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Author Archive

Saturday Screams #62 ~ Dark Corners Three Times Around

Posted: February 23, 2019 in horror, reviews, thriller
Tags: Horror, reviews, Saturday Screams, thriller

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

Genre: Horror

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.

~~~~~

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

Genre: Horror / Short Stories

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.

~~~~~

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

Genre: Paranormal / Horror / Thriller

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.

~~~

~~~~~

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.

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: giveaway, mystery

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.

Goodreads * Amazon

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.

Goodreads * Amazon

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.

Goodreads * Amazon

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.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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: dark fantasy, giveaway, Horror, review, Short Stories

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.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * B&N * Kobo

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.

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.

Website * Facebook * Facebook Page * Twitter * Amazon * Goodreads

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: contemporary romance, mystery, The Friday 56

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

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: giveaway, Horror

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.

Goodreads * Amazon

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.

Website * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads

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.

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs ~ Spotlight and Giveaway

Posted: February 21, 2019 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways
Tags: cozy mystery, giveaway

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs

Spells & Caramels #9

by Erin Johnson

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs (Spells & Caramels)
Cozy Mystery
9th in Series
Self Published
Details TK

.
A bakehouse in the making. A dangerous ghost in the tower. Will their welcome to the neighborhood be short-lived?

Imogen wants nothing more than to complete her sweet dream. With her adoring fiancé Hank at her side, the witch and her friends dive into renovations for their new home and soon-to-be bakery. But all their efforts seem futile when they wake to find the house eerily ripped apart all over again…

As Imogen examines her humble abode’s shady history, she discovers evidence for a malevolent spirit living inside. But with less-than-welcoming neighbors keeping a close, suspicious watch, she wonders if it’s not the dead but the living who pose the biggest threat…

Will Imogen root out the culprit, or will her culinary future collapse under the weight of an unsolved murder?

Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs is the ninth book in the charming Spells & Caramels paranormal cozy mystery series. If you like lovable characters, chilling twists, and enchanting adventures, then you’ll love Erin Johnson’s marvelous tale.

Buy Eclairs, Scares & Haunted Home Repairs to solve a magical whodunit today!

Author Erin Johnson

Erin Johnson is a native of Tempe, Arizona, Erin spends her time crafting mysterious, magical, romance-filled stories that’ll hopefully make you laugh. In between, she’s traveling, napping with her dogs, eating with her friends and family, and teaching Pilates (to allow her to eat more).

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Link – Amazon

~~~~~

GIVEAWAY

I have one eBook copy to give away. Entry is simple.

Just answer this question.

Have you ever been in a haunted house?

Giveaway ends February 28th.

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

February 18 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

February 18 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

February 19 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

February 19 – My Reading Journeys – SPOTLIGHT

February 20 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW

February 20 – This Is My Truth Now – REVIEW

February 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

February 21 – Carla Loves To Read – REVIEW

February 22 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

February 22 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

February 23 – CelticLady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

February 23 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

February 24 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT

February 24 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – I’m Into Books – SPOTLIGHT

February 25 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT

February 26 – A Wytch’s Book Review Blog – SPOTLIGHT

February 27 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

February 28 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT

February 28 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW

~~~~~

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.

Awakened by Stacy R. Collins ~ Excerpt and Giveaway

Posted: February 21, 2019 in Fantasy, giveaways
Tags: fantasy, giveaway

I am so excited that AWAKENED by Stacy R. Collins is available now and that I get to
share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Stacy R. Collins, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Stacy and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

Title: AWAKENED (The Gatekeepers Book 1)

Author: Stacy R. Collins

Pub. Date: February 21, 2019

Publisher: 48fourteen

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 410

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon

When seventeen-year-old DEVYN CARTER arrives at school, she expects the day to be as boring and mundane as usual, but when she meets the new, hot substitute teacher, and the even hotter transfer student, Devyn’s life transforms into anything but normal.

With these newcomers, also come some harrowing revelations that thrust Devyn into a group of warriors, the Order, dedicated to ridding the world of the monstrous creatures
known as Moon Children.

It quickly becomes clear that Devyn’s role in the Order is more than anyone had thought. Pressed
into training the skills she never knew she possessed, Devyn finds herself faced with the toughest decision she has ever had to make: leave the Order and return to her life for what little time humanity has left, or give up all she has ever known to assume a role she never chose and risk her life to save the world.

From the author of Grave Little Secrets comes this EPIC new fantasy series that tests limits,
explores love, and unveils a world hiding in plain sight. Hold on to your seats!

Exclusive Excerpt!

About Stacy:

Stacy has always enjoyed writing stories that are creative and packed with suspense. As a child she would write short stories to share with her friends and teachers. As she got older, she dabbled in poetry and even tried her hand at writing song lyrics, but her passion was for novels.

Her debut novel, Grave Little Secrets, is a suspense filled novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat wondering who is behind all the threats. Who could know the secret that Alex has sworn to take to the grave with her. Grave Little Secrets is scheduled to be released early 2017, so be sure to snag your copy.

Apart from writing, Stacy enjoys spending time with her family. She also loves to read and
listen to music. If she’s not running around the yard with her kids, she is curled up on the couch with a book in her hand, getting lost in the magic of the words. Stacy currently resides in a small town in South Carolina with her husband, Richard, her four lovely children, and one fur baby.

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway Details:
All International

1 winner will receive an 10 Amazon Gift Card, International.

Ends on February 28th at Midnight EST!

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 Kid’s Korner #34 ~ The Firefly

Posted: February 20, 2019 in Children's books, horror, middle grade, reviews
Tags: Horror, middle grade, review

Welcome to The Kid’s Korner.

I decided to do this feature as I have so many great children’s books to share. From picture books, to books for beginning readers, to middle graders, I have plenty of fun ones.

Today I’m sharing another spooky fun tale from Nancy Gray’s Spine Chillers!

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The Firefly (Spine Chillers)
by Nancy Gray

Genre: Horror
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: November 19, 2018

My Review

The fireflies appeared in autumn. Strange, as they’re only supposed to appear during the summer. Leila asked her mother for a net and jar to capture some in. They didn’t act like normal fireflies because… they weren’t. She spies something lurking in the woods. A bug man with skin the color of charcoal. She soon learns what it wants and has to make the toughest decision of her young life. Lives hang in the balance.

This book would have given me such shivers of delight when I was young. It did a pretty good job of doing that now. Leila was a brave little girl. Her love for her baby sister and her sense of right and wrong put her between a rock and a hard place and I admired her bravery.

The bug man was creepy as all get out. The author’s description had me visualizing a cross between a praying mantis and The Crooked Man. Once Leila confronted the thing I knew she couldn’t defeat it by herself and was excited when she discovered the Spectral Investigator’s Society. It’s supposed to be a boys club but exceptions are made. Supernatural creatures don’t distinguish between boys and girls.

The story really picks up the pace as Leila realizes she doesn’t have to fight this battle alone and a plan is formed to stop the creature. This is fiction, but how they kids rallied together and executed their trap reminded me so much of my childhood and how my friends and I would stand by each other, even when scared.

A good campfire tale to raise the goosebumps and make you jump at those bumps in the night.

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Synopsis

Leila’s sister has come down with a terrible fever that the doctors can’t explain. It started with the fireflies that mysteriously appeared in November, and then when she was visited by “the bug man.” When Leila confronts the FIREFLY that has made her sister sick she must make a terrible choice to save her sister or offer it another victim to satiate its terrible appetite! The monster needs to feed on blood and it needs another body to inhabit. His eyes are set on Leila!

You can find The Firefly on Goodreads

You can buy The Firefly on Amazon

About the Author:
Nancy Gray has published a number of works including her young adult fantasy series Blood Rain. Her short story “Chosen” appeared in Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal Author Quest: a Penguin Special from Grosset & Dunlap. Her work also appears in various anthologies.
Nancy Gray has been writing for over ten years. Gray lives in South Carolina with her husband and two daughters. She enjoys books, video games, anime, manga, and horror.

Other Works by Nancy Gray:
Blood Rain
Blood Moon
Blood God
Spine Chillers: The Scarecrow
Spine Chillers: Big Bad Wolf
Spine Chillers: The Beast of Black Pond
Spine Chillers: Empty Eyes
Spine Chillers: The Firefly

You can find and contact Nancy Gray here:
– Website
– Blog
– Facebook
– Goodreads

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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The Puppy Who Knew Too Much ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: February 19, 2019 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways, reviews
Tags: cozy mystery, giveaway, review

The Puppy Who Knew Too Much

A Dog Club Mystery

by V.M. Burns

The Puppy Who Knew Too Much (A Dog Club Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (February 12, 2019)
Paperback: 190 pages
ISBN-10: 1516107918
ISBN-13: 978-1516107919
Digital ASIN: B07D233MVK

My Review

Lilly is eager for a fresh start. Three months ago her cheating husband was murdered and she was the prime suspect. She’s finally cleared of suspicion and moves to Chattanooga and a new beginning, Her tiny poodle, Aggie, isn’t so keen on the move and finds creative ways to make it known. Fate is on Lilly’s side and she finds the perfect rental house and a great new job at the museum. But her rosy new life hits a bump in the road when she stumbles upon a dead body. Then her new house is ransacked. She won’t sit idly by when her new beginning is threatened.

I was surprised when I reached the end of this book. It felt like I’d just started it. I was immediately charmed by the characters. Lilly is so authentic and likable and would be such a great friend to have. Some other favorites are her boss and co-worker at the museum. I loved how they welcomed Lilly, made her feel at home, and how they actually used some of the antique pieces. Dixie is the perfect best friend. And her daughter and son-in-law are very supportive and a great couple. As for the grouchy neighbor, I couldn’t wait to see if she could win him over. The author brought them all to life and I had such fun getting to know them.

I don’t want to forget the other characters. The four legged ones. So many dogs in this book. I say, the more the merrier. Each have their own personalities and charms. And the part where Lilly’s daughter rescues a stray golden retriever had me almost in tears. So sweet.

The mystery here wasn’t easily solved. There were some obvious suspects and then some that lurked off the radar. I picked my culprit and followed the story closely, sniffing out clues, wandering off the obvious paths, and I was wrong. What a fun surprise.

This is my first book by V. M. Burns and I’m thrilled to discover another cozy author and series. I’ll be following these characters to their next adventure and I’ll miss them til we meet again.

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Lilly Echosby and her toy poodle Aggie find a fresh start in Chattanooga, Tennessee, spoiled by the scent of murder . . .

Having solved the shooting death of her cheating husband, Lilly’s left behind the drama of Lighthouse Dunes, Indiana, to start over in the hometown of her best friend, Scarlett “Dixie” Jefferson. As she gets settled in her new rented house, Lilly gives Aggie, short for Agatha Christie, her own fresh start by enrolling her in the Eastern Tennessee Dog Club, where Dixie is a trainer.

But drama seems to hound Lilly like a persistent stray. Her cranky new neighbor appears unfamiliar with Southern hospitality and complains that Aggie barks too much and digs up his prized tulips. But what the poodle actually unearths is the buried body of a mysterious man who claimed ownership of the lost golden retriever Lilly recently rescued. Now it’s up to Lilly and Dixie to try to muzzle another murderer . . .

Author V.M. Burns

V.M. Burns was born in Northwestern Indiana and spent many years in Southwestern Michigan on the Lake Michigan shoreline. She is a lover of dogs, British historic cozies, and scones with clotted cream. After many years in the Midwest, she went in search of milder winters and currently lives in Eastern Tennessee with her poodles. Her debut novel, The Plot is Murder was nominated for a 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, and a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime. Readers can learn more by visiting her website at vmburns.com

Author Links:

Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble – IndieBound: – Books-A-Million – Kobo

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This counts towards my They Call It Puppy Love Challenge

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Clouded By Envy ~ Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: February 19, 2019 in Fantasy, giveaways
Tags: fantasy, giveaway

Thanks for stopping by. I’m excited that CLOUDED BY ENVY by Candace Robinson is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Candace Robinson, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a $10 Amazon GC courtesy of Candace, The Parliament House Press, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

CLOUDED BY ENVY
Author: Candace Robinson
Pub. Date: February 19, 2019
Publisher: The Parliament House
Formats: Paperback, eBook
Pages: 215
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks

Brenik has always been envious of his twin sister, Bray. Growing up as fairy-like creatures, known as bats, everything came easier to Bray. While Brenik spent his time in her shadows, never feeling he was enough. After escaping their world of Laith, and living on Earth for ten years, Brenik attempts to strike a deal with the Stone of Desire to become human. Though true humanity is not an option, he will accept the curse that will alter him to get as close as he can.

Living in a tree trunk for the past year hasn’t been easy for Bray, more so after her brother disappears again. When a human boy and his brother, Wes, find her, a new friendship is struck. Through Wes, Bray learns there can be more to life than waiting within a tree. But worrying over where Brenik has vanished to always remains in the back of her mind.

When Bray reunites with Brenik, she realizes she must help him break the curse after she discovers the need for blood is beginning to overpower him. The curse not only damages those who get close to Brenik, but it could also destroy whatever is blooming between Bray and Wes.

Enjoy this exclusive excerpt!
Bray wasn’t sure how long she had drifted off for, but there was a puddle of wetness against her cheek when she woke up—okay, so it was only drool from herself. Lifting a hand up toward her cheek, she swiped the saliva away and rubbed it on to the hammock. Classy, she thought, but there was already some gathered there anyway.
Remembering the events from earlier, Bray headed straight to the hole and peeked out. She shifted her head from left to right. Nothing. Bray looked up and down—she could see a few bushes had already been planted in the dirt.
Then she saw it: a circular stone bowl filled with water sitting on top of a long thick stem, attached to a circular bottom. A birdbath! Almost giddily, Bray stepped on the ledge of the hole and leaped off, flapping her wings hurriedly to the nearest pink and yellow peach. Opening her jaw wide, she bit into the thin skin. A juicy one. The fruit filled her mouth with delicious pleasure, and she took one more long bite before diving down to the birdbath.
The top of her newfound treasure was a perfect circle with tiny mounds around it resembling hills. Bray landed on the ceramic and bent down to take a seat, before placing her bare feet into the warm water that had been perfectly heated from the shining sun.
Peering down at the clear water, Bray saw no sign of intrusion from other creatures yet. She rotated her head in every direction, as if she would be caught just by thinking about slipping into the water—still no sign of life.
Flicking her braid over her shoulder, Bray pursed her lips together to hide the smile aching to shine against her face and jumped into the water. The splash echoed. Her bare feet scraped the rough bottom, while her dress inflated and then clung to her body as she shot to the surface. She let out a small giggle to herself. It was sad that the only highlight of the past year was hopping into a shallow pool of water with no one around except for her.
She leaned back into the liquid, letting herself float and moving her arms slowly up and down, while swimming in figure-eight circles.
Bray closed her eyes and let the water cover her ears, so it felt like nothing in the world existed, except for the muffled vibrations from the liquid.
A loud booming sounded from above, and her eyelids thrust open, meeting dark brown eyes, light brown skin, and that black bowl hair. Tiny human. Luca.
Freeze, Bray thought to herself, not even blinking her eyes. She held them wide open, thinking he wouldn’t notice her, or maybe he would just assume she was a bird. Even though he was staring at her and had spoken something she didn’t hear clearly.
Nope. That isn’t going to work. He hovered closer, his eyes scrunched halfway closed to examine her more thoroughly. Unable to hold her eyes open any longer, Bray blinked several times.
“What are you?” he asked, genuine amazement creeping into his words, lips slightly parted.
“A bat!” Bray yelled, and she jumped up from the warmth of the water, darting straight for the tree hole.
Breathing heavily, Bray landed inside and collided with the floor. She rolled to her back, running both hands down her face. “Why did I come out without paying attention? I know not to!” Ruth had always told her this.
A quake trembled through the tree, causing shivers to run up and down her spine. What is the little beast doing? Oh no, what if he is trying to chop down the tree? My home—the peaches! Bray didn’t know why she was thinking about stupid peaches when there was another fruit tree directly next door.
Despite the thunderous rumbling, Bray grabbed the needle from underneath her hammock and dodged toward the window. If the little beast thought he could take her down, then he had another thing coming. She would prick his eye—actually, she would poke both of his eyes to protect her and Brenik’s home.
When Bray reached the edge of the window, the sound stopped. She peeped her head out of the hole, right as a face met hers, his black hair falling forward over a hazel eye—an eye she was going to poke. Startled, she jumped back instead of toward him.
A broad smile crossed the little beast’s face. “Hello.”
Freezing once again, until she remembered that the staying-still-as-a-statue strategy didn’t work in the birdbath, she meekly said, “Hi.”
Bray brought the needle up toward his smiling face, just in case.
“Are you planning on sewing something?” He tilted his head at the needle.
“Yeah, your eyeball.” She gave him a hard glare.
“What?” he asked while laughing hysterically.
He was laughing? Not scared? Bray brought the needle closer. “Yeah, you need to leave and never come back. This is my home.”
“No. Technically, it’s my brother’s home,” he said, still smiling.
“What brother? You mean your dad out there who was planting this morning?”
Luca shook his head, and she didn’t miss the wince before he spoke. “No, that’s my brother, Wes. I don’t have a mom or dad.”
Crestfallen, Bray lowered the needle. “Oh. Me neither. I only have a brother, but he will be gone for a while.” She paused and glanced at the note Brenik had left behind, her chest tightening. Then she shrugged it off and shifted her gaze back to the boy. “By the way, my name is Brayora, but you can call me Bray.” For some reason, she wasn’t worried anymore about the human.
“I’m Luca Duran.” He plopped his thin fingers on the edge of the hole.
“Yeah, I heard your name this morning, little beast. I mean, Luca.” She thought little beast suited him better than Luca.

About Candace:
My name is Candace Robinson. I’m just your average hemiplegic migraine sufferer. My days are spent writing, book reviewing and traveling through books for my blog, Literary Dust. I live just outside of Houston, Texas, where it feels like the hottest place on Earth with the crazy weather. No, seriously, one day it’s 30 degrees and the next it’s 70 degrees! I live with my husband and awesome daughter!
You can also follow me on my review blog Literary Dust
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Instagram | Goodreads

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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

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

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The Puppy Who Knew Too Much ~ Review and Giveaway

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Clouded By Envy ~ Release Day Blitz and Giveaway

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