Archive for December, 2015

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Good guys. Bad Guys. The Bermuda triangle.

What do they all have in common?

Check out A Storm Of Secrets to find out.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

A Storm Of Secrets

The Storm Surge Trilogy #1

by Shona Perrett

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Synopsis

Special Agent Rios wakes up in an abandoned aeroplane. He finds himself on an unfamiliar island in the Bermuda Triangle, suffering from what appears to be amnesia. He must search for clues about his identity, as well as decipher the secrets of the island itself.

But will the truth be too terrifying to live with? Strangers hell-bent on murder, stranded young pilots, and signs of organized weapons trade. These things only touch the surface. What lurks in the skies above is far more sinister.

There is a strange energy high above the clouds, stewing deep within the Bermuda waters. And it grows restless. A storm is coming. A storm like no other, seeking to invade their minds. With the help of his newly acquainted team of special ops pilots, Rios must find a way to stop the storm before it destroys them…from the inside out.

Enjoy this glimpse inside A Storm Of Secrets

The heat sank in like a deprived leech, eagerly awaiting its feast of blood. If this place was one or the other, it felt a lot like hell. Was he dead? Hard to know. He felt aloof, broken. But he always imagined death as quieter, like that gentle feeling you get before drifting off into a dream. This was more like a nightmare. Not frightening enough to rouse him from slumber, but not peaceful enough to let him rest.

The ticking of a clock sounded, dully at first, then rose in volume. It reminded him of a time gone by, a distant memory of people marching in single file. The sound rose, beckoning him. Ancient, mysterious. Like war drums, summoning him to consciousness.

Was this finally death? No. It couldn’t be. This was too loud a chant for even death. It was filled with passion, violence. No, this was life. But whose? The rhythm pulsed through the chasms of his being until all he could feel was its power, raw and unrelenting.

The climax of the drums rose to a deafening volume, in perfect tempo with the beating of his flurried heart. And then in one final rise it all went quiet. A nice, peaceful sort of quiet. He felt himself breathing in deeply as he opened his eyes to a dreary sky, sunlight peeking through the clouds like pinholes. He was alive. But where was he? And who was he? He remembered his name. Rios.

He glanced down at his side, noticing an open gash through his ripped shirt, blood oozing from the flesh. He was lying on his back. Rios patted at his torso, finding a small flask of whiskey in his jacket pocket. He sat up, pulled the flask out and unscrewed the cap, pouring a little over his wound. Groaning in pain, he drank the last quarter, hoping it would offer some relief. He took off his jacket and then his T-shirt and tied it in a knot around his waist to stop the blood flow.

Rios was in the aisle of a small aeroplane. Some of the chairs were strewn about, ripped from their bolts. Their blue cushions torn apart in places, drooping over the sides of the white and silver framing. Part of the roof had been torn off. The door exit sign to his left was hanging half off its hinges, still flickering, and there was an electrical buzz from the front of the plane.

Rios tried to call out for help, but all he could manage was a mumble. He took a moment, then propped himself up against the chair next to him. Rios scanned the aisles for people, but saw only empty chairs, the middle row stained in what appeared to be thick, sticky blood. Some of the overhead luggage compartments were open, suitcases and smaller bags scattered around the floor of the plane.

Puzzled, Rios peered cautiously out the windows. No one in sight. Only a clearing, followed by palm trees for what looked like miles on either side. He put his black jacket on unbuttoned and clambered down out of the wreckage, into the boggy swamp, a little over knee height. Where was he? Where was he headed before the crash? Frustrated, he pushed against his head, hoping the answers would pop out.

“Think damn it” he muttered to himself. “Where are you?”

Rios looked down, noticing a shiny grey briefcase in the water. Something in the back of his mind recalled it as important.

The water stirred as he picked up the metal case. It reflected clearly for a second as the muddy water parted, just long enough for him to notice that a figure had emerged from the trees behind him. His instincts kicked in.

Rios spun around as quickly as he took his next breath, holding a three inch knife to the man’s throat.

“Who are you!?”

Author Shona Parrett

a storm of secrets Shona

Shona Perrett is a first time author, blogger and closet poet. Her novel A Storm of Secrets is due to release November 2015. Shona studied applied writing in her home town of Whangarei, and is now looking to branch out into creative business enterprising.

Passionate about finding beauty in the dirt, she aims to write stories of redemption. Shona believes that narratives exist to teach us how to love one another. That every day, we all communicate through the medium of story, seeking out ways to connect with the world around us.

She believes they are one of the most ancient forms of creative expression and vulnerability, and are therefore a fundamental part of what it means to be human.

You can visit her at www.shonaperrett.com or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shona.perrett.

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

 

 

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Welcome to this week’s M9B Friday Reveal!

This week, we are revealing the cover for

Facsimile by Vicki L. Weavil

an upcoming Month9Books Title!

Author, Vicki L. Weavil, also shares her thoughts on the cover.

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

 

I love this cover because it reflects the book so well. The image of a girl standing alone on a desolate world is a perfect depiction of my protagonist, Ann, as well as her “sand over stone” world, Eco. But it’s also symbolic, because although Ann isn’t really alone, she often feels isolated on her frontier planet. The addition of the image of the Earth is also appropriately symbolic. Ann can’t actually see the Earth from Eco, but since her goal is to live on Earth it’s always on her mind, so the inclusion of the Earth image is a wonderful metaphor for her hopes and dreams.

 

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For a ticket to Earth, seventeen-year-old Anna-Maria “Ann” Solano is willing to jettison her birth planet, best friend, and the boy who loves her. Especially since all she’s required to do is escort Dace Keeling, a young naturalist, through the wilderness of the partially terraformed planet Eco. Ann‘s determination to escape the limitations of her small, frontier colony never falters, until Dace’s expeditions uncover three secrets. One offers riches, one shatters Ann’s perceptions of herself, and one reveals that the humans stranded on Eco are not its only inhabitants.

Ann’s willing to sacrifice friendship and love for a new life on Earth. But when an entire species is placed in jeopardy by her actions, she must make a choice – fulfill the dream that’s always sustained her, or save the planet she’s never considered home.

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Facsimile (Facsimile #1)
by Vicki L. Weavil
Publication Date: March 8, 2015
Publisher: Month9Books

Available for Pre-order:
Amazon | B&N

 

About-the-Author

 

Vicki Weavil 11

Vicki L. Weavil is represented by Fran Black of Literary Counsel. Her Young Adult Fantasy, CROWN OF ICE — a dark YA retelling of H.C. Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” — is published by Month9Books. Two companion books to CROWN OF ICE — SCEPTER OF FIRE and ORB OF LIGHT — will be published in 2016 and 2017.
Her YA SciFi — FACSIMILE — will be published by Month9Books in 2016, with a sequel, DERIVATION, to follow.
A new YA Fantasy, THE DIAMOND THIMBLE, will be published by Month9Books in 2018.
She also writes adult SciFi.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Tumbler

 

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win.
Title will be sent upon its release.

 

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

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

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from

 Shadows

The Rephaim #1

by Paula Weston

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My 56

My breath comes out in a sigh.

“What?” he says.

“You like keeping me off balance.”

“You can talk.”

I almost forgot how pissed off I am with him.  “Yeah, well, I’m not doing it intentionally.”

She has good reason to be mad at him in this scene!

I won the first two books in this series, and I’ve been wanting to try Paula Weston’s books. I just finished Shadows and started Haze. Having a great time.

Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

It’s almost a year since Gaby Winters watched her twin brother die. In the sunshine of a new town her body has healed, but her grief is raw and constant. It doesn’t help that every night in her dreams she fights and kills hell-beasts. And then Rafa comes to town. Not only does he look exactly like the guy who’s been appearing in Gaby’s dreams, he tells her things about her brother and her life that cannot be true, things that are dangerous. Who is Rafa? Who are the Rephaim? And who is Gaby? The truth lies in the shadows of her nightmares.

Amazon

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways click on the Christmas Flamingos below!

(more…)

 

The Traitor's Trap
The Traitor’s Trap

by Brendan Murphy

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It’s tough being a thirteen-year old schoolboy, especially when you’re a coward and the big brother who stuck up for you is dead. Oh, and you’ve been thrust into a magical realm you’re expected to save single-handedly. Sebastian Duffy has to learn an awful lot of skills in a hurry if he is to defeat Phobitor by stealing the Spear of Lugh from the peace-loving Tuath. He’s been given some help of course–a mercurial sorceress, an orphaned druidess, a taciturn warrior, a snuff-sniffing leprechaun and a lovelorn poet– an outfit known as the Hibernauts, but can he really overcome a psychopathic, warmongering god when half the realm is bent on his destruction? If he is to have the remotest chance he will have to do deal with aiia, cluricaun, brigands, woodwose, undead warriors, speckled bats, spies, hunkypunks, traitors, skeletons and battle-swine first. And are those Tuath really so peaceable? If only he could find his courage.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise for The Traitor’s Trap

An imaginative epic…an intricate and fully realised fantasy world with a big cast of likeable characters that are charming, well drawn and endearing, with wonderfully apt names. The depth and breadth of the author’s high-voltage imagination, and the richness of the world created is very impressive.
~Sam Mills, author of Blackout, The Boys Who Saved the World, and The Quiddity of Will Self

I cannot say just how much I have enjoyed this book … a very accomplished writer with a wonderfully rich imagination and an incredibly inventive mind. Readers will come to love the many wonderful creations in this novel, it is jam-packed with the most wonderful and inventive characters; new, exciting and beautifully realized. ~Cherry Mosteshar, author of Unveiled: One Woman’s Nightmare in Iran

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BrendanAuthor Brendan Murphy

Brendan Murphy was raised in Sheffield, England, with dreams of becoming a writer, and has written every day since he was nine years old. After reading medicine in London and psychiatry in Manchester, he moved to Australia in 1999. He is an Associate Professor at Monash University and has written widely on youth mental health. His nonfiction work on the development of football in Victorian society, From Sheffield with Love, was published in 2007. He is contracted to Assent Publishing for his six-book fantasy series, Sebastian and the Hibernauts. The first adventure, Beyond the Gloaming was published in 2014 and the sequel, The Traitor’s Trap, in 2015. He is a columnist for Aontacht magazine. He lives with his wife, Katrina, and their children, Sebastian and Violette, in a sprawling property built for the composer, Dorian Le Gallienne. They share their garden with a mob of kangaroos, a wombat, two possums, any number of creepy crawlies, and some very feisty kookaburras.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

 

 

50_Amazon_PaypalBookBlast Giveaway

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash

Ends 12/20/15

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 and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

CLICK ON THE RAFFLECOPTER LINK BELOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

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Until the next time….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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I’m excited to welcome you to the release event for No Substitute for Mistakes by Carolyn J. Rose. This is the fifth book in the Subbing isn’t for Sissies series and is now available for sale! This is a cozy mystery series and the first three books are only .99 cents!

About the Book:
When substitute teacher Barbara Reed agrees to fill in for an instructor at a juvenile detention facility, she fears it’s a huge mistake. The job is stressful and confining. But Barb needs a paycheck, and a looming teachers’ walkout could eliminate regular subbing opportunities in Reckless River , Washington .

On her first day “behind bars,” Barb recognizes one young offender. When he claims he’s innocent, she sets out to investigate his crime—stealing a pedigreed cat. Her drug cop boyfriend urges caution, but Barb once had a run-in with the cat’s wealthy owner and thinks the kid was set up.

Meanwhile, someone is ghostwriting a cat-bashing blog for Barb’s entitled dog Cheese Puff. Several cat lovers aren’t amused. They post comments vowing to track down the little mutt and make sure Cheese Puff never blogs, barks, or breathes again. While members of the Cheese Puff Care and Comfort Committee scramble to uncover the blogger, a duck with attitude makes fur and feathers fly.

Then things get worse. Disgruntled teachers hire Barb’s bombastic sister to lead their protest. Barb’s friend Paulette discovers her interior decorating assignment pays in drug money. And Barb learns the hard way that snooping can be hazardous to her health.

 
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Don’t miss out on the first three books, only .99 cents!

 
And the fourth book, No Substitute for Myth.
 
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About the Author:



Carolyn J. Rose grew up in New York’s Catskill Mountains, graduated from the University of Arizona, logged two years in Arkansas with Volunteers in Service to America, and spent 25 years as a television news researcher, writer, producer, and assignment editor in Arkansas, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. She lives in Vancouver, Washington, and her interests are reading, gardening, swimming, and NOT cooking. Find out more about her and her books at http://www.deadlyduomysteries.com

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GIVEAWAY:
$50 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
Ends Dec. 23
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.

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This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.

 

BLOODCRAFT

Release: December 15th, 2015
Cover design by Alan Pranke

All magic has its price, and no one knows that better than Victoria Warrick. Gifted with a centuries-old blood curse, Tori has finally learned to master her blood’s demands and has emerged triumphant with Christian Devereux, a vampire overlord, at her side.

But the worst is yet to come …

In the infamous City of Lights, home to both the Witch Clans and the Vampire Council, Tori enrolls at the exclusive Belles Fontaines school in Paris, where she is faced with a devastating choice: choose Christian and be an outcast, or choose the coven and secure her place with the witches.

When the fate of the supernatural world is targeted by a sinister new threat, Christian and Victoria must unite their two warring species to defeat it. Their bond will be tested, twisted, and sorely weakened, and Tori will find herself in uncharted territory—a dangerous place to be when her blood’s magic has its own dark agenda.

But to save them all, she may have no choice but to invoke its deadly power.

NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!
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ABOUT BLOODSPELL

 

The spell was simple…

Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)

But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?

Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds — much less one that reveals she’s a witch with unimaginable power.

What’s more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own…

Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood’s deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?





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ABOUT AMALIE HOWARD

 

 

AMALIE HOWARD grew up on a small Caribbean island (Trinidad & Tobago) where she spent most of her childhood with her nose buried in a book or running around barefoot, shimmying up mango trees and dreaming of adventure. 25 countries, surfing with sharks and several tattoos later, she has traded in bungee jumping in China for writing the adventures she imagines instead. She isn’t entirely convinced which takes more guts.

An aspiring writer from a young age, Amalie’s poem “The Candle,” written at age twelve, was published in a University of Warwick journal. At fifteen, she was a recipient of a Royal Commonwealth Society Essay Award (a global youth writing competition). A Colby College graduate, she completed simultaneous Honors Theses in both French and International Studies, and graduated Summa Cum Laude/Phi Beta Kappa. At Colby, she was cited for research and criticism in Raffael Scheck’s article, “German Conservatism and Female Political Activism in the Early Weimar Republic,” and his subsequent book, Mothers of the Nation. She also received a distinction in English Literature from the University of Cambridge (A-levels) as well as a certificate in French Literature from the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. Traveling the globe, she has worked as a research assistant, marketing representative, teen speaker and global sales executive.

She is the author of several young adult novels critically acclaimed by Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, and Booklist, including Waterfell, The Almost Girl, and Alpha Goddess, a Spring 2014 Kid’s INDIE NEXT title. Her debut novel, Bloodspell, was a #1 Amazon bestseller and a Seventeen Magazine Summer Read. As an author of color and a proud supporter of diversity in fiction, her articles on multicultural fiction have appeared in The Portland Book Review and on the popular Diversity in YA blog. She currently resides in Colorado with her husband and three children. She is represented by the Liza Royce Agency and is a member of SCBWI.

 

  • Kindle Fire giveaway is open to US residents due to shipping restrictions.
  • Paperback copies of BLOODSPELL & BLOODCRAFT are open to US and INT readers.
  • This giveaway is sponsored by Amalie Howard.
  • Leading up to the release of BLOODCRAFT, more entries/options will be added to the rafflecopter to double your chances!
CLICK ON THE RAFFLECOPTER LINK BELOW TO ENTER
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Until I see you again….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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blogtour

Welcome to my tour stop for the Zimmah Chronicles by Scott King! This is a middle grade fantasy series. The tour runs December 1-11with reviews, interviews, guest posts and excerpts.
Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

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CvsB New CoverCupcakes vs. Brownies

Zimmah the djinn isn’t evil. He simply thinks the world would be more fun if everything was made of desserts. So when ten-year-old Karim Jacobs makes a wish to fix his parent’s marriage it’s not Zimmah’s fault that he twists the wish. He couldn’t help himself. Candypunk airships and cupcake castles are cool!Of course Karim isn’t happy about his wish going astray, specially when running into fantastical creatures like gummy-grizzly-bears and rock candy beasts; and although he desperately wants to go home, he finds himself in the middle of a war between the Cupcake Kingdom and Brownie Kingdom. With his parents lives in danger, its up to him to stop Zimmah and restore the world to normal.

 

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Enjoy this glimpse inside

“That won’t do,” he said. The man snapped his fingers. From nowhere an alabaster double-breasted suit with a fiery red tie materialized on his body.

“What are you?” Karim asked.

“I am Zimmah, a djinn.”

“I don’t know what a djinn is.”

“Djinn are what the legends of genies are based on.”

“You’re a genie?” Karim’s eyes widened.

“No, djinn.”

“Does that mean I get three wishes?”

“No,” Zimmah said. “As a djinn, I don’t have to grant any wishes if I don’t want to. Besides, I can read you like a book. You are boring.”

“I am not boring!”

“Would you wish for women, money, fame, or power?”

“Ewww, no.” Karim’s face squished as if he had eaten peas. “Why would I want any of that?”

“See, boring.” Zimmah crouched down, bringing his pointy nose directly in line with Karim’s. “You ooze with honesty and goodness. Why would I give someone like you a wish?”

Karim didn’t know why Zimmah should give him a wish. He didn’t see himself as being a special person. He hadn’t achieved great things in life. He was an ordinary ten-year-old boy, but he wasn’t going to let that get in the way. If the would-be genie wanted a show, then he would give him a show.

Reaching into the mist that surrounded them, Karim’s fingers found the cherry-wood bar. In one fell swoop he swished his arm across it, knocking dozens of antique bottles onto the floor. Not a single bottle broke. Clanging and rattling, they rolled in different directions. “Is that boring?”

“Yes,” Zimmah said. “If that’s the most exciting you can be, I pity you.”

“Then maybe I should be a charity case?” Karim asked. “You can do this pro bono, like when a lawyer helps out someone who can’t afford them. That is, if you can actually grant wishes.”

“Try me.”

“Okay, I wish my dog Lion was a real lion.” Karim ruffled the fur at the back of Lion’s neck. “No, not a real lion, but a snow lion!”

“That makes no sense,” Zimmah said. “There is no such thing as a snow lion.”

“Then that proves my point. You can’t grant wishes.”

Zimmah snapped.

A gargantuan male lion sat in Lion’s place. His fur was as white as snow, and a burly black mane clung to his neck. Three times larger than what he used to be, his back was eye level with Karim, and his paws alone were bigger than Karim’s head.

Turning, Lion opened his mouth revealing razor sharp teeth, as if to swallow Karim. Extending his tongue, Lion licked Karim across the face. It wasn’t the wet soggy kiss of a dog. It was as rough as sandpaper.

“Holy moley.” Karim’s mouth gaped. “You’re a real-life genie!”

“Djinn. I’m a djinn.”

“This is so awesome.”

“Yes, I am very impressive.”

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MvsU Cover AmazonMermaids vs. Unicorns

Zimmah the wicked djinn thought he was so smart. He thought nothing could stop him, let alone a mere child. That was until he met Whitney, a devilish girl who used his own powers against him.A wish gone wrong sends Zimmah, Whitney, and Karim to The Otherworld, a magical land where Mermaids and Unicorns are caught in an epic war. All Whitney wants is to save her sick mother, all Karim wants is to get home, and all Zimmah wants is revenge on the children who have tricked him.

Amazon | Goodreads | iTunes | Kobo***

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GvsD Cover ebook coverGenie vs. Djinn
The chaotic magic of hundreds of djinn are destroying San Francisco. Dinosaurs. Butterfly volcanos. Buildings made of jello– If someone can wish it, it’s happening. Unable to access his own powers, Zimmah the former djinn, must rely on Karim and Whitney’s help.
Standing in their way is Alkema, Zimmah’s murderous father, an almost omnipotent ifrit who enjoys watching the suffering of others. If not stopped he will not only destroy the city, but plunge the entire world into total madness.
 
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Scott KingAbout the Author:
Scott King is a writer and photographer. He was born in Washington D.C. and raised in Ocean City, Maryland. He received his undergraduate degree in film from Towson University, and his M.F.A. in film from American University.
“DAD! A Documentary Graphic Novel,” King’s first book was published in Fall ’09. He is also the creator and writer of “Holiday Wars” and he is known for his board game photography, specifically his annual calendar that highlights tabletop and hobby games.
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GIVEAWAY:
$25 Amazon gift card (INT)
Ends December 16th
Prizing is provided by the author, must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law.
.
CLICK ON THE RAFFLECOPTER LINK BELOW TO ENTER.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
 ~~~~~

Until I see you again….

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

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

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The Skull Collector

by Paris Singer

Skull Collector Front Cover

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Booktrope/ Foresaken

Date of Publication: November 17th

ISBN: 978-1-51370-450-0

Number of pages: 134 / Word Count: 43029

Cover Artist: Yosbe Design

Book Description:

In a world in which children are exploited, monsters are saviors, and dark magic is constantly at play, a little girl will go to any lengths to be reunited with her lost ones.

After the disappearance of her parents, a heartbroken child is sold to the Doll-Maker who promises to revive them. In return, she is to travel from cemetery to cemetery, unearthing graves and collecting skulls.

While doing so, she must avoid the Violinist and his crows, who are determined to steal the skulls she has painstakingly gathered.

As she travels across the province, with her life in constant peril from vengeful policemen to furious villagers to strange creatures, the little girl must use her wits to succeed in her macabre mission.

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Chapter One

 

Our story begins in the cradle of a little girl’s anguish and despair, without which there would be no tale to recount.

On a dark, stormy night, like on many others, we find her wailing inconsolably under the warming caress of a street light by the side of a nameless, muddy road. She cries, for her parents mysteriously vanished not a week ago, leaving her utterly, miserably alone.

As was the way of things in the quiet province she inhabited, should one disappear without first declaring it to the town hall, by way of application, one’s entire estate and contents would legally pass to the proper authorities. This instance being no different, the little girl’s home had been seized immediately and locked three times by its new owners. Alone in the world, the little girl had looked to the police sergeant for help.

“What is it?” he had barked.

Fighting to hold back her tears, the little girl had mustered nothing more than, “…Please, sir,” as she’d clutched dearly to the only possession she had left: a stuffed bear once given to her by her mother on her birthday.

The police sergeant had watched her briefly then, with softening eyes and a wry smile peering through his bushy moustache, he’d said, “I have a girl about your age.”

He’d knelt down beside her and patted the damp hair on her shivering head a little too hard.

Times being harsh for most and kindness deemed an ugly myth, there was no room for noble gestures or acts of compassion. This instance being no different, the police sergeant had suddenly snatched the little girl’s teddy bear from her freezing fingers.

“My daughter will love this, she will,” he’d said, as he stood and walked away from her to the police cart. “Let’s go, boys!”

The sound of whipping cracked the air and the horses at once began to gallop, sending a thick spray of mud from the wheels flying all over the little girl.

As tears flowed down her muddy, sodden cheeks, two glowing eyes emerged from the dark stillness of the night. Unblinking, they watched her a while, hanging like tiny, yellow orbs.

A moment later, the eyes began to etch closer and closer, until the shadowy figure of a thin man was revealed. His shabby attire was matched by an old cloth cap he wore on his head, which shrouded all facial features except his somewhat bulbous nose.

“What ‘ave we ‘ere, then?” he enquired. “Why are you crying, lil’ girl? Why all alone?” As he spoke, he seemed unaware that he was rubbing his hands together.

Her parents having taught her not to speak to strangers, the little girl felt hesitant about replying to him. As if reading her mind, the scrawny man said, “Oh, you can talk to me, lil’ girl, I won’t ‘arm ya. I’m just a concerned ci’izen looking to ‘elp ano’ver.”

Wanting to believe in the inherent good in people, the little girl replied, “My…My parents are gone, and I have nowhere to go, sir.” At her final word, the little girl burst into tears once again, as if her statement had somehow made events as cold and real as stone.

Ooh, there, there,” said the man, drawing slowly closer to her. “Don’t you worry your lil’ ‘ead.

Squidge is ‘ere to ‘elp. I just so ‘appen to know someone who can ‘elp ya, if you’ll follow me.”

The little girl hesitantly considered his words and came to the conclusion she had no other choice but to follow him.

“That’s my girl!” exclaimed the wiry man contently, as he offered her his hand to hold.

As much as the little girl wanted to trust the wiry man, she felt uncomfortable with the idea of holding his hand, especially as the last one she had held had belonged to her mother, and she wanted to keep it that way.

“Suit you’self, Love. Come this way,” he grinned.

He led her into the cold darkness of empty streets to the tenebrous hollow of Midnight Forest,

known throughout the province to contain terrible things beyond the mere imaginings of mortal beings. As such, a certain understanding was said to have been devised in times when magic and myths were created, that, should people refrain from crossing the boundary that led into the forest, no evil within would flow into the land of the living. That was what they believed and seemed to be content with.

“…Isn’t this the forest we are not supposed to go into?” asked the little girl, tentatively. “Oh, this? Nah, they’s just superstitions, they is. Load of cod’s wallop, if you ask me!”

The little girl walked as fast as she could to keep up with the man’s long, bandy legs, each stride of which like four of her own.

“Come on! ‘Is place isn’t far—if you know where you’re goin’, that is. ‘E doesn’t like bein’ disturbed, see?”

Endlessly into the forest they seemed to walk, as wooden pillars, like ever-reaching fingers, twisted in around them at every step and enormous toadstools shielded them from the moon’s gaze. As the little girl struggled to keep up, she tried not to focus on the strange crunching and squelching sounds underfoot, as she sliced her way through a dense sea of lightly blue fog.

The further they walked, the denser the forest appeared to be. Just as the little girl felt as though she would collapse from exhaustion, the man she followed came to a stop and announced,

“’Ere we are!”

Nearly walking straight into the back of his stringy legs, she felt a combination of relief and anxiety at the sight of what stood before her. An old, ramshackle structure appeared to barely stand, as the trees and brush coiled and climbed and covered most of its rusted corrugated walls; its roof was utterly smothered by a blanket of dead and dying leaves. Though the structure appeared dilapidated, it’s windows were whole and clean, a detail the little girl found quite odd. Beyond the windows, a flickering light somewhere within made shadows dance upon the walls and ceiling inside.

The thin, shabby man suddenly turned with a wide grin and gleefully spoke. “This, lil’ girl, is the Doll-Maker’s workshop.”

~~~~~

Play List

Playlist/ Soundtrack for The Skull Collector

  1. Erik Satie—Gnossienne No. 1
  2. BrunuhVille—The Eternal Forest
  3. Adrian Von Ziegler—Night Mist
  4. Hans Zimmer & Joshua Bell—503
  5. Danny Elfman: Castle on the Hill

                                     The Final Confrontation

                                       Farewell…

  1. Danny Elfman: Little Alice

                                       The Cheshire Cat

  1. Sibelius: Violin Concerto
  2. Camille Saint Saëns—Danse Macabre
  3. The Little Girl: Danny Elfman—Ice Dance
  4. The Doll-Maker: Danny Elfman—The Cookie Factory
  5. Sooty: Prokofiev—Peter and the Wolf: The Bird
  6. The Violinist: John Corigliano—Anna’s Theme

About Author Paris Singer:

Paris Singer Photo

Paris Singer was born in Brussels, Belgium. He has lived in the U.K. and in various places in Spain, where he currently resides. At university, he studied English law and Spanish law. He didn’t like it. He then studied translation and didn’t like it, either. Currently, he is an English teacher in the south of Spain. He has far too many interests, he’s told, a few of which being sports, playing his old guitar, learning Japanese, painting, reading and cooking. Not a day goes by, however, where he doesn’t write something, be it under a palm tree or on a bench at a bus stop somewhere.

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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CITY OF GOLD

by Carolyn Arnold

CITY OF GOLD

City of Gold

(Matthew Connor Adventure Series Book 1)

Hardcover: 314 pages

Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc (November 27, 2015)

ISBN-13: 978-1988064666

ASIN: B016LLDQIY

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Synopsis

Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.

Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death…

Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.

Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.

Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.

~~~~~

Prologue

REPUBLIC OF INDIA

THE SOUND OF HIS THUMPING heartbeat was only dulled by the screeching monkeys that were performing aerial acrobatics in the tree canopy overhead. Their rhythmic swinging from one vine to the next urged his steps forward but not with the same convincing nature as did the bullets whizzing by his head.

Matthew glanced behind at his friends and was nearly met with a bullet between the eyes. He crouched low, an arm instinctively shooting up as if he’d drop faster with it atop his head. The round of shots hit a nearby tree, and splintering bark rained down on him.

“Hurry!” he called out, as he peered at his companions.

“What do you think we’re—” Cal lost his footing, tripping over an extended root, his arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance.

Robyn, who was a few steps ahead of Cal, held out a hand, her pace slowing as she helped steady him.

“Pick it up, Garcia!” Matthew didn’t miss her glare before he turned back around. He hurdled through the rainforest, leaping over some branches while dipping under others, parting dangling vines as he went, as if they were beaded curtains.

His lungs burned, and his muscles were on fire. One quick glance up, and the monkeys spurred him on again. Not that he needed more than the cries of the men who were chasing him. The voices were getting louder, too—growing closer.

Robyn caught up to Matthew. “What happened to natives with poison darts?”

“The modern-day savage packs an AK-47 and body armor.”

Several reports sounded. Another burst of ammunition splayed around them.

“If we get out of this alive, you owe me a drink.” Her smile oddly contrasted their situation.

“I’ll buy you each two,” Matthew promised.

Cal ran, holding the GPS out in front of him, his arm swaying up and down, and Matthew wasn’t sure how he read it with the motion.

“Where do you expect to take us, Cal? We’re in the middle of a damn jungle,” Robyn said.

“Round here. Go right,” Cal shouted.

Another deafening shot rang out and came close to hitting Matthew.

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” Matthew ramped up his speed, self-preservation at the top of his list while the idol secured in his backpack slipped down in priority.

Most of their pursuers were yelling in Hindi, but one voice came through in English. He was clearly the one giving directions, and from his accent, Matthew guessed he was American, possibly from one of the northern states.

“I have to stop…and…breathe.” Robyn held a hand to her chest.

“We stop and we’re dead. Keep moving.” Cal reached for her arm and yanked.

Matthew slowed his pace slightly. “Robyn, you could always get on Cal’s back.”

“What?” Cal lowered the arm that was holding the GPS.

She angled her head toward Matthew. “If you think I’m going to get up there like some child, you are sorely mistaken.”

Matthew laughed but stopped abruptly, his body following suit and coming to a quick halt. He was teetering on the edge of a cliff that was several stories high, looking straight down into a violent pool of rushing water. He lifted his gaze to an upstream waterfall that fed into the basin.

Cal caught Matthew’s backpack just in time and pulled him back to solid ground.

The rush of adrenaline made Matthew dizzy. He bent over, braced his hands on his knees, and tucked his head between his legs. He’d just come way too close to never reaching his twenty-ninth birthday.

Robyn punched Cal in the shoulder. “Go right, eh? Good directions, wiseass. Maybe next time we’ll just keep going straight.”

“Sure, blame the black guy,” Cal said.

More bullets fired over the empty space of the gorge.

“What do we do now?” Cal asked.

Matthew forced himself to straighten to a stand. He hadn’t brought them all the way here to die. He’d come to retrieve a priceless artifact, and by all means, it was going to get back to Canada. He pulled off his sack, quickly assessed the condition of the zippers, and shrugged it back on. He tightened the straps, looking quickly at Cal and then at Robyn. One stood to each side of him. He had to act before he lost the courage. He put his arms out behind them.

Robyn’s eyes widened. “What are you doing, Matt? You can’t honestly be thinking of—”

Matthew wasn’t a religious man, but he was praying for them on the way down.

~~~~~

Author Carolyn Arnold

Carolyn Author Photo 2013 Color

CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™

Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.

Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:

Websitehttp://carolynarnold.net/

Twitterhttps://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold

And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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