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Author Archive

Romancing The Pen ~ Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: June 25, 2018 in Adult Fiction, comedy, giveaways, Romance
Tags: adult, comedy, giveaway, romance

Romancing The Pen
Kara Winters
Publication date: May 13th 2018
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

A seasoned writer with secrets to protect…

Carson Reid is stuck, and not in a situation he’s unfamiliar with. He’s been writing romance novels for years now, so you would think that by now he’d be used to going through the motions. But once more, he’s stuck at the precipice of writing the big “sex scene”… But one quick encounter with a mystery beauty leads him to realize that she’s his long lost writing muse.

A powerful publisher with an agenda of her own…

Kate has had it with men. After building her entire publishing empire on the bones of those that have tried getting in her way, she’s not about to let some love-challeged writer blind her goals. But even under her toughened exterior there is a longing for something. Or someone.

The meeting seemed causal enough. No “shop talk”, no strings attached, and definitely no talking about one another’s history. So what’s one night of passion? Just pure, sexy fun. Again, and again, and again…

But once the spark returns to Carson’s writing, he’s hooked. And he will do anything to make sure that Kate sticks around to see the end of his story complete. Even if it means destroying every wall they both built to keep their hearts safe from harm.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Check out the racy, fun excerpt. Made me blush. LOL

“I feel that I should at least tell you.” Again, I swept my fingers across her cheek. “That something’s been happening to me, each time we’ve been together. I don’t know what it is, but my writing has gotten back on track.”

Kate’s grin was contagious.

“So, keep that in mind,” I told her, my tone turning a little more serious.

She seemed to catch on that I had meant what I said. Blushing, she ran her hand through her hair, then scooted herself closer to me.

I reached out and pulled her the rest of the way. We lay there facing one another on the bed, staring at one another with our hands laced between us.

“You’re my muse,” I whispered.

Another blush formed on her cheeks and I realized I loved when she did that.

“But I haven’t even done anything,” she said. “And I don’t even know what you write exactly. Don’t you think you should tell me some of it, if I’m supposed to help you through things?”

I shook my head and closed my eyes.

My senses picked up on the warmth of Kate. Lips brushed my cheeks and trailed their way slowly up to my eyelids. The feeling tickled me, but I didn’t laugh. Kate’s lips found my mouth and she kissed me deeply. Though I wasn’t sure if she really was looking for an answer to her question, I didn’t want to answer.

Instead of speaking, I grabbed her hips and pulled her tight against my body to let her feel every inch of me. Kate moaned into my mouth and I took her cry down into my throat.

Not breaking the kiss, I turned us so that she straddled me on top again. Beneath her warm legs I could feel my cock sliding against her entrance. She was warm and wet and, fuck, we needed to be together.

“What were you writing last night?” she asked.

I almost didn’t hear her. I was so distracted with kissing the breath out of her body. Kate’s small hand wrapped itself around me and my eyes flew open. She began to stroke.

“Fuck.” I groaned.

She smiled against my mouth. “I thought you might be writing about that.”

I grinned. “You really want me tell you about what I was writing?”

Kate sat up, giving me one hell of a few. Her nipples were stiff and my mouth was craving to taste them. She lifted her hips and aligned herself with my cock, sliding just the tip of me past her folds.

My eyes threatened to roll back into my head, but I forced them to stay open and watch. I braced my hands on Kate’s hips, trying to ease her farther down, but she resisted.

I gave her a questioning look.

“Tell me what you were writing about,” she said, arching one brow and smiling.

The tease.

I played along. “Are you sure you want to play this game?”

“Oh, yes, I’m sure I do,” Kate replied. She eased herself down a half inch. Her wetness was reason enough for me to speak.

“The second love scene,” I started.

She eased down another half inch, then stopped again.

I shut my eyes and nodded. “Okay, okay. The second love scene–”

“We’ve established that there is another love scene already,” Kate cut in, lifting herself back up that half inch that had made me want to pound into her. I was determined to get that inch back, and more.

My fingers gripped her firmly, eliciting another moan from her.

“It begins with the hero and heroine having been away from each other for a little more than a month. He had to leave the country on business, trying to fix his family problems that have been plaguing him throughout the story.”

Kate began to slide down my cock, fueling me to talk more.

“The hero was wounded by the antagonist during a prior scene, and when he returns back to the heroine, he’s still recovering from the wound. She’s worried about him and tends to him at his bedside for days.”

Kate was halfway down my length by the time I stopped. Our eyes met and she parted her lips, her breath coming quicker. She bit her lower lip, adjusting to my girth. I wanted more than anything to thrust up and claim her, but I was afraid she wouldn’t allow me. After all, I wasn’t in charge of this coupling. Kate was.

“Continue,” she said.

Since she hadn’t said anything about me touching her, I reached up to her breasts, running my palms across her nipples. The only word I could use to describe how they felt was aching. Yes, Kate’s aching nipples were in my hands. I really was a romance writer, on and off paper. I chuckled in my head.

Without another thought, I wrapped one arm around her waist and flipped us over, pinning her under me. I continued massaging her breast tenderly.
“I’d rather show you how my love scene plays out,” I said, my mouth ghosting against hers.

Author Bio:

Kara Winters grew up sneaking in all the romance novels she could reach for on her grandmother’s bookshelves. Her love for a good story inspired her to pursue writing as a career and led to her published debut novel in 2013 entitled ‘Working Out the Kinks’.

Currently she lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the RWA (Romance Writers of America), as well as the Los Angeles branch of the guild.

If she is not at home in front of her laptop, Kara is out shopping for vinyl records, exploring the LACMA, or cruising up the California coastline, looking for inspiration to her next book.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Sons Of Charlotte: Torn ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: June 25, 2018 in giveaways, thriller
Tags: crime thriller, giveaway

Sons Of Charlotte : Torn

by AnnaMarie Cantrell, Dr. Matthew Chavis, & Dana Lynn

Charlotte cover

GENRE: Crime Thriller

BLURB:

How many secrets can the Queen City conceal?

Charlotte, NC – 1966

After a head injury on the basketball court, Tony Malone, a firefighter, confides in his best friend and captain, Steve, about a strange dream he had while unconscious. It was as if he were living a different life. Steve brushes it off as related to his injury, but Tony begins to experience more phenomena with these new memories, unbeknownst to his wife, Lana. Tony struggles to live with his secret until a fire opens up a whole new world.

Charlotte, NC – 1996

Chuck Thomas began his ascent to greatness at a graphic design firm headed by Elizabeth Wheaton, the battle-ax of the Queen City corporate scene. A series of Chuck’s immoral decisions leaves the very powerful Wheaton with a raging vendetta. The playboy eventually meets Valerie Meyers, a shy girl with a complicated past, and the two marry. Their idyllic life is halted by a suspicious brush with death leaving Valerie once again picking up the pieces.

Two Souls, Too Many Questions

Literally torn between two worlds, Valerie must once again deal with the loss of her husband and come to terms with what happened to Chuck Thomas and who Tony Malone really was.

~~~~~

Excerpt

Brushing just a few final strokes of gold wisps across the cheekbones of her heart-shaped face, Tony sat back on his stool and stared at his work. Her periwinkle eyes almost hauntingly seemed to pop off the canvas and pierce through him. A sense of panic rushed through his veins. He dropped the paintbrush in the old coffee can at his feet and stood up looking at the face staring back at him.

I must be going insane, he thought to himself. He grabbed the canvas off the easel and made his way into the kitchen. After rummaging under the kitchen sink, he found a large black trash bag and dumped the painting into the bag. Throwing it over his shoulder, he made his way down to the apartment incinerator. Sweat was creeping up his neck as he realized Lana would be back from the store soon. He threw his masterpiece into the incinerator and hobbled back upstairs.

The effects of the stroke left Tony restless and bored, especially when the boys were in school. Lana had encouraged him to find a hobby to occupy his time and keep him out of her hair. After several failed attempts at common “manly” hobbies, he was drawn to painting and sketching and surprised his family with his talent, even selling a few at a local corner shop. He surprised himself with what he had just painted and pitched down the incinerator.

~~~~~

Authors

Along with being a successful writer and editor, AnnaMarie Cantrell is a self-made entrepreneur, starting her first consultation firm at the age of 18. She is Co-Founder and Vice President of Captive Ink Media, a literary consulting firm offering expertise to authors at all stages in their careers, and providing clients national exposure in media outlets such as The Chicago Times, Reader’s Digest, and Bustle. Her work with veterans was recently featured on the CW.

Dr. Matthew Chavis is an accomplished author and speaker. His works have been featured through a plethora of avenues. His inaugural book Old Highway 316 offers readers a glimpse into his life, as he loosely based this fiction novel on his testimony and was recently featured on the 700 Club. Many of his stories encompass the best aspects of romance, drama, paranormal and suspense/thrillers.

Through her own unique marketing plan, Dana Lynn transformed a self-published book into a serious work garnering national attention and bestseller status (under the pen name Katharine DeBrecht). She has appeared on every national cable news network numerous times and on over 500 radio shows across the country, repeatedly requested for additional appearances. As a self-syndicated writer, her opinion-editorials have appeared in major newspapers throughout the United States and across the globe.

http://www.SonsofCharlotte.com
https://www.facebook.com/SonsofCharlotteTORN
http://twitter.com/SonsofCharlotte
http://www.CaptiveInkMedia.com

Charlotte teaser

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Click on the banner below to follow the tour and comment.

The more you comment, the more chances to win!

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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.

What’s New On My Bookshelf #266 and The Sunday Post

Posted: June 24, 2018 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: fuonlyknew, my weekly news, The Sunday Post

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.

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Some chit chat.

Well, my staycation is over and I sure enjoyed it. Spent lots of time outdoors, reading and swimming. The weather cooperated and there was plenty of sunshine. I used to wonder what I would do with my time when I retired. Now I know! I could definitely get used to it.

Since I hid out at home most of the week, I don’t have much new to share so I’ll get right to my book news.

Have a fabulous Sunday!

*****

My new books this week.

*****

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.

*****

My reviews this week. Click on the covers to view them.

*****

The Battle is O’er by Laura Vosika ~ Grand Finale Blitz and Giveaway

Posted: June 23, 2018 in Fantasy, giveaways, Historical
Tags: fantasy, giveaway, historical, Laura Vosika, time travel

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Book Tour Grand Finale for

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The Battle is O’er

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By Laura Vosika

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch – Author Interview

What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read [The Battle is O’er]?

I hope they’ll feel as if they walked beside Shawn and Niall for a time, and all the rest in the story, that the inhabitants of the Blue Bells world have become people they knew and cared about. And many readers seem to very much feel that way. I hope they’ll carry with them the beautiful story of a man who recognizes his flaws and makes a decision to turn himself around. I hope they’ll remember the humorous moments and the poignant moments and smile long after the book is closed.

Bri’s Book Nook – Review

“…I enjoyed every bit of plot that I read and could take the storyline seriously. . . . I would recommend this to lovers of fantasy novels, and now-complete series with complex storylines, characters, and worldbuilding.”

Among the Reads – Excerpt

Clive moved in silence beside him for a time, flashing his light around the cells that opened on their right, and down another passage.

“That one comes to a dead end,” Shawn said. “I’ll take a look. Stay here. Be ready for anything.”

He followed the passage, quickly, his mind on Niall. His brother would be searching too, neither of them knowing if Simon had crossed or not. He hoped Niall would be okay—not ambushed by Simon. He hoped he wouldn’t be ambushed himself, nor Clive, nor the chief. He doubted they could take on a medieval knight with years of brutal warfare under his belt.

E-Romance News – Excerpt

Yes, Let’s Go Back to the Old Couple
Inverness, Present

“So you want to tell me where you were for a year?” his mother asked. “I’ve given you plenty of space, but I’ve waited long enough and I think you owe me some answers.”

Shawn stared into the fire. “An old couple in the west of Scotland?”

Carol snorted. “One of many stories you’ve told. if it were true, you’d have said so from the start.”

He took another long drink, letting the tea thaw out his insides. “What has Amy told you?”

Carol shook her head. “Nothing I can make sense of. A ring from Robert the Bruce. You turned up in the tower of Glenmirril. None of it makes sense.”

Shawn set the tea mug down, rose, and lifted the linen shirt made by Christina, revealing the scar.

Hearts & Scribbles – Excerpt

Simon Arrives at Claverock
Claverock Castle, Northumbria, December 1317

Simon stared up with pride at the great stone walls of Claverock, at his banners snapping on its towers. His steward had kept the place up. It was all worth it, he thought. He drew breath. This was his moment! “Open the gates!” he bellowed up at his towers. “Your Lord of Claverock is home!”

Men looked down from the walls above the gatehouse. One pointed and shouted. Two ran, and soon the portcullis creaked, lifting. His steward raced through, falling to one knee, as he cried, “My Lord! My Lord, is it really you? We thought you dead, my Lord!”

Andi’s Book Reviews – Excerpt

Niall and Company Meet Christina Coming Home
Scottish Highlands, December 1317

They were two days into the ride, when a scout came racing back to them, spurring his garron. “Lochmaben ahead!” he shouted joyfully. “Milady Christina rides with them!”

Cheers rose from the men of Glenmirril. Relief washed through Niall. Their ruse with James Angus had not entirely silenced the whispers, though Margaret had been stalwart in looking down her nose at those who did so, reprimanding them and silencing them. He was grateful the rumors had not diminished the love of the people of Glenmirril for Christina.

Paulette’s Papers – Excerpt

Niall Meets Joan
Creagsmalan, Southwest Scotland, January 1318

Niall waited in the hills outside Creagsmalan as Conal, Lachlan, and Owen rode in. He and Hugh sat on a pair of boulders, watching sunrise spill light over the water beyond the town.

“Are ye sure she’ll believe it?” Hugh’s eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Surely she knows the Bruce will not return his lands until he swears fealty.”

“Hope,” Niall said. “She wishes to believe it. Moreover, Bruce is known for mercy. She will count on that, for she does not wish to leave Scotland.”

Becky on Books – Excerpt

Angus Warns Shawn

“Sit down. We need to talk.” Angus’s voice snapped Shawn’s attention back to the hospital room. Angus sat in a wheelchair by the hospital window, wearing jeans and a heavy fisherman’s sweater, a book in his hand. He laid it down on his lap.

“You’re up!” Shawn stopped in the doorway, feigning energy. In truth, he’d had multiple late nights, on top of a heavy load of arranging for the album Ben wanted out yesterday. He wanted nothing more than to be in bed, asleep. But when he collapsed in bed, he turned and rolled restlessly through the dark hours with nightmares—if he slept at all.

“Shut the door.”

Rockin’ Book Reviews – Spotlight

“It is full of action, danger and romance, plus more…”

Two Points of Interest – Review

“I found the novel to have an interesting premise with realistic characters and development. I like that the story was told from the past, future, and present. Overall, it was an interesting book…”

Stacking My Book Shelves! – Excerpt

Simon Meets Eamonn Again

“Good to go home to your young bride, eh?” The man gave a wink as he waved for a stable boy.

Simon grinned. It felt odd and light on his face. Smiles, in his experience, had always been a deliberate tensing of muscles. This time, his features moved on their own, without his will, and his heart lifted, too.

“Cat’s got your tongue,” the man laughed. “She must be a fair delight to the eyes!” He slapped his horse on the rump and melted into the crowd, leaving Simon alone and feeling foolish in the midst of the courtyard, as more men poured through the gates.

Beck Valley Books – Spotlight

Daily Waffle – Excerpt

Amy Sees the Pool

He mentioned it as we entered his foyer. “By the way, I put in a pool.” A pool in the yard, I thought, a small pool or a hot tub on the deck. But this—this is beyond what anyone would conceive from, “by the way, I put in a pool.”

I stand on the terrace where Shawn loved to barbecue. Black velvet sky shows overhead. Starlight shines down—but now it pours through a glass ceiling. I catch my breath as I take it in—on my right, a room like a medieval castle vault; stone walls with Gothic arches at intervals, alternating between windows of leaded glass and stone niches framing….“Sconces,” I breathe. “You put in sconces.”

“They’re electric,” he says defensively. And then, with the child-like joy I loved, the innocent joy that made me believe his public self was the facade: “You like it?”

Mel’s Shelves – Excerpt

Beatrice and Simon
Northumbria, England, 1318

Beatrice’s head shot up as the door burst open, yanking back from her husband’s embrace.

“Sir Kenrick….” The guard, Erol, stumbled to his knees, shoved by a man in chain mail.

“Lord Claverock!” Kenrick jumped forward, reaching to help his man up off the floor as he said, “Why did you not send word you were coming? I’d have met you in the hall.”

Beatrice backed up, gripping her shift close as she studied her cousin. She’d not seen him in years, not since he’d been a vile boy, dropping spiders in her hair. The malice in his eyes had not changed.

Koops Konclusions – Spotlight

SilverWoodSketches – Review

“The Battle is O’er blends the excitement of a modern thriller, with the immersive details of the best historical fiction. Vosika clearly shows her writing chops here, drawing her story forward with a cast of colorful and relatable characters living through extraordinary circumstances. I’d highly recommend this to fans of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series.”

Teatime and Books – Excerpt

Escaping the Bishop’s Palace
Linstock, 1318

“Is he dead?” Lachlan whispered, looking at the man on the frosty ground.

Owen shook his head, working at the bolts on the huge doors. “A potion is all. He’ll appear to have fallen asleep at his post.” At the same moment, they heard a shout from the courtyard. Owen eased the door open a crack. They slipped through, onto the dock that ran alongside the castle wall and pulled the door shut behind them.

Lachlan scanned the river, whispering, “Conal!” His breath hung in the air.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven’t already…

The Battle is O’er
(The Blue Bells Chronicles #5)
By Laura Vosika
Historical Time Travel, Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 470 pages
March 23rd 2018 by Gabriel’s Horn Press

In the gripping conclusion to The Blue Bells Chronicles, just as Shawn is steadily regaining all he feared he had lost forever—his career, his son, and even Amy’s heart—he learns of MacDougall’s vengeance against Niall, for the act Shawn himself committed. He wrestles with a prophecy and an ancient letter that never changes, a letter that details the fate of his own son, if he cannot stop it—and possibly the fate of the world itself, as he learns of Simon Beaumont’s plan to use his knowledge of the future to destroy it.

Shawn’s selfishness once cost him everything. His newfound selflessness may do the same.

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Kobo│iBooks│!ndigo│Angus & Robertson

Other Books in the Series

About the Author

Laura Vosika is the author of the beloved series, The Blue Bells Chronicles, a tale of time travel, action and adventure, romance and redemption, ranging across modern and medieval Scotland. She runs Gabriel’s Horn Press, and is active in poetry as a member of the League of Minnesota Poets, routinely performing at local open mics. She has appeared in The Star Tribune, and on WCCO and Channel 12, and hosted Books and Brews with Laura Vosika on AM 950.

Website│Blog│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Pinterest

Tour Giveaway

– l winner will receive a print copy of Blue Bells of Scotland (book one in the series) and a Team Shawn or Team Angus t-shirt (US only)
– 1 winner will receive an ebook of Blue Bells of Scotland (open internationally)
– Ends June 27th

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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.

Monsterland Reanimated by Michael Okon ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: June 22, 2018 in giveaways, horror, reviews
Tags: giveaway, Horror, Michael OKON, Monsterland Reanimated, review

Monsterland Reanimated

by Michael Okon

Publisher: WordFire Press
Pages: 250
Genre: YA Fiction/Monsters/Thriller

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My Review

If you thought a theme park full of deadly monsters was bad, the aftermath when it all goes horribly wrong is even worse.

Michael Okon cranks up the craziness in his second book in the Monsterland series. The characters have to step up when the world falls into chaos and they battle new and deadlier monsters while also contending with the insane plotting of some dastardly villains.

I had such a blast reading this. It was fun to be back with the gang. I was really worried about one character in particular. He made quite the impression when he showed up again and quickly became a star in this follow up. I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next.

Yes, there will be another book in this thrilling series and I’ll be first in line. I am huge on horror and thrillers and anything monsters and this has it all. Also liked the apocalyptic tones. Once the action begins it doesn’t slow down. And there are some wild scenes that I think I’m glad I couldn’t see. LOL

Madcap fun through and through.

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Synopsis

After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos. World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief.

During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.

When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid reanimated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?

Purchase Links

Amazon / iBooks / Kobo / B&N / Smashwords

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Enjoy the excerpt:

A bright moon painted the desert’s surface pewter. Here and there, dark spots soiled the landscape like oil spills. Most of the bodies had been taken before the troops were ordered to leave. They carted away the corpses, bulldozing the zombies into mass graves, until radios chirped with urgent orders deploying the soldiers to the bigger threats that erupted in the main cities like a chain of angry volcanos.

Monsterland was extinguished, its carcass left for the vultures to pick, the exhibits silent as a tomb.

The dead president and his equally dead entourage were whisked away on Air Force One, along with the dark-clad special operatives that came and left like the brisk desert wind that now howled through the empty streets.

A gate screamed in the silence, slamming with a reverberating smash. The uneven gait of someone with a physical challenge filled the void. The scrape and plod of his limp echoed against the wall of mountains framing the theme park. His labored breathing huffed as he made his way down the streets.

A door creaked loudly as it was blown by the wind. He stopped, his distorted figure silhouetted in the pale moonlight, his body turning silver. He looked at the broken glass littering the pavement like diamonds, then up to the still, pre-dawn sky. He considered the sun peeking over the jagged horizon in the east, its golden light painting the dips and hollows of the hills. Soon the coming day would chase the darkness away.

Time was the enemy now. He had to move faster, or it would be too late. He picked up his pace, lurching along the winding road. A keening howl ricocheted through the streets, bouncing off the walls. It sounded like a … no, he thought, it couldn’t be. The werewolves were all dead. Destroyed by Vincent Konrad when he made their heads explode.

The old man paused, listening for it again, and was not disappointed when the animal whimpered. He gauged it to be inside the defunct vampire exhibit. He moved toward the entrance. The storefronts had been destroyed. A few body parts lay on the pavement, as if people had discarded them in a rush. He heard the scraping of paws on the street and a shiver went down his crooked spine.

He knew the werewolves were dead; he had seen it with his own eyes. A figure detached from the shadows. Igor flattened himself against the wall. He watched it move stealthily down the street, stopping when it scavenged a morsel of rotting flesh. It looked up to stare at Igor, its eyes glowing in the darkness.

A coyote? He waved a hand, dismissing it. It had to be a coyote; it was too small to be a wolf, too big to be a dog. The beast twitched its ears, then resumed its meal.

Igor knew the coyote was not a threat, and he continued his mission. His lame foot hit a can, sending a cacophony of sound like an explosion in the deserted park. The beast dropped the bone it was gnawing on, sniffing the area. Its iridescent eyes searched the streets.

It could be a baby wolf, Igor thought, keeping himself as still as possible. He felt it watching him, even from this distance. It was not a threat, yet.

Igor skittered away, hugging the walls of Monsterland, putting as much distance as he could between them. Not an easy feat, considering his distorted hips. He muttered to himself about carrion and the wind. His eyes darted nervously, scouring the hills, not exactly sure what he was looking for. Adrenaline coursed through his veins. His heart pounded so loudly he was certain that the creature watching him could hear it too.

His feet stumbling to a halt, he bent over, gasping for air, cursing Vincent and those meddlesome teenagers, as well as the rest of the world.

The beast gave another mournful howl that went right through him. Igor glanced at his empty hands, berating himself for not bringing a weapon. He searched his surroundings for anything to protect himself.

Then he saw it, one of the axes they had on almost every corner. All of them had been pulled from their protective cases. One was lying in a pool of coagulating blood, the blade long gone. He picked up the broken axe handle, turning in a semicircle. He was ready for an attacker.

A new, larger outline made his heart quiver with fear. It crouched in a corner, its snout covered with blood. This one was bigger, not a coyote, a wild wolf. Wait, he thought. Weren’t the gray wolves of California all but extinct?

Igor narrowed his eyes. The beast was a light reddish brown and not the silver gray of a wolf’s pelt. A chain hung from its neck, the pendant of a werewolf’s head dangling, emerald eyes flashing. What was it? Was it a mutant coyote? A wolf? Some weird hybrid, he wondered for a minute, his breath harsh in his ears. They watched each other soundlessly.

A hybrid then. He’d heard about them, a rare mixture of wolf and coyote. What did they call them? Coywolves …? or was it Woyotes? He shrugged indifferently. Perhaps someone’s pet, he decided. Igor’s mirthless laugh came out like a snort.

The coywolf stood still, its ears alert, its head cocked as if it was observing him.

Igor dropped the makeshift weapon, calling out, “Eat the rest of your meal, you dumb beast.”

The animal continued to watch him, its two front paws on the remains of a zombie’s chest.

Igor wiped his forehead, waiting, his eyes coming back to search the village, confirming it was empty, except for the carrion eaters like the coyotes and vultures. He looked up, noting the circling predators waiting for him to move on.

“Interrupted your meal,” he chuckled. Just the local scavengers looking for food. That was all; the shadows revealed nothing else. Satisfied he was alone, he moved on. He had work to do.

~~~~~

Author Michael Okon

michael okon headshot

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Find Michael:

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GIVEAWAY

Michael Okon is giving away 10 Prize Packs which includes a Monsterland T-shirt, Ice Pack. Emory Board and signed Poster.

Terms & Conditions:

By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
Ten winners will be chosen via Rafflecopter
This giveaway ends midnight July 27.
Winner will be contacted via email on July 28.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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.

My Love Affair With Pie

Posted: June 21, 2018 in movies
Tags: movies, pie, songs

I love pie. I think it belongs in it’s own food group. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! I used to have a dream. I’d open a pie shop. I’d serve nothing but pie. All of the favorites and then some of my own creation. I’d give them fun names and play with all kinds of ingredients. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Doesn’t mean I can’t still enjoy eating them!

Here’s a list of some of my favorites.

Pecan, Lemon Meringue, Chocolate, Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Apple, Key Lime, Blueberry, Blackberry, Cherry, Cream, Shoefly, Mince, Strawberry, Custard, Rhubarb, Mississippi Mud, Pineapple, Banana, Coconut and Peach.

All this pie got me thinking about movies. Movies that share a love for yummy pies and desserts. Here are a few I’ve watched over and over. Some have these cute songs about pie too.

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Waitress

I Heart Pie

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Michael

Pie Pie Me Oh My

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9rgh8MCpe8

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Simply Irresistible

Magical Dessert

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The Help

Revenge Pie

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Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street

Secret Ingredient Pie

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So, do you love pie?

What’s your favorite?

And do you know any songs or movies about pie?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Summer Snoops And Cozy Crimes ~ Review and Giveaway

Posted: June 20, 2018 in Cozy Mystery, giveaways, reviews
Tags: cozy mystery, giveaway, review

Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: Cozy Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer

By Judith Lucci, Cindy Bell, Colleen Mooney, Amy Vansant, Colleen Helme, Kim Hunt Harris, Anna Celeste Burke, Ava Mallory, Sandi Scott, Susan Boles, Sam Cheever & Anne R. Tan

Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: Cozy Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: July 24th, 2018
Publisher: Bluestone Valley Publishing

WSJ Bestselling Author Judith Lucci – Gawd Almighty & the Corn

WSJ Bestselling Author Cindy Bell – Murder at Pawprint Creek

WSJ Bestselling Author Colleen Mooney -Dog Gone and Dead

USA Today and WSJ Bestselling Author Amy Vansant – Summer Teeth

WSJ Bestselling Author Colleen Helme – A Midsummer Night’s Murder

WSJ Bestselling Author Kim Hunt Harris – The Murder of Bandera Bandito

USA Today Bestselling Author Anna Celeste Burke – A Body on Fitzgerald’s Bluff

Ava Mallory – A Dream Stray-Cation

Sandi Scott – Croquembouche Murder

Susan Boles – Death on the Beach

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever – Toxic Tech

Anne R. Tan – Just Lost and Found

Bonus recipes from the authors are included!

Purchase and GoodReads Links –

Apple / Kobo / Nook /

Website / Facebook Page

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REVIEW

Since I didn’t have time to read the entire set for the tour, I’m sharing my review of one of the fun mysteries in this boxed set. I’ll be sure to share reviews of the rest as soon as I get done reading them.

A Body On Fitzgerald’s Bluff

by Anna Celeste Burke

My Review

While performing their ritual morning walk, the group known as The Seaview Cottages Walkers Club spot a dead woman’s body at the bottom of Fitzgerald’s Bluff. Having no faith that their lazy Deputy Sheriff, Darnell Devers, will sort it out, they hitch their wagons and begin their own investigation. A community of retirees, they have plenty of spare time to stick their noses in where they don’t belong.

One of them, Miriam, has a secret. One that could blow her world apart. No, she’s not the killer, but her pals are sniffing for clues to who killed the girl they found at the bottom of the bluff, and her secret might come to light.

This was a fun whodunit with a truly quirky bunch of characters, including some furry ones. Lots of puns and snort worthy dialogue kept me smiling. I had my hopes up for a spark of romance between a certain someone and lead detective Hank Miller. And it was a pleasure to come across a mystery not easily solved. I was in the dark until right near the reveal.

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About The Authors

Judith Lucci

Dr. Judith Lucci is a Wall Street Journal and best-selling Amazon. She is an award-winning author of the Alexandra Destephano Medical Thriller and the Michaela McPherson “Two Sleuth’s and a Dog” Crime fiction series. Her newest series, Artzy Chicks, releases next month and features a group of , eccentric, talented but zany artists in their Art Gallery at a Mountain Resort.

In 2017, ‘Viral Intent’ (Book 3) Alexandra Destephano Series) was awarded a Gold Medal by Readers’ Favorites for ‘Best Political Thriller’. as was her crime thriller ‘The Case of Dr. Dude’ (Michaela McPherson #1) for a Gold Medal for ‘Best Amateur Sleuth for 2017. ‘The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year‘ won an additional gold medal for ‘Best Holiday Read’ of 2017.

Her favorite things are reading, writing art and animals. In her spare time she teaches painting, loves up on animals and raises money for needy causes. Judith lives with her 4 dog family in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. She loves to connect with her readers and is available at judithlucciwrites@gmail.com. Check our her website at judithlucci.com. and sign-up for a free copy of Chaos at Crescent City Medical Center.

Cindy Bell

Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Cindy Bell, has always loved reading, but it is only recently that she has discovered her passion for writing romantic cozy mysteries. When she is not reading or writing she loves baking (and eating) sweet treats or walking along the beach with her energetic cocker spaniel, thinking of the next adventure her characters can embark on. Cindy is the author of the Chocolate Centered, Donut Truck, Dune House, Sage Gardens, Nuts about Nuts, Bekki the Beautician, Wendy the Wedding Planner, Heavenly Highland Inn and the Macaron Patisserie Cozy Mystery Series.

Colleen Mooney

Colleen Mooney was born and raised in New Orleans along with everyone else in her family. She is a Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author and writes a cozy mystery series set in New Orleans called The New Orleans Go Cup Chronicles and the fourth book, Death By Rum Balls was released in December 2017.

Since January 2017 Colleen organized a Sisters In Crime chapter in New Orleans, has been elected President and has a planned a Mystery Writers’ Conference for June. She is currently working on her 5th book in the Brandy Alexander series.

In New Orleans, she’s been a member and active in many Mardi Gras Krewes, Super Krewes, and organizations. Colleen says she has never met a parade she didn’t like.

She’s an ardent animal lover and the Director for a breed rescue, Schnauzer Rescue of Louisiana for the last fifteen years. She has rescued and placed over 350 abandoned or surrendered Schnauzers. She loves to write and writes about what she loves. Colleen says, “New Orleans is where it all happens for me.”

Amy Vansant

Amy Vansant is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-selling author specializing in fun, comedic reads about accident prone, easily distracted women with questionable taste in men.
So, autobiographies, mostly.
Ha!
But seriously: She writes happy romantic comedies, mysteries, and urban fantasies. Amy is the former East Coast Editor of SURFER Magazine but the urge to drive up and down the coast interviewing surfers has long since left her. She’s a dog-lover who works at home with her goofy husband and loves interacting with fans, so stop by her blog or Twitter and say hi!

http://www.amyvansant.com/

Colleen Helme

Colleen Helme is the author of the bestselling Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, a wildly entertaining and highly humorous series about Shelby Nichols, a woman with the ability to read minds. When asked if reading minds is something Colleen wishes she could do she says, “No way! It gets Shelby into so much trouble that I would never want that ability.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. Besides writing, she loves reading, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.

Kim Hunt Harris

Kim knew she wanted to be a writer before she even knew how to write. When her parents read bedtime stories to her, she knew she wanted to be a part of the story world. She started out writing children’s stories, and her stories grew as she did. She discovered a gift for humor and a love for making people laugh with her tales, and the Trailer Park Princess series was born.

Kim loves to not only make her readers laugh and entertain them with a good mystery, but also to examine the issues the everyday people face…well, every day. Issues like faith and forgiveness, perseverance and tolerance. Set in Lubbock, Texas, the fun books feature a cast of quirky characters, outrageous situations, a drama queen of a dog, and from time to time, a tear or two.

Kim lives with her husband of more than thirty years and two teenage kids in Texas.

Anna Celeste Burke

Anna Celeste Burke is an award-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author!

Welcome! Join me to get a free eBook–just copy & paste the link: http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com

Life is an extravaganza! figuring out how to hang tough and make the most of the wild ride is the challenge.

On my way to Oahu to join the rock musician and high school drop-out I had met in San Diego and married in Tijuana, I was nabbed by the police as a runaway. When the police let me go and the rock band broke up, my husband and I had to find another way to survive. Our next stop: Disney World where we trained to be chefs, courtesy of the Walt Disney World University. A GED for my husband and many more years of education landed us in academia at The Ohio State University. Retired now from my role as a professor of social work and behavioral science, I have picked up a long-time interest in writing fiction. I’m still married to the same sweet guy and live with him in the Palm Springs area. In addition to reading and writing fiction, I enjoy painting, hiking, hanging out with my handsome husband and tending to my Siamese kitties.

An award-winning and bestselling author I enjoy snooping into life’s mysteries with fun, fiction, & food—California style! My books include the Jessica Huntington Desert Cities Mystery series set in the Coachella Valley near Palm Springs, the Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery series set on California’s Central Coast, and The Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery series set in Orange County, California–the OC. Coming soon: The Misadventures of Betsy Stark also set here in the Coachella Valley. Find out more at http://www.desertcitiesmystery.com.

AVA MALLORY

AVA MALLORY has been a grade school teacher, a psychiatric technician, a dementia unit nurse manager, and a Hospice nurse. She has embarrassed herself in front of handsome celebrities, won vocal contests much to the chagrin of her children, survived a major earthquake, and nearly drowned when she mistakenly thought a YMCA lifeguard asked her to dive into the deep end on her first day of swim lessons. She and her eternally annoyed children share their home with a massive collection of books and a never-ending supply of new book ideas.

Sandi Scott

Sandi Scott is a cozy mystery reader who finally found the courage to write the stories in her head and share them with others. She fell in love with mystery books when she first started reading Agatha Christie eons ago, although her favorite female sleuth will always be Harriet the Spy. She loves dogs, her family, her readers, and sweet treats — not necessarily in that order.

Susan Boles

Susan Boles is the award-winning author of the Lily Gayle Lambert Mystery Series and also writes romantic suspense in the Brotherhood Protectors series.

A lifelong long love of all things mysterious led Susan to write cozy mysteries. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were the first to show her that girls can be crime solvers. Agatha Christie showed her that even small towns have big secrets. And Phryne Fisher showed her lady detectives can be outrageously individual. She lives in Mississippi with her rescue mini dachshund, Lucy, and her rescue cat of no particular breed, Zimba.

Sam Cheever

USA Today Bestselling Author Sam Cheever writes mystery and suspense, creating stories that draw you in and keep you eagerly turning pages. Known for writing great characters, snappy dialogue, and unique and exhilarating stories, Sam is the award-winning author of 50+ books.

Anne R. Tan

Anne R. Tan fell in love with storytelling in elementary school, but decided to study engineering so she could get a “real job.” Her day job is her vacation from home and she moonlights as a writer to keep the voices inside her head under control. She is a toddler wrangler and a part-time short-order cook for her family. She is married to her version of Bob Vila who believes everything needs to be fixed, even if it’s already working. The koi fish in her pond are the only sane members of her household.

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 18 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW

June 18 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

June 19 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW

June 19 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT

June 20 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

June 21 – I’d Rather Be At The Beach – REVIEW

June 21 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

June 23 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW

June 23 – Varietats – REVIEW

June 24 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 25 – My Fiction Obsession – SPOTLIGHT

June 26 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT

June 27 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW

June 28 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 29 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

June 30 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT

July 1 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

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.

John William And The Bandits Of Basswood ~ Blast and Giveaway

Posted: June 19, 2018 in Action/Adventure, Children's books, giveaways
Tags: Adventure, children's book, giveaway

John William and the Bandits of Basswood by Elizabeth Parkinson Bellows

John William Drake was born an explorer; just like many, many Drakes before him. His adventure really began with the discovery of an old book hidden in the ceiling of the Drake home, followed by the mysterious disappearance of his father. He lived everyday in misery until his twelfth birthday. A new friend gave him an invitation he could not turn down… follow me and change your destiny.
He never imagined being captured by bandits and taken to a ship riddled with river rats was part of his fate. Not just any bandits – the Bandits of Basswood; known to be a ruthless and wild crew of thieves. Trying to escape would be a ridiculous idea. No one has ever escaped and lived to tell about it. Uncovering traces of his missing father gave him hope and upped the stakes. John William was determined to get off the ship alive and search for the missing pieces of the puzzle. The chase out of Basswood was on. He took a chance to change his destiny and ended up on a wild ride to solve the most important mystery of his life.

AMAZON

Read for FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Praise for the Book

“The imaginative world created by the author is especially fun. Some animals can talk (with attitude!), magic is in the air and emu-like creatures provide fast transportation. Yes, I realize this series is for children- and they can certainly read it. Just as soon as I’m finished.”

“A simple walk into the world of furry and fairy alike. Enjoyed the character building, as the young boy finds himself in a world with furry pirates, and a feisty fairy princess.”

“Love this book! Great kids book!”

Excerpt

Walking the Plank

“Stand up!” A bandit marched down the steps into the cabin. “You two are coming with me.” He dragged both of them up to the top.

“Just stay quiet. Let me handle this,” Ferdinand whispered.

John William nodded. He was too frightened to speak. The deck crawled with river pirates and bandits wearing sour, drunken scowls on their faces.

“Toss them overboard! We have no use for them now!” The bandits cheered as they pushed John William and Ferdinand onto a thick plank of wood sticking out over the side of the boat.

“Wait!” One of the river pirates stepped forward with his chest out. “That boy is the princess’s friend. He could be worth something, Victor,” he bellowed with an extra deep voice. He certainly looked tough enough – with a chiseled face, broad frame, and big muscles. Even his slicked back, pony-tailed hair looked strong to John William. He began to feel a glimmer of hope.

“Nonsense!” The stout, vicious looking badger pressed a blade into John William’s back. “Move, boy!” He let out a malicious laugh and glared at Ferdinand. “I love to cook hoppers. They make a tasty stew.” He moved the blade over to Ferdinand’s plump belly and rubbed the nub at the end of his wrist where a hand used to be along his whiskers. “Be careful. You don’t want to fall into this blade; it would make a terrible mess.”

John William inched forward, watching the rushing water beneath him. “This is the princess’s betrothed! They are to be married when they are old enough,” Ferdinand blurted. He squeezed his eyes shut as if he expected to be boiled in a fat river pirate’s stew at any moment.

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Author Elizabeth Bellows

Um, let’s see… when I was eight, I had a pet turkey. I used to take it with me on my very short lived paper route. Needless to say, I was terrible at delivering the paper. No one wanted a “Dollar Saver” with turkey poop splattered across the front page. Apparently that’s where the best coupons are.
Books… well, “Treasure Island” is a fantastic pirate tale. I love just about anything by Roald Dahl. I would also like to thank C.S Lewis for sending me on an unrelenting childhood quest for portals to amazing worlds (even in the most unpleasant locations, e.g… the older brother’s closet, etc…)
I love to write… these days sneaking away just to use the bathroom is hard enough. Finding a quiet moment alone with my laptop is impossible. I’ve developed a talent for making airplane noises out the side of my mouth for my son while squeezing in a paragraph or two.
I write fantasy stories for children. Yep – I am a HUGE fantasy geek. I can’t help myself! It’s too darn awesome to escape to another realm with sorcerers and wizards. The underlying theme in my stories is empowerment, self love, and living purposefully.
When football is on I turn into a different person. I may even use a curse word or two… or three. I enjoy running; which is a good thing because I need to do it in order to fit into my jeans.
I love to cook and really, really love to eat. I have a theory that avocados actually contain super powers and have the amazing ability to make any snack epic. I also love garlic… which, according to my loved ones, also has an unfortunate super power … the pungent breath-inator… or something of that nature.
Few things make me smile more than chocolate, cheese, and a good bottle of vino… AND, if the Chargers would make it to the Super Bowl again – just once:)

Website * Facebook * Twitter

$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Giveaway

Ends 7/2/18

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

I am an Amazon Affiliate. Product images are linked.

Teaser Tuesday #240 ~ Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse

Posted: June 19, 2018 in horror, Humor, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: Horror, humor, Teaser Tuesday

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

Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse

by Jack Strange

Genre: Horror / Humor

Teaser from 57% in the eBook.

The reflection looking back at him wasn’t his own reflection, it was the reflection of a cat – an ugly, ginger brute with stripes and an evil scowl on its half-mad face.

Before too long, Sydney Bartholomew, the notorious cat-hater of Notting Hill, was a cat-hater no more. He’d become a vicious sex-crazed ginger tomcat desperate for totty and food.

This scene was kind of gross but hilarious. He turns into a cat and takes on all of the characteristics of a horny zombie cat.

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Synopsis

Celebrity Chef Zombie Apocalypse tells the story of the dead celebrity chef Floyd Rampant, who rises from his grave aiming to create a zombie army of chefs who will rule the world, using the human species as the main ingredient in their cordon bleu meals.

CCZA, as it’s known for short, has a cast of unforgettable characters, most of whom meet with gruesome ends. The action begins in Croydon, moves to London, and reaches its explosive climax in the author’s home town of Huddersfield.

Part horror story, part political and social satire, it gives the reader a fast-paced entrée of dread, a main course of panic and a dessert of distress.

It is dark, original, and so funny it should carry a government health warning.

This smart, witty and profound modern day classic works on many levels.

Amazon

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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.

Excerpt and Giveaway ~ In The Grip Of It by Sheena Kamal

Posted: June 18, 2018 in giveaways, thriller
Tags: excerpt, giveaway, thriller

In The Grip Of It

by Sheena Kamal

on Tour June 1 – June 30, 2018

39320181

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Witness Impulse
Publication Date: May 15th 2018
Number of Pages: 96
ISBN: 0062879324 (ISBN13: 9780062879325)
Series: Nora Watts #1.5
Grab Your Copy of In the Grip Of It: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Synopsis

On a surveillance assignment for a child custody case, PI-in-training Nora Watts finds herself ensconced in a small farming community on a beautiful hippie island in the Pacific Northwest, a place with a reputation for being welcoming to outsiders. But when she arrives there, she discovers her welcome quickly wears thin. Perhaps too quickly.

Salt Spring Island, with a history as a refuge for African Americans fleeing the bonds of slavery, is not a place of refuge for her—and, she suspects, may not be for the people who live there, either.

As she investigates, nothing about this remote community seems to add up. It gets personal as Nora confronts her own complicated feelings toward her estranged daughter and becomes increasingly concerned about the child she’s been tasked to surveil. She discovers that small, idyllic communities can hide very big secrets.

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Check out the excerpt:

Last week a man came into our PI office, looked around the shabby interior, frowned, and said, “I must have gotten the address wrong.”

“Depends,” I replied. “What are you looking for?”

“An investigator.”

“Nope, you’re in the right place,” I said, looking at his nice suit, shiny shoes, and expensive watch.

“Are you sure? Maybe I should come back later.”

He was clearly trying to make a graceful exit. Before the man could leave, I got up from behind my desk and opened the door to Leo Krushnik’s office. “Leo, there’s someone here to see you.”

“Well,” said the man, who was hesitating behind me, “I’m not really sure that this is the right fit for me.” He was trying to be diplomatic about the condition of our office and what it might say about his own level of desperation that he was here, but we weren’t about to let a potential client go without a fight. His level of desperation was no match for ours.

Leo Krushnik, the head of our little operation, walked around his desk and beamed at the man. “We’re the right fit for anybody,” he said, grasping the man’s hand and giving it a firm shake. “We prefer to keep our overhead low so that we can offer competitive rates to people who need our services, regardless of their personal incomes. Please, have a seat.”

The man sat, a little overwhelmed by Leo’s charm, which is considerable. That day Leo was dressed in linen pants and a simple cotton shirt, as a nod to the heat wave the city was experiencing. He could pull off this look as easily as he pulled off the lie about our rates. We keep our overhead low because this dump on Hastings Street, in the derelict Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, is all we can afford, but clients didn’t need to know that. And even I could admit that the “competitive rates” line sounded good—even true—coming from Leo.

“How can I help you?” Leo asked.

“My name is Ken Barnes, and I’m concerned about my son, Trevor. My ex-wife Cheyenne moved to Salt Spring last year with Trevor and I think she’s gotten into some kind of trouble there. She won’t bring him back to Vancouver and visitation has been difficult.”

Leo frowned. “Because they’re on an island?” Salt Spring wouldn’t be easy to ferry to and from on a regular basis.

“Yes, but that’s not the only reason. She keeps putting off my visits and it’s been difficult to arrange for Trevor to come into Vancouver. I think . . . I think she’s in some kind of cult, to be honest. They call it a commune, but you know those stories about Bountiful?”

“Yes,” said Leo. Everyone knew the stories about Bountiful, British Columbia, where fundamentalist polygamous communities live and proliferate seemingly freely.

“Well, I think it’s something like that. Cheyenne wants to be in some kind of crazy sex cult, sure. She’s not my wife anymore and I really don’t care what she does. But I’m fighting for custody of Trevor. I want him out of there.”

“And you need some ammo.” Leo looks up from his pad, where he’s been taking notes. “You’ve come to the right place, Ken. We’ve done surveillance work for many child-custody cases.” Another lie, but Ken didn’t notice. We’d only done a handful of those, but “many” is relative. “You understand that this won’t be cheap? We’ll have to get out to the island and spend some time gathering information.”

“That’s fine. There’s nothing I won’t pay to get my son out of there. Cheyenne, she . . . well, she struggled with depression and anxiety for years and she let a lot of toxic people into her life who fed on her struggles. It was like a sick downward spiral. When she started doing yoga and got certified as a teacher, I thought she’d changed. But I’m not sure anymore. I know this sounds terrible—I know it does—but I don’t trust her judgment about the people she lets into her life. Especially men.”

“She married you,” Leo said.

“I know, but this is the thing: it’s not about me and her anymore. We’re done. This is about Trevor—and me doing my part as a father, making sure he’s safe. That he has a good life. I just want results.”

“We can’t guarantee results.” This is the first time I’d spoken since the initial exchange. Ken Barnes’s startled gaze meets mine. He’d clearly forgotten I was there, which was not unusual. “Maybe it is a sex cult, maybe it isn’t. All we can do is take a look and document what we find.”

“I know that nothing is certain, but I know my son deserves a healthy, normal life. Whatever they’re doing on that island is not normal. It just isn’t. It’s one step away from homeschooling, and who’s to say they’re not making him do hard labor?”

What is normal, anyway? I didn’t ask Barnes for clarification. I just kept silent as Leo agreed to take his money in exchange for the work. Before he let Barnes go, he pulled him aside. “Nora’s right, Ken, about any sort of guarantee. But what I can say is that if there’s something to find, chances are we will get a sense of it.”

In the next few days, I started the file on Cheyenne Barnes and looked through the information Ken had provided us. “Cheyenne scrubbed her social-media profiles last year,” he explained to me, over the phone. “I thought she was punishing me by erasing the memories and keeping me away from what’s happening with my son, but now that I think about it, there’s something fishy about this whole thing.” So he kept saying.

Cheyenne is smiling in all the photos, and in every single one there is something wistful about her, a faraway look in her eyes. Something that suggests a romantic nature. She’s an instructor for hot yoga, which I thought was stretching for attractive people but later discovered is actually sweaty stretching. Who knew. She’d gone to Salt Spring Island two years ago to work at a yoga retreat and, according to Ken, never came back. She met a man there, a fellow yoga enthusiast, and rebuffed all of Ken’s attempts at reconciliation.

There is very little to be found on Cheyenne Barnes’s new man. He has no social-media profiles of his own, but I did find a picture of him on the Spring Love website. Some people are so attractive it’s almost surreal, and Vikram Sharma is one of them.

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About Author Sheena Kamal

SHEENA KAMAL holds an HBA in Political Science from the University of Toronto, and was awarded a TD Canada Trust scholarship for community leadership and activism around the issue of homelessness. Her debut novel, The Lost Ones, was inspired by this and by Kamal’s most recent work as a researcher into crime and investigative journalism for the film and television industry.

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Summer Snoops and Cozy Crimes: Cozy Mysteries for the Dog Days of Summer

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Judith Lucci

Cindy Bell

Colleen Mooney

Amy Vansant

Colleen Helme

Kim Hunt Harris

Anna Celeste Burke

AVA MALLORY

Sandi Scott

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In The Grip Of It

by Sheena Kamal

on Tour June 1 – June 30, 2018

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