Author Archive

No way could they have seen her coming ~ Moses & Mac by Franca Pelaccia

Posted: February 26, 2019 in Action/Adventure, Mystery, reviews
Tags: , , ,
16

Moses and Mac banner

.

Welcome to my stop on the Virtual Book Tour for Franca Pelaccia’s Moses & Mac from Febraury 4th – 28th. I sure had a blast reading this book and I’m excited to share my review!

.

Moses and Mac

 MOSES & MAC
Author: Franca Pelaccia
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Pages: 303
Genre: Women’s Fiction/Adventure/Mystery

My Review

Mackenzie didn’t expect much for her 30th birthday. A cake would be nice. But it seems everyone forgot about her. No phone calls from family. Well, except for a strange package that arrived from her Aunt Sara. That can’t be right. Her aunt has been dead for some 30 years. Maybe it’s an elaborate ruse to throw her a surprise party.

Not so fast there, Mackenzie. I don’t think getting shot at by terrorists is a birthday party. A surprise yes. Before she can say we’re off, she is off on the adventure of a life time. She’s initiated into the Vatican Archaeological Service, VAS,  and is whisked off to foreign lands. Before her plane leaves the ground, bullets fly and the plane is blown up. It’s a race against time to stop global domination.

What a crazy, fun read. Mackenzie is a hoot. She’s just a normal gal turning 30 and now she’s off on adventures that could get her killed. More than one group is trying to kill her and she has to adapt and think on her feet. She finds she can do a lot of things she never would have considered and is growing to like it. Not bad for a Victorian Scholar.

The action is relentless and the pages are filled with character’s of all walk’s of life. Is the plot believable? Well, maybe or maybe not. It reminds me of The Da Vinci Code, only funnier and with some potential for romantic hanky panky. Did I enjoy Moses & Mac. You betcha. Lots of action, snark, sexual innuendo and surprising characters.

I like that the author included an epilogue answering some lingering questions about certain events and characters. There was a lot going on in this book and including it left me with questions answered and a satisfied feeling. Now that Mackenzie is finding her way place as a member of VAS, I’m excited to see where she lands next and whether it’s on her feet or on her rear end. Either way, it’ll be fun.

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

~~~~~

Synopsis

On her dismal 30th birthday, unassuming Victorian scholar Mackenzie Braden receives a mysterious package from her Aunt Sara, urging her to locate Moses’ rod. The most powerful weapon in history will start global chaos if it lands in the wrong hands. Sara was an agent for the top-secret Vatican Archaeological Service. She has also been dead for 30 years and the agency dormant for just as long. Mackenzie’s only clue is a souvenir figurine of Moses, and except for hunky ex-military pilot Eoin Reilly, her allies are as inept as she is.

But nothing is going to stop Mackenzie from recharging her lacklustre life, fulfilling her mission, finding answers about her aunt, and making Eoin her birthday present. Armed with the figurine, Mackenzie sets off with Eoin for the Middle East. There she has to fend off a Ph.D. candidate turned terrorist, a dysfunctional family of treasure hunters, a fake Mossad operative, a manic former VAS agent, the underground tunnels of the Gaza Strip, and a whole lot of rocket launchers. But this is training for the ultimate confrontation with her aunt’s and now her greatest foe, a charming deposed Saudi prince with world domination on his mind.

Purchase link: Amazon

Author Franca Pelacci

Franca Pelaccia

 

Franca Pelaccia is the author of Moses & Mac, a fast-paced and lively action/adventure/mystery and the first book of the Vatican Archaeological Service series published by Solstice Publishing. The second book is tentatively entitled Mac & the Crusaders. Under the pseudonym of Kirsten Paul, Franca is the author of two romantic comedies for the Calendar Men of King Court series. The first book, The Hockey Player & the Angel will soon be published by the Wild Rose Press. The second book, The Detective & the Burglar is in progress. Writing as Francesca Pelaccia, Franca self-published The Witch’s Salvation, a historical paranormal novel, which won the Beck Valley Reviewers’ Choice Award for 2013. An avid reader, Franca reviews novels for the Historical Novels Society.

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

~~~~~

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Teaser Tuesday #252 ~ Beach Blanket Homicide

Posted: February 26, 2019 in Chick Lit, Mystery, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: , ,
18

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My Teaser for this week is from

Beach Blanket Mystery

Whispering Bay Mystery #1

by Maria Geraci

42842907

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Genre: Chic-Lit / Mystery

  Teaser from 21% in the eBook.

She puts a leash on Paco. “Say goodby to Lucy, Paco.”

“Are you sure he’ll be okay? I mean, he’s been traumatized. He was with Abby when she… you know, died.  Is there a pet psychologist that can come see him? If he needs anything, anything at all, just let me know.” He looks at me with the saddest eyes. I hope he doesn’t think I don’t want him….. I can tell he’s special.

This was a sweet scene. Paco, the chihuahua, is staying at the shelter until they can find his real owner. Lucy doesn’t think she can keep him as she is allergic to dogs but she feels bad about leaving him there.

~~~~~

Synopsis

A fun, quirky chick-lit mystery starring Lucy McGuffin, world’s best muffin maker and amateur sleuth.

Everyone agrees that Lucy McGuffin bakes the muffins in Whispering Bay, but she’s got another talent, one that she’s tried her whole life to hide. Lucy can always tell when a person is lying or telling the truth. Being a human lie detector isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Especially when you really don’t want the answer to the universal question, “Does this dress make my butt look too big?”

When Lucy is hired to cater the grand opening celebration of the city’s new community center, she stumbles across the dead body of Abby Delgado, a prominent member of the Sunshine Ghost Society. Lucy’s brother, Father Sebastian, a local priest, is the last person to have seen Abby alive. Convinced he’ll be breaking a confidence, Sebastian refuses to cooperate with the police, forcing Lucy to put her skills to the test to save her brother’s good name.

Enter the town’s new hotshot deputy, Travis Fontaine. Travis doesn’t want an amateur like Lucy snooping around his turf, so he offers her a deal. He’ll stay out of her kitchen if she stays away from his crime scenes. But Lucy isn’t about to let her brother’s fate rest in the hands of an arrogant cop.

Good thing she has her best friend, Will, and her new rescue dog, Paco, to back her up, because it’s up to Lucy to figure out what everyone in the quaint little beachside town is hiding

Amazon

~~~~~

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Book Blast and Giveaway ~ Mother Of The Chosen by Janeal Falor

Posted: February 25, 2019 in Fantasy, giveaways, Romance
Tags: , ,
45

mother of banner

.

Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Mother Of The Chosen organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

This series sounds thrilling and the cover art for each book is gorgeous.

Janeal Falor will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Don’t forget to enter.

And be sure to click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Mother Of The Chosen

by Janeal Taylor

Synopsis

Adriella is pregnant with the child she’s always wanted.

She can’t wait to share the joy with her husband. Prophecy has other plans. The countryside is a ablaze with rumors of a soon-to-be-born child who will destroy the High King.

A royal decree demands the death of any child who could threaten the throne, including Adriella’s unborn baby. Worse, her husband is one of the soldier’s enlisted to carry out the king’s demands.

Now Adriella must keep her secret and flee, rather than celebrate with her spouse.

With the High King’s men searching for anyone who defies him, the country is full of grieving parents, and the streets run red with the blood of the innocents. Adriella knows her chances of survival are slim, but she’ll sacrifice everything to stay one step ahead of the law.

If she can’t evade capture, she’ll lose the one thing more precious to her than her own life—her child.

Book One of her Mother of the Chosen series.

 Enjoy this peek inside:

Candui glanced around before she leaned close and whispered, “You’re pregnant, aren’t you?”

The blood rushed from my head.

“You’re so pale,” she said. “It’s true, isn’t it? You’re going to have a baby. You and Richart have been trying for so long…”

“N—no. It’s such shocking news. That’s all.” She couldn’t know, not if I was to protect the life of my child.

Then another thought hit me. Richart, my husband, worked for the zasin. The high king’s army. He was well-ranked, and even better regarded, especially for someone only twenty-eight years old. Our town was mostly controlled by him. He would be the first person to turn me in. My baby would die.

About Author Janeal Falor

Janeal Falor lives in Utah with her husband and three children. She loves both reading and writing fantasy–with romance, always romance. In her non-writing time she teaches her kids to make silly faces, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and attempts to cultivate a garden even when half the things she plants die. When it’s time for a break she can be found taking a scenic drive with her family, dating her husband, or drinking hot chocolate.

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links: Amazon / B&N / Apple / Google Play

~~~~~

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The High Sierras Series by Diane Benefiel ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: February 25, 2019 in giveaways, Romance, suspense
Tags: , ,
12

already gone banner

 I can’t wait to share these with you. Two thrilling stories with gorgeous covers! Check out Already Gone and Deadly Purpose . Keep reading to learn about the awesome giveaway! You can enter at the bottom of the post.

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Diane Benefiel will be awarding Flash Point + Dead Giveaway to 2 randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

ALREADY GONE

A decade after Logan walked out on Maddy, he returns, and emotions long banked surface, then everything becomes complicated and dangerous.

DEADLY PURPOSE

Thrown together, and neither is happy about it, Meg and Declan navigate their unwanted growing attraction as they fight to keep Meg alive.

~~~~~

Read an Excerpt from Already Gone:

Under the week’s worth of beard his face looked drawn, and he’d taken off the beanie to reveal a serious case of hat head. “What do you want?”

“To see if you’re breathing.”

“Not dead yet.”

When he leaned against the door, gaze fixed on her, she sighed in exasperation. “Look, I don’t want me to be here, either. I’ll change the bandage, then leave.” She waved the container with the café logo. “I’ve got food for you.”

“What kind?”

“Sandwich, berries, and a cookie.”

“What kind of cookie?”

“Really?” She glared at him. “Oatmeal.”

He stepped back, and she didn’t think he caught her eye roll. He moved carefully across the room, and she followed him into the cabin. The inside looked cleaner, neater than before. His father had let things go. Hardly able to take care of himself, Bob Ross had neglected his son and his home. Logan had sworn never to return, yet here he was.

“I brought you something else, too.” She set the bag and food on the dining table, and reached into her purse, coming up with a small bottle.

“What’s that?”

“Advil. I don’t have anything stronger.”

“God bless you.” He took the bottle from her and shook out four tablets.

“Have you eaten anything? That much is going to irritate your stomach.”

He shook his head and picked up a mug. After tossing the pills into his mouth, he swallowed a mouthful of coffee she suspected was long cold. His eyes remained on her, watchful. “You looking after me, blondie?”

“My name’s not blondie.”

“Blonde hair, that makes you blondie.”

She checked another sigh. “Seriously, I don’t want to look after you. But someone has to, and I don’t see people lining up at your door to do the job.” She studied him, trying to keep it analytical. “Let me see the gunshot wound. If it looks like you’re healing, you won’t have to see me again. I checked on Sophie, too, so don’t think I’m doing anything special for you.”

“Sophie? You named my dog Sophie?”

“Your dog? She’s my dog if no one claims her.”

“I found her. And her name’s not Sophie unless she weighs eight pounds and has her toenails painted pink.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

He dropped his weight into a chair at the kitchen table. “How is she?”

“Stable. Jason says she’ll survive.”

“You bring the vet a sandwich, too?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Hell of a way to run a business, giving away food.”

“Jason runs a business, too, and he didn’t charge me extra for the off-hour call to pick her up.”

Logan frowned. “I’ll go in tomorrow to pay the bill.”

“Since she’s mine, I’ll pay it. You gave up any rights you had when you brought her to me.”

“Christ, I forgot that about you.”

“What?”

“People think you’re all sweet and agreeable, but they don’t know. You’re as stubborn as the day is long.”

She ignored the effect of his words, the knowledge that no one had ever gotten her like Logan Ross. “Let me see the wound, then I can leave you to your splendid isolation.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face, his beard making a rasping sound. “Right. Let’s get this over with.”

About Author Diane Benefiel:

National Readers’ Choice Award winner for her novel, Solitary Man, Diane Benefiel has been an avid reader all her life. She enjoys a wide range of genres, from westerns to fantasy to mysteries, but romance has always been a favorite. She writes what she loves best to read – emotional, heart-gripping romantic suspense novels. She likes writing romantic suspense because she can put the hero and heroine in all sorts of predicaments that they have to work together to overcome.

A native Southern Californian, Diane enjoys nothing better than summer. For a high school history teacher, summer means a break from teenagers, and summer allows her to spend her early mornings immersed in her current writing project. With both kids living out of the house, in addition to writing, she enjoys camping and gardening with her husband.

Diane loves hearing from her readers.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Goodreads / BookBub / Pinterest

BUY LINKS:

ALREADY GONE

Boroughs Publishing / Smashwords / B&N / iTunes / Kobo / Amazon

DEADLY PURPOSE

Boroughs Publishing / Smashwords / B&N / iTunes / Kobo / Amazon

~~~~~~

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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #301 and The Sunday Post

Posted: February 24, 2019 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: , ,
60

bookshelves photo: Bookshelf bookshelves.jpg

This is my own version of a weekly book haul and all things new on fuonlyknew.

I’m also linking up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberly @Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

~~~~~

Some chit chat.

It’s Mardi Gras here on the Gulf Coast and the parades are rolling, beads, moon pies and all kinds of fun stuff are flying off the floats. Great music and food are in order. I used to love this time of year. I’d buy the expensive ball gown. Go to the dance and party all night. And join the crowds to catch the bounty that’s tossed my way. Now, I stay at home. Been there. Done that. I leave it to the enthusiasts to enjoy. I can always pull up a book on my Kindle that involves Mardi Gras and stay safe and snug at home. Many people mistakenly believe Mardi Gras originated in New Orleans when in fact it was started in Mobile, Alabama. Right across the bay from me. Just a fun fact I wanted to share.

mardi-gras-584508_1920

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Let The Good Times Roll!

 Have a lovely Sunday everyone.

~~~~~

My new books this week.

Beach Blanket Homicide (Whispering Bay Mystery Book 1) by [Geraci, Maria]  Ladies of the Lake by [Corday, Ken]

The Neighbour: a fast paced mystery which will keep you guessing until the very end by [Penry, Lewis M]  Wicked Innocents: Case No. 1 (The Frontenac Sisters: Supernatural Sleuths & Monster Hunters) by [Livernois, S.H.]

Severed Souls: Case No. 2 (The Frontenac Sisters: Supernatural Sleuths & Monster Hunters) by [Livernois, S.H.]  Death Knell: Case No. 3 (The Frontenac Sisters: Supernatural Sleuths & Monster Hunters) by [Livernois, S.H.]

~~~~~

Movies and shows I watched this week.

I’m continuing b

my binge of Criminal Minds. Now on Season 9, Episode 4. I thought I’d come across some episodes I’d missed. Come on, there are 277 episodes. But so far I’ve seen everyone.

I watched Mandy starring Nicholas Cage. I really liked him in this one. The movie…not so much. It’s so out there and really violent. And that’s where Nicholas really pulled it off. He looked deranged and he needed to be to get the job done.

Then I watched Kiss And Cry. I didn’t realize it was a true story. Carley Ellison was 17 when she was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. Sarah Fisher played her character in the movie and she was brilliant. I smiled so much it hurt. Cried so much I was exhausted. And was so uplifted. And truly thankful Carley’s story was shared. She was brave beyond words, with a heart so big, it enveloped all those around her.

~~~~~

And here are some FREEBIES for ya.

Click on the covers to get your copies. Remember to make sure they’re still free before you hit that buy button.

All Eyes on Me (A Miranda and Parker Mystery Book 1) by [Lanier, Linsey]  Dead Wood (A Hardboiled Private Investigator Mystery Series): John Rockne Mysteries 1 by [Ames, Dan]

Blood and Snow by [Workman, RaShelle]  Of Ice and Snow: Snow Queen Origins: A Fairy Tale Adaptation (Fairy Queens Book 1) by [Argyle, Amber]

Ninety-Nine Signs: A Contemporary Romance (Ninety-Nine Series Book 1) by [Haxby, Elisheba, Vincent, Jesse]  Fledgling (The Shapeshifter Chronicles Book 1) by [Brown, Natasha]

River Bones (Sara Mason Mysteries Book 1) by [Deal, Mary]  Bad Karma: A gripping serial killer thriller with a twist (The Criminally Insane Series Book 1) by [Clegg, Douglas]

~~~~~

Click on the covers for this week’s reviews.

43354588  The Firefly

34953248  15834421  17264717

~~~~~

Other posts on my blog this week.

Travel Diaries Of The Dead And Delusional ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Clouded By Envy ~ Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

The Puppy Who Knew Too Much ~ Review and Giveaway

The Kid’s Korner #34 ~ The Firefly

Awakened by Stacy R. Collins ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

The horror of ….. Obedience ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

The Friday 56 #199 ~ Silver River Secrets

That Which Grows Wild ~ Review and Giveaway

Ian Dodge Mysteries by Judy Nichols ~ Excerpts and Giveaway

Saturday Screams #62 ~ Dark Corners Three Times Around

~~~~~

Leave your link and I’ll come visit you.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Saturday Screams #62 ~ Dark Corners Three Times Around

Posted: February 23, 2019 in horror, reviews, thriller
Tags: , , ,
18

Welcome to my Saturday Screams where I share books that thrill and chill!

Today I thought it would be fun to share three scary books with similar titles.

~~~~~

Dark Corner

by Brandon Massey

34953248

Genre:  Horror

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

Okay, I didn’t know exactly what this story was going to be about going in. I missed the clue in the blurb that mentioned something undead. When I found out what that was, I was thinking, oh no, not sure this book is what I was hoping it would be. About 8 chapters later I realized I didn’t want to put the book down.

Told from several points of view, you learn exactly what evil is hovering over the town. I think the multiple POVs made this story a richer experience for me. I really came to know the characters, to like them, to despair for them and, yes, to loath some of them. That goes without saying when evil comes out to play. Or bite you in the…..

I’d like to tell you more. Perhaps make some references to books and movies that came to mind while reading this, but why spoil things for you. I enjoyed Massey’s writing and how he had me wishing the one bad guy wasn’t so bad.

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

~~~~~

Synopsis

From award-winning author Brandon Massey comes a terrifying new novel about a town besieged by evil . . . and the one man who is determined to fight the darkness . . .

When renowned author Richard Hunter dies in a boating accident, his son David travels to Mason’s Corner, Mississippi, to find out more about the father he never really knew. At first, Mason’s Corner seems friendly and unassuming-–the perfect small town. But after a newcomer moves into the old-–and supposedly haunted-–mansion on the hill, everything changes . . .

People begin to disappear. Dogs viciously attack. And soon David discovers that the terror consuming this place has its roots in his own family tree . . .

For something has risen in Mason’s Corner. Something with bloody ties to the town’s past. Something undead–and hungering for vengeance . . .

Amazon

~~~~~

Dark Corners

by William Andrews

15834421

Genre: Horror / Short Stories

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

I enjoy short story collections. It gives me a fun way to sample the authors writing. From the synopsis and cover art I was expecting some pretty dark tales. They really weren’t. And of those offered, I’d say a few were good and some missed the mark.

I did enjoy the writing and would be curious to read some longer works by the author. Perhaps then I would get more involved in a story of his.

Not wowed but I’m glad I read these.

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

~~~~~

Synopsis

DARK CORNERS is a short story anthology showcasing the various styles, genres and influences of William Andrews. Most of these are dark as Hell. Embrace the darkness and read on…. If you dare!

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

Dark Corners

The Elle Reynolds Series #1

by Liz Schulte

17264717

Genre: Paranormal / Horror / Thriller

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

My Review

After the murder of her husband, Ella withdraws from everyone. Shuts herself away. But someone or something won’t let her heal. As time passes, she sinks deeper into grief and doubt. Is the house causing the eerie events? Or is it someone who wants to harm her? Or is she just going insane?

The author smoothly takes you back to past events and forward to the present, keeping you unsettled and clueless about what is real and what could just be in Ella’s mind. I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. She went through such a tragedy and now she fears she’s either haunted, stalked or crazy. Closing herself off from the world aroused suspicion with people that maybe she killed her husband. i wondered about that myself.

Of course, I read this at night. Read it straight through, my eyes darting to the dark corners whenever I thought I heard something. There are some really spooky scenes in this that made me question why I waited until dark to read it. I guess I wasn’t expecting to get scared as I read a lot of horror. But scared I got and I couldn’t stop. This reads like a ride on a tilt-a-whirl. It went one way then the other, jerking me from one conclusion to another. A dizzying, haunting story and so well executed.

I had this book on my kindle for several years before reading it. That won’t happen with the rest of the series. Yes, there are more books and I’ve got them lined up to read.

If you enjoy a scary, haunting story with a good mystery and some drama and thrills thrown in, I recommend you give this a go.

~~~

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

~~~~~

Synopsis

Ella Reynolds knew from the first moment she walked into the old house someone or something was watching her. Waiting. Her husband’s violent murder sent her spiraling into a world of grief and isolation, but Ella isn’t alone. Who or what is responsible for her husband’s death is still with her.

Darkness has engulfed the past year of Ella’s life. Everyday reality slips a little more between her fingers as she struggles to break free from her memories. She must look deeper into her past as well as the present to discover truth of her husband’s homicide. A string of uncanny events takes place and practical explanations run thin as Ella follows the terrifying road to closure. As the past and present come to a head, Ella must decipher who or what the murderer is before it takes her as well.

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

The above cover is the one I own.

Here is an alternative cover.

Dark Corners (The Ella Reynolds Series Book 1) by [Schulte, Liz]

Which do you like more?

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Ian Dodge Mysteries by Judy Nichols ~ Excerpts and Giveaway

Posted: February 23, 2019 in giveaways, Mystery
Tags: ,
14
 .
.
Sportsman’s Bet
Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 1
by Judy Nichols
Genre: Mystery
 
Velma Saunders, the town clerk of Tobias, North Carolina never had a kind
word to say to anyone. In fact, most people were afraid of her,
including her boss, Mayor Mike Ellis.
Still, the whole town is shocked when Velma’s body is found in the Municipal
Building’s old bomb shelter. The only clue to her murderer is a copy
of a cryptic message from a Nigerian email scammer.
All the evidence points to Mayor Mike, who’s charged with killing Velma.
Investigator Ian Dodge, a British transplant who’s never quite taken
root in the Deep South,sets out to find out who else hated Velma
enough to kill her.
In the course of his investigation, Ian discovers the dark secrets Velma
has been hiding all these years, and exactly why she was so mean.
 .
dodge excerpt
.
Why is it the last time always sticks in your memory?
Like the last time I saw my mum on a long ago visit to England. I can still see her, drinking her tea and raging against the new management at the Black Swan. Now it was ferns and toffee-nosed gits, she said. And the price of a pint was outrageous.
Or the last time I drove my beloved ’69 Camaro before it was stolen. Nicked right outside my New York apartment, it was. The cops never did find it. Not that they looked very hard.
And of course, the last time I saw Velma Saunders.
Velma was the secretary/bookkeeper for Tobias, North Carolina, my adopted hometown. To say Tobias is off the beaten track is being charitable. It’s forty miles away from anything interesting, like the city of Wilmington or the Atlantic Ocean. No one ever comes to Tobias unless they have family here—or they’re lost.
Velma was here because of family. I, on the other hand, count myself among the lost.
As always, Velma was at her post in the mayor’s office, answering the phone and guarding the mayor from salesmen and other petty annoyances, like irate constituents. And that’s how I picture her, sitting at her desk glued to her computer screen, engrossed in an e-mail.
At the time, I thought it was funny, seeing as how she’d fought tooth and nail against the Internet when the town fathers decided to enter the twenty-first century and invest in an Internet connection. Velma said more than once that telephones and the U.S. Postal Service worked just fine, why bother with all this e-rubbish? Only threats of forced retirement persuaded her to log on.
That day she wore her usual ensemble of a baggy brown cardigan] sweater, a beige blouse, and a brown and black plaid skirt. Always reminded me of the school uniforms the girls at my grammar school wore. Nobody ever looked good in those, especially a woman on the high side of sixty.
.
.
 
Trouble and Strife
Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 2
 
Lorrie Mattingly has it all.
Young and beautiful, married to the richest man in town, she spends her
time driving fast cars, riding horses and keeping herself pretty. And
yet, she’s down to earth, and sweet, devoted to her handicapped twin
sister Linnie. Everyone loves her.
Maybe not everyone.
When she suffers from a severe allergic reaction during a tanning session,
private investigator Ian Dodge is called in by the owners of the
salon, since they’re getting sued big time. It doesn’t take long for
Ian to figure out Lorrie’s attack wasn’t an accident, or negligence
but attempted murder. Or to learn that there were plenty of people
who wanted this sweet girl dead.
 .
dodge excerpt
.
Needles and pins, needles and pins. When a man marries, his trouble begins.
My granddad loved that little ditty, and repeated it often, usually when my Nan was pissed off at the old bastard.
But never loud enough for her to hear it.
He knew what was good for him.
If I had known what was good for me, I wouldn’t have married so young. Or gotten married a second time, when I was old enough to know better.
My friends have told me the third time’s the charm, but I’ll pass on taking more of what Granddad called “the old trouble and strife.” Cockney rhyming slang for wife.
That about sums up my two marriages.
Of course, some people were made for marriage, like my friend Jerry Fowler owner of the Sunspot Auto Body Shop and Tanning Salon in Whitley, North Carolina. Best body man in the Cape Fear region and just a twenty minute drive from my adopted home town of Tobias, North Carolina.
Jerry and Brenda Fowler got together when they were in the eighth grade at Whitley Junior High School. He asked her to go steady at the Spring Dance. Forty years later and his face would still light up when she walked in the room.
Jerry was happy as a clam (although I’ve never understood what clams have to be happy about). He had his wife, his family and his cars to work on. Jerry was one of the few people I ever knew who made a good living doing what he loved. He’d be the first to tell you he had a great life.
Until things changed. In a most dreadful way.
However, on this particular day in January, Jerry was blissfully unaware of how fate was going to screw him over.
.
.
 
Pork Pies
Ian Dodge Mysteries Book 3
 
Crusty British transplant Ian Dodge is back on the beat, this time in the
service of Her Majesty, otherwise known as Laura Lane, the Food
Queen, star of a popular TV cooking show. A blackmailer has
threatened to expose her sordid past as a con artist, so she turns to
Ian Dodge to get it sorted.
When her blackmailer is found stabbed to death in his hotel room, Her
Majesty is the prime suspect. It’s Ian’s job to untangle the web of
deception and pork pies (lies) to find the culprit, all the while
dealing with the antics of his twin sons, Jesse and Mac.
 
 .
dodge excerpt
.
My Nan always hated the pork pies.
“You’d best not be telling porkies, Ian Archibald Dodge,” she’d say.
And I knew I was in for it. Whatever story I was giving her wasn’t going to cut it and I would have to tell her the truth.
It was a constant in my life. Don’t tell lies. Ever.
I suppose that’s where I got my own aversion to lies, even though at times I’ve had to tell them. I admit to having misrepresented myself in the line of duty now and again.
But on the whole, I’ve done my best to avoid lying.
It’s always easier in the end. Who has the time and energy to keep track of them all?
Sooner or later someone catches you. And what do you then? You can’t take them all back and start over.
Still, there are people who manage to build successful careers based on lies.
Like my friend Ruth’s boss, who was always referred to as Her Majesty. The woman had a cooking show where she demonstrated her own original recipes, but she paid a slew of accomplished cooks to come up with them.
It was perfectly legal. Her Majesty had an army of lawyers spewing out contracts and binding agreements that covered everyone’s ass and made sure that it was everyone’s interest to maintain the deception.
I’d heard plenty about Her Majesty.
But I was about to experience her firsthand.
.
.
Judy Nichols lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, but she is by no means a
“Southern writer.” Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in
the nearby town of Batavia, she still is a no-nonsense midwesterner.
Although she does find true southerners quite charming.
Judy holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Kent State University.
She has been a newspaper reporter, a teacher, a temporary office
worker, a customer service representative, a stay-at-home mom, a
volunteer, and a proud organizer of the now defunct Cape Fear Crime
Festival mystery writers’ conference.
Judy  started her first novel “Caviar Dreams” while her daughter
was napping one day. Five years later it was finished. The biggest
challenge arrived once her daughter stopped taking naps and
eventually lost interest in watching the “Toy Story” video.
Since then she has gone on to write several more books, including the Ian
Dodge Mysteries inspired by her UK born husband Nigel. Ian Dodge is a
persnickety private investigator, living in coastal North Carolina,
who refuses to be assimilated and instead hangs on to every shred of
his Britishness.
Now that her daughter is grown up and gone, she spends lots of quality
time with her husband and Bailey the Wonder Dog. Also, reading and
writing good books.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts 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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

That Which Grows Wild ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: February 22, 2019 in Dark Fantasy, giveaways, horror, reviews, Short stories and collections
Tags: , , , ,
36
 .
.
That Which Grows Wild
by Eric J. Guignard
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Short Stories
 
That Which Grows Wild collects sixteen dark and masterful short stories by
award-winning author Eric J. Guignard. Equal parts whimsy and weird,
horror and heartbreak, this debut collection traverses the darker
side of the fantastic through vibrant and harrowing tales that depict
monsters and regrets, hope and atonement, and the oddly changing
reflection that turns back at you in the mirror.
Discover why Eric J. Guignard has earned praise from masters of the craft such
as Ramsey Campbell (“Guignard gives voice to paranoid vision that’s
all too believable.”), Rick Hautala (“No other young horror
author is better, I think, than Eric J. Guignard.”), and Nancy
Holder ( “The defining new voice of horror has arrived, and I stand
in awe.”)
Stories include:
• “A Case Study in Natural Selection and How It Applies to Love” – a
teen experiences romance, while the world slowly dies from rising
temperatures and increasing cases of spontaneous combustion.
• “Dreams of a Little Suicide” – a down-on-his-luck actor unexpectedly finds
his dreams and love in Hollywood playing a munchkin during filming of
The Wizard of Oz, but soon those dreams begin to darken.
• “The Inveterate Establishment of Daddano & Co.” – an aged undertaker
tells the true story behind the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, and
of the grime that accumulates beneath our floors.
• “A Journey of Great Waves” – a Japanese girl encounters, years later,
the ocean-borne debris of her tsunami-ravaged homeland, and the
ghosts that come with it.
• “The House of the Rising Sun, Forever” – a tragic voice gives dire
warning against the cycle of opium addiction from which, even after
death, there is no escape.
• “Last Days of the Gunslinger, John Amos” – a gunfighter keeps a decimated
town’s surviving children safe on a mountaintop from the incursion
of ferocious creatures… until a flash flood strikes.
Explore within, and discover a wild range upon which grows the dark, the
strange, and the profound.
 .
My Review
.

I usually find that when reading a collection of short stories, some of them are great, some are okay and some miss the mark. I was thrilled to find that I was happy with all sixteen tales in That Which Grows Wild.

The book begins with A Case Study in Natural Selection and How It Applies to Love.  I’m a huge fan of dystopian and apocalyptic tales and this one adds human combustion to the mix. The fact that the author made it seem like something that could actually occur was like sprinkles on an ice cream cone. Tasty.

From there I went on to devour the book. I was expecting to need a break somewhere. For my interest to taper off. But, no. I kept right on to the end, encountering tormented beings, creatures big and small, aliens and ordinary people facing difficult and fantastical situations. But that wasn’t all I found. There were some deeply moving scenes and some characters I wanted to tuck under my wing and keep safe from harm.

I was going to list my favorites but I found myself adding another and then another. The writing is powerful and the stories intoxicating. Eric is a storyteller in the true sense of the word.

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

.
 
Eric J. Guignard is a writer and editor of dark and speculative fiction,
operating from the shadowy outskirts of Los Angeles. He’s won the
Bram Stoker Award, been a finalist for the International Thriller
Writers Award, and a multi-nominee of the Pushcart Prize. His stories
and non-fiction have appeared in over one hundred genre and literary
publications such as “Nightmare Magazine,” “Black Static,” “Shock Totem,”
“Buzzy Magazine,” and “Dark Discoveries Magazine.” Outside the glamorous
and jet-setting world of indie fiction, Eric’s a technical writer and
college professor, and he stumbles home each day to a wife, children,
cats, and a terrarium filled with mischievous beetles.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts 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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The Friday 56 #199 ~ Silver River Secrets

Posted: February 22, 2019 in Contemporary Romance, Mystery, The Friday 56
Tags: , ,
28

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

The only rules are to grab a book (any book), turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader and find a sentence or a few (no spoilers) that grabs you and post it.

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

Silver River Secrets

  by Linda Hope Lee

32851884

c8df8-add2bto2bgoodreads2bblack

Genre: Mystery / Contemporary Romance

From page 56 in the paperback.

She opened the cover and idly flipped the pages.

Excitement rippled down Lacey’s spine. Perhaps her mother had written on the days leading up to the murder and her own death. Maybe she’d recorded something on that very day.

~~~~~

Synopsis

Tragedy made them strangers. The truth could change that…

Lacey Morgan’s grandmother is the only reason she has to ever set foot in Silver River. Her hometown is populated with too many ghosts and memories. Too many painful reminders. Including Rory Dalton.

In all her brief visits over the past ten years, they’ve barely spoken. Locked on opposite sides of the tragedy that tore their lives apart, they buried their feelings along with their parents. But this trip is different. She will stay a little longer. Dig a little deeper. And try to solve the mystery that has kept them from the truth…and each other.

Amazon / B&N

~~~~~

Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

The horror of ….. Obedience ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: February 21, 2019 in giveaways, horror
Tags: ,
13
.
.
Obedience
by Michael Potts
Genre: Horror
 
It is a lazy summer day in the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee; much
like the day before, and the day before that. Everything seems normal
– at least on the surface; like an idyllic, pastoral painting; the
sky dyed with pastels of blue and white, the ground carpeted with
dark green fescue and bluegrass, a clapboard farmhouse resting on top
of a hill, sugar maples, oaks and Eastern red cedars providing
welcome shade from the heat of a Tennessee summer sun. You can almost
see moving images of little children running barefoot through the
grass; an era before tweeting and texting and the triumph of
technology over all.
Alas, appearances lie.
Behind the clapboard farmhouse sits a red barn, all bright and new looking;
fresh enough to lull a casual observer into believing it the benign
keeper of hey for cattle and shelter for goats. A closer look reveals
the color to be not barn red, but blood red.
Locals tend to close their eyes when passing by that barn. Something is just
not right about it. Some say it is unnatural. Some say it’s obscene
and evil. But they don’t say such things out loud, for the owner of
the barn is Sheldon Sprigg, a well-respected man of the cloth, the
preacher at Hare’s Corner Church of God Incarnate. Sheldon is the
most upright man in these parts. He keeps the law religiously, and
makes sure his wife and teenaged daughter do too. After all, to obey
is better than sacrifice.
Still, there’s just something that not right about that barn.
 
 
 
.
.
Michael Potts grew up near Smyrna, Tennessee and is currently Professor of
Philosophy at Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina.
His undergraduate degree (in Biblical languages) is from David
Lipscomb University. He also holds the Master of Theology from
Harding University Graduate School of Religion, the Master of Arts
(in Religion) from Vanderbilt University, and the Ph.D. in philosophy
from The University of Georgia. Michael has twenty articles in
scholarly journals, nine book chapters, six encyclopedia articles,
six book reviews, and he co-edited the book, “Beyond Brain
Death: The Case Against Brain Based Criteria for Human Death,”
which was published in 2000 by Kluwer Academic Publishers. He also
has over fifty scholarly presentations, including one presented at
the Pontifical Academy of Sciences at The Vatican in 2005. Michael is
a 2007 graduate of The Writers Loft at Middle Tennessee State
University and a 2007 graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop at St.
Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire. His poetry has been
published in Journal of the American Medical Association, Iodine
Poetry Journal, Poems & Plays, and other literary journals. His
poetry chapbook, “From Field to Thicket,” won the 2006 Mary
Belle Campbell Poetry Book Award of the North Carolina Writers
Network. His creative nonfiction essay, “Haunted,” won the
Rose Post Creative Nonfiction Award, also sponsored by the North
Carolina Writers Network. Besides reading and writing, he enjoys
vegetable gardening, canning, and ghost investigations. He and his
wife, Karen, live with their three cats, Frodo, Rosie, and Pippin, in
Linden, North Carolina.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts 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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Older Entries
Newer Entries