Archive for January 6, 2015

Outsider_CVR_SML

Outsider Book Release and Goodies

This week marks the release of Outsider, the second book in Becca J. Campbell’s New Adult Paranormal series Flawed. To celebrate, Becca is hosting a giveaway and a book sale!

The Prize Pack

The giveaway at the end of this post is for a prize pack that includes: one autographed paperback of Outsider, one 12″ x 18″ poster of the cover art, and two square collector’s buttons (one of Empath and one of Outsider). Please note, this giveaway is open to those with an address in US or Canada.

Empath buttonOutsider Button

The Book Discount

The regular price of the Outsider eBook is $3.99, but for the first week, you can purchase a copy for only $2.99 (ends January 12th). On Jan. 13th, the price increases to $3.99, so make sure to get your copy now! Here are the purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes

****

My Review

I really enjoyed, Empath, the first book in this series, and Pulled, the shorter story about a side character, so I knew I’d enjoy Outsider.

Josh feels like an outsider. His friends and sibling have special abilities, but so far, he has none.

Hiding behind his shyness and low self-confidence, he just knows he’s meant to be special, but nothing has changed. Now out of college, he waits, hoping his ability will appear, hoping to be special like all the others.

Things do change when Alex moves in with his sister. He really likes her. Figures she has a special ability too. Now he really feels left out.

What does the future have in store for Josh? Will he ever gain a special ability? Will he ever get the girl? Will he ever be special?

I felt for Josh. I could see where his low self-esteem came from. It seems everyone around him has a special ability and he’s just plain old Josh. As the story develops and a very nasty villain sets his eye on Alex, he really came into his own.  The author let him grow, mature, become self-confident and brave, even without any abilities.

And Alex was a pleasure to meet. She had some spunk, but missed her friends back home. Moving away from home was never a question, but she was unsure if she’d fit in with this new place and new friends.

There was a sweet romance brewing too. Josh was crushing on Alex. Alex was crushing on Josh. Neither knew how the other felt. Neither felt confident enough to act on it. Made from some tender and funny moments.

And the villain is truly despicable. Ethan can hypnotize with his eyes. He uses it to con people out of their money and possessions, with them never remembering him. How low is that?

A botched attempt on Alex leaves him furious and bent on revenge. He’s planning something terrible and getting closer.

While you could read this before reading the first book, I’d recommend you read Empath first so you would be familiar with the plot and characters. There are some old ones and new ones in this story.

The ending was heart pounding and very satisfying, but it wasn’t the end. There were questions to be answered and a lead on where the story was going next. I felt there were dangerous times ahead for these characters and will be waiting to see what happens.

4 Stars

Was this review helpful?

If so, please consider liking it on Amazon HERE.

****

About Outsider (Flawed #2)

After a psychopath tried to kill his friends, Josh Schuyler figured ‘normal’ was far off. The real problem: Josh’s friends have all acquired supernatural abilities, while he’s still the same average guy.

Josh has always believed he was destined for greatness, but he’s been out of college for two years without a clue of his purpose. After watching his friends and siblings develop superhuman traits, he wonders if he might be meant for something grand, too. Can Josh even hope for an extraordinary event in his own future? And how long must he wait for this transformation – if there is one?

When Alex met the Schuylers, she was grateful for new friends to whisk her away from her lonely life in California and give her an escape from her divorced, bickering parents and aimless future. But Josh won’t drop his defenses, and Alex isn’t sure she wants to trade her old life for this new, uncertain one.

Nicodemus has an amazing ability he’s been milking for years to get whatever or whomever he wants. Things are going great until a young woman – Alex – inadvertently busts his latest swindle. Nic is furious when he discovers his power has been disabled, and he vows to find her in order to wreak his vengeance. She will be punished. All he needs is a little help from his friend, Ethan Black.

Josh has been waiting for his big break, or for the chance to be a hero, or just the opportunity to stand out in his own, extraordinary way.

Will Josh discover his purpose in time to stop Nic?

More Flawed Books

Empath eBook cover SMEmpath (Flawed #1)

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

.

My 5  Star Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Kobo | Inktera | Scribd

.

Pulled (A Flawed Short Story)

Pulled_CVR_XSMLEight-year-old Juniper has been labeled many things—troubled kid, orphan, runaway—but none of her foster families have known what she really is: a girl with a unique and brutally inconvenient ability to teleport.

Her spontaneous jumps are not only beyond her control, they get her into trouble. When Juniper disappears, no one believes her wild stories, so she’s stopped trying to convince them.

One day when Juniper gets pulled away, finding her way back is harder than ever. Stranded on the side of a deserted highway, she must rely on her own instincts to determine who is a creepy stranger and who she can trust.

Resourcefulness may get her home, but is getting home enough when you don’t have parents that love you?

Juniper knows something most people don’t: there are others like her with unexplained abilities. Until now, she’s exercised stranger-danger caution, but maybe these people can offer what she needs.

Will Juniper find a family she can share her secrets with?

My 4 Star Review

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes

Kobo | Inktera | Scribd

About the Author

IMG_9817 a lowresBecca J. Campbell is the author of the Flawed series as well as Science Fiction novels Foreign Identity and Gateway to Reality, and Sub-Normal, a series of short stories.

An avid lover of stories that tiptoe the line between fantasy and reality, Becca looks for new angles on bridging the gap between the two. She holds a special place in her heart for any story that involves superpowers or time travel. Her passion is defying the limits of her own creativity. You can find her on her Author Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Amazon.

.

.

.

.

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Giveaway

Enter the Outsider prize pack giveaway below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~

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

 

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

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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

~~~

My Tease for this week is from

AWOL

A Character Lost

by Anthony Renfro

I just learned the author is having a giveaway on Goodreads! Go HERE to enter for a chance to win a print copy!

23688927

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Tease from 1% in the eBook.

I know, not too far in, but I just loved this and it really does tease ya good.

“I don’t like the look of number 1.”

“You probably won’t like what’s behind most of the doors. I don’t write dramas or love stories.”

~~~

Synopsis

Imagine that you are a character in a story.

You have a home.

You have a life.

You have it all.

Then suddenly you wake up alone and afraid in a cold, dark place. Somehow you find your courage and your voice. When you ask for help, words light up on a wall in the darkness. You read them and realize you are in the creative center of your author’s mind. Instead of rescuing you, the author asks you for help.

This book is about the journey of that character, as he moves from story to story desperately trying to find his home.

~~~

I’ve read so many stories by Anthony and this is a longer one. The premise is so unique. I couldn’t wait to dig into it.

I’ll be reviewing this on January 10th. Can’t wait to share!

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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

Besides my Goodreads Reading Challenge that I do each year, I’ve chosen two other ones to join.

alphabet 2015

Hosted by Lori at Escape With Dollycas.

The Alphabet Soup Challenge means that by December 31, 2015
your bowls must be full of one book for each letter of the Alphabet.

Each Letter Counts As 1 Spoonful

spoons1

This is too fun to resist.

~~~~

And I had to join this Horror Reading Challenge.

Cornerfolds

Hosted by Tracy at Cornerfolds.

As much horror as I read I’ll have no problem reaching Horror Hound status of 16+ horror books.

You can check out the rules and join these challenges by clicking on the images.

You can follow my progress or join by going HERE.

Wish Me Luck!