Archive for August 5, 2025

 

Tiny Wild Things

Danielle M. Wong

.

 

Publication date: August 4th 2025
Genres: Adult, Psychological Thriller

I have always been drawn to tiny, wild things…

Journalist Fran Hendrix thinks she’s about to get the scoop of her career. A reclusive artist has chosen her to take his first interview since the tragic death of his wife years before. Not long after arriving at his secluded country estate, Fran receives a shocking anonymous message. He is lying to you. Get out while you can.

But Fran is a journalist. She’s not going anywhere without her story, even when her host refuses to answer her questions while seeming to know things about her life she hasn’t told anyone. When he suggests they go hunting together, Fran sees it as a chance to finally break through his defenses. But alone with him in the wilderness, she starts to question whether the note was right all along – and she should have gotten out while she still had the chance…

An utterly gripping psychological thriller from an award-winning author that will delight fans of The Hunting Party, The Silent Patient and Sharp Objects.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

~~~~~

PROLOGUE:

So this is how it ends—with me standing over a corpse. Dirt wedged beneath my nails, blood caked onto my palms. Body fraught with tension. Heart thudding uncontrollably. Hands trembling, limbs stiff like the lifeless ones beneath me.

The sky shifts above as I bristle from the cold. From the shock, the truth, the knowing. I freeze for a moment—paralyzed by each drop of fear multiplying inside my gut. Succumbing to paranoia. What happens now?

Hypotheticals run through my psyche’s labyrinth, possibilities lost in the fray. My head clouds before instinct finally takes over. Movement beats inertia. I have to go. I need to get the hell out of this place.

Adrenaline courses through me as I snap into action. Bury the evidence, burn the remains. Get rid of the body. The body.

I screw my gaze shut, recalling everything that happened just moments before. I still see the light fading from both eyes…the life bleeding out in slow motion. I remember it like a film, the footage rolling across a screen at the forefront of my brain. I can’t stop it.

I feel a tightness in my chest. Is it sadness, regret, or something else altogether? Perhaps it’s just the disbelief catching up to me. The swell of emotions continues circulating in my veins. Sensations mount, threatening to burst right through my flesh.

My breath is ragged as I unfurl my fingers—still balled into a fist—and cast my stare downwards. Only one of us will make it out alive. I realize that now. Only one of us can survive.

Just then, there is a foreign sound behind me. I whip around to identify the source. Nothing. My vision blurs slightly, making me doubt everything I see. But it was more than a crunch of leaves. I am sure of it. Bile rises to the back of my throat as I take another look. I have the strange sense that something—or someone—is watching me.

Night will arrive soon, cloaking these surroundings in a blanket of blackness. The air has a tangible charge that tells me it is about to storm. Birds loom overhead—lurking like giant gray omens. In this moment, I am both predator and prey. The wind snaps violently against my body as I step further into the woods. It is time to leave.

I work quickly, erasing any and all signs of my presence. What will the police think? Will they believe me? As I go, my mind begins to spin a tale. A convincing story that explains everything, with no detail left unaccounted for.

When I am finished, there are no more traces in sight. Not a single inkling or clue left behind. It’s almost like I have disappeared entirely—from place, from memory. Like I was never even here at all.

About Author Danielle M. Wong:

.

Danielle M. Wong is a travel-obsessed author of psychological thrillers. She pens the type of stories that keep her up at night, featuring gripping scenes, complex characters, and twist-filled plots. She has been published to critical acclaim, earning Independent Press, Reader’s Favorite, and International Book Awards, among others. Danielle’s writing has been featured in Harper’s Bazaar, HuffPost, PopSugar, and Writer’s Digest. She is currently working on her next novel.

Website / Goodreads / Instagram / Facebook / Twitter

.

Giveaway contest ribbon promo label prize. Vector giveaway banner badge design template

.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

LEGACY OF HONOR: THE DESCENDANTS by Larry A. Freeland
Category:  Adult Fiction (18 +),  401 pages
Genre: Historical Military Fiction
Publisher: Publish Authority
Release date:  February 2025
Content Rating: PG + M: My book is a story of sacrifice, integrity, courage (moral and physical), love, family and war.​

Book Description:

In The Descendants: A Legacy of Valor, the McCormick family saga continues, plunging readers into the heart of 20th-century warfare. This gripping historical military fiction, written in three parts, follows Sean McCormick’s three sons—Alan, Lee, and Scott—as they confront the harsh realities of war and sacrifice.
In Part 1, Alan, the eldest, leads an Infantry Company with the 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War. Amid brutal jungle battles, he faces the relentless toll of command.
Part 2 follows Lee, a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, as he navigates daring missions and personal struggles, eventually participating in the First Gulf War.
In Part 3, Scott, the youngest, is drafted into the Army during the Vietnam era, stationed in South Korea, and later recruited by the CIA, where he undertakes covert missions across the Middle East.
From the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of the Middle East, The Descendants—the powerful conclusion to The Legacy of Honor trilogy—explores the courage, brotherhood, and sacrifices of the McCormick brothers. Their intertwined journeys reveal the true cost of duty, family, and legacy.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
B&N ~ BAM
add to Goodreads
.
Check Out The Entire Legacy of Honor Series:

 

Praise for Legacy of Honor: The Patriarch
“Freeland weaves together an exciting, action-packed, and historically accurate tale of war and romance during and after World War 1.” – James Harvey, author of Grayton Beach Affair
“Freeland writes in nearly encyclopedic fashion as he includes background information about the World War I trenches, the history of the nursing corps, the big increase of cigarette use among American military personnel, the history of “Reveille,” and the meaning of “buying the farm,” among many other things. He also takes the reader on a 30,000-foot overview of a battle about to take place before dropping us down into the action. Freeland’s aim is for his trilogy to explore how this country treats its warriors and veterans during and after our wars. With Book One, The Patriarch, he’s off to a good start.” – Bill McCloud – Vietnam Veterans of America


“Crawl through the trenches of France with American infantrymen and experience the horrendous brutality of WWI warfare … reminiscent of the carnage in Civil War battle scenes in The Red Badge of Courage. Then follow the “doughboys” as they assimilate back into American society, often with heartbreaking and unforgettable outcomes.” – Jameson Gregg, Benjamin Franklin Award Winner and Georgia Author of the Year
In his hometown in Wellington Ohio, Sam McCormick is on a path to follow in his father’s footsteps, leading a life of hard work as a factory manager. But in 1915, Sam loses his parents when the Lusitania is sunk by a U-boat. Soon after, Sam is called up during World War I as an infantryman with the Army’s American Expeditionary Forces and the first division to be sent to France to battle the very forces that killed his loved ones.
Now Sam’s aim is to seek vengeance for his parents’ death. He must survive brutal gas attacks, rapid machine gun fire, and relentless artillery strikes. As he and his troops repeatedly cross into “no man’s land” to take over German trenches, he will cross paths with notable leaders such as General Pershing, General Douglas MacArthur, Colonel George Patton, and Sergeant York, one of the most highly decorated American soldiers of WWI.
But Sam’s attitude changes as the war drags on, and the body count rises. Now Sam just wants the killing to stop. When he is wounded, he finds hope again to rebuild a life with his bride Marie, a witty and intelligent French nurse. But when he returns home, the United States that he loved as a civilian looks far different after the war as a veteran.
Sam McCormick must become The Patriarch. His family and way of life depend on it.
A tale of courage, sacrifice, love and honor, this 20th Century historical fiction saga addresses the horrors of WW1 and the challenges that military men faced upon returning including mental trauma, and physical illness in addition to the hardships of the Great Depression as well as other historical events before WWII, including the Bonus Army March of 1932 and the Little Steel Strikes of 1937.

 

.
A sci-fi-tinged
action-adventure with heart and humor, the TimeLock series is
set in the crime-ridden near future where a bold new technology transforms the
justice system and challenges America’s moral compass. Only one problem—what
happens if you’re innocent? 
.
 

.

The Millennium Paradox

Time Lock Book 3

by Howard Berk & Peter Berk

Genre: SciFi Action Adventure

.

The
Award-Winning series co-written by award-winning writer Howard Berk
(“Columbo,” “Mission: Impossible”) and Peter Berk. 

Newly relocated to the charming Alaskan town of Caribou Bay
after bidding farewell to his best friends Morgan and Janine Eberly, Yoshi Ito
inadvertently prompts his boss, geneticist Dr. Emory Layton, to try a new
genetic acceleration protocol in a local prison. Using technology from the
TimeLock process, the experiment goes awry.

Instead of yielding the desired medical benefits, it generates a terrifying
outcome that infuses a convicted killer with superhuman powers.

As the killer begins to exact revenge upon his enemies, local helicopter pilot
Tom Brooks recruits the Eberlys’ help to stop the unstoppable force before the
residents of Caribou Bay—and possibly the whole world—are forever at the
killer’s mercy.

**NEW RELEASE!!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N
* Kobo * Bookshop.org
* Goodreads

.

.

The Kyoto Conspiracy

Time Lock Series Book 2

.

TimeLock stole
twenty years from Morgan Eberly’s life. A terrifying new version of the radical
technology might just end it. 

Two years after the events of TimeLock, a new and unhinged
president of the United States approves an immoral and illegal plan to develop
a weaponized form of the TimeLock process for use on the battlefield.
But only one man, geneticist Dr. Lionel Garvey, can execute the program. When
both he and his wife Kiyoko are kidnapped in Kyoto, Japan, Morgan and FBI Agent
Janine Price receive a frantic text from Kiyoko’s brother, Yoshi.

Realizing they can’t trust anyone in their own government, Morgan and Janine
fly to Japan and team up with Yoshi for an unauthorized rescue mission. After a
daring raid of a research facility in Japan, the trio realize they have only
delayed the president’s insane plan. They must now execute a dangerous assault
on a frozen corner of Siberia to accomplish their mission. Can Morgan and
Janine stop the president from unleashing a newly weaponized version
of TimeLock before it’s too late?

“A deftly crafted dystopian style science fiction
suspense thriller of a novel, “TimeLock” by the team of Howard and
Peter Berk is a compulsive page turner of a read from cover to cover and
unreservedly recommended . . .”​  —
Midwest
Book Review (TimeLock)

Amazon * Apple * B&N
* Kobo * Bookshop.org
* Bookbub
* Goodreads

.

 

.
.

.

Time Lock

Time Lock Series Book 1

.

When everyman Morgan Eberly is arrested for a murder he
didn’t commit, he’s subjected to an experimental new technology that instantly
ages prisoners the number of years of their sentence. Now 43 and on the run,
can Morgan and rogue FBI agent Janine Price unlock the truth about TimeLock
before it’s too late to turn back?

An innocent man. A radical punishment.
The clock is ticking . . .

With crime rampant, the President authorizes a hugely controversial
program: TimeLock, a cellular acceleration process whereby select
prisoners are instantly aged the total number of years of their
sentence. In other words – three strikes and you’re old…very old.

A sci-fi-tinged action-adventure with heart and humor, TimeLock is
the first in a new series of novellas set in the crime-ridden near future where
a bold new technology transforms the justice system and challenges America’s
moral compass. Only one problem—what happens if you’re innocent? 

  

What Readers
are saying about the series:

 

TimeLock is a
high-octane action thriller with a classic feel, reminiscent of Michael
Crichton or Tom Clancy. It’s familiar, but in all the right ways. 

​The central concept is brilliant . . . The novella is tightly paced,
and there’s not a dull moment. . . .The introduction is particularly engaging,
with an absolutely killer prologue that sucks you in right from the
start. Reading TimeLock, I felt like I was watching a movie . . . It’s a crowd-pleasing blockbuster of a
novella, with all the thrills you’d hope for, and a cracking start to a
series.  
– Read
the full review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Whoa!! Okay so this was awesome and I have to say first off- I hope like hell
someone picks this up to make a movie or a show out of it!! This was a
super interesting premise so I was hooked. It moved at a great pace and I was
on the edge of my seat the whole time.  -Book Blogger @gryffindorbookishnerd

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I vastly enjoyed this quick read . . .  The writing was keenly honed and
smartly detailed  . . . In sum, was a well-plotted and shrewdly paced
action-packed thriller featuring slightly frayed characters and storylines that
were cleverly laced together with wry humor and witty snark.
–Empress DJ/Honolulubelle, Books
and Binding Book Reviews

Amazon * Apple * B&N
* Kobo * Bookshop.org
* Bookbub
* Goodreads

.

.

.

Author Interview – Q&A

.
Author Peter Berk reflects on working with his father & the inspiration for the new action
thriller series,
TimeLock.
Peter and his father, Howard, shared more than DNA—they shared a love of film and television
and a talent for writing. Indeed, Howard was an award-winning film and TV writer and book
author whose credits included such classic series as Columbo, Mission: Impossible, and The
Rockford Files.
Over the years, Peter and Howard worked on numerous projects together, but one screenplay
stood out among the rest. It was a clever idea about the future of the justice system in America.
In a country burdened with rampant crime and prison overcrowding, ambitious politicians roll
out an innovative, but controversial technology called ‘TimeLock’ that instantly ages prisoners
the number of years of their sentence—the ultimate punishment for inmates and the ultimate
deterrent for potential criminals. Just one problem, though: what happens . . . if you happen to
be innocent?
These and other questions about morals, politics, and the danger of power are brilliantly
addressed by the authors in this story, along with a plucky hero, a little romance, and lots of
action and humor.
Although Peter lost his father, Howard, before translating this exciting story into a novel, the
father-son spirit of family and creativity is fully present in this work. And the circle continues as
Peter now collaborates with his own sons, Jordan and Daniel, on various creative endeavors.
Author Interview Q&A
We caught up with co-author Peter Berk ahead of the TimeLock book release on September 22
and learned more about the origins of this utterly unique story and the authors who created it.
Why did you pick this particular subject matter to write about?
I always thought the premise of TimeLock was one of my father’s cleverest ideas, so when
COVID hit and I was stuck at home day after day like most people, I was inspired to translate
the original screenplay we wrote into a novel. Beyond the action and sci-fi elements of the story,
©2022 IngramElliott, Inc.
however, I always felt the most interesting aspect of the premise was how a young man with his
whole future ahead of him is forced to adjust to sudden middle age when he becomes one of
the first to undergo the radical and terrifying process that is TimeLock.
What makes you the happiest?
Corny as it is–family, of course, friends, writing (both fiction and music) and tennis–the one
sport I’m fairly good at (for my age!).
What fact about yourself would really surprise people?
I can’t say this would qualify as surprising info to anyone, but I actually originally planned on
becoming a film composer and songwriter. Inspired by such movie composers as John Barry,
Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams, I locked onto writing music as a career as young as 13
years old and thought I’d have my first Oscar by 25. It obviously didn’t exactly work out that
way, but to my great pleasure, both of my sons, Jordan and Daniel, are excellent composers and
Daniel has already amassed some 75 film, TV and commercial music scoring credits–about 73
more than I ever did!
What is your favorite scene in your book? Why?
I have two favorite scenes, actually. The first is an early lighthearted scene at Morgan’s
workplace when he and two of his fellow programmers hack into their horrible boss’s car and
take over its spoken navigation system. It’s a silly scene that doesn’t advance the plot in any way,
but I think it provides some levity before the action kicks in shortly thereafter. It also, I hope,
depicts Morgan as the young and slightly immature man he is before TimeLock changes
everything. My other favorite scene is in the prison auditorium when Morgan, his fellow
inmates and we the readers first truly become aware of what TimeLock is and the horrifying
future these prisoners are about to face.
What books did you love growing up?
Like many young people of my generation, I devoured the Ian Fleming/James Bond novels, but
also gravitated toward sci-fi authors such as Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, while also taking in
such classics as Catcher in The Rye and To Kill a Mockingbird. As I got older, I tended to alternate
between “fun” reads like some of the ones mentioned above and books about WWII and world
history. And of course I can’t leave out my father’s first two novels, The Hero Machine and The
Sun Grows Cold.
Please tell us something about your book that is not in the summary.
TimeLock actually began life as a screenplay I wrote with my father—and two more of the five
novellas planned for the series also originated as movie scripts. In tandem with IngramElliott
Publishing, I very much hope to bring some or all of these stories to the big or little screen in
the future.
©2022 IngramElliott, Inc.
What motivates you to write?
The never-ending inspiration of my father, Howard–the best writer I’ve ever known. I’ll cherish
the countless hours we spent writing together and now I can honestly say that thanks to
IngramElliott, bringing the projects my dad and I wrote together to life in this series of novellas
is easily the most gratifying work I’ve ever done in my life.
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
TimeLock is available September 22, 2022, in print and e-Book. Follow @timelocknovel on
Facebook and Instagram. Learn more at www.ingramelliott.com/timelock.
Media inquiries: Email pecalvert@ingramelliott.com.

.

 

An award-winning novelist and screenwriter, Howard Berk’s
credits include memorable episodes of such classic TV series as “Columbo,”
(including “By Dawn’s Early Light,” for which guest star Patrick McGoohan won
an Emmy), “Mission: Impossible,” “The Rockford Files,” “The Fall Guy,” “The New
Mike Hammer” and “The Contender,” starring “V” and “The Beastmaster” lead Marc
Singer. Howard Berk also wrote the feature film, “Target,” starring Gene
Hackman and Matt Dillon.

Peter Berk has
written six novels, three TV pilots and a dozen screenplays, including several
with his father, Howard Berk, which became the basis for the TimeLock series
of novels. IE also published Peter’s political murder mystery, First
Line of Defense
 
and will publish his forthcoming novel, Fireline. Peter and his
family live in Southern California.

Website * Facebook * Facebook * X * Instagram * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a $20 giveaway!

.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.