Archive for July, 2013

XpressoBannerTours

Just check out this cover!

Isn’t he just yummy?

Let’s see,

Great hair: check

Dreamy eyes: check

Sexy mouth: check,check!

Bad Boy: Oh Yea!

Shadow's Son ebooksm

goodreads-badge-add-plus

The Shadow’s Son by Nicole R. Taylor

Series: The Witch Hunter Saga #3

Publication date:  August 1, 2013

Genre: NA / 17+ Urban Fantasy

Synopsis:

I am the oldest vampire alive and I am the most feared. Wherever I walk, death follows. The downtrodden have the fiercest fire inside of them. Those are the  vampires I want by my side. The pain they have been through only fuels  their thirst for blood. Those I would ask to kill for me, simply because they bask in the glow of their true nature. The nature I created in my  own image. We are each our own devil and this world is our hell. I was the first of six and now I am the last. My revenge has only just begun. You better start praying, because I’m coming for you first.
*
When a mysterious stranger from Aya’s past shows up in Ashburton it’s not  all good news. Tristan, a man she saved almost a thousand years ago,  brings a warning that will affect not just her, but her new family. Regulus is coming. To protect Zac, Aya has to destroy the best thing that has ever happened  to her. She has to pretend that their love has been a lie. But, is it  really the right thing to do? Aya travels to the other side of the  world with Tristan to learn the secret behind Zac’s blood and to hunt  down Regulus before he can find them first. Tristan is her way into the  Roman’s circle, but she might just find that both her quests are more  linked than she ever thought possible. Heartbroken again, Zac must  surrender to the darkest places inside himself if he ever hopes of  coming back. Even if that means aligning himself with his greatest  enemy. Even if that means turning his back on everything he’s worked for and walking away from his brother, Sam. Lovers are torn apart,  friends are pitted against each other and families are splintered. But,  what they find buried under the streets of London will change everything they’ve ever known about their world. Something that should have been  left alone.
But, what Regulus does is the most unexpected of all.

~~~~~~~
The first two books in this series
.
The Witch Hunter
The Witch Hunter Saga #1
.
The Witch Hunter (Witch Hunter Saga #1)
.
goodreads-badge-add-plus
.
I was born into the world covered in blood, and that’s exactly the way I left it.
Ever since, I have been damned to walk the boundary between life and death alone. Unwillingly turned and left to my nightmare, I have seen men commit countless horrors and committed many of my own.
My origins shall remain unknown, my true self hidden. I have been called by many names, but in this life I am known as the Witch Hunter. I have been asleep these past 150 years, until I was awoken by a haunting call. Zachary Degaud was twenty-three when he died. The problem was, he didn’t stay that way.
Present day, he’s just another vampire with another unremarkable story. That is, until he manages to provoke a two thousand year old witch named Katrin, who wants to make him pay in the most horrible way imagined.
Along with his brother Sam, newly made vampire Liz and their only witch ally, Gabby, his only chance for survival is to summon the ancient and unpredictable vampire known as the Witch Hunter.
Zac is just looking for a way out of his psychopathic witch problems, but instead will find himself falling head first into a blood feud that has stretched thousands of years.Aya has been asleep for the past 150 years, until she was awoken by a haunting call. The witch she has been hunting for thousands of years, Katrin, has resurfaced and marked a young, annoyingly arrogant vampire by the name of Zachary Degaud. Unless she does something, he will die a slow and painful death. He has given her an opportunity to end the witch, but does she want to help him or leave him to his fate?
Zac will get under her skin like no one else has and she just might find herself making the ultimate sacrifice before he is gone forever. They will both have to choose sides and look deep within themselves before the end. But, what Zac learns about himself, will surprise him most of all.
.
~~~~~
The Return
The Witch Hunter Saga #2
.
The Return (Witch Hunter Saga #2)
.
goodreads-badge-add-plus
.
I’ve wandered my afterlife believing that I was the monster my maker told me I was. It was the only thing I knew. Not even my brother, Sam, could convince me otherwise. Not until her. Not until Aya. She walked into my life like a hurricane of destruction and nothing would ever be the same again. None of us could have known what would happen next. What fate had in store…
I finally grew a heart, only to have it ripped out. Now, I will stop at nothing for revenge. Zac’s afterlife is just going from bad to worse. He grew a heart only to have it torn out by the founding vampire, Arturius. Nobody is sure what he wants, but Zac doesn’t want to know. He’s more interested in finding a way to end him for good. But, it might just be that he’s after Gabby, who’s harbouring a secret of her own, one that Arturius would do anything for.Aya’s past will come back to haunt Zac in ways he never thought possible and what he finds out will alter everything he ever knew about her. He will uncover a deadly secret that should have remained buried. A secret Aya has fought to keep for thousands of years. One she has killed for.
In the end, who’s secrets will betray them to the one man who wants them all dead? Aya’s or Zac’s? They’ll need to figure it out sooner rather than later, because death is not an option.
.
~~~~~~~
AUTHOR BIO:
.
shadows son Nicole
.
Nicole R. Taylor is an Australian born paranormal, fantasy and contemporary  fiction author. She is a graduate of the University of Ballarat  Professional Writing and Editing programme and is a former music  memorabilia sales person and grocery merchandiser.
She  currently lives in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia with a two year old  rescue cat named, Burger. She enjoys reading, writing (of course!),  traveling and a little too much chocolate. One day she hopes to sky  dive, but has to work up the courage first.
The first in her new paranormal fantasy series, The Witch Hunter Saga is available in e-edition and print from March 20th 2013
Links:

Shudder by Samanth Durante Blog Tour - June 15th to Sept 1st

I am beyond thrilled to be a part of the tour for Shudder, Book 2 of the Stitch Trilogy

I have an exciting sneak peek for you, along with my review!

And, a giveaway! Don’t forget to enter.

17617373

goodreads-badge-add-plus

Genre/Keywords: Dystopian, Paranormal Romance, Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult, New Adult, Psychic Abilities, Empath, Clairvoyance, YA, NA
Length: ~80,000 words (348 pages)
Sample Chapters: Ch1-4 (31 pages)
Release Date: June 15th, 2013

Shudder Synopsis

It’s only been three days, and already everything is different.

Paragon is behind her, but somehow Alessa’s life may actually have gotten worse. In a wrenching twist of fate, she traded the safety and companionship of her sister for that of her true love, losing a vital partner she’d counted on for the ordeal ahead. Her comfortable university life is but a distant memory, as she faces the prospect of surviving a bleak winter on the meager remains of a ravaged world. And if she’d thought she’d tasted fear upon seeing a ghost, she was wrong; now she’s discovering new depths of terror while being hunted by a deadly virus and a terrifying pack of superhuman creatures thirsting for blood.

And then there are the visions.

The memory-altering “stitch” unlocked something in Alessa’s mind, and now she can’t shake the constant flood of alien feelings ransacking her emotions. Haunting memories of an old flame are driving a deep and painful rift into her once-secure relationship. And a series of staggering revelations about the treacherous Engineers – and the bone-chilling deceit shrouding her world’s sorry history – will soon leave Alessa reeling…

The second installment in the electrifying Stitch Trilogy, Shudder follows Samantha Durante’s shocking and innovative debut with a heart-pounding, paranormal-dusted dystopian adventure sure to keep the pages turning.

Shudder Purchase Links

Amazon (Kindle $2.99, print $8.99)

Barnes & Noble (Nook $2.99)

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $2.99) Also available ($2.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold

Buy Stitch on Amazon!

EXCERPT

Alessa looked back to Isaac, who was crouched and picking among the broken glass.  She watched him slip something into his pocket, but before she could ask what he’d found, a loud bang echoed from down the hall ahead of them.

Isaac looked up at her at once and they both froze, waiting.  The tension of the silence clotted in the air as Alessa held her breath in suspense.

When no other sound came, Isaac stood tentatively and inched over to Alessa, placing a gentle hand on the small of her back and motioning ahead with a nod.

She pointed the flashlight in the direction of the sound and they set off with quiet footsteps in search of its source.

As they reached the department store at the far end of the hallway, they paused, staring into the blackness beyond the threshold.  Alessa gripped the flashlight and felt Isaac’s hand slide on top of hers, the pressure of his fingers pointing the torch downward and flicking off the light with a click.

They were plunged into night.

They stepped tentatively into the dark room and gave their eyes another moment to adjust.  From what Alessa could tell, it seemed the clothing racks had all been pushed to the sides, leaving a big open space in the center of the room.

She took another few steps to get a better look.

And that’s when it hit her – an abrupt slam in the face as if she’d pivoted into a wall of brick, and the full-body crash of a tidal wave of pain.

Alessa sunk to her knees, a soul-crushing rush of sorrow and terror flooding her consciousness and draining every ounce of strength from her body.

Like a blow to the gut, the air raced from her lungs and she crumpled over, her face smacking against the cool linoleum of the floor.

A thousand images flashed before her eyes, people and places she didn’t recognize jumbled with thoughts and feelings that she knew were not her own.  Alessa squeezed her eyes shut, her mind pressing outward against the onslaught barraging her senses, but it was no use.

The torrent pounded through her, raging.  Helpless against it, Alessa poured her concentration into the only thing she could think to do – the simple act of breathing.

In, out.

In, out.

In, out.

She drank each shallow breath and waited in agony for the deluge to end.

~~~~

My Review

Alessa and Isaac set off to find a secure base for all of those wanting out of Paragon.

They worry that the virus may still be out there, but soon discover they are being stalked by creatures, swift moving things that remain in the shadows of the forest, shrieking their rage.

As they escape an attack, something happens to Alessa. She is frozen in place as her mind is overpowered with fear, frustration and fury. She doesn’t know how it’s happening, but she’s experiencing these creatures feelings and it terrifies her.

They have to hurry. People are waiting for them to return with a location for their safe haven and Alessa has to get her sister, Janie, out of the clutches of the Ruling Class.

~~

I finished reading Shudder in one sitting, never taking a break.

I could feel it in the authors writing, I was nearing the end of the book. No, not yet!

I needed to know why Joe featured so strongly in Alessa’s mind, what happened to her sister, and where the virus came from.

Samantha started to wrap up the ending while subtly layering in leads to the finale, Stuck. the last book in this trilogy. I liked that. Sure, I didn’t get all of the answers I wanted, but I did get a lot of insight into what the ‘stitch’ was and why and how it was used.

I also learned about the Ruling Class and their reasoning behind the stitch, even though I suspect some, if not most, of them were lying.

It’s no surprise that humanity didn’t learn its lesson. You’d think after all that has been written and studied, all of the wealth of info there is, they would know better. But no, the Ruling Class do the same things as before, believing they know what’s good for all. They buy into their own lies and block out the moral compass screaming stop, and do whatever is necessary to benefit the greater good. And we wonder why we don’t trust our government. Too many chiefs.

I felt twinges of The Matrix and Aeon Flux while reading this. Shudder reads like a dystopian, post-apocalyptic science fiction story. The author did an amazing job of blending these genre into an exciting, addictive series.

It makes me wonder. If Stitch and Shudder are so great, what is Stuck going to be like? I’m sure it’ll be thrilling.

5 Stars

~~~~

Haven’t read the first book in the series? Check out my review here

Just $0.99 at Amazon!

Stitch (Stitch Trilogy #1)

goodreads-badge-add-plus

 Blurb

Her heart races, her muscles coil, and every impulse in Alessa’s body screams at her to run… but yet she’s powerless to move.

Still struggling to find her footing after the sudden death of her parents, the last thing college freshman Alessa has the strength to deal with is the inexplicable visceral pull drawing her to a handsome ghostly presence. In between grappling with exams and sorority soirees – and disturbing recurring dreams of being captive in a futuristic prison hell – Alessa is determined to unravel the mystery of the apparition who leaves her breathless. But the terrifying secret she uncovers will find her groping desperately through her nightmares for answers.

Because what Alessa hasn’t figured out yet is that she’s not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university’s idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface…

The opening installment in a twist-laden trilogy, Stitch spans the genres of paranormal romance and dystopian sci-fi to explore the challenges of a society in transition, where morality, vision, and pragmatism collide leaving the average citizen to suffer the results.

Stitch Purchase Links.

Amazon (Kindle $0.99, print $8.99)

Barnes & Noble (Nook $0.99)

Smashwords (multiple e-book formats $0.99) Also available ($0.99 e-book) in the iTunes store, Kobo, and wherever e-books are sold!

Buy Stitch on Amazon!

~~~~

A little birdie told me the third book, will be releasing in 2014!

Stuck (Stitch Trilogy #3)

goodreads-badge-add-plus

Book 3 in the Stitch Trilogy.  Expected Publication: Summer 2014.  More information coming soon!

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway giveaway.gif

I have an e-book copy of Shudder to give away!

To enter, click on the rafflecopter link below.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

~~~~~~

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha Durante lives in Westchester County, New York with her husband, Sudeep, and her cat, Gio. Formerly an engineer at Microsoft, Samantha left the world of software in 2010 to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams and a lifelong love of writing. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology, Samantha is currently working full time for her company Medley Media Associates as a freelance business writer and communications consultant. The Stitch Trilogy is her debut series.

— Social Media Links —

Facebook: Stitch Trilogy | Author Samantha Durante

Goodreads: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

Twitter: @SamanthaDurante | Hashtag suggestions: #Stitch, #StitchTrilogy, #Shudder

LibraryThing: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

Shelfari: Stitch | Shudder | Author Samantha Durante

~~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

WWW Wednesday

looking out a window photo: girl looking out the window girl-looking-out-the-window.jpg

Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

~~~~~

What are you currently reading?

 Written All Over Her by Mia Darien

goodreads-badge-add-plus

One word can change the story of your life forever.

Abduction. Torture. Surrender.

Eleven months from her adolescence have framed thirty-one years of Detective Nykk Marlowe’s life. Despite the trauma of her past, and the unique physical scars it left her with, she’s built a career as a detective for the Adelheid Police Department.

Her personal life might only consist of caring for her sister and a pet rabbit, but she accepts that.

She accepts that she’ll never be able to be like “normal” people, even the supernatural ones. As long as she can keep the past where it belongs, she’s okay.

But when the body of a teenage girl shows up with the same scars that Nykk sees in the mirror every day, her “okay” life gets turned upside down and she’s forced to confront the past she’s been looking away from for sixteen years.

And when it turns out there’s already more than one victim, the pressure’s on to stop the killer before any more girls are tortured, mutilated, and murdered.

~~~~~

What did you recently finish reading?

The Hunger Chronicles by Tes Hilaire

The Hunger Chronicles: A collection of shorts

goodreads-badge-add-plus

If you remember nothing else, remember this…

The nightmare is here. There is no way out. Even death isn’t an escape because it is death. And chances are it’s already taken everyone you know.

…You’re on your own.

Just because the face is familiar doesn’t mean they won’t kill you. Hiding won’t help. And it’s past time to run. They’re already here. And hunger is the only thing they feel.

~~~~~

What do you think you’ll read next?

Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass

Flesh and Bone (Body Farm, #2)

goodreads-badge-add-plus
.

Anthropologist Dr. Bill Brockton founded Tennessee’s world-famous Body Farm—a small piece of land where corpses are left to decay in order to gain important forensic information. Now, in the wake of a shocking crime in nearby Chattanooga, he’s called upon by Jess Carter—the rising star of the state’s medical examiners—to help her unravel a murderous puzzle. But after re-creating the death scene at the Body Farm, Brockton discovers his career, reputation, and life are in dire jeopardy when a second, unexplained corpse appears in the grisly setting.

Accused of a horrific crime—transformed overnight from a respected professor to a hated and feared pariah—Bill Brockton will need every ounce of his formidable forensic skills to escape the ingeniously woven net that’s tightening around him . . . and to prove the seemingly impossible: his own innocence.

~~~~~

So, whatcha readin?

question mark photo: Question Mark Question-1.jpg

ShiftMagic_SBB1_Banner

Don’t you juts love the cover art for Shifty Magic!

Wait until you get a peek inside the book.

There be all kinds characters, such as vamps and weres and a serial killer is on the prowl with a PI on its trail.

~~~~~~

Shifty Magic

Shifty Magic cover

by Judy Teel

goodreads-badge-add-plus

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…some people will do anything for revenge.

A tough PI struggles to track down a vengeful serial killer only to discover that the murderer holds the key to her secret magical heritage.

Book One in the YA13 paranormal/mystery series Dangerous Magic by Judy Teel. “Expect action, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, and the perfect touch of romance.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a peek inside Shifty Magic!

 

I inched forward, far enough to see past the end of the alley and into the loading area of the abandoned Walmart. Only one stubborn streetlight on the other side of the broken security fence cast its inadequate glow across the cracked asphalt. Shadows pushed around the edges of the open space, deepening where they cluttered up against rusty dumpsters and smashed crates.

My heart thudded against my ribs at the sight of the woman standing just inside the slash of light, huddling in on herself, shaking. She was average height and on the plump side, around twenty like me, with light brown hair. Unlike me, her boobs looked ready to spill out of the low-cut halter top she wore, and her tight micro skirt was so close to showing her goods that if she twitched, I’d be scarred for life.

Three male vamps cruised around her like sharks. Their fangs were displayed like sharp, curved knives, their features sunken parodies of a human face, more like fleshy skulls as their insatiable hunger gained control. I wondered how much money they’d offered to lure her out of her zone and into such a dangerously secluded area. Maybe all they’d needed was to promise her the erotic trip that their venom gave. Either way, she’d made a fatal error.

People were incredibly stupid about vampires. They had no idea what they were dealing with.

ShiftMagic_SBB1_CoverBanner

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

shifty Author pic 1

Judy Teel lives in North Carolina with her boisterous family (husband, three kids, a dog and a geriatric bunny). When she’s not writing, she’s doing the family thing, horseback riding when she can, hiking occasionally, camping as much as possible, reading, playing video games, and generally pursuing her ambition to someday be a impressively lazy.

Judy knew she wanted to be a novelist since she was fifteen. She’d always written stories, but it was in 10th grade literature class during a boring lecture on Billy Budd (sorry Mr. Melville) that it hit her—the world needed more magic in it. What would be sweeter than writing fun, exciting stories for a living?

There have been a lot of ups and downs since then and a lot of delays, but she’ll be the first to tell you that you can make your dreams come true. It takes determination and hard work, but it’s never impossible.

Webpage / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon Author Page

Amazon / Barnes & Noble

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway giveaway.gif

Click on the rafflecopter link below for a chance to win a $25 Gift Card.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Follow the tour here. Visit other stops for more excerpts, reviews, and fun stuff.

Share the love and leave a comment!

goddess fish button

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go here.

It’s reveal time!

Charity Pineiro has two pretty covers to reveal today.

Check out the cover art for her contemporary romance novels Now And Always and Faith In You.

CharityCoverReveal

56d46-facebook-logo

03fd9-twitter-button

SouthBeach sizzles as two determined and courageous sisters explore their attraction to two very handsome and successful men.  Join Connie and Carmen on their sexy, emotional, and humorous journey to find love and reach for their dreams.

NOW AND ALWAYS

NOW AND ALWAYS

goodreads-badge-add-plus

 

Romantic Times: 4 Stars – Pineiro “ignites her own brand of Miami heat in this sexy and humorous romance.”

Connie Gonzalez is a driven, ambitious woman who is one of the FBI’s best agents and determined to prove herself in a man’s world. Assigned to the Miami Bureau, Connie soon finds herself going undercover in Miami’s glamorous SouthBeach area. An injury throws her together with the very rich and tempting Dr. Victor Cienfuegos. Victor is everything Connie should avoid, but despite the risks of her work and allowing any distractions, Connie cannot deny the attraction between herself and the sexy physician. Will danger keep them apart or is their love strong enough to survive for now and always?

Read an Excerpt

Buy the E-Book

Buy the Paperback

~~~~~

FAITH IN YOU

FAITH IN YOU

goodreads-badge-add-plus

 

Affaire de Coeur: Pineiro “pens a truly charming . . . romance . . . Her lively writing style makes this . . . romance a page-turner. “

 

Paul Stone accepts Connie Gonzalez’s invitation to join her for a traditional and fun-filled Christmas Eve dinner. Paul is instantly captivated by her intriguing kid sister. Carmen Gonzalez is leery of the self-assured FBI agent whose upscale upbringing provided him with all he ever needed. . .except love. After a fast-paced courtship, Paul and Carmen are ready to walk down the aisle, blissfully unaware that fate – and their own secret fears – will test their fragile commitment long before they make it to the altar . . . .

Read an Excerpt

Buy the E-Book

Buy the Paperback

~~~~

If you haven’t read Charity Pineiro’s books yet, now is a good time!

You can get Now And Always for 99 cents now through August 18th.

Dive into these sizzling romances with the sisters of SouthBeach!

CharityCoverReveal

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

~~~~~

My tease for today is from Written All Over Her by Mia Darien

goodreads-badge-add-plus

“It happened really fast, you know? I barely even remember it, except that it was sudden and darkness followed. It’s like there were two lives, or maybe like there were two of me. There was the Nykk who existed before and then the long moment of darkness before the Nykk that existed after.”

“I guess that leaves a frightening question.” Her pale brow furrows in the most pronounced show of emotion you’ve seen yet.

“Who am I now?”

~~~~

Wow! That cover art is astonishing!

I’ve been wanting to know Nykk’s story. Now I will!

~~~~

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

stick out tongue photo: rr-sticking-out-tongue roadrunner-stick-out-tongue.gif

Suspense-by-Joan-Hall-Hovey

Goddess Fish has put together an awesome Blurb Blitz!

I am a huge fan of suspense, thrillers, and horror and these books by Joan Hall Hovey sound like they have everything in them to make this some scary good reading!

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

~~

Nowhere To Hide

sus det Cover_NowhereToHide

goodreads-badge-add-plus

cfe8d-am

Eppie Winner ~ Best Thriller    –  1992

SHE DARED TO CHALLENGE A MERCILESS KILLER

Raised in an atmosphere of violence and unpredictability, Ellen and Gail Morgan have banded together, survivors of a booze-fertilized battleground, forming a fierce united front against an often cold and uncaring world. When their parents are killed in a car crash, Ellen becomes the mother figure for Gail.

When fifteen years later Gail is brutally raped and murdered in her shabby New York basement apartment, practically on the eve of her big breakthrough as a singer, Ellen is inconsolable. Rage at her younger sister’s murder has nearly consumed her. So when her work as a psychologist wins her an appearance on the evening news, Ellen seizes the moment. Staring straight into the camera, she challenges the killer to come out of hiding: “Why don’t you come after me? I’ll be waiting for you.”

Phone calls flood the station, but all leads go nowhere. The police investigation seems doomed to failure. Then it happens: a note, written in red ink, slipped under the windshield wipers of her car, ‘YOU’RE IT.’ Ellen has stirred the monster in his lair … and the hunter has become the hunted!

~~~~~

Defective

sus det Cover_Defective

goodreads-badge-add-plus

cfe8d-am

Therapist Melanie Snow is driving to her office when her Honda is struck by a dark-colored van and sent spinning into a ditch, where it catches fire. The driver never stops. A passerby pulls Melanie from the car just seconds before it explodes.

Waking from the coma nine days later, she is devastated to find she is blind.

As Melanie struggles to cope with her new reality, life as a blind woman, her fragile state of mind is further threatened by a madman who is stalking and strangling disabled women. The first two victims were mentally challenged and Detective Matt O’Leary, who carries a torch for Melanie, (even though Melanie is engaged to someone else) tells himself she is not the killer’s targeted prey. But then a woman who lost a leg to cancer is murdered, and another physically disabled woman is stalked. Even with a whole town in terror, Melanie refuses to live her life in fear and reopens her practice in the basement of her home. She has a living to earn.

And Detective Matt O’Leary must find a way to keep Melanie safe until the monster is caught. But how? Her door is now open to the public and the killer can just walk through anytime he chooses.

And he does.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~


A peek inside DEFECTIVE

It was mid-afternoon, overcast, and The East End Mall in Kingsdale was crowded with shoppers. The Eraser, as he liked to think of himself, sat at one of the molded plastic tables by himself, nursing a Pepsi and eating fries from a small cardboard plate, and people watching. It was one of his favorite things to do, especially in nice weather when the girls wore shorts or tight jeans, some with their tanned midriffs bare, skimpy tops that showed off their boobs and skinny jeans that accentuated their tight little butts. Why not? He was a normal guy, he told himself.  He avoided looking at the ones with flab hanging over their waistbands.  He had girlfriend once or twice, but it didn’t last. The last one said he was weird and just stopped returning his calls. Well, to hell with her.

His eye strayed momentarily to the big screen monitor advertising Nike sneakers. Then it changed to a rent-a-car commercial and on to something else, but he’d already looked away. Idly dipping a French fry in the small pool of ketchup on his plate, he popped it in his mouth and went back to girl-watching. They did little for him today. His hand moved to cover the scratch that the retard left on his cheek, though it was fading now. That Polysporin ointment was good stuff.

Music played over the sound system, competing with the jabbering of shoppers, nothing he recognized. Probably supposed to keep people shopping, buying junk they didn’t need.  His gaze narrowed ever so slightly as a young girl with a silver ring in her lower lip and wearing black eyeliner got up from a table not far from him and limped heavily to the waste bin and dumped in the remainder of her meal, a half-eaten hamburger, fries. She sat the tray on top of the stack. Behind her, someone called out, “Hey, Lana,” and the girl turned in his direction and took a step forward so he could see her full-length; she looked past his shoulder and waved. He felt his heartbeat rev up, his throat go dry.

She had short dark hair, and was wearing a khaki skirt and cream-colored blouse. Her dimpled smile, the gleam of white, even teeth barely registered on him. He didn’t even glance behind him at the woman who had called out to her. He had no interest. As he had no genuine interest in the woman who returned the wave, really.

No. It was her foot in its big brown shoe that drew and held his attention. Not brown exactly, but like tea when you put milk in it. Taupe. Yes, that was what his mother called that color. It was all he could see when he looked at her: that big clunking shoe.  So ugly it offended him, as deformities of any kind offended him. Even horrified him. A chill had crept down his back. He had to work extra hard to keep the disgust and pity from his face. She was a mistake. A blight, a tragic spawn. She must be erased. Like when you’re a kid and you draw a picture of something and it doesn’t come out right. You just erase it. Or rip out the page, and start again.

He was the eraser of mistakes. The good Lord had chosen him to do this work. Not that he was blaming God. No, there was no blame to be handed out here. Some small voice told him his reasoning was flawed, that that wasn’t why they had to die. But he wasn’t listening. As people were born of sin, women carried the faulty limbs, twisted features and minds within them. Carriers. As his mother had been a carrier, her womb spewing forth a defective, barely human—thing. Not the defective’s fault either. But since the flaw couldn’t be repaired, the whole issue had to be erased. The burden lifted. The Eraser held that kind of power; he could end suffering, change lives for the better. He remembered well the very moment he had changed his own life   but no time for that now. She was heading for the exit doors. He rose casually from his chair, tossing the remainder of his own fries and drink into the trash, dropped his tray on top of hers, and followed. He was really following the ‘shoe’. His eyes were riveted on the shoe. It filled his vision, his consciousness. That big, ugly shoe that rose and fell, rose and fell, her left hip dipping in sync, the shoe dragging it downward, seeming an entity in itself. When she stepped through the automatic doors into the grey, drizzly day, he was right behind her. Close enough to touch her. He buried his hands deep in his pockets to stifle the urge.

The bus pulled up with a hiss of air brakes and a belch of exhaust, and she hitched herself up onto the step. He followed, paid his fare. His bike was chained and locked in the parking lot; it would be fine. She took a side seat near the driver, and he sat himself two seats behind her and pretended to look out the window.

In the grayness of the day, his reflection in the glass was faint, but almost at once he could see his reflection begin to morph into that of another, as she had once been. A raindrop ran down the window and caught one corner of her mouth like the drool he remembered, couldn’t forget, and he could not tear his eyes away. The small voice in his head spoke to him, sending the familiar chill through him, as if his heart had just received an infusion of ice water. The voice could form words now, where once it was capable only of mindless gibberish. “You know it’s me in there, don’t you. I’m watching you. I’ve come back. I’ll always come back. I’ll never leave you.”

“No! No!”

Fearing he had cried out, he jerked his head around in sudden panic, but no one on the bus was looking at him. One man was reading a newspaper. A woman was talking and smiling at her little boy. Relief swept through him, but he was trembling just the same. A Chinese man seated across from him turned the page in his paperback, paying him no mind.

The girl had put earphones in her ears and her lips were moving to a song only she could hear. Her legs were crossed, the shoe swinging in time, mocking him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

sus det AuthorPic

In addition to her critically acclaimed novels, Joan Hall Hovey’s articles and short stories have appeared in such diverse publications as The Toronto Star, Atlantic Advocate, Seek, Home Life Magazine, Mystery Scene, The New Brunswick Reader, Fredericton Gleaner, New Freeman and Kings County Record. Her short story Dark Reunion was selected for the anthology investigating Women, Published by Simon & Pierre.

Ms. Hovey has held workshops and given talks at various schools and libraries in her area, including New BrunswickCommunity College, and taught a course in creative writing at the University of New Brunswick. For a number of years, she has been a tutor with WinghillSchool, a distance education school in Ottawa for aspiring writers.

She is a member of the Writer’s Federation of New Brunswick, past regional Vice-President of Crime Writers of Canada, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.

 

www.joanhallhovey.com

~~~~~

 

Praise for Joan Hall Hovey’s Books

“…suspense that puts her right up there with the likes of Sandford and Patterson…” Ingrid Taylor for Small Press Review

 “…Alfred Hitchcock and Stephen King come to mind, but JOAN HALL HOVEY is in a Class by herself!…”
J.D. Michael Phelps, Author of My Fugitive, David Janssen

“…CANADIAN MISTRESS OF SUSPENSE
…The author has a remarkable ability to turn up the heat on the suspense… great characterizations and dialogue…” James Anderson, author of Deadline

“…a gripping style that wrings emotions from everyday settings. Oh and by the way …is your door locked?” Linda Hersey – Fredericton Gleaner

“…will keep readers holding their breath until the very end…” inthelibraryreview, Melissa Parcel

“This one is a chiller – you won’t be able to put it down – guaranteed!” Rendezvous Magazine

“If you are looking for the suspense thriller of the year-look no further…you will find it in Nowhere To Hide…” Jewel Dartt Midnight Scribe Reviews

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway giveaway.gif

Joan will award one randomly drawn commenter a $50 gift certificate for sunglasses at Sunglasses Shack (US/Canada only).

Hey, it’s summertime. Who couldn’t use a cool new pair of sunglasses!

You can get more entries by following the tour here.

Visit each stop, catch some exciting blurbs and excerpts and leave a nice comment. Each comment gets you another entry for some sunglasses! Have fun.

goddess fish button

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all my giveaways go here.

Welcome To The Harvest!
~~~
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc0KWClT2Zw]
~~~
I know. Harvesting season usually takes place in the late summer.
Here on the Gulf Coast, we harvest all year long.
.
The Harvesters (Harvesting Series #1)
~~~~
harvesters trailer mock up 4
.
goodreads-badge-add-plus
.
When she finds her boyfriend shackled to a white metal table Ashley feared for the worse.
On a small trip of dropping off a package for Jason’s father, the young couple never thought they would be running for their lives. Running away from supposedly friends whom in turned to be a family of harvesters.
Human harvesters and they are looking for something specific. And Ashley just might be the perfect match for that something.
~~~~
Most of you know how much I love me some horror and short stories.
After I checked out The Harvesters, I hopped over, did the click thing on Amazon and started reading this.
You can catch my review over on my Monday Minis.
~~~~
Author Info:
.
harvesters trailer ashley5
I’m a college student still trying to get a handle of the adult world. When I need to get away from it I lose myself in books, my own writing, and in spending time with my amazing boyfriend which he supports me to no end.
Finding my passion in books has led me to finding a passion in writing my own fictional stories back in 2009, I have turned this into a dream career and going one step further I would love to open up my own book store.

magnifying glass photo: Magnifying Glass magnifying-glass.jpg

Welcome to My Monday Minis.

This is where I review very short stories and flash fiction.

For today I’ll be telling you about The Harvesters

by Ashley Hill

harvesters trailer mock up 4

goodreads-badge-add-plus.

You get all of the ingredients for a good horror story. A thunderstorm, a rustic old cabin deep in the woods and some really creepy characters. There’s the huge shambling guy with the axe, the sly shotgun wielding old man, and the creepy kids.

I think the kids creeped me out the most. It had me thinking Blair Witch, when they hear the weird voices outside their tent and the kids giggling and slapping the tent.

The Harvesters is relentless and you land right in the thick of it from the get go.

Ash creeps around in the cellar of the ratty cabin and finally spots her boyfriend, Jason. He’s manacled to a metal table.

From this point on, I girded myself for what was coming.

Ash manages to get his hands free before this huge man throws an axe at her. She heeds Jason’s warning and hightails it but is rushed by a little kid. She sweeps past him and slams the door of the cellar shut behind her.

That’s when she hears the whispering.

She rushes to the truck outside, but, of course, there are no keys. A vision flashes in her head of the keys hanging on a hook inside the cabin.

This is where I wonder what I would’ve done. We know the warnings for these scenes. “Don’t go back inside!” But if your true love is lying in there, helpless, about to be carved up, what else can you do?

So, in she goes again.

From the very beginning it’s a mad dash through this short story.

You’ll get to read about it from two points of view. Ash narrates most of the story, but Jason does have his own side to tell.

Then their story meets again as they struggle to survive multiple attacks with no help for miles in any direction.

 I was thinking serial killers or a family of cannibals maybe. I’m still not sure exactly what they wanted from Ash.

That brings me to the ending. It’s a cliffhanger and a big one. I kind of saw it coming, but I think I would have been disappointed if it wrapped up neatly.

This way, I get to look forward to more. I wonder if one of the next books will be about Jason. He has a dark past and I think his story would be harrowing.

We’ll see.

3 Stars

Go here to check out the trailer!

~~

Author Info
.
harvesters trailer ashley5
I’m a college student still trying to get a handle of the adult world. When I need to get away from it I lose myself in books, my own writing, and in spending time with my amazing boyfriend which he supports me to no end. Finding my passion in books has led me to finding a passion in writing my own fictional stories back in 2009, I have turned this into a dream career and going one step further I would love to open up my own book store.
.

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly bookhaul post where  I’ll be telling you about all of the books I got this week, whether print or e-book plus all things new on fuonlyknew.

I got a few books this week, some free, some for review, and some I purchased just for my reading pleasure.

I also post reviews on another blog aknifeandaquill . It’s all about horror. If someone doesn’t die, we don’t do it here!

Here’s some I picked up to review on both blogs. Double exposure for the author:)

The Novellas  Swan Song

Here are some I picked up to review on fuonlyknew.

Jessica  Progeny  The Harbinger Collection: Hard-Boiled Mysteries Not for the Faint of Heart

Got some good ones!

~

Books for Review.

Heart Search: Found (Heart Search, #2)

Carlie’s just released Heart Search : Found

Read all about it here.

~~~

Leashed (Going to the Dogs, #1)

Going to be on a tour for this one.

~~~

Family Matters  Cats & Dogs  Written All Over Her

Got these from Mia! Thanks so much. I just reviewed the first three books in the Adelheid Series here.

~~~

The Photo Traveler

I had to have these!

~~~~~

Books I won.

I did win something this week but haven’t confirmed everything so will tell you all about the great prizes next week!

~~~

Reviewed this week.

The Rain Wouldn't Take Away the Pain

Catch my review on my Monday Minis post here.

~~~

On a Wing and a Dare (Flying Horse Books, #1)  In the Winds of Danger (Flying Horse Books, #2)

My reviews for both books can be found here.

~~~

Welcome to Adelheid (Adelheid #1-3)

Cameron's Law (Adelheid, #1)  When Forever Died (Adelheid, #2)  Voracious (Adelheid, #3)

Review of all three books in one and giveaway on Thursday, July 11th. Go here to check it out and enter!

~~~

Scheduled reviews for this upcoming week.

Shudder (Stitch Trilogy #2)

My review and the giveaway will be on Wednesday, July 17th. Check back!

~~~

Life After Dane

My review and the giveaway will be on Thursday, July 18th.

~~~

Dead Girl: A Romantic Zombie Tale of Revenge

My review and the giveaway will be on Friday, July 19th.

~~~~~

Several more reviews and awesome giveaways coming this next week. Be sure to stop by!

~~~~~

Other posts this week. Just click on the links to see the posts.

Giveaway Tour ~ Box of Infernos

Spotlight Tour ~ Unraveling Lady Fury

Giveaway Tour ~ Reconnaissance

Teaser Tuesdays ~ Creatures of Appetite

Giveaway Blast ~ Over The Rainbow

Giveaway Tour ~ Legacy Reborn

WWW Wednesday

Giveaway Tour ~ Cassie Scott, Paranormal Detective

Giveaway ~ Blood Destiny

Thursday Theatre ~ Remember Dory?

Blitz Giveaway ~ Lost

Freakin Fridays ~ Dogs and Cats and Mermaids

Win The Sydney Rye Series!

Complete Series Cover Reveal ~ The Forces of Nature

Release Day Giveaway ~ Aftermath, Hurricane Book #2

~~~~~~~

Go here to find all of my giveaways. Enter one or enter all of them!!

Go here for a list of free e-books.

Busy, busy, busy. So many delicious reads! Some I’ve read and will be posting my reviews soon.

So what did you get this week? See something you like? Do you have any of these? Leave a comment and let me know.