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Author Archive

We are not alone…. Fluency by Jennifer Foehner Wells ~ Tour Review

Posted: March 26, 2015 in Blog Tour, New Release, reviews, Science Fiction
Tags: Author Jennifer Foehner Wells, Fluency, Science Fiction

Fluency

by Jennifer Foehner Wells

Publisher: Blue Bedlam Science Fiction (June 18, 2014)
ISBN: 978-0990479826
Category: Science Fiction: Space Opera, First Contact, Action-Adventure, Alien, Romance
Tour Date: March 2-April 30, 2015
Available in: Print & ebook, 373 Pages

My Review

Here’s the thing. Since the 1960’s NASA has known about the stationary alien spacecraft in the Greater Astroid Belt. They’ve kept quiet about it while waiting for technology to be developed to reach it.

Six astronauts launch into space to explore the ship in hopes of reverse engineering it’s technology. With no signs of life in all those years, they presumed it was empty. They were wrong.

I’ve just recently started reading science fiction again so I didn’t know what to expect with this book. What I got was action almost from the start. Once the crew enters the ship, actually right on the threshold, an alien presence makes itself known.

Jane Holloway, a linguist specializing in ancient languages, was selected to be our Earth Ambassador, and the alien communicated with her. Just her. No one else could hear it.

When the crew starts showing strange symptoms of an alien disease, the group dynamics crumble. They become paranoid. Delusional. Dangerous.

I couldn’t help but compare parts of the book to Sphere and First Contact. An invisible alien, alien contamination, mind warping. You add all this together and you get humans thinking aliens will be like us, think like us.

This story wouldn’t have worked without Jane. She’s the one who is quick to remind the others that this is an alien intelligence. It won’t act the way we expect. It’s far advanced from us. It will have it’s own agenda.

When the author described the ship and some of the alien technology, I once again drew from many movies so I could visualize for myself. Mainly from the Alien movies. For the alien, I actually visualized from an old Star Trek episode.

Being able to ‘see’ the story, I became immersed in the mission and characters. Most of them I could take or leave. They had their roles to play in the mission, but weren’t all that fleshed out.

Jane was the star and I enjoyed watching her move from being insecure to taking charge.

Bergen, the aeronautics engineer, was her love interest. The romance wasn’t a big deal, and could probably have been left out. It did make sense though. Isolated for ten months in space, someone is bound to connect with someone else.

There’s Walsh, the commander. He’s the self important type. His way is the right way and all that. A pain in the butt, is what he is.

Gibbs is what I call a handy man. He can do a little bit of everything and he plays the role of comic relief. I figured if anyone was going to die, he’d be first.

Ajaya is the flight surgeon, and I didn’t feel anything about her one way or the other. She seemed to follow the most popular opinions.

Tom Compton is the pilot and he too came across as wishy washy. That worked though, as he’s trained to fly machines, not to deal with the drama of the group.

I mentioned the alien. There’s more than one kind on the ship. The others are the ones I compared to a Star Trek episode. Quite nasty, and I wouldn’t be happy if I didn’t have some deadly aliens.

The technology and jargon are easy to understand, the characters make the story work, the action gets intense, and the alien is unique and really out there.

I’m glad I read this book, as it’s a good taste of science fiction, and I hope the author takes the story further.

4 Stars

~~~~~

Synopsis

NASA discovered the alien ship lurking in the asteroid belt in the 1960s. They kept the Target under intense surveillance for decades, letting the public believe they were exploring the solar system, while they worked feverishly to refine the technology needed to reach it.

The ship itself remained silent, drifting.

Dr. Jane Holloway is content documenting nearly-extinct languages and had never contemplated becoming an astronaut. But when NASA recruits her to join a team of military scientists for an expedition to the Target, it’s an adventure she can’t refuse.

The ship isn’t vacant, as they presumed.

A disembodied voice rumbles inside Jane’s head, “You are home.”

Jane fights the growing doubts of her colleagues as she attempts to decipher what the alien wants from her. As the derelict ship devolves into chaos and the crew gets cut off from their escape route, Jane must decide if she can trust the alien’s help to survive.

Praise for “Fluency”

“Author Jennifer Wells’ writing genius comes from her vast knowledge of the highly technical subject matter and her ability to put the reader in the middle of it without losing him/her in technical jargon while creating characters that seem completely natural and believable.”– Jean Fisher for Independent Publisher News

“With her first novel, Jennifer Wells adds a fresh voice to the sci-fi genre and distinguishes herself as an author to watch.” –Theresa Kay, author of Broken Skies

“One of the runaway sci-fi hits on Amazon this year has been Jennifer Foehner Wells’ space thriller Fluency and quite frankly it’s a welcome addition to the genre.
Fluency moves at a breakneck pace in a very cinematic fashion, the narrative mostly linear with some minor flashbacks to fill in gaps in the back story. Wells does a fine job of dealing with the technical side of proceedings without resorting to complicated jargon (I know I know, some geeks love the jargon but not this one!) The human technology is believable and the alien technology while advanced, is also impressively practical.
While the strong female character has become a bit of a cliché in sci-fi over the past few years, it’s worth noting that many of these female characters have been written by men. What makes Fluency so refreshing is that Holloway’s character develops in a much more believable fashion given her circumstances. Sure she has to eventually toughen up and fight, but she’s much more than that. She’s a brilliant mind faced with a life-changing event and not just her life but the entire planet’s and her decisions will have monumental consequences. Her ability to focus is paramount and though it may seem she is being manipulated at times, she quickly takes control of her relationship with Ei’Brai. As the story reaches its gripping conclusion it also lays the groundwork for an exciting continuation of this rapidly unfolding saga.
Littered with plenty of nods and winks to classic sci-fi and some clever pop culture references, Fluency is a thrilling, bumpy ride that rarely falters and firmly cements Jennifer Foehner Wells’ standing in the indie scene as an innovative and refreshing new voice in modern sci-fi.”– Eamon Ambrose, Eamo The Geek

“A book that is just as appealing to women as it is to men. I’ll admit, I saw the beautiful cover and thought it was going to be old-school, hardcore sci-fi with lots of technobabble and women in service roles rather than command ones. By the time we got into space I was hooked, and only got more engrossed the further I went.
There’s no flab in this book. It starts out strongly and each scene is carefully considered in how it develops the characters and advances the plot. The pitch rises gradually until leveling off at the end, just as it should.
The prose is straightforward and lets the reading just flow. Dialogue made sense and there weren’t too many narrative sequences. Again, Jennifer Foehner Wells has taken care in crafting a balance of elements.
This is a pretty special book. It’s a modern take on sci-fi, and has a lot to offer. There’s a light romantic subplot, a first-contact scenario, and a high-stakes situation that seems unclear, then clear, then unclear again. This story isn’t predictable and it doesn’t rely on any timeworn tropes. Fluency is something new in fiction, and that always excites the hell out of me.”–Zen, Women of Badassery

~~~~~

About Jennifer Foehner Wells:

Jennifer Foehner Wells lives an alternately chaotic and fairly bucolic existence in Indiana with two boisterous little boys, a supportive husband, a mildly unhinged Labrador retriever, and three adorable pet rats as housemates.

Having studied biology, Jen’s possessed with a keen interest in science and technology. She’s 100% geek and proud of it.

FLUENCY was Jen’s debut. It spent weeks in the Kindle Top 100, going as high as number 4. It remains prominent in several Science Fiction categories. It has garnered 848 five star reviews, to date.

Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Google+

Buy Fluency

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Book Depository
Indie Bound

Follow the Tour:

Indie Review Behind the Scenes Feb 20 Live I 6 PM cst

Teddy Rose Book Reviews Mar 2 Spotlight & Giveaway

100 Pages A Day Mar 3 Review & Excerpt

Tea Talks Mar 3 Guest Post & Excerpt

Feminist Reflections Blog Mar 4 Review & Excerpt

Mindful Musings Mar 5 Review

BookJunkieMom @ Rainy Day Mar 5 Guest Post & Excerpt

Paranormal Romance Mar 6 Review

Not Now…Mommy’s Reading Mar 6 Guest Post & Giveaway

Reading Romances Mar 9 Review

The Book’s Buzz Mar 10 Review

What U Talking Bout Willis? Mar 11 Excerpt

Joy’s Book Blog Mar 12 Review, Interview, & Giveaway

Paradise Found Mar 13 Review, Interview & Excerpt

Literary R&R Mar 17 Review

The Goode Word Mar 18 Review

Pinky’s Favorite Reads Mar 18 Interview & Giveaway

Cassandra M’s Place Mar 24 Review & Giveaway

fuonlyknew Mar 26 Review

TrulySimplyPink Mar 27 Review & Excerpt

Deal Sharing Aunt Mar 30 Review

My Tangled Skeins Book Apr 1 Review, Guest Post, Excerpt,& Giveaway

Room With Books Apr 2 Review, Interview & Giveaway

Mary’s Cup of Tea Apr 7 Review

Books and Quilts Apr 8 Review

BK Walker Books Apr 9 Guest Post

Inspire to Read April 10 Spotlight

Rockin’ Book Reviews Apr 10 Review

Brooke Blogs Apr 24 Review

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Two For Thursday Blitz & Giveaway ~ It’s all about Dragons!

Posted: March 26, 2015 in Book Promos, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy
Tags: Avian, dragons, Fledgling

Hello and welcome to this week’s Two for Thursday Book Blitz #T4T
presented by Month9books/Tantrum Books!

Today, we will be showcasing two titles that may tickle your fancy,
and we’ll share what readers have to say about these titles!

You just might find your next read!

This week, #T4T presents to you:

Fledgling (The Dragonrider Chronicles, #1) by Nicole Conway
and
Avian (The Dragonrider Chronicles, #2) by Nicole Conway

Be sure to enter the giveaway found at the end of the post!

cover

Can one boy stand between two kingdoms at war?

Jaevid Broadfeather has grown up as a wartime refugee, hiding from the world because of his mixed racial heritage. He feels his future is hopeless, until a chance encounter with a wild dragon lands him in Blybrig Academy—a place usually forbidden to anyone but the rich and royal. But Jaevid’s case is special; no dragon has voluntarily chosen a rider in decades, so the proud riders of Blybrig must begrudgingly let him join their brotherhood despite his bloodline. Lieutenant Sile Derrick, a sternly tempered man with a mysterious past, becomes his instructor and immediately takes a peculiar interest in Jaevid’s future.

While struggling through the rigorous physical demands of training, things begin to go awry. Jaevid witnesses the king’s private guards kidnapping Sile in the dead of night. When none of the elder riders are willing to help him, Jaevid begins a dangerous adventure to save his instructor.

Everything Jaevid learned at the academy will now be put to the ultimate test.

Available for Purchase:

What Readers Are Saying:

“The author has taken the dragon concept putting her own unique spin and creating a captivating new series that spark the imagination.” – Mandy, The Reading Diaries

Nicole Conway does a fantastic job creating her world and describing it in a way that the images fill my head while reading.” – Cassandra – Lost in Books

“It was a nice, fast read and I’m really hoping that we learn more about the Grey Elves, the war and the Dragons in future books because this series has the potential to be really great.” – Natalie – Book Lovers Life

Avian-Cover

What kind of power is lurking inside him? After a year of training to become a dragonrider, Jaevid Broadfeather has been sent home to rest during a three-month interlude. But when he returns to find the king drake has chosen Beckah Derrick as his new rider, Jaevid realizes something big is about to happen. Every fiber of his being is pushed to the breaking point as Jaevid battles through his avian year, preparing for the final graduation test of the battle scenario. But there is more standing in his way than a few pushups and fancy sword moves. Jaevid must face a new fear as he is tormented by a gruesome nightmare of a mysterious gray elf warrior murdering the royal family of Maldobar. It seems obvious to him that this is some kind of message about how the war started long ago—until Felix assures him the king is very much alive. With his strange powers growing stronger by the day, and that violent dream replaying in his mind every night, Jaevid no longer wonders if he will pass his avian year or not—he wonders if he will even survive it. The truth will soon be set loose.

Available for Purchase:

What Readers Are Saying:

“I highly recommend this series to fans of Eragon and Lord of the Rings because those movies jump to mind a lot when I’m reading this series.” – Cassandra – Lost in Books

“This was a very exciting book two that kept me turning the pages as fast as I could to see what would happen next.” – Jasmyn – Bitten by Romance

“This is a sequel of pure perfection!” – Nay – Nay’s Pink Bookshelf

about-the-author

NicoleConwayPhoto

Nicole is the author of the children’s fantasy series, THE DRAGONRIDER CHRONICLES, about a young boy’s journey into manhood as he trains to become a dragonrider. She has completed the first two books in the series, and is now working on the third and final book.

Originally from a small town in North Alabama, Nicole moves frequently due to her husband’s career as a pilot for the United States Air Force. She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in Classics from Auburn University, and will soon attend graduate school.

She has previously worked as a freelance and graphic artist for promotional companies, but has now embraced writing as a full-time occupation.

Nicole enjoys hiking, camping, shopping, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching children’s movies and collecting books. She lives at home with her husband, two cats, and dog.

Author Links: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Giveaway

Complete the Rafflecopter for a chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

The Light At The End Of Judgement And Day ~ Review & Giveaway

Posted: March 25, 2015 in angels, Blog Tour, Demons, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews
Tags: angels, Author Marcia Colette, demons, paranoramal, Supernatural, The Light at the End of Judgement and Day

The first thing I thought was that’s a long title. LOL

Then I spied the cover and went, OOOH!

Come on in and get to know Yvette.

Enjoy my review.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~

My Review

Yvette lives two lives. One as an up and coming violinist. The other as a ghost buster of Heaven.

Her talent as a violinist gets her bookings all over and that works well for her night job as a land-walker, a witness, sending ghosts on their way. She can’t send them to Heaven or Hell but she can force them to face Judgement Day, where their fate is decided.

Yvette’s agent moves his office into the Folsom Building, unaware that many tenants are moving out. Bad things are happening, and her next mission is clear. Rid the building of the ghosts and keep her secret while doing it.

This becomes harder as a paranormal investigation team has been hired to clear the building and one of them is close to discovering her secret. She’s an angel and it’s death to those who discover what she is.

I liked Yvette. She was tough yet vulnerable. Going into the building, she faced a slew of ghosts and demons and engaged them with ninja wrath. A ninja angel, how cool is that?

I was a bit confused when Yvette ended up in the hospital so much and people too easily accepted her excuses. I’d be more suspect, push harder for the real reasons. Perhaps the author chose to do it this way to keep the story moving along as it isn’t a long book. It could also be because she doesn’t let anyone get too close. Her agent, Dennis, is more interested in dollars and bookings. And her nurse, Carson, while knowing there’s more to her injuries than meets the eye, concentrates more on getting her back on her feet.

Adding in the husband and wife team of paranormal investigators, Glenn and Albert, made the story more fun. I really liked them and they came close to stealing the limelight in the second half of the story. They knew Yvette was more than she appeared to be, and she had to be careful they didn’t find out, which made her vulnerable when battling the entities and added to her injuries.

I see potential for a really good series here. I do enjoy the idea behind this story and a kick butt heroine and would like to read more.

4 Stars

Synopsis

Violinist and angel, Yvette Mills has spent almost 200 years living among humans while rounding up ghosts to send into Judgment. Back on the mend from her last confrontation with a malevolent entity, she’s ready to reenter the classical-music scene. One problem. She’s not facing one ghost. She’s facing hundreds with a few demonic entities sprinkled in.

Dozens of tenants have left the Folsom Building in downtown Charlotte because of the strange goings on. When Yvette’s agent goes for the bargain-basement rental prices and now has an office there, her mission is clear. Rid the building of the paranormal vermin to keep him and the few tenants left, safe. It won’t be easy when a psychic, who’s leading a team of paranormal investigators, discovers she can see ghosts, too. If they discover she’s truly an angel sent from the heavens, she’ll be the first to find herself thrown into the pits of hell.

~~~

Check out the Excerpt

The elevator wobbled. I touched the wall to make sure there was something to hold onto in case the next wobble meant something else. I watched as the green numbers incremented by one on the wall above my head.

Another wobble.

What kind of rickety elevator was this? Surely, this wasn’t the top-of-the-line building on South Tryon Road, but the least I expected was to get to the nineteenth floor in one piece.

The lights blacked out and the elevator slowed to a stop. I stood on a dark, metal box with nervousness creeping across my shoulders. All sorts of horrible images about what could happen next assaulted my thoughts.

I should’ve been used to situations like this.

After a deep breath, I steadied my nerves. Death by elevator would be a new one, given the number of other ways I had died over the years. The only good thing about it would be I’d never feel the moment of impact. God was good.

Calmness blanketed me. I reached inside my purse and pulled out my cell phone. I pressed the button on the side to light up the screen.

A screaming, ethereal face appeared and disappeared with the speed of a flasher standing on a street corner and exposing himself to a pedestrian. That was why the elevator really stopped. Sighing, I slipped my phone in my purse and crossed my arms.

The lights on the panel lit up on all of the floors, the dim light giving my light brown skin a slightly darker hue than normal. I was only on the eighth floor.

“Are you done?” I asked, glancing at the dark ceiling. “Because I have to go.”

The lights came on, dousing me in brightness. However, the lights flashed and reshaped themselves into a downward arrow.

The elevator dropped…and slammed to a stop, throwing me off balance.

Pissed, I picked myself off the floor and dusted off any crumbs or dirt that decided to cling. “If you want to scare me, you might want to make sure I’m on a high enough floor that I won’t survive the fall. And by survive, I mean die and don’t come back…this time.”

A long pause and nothing happened. Then, the button for the nineteenth floor lit up and the elevator ascended at normal pace again. Whoever thought scaring someone like me was a good idea or was possible must have gotten a clue. I normally didn’t go around exposing my aura to anyone unless they pushed me to that point. I wasn’t pushed yet.

I got off on my floor and continued down the hall until I came to one of the smallest offices in the building. Maybe the entire block, for that matter.

I expected more of Dennis Furze, but I guess this was more his speed, since he preferred to work at home. This place was more for show whenever he needed to meet with people other than his clients. It was also the first time I visited in the three weeks that he had opened up his new digs for his clients.

When I entered, I let the elderly receptionist know my name and my appointment time.

“There she is.” Dennis traipsed into the lobby and gave me a firm handshake before pulling me close for a peck on my cheek. He reminded me of a spoiled, rich kid who looked somewhat naïve, but had the wheeling-and-dealing prowess of a stockbroker on the Wall Street floors. “How’s my girl? You practicing for your big day tomorrow? Your reentrance back into the classical music society?”

Despite my smile and the earlier attempt at a good scare, I wasn’t moved. “No worries, Dennis. You’ll have your meal ticket again tomorrow night—I swear.”

“Meal ticket? Is that all you think you are to me?”

“Yes, considering you’re my booking agent and you take a certain percentage of all the gigs you put together whether they’re for me as a soloist or my ensemble.”

“Okay, but I also care about you as a person.”

“I also happen to be one of your considerable draws.”

~~~

About Author Marcia Colette

Marcia Colette

Bestselling author Marcia Colette didn’t discover her love for reading until her late teens when she started reading John Saul and progressed to works by Bentley Little, Stephen King and Laurell K. Hamilton. Her reading tastes convinced her to write paranormals where curses cause people to shift into spiders, psychotic and telekinetic mothers are locked away in attics, and murderous doppelgangers are on a rampage. Let’s not forget about the hunky werecheetah coalitions who live throughout North Carolina. As long as she can make it believable, that’s all that matters.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Marcia now lives in North Carolina with her mom and beautiful daughter. They’re not raising zombies in the backyard. There aren’t any hellhounds living in the den, only a rabbit and a cockatiel. So where she gets her ideas is as much a mystery to her as anyone else.

The best place to find her–when she’s not stirring up trouble–is on her blog where she loves connecting with readers.

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Mochamemoirspress

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

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

The more you comment, the more chances to win.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

Risen II : The Progeny ~ Tour Review ~ I loved every drop!

Posted: March 25, 2015 in Blog Tour, horror, reviews, suspense, Vampires
Tags: Author Krystal Lawrence, horror/suspense, Risen II: The Progeny, series

Title: Risen II: The Progeny
Author: Krystal Lawrence
Publisher: Telemachus Press
Pages: 281
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Format: Hardcover/Kindle

My Review

When I first starting reading this I was worried becuase it’s the second book in the series and I hadn’t read the first one yet.

It made no difference as the author wove in the back story seamlessly in all the right places.

Imagine this. Lorna is only seven years old. She doesn’t remember much about her abduction by Francis Barclay, the vampire who wreaked vengeance on the town until he was finally destroyed..

Now she’s changing. She has a craving for raw meat, for blood. Being so small, without the strength to take down victims, she must get creative and get her blood with surprise attacks and while the prey is sleeping. Feeding off her baby brother isn’t enough and he’s so tiny she worries she’ll hurt him. Drinking from the homeless drunks in the park works for a while until something finally goes very wrong and Lorna could be exposed for what she is, or arrested for murder.

Risen from the ashes, and now mostly ash himself, Francis is coming back to rescue his progeny, little Lorna. His time is short and he senses she’s out of control. She’s waiting for him, but it might already be too late.

This book is so good. The writing is excellent, the back story is slipped in without slowing the reading momentum, and the characters are real. You can almost picture them.

Lorna is scary. She’s just a little slip of a girl, but her blood lust makes her a monster. With no guidance, she’s vicious, dangerous. She feels no remorse for what she does to get the blood, and she’s so close to reaching the point of no return.

Her mother notices her starnge cravings for raw meat and her change in character, but hasn’t quite connected the dots yet.

Her father is an adulterer. A real loser. Every time it seems like he’ll follow the right path, his other brain lands him in another affair, risking losing his family. I wouldn’t have minded if Lorna had fed on the loser.

New to Alder Lake, Beatrice moved there and opened a small antique shop, looking for a fresh start after her divorce. She begins a tentative romance with Detective Blaze. and she’s soon drawn into the madness when Lorna shows up at hetr door in the middle of the night covered in blood.

Blaze is lead detective in the murders and sees a connection to Francis Barclay. Could the vampire have risen? Was he back?

All of these characters are connected to each other through the murders that are popping up all over town. Each has flaws, some have secrets, and all of them fear Francis Barclay.

I’m always looking for something new in this genre and I got it. Have you ever heard of a vampire dog? I wonder if they can turn other dogs or humans? Lots to learn.

And the ending. Oh boy, it was a bonus all by itself.

You’d think vampire stories would get old, but not for me. Especially with Risen II. I drained this book in a matter of hours, much like a thirsty vamp, and loved every drop of it!

5 Stars

~~~

Sharing some parts I loved!

She fed as quickly as possible, then wiped her lips with the back of her hand. Backing away from the snoring figure, she said softly, “Thank you, sir.”

“Oh, you have to be kidding me,” he groaned. “Just what the hell is he doing with her?”

“If you have dolls, I can show you,” Bebe spat with pure venom.

~~~

Synopsis

Producers take note! Francis Barclay is back and he’s ready for prime time.

Fans of horror/suspense masters Stephen King and Dean Koontz are sure to delight in the return of Francis Barclay, the vengeful and bloodthirsty vampire resurrected from the dead after 200 years, in RISEN, by the “Mistress of Macabre,” Krystal Lawrence. Barclay, cremated at the end of RISEN, has once again returned from the ashes — and this time he’s not alone!

In Lawrence’s riveting sequel, RISEN II: THE PROGENY, Barclay is working his slow and agonizing way back to Alder Lake, determined to save the child he accidentally sired.

RISEN began the tale of Francis Barclay’s return to Alder Lake to avenge the centuries old

murder of his family. In this spellbinding sequel, Barclay is determined to save his progeny. When last we left Alder Lake, seven year-old Lorna was waiting patiently by the window for her blood-father’s return. Her wait is now over. She has inherited Francis Barclay’s luminous glowing eyes as well as his taste for blood.

Alder Lake is once again plagued by murder. Only this time, the suspect will surprise everyone!

The “Risen” books may remind readers of the SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVELS by Charlaine Harris or Stephenie Meyer’s TWILIGHT series, but Lawrence reaches farther back for inspiration in the undead genre. She calls her novels “vampires for grownups,” in the manner of Bram Stoker’s DRACULA, the most famous bloodsucker of them all.

The main similarity of the RISEN novels to Harris’ and Meyer’s books lies in their rich potential to be adapted into the kind of theatrical or television films that can’t miss in attracting hordes of dedicated fans.

For More Information

Risen II is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.

Book Excerpt:

The sun was sinking behind the mountains as the dead boy walked on, every bone in his

over-taxed body aching from strain. The constant cloud of dust and ash that floated about

him like a grimy halo made flagging down car rides impossible. This journey would be

made on foot, and there was a very long way to go, especially for a boy who should have

been resting peacefully in his grave for some three hundred years.

As the boy felt the rising breeze lift his long hair from his brow, he raised his hands

to his face and groaned. He watched in silent horror, as his fingers dissolved into fine

grains of ash and floated off into the mild California evening. If he did not find shelter for

the night soon, there wouldn’t be much of him left to lie down tonight at all.

Five years before, Francis Barclay had been cremated and interred in a vault one

hundred miles east of his hometown. Though he was no stranger to rising from the dead,

the first time around he was given a fully formed body to work with. This time he was

comprised of hundreds of thousands of tiny flakes of burned ash, and they didn’t stay put

when the wind grew restless. Worse was the odor clinging to him like an unwanted lover.

He smelled like a poorly tamped-out brush fire, lingering cinders smoldering on his skin.

Francis stumbled. He watched with dismay as his left foot began evaporating into

fine powder, swirling in the air before him. It turned to mist, and rose into the sky above

him like a departing soul, taking that miserable burnt smell with it.

~~~~

Author Krystal Lawrence

Krystal Lawrence was born and raised in Southern California, where she was a child actress. In her late teens and early twenties she redirected her creative energy into radio, and hosted a successful talk show in Las Vegas for many years. She is the author of two previous books and numerous short stories. She now lives in Seattle where she is working on her fourth novel, PHONE CALL FROM HELL.

Her latest book is the horror/suspense, Risen II.

For More Information

Visit Krystal Lawrence’s website.
Connect with Krystal on Facebook and Twitter.
Find out more about Krystal at Goodreads.

~~~~

Tour Schedule

Monday, March 2

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Tuesday, March 3

Book Feature at My Life, Loves and Passion

Wednesday, March 4

Book Feature at Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews

Thursday, March 5

Book Feature at Confessions of a Reader

Friday, March 6

Book Feature at Bound 2 Escape

Monday, March 9

Character Interview at The Literary Nook

Tuesday, March 10

Guest Blogging at Bookingly Yours

Wednesday, March 11

Interview at As the Page Turns

Thursday, March 12

Book Review at Books, Reviews, ETC

Monday, March 16

Character Interview at Pimp That Character

Tuesday, March 17

Book Feature at CBY Book Club

Wednesday, March 18

Guest Blogging at Mythical Books

Thursday, March 19

Guest Blogging at Lori’s Reading Corner

Monday, March 23

Interview at Examiner

Tuesday, March 24

Book Feature at Undercover Book Reviews

Wednesday, March 25

Book Review at My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews

Book Review at fuonlyknew

Thursday, March 26

Book Review at Kristy Centeno

Friday, March 27

Book Review at Quirky Book Reviews

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

The Morrigan: Damaged Deities #1 ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

Posted: March 24, 2015 in Blog Tour, giveaways, Paranormal or fantasy, Romance
Tags: Author Kennan Reid, Paranormal romance series, The Morrigan: Damaged Deities

The Morrigan

Damaged Deities

Book 1

Kennan Reid

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

ASIN: B00U3VPSW6

Word Count: 102k

Cover Artist: Najla Qambar

Book Description:

Morrie Brandon is the best horse trainer in Oklahoma, able to tame the wildest of beasts. She’s also the Celtic goddess of War and Sex, The Morrigan, abandoning her supernatural life for a simpler, more human one.

When Morrie is hired by a secretive Scottish family to capture a killer horse ravaging their Highlands manor, the past she has spent thousands of years running from calls her back.

Will Morrie learn from her past mistakes and embrace the bold goddess she truly is, or is it too late?

Available at Amazon

About the Author:

Kennan Reid traveled from the vast, open spaces of Texas to the vast, open ocean of California where she enjoys sitting outside in the sun, tossing a frisbee to her dog, Barnabas, and on occasion, writing a few words hoping one day they behave and become a book. When she’s not pretending to be a romance author, she is writing young adult novels about elves, witches and reincarnation. The Morrigan is her first adult romance novel and after falling in love with the feisty goddess and her crazy sisters, will not be her last.

Kennan also writes Young Adult as Kelly Riad. Other Novels include Return to Arèthane and Prince of Arèthane.

For more information on Kennan visit:

Facebook ~ Blog ~ Twitter

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Tour giveaway

5 beaded bookmarks by Bewitching Book Swag

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

Teaser Tuesdays #107 ~ Southern Heat by David Burnsworth

Posted: March 24, 2015 in Debut Novel, Mystery, suspense, Teaser Tuesdays
Tags: Author David Burnsworth, Southern Heat, southern mystery, suspense

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of A Daily Rhythm.

TeaserTuesdays2014e

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 Tease for this week is from

Southern Heat

by David Burnsworth

18351878

My Tease is from page 88 and 91 in the hardcover.

“You guys have this all planned out, don’t you? It’s a good thing my uncle wants to be cremated because he’d turn over in his grave if I let any of that happen.”

***

Shelby tried to come in with me but I stopped him. He looked at me like I’d just snatched a steak out of his mouth. “I’ll make it up to you boy.”

~~~

Synopsis

Gunshots echo down an antebellum Charleston alley. Brack Pelton, an ex-racecar driver and Afghanistan War veteran, witnesses the murder of his uncle, Reggie Sails. Darcy Wells, the pretty Palmetto Pulse reporter, investigates Reggie’s murder and targets Brack.
The sole heir of his uncle’s estate, Brack receives a rundown bar called the Pirate’s Cove, a rotting beach house, and one hundred acres of preserved and valuable wetland along the Ashley River. A member of Charleston’s wealthiest and oldest families offers Brack four million dollars for the land. All Brack wants is his uncle’s killer.
From the sandy beaches of Isle of Palms, through the nineteenth-century mansions lining the historic Battery, to the marshlands surrounding the county, Southern Heat is drenched in the humidity of the lowcountry.

~~~

I’m reviewing this for a tour in May and had to take a peek inside it.

I live on the Gulf Coast and can’t resist a southern setting.

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

stick out tongue photo: rr-sticking-out-tongue roadrunner-stick-out-tongue.gif

Monday Minis Reviews #38 ~ Trailer ~ They want inside!

Posted: March 23, 2015 in horror, Monday's Minis, reviews, Short stories and collections
Tags: Author Edward Lorn, short horror story, trailer

Welcome to My Monday Minis Reviews.

If you’ve been following my blog, I’m sure you’ll recognize this Author. I’ve read all but a couple of his stories and loved them!

For today I’ll be sharing Trailer

A Short Story by Edward Lorn

24863425

My Review

Edward Lorn is a master of the short horror story. This one is no exception.

It’s not fit for man nor beast with a nor’easter raging outside, but Kay has no choice. She left her husband lying in a pool of blood, the frying pan she used to kill him sticking out of his face. Bullying her was one thing, but abusing her son, Tony, a boy with Down Syndrome, was not to be tolerated.

Now, on the road in the middle of the night in a blinding snow storm, Kay must find shelter from the storm when the car breaks down.

Her son had spotted a mailbox a ways back so they find it and follow a narrow path through the trees to a decrepit trailer.

But, before they can get to it, something rises from the snow. Something white, with glowing silver eyes and very sharp teeth and claws. Soon. more rise out of the snow and it’s a race to get to the trailer.

But will the trailer be protection from the screeching beasts outside?

Well, you know I can’t answer that question.

I’ll tell you this though. The beasts are determined to get inside and eat them up and the trailer has been long abandoned and falling apart.

The best thing about Edward’s short stories is his characters. He has this ability to flesh them out quickly. You feel you know them. But don’t get too attached to them. He’s not above knocking them off for a good scene.

Must not forget his creatures. They are all uniquely his own creations and bloody nasty too.

4 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

The less you know, the better.

~~~

About Edward Lorn and where to stalk him.

Edward Lorn is an American horror author presently residing in the southeast United States. He enjoys storytelling, reading, and writing biographies in the third person. Once upon a time, during a session of show and tell, a seven-year-old Edward Lorn shared with his class that his baby brother had died over the weekend. His classmates, the teacher included, wept while he recounted the painful tragedy of having lost a sibling. Edward went home that day and found an irate mother waiting for him. Edward’s teacher had called to express her condolences. This was unfortunate, as Edward had never had a baby brother. With advice given to her by a frustrated teacher, Edward’s mother made him start writing all of his lies down. The rest, as they say, is history. Edward Lorn and his wife are raising two children, along with a handful of outside cats and a beagle named Dot. He remains a liar to this day. The only difference is, now he’s a useful one.

For more about Edward Lorn and his books:

Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

Edward’s page on RAP

Edward’s blog

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

What’s New On My Bookshelf #102 and The Sunday Post

Posted: March 22, 2015 in Freebies!, giveaways, reviews, What's New on My Bookshelf
Tags: my weekly book 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.

Another fun way to share your book news and enjoy others is The Sunday Post hosted by

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer

Head on over and leave a link to your Sunday Post and hop around to visits others.

~~~

Some chit chat.

Happy Spring ya’ll. It’s officially here and boy am I glad!

I came home from work the other day and spotted this.

I was saying the other day that spring is not officially here until I see green buds on my pecan trees. I was so excited when I looked up into the tree and spotted these beauties. Sorry I couldn’t get a better picture. Took it from my phone. Trust me, they are a pretty green.

In about a week the trees will be fully green again. $tree budding leaves photo: Tree sheading it\'s leaves Treesheadingitsleaves.gif$ My spring fever is at a pitch and I’ve been cleaning gardens and mulching like crazy. It’s coming along nicely and I’ll take pictures when I’m done. Nothing fancy but I enjoy my little piece of heaven.

I’ll be hopping over to check out your Sunday posts so be sure to leave me your link!

~~~

Here are my new books for review.

I have two new review books but can’t tell ya about them yet.

I’m surprised that’s all I’ve taken in this week!

~~~

New ones just because!

On my Kindle

New Print Books

I already have Doctor Sleep but I don’t think my sister does so I grabbed it. And I have Gone Girl as an eBook and had to have the hard cover. One Two Buckle My Shoe is a new author I want to try, and Unseen and The Bone Bed are both by authors I’ve been reading for years. I got all of these for less than ten bucks!!!!

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And here are some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours and remember to make sure they’re still free before you click that buy button!

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Books I reviewed this week.

Click on the covers for my reviews.

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Book s I’ll be reviewing next week.

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What I won.

I didn’t win anything this week. That’s weird! LOL

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Fun news from around the web.

Rachel Tsoumbakos has a survey: How do readers find books in the digital age?

On Rabid Reads, Carmel asks: What do you do with your ‘read’ books?

Jenn reviews “Pro Blogging Secrets” by Bob Lotich on A Daily Rhythm.

Susan Russo Anderson Talks About Pets In Fiction Books

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Darkness Calling ~ Author Guest Post Plus A Giveaway and Free Book!

Posted: March 20, 2015 in Blog Tour, Freebies!, giveaways, Guest Post, Romance, urban fantasy
Tags: Author Laurie Olerich, dark urban fantasy, Darkiness Calling, Primani Series, romance

I have so much to share with you today.

Come on in and meet the Primani.

Enjoy the character interview.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

~~~

Interview with Aisling Andersson

Bio: Aisling Andersson is one of the youngest Primani in existence today. Born in Norway in the late 1700s, she was made by the archangel Gabriel in a rare moment of compassion. Now retired from combat service, she lives in Plattsburgh, New York, with her seven-year-old son, Sean Michael, and Dalmatians Rambo and Winchester. Eternally drawn to the bad boys, she’s made a few colossal mistakes, but has finally found peace with her past.

Describe yourself. What is your worst and best quality?

“Hm. I try to stay true to myself even if that truth is dark. I might be immortal but that doesn’t mean a thousand lifetimes of sunshine and roses. Until just recently, the only light in my life was my son Sean Michael. I like to think I’m an excellent mother. He’s my number one priority. I’m sorry. I’m getting sidetracked. You asked about my qualities. I guess my ability to be honest about who and what I am is my best quality. If I had to narrow down bad qualities to just one, it would be my lack of trust of pretty much any other creature–human, angel, or demon. I’m working on this with Sean, but my walls are still pretty thick.”

What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?

“I just want to live a quiet life with my family. Everyone thinks I’m some kind of slutty skank after what happened in Rome. You wouldn’t believe the hate mail I’m getting! But here’s the thing — That, um, episode with Cain wasn’t normal for me. I’m not usually like that, but I was in a bad place, and he was there to offer some escape. It’s hard to think about the past when you’re living in the moment. Sure, it turned out he was a demon, but the sex was fabulous. I won’t deny it. I know there must be women who’ve done the same thing — wicked sex with a totally inappropriate lover. It doesn’t make me a horrible person. I hope readers can relate and cut me some slack. I’d really like the hate mail to stop.”

What are you most afraid of?

“Other than being buried alive? I dread the thought of losing my son to his destiny. The Four Horsemen will take him, and I may never see him again. Raphael promises that won’t happen, but how does he really know for sure? We don’t know what Armageddon will be like. I can’t stand the thought of losing Sean Michael.”

What about Sean? How does he feel about that?

“Sean isn’t thrilled with the idea of losing Sean Michael either, but he’s the warrior in the family, isn’t he? He’s working his ass off to prepare our boy for what’s coming. I’ve never seen a stronger fighter or a more determined man. He’ll do everything in his power to keep our baby safe.”

Okay, so on a lighter note. How are things with Sean? Have you made any future plans yet?

“Things are really, really good. I can’t believe how this has turned out. I was so bitchy to him, but he’s forgiven me. He just wants us to move forward and be a family for once. After all this time, it’s wonderful to have peace.”

One last question for you. Did you two really destroy a building during sex? I can’t believe that’s possible!

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe you’d go there! Seriously?”

Come on. Give my readers a juicy Sean story. They love him. Is it true or not?

“Okay. Fine. It’s true. We did break the turret of the hotel. Our energies were off the hook that night, and we didn’t know we’d create something like a sound wave! It was the most intense sex I’ve ever had. I won’t lie. Sean’s amazing. And speaking of Sean… I have to run. I’m late for a date!”

~~~

DARKNESS CALLING (Primani #5)

by Laurie Olerich

Dark Urban Fantasy Romance

Published on March 5^th, 2015

ad infinitum: endlessly, forever, without limit

Finally freed from a century in purgatory, former-wild child Aisling just wants to raise her son and live as a normal human again. Her taste of freedom is cut short the moment her past comes to claim her. There’s one reason she was exiled, and his name is Cain. With him, there was only darkness, and the angels help her, she liked it that way. Now he’s back, and his commands are simple. Stay away from Sean or else. But when he threatens to take her son, she turns to the one man who can save them both. Sean.

Sean is sick and tired of his baby mama’s hateful attitude. Her mood swings give him whiplash, and he’s seriously thinking of strangling her. But when a brutal old enemy shows up to destroy everyone Sean loves, he discovers Aisling is hiding more than her feelings for him.

Joining forces to protect their son, Sean and Aisling set out on a journey that leads them from the city streets of Manhattan to the elegant hotels of Vienna to the final terrifying showdown in the bowels of Rome.

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iBooks – Smashwords

Add Darkness Calling to your Goodreads list!

SPECIAL OFFER:

The first book in the series, Primani, is currently FREE!

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – iBooks – Smashwords

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurie Olerich

Laurie Olerich is the author of the urban fantasy romance series Primani. She loves to create guilty pleasures full of exciting locations, roller coaster action, strong, quirky heroines, and steaming hot heroes who’ll raise the temperature in any room you’re in! Paranormal romance? Check! Urban fantasy? Check! Romantic suspense? Check! Her Primani series combines the best of the three. When not plotting, writing, or fantasizing about her next hero, she’s planning parties, traveling the world, and spending lazy nights with her son, her Dal pals, and friends. Laurie spent most of her life in the Northeastern United States and in Germany. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her son and Dalmatian duo, Domino and Rambo. Before throwing caution to the wind and diving into a writing career, Laurie dedicated 20 years to a career spent around men with guns and cool toys…this explains her obsession with both!

Website – Twitter – Facebook – Pinterest – Goodreads

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International Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the lucky horseshoe below!

Too much of a good thing? Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey ~ Tour Review

Posted: March 20, 2015 in Blog Tour, Dystopian, giveaways, reviews, Science Fiction
Tags: Author Greg Hickey, dystopian, Our Dried Voices, Science Fiction

Hi ya’ll It’s my stop on the tour for Our Dried Voices.

I’m excited to share my review with you.

And there’s also a glimpse inside the book.

Check out this dystopian, science fiction venture.

It’s out of this world!

Title: Our Dried Voices

Author: Greg Hickey

Publisher: Scribe Publishing Company

Publication Date: November 4, 2014

Pages: 234

ISBN: 978-1940368931

Genre: Dystopian / Science Fiction

Format: Paperback, eBook (.mobi / Kindle), PDF

My Review

It’s hundreds of years in the future. Cancer has been cured. The remaining humans now colonize the lovely planet, Pearl. It’s Utopia.

You never want for anything. No longer suffer illness. It’s so perfect you don’t even need to think.

Until something goes wrong. The machines that run the utopian existence are breaking down. Mysterious figures are roaming the crowds. One young man, Samuel must repair the machines and set things right or the last humans may perish.

This book defied a real description. I started it and stopped, started it and stopped. Something kept drawing me back. Maybe the author put in some subliminal messages. LOL Whatever it was, I’m glad I kept reading. It’s unlike anything I’ve read before.

The people were so strange. I call them The Stepford Shells. They have no minds of their own. The bells would toll, the colonists would line up for breakfast. The bells would toll and they would line up for lunch. And so on. They had a hive or herd mentality.

You can imagine how bad it got when the food ran short, or the shelter doors didn’t open. It was chaos.

Samuel studied the break downs. He noticed the strange figures, called them heroes, who would appear when a break down occurred and vanish just as quickly.

All of these colonists move through the days, repeat the same things, never even speak to each other. Why did Samuel awaken? Who was the girl he kept seeing wandering off on her own? What were the heroes up to? Were they good or bad for the colony?

I kept wondering why the title Dried Voices. Then I came to a point in the book and had an aha moment. I now knew why.

I reached the end and didn’t get all of the answers to my questions. There is an end, a clever one, yet a lot of this is left to your own interpretation. I’d like to know what happened to the thinkers, the producers of the machines. I’d like to know what happens after the end.

I sure hope there is a sequel as I’m anxious to know.

4 Stars

~~~

Synopsis

In 2153, cancer was cured. In 2189, AIDS. And in 2235, the last members of the human race traveled to a far distant planet called Pearl to begin the next chapter of humanity. Several hundred years after their arrival, the remainder of humanity lives in a utopian colony in which every want is satisfied automatically, and there is no need for human labor, struggle or thought. But when the machines that regulate the colony begin to malfunction, the colonists are faced with a test for the first time in their existence. With the lives of the colonists at stake, it is left to a young man named Samuel to repair these breakdowns and save the colony. Aided by his friend Penny, Samuel rises to meet each challenge. But he soon discovers a mysterious group of people behind each of these problems, and he must somehow find and defeat these saboteurs in order to rescue his colony.

~~~

Check out this excerpt!

The sound of the bells echoed across the colony.
They sounded five times, and by the end of the fifth peal everyone had stopped
what they were doing and started to walk toward the nearest source of the
noise. The bells had a tinny, hollow sound to them. To be sure, it was
unmistakably the sound of bells, but it lacked that rich, thunderous, rolling
swell once heard in passing by an old church at the top of the hour. Instead,
it was as though the sound of real bells had been recorded and re-recorded ad
infinitum until only bell-like sounds now remained.

The bells called the people to the midday meal. All
across the lush meadow, the colonists fell into a kind of reverie. Moments
earlier, they had been romping through the meadow or splashing in the river
with the joyful abandon of children, while others napped blissfully at the base
of a modest hill or fornicated with some momentary lover in the shade of a
spreading tree. But now their innocent laughter, their hushed excited voices,
their intermittent shrieks of pleasure all ceased for an instant as they moved
as one toward the sound of the bells. As soon as the fifth toll had faded in
the air, the human noise resumed as though it had never been silenced. The
colonists walked eagerly but unhurriedly, small, hairless, brown-skinned
people, all barefooted and dressed in simple, cream-colored smocks.

The bell sounds came from the seven meal halls
spread throughout the colony—long, tall, rectangular buildings erected from the
black, craggy rock characteristic of the mountains of Pearl, now smoothed down and
cut into bricks and painted a soothing off-white. Another smaller building
abutted one end of each meal hall. Their wan stone façades matched those of the
larger halls and there were no discernible entryways in their solid exteriors.

As the colonists entered each meal hall, they lined
up along the right-hand wall to wait for their food. The walls were painted a
pale sky blue, and on the far wall was a small square hole. One by one, each
diner stepped forward in line, a small, red light above the hole flashed, a
short clicking and whirring noise sounded and then a round, firm, dark brown
cake appeared at the edge of the opening. One by one, each colonist took the
proffered meal cake and carried it over to one of the many wooden tables or out
into the meadow.

Near the front of the line at one hall, a male
colonist turned to face the man behind him.

“Hellohoweryou?” said the first man.

“Goodthankshoweryou?” replied the second man.

“Goodthankshoweryou?”

The two men stared blankly at each other for a
moment. Then the first man blinked and said “Goodweathertoday.”

The second bobbed his head and grinned.
“Betterenyesterday.”

They continued to gaze at each other with vapid
expressions until the first man turned around and stepped forward in line. The
two men were right. It was Tuesday. It rained on Mondays. And thanks to the
colony’s weather modification system, it had rained every Monday, and only on
Monday, for hundreds of years.

***

When about half the colonists at this particular
meal hall had received their food, an adult woman moved to the front of the
line. A young boy, no taller than her waist, stood behind her. The woman
stepped up to the wall, the red light above the hole flashed… and nothing
happened. There was no clicking, no whirring, and no meal cake emerged from the
hole in the milky blue wall. Some people a few places behind the first woman,
by now so accustomed to the regular pace of the line, stepped forward in
anticipation of her taking the food and continuing on. When the line did not
move, they bumped awkwardly into the colonists in front of them, very much
surprised that there should be a fleshy, breathing, human body in their path
instead of empty space. Those closest to the front of the line fell silent when
they saw the woman had not yet received her meal, and then the silence spread
evenly and rhythmically down the line, like a row of pillowed dominoes falling
to the floor. Yet all the colonists continued to wear the same insipid
half-grin on their faces as they waited patiently for the food to be dispensed
and the line to creep forward once more.

A long, loud, whining shriek from the young boy
waiting with his mother at the front of the line broke through the stillness,
and it was this sound, not the actual interruption of the food service, which
seemed to have the greatest effect on those in the hall. The boy did not cry.
He shed no tears, and the sound which emerged from his mouth was not a
breathless and choked sobbing, or even the petulant howl of a child’s tantrum.
It was a primal, animal moan that rose from the depths of his unfilled stomach,
rushed up his throat with a cold and persistent ferocity and forced its way
over his teeth, throwing his head back as it broke from his lips. No one tried
to comfort the boy. His mother did not even turn around to look at him. Her
weak smile faded, but she continued to stare at the dark hole in the wall,
still waiting for her meal to appear. Then a child some dozen places back in
the line picked up the boy’s howl, and then a woman farther behind did the
same. Soon the entire line was wailing loudly.

Those colonists who had already received their
meals hunkered over their cakes and stuffed their last bites into their mouths.
One of them stood up, bumping hard into his table. The rest followed. They
walked hurriedly to the door, brushing past the onlookers from outside who had
gathered to see what all the noise was about. Those still in line stared
dazedly at the others around them, at the now half-empty hall, an incipient
question forming somewhere deep in their skulls.

A man in the middle of the line broke their
unsteady ranks first. He ran, stumbling over tables and chairs bolted to the
floor in his maddened dash toward the doorway. The rest of the line scattered
in his wake. Out through the door they went, cracking bony limbs on the wooden
furniture in their paths, pushing and trampling one another as they all tried
to force their way through the doorway at once, like blood cells pumped through
a clotted artery.

Those who had already finished their meals stood
outside in a loose ring several meters away from the entrance of the food hall,
and as the wild runners pushed their way through the door, they began to run as
well, picking up the wail of the unfed as they went. They ran in no particular
direction, a single mass exodus from the hall, teeming out across the gay green
meadows, up and over the soft, undulating hills, and their cries rippled
throughout the once-peaceful fields to fill the void left by the cessation of
the bells with a sound far more vibrant than those stale chimes which had just
called them to their uneaten meal.

Purchase The Book:

Amazon ~ B&N ~ Goodreads

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE

About The Author:

Greg Hickey was born in Evanston, Illinois in 1985. After graduating from Pomona College in 2008, he played and coached baseball in Sweden and South Africa. He is now a forensic scientist, endurance athlete and award-winning writer. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Lindsay. You can visit Greg’s website at www.greghickeywrites.com.

Connect with Greg:

Website ~ Blog ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Our Dried Voices Tour Page Link

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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Author Archive

We are not alone…. Fluency by Jennifer Foehner Wells ~ Tour Review

Follow the Tour:

Two For Thursday Blitz & Giveaway ~ It’s all about Dragons!

The Light At The End Of Judgement And Day ~ Review & Giveaway

Risen II : The Progeny ~ Tour Review ~ I loved every drop!

For More Information

The Morrigan: Damaged Deities #1 ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

Teaser Tuesdays #107 ~ Southern Heat by David Burnsworth

Monday Minis Reviews #38 ~ Trailer ~ They want inside!

What’s New On My Bookshelf #102 and The Sunday Post

Darkness Calling ~ Author Guest Post Plus A Giveaway and Free Book!

Too much of a good thing? Our Dried Voices by Greg Hickey ~ Tour Review

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE