time, a compass to guide them through the mists, weapons to fight off Vazya’s minions, and all the courage they can muster.

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MY REVIEW

I love reading an anthology, especially one with a theme.

In Portals you get five authors spinning their own tales about a portal.

Ordinary World

Amy Silva has a new neighbor. Ozzie dresses like a nerd but that’s not why he gives her the creeps. She senses evil.

When she tries to explain her feelings to her best friend Remy, he warns her to be careful what she says. People will think she’s a witch.

When Remy starts avoiding her, Amy is left alone to unravel the mystery of her new neighbor.

For such a short story, there were many characters. I had a fun time weeding out the bad guys. It wasn’t too hard but I still enjoyed being vindicated when I was right.

A fun tale of witches with an exhilarating ending.

Moranda’s Quest

Moranda fears her sojourn through the portal. Dragons tread there. The Grand Wizard bestowed it as a gift to her family and each generation, a girl enters the portal to discover her future.

Moranda is skilled with the blade and she’s prepared for battle. Lennox, the young man in love with her knows this and has to fight his natural instincts to protect her.

All the rules change when Moranda goes through the portal and the author took me in a different direction than I expected. That’s the fun thing about this fantasy, nothing was set in stone.

Mexmur, The Huntress

If you love dragons, this ones for you.

Mexmur is forced to enter the portal to recharge a talisman of magic. The King is willing to sacrifice her and his son in his quest to steal power from the dragons.

Can a spoiled prince and a lowly huntress survive the dragon’s breath? Or will they become a meal?

Mexmur is a huntress so she has skills to hunt the dragon. The spoiled prince has some surprises of his own and I grew to like him. These two both learn a lot once through the portal and the dragons are great teachers.

I really enjoyed the dragon characters. They had their own agenda and played a big part in the story.

Entrance of Lost Souls

I like where the author went with this one. I kept thinking the main character was human, forgetting these are fantasies and there are no rules.

Gladys is definitely not human, and you wouldn’t expect her to be a good guy.

She is though and she has to be a tough character to handle a banshee, demons, and whatever the thing is in the well.

Where Once Were Hearts

When Bartholemew Battlesby loses his fortune he sets out to befriend his only living relative, cousin Horatio Grimsby, hoping he’ll take him in.

He arrives at a gated estate landscaped with eerie mechanical trees. Upon entering he discovers Horatio dead, his heart torn from his body. And then things go dark.

When Bart wakes up, he’s suspended upside from the ceiling and the luscious but wicked Evangeline reveals her plans for him.

Bartholemew had to think hard and quick if he wasn’t going to lose his heart, literally.

At first, Bartholemew came across as a loser. He did waste his fortune and he did hope to ingratiate himself with Grimsby, hoping to become heir to his estate. But I liked his pluck.

The same goes for Evangeline. She is a murderess, but what made her that way?

Had a lot of fun figuring this one out.

Lunatic Queen

Sweethearts Tamara and Pavel are on a mission to destroy the Night Queen. Her reign of perpetual darkness is causing all life to suffer from slow starvation. Someone has to do something.

As they begin their journey, the volksa, a kind of werewolf, attack and force them to take cover in an old library. There, they find an unlikely ally. Now they just need the queen to take the bait and free their world of darkness.

This had an eerie atmosphere right from the beginning. The volksa add an element of danger and the Night Queen is evil through and through.

While the ending was bitter-sweet, it fit and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I enjoyed all of these stories. The authors did a great job building new worlds and introducing their characters. If I’m not mistaken, some of these stories are debuts and I couldn’t tell which ones.  I’d definitely read more if they chose to develop these into novels and now I’m curious about their other books.

4 STARS

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Purchase Links:

Print

Roane Publishing Createspace Amazon

Digital

Roane Publishing

Amazon Amazon (UK)

Barnes and Noble (Coming Soon) Kobo (Coming Soon)

Smashwords

Bookstrand

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giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png
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Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
Paperback copy of Portals and a $10 Amazon gift card.
Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.
.
Raffle button
.
.
Ends 7/03/2014

.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

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Happy Book Birthday to Portals!

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You might remember Portals from  the cover reveal I posted. If not, here’s another chance to learn all about it.
I do love story collections and there’s a bunch of new authors for me in this anthology. And there’s one story I’ve been waiting for by a friend.
I’m sure to have a great reading experience and will be telling you all about Portals later this month when I post my review.
Until then, enjoy the Portals Birthday Blitz and remember to enter the giveaway!
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Portals
Genre: Fantasy Anthology (mixed sub genres)

 

Release Date: June 5, 2014

 

Keywords: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Short Stories, Picture Prompt
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Description: 
.
No matter what world you call home, or what your station in life, there are just some paths that weren’t meant to be tread.

 

Ordinary World by Laurie Treacy
.
Imagine a new neighbor moves next door, a creepy guy who gives fifteen year-old Amy Silva the willies? Amy wonders what the stone archway in the backyard is for. Her life becomes even more stressful when her family reveals they’re witches. 
Could Amy’s new neighbor have anything to do with a local girl’s disappearance or be a threat to her magical loved ones?
.
Maronda’s Quest by Christy Thomas
.
The Grand Wizard has decreed Maronda enter the Portal of Life to embark upon a quest of great importance, but despite her Ma’s claims it is a blessing, premonitions of danger persist.
Lenox works to prove his worth to wed her, his true love, but it appears a wizard plots to remove him from Maronda’s life forever. To secure their future together, Lenox decides to accompany her on the quest, even if forbidden. He must ultimately choose between using his dragon fighting skills which could lead to his death, or give Maronda her greatest desire.
In the end, it’s Maronda who must learn to live with the consequences of his decision.
.
Mexmur, the Huntress by Anna Simpson
.
Long ago a dragonkeeper betrayed his charges. To bring back magic, to set things right, Mexmur is sent through the portal.
Can she succeed armed with only a poem, talon and blade.
.
Entrance of Lost Souls by Echo Shea 
.
A guardian to the entrances between worlds, Gladys has been called to bring a little girl back from Fairyland. Passing through the Entrance of Lost Souls is no fun, neither is hunting down a deranged banshee, but what is a guardian to do?
And, is the banshee really kidnapping the girl…or saving her from something else?
.
Where Once were Hearts by Havva Murat
.
After losing both his parents, his entire fortune and his childhood sweetheart, Master Bartholomew Battlesby sets out into the wilds of Northern England to make the acquaintance of his only surviving relation, the landed recluse, Mr. Horatio Grimsby who has an eerie penchant for both tinkering and clockwork. But, on finding his relation dead, with a gaping hole in his chest, and the beautiful, but scornful, Miss Evangeline Witherop ruling in his place, Bartholomew learns there is more than one way to lose your heart.
Can Bartholomew reignite the spirit of love and mercy within Miss Witherop, or will he suffer the same fate as his poor, heartless cousin?
.
The Lunatic Queen by Michael Siciliano
.
The land of Mershinka has been thrown into perpetual night. Their King is dead and a moon witch, known as The Night Queen, rules from the royal palace in Grosnov. An endless fog shrouds the land, killing crops and starving the populace. Cold-eyed enforcers put down rebellions while volksa, twisted wolf-creatures, roam the mists looking for prey. Many have given up hope and wait for the inevitable end. All seems lost.
Two teenagers, Pavel and Tamara, devise a plan to kill Vazya the Night Queen when the moons Kainsk and Seresnya are down, end the stifling enchantment, and bring the sun back to their dying land. But, they need a watch to tell time, a compass to guide them through the mists, weapons to fight off Vazya’s minions, and all the courage they can muster.
.

.
Purchase Links:

Print
Digital

Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble (Coming Soon)
Kobo (Coming Soon)
Smashwords

Bookstrand

.
Click on the banner below to follow the tour.


Tour Schedule
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~~~~~
..
giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png
.
Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
Paperback copy of Portals and a $10 Amazon gift card.
Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.
.
Raffle button
.
.
Ends 7/03/2014

.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code.  No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg