Archive for October 18, 2018

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2018! I did this last year and so excited to do it again. I’ll be sharing reviews and lots of extra spooky stuff every day leading up to Halloween. I hope you’ll join me!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’m sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to get those scares on for the 31st!

~~~~~

Beneath

by Kristi DeMeester

34730753

Genre:  Horror

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

I won a book of choice giveaway and chose Beneath. The title is intriguing. The cover is chilling. And the synopsis sold me.

I started the book and couldn’t get into it so I set it aside. But unfinished books haunt me so, later, I tried again. And I couldn’t stop reading it. A snake handling cult in a backwater town in Appalachia. Cora, a reporter needing a top story. And a whole lot of strange goings on.

Once Cora gets her bearings, she begins to investigate. But she’s really out of her element and some things just don’t make sense. The story changes and she’s drawn deeper and deeper. There may be no way out.

I’m so glad I gave this book another go. It slowly pulled me in as Cora sees something sinister in the preacher and chases that angle. But soon, the story changes again and that’s where the horror really begins. I didn’t have a clue what I was in for as I kept reading. The author threw me for a loop with the direction she took, buried me in atmospheric evil, and then ripped the ground open and let the dark come out to play..

All I can say about struggling with this book the first time I started to read it is, must have been my mood. I sure was in the right mood when I picked it up again.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

When reporter Cora Mayburn is assigned to cover a story about a snake-handling cult in rural Appalachia, she is dismayed, for the world of cruel fundamentalist stricture, repression, glossolalia, and abuse is something she has long since put behind her in favor of a more tolerant urban existence. But she accepts the assignment, dredging up long-buried memories as she seeks the truth.

As Cora begins to uncover the secrets concealed by a veneer of faith and tradition, something ancient and long concealed begins to awaken. What secrets do the townsfolk know? What might the handsome young pastor be hiding? What will happen when occulted horrors writhe to the surface, when pallid and forgotten things rise to reclaim the Earth?

Will Cora–and the earth–survive? The answers–and pure terror–can only be found in one place: Beneath.

Amazon / B&N / Kobo

~~~~~

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Beneath The River by Alexandrea Weiss and Lucas Astor Banner

Death By The River

by Alexandrea Weis and Lucas Astor

on Tour October 1 thru November 30, 2018

39675320

Genre: Young Adult, Horror, Thriller
Published by: Vesuvian Books
Publication Date: October 2, 2018
Number of Pages: 389
ISBN: 1944109145 (ISBN13: 9781944109141)
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

~~~~~

My Review

So, I knew going in that golden boy, Beau Devareaux, was a cruel twist. Being a star football quarterback, dating a popular cheerleader and having a bright future waiting for him should have been his dream come true. Bit he had other dreams. Much darker ones. And then he dared to make one of those dreams come true. And then another. There was no turning back, even if he wanted to. Which he didn’t.

Twin sisters, Dawn and Leslie, are both involved with Beau. Dawn dates him and thinks he hung the moon. Leslie sees through his mask. He stalks her, wanting the sister he can’t ever have. And Leslie wants her sister to open her eyes and see him for what he is.

A story that could be ripped from the front pages can really get under my skin. It’s been said you can’t really know a person. You can’t recognize evil.  Now that scares me.

This was a bit slow in the beginning, but once Beau’s facade started to crumble it really picked up. And the ending. It’s one of those you won’t see coming. Twisted good.

symbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,signsymbol,star,disjunct,shape,image,recycling,design,sign

~~~~~

Synopsis

A High School “American Psycho

SOME TRUTHS ARE BETTER KEPT SECRET.
SOME SECRETS ARE BETTER OFF DEAD.

Along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River, sits the abandoned St. Francis Seminary. Beneath a canopy of oaks, blocked from prying eyes, the teens of St. Benedict High gather here on Fridays. The rest of the week belongs to school and family—but weekends belong to the river.

And the river belongs to Beau Devereaux.

The only child of a powerful family, Beau can do no wrong. Handsome. Charming. Intelligent. The star quarterback of the football team. The “prince” of St. Benedict is the ultimate catch.

He is also a psychopath.

A dirty family secret buried for years, Beau’s evil grows unchecked. In the shadows of the ruined St. Francis Abbey, he commits unspeakable acts on his victims and ensures their silence with threats and intimidation. Senior year, Beau sets his sights on his girlfriend’s headstrong twin sister, Leslie, who hates him. Everything he wants but cannot have, she will be his ultimate prize.

As the victim toll mounts, it becomes crystal clear that someone has to stop Beau Devereaux.

And that someone will pay with their life.

~~~~~

Check out the excerpt:

Crickets chirped and mist curled around him as Beau eased out of the crack in the wall to the cells. The chill in the air teased his sweaty skin, but the surge of power pounding through his blood was like liquid fire.

The rush consumed him. He knew in that instant he would find another victim, but his rational mind begged him to be careful.

Don’t get caught.

He chuckled. Besides the money, his father still had hefty political clout in Baton Rouge, thanks to his notorious grandfather and years of murky business dealings. The family name had spared him in the past from legal proceedings and institutions. It would again.

Heading toward the fountain across the grassy field, Beau considered his next night of fun. Before he reached the forgotten angel, a flash in the corner of his eye made him turn.

Amid the trees, crowding the edge of the property, something darted in and out. He could just make out a long, white hooded cloak, fluttering and billowing at the edge of the woods. Then it disappeared.

His heart rocketed to his throat. It can’t be!

All the stories he’d heard of the lady in white of The Abbey came rushing back at once, intensifying his panic.

Then he calmed. Someone had to be messing with him. It wasn’t the girl. Kelly had taken off, a bawling mess, across the field several minutes before and he’d heard the slam of the iron gate. He was alone. Unless … the guys had pulled a fast one on him.

But the guys don’t know about your room in the cells.

Beau cut across the grass, anxious to get to the iron gate and back to the party. Almost to the path, he glanced back over his shoulder to the patch of trees where he had seen the ghostly presence. Nothing was there.

It was just your imagination. Or was it?

He made it to the party at the beach, relieved to be back among people, but the incident with the ghost had eradicated his high.

He hungered for it to return but would have to wait.

~~~~~

Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis

Alexandrea Weis, RN-CS, CRRN, ONC, PhD, is a multi award-winning author of twenty-five novels, a screenwriter, ICU Nurse, and historian who was born and raised in the French Quarter of New Orleans. Having grown up in the motion picture industry as the daughter of a director, she learned to tell stories from a different perspective and began writing at the age of eight.

Infusing the rich tapestry of her hometown into her novels, she believes that creating vivid characters makes a story moving and memorable.

A permitted/certified wildlife rehabber with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries, Weis rescues orphaned and injured animals. She lives with her husband and pets in New Orleans. Weis writes paranormal, suspense, thrillers, horror, crime fiction, and romance.

Author Links: Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook

 

Lucas Astor

Lucas Astor

Lucas Astor is from New York, has resided in Central America and the Middle East, and traveled through Europe. He lives a very private, virtually reclusive lifestyle, preferring to spend time with a close-knit group of friends than be in the spotlight.

He is an author and poet with a penchant for telling stories that delve into the dark side of the human psyche. He likes to explore the evil that exists, not just in the world, but right next door behind a smiling face.

Photography, making wine, and helping endangered species are just some of his interests. Lucas is an expert archer and enjoys jazz, blues, and classical music.

One of his favorite quotes is: “It’s better to be silent than be a fool.” ~Harper Lee (To Kill a Mockingbird)

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

,

Go HERE to follow the tour.

~~~~~

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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Shadow’s Way organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be giving away a $25 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the rest of the stops on the tour.

Shadow’s Way

by Barbara Frances

Synopsis

Prepare to be spellbound. Barbara Frances’ long-awaited third novel, Shadow’s Way, takes you to the coastal, deep South, where the past and the present mingle in a gothic tale of insanity, murder, and sexual intrigue.

You’ll meet the beautiful Elaine Chauvier, former actress and proprietor of Shadow’s Way, her family’s antebellum home; the esteemed Archbishop Andre Figurant and his fallen identical twin, Bastien; newly arrived Ophelia and Rudy, here to explore their Chauvier roots and their ties to Shadow’s Way; and the mysterious Madame Claudine. Under a veneer of piety and graciousness, i.e., the questions: What is good? What is evil? What is reality?

Read an excerpt:

The first encounter Ofelia had had with her sister’s unbridled cruelty occurred within weeks after her arrival. She had been in the breakfast area arranging flowers where she could easily hear Elaine’s raised voice in the next room. “Lily Mae, that half-breed sister of mine is just like her mother, a regular whore. She, too, is breaking up a nice family. That man she’s seeing is the father of two lovely girls, just like my father was.”

For several seconds Ofelia held the vase with shaking hands. This was intentional. Elaine knew where she was. Ofelia stomped into the dining room and smashed the costly vase at Elaine’s feet. Shards of glass flew in all directions while water ran into the cracks of the hardwood floor. Elaine jumped back with a slight scream. Fresh flowers were scattered around her shoes.

Ofelia picked up a large piece of glass and pointed it at Elaine. “Don’t you ever, ever call my mother that again, or I swear to God I’ll scar up that pasty white face of yours.” Elaine was more frightened than she had ever been. “You can call me a whore if that makes you feel superior, but don’t ever again call my mother that. You understand, you mean disgusting bitch.”

Staggering back a step or two, Ofelia dropped the shard stunned by the fierceness within her. “You bring out the worst in people,” she snarled in Elaine’s face and walked steadily out of the room, feeling that a kindred wolf spirit was within her.

Two chapters available at http://shadowsway.com/chapters.html

About the Author:

Barbara Frances has plenty of stories and a life spent acquiring them. Growing up Catholic on a small Texas farm, her childhood ambition was to become a nun. In ninth grade she entered a boarding school in Our Lady of the Lake Convent as an aspirant, the first of several steps before taking vows. On graduation, however, she passed up the nun’s habit for a college degree in English and Theatre Arts. Her professors were aghast when she declined a PhD program in order to become a stewardess, but Barbara never looked back. “In the Sixties, a stewardess was a glamorous occupation.” Her career highlights include dating a very gentlemanly Chuck Berry and “opening the bar” for a planeload of underage privates on their way to Vietnam.

Marriage, children, school teaching and divorce distracted her from storytelling, but one summer she and a friend coauthored a screenplay. “I never had such fun! I come from a family of storytellers. Relatives would come over and after dinner everyone would tell tales. Sometimes they were even true.” The next summer Barbara wrote a screenplay solo. Contest recognition, an agent and three optioned scripts followed but, weary of fickle producers and endless rewrites, she turned to novels. Shadow’s Way is her third book. Her first, Lottie’s Adventure, is aimed at young readers. Her second, Like I Used To Dance, is a family saga set in 1950’s rural Texas. Barbara’s fans can be thankful she passed up convent life for one of stories and storytelling. She and her husband Bill live in Austin, Texas.

Barbara welcomes questions or comments about Shadow’s Way at barb@barbarafrances.com.

http://shadowsway.com
http://barbarafrances.com

Buy the book at : AMAZON

~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

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.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.