Archive for January, 2017

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Triple Love Score

by Brandi Megan Granett

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Genre: Contemporary Romance

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Synopsis

Miranda Shane lives a quiet life among books and letters as a professor in a small upstate town. When the playing-by-the-rules poet throws out convention and begins to use a Scrabble board instead of paper to write, she sets off a chain of events that rattles her carefully planned world.

Her awakening propels her to take risks and seize chances she previously let slip by, including a game-changing offer from the man she let slip away. But when the revelation of an affair with a graduate student threatens the new life Miranda created, she is forced to decide between love or poetry.

Excerpt

Miranda played mystery on a double word score with a blank tile. “Bingo,” she chorused. “Fifty points.” She hopped up to do a victory dance. As she did, her foot clipped the table, and the tile bag toppled over.

They both bent to pick them up. He smelled like Old Spice, the way her father did before the chemo made her mom’s nose too sensitive. “You,” Miranda started to say, to ask or to explain why she couldn’t stop staring at him.

“You,” he said in reply.

Then he leaned in closer and pressed his lips against hers. His eyelashes stirred against her cheeks as he closed his eyes. She leaned in closer. And neither one moved to stop. For a very long moment, lips slightly parted, they breathed in the same air, as they hovered in the sweet spot right after a kiss.

Then his phone went off, startling them both.

He snapped backwards and patted down his pockets for the source of the interruption. He stared at the number. “I think I have to take this,” he said. “Some kind of hospital.”

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Author Brandi Megan Granett

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Brandi Megan Granett is an author, online English professor, and private writing mentor. She holds a PhD in Creative Writing from Aberystwyth University, Wales, an MFA in Fiction from Sarah Lawrence College, a Masters in Adult Education with an emphasis on Distance Education from Penn State University, and a BA from the University of Florida.

Granett is the author of My Intended (William Morrow, 2000). Her short fiction has appeared in Pebble Lake Review, Folio, Pleiades and other literary magazines, and is collected in the volume Cars and Other Things That Get Around.

In addition, she writes an author interview series for the Huffington Post, and is a member of the Tall Poppy Writers, a community of writing professionals committed to growing relationships, promoting the work of its members, and connecting authors with each other and with readers.

When Granett is not writing or teaching or mothering, she is honing her archery skills. She lives in New Jersey with her husband, daughter and two dogs.

Author Social Media Links

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads

Purchase Links:  Amazon / B&N

On sale right now for 99 cents!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

Goddess Fish Promotions

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

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 Teaser for this week is from

 The Dog

by Amy Cross

The Dog by [Cross, Amy] 

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

My Teaser from 17% in the eBook.

I don’t sleep during the night. Neither does Jon. He sits at the table, near the gun, while I stay out on the porch, watching the dark forest.

The whole world is so silent, it’s as if Jon and I are the only living things left.

I thought this would be an interesting change of pace for a zombie book. It’s told from Harry’s point of view. He’s Jon’s Jack Russell Terrier.

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Synopsis

There will be many who witness the end of human civilization.

But few who live beyond the first day.

When Jon takes his dog Harry to a remote cabin for the week, he just wants to get away from the rest of the world. And then one morning, after finding that his phone is dead, Jon looks at the city in the distance and realizes that something seems very wrong.

All the power has gone out. At night, the city is completely dark. There are no planes in the sky, and when Jon drives to the nearest gas station, he finds a desolate and bloody scene. He refuses to believe that something truly awful has happened, however, until he spots a figure stumbling through the forest, heading ever closer.

Soon Jon is facing a desperate fight for survival. While he and his dog have been up at the cabin, the whole world has been struck by a huge, global catastrophe that has left billions dead. Can Jon and his dog survive, or are they doomed to suffer the same fate?

The Dog is a novel about the end of the world, told through the eyes of a dog who finds himself stuck at a remote cabin with only his owner for company.

Amazon

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The first cover is the edition I have from Amazon. This is the alternate cover from Goodreads.

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Which do you like better?

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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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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Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews where I share short reviews of books I’ve read. For today I’ll be sharing two thrillers. Tracker by James Rollins. And The Kill Switch is from a new series I’m really excited about, co-authored by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood.

Tracker

Sigma Force #7.5

by James Rollins

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Genre: Thriller

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My Review

I was so excited to get this short story. I first encountered Tucker and his canine partner, Kane, in the author’s Sigma Force book, Bloodlines, another great series.

Tucker can’t stand by when he sees a damsel in distress. Before he can say shit storm, he’s in one. Turns out the men following said damsel are after a treasure stolen by Nazis during World War II.

The action and danger are palpable. There’s hardly time to breathe. And there’s no guarantees that Tucker or Kane will get through it unscathed.

This is an up close and personal introduction to Tucker and his mighty dog, Kane. They work as a team, their bond so strong it seems like they read each others minds. It didn’t take me long to become attached to them, and it was fascinating to see them in action.

Tucker and Kane now have their own series and I’m already reading the second book. These characters are larger than life and the action never stops.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a stirring story of a soldier and his military war dog who are drawn into a dark mystery tracing back to World War II and a lost treasure tied to the bones of the dead.

Off the blustery streets in the medieval heart of Budapest, Captain Tucker Wayne and his war dog, Kane, rescue a mysterious woman fleeing three armed men. The secret she holds will unlock a terrible treasure, one steeped in blood and treachery, tied to a crime going back to the fall of Nazi Germany and a heritage of suffering and pain that reaches out from the past to wreak havoc today. In a final showdown in the depths of a lost cemetery, truths will be unearthed, treasures exposed, and the fate of all will rest upon the shoulders of one man and a dog whose courage is beyond measure.

Included within this thrilling story is a sneak peek at the opening chapters of Bloodline, in which the further exploits of Tucker and Kane will be revealed.

Amazon

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The Kill Switch

by James Rollins

and Grant Blackwood

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Genre: Thriller

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My Review

I’ve read most of James Rollins books. One of the things that I love about his stories is that he mixes the larger than life scenarios with mysterious events from days long passed. From ancient artifacts and biological weapons to undiscovered creatures and the latest in technology, it’s always a thrilling adventure.

I first met army ranger Tucker Wayne and his military dog, Kane, in Bloodlines, a Sigma Force novel. Now they have their own series and I couldn’t be happier.

Right out of the gate you’re with Tucker and Kane on the job. How they work as a team is amazing and my favorite parts in the book. Being a dog lover myself, the bond between them touched me in a big way. And also reading from Kane’s point of view brought home their affection for each other. It was sweet how they reassured each other, how Kane was so ferocious in his defense of Tucker, and how Tucker was torn when having to put Kane in danger.

From one end of the globe to the other, the deadly duo took on some truly bad guys, or should I say gals. The action was super fast, and some scenes were so intense that I really worried about the outcome.

These two talented authors lay it on the line is this fantastic new thriller series. Loved it and Tucker and Kane are now some of my favorite characters.

 5 Stars

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Synopsis

From bestselling authors James Rollins and Grant Blackwood, the first installment in an exciting new thriller series based on the Sigma Force novels featuring former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his partner, Army working dog Kane, introduced in the New York Times bestseller Bloodline and the e-original story “Tracker.”

Former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his military working dog Kane are recruited by Sigma Force to extract a Russian pharmaceutical magnate from Siberia. A scientific genius, the drug tycoon holds the biological key to a new weapon system, a danger engineered from the ancient past to terrorize the modern world.

From the frozen steppes of Russia to the sun-blasted savannahs of Africa, Tucker and Kane must piece together a mystery going back to the origins of life on Earth—before the ancient peril can destroy the heartland of America, and with it, all of humankind.

Amazon

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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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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Sunday Post

Some chit chat.

This was the weirdest week. For the first time in so long I can’t remember I actually missed posting one day. I realized Wednesday that I had nothing ready for Thursday and just let it go. I actually felt guilty. LOL

It’s turned cold here again and I’ve been doing a lot of reading. Got a bunch of reviews written and will be doing a new Tag Team Event soon.

Other than the blog, nothing much new to report. I did watch some old favorites on the telly. It was fun to see if I could remember favorite quotes from some of them. Just for fun, do you have a favorite quote from a movie?

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My new books this week.

Welcome to the Madhouse: Book One of the Grace Lord Series by [Sasaki, S.E.]  When The Tik-Tik Sings by [Lamoreux, Doug]

And I had to grab these beauties. Just 99 cents!

Restless Spirits Super Boxset: Two Gripping Cozy Mysteries by [Clarke, Alexandria, Hayden, Roger]

And one new audible book.

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And here are some freebies for ya. Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

The Devil's Fool (Devil Series Book 1) by [McClellan, Rachel]  Kellie's Diary #1 by [Jenner, Thomas, Perkins, Angeline]  Before he Kills (A Mackenzie White Mystery-Book 1) by [Pierce, Blake]

 Dark Places (Dark Places Of The Earth Book 1) by [Evans, Jon]  Girl Undone (TJ Peacock & Lisa Rayburn Mysteries Book 3) by [Madison, Marla]  Phase One: Identify: A Zombie Apocalypse Series (Territory of the Dead Book 1) by [Wynters, Rose]

THE CHEF AT THE WATERS EDGE: Hannah Starvling Amateur Woman Sleuth (Romantic Mystery Series Book 1) by [Patterbee, Kee]  Sea Change (The Nina Bannister Mysteries Book 1) by [Reese, T'Gracie, Reese, Joe]  Picked to Death (Antique Pickers in Paradise Cozy Mystery Book 1) by [West, Maggie]

*****

Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.

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Other posts on my blog this week.

Grimm Woods ~ Tour Review

Teaser Tuesday #188 ~ Heart Of Eve

My Review of Cat O’ Nine Tales

The Friday 56 #136 ~ Chasing Fireflies

Saturday Screams #24 ~ Animal Kingdom and The Boat

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Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

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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Welcome to my Saturday Screams.

For all of you fans of horror and the apocalypse, I have two very different ones for you today. Enjoy!

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Animal Kingdom

by Iain Rob Wright

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

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My Review

I’ve read several of Iain’s books and have more on my Kindle waiting for me. This is one of my favorites.

It was supposed to be a special day. Since the divorce, Danny really missed his dad and had ants in his pants when he found out Joe was taking him to the zoo. Joe was just glad to have his son with him. It didn’t matter what they did but he knew Danny would love the animals.

Everything is great until the reptile show starts. The handler has a giant boa constrictor wrapped around his body. While he tells the gathering crowd about the snake it suddenly begins to wrap its thick coils around his neck, constricting and crushing the man. Joe does his best to help him, but the snake is too strong and time runs out for the handler.

The crowd panics and runs in all directions, horrified by the grotesque killing. As Joe grabs Danny and rushes to get help, he notices people are screaming and running from all directions. They couldn’t all have been at the exhibit. Then all of the animals start making a racket. Something bad is happening elsewhere in the zoo.

Deciding to get inside, away from whatever is occurring, Joe ducks into the new visitor’s center. Most people were running for the exits, but Joe had to get Danny to safety quickly. There were several people inside, along with the zoo’s curator. The curators protestations that an animal attack couldn’t be happening are cut short. When Joe turns to see what he’s looking at, he can’t believe what he’s seeing. There in the doorway are four massive lions, snarling and revealing their thick fangs, dripping with blood.

This is where the story really cranks up. The animals, for some unknown reason, have gained intelligence and have turned on mankind. From the lowly spiders to the gigantic elephants, they all want everyone dead.

The diverse group of people trapped in the visitor’s center are safe for the moment, or so they think. The animals won’t be denied, and find ways to get in. How the individual characters react to this is very interesting. As you’d expect, there are the one or two bad apples that think their way is the only way, you have an older woman spouting prophecy, a young girl without her medication, Joe, whose main concern is his son Danny, the curator, not much help there, and an older man with some fight in him. It’s up to them to work together. Otherwise, no one will get out of this alive.

Except that the story takes place in a zoo with animals from all over the world, it reminded of a book I read years ago. I also watched the movie and really enjoyed both. It was Day of the Animals.

The author gave me the same sense of dread and gut-wrenching fear with Animal Kingdom. You just knew people were going to die and die horribly. The animals are too many to fight off.

Reading scenes about the group dynamics was very real. People react differently when their lives are at stake. Some step up, some cower, and some act like blustering buffoons. I can’t figure out why some people can’t see past their own arrogance, or should I say ignorance.

This is a book about a war we may not be able to win. About surviving minute by minute and always looking for the way out.

At the end of the book there are some short Bonus stories. They all tie into the Animal Kingdom book and the one by Eric. S. Brown, Night of the Squirrels, is very interesting!

5 Stars

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Synopsis

WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!

Aside from being freakishly tall, Joe is just an ordinary divorcee taking his son, Danny, to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody in the zoo running for cover. It isn’t long before Joe realizes that there is a lot more going on than a simple snake attack. And if the hungry lions, roaring gorillas and charging elephants now free from their cages have anything to say about it, there is more bloodshed to come. All of the world’s animals are attacking, and no one knows why. What they do know is that man is now on the bottom of the food chain.

FEATURES BONUS MATERIAL THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM UNIVERSE:

7 Short stories by Iain Rob Wright and Eric S. Brown

Amazon

The cover I used is from the eBook edition that I own. This is the cover for the paperback.

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Which do you like the most?

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The Boat:  Zombie Survivors

by Chris Dougherty

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

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My Review

They have the boats. They have a plan. Watch out for the monkey wrench.

I love a good zombie story. After having read Christine’s vampire series, The Blood Run Trilogy, I knew she’d give me her own uniquely twisted view of the apocalypse.

It’s two weeks after everything went to hell. The miracle cure for AIDS turned out to be a world ender. The dead have risen. People turn to bodies of water and ships as the last safe place.

Here’s where Christine makes it fun. The people go in the water. The zombies go in the water. The zombies sink. Thus, their tag, sinkers. Imagine all of those zombies walking along the ocean floor. Imagine going fishing…..

The author’s choice to take the survivors and group them all into one place isn’t new. But she sure gives you some realistic scenarios. Any time you crowd desperate people together, you’re sure to have conflict. It makes some of the scenes so genuine. Scary stuff.

As with most good things, they must come to an end. Enter someone who thinks they know better than anyone else. Stir in the mysterious stranger, found stranded in a small boat. What do you get? A really bad scenario. Now, no one is safe and the zombies are just one of many things that will get you killed.

This was so many levels of horrific and fun. All of you zombie fans are in for a treat.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

At the end of the world, the undead aren’t the greatest threat to those who have survived.

A deadly plague brought on by an experimental AIDS drug called Lazarus sweeps the country. Lazarus, named so because it brings patients back from the brink of death, has the unfortunate side effect of bringing the dead back to life. A handful of survivors have made their way to water where the walking dead–called ‘sinkers’–are less of a threat. These battered and traumatized survivors have colonized a super yacht (Flyboy), a tugboat (Big Daddy), and a weekender yacht (Barbra’s Bay Breeze). As they wait for more survivors and organize a voyage south to a warm climate, they unintentionally bring aboard a monster who might be the end to them all.

Amazon

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The cover I used is the newest. Here are some others.

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Which one do you like the most?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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

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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:

 Chasing Fireflies

by Taylor Dean

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Genre: Contemporary Romance

From page 56 in the paperback.

On the other hand, my mother asked me to stop watching, to find my life. And that’s what I’m doing. So far, so good.

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

My sisters think I’m crazy.

But, I’ve never forgotten the mysterious woman from my childhood who told me Paul is the name of my one true love.
She told me to search far and wide for him.
I haven’t stopped looking ever since.

When I stumble across an article about a successful American entrepreneur named Paul who lives and works in China, I’m intrigued. When the opportunity to teach English in China presents itself on the same day, I know it’s not a coincidence.

It’s destiny.

My sisters say I’m chasing a dream.

Just like the fireflies we tried to catch on the warm summer evenings of our youth, the dream seems beyond my grasp. Will my quest for the elusive Paul always be just short of fulfillment?

My sisters tell me it’s a fool’s errand.

Until I remind them of the day we saw the Red Bird.
The memory silences them.
The Red Bird Incident remains inarguable—and proves my search for Paul is not a silly fantasy.

I will find Paul . . . I will.

AMAZON

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

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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

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Cat O' Nine Tales banner

Title: Cat O’ Nine Tales
Author: Krystal Lawrence
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 284
Genre: Horror/Suspense

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My Review

I had my fingers crossed for these tales. I’m huge on short stories and collections. I appreciate how difficult it is to write them, but I do expect to get more than some teases.

I read the first story. Good one. Then I read the second one and thought, this is my favorite so far. The same happened with the third, the fourth…. I enjoyed all of these stories.

There’s also some fun illustrations sprinkled throughout the stories and that added to my enjoyment.

There’s a little bit of everything in this collection, and horror and thriller fans will get their fill.

My rating is for the author’s writing as much as for the stories. I wanted some wicked twists and feel real characters, and she delivered.

5 Stars

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Synopsis

What evil dwells within the pretty lady next door or the ordinary house cat?

What happens when you pursue your dreams into the desert after dark?

Beware the man borne of your imagination. He could seek vengeance on the one who created him.

Visit a bookstore offering a most alluring and sinister service.

Journey to the dark side with ten twisted tales of horror, malevolence, and the truly uncanny.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Enjoy this glimpse inside.

On an overcast Tuesday, Brianna awoke to a commotion out on her back patio in the early morning hours. Glancing at the clock next to her bed, she saw it was just after sunrise.

Having no idea what all the racket was, Brianna flung open the window shade in her bedroom. Taking in the unbelievable scene playing out below her in the backyard, she stumbled away from the window and screamed.

Literally hundreds of birds were whirling in a dizzying cloud on her lawn. They formed a tight sphere and appeared to be pecking and clawing at something caught between them. Brianna had never seen so many birds at once.

The way they were moving together in that frenzied dance was worse than anything from even Tippi Hedren’s worst nightmare.

All were converging on an unknown victim, in a blinding array of colors, shapes and sizes. Brianna could not see where one bird ended and another began. Their claws were working, their beaks snapping, and God help whatever was caught in the middle of the murderous orb they had formed.

She ran from the bedroom, taking the stairs two at a time.

As she approached the back door she heard the mad cacophony of thousands of beating wings. Bartholomew hissed and charged between Brianna’s feet and up the stairs, retreating to the safety of her bedroom.

Brianna cautiously opened the curtains on the back door. She watched in dumbstruck horror as the colorful shroud of madly pecking birds elevated into the sky. It was impossible to see if her trio of crows was a part of that insane roaring tapestry.

Brianna collapsed against the door as the thick veil of screaming feathers flew over the house and due south. Just as they were ascending over the trees, Brianna uttered an anguished moan.

Peeking from between all those madly rushing bodies was Rob’s staring face. It was frozen in a death mask and covered in dozens of bleeding scratches. Where his right eye should have been was only a bloody gaping hole. She saw this grisly scene for only a few seconds before the birds disappeared over the horizon.

            With shaking hands Brianna unlocked the back door and stepped out onto her patio. Apart from several brightly colored feathers lying on the patio and strewn about the yard, there remained no evidence of the unspeakable horror she had just witnessed.

She plucked a single sleek black feather from the Dogwood tree and staggered back onto the patio. Falling into a chair, she called weakly, “Hey, crows. Are you guys here?”

            The morning remained eerily still, and silent as a tomb. Her feeder sat empty and there was nothing perched in any of the bushes or trees. For the first time since she moved in, there was not a single bird anywhere in Brianna Douglas’s yard.

            Eyes glazed over in shock, Brianna sat slumped against the table for several minutes. When the doorbell rang, she recoiled as though a canon had been fired next to her head.

            Sucking in harsh gasps of air, she rose on wobbly legs and made her way to the front door. She did not recognize her visitors, but began shaking uncontrollably when she saw a police car parked in her driveway.

Convinced Rob’s body had already been found, she was sure the men on her porch were there to arrest her. She was the only person alive with a motive to kill him. It would, of course, be futile to try and explain to the authorities what fate had actually befallen him. Who in their right mind would believe it? She barely believed it herself. Brianna hoped Paula knew a good criminal defense attorney.

            Neither of the two men waiting at her front door wore a police uniform. They were in business suits. Brianna steeled herself for their accusations and opened the door.

            They smiled politely and held up their badges for her inspection. “Mrs. Douglas?”

            Unable to trust herself to speak, Brianna nodded.

            “I am Detective Ramirez, and this is my partner Detective Soames. We are sorry to disturb you at this hour, but we have reason to believe your life may be in danger.”

            This was not what she was expecting to hear. For several seconds she did nothing but look back and forth between the two men, her brow knitted in confusion. Finally, Brianna whispered, “What?”

            “Ma’am, we received a phone call this morning from a woman named Ariel Forbes. She claimed that her boyfriend——your ex-husband, Robert Douglas, was on his way over to your house with a gun. According to Ms. Forbes, he was planning to kill you. We put out an APB on his vehicle and it was located about a block from here. We were afraid we might have been too late. Have you seen or heard from Mr. Douglas today?”

            Brianna shook her head. Tears welled in her eyes and she sagged against the door frame. The detective who had done all the talking put a supportive arm around her waist.

He said sympathetically, “I know this is a lot to absorb. May we come in? We don’t want to leave you alone until Mr. Douglas is apprehended. There are officers and a canine unit in the area looking for him. It’s only a matter of time before we catch him.”

            Brianna allowed the officers inside. She looked nervously toward the backyard, but all was quiet there.

Brianna offered the detectives coffee, but her hands were shaking so badly she spilled the grounds all over the floor. Detective Soames wiped them up while Ramirez got the coffee pot going. Brianna excused herself to get dressed and went upstairs to her bedroom.

            The full impact of what the detectives had told her hit her like a ton of bricks and she collapsed onto the bed. She now understood what this morning’s hellish occurrence was all about. The birds had saved her life. Equally amazing; the skinny, anorexic bitch alerted the cops to Rob’s plans in an effort to spare Brianna from his wrath. She supposed she should thank her.

Robert Douglas’s body was never found. His disappearance was investigated and even made news headlines. The case was listed as unsolved in the police archives. His fate remained a mystery to everyone. Only Brianna knew the truth.

Eventually the birds returned to her yard——all except the crows. Brianna waited for them every morning and left toast for them on the grass, but they did not show up.

After several months, Brianna accepted that they probably weren’t coming back. She missed them a great deal.

 She reasoned they had been her guardian angels, and once they saved her from Rob, their job was done.

            It was a pleasant surprise when the following summer she found a sparkling seashell waiting for her at the edge of the patio one morning.

She shaded her eyes against the sun and peered up into the Dogwood. The crows weren’t there.

That was okay. She smiled and held up the shell anyway. “Thanks, this is very pretty. Come back and see me, okay? I miss you guys.”

The next morning Brianna awoke to the familiar sound of the crows cawing, and looked out the window to see all three of them waiting patiently for their toast on the lawn.

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About the Author

Krystal Lawrence

 

Krystal Lawrence lives in the Pacific Northwest. She is the author of three novels—— two vampire stories, Risen and Risen II: The Progeny, and a trilogy entitled, Be Careful What You Wish For which is currently under consideration to be turned into a television series. Cat O’Nine Tales is Krystal’s first and much anticipated collection of short stories. Her books are available through Amazon and all major book retailers.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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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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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

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 Teaser for this week is from

 Heart Of Eve

Trilogy Of Eve #1.5

by Pam  Godwin

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Genre: Dark Romance / Sci Fi / Dystopian

My Teaser 4% in the eBook.

Rumor was, only ten percent of humanity remained worldwide. The rest were mutated creatures. No children or elderly survived. No women.

Except Evie.

And one more. I just loved how these words flowed.

From 8% into the book.

Her sleepy whisper floated across my skin, caressing places no woman had ever touched. The sensation filled me with wonderment. Hunger. Guilt.

Poor Roark. A man of the cloth, and wouldn’t you figure, one of those rare women left on Earth arrives on his humble doorstep, seeking sanctuary. Doesn’t help that Evie is one fine woman to look at. LOL

I love Roark and love how the author made me wish for something forbidden. Makes it quite the suspenseful quickie.

I loved the first book and I’ll be reading the third one soon.

Heart Of Eve is free right now. If you want to meet these characters, click on the cover or the link below and it’ll take you to Amazon.

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Synopsis

My vow of celibacy has never been broken nor tempted, not even when the plague thrust me into a lawless, brutal world. So why did God send the only surviving woman to a priest? To test me? Or to save me?

*This is a 10,000-word novelette and can be read as an introduction to the Trilogy of Eve or as bonus material between the other books. It was previously published in the For the First Time anthology.

Amazon

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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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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grimmBlurb

A remote summer camp becomes a lurid crime scene when the bodies of two teenagers are found in a bloody, real-life rendering of a classic Grimm’s fairy tale. Trapped in the wilderness, the remaining counsellors must follow a trail of dark children’s fables in order to outwit a psychopath and save the dwindling survivors before falling prey to their own gruesome endings.

Drawing on the grisly, uncensored details of history’s most famous fairy tales, Grimm Woods is a heart-pounding thriller about a deranged killer who uses traditional children’s stories as tropes in elaborate murders. Set against the backdrop of modern-day Michigan, it’s a journey through the mind of a dangerous zealot and a shocking glimpse into the bedtime stories you thought you knew.

 

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GOODREADS

Exclusive to AMAZON

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My Review

Reading this was like an experience with Lays Potato Chips. I couldn’t eat just one. I devoured this in one sitting.

If you love horror thrillers with a good whodunit, you’ll like this book.

It synopsis sounds familiar, but just wait for it. Young camp counselors protect their flock of kids from someone bent on killing. It’s not longer before the bodies start piling up. Except, the killer isn’t after the kids. The counselors are the targets. Many meet grisly ends and it seems the the killer leaves a message with each new body. They all die differently, the killer using the very themes the park is based on to display his victims. Grimm Fairy Tales come true.

Sound good? It is. And the thing I enjoyed most…the author spares no one. Yep, don’t get attached to any of these characters as they drop like flies.

4 Stars

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Check out this glimpse inside!

July 7th, 5:44 a.m.

One hacksaw. One hammer, six boxes of nails. Twelve Mason jars, four hunting knives, two pairs of handcuffs. Fifteen gallons of gasoline divided evenly among three dented jerry cans.

It’s time.

A work glove hovered over the table where the objects were laid out side by side and began ticking the air as though marking off an invisible checklist. The chamber reeked of mildew, and the walls had no windows or electrical sockets—no lamps, no wires, no switch covers. A single red candle provided the only light, its crimson wax dripping down its shaft like blood.

The hand picked up a piece of paper from the table and slipped it into a blank envelope. Below, a beetle scuttled across the floorboards. The insect—its gangly antennae tuned to some foul frequency in the gloom—raced past the sole of a giant boot just as a drop of liquid fell through the air and struck it dead center, engulfing its body in a hot, gelatinous blob that filled its orifices and burned it from the inside out. Another droplet tumbled from the candle, plopping onto the envelope this time, and then a brass stamp came down and pressed the wax into a hardened seal.

Drawing in heavier, raspier breaths, the figure held the envelope up to a corkboard that was bolted to the wall. More than a dozen pictures of young men and women were tacked to the panel by their throats and foreheads, smiling in the shadows.

The figure pinned the envelope to the board and stepped back to take in the room again.

The table and the switchblade.

The book of matches.

The iron rods, the hatchet, the .22 Smith & Wesson.

The smiling faces.

Now, the figure mused, watching the photographs flicker in the bloodred light. Who’s the nicest, who’s the worst, who wants to hear a story first?

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About D. Melhoff

D. Melhoff was born in a prairie ghost town that few people have heard of and even fewer have visited. While most of his stories are for adults, he also enjoys terrifying younger audiences from time to time, as seen in his series of twisted picture books for children. He credits King, Poe, Hitchcock, Harris, Stoker, and his second grade school teacher, Mrs. Lake, for turning him to horror. For more information, visit grimmwoods.com.

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

Follow the Grimm Woods tour HERE

Brought to you by Worldwind VBT

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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

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This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Sunday Post

Some chit chat.

So……It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Well, it’s windy and rainy, but it’s still warm! Sometimes I like it when it rains. I stay home and watch movies. Watched The Shallows last night. Have you seen it yet? I thought it was pretty good. Definitely had some tense moments. Anything with a shark trying to eat someone is a winner in my book. Also watched Blair Witch. Felt almost like a repeat and was even less scary.  Now I’m biding my time for the return of The Walking Dead. Rick’s got his mojo back and I can’t wait to see what they do. I hope Carol finds her mojo again. I’m not liking her role as a loner. Miss that girl!

I’ve also read a bunch of books. Can’t wait to share my reviews. For now, I have some good ones to show you today and the usual batch of freebies for ya!

*****

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Sherry and I have a new Tag Team Event going on with some reviews and a great giveaway.

The grand prize is a $25 Gift Card, and available for anyone in the U.S. or Internationally, where legal. Also giving away 4 ebooks ( U.S. and/or International, in whichever available format you prefer). And two paperbacks (US Only).

Be sure to go HERE and enter!

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My new books this week.

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And a couple for my Kid’s Korner. A new idea where I share reviews of children’s books. It starts next month.

The Shark in the Park by [Watson, Mark]  Let's Hug: 15 Hugs for Beginners on Kindle  31753472

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And here are some freebies for ya. Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

   Into the Darkness: Crimson Worlds Refugees I by [Allan, Jay]  Corn, Cows, and the Apocalypse (Book 1 of the Nebraska Apocalypse Trilogy) by [Jedlicka, Felicia]  Max: (a psychological thriller combining mystery, crime and suspense) by [Mitchell, D.M.]

Love Me Anyway (Passions in the Park Book 1) by [Redington, JL]  The Abducted: Odessa - A Small Town Abduction - Book 0 by [Hayden, Roger]  The Last City of America by [Tysz, Matthew]

Mark of the Beast by [Wells, Steve]  Wolves Without Teeth (The Accords Triptych Book 1) by [Thomas, Ian]  Seven Stones by [Rozoff, James]

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to read my reviews.

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32468428  Bad Wolf (Bad Wolf Chronicles Book 1) by [McGregor, Tim]

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Other posts on my blog this week.

A Serial Killer Thriller Giveaway ~ A Secondhand Life

Let’s Hug and The Unusualasauruses Giveaway

Tag Team Review and Giveaway ~ Deadly Spirits

Teaser Tuesday #187 ~ Sweet Lake

Sekkol ~ A galaxy Alien warriors Blitz & Giveaway

A Paranormal Thriller Tour & Giveaway ~ Blackwell

A Freebie ~ Vampire Blood

1st Chapter and Cover Reveal with Giveaway ~ The Tick Tock Man

The Friday 56 #135 ~The Breedling & The City In The Garden

Freakin Fridays #42 ~ Bad Wolf and B&B

Saturday Screams #24 ~ Mutation Z Omnibus

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Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

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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