Author Archive

Michael West
Featured Book Release:
Hades’ Disciples
July 7 to 13 , 2014

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I had to be a part of this tour!

I’d already read Poseidon’s Children and loved it, so I was thrilled to get a chance to showcase Michael West’s series and review the first two books for ya!

Come meet the cast, human and monster. Follow the mystery. Enter the world of The Legacy of the Gods!

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MY REVIEW

I’m trying to think of one thing the author did wrong with this book, and can’t come up with anything.

The setting is great. The island of Colonial Bay reminds me of the movie The Fog. The locals are close-mouthed and secretive. Being isolated from the mainland, life is very different.

The creatures. Michael got very creative. I watched the movie Dagon, and drew from that to picture these fearsome beings. Even the ones that weren’t trying to kill people must have been terrifying to behold. I also remembered some of the characters from Pirates of the Caribbean and came up with some nasty critters.

The characters. So many of them, and that’s a plus for me. I love character driven stories, and the humans aren’t the only ones I connected with.

Artist Larry and his girlfriend Peggy. On the island for a vacation, Larry is awakened by a bad dream and gets up to get a drink. Glancing out the window, he sees something off the beach. A girl is being attacked by a shark near the shoreline. But then he’s not so sure it’s a shark. Something doesn’t look right.

Carol always new Atlantis was real. Now she’s discovered it. When things start pointing to Colonial Bay, her and Alan go to investigate. What they find is beyond belief. But, once they’re drawn into the middle of an ancient myth, when the beings of nightmares attack, they’ll have to believe if they want to survive.

With action and adventure, monsters, characters to love and loathe, and mysteries from the deep, Poseidon’s Children is a blast and I’m anxious to get started on Hades’ Desciples, the next book in this series.

I’m thrilled to give this 5 STARS

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Synopsis

Man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change. After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current-high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead. And that’s just the beginning. Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes….at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse. Now, to stop the carnage, Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths.

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MY REVIEW

This is the second book in this series. Just wanted to warn you if you haven’t read Poseidon’s Children yet. I’ll do my best not to spoil it for you.

The story picks up around two years after Colonial Bay and, while some of my favorite characters aren’t in this story, some are.

Carol and Alan are now living in Japan and settling in nicely when someone from Carol’s past comes calling. Kari is a very close friend from back in her college days. She’s asking for their help in finding her father. He disappeared after heading off to Nepal to find what he believes is the Ark. Not that he thinks it’s Noah’s Ark.

The decision is made for them when a rampaging tiger crashes into their home, bent on obliterating them. Carol and Kari manage to take it out and Alan reluctantly joins them as they prepare to scale the frozen mountain of Makalu, the location of the Ark. Also a place of hidden danger and myth. Even the Sherpa won’t guide anyone up there. Local superstition says it belongs to the Yeti.

Earl, now working for Homeland Security, is back and has a bigger role this time. He barely survives an attack by Hades Desciples. They want the old Gods back. Seems they forgot the bit about being slaves to them. Earl forms an alliance with the creatures that rescued him and they rush to protect his partner, laid up in a hospital.

This second book delves deeper into the history of these creatures. I learned more about how they came to be here and why.

There are three clans.

Poseidon’s Children are water based. They take on the aspect of creatures from the deep.

Zeus’ Warriors are human in appearance.

Hades’ Desciples are beasts of all kinds. Some of nature and some of fantasy.

All were created by someone or something for a reason that will be revealed.

Werewolves, bats, yeti, satyrs, and many more monsters will keep your hair standing on end.

Three clans.

Three agendas

One final outcome.

And one heck of a cliffhanger ending!

Just thought I’d warn ya.

Zeus’ Warriors: Book Three in The Legacy of the Gods Series is coming soon and I’ll be there!

If you love monsters, myths and urban fantasy, you’ll love this series and I recommend you give it a go.

5 STARS

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Synopsis

Terrifying creatures exist all around us, hiding in plain sight. Ancient. Deadly. They gather in secret, conspiring, dreaming of nothing less than humanity’s destruction, and their numbers are growing.

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Earl Preston knows the danger all too well. After tangling with a horde of mythological sea monsters in Colonial Bay, he has been tasked with finding these beasts and exposing their plans whatever they may be.

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But Earl is not the only one with a mystery on their hands. At the very top of the world, Carol Miyagi has stumbled onto an artifact from Earth’s past, something magnificent held captive in a prison of ice and snow. Now, Carol and Earl must work quickly to decipher the will of the gods–a plot that defies imagination–and to stop their followers from carrying it out.

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They thought the nightmare was over, but they are about to discover that the horror has only just begun.

Amazon Links for Hades’ Disciples

Print Version ~ Kindle Version

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About Author Michael West:

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Michael West is the bestselling author of Cinema of Shadows, Skull Full of Kisses, The Wide Game, Spook House, and the critically acclaimed Legacy of the Gods series. He lives and works in the Indianapolis area with his wife, their two children, their turtle, Gamera, and their dog, King Seesar.

West avoids manhole covers and sidewalk grates whenever possible. He just doesn’t know what’s down there, and he’s not sure he wants to find out.

Author Links: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook

Tour Schedule and Activities
7/7 Shells Interviews Guest Post
7/7 Come Selahway With Me Interview
7/7 Beauty in Ruins Guest Post
7/7 Fuonlyknew ~ Laura’s ramblins and reviews Review
7/8 Deal Sharing Aunt Top Tens List
7/8 Jess Resides Here Top Tens List
7/8 I Smell Sheep Guest Post
7/9 SpecMusicMuse Interview
7/10 Coffintree Hill Guest Post
7/10 Armand Rosamilia, Horror Author Guest Post
7/11 Bee’s Knees Reviews Review
7/12 A Haunted Head Top Tens List
7/12 Willow’s Author Love Interview
7/13 The Rage Circus Vs. The Soulless Void Review

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

 

I am so excited to share the new cover in Amy Evan’s series, The Dolphin Prophecy!!! And we have an awesome excerpt and giveaway!!

Title: Breaks (Book 3 in The Dolphin Prophecy)

Author: Amy Evans

Cover Designer – Regina Wamba

Release Date – expected Sept. 9, 2014

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Synopsis:

When the CLICKS and ECHOES have all been ignored, and the universe can take it no more, the pressure builds below the surface until everything breaks.

 

Cami’s invitation to the elite Australian Surf Carnival is a dream come true, but it’s causing tension with Blake, her parents, and her community. Her relationships feel as broken and unsteady as their island home where the pin swims below the water’s surface, symbolizing a total lack of safety and balance. The Elders in The Guard fear for their new generation, so they send Mica and the other twins away with Cami. It maybe for everyone’s protection, but Cami’s angry to not get to break away on her own.

 

On the other side of the ocean, they stay with the fifth set of twins who moved away when they were little, and learn more about the mysteries surrounding their ancestors and previous island homes. When the threats that they faced on Pinhold follow, Cami must trust her instincts to get the secrets from her past and present that are needed to protect her future. If she fails, the breaks will keep getting worse until everywhere on Earth is damaged in a way that can never be reversed.

 

BREAKS is the third book in The Dolphin Prophecy series. CLICKS is available for free and ECHOES is brand new and on sale for 99 cents for a very short time.

 

Exclusive Excerpt:

Sailors call them breaks, those moments when races turn around, when a crazy gust of wind comes along and whip changes your course. Sometimes it’s for better, sometimes it’s for worse. But the only way to know is to race with the break and see where it goes.

This letter was my break. It was the one opportunity is always wanted, my best chance to test myself, to do something on my own. I’d worked my tail off for this and the note offered it right up to me exactly as I’d hoped. A competition spot in the Elite International Surf Carnival on the Gold Coast of Australia. This was my dream come true. And the perfect break exactly when I needed one.

But as I looked around the room I knew. I just knew. From the looks on their faces I could tell they weren’t going to let me go.

Just then Blake pushed open the door with a happy energy I hadn’t seen in weeks. He held a paper in his palm as well. That made sense considering mail only got to us once a week at most right now. But the coincidence put a bad lump in my throat. From across the room I recognized the seal of the National Swim Team and knew it was a tryout invitation. From the look on his face I knew he was going to get to go.

And in that moment I hated him for it. Blake would get a break he never even wanted. While I had to put aside my dream for a stupid prophecy that just had to go ahead and come true.
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About Amy Evans

Amy Evans is the author of CLICKS – book one of The Dolphin Prophecy, nominated for best debut and best sci fi cover at the UtopYA awards.

ECHOES, book two of The Dolphin Prophecy, is7/7/14.!

www.amyevansbooks.com

Facebook * Twitter * Google+ * Tumblr * Email for ARCS

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 Print Copies of Clicks and Echoes

and

Tons of swag from UTOPYA2014

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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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!

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Every now and then I need some romance. Good clean romance. And, hopefully, a happy ever after.

Check out Anna Sugden’s Super Romance, A Perfect Trade.

Below you’ll find a link to read the entire first chapter by following the tour stops.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

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A PERFECT TRADE

by Anna Sugden

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BLURB:

A win-win negotiation?

Truman “Tru” Jelinek’s life is pretty much off the rails. With his professional hockey career on thin ice, and his personal life falling apart, he’s ready to implement some serious changes. Helping Jenny Martin—the only girl he’s ever loved—make her dreams a reality is a good place to start.

There’s just one problem: Jenny doesn’t want his help. She barely wants to speak to him. But Tru is prepared to negotiate a deal that even Jenny can’t refuse. As trading favors turns into sharing passion, he has to face the truth that when it comes to Jenny, the game is far from over.

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EXCERPT:

Excerpt 14 – To read the entire first chapter, please visit http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/book-blast-perfect-trade-by-anna-sugden.html and visit each blog in order.

 

“I hoped I was wrong.” Her voice hardened. “You’re still in love with someone else.”

“What?” He blinked, surprised. “Who?”

Even as he asked the question, an image of Jenny flashed into his brain. Her shiny, straight blond hair falling past her shoulders to rest against the scooped neckline of her black top. Faded black jeans that clung lovingly to every inch of her knockout legs and black, spiked-heel boots with buckles and studs that could make grown men whimper. Fire shot through his veins.

He tamped down the unwanted desire and scrambled to cover his ass. “I’m not in love with anyone.”

“Come on, Tru. Don’t try to tell me there isn’t unfinished business between you and Jenny.” Her lip curled.

His short laugh was humorless. “What there was between us has been finished for over a decade.” How could it not be, after what he’d done? “We’ve both moved on.”

“Have you?” Her question rang with disbelief.

Jenny sure as hell had. He’d been reminded of that every damn time she’d left the arena with her player of choice. It had taken a while, but he’d moved on, too, even if he’d never learned to ignore her fully.

“There’s nothing left between me and Jenny.” His tone was flat, uncompromising.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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Harlequin SuperRomance author, Anna Sugden, loves reading and writing happy endings as much as hockey! When not reading or watching hockey, she loves football, good food & wine, making simple cross-stitch projects, and collecting memorabilia, penguins and fab shoes!

 

A former marketing executive and primary teacher, Anna lives in Cambridge, England, with her husband and two bossy black cats. Learn more about Anna, her heart-warming romances and her shoes at http://www.annasugden.com . You can also follow her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/annasugden.romanceauthor) , Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/annasugden) Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/annasugden) and on the Romance Bandits blog (http://www.romancebandits.com)

Buy Links:

A Perfect Trade:

Amazon ~ Barnes&Noble ~ iBooks ~ The Book Depository

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Anna will award a $15 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter, as well as 3 signed copies of A Perfect Trade, 3 exclusive A Perfect Trade notebooks and 4 exclusive A Perfect Trade key rings to other randomly drawn winners (international giveaway).

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Follow the tour for more fun posts and remember to comment. The more you comment the more chances to win!

Follow the tour by clicking on the banner below.

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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!

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This is my own version of a weekly bookhaul post where I’ll be telling you about all of the books I got this week plus all things new on fuonlyknew.

A got a few books this week, some free, some for review, and some I purchased just for my reading pleasure.

I also post reviews on another blog, A Knife And A Quill. It’s all about horror.

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Here’s some I picked up to review on both blogs. Double exposure!

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Some I grabbed just for fun.

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Went by my favorite local bookstore and got these goodies!

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And I had the series except for this one. Now I can get reading!

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Got some freebies for ya!

Click on the covers to get yours. Remember to check the price. Were free at time of posting.

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And a few more! Tried to find something for everyone.

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You can also find more free books HERE.

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Books for review.

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Books I won.

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I won Circle of Dishonor by Carla Swafford from a giveaway on Sherry’s blog fundinmental. Thanks Sherry and Carla!

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Books I reviewed this week. Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

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Books I’ll be reviewing next week.

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You can read my reviews on Monday, July 7th.

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Just Short Of Paradise is a very short story. Click on the cover to read it free!

You can read my reviews on my Monday Minis Reviews on July 7th.

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You can read my review on Tuesday, July 8th.

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You can read my review and enter the giveaway on Wednesday, July 9th.

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Other posts this week.

Announcing some winners!

Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Descend by Skye Malone

Then Came You by Jill Shalvis ~ Check out the Release Week Blitz and Giveaway

Book Blast and Giveaway ~ Promordial Dust by Sarah Daltry

Teaser Tuesdays #72 ~ Daughter Of Nothing by Eric Edstrom

Betrayed: A Rockfort Security Novel by Rebecca York ~ Release Week Blitz and Giveaway

A thrilling dystopian series ~ Carrier by Anne Tibbets ~ Blog Tour and Giveaway

A New Adult Dieselpunk Romance ~ Storms of Lazarus by Karen Kincy ~ Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Progeny of Time #1 ~ The Grower’s Gift by Vanna Smythe ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

Only a little late! Monday Minis Reviews #27 ~ Two collections of scary goodness!

Thursday Theatre #25 ~ Dracula Untold and The Omega Project

For our veterans ~ Love, Honor & Hope ~ Book Blast and Giveaway

A trip fantastic ~ Reviewing these three short stories

The Friday 56 #26 ~ Wherewolves ~ No, I didn’t spell it wrong!

Friday Cover Reveal and Giveaway ~ Avian: The Dragonrider Chronicles, Book Two

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Go HERE to find all of my giveaways. Enter one or enter all of them!

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So, what did you get this week? See something you like? Do you have any of these or any suggestions? Leave me a comment and let me know.

 Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

M9B-Friday-Reveal

Welcome to the Cover Reveal for

Avian (The Dragonrider Chronicles #2)

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by Nicole Conway

presented by Month9Books!

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

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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.

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Title: Avian (The Dragonrider Chronicles #2)
Publication date: August 26, 2014
Publisher: Month9Books, LLC.
Author: Nicole Conway

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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.

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook

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Chapter-by-Chapter-header---Giveaway

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A $10 Amazon Gift Card and an eBook copy of Avuan

Click on the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!

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(Winners will receive their book on release day)

 

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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!

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The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

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

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They touch one another – perhaps unwittingly; a rub of the inner thigh here, a hand down a back there. Doris’s leg grazes his … and it feels quite calming. Maybe O’Sullivan is right. Maybe this weekend will change me … us.

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Wherewolves

 by John Vamvas and Olga Montes

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Synopsis

Using a fun, explosive style, full of new slang and fresh dialogue, WHEREWOLVES is the story of a group of high school seniors, most “military brats”, who are headed for an army-type survival weekend.

The underdogs, Jeffrey and Doris, do not want to go as they fear for their safety among the disdain and cruelty of the popular students. Sergeant Tim O’Sullivan, their teacher, as well as their dysfunctional parents pressure them into going, but it is an unforgivable act by their peers that propels the pair to go. Likewise, Elie, a student resented because of his Arab roots, is even more determined to prove himself this weekend. In the background, a news report cautions of a wanted couple with alleged super-human strength supposedly brought on by a new drug on the streets.

In the woods, the students hike, hunt, camp, and soon act in unity as the forest brings them closer together. But does it? O’Sullivan leaves them alone for the night. The students bond, chant, tell campfire tales, and quickly lose their fears and inhibitions. HOO-AH! Though sexual tensions are high, it soon turns to violence and everything quickly turns sour.

When the kids start disappearing one after the other, the remaining begin to unwittingly “act like the natives” carving spears, ready to face whatever is out there. What has gotten into them?

Amid the blood-curdling growls and the gruesome deaths, the story’s underlying layers are revealed. We see how misconceptions, prejudice, greed, fear, and hatred bring out the worst and best in them.

What is out there? Can it really be werewolves?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

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You are now entering the…..

Just kidding. But I do have three very different short stories for you.

Take a gander!

The Dead of Penderghast Manor

by Julianne Snow

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My Review

Zombies that don’t want to eat me? This I had to read.

Chester works at the family mortuary, preparing the recently deceased for their viewings. It should be easy. But these dead don’t hold still for embalming. They don’t lie still. They walk and talk.

He can’t have any disappearing so he has to handle them with care. This proves difficult when the local senior playboy wants to keep on being the ladies man, even after he’s dead.

Chester’s father doesn’t believe him when he tries to explain this, so he keeps it to himself and does the best he can.

Until a strange body arrives from the carnival. And has an even stranger request.

If you have a good imagination, you’ll be able to visual Chester’s struggles and have some good chuckles.

The zinger the author threw at me  with the carnival corpse was creative and gave the ending a boost.

A fun and creepy told you so.

If you’re looking for a humorous take on a new kind of zombie, I suggest you try this story.

3 STARS

Synopsis

What would you do if you knew the Dead could talk?

For Chester Penderghast, it’s not the easiest of questions to answer…

Ensconced in the basement of his family’s mortuary business is the last place he wants to be, but when the conversation starts flowing, Chester’s the only living person who can hear it. What do the Dead want, and why is he the only one who can hear them?

This is not your average zombie tale—the Dead don’t want to eat your brains, but they will chew your ear off!

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Kellie’s Diary

by

Thomas Jenner 

and

Angeline Perkins

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My Review

I like finding something different and that’s what I got in Kellie’s Diary.

What first surprised me was the way the story was told. Not just that it was presented in diary entries from a third grader. It was that it was in her printed words. It read slowly at first until I got used to the way she printed her letters, then it took off and I read it in about 20 minutes.

The ending is rather abrupt, but knowing this is told in parts, I expected that. It’s going to be fun reading more of this series.

You follow Kellie as she’s trapped in the school bathroom when the zombies attack. And follow her through her diary entries as she struggles to get home.

The author did an excellent job of expressing the thoughts of a young girl. It never felt like an adult trying to write as Kellie. It rang true.

I’m anxious to find out if Kellie finds her family? If she finds anyone, so she won’t be all alone.

3 STARS

Synopsis

A series of diary entries through the eyes of a little girl as she tries to survive the end of the world.

What if the early 1990’s didn’t happen as we remember it? What kind of world would we live in today?

This story is told from the viewpoint of 9-year-old Kellie, a typical third-grade girl living her life as anyone else would, and she shares her daily activities with her diary. When the world crumbles and the dead walk, Kellie struggles to survive and find her way home, all the while sharing her tale with her diary.

This is an account of our hypothetical past, present and future.

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It Came From Hell And Smashed The Angels

by Gregor Xane

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My Review

Ben used to be somebody. Now he lives in a rundown trailer, at the beck and call of a senior couple.

One night, he snaps. He hops on his treasured motorcycle and heads off into the night with no plans of returning. Just hits the open road.

When he spots a fire up ahead he slows and stops to investigate. Lying next to a huge hole in the ground is the mangled body of a woman. She was thrown from her car in the accident and before she dies, claims a huge creature attacked her car.

Ben hops on his bike and heads to the local watering hole to call for help. What happens next is out of this world.

I kept hearing the theme to Twilight Zone as I read this story. It had a dark, surreal feel to it.

Bizarre and a bit disjointed but I liked the idea.

3 STARS

Synopsis

Thanks to his big ugly mug, Ben Coburn always played the heavy in Hollywood. Yeah, his name was in the credits of a bunch of low-budget B-movie horror shows, but at least he could say he was in the movies.

That was a long time ago.

Now Ben sits alone in a trailer park listening to an old married couple across the way argue about money, just nursing a beer, waiting for something to happen.

But nothing ever happens. That pisses him off.

No, Big Ben Coburn isn’t going to wait around anymore. He jumps on his motorcycle and tears off into the night.

Intent on escaping into a new life, he races past a field of scarecrows, barreling headlong down the highway toward a blazing inferno and a bottomless pit.

This short story is FREE to download from the following locations:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (Canada) | Amazon (UK)
Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple iBook | PayHip (Mobi & ePub)

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Reading anything scary lately? Got some recommendations? Let me know!

And thanks for visiting fuonlyknew!

 

8 Authors. 8 Labors of Love. One Fantastic Cause.

Publication Date: June 24, 2014 

Genre: Romance Anthology

 

Find out more at:

E-BookBuilders

The Authors and their Stories

Jennifer Theriot, Out of the Box Awakening

Swept from her perfect paper-doll life in Houston, Olivia finds herself in Chicago, alone, betrayed, and far from home. Ash is the man who has everything—everything except healing from the losses of a lifetime. What happens when the married woman and the sexy handsome widower are thrown together by fate?

Aubree Lane, Early One Morning

Stuck in San Diego, dealing with unreasonable clients and babysitting Marissa’s kids, a jealous Annie Harper catches the red-eye out of LAX wanting to intercept Terence and foil her best friend’s plans. This envious act uncovers a scandalous affair, and in that one pivotal moment, none of their lives would ever be the same.

 

Jennifer Yarbrough, Lost and Found 

A tragic accident changes Olivia Porter’s life in ways no woman should experience. With the help of a friend she tries to pick up the pieces and suddenly Cash Kingston appears giving her one more chance at happiness…will she take the chance or keep hiding from pain?

Diane Rinella, Scary Modsters 

While under the influence of insomnia-impaired judgment, Rosalyn summons Rock ‘n Roll deity Peter Lane back from the dead. Not only does he spin her hormones into a frenzy, Peter is also the precarious puzzle piece that brings sense into her world. When Niles learns that he can overcome his life-long challenge by helping Peter avenge his death, how far will he go to secure Rosalyn’s heart?

Kelly Cozzone,  Tropical Dreams 

Tropical Dreams is a tale of love, murder and conspiracy. Can Tiana Alexander overcome her past to learn to love again? Can David Murphy let go of the demons who haunt him. Can they face the future together or will life finally take its toll and their lives?

 

 

Linda Lee Williams, Sisters of the Night

Can there be a happily ever after for Emaline Hoffbrau, Juliana Slater and Gretchen Eberhardt, three modern-day vampire women?

 

Cherime MacFarlane, Heart of the Hunter

Leda is a teacher just out of school, who has not had time for love. Jay takes her by surprise, a soft spoken slightly broken man who lives with only his dog, for company. Leda sees something in Jay she needs to pursue. She should stay away from Jay. But can she? Who is the hunter and who is the hunted?

Sammie J, Piece of Heaven

Aaron Calnan has seen enough of the horrors of war. Now, Aaron finds himself immersed in a world where humans work within the realms of the paranormal, where Werewolves and Vampires become friends and Fae like to kick your ass. One encounter changes everything and Aaron finds his life turned upside down. Will he finally find his own piece of heaven?

 

Find this amazing anthology on Amazon and Barnes&Noble!

*All proceeds will benefit The United States War Veteran’s PTSD Foundation*

 

Giveaway!

 

A $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

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A $25 Book Depository Shopping Spree

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

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Ends July 10th

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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!

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Welcome to my Thursday Theatre!

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Grab your popcorn and have a seat.

It’s time for the show!

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Have you seen the clip for the new Dracula Untold movie? This is going to be epic. I can’t wait!

And I’m so excited about Steve Alten’s new book, The Omega Project.

He wrote the MEG series about Megalodons and I loved those books. And there’s going to be a movie. I’ll be sure to post the trailer for that when I can get my hands on it!

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So what are you wanting to go see? Got any good book or movie clips you’d like to share???

 

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Welcome to my Monday Minis.

For today I’ll be reviewing two books.

Up first:

At Least He’s Not On Fire

by Chris Philbrook 

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My Review

Inside these pages you’ll get some short stories and samples from some of the author’s books. This I particularly liked, because I got a feel for the writing and met some of the characters. And I also got a hint about the stories. Great tease by the author and he hooked me.

All In is wicked fun.

Do you think you can bluff the devil? Do you have a better poker face?

Wally’s about to find out.

Wally isn’t lucky. He’s just lost everything at the gaming tables. He sends out an invitation and the devil answers.

Now it’s poker with Nick and the stakes are high. And the devil’s in the details.

I could see the end coming but the author took me around the bend, giving me hope for Wally. The twist was all to his advantage, but I remembered Wally is greedy. That’s why he’s broke

**

Hell Hole

The sink hole was bad. Really bad. Sucking everything down into the collapsing Earth. But that’s not all you have to worry about. It’s what’s stirring down there in the deep abyss that you should really be worrying about.

Some people just never learn and we all pay the price.

When soldiers discover a temple in the jungle, why don’t they listen to the native’s warnings. With evidence showing what will happen, why would anyone open that hole?

Big hole, superstition, folklore, add fools, stir. Recipe for disaster.

Well, if someone didn’t we wouldn’t have this fun, creepy story. I love stories with creatures in them. The author gave me some really good ones and , from watching copious horror movies, It was easy to visualize the scenery and the monsters. I even put some actors faces to the characters.

**

The Vampire of Menlo Park

Very interesting premise. Imagine Thomas Edison was a vampire.

This was fun.

Poor Geoffrey had no idea what he was getting into when he went to work for Mr. Edison.

He did know he was uneasy. Why did Edison never come out in daylight? Why were the previous interns never seen again? Why did he feel unsettled around Edison?

The fun begins when Geoffrey gets the answers to his questions.

The author threw me a curve ball with his ending. Honestly didn’t see it coming and that’s something I really enjoyed.

**

I’m especially interested in Tesser: A Dragon Among Us.

The story is partly told from Tesser’s(the dragon) POV and he’s just awakened from a very long sleep to find he’s living under Boston. Mankind now rules Earth and he’s entering a world that no longer believes in dragon.

I liked how the plot was set up and ‘flew’ through this sample.

This I’ll be reading ASAP!

**

Then there are samplings from Dark Recollections and Wrath of the Orphans. I’m a huge fan of zombie and undead stories so these will be added to my summer reading list. When the undead attack the fighting and the group dynamics become the focal points and this is where these type of stories really shine for me.

From Adrian’s journal in Dark Recollections:

“State and local agencies are reporting widespread attacks on citizens across the region. authorities are advising people to stay inside, lock their doors, bar their windows and only open doors for known friends and family who respond intelligently”

Figures they wouldn’t say the words, “beware of zombies.”

From Wrath of the Orphans:

Twins Malwynn and Umaryn might have been good once.

Now they’ve sworn an oath and now they’ll have their pound of flesh.

I was pulled right into this one.

The world of Elmoryn is fascinating and there are many characters to love and hate.

The beginning is a bit slow as the author builds his world. I didn’t mind this as I wanted to get a real feel for the story.

Once the world is revealed and the plot begins, it’s a rush of action and vengeance. This is a very dark story indeed.

Loving character driven stories, I quickly became fond of  Malwynn and Umaryn. I felt for their loss, raged alongside them and understood the actions they took.

This could become an epic fantasy.

I enjoyed all of these. While trying not to play favorites, I’ll add that I am partial to dragons.

If you’re looking for some new adventures and enjoy a few quick reads to entertain you, I’d highly recommend you try this collection. There’s something for everyone.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

I’m an odd dude. But I write some decent stuff, and here’s my way of sharing my odd dude thoughts. I’m the author of three ‘major’ series; Adrian’s Undead Diary, Elmoryn’s The Kinless Trilogy, and the Reemergence Novels, the first of which is Tesser: A Dragon Among Us. To help folks get a taste of my writing, I’ve put At Least He’s Not On Fire together. Inside this wonderful electronic tome of my words, you’ll find a healthy sized sampler of each of my major works, as well as several short stories that are mixed in for your entertainment. All in, Hell Hole, and The Vampire of Menlo Park are all great fun, and I hope you enjoy them.Dark Recollections: Book One of Adrian’s Undead Diary

Beheading a zombie isn’t easy in a world where you’re more afraid of the living than the dead.

Adrian Ring’s simple life is thrown into chaos when the world is ripped apart by a plague of undead and legions of desperate survivors. Retreating to Auburn Lake Preparatory Academy, Adrian attempts to rescue friends and family on the way while dancing around his impending insanity over who and what he left behind, and evading maniac survivors. He saves his cat Otis, but shoots his mom. Pretty successful, all things considered.

Dark Recollections is the first part of Adrian’s own story of how he survived after “That Day.” Told through his eyes as he talks to his laptop, affectionately named ‘Mr. Journal,” and through short stories that entwine with his tales that bring forth dark visions of a world being eaten alive by an unimaginable evil. Adrian’s Undead Diary is an eight part epic about a solitary, guilt stricken man that didn’t think he deserved to live, but realizes very soon that he survived, and suffered for a reason.

The Wrath of the Orphans: Book One of The Kinless Trilogy
Malwynn and his twin sister Umaryn live in a small town in northern Varrland. In idyllic New Picknell nearly nothing happens, and when their day to day routine is interrupted by a skirmish between an invading patrol of the dead from The Amaranth Empire and a defending force from Varrland, their world begins to come undone.

With international war looming on the horizon New Picknell becomes the center of quite unwanted attention, and the twins have their world shattered. With nothing left to lose, they set out on a mission of vengeance that will take them to places they’d never dreamed of visiting, discovering mystical powers in The Way that will change their lives forever, and revealing dark knowledges best left undiscovered.

Tesser: A Dragon Among Us A Novel of the Reemergence
Imagine for a moment that you are a Dragon. A creature of unimaginable power, unending intelligence and strength, and you’ve just woken from ten thousand years of slumber. Worse yet, you’ve awoken underneath a city; Boston, an alien and strange place that defies everything you’ve ever known.

Your last memories were of primordial forests, erupting volcanoes sculpting a developing world, faeries, witches, vampires, krakens, and monsters that feared where you turned your eyes.

But all that is gone. Humans, only barely coming into their own in the world from your memory, have taken over. They have erected cities made of stone and steel erupting from the earth like stalagmites reaching for the high blue sky, and developed sciences that have overshadowed even the glory of old magic.

This was not the way it was supposed to be.

Meet Tesser, the Dragon. He who walks in any form, and flies the skies free of fear.

A Dragon Among Us is Tesser’s story. Walk with him as he learns the human way, and discovers the dark truth about why magic has really faded from the world he calls home.

And just maybe, humanity will remember why dragons were most noble, and most savage creatures again.

Welcome to The Reemergence.

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And now for:

Never Sleep Again

by Steven and Ruth Watson-Morris

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MY REVIEW

DEATH

“Maureen had a secret. Not only was she an odd sort of girl, she saw dead people and animals.

Sunday night she would sit in her flat, invite people that would never come, then play quietly on the Ouija board on her own. Nothing ever came of it, until one night the board spelled out, ‘knock, knock.”

I felt for Maureen. She’s lonely, with no friends after moving to a new city.  I could see why she might anser the board.

Myself, I won’t have one in my house, let alone dare to play with it. I have a healthy fear of what I cannot see.

A very quick read with a fun ending.

THE THIEF

Lucy is quite good in her role as a thief. Afterall, she was trained by the best.

I don’t know if I’d chosen an abandoned, haunted mansion as a place to hide my stolen bootie though.

When I read that Lucy hadn’t seen any ghosts, I knew she soon would.

After a friend turned her in, Lucy rushes to the mansion, and finds all her stolen goods gone. They do reappear, just not how she imagined.

This was a very short story. I liked Lucy and wished it were longer.

THE OLD CURIOUSITY SHOP

I would love to read a full length novel about this one.

Imagine a strange shop of curiosities. The doors open at midnight and people dressed in black hoods came and went. That was my first pique of curiosity.

When it’s rumored the shopkeeper has died, poor seventeen year old funeral assistant, Fred, sees his chance to get a peek inside the shop.

I knew Fred shouldn’t have stepped over that threshold. What happens is no big surprise. I did like the reason the author gave for why Fred couldn’t leave.

Just goes to show, you can’t ever really know anyone, including your own family.

THE BOOGEYMAN

Before Harold died, he was a schoolmaster. He tried real hard to get the children to learn.

After his death, he wandered the halls of Warwick Castle, remaining hidden. But he grows tired of this, and believing no one can see him, he starts to wander among the tourists. It’s not long before he’s spotted.

This was a fun story and I liked reading how a mild man became the Boogeyman.

It really got interesting when Harold had his picture taken and is one of my favorites in this collection.

While I’d love to tell you something about all 13 of these stories, it would make for a very long review.

I’d recommend you get your copy, turn out all the lights but one for reading, hug a pillow, and enjoy these scary good stories.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Novella of short stories that your nightmares are made of, hauntings, murders, witchcraft all packed into one little book! But beware you may never sleep again!

When the moon has entered its second phase,
and ghosts and ghouls come out to play.
Where is the man who hides under your bed?
He’s hiding under the stairs instead!

This book is for those who like to read short to the point stories, there is a collection of 13 in this small book.
Enjoy!

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!