Archive for February, 2014

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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:)

Not adding any more until I catch up on my reviews!

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Here are some I picked up to review on fuonlyknew.

 

Got some good ones!

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Got some freebies for ya!

     

And a few more.

   

 

Tried to find a little something for everybody.

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

You can also find more free books HERE.

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Books for Review.

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Books I won.

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I won this paperback over on Freda’s Voice.

Thanks a bunch Freda and Mr. Wolf!

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Reviewed this week

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

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You can read my review and enter the giveaway HERE.

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Read my review and enter the giveaway HERE.

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You can read my review HERE.

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Reviewing this coming week

You can catch my review on my Monday Minis on Feb. 10th.

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You can read my review and enter the Tag Team Event giveaway on Monday, February 10th.

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Read my review on Tuesday, Feb. 10th.

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Read my review and enter the giveaway on Tuesday, Feb. 10th.

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Catch my review on my Freakin Fridays post on Feb. 14th.

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Read my review on Friday, Feb. 14th.

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Several more reviews and awesome giveaways coming this next week.

Not sure yet which ones I’ll be posting. Be sure to stop by!

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

Monday Minis #23 ~ Distance to Empty by Lee Moan

Teaser Tuesday’s #56 ~ The Hand That Feeds

The Zombie West Omnibus Giveaway ~ My Review on The Undead Blog Tour

A Fantastical Adventure ~ Rootbound : Emma and the Elementals #1 ~ Review and Giveaway

Enter the Funhouse if you dare ~ My Review

Check out The Wind Whisperer byKrista Holle and enter the huge international giveaway!

Dark Whiskey ~ Add blood, stir, and Voila! A Free Vamp Short Story

A Steam-y Punk Blast Giveaway ~ Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

No Ifs, Ands, Or Bears About It by Celia Kyle ~ Blast and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #15 ~ The Devil You Know

New Release Blitz ~ The Making of Nebraska Brown by Louise Caiola

Ruth Silver has a new book releasing soon ~ Dead Girl Walking

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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.

Check it out!

Ruth Silver has a new book coming this summer.

Wait until you see the spectacular cover art.

And the blurb says we have a new reaper coming.

She used to be…..?

Not gonna tell. I’ll shut up and show ya!

Dead Girl Walking

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Title: Dead Girl Walking (Royal Reaper)
Author: Ruth Silver
Expected Publication: Summer 2014
Publisher: Patchwork Press
Genre: YA, Paranormal Fantasy
Cover Design: Erica Crouch
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Blurb
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In 1346, Princess Ophelia Dacre sneaks out of the castle to visit her  boyfriend in secret. A perfect night cut short when she’s brutally  murdered.
Ophelia is given the rare chance to become a grim reaper. She must become  Leila Bele, cut ties with her old life, and follow the rules of the reapers. Her  greatest adventure begins with death.
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Excerpt
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                 “The scroll chose you. For whatever reason, she’s your reap.”

                “Well, that sucks.” Leila chewed her  bottom lip. “If I don’t do it?”

                Edon hesitated before he said, “Her  soul will rot inside her body. Do you have any idea what that’s like? She’ll be  a living corpse, a shell of a person. She won’t feel anything including love. We  as reapers, the undead, feel more than she ever will alive.”

                Leila swallowed the lump in her  throat. “How do you know that?”

                “Because I’ve seen what it does to a  person,” Edon said. “That little girl deserves better.”

About Author Ruth Silver

Ruth Silver author photo:

Ruth Silver attended Northern Illinois University and  graduated with a Bachelor’s in Communication in the spring of 2005.  While in college, she spent much of her  free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, Deuces are Wild, which she  self-published in 2004.  Her  favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in  assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and  always wanted to finish her stories. Her love of writing led her on an  adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia.  Silver enjoys reading, photography, traveling and most of all  writing.  She loves dystopian and  fantasy young adult stories.  Her  debut novel published by Lazy Day Publishing and Patchwork Press, ABERRANT, was  released April 2013.  The second  novel in the series, MOIRAI, continues the saga. ISAURA, is the final  installment in the ABERRANT trilogy. Ruth has been actively writing since she  was a teenager.  Her current writing  projects include a YA science-fiction fantasy series, ORENDA, and a YA  paranormal series, DEAD GIRL WALKING. Both novels are due for release in 2014.  She currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois.

You can visit her online at http://writeawaybliss.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss

Facebook: http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Ruth-Silver/e/B008NGH038

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I love telling ya’ll about new releases and I’ve got a good one to show you today!

Check out The Making of Nebraska Brown.

The title got me curious. The cover art even more so.

Then I read the blurb.

Now it’s your turn. Enjoy:)

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Title: The Making of Nebraska Brown

Author: Louise Caiola

Genre: New Adult Mystery, Literary Fiction, Contemporary

Audience:  YA to Adult

Formats: eBook and Paperback

Publisher: Immortal Ink Publishing

Cover By: Rebecca Hamilton

Editor: Rebecca Hamilton & Rudy Kraul

Pages: 318

ISBN-10: 1938750772 ~ISBN-13: 9781938750779 ~ ASIN:

Date Published: Feb. 6, 2014

 

Blurb

The last thing eighteen-year-old Ann Leigh remembers is running from her boyfriend in a thick Nebraska cornfield. This morning she’s staring down a cool Italian sunrise, an entire continent from the life she once knew. The events of the eighteen months in between have inexplicably gone missing from her memory.

All at once she’s living with Tommy, an attractive, young foreigner asking for her continued love. Though he’s vaguely familiar, she recalls a boy named Shane in America who she reluctantly agreed to marry. Juggling a new world while her old one is still M.I.A is difficult enough without the terrifying movie scenes spinning a dizzy loop in her mind: glimpses of a devastating house fire, a romance gone wrong, an unplanned pregnancy, and a fractured family – each claiming to be part of who she once was – a girl and a past somehow discarded.

Ann Leigh must collect the pieces of herself to become whole again, but she doesn’t know who to trust especially when Tommy’s lies become too obvious to ignore. And above all, her heart aches to discover what became of the child she may or may not have given birth to.

The Making of Nebraska Brown tells the story of one girl’s coming apart from the inside and the great lengths she’ll go to reclaim herself and find her way home.

Book Links

Barnes and Noble  / Kobo  /Amazon

Excerpt

 “Where am I, exactly? I mean . . . what is this place?”

He smiled. “The Palace of Portici.”

“A palace?” I squinted, then flipped the hair off of my face.  I was Ann Leigh, wasn’t I? Ann Leigh, strawberry blonde, five-foot-four, dreadfully allergic to cats. I grabbed the ends of my hair again and looked down at it. It wasn’t yellow-red at all but more like brown butter pecan. My head hummed. Martino was still grinning, as if he was more amused by me now that he was sure I wasn’t dead.

 He spoke again. “Orto Botanico.” “Botanical garden?”

“Si, yes. Ana, ora andiamo? La Pasticceria Tartoni?”

“Yes. We’ll go to the pastry shop now.” And I went with him. Even though, for all I knew, he could have been one of those freaks who got his jollies from attacking innocent young girls. But then, for all I knew, I wasn’t an innocent young girl.

The sky in Campania, Italy, looked familiar; the clouds were funny cotton ball shapes that could be giant sheep— pecore? If I were Ann Leigh from Nebraska, then how did I know those clouds, those words?

About The Author:

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                        As a young girl who spent her allowance on Nancy Drew mysteries, Louise realized that one day, she might have a story of her own to tell. Maybe even more than one story. After years focused on raising her children she eventually reconnected with her passion for creative writing. She soon began to craft a large collection of short stories which were published in the inspirational online magazine, Faithhopeandfiction.com. Shortly thereafter, she authored her first novel, Wishless, a contemporary YA, released in 2011.

Louise devotes a portion of each day to honing her skills. She has several other novels currently in various stages of development. A confirmed bibliophile, Louise enjoys reading outdoors on a warm spring day and watching her pup chase leaves on a breeze. She looks forward to meeting others who share her love of the written word and invites you to visit her blog, her website and follow her on Twitter and Facebook

 

Media Links –

Website / Blog /  Twitter / Twitter 2 / Facebook / Goodreads

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Release Blitz Schedule: The Making of Nebraska Brown by Louise Caiola

Feb 8

Platypire Reviews –  www.platypire.com

Niecey’s Book Addiction –  http://nieceysbookaddiction.blogspot.com/

I Loves 2 Read –  www.iloves2read.blogspot.com

Donnie Darko Girl – http://donniedarkogirl.blogspot.com

Crazy Beautiful.Reviews –  www.crazybeautifulreviews.blogspot.com

fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s Ramblins and Reviews – http://fuonlyknew.com

Bound 2 Escape – http://www.bound2escape.com

Bookalicious Traveladdict – http://bookalicious-traveladdict.blogspot.co.uk

Sweets Books – http://sweetsbooks.WordPress.com

Have Book Will Read – http://havebookwillread.com

Cajun Book Lover – http://www.cajunbooklover.blogspot.com

Kimber Leigh Writes – http://www.kimberleighwheaton.com

The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl –http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/

Pretty in Pink Reviews –  http://www.prettyinpinkreviews.blogspot.com

Author Karen Swart – http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com

Eclipse Reviews – http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com

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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#1

She’d either been possessed a very long time, or she was faking it.

#2

I could feel it wriggling inside of Rebecca Berger’s body like a fish out of water. It was a piece of her, but also a piece apart from her.

#3

When I was almost upon her, she smiled. It was an ugly smile. “Beast,” she told me. “I know you.”

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The Devil You Know

Nick Englebrecht #1

By K.H. Koehler 

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Not only does the devil have an only begotten son, but he’s currently residing in the rural town of Blackwater in northeast Pennsylvania.

Semi-retired from law enforcement, the handsome, if cynical, Nick Englebrecht becomes quickly caught up in a local missing child case that seems mundane on the outside, but when the sheriff requests his help as a psychic detective to help find the missing girl, his off-the-books investigation quickly leads him to some terrible truths about life, love and the universe as we know it.

And if that isn’t bad enough, the angels have begun an ethnic cleansing of all beings with demonic blood. Of course, Nick is at the top of their to-do list.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

NOIFS Tour Button

I really wanted to finish this book before the tour so I could do my review. I just couldn’t rush through it though. I’m having so much fun.

From the beginning I was liking Mia and ‘aawing’ about the shy little bear cub. Then this big dude huffs and puffs and about breaks her door down demanding she give him the cub.

Mia won me over. She stood there, looking up, up, up at this huge dude, and didn’t flinch when she lied. LOL

Gotta love her.

I’m taking my time finishing this book. Too fun to rush it!

Check it out, and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

No Ifs, Ands, or Bears About It

Series: Grayslake, #1

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Published: 01-2014
ISBN: 9781311709158
Word Count: 68000
Genre(s): BBW, Heterosexual, Paranormal Romance
Publication Date:  January 4, 2014

Synopsis

The first day of Mia’s new life in Grayslake, Georgia is not going as planned. The house her grandfather left her looks ready to crumble, boxes cover every inch of the floor and—oh—there’s a bear cub in her pantry. It gets worse when the cub’s uncle comes by and busts out his fur and claws while on her front porch. Then it gets loads better because suddenly there’s a hot hunk of badge-wearing werebear on her lawn ready to rescue her. Yum. Of course, he has to ruin things by trying to take the cub out of her hands. Ha! The cub is hers… No ifs, ands, or bears about it.

Werebear Ty can’t seem to get the curvaceous, delectable Mia to understand that, even if she is one-quarter werebear, she isn’t keeping the cub. Ty is the Grayslake Itan, the clan’s leader, and the little werebear is going home with him… Unless it isn’t. It’s her smile. If she’d stop smiling and being gorgeous, his inner-bear would support him and Ty would get his way. But the beast wants to make their woman happy, so it’s perfectly content to let her do as she pleases. Then things change. Threats arise, danger comes close, and Ty demands she return to his den. No ifs, ands, or mates about that.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ All Romance eBooks ~ Bookstrand  ~ Smashwords

About the Author:

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Celia Kyle is a paranormal erotic romance author and would like to rule the world and become a ninja. As a fallback, she’s working on her writing career and giving readers stories that touch their hearts and *ahem* other places.

Connect with Celia:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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$50 Gift Card to Amazon, B&N, or ARe

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Third Daughter Tour

Click on the banner above to follow the tour.

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn

Skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue… and, of course, kissing.

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Third daughter

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Synopsis

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.

Third Daughter is the first book in the The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance that takes place in an east-Indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

From the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, The Dharian Affairs is a new series filled with equal doses of action-adventure and romance, meant to appeal to fans of Mindjack.

NOMINATED for the Illinois Librarian’s “Soon to be Famous Author Project” wherein librarians hope to discover local authors whose “work will jump off the page for readers.”

“Third Daughter is vividly breathtaking. Quinn delivers royal intrigue, exotic locations, and sweeping romance. Not to be missed!” – Pavarti K. Tyler, author of Shadow on the Wall

“Susan Kaye Quinn writes characters that leap off the page… Incredibly well written, the vivid setting was crisp in my mind… As the plot raced on, I was cursing real life for not letting me just sit glued to my kindle, punching the touch screen to get to the next page.” – Tiffany on Goodreads

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Book Depository

Excerpt

A lone two-wheeled surrey ambled out of the shadows of the Samirian embassy and headed toward her dark corner of the Queen’s estate. Aniri held her breath and silently cursed the full two-moon night. If the carriage came much closer, the occupants would surely see her clinging to the side of the palace like a spider on her thread.

The six-hooved beast pulling the surrey slowed as it neared the giant stone statue of Devkasera. The mother goddess of ancient Dharia loomed larger-than-life, threatening the carriage with a sword and a scroll—the powers of destruction and creation—clasped in two of her six hands. The Queen loved the ancient traditions, so the goddess held a place of respect in the middle of the palace lawns. Aniri preferred the clean streets and steam-driven inventions of modern Dharia to the unwashed feet and mystic religion of her country’s past, but that didn’t stop her from sending a silent prayer to Devkasera—for invisibility for herself or perhaps a sudden loss of sight by the persons in the carriage.

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susan quinnAuthor Susan Kaye Quinn

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. The Dharian Affairs trilogy is her excuse to dress up in corsets and fight with swords. She also has a dark-and-gritty SF serial called The Debt Collector and a middle grade fantasy called Faery Swap. It’s possible she’s easily distracted. She always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can find out what she’s up to by subscribing to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or by stopping by her blog (www.susankayequinn.com).

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * Goodreads

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Book Blast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

Ends 3/14/14

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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I’m typing this BIG so you won’t miss a thing! Dark Whiskey by Emma Meade is free! Read on to see what I thought of this wicked fun, short vamp story and how you can get it for yourself!

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Blurb

Jesse senses something off about the nightclub. She wants to leave, but  her best friend, Tasha, is determined to have a night to remember.  There’s no way Tasha’s turning down an invite to the VIP section. Against Jesse’s better judgement, she follows Tasha up the ivory staircase to  the mysterious room above. The whiskey and champagne are flowing, and  pretty soon the blood will be too. (A Short Story, approx 7,100 words)

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Want a free copy?

Just click HERE or on the book cover to get yours. It’ll zip you right over to Amazon. Then one more click and you’re done!

Also:

Anyone anywhere in the world can download if from Smashwords as a pdf, mobi or epub.

Try Amazon.com if you’re in the US.

Barnes & Noble

Sony

iTunes

And hopefully down the line Dark Whiskey will be listed as Free on international Amazon sites.

My Review

Jesse’s best friend Tasha has just been dumped and her motto is, to get over it, get under someone else.

That’s just what she plans on doing when she drags Jesse into the nightclub.

It’s a bit out-of-the-way, but better to do the nasty where no one finds out.

Jesse immediately senses something isn’t right. Goosebumps stand up on her body. She wants to high-tail it out of there, but Tasha is having none of it and merrily trips up the stairs to the VIP room.

It’s going to be a night to remember, or not.

My Thoughts

I’ve had a friend like Tasha. Very emotional and sometimes a bit selfish, but usually pretty loyal. I expect that’s why Jesse stayed and watched out for her.

Being the more level-headed of the two, Jesse stays sober. Maybe that’s why she recognizes that somethings off.

I almost liked Eli. Almost. He’s a tall drink of water on a hot night, charming and darkly dangerous. But, nope. He says and does some things that turns me off. Gives off a bad vibe. Pretty much how Jesse feels too.

The best thing about Emma’s writing is I felt the bad vibes, the warning hairs standing up on the back of my neck.

I’ve been in a situation where that happened and luckily I was able to leave. Who knows what might have happened.

Dark Whiskey is like its name. Subtly alluring, with hints of sexual tension, and icy dread.

I would love for Emma to write more about Jesse, especially now that I know what she’s going to be like.

She may be figuring it out and they may think it’s going to be easy, but they messed with the wrong chick!

5 Stars

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I’ve read all of Emma’s stories except her newest release, Beneath Manhattan Skies, and I’m reading it now.

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Reviewing soon!

Click on the titles below to read more of my reviews of Emma’s books.

End of the Line

End of the Line

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Under the Desert Moon

Under the Desert Moon

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Night Sighs

Night Sighs

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The Awakening & Other Stories

Awakening and Other Stories

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The Dead Beats

The Old Vampire (Short Story)

Dead Beats and The Old Vampire

About the Author
Emma Meade
Emma Meade lives in rainy Ireland. She loves reading and writing supernatural fiction.
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Links to purchase Dark Whiskey
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Emma’s Ramblings on Supernatural Ficion blog:http://emmameade.com/

The Wind Whisperer by Krista Holle is now on tour! Check out every stop and join the special, HUGE International giveaway running here and on each tour stop!

The Wind Whisperer

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Synopsis

At fifteen, Anaii is the most important member of her tribe—and the most mysterious. Ever since Anaii can remember, the spirits of the wind have whispered of fertile hunting grounds and imminent enemy attacks. But when her people are ambushed by a brother clan without any apparent cause, the spirits remain eerily silent.

As the village prepares to retaliate, Anaii is pressured by her best friend, Elan, to marry him. It’s an old plea—Elan has spent a lifetime loving her, but Anaii only sees a childhood playmate out of an imposing warrior. Stifled by Elan’s insistence, Anaii escapes into the forest where she meets Jayttin, the beautiful son of the enemy chief.

Enamored by Jayttin’s carefree spirit and hope for peace, she repeatedly sneaks away to be with him, but when her deception is discovered, Elan is devastated. Pledging his lifelong affection, Elan gives her a passionate kiss, and Anaii begins to see her friend in a new light.

While Anaii is tormented over which man she must choose, the wind whispers of a new threat that could destroy both tribes. Only a union will afford a chance at survival, but the reality of that union is based on one thing—which man Anaii chooses to die.

AmazonKoboBarnes & Noble

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Enjoy this peek inside!

I looked around cautiously before freezing at the sketchy outline of a muscular man partially hidden in the grass.  A man!  He was sprawled on his back and golden pink from too many hours in the sun.  My heart pounded to see the unfamiliar pattern of a deer on his breechcloth.  I had marched myself directly into the reach of a Zennite warrior!

I gingerly took a step backwards, but to my horror, the man’s black eyes fluttered open.  I turned and hurled myself back across the meadow, just as the man shot up and flew after me like a predatory bird.  My muscles burned and strained to lengthen the space between us, but getting away was hopeless.  I was not a challenge to even the young boys in the foot races.

After a few powerful strides, the warrior tackled me to the ground, painfully grazing the skin on my cheek.  I wheezed a few times before my lungs filled with air.

“A Chippoke?” he asked between breaths.

I feverishly punched and kicked to free myself.  “Get—off—me!”

“Stop! I’m not going to hurt you,” the warrior chuckled as he struggled to pin my arms and legs.  His voice was calm and pleasant, but lying was no different than breathing to a Zennite.

“I cannot promise the same,” I wheezed as I fought.

“You’re a bobcat,” he said with a laugh.  “A bobcat with no teeth or claws.”

“Let me go!”

“I will when you’re calm.”

Strong hands held my wrists while his full weight pinned my torso against the earth.  Fighting him was as useless as running.  “You are not a boy,” I spat angrily, fully taking in my attacker.  It was little comfort that he didn’t look like a bloodthirsty killer.  He was admittedly handsome with an angular face and sleek black hair that hung well past his shoulders.  He was not as tall as Elan, but his muscles were narrow and built for speed.  There was something different about his eyes too.  They were as black as soot—very unlike the brown woodsy colors from our tribe.

The warrior smirked down at me.  “My mother will be very surprised to hear that.  All this time she’s assumed…”

My face heated, but I fiercely met his gaze.  The Zenni were like wild dogs and pumas—they could smell emotions. “What I meant was, you are a man, not a boy.”

“Oh, I see, but you must understand, I’m not a man yet.”

“You must understand I’m a squirrel!  Get off!  You’re hurting me!” I ordered with a useless heave.

“No,” he said with a smirk.

It was then I realized I might die—right after I was lulled into a false sense of security.  My chest pounded as I searched for the killer’s weapon.  “Are you going to kill me?”

“I do not feel like killing you just yet,” he said as his long hair swirled in my face.  Were we to play a game before he killed me?

“I am glad the mood doesn’t strike you,” I snarled.  The warrior studied me with a drawn brow.  Was he guessing that I was the forest witch?  I didn’t think I looked like a witch, but I wasn’t certain what one should look like—evil at least.

“I don’t understand something,” the warrior said.  “Your eyes are blue—the blue of an angry sky.  Are you the daughter of a god?”

“Yes,” I said, heaving against his weight again.  “Now get off me, or my father Achak will strike you dead with lightning.”

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Krista Holle

Krista Holle

Krista Holle is an award winning author who stepped up her writing after reading Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series. It occurred to Krista that there is an insatiable audience of women and girls who want to read books filled with stories about true love—not just vampires. When Krista is not writing, she loves to collect seashells, watch movies, and eat obscene amounts of pizza. Krista currently resides in Montpelier, Virginia with her husband, four daughters and an eccentric cat with a weird attachment to the family’s socks.

Website/BlogTwitterFacebookGoodreadsAmazon

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Look what you can win!

GRAND PRIZE: Kindle Fire, $25 Amazon Gift Card, Printed copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Printed copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Ebook copy of The Wind Whisperer (INT’L)

Click on the rafflecoper below to enter.

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The Wind Whisperer Tour schedule:

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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Most of you who follow my blog know I’m a huge fan of short stories and collections. I’m always on the prowl for more and have I found some good ones!

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My Review

This collection has something for everyone. Not all of them are scary. I’d compare them to The Twilight Zone or Tales From the Darkside. More Twisted than horrifying.

But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few that’ll make you flinch, and one or two you’ll wish you didn’t read after dark.

I particularly liked Cabin Fever. A shock was what I got when the story revealed itself. Not light reading and the ending left me wondering. Kind of grisly.

Another one that stood out was The Man In The Alley. He could see if a person was bad by looking at their shadow. I wondered what I’d do with that ability.

The Boy Who Saw Spiders is creepy crawly and quite disturbing. I have an irrational fear of spiders. Even the tiny ones make me shudder. I skipped past this one and waited until daytime to read it. Otherwise, I’d be lying in bed thinking about all of those spiders. They say there is one within 6 feet of you no matter where you are. Yuck.

Sick Day was twisted but the husband got my approval. He loved his wife.

My number one favorite was Mr. Ghoul’s Quaint Little Ghost Train. The cover gives you a clue. There was definitely a moral to this story. Something along the lines of ‘lest thee be judged’ or ‘he who casts the first stone.’ Spooky good.

There are 16 stories in all  and though I wasn’t crazy about some, that’s the great thing about a collection. You can move on to the next story and find something you enjoy.

The author did a great job of giving you a wide selection of scenarios, and characters you’ll cheer for, shake your head at, and shake your fist at.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Roll up to the funhouse, a brand new collection of tales from the author of Whisper, Dark Corners & Meat, Michael Bray.

A man who makes an unscheduled stop gets more than he bargained for in ‘CANDYLAND.’

A Group of teens discover a terrible secret on Samsonite farm in ‘SCARECROWS.’

A Schoolyard bully and his former victim reunite with horrifying results in ‘LONG TALL COFFIN.’

A High school party becomes an arachnid nightmare for one unfortunate guest in ‘THE BOY WHO SAW SPIDERS.’

These are just some of the horrors hidden within the darkest recesses of the funhouse. Look closer if you dare, and indulge in these 16 tales of madness, murder, terror and insanity.

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About Michael Bray

Michael Bray is a Horror author based in Leeds, England. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, and the trashy pulp TV shows like Tales From The Crypt & The Twilight Zone, he started to work on his own fiction, and spent many years developing his style. In May 2012, he signed a deal with the highly reputable Dark Hall Press to print and distribute his collection of interlinked short stories titled Dark Corners, which was released in September 2012. His second release was a Novella titled MEAT which was initially self-published before being picked up by J. Ellington Ashton Press. His first full length novel, a supernatural horror titled Whisper was initially self-published, and following great critical acclaim, sold to Horrific Tales publishing where it went on to reach as high as #3 in the amazon paid best sellers list.

Goodreads / Amazon / Twitter / Website

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WWW Wednesday

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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?

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What are you currently reading?

Stake You

by Claire Farrell 

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Devlin O’Mara has spent a long time cultivating her reputation as a scary bitch, and nothing’s going to change that. Not cheating boyfriends, annoying ex-crushes, or even a cheesy new kid who looks like he could have walked straight out of a young adult novel.

But life takes odd turns and eerie events coupled with a stalking classmate threaten to send Dev’s walls crumbling down around her, finally forcing her to face the true horror of her past.

Joining forces with an enemy is the only way to get to the heart of an enigmatic boy’s true intentions and protect everyone in her life from a being who couldn’t possibly exist.

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What did you recently finishing reading?

The Long Afternoon

by Mary L. Farmer 

19103326 

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Things go from bad to worse when diva romance novelist Veronica Harper and her long-suffering personal assistant arrive for a book signing appearance only to discover that they’re in the wrong bookstore. After a bizarre encounter with an eccentric fan, Veronica is plunged into a nightmarish world from which she can’t seem to escape. Short Fiction, 6200 Words. Rating: PG-13 for some language, mild horror.

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What do you think you’ll read next?

What Kills Me

Book #1

by Wynne Channing

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The fight for survival begins.An ancient prophecy warns of a girl destined to cause the extinction of the vampire race.So when 17-year-old Axelia falls into a sacred well filled with blood and emerges a vampire, the immortal empire believes she is this legendary destroyer. Hunted by soldiers and mercenaries, Axelia and her reluctant ally, the vampire bladesmith Lucas, must battle to survive.How will she convince the empire that she is just an innocent teenager-turned bloodsucker and not a creature of destruction? And if she cannot, can a vampire who is afraid of bugs summon the courage to fight a nation of immortals?
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So, whatcha readin?

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