Author Archive

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Enchanter (Giver of Life #1)

by Kristy Centeno

YA Romance

Category: Adventure

Publisher: Lazy Day Publisher

Release Date: January 23, 2013

Heat Level: Sweet

Length: 164 pages

Buy Links

Amazon

ARe

B&N

Blurb

Leah Parker is furious when she finds out she’s been paired up for a class project with deadly silent, tough as nails, and incredibly intimidating Brandon Morris. Though she’s known him for years, Leah has made it a priority to stay away from him for a reason. As they are forced to spend time together however, Leah comes to find that there is more to Brandon than what meets the eye.

When a series of unexpected events forces Brandon to reveal his true identity, Leah suddenly finds herself fighting to come to terms with who he is and with the fact that by fulfilling his destiny she will come to lose the only guy she’s ever loved. As a family secret is unveiled and old threats possess new risks, they both have to find the strength to do what is expected of them. Even if that means losing each other in the process.

Love brought them together. His bloodline threatens to pull them apart. Will Brandon choose duty over love? Or will other forces far beyond their control separate them first?

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Excerpt

Brandon tore his lips away from mine so he could explore my neck, nipping and nibbling as he traveled the length of it. Deliberately, gently, passionately, he kissed a path down my skin and paused only when he reached my naked shoulder. “So soft,” he murmured, the hoarseness of his voice forcing my body to break out in goose bumps.

My fingers intertwined in his hair, forcing the long locks out of the black bow keeping it neatly tied at the nape of his neck. As soon as it came loose, his dark hair cascaded around his face like a curtain, making him look like some exotic creature of the night.

“Brandon…” I glanced up at his pale blue eyes, admiring the beauty of them. “Kiss me… please.”

He immediately obliged, devouring my lips with so much intensity it caused my knees to wobble. Heat, fast and powerful, spread through my body in rapid sequences as our tongues playfully toyed with each other and our bodies touched. I moaned when the feel of his strong, hard, and warm body pressed against mine. I did enjoy his masculinity and how wonderful it felt to have his hands massaging my back.

Feeling the need to explore, I untangled my fingers from his long mane and slowly allowed my hands to glide down his neck, and to his upper torso where they paused just over his pectorals. The tips of my fingers slowly slithered over his hard-as-steel chest and there they lingered for a while, exploring, touching, and feeling. Ever so slightly, they lowered to his abs, which despite the jacket and white shirt, I detected to be just as defined as the rest of him.

My greedy fingers worked their magic over Brandon, who immediately groaned and pulled away from me. His breath was ragged, his eyes filled with lust, his body language tense.

“Leah… I…”

A movement over his left shoulder caught my attention and I no longer focused on him or on what he was saying.

“Brandon, I don’t think we’re alone anymore,” I murmured as another flash of whiteness rushed from one side to the other, some ten to fifteen feet from us. It was too dark for me to determine who it was, but I was certain of one thing: we were being watched.

March 20, 2013
Aspired Writer (Review)
I Heart Romance (Review)
Margay Leah
Justice
(Review)
My Seryniti
Once Upon A Book
paranormal book club
Proserpine Craving Books
The Broke Book
Bank

The Stuff of Success
YA Novel Reader

March 21, 2013
Andi’s Young Adult Books
Brianna’s YA Bookshelf
Bunny’s Review
Full Moon Bites
fuonlyknew
House Millar
In This World of
Books..

Keeping Up With
The Rheinlander’s

Lindsay’s Scribblings (Review)
Musings of a Writing
Reader

Mythical
Books
(Review)
Sweet n’ Sassi (Review)
The YA Cafe
Wicked Readings
By Tawania

About the Author

kcenteno-authorphoto enchanter

As a child, I used to lose myself in an imaginary world by the means of a good book. Now that I’m all grown up, I get to create my own fictional realms and make them come to life in ways that most readers might not expect.

I’ve always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options I realized that writing was what I loved the most so when I found myself with some free time on my hands, I decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, my very active imagination helped me achieve my goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.

As I keep moving along in achieving my dreams of becoming a published author, I divide my time in between my four children and my very understanding husband.

Connect with Kristy Centeno

http://www.kristycenteno.com

http://www.booksbycenteno.com

http://www.facebook.com/KristyCenteno

http://www.twitter.com/KrissyGirl122

http://www.goodreads.com/KristyCenteno

This is so exciting I just had to tell you about it!

In the Winds of Danger is free to download from Amazon  Thursday,March 21st and Friday, March 22nd!

Go here to get yours!

In the Winds of Danger (Flying Horse Books #2)

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This is a sequel to ON A WING AND A DARE, but it’s not necessary to read them in order.

Nineteen year old Nia is shocked when she is secretly offered the leadership of Third Barn. This new barn full of flying horses will need someone confident, experienced, and innovative, so why are both warring factions pursuing an untried girl? Suspicious that both sides want a puppet instead of a leader, Nia races to discover their secrets before making the biggest decision of her life.

Some of those secrets are unknowingly buried in the disconnected memories of a young groom named Owain. Terror and guilt haunt Owain’s dreams – and then a face from his nightmare arrives in High Meadow. Owain looks for answers in his past and uncovers a dangerous plot that could doom High Meadow’s future. How can he foil the plot and save his people as well as the winged horses?

So what do you think? Want to ride a winged horse? I do!!

I’ve just recently started reading On a Wing and a Dare

Book #1 in this series.

On a Wing and a Dare

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In Tremeirchson, a barn leader’s children are expected to follow their parents into the sky, becoming riders of the magnificent winged horses that are the medieval Welsh village’s legacy. Neither Emma nor Davyd, however, want to follow that tradition.

Sixteen-year-old Emma risks losing her family by following her heart. Eager to take her place in the air, she longs to ride a forbidden winged colt born in barn of her father’s biggest rival. She also dreams of the rival’s sons, not sure which she truly loves. Bold and exciting, Evan will someday lead his father’s barn. Davyd is quieter, more dependable, with an ability to get things done. Her father disapproves of both boys and pushes her toward an ambitious newcomer. He also insists she ride the colt he’s picked for her.

Davyd, also sixteen, is plagued with a secret—he is afraid of heights. Refusing to become a rider means public humiliation, his parents’ disappointment, and lifelong ridicule from his brother, Evan. He reluctantly prepares to join his family aloft in the Aerial Games that provide the entire village with its livelihood and tries desperately to think of an alternative.

As Tremeirchson’s barns prepare for the Rider Ceremony, winged horses suddenly start dying. Shocked, the adults hesitate, mired in tradition and politics. Is it a disease or poison? Accidental or purposeful? Someone must discover the answer and act before all the winged horses in the world are gone forever.

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About the author

Linda Ulleseit

Linda Ulleseit was born and raised in Saratoga, California, and has taught elementary school in San Jose since 1996. She enjoys cooking, cross-stitching, reading, and spending time with her family.  Her favorite subject is writing, and her students get a lot of practice scribbling stories, essays, and reports.  Someday Linda hopes to see books written by former students alongside hers in bookstores.

Her first novel, ON A WING AND A DARE (2012) is a Young Adult fantasy set in medieval Wales, complete with flying horses, a love triangle, and treachery. The sequel, IN THE WINDS OF DANGER (2013) follows another set of characters as they discover past secrets that determine their future.

Here are links to learn more about Linda and all of her books.

Goodreads

Website

Linda’s Reading/Writing Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Don’t you just love this cover art! I just had to be a part of the Virtual Book Tour  when I spotted this.

Thanks to Reading Addiction Blog Tours!

Wait until you read the description and excerpt. I know it’ll grab your attention!

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Going Under by  S. Walden

New Adult

Date to be Published: March 19, 2013
Synopsis:
Brooke Wright has only two goals her senior year at Charity Run High School: stay out of trouble and learn to forgive herself for the past. Forgiveness proves elusive, and trouble finds her anyway when she discovers a secret club at school connected to the death of her best friend. She learns that swim team members participate in a “Fantasy Slut League,” scoring points for their sexual acts with unsuspecting girls.
Brooke, wracked with guilt over her friend’s death, decides to infiltrate the league by becoming one of the “unsuspecting girls,” and exact revenge on the boys who stole away her best friend. An unexpected romance complicates her plans, and her dogged pursuit of justice turns her reckless as she underestimates just how far the boys will go to keep their sex club a secret.
(This is a New Adult fiction book with mature themes.  It contains explicit language and descriptions of sexual violence.)
.
Excerpt

I left the bathroom in a hurry, turning the corner for the foyer and slamming into him. The force of the hit was so great that I stumbled backwards, nearly falling on my bottom if not for his outstretched hand. I grabbed it before going down and wobbled on my too-high heels, clutching him as I worked to regain my balance.

“God, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed.

I looked at his face then, unprepared to see something so beautiful. I think I gasped. And then I averted my eyes out of sheer embarrassment.

“I really should watch where I’m going,” he said.

He still held my hand, and I let him. I couldn’t remember who I was or where I was going. I couldn’t remember where I had just been. I only knew that a very cute boy . . . no, he was more than cute. He was gorgeous. This very gorgeous boy was holding my hand, and I had only one thought. I wanted to make our handholding more intimate. I wanted to lace my fingers with his.

“I think I should,” I mumbled.

I chanced another look at him. I made a conscientious effort not to gasp as I took in his light blue eyes. I’d never seen eyes that color. Jared Leto had nothing on this guy’s eyes, and Jared’s eyes were the color of the Mediterranean. No, the eyes I looked into now were so light blue they looked translucent. I thought if I stared a little longer I could see right inside his head, to his brain, and I don’t know why that turned me on so much. I wanted to witness the workings of his mind, the firing synapses, information traveling safely inside neurons to different parts of his body. A few made it to his hand, and they must have told him to keep holding mine because he didn’t let go.

I stared shamelessly, licking my lips at one point. He stared back just as boldly. I wanted him to like what he saw. I wanted him to think I was sexy. I wanted him to feel the same instant attraction I did. I’d never felt it before. Not really. Not even with Finn. It was unsettling, and I wondered how people functioned after being smacked upside the head with it. Instant. Physical. Chemical.

Primal.

Just rip my clothes off, I thought. Just rip my clothes off and do me right here in the hallway!

He smiled and released my hand. I thought he did it reluctantly, like his brain ordered him to and he finally acquiesced. I smiled back, a flirty grin. I pulled my ponytail forward over my shoulder and played with the strands. I bit my lower lip. And then reality came crashing down like a hailstorm, large lumps of ice banging my head and screaming at me in unison.

“YOU’RE AT A FUNERAL!”

I looked at the gorgeous guy, and my face went white.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

He stared at me for a moment before saying, “Are you okay?”

I shook my head and started towards the sanctuary doors. He followed behind.

“I’m awful, I’m awful, I’m awful,” I whispered over and over. I didn’t care if he could hear.

What the hell was I doing? Trying to flirt with a guy at my best friend’s funeral? How could I even forget for a second that I was at a funeral? I was supposed to be carrying around heavy, black sorrow to match my black dress and black heart, not batting lashes and fantasizing about sex with a stranger. Was I so ridiculous that a hot guy could make me forget to have any kind of decency? Or shame?

I rounded the corner and saw my mother waiting for me. And then I ran to her, threw myself into her arms, and burst into a fit of tears.

“Brooklyn,” she whispered, holding me in a tight hug. “It’s okay,” she cooed as she stroked my hair.

“I’m a terrible friend!” I wailed. I saw the fuzzy outline of a boy walking past us tentatively through the doors.

“No, you aren’t,” my mother replied.

“Yes, I am! I don’t even know why I’m here! Beth hated my guts! She wouldn’t talk to me all summer!”

“Brooke,” Mom said. “I want you to calm down. Now, we talked about this. You knew it would be hard, but she was your best friend for all those years. Do you think she wouldn’t have wanted you here?”

“No, I don’t!” I cried.

“Yes, she would,” Mom said. “Now we have to go in.”

“I can’t!”

“Brooke, Beth was your best friend,” Mom said, trying for patience.

“No she wasn’t! Not after what I did! I ruined everything! I’m a freaking slut!” I sobbed, shaking my head from side to side.

“Sweetheart, don’t say words like ‘freaking’ and ‘slut’ in a church,” Mom replied.

I only sobbed louder.

“You can do this,” Mom encouraged.

I stood my ground, shaking my head violently, refusing to go in.

“Brooklyn Wright!” Mom hissed, pushing me away and grabbing my upper arm. She squeezed too tightly, and I squeaked in discomfort. There was no more tenderness in her voice. “Get yourself together. This isn’t about you. So stop making it about you. You’re going into that sanctuary and you’re going to pay your respects to your friend, and you’re going to make it about Beth. Do you understand me?”

I swallowed hard and wiped my face.

“Do you understand me?” Mom repeated.

I nodded grudgingly, and she took my hand, leading me through the doors.

Visit all of the stops. All kinds of fun!

Virtual Book Tour Schedule March 19 -March 21
March 19th
PROMO Stops
1. Reading Addiction Blog Tours – Meet and Greet
18.
March 20th
Review Stops
March 21st
PROMO/Excerpts

S. Walden

Author Bio:
S. Walden used to teach English before making the best decision of her life by becoming a
full-time writer. She lives in Georgia with her very supportive husband who prefers physics
textbooks over fiction and has a difficult time understanding why her characters must have
personality flaws. She is wary of small children, so she has a Westie instead. Her dreams
include raising chickens and owning and operating a beachside inn on the Gulf Coast (chickens
included). When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about it.
She loves her fans and loves to hear from them. Email her at swaldenauthor@hotmail.com and
follow her blog at http://swaldenauthor.blogspot.com where you can get up-to-date information
on her current projects.

Welcome to my stop on the Book Blast Giveaway for H.J. Daly’s PULSE

A Young Adult Fantasy

Seeking adventure and magic with a futuristic edge?
Chat LIVE with young adult author HJ Daly
March 21, 10:30 am EST
Twitter: #Pulse
(easiest way to join the chat is with tweetchat.com)
~
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Esa is a street girl living in a post apocalyptic world. A world that left her with nothing except the physical and mental scars that drive her to the person she is becoming.

Whilst searching for shelter, she encounters a creature known as a spinner who pulls her onto a perilous path. Now with a horde of goblins close on their heels, they must work together and enter the magical realm in search of answers. Why can she sense magic and why is a powerful sorcerer determined to end her life?

An exciting story of power, friendship and secrets – secrets that threaten to rip Esa’s world apart.
Join the Adventure!
~
Buy the book at Amazon
~
Here’s your chance to win a copy of Pulse plus swag & a $35 Gift Card!
Check it out!
~
prizepack
~
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter to win!

A GWR Publicity promotional event paid for by Anchor Group Publishing. Giveaway is sponsored by the author.

About the author

HJAuthor pic

HJ has always loved books and read at every opportunity. At first reading with her own children and then at schools in a hope of capturing the hearts and minds of the young. Writing became a natural progression for her when her children attended full time education and she had a little free time. It wasn’t always about writing though, during her teens, HJ stepped up her Latin American dancing and travelled Europe competing.

Links:- http://redribbonwrites.blogspot.co.uk/  http://www.facebook.com/pages/HJ-Daly-Author/297742513610942?ref=hl  http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17210738-pulse  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIFYM5L6MUE  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pulse-ebook/dp/B00B9J7X0G/ref=sr_1_11?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1359996973&sr=1-11

WWW Wednesday #1

Posted: March 21, 2013 in Book Promos, Meme
Tags:

WWW Wednesday

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Hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

~

What are you currently reading?

Renegade (The Captive, #2)

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I loved Captured, the first book in this series, so much, I got out of bed, got on my computer and grabbed this as soon as I read the last word.

~

What did you recently finish reading?
The Vampire Hunter's Daughter:  Complete Collection (The Vampire Hunter's Daughter, #1-6)
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Writing my review as we speak. This was such an exciting read.
~
.
What do you think you’ll read next?
Frostwalker
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I’ve been waiting quite a while for Brandon’s full length novel, Frostwalker. I’m going to start reading this tonight.
So, whatcha reading?

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It’s that time again!

Time to announce the winners!

GRAVE BOUND

The winner of Grave Bound by T.R. Graves is:

Emily

~

EOTL eCOVER

And the winners of The End of the Line by Emma Meade are:

Emily G.

jaxgrampy

amra

Congratulations!

All winners have been notified.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.

I do love reading them and hope you continue to visit fuonlyknew!

Thanks so much to the authors for their wonderful books and for letting me host their giveaways.

*****For all of my giveaways go here*****

I’d love to keep telling ya’ll about some really great books.

Subscribe by email and lets talk!

Kat Fight Banner3

 Welcome to my stop on the Blog Tour and Giveaway for KAT FIGHT by Dina Silver.

I had so much fun with this book and can’t wait to tell you about it.

Don’t forget to enter the awesome Giveaway!

KatFight Amazon Smashwds GR cover

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Author Name: Dina Silver

Title: Kat Fight

Release date: August 1, 2012

 Publisher: Createspace

 Age Group: Adult

 Genre: Contemporary Romantic Comedy

 Tour organized by: AToMR Tours

 Links to find/buy your book:

Amazon

Kat Fight will be available at other retailers after March 24th.

 

Book Description:

 

Readers everywhere will revel in this sharp-witted, well-meaning whirlwind in author Dina Silver’s hilarious new novel, Kat Fight. In her quest for love, Kat makes every wrong turn, juggling two men, one best friend, and her own deeply confused heart’s desires.

Kat Porter is a consummate romantic, eager for her chance to find love and commitment. But after her boyfriend of four years, Marc, begins to grow apathetic and sends her calls straight to voicemail one too many times, Kat finally musters the courage to confront her so-called sweetheart, who seems more interested in dodging her than courting her. Though she’s no fan of ultimatums, Kat is at the end of her considerable wits, and lobs a massive one his way, completely confident that he’ll make the right decision when faced with losing her. He doesn’t.

With radio silence from Marc, Kat’s lifelong dream of finding a husband and forging a family is decidedly on the skids. That’s when her childhood friend Julie steps in, forcing Kat on a blind date to help her move beyond the break-up. Not only does Kat botch the setup, she instead finds herself in hot pursuit of Julie’s love interest, Ryan Sullivan. A man who, in addition to literally taking her breath away, is the living, breathing personification of everything Kat wants in a husband.

Can Kat connect with the man of her dreams without hurting two of the people she cares most about? At the same time, she must also contend with the quips of her beloved catty coworker Adam, her bi-polar boss Brooke, and a string of comic, unpredictable plot twists. All the while, Kat’s cheeky perspective and generous heart will leave readers adoring every moment of her journey while chuckling and cheering for the ever cute, razor-sharp Kat as she fights to land the love of a lifetime.

My Review

Kat’s tired of the waiting game, of the empty promises. Marc has done it again. No phone call and no show. When she tells him to lose her number and she never wants to see him again, I’m thinking, “Go girl!”

So now she’s alone, checking her phone constantly to see if Marc has called. He hasn’t She really needs to move on. Or so her friends tell her.

At least they are supportive and do their best to console her.

When a new man enters her life, the troubles begin. Her best friend, Julie, had first dibs, but Ryan is interested in her. She’s sneaking around with Ryan and it’s going to get back to Julie. Time to fess up.

This book is fun, fun, fun. I felt like I was on a laugh track, playing over and over. My sides hurt. I literally flew through this, the writing was so smooth. The only bumps were Kat’s, and there were plenty of those.

One of my favorite characters, besides Kat, is her BFF Adam. They are tight, like peas in a pod, with no worries of romantic tangles. He’s gay and very involved with her boss.

The interoffice antics of these two is hilarious and it just keeps getting better. I loved this text message between the two.

Kat: I look down as someone is texting me. It’s Adam.

Take a picture.

He texts.

Take a hike.

I respond

He’s watching you.

Adam informs me.

For real?

I ask.

Yes, quit slouching.

He orders.

I’m going to look at him.

I text back and sit straight.

I’m going to pretend I care.

Adam answers.

The text messages and conversations between these two were some of my favorite parts of the book.

Kat’s juggling too many secrets and when she fesses up to Ryan, he wants to step back, take a break.

Kat’s crushed and runs to Adam for a shoulder to cry on. His response:

“…Fine, but don’t pull your little ‘I’m too sad and rejected to call Adam’ routine like you did last night. I want details on this one. Train wrecks like this don’t happen everyday you know.”

She should have known he’d pull the tough love thing.

“Good Lord, you need a hobby.”

Kat’s not a quitter, she’s a fighter and she wants Ryan!

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“Gloves on, pride off.”

I started reading this at about 9 P.M. on a Friday night. I can stay up later reading then. I was so engrossed I had no idea what time it was when I turned out the light. Got up early Saturday, my favorite time for reading, made a cup of hot tea at 5;30 A.M. and started right back in. I had to keep heating up my tea because I forgot to drink it.

If this book was a television show, I’d tag it as a ‘sit’ com, but actually it had me almost rolling on the ‘floor.’ I kid you not.

Five Stars for Kat Fight!

Wicked funny and out and out delightful.

 

 Giveaway

(2) Print copies of KAT FIGHT – US/Canada only ~ Two e-books INT

To enter, click the rafflecopter link below

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Kat Fight Tour Schedule

About the author

5288391author pic kat fight

A graduate of Purdue University, Dina Silver has spent the past fifteen years feeding her red wine habit by working as a copywriter in the advertising industry. After seeing the bulk of her professional prose on brochures and direct-mail pieces, she is delighted to have made the transition to novelist. Her debut, One Pink Line, was chosen as a 2012 Top Title by IndieReader and was also a finalist in their 2012 Discovery Awards. Silver lives in Chicago with her husband and son.

Dina Silver |Facebook |Twitter |Pinterest

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

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 today is from Renegade

The Captive Series~Book 2

by Erica Stevens

Renegade (The Captive, #2)

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While he would like her punished for her treachery, would like her to suffer for what she had done to him, did he truly want her dead?

This is so good. Already went and grabbed the next book so I don’t have to wait!

How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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Welcome to my stop on the Sometimes Never Blog Tour organized by Good Choice Reading Promotions.
~

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Hope and Mason’s playlist:

Wondering by: Good Charlotte

Dark Side by: Kelly Clarkson

Animal by: Neon Trees

Amazing by: Aerosmith

How to Love by: Lil Wayne

Crash into Me by: The Dave Mathews Band

More than Words by: Extreme

Looks like Love by: Needtobreathe

When She Begins by: Social Distortion

The Only Exception by: Paramore

Love Like Woe by: The Ready Set

Lost In You by: Three Days Grace

Down by: Blink 182

Truly Madly Deeply by: Savage Garden

After Midnight by: Blink 182

You Make Me Smile by: Uncle Kracker

Say When by: The Fray

I Wanna by: The All-American Rejects

Blackbird by: The Beatles

And Then He Kissed Me by: The Crystals

Paradise by: Craig Owens

Demons by: Imagine Dragons

Marry Me by: Train

Lovesong by: Adele

****Giveaway****

There is an awesome Giveaway. Check it out!

10 Paperbacks of Sometimes Never (with original book cover)

2 – $25 Amazon Gift Cards

12 Kindle ebooks of Sometimes Never.

To enter click on the rafflecopter link below.

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

Cheryl McIntyre is a
mother, author, and insomniac, as well as a reader, movie critic, and
incredibly bad singer. She’s lived in the same area of Ohio her whole life,
though she secretly has dreams of moving somewhere a little warmer—preferably
near a beach.
Her life revolves
around four things: family, music, books, and really bad scary movies. If she
doesn’t have a kid on her hip, an iPod in her hand, or a laptop in front of her
face, it’s one of those rare moments when she’s actually sleeping.
You can follow her
author page on Facebook where she lives part time. On Goodreads, which is like
crack for avid readers. Or on Twitter, though it’s rumored she has yet to
master the art of tweeting.
 
Enter the MEGA GIVEAWAY each day by visiting every stop.
This tour is brought to you by

I love short stories and collections and was ecstatic when Donna published these! A Human Element still lingers with me and I’ve been waiting for a while now to read the sequel, A Hidden Element. The Dark Inside has me even more excited now. You get more of some of the old characters and are introduced to many new ones.

Check out the giveaway after my review.

The Dark Inside (A Human Element)

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The Dark Inside

These short stories contain characters from A Human Element and the soon to be released sequel, A Hidden Element.

The Well

It seems like no matter how hard he tries, Caleb can never be good enough in his father’s eyes. When he hears about the mission to the new world, he jumps at the chance to escape the dying planet and maybe get out from under his fathers disapproving control.

When his hopes are crushed, he’s devastated. And then his mother goes missing.

She’s disappeared without a trace.

The Well starts out being about Caleb and his conflicts with his father and his peers, and deepens into a mystery when his mother just vanishes. The author does a great job of misdirecting me, and I rushed to a wrong conclusion. This one is a deep, emotional read.

 The First Time

X-10 is not going to give in. He’s not going to let the twisted Dr. Bjord control this experiment.

He’s scared of the human girl. Not for the usual reasons, but because he’s afraid he’ll give in to the rip, tear, kill, urges that are the base part of him.

It’s the first time X-10 has coupled with a female and he experiences some human emotions like nervousness, lust, and excitement. But can he control the monster inside, the one that needs to rend?

Donna, through her characters conversations, made the tentative bond between the monster and the prostitute endearing for me. I wanted things to be okay, wanted both of them to survive this experiment.

But she’s a prostitute, he’s a monster, and this is an experiment. A deadly one.

The Job

Felix is a Seeker. His partner, Maria, is all woman, all human.

He’s never felt attracted to her before, but he’s made a mistake. He’s let his guard down and things got messy. Now he has to clean it up.

I was surprised a couple of times with this one. Had a few, ‘what the???’ moments. This is twisted fun. Can’t help it. I sometimes laugh at the dark stuff.

Frat Night

Tara’s so excited. Tonight she’s going to do it with Jonah. She’s been lying to him, telling him she’s a virgin, so he’ll woo her, romance her. But she’s ready now. Tonight they’ll finally be together.

It was a beautiful spring night.

Kind of saw some of this coming, but still got a shock. I was grinning and thinking, yes!

The Tree of Sheltered Secrets

She was going to kill whoever did it. Whoever cut down her tree.

She’d spent her childhood hiding in that tree, escaping into her own world. It was the only happy memory in her miserable existence. And now someone had hacked it down. It felt like she’d been cut down too.

Someone had to pay.

I felt sorry for Hilary. She had a horrendous life and now the only thing good was gone. I felt her rage build and as I read on, I wanted someone to pay. Pay big!

The Beginning

They were seventy-five strong. Adrian and his crew silently entered the chosen town and quickly got what they needed with mind persuasion. No one realized the strangeness of these visitors.

But that wasn’t enough for Adrian. Oh no. He had to go and make it nasty, make two people do despicable things just for his pleasure.

He also made his son Caleb and the others watch. It was a warning and a lesson.

This one is so twisted. Adrian is a sick twist and I feel so sorry for Caleb. His hate for his father is changing him. Molding him. I hope he doesn’t follow in his fathers dark footsteps.

A Lucky Strike

Ben is all alone with his foster-father now. His foster-mother is now buried and Frank expects him to take over her duties. All of them.

As Ben fantasizes about ways to kill Frank, he knows it’s only a matter of time before things turn real ugly.

It’s time to flee, but has he waited too long?

I forgot this part in A Human Element. It’s disturbing and sad. You see where Ben came from, what he endured, what shaped him.

I’m surprised he survived at all.

Excerpt – A Human Element ~ Ben

This is an excerpt from A Human Element. It’s another short about Ben taking place later than in A Lucky Strike. I’ll give a tease and tell you what I got from it.

Ben had no business being in Hud’s Place.

“North of Hotel Street in Chinatown, or NoHo as it was called, carried its distinction as the known spot for prostitute action any time of the week. He swallowed the last of his beer and laughed to himself. SoHo could be a better name for the so-many-ho’s that could be had around here.”

He shouldn’t be here. He shouldn’t have got so drunk. And he definitely shouldn’t have stepped into it with the Marines.

If he thinks the ass-kicking he just got from them was bad, the locals that get a hold of him, set him straight.

If it weren’t for the tall man, the familiar looking stranger with the bright green eyes, he’d be totally screwed.

Ben just keeps putting himself in bad situation after bad situation. I hate seeing him in the self-destruct mode.

I’m curious about the tall man, why is he always showing up at the worst times? Why is he following Ben?

Seeing a character falter, make bad moves and stupid ones, helps me connect with them, makes them human for me. I’m connected with Ben.

I enjoyed all of these stories. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be…..Ha! Not gonna tell ya!

The Dark Inside gets Five Stars from me. Each story is distinct and wrings out my emotions.

Giveaway

For the giveaway I have five ebooks of The Dark Inside in any format.

This is International.

I also have one Paperback copy of A Human Element, Book #1 in the series to give away.

The paperback is for US/Canada Only. Sorry my International friends.

To enter, please leave your email address, state whether entering for e-book or paperback, and answer this question,

Why do you like short stories?

Giveaway ends March 28th.

Thank you for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

About the author

Image of Donna Galanti

Donna Galanti is an International Thriller Writers Debut Author of the paranormal suspense novel A HUMAN ELEMENT and the author of the short story collection, The Dark Inside.

If she couldn’t write she would bike, hike, and kayak every day. She was stationed in Pearl Harbor as a photographer in the U.S. Navy followed by a career in marketing. Donna dreamed of being a writer at seven years old when she fell in love with Narnia and Roald Dahl. She lived in England at the time, attending school in a magical castle where her imagination ran wild in an itchy uniform. (bowling hat and tie included). She now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son,  and two crazy cats in an old farmhouse. It has lots of writing nooks, fireplaces, and stink bugs, but she’s still wishing for a castle again.

Her blog: http://blog.donnagalanti.com/wp/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonnaGalantiAuthor?-ref+hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DonnaGalanti

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767306Donna_Galanti

Find all of her books here.

A Human Element

The Dark Inside (A Human Element)