Archive for June, 2014

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Happy Book Birthday to Portals!

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

 

Release Date: June 5, 2014

 

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

 

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

Print
Digital

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

Bookstrand

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour.


Tour Schedule
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Book Blitz and Tour-wide Giveaway
Paperback copy of Portals and a $10 Amazon gift card.
Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.
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Raffle button
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Ends 7/03/2014

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

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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

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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?

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What are you currently reading?

Portals

a fantasy anthology

by

Christy Thomas ~ Echo Shea ~ Anna Simpson

Havva Murat ~ Laurie Treacy ~ Michael Siciliano

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Synopsis

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

Maronda’s Quest by Christy Thomas

Blurb: The Grand Wizard has decreed Maronda enter the Portal of Life to embark upon a quest of great importance, but despite her Ma’s claims it is a blessing, premonitions of danger persist.
Lenox works to prove his worth to wed her, his true love, but it appears a wizard plots to remove him from Maronda’s life forever. To secure their future together, Lenox decides to accompany her on the quest, even if forbidden. He must ultimately choose between using his dragon fighting skills which could lead to his death, or give Maronda her greatest desire.
In the end, it’s Maronda who must learn to live with the consequences of his decision.

Mexmur, the Huntress by Anna Simpson

Blurb: Long ago a dragonkeeper betrayed his charges. To bring back magic, to set things right, Mexmur is sent through the portal.
Can she succeed armed with only a poem, talon and blade?

Entrance of Lost Souls by Echo Shea

Blurb: A guardian to the entrances between worlds, Gladys has been called to bring a little girl back from Fairyland. Passing through the Entrance of Lost Souls is no fun, neither is hunting down a deranged banshee, but what is a guardian to do?
And, is the banshee really kidnapping the girl…or saving her from something else?

Where Once were Hearts by Havva Murat

Blurb: After losing both his parents, his entire fortune and his childhood sweetheart, Master Bartholomew Battlesby sets out into the wilds of Northern England to make the acquaintance of his only surviving relation, the landed recluse, Mr. Horatio Grimsby who has an eerie penchant for both tinkering and clockwork. But, on finding his relation dead, with a gaping hole in his chest, and the beautiful, but scornful, Miss Evangeline Witherop ruling in his place, Bartholomew learns there is more than one way to lose your heart.
Can Bartholomew reignite the spirit of love and mercy within Miss Witherop, or will he suffer the same fate as his poor, heartless cousin?

Ordinary World by Laurie Treacy

Blurb: Imagine a new neighbor moves next door, a creepy guy who gives fifteen year-old Amy Silva the willies? Amy wonders what the stone archway in the backyard is for. Her life becomes even more stressful when her family reveals they’re witches. Could Amy’s new neighbor have anything to do with a local girl’s disappearance or be a threat to her magical loved ones?

The Lunatic Queen by Michael Siciliano

Blurb: The land of Mershinka has been thrown into perpetual night. Their King is dead and a moon witch, known as The Night Queen, rules from the royal palace in Grosnov. An endless fog shrouds the land, killing crops and starving the populace. Cold-eyed enforcers put down rebellions while volksa, twisted wolf-creatures, roam the mists looking for prey. Many have given up hope and wait for the inevitable end. All seems lost.
Two teenagers, Pavel and Tamara, devise a plan to kill Vazya the Night Queen when the moons Kainsk and Seresnya are down, end the stifling enchantment, and bring the sun back to their dying land. But, they need a watch to tell time, a compass to guide them through the mists, weapons to fight off Vazya’s minions, and all the courage they can muster.

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What did you recently finish reading?

Cry Wolf

by Sophie Avett 

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Synopsis

WARNING: Yes, it’s a short story. And indeed, there is a sequel. Please refrain from maiming the author until she finishes it. I didn’t originally plan for there to be a sequel, but Sophie’s Ravens have spoken and they demand a sequel. BEWARE. There is a now a CLIFFHANGER. *It is FREE everywhere my books are sold.*

There’s a wild animal on the loose…

Not that anyone cares.

Well, Peter doesn’t care.

Peter is more interested in finding a way to alleviate the skull-numbing boredom of a city wide shut down. So far his ideas for excitement hover between stealing an unwary idiot’s underwear (soul works, too), setting someone’s eyebrows on fire, or stabbing the next person he meets in the eye with a hot French fry.

It turns out, he’ll be able to save assault and theft for a rainy day. As luck would have it, this naughty kitsune is about to meet the big bad wolf.

And man, is the wolf in for a surprise..

 

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What do you think you’ll read next?

The Color of Evil

by Connie Corcoran Wilson

13496817 

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Tad McGreevy has a power that he has never revealed, not even to his life-long best friend, Stevie Scranton. When Tad looks at others, he sees colors. These auras tell Tad whether a person is good or evil. At night, Tad dreams about the evil-doers, reliving their crimes in horrifyingly vivid detail.But Tad doesn’t know if the evil acts he witnesses in his nightmares are happening now, are already over, or are going to occur in the future. He has no control over the horrifying visions. He has been told (by his parents) never to speak of his power. All Tad knows is that he wants to protect those he loves. And he wants the bad dreams to stop.At Tad’s eighth birthday party (April 1, 1995) in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the clown his parents hire to entertain Tad’s third-grade classmates is one of the bad people. Pogo, the Killer Clown (aka Michael Clay) is a serial killer. So begins 53 nights of terror as Tad relives Pogo’s crime, awakens screaming, and recites the terrifying details to his disbelieving family. The situation becomes so dire that Tad is hospitalized in a private institution under the care of a psychiatrist–who also does not believe the small boy’s stories.

And then the police arrest Pogo, the Killer Clown.

Flash forward to the beginning of Tad’s junior year in high school, 8 years later. Tad is 16 and recovered from the spring of his third-grade year. When Michael Clay was caught and imprisoned, the crime spree ended and so did Tad’s bad dreams.

Until now, in the year of our Lord 2003, when evil once again stalks the land.

This is a terrifying, intense story of the dark people and places that lurk just beneath the surface of seemingly normal small-town America. As one reviewer says, “Wilson nails the darkness beneath the surface of small-town Midwestern life with an intense story based on fact.”

Tad must wage a silent war against those who would harm the ones he loves. A battle to the death.

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So, whatcha readin?

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Uncharted Storms Banner copy
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Welcome to my stop on the Super Book Blast for Uncharted Storms organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Jackie Anton is a new author to me and I’m excited to read her stories. I love short stories and collections. You get many different samples of the authors writing and lots of plots and characters. What’s not to love, eh?

I’m going to have to do the easy 1 click and get me a copy. These sound amazing!

Check out Uncharted Storms.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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Uncharted Storms
by Jackie Anton
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Description
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Weather is our constant companion, and when it behaves like a benevolent parent we pay little attention to it. Angry or out of control it becomes terrifying and can change the landscape as well as lives. So I asked my characters to take a ride on the wild side of weather. “Uncharted Storms” takes readers on a journey from a gentle summer rain to raging storms in the cosmos.

What if you were caught up in Uncharted Storms?

What if? Erica’s world didn’t come to an end in 2012 while she was in middle school? She manages to make it through college before an apocalyptic event changes her life forever. The science fiction story Terra Beyond 2012 shares Erica’s voyage.

What if? You and your best friend were traveling down the highway on the way home from an extended trip when you are caught in a blinding thunderstorm, and then are hit by lightning? To make matters worse you are injured, and wake in a strange world. Find out what happens to Chris in the tale Riding Lightning.

What if? You were on your way to meet a friend for dinner and caught in a flash flood? That is exactly what happens to Alexandra in the story Flashflood Texas Style.

What if? A boy you haven’t seen in two decades winds up sitting on your front porch? Find out what Casey comes up with on A Rainy Night.

What if? You were caught out in a winter storm on icy, drifted, walks and streets when a skidding car comes directly at you? Find out what happened to eighteen-year-old Annie when she is hit from behind in the short story A Tumble in the Snow.

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About the Author:

Jackie Anton is the mother of two grown children, and grandmother of two. She and her husband, of forty-three years, continue to ride daily. They live on a mini-farm in rural Ohio, and share their little slice of horse heaven with two Quarter Horses, a Haflinger, a rescued dog, and a calico barn cat.

Jackie is an accomplished equestrian, with a life time of experience: as trainer, exhibitor, 4-H and youth club coach, as well as a horse show judge; the author brings many years of experience working with horses and young riders to her award winning Backyard Horse Tales Series.

Uncharted Storms: Short stories are aimed at the Young Adult and older reader. Look for more short tales in the future.

Backyard Horse Tales: Sox 2nd Edition Brings to light the mutual love between a handicapped colt and a lonely child with a learning disability. Find out how this pair team up to triumph over life’s roadblocks, and why their story won the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award of Excellence for Family Friendly Media. (Reading level age 8 thru Adult)

BYHT 2 “Frosty and the Nightstalker” was one of four finalists in the E-Book Fiction category for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards, then the paperback went on to earn the Mom’s Choice Award for Juvenile Historical Fiction.

Jackie is hard at work on BYHT 3 Don’t Call Me Love. You can catch a peek at her beautiful cover on the Backyard Horse Tales Face Book Fan Page: : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Backyard-Horse-Tales/190283981002767

Author Website: http://talesbyjackie.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jackie.anton2

FB Adult Novel Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/authorjmanton?ref=hl

Email: talesbyjackie@gmail.com

Online Autographed Book Covers: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/backyardhorse

Blog: Writing for readers in a .com world http://jackieanton.com/

Buy Uncharted Storms: Short Stories of Hearts at Risk at Smashwords, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. Autographed Paperback Copies are available at Jackie’s Author’s Den. U.S. Readers click on the cover of your choice and follow the Signed Book link to order.

J. M. Anton (adult novels) can be purchased at Amazon.

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Jackie will be awarding a paperback edition of “Wind River Refuge” penned as J.M. Anton (US only) or a digital edition of “Fateful Waters” (INT) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

So show some comment love!

Click on the button below for more fun stops on the blast. And don’t forget to comment. The more you comment, the more chances to win!

goddess fish button

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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!

horseshoe photo: Horseshoe horseshoe.jpg

 

There is a boutique hiding out between the
fractured, narrow storefronts lining New Gotham’s foggy docks. The shingles are
ribbed and black. Washed, peeling paint and displays offering views into wicked
leather and lace studded glam. The mannequins are ghoulish beauties stitched
together from whatever was left from the last fool to cross one of the sinister
witches.

 

Welcome
to Sinister Stitches

“…apparel
for a wicked fairy tale.”

 

 A spicy trinity of black magic sisters
breathe star-dusted dreams to life with their gothic apparel boutique. They are
schooled in the old ways of “fabric-bending” by the Needlewitches of old. With
this knowledge, they’ve created an entire line of clothing that all share the
same basic design element: one-size fits all. Each garment will magically
tailor itself to its wearer once worn. Last time the Witches-Who-Stitch, hosted
a literary catwalk, heroines were called from all walks of life and genres to
challenge their seamstress skills. This time, their men have joined the
fun—apparently, they’ve been sent to the boutique. (Whether they like it, or
not.)

 

The witches were NOT expecting men. Their
expertise is usually limited to DEMANDING their husbands NOT wear that in public, and, of course, the
fashioning of fantastic clothing for all of literature’s heroines. (New
Gotham’s men usually get their goods from Rumpel’s Twisted Threads, BUT that’s
beyond the point, the girls put a quill to their interview, changed some bits,
and rose to the occasion.)

 

To enjoy the hilarity, please check out some
of the questionnaire Marie Hall’s
Luc
from
the Night series

was
threatened asked to fill out after he swaggered into Sinister Stitches.
Naked.  

 

THE
WITCHES WHO STITCH QUESTIONNAIRE

 

 
Please provide the witches with your name:  Luc

 

Please provide the witches with the following:

 

Hair Color: Blond

Hair Length: [ ] Short and Sharp, [X] Shaggy and Sexy, [ ] Lush and Long

Eye Color:  Glittering, deep purple

Skin Tone: [ ] Ghoulish,
[X] Snow White, [ ] Cina-baby, [ ] Mochalicious, [ ] Dark Chocolate, [ ] Other:__________

 

Please provide the witches with your measurements and body-type.

 

a.) Height: 6 ft

 

b.) Body Type: [ ] Skeletal, [ ] Lean and Tender, [X] Lean and Tough, [ ] Ripe
and Edible

 

Do you have any extra extremities? Place an “X” to all that apply.

 

[ ] Horns or [ ] Halo
[ ] 20 ft. of Hair or More
[ ] Gills and Fins or [ ] Hooves
[ ] Wings (Span:   )
[ ] Tail (How many:  )

 

How many heads do you  have?

 

Really?

 

Do you have arms and legs? If so, how many?

 

I have an idea, how about I take off my clothes and show you, oh luscious witch.

 

How dead are you?   [X] Living, [ ] Undead, [ ] Astral Form

 

What are you? (Species/Breed)

 

Nephilim. I’m a Lust demon. Which means I’m sexy as sin. Wanna take a ride?

 

What is the occasion? (Ideas include: Wedding, Funeral, Sabbath, etc. Oh, and
seduction is a valid occasion. The more details, the better.)

 

Who the hell cares, I’m only here for the after party

 

What’s the occasion setting? (Beach, haunted castle, grand ball, etc.)

 

You in my bed, spread out before me wearing nothing but a smile…

 

Will you be fighting for your life at some point in the evening? 

 

Only if you say no *lecherous grin*

 

Will you be set on fire? Better yet, will you be setting other people on fire?

 

Only if they interrupt me, then all hell will break loose.

 

Will you be grave-robbing? (Dirt is a dressmaker’s tedium.)

 

Darling, these hands will only get dirty in bed.

 

What are you wearing right now? Who picked that outfit out? (Basically, who let you leave the crypt in those?)

 

Nothing. At. All.

 

Do you hope to be naked at some point in the evening? (All right, dirty birds. Such questions are actually intended toward the weres and shifters in regards to their
transformations.)

 

I don’t hope—I know I will be.

 

Describe your last brush with Death in two sentences. (Helps us plan for the unexpected.)

 

I laid her down, crawled between her legs, and made her weep with two flicks of my tongue…

 

Do you need a secret compartment for gigantic swords and guns, condoms…eyeliner, maybe?

 

*snorts* That’s funny

 

What are your three favorite colors?

 

Buff. Nude. Flesh.

 

What two colors ninja your brain, sweetie?

 

Whatever you need them to be.

 

Please pick a style that you feel embodies you the best. If none apply, feel free to surprise us by providing your own brilliant description in the “other” slot.

 

[ ] Dark AngelThis is for the spoonfuls of charming. The good-natured and naughty boys next door types. Thoughtful and sensual. Loyal and intelligent. More often than not, his head is in the clouds, but that smile holds hope for all of us. Our wizards.

 

[ ] Beast King: This is for the warlords and alphas. The type of men who walk into a room and their presence hushes out the sun. They live in their bodies, but their minds are searching for the next challenge. Hands for fighting and these boots for ass-kickings. Our protectors.

 

[X] Smooth Criminal: This is for the bad boys. You know, the types—mother’s worse nightmares. The kind of man that makes your skin itch every time he devours you with that hundred yard stare. Chances are his senses of humor is as wicked as his tongue. To hold him, isn’t to catch him. Our scheming rogues.

 

[ ] Black Knight: This for the mysteries. The ones no one can quite make heads or tails out off. He’s a mixture, a melting pot of strong, sinister, and sweet. He might be Dark Angel one day, and a Smooth Criminal other days. Our brothers.

 

[ ] Other: _____________________

 

Who is your favorite fairy tale villain?

 

I eat those bastards for breakfast. I’m the real big bad wolf.

 

If you could be any comic book hero, who would it be?

 

Whatever you want me to be.

 

Now, tell us who you love the most.

 

Not who. What. Sex. All the time. Every day. My cock in your warm flesh, your skin on mine, mine on yours. Bareback. Doggie. Missionary. I really don’t care, I’ll make you come anyway you ask me to.

 

Anything else you’d like to add…

 

There is only one person in all the world I ever gave two shits about. Her name’s Pandora and I stabbed her through the heart. I might be a lover, but don’t ever think you can tame me.
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After
many barrels of chocolate, a dash of magic, and furious sewing…

 

Sinister
Stitches’ Medieval Mistress
Astrid
Dweyer presents Luc’s
Completed
Threads
“Tailored
Temptation”

 

 

 

There is a vampire stalking you from the shadows of Sinister Stitches’ tearoom. Her
eyes are slanted, jaded amethyst glowing in the darkness. You can’t see her
face, but every cutting sweep of her long lashes is felt against your cheek. Seated
with miles of oil-black coils wound at her feet, she clad in a black satin
pencil-skirt dress. Black stiletto catching the light and gleaming like a
silver stake. She uses the tip of her twisted bone wand to pull purple
tea-shades down her slender nose:

Oh,
baby…you must be lost. Have to be. First of all, Twisted Threads is that way. That’s where they make threads
for wicked ones of the male gender. Second, welcome to Sinister Stitches. Bow
down and worship, sinner, I’m Astrid the Medieval Mistress running shit on this
catwalk. And I’m about the only one who could be trusted to fashion your
treads. Gillian wouldn’t have lasted a second; wench would be naked as we
speak. And Brenda would’ve ridden that ass like a naughty pony. I’m Astrid the
Tempest. And I’m not interested.
Ah,
ah, ah—shut up and stop smiling at me, hot mess. I cannot be seduced, I cannot
be held in thrall, and I cannot be charmed. You risk that hard shit between
your thighs at your own peril, understood? And lastly, the only reason I’m
fashioning you threads is because this is my mother’s store and she doesn’t
believe in turning down good business. So, I’m going to get up from this chair
now, and you’re gonna keep your goddamn hands to yourself. Demon or no, I will
have that candy ass in a sling. Ah, ah, ah—what did I say? Shut up, I’ve killed
fools for less. That’s right, I axed the real
big bad wolf. And then, I made a fucking dress out of his skin. So don’t push
me, ingrate.
Now, I didn’t bother with a shirt. Obviously, you won’t need it. Seems like no matter
what you’re doing, you’re going to end up naked, but what the hell? Come here
and put on this jacket and these pants for giggles. The fabric is a New Gothel
wool and black butterfly cashmere blend. It will have the durability afforded
to wool, but cashmere drapes better and has that otherworldly “dressed to kill”
shimmer. Won’t hold creases very well, but that’s not an issue, considering it
probably won’t stay on long.
We went British for the cut. Expect mild shoulder padding, notched lapels, and a tailored fit. It will show off all that supposed sexy in the right light. However, we
did do away with buttons. All of them. The onyx buttons on your jacket’s cuff
were fashioned from golem eyes, and they’re purely decorative. Otherwise, you
will not find a single button on your outfit. Frankly, I’m not going to be
blamed every time you pop your cork and take out an eye.
Everything is regular, run of the mill Velcro. Indeed, I sure did make you some tear-away threads. Now
Astrid stalks to the front door and throws it open. Beyond the threshold, the city is
growling to life in the rising twilight:
You in my store, pack up all nine inches of that impressive
cock and go search the stars for a clue.
Stop it! Stop kissing me—okay, okay, just one on the cheek. Your are kinda cute. Now, get out.

 

IMPORTANT BULLETINS from THE PIXIES:

For more information about Marie Hall and Luc’s adventures in the Night series please check out her author website

Care to check out the last round of Sinister Stitches interviews? Check out Sophie Avett and Jennifer Blackstream’s
paranormal den, the Brimstone Pub. All SS interviews are retired there after their tour until the release of the SS e-book.
Fancy a tour of New Gotham? Check out New Gotham’s Survival Guide! It might save your ife!
For more nformation about Sophie Avett’s New Gotham Fairy Tales, the Sinister Stitches
series, and recent releases, please check out her website.

Image Credit(s): MaxFrost

Image Editing Credit(s): Elaina, For the Muse Design

 

Cry Wolf
A New Gotham Fairy Tale
Sophie Avett
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance (MM/New Adult)
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing
Date of Publication:  May 1, 2014
Number of pages: est. 22 pages
Word Count:  est. 10, 000
Cover Artist: Elaina, For the Muse Design
Amazon   B&N   ARe    Kobo    Smashwords
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Book Description:
There’s a wild animal on the loose in the black forests surrounding New Gotham…
Not that anyone cares.
Well, Peter doesn’t care.
Peter Ume is more interested in finding a way to alleviate the skull-numbing boredom of a city wide shut down. So far his ideas for excitement hover between stealing an unwary idiot’s underwear (soul works, too), setting someone’s eyebrows on fire, or stabbing the next person he meets in the eye with a hot French fry.
It turns out, he’ll be able to save assault and theft for a rainy day. As luck would have it, this naughty kitsune is about to meet the big bad wolf.
And man, is the wolf in for a surprise…
Warning: This story can be read as a standalone, but you will want to smack Sophie for it. (Or so the ravens have said.) So, do keep in mind that there is a part two. (And it will be a freebie. Sophie’s Pixies will carrier pigeon everyone more information soon.)
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About the Author:
Sophie Avett is kind of a nerd. Like not even one of the cute, hip ones everyone brags about nowadays. More like the socially awkward hippie who eats way too much bread and dreams about being a dragon from behind towers of mythology books. Um…yeah. Picture old, tattered paperbacks and comic books–mostly Batman and Wonder Woman–dwarfing a tiny desk, with just barely enough room for the troll who writes there and the 70 pound hell-hound that insists on laying it’s wet nose on top of her bare foot.
Granted not the most exciting existence, but she tries to make up for it by writing romances populated with her own peculiar ilk of paranormal beasties.  Trolls, wyverns, the obscure Nordic brownie–she likes to keep things interesting. And bloody. (And mostly naked–but, we’ll keep that bit between us.)
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Tour giveaway:

1 Gray Shell Pearl Shamballa Style Bracelet from Bits and Pieces which is featured in the book and prize pack

Cry Wolf Bracelet

– The entire prize pack will include: the bracelet, some trinkets and wonderfully sarcastic little note from Mrs. Pott’s.

10 ecopies of ‘Twas the Darkest Night

Click on the Rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

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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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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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!

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My Teaser for today is from

White Heart Of Justice

A Noon Onyx Novel

by  Jill Archer

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Genre: YA paranormal/fantasy romance

Teaser #1 from page 37.

I was a waning magic user. My magic was deadly and my purpose was to be a demon peace-keeper, which sometimes meant I needed to execute rogare demons. I didn’t like killing, but I was capable of doing it.

Teaser #2 from page 85.

We both knew what the next part of the story was. It was the black moment of every story, the part where it all goes to hell.

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Book Description:

Since Lucifer claimed victory at Armageddon, demons, angels, and humans have coexisted in uneasy harmony. Those with waning magic are trained to maintain peace and order. But hostilities are never far from erupting…

After years of denying her abilities, Noon Onyx, the first woman in history to wield waning magic, has embraced her power. She’s won the right to compete in the prestigious Laurel Crown Race—an event that will not only earn her the respect of her peers but also, if she wins, the right to control her future.

However, Noon’s task is nearly impossible: retrieve the White Heart of Justice, a mythical sword that disappeared hundreds of years ago. The sword is rumored to be hidden in a dangerous region of Halja that she is unlikely to return from. But Noon’s life isn’t the only thing hanging in the balance. The sword holds an awesome power that, in the wrong hands, could reboot the apocalypse—and Noon is the only one who can prevent Armageddon from starting again…

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Amanda Lee’s Embroidery Mystery Series is so fun. I’ve read one other book in the series and was excited to get a chance to read Thread End.

Please, enjoy the excerpt and my reviews.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaways! Yep, there’s two!

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Thread End

by Amanda Lee

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Thread End:
An Embroidery Mystery

Series: Embroidery Mystery (Book 7)
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Signet (June 3, 2014)
ISBN-10: 0451467396 / ISBN-13: 978-0451467393
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MY REVIEW

I live in a small coastal town and we have a lot of small shops like The Seven Year Stitch. I enjoy wandering around, looking at all of the colorful items and usually walk out with things I didn’t plan on buying. It’s also fun to chat with the other folks and catch up on the latest news.

There’s a few things I look for in a cozy mystery. First, the cover art. It’s perfect for this series. I like how the author features  Marcy’s wolfhound, Angus, on the covers. I’m a huge dog lover and he adds a lot of humor and genuineness to the story.

The title is important also. It has to be catchy and fun. Thread End is perfect, as someone does meet their end.

There need to be colorful but flawed characters. Marcy is definitely flawed. She’s a magnet for dead bodies. Seems like, for such a small town, she ‘s always stumbling across a new victim.

There also has to be a theme, like the embroidery shop. I enjoy reading about the shop and how Marcy runs it and converses with her customers.

Next is the romance. Marcy and sexy Detective Ted Nash are getting serious and Marcy finally gets to meet his mother.

Finally, there’s the mystery. The author gives you a shady victim. He’s an art thief, and when the museum is robbed you’d think of him first. But that doesn’t work as Marcy finds him rolled up in one of the tapestries, dead, behind her shop.

There are plenty of suspects, with new characters and old. I had such fun sniffing out the clues. There are a lot of red herrings before you begin to get an idea who the culprit is.

What charmed me the most was the little details. Like Marcy waiting to put on her bright red lipstick until after she kisses Ted hello, or remembering to let her dog, Angus, in and out periodically throughout the book. These small things make the story come to life. They ground you in real life events.

The author also is very good at sprinkling in the back story of characters and past events without bogging down your reading. She casually mentions things in just the right places so you aren’t left wondering. That’s why I say you can read this series in any order. But I’d recommend starting at the beginning so you meet each new character as they are introduced and experience them as they grow.

If you like a good cozy mystery, I highly recommend Thread End and the rest of this series. They’ll tickle your funny bone, sharpen your sleuthing skills, and warm your insides with the enchanting romance.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Marcy can’t wait to see the new exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles, including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most unusual fashion.

The victim appears to be a visiting art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug? Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer.

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A Book Excerpt

I’d stayed up too late the night before; but even sleep deprived, I was chipper as Angus and I pulled into our usual parking spot outside the Seven-Year Stitch. I had seen Vera and Paul only briefly at the museum exhibit, so I supposed Vera would be in sometime today. I hoped she would anyway. It would be fun to relive the evening with her…going over the pieces we’d liked best. I wondered if she’d made the collector any offers. I grinned. Knowing Vera, she probably had.

I hopped out of the Jeep and snapped Angus’s leash onto his collar. He jumped out and sniffed the sidewalk while I unlocked the front door. As soon as we got inside, I took the leash off. Angus bounded over to the sit-and-stitch square where he’d left his favorite toy—a Kodiak bear Vera had brought him back from a trip she’d taken a few months ago.

I relocked the door. I still had about half an hour until the shop opened, and I liked to have the shop tidy and restocked when customers started coming in. The first order of business every Saturday morning was to take the trash out. The sanitation truck ran at noon every Saturday, so all the shops on our side of the street scrambled to get their garbage out to the receptacles before then.

Fortunately for me, the Seven-Year Stitch didn’t generate a lot of trash…especially when compared to MacKenzies’ Mochas. That shop produced more garbage in a day than the Stitch did in a week. In fact, Blake had to take their garbage out twice a day—double bagged so the food scraps wouldn’t attract bears.

I was thinking about bears, Blake, Sadie, and how Sadie had talked me into coming to Tallulah Falls and opening my shop—for which I would be forever grateful—when I stepped out the back door with my bag of trash. I tossed the bag into the bin, turned, and then gasped as I saw something lying against the wall.

For the world, the…thing…looked like the kilim Reggie had admired so much last night at the exhibit. But it couldn’t be…. Could it?

I crept closer. It was the rug—I recognized the colors and the unmistakable patterns. But what was it doing here?

I took another step toward the rolled up kilim and saw that it was badly stained. Had someone bought it, got something all over it, and left it here for the sanitation crew to dispose of? Surely not.

Maybe Vera had bought it, gotten it stained, and then left it here at the back of my store to see if I could clean it. No, that didn’t make any sense to me either, but I was really grasping at straws.

I took one more step closer and nudged the rug with my foot. I wasn’t about to touch such a valuable kilim until I found out why it was lying outside my shop.

When I pushed it, the rug rolled slightly. Then I spotted something…a hand! And the hand was attached to a body…that was attached to a face…a face that looked vaguely familiar.

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Gayle

About The Author

Amanda Lee, also writing as Gayle Trent, is a full-time writer living with her family in Southwest Virginia. She writes the embroidery mystery series as Amanda Lee and writes the cake decorating series and the Myrtle Crumb series as Gayle Trent.

 

 

 

 

Author Links

http://www.gayletrent.com/, http://www.gayletrent.com/blog/, http://www.killercharacters.com/, http://fatalfoodies.blogspot.com/, https://twitter.com/GayleTrent, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/426208.Gayle_Trent

AMAZON BOOK LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Thread-End-An-Embroidery-Mystery/dp/0451467396/ref=tmm_mmp_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1395856444&sr=1-1

Purchase Links
Amazon B&N

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Other books I’ve read in this series.

I won Thread on Arrival by Amanda Lee from a giveaway on Lori’s blog escape with dollycas.

I fell in love with the soft, pastel colors on the cover art. I love a cover that is, well, cozy.

Click on the cover for my review.

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I have two giveaways today!

You can enter both!

The first one is for a print copy of Thread End (Open Internationally)

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you if you win and leave some comment love. Tell us somethin!!

Now for the second giveaway! It’s open Internationally!

$50 Amazon Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

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Tour Participants

June 1 – Griperang’s Bookmarks – Review,
June 2 – Books-n-Kisses – Review, Interview, Giveaway
June 3 – fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews – Review, Giveaway
June 4 – Queen of All She Reads – Review, Guest Post,
June 5 – Brooke Blogs – Review
June 6 – Shelley’s Book Case – Review, Interview,
June 7 – Michelle’s Romantic Tangle – Review, Guest Post
June 8 – rantin’ ravin’ and reading – Review, Giveaway
June 9 – Back Porchervations – Review
June 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – Review, Guest Post,
June 11 – deal sharing aunt – Review, Interview, Giveaway
June 12 – Mochas, Mysteries and Meows – Guest Post, Giveaway
June 13 – Community Bookstop – Review
June 14 – Chloe Gets A Clue – Interview

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The Embroidery Series

The Quick and the Thread (An Embroidery Mystery, #1)  Stitch Me Deadly (An Embroidery Mystery, #2)  Thread Reckoning (An Embroidery Mystery, #3)  The Long Stitch Good Night (An Embroidery Mystery, #4)

Thread on Arrival (An Embroidery Mystery, #5)  15814877  18812364

Go here for more of Amanda Lee’s books.

And go here for Gayle Trent’s books.

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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 live on the Gulf Coast and I’m always looking for stories written about this area. The lush marshlands and eerie bayou’s make for great storytelling.

I fell in love with the cover art for Unstoppable. Once you read the synopsis, you’ll see how well it compliments the story. And it’s just so startling in its clarity.

I’m adding this book to my Summer reading list!

Panthers and vipers and gators and…..the prey.

Unstoppable by S.R. Johannes

 

Unstoppable
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After everything that has happened, Grace goes to the Everglades to live with her grandmother, Birdee. Even though she is now home-schooled by her bird-obsessed grandmother, the move gives Grace time to relax. She learns to scuba dive and starts boating with old man Rex, Birdee’s casual friend/boyfriend.
One day while out in the marshes of the Everglades, Grace rescues an abused Florida panther, currently on the endangered list. The more she dives into the animal’s horrific condition, the more she ventures into the underground world of the roadside zoos that run rampant in Florida with a total disregard for the law. Eventually, she stumbles upon one large roadside zoo filled with a variety of endangered and illegal animals.
Before she can gather evidence and report her findings to the authorities, she is kidnapped by the ruthless owner and dragged deep into the Everglades for a hunting challenge. Only this time, Grace is the prey.
During a sick game of cat and mouse, Grace is offered one chance at survival. With a one-hour head start and very little supplies, time and skill are now all that stands between the hunter and the hunted.
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add to goodreads
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SR JohannesAuthor S.R. Johannes:
S.R. Johannes is the award-winning author of the Amazon bestselling thriller series, the Nature of Grace (Untraceable and Uncontrollable). Unstoppable (book 3) is scheduled for May/June 2014. S.R. Johannes is currently repped by Lara Perkins at ABLA. For foreign rights on the Nature of Grace series, contact Jennifer Custer at AM Heath (London).
S.R. Johannes is the YA advisor of ALLi and a winner of the 2012 IndieReader Discovery Awards (Young Adult category) as well as a Silver medalist (2nd place) in the IPPY awards for YA Fiction. She was also nominated for 2012 Georgia Author of the Year (Young Adult category), a Finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult of 2012, and a YA Finalist in the US Book News Best Book of 2012.
After earning an MBA and working in corporate America doing marketing for over 15 years (Spanx and Good hair Products were my fav because of the perks :), S.R. Johannes traded in her expensive suits, high heels, and corporate lingo for a family, flip-flops, and her love of writing. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her dog, English-accented husband, and the huge imaginations of their little prince and princess, which she hopes- someday- will change the world.
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Blast Giveaway

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

Ends 6/16/19

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 love it. I found a new zombie series!
Check out Benton: A Zombie Novel by Jolie Du Pre
There’s also a really great giveaway so don’t forget to enter.
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Benton: A Zombie Novel
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Amazon (ebook) | Goodreads

(Available in print after June 1)



Zombies have killed everyone in the Benton household–all except twenty-something Jennifer. She’s escaped her bedroom, but what now? Waterbank, Illinois is overrun. Where can she go?



A chance encounter with seven other young survivors points her toward Texas. A charismatic, handsome young man named Mark says he can lead them all to his family’s ranch. He’s sure they’ll be safe there. Jennifer wants to trust him, with her life and possibly her heart.



There’s no place else to go, there’s no way to escape the zombies but through, and there’s no telling if Jennifer and Mark will live long enough to act on the emotion building between them.

 

 

Jolie DuPre




Goodreads| Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog

Mailing list | Google+ | YouTube



Jolie du Pre is a full-time, published author, editor, article writer and blogger. She has short stories in over 15 books; she’s the author of a novella, and she’s the editor of three anthologies. Today, Jolie’s focus is on her new adult/romance/zombie apocalypse series – BENTON. Jolie is a married mother of two who loves writing, reading, traveling, cooking, running, pole dance and fitness, and monsters, especially zombies.

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Feel free to use! (Using the banner also gains you giveaway entries!)

 

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Giveaway (US)
*Print copy of Benton
*ebook copy of Benton
*Dashboard Zombie (pictured below)
Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.
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This blitz was organized by:
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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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This Could Have Been Our Song! A coulda woulda shoulda ballad…
Coulda Woulda Shoulda Song #1
By- Danielle-Claude Ngontang Mba
Genre-Family saga/ chick lit/ interracial romance/ romantic comedy
 
Love can be such a “coulda, woulda, shoulda” song sometimes…
 
Lucia Mpobo-Riddell could have been a dancer like the rest of women of her family but instead she chose music. Marcus Grant could have been a doctor like the rest of his family but instead he chose music. She also could have not fallen for Marcus on her birthday but she did. And Marcus, he could have told Lucia the truth about his real reason for being in Toronto that night, but he didn’t. Now they have to deal with big reveals and consequences: Marcus almost stealing her job and being force to work on an album together. Marcus, because he couldn’t swallow his pride, leaves Toronto and goes home to London. Lucia, because she just couldn’t give up on her first amazing opportunity to produce a whole album. And to complicate the situation further, the band they’re working for is not the easiest one. Mary Gillis, Marcus’ on and off flame, still has a hold on him. Greg McMullen, Lucia’s close friend and former dance partner is back in town and has been in love with her for years. Then there’s Marcus and Lucia, in the middle of their own a professional and personal tug-of- war with each over and the rest of the world. But maybe things could still work out… All things considered, this could have been one heck of a love song!
 
      
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(more…)

 

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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:)

I didn’t add any new ones this week.

 

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Here are some I picked up this week.

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Got some good ones!

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Got some freebies for ya!

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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.

And a few more.

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You can also find more free books HERE.

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Books for Review.

The Discord Trilogy

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And Rubicon, Book 3 which I can’t reveal the cover for yet.

 

These are gonna be so fun!

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Books I won.

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I won The Lost and Broken Realm by Chris M. Arnone from the authors giveaway. Thanks so much Chris!

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Reviewed this week

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You can read my 5 STAR review HERE.

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Reviewing this coming week

I only have one scheduled but hope to add more.

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You can read my review and enter the giveaway on Tuesday, June 3rd.

 

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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.

Ligthning In My Wake by Lila Felix – Twitter Party and Giveaway

The Death Skull, Relic Defender #2 by Cassiel Knight ~ A Paranormal Romance and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesdays #68 ~ Valens Rise by Sherrel Lee

Vengeance Is Mine by Harry James Krebs ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

If you break the curse, you become the legend ~ Crane by Stacy Rourke ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Is Shadow-man real? The Transition of Johnny Swift by Kerry J Donovan ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

WWW Wednesday #35 ~ Shifters, Shifters, and…..More Shifters

His only ally is his captor ~ Unseen by Lauren Stewart ~ Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

Releasing in June ~ Lost in Starlight by Sherry Soule ~ Author Dream Cast

Can she survive? Blood Oath by Samantha Coville ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Freakin Friday #31 ~Reviewing Crimson Sins by Madeline Pryce ~ Sugar and spice and not so nice

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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.