Archive for May, 2017

Welcome to The Kid’s Korner.

I decided to do this feature as I have so many great children’s books to share. From picture books, to books for beginning readers, to middle graders, I have plenty of fun ones.

I’m sure by now ya’ll know I love a good scare. Whether for adults or kids, I’m ready for some creepy fun. This book was right up mu alley.

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 Keep In A Cold Dark Place

  by Michael F. Stewart

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Genre: Horror / Children’s / Middle Grade

My Review

I can’t resist a good horror tale, and I very much enjoy ones spun for kids. I sure wish there had been more like this when I was young. But, you’re never too old to enjoy a gem like this.

Being a sweet, kind-hearted lass, Limpy doesn’t know any better when she places the box of eggs she discovered in the sun to warm. When one of the eggs hatches and out pops a cute little critter, she’s overjoyed. But then another egg hatches, and another. And what started as a kind act turns into horror.

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Picturing what hatches from one of the eggs, I immediately thought of an evil Tribble or, if you’ve seen Critters, one of those rolling furry things with the sharp pointy teeth. But that’s just when it and it’s litter mates first get started. They eat. They grow. They change. And they are always hungry, always eating. And they don’t discriminate. From produce to living things, such as, perhaps, a cat, it all looks good to them. What could be next? Maybe a human child? Or an adult? That’s more food.

I ate this story up faster than you can say Keep In A Cold Dark Place. There’s a sense of foreboding right from the start. Limpy is a delightful and resourceful young girl. The creatures are cute, then not so cute. And the writing flows nicely, the author keeping the atmosphere building and the tension high.

A scary good story for young lovers of horror and us older fans of things that go bump in the night.

  4 Stars

Thanks so much to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.

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Synopsis

Reaching for her dream, Limpy unleashes a cute, fluffy, NIGHTMARE …

Keep in a cold, dark place. That’s what’s written like some ancient law on every bag of potatoes the family farms. And it’s where Limpy fears she will always remain.

It’s also carved on a box of spheres she discovers in the cellar. Spheres that hatch.

Cute at first, the creatures begin to grow. Then the chickens disappear. The cat is hunted. And something sets the barn ablaze. To survive, Limpy will need to face her greatest fear. The whole family will. Or they may end up in a cold, dark place indeed.

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 go HERE

Devil OrdersTakeout banner

The Devil Orders Takeout

by Bill A. Brier

Devil Orders Takeout cover

GENRE: Mystery/Thriller

 

Synopsis

A tax attorney with integrity…a powerful mobster determined to bend his will…

Grayson Bolt isn’t about to compromise his integrity to help a notorious crime boss escape the cross-hairs of the IRS. But there’s a steep price to pay for defying The Man–Grayson’s beloved wife and older son.

There’s only one way for Grayson to prevent his younger son, Jim, an innocent golf prodigy, from also being taken out: play a dangerous game of cat and mouse. And what will Jim be forced to do when the woman he loves gets ensnarled in a web of betrayal and deceit?

Amazon

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Enjoy the excerpt

“I’m afraid you’re going to get it hard, Mr. Bolt.” Costanzo had that fatherly tone of this will hurt me more than you. “Did you ever stop to think that there’s only one way of being dead, but many ways of dying?”

Grayson felt something cold touch his spine, all the way down. “I don’t follow.”

“Take your man Stockard. He killed two of your beloved family members, wife and eldest son. Isn’t that right?”

A strangling tightness gripped Grayson’s throat. “That— that’s right.”

“Wouldn’t you say a part of you died too?”

“What’s your point?” Grayson’s voice erupted in suppressed panic.

“You don’t have to die to feel dead. I’m going to kill your other son. That’ll be your punishment.”

The blood drained from Grayson’s face. Just like that. Most people held the basic principle that no man should be punished for the deed of another. Costanzo was not one of them. Grayson would be cut right to the bone, and his son would be the sharpest knife Costanzo could use. Costanzo had spelled out the thought in invisible brushstrokes. It was there and Grayson had tried not to see it.

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Author Bill A. Brier

Devil OrdersTakeout author

Bill grew up in California and went to Hollywood High School, then served in the Air Force as a combat cameraman.

After hiring on at Disney Studios as a film loader, he soon advanced and moved on to other film studios.

He earned a master’s degree in psychology. A big help when working with Trumpish Hollywood producers. You’re fired!

During his more than twenty-five years in the movie business as a cameraman, film editor, and general manager, Bill worked on everything from the hilarious, The Love Bug, to the creepy, The Exorcist, to the far out, Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica.

Eight years ago, Bill switched from reading scripts to writing thriller/mysteries and driving racecars. After completing three award-winning novels, he signed with Black Opal Books. His first novel, The Devil Orders Takeout, is about a devoted father and husband who makes a deal with a real-life devil to protect his golf-prodigy son after his wife and older son are killed in a mysterious accident — and pays hell for it.

Bill’s second mystery, The Killer Who Hated Soup, is Book One in the 1950s The Killer Who series, and it launches this Summer. The Internet? Never heard of it. Smart phones? Who you kiddin’?

Energetic and eager to make his mark on what Time magazine called the next great boom town, Bucky Ontario leaves his daddy and little sister in Louisiana and rides a bus to Defiance, Oklahoma, a town not particularly adverse to murders, just the embarrassment of them when committed by high officials.

Book Two, The Killer who Wasn’t There, will be on bookshelves this fall.

Bill writes every day and golfs infrequently (that damn right knee!). His five children and eight grandchildren keep him busy going to birthday parties, and he never misses a one!

The Brier Patch is Bill’s wildly entertaining blog about his shameless early days in Hollywood. It’s on his website, billbrier.com, along with a contest linked to The Devil Orders Takeout, which will award the grand prizewinner $1,000.

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Bill is a member of Mystery Writers of America.

Bill’s USA Today revealing interview:

Interview: Bill A. Brier, author of ‘The Devil Orders Takeout’

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

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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 updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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

  Nothing Left To Lose

 John Cleaver #6

by  Dan Wells

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Genre: Horror

 My teaser from page 73 in the paperback.

Why do we do graveside services? We just got out of the funeral literally fifteen minutes ago; we’ve said all the same things, spouted all the same trite homilies, invoked all the same blessings of all the same deities……We’re human beings – we need ceremony…..Just like I like to brush a dead body’s hair, trim its nails, and prepare it for the end, other people like to stand by the grave and bid the body farewell.

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Dan Wells continues his acclaimed John Wayne Cleaver series, popular with fans of Dexter

Hi. My name is John Cleaver, and I hunt monsters. I used to do it alone, and then for a while I did it with a team of government specialists, and then the monsters found us and killed almost everyone, and now I hunt them alone again.

This is my story.

In this thrilling installment in the John Wayne Cleaver series, Dan Wells brings his beloved antihero into a final confrontation with the Withered in a conclusion that is both completely compelling and completely unexpected.

Don’t forget to catch the film adaptation of the first installment in the series, I am Not a Serial Killer, in theaters August 26th.

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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 go HERE

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Welcome to My Monday Minis where I share short reviews about books I’ve read.

These are some good ones for fans of dark mysteries and thrillers. Enjoy!

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 One

Count To Ten #1

  by Jane Blythe

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Genre: Mystery / Thriller

My Review

Annabelle awakens to find her family brutally murdered and herself as the prime suspect in Detective Xavier Montague’s investigation. But all is not as it appears and the detective soon finds himself falling for her as a crazed killer remains at large.

The author takes you to the dark side in this macabre murder mystery. Her main character’s, Annabelle and Xavier are genuine, flaws and all. And the killer is not easily identified and has a motive you won’t see coming.

From the beginning, I was sucked right in. Annabelle is the obvious suspect for her families brutal murder. How could she sleep through the events? But it isn’t long before the detective investigating the case has doubts. It seems Annabelle might have been drugged. And his hunch may be right as more fall victim to a sadistic killer.

The investigation kept me burning the midnight oil. Anxious to see who the killer was and what his twisted motive was in leaving one victim alive as he killed more families.

As I came to know Annabelle and Xavier my curiosity about them grew. Why did Annabelle feel unlovable and what haunted Xavier from his past?

Fans of reality based crime shows and fictional ones like Criminal Minds will love this pulse pounding thriller.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

Did she murder her family or is she being set up?

A couple, their two teenage sons, and seven year old daughter are all slaughtered in their beds. The only survivor is oldest daughter, Annabelle.

Detective Xavier Montague is intrigued by Annabelle even though he knows he shouldn’t be. His attraction to her will force him to make the ultimate choice, a life and death decision, that could let a psychotic murderer walk free.

** All my books contain issues of sexual assault **

Amazon

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 Two

Count To Ten #2

  by Jane Blythe

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Genre: Mystery / Thriller

 My  Review

Sofia Everette may be physically week, as she’s bound to a wheelchair because of an unknown illness, but she’s mentally strong and capable. This causes her domineering father to disown her. After a woman’s body is found on the families estate and someone starts picking off members of the Everette family, Sofia must dig deep to figure out the killer’s motive before more die.

This is a dark one, indeed. And the list of suspects is large, as most of them could be from the Everette family itself. A tribe of entitled sycophants, not one of them is worthy of the title, human. They’re all capable of murder and have motives. Talk about a perverted, dysfunctional family.

Sofia is intriguing. She’s not physically strong, but she has a sharp intellect and a fierce determination to be independent. But will that be enough to save her as the killer gets closer?

Used to seeing the darkest sides that humanity has to offer, seasoned Detective Xavier Montague is tested as he races to catch the killer while the bodies pile up.

Brace yourselves for impact as the author deftly drops you down the rabbit hole, has you stumbling in the dark, and finally releases you back into the light with a thrilling finale.

4 Stars

Synopsis

Before the sun rises, another will die.

A woman is found murdered on the grounds of the powerful Everette family’s estate. Then someone begins methodically killing off members of the Everette family one by one.

Detective Ryan Xander’s only inroad to the secretive family is Sofia Everette. Shunned by her father for her refusals to obey him, and battling a mysterious illness, Sofia’s childhood dreams may be the key to saving her life and stopping the killer from exterminating the entire Everette clan.

** All my books contain issues of sexual assault **

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 go HERE

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Quest Chasers: The Deadly Cavern
by Grace and Thomas Lockhaven
Genre: YA, Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure
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If you knew that your curiosity may take you to a place from which you
may never return, would you go?
Tommy and Eevie are trapped in an underground labyrinth filled with deadly
traps and puzzles. They must solve each riddle to survive, but every
solution leads them closer to what is certain to be their demise.
The Deadly Cavern is the first book of Quest Chasers, a fiction-fantasy
series, where characters Tommy and Eevie are taken to a magical
adventure you won’t soon forget.
If you like fantasy, magical lands and puzzles, then you’ll love Grace
and Thomas Lockhaven’s Quest Chasers!
It’s a fantasy book for teens but young adults have been enjoying it as
well.
 
We’re Grace and Thomas Lockhaven. We pretty much met the same way ALL
writers meet each other, we met at the gym. While other people
discussed their workouts we discussed things like, how to reverse a
“creeping death” spell cast by an evil wizard. We could
have filled a book with pictures of people’s faces that overheard our
conversations. Quest Chasers grew from these conversations and now we
hope to pass on to you the thrilling adventures of Eevie and Tommy as
we bring them to life.
 
Pick your favorite cover and title for the upcoming 2nd book in
the series and enter to win one of 5 $10 Amazon gift cards!
 
 
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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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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.

To all of you moms out there, Happy Mother’s Day!

I spent Mother’s Day with my son. I made popcorn with extra butter. We turned out the lights. And we watched a marathon of Star Trek movies. Then we had a discussion about some upcoming movies, such as the new Aliens film, the IT movie, and a rumor about the remake of Creature From The Black Lagoon. By then it was the wee hours of the morn and we hit the sack. It was a perfect day.

So, what did you do this weekend?

*****

My new books this week.

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34952302  Die, Blossom, Bloom: Would you kill for those you love? by [Boseley, Steve]

*****

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.

  Chicken Scratch (The Sisters, Texas Mystery Series Book 1) by [Willis, Becki]  To Hell in a Handbasket by [Rose, Willow]

Sidewinder (The Halcyon Files Book 1) by [Foster, Daniel]  Behind Shadows (The Adam Stanley Thriller Series Book 1) by [Newbound, Netta]  Keep Me Ghosted (Sophie Rhodes Ghostly Romance Book 1) by [Cantwell, Karen]

A Cat to Die For (Mina's Adventures Book 5) by [Swan, Maria Grazia]  Two Birds With One Stone: A Marsden-Lacey Cozy Mystery by [Vansandt, Sigrid]  Snapped: An Agent Jade Monroe FBI Thriller Book 1 by [Sutter, C.M.]

Kingdom Collection: Books 1-3 (Kingdom Series) by [Hall, Marie]  Jamie Quinn Mystery Collection: Box Set Books 1-3 (Jamie Quinn Cozy Mystery) by [Venkataraman, Barbara]

*****

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

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*****

Other posts on my blog this week.

Written In Blood ~ Blitz Giveaway

Super Book Blast & Giveaway ~ Solo

Giveaway ~ Snow: Stories Of Forbidden Love

Teaser Tuesday #203 ~ Goofy Newfies

The Things They’ve Taken by Katie McElhenney

The Kid’s Korner #11 ~ Chompy And The Munchy Bunch

The Unseen ~ Excerpt & Giveaway

A Whole Lotta….Magick & Mayhem ~ Cozy Review & Giveaway

The Friday 56 #151 ~ Silver Threads

Blitz Giveaway ~ Pitcher Plant ~ A Pacific Northwest Suspense

The Lucky One by Sylvie Stewart ~ Giveaway

*****

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 go HERE.

 

The Lucky One
Sylvie Stewart
(Carolina Connections, #3)
Publication date: May 11th 2017
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

When your luck runs out, do you run away—or do you stay and fight?

Bailey:
Let’s get one thing straight. I am not your typical girl. Sure I’ve got all the parts, but I’ve been a stubborn, irreverent tomboy since the womb, as my Irish father would proudly attest. Despite my Irish blood, I’ve had a bit of bad luck here and there—I recently trusted the wrong guy and got derailed in my professional pursuits. But I’ve bounced back. With my shields firmly in place, I thought nothing, or no one, could touch me again. Until he did. And he just might make this tomboy do the girliest thing in the world—fall head over heels in love. Of all the damn luck…

Jake:
I’m a pretty lucky guy. I have a phenomenal family, a career I love, and I’m building a brand-new life back in my hometown. And, not to be a jerk about it, but I do more than all right with the ladies. Everything’s been going according to plan—like I said, I’m a lucky guy.

That was, until my luck ran out.

Until I met the girl I call “Irish.”

Irony can go kiss my a$$.

Goodreads / Amazon / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this glimpse inside

I was struck again by the thought that everyone in the world seemed to be good with kids but me. And how unfair was it that Jake Beckett was not only hot as sin and a wizard in the sack, but he was also nice to small people and fainting women?

What was I supposed to do with that?

We finally pulled into the driveway and I hopped out quickly to avoid any awkward assistance that might be offered. Seeming to need no invitation, Jake followed us inside and closed the door behind him.

I took a deep breath and firmed my back as well as my resolve.

“As you can see, we’re all fine. I appreciate your concern—and the burritos—but everything is under control. We’ll go ahead and get on with our day and you can get on with yours.” I held my hand out toward the door like some damn restaurant hostess.

“Uh-huh,” he replied and had the nerve to lean against the entryway wall and put his hands in his pockets.

What was this? Was he posing for a bachelor-of-the-month calendar?

Gah!

I performed the hostess gesture yet again.

This time it received a grin.

“What?!” I demanded.

He looked me up and down. “Uh-huh.”

I became acutely aware of my attire and general appearance in that moment. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks.

My hair was in a messy ponytail and I was dressed in athletic shorts and a men’s t-shirt. I didn’t need to look down to know there was a ketchup stain on the hem and a dinosaur riding a bicycle on the front. I have no explanation.

I urged myself to ignore Jake’s look and not even attempt to interpret it.

This moment perfectly captured the reason all Jake’s texts and calls had gone unanswered over the past three weeks.

He wasn’t texting me.

He was texting the girl from the wedding.

The girl I’d pretended to be for one night.

The girl I would never be.

The one I couldn’t afford to be.

(Copyright 2017 Sylvie Stewart)

 

Author Sylvie Stewart

Sylvie Stewart’s addiction to books has been a lifelong problem. It was the cause of many scoldings when her mother discovered Sylvie army-crawling to the bookshelf after lights out. And it is the reason her husband would have a fairly solid case if he claimed “alienation of affection” and pointed a finger at her e-reader (a.k.a “The Precious”). Never-the-less, books are in Sylvie’s heart to stay, and she has transformed her love of books into a career as an author.

A recent move to North Carolina inspired Sylvie’s debut Romantic Comedy series. Carolina Connections is a collection of standalone novels based in her new hometown, and it combines her love of romance, humor, and sexy times. There is also some wine drinking incorporated in there, as this is another of Sylvie’s passions. Perhaps a future story will also involve kayaking, a new interest in Sylvie’s life. Experience has taught her that you can’t kayak and drink wine simultaneously, though, so don’t try this at home!

The Fix, The Spark, and The Lucky One are now available. The fourth book in the Carolina Connections series will release in Fall 2017.. That is, if Sylvie’s eight-year-old twins will stop trying to peek at her laptop while she’s writing. That might lead to some awkward parent-teacher conferences.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

 

Pitcher Plant: A Pacific Northwest Suspense
Melissa Eskue Ousley
Publication date: May 12th 2017
Genres: Adult, Suspense

Synopsis

When Tawny Ellis spots a run-down fixer-upper on the Oregon coast, she and her husband jump at the chance to own a cottage near the beach. But as the expensive repairs turn their dream home into a nightmare, their marriage unravels. And worse… something is lurking in the house’s dark past.

Tawny’s daughter has a new imaginary friend that bears a striking resemblance to a little girl who squatted in the house with her drug-addicted mother. These illegal tenants have been missing for years.

The house’s previous owner is enraged with Tawny, the same way he was with the squatters. As he stalks her family, Tawny suspects that she knows what happened to the last people who slept in the house. Her family might be next.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Make sure to visit the Filles Vertes Publishing store;
Enter to win the Goodreads Giveaway;
and watch an excerpt read by the author herself!

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Check out the excerpt

I was falling in love with this fixer-upper, but before we made an offer on the house, I had to check out the basement. I clicked on the light and stepped over the threshold, into darkness. Floating dust motes filled the air, dancing in the flashlight’s beam.

The room before me was expansive, running the length and width of the house. On one end was a wooden stall for firewood, still stacked with logs. They’d come in handy if we restored the fireplace, though I didn’t look forward to cleaning off the cobwebs covering them. The other end of the basement was stacked with junk and garbage, similar to what we’d encountered upstairs.

Everything was blanketed with a thick layer of dust. My nose was stuffy—all the dust triggering my allergies. I made a mental note to take an antihistamine when I got back to the car. Otherwise I’d be paying for this excursion tonight, when my sinuses were too clogged to let me sleep. I just hoped there wasn’t any mold down here. I’d heard horror stories from my neighbor about getting mold removed from her home. The procedure had been costly, and if we got this house, it’d cost us enough as it was.

I ventured a little deeper into the basement, shining my flashlight on the pile of junk. I could make out an old wooden trunk. Did that come with the house? Maybe I’d clean it up and use it for a coffee table.

The beam of my flashlight fell on a tattered ragdoll. The doll’s fabric face and its light brown yarn hair looked dingy. Its flower print dress was dotted with rust colored stains and black flecks. The flecks looked like rodent feces.

There was a rustle to my right, and I startled, swinging my light toward the sound. Given the state of the doll’s dress, I thought it might be a rat.

Suddenly the air was thick with flies. I clamped my mouth shut as they flew toward my face, waving my arms madly to keep them away. They crawled in my hair and buzzed in my ears, and I bit back a shriek. The beam of my flashlight flickered as I used it to swat the flies. I shuddered at the thought of it going out and having to find my way back to the stairs in the dark.

I stumbled back toward the corridor that led to the door of the basement, trying to see through squinted eyes, the cloud of flies, and the dying light of the Maglite. As I reached the passage, the buzzing sound eased, and the flies began to drift back to whatever attracted them to the basement.

I dared one last look, directing my beam to the offending corner of the basement. The dirt floor was carpeted with insects. Flies and other crawling things, though I was too far away to tell what they were. There seemed to be a small lump on the floor that attracted their interest. A dead rat, most likely, but there was no way I was going back to find out.

 

Author Melissa Eskue Ousley

Melissa Eskue Ousley is the award-winning author of The Solas Beir Trilogy, a young adult fantasy series. Her first book, Sign of the Throne, won a 2014 Eric Hoffer Book Award and a 2014 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award. Her third book, The Sower Comes, won a 2016 Eric Hoffer Book Award. Her fourth book, Sunset Empire was released as a single book and is also included in the bestselling Secrets and Shadows box set, a young adult collection. Melissa lives on the Oregon coast with her family, a neurotic dog, and a piranha. When she’s not writing, she can be found walking along the beach, poking dead things with a stick.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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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 updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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:

 Silver Threads

The Memory House Series #5

  by Bette Lee Crosby

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Genre:  Contemporary Fiction

 My 56 from the eBook.

…Drew began to see them side by side. Mother and daughter. Alike in a thousand different ways. Until recently.

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

High above the clouds in a place no mortal has ever seen, there is a Scale of Life that is held in balance with stones of happiness and sorrow. The Keeper of the Scales sees impending disaster for Drew Bishop and heaves a huge sigh. He places a rose-colored stone on the happiness side of Drew’s scale, but it is not enough. The danger is too great. When Drew Bishop’s wife is killed in a random act of violence, he is left with a traumatized daughter and a job teetering on the brink of disaster. He believes this is as bad as it can get, but he is wrong. Now the Keeper must scan the vast landscape of lives to find a silver thread to ease Drew’s pain. That is the only chance Drew has for happiness, and the Keeper knows it. He is powerless to do anything else; instead, he can only wait and hope the thread spools into happiness for Drew and his little girl.

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 go HERE

Magick & Mayhem

An Abracadabra Mystery

by Sharon Pape

This is a fun cozy, full of unique and interesting characters, humor, and just enough magic.
~The Book’s the Thing

I love me some quirky characters, magical escapades, and good mysteries. Good thing Magick & Mayhem has all of that and more!
~Sissy, Bubble Bath Books

I am so excited to share this new series with you. It combines so many wonderful, magical things I love to read about. It is a true cozy in every sense.
~Laura’s Interests

* I love how the magic is understated and simplistic, that intent and belief play such a large role.
* Drawn in quickly.
* Easy to read.
~The Broke Book Bank

Sharon Pape provides an entertaining mystery with plenty of fun. MAGICK AND MAYHEM is a solid start to a new mystery series.
~Cozy Up with Kathy

Almost before I was half way through the novel did I expect to give it a five-star rating. Having finished, I’d definitely give it 10 stars and can’t wait to get my hands on the second instalment in the Abracadabra Mystery Series by Sharon Pape. A must-read at all costs.
~Nadaness In Motion

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Magick & Mayhem (An Abracadabra Mystery)

Cozy Mystery
New Series
Publisher: Lyrical Underground (May 2, 2017)
ASIN: B01JWDZSQQ

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My Review

She gets more than she bargained for when Kailyn Wilde and her Aunt Tilly arrive at the lawyer’s office. After losing her mother and grandmother to a terrible accident, Kailyn needs to finalize some legalities about inheriting the family business, but instead finds the lawyers dead body. The detective assigned to the case doesn’t rule them out as suspects but has his sights firmly set on the dead mans wife, Elise, who just happens to be Kailyn’s best friend. Not one to stand by and let her friend go to jail for murder, Kailyn sets out to clear her name.

I love a good cozy mystery and was looking forward to meeting the folks of New Camel. Kailyn is a delight. I honestly didn’t know how she knew when she was coming or going. It wasn’t enough that she was left with a business to run and a house full of cats, one of which lets his opinions be known. She’s also trying to get a handle on why magick is on the blink, causing some inconvenient and often hilarious occurrences. To top it off, while summoning a familiar, something which she should have done earlier, an unexpected visitor arrives, creating it’s own sort of mayhem.

There’s a scene where some puppies get loose that had me laughing out loud, along with the ghostly visits from Kailyns’ mom and grandmother. I suspect that’s where the word Mayhem, from the title, enters the story. Plenty occurs to keep you entertained, including the stunning finale.

Cozy mystery fans need to check out this new series. Get in on the beginning. You’ll be turning the pages quickly, as eager to find out who the villain is as you will be to find out what mayhem happens on the next page.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

What’s in a murderer’s bag of tricks?

Twenty-something Kailyn Wilde has learned to embrace her unpredictable life as a descendant of small-town New Camel’s most magickal family. She just didn’t expect to inherit her mother and grandmother’s centuries-old shop, Abracadabra, so suddenly. The surprises keep coming when Kailyn goes to finalize the estate at the local attorney’s office—and stumbles over the body of her best friend Elise’s husband . . .

As a brash detective casts the blame on Elise, Kailyn summons her deepest powers to find answers and start an investigation of her own. What with running a business, perfecting ancient spells, and keeping up with an uninvited guest of fabled origins, Kailyn has her hands full. But with the help of her uncanny black cat Sashkatu and her muumuu-clad Aunt Tilly, she’s closing in on a killer—who will do anything to make sure she never tests her supernatural skills again!

Author Sharon Pape

I started writing stories as soon as I learned how to put letters together to form words. From that day forward, writing has been a part of my life whether it was my first attempt at a novel in seventh grade or the little plays I wrote for my friends to perform for neighbors and family. After college, when I was busy teaching French and Spanish to high school students, I was also writing poetry — some of it in French.

After several years, I left teaching to be a full time mom, and when my two children started school, I went back to writing. To my delight I found that the muse was still there, still waiting patiently for me to come around. My first novel, Ghostfire, was published at that time. It went on to be condensed in Redbook magazine (the first paperback original the magazine had ever condensed.) Then came The God Children and The Portal. Redbook also published my first short story, which was subsequently sold to several foreign magazines. With two great kids, a golden retriever and a loving, supportive husband (whom I’d met at the beach when I was fourteen — but that’s a story for another day), I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be in my life. But fate had another plan for me, and it went by the name of “breast cancer.”

Looking back, I realize how fortunate I was that the cancer was discovered at such an early stage, but at the time it was all very overwhelming. Once I was back on my feet, I wanted to help other women who were newly diagnosed, worried and afraid. I became a Reach to Recovery volunteer for the American Cancer Society and went on to run the program for Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island. A number of years later, with the help of my surgical oncologist and two other volunteers, I started Lean On Me, a nonprofit organization that provides peer support and information to breast cancer patients. When Lean On Me celebrated its tenth anniversary it no longer required as much of my time, and I once again found myself free to pursue my first love — writing.

Author Links

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Purchase Links

Amazon B&N

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Tour Participants

May 1 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW

May 1 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

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