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Author Archive

Looking Up by Stephan Pastis ~ Review And Giveaway

Posted: October 4, 2023 in giveaways, middle grade, reviews
Tags: giveaway, middle grade, review

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LOOKING UP by Stephan Pastis Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.

Check out my review and make sure to enter the giveaway!

LOOKING UP

by Stephan Pastis

Pub. Date: October 10, 2023

Publisher: Aladdin

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 240

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LOOKING-UP

From the New York Times bestselling
author of the Timmy Failure series comes a quirky and heartwarming middle grade
novel about a girl struggling with loneliness and the curveballs of
life—featuring black and white illustrations throughout!

Living alone with her mother in a poorer part of town, Saint—a girl drawn to
medieval knights, lost causes, and the protection of birthday piñatas—sees the
neighborhood she has always known and loved disappearing around her: old homes
being torn down and replaced by fancy condos and coffee shops. But when her
favorite creaky old toy store is demolished, she knows she must act.

Enlisting the help of Daniel “Chance” McGibbons, a quiet, round-faced boy who
lives across the street (and whose house also faces the wrecking ball), Saint
hatches a plan to save what is left of her beloved hometown.

PRAISE FOR LOOKING UP

“Will delight readers. The story is generously illustrated
with Pastis’ characteristic black-and-white cartoon line drawings … Pastis
fills this deceptively simple first-person account with humor, puns, turns, and
twists—and the final twist gives this friendship tale its surprising depth.
Words and art combine to create a moving story.” – Kirkus Reviews

“Deceptively funny illustrated novel about loneliness and
grief …Pastis’s distinctive, heavily lined b&w illustrations effectively
convey the protagonists’ depth of emotion via amiable faces composed of
two dots for eyes and a curve nose, while prose contains his signature absurd
humor, which lightens this meditation on mourning.”– Publishers
Weekly

“Readers will rally around Daniel, Saint, and elderly toy
store owner Muffins, while seeing the dilemmas faced by Saint’s mom and
Daniel’s uncle, who are struggling to make ends meet and care for their
children. With this hilarious book and its comical black-and-white
illustrations throughout, Pastis once again reaches out to reluctant readers
with a multilayered tale of loss, grief, and growing up. With an imaginative
ending that will make readers think, there is more than meets the eye in this
funny gem.”– School Library Journal

“A fabulous chapter book that, to an extent, doubles as an
all-age graphic novel too. There’s so much to love about Looking Up that you
won’t be sure what your favorite aspect of the book is. The humor fires on all
cylinders. The heart of the book sneaks up on readers and provides a story on
dealing with the ups and downs of life, as well as the invaluable worth of a
great friend. If you’re in middle elementary school or middle school, you will
love this book. It provides those ages something to learn, but it’s
wrapped alongside so much humor and fun that it will be irresistible to all
ages eight and up.” – Daddy Mojo

MY REVIEW

What a fun, adorable book. Saint is precious.

It all began when Saint kidnapped the pinata at Daniel “Chance” Gibbons birthday party. She fell in love with his round face. But, he loathed her. Determined to be friends with him, she began a campaign. And they found they had something in common. His house was for sale and he didn’t want to move. She didn’t want him too either.

Saint was a girl after my own heart. I loved the community I grew up with. The small local grocery store and neighborhood shops. I didn’t want anything to change. But time goes by and things do. The lengths she went to in order to stop it in her neighborhood were hilarious. The whole book was. And all of the funny, adorable illustrations just added to my enjoyment.

To say I was taken by surprise by where the story went is so true. It was very moving and I loved it.

5 STARS

About Author Stephan Pastis:

Stephan Pastis is the creator of the syndicated comic
strip Pearls Before Swine, which appears in over 800 newspapers. He
is also the creator of the Timmy Failure book series and the cowriter of the
Disney+ movie Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made. He lives in
Northern California with his wife and two kids. –This text refers to
the hardcover edition.

1 winner will receive a finished copy of LOOKING UP, US ONLY.

Ends October 10^th, midnight EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/25/2023	YA Books Central	Excerpt/IG Post
9/25/2023	@hodophile_z	IG Post
9/26/2023	For the Love of KidLit	Excerpt
9/26/2023	Two Chicks on Books	Excerpt/IG Post
9/27/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Blog Spotlight
9/27/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
9/28/2023	Gryffindorbookishnerd	IG Review
9/28/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
9/29/2023	@dharashahauthor	IG Post
9/29/2023	avainbookland	IG Review

Week Two:

10/2/2023	Get outside and read	IG Post
10/2/2023	@evergirl200	IG Review
10/3/2023	The Momma Spot	Review
10/3/2023	OneMoreExclamation	Review/IG Post
10/4/2023	FUONLYKNEW	Review
10/4/2023	@pagesforpaige	IG Review
10/5/2023	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	Review/IG Post
10/5/2023	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
10/6/2023	@enthuse_reader	IG Review/TikTok Post
10/6/2023	Two Points of Interest	Review

STEPHAN PASTIS’ BOOK TOUR

Monday, October 9, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Rakestraw Books

3 Railroad Avenue

Danville, CA 94526

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 7:30pm ET

In-store event at The Bookmark Shoppe

8415 3rd Avenue

Brooklyn, NY 11209

Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

In-store event at Chicago Comics

3244 N. Clark Street

Chicago, IL 60657

Saturday, October 14, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Source Booksellers

Detroit Public Library

5201 Woodward Avenue

Detroit, MI 48202

Sunday, October 15, 2023 at 12:00pm ET

In-store event at Barnes & Noble

4015 Medina Road

Akron, OH 44333

Monday, October 16, 2023 at 7:00pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore

Takoma Park Community Center

7500 Maple Avenue

Takoma Park, MD 20912

Tuesday, October 17, 2023 at 5:30pm ET

In-store event at The Writer’s Block Bookstore

316 N. Park Avenue

Winter Park, FL 32789

Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 6:30pm ET

Off-site event hosted by Brave + Kind Bookshop

Atlanta-Fulton Central Library

1 Margaret Mitchell Square

Atlanta, GA 30303

Friday, October 20, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

Off-site event hosted by Left Bank Books

St. Louis Public Library – Schlafly Library

225 N. Euclid Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63108

Saturday, October 21, 2023 at 6:00pm CT

In-store event at novel.

387 Perkins Extd

Memphis, TN 38117

Sunday, October 22, 2023 at 3:00pm CT

In-store event at Garden District Book Shop

2727 Prytania Street, Unit 14

New Orleans, LA 70130

Monday, October 23, 2023 at 7:00pm CT

In-store event at Blue Willow Bookshop

14532 Memorial Drive

Houston, TX 77079

Tuesday, October 24, 2023 at 6:30pm MT

Off-site event hosted by The Bookies

Teller Elementary School

1150 Garfield Street

Denver, CO 80206

Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 6:30pm MT

In-store event at Changing Hands Bookstore

6428 S. McClintock Drive

Tempe, AZ 85283

Friday, October 27, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore

3555 Rosencrans Street, Suite 107

San Diego, CA 92110

Saturday, October 28, 2023 at 6:30pm PT

In-store event at Barnes & Noble

Creekside Town Center

1256 Galleria Boulevard

Roseville, CA 95678

Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 3:00pm PT

In-store event at Powell’s Books at Cedar Hill Crossing

3415 SW Cedar Hills Boulevard Beaverton, OR 97005

Monday, October 30, 2023 at 7:00pm PT

In-store event at Third Place Books

17171 Bothell Way NE #A101

Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

~~~~~

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.

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #3 ~ Dead Of Winter by Darcy Coates

Posted: October 3, 2023 in horror, Mytery/Thriller, reviews
Tags: 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills, Horror, mystery, thriller

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills 2023! I missed doing this the last couple of years due to Covid 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!

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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!

~~~~~

Dead Of Winter

by Darcy Coates

Genre: Horror / Mystery / Thriller

MY REVIEW

I enjoy books where the characters have to survive not just the killer, but the elements too. Nine people are stranded in a tiny hunting cabin. A snow storm is raging and and nobody will know they’re missing for at least twelve days. That’s the least of their worries. The driver of their tour bus is found dead. Or I’d say it’s safe to assume he is as they find his head skewered on a tree branch right outside the cabin. Christa had taken the trip to iron out some things and spend time with her boyfriend. Now it’s a fight to finish and who will be left standing is to be determined.

I’m not really squeamish but there were a few scenes that had me squirming a bit. Those teeth!

I was pulling for Christa. She’s the main character. She has to survive, right? Not necessarily. Authors often kill off their characters. As the body count rose, so did the suspense and my anxiety. I had a suspect or two in mind for the killer, but no idea what the motive was. Not going to tell you if I was right or wrong. And such a great ending. When you read it, you’ll see.

I’ve enjoyed some of Darcy’s other books and was lucky to get my hands on a copy of Dead Of Winter. What a perfect cover and title for this book.

5 STARS

~~~~~

Synopsis

From bestselling author Darcy Coates comes Dead of Winter, a remote cabin in the snowy wilderness thriller that will teach you to trust no one. There are eight strangers. One killer. Nowhere left to run.

When Christa joins a tour group heading deep into the snowy expanse of the Rocky Mountains, she’s hopeful this will be her chance to put the ghosts of her past to rest. But when a bitterly cold snowstorm sweeps the region, the small group is forced to take shelter in an abandoned hunting cabin. Despite the uncomfortably claustrophobic quarters and rapidly dropping temperature, Christa believes they’ll be safe as they wait out the storm.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

Deep in the night, their tour guide goes missing…only to be discovered the following morning, his severed head impaled on a tree outside the cabin. Terrified, and completely isolated by the storm, Christa finds herself trapped with eight total strangers. One of them kills for sport…and they’re far from finished. As the storm grows more dangerous and the number of survivors dwindles one by one, Christa must decide who she can trust before this frozen mountain becomes her tomb.

Amazon

~~~~~

Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

~~~~~

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.

Free Snow Winter photo and picture

Witches, Spiders And Schemes by Elizabeth Pantley ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Posted: October 3, 2023 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: cozy mystery, excerpt, giveaway

Witches, Spiders, and Schemes

by Elizabeth Pantley

October 3, 2023 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Welcome Back to Destiny Falls

A magic mirror to an enchanted world… A mysterious ghost… A hilarious, perpetually annoyed witch… A brave, sassy cat… Two unexplained deaths and a mysterious community filled with secrets… Can Hayden and the people of Destiny Falls solve the mystery and return the community to its peaceful, enchanted existence? Hayden’s adventures in Destiny Falls continue in book four of the Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic series. Starting with a strange old woman at a cave and her father’s mysterious ferry journey, there are secrets to be unwound. The enchantments in Destiny Falls are showing cracks, and Hayden suspects that it is tied directly to her family, which has a history that’s more complex than she realized. When two bodies are found floating in the bay it’s clear that the mysteries surrounding Gladstone and the ferry are more dangerous than people realize. And then . . . those spiders. Luckily, Hayden and her sassy sidekick, Latifa have developed a group of family and friends in this enchanted place who are all ready and willing to help solve the mystery, and release Destiny Falls to resume its normal, amazing, enchanted existence.

Praise for Witches, Spiders, and Schemes:

“Will blow you away!” ~ Cozy Mystery Book Reviews

“Just when I thought I knew who the killer was, BAM, a twist.” ~ Leslie, Storeybook Reviews

“The mystery, magic, and delicately woven story held me captive! I couldn’t ever imagine such a delicious story!” ~ Goodreads

“So. Darn. Clever. It’ll keep you on your toes – hopping and guessing – until the final pages.” ~ Pages & Paws

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Published by: Better Beginnings, Inc. Publication Date: November 5, 2021 Number of Pages: 292 Series: Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic (#4)

Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Enjoy this peek inside:

1

I stared at the old woman. She was sitting on a rock in the mouth of a cave in front of us. She gawked at me as she sipped from a bottle of green Gatorade. How had a romantic hike up to the mountain lake taken such a strange turn? She told Han and me that her name was Mnemosyne, but that she was called Nemmy. Nemmy? Could she be the woman from the stories I’d been told? Was that even possible? Gaspar, the ghost who’d been telling me tales, had a daughter called Nemmy. She was King Gaspar Reuben’s youngest daughter of three. The one who had been tutored in black magic by an evil crone witch and bestowed with dark powers. She had lived a century ago but had partaken of the rumored fountain of youth found on the sinister island of Gladstone. Was this her? If it was, why did she look so old and frail? And how was she here? I shivered and took a step closer to Han. He put his arm around my shoulders and the weight of it allowed me to exhale. We had hiked for hours to reach the alpine lake. It was baffling to find an elderly woman sitting this far up. She didn’t look to be the type who’d be able to climb a set of stairs, let alone a mountain. She had no hiking supplies with her, and she wasn’t dressed for it either, in her long dress that seemed more suited for a carriage ride in the Middle Ages. When I asked her if she had hiked up here by herself, she laughed at my question, saying that no, she didn’t get here by herself, but then she changed the subject. As if that wasn’t crazy enough, she told us her name. I’m almost sure she said Nemmy. Her strange appearance, plus that familiar name, made it possible that she was the witch from the stories the ghost had told. “You are the recently discovered Caldwell relative who fell through the mirror into Destiny Falls,” she said. It wasn’t a question. It was clear that she knew who I was. “How kind of you to deliver yourself right to my front door. I have something especially for you, Helen.” “It’s Hayden.” I corrected her automatically. “Ah, right. Hayden.” She made an effort to stand up but was struggling, so Han and I helped her. As soon as she was upright, she raised her arm and pointed her bony finger inches from my face. With her other hand, she pulled a handful of herbs, dust, and dirt from a pocket and tossed it at me. “Ostend mee-hi virtute!” she shouted. In a flash, Han tugged me by my arm and pushed me behind him. It was a sweet protective gesture that I appreciated in the face of this deranged old woman. The woman did a panicky little jig, shook her hands wildly, then grabbed in her pocket for more of the mixture. She tried to throw it around Han and into my face. She repeated what she had just said. Only much more exuberantly. Then she stomped her feet in frustration and repeated loudly, “Virtute! Virtute!” I coughed at the dust and squinted at her. “What is she doing?” I whispered out of the side of my mouth to Han. “I have no idea. But it sounds like some kind of spell,” he side-whispered back. “Slowly back away.” The woman who could be Nemmy rolled her eyes. “I’m not a superhero, but you know I can still hear you,” she whispered back to us out of the side of her mouth. We both turned to look at her. She laughed heartily and we heard her mumbling, “A spell! What will they think of next?” Then her laughter abruptly stopped. Her face sagged and she growled at us to leave her alone. What if she was just a random senior citizen and her name a coincidence? Maybe I misunderstood her, and she said her name was Emmy. “Are you sure you don’t want us to wait until your hiking partners come back . . . Emmy?” I asked. She pursed her lips and shook her head. “Your benevolence is exhausting, young woman, and you’re more than I anticipated. Just leave me in peace.” She waved her arm and turned away from us. “Go! Go away!” she yelled. Then she stepped into the entrance of the cave, leaving us standing there gaping at the cavernous opening. Han and I gathered up our gear and started the trek back down the mountain. “Well. That was strange,” I said. “I feel badly about leaving her up here alone, but she was adamant, so what else could we do?” “That’s true,” Han said. He was quiet for a moment, then he stopped walking and turned to face me. “Hayden, while we were standing at the cave, I experienced flashes of old memories returning.” My jaw dropped and I waited for him to explain. He’d been in an accident not far from here. He had fallen off a cliff and suffered a concussion that caused him to lose his memory of the accident. “What did you remember?” “Random bits and pieces. The cave itself seemed familiar, except the one I recall had a wooden door on the front, which seems unlikely up here on the mountain. The old woman’s voice was familiar. I remembered hearing her say that Lazarus had taken control. But that’s it. It’s so frustrating not to be able to remember. I don’t know who Lazarus is, or what he’d taken control of, or who she was talking to. But the cave and her voice. Those I clearly remember.” “Han! That’s so much more than you remembered before! Maybe all your memories of that day will start to return now?” “I hope you’re right. It’s difficult having such a hole in my memory. Especially since what happened goes against all my years of training.” I already knew that. Han’s position as Destiny Falls Special Forces Officer, and his past work in the U.S. Army’s Special Forces, meant that he would not have ignored all his training and fallen off an obvious cliff. “If the woman is Nemmy, the witch daughter that Gaspar told me about, maybe she had something to do with your accident?” “Exactly what I was thinking,” Han said. I was baffled by our strange encounter and concerned about Han’s returning memory indicating the woman might have something to do with his accident. But if I were being perfectly honest with myself, I was mostly annoyed and frustrated that our first official date had been ruined by her sudden appearance. I’d waited so long for our first date, and it was going perfectly until her presence knocked the romance right out of the moment. We had just had our first kiss in the most romantic fairy tale setting by the waterfall. It felt like more than a kiss. It was the merging of two souls. I was basking in the afterglow of it when her cough had stolen our moment. I took a deep breath and refocused. There was that name again: Lazarus. His name was mentioned on the list that was imprinted on the back of the letter that my missing mother had written me. There was no explanation. Just a row of question marks after his name. He’d also been mentioned in several stories about the ominous island of Gladstone and the illegal scheme to transport people there so that they could search for the fountain of youth. Based on the bits and pieces I’d heard, Lazarus appeared to be a dangerous human being. Who was this mysterious person, and how was he known by this old woman? This enigma. Possibly the king’s wicked daughter, Nemmy. Han and I discussed all these questions as we made our way down the mountain. After two hours of this he suggested that we take a break, table our discussion for later, and salvage what we could of our first date. We found a beautiful clearing near a small stream and spread out what was left of our picnic. We even made a plan for our second date. The conversation turned happy and once we settled in, I absorbed every minute with a lightness in my heart. *** Excerpt from Witches, Spiders, and Schemes by Elizabeth Pantley. Copyright 2021 by Elizabeth Pantley. Reproduced with permission from Elizabeth Pantley. All rights reserved.

About Author Elizabeth Pantley:

Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages. She simultaneously writes the well-loved Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the new Magical Mystery Book Club series. Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Pantley: www.NoCrySolution.com/books Goodreads BookBub – @DestinyFalls Instagram – @destinyfallsmystery Facebook – @DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reads and opportunities to WIN!

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elizabeth Pantley. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

~~~~~

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.

Free halloween dark night illustration

Hatch ~ A Change Your Life Guide by Jamie Linn Saloff

Posted: October 3, 2023 in Excerpt
Tags: motivational, self help

A book for fiercely independent, misfit, square pegs trapped in an unfulfilling life who desire to Hatch a life worth loving…

Title: Hatch: A Change Your Life Guide
Author: Jamie Saloff
Publisher: Sent Books
Publication Date: June 25, 2023
Pages: 384
Genre: Self-Help/Motivational, Religion/Spirituality, Personal Growth/Personal Transformation

If you could, how would you change your life?

While
bravely facing the motherlode of difficult life challenges, you never
dreamt the result would be a soul-sucking, heart-crushing existence.

Although
you try to ignore the emptiness, detachment, and feeling that you don’t
belong, you rarely make changes. It just seems too impossible for so
many reasons. Instead, you silenced your heart’s nagging with
self-sacrifice, food stuffing, or by becoming a workaholic.

Contemplating
ending her life, Jamie Saloff chose instead to hatch a new one. She
knows how self-doubt and unworthiness can cloud our ability to move
forward after the darkness of illness, grief, trauma, or tragedy –
because she’s faced it too.

In Hatch – A Change Your Life Guide, Saloff walks readers through her step-by-step method to:

• Awaken your soul’s purpose by listening to your heart’s voice

• Find confidence in your next forward step by hearing your body speak

•See messages of guidance everywhere by learning where to look

• Uncover your future in your past by examining your ancestral heritage

• And much, much more…

“It’s a simple question “Do you wish you could change your life for the
better” while the answer is an easy one – do you have any idea of how
to accomplish the task? “Hatch – A Change Your Life Guide” gives you a
systematic process that will take you on a journey of physical,
emotional, and spiritual healing…I highly recommend this wonderful and
enlightening book” – Yolanda Renee

Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | BooksAMillion

Book Excerpt

As long as I can, remember—though I’m not sure why—I’ve been labeled a misfit—a square peg, a Goonie, an outcast (every generation seems to have its own word for this).

In kindergarten kids laughed at me saying I had a boy’s name. In elementary school, they said I hadn’t grown up with them, I wasn’t from there. Or maybe it was because even though I have never been outspoken, I decided I wouldn’t tolerate the bigoted French teacher and refused to go back to her class. The principle reprimanded me, called me “a quitter,” but I wasn’t swayed. I don’t think the kids (or the teacher) could quite understand that kind of rebellion from a ten-year-old.

Another time, the teacher ordered me into the hallway where she told me to repeat to the principal what I’d just told her. I explained my drawing of an aneurysm to him. (Due to cholesterol or other blockage in a vein, a balloon-like area forms expanding the side of the vein. If it would burst, my father would have 45 minutes to live.) My teacher didn’t approve of my mother sharing the details of my father’s illness with a child. The principal only shrugged.

In middle school, I argued with the principal that, due to a highly publicized paper shortage, it was stupid to waste it by writing punishment sentences hundreds of times. I ended up having to run around the gym in front of my class, which did very little for my already degraded social status, but it was a win for my cause.

If you’ve been in this position, you know there is no going back. Once you’re tagged as an outlier, that’s where you stay. As I entered high school, I wasn’t “the right fit” to be one of the majorettes. They can give whatever reasons they liked, but I’m pretty sure none of them had 60 trophies attesting to their ability and, while they were marching up and down the muddy hometown football field, I performed all over the world, including for servicemen at Pearl Harbor, in the shadow of Scotland’s Edinburgh castle, and other cities across the US and Europe. As they continued buddying up with football players in their cliques, I was privileged to experience foreign cultures and see historic sites firsthand instead of reading about them in a text book.

When we are mistreated or outcast by someone, we may blame ourselves. We falsely wonder, “Am I ugly?” “Fat?” “Horrible?” and all sorts of self-degrading ideas. This self-blame can cause us to slip into isolation because we feel unliked or unloved.

Eventually, if you give yourself space, you learn that being a misfit is a good thing. It allows you to do things your way without others caring. You may discover you are a bit of a loner, and that’s okay. This is particularly true for creatives and those who have suffered for their uniqueness. Yet it is your uniqueness that can make you great.

It doesn’t matter what labels they put on you. You can’t change their actions. Instead, you must realize that deep down they know you’re somehow different in ways they can’t understand. Whether that means you become a target or are simply ignored, they know there is something special about you, more specifically, you’re not like them—you’re not like “everyone else.” And maybe that scares them a little because they’re afraid to step out of the crowd—and you’re not.

What they sense is that you carry traits offering you the potential to do great things, even if you don’t realize it or feel like it could ever be possible. As it turns out, some of the worst things that have happened in your past, particularly in your youth, formed the exact survival traits you need to succeed as you trod forward.¹

Despite the obvious definitions of hatch, i.e., “hatching new life from an egg,” “an escape hatch,” or “hatching a plan,” for readers of this book “hatch” means all that and more. It means realizing that no matter what brought you to this point, you have options and choices available to you right now to help you to Hatch a new and better life, one worth loving. And it doesn’t matter if they mark you as “an outcast,” “a misfit,” or whatever else they want to label you because once you “hatch” it will no longer matter.

Some of you are what I call the “Endurers.” You are still on the inside of the “egg” feeling trapped and not realizing there is a whole other, much better life waiting for you “out there.” (It’s hard to see through those thick-shelled walls.)

Others of you have potentially “hatched” but are now looking at all the broken pieces of your life. You may be feeling all “Humpty Dumpty” (who couldn’t put it all back together again) and are wondering, “what do I do now?”

This book is about how I found myself in those positions and hacked my way out with very little guidance or direction. With much angst, I began seeking my way as a young adolescent and continue to machete my way forward as a senior.

As you read on, in Phase One, you’ll learn how to listen to and follow the longings of your heart.

Scratch that. If you knew what your heart wanted and how to follow it, you wouldn’t be reading this book. You’d be doing it. Instead, in Phase One you’ll learn how to listen to your body groan and soul weep. I’ll show you how those nagging little aches and pains, illnesses, and even accidental injuries can be translated into Marvelous Messages™ that can help you plan your Hatch. (This is where I had my first real breakthrough in my life.)

In Phase Two, we will circle back to your heart and all it desires. I’ll teach you ways to identify what your heart’s aching for you to do and how it ties into your soul’s purpose. Now, having a clearer idea on what you really desire—(you have known it all along, you’ve simply silenced it)—you can now set goals and a plan to obtain it. We’ll take a “look back to leap forward” to understand how some of the challenges you face today are the result of inherited trials that were never properly resolved in the generations that came before you. Lucky you, it’s now your turn to see if you can make it right. But, you’ll also learn about the gifts implanted within your spiritual DNA to help you along in your soul’s journey.

In Phase Three, we will dig a little deeper. Having opened up the lines of inner communication, I’ll show you many ways to recognize and follow your intuition.

In Phase Four, we will talk about the hard stuff—those barriers holding you to where you are now and how to overcome them—fear, mistaken perceptions, and other beliefs that cloud your mind and prevent you from being the “you” you came here to be.

Lastly, in Phase Five, you’ll see how, once you open these doors to your body and soul, you not only are creating a new and better path for your life, you can create a better world. And that is a true transformation. Let’s begin…

About the Author

Jamie Linn Saloff
is passionate about aiding fiercely independent, misfit, square pegs
trapped in an unfulfilling life. Author, teacher, story weaver,
spiritual counselor, seer of visions, pathfinder, for over thirty years
Jamie’s taught how to reignite your heart by listening to your body
groan and your soul weep. She is the author of twelve books including Hatch: A Change Your Life Guide and her Marvelous Messages™ series.

Author Links

Mrs. Morris And The Wolfman ~ A Salem B&B Mystery by Traci Wilton

Posted: October 3, 2023 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: cozy mystery, giveaway, paranormal

Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman (A Salem B&B Mystery)
by Traci Wilton

Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman (A Salem B&B Mystery)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Setting – Massachusetts
Kensington Cozies (August 22, 2023)
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1496741374
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1496741370
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BNWG9V65

Saturday night at the movies has some added flair now that Darren and Elise Shultz are reopening one of Salem’s classic theaters. Charlene is delighted to help the couple with their venture, and Darren has lined up a cult classic double-header featuring Lon Chaney in The Wolfman. But things get hairier than expected when Elise starts to choke on her popcorn mid-movie—and once the lights go up,
she’s dead . . .

When tests reveal Elise’s popcorn was poisoned, Detective Sam Holden eyes her husband as the guilty party. Charlene doesn’t believe Darren would hurt his wife—even if his company’s specialty seasoned salts were sprinkled on the fatal snack. But who else had a motive to do something so unsavory? With a little help from Jack, the handsome ghost who haunts her B&B, Charlene delves into the ill-fated couple’s past. And the more she learns, the more Charlene wonders if this time, she’s bitten off more than she can chew . . .

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Excerpt from Mrs. Morris and the Wolfman after Charlene and Avery arrive at the Spellbound Movie Theater for opening night and the double feature of The Wolf Man, and Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man.

The historic three-story brick building had a flat rooftop sporting castle-like crenellation. It had been many things since first built in the 1800s. During the last few years, the brickwork had fallen in disrepair as the building had been empty and derelict.

Darren and Elise Shultz had moved from Saint Mary’s, Pennsylvania, to Salem six months prior and saved it from the wrecking ball. Opening a theater was a dream come true for Darren who’d made over a million dollars creating specialty seasoned salts. They’d picked Salem because Elise was from here, and her sister, Patty Wagner, owned a bakery that would supply the soft-baked pretzels at the theater, making it a family affair.

Charlene, new business liaison for Salem, had welcomed Darren and Elise with open arms. Her bed and breakfast thrived and Brandy Flint, president of the City of Salem business board, had talked her into accepting the position to share her expertise as part of the community.

“Someday I want a car like Darren’s,” Avery said as they walked by the sleek black Tesla. It screamed understated success.

“I’m working on a passenger van.” Charlene kept her tone droll. “The Pilot will have to suffice for a while longer.”

“I think you should forget the van and order the gazebo and hot tub.” Avery peered at Charlene from over the rim of pink sunglasses. The teen was adorable in short cutoff jeans, sneakers without socks, and a T-shirt advertising Spellbound Movie Theater. Her soft light-brown hair bounced at the top of her slender shoulders.

“You’ve been talking to Minnie,” Charlene said.

“Maybe.” Avery laughed, guilty as charged.

Charlene could attribute the B and B’s success directly to her housekeeper’s magic in the kitchen, and it had earned Charlene’s amazing reviews online. Gaining positive reviews was part of her marketing strategy, and she’d shared that tidbit with Darren and Elise for the movie theater.

She was impressed by the updated building as well as the miracles time and money could buy. What had leaned sadly to the left was now rebricked and straight. Outside aesthetic, check. Movie specials to bring in the crowds, check. This was just the sort of venue to draw people into Salem. There was no city better at making lemonade from lemons.

“Hey! Can you get the door?” a female voice called from behind them.

Charlene turned as Avery said, “Sure!”

A stylish brunette woman in a leather mini skirt with suit jacket and three-inch black heels held a bouquet of purple-blue flowers. “I can hardly see,” she said, shifting them to one side of her face. Long lashes with cat-eye liner showed off mirthful brown eyes.

Avery opened the door and the scent of fresh popcorn with butter and salt escaped. Charlene had been clueless about designer seasoning salts until meeting Darren. They weren’t his passion though; that had been the movie theater, so he didn’t mind pouring money into the venture to get it off the ground. Elise backed his project all the way.

“I’m Klara Maxwell,” the woman behind the flowers said. “Darren’s salt sales rep from Pittsburgh. You see that new car out there? Well, I aim to ensure he can afford ten of them by this time next year. We’re going global!”

Charlene laughed at the young woman’s enthusiasm. It reminded her of when she and Jared, her beloved soulmate, had worked at the ad agency in Chicago. There was a lot of energy in creation and vibrant salespeople made a world of difference in a product launch. This was the first time she’d met the rep and Darren spoke of Klara highly.

“I’m Charlene, and this is Avery.” She was glad they weren’t the only late attendees. “Nice to meet you.”

The door shut behind them.

“And you,” Klara said, long lashes blinking as she took it all in. “Wow.”

The interior of the movie theater rivaled the bright lights of a casino. Yellows, blues, reds. Plush carpet beneath their feet, a popcorn machine, pretzels, soda. She even smelled roasted peanuts.

“This is so cool!” Avery removed her sunglasses and scanned the deceptively dim lobby. There were no other movie-goers down here, but laughter was audible from upstairs. Her gaze was drawn to the teen boy across the lobby by the popcorn machine.

Movie posters of The Wolf Man, Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, Frankenstein, and Frankenstein’s Bride, were in mega color on the walls. It was like going back in time. Charlene could appreciate the art of the old posters if not the movies themselves. She was willing to keep an open mind.

Darren’s vision all along had been to bring the movie theaters from his childhood to life. He’d grown up in Germany and escaped what he referred to as his personal hell in the cavern-ish sanctuary of darkness. The Wolf Man franchise starring Lon Chaney Jr. was his favorite series and he and Franco knew all the lines.

Franco Lordes was the film expert at the theater. Things were digital now, but Franco’s expertise was in the old-fashioned reels. He could repair them and had a reverence for them shared by Darren.

You just never knew who might get you in this world. Charlene didn’t care for Hollywood, old or new, but she was all about the buttery, salty popcorn that Darren somehow elevated to new heights with his unique flavors. According to Elise, he had a palate on par with the top chefs of the world.

“Welcome!” Darren called as he and Elise strode toward them. He was dark-haired and Elise blonde. Darren was just a smidge taller than Charlene at five-eight compared to Elise’s five-foot even. He had a muscled chest with a broad forehead, and she was petite to her toes.

“Klara!” Darren roared her name, laughing as he carefully accepted the bright purple-blue flowers and took the vase from her hands. “Only you would dare bring wolfsbane to my opening night.”

Elise blinked prettily. Diamonds winked from her earlobes as well as her fingers and she wore an ivory sundress. “Wolfsbane? Isn’t that poison and supposed to ward off werewolves?”

~~~~~

About Traci Wilton

From cozy mysteries to seaside romance, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over sixty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite tale for everyone. Mystery lovers, check out her Scottish Shire series, set in the seaside town of Nairn, or the Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Her latest project is an Irish Castle cozy as Ellie Brannigan. Whether it’s her ever-popular By the Sea romances, an Appletree Cove sweet romance, or a fun who-done-it, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida, living right near the ocean.

Author Links: Website / Facebook / Facebook / Facebook / Twitter

Amazon / Instagram / Kensington

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Apple – Kobo

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 2 – RUFF DRAFTS – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 2 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Bigreadersite – REVIEW

October 3 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 4 – Read Your Writes Book Reviews – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 4 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 5 – Mystery, Thrillers and Suspense – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 5 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 6 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 6 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW

October 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Baroness Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 8 – The Mystery Section – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 9 – Brooke Blogs – RECIPE

October 9 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

October 10 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

October 11 – Lady Hawkeye – RECIPE

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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.

31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #2 ~ Jurassic Resort by Brent Reilly

Posted: October 2, 2023 in horror, reviews, Science Fiction
Tags: Horror, review, sci-fi

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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!

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Jurassic Resort

by Brent Reilly

Genre: Science Fiction / Horror

MY REVIEW

I don’t know what I was expecting when I started this book, but not what I got. In a fun way. Dinosaurs are being designed to be used to fertilize planets so we can colonize them. There’s wormholes, portals, real dinosaurs and an alien invasion that will happen in 45 years. Wiping out all life on Earth.

There are some unlikely heroes. Raptor Ray, a cross between dinosaur and human DNA. He looks like a large lizard but he’s got the intellect of a human and can speak to dinosaurs. Then there’s Tom. A T-Rex Ray has been trying to befriend. A huge predator on their side would come in handy.

Dinosaur fights galore and a weird plot made this such a fun read.

4 STARS

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Synopsis

Author has sold 300,000 books and is briefly giving away 61 ebooks — get yours now! An alien fleet arrives in 50 years to exterminate humanity, but physicists discovered a portal to dinosaur times. Only by putting people in the past can we survive the future. All we must do is create a self-sustaining population in a world dominated by Earth’s fiercest creatures. What could go wrong?

Free On Amazon

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Click on the covers for more Thrills And Chills reviews.

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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.

Single With Cat by Rosa Silva ~ Review And Giveaway

Posted: October 2, 2023 in comedy, reviews, Romance
Tags: comedy, review, romance

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the SINGLE WITH CAT by Rosa Silva Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours.

Check out my Review and make sure to enter the giveaway!

SINGLE WITH CAT

A feel-good romantic comedy (New Beginnings)

by Author Rosa Silva

Pub. Date: August 6, 2022

Publisher: Rosa Silva

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 202

Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/SINGLE-WITH-CAT

Read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited Membership!

Can she save the Happy Endings
Bookstore and have the happy ending she deserves?

Olivia is back in her hometown to reopen the bookstore her grandmother left
her. She has a whole plan mapped out for the Happy Endings Bookstore. Just one
problem – she finds out the bank is ready to foreclose on the bookstore’s
mortgage.
Gabriel, the bank manager, is as drop dead gorgeous as he is grouchy. Olivia
hates the guy, but her cat Chili seems to love him. Now Olivia has three months
to save the bookstore and rub it in Gabriel’s face.

Olivia tries everything to save the bookstore, but with a quest to find out the
identity of an anonymous romance writer, her mother wanting to find her a husband,
and her grandmother’s grouchy neighbor making her life hell, Olivia has a lot
on her plate.

The tension between Olivia and Gabriel escalates as the deadline to save the
bookstore approaches, but as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they
might learn that sometimes stepping outside one’s comfort zone can lead to the
greatest reward.

Single with Cat is a feel-good romantic comedy perfect for readers who love
cats, books, and happy endings.

MY REVIEW

Poor Olivia. Can she save the bookstore her grandmother left her? Can she find out who the mysterious romance writer is? Does she really have to deal with the annoying bank manager, Gabriel? Will her mother ever stop meddling in her love life? The answer to some of these questions is yes. The rest remain to seen.

Olivia was a girl after my own heart. Funny, smart and determined. And her mother was a hoot. Now, Gabriel, he needed a swift kick in the pants. A bit grumpy. But I had a feeling that might change.

I love my little neighborhood bookstore. I can spend hours in there. So I was pulling for Olivia to be able to save hers. When she clashes with Gabriel, the one who can help her do that, I said hmm… perhaps the sparks will fly. How can you argue with her cat, Chili, who seems to adore him.

A bookstore to save, a meddling mother, and a chance at a happy ending. Single With Cat was all kinds of fun.

4 STARS

About Rosa Silva:

Rosa writes fiction with a bit of humor. She’s not an
award-winning author, but she wrote several humor books for cat lovers that
will make you laugh your head off. She’s the author of Single with Cat, a
feel-good romantic comedy perfect for readers who love cats, books, and happy
endings.

Subscribe to Rosa’s
newsletter!

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon Gift Card courtesy of Rockstar Book Tours,
International.

Ends October 17th, midnight EST.

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Tour Schedule:

Week One:

9/25/2023	Writer of Wrongs	Guest Post
9/26/2023	@hodophile_z	IG Post
9/27/2023	Meet The Fultons	Guest Post/IG Post
9/28/2023	#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog	Blog Spotlight
9/29/2023	Sandra’s Book Club	Guest Post

Week Two:

10/2/2023	FUONLYKNEW	Review/IG Post
10/2/2023	Books With a Chance	Review/IG Post
10/3/2023	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
10/3/2023	Country Mamas With Kids	Review/IG Post
10/4/2023	Apol Reads	Review/IG Post
10/4/2023	MandaTheBiblio	Review/IG Post
10/5/2023	the original B00K nerd	Review/IG Post
10/5/2023	Lilly’s Book World	Review/IG Post
10/6/2023	@dharashahauthor	IG Post/TikTok Post
10/6/2023	Books and Zebras	IG Review

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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.

Free Cat Animal illustration and picture

Cretaceous Canyon by Deborah Sheldon ~ Author Interview And Giveaway

Posted: October 2, 2023 in Action/Adventure, giveaways, horror
Tags: Adventure, dinosaurs, giveaway, guest post, Horror

A team on an expedition to explore a mysterious canyon in the Australian outback encounters Cretaceous-era dinosaurs.

Cretaceous Canyon

by Deborah Sheldon

Genre: Horror, Action, Adventure, Dinosaur Lost World

Australia’s outback hides a mysterious canyon. Hidden deep within is a forest of pine tree that dates from the Cretaceous Period. A megacorporation sends in a team of experts to research this canyon for botanical riches.

The expedition enters a no-man’s land formed 100 million years ago when Australia was still attached to Antarctica, and dinosaurs ruled the super-continent. But the canyon has more prehistoric and dangerous species than anyone could have possibly imagined.

Trapped and terrified, unarmed and unable to communicate topside, the team’s extraction deadline is six long hours away.

The frantic race for survival is on.

Interview with Author Deborah Sheldon

How long have you been writing?

My whole life; as far back as I can remember. In primary school, I loved superhero comics and wanted to be an illustrator for DC. I even made my own comics. Then I realised that writing the story rang my bell more than illustrating the panels.

When I was 11 years old, I knew I wanted to be a writer. At the time, I thought the only route was to be a novelist. My three years at university introduced me to a huge range of options that I hadn’t considered before, which fascinated me.

So, my next 20 years were spent penning magazine feature articles, TV scripts such as NEIGHBOURS, and non-fiction including books and medical/patient information. In 2005, at the age of 37, I wrote my first short story. Ever since, I’ve written fiction across the darker spectrum of crime, noir and horror.

Do you see writing as a career?

Most definitely. More than a career; a calling. I’ve been a professional writer across various media my entire adult life. This craft is my passion and a top priority, and that’s how I made it my career.

Do you read yourself and if so, what is your favorite genre?

I read widely across genres and eras. Generally, I’m most invested in any genre of fiction from the early 1800s onwards to the present day, though I also find non-fiction interesting. What I read at any given time depends on how I’m feeling. Books are like food to me; I do have favourites, but occasionally I’m in the mood for something new or unusual.

A day in the life of an author?

I always begin a writing day by editing my pages from the previous session. When I’m finished editing after an hour or so, I’m immersed in the story. Picking up where I left off feels easy. After four or five hours of writing, I’m usually done for the day. My brain feels flattened and I need time to ‘decompress’.

Advice for new writers?

Research your market thoroughly, and submit your work to appropriate markets only.

Back in the old days, when the Internet was just a twinkle in the eyes of various computer scientists, it took legwork to research a market. For example, if you wanted to pitch a feature article to a magazine, you’d have to get your hands on a physical issue to read it. If you wanted to pitch a novel, you’d have to spend a few hours in a brick-and-mortar bookshop browsing the shelves to get the feel of a publisher’s submission requirements. I used to buy market annuals, which provided brief summaries and contact details.

Today, market research is a breeze! Publishing houses have websites and most offer free samples. Many titles on Amazon have the ‘look inside’ feature where you can read the first couple of chapters, which helps you get a feel for a publishing house’s proclivities. Everything you need to know is a mouse-click away.

But the most important tip when researching markets is follow the submission guidelines, no matter how fussy and particular they may seem. Editors and slush pile readers, with their massive amounts of required reading, have no interest in indulging your quirks. Present your manuscript in the exact manner requested, or risk editors hitting ‘delete’ without reading it.

Describe your writing style.

Cinematic, spare, direct.

What are you currently reading?

I have three books on my bedside table: Collected Ghost Stories by M.R. James (reading for the second time); Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut; and the crime anthology Illicit Motions edited by Eddie Generous (in which I have a story, “Fork in the Road”).

What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first?

Outlining is my habit. It comes from writing feature articles and TV scripts, which have fixed formats. You can’t deviate. If you do, you risk getting rejected or fired. For example: if you promise a magazine editor an article of 5000 words, you’d better deliver that within a very small margin; and if you pen a half-hour TV script, you’d better write 21 minutes around equally-spaced ad breaks.

So, from the get-go of my fiction writing career, I’ve always outlined before writing a word. I still do that to this day. Writing an outline lets me pin down a story so that I can get my first draft onto paper. I use brief outlines of perhaps a line or two per plot-point.

If freestyling instead, an idea might lead me around in pointless circles until I lose heart and give up.

READER REVIEWS

Robyn O’Sullivan (Goodreads) 5/5 stars – This book is a gut-wrenching, roller-coaster ride through six hours of time, ripping the reader every which way through emotional and physical upheavals that suddenly crash-land, leaving a sense of “Wow! What the hell just happened?”.

Steve Paulsen (Goodreads) 5/5 stars – Unputdownable! A non-stop, page-turning, visceral, heart-pounding thriller. Highly recommended!

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Enjoy this peek inside:

The hiss of the opening door drew everyone’s attention.

Good Christ! Alastair jumped to his feet.

It was Raj Devi himself, wandering into the conference room like a lost and befuddled grandfather, wearing slacks and a giant knitted cardigan. His hair and beard were salt-and-pepper, his seventy-two-year-old face frowning with its usual look of perpetual distraction.

Alastair raced towards the door and took its weight.

“Mr Devi!” he gasped, clumsily grasping his boss’s elbow. “What are you doing here?”

The old man glanced up, his gaze as sharp as darts, and whispered, “Rallying the troops.”

“Let me help you to a chair—”

“Thank you, I already know how to sit in a chair,” Raj said, and this time he lifted his voice, rolling it around the conference room, a deep and rich example of Received Pronunciation English, a baritone fit for the Shakespearean stage.

Alastair saw the effect on his recce team: everyone sat up straight. If he could figure out Raj Devi’s effortless ability to command an audience, then Alastair would rule the world.

“Everyone, pay attention,” Alastair said, his voice in comparison like a squeak to his own ears. “This is Raj Devi, your sponsor. You’re in the presence of a great man.”

Raj took Alastair’s chair and gazed around the table. No one rushed him. No one looked impatient. The silence was still and complete. He held them all in the palm of his hand, and Alastair both idolised Raj and hated him for this charisma, this absolute magnetism. Alastair had to remain standing, which was awkward, but the time for sitting was now lost.

With a half-smile, Raj nodded sagely. “I’m a believer in our power to make a better world,” he said, and the timbre of his voice sounded hypnotic; even Gloria was in thrall. “So, if you’ll indulge me, I’d like to tell you a story. A story about seeds. Leaves. Bark. Fruit. The human race has used plants to make medicines since before written language was invented. Traditional medicines date back thousands of years to Egyptian scrolls, Indian clay tablets, Chinese inscriptions etched on seashells and across the dried bones of oxen. Today, one in ten of our essential modern medicines is based on flowering plants. One in ten! My word.”

Lapsing into silence, Raj linked his fingers together on the table and closed his eyes. The seconds ticked on. Alastair checked the faces of his team and felt that he must say something, had to say something, or risk losing them. But what? God, the empty seconds kept ticking…

Alastair said, “Not just medicines! No, the plants we find today could also make new pesticides, and help farmers to breed disease-resistant crops—”

“All of us,” Raj Devi interrupted in his sonorous tone, “has taken a painkiller as simple as the aspirin. That miracle medicine was derived from the willow tree, its properties discovered by ancient Egyptians and other peoples such as Native Americans. Morphine is from the poppy. Today, plants help treat Parkinson’s Disease, diabetes, various cancers, heart disease, other ailments. Your work today could very well discover unknown plants that may herald a new age of medicine. Imagine, a cure for Alzheimer’s! It might be waiting for you, out there in that canyon. Waiting for all of us, the entire human race. Your hike has the potential to change the world, and save countless lives for generations to come. Oh, my goodness. What a legacy.”

The silence in the room was absolute. Alastair became aware that he was holding his breath. The team members appeared transfixed, mesmerised by the old man.

“Thank you,” Raj sighed. “Thank you for striving to help me make a better world.” He pushed out his chair, stood up, went to leave and then hesitated. “Please,” he added, “eat as much of the breakfast buffet as you can. It cost me a small fortune!”

He laughed and everyone joined in. Like Pavlov’s dogs to a bell, they automatically reached for Danish pastries, croissants, donuts, muffins, goat cheese tarts, fruit skewers.

Alastair stopped Raj at the door. The old man glanced up at him, cold and annoyed.

Taken aback, Alastair found himself stammering. “Gosh, sir, that was a…that was a…”

“What?”

“Such a terrific, inspiring speech—”

“I don’t take notes.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean—”

“Focus on the hike. Don’t fuck it up,” Raj said, and put his hand on the door.

“I’ve put together a competent team,” Alastair said, striving to appear confident. “I’m just wondering if you think it’s absolutely necessary that I go with them into the canyon.”

Raj gave a frosty smile. “Hmm. I don’t know. Do you think you’re necessary?”

“Well, yes, in the creation of the team—”

Raj raised his eyebrows. “And now that the team has been created?”

“Ha-ha! I’m sorry, I’m not sure—”

“You’re not sure if you’re necessary anymore?”

Sweat beaded on Alastair’s hairline. “No. I mean, yes. I’m still necessary, sir.”

“Okay.” Raj patted him on the arm. “Enjoy your hike.”

“Yes, sir.”

Raj left the room. Alastair watched him shuffle along the hallway towards the bank of lifts, where he would take a ride to the building’s top floor and probably take a fucking nap. Raj Devi walked like an old man in his seventies, which is what he was, and his refusal to put on a false front was admirable in a way that stuck in Alastair’s craw. Only a multi-millionaire could afford to drop the façade, wear slacks with a baggy cardigan, let his paunch hang out.

DEBORAH SHELDON is an award-winning author from Melbourne, Australia. She writes short stories, novellas and novels across the darker spectrum of horror, crime and noir. Her award-nominated titles include the novels Body Farm Z, Contrition and Devil Dragon; the novella Thylacines; and the collections Figments and Fragments: Dark Stories and Liminal Spaces: Horror Stories.

Her collection Perfect Little Stitches and Other Stories won the Australian Shadows ‘Best Collected Work’ Award, was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award and longlisted for a Bram Stoker. Deb’s short fiction has appeared in many well-respected magazines such as Aurealis, Midnight Echo, Andromeda Spaceways, and Dimension6, been translated, shortlisted for numerous Australian Shadows Awards and Aurealis Awards, and included in various ‘best of’ anthologies such as Year’s Best Hardcore Horror.

She has won the Australian Shadows ‘Best Edited Work’ Award twice: for Midnight Echo 14 and for the anthology she conceived and edited, Spawn: Weird Horror Tales About Pregnancy, Birth and Babies.

Deb’s other credits include TV scripts such as NEIGHBOURS, feature articles, non-fiction books (Reed Books, Random House), stage plays, poetry and award-winning medical writing.

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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.

Creating Stories And Self-Publish In 10-Steps by Hank Quense ~ Interview And Giveaway

Posted: October 2, 2023 in Author Interview, giveaways
Tags: giveaway, self help

Join Us for This Tour from Sep 25 to Oct 12!

Book Details:

Book Title:  Creating Stories by Hank Quense
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 106 pages
Genre: Self Help,
Publisher:  Strange Worlds Publishing
Release date: April 1, 2017
Content Rating:  G

Book Description:

Do you have a story in you?

Do you know how to write it or how to tell it? Creating Stories has the answers. Hank Quense, the author of more than twenty books, tells you how to do it. He believes that stories come from the melding of three elements: getting ideas, story design and story-telling. Ideas have to come from the author. Creating Stories covers the last two. The book concentrates on developing characters including such rarely discussed requirements such as a dominant reader emotion and the character’s biography. Plots are also covered in depth and a number of graphics are included to illustrate complex points. Another topic discusses subplots and how to utilize them and how to nest them within the main plot. A separate chapter discusses the relationship between the plot and the emotional arcs. Other topics covered are: character arcs, scene design, point-of-view, writing voice.

Buy the Book:
Amazon
Add to Goodreads

After Creating Your Story:

Book Details:

Book Title:  Self-Publish a Book in 10 Steps: And Market It by Hank Quense
Category: Adult Non-Fiction, 88 pages
Genre: Self Help
Publisher:  Strange Worlds Publishing
Release date: Dec 1, 2021
Content Rating:  G

Book Description:

Self-publishing a book is difficult.

This book simplifies it by breaking down a self-publishing and marketing project into 10 steps. This step-by-step process will get your book published and initiate the pre-launch marketing.

Hank Quense has written and self-published over twenty books, both fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of the Author Blueprint Series of books. The Series concentrates on providing valuable guidance on fiction writing, self-publishing and book marketing. Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps is Book 6 in the series.

The book details such vital tasks as developing a compelling book description, building an author platform and getting book reviews to list a few.

Learn the ten-step process that will self-publish and market your book!

Buy the Book:
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Interview With Author Hank Quense:

*What is your most recent book? Tell us a bit about it.

It’s called Creating Your First Novel. Many if not most aspiring authors concentrate on writing their first novel to the exclusion of all other concerns.

However, the reality is that creating a book is a long-term, multi-phase project and writing it is only one facet of the project.

The complete project involves five separate phases:

Planning the book
Writing the book
Publishing the book
Marketing the book
Author business issues

Unfortunately, planning and writing a book does nothing to prepare the author for the other phases of the project. The only commonality between the phases is that they are about a single book.

Another difficulty with the creative project is that almost all information on the process only discusses one phase of it.

Until now. Creating Your First Book covers all five phases. It is written by an author who has gone through the project over two dozen times.

*Tell us something about yourself. (Where are you from, what is your background, how long have you been writing or anything we might find interesting about you.)

I was born and raised in Jersey City and went to college in nearby Newark where I earned a BS in mechanical engineering. I live in Westwood NJ, about 25 miles from Midtown Manhattan. We have two daughters and five grandkids all of whom live a few towns away from us.

When I was 50 years old, I was a sales manager for a large telecommunications company with an office in Manhattan. I realized it was only a matter of time before the corporation told me to get lost so some young hot-shot could have my office. I decided my next career would be writing fiction and I started writing on my commute to and from the office.

My early works was a bit unfocused until I read The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. I knew then I wanted to write satiric scifi. Later I added satiric fantasy after reading a few of Terry Pratchett’s novels.

Since those early days, I’ve sold over 40 short stories. My first two books were put out by a small indie publisher. I found that experience so annoying, I decided to learn how to self-publish. Over time, I’ve self-published 25 books, both fiction and non-fiction, including Creating Your First Novel.

What inspired you to write this book?

Several factors influence me. One factor was mentioned previously, authors who don’t understand the complexity of the book project. On my first self-published book, I stumbled through the process using a trial-and-error method. That way leads to unnecessary expenses. I want to keep aspiring authors from going through what I went through

Finally, I realized there was a lucrative market for scam artists in linking up with newbie authors searching for information or help. These scammers include vanity presses and marketing “experts.” Understanding the scope of the entire project lessens the chances of an author falling prey to these scammers.

Are you a pantser or a plotter? (i.e., Do you outline and plan your story or do you just sit down and write?)

I’m a plotter. Perhaps to an absurd extent; I mind-map my books before I start the first draft. My rationale is this: if I can mind-map the book, I know enough about it to write the first draft. Another advantage of the mind-map is this. It’s much easier to move the thought bubbles around before writing the draft than it is to rearrange sections of the book after it is written. Some of my mind-maps became quite large and complex.

Do you have a daily or weekly writing schedule, or do you write only when you are inspired? How many words or pages do you complete in a typical day?

I work every morning from about 6 to 10:30. About half of my time is spent on new books, the rest is spent on marketing, writing articles and maintaining websites. When writing a new book, I don’t use a word count budget. I write one scene (or topic for non-fiction) a day and I don’t care how many words it is.

How many drafts did you write before publishing your most recent book?

I wrote 3 drafts before sending it out to an editor. So four in total.

What software do you use to write? Or do you prefer to write longhand or dictate your work? What made you choose the method you use?

I use Scrivener. I do write some stuff (articles, notes etc) longhand using an Apple pencil on my iPad. I’ve tried dictation but it just doesn’t work for me.

If you were doing it all over again, what would you do differently?

I honestly don’t think I’d change anything. Possibly, my early marketing attempts would be a bit more effective.

What is the best advice you could give other writers about writing or publishing?

For writing a new story, know the ending before you start writing the first draft. For an author self-publishing for the first time, get a mentor or a good guide book, like my new one. Do not rely on the web for accurate information.

Do you have friends who are writers? How do you help each other to become better writers?

I have many author and writer friends. Quite a few volunteer to beta read my stuff. In return I critique their stories if they ask. We email questions and comments to keep in touch.

Who is the perfect reader for your book? (Please do not say “everyone.”) )

A writer who wants to create a first novel. Any experience in writing articles or short stories does not prepare one for the long-term, multi-phase project they are about to embark upon.

Where can readers learn more about you and your book?

My book is available in print and ebook on Amazon and other book sites. Recently, I started a new venture called Writers & Authors Resource Center . https://hankquense.podia.com/

The site is dedicated to helping fiction writers master their craft and assisting self-publishing authors.

Meet Author Hank Quense:

Hank Quense has self-published his books for over 12 years. His non-fiction books cover fiction writing (Creating Stories), self-publishing (How to Self-publish and Market a Book, Self-publish a Book in 10 Steps), marketing (Book Marketing Fundamentals) and author business (Business Basics for Authors).

He also lectures on these subjects in schools, libraries and on webinars.

Hank recently started https://hankquense.podia.com/ The site provides solutions to pain points (problems) for fiction writers, self-publishing authors and authors who are trying to market their books.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ X ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ YouTube ~ BookBub ~ Goodreads

CREATING STORIES Book Tour Giveaway

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31 Days Of Thrills And Chills #1 ~ The Necromancer’s Library by J.L. Bryan

Posted: October 1, 2023 in horror, Mystery, reviews, Supernatural
Tags: Horror, mystery, paranormal, review

Free Computer Seeks photo and picture

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!

~~~~~

The Necromancer’s Library

Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper #12

by J.L. Bryan

Genre: Paranormal / Mystery / Horror

MY REVIEW

I’ve been reading Bryan’s Ellie Jordan series from the beginning and he’s managed to give me the creeps once again. A haunted library filled with medieval occult manuscripts. Ooh, can’t wait to see what Ellie catches in her trap.

Ellie is not one to shirk the dull side of gathering background information. She needs every bit of it if she’s going to catch her ghost, or ghosts. The author does a great job of making what seems tedious to Ellie, fascinating for me, the reader.

Ellie’s partner in crime, Stacey is another character I’m always happy to meet again. She adds the humor to the story for me and for Ellie. And a bit of humor may be needed to keep them sane. The place is crammed with books. Every available space is full of them. And as they get closer to solving the case, things start to get more dangerous.

A couple of things that make me love this series are the genuine, likable main characters and the super spooky ghosts and their shenanigans that really creep me out. It takes a lot to creep me out and Bryan does it every time.

5 STARS

~~~~~

Synopsis

The antebellum mansion sits isolated in the overgrown countryside like a forgotten temple. Within it lie the dark, twisting paths of a private library possessing secrets from across the ages. The collection of ancient and medieval occult manuscripts tell of conjuring spirits and raising the dead, of making contact with supernatural realms and beings usually forbidden to living mortals.

The house’s recently deceased owner was a reclusive former professor who transformed his home into a great library, but his desire for hidden knowledge and arcane power may have led him into madness, even death.

Disturbing specters now haunt the new occupants of the house, who turn to paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan for help. Ellie must unravel the mysteries of the occult library before she can banish its ghosts and make the house safe again for the living.

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

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Witches, Spiders And Schemes by Elizabeth Pantley ~ Peek Inside And Giveaway

Witches, Spiders, and Schemes

by Elizabeth Pantley

October 3, 2023 Book Blast

Synopsis:

Welcome Back to Destiny Falls

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About Author Elizabeth Pantley:

Catch Up With Elizabeth Pantley: www.NoCrySolution.com/books Goodreads BookBub – @DestinyFalls Instagram – @destinyfallsmystery Facebook – @DestinyFallsMysteryandMagic

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