Archive for October, 2013

black

Welcome to the Book Blast for BLACK by Russell Blake

This book is getting lots of praise!

Read on to learn more and don’t forget to enter the awesome giveaway!

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Amazon / B&N

Artemus Black. Perennially down-on-his-luck Hollywood PI whose Bogie fixation is as dated as his wardrobe. With an assistant who mocks him relentlessly, an obese cat that loathes him, a romantic life that’s deader than Elvis, money problems, booze, nicotine, and anger management issues, how much worse can it get? When he takes a case that’s supposed to be easy money working for a celebrity whose colleagues and surrounding paparazzi are dropping faster than interest in the star’s big comeback, the cakewalk turns ugly and Black finds himself in a web of deceit, betrayal, and murder – and bad hair days.

The first in a new series from bestselling author Russell Blake, Black is a detective mystery with a difference that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

PRAISE FOR BLACK:

“A sadistically good writer.” – The Kindle Book Review
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“I haven’t been this excited by a new series in a long time. I’ve read five or six Blake books, which were all very good, but he absolutely nails the hard-boiled genre. He has a knack for creating memorable characters and the main character Black and his assistant will not be forgotten anytime soon. I’ve always enjoyed Blake’s humor, but the dialogue between the two aforementioned characters is hysterical. Finally – as usual, Blake moves the book along at a nice pace with enough twists, turns, and adventure to keep any reader engrossed. I can’t wait for the next one in this series.” Trenchgold, Amazon 5 Star review.
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“I’ve read several of Blake’s books and this is my favorite. It features well developed characters, great humor, and a fun plot. The writing is also fantastic. I especially love the book’s treatment of LA, and its characters, more often than not leftovers from broken dreams. If you love Elmore Leonard, and who doesn’t, you’re going to love Black. Five stars.” Wright Forbucks, Amazon 5 Star review.

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About Russell Blake

Russell Blake is the bestselling author of twenty-two novels, including the thrillers Fatal Exchange, The Geronimo Breach, Zero Sum, King of Swords, Night of the Assassin, Revenge of the Assassin, Return of the Assassin, Blood of the Assassin, The Delphi Chronicle trilogy, The Voynich Cypher, Silver Justice, JET, JET II – Betrayal, JET III – Vengeance, JET IV – Reckoning, JET V – Legacy, Upon A Pale Horse, and BLACK. Non-fiction includes the international bestseller An Angel With Fur (animal biography) and How To Sell A Gazillion eBooks In No Time (even if drunk, high or incarcerated), a parody of all things writing-related. Blake lives in Mexico and enjoys his dogs, fishing, boating, tequila and writing, while battling world domination by clowns.

BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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1 Winner will get a $25.00 Gift Card to Amazon

Open Internationally | Must be 13+ To Enter

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

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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!

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

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Here are some I picked up to review on fuonlyknew.

Lost and Found  18220823

and Deadly Embrace. Picked this up to review on my Monday Minis meme. Quite short.

Was free at time of posting. Click on the cover to get yours.

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and Offworld (Dangerous Times) is free as of time of posting.

Click on the cover to get yours.

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Got some good ones!

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Got some freebies for ya!

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Just click on the covers to get yours. Make sure they are still free. Were at time of posting.

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Books for Review.

Heartache Motel

Trying to slow down for the holidays. I have about 15 review books. But I had to have this!

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Books I won.

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I won Coven from Girls Heart Book Tours!

Thanks Mel and thank you K.A. Young.

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I won The Photo Traveler Sway Bag and ebook!

I’m getting a t-shirt, pens and bookmarks and this awesome book!

Thanks to Bewitching Book Tours and Arthur J. Gonzalez!

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Reviewed this week. Busy writing more!

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You can read my review on my Monday Minis post HERE.

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Read my ARC review, enjoy the authors guest post, and enter the giveaway HERE.

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Scheduled reviews for next week.

You can read my review of Sorrow’s Point and enter the giveaway on Wednesday, October 16th.

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

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

Monday Minis #15 ~ Review ~ The Haunted House On Wheels

Hunted Dreams by Elle Hill ~ A Giveaway, an Interview, and a peek inside!

Cover Reveal ~ Jelly Bean Kisses

Release Day Giveaway ~ Endless by Amanda Gray

One Thousand and One Nights by Ruth Browne ~ A Scheherazade adaption

Nerd Blast and Giveaway ~ Phantom Eyes by Scott Tracey

Blast Giveaway ~ Jack Templar and The Lord of the Vampires ~ Jack is back!

Teaser Tuesdays #42 ~ Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson

WWW Wednesday #20 ~ Mystery, Malevolence, and Mayhem

Blast Giveaway ~ S.J. Harper’s New Release ~ Cursed ~ A Fallen Siren Novel

ARC Review and Giveaway Tour ~ Sanctuary ~ Is there no place safe?

Great Escapes Tour Giveaway ~ Big Numbers by Jack Getze ~ A Screwball Mystery

Thursday Theatre #19 ~ The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter, The Complete Series ~ Trailer and Review

Cover Reveal ~ World of Ash by Shauna Granger ~ Monsters are real

Newly Re-designed Cover Reveal ~ The Valkyrie Series, Books 1 – 3 by T.G. Ayer

Teri Brown’s Born of Deception ~ Cover Reveal Plus a Giveaway

The Friday 56 #2 ~ A New Horror Serial ~ Cruelty by Edward Lorn

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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.

The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find any sentence, or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

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The man in the baby doll mask had stuffed her into the trunk as if she were just so much luggage. 

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Cruelty (Episode #1)

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CRUELTY is a serial novel in ten parts.

Episode One.

On a lonely stretch of deserted Texas highway, Will Longmire breaks down. But he’s not alone.

In the dead of night, Innis Blake hits someone, or something, with her car. The figure shouldn’t be getting up. But it is.

An unstoppable force now stalks Will and Innis. And before the night is over, both strangers will know the face of Cruelty.

Forgiveness is only a few miles down the road, but safety is nowhere in sight.

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New episodes will be released each month.

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Edward Lorn

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

BOD Cover reveal

When I first laid eyes on this cover I was thinking, OOH, flappers and some snazzy sequined gowns.

I pictured a crowded speakeasy, with jazzmusic blasting and couples twirling on the dance floor.

I discovered there are illusionists and psychics and a mystery to solve!

I’m in!

Check out this stunning cover art and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

YOu could win a signed ARC!

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Synopsis

Budding illusionist Anna Van Housen is on top of the world: after scoring a spot on a prestigious European vaudeville tour, she has moved to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. Along with her handsome beau, Cole Archer, Anna is prepared to take the city by storm.

But when Anna arrives in London, she finds the group in turmoil. Sensitives are disappearing and, without a suspect, the group’s members are turning on one another. Could the kidnapper be someone within the society itself—or has the nefarious Dr. Boyle followed them to London?

As Cole and Anna begin to unravel the case and secrets about the society are revealed, they find themselves at odds, their plans for romance in London having vanished. Her life in danger and her relationship fizzling, can Anna find a way to track down the killer before he makes her his next victim—or will she have to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Set in Jazz-Age London, this alluring sequel to Born of Illusion comes alive with sparkling romance, deadly intrigue, and daring magic.

Book Links: Goodreads / Amazon
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Teri Brown
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I’m not sure who to tell you about here because I’m actually two people rolled into one. As a responsible mother of teens, I show one persona to the world. That person is driven, conservative and level headed. But the other part of me just never grew up. She is rebellious, impulsive and curious.

It’s hard being both these people. They’re often at odds.

The mother part of me knows I should put a cap on how many animals we take in. The teen part of me wants to save them all. We have five cats and two dogs. Who do you think is winning?

Even now. The mother part wants to make a meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and a tossed salad. The teen part wants to order a pizza, work on my website and check my Facebook.

Luckily, though my two halves don’t always agree, both of us live happily in Portland, Oregon, with a husband and too many animals. And we both love to write and write and write..
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Win a signed ARC of Born of Deception!
Giveaway is open to US Only. Must be 13+ to Enter
Sorry to my International friends.
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.
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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 the reveal for these newly re-designed covers for the Valkyrie Series (Book 1-3) by T.G. Ayer, designed by Eduardo Priego.

If you’re like me, you’re a sucker for a pretty cover!

These are exciting and I love that they are all similar in theme.

I’m curious to see if how the protagonist is portrayed on the cover relates to the adventure inside each book.

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Dead Radiance (Valkyrie – Book #1)

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Dead Embers (Valkyrie – Book #2)

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Dead Chaos (Valkyrie – Book #3)

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Dead Radiance, Dead Embers, Dead Chaos  by T.G. Ayer (Valkyrie #1-3)

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Valkyrie Bryn Halbrook is broken and damaged…
Struggling to accept the loss of her wings, Bryn’s not sure if she can be a real Valkyrie anymore. But when a mysterious prophecy claims she will be the reason the All-Father dies, she is determined to ensure the prediction will not come to pass.
A visit to the three fates who live beneath the great Tree of life, sends Bryn racing against time to find the missing Heimdall and his horn. As Odin’s life hangs in the balance and Ragnarok draws ever closer, Bryn has to find a way to save Heimdall and Odin before she can discover the truth about who she really is.
In the thrilling conclusion of the Valkyrie series Bryn must battle not only the formidable frost giants and the hated God Loki, but she must also find a balance between what she will lose and what she will gain.

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T.G. Ayers

 I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves – it works wonderfully…
My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain crosseyed.

Author links:

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Xpresso Book Tours

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Check out this cover art. It had me thinking The Hills Have Eyes.

Seriously though, it does make ya really curious doesn’t it?

There’s been an apocalypse. It looks the air is unsafe to breath. And I heard something about monsters!

I’ll be watching for this come December. I’m looking forward to meeting the characters and experiencing Shauna’s writing.

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World of Ash
by Shauna Granger
Release Date: 12/2013
Book Summary:
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There are two inherent truths in the world: life as we know it is over, and monsters are real.
The Pestas came in the night, spreading their pox, a deadly plague that decimated the population. Kat, one of the unlucky few who survived, is determined to get to her last living relative and find shelter from the pox that continues to devastate the world. When it mutates and becomes airborne, Kat is desperate to avoid people because staying alone might be her only chance to stay alive.
That is, until she meets Dylan. Dylan, with his easy smile and dark, curly hair, has nowhere to go and no one to live for. He convinces Kat there can be safety in numbers, that they can watch out for each other. So the unlikely couple set off together through the barren wasteland to find a new life – if they can survive the roaming Pestas, bands of wild, gun-toting children, and piles of burning, pox-ridden bodies.

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Shauna

Like so many other writers, Shauna grew up as an avid reader, but it was in high school that she realized she wanted to be a writer. Five years ago, Shauna started work on her Elemental Series. She released the first installment, Earth, on May 1, 2011 and has since released four sequels, with the series coming to an end with Spirit. She is currently hard at work on a new Urban Fantasy series, staring a spunky witch with a smush-faced cat named Artemis.

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Author Links

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

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Cover Reveal Organized by:

YA Bound Book Tours

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Grab your popcorn and cop a seat!

It’s time for Thursday Theatre!

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Got some goodies for you tonight!

I have the trailer for The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter – The Complete Series

and I’ll also be posting my review.

I won this a while ago and for the life of me can’t remember where I won it from. I want to thank them and the author for a signed edition of this collection.  I’ve read it twice!

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My Review

Chloe is awakened in the middle of the night when they come for her mother.

She barely has time to accept they’re vampires before her mother is viciously murdered before her eyes.

Before they can whisk Chloe away, vampire hunters crash the scene and rescue her. She’s taken to live with her grandfather, Luke, and 18 year old Drew, another hunter. They have a gated community where they live and train as hunters. It’s like their own private town.

That’s when 14-year-old Chloe finds out she’s descended from a long line of hunters, her mother being a very powerful one. But they hadn’t attacked to get her mother. They’d been coming for Chloe, and when she discovers who her father is, her thirst for revenge becomes her greatest priority.

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You spend over a year with Chloe, as she trains and studies and trains some more.

There are two young men that she attracts. Drew, who lives with her grandfather. He’s belligerent, but inside he’s worried about her and tries to toughen her up for her own safety. And Gavin, the school’s heart throb, wants to get to know her better. It’s not really a love triangle and the romance fleshes out the story without being the focal point.

Everything seems to be rushing towards Chloe’s sixteenth birthday. Why does her father need her? What special ability will she get?

Chloe comes across as genuine. She’s becoming a young woman, brushing up against romance, training to defend her very life, and coping with the loss of her mother. She’s forced to grow up fast and think on the run.

I’m tempted to call this collection a serial. There are 6 stories in all, and each picks up where the last one left off, like episodes. They are not overly long, which makes for quick reading, there are no information gaps, and the colorful secondary characters are easy to remember.

This is a clean young adult read. The romance is sweet with no sexual content.

I’d recommend you buy the complete set. You’ll breeze through these in no time and at $4.99 ebook and $8.99 for print, they’re a steal!

I hear there’s to be more about Chloe in The Arcadia Falls Series. I’m looking forward to more.

A couple of fun things.

With everyone being hunters, there favorite gifts to give and receive are weapons. Can you picture Chloe’s pink handled handgun?

And did you know vampires go to the dentist. Yep. When they need help with their fangs, they go to Deadly Smiles.

4 STARS

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Jennifer Malone Wright

Jennifer Malone Wright

Jennifer Malone Wright is best known for her short story series, The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter’s Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles and her vampire novel called The Birth of Jaiden. Jennifer also co-authors a series called Once Upon A Zombie Apocalypse as well as another project which hasn’t been announced yet.

She resides in the beautiful mountains of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!

But seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children, Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left, usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.

Jennifer also loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.

Website / Goodreads / Amazon / Twitter

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Big Numbers by Jack Getze

It’s a good, funny story filled with suspense and adventure. ~Socrates Book Reviews

…quite a bit of action, drama and intrigue to balance out all the hilarious trouble Austin seems to bring with him wherever he goes. ~Turning The Pages

If you like your mysteries with plenty of thrills with a side of crazy these pages will be flying. ~Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book

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Series: An Austin Carr Mystery

The author calls the Genre: A SCREWBALL MYSTERY

First in Series

Paperback: 204 pages

Publisher: Down & Out Books (June 2, 2013)

Language: English

 ISBN-10: 193749554X ISBN-13: 978-1937495541

E-Book File Size: 457 KB  ASIN: B00D3DJMJQ

Synopsis

Root for divorced dad Austin Carr, a funny, oversexed scamp who’ll use anything and everything to get his kids back.

Divorced father Austin Carr wakes up every day in a beat-up camper, parked on someone else’s private property. Why? Because his alimony and child support payments were established by New Jersey’s family court system when his income was double, and for the last two years he has failed to earn the legally mandated monthly nut. He’s had his savings drained, his Maxima repossessed, his salary attached, and his visiting rights suspended. He bought the twelve-year-old Chevy pick-up with the rusty camper for $800 last month because another landlord tossed his butt in the street. Will stretching the rules, his own morals, and the boundaries of common sense raise the cash needed to get his kids back? Or will his big mouth and bad behavior set him up for a nasty double-cross? Find out if Austin can redeem himself and win back his children.

Praise:

“Darkly comic, with an engaging protagonist.” – T.J. MacGregor, Edgar Winner, Author of The Tango Key Mysteries

“Big Numbers is a gritty, sexy, violent, and funny book.” – Liz Clifford at Reviewed by Liz

“Wonderful characters…well-written, entertaining…a good read.” –Connie Anderson for Armchair Interviews

“Jack Getze started his career as a newspaper reporter. As a result, BIG NUMBERS is lean and mean, with not a word wasted. A truly fun, genuinely funny read.” –Lisa Guidarini for Bluestalking Reader

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About Ice Boats by Jack Getze

There are plenty of true stories in BIG NUMBERS, my first Austin Carr mystery — bluefin tuna pulling men off fishing boats, one stockbroker marrying the widow of a rich, newly deceased client, another living in his car to make court-mandated alimony and support payments, scheming redheads. But the biggest true story is Austin Carr himself, a guy who flops like a fish out of water when transported from southern California to New Jersey. In that sense, Austin is me.

After growing up in the suburbs of Los Angeles like my series character, spending the first thirty-seven years of my adult life there, building relationships and a newspaper career, I jumped ship and moved east — joining my new wife’s family in the Red Bank area of central Jersey. The difference was shocking. Like Austin, I found the New Jersey environment beautiful, with considerably more greenery and fresh water than southern California, full of wildlife — but also harsh, in the sense people didn’t seem as friendly or as easy going.

In my first year back east, I complained once in the presence of my wife’s Italian grandmother, a five-foot bundle of wisdom, who – among other accomplishments – danced at Minsky’s, landed a one-thousand pound marlin, and successfully hid from the police a fist-full of illegal betting slips (under her hat)  — immediately pulled me aside. She said I needed to hear this story: In the time of America’s experiment with alcohol Prohibition, Grandma Angie said the frozen Navesink River beside downtown Red Bank often harbored rum-running ice boats on winter nights, and shots were not uncommon. Some gun battles kept half of Red Bank awake all night, yet no one ever called the cops, not even when daylight revealed dead bodies on the ice. “Faccia rozzo,” my new grandmother said when she told me the ice boat story. “Red-a-Bank is a hard face, Jack. You be the hard face, too.”

I had to look the Italian words up, and hard face is very close. Rozzo, which she pronounced “dos” was hard to find, but it means tough, rough, crude, even unmannerly. The slang of it, I am told, originally comes from the tanning industry, where soft cow and steer leather becomes “rozzo” after curing.

Obviously, my new Grandma Angie was telling her new grandson  to buck up, be tough, and I tried to take her advice. In BIG NUMBERS, I made sure Austin got the same lecture. He needed it badly. And while I have no clue if the condition is factual, the idea of east being tougher than west was my personal experience, and I decided to make it Austin’s, too. True or not, the perception shapes him, and makes for some funny lines and situations.

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Jack Getze

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Former Los Angeles Times reporter Jack Getze is Fiction Editor for Anthony nominated Spinetingler Magazine, one of the internet’s oldest websites for noir, crime, and horror short stories. Through the Los Angeles Times/Washington Post News Syndicate, his news and feature stories were published in over five-hundred newspapers and periodicals worldwide. His two screwball mysteries, BIG NUMBERS and BIG MONEY, are being reissued by DOWN & OUT BOOKS, with the new BIG MOJO to follow. His short stories have appeared in A Twist of Noir and Beat to a Pulp. Getze is an Active Member of Mystery Writers of America’s New York Chapter.

Author Links:

http://austincarrscrimediary.blogspot.com

http://jack-getze.blogspot.com

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18050373-big-numbers

Purchase Links:  AMAZON        /      B&N

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A Peek Inside!

My name’s Austin Carr. I’m a stockbroker. The slick expensive business cards in my wallet say I’m a Senior Financial Consultant for Shore Securities, Inc., Members of the American Association of Securities Dealers, but I’m really just a salesman and I work for myself. Straight commission. If I don’t sell, I don’t eat.

“Another margarita, Luis.”

A lot of people in my line of work call themselves investment counselors. They wear two-thousand-dollar Italian suits, carry alligator attaché cases, think and talk about themselves as professionals like doctors and lawyers. In truth, we’re closer kin to used car dealers, only more dangerous because losing your life savings is a tad worse than getting stuck with a leaky transmission.

It’s hard to sport illusions about yourself when you live in a camper. And I’ve always treated my clients with honesty, to the point of aggravating every sales manager I’ve ever had. Even so, keeping my self respect, I have not been thinking about this job in a favorable light. In fact, in the years since the market crashed, ruining my sales numbers, my finances, and more recently, any chance of being with my two children, Ryan and Beth, I’ve been wracking my brain, trying desperately to figure another way to earn a living.

“Another double?” Luis says.

“Por favor.”

Although no solution to my dilemma has yet presented itself, I’ve discovered it helps to ruminate in a positive setting: Luis’s Mexican Grill on Broad Street in Branchtown. The decor reminds me of home, Los Angeles, and Luis has an authentico Mexican chef, Cruz. Best of all, Luis works the bar himself every day.

“You are not going to work today?” Luis says.

“Careful, Luis. Your query borders on insult. In fact, I have already called work, only to discover that my monster client delayed our scheduled discourse until this afternoon. I stayed here this morning to spend some quality time with you and Cruz.”

“I recommend this be your final cocktail,” Luis says.

Dealing with numbers all the time is an ache in the ass, definitely, but my biggest problem with being a stockbroker is having to spend all day on the money machine, dialing for dollars, calling busy people at the wrong time, apologizing because the back office screwed up a check, downplaying the risks of an investment to exaggerate the benefits, dancing investors from one asset to another so I can take part of their principal as commission. To be a successful stockbroker, you have to be slightly larcenous.

I lick the wet salt from the rim of my still empty margarita glass. Of course I never worried about little things like morality while I was netting five- to ten-thousand dollars a month. It’s only been since my income dropped by more than half, and mainly since I lost physical contact with my children that I search for the social significance of securities sales.

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I have two ebook copies to giveaway today!

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question,

” Do you like humor mixed into the stories you read? Does it make the story more real for you?”

Giveaway ends October 28th.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

September 30 – Socrates’ Book Review Blog  – Review, Giveaway

October 1 – Turning the Pages – Review

October 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – Review, Giveaway

October 9StoreyBook Reviews  – Review, Giveaway

October 9 – fundinmental Review, Giveaway

October 10fuonlyknew  – Guest Post

October 11Reviews By Karen  – Review, Giveaway

October 12Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Giveaway

October 13 – Kaisy Daisy’s Corner – Review, Giveaway

October 14rantin’ ravin’ and reading  – Review, Guest Post, Giveaway

October 15Celticlady’s Reviews   – Review

October 16Brooke Blogs  – Review

October 17Turning the Pages  – Review

October 18Rose & Beps Blog  – Guest Post

October 18 – Queen of all She Reads – Review, Giveaway

October 19Books and Needlepoint – Review, Giveaway

October 21 – Omnimystery – Interview

October 22 – Darla King Series – Review, Giveaway

October 24 – Community Bookstop – Review

October 26 – readalot – Review, Giveaway

October 27 – Jane Reads – Review, Giveaway

October 28 – THE SELF-TAUGHT COOK – Review, Giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways go HERE.

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I’m so excited to be a part of the tour for Sanctuary!

It’s October, the season for tricks or treats.

This was a treat for sure!

There’s so much to show you.

Read the early praise for Sanctuary. Watch the book trailers.

Check out the peek inside Sanctuary and enjoy the note from the author.

And enjoy my review.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Did I mention I had a lot to show you?!!!

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                      ISBN-13 – 9781491072066

Title – Sanctuary

Author – Pauline Creeden

Pub Date – October 10, 2013 (Paperback)

                   September 30, 2013 (eBook pre-release)

Price – $9.99

Description

“Left Behind for the Hunger Games Generation”

In a heart-racing thriller described as Falling Skies meets The Walking Dead, Jennie struggles to find a safe place for what’s left of her family. But it seems as though there is no place sacred, no place secure. First the aliens attacked the sun, making it dimmer, weaker, and half what it used to be. Then they attacked the water supply, killing one-third of Earth’s population with a bitter contaminate. And when they unleash a new terror on humankind, the victims will wish for death, but will not find it…When the world shatters to pieces around her, will Jennie find the strength she needs to keep going?

Advance Praise

“Pauline Creeden managed to mix more genres into one book than I could possibly imagine. The overall concept, aliens attacking the earth, is straight out of Science Fiction, but then you throw in a few zombies and post-apocalyptic fiction with how the dead/sick humans are acting. Overall, the entire story was charged with the adrenaline and thrills of a suspense/thriller novel, but the mood was terrifyingly eerie like a Horror story. There was almost too much sensory information for my primitive human brain to handle. Still, all of these genres combined made for one unique and fascinating story. This kind of book is of the same flavor as The Hunger Games with its originality, which I really appreciated.” – Katelyn Hensel for Readers’ Favorite

“Sanctuary is a fast-paced Christian fantasy thriller that is original and quite entertaining. The story revolves around Jennie and her family, Pastor Billy and his wife, and two brothers who are polar opposites of each other. Each chapter is presented in the point of view of Jennie, Brad or Hugh (the brothers), which gives Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary, a multidimensional feel. The three different story-lines merge into a full-fledged fantasy/horror novel that never sags or lets up on the action. While there are Christian themes present in Sanctuary, and Jennie’s faith is an important part of who she is, I, a non-Christian, did not feel I was being preached to or proselytized. I recommend Pauline Creeden’s Sanctuary — it’s well-written and a lot of fun to read.” – Jack Magnus for Readers Favorite

*****

My Review

As the story begins, the aliens have already damaged the sun, causing perpetual twilight during the day, making it difficult to grow crops. And they’ve contaminated the water supply, which has killed off one-third of Earth’s population.

As the aliens don’t do anything further for quite some time, just hover in the skies, people try to go about their daily lives.

But the aliens unleash something horrific, something beyond imagination, and it has serious repercussions, killing off another third of the population.

This is where things really get dicey.

What comes next? Are they planning on wiping us out completely? Or do they have something else in store?

Once I started reading Sanctuary I happened to glance at the cover and realized how perfectly it represented the story. The church is in the background and Jenny is prominent, just as she is in the book.

Jenny never did get to return for her second year of college. The aliens attacked again and life as she knew it crumbled.

Now, she’s separated from her parents and has to protect her five-year old brother.

I admire Jenny. She’s a young woman, alone, facing something we couldn’t even imagine. What she focuses on is getting her and her little brother to safety.

She’s scared to death as she navigates the streets. But she has keen instincts and stays sharp when things get really bad. She’s a natural nurturer and has a heart of gold.

You’ll get to know Hugh and Brad, the brothers.

Hugh was a teacher at Jenny’s old highschool. He was trapped in his apartment building. When people were being attacked in the street, his first instinct was to go outside and help, but the apartment manager wouldn’t risk unlocking the doors.

When he finally does leave his apartment, he ends up at the church. There he runs into his younger brother Brad.

There is no love lost between these two.

Brad is lucky when he stumbles upon the church. But he didn’t much like the fact his brother was there.

I liked Hugh. He was a quiet, introspective man. Willing to help in any way he could.

Brad was another story all together. Every story needs a villain and he seemed to wear the title proudly. He was arrogant and self-serving. Quite the spoiled brat. And he never missed a chance to get under Hugh’s skin. One thing he did had me thinking he might be redeemable but I can’t spoil it for you.

Each chapter is told from the points of view of Jenny, Hugh, and Brad, but they flow easily and you quickly recognize their individual voices.

This is listed as a christian thriller, but it’s not like any you’ve read before. There are aliens, dog/lion creatures that bite you and turn you into zombies, and the disturbing situations you have to deal with when in a group, struggling to survive.

I was kind of reminded of Stephen King’s The Mist, when they are all confined in the grocery store. Not everybody likes each other or gets along. Life and death situations make people do weird things.

While Jenny draws on her religious beliefs to get her through this, I never felt like I was being preached at. If anything, she had me asking myself how I would hold up, what would I turn to. And with so much going on, I was kept busy following the action, trying to stay one step ahead of the horror.

The religious tones in this story are a natural progression and make it more real. Look at all of the disaster movies and books out there. So many of them have people gathering at a church, either for spiritual strength or just solace in the company of others.

If you like a mix of genres, some science fiction and fantasy with your horror, I recommend you read Sanctuary. It keeps you connected, never bogs down, and there’s plenty of action and danger.

5 STARS

*****

YouTube book Trailers:

http://youtu.be/tVQNvPzk3rc

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ05XgVBy24?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent]

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A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

Why on earth did I write a Christian novel that has both aliens and zombies in it?

When I was a teen/young adult and my faith was wavering at best, there were several movies out with the likely design to shake faith even more. End of the world movies were in their hay day. Alien invasion was another big one. And I couldn’t help but wonder. If something like this actually happened, would anyone be able to maintain their faith?

And now today, Zombies are on the rise.

Could aliens be reconciled with the Bible? Zombies? This is the purpose of Sanctuary.

Because of its poetic nature, the book of Revelation lends itself to a plethora of interpretation. I am not saying that my book is the only true possibility, but it could be one. Could not demons be misinterpreted as alien life forms? Might not Satan use this mirage to his advantage to explain the bitter water or the blotting out of the sun, moon, and stars?  And then there’s Revelation 9:6 – “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

Zombies?

If anyone reading this book at least opens themselves up to the fact that yes, a biblical interpretation could resolve the problems between faith and an apocalyptic reality, then Sanctuary has completed its purpose.

EXCERPT:

When Jennie reached the back door, she saw them. Four large dog-like creatures with pinched faces like bulldogs and lion-like manes. They snarled, and one of them leapt at the window on the top half of the door when it saw her. Jennie jumped back and fell hard on the cold tile floor. The bottle of painkiller bounced across the kitchen tiles. The creature slammed against the window a second time, cracking it. She blinked hard. Her heart sunk, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. A horrendous gargling howl rent the air, causing a shiver down her spine. She held her breath and waited for the creature to slam into the door again.

“What on earth?” she whispered to herself.

When the third attempt never came, she scrambled toward the door. Blinking hard, she used the door knob to help herself stand. Out the cracked window, her mother was still out of sight, but the last of the dogs headed across the field behind her backyard.

“MOM?” Jennie called out.

The rumbling faded, and the vibrations in her chest receded with the dogs. She pulled open the door and rushed onto their back deck. “Mom, where are you?”

When she reached the banister, she looked over the side. Her mom lay sprawled with one hand on the lattice. Blood gushed from Mom’s leg and her opposite arm. Jennie’s ears rang and flooded with every beat of her heart.

Jennie didn’t know how she got to the second floor of her house, but she found herself shaking her sleeping father. How had he slept through the rumbling? “Outside, it’s Mom…”

Her father leapt from the bed. Mickey, her little brother, lay asleep and undisturbed. Dad ran down the stairs and outside in his flannel pajama bottoms and white t-shirt. He scooped Mom up to his chest and carried her inside. Blood stained his shirt in crimson.

“Jennie, call 911!”  Her father had said it at least three times before it finally registered in her brain.

She pulled the cell phone from her pocket, but it refused to connect. With a groan, she grabbed the cordless from the wall receiver, glad her heart stopped pounding in her head so she could hear.

“All operators are busy at this time,” a mechanical voice deadpanned, “Please stay on the line, and the next available operator will take your call.”

“They have me on hold, Dad. Should I hang up and try again?” She held the phone in both hands away from her face.

“No, just stay on the line.” Her father lifted the shredded jeans from Mom’s leg. “It looks like a shark bite. What on earth happened?”

Jennie took in the damage through tear-filled eyes. A huge chunk was taken from her mother’s calf, exposing the fibrous tendons that covered the bone in her leg. A bloodstain grew on the beige couch. Was she going to die? Panic rose up.

“What happened, Jennie?”

“I…I…They looked like lions, or dogs, or something. The rumbling shook the whole house…I tried to go outside to get Mom, but—” A sob blocked her throat.

Her father grabbed a throw pillow and held it against the leg. Mom’s exposed forearm laid across her chest in much the same condition as her calf.

“Grab me the duct tape.”

Jennie suddenly remembered the phone, put it back to her ear, and headed to the hall closet. She reached for the shelf above the jackets and grabbed the junk basket next to the toolbox.

“Please stay on the line. An operator will be with you shortly.”

She shoved the phone in the crook of her neck and fished through the box.  Half the contents dropped around her feet. Who cares? When her fingers wrapped around the silver duct tape, a short-lived relief sent prickles down her arms. But the urgency gripped her chest in less than a heart beat, and she threw the junk basket on the ground with the rest of the items.

“Hurry, Jennie!” her father called from the living room. “And turn on the TV. Maybe they’ll have something about what’s going on.”

She handed her father the tape and turned toward the TV. The mechanical voice on the phone came through again, followed by more easy listening.

When she clicked on the TV, the shouting and wailing began before the picture warmed up on the screen. A sideways picture of New York City broke through, with the shaky voice of the newscaster voicing over.

“What we are watching now – I can’t believe it – is live footage of Times Square,” the newscaster’s voice paused for a deep breath. “We’ve lost our man on the scene and his camera man to what appears to be some kind of new alien creature. Just a short half-hour ago, the doors to the ship that hovered above Central Park opened and these dog-like creatures flooded out.”

Jennie couldn’t pull her eyes from the screen. She straightened and dropped the phone on the hardwood. The battery popped out and skidded across the floor.

~~~~~

Pauline Creeden

In simple language, Pauline Creeden breaks down Biblical stories and applies them to real life in new ways. Her methods of teaching have brought new light to old scriptures. In her fiction, she creates worlds that are both familiar and strange, often pulling the veil between dimensions. She becomes the main character in each of her stories, and because she has ADD, she will get bored if she pretends to be one person for too long.

Pauline is a horse trainer from Virginia, but writing is her therapy.

She is the Admin for Spirit Filled Kindle and an administrator for Readers’ Realm. Her articles, reviews, and devotionals have been featured in RUBY FOR WOMEN Magazine, Devotionals for Bloggers, Faith Filled Family Magazine, and Christian Fiction Book Reviews.

One of Pauline’s short stories has won the CCW Short Story contest. Other short stories have been published in Fear & Trembling Magazine, Obsidian River and Avenir Eclectia. An urban fantasy short will appear in The Book of Sylvari: An Anthology of Elves from Port Yonder Press, and a vampire short will appear in Monsters! from Diminished Media Group. She is currently editing and drafting several novels at various stages.

 

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Have I got a book for you!

Check out S.J. Harper’s new release, Cursed.

Two FBI Agents.

She’s Cursed. He’s Damned.

A werewolf and a siren. What a team!

Welcome to their world.

Looks like I’ve found a new series to follow.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Cursed

Book One in the Fallen Siren Series

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Release Date October 1, 2013

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.

She’s cursed. He’s damned. Together, they make one hell of a team. Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

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About the Authors

S.J. Harper is the pen name for the writing team of Samantha Sommersby and Jeanne C. Stein, two friends who met at Comic-Con in San Diego and quickly bonded over a mutual love of good wine, edgy urban fantasy, and everything Joss Whedon.

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Samantha Sommersby left what she used to call her “real life” day job in the psychiatric field to pursue writing full-time in 2007. She is the author of more than ten novels and novellas including the critically acclaimed Forbidden series. She currently lives with her husband and cocker spaniel, Buck, in a century old Southern California Craftsman. Sam happily spends her days immersed in a world where vampires, werewolves, and demons are real, myths and legends are revered, magic is possible, and love still conquers all.

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Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. She also has numerous short story credits, including most recently the novella, Blood Debt, from the New York Times bestselling anthology, Hexed. Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the US and the UK. She lives in Denver, CO where she finds gardening a challenge more daunting than navigating the world of mythical creatures.

Author Links:

S.J. Harper

Website: http://sjharper.me/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6999638.S_J_Harper

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSJHarper

Samantha Sommersby

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samanthasommersby

Twitter: https://twitter.com/samsommersby

Jeanne Stein

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000177556968&fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneCStein

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$25 Amazon Gift Card

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