Archive for May, 2022

Speechless In Achten Tan by Debbie Iancu-Haddad

Posted: May 9, 2022 in Excerpt, giveaways, YA Fantasy
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speechless-copy

Sometimes Magic leaves you…Speechless!

Welcome to the book tour for beautiful fantasy novel, Speechless in Achten Tan by Debbie Iancu-Haddad. Read on for details and a chance to win a fantastic giveaway!

speechless with ants

Speechless in Achten Tan (The Sands of Achten Tan #1)

Publication Date: February 22, 2022 (Skullgate Media)

Genre: YA Fantasy

Sometimes Magic leaves you…Speechless!

Eighteen-year-old Mila hasn’t spoken in the five years since she became an Onra, a first level Everfall witch. After failing the test to reclaim her voice and control her magic, her mentor sends Mila to Achten Tan – City of Dust – a dangerous desert town, built in the massive ribcage of an extinct leviathan.
To reclaim her power, Mila must steal a magical staff capable of releasing it, from the sky-high lair of the Bone Master, Chief Opu Haku.
Her only resources are the magical luminous elixirs of the cursed caverns where she grew up, and a band of unlikely allies; a quirky inventor, a giant-ant rider, a healer, a librarian’s assistant, a Tar-tule rider and the chief’s playboy son.
But in the City of Bones, enemies & friends are not who they seem and trusting the wrong person can be deadly.
If Mila fails she will never speak again and her bones may be added to the wasteland.

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Excerpt

This time, I have to succeed.

A glimmer of light parts the mist rising from the Everfall, the massive waterfall tumbling from the plateau above Achten Tan into the underground caverns where we live. The waterfall is steeped in magic. To pass my test, I must harness its power, and pause the mighty flow for one brief moment.

The cool spray wicks my skin with moisture as the sun’s first rays creep across the falls. I raise my hands to focus my magic and breathe deep, concentrating on a stripe of rainbow-colored sunlight refracting through the vapor. The water on my skin evaporates as it warms, humming with power.

I gather the threads of ether to me, weaving them one by one into a spell. I cannot speak it out loud. Since the magic took my voice five years ago, it has reduced me to hand signals, gestures, and the words tattooed on my skin. But if the magic obeys me today, I will ascend to the next level, and be able to speak once more.

STOP. I command the water. The water swirls and writhes like a hissing serpent, escaping my hold. The mighty flow crests momentarily, building into a wave, shooting up above the falls when it should fall downward. Joy and hope flood my chest.

The gathered spectators gasp.

Even at this early hour, I have an audience: other hopefuls, their families, and friends. The other girls are taking their test for the first, or second, or at worst, the third time. This is my fourth try. A fourth failure might drive me to throw myself off the Everfall.

It’s a truly spectacular way to die.

I should know, it’s how my brother died.

But I don’t want to die. And if I had a choice, I definitely wouldn’t jump. As it is, being this close to the edge of the falls makes my knees tremble. I just want to pass my trial and ascend from Onra, first-level cavern witch, to Misra, the second level, trusted to use her voice and powers.

Distracted by the crowd—or the wind, or my frail ability—the water breaks from my grasp, collapsing over the falls with a mighty slap, blowing wind and water back into my face like the insult it is.

I raise my dripping face to view the people gathered beyond the falls. I spot my parents’ disappointed faces, my father clutching my mother’s shoulder in support. My Nora’s weathered visage rarely shows emotion, but I can tell her discontent by the tightening of her jaw, the whitening of her knuckles on her staff. And behind them, sweet Geb, standing a head taller than the rest. He wanted me to succeed so badly. His golden eyes find mine, holding nothing but sympathy. Still, looking at them all, I truly contemplate throwing myself over the edge, rather than having to face them as a failure once more.

I shake my head to dislodge such thoughts. I can’t put them through that again.

Instead, I swallow my shame, hold back my tears, and flee.

Available on Amazon!

About the Author

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Debbie Iancu-Haddad is a Jewish Israeli author living in Meitar in the Negev Desert.

She spends her time taking part in Anthologies (seven to date with two more on the way), writing VSS on Twitter, and buying way too much stuff online. Her goal is to promote body positive characters and include characters dealing with physical challenges. #ownvoices

For her day job, she gives lectures on humor, laughter yoga workshops and chocolate workshops, and sees how often she can make her two teenagers roll their eyes.

Debbie Iancu-Haddad | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Giveaway: Click the link below for a chance to win a copy of Speechless in Achten Tan and a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card!

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Book Tour Schedule

May 9th

R&R Book Tours (Kick-Off) http://rrbooktours.com

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

I Love Books & Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

FUOnlyKnew (Spotlight) http://fuonlyknew.com/

May 10th

Sadie’s Spotlight (Interview) http://sadiesspotlight.com/

@books_inthecity (Review) https://www.instagram.com/books_inthecity/

Tabithabouldin (Review) https://www.instagram.com/tabithabouldin/

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

@booksintheirnaturalhabitat (Spotlight) https://www.instagram.com/booksintheirnaturalhRaabitat/

May 11th

Riss Reviews (Review) https://rissreviewsx.wixsite.com/website

@takealookatmybookshelf (Review) https://www.instagram.com/takealookatmybookshelf/

I Smell Sheep (Spotlight) http://www.ismellsheep.com/

Ravenz Reviews (Spotlight) http://ravenzreviews.blogspot.com/

May 12th

Cheryl’s Book Nook (Review) https://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/

@beastreader – https://www.instagram.com/beastreader/

@cleoniki.books (Review) https://www.instagram.com/cleoniki.books/

@mels_booksandhooks (Review) https://www.instagram.com/mels_booksandhooks/

Sadie Forsythe (Review) http://sadieforsythe.com/wp/

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

May 13th

@amber.bunch_author (Review) https://www.instagram.com/amber.bunch_author/

Bunny’s Reviews (Review) https://bookwormbunnyreviews.blogspot.com/

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Book Tour Organized By:

R&R Button

R&R Book Tours

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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.

Murder In The Community Garden ~ A Tory Benning Mystery by Judith Gonda

Posted: May 8, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
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Murder In The Community Garden

A Tory Benning Mystery

by Judith Gonda

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Murder in the Community Garden (A Tory Benning Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
3rd in Series
Setting – California
Beyond the Page Publishing (May 10, 2022)
Number of Pages: 256
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1954717946
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1954717947
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09VLL17QJ

Budding sleuth Tory Benning has to overcome planted evidence and growing suspicions to save an innocent man from being framed . . .

Designing a community garden as part of a new condo project seemed like a no-brainer to landscape architect Tory Benning, since it would bring people together and enhance the environmental profile of the property. But soon members of the garden begin squabbling and even leveling accusations of sabotage against each other in a friendly growing competition. Then one of the gardeners is found murdered at the grand opening, and Tory realizes she’ll have to weed through some damning false evidence to help prove her implicated friend is innocent.

It’s a daunting challenge given that her friend was seen threatening the victim on live TV and all the clues point to him as the culprit, but Tory is certain someone is behind a devious plot to set him up. As she starts looking into the backgrounds of those closest to the victim, secrets begin to emerge about marital infidelity, a sizable inheritance, and estranged children. Fearful now that she might be going up against someone far more cunning than a garden-variety killer, Tory will have to stand her ground to bring the culprit to justice—and be careful not to dig her own grave . . .

About Judith Gonda

judith gonda

Judith Gonda is a mystery writer and Ph.D. psychologist with a penchant for Pomeranians, plants, and puns, so it’s not surprising they all pop up in her amateur sleuth mysteries featuring landscape architect Tory Benning. To learn more about her books, please visit her website: https://www.judithgonda.com

Author Links: Webpage / Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Instagram – Judith Gonda / Instagram – MC Tory Bennett / Tik Tok

Purchase Links:

Amazon    Barnes and Noble    Kobo    Google Play    Smashwords 

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GIVEAWAY

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 4 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 5 – Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST

May 6 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 7 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 9 – Nellie’s Book Nook – REVIEW

May 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 10 – Novels Alive – SPOTLIGHT

May 11 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW

May 12 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 12 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 13 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 14 – The Mystery of Writing – SPOTLIGHT

May 15 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT

May 16 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW

May 17 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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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.

Margarita’s, Mayhem & Murder ~ An Andi Anna Jones Mystery by Mary Cunningham

Posted: May 7, 2022 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: ,
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Margarita’s, Mayhem & Murder

An Andi Anna Jones Mystery

by Mary Cunningham

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Margaritas, Mayhem & Murder (An Andi Anna Jones Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Setting – Florida/Cancun/Las Vegas
Wild Rose Press (April 27, 2022)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509241086
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509241088
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B09QXR7WKX

Andi Anna Jones, so-so travel agent and amateur sleuth, puts aside her resentment of her father’s widow and books a sixtieth birthday cruise to Cancun for Ruby and three friends. Never does Andi imagine the cruise will include the murder of a has-been lounge singer—or that Ruby might be the main suspect.

Flirting with more than danger after arriving in Mexico, Andi connects with charming local sheriff, Manual Gonzales. An embarrassing night involving the sheriff, too many margaritas, and a Mariachi band, can’t quell her determination to clear the name of her ex-stepmother.

While gathering clues and interviewing witnesses, however, she suspects dear old step-mom isn’t the only one in jeopardy.

 

About Mary Cunningham

Author, Mary Cunningham, grew up on the northern side of the Ohio River in Corydon, Indiana. Her first memories are of her dad’s original bedtime stories that no doubt inspired her imagination and love of a well-spun “yarn.”

Through the author’s horrifying stint as a travel agent, Andi Anna Jones sprang to life. The adult/mystery series gives extra meaning to the phrase, “Write what you know.” Cunningham has several books published, including Cynthia’s Attic, a five-book middle-grade fantasy, women’s lifestyle/humor book, WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty, Ebooks, Christmas With Daisy and Ghost Light. A biography of an army brat, turned UConn and WNBA basketball player, will be published in the spring of 2022.

She is a member of Sisters In Crime, Sisters In Crime-Atlanta Chapter, International Thriller Writers, Inc., and the Carrollton Writers Guild.

When she gives her fingers a break from the keyboard, Mary enjoys golf, swimming, and exploring the mountains of West Georgia where she makes her home with her husband and adopted, four-legged, furry daughter, Lucy.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon / Goodreads

Purchase Link – Amazon – B&N

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GIVEAWAY

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

May 5 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – CHARACTER GUEST POST

May 5 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Baroness’ Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

May 6 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

May 7 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

May 7 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

May 8 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

May 9 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT  

May 9 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 10 – The Mystery Section – GUEST POST

May 10 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

May 11 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

May 11 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT  

May 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW

May 12 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

May 13 – fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

May 14 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

May 14 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

May 15 – Drink Coffee and Read Books – REVIEW

May 15 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT  

May 16 – Novels Alive – GUEST POST

May 17 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT

May 17 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

May 18 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT  

 

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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.

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Bad Girls Drink Blood by S.L. Choi ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 6, 2022 in Adult Fiction, Fantasy, giveaways
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Bad Girls Drink Blood
S.L. Choi
Published by: City Owl Press
Publication date: May 17th 2022
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Part sun fae, part blood fae, all abomination.

There is only one hybrid fae in existence, and that dishonor goes to Lane Callaghan.

After a life spent dodging slurs, threats, and assassination attempts, Lane gave her past the one finger salute and ditched her former fae home for good. The detective agency she and her sisters run on the edge of Las Vegas continues to limp along, with Lane doing more debt collecting and intimidating than investigating, but anything to pay the bills. Between working for low-lifes to bring down even lower-lifes, eating cheesy poofs by the bucket, and flirting with the criminally attractive bartender where she conducts business, life is good.

That ends when a routine job goes sideways, leaving Lane with a sack full of stolen sun shards—the source of sun fae power. Without the shards, the sun fae face giving up their magic completely, or risk death if they use their power. Considering they would rather see her dead, good riddance, as far as Lane’s concerned—except her father and adopted sister are sun fae. Lane must choose—return home to save the fae bastards that almost killed her, or let them burn.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Better luck next time, hybrid.

Fury roared through me. My ears burned and scalp tingled.

“What the hell is that?”

I spun with a snarl. My fangs elongated instantly, painfully.

Teddy’s tall, lean frame bent over my shoulder as he read the napkin. My body thrummed with the surge of unspent adrenaline and possibly the intimate proximity. I flexed my fingers, curled them, flexed again.

“It’s nothing.” I snatched the napkin and jammed it into my jacket pocket. I’d deal with how exactly that woman knew I was a hybrid later. That was a secret for me and my sisters, and I aimed to keep it that way.

There was only one hybrid, and I was the unlucky genetic winner. It wasn’t for lack of fae mixing, that was something they did often and copiously, but offspring were always of one race. It kept their magic powerful, and if fae worshiped anything, it was power. My existence wasn’t an exalted position.

“But—”

“It’s nothing,” I stressed, my gaze steady on his. I meant business.

“Okay, okay.” He tipped his forehead toward my face. “You should holster those things before you hurt someone besides yourself.”

Crap, not again. All at once my lip became a persistent throb, reminding me of the pain from my fangs punching out. I dragged a finger along the edge of my mouth. It came away sticky, warm, and wet. When startled, I had zero control of the things. It was embarrassing.

Teddy tucked a clean napkin into my palm and pulled me close to whisper, “You shouldn’t be wasting blood when you refuse to drink it.”

His hot breath warmed my neck and tickled my ear. The heady mixture of woods, earth, and vanilla—Teddy’s distinct scent—filled my nostrils, made me dizzy. Something melted and puddled in my core. My gaze fastened on the way my dark red hair danced with his bourbon-brown strands. The way they both brushed against the hard line of muscle leading from his neck to his shoulder.

Damn it.

That delicious scent shouldn’t be so strong. My olfactory sense was the same as any other fae, unless I’d smelled their blood. Then again, with the amount of brawls Teddy broke up in this joint, he was bound to have bled at some point.

I stepped away and scowled in a desperate attempt to hide my reaction. “And you should mind your own business.” What was wrong with me lately? I’d known the guy for years, but recently Teddy seemed more flirt than friend. I felt disgustingly girly when he got near.

“Whatever you say, sweet fangs.” He chucked a knuckle under my chin, letting it linger long enough to turn the gesture from playful to intimate.

I rubbed my chin on my shoulder. This was Teddy. He couldn’t possibly be flirting. He’d known me since I roared into Interlands at fifteen with way more balls and bravado than sense. More importantly, I wasn’t his type—empty headed and easy.

He swaggered toward the end of the bar, and some mysterious magnetic force pulled my appreciative gaze to the way he filled out his denim. My view disappeared as he stepped behind the counter. When I looked up, Teddy watched me with a knowing grin. I bared my fangs. He laughed.

I growled under my breath and turned to leave as he circled the bar and headed for the spot across the counter from me.

“Why take these jobs, Lane? They’re bad. You’re so much more than this.”

Teddy’s earnest words stopped me, and I looked back. His bottomless black gaze gripped mine.

My chest tightened. Teddy didn’t know how misplaced his faith in me was. I grabbed a freshly filled tumbler full of amber liquid from the bar.

“Hey!” The owner of the drink turned, opened his mouth to say more, and laid eyes on me. I raised my brows in a dare. The guy wisely spun to face the bar and tapped the counter, ordering a new drink for himself.

“Because I’m really, really good at it. Besides, haven’t you heard?” I slammed my confiscated drink. The taste of gasoline chasing cinnamon scorched a path down my throat. My nostrils burned and eyes watered. I shoved down the sensation and flashed a smile filled with a whole lot of fang. “I’m a bad girl.”

Author S.L. Choi

S.L. Choi is an urban fantasy author with a deep love for humor, fast-paced action, and hit-you-in-the-heart feels. She grew up imagining goblins living in the rocks outside her bedroom window, while fairies flew through the flowers. Now she puts those stories to paper. When not writing, she is either photographing the beautiful New England area, hiking, gaming with her equally nerdy husband, or attending to the small furry overlords who rule them both.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok / Bookbub

 

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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.

The Friday 56 #244 ~ The Third Grave

Posted: May 6, 2022 in Mystery, The Friday 56, thriller
Tags: , ,
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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:

The Third Grave

Savannah #4

  by Lisa Jackson

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Genre: Mystery / Thriller

From page 56 in the paperback.

She shuddered, knowing how cold that water could feel and now Morisette … no, she wouldn’t think about that now and pushed any worrisome thoughts aside.

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Synopsis

A thrilling new crime novel from the bestselling author of You Betrayed Me, perfect for fans of Sandra Brown and Iris Johansen! Return to the dark side of Savannah, Georgia where a crime writer and her detective husband are working a cold case, and hot on the trail of a killer who’s work isn’t done.

The old Beaumont mansion is a rotting shell of its once-grand self, especially after a disastrous hurricane sweeps through Georgia. The storm does more than dislodge shutters and shingles. It leads to a grisly find in the cellar. Three graves. But only two skeletons…

For Nikki, the discovery is a gift, the perfect subject for her next crime book—though Reed has made her promise not to keep involving herself in dangerous police business. But despite the increasing tension between them, Nikki can’t stay away from this story. Rumors are widespread that the burial site is the resting place of the Duval sisters—three young girls who went to the movies with their older brother, Owen, twenty years ago, and never returned. Forensics confirms that the remains belong to Holly and Poppy Duval. But where is the youngest sister, Rose?

Owen Duval was, and remains, the prime suspect, alibi or no. But as Nikki and Reed delve deep into the mystery, fractures in the case begin to show. There is more to the sisters’ disappearance than anyone ever guessed. Far from an isolated act, those deaths were just the beginning. And there will be no rest, and no relenting, until the killer has buried the twisted truth along with his victims…

Amazon

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I’ve been reading Lisa’s books for years and read the previous books in this series. I can’t warm up to some of the characters, but I can’t not continue with the series. It would haunt me. LOL

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There’s an alternative cover.

The one above is the paperback copy I own.

This one is the eBook cover.

57863184

Which do you like more?

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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

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No Ordinary Hate by Whitney Dineen & Melanie Summers

Posted: May 5, 2022 in comedy, Contemporary Romance, giveaways
Tags: , , ,
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No Ordinary Hate
Melanie Summers & Whitney Dineen
(A Gamble on Love Mom Com, #1)
Publication date: May 5th 2022
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

Life in Hollywood is easy to hate…

According to Hollywood insiders, Harper and Brett Kennedy have the perfect family life—an image that has been carefully cultivated by an army of PR experts at Galaxy Studios. The truth is, their relationship has been on the rocks since Brett cheated when Harper was pregnant with their youngest child. Four years later, he’s still cheating, but this time with the nanny.

When the tabloids find out, a media frenzy ensues, all but making Harper and her kids prisoners in their Pacific Palisades mansion. Needing time out of the spotlight to regroup, Harper rents a cabin in the last place the press or anyone else would ever think to look for her—Gamble, Alaska.

There, she finds peace, solitude, and Digger McKenzie. Will the gruff lodge owner, who goes out of his way to make Harper feel like she doesn’t belong, realize he’s about to miss out on his one chance at happiness? Will Harper’s kids adjust to small-town life and heal from the chaos of their parents’ separation? Will Harper learn how to shoot a bear?

Find out in the deliciously funny and dishy first installment of the Love is a Gamble Mom-Com Series.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Dear Readers,

When I was just a wee lad of twelve, I, too, became embroiled in a love triangle. Me, Stacy Ferndweller, and Landon Post. I loved the sweaters Stacy wore—which at the time I mistook for lust. And Landon filled out a pair of red polyester gym shorts like nobody’s business. What was a boy to do?

I eventually decided to ask Stacy if I could borrow a sweater—baby pink with delicate chartreuse hearts all over it. I wore it to Landon’s soccer game and cheered him on like a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader. He was less than impressed.

After the game, Landon searched me out to delicately disclose his rampant heterosexuality. He broke my heart, but alas, not my nose, so I was grateful. I decided to set him up with Stacy.

It’s for this reason that I’m so attuned to the “two humans in love with the same man scenario.” But unlike Landon, Brett Kennedy is no hero. He’s a cheater and defiler of nannies. He’s a wild card run amok in the landmine of love.

I’m not sure there’s a gesture big enough for Harper to consider taking him back. Tip: A boombox on top of your car isn’t going to cut it, dude.

I’m skipping my workout today in favor of a good, old-fashioned mud bath. My aura needs a righteous cleanse.

Dish,

Ferris Biltmore

Harper

I hurt everywhere—my head, my eyes, my belly button. Reaching under the covers I discover that I went to bed in my jeans and the button is digging into me. Popping it open, I roll over and release a world-class groan.

“Ah, you’re up.” It’s Digger’s voice but there’s no way he’s here in my cabin. “I just put on some coffee.” How is he here in my cabin?

Memories start to filter into my consciousness and the heat of embarrassment washes over me. The question at hand is, how much of what I’m remembering really happened and how much did I dream? I say the only thing that comes to mind. “Hi.”

“Good morning to you.” He walks fully into the room before sitting on the bed next to me. “How do you feel?”

“I’m … um … not great.” Lordy, this is one gorgeous man.

“You and Moira really tied one on last night.”

Okay, so the memory about him picking me up and bringing me home is real. Now to figure out what happened after that. “So, did you … uh … that is to say … sleep here?” He smiles slightly while nodding his head. “In my room?”

“Yup.” Son of a … did he sleep in my bed? I can’t bring myself to ask. He watches me closely before pointing across the room. “Over there in the chair.”

Thank God. “Why exactly?” I’m having a devil of a time meeting his gaze.

“I was getting ready for bed when Moira called, and by the time I carried you here, I was wiped out.”

“I’m so sorry,” I mumble. “I’m not much of a drinker.” I chance a glance at him from under my lashes.

The look on his face is so intense it’s practically melting me from the inside out. “Clearly.” He stands up and walks out of the room while saying, “I’m putting your coffee in a thermos. You can drink it on your way up to the lodge.”

“No, thank you,” I call after him. “I think I’ll go back to sleep for a while.”

He walks back in, shaking his head. “You’ll feel like crap all day if you do that. What you need is some fresh air, followed by a giant breakfast to soak up all the wine.” He reaches his hand out to me.

I don’t want to take it, but I do. As he pulls, I moan. “I never get drunk.”

“Sometimes needs must. I’m guessing Brett was the last person you expected to see up here yesterday.”

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries — not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers’ Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.

Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.

In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).

Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.

She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.

Author links
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

 

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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.

Books From The Backlog #71 ~ The Sun Down Motel

Posted: May 5, 2022 in horror, Mystery, Supernatural
Tags: , , ,
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If you’re like me, you have a pile of books beckoning to you from your lists. Carole hosts this fun feature where you can share some of those older books and perhaps nudge you to finally read them. If you want to join in on the fun, head over to Carole’s Random Life In Books and leave a link to your post.
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The Sun Down Motel

by Simone St. James

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45885644

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Genre: Mystery / Horror / Supernatural

Synopsis

Something hasn’t been right at the roadside Sun Down Motel for a very long time, and Carly Kirk is about to find out why in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Broken Girls.

Upstate New York, 1982. Viv Delaney wants to move to New York City, and to help pay for it she takes a job as the night clerk at the Sun Down Motel in Fell, New York. But something isnʼt right at the motel, something haunting and scary.

Upstate New York, 2017. Carly Kirk has never been able to let go of the story of her aunt Viv, who mysteriously disappeared from the Sun Down before she was born. She decides to move to Fell and visit the motel, where she quickly learns that nothing has changed since 1982. And she soon finds herself ensnared in the same mysteries that claimed her aunt.

Amazon

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I added this back in February 2020.

The cover caught my eye. And the synopsis sounds right up my alley.

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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

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The Litter by Kevin R. Doyle ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 4, 2022 in giveaways, horror
Tags: ,
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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for The Litter organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Author Kevin R. Doyle will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner, and a second drawing for a free e-Book copy of the book, via rafflecopter during the tour.

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The Litter

by Kevin R. Doyle

Genre: Horror

Synopsis

They kept to the shadows so no one would know they existed, and preyed on the nameless who no one would miss. Where did they come from, and who was protecting them? In a city that had seen every kind of savagery, they were something new, something more than murderous. And one woman, who had thought she had lost everything there was to lose in life, would soon find that nothing could possibly prepare her for what would come when she entered their world.

 

Enjoy this peek inside:

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” Pam said.

“Still think it was a dog?” her partner asked.

“What else could it have been? It doesn’t take the ME over there to know that this guy’s been all chewed up.”

“What I’m getting at is it may not have been a single animal.”

“Come again? Are you thinking of a pack or something?”

“Well,” Gonzales said, “just looking at it . . .” He waved his arm in the direction of the mess on the pavement.

“That’s insane, Enrico. Who the hell ever heard of a pack of dogs attacking people in the middle of a city?”

“You ever hear of one dog doing anything that even remotely looks like that?”

“What about rats?” she asked the older cop, fearful he would laugh in her face.

“I actually thought of that myself for a moment there. It’s not the most far-fetched of possibilities.”

“No?”

“Not at all. Once, I saw what was left of an old wino eaten by rats, back when I’d been on the force not much longer than you have. But that was a guy who’d crawled under the porch of a house, probably trying to escape the weather. Besides, long ago as it’s been, from what I remember, that body didn’t look anything like this.”

“No, huh?”

“Not really, no. It looked more like he’d been nibbled on till he was worn down to practically nothing.”

Pam pointed towards the corpse.

“That’s not a bunch of nibbles,” she said.

About Author Kevin R. Doyle:

A high-school teacher, former college instructor, and fiction writer, Kevin R. Doyle is the author of numerous short horror stories. He’s also written three crime thrillers, The Group, When You Have to Go There, and And the Devil Walks Away, and one horror novel, The Litter. In the last few years, he’s begun working on the Sam Quinton private eye series, published by Camel Press. The first Quinton book, Squatter’s Rights, was nominated for the 2021 Shamus award for Best First PI Novel. The second book, Heel Turn, was released in March of 2021, while the third in the series, Double Frame, came out in March of 2022.

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

The book is on sale for only $0.99!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

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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.

The Omen Of Crows Nest by Cathrina Constantine ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 4, 2022 in giveaways, YA Fantasy
Tags: , ,
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The Omen of Crows Nest
Cathrina Constantine
Publication date: May 4th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

No blood. No body. No murder.

That’s what the police found after Penelope spun her bizarre tale. In a hysterical state, she said her father was butchered and eaten by a mob of birds ~ in her bedroom.

They claim she’s crazy.
That she suffers from delusions.
Penelope is dead set on proving them wrong.

After being institutionalized for eight months, Penelope is out and more determined than ever to find answers to her so-called hallucinations. With her father’s untimely disappearance, she’s convinced her family is hiding something sinister.

THE OMEN OF CROWS NEST is the latest masterpiece by the award-winning author Cathrina Constantine, and is sure to leave fans of fantasy gasping!

Goodreads / Amazon

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Enjoy this peek inside:

The electrodes in my brain were like a loop recorder, continuously dredging up the past. And problematic for the psychiatrist at Green Fields Sanitarium, who was in the process of rewiring me.

Bear with me as I digress: I witnessed the gruesome death of my father by a mob of birds. I know what you’re picturing: A scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s horror movie The Birds. Not exactly like the movie, it happened in my bedroom. An aberration that my brain conjured, so they say.

Gramma had reinforced Dad’s untimely disappearance to the police. After the thunderstorm he’d raced to catch a late flight. An overseas business trip. Lacking evidence of any misdeeds, no mutilations as I’d described, the police had nothing to go on besides a batshit crazy kid. I experienced a daymare, a delusion, and it hadn’t been the first time, so said Gramma.

Afterward, Mom spent a week in bed, purporting she had a bug. She couldn’t keep anything down and stopped eating. I noticed her yellowy sick skin and hair matted as if a brush hadn’t made contact in weeks.

Thirteen days passed at a snail’s pace since that night. I was in the library’s alcove, my daily vigil, half-expecting Dad to come strolling up the cobbled walkway. My fretfulness heightening because I’d spilled my guts to my best friend, Hillary, telling her everything. If she repeated it to anyone, the repercussions would come back to bite me.

Author Cathrina Constantine:

I am blessed with a loving family and forever friends. My world revolves around them.

I grew up in the small village of Lancaster, NY, where I married my sweetheart. I’m devoted to raising 5 cherished children, and now my grandchildren.

I love to immerse myself in great books of every kind of genre, which helps me to write purely for entertainment, and hopefully to inspire readers. When not stationed at my computer you can find me in the woods taking long walks with my dog.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub

 

GIVEAWAYS!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted by:
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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.

Shadowdays by Polly Schattel ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: May 3, 2022 in giveaways, horror
Tags:
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Shadowdays banner

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This is my post during the blog tour for Shadowdays by Polly Schattel. In Shadowdays a nurse with a troubled past becomes ensnared in a clash with a violent gang.

This blog tour is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours and the tour runs from 2 till 15 May. You can see the tour schedule here.

Shadowdays book cover

Shadowdays
By Polly Schattel
Genre: Psychological Horror
Age category: Adult
Release Date: 28 January 2022

Blurb:
On the dark side of town, what’s past is never really past. And what’s buried is never really dead.

Melissa Sweet is in a delicate state. She’s a clinical nurse in a small town who, after a career-ending accident and the accusations of foul play that followed, is just now starting to put her life back together. She’s got her mom, her troubled brother, and her fiancé Jack to keep her grounded, and right now she’s taking life one uneasy day at a time. But tormented by a harrowing act of violence, she makes an impulsive move that changes her life—and the lives of those she loves—forever. This unleashes a disorienting cycle of brutality and revelation as she reckons with the blood of her own past and the blood of those who transgressed against her.

And it will force Melissa to confront the fiercest, most unrelenting monster of all: herself.

Links:
– Goodreads
– Bookbub
– Amazon

Praise for Shadowdays:
“… a tale that will leave readers squirming in discomfort but unable to stop turning the pages” –Booklist.

“Shadowdays will have you walking a razor’s edge between what’s real and what’s not. Either will break your heart. Schattel teaches you the meaning of guilt, and of grief, at a pace that leaves you breathless. This is pulp horror soaked in empathy, and it will cut you.” –Sarah Read, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of The Bone Weaver’s Orchard.

“Shadowdays has a gutpunch of an ending. You’ll see it starting to move in that direction in the novel’s climax, but it will hit you like a runaway freight train when it does. As dark as this one was—perhaps because of that—Shadowdays was a lot of fun. Recommended.” –Andrew Byers, Uncanny Books

Enjoy this peek inside


The doorbell rang, and Noah lurched into the next room, and Sandra dashed after him, to
intercede in case he started making trouble for whoever was at the door. It wouldn’t be the first
time. Once two years ago Noah pitched a fit at a UPS delivery guy, had assaulted the man after
there’d been some missed or broken communication of some sort (no doubt also Noah’s
doing), and a lawsuit was threatened but never enacted, and Sandra and Melissa learned not
to trust that process anymore.
But then Melissa took a bite and her mouth was full of tuna salad and she had a moment to
think, This is way too salty I need to cut them both back. She reached across the table to pick
up the jar of salad dressing—on it was a picture of a chubby-cheeked little boy, antique and
blushing and with a cowlick not unlike Noah’s own, he was slurping a spoonful of the dressing,
with the words THE MORE YOU HAVE THE MORE YOU WANT! above him.
That’s when the noise—the sudden resounding BANG!—came from the next room.
Melissa blinked in surprise. This was no door-to-door fundraiser. “Mom?” she called thickly, her
mouth full. No answer. She reached over and got another forkful of tuna, looking at the open
doorway.
Then voices—men’s voices, angry voices, voices crowded and sloppy with rage and stress.
And her mother saying, very clearly from the next room: “What?”
A man’s voice bellowing, “Fuck offa me!”
There was the sound of a scuffle, like two boys wrestling, all slips and steps and grunts and
croaks, coming closer, and then—before Melissa could react—a group of men, three or four of
them but it was a jumble at first, a kinetic blur of form, burst into the living room pushing
Sandra and Noah ahead of them like swimmers tossed in a rough tide.
A low percussive shock rippled across Melissa before she knew why. It took her a white-hot
moment, a skip of nullity like a computer glitch, before she understood that each of the men, in
their dark intentions to come inside the house no matter what, was wearing a cheap Halloween
mask.
No fuckin’ way, her brain told her. A leering clown, a grinning dog, what must have been
intended to be an alien—it was green with big eyes anyway—and a cartoonishly freakish red-
nose, red-cheeked, half-mask which covered only the lower part of the man’s bearded face.
Oddly, frighteningly, it looked like the grotesque blush-cheeked puppets on Mr. Rogers’
Neighborhood, when she was younger those faces were so horrible to watch, and she
remembered having nightmares where they spoke to her in that spooky sniveling mewl Fred
Rogers gave them.
But she was at the table in the kitchen, and the men were in the living room, and it was as
though the air and the sound had been sucked from the room into the vacuum of space.
Abstractly, Melissa thought Is this real, am I having a dream? before she understood indeed it
was real. Two of the men held Noah by the wrists and they struggled, yelling and wrenching
and pummeling him in the living room. Melissa dumbly at the table, fork poised not twenty feet
away, if any of them turned to look they could see her sitting there, but they were busy with
Noah, who verged on becoming violently agitated, and Noah was a very big boy.
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About Author Polly Schattel:

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Polly Schattel a writer and filmmaker who has written and directed three award-winning, internationally distributed feature films. Her first novel, “The Occultists,” was published by JournalStone in 2020. She’s taught Film Directing, Screenwriting and Film Editing in the NC University system, New York City and elsewhere. Proudly and passionately transgender, she lives in the mountains of Asheville, NC with her wife and three wild, vicious animals who love people food.

Author links:
– Website
– Facebook

Giveaway

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There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Shadowdays. 10 winners will each win an ecopy of Shadowdays by Polly Schattel.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Shadowdays square banner.
Lola's Blog Tours graphic

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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.

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