Archive for the ‘Adult Fiction’ Category

ThirdDaughterBlitzBanner

The cover art for Third Daughter screams at me, “Movie!”

Isn’t it spectacular.

If this is the Third Daughter, then there must be second daughter and a first daughter in this series.

I’m excited to find out.

Learn more about Third Daughter and enjoy the excerpt from Chapter One.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.

TD

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Third Daughter by Susan Kaye Quinn (The Dharian Affairs Trilogy #1)
.
Publication date: December 13th 2013
.
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Steampunk
.
Synopsis:
.

The Third Daughter of the Queen wants her birthday to arrive so she’ll be free to marry for love, but rumors of a new flying weapon may force her to accept a barbarian prince’s proposal for a peace-brokering marriage. Desperate to marry the charming courtesan she loves, Aniri agrees to the prince’s proposal as a subterfuge in order to spy on him, find the weapon, and hopefully avoid both war and an arranged marriage to a man she does not love.
Third Daughter is the first book in The Dharian Affairs Trilogy (Third Daughter, Second Daughter, First Daughter). This steampunk-goes-to-Bollywood (Bollypunk!) romance takes place in an east-indian-flavored alternate world filled with skyships, saber duels, and lots of royal intrigue. And, of course, kissing.

.

Excerpt from Chapter One

.

The cloudless night whispered sweet promises to Aniri.

Below her stone rooftop, the shadows of the forested grounds danced in the summer’s breeze, their small rustlings calling to her like a lover. The sound was the perfect cover for escape into the darkness and the warm arms she hoped to find there. No one should notice her absence. Of all the guards, handmaidens, and many silent keepers of the royal household, none would venture up to her private observatory this late in the eve. But she still had to be careful. Even this close to her birthday, the Queen would not be forgiving if she was caught.

Aniri scanned the palace grounds to make sure it was clear of any witnesses. The manicured lawns were empty: the only sign of life came from the distant embassy windows where gas lamps flickered and soft music trilled from late-reveling partygoers. Aniri pressed the leather eyecup of her aetherscope to her face, slowly turning the brass knobs to bring the party into focus. The instrument was meant for watching the rise of the twin full moons, but it worked well enough for spying on the Samirian ambassador and her assemblage of guests.

Their shiny new automaton was thick-legged and awkward, but the Samirian tinker’s design was still clever: the steam-driven mechanical wonder actually danced, albeit just one clumsy pirouette after another. When it came to a graceless stop, the guests snapped their fingers in appreciation. The faint sound of their applause drifted over the lawn, but the party continued on. With the grounds still empty, Aniri swung her aetherscope to the forest. The broken edges of the river snaked through the darkened trees, slipped under a stone bridge, and then flowed past the red sandstone walls of the Queen’s estate. A black shape darted out from under the bridge, then disappeared into the shadows between the trees.

Time to go.

She peered over the edge of the balcony. No sense in being caught by someone who snuck out for a dalliance in the dark. With the way clear, she opened the leather satchel at her feet and uncoiled the sheet she had twisted into a rope. Always check your knots, Aniri. Her father’s voice accompanied her on every climb, but she had to wonder what he would have made of this particular one. She rechecked the knots. It would cause quite a stir if she plummeted to her death while climbing down the palace wall.

The massive stone lion that guarded the parapet served as an excellent anchor. She looped the rope around it, then stood on the edge of the wall and leaned out over the blackness. Loop the rope under and between your feet, Aniri. It will carry your weight. Practical advice, but knots would impede her progress, and speed was of the essence. She lowered herself, hand over hand, bracing her feet against the wall. A mossy spot, hidden by the dark and slick with dew, sent her silk slippers pawing rapid-fire several times before she found purchase between the giant stone blocks.

Always use the proper equipment. She took a deep breath. Her father would probably disapprove of her attire. Silk nightclothes were hardly climbing wear, and she couldn’t find any plausible excuse to wear her climbing shoes to bed. Her handmaiden, Priya, was far too clever for that—and already suspicious when Aniri wanted to retire to her observatory alone. At least she had her fingerless climbing gloves, and on every climb she wore the thin, braided bracelet her father gave her. For luck. She thought he would approve.

Hand over hand, Aniri continued her descent. Halfway down, a sudden clacking broke the quiet and rose above the scrapings of her slippers on the treacherous walls. She held still against the cool stone, hands gripped tight on her rope of sheets. A lone two-wheeled surrey ambled out of the shadows of the Samirian embassy and headed toward her dark corner of the Queen’s estate. Aniri held her breath and silently cursed the full two-moon night. If the carriage came much closer, the occupants would surely see her clinging to the side of the palace like a spider on her thread.

The six-hooved beast pulling the surrey slowed as it neared the giant stone statue of Devkasera. The mother goddess of ancient Dharia loomed larger-than-life, threatening the carriage with a sword and a scroll—the powers of destruction and creation—clasped in two of her six hands. The Queen loved the ancient traditions, so the goddess held a place of respect in the middle of the palace lawns. Aniri preferred the clean streets and steam-driven inventions of modern Dharia to the unwashed feet and mystic religion of her country’s past, but that didn’t stop her from sending a silent prayer to Devkasera—for invisibility for herself or perhaps a sudden loss of sight by the persons in the carriage.

The surrey paused at the statue, then veered right and headed for the far wall that enclosed the estate. Aniri repressed a laugh—perhaps she should pray to Devkasera to bring her birthday sooner as well. Her arms ached from holding her position, but she waited until the carriage had passed through the palace gate. Beyond it, the lights of Kartavya, Dharia’s capital city, winked through the coal-smoke haze as if giving her an all-clear signal.

Her muscles rejoiced when she moved again, working her way down the last half of the wall and dropping the final two feet. From there, she scampered over the surrounding manicured hedgerows as if she had fled the palace a hundred times before. Her unbound dark hair flapped behind her, and the cool night breeze fluttered her black silk nightclothes against her skin like a thousand butterfly wings. It was the feeling of freedom breathing against her, and she had to clamp her teeth against the giggle that threatened to ruin her escape.

She slowed and picked her way through the darkened brambles of the forest grabbing at her legs. The first time, she slipped away from dinner in her normal evening attire—a midnight-black corset latched with brass clasps, a starched skirt of blood-red silk, and a sweep of silk over her shoulder for the traditional touch the Queen required. Aniri thought the dark colors would ease her escape, but she had stuck to the needled branches like a royal pincushion. The second time, she cast aside the bodice and most of the silk, keeping only her short bloomers and camisole—essentially running through the forest in her unmentionables. That had been deliciously decadent, but also very chilly. This time, her nightclothes were proving the most suitable costume yet for midnight escapades.

She smiled and slipped through the forest like a phantom, black on black, silent and stealthy. The faint trace of coal smoke gave way to the fresh scent of leaves mixed with river mist. She breathed it deep: the lushness of it always captivated her. The Queen had imported trees and beasts from the barbarians in the north to recreate the Dharian forests long ago swept away by agriculture. Fortunately, her majesty favored the gentle animals sacred to the gods. Aniri was careful not to disturb a long-tailed bandir hanging from a branch, eyes closed and peaceful. She didn’t believe the superstitions about waking one, but she couldn’t afford the screech it would let loose.

Aniri broke out of the forest and onto the wet rocks bordering the river. The footbridge ahead was a silent sentinel over the constant chatter of the river. There was no sign of movement. Was she too late? But then Devesh stepped from the shadows, showing his face to the moons as if he had nothing to hide.

She skittered over the slippery rocks and flew into his arms.

“Aniri,” he said, but she was uninterested in wasting precious moments with words. She shut him up with her lips pressed fiercely to his. He closed his dark, humor-filled eyes, and wrapped his arms around her. Being a courtesan, he was well-trained in courtly conversation, but the artistry of his lips moving slow yet urgent against hers made her forget her own name.

.

~~~~
.
Purchase:
.
.
~~~~
Author Susan Kaye Quinn
.
Susan Kaye Quinn grew up in California, where she wrote snippets of stories and passed them to her friends during class. Her teachers pretended not to notice and only confiscated her stories a couple times. Susan left writing behind to pursue a bunch of engineering degrees, but she was drawn back to writing by an irresistible urge to share her stories with her niece, her kids, and all the wonderful friends she’s met along the way. She doesn’t have to sneak her notes anymore, which is too bad.
Susan writes from the Chicago suburbs with her three boys, two cats, and one husband. Which, it turns out, is exactly as a much as she can handle.
Author Links:
.

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

20 – “Third Daughter” mini M&M packs (US Only)

A steampunk key necklace (International)

“Third Daughter” East-Indian style bridal jewelry (International)

Panel 0

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

~~~

Blog Tour Organized by:

Xpresso Book Tours

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

NightChillTourBanner

I’m a huge fan of horror and all things that go bump in the night.

I’ve featured Jeff Gunhus and his Jack Templar Series on my blog and when I spotted this beauty there was no question about it. I was reading this.

Enter if you dare and read my review.

Also, remember to enter the giveaway.

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus
Publication date: May 31st 2013
Genres: Adult, Supernatural, Thriller
.
cfe8d-am
.

Synopsis

From the author of Jack Templar Monster Hunter comes a supernatural thriller for adult audiences. Jack Tremont moves his family to the quiet mountains of Western Maryland hoping to leave behind a troubled past and restart his life. Instead, he finds himself caught up in a nightmare when his daughter Sarah is targeted by Nate Huckley, a mysterious and horrifying stranger driven by a dark power that will stop at nothing to possess Sarah. When Sarah goes missing, suspicion falls on Jack and he must uncover the secrets of the small mountain town of Prescott City and face the evil secret hidden there. As he digs further, he learns the conspiracy reaches more deeply than he could have imagined. Finally, he will have to face the question, What is a father willing to do to save his child? The answer? Anything. Anything at all.

~~~

18040325

My Review

As a parent, I was shaken by what happened to Jack and his two young daughters. They stopped at a rest area to wait out a torrential downpour. Rest area = bad things happen here!

 While Jack is using the payphone, a man approaches the girls. He thinks he’s gotten rid of the man until he reappears and acts crazier than ever, babbling about needing Sarah, Jack’s youngest daughter. How he must have her.

After a frightening confrontation the man drives away. Listening to his instincts, Jack follows and things get even crazier. It turns into a vehicular dogfight on the road, ending in a tangle of metal on metal, and right before Jack passes out, he sees a girls face peering at him through his windshield, where she landed when the guys trunk flew open on impact.

An event from Jacks past makes authorities and even his wife a bit skeptical about his report of the girl. Especially when no body is found.

The crazy guy is in a coma and not talking any time soon, and Jack has only his word that she existed at all.

The more that Jack and his wife dig, the stranger things become and a mysterious stranger warns Jack that his daughter, Sarah, is in danger.

Jack doesn’t know what to believe until Lonetree shows him the secret of the town.

Thanks to all of the horror movies I’ve watched, the authors vivid descriptions were easy to see in my mind. I could see the horrifying discoveries in detail. Thank God I couldn’t smell them. What they discovered was so far beyond belief yet Jack was unable to deny it.

Night Chills is a great title for this book. It gave me goose bumps, but I love horror, and read on into the night, delving deeper into this chilling story.

At first you get to know Jack and his family, an average couple with kids, moving to a small town to get away from the hectic life of a big city.

Then, as things go weird, you meet the towns inhabitants, some seem good, some arouse your suspicions, and some you learn quickly are the bad guys.

As for what is going on in Prescott City, you won’t begin to be able to guess. Jeff gives you a scenario straight from nightmares. Otherworldly and so evil, I shivered in scared delight. I love when the author gives me something new, something that takes a while to sink in and has me imagining the what ifs and hows of it.

This story filled me with need. I needed to know why this secret group wanted Sarah. I needed to know who the stranger with the mysterious aura, Lonetree, was. I needed to know what was in the cave and I needed to know the connection to it and the town. I needed more.

What I got was a chilling tale of dark secrets and Native American lore. Can’t ever go wrong with that.

The suspense kept growing and the author made it almost unbearable when he would leave one characters POV and leap to the others. It wasn’t irritating and it sure made the telling intense.

Before I go I wanted to mention the cover art for Night Chill. It’s an excellent portrayal of this eerie tale. I can almost feel the damp fog on my bare skin and hear the low moans of the tree branches rubbing together. And I assume that is young Sarah on the cover, offering her teddy bear. Or is it?

Jeff has proven to me that he can write a supernatural thriller that gives you goosebumps.

Now I’m more curious than ever about his fantasy series Jack Templar: Monster Hunter.

I’ll be reading them next!

5 Stars

~~~

Jeff GunhusAuthor Jeff Gunhus

Chronicles. (www.jacktemplar.com) The first book, Jack Templar Monster Hunter, was written in an effort to get his reluctant reader eleven-year old son excited about reading. It worked and a new series was born and recognized as a 2012 Forward Reviews Book of the Year Finalist. Jeff has been a Stephen King and Dean Koontz fan since he was a kid reading their novels under the covers at night. Seeing Night Chill next to King and Koontz on the Amazon Bestseller lists has been a surreal experience. He leads an active lifestyle in Maryland with his wife Nicole and five incredible kids. In rare moments of quiet, he can be found in the back of the City Dock Cafe in Annapolis working on his next novel.

Social Media Website Social Media Facebook Social Media Twitter Social Media Website Social Media Goodreads

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

A $25 Amazon Gift Card and a signed paperback copy of Night Chill!

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

~~~

Blog Tour Organized by:

Xpresso Book Tours

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

XpressoBannerTours

Thanks so much to Xpresso Tours and Karina Halle for this awesome cover reveal!

I’ve been wanting to start reading Karina’s Experiment in Terror series. But they may just have to wait.

Check out Donners of the Dead.

Spectacular cover art. I knew it would be something shadowy and disquieting!

Can not wait to read this and February will be here before ya know it.

So what do you think? What does it make you feel?

Okay, I’ll shut up and let you see the cover!

DonnersoftheDead.v6.1

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Donners of the Dead by Karina Halle
.
Publication date: February 2014
.
Genres: Horror, Romance
Synopsis
.

***A Standalone Horror Romance coming February 2014***

.
Jake McGraw was unlike anyone I’d ever known. He was brash, rude, unapologetic and arrogant; chauvinistic, close-minded, and terribly stubborn. He was built like a tree, tall with a hard chest and wide shoulders and hands that looked like they could wrestle a bear. He was a cigar-chomping, scruffy-faced, beast of a man. I was pretty sure I hated him. And I know he hated me. But among the flesh-eating monsters in these snow-capped mountains, he was the only thing keeping me alive
The year is 1851 and pioneers in search of California gold are still afraid to travel on the same route as the tragic Donner party did years before. When the last wagon train to go into the Sierra Nevada mountains fails to arrive at their destination, Eve Smith, an 18-year old half-native girl with immense tracking skills is brought along with the search party, headed by an enigmatic former Texas Ranger, Jake McGraw.
What they find deep in the dangerous snow-covered terrain is a terrifying consequence of cannibalism, giving new meaning to the term “monster.” While the search party is slowly picked off, one by one, Eve must learn to trust Jake, who harbors more than a few secrets of his own, in order to survive and prevent the monstrosities from reaching civilization.

.
***This is NOT New Adult***

~~~~
Author Karina Halle
donners of the dead author pic
.
The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).
Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.
Author Links
.

LastBastionoftheLivingBlitzBanner2

It’s Black Friday and Rhiannon Frater has all kinds of goodies for you!

The Last Bastion of the Living is on sale for only 99 cents!

Rhiannon is also telling us about her characters in the story and she has an awesome giveaway going on too.

Keep reading and join the fun!

lastBastionCover

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

The Last Bastion of the Living by Rhiannon Frater

Publication Date: June 12th, 2012

Genres: Adult, Horror, Science Fiction

Synopsis

The Bastion was humanity’s last hope against the fearsome undead creatures known as the Inferi Scourge. A fortified city with a high wall, surrounded by lush land rich with all the resources needed to survive, protected by high mountain summits, and a massive gate to secure the only pass into the valley, the Bastion became the last stronghold of the living on earth. But one fateful day, the gate failed and the Inferi Scourge destroyed the human settlements outside the walls and trapped the survivors inside the city. Now decades later, the last remaining humans are struggling to survive in a dying city as resources and hope dwindle.

Vanguard Maria Martinez has lived her whole life within the towering walls of steel. She yearns for a life away from the overcrowded streets, rolling blackouts, and food shortages, but there is no hope for anyone as long as the Inferi Scourge howl outside the high walls. Her only refuge from the daily grind is in the arms of her lover, Dwayne Reichardt, an officer in the Bastion Constabulary. Both are highly-decorated veterans of the last disastrous push against the Inferi Scourge. Their secret affair is her only happiness.

Then one day Maria is summoned to meet with a mysterious representative from the Science Warfare Division and is offered the opportunity to finally destroy the Inferi Scourge in the valley and close the gate. The rewards of success are great, but she will have to sacrifice everything, possibly even her life, to accomplish the ultimate goal of securing the future of humanity and saving it from extinction.

~~~

Havin a Black Friday Sale!

Rhiannon Frater has The Last Bastion of the Living on Sale for only !

Get yours now at one of the links below!

Links:

Amazon / B&N / iTunes / Kobo

~~

The Characters of The Last Bastion of the Living

By

Rhiannon Frater

One of the biggest challenges in starting a new novel is discovering all the new characters that will inhabit the world you’ve created. I usually have the primary characters fully-developed in my head when I sit down at my computer and type in the first sentence of a book, but the secondary characters are not always clearly defined.

While writing THE LAST BASTION OF THE LIVING, the main characters of Dwayne and Maria were incredibly vivid in my mind.  Their back stories came easily to me as I pondered the story and considered my approach to writing it.  Maria’s personality and appearance was the first thing that developed in my mind when the first seeds of the story germinated in my dreams.  I knew she was Dominican-Puerto Rican in descent, strong-willed, loyal, and the daughter of a soldier who died in battle and a mother who hated Maria enlisting in the military. Maria’s desire for a life with the man she loves without the threat of the dangerous Inferi Scourge (a type of zombie) was the central motivation for everything she does in the book.  Dwayne was much older than Maria, a career officer, a man stuck in a nasty divorce, a father of three children (two teenagers, one an adult), and someone who has lived a hard life and knows exactly what he wants out of the rest of his years on the Earth. Together, they shared a love bond that was deep and a wellspring of strength to both of them.

But what about the rest of the people surrounding them?

My novels run like movies in my head. I watch and attempt to transfer the images in my mind to the page. I am often surprised by what I observe, but that is some of the fun in writing.  A lot of times characters will make unexpected appearances in the narrative. When that happens, I have to ask the question, “Who are you?”  Surprisingly, a lot of the characters just drop into the story fully-formed.

Mr. Petersen and Dr. Curran were two such characters. As soon as they appeared on the movie screen in my head, I “got” them. Though they both surprised me in little ways throughout the story, their basic personalities and motivations never changed.

But another character became much more than I ever anticipated. She originally showed up briefly with Maria in a scene that I had considered cutting. I thought she was a one-off character, but the blond soldier hobbling with a cane became a vital part of the plot, much to my surprise. I gave her the name Lindsey after Lindsey Wagner (who played the Bionic Woman) and made her a veteran of the last push against the Inferi Scourge, which was the battle that left Maria and Dwayne with their battle scars. I gave her a job in the communication center of the Constabulary, not realizing how vital that position and her skills would be to the story later on.

Later, about a third of the way through the book, I realized I needed to show that big battle, which was not originally present when I started writing it. Therefore the prologue was written. Lindsey ended up with a part in that big scene along with another character named Ryan. Again, Lindsey and Ryan were created to show that Maria had friends outside of her romantic relationship, but both characters held the weight of something more than just walk-ons.  Suddenly, the relationship that Maria had to both of these characters added much more dimension to her personality and her future struggles.

That’s the fun of writing. The unexpected twists and turns. Discovering new and dynamic characters as scenes unfold.  Finding out that a character you thought would show up in one scene is actually a vital part of the overall plot.

~~

Author Rhiannon Frater

lastbastionRhiannon

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of over a dozen books, including the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor), as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog), and other horror novels. Her next novel for Tor, Dead Spots, will be published in 2014. She was born and raised a Texan and presently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).  She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
You can find her online at:
Email: rhiannonfrater at gmail.com

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

A Signed copy of The Last Bastion of the Living and Swag (US Only)

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

Book Blitz Organized by:

Xpresso Book Tours

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

~~

 

~~~~

When I spotted the cover art for these books I was dazzled. They are spectacular and I had to know what the books were about.

Now I’m sharing them with you and the author is here to tell us about her spectacular covers.

Remember to enter the giveaway too!

~~~~

Guest Post

AuthorKE Osborn

One of the things that often gets a comment is the covers of my books.  I studied graphic design and had full intentions of following that career path. I am a fully qualified graphic designer but my love of writing was always bubbling away in the background. Although I consider writing to be my full time career now, my graphic design skills are being used over and over in many different ways.  I need to be able to create meme’s, book covers, blog banners and buttons etc, so I guess you could say my graphic design skills have come in very handy. The inspiration for the covers was drawn mostly from the books themselves.

The Trust Me? cover is a glass of wine being smashed. This is in the book when a work colleague of Jeni’s attempts to ask her out. Jeni is so shocked by his forwardness that she drops her glass of wine and it breaks. This is a major turning point in the book as it helps in a decision that comes later in the story. The colored water at the bottom of the book represents the waterfall, which is in each of the three books as a significant place for both Aiden and Jeni. In a way the shattered glass also represents Jeni’s fragile state and how she is also broken and damaged.

The Love Me? cover is a sea theme and a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs. This scene is in the book and it is where Aiden and Jeni visit a beach house. Aiden surprises Jeni with some fluffy pink handcuffs, which relates back to the first book but in a more serious way. I can’t tell you why because it will spoil both book one and two if I do.

The All of Me? cover has Jeni’s engagement ring and Aiden’s wedding ring, I think we all know what that represents ;-)  Jeni’s ring is the one described in book two of Love Me? I have made the rings look like they are coming out of the water as a symbol of Aiden and Jeni rising up against all the odds and making their way out of the deep water they were wading through.

Now I cannot give too much away otherwise it might give away the storyline and there would be no point in that, but the book covers are definitely drawn from the storyline in one way or another.  You will, after you have read the books know what each cover is all about.

~~~~

Trust Me

The Trust Me Trilogy

Book 1

KE Osborn

 

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

 

ISBN: 9780992333805

ASIN: B00F0G6JRW

 

Number of pages: 283 pages

Word Count: approx 89,000

 
 

Book Description:

 

When Jenifer Taylor, a young woman from the big City of Mornington Vale California starts her day, it turns from bad to worse, when on her way to work she’s involved in a chain collision.

 

Jeni is content with her life, dull and boring as it is, because being absent from the dating scene, means she doesn’t have to deal with the major trust issues she has with men.  Her trust issues stem from a controlling and aggressive ex-boyfriend, and an absentee father.  She’s happy being alone, sharing her life with her friends and family.

 

Her world changes forever when she meets Aiden O’Connell, the billionaire son of Alistair O’Connell, who owns Mornington Vale’s largest financial incorporation. Aiden is an up and coming young businessman, who’s ready to take on the Vice Presidency in his father’s incorporation.   He’s focused on the business, and life for Aiden involves working hard and not much else. Aiden is the good son, and Alistair wants nothing more than for Aiden to succeed and follow in his footsteps, it’s imperative to him.

 

After the accident Aiden finds Jeni irresistible, and pursues her instantly, and with some coaxing she eventually agrees to a date.  It becomes apparent that they are very attracted to one another.

 

Jeni finds love quickly with Aiden, but trusting him is another issue.  Trust is a major factor, and the question of when to give it can be asked of us in many different ways.  Jeni is asked this question, when she finds out that Aiden is being investigated for a serious crime.  Jeni’s trust issues spark, as she goes through a journey of self-discovery. 

 

She must decide once and for all whether she trusts the man she loves, when she’s asked the ultimate question:

 

“Do you trust me?”

 

Love Me

The Trust Me Trilogy

Book 2

KE Osborn

 

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

 

ISBN: 9780992333812

ASIN: TBA

 

Number of pages: TBA

Word Count: TBA

 

Book Description:

 

Jenifer Taylor thought she was content with her life, being absent from the dating scene due to her major trust issues with men. After a controlling and aggressive exboyfriend, and an absentee father, she was happy being alone. It wasn’t until she met Aiden O’Connell, in a three car pileup, that her world changed for the better. The billionaire son of Alistair O’Connell, who owns Mornington Vale’s largest financial incorporation, pursued her instantly. Jeni found love, but trusting someone was another issue.

 

The story continues as Jeni finds herself lost, without the love of her life Aiden, who’s been wrongly accused and incarcerated.  She must find the strength within, to help prove that he’s innocent of the embezzlement crime against him.  Aiden’s father Alistair still taunts her, making life between Jeni and Aiden more difficult. An unexpected visitor enters their lives, creating havoc, and turning it upside down. Jeni’s trust issues return in a major way, after an incident leaves her fragile and broken. Aiden and Jeni find themselves going through more trials and tribulations than ever before, in this second installment of the Trust Me? Trilogy. In the end Jeni will be asked the ultimate question:

 

Do you still love me?

~~~~

 

K E Osborn

 

K E Osborn is the Adelaide based Author of the Trust me? Trilogy, a romance series with love, laughter and plenty of lust!

 

K E Osborn was born in September 1984 and raised in Adelaide South Australia. She had a love of writing throughout High School but went down a different path to Design instead. It wasn’t until she had a vivid dream about a three car pileup that the characters of her first book came to life.

 

Aiden and Jeni are the amazing couple from the Trust me? Trilogy and they were born into the world through the imagination of K E Osborn in 2012.

 Twitter / KE Osborn  FacebookTrust me Trilogy Facebook

 

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

3 Trust Me eBooks and personally signed bookmarks

3 Love Me eBooks and personally signed bookmarks

6 Trust Me personally signed bookmarks

6 Love Me personally signed bookmarks

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

~~~~~

Tour Schedule

November 25 Guest blog

Roxanne’s Realm

 

November 26 Spotlight

Booklover Sue

 

November 27 Guest blog

fuonlyknew

http://fuonlyknew.com/

November 28 Interview

November 29 Spotlight/Excerpt (review later)

The Biblio-Files: Confessions of a Book Whore

 

December 2 Interview

Pembroke Sinclair.

 

December 4 Spotlight

Booker Like a Hooker

 

December 5 Guest blog and review

A Mama’s Corner of the World

 

December 6 Guest Post

Mythical Books

 

December 9 Interview

Bitten by Love Reviews

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

 

SomethingWickedTourBanner1

A psychic medium and a homicide detective. I’m sold!

Something Wicked sounds ‘wicked’ good.

Check out the yummy excerpt. You’ll be wanting more, just like me.

Also, remember to enter the giveaway!

Something_Wicked_final

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Something Wicked by Angela Campbell (The Psychic Detectives Series #2)

Can be read as a stand-alone

Published by: Harper Impulse /  Publication date: October 31st 2013

Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

Psychic medium Alexandra King is sick of being pestered by her boss’s dead mother demanding help to reunite her two estranged sons. Determined to get some peace and quiet again, Alexandra follows a lead in finding the younger Collins brother to Charleston, South Carolina, where she immediately meets the hottest man she’s ever laid eyes on and finds herself a willing participant in seduction. Of course, her one-night-stand turns out to be none other than Dylan Collins — her boss’s younger brother and a homicide detective who believes psychics are a complete waste of time.
All Dylan wants is a few hours of pleasure to take his mind off of the case haunting him. A serial killer is stalking the streets of The Holy City — a killer who calls himself The Grim Reaper. When the woman he’d just spent the night with turns up and offers her services as a psychic consultant on the case, his ardor quickly cools. Last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a con artist.
It doesn’t take long for Dylan to realize Alexandra is the real deal – and the killer’s next target. Dylan’s protective instincts battle his reluctance to get too involved with a woman he isn’t sure he can trust. As they get closer to finding the killer, they also grow closer to one another, but will Alexandra’s secret agenda destroy their chance at happiness — if the killer doesn’t strike first?
Purchase links:  Amazon / B&N
.
~~~~~
.
Check out this glimpse inside Something Wicked
.

“It must be your lucky night, hon.” A woman’s voice drew her attention.

Alexandra blinked up at her waitress as the young woman slid a mug of beer in front of her. Did the girl seriously just call her hon?

The redhead nodded over her shoulder. “The hunk at the pool tables bought you a drink.” She winked. “Enjoy.”

Oh, no. Not only were the dead people around here clamoring for her attention, so was some a-hole on the prowl. She bit back a groan and lifted her gaze to give the man a polite shake of her head, a silent thanks but no thanks and –

Hello, Mr. Delicious.

He was hands down the most criminally sexy man she’d ever laid eyes on, and for a woman who worked with some serious man candy these days, that was saying a lot. He studied her from the billiards area as he chalked up one of the cues. He was the only person over there, playing a solitary game while most people congregated at the bar. A slight smile teased his mouth as she managed to lift the mug and nod. So what if she hated beer? She’d gulp the whole thing in one go if that sex god wanted to watch. He nodded back, gestured to the pool table beside him, and—

Oh, yeah. She was tempted to saunter over there and see what happened. Beyond tempted. She’d never had a one-night stand in her life, but maybe this was as good a time as any.

“Well, I’ll be! He sure seems to have struck yer fancy.”

Oh, no. She scrunched her brows and shook her head. She had a bad feeling about this.

The ghost wooted. “Oh, but I think he has.” He glanced toward the billiards. “And I dare say he has taken quite a fancy to you, miss. Comes in here a lot, that one does. Never been able to spook ‘em though.” Derby Hat Guy abruptly stood and started walking toward the other man, saying, “Let’s give ‘em a game. Have a bit of fun with the rascal.” He rubbed his hands together.

“Wait! Uh,” Alexandra jumped to her feet and realized a few seconds later she was practically on top of the pool table when Mr. Delicious said, amused, “Whoa now. I’m guessing you like a good game of pool?”

Among other things.

She bit her lip and tried to ignore the ghost bent over the other end of the table, reaching for two of the balls that had been scattered near a corner pocket. She’d made this poor, delicious man a target of the ghost’s tomfoolery. Oh dear. She needed to fix this.

“Pool?” Her eyes widened when Derby Hat Guy picked up the white ball behind Mr. Delicious and moved it clearway across the table. There was no orange glow to it, which meant the ball had actually moved. Had anyone else seen that? This ghost was an old and smart one. Not many could move objects like that. “Yeah. Yeah, I love pool. Game on.” Leaning over, she slapped the green felt and flicked her fingers a few times toward the wall, trying to convey the message to Derby Hat Guy to get lost.

Mr. Delicious held out a cue stick to her in offering, distracting her from the ghost past his shoulder. “Great. We’ll start a new game. I was getting tired of losing to myself.” He looked her up and down where she still leaned against the table and seemed to like what he saw. His smoldering blue eyes burned with heat so intense, she felt her insides ignite. He wriggled the cue in his hand. “You know how to use this thing?” His smile was kicked up to full charge on the suggestive meter.

Oh, my, he was flirting, and that was a game best played by two. Accepting the wooden pole from him, Alexandra arched a brow and slowly ran a finger along its length. “I can handle a stick pretty good.” She pursed her lips, blew at the chalk on the end, and slowly batted her lashes when she looked at him again. “Besides, what woman doesn’t love to bust some balls every now and then?”

He gave an appreciative chuckle. “All right.” He began setting up a new game and she sighed, watching his taut backside move deliciously against his faded jeans as he bent over. Damn. Levis should pay him a royalty. Who looked that good in jeans, besides Calvin Klein models? No one, except this guy. Maybe he was a Calvin Klein model. He definitely had the face and body for it.

And maybe she should offer to buy him a drink or something—you know, to apologize for making him a target of the resident ghost.

“Can I get you a beer?”

“Nah. I’m good.” His back muscles stretched against his black t-shirt when he rested his elbows on the table, highlighting some serious muscle definition beneath.

“Something else? Whiskey?” She tilted her head at him. Me?

“No thanks.” His eyes twinkled with amusement as he straightened and moved closer. “Girls take advantage of me when I drink. I can see I’ll need to keep my wits around you.”

.
~~~~~
Angela Campbell
.
something wicked AngelaCampbell
Author Angela Campbell is an overachiever with a soft spot for men who dress funny. Superman, Charlie Chaplin, Dracula, Doctor Who, Elvis – those are her kind of heroes. An eclectic reader who loves almost every genre, Angela read her first romance novel at 16 and immediately endeavored to write one, too. Many offbeat attempts (and a couple of decades) later, she published her first novel through Carina Press. Her new romantic suspense series is being published by Harper Impulse. With every story she pens, Angela aims to build in a paranormal element to a contemporary and recognizable world with characters who find love in oftentimes humorous and extraordinary situations.
A mild-mannered reporter with almost 15 years experience as a general assignment reporter, features editor and graphic designer, Angela has also worked as a production assistant in TV and film.
Learn more about her books at www.angelacampbellonline.com.
.
Author links:
.

~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Grand prize giveaway
 Open internationally
–$50 gift card to Amazon and a copy of both ebooks in this series (On the Scent and Something Wicked)
.

Click on the rafflecopter below to enter.

Raffle button

I’ve attached the other stops on the tour. Be sure to check them out!

November 18th

deal sharing aunt >> Guest post

Not Everyone’s Mama >>  Excerpt

November 19th

Not Everyone’s Mama >>  Review

Mythical Books >> Interview

Why I Can’t Stop Reading >> Review

Ebook Escapes >> Review

November 20th

The Solitary Bookworm >> Review

The Demon Librarian >> Review

November 21st

Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews >> Review

fuonlyknew >> Excerpt

Snarky Mom Reads… >>  Review

November 22nd

Bookish Things & More >> Guest post

Sassy Book Lovers >> Excerpt

~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the present below.

christmas present photo: Present Christmas.jpg

into the hollow banner

Who doesn’t wish for some horror for Christmas?

Into The Hollow is on my Santa list!

Check it out, read the Dexism and the excerpt and don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

And don’t forget to pick up some stocking stuffers.

Twelve books, twelve days, only .99 cents.

Follow the tour for more!

Into the Hollow cover

1771e-addtogoodreadsblack

Title: INTO THE HOLLOW (EIT 6)

Author: Karina Halle

Release date: October 23, 2012

Age Group: Mature NA/Adult

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Horror

Links to find/buy your book (if available):

GoodreadsAmazon / B&N 

 

Book Description:

Perry Palomino has fought her demons – and won – but the battle is far from over. She’s now left broken and on her own, leaving behind her life and family in Portland to focus on giving Dex Foray – and the Experiment in Terror show – a second chance. But their past mistakes continue to tease and test their relationship, as does the wild and desolate terrain of the Canadian Rockies.

The snow-covered peaks and ravenous forests hide an urban legend too unbelievably frightening to be true and the only way the duo has a chance of surviving is if Perry can let in the very man who sent her to hell and back.

Rated 16+ for lan­guage, gore and sex­ual content

~~~~

dexisms 19

~~~~

Excerpt

“Ah, well if Bigfoot erotica is catching on, we better get to it,” I joked, shaking my head.

“You and Dex will go ip to the mountains, spending a few days there chasing around some llamas and maybe you’ll get footage of a bear or something. I don’t know. But it’s something and I want it to happen. And it’s a job. And, last time I looked, Bigfoot wasn’t a ghost.”

“Sasquatch,” I corrected him with a sigh. “Look, I’ll have to think about it. I don’t think I could even keep a straight face if I was on camera.”

“So don’t be on camera,” he said. “Put Dex on camera. You do the filming.”

My heart slowed and I raised my brows at Dex who was leaning on his thighs and tapping his foot. He probably had no idea of what was just suggested.

“Um, what?”

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

GIVEAWAY:

 2 EIT Swag Packs

To enter click on the rafflecopter below.

Raffle button

~~~~

About the Author

                       

Karina Halle is the USA Today Best Selling Author of The Artists Trilogy (On Every Street, Sins & Needles, Shooting Scars, and Bold Tricks) published by Hachette, the Experiment in Terror series, and The Devil’s series published by Diversion.

The daughter of a Norwegian Viking and a Finnish Moomin, Karina Halle grew up in Vancouver, Canada with trolls and eternal darkness on the brain. This soon turned into a love of all things that go bump in the night and a rather sadistic appreciation for freaking people out. Like many of the flawed characters she writes, Karina never knew where to find herself and has dabbled in acting, make-up artistry, film production, screenwriting, photography, travel writing and music journalism. She eventually found herself in the pages of the very novels she wrote (if only she had looked there to begin with).

Karina holds a screenwriting degree from Vancouver Film School and a Bachelor of Journalism from TRU. Her travel writing, music reviews/interviews and photography have appeared in publications such as Consequence of Sound, Mxdwn and GoNomad Travel Guides. She currently lives on an island on the coast of British Columbia where she’s preparing for the zombie apocalypse with her fiance and rescue pup.

Karina is represented by Scott Waxman of the Waxman Leavell Literary Agency

Author social media links:

http://experimentinterror.com

http://khalle.wordpress.com

https://www.facebook.com/ExperimentinTerror

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karina-Halle/

www.twitter.com/MetalBlonde

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4785031.Karina_Halle

~~~~

To follow the tour for fun reviews, guest posts, and excerpts click here or the tour button below.

 into the hollow banner

 

 ~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the elf below!

evil elf photo: evil elf evilelf.gif

Millionth Book Bash
The Arrangement series by H.M. Ward has sold over one million copies!

 photo The-Arrangement-Series-1_10_AToMR-Tours_zps7e0cd29d.jpg

The Arrangement is a serial series focusing on the relationship between Sean Ferro and Avery Stanz. To celebrate the Millionth Book Bash, author H.M. Ward is offering a $500 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway AND make sure to stop by for a Q&A with the author on Facebook and character questions to Sean and Avery on Twitter!

Events: From Nov. 6th-13th, the author would love to invite you to participate in the below events!

Q&A with the H.M. Ward on Facebook!

YOU can ask questions to Sean and Avery on Twitter!

Guest Posts by the author!

  • Visit other blogs to see guest posts by the author and their answer to our fan question or their personal experience/thoughts/feelings about this series.

Celebration Giveaway

  • Enter to win a $500 Amazon Gift Card from the author!

What is The Arrangement about?

FML is becoming Avery’s motto. Just when she doesn’t think things could get any worse, they do. When her car stalls out at a busy intersection and she gets out to check under the hood, a guy steals her car. Armed with a dress and a pair of Chucks, Avery runs after the thief. When a hot stranger offers to help, she can’t say no. That’s how Avery meets Sean Ferro, the totally sexy, totally damaged guy with more secrets than she has time for.

Avery doesn’t have time for anything anymore. Her life falling apart and it’s not just the car. It’s everything, and it doesn’t matter how tightly she tries to hold on, there’s nothing left to hold on to. With the sudden death of her parents, it’s only a matter of months until Avery’s shot at college is gone, and she’s living in a cardboard box. Other students have their families to rely on when things get bad. Avery has no one.

But there’s one option, one incredibly sexy, morally devoid, option. If Avery takes a job as a call girl, one guy could save her. One client. One time. She just has to say yes.

17181905

 photo goodreads-badge-add-38px11_zps1ae6e47f.jpg
 photo AmazonBuyButton_zps43e22212.gif
 photo barnes-and-noble-button_zpsb4d9d28f.jpg

Fun Facts about THE ARRANGEMENT Series

By H.M. Ward

1)    Avery Stanz: Her last name was inspired by Ray Stanz in Ghostbusters. I was watching it last winter and thought that guy is the just like her father.

2)    Sean Ferro: So, most of my books up until THE ARRANGEMENT have a guy with an Irish name that starts with C. I wanted a different Irish/ Italian name so I went with Sean.

3)    More about Sean’s name: So, I have a type – dark hair, blue eyes, snarky mouth, sexy. You probably noticed. My husband looks like the guys in my stories. So, I chose the name ‘Sean’ and later thought about changing it because it’s my brother in law’s name. Our family is big and I have over 40 titles, so hub’s told me to leave it. No one will notice or care. A little while later my MIL asked why I wrote a book about Sean – a guy with dark hair, blue eyes, etc. So uh, brothers look similar. Totally didn’t think about that part. Embarrassing. Family picnics are gonna be really weird.

4)    Ferro: Yeah, I was sitting there thinking we need an Italian last name, that sounds expensive and sweet…and I was eating Oreos. Ferrari + Oreos = Ferro. Yum.

5)    Avery’s personality type is the same as mine. The only other character that I’ve written about that has my personality type is Ivy in Demon Kissed.

6)    I almost didn’t write this series. When I told my editors what I wanted to do, they both looked at me weird and said good luck with that.

7)    This series is fan driven, which means fans have influenced the story line by voting and telling me what they wanted to happen as the story progressed. Some of the plot points were major and it’s been a lot of fun to interact with the reader like this.

8)    Sean and Avery have twitter accounts and flirt with each other.

9)    The spray-start car was real. True story. Car from hell. And the corner where I used to worry about breaking down was on Deer Park Ave. on Long Island.

10)   The series has a lot of locations in the books that locals know and like, such as JonesBeach, Sunken Meadow, Deer Park Ave., and Cardiac Hill.

*****

About the Author

H.M. Ward is the #1 bestselling New Adult author in the world, having sold over 2 million books in 2013. This NEW YORK TIMES, WALL STREET JOURNAL, USA TODAY, and Amazon #1 bestselling writer’s series include: THE FERRO FAMILY: DAMAGED, THE ARRANGEMENT, and STRIPPED; as well as SCANDALOUS, TRYSTAN SCOTT, and SECRETS. Ward was recently featured in FORBES, the WALL STREET JOURNAL, and the WASHINGTON POST.

You can interact with this bestselling author at: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorHMWard. Don’t want to miss a release date: Text AWESOMEBOOKS to 22828 and get an email reminder on release dates.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter

 photo AToMRToursC66a-A00aT03a-Z_mdm_zpsa3cc6896.jpg~~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

A $500 Gift Card

Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the image below.
*
romantic silhouettes photo: Silhouettes romantic-love-quotes.jpg
VisionsBlitzBanner
.
I have a great book to show you today.
Check out Visions by Laura N. Anile.
Some steamy romance and thrills are in store.
There’s a glimpse inside the book and a giveaway!
.
Visions
.
1771e-addtogoodreadsblack
.
Visions by Laura N. Anile
Publication date: September 26th 2013
Genres: Adult, Paranormal
Synopsis:

What would you sacrifice to save a stranger?
Isabel Cartier is career-driven and a little self-obsessed. Her future has been carefully planned—until something mysterious happens. When Isabel begins to experience premonitions of strangers in potentially life-threatening situations, she must decide what she is willing to do—and sacrifice—in order to save the people in her visions.
As her premonitions progress, the level of risk to her own life escalates, and she’s thrown into an unknown world that will put more than just her career in jeopardy.
It is only when her life spins out of control that she is able to take chances that she never thought possible—including opening her heart to love.
There’s Matt, the handsome stranger she saves from a terrible accident. But will she ever see him again? Then there’s Jeremy, her thoughtful neighbor who’s down on his luck. Both will shape her path and leave her breathless. But it’s another man, who she sees in her visions over and over again, who will leave her questioning everything. Does he have nine lives, or is it up to Isabel to figure out the parameters of a game she doesn’t quite understand in order to truly save him?
Visions follows Isabel’s journey to find out if she has the courage she needs to save the people in her premonitions, and how, ultimately, their lives are intertwined with hers.

LINKS: GOODREADS / AMAZON

***

I have an exciting excerpt for ya’ll. Enjoy!

“I’ve been monopolizing a lot of your time lately, haven’t I?”

“I’ve wanted you to monopolize me,” he said in a low voice, his salacious grin adding heat to his eyes.

I felt my cheeks warm as I took his hand to lead him in. “Are you staying tonight?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“Do you have plans tomorrow night?”

“What do you have in mind?” he asked in the same suggestive tone.

“Whatever you want,” I played along.

“Really? Well that could be dangerous,” he breathed mischievously. “What time will you make yourself available to do whatever I want?”

I giggled at his devilish grin. “Eight?”

“Eight is perfect.”

“So what exactly do you have in mind?” I asked coyly.

“Be at my place at eight. The rest of the evening will be a surprise.” He paused, cocking his head. “Anything goes,” he teased, a dangerous glint in his eye.

“Okay. I’m looking forward to it. I think.”

“Not as much as I am, my slave girl,” he chuckled, his brows dancing.

“Slave girl? You’re starting to make me nervous…I don’t want to re-enact Fifty Shades of Grey, if that’s what you’re thinking?”

His laugh didn’t subdue my nerves—there was something devious in it.

I knew I wasn’t getting any more out of him; whatever he had planned, he wasn’t giving it away. Given I’d only just discovered his cooking skills, I hoped he’d be flaunting his domestic capabilities again. But the heat in his eyes led me to believe it was something else he had in mind. I was a little nervous, but flushed with eager anticipation. Whatever was on the evening agenda, I knew I was in good hands. Warm, masterful hands…

I snuggled closer to him and breathed in his familiar scent.

“I might give you a preview,” he murmured in my ear, his voice deepening as he tugged me to the bedroom and pulled me onto the bed. A wave of heat immediately ignited within me and my hands found their way under his clothes. The feel of his skin against mine, his body moving with mine, took my breath away.

Later, I fell asleep in his arms, my last thoughts of the unbridled anticipation of whatever he had in store for the following evening.

It started as it usually did. Me looking down at the multiple-choice test with his hand on my shoulder. But then the scene shifted and I was no longer in the exam room looking at a piece of paper. A piece of paper couldn’t physically hurt me; what was now in front of me could. Absolutely terrified, I dared to take a glimpse at the man holding the gun. He was dressed all in black, wearing a riding jacket over a T-shirt and jeans. His face was completely obscured by the black helmet he wore. I glanced behind him and saw my terror reflected back at me in the eyes of the woman behind the teller. There were four other people in the bank, besides the three tellers. A woman, with a young girl who appeared to be between ten and twelve, and two men. One of the men looked to be in his forties, and wore a navy suit with a gold tie. The other was in a black suit with his back to me.

The young girl began screaming; a scream that made your blood run cold. Her mother instantly tried to placate her, eventually smothering her mouth when those attempts failed. That only intensified the screaming, agitating the girl more.

The gunman flew into a rage, demanding the girl be silenced before he silenced her. His hand twitched in fury. Could he honestly harm a child? I wondered, as fear crashed over me. The interminable screaming shrilled through the bank as the girl thrashed in her mother’s arms. My skin tingled, the air electrified with trepidation.

The gunman pointed the weapon directly at the child, narrowing his eyes. Time slowed down, like someone hit pause.

A feeling of complete and utter helplessness reverberated through me as I frantically scanned the room, searching for some kind of help to magically materialize.

A number suddenly flickered in my vision, flashing like a number on a screen: 12.19. I blinked; it felt like a camera flash had just gone off in my eyes. Then I noticed the calendar. All I saw was Thursday before the scene began to move once more, still in slow motion. My attention instantly returned to the gunman. His finger inched towards the trigger. His whole body was shaking.

Panic crippled me. This was it and I had no idea what to do.

A growl erupted from the gunman’s throat as his feeble control shattered and his finger pulled back the trigger.

There was no time left to decide, to think. There was only time to act. Instinctively, I jumped in front of the young girl as I heard the deafening crack of the gun being fired.

I jumped so violently that I awoke, drenched in sweat.

***

Go to www.lauraanile.com for more information about the author (or to email); take the quiz (‘What Would You Do?’); or read a short story from her collection, Unmasked Secrets.

You can also view the book trailers on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/laurananile

Visions is available for download here:

Amazon, iTunes, B&N and Kobo.

To read a sample, please go to: Amazon (click to look inside)

Or you can read Chapter One at www.lauraanile.com/sneakpeek

~~~~
.
Laura N. Anile
.
visions Laura
.
Laura has had a lifelong love of writing, which she explored in a successful marketing career before penning her first novel. She is fascinated by the ideas of fate and interconnectedness, central themes in her story. She loves all things humorous, laughs too loudly and finds her own jokes amusing. She has a passion for traveling and exploring the world but has a phobia of suspect hotel rooms with questionable hygiene. And, oh yeah, she isn’t clairvoyant and doesn’t own any crystal balls.In addition to ‘Visions’, she has also written a collection of short stories, entitled ‘Unmasked Secrets’.For more information, please go to www.lauraanile.com.
Author Links:

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

I have one ebook copy of Visions to give away.

To enter, please leave your email address so I can contact you and answer this question:

Have you ever had a premonition?

Giveaway ends November 19th.

Xpresso Book Tours

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

To see all of my giveaways click on the image below.

visions photo: Visions of fire - mixed mediaThis image belongs to Richard Davis and is copyrighted as such I do follow a Creative Commons License (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 30 License) ) so you can share my work on the inter 580696_202469346565388_1584481375_n.jpg

UntoldTalesTourBanner

I love it when the author writes these short back stories. You get to see behind the scenes and find out about secondary characters that stuck with you.

In my case I am meeting these characters for the first time. I began reading the As The World Dies Series after I read these.

I have to hand it to Rhiannon Frater. She got me addicted to her world and I didn’t just want to read more, I had to! These stories are like Lays potato chips. You can’t read just one.

~~~

As the World Dies: Untold Tales by Rhiannon Frater
Genres: Adult, Horror, Zombies
.
~~~
.
UT1
.
Synopsis Volume 1:

THE FIRST DAYS: AS THE WORLD DIES introduced Jenni and Katie and their harrowing journey to the makeshift fort in the Texas Hill Country. But theirs is not the only tale to be told. In the first volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.
Deep in the Texas Hill Country, a man and his little dog takes refuge in a bed and breakfast located in the hills above a doomed town where an infested rescue center might unleash the hungry undead…
On a deserted highway slicing through the desolation of West Texas, a woman struggles to survive as she faces the horrifying aftermath of the rise of the zombies…
And finally, discover what happens on the first day to Katie’s beloved wife, Lydia, as the world dies…

.

My Review

For those of you who haven’t read the As The World Dies Trilogy or even volume one, The First Days, never fear. These three tales only tell us a small part of what is occurring  in The First Days and mainly focuses on a few characters, spotlighting them and giving them their due.

The Broken Heart (Lydia’s Story)

Lydia, Katie’s wife, is already dead in the beginning of the series, but even in death she steals the hearts of fans. This is her story.

It’s a perfect dawn and Lydia is enjoying her morning tea, letting Katie sleep in. Screams from across the lake interrupt the quiet, giving her the willies. But as they don’t continue she puts it from her mind. She doesn’t know it yet, but this will be the last normal morning they share.

This is in the beginning, before the world dies and zombies are everywhere.

The companionship and closeness of these two really made me smile. I knew the outcome wasn’t going to be rosy, but I enjoyed getting to know Katie and Lydia and was so wrapped up in their story I forgot for a while that this was going to end badly. Such is the excellent writing of Rhiannon Frater. My first taste of it and craving more.

Dangerous Highways (Monica’s Story)

This short story takes place between The First Days and Fighting To Survive.

Monica is alone now. She manages to escape El Paso thanks to her dead boyfriends pistol and trusty monster truck. She keeps an eye on the undead kids in the station wagon as she siphons gas to put in her tank.

She’s leaving the memory of his death behind her, like a dust plume behind the truck. Heading to her home town of Ashley Oaks, Texas and her cousin Juan.

She doesn’t know if the town is overrun or even still standing but that’s her plan. She knows how to kill the zombies thanks to all of the movies she’s watched. But that doesn’t make it any easier. It’s a whole other ball game when you come face to face with the unbelievable in real life.

And zombies aren’t the only thing she has to fear. As a woman traveling alone, Monica knows full well the dangers of encountering strangers.

I really like Monica. She’s rough and tough, takes care of business, and makes hard decisions with no hesitation. I could only hope to be half as tough as her.

The Vacation of the Undead (Eric’s Story)

This a quite a bit longer than the first two tales.

Eric is staying at a bed and breakfast with his supermodel girlfriend, Brandy, and his best friend, Pepe, a Jack Russell Terrier.

Eric is wondering if he’s really in love with Brandy, or in love with the idea of her. She’s excellent eye candy on his arm, but she’s not really a nice person. Her true colors come out when the apocalypse begins.

Eric may come across as a bit of a nerd, but he’s smart and has a big heart. He’s also a dog lover and Pepe will steal your heart. Whenever a pet is introduced into a story, it becomes more real to me. It’s strange that we become so upset if harm comes to an animal, and take it in stride sometimes when it’s a human. I guess it’s their innocence and trust that does it.

I would like stories with animals in them to start with a disclaimer: No animals were harmed in the writing of this story. I’m not spoiling it when I say Pepe’s tail is still wagging, as he appears in The First Days and Fighting To Survive.

Rhiannon’s characters are brought to life and fleshed out in these three untold tales and reading these in no way spoiled it for me as I haven’t read the series YET.

I got to know them, like or dislike them, fear for them and cheer for them. Now that I’ve experienced the author’s writing, been sucked into her world, I have to know more. Have to know everything.

*

5 STARS

 ~~~
.
UT2
Synopsis Volume 2:
.
THE FIRST DAYS: AS THE WORLD DIES introduced Jenni and Katie and their harrowing journey to the makeshift fort in the Texas Hill Country. FIGHTING TO SURVIVE: AS THE WORLD DIES continued their story as the two women joined the members of the makeshift fort in Ashley Oaks in the fight for survival against not only zombies, but the evil designs of bandits.
But theirs is not the only tale to be told.
In the second volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.
In a nearby town Ken and Lenore have started their regular routine at Ken’s Beauty Salon. A terrible accident brings the undead plague to their front door and soon the best friends are scrambling to escape their overrun town…
Katarina is just finishing her shift at a roadside café when a badly injured man stumbles through the front door. She quickly realizes that to survive she must learn to kill…
And finally, a trapped family must face the fearsome truth that sometimes zombies are not the worst monster they have to fear as the world dies…
.
My Review
.
The characters in these three untold tales are all in Siege, the third book in the As The World Dies Series. These are their stories.
Revelation (Katarina’s Story)
.
Katarina has been in this series from the beginning. This is her story about her first day.
Her story isn’t pretty. The only reason she was even conceived was to grow up and take care of her parents. Her father’s dead now and she’s earning money waitressing at a truck stop in Ashley Oaks, Texas to take care of her sick mother. She doesn’t mind the job though. She’s earning her own money and it gets out of the house.
Dealing with that jerk, Randall, and his wandering hands becomes nothing when the bloodied man stumbles into the cafe, changing her life forever.
Even though Katarina let her mother dominate her, she never appeared weak to me. I felt she was just waiting for something, for an opportunity to come her way, and then she’d discover herself and really shine.
She did discover something. She can kill when she has to, and she’s good at it.
.
A Terrible Moment (The Unknown Story)
.
All of the stories in The Untold Tales have dark moments. This is darker than most and introduces you to peripheral characters. Not all of them make it and are their own worst enemies.
Debbie is a jealous bitter woman, beaten down by it all. She’s certain her husband is having an affair with his secretary and her jealousy consumes her.
It festers as they are all trapped in the warehouse together. She’s so focused on her thoughts of revenge, she doesn’t even care about her children.
This was an uncomfortable story. I can’t imagined being so self involved as to neglect my children, putting them in danger, and not caring. I was mortified at what she did.
Debbie would be the first one to throw out of the boat if adrift in the sea.
.
Friendship in the Time of Zombies (Ken and Lenore’s Story)
.
Lenore has no way of knowing that today will changer her life forever. She drags herself out of bed and wanders into the kitchen. Her grandmother has cooked breakfast and, as usual, she’s cooked enough to feed an army. Grabbing a quick bite, she heads off to work at Ken’s Diva Beauty Shop.
Ken may be her boss, but they are best friends and thick as thieves.
I just loved these two. Lenore is a moody one but Ken is bubbly, like champagne.
A small Texas town might not seem like the best place to flaunt his gayness, but Ken could charm the devil and I loved how he needed Lenore as much as she needed him. He was the comic relief for me and I could clearly see him cringing and panicking.
Lenore was something else. She not only had to figure out how to get them both out of there alive, she also had to keep bolstering Ken up, pushing him to man up.
I couldn’t get enough of these two and look forward to encountering them again.
*
.
5 STARS
.
 ~~~~
.
UT3
.
Synopsis Volume 3:
.
In the third volume of the AS THE WORLD DIES UNTOLD TALES experience three terrifying tales of those who are forced to face the unrelenting and hungry walking dead.
Returning to Texas after celebrating his divorce in Vegas, Rune, a biker cursed with the ability to see ghosts, discovers that the world is being taken over by the hungry undead. Soon he realizes he will have to depend on all his abilities to survive not only the ravenous zombies, but the dangerous men lurking on the back roads of Texas.
Senator Paige Brightman abandoned the Madison Mall and its inhabitants to the hungry hordes, but her journey did not end there. Her attempt to reach the president’s safe haven called Central has far reaching ramifications for her and the people she abandoned.
The final in the three stories reveals the aftermath of the great battle in SIEGE as one woman faces the ultimate decision whether to live or die in a world of the undead.
.
My Review
.
All of the characters in these Untold Tales appear in Siege, the third and final book in the series.
.
The Backroads of Zombie Hell (Rune’s Story)
.
Now Rune won me over right from the beginning. He brings a spiritual aspect to the story. What happens to the souls of the dead once they become zombies?
He’s a loner until a ghost tells him it’s time to get moving. There’s somewhere he needs to be.
This is where a lot of the characters bump into each other from other Untold Tales.
Rune may look and act like your typical biker. He’s got a mean streak and you don’t want to mess with him.  But he’s also intuitive, guided by spirits, and a really decent guy. It would be good to have him on your side.
The opening scene was deep. The ghost waking him from his drunken stupor is none other than his daughter. I was almost in tears at this sad, gentle moment. I could see how it would be easy to hide away in the hills, isolating oneself from people and drowning your sorrows in booze. Rune lost everyone. But when somethings needs doing, he’s your man.
.
The Wickedest Woman in Texas (Paige’s Story)
.
It seems there’s always someone who has their own agenda. Someone you just want to b#!ch slap.
In walks Senator Paige Brightman, wicked witch of the apocalypse.
Some people have blinders on and can’t seem to grasp that the world is different, their lives are forever changed, and they try to go about business as usual.
Paige is one of those people. She still thinks her position matters, that what she thinks matters.
Paige needs to get with the program. Her life isn’t any more important than another’s, and her flippant view of collateral damage just may leave her all alone.
I enjoyed having someone to despise, some one to offer up to the zombies. The author does an excellent job of making me feel just that.
.
Are the Dead Walking The Earth (Emma’s Story)
.
Emma never made it into the As The World Dies series. You’ll only read her story here.
Emma’s story goes beyond the end of the series and shows the aftermath. She shows this to you while telling the story to her two young children.
I think this one hit me the hardest. Rhiannon expertly showed me some disturbing, heart wrenching scenes. I almost wish I could have shut my eyes at times, they were so vivid.
I agree, Emma’s story needed to be told. This may be labeled a zombie apocalypse series, but it’s really a story about people. Everyday people dealing without the end of their worlds, and the beginning of hell on Earth.
I was reduced to tears in the end. It hurt when I cried. I can only imagine how Emma felt.
*
5 STARS
~~~~~
.
At first I was worried it might not be a good idea to read these untold tales before I read the full novels.
I’m glad I did. Now, when I read the series, which I’m starting now, I’ll recognize these characters, know their back stories, and connect with them instantly.
Reading these first did not spoil anything for me. If anything, it made me want to read this series even more.
If you’re as big a fan of The Walking Dead television series, as I am, you’ll love these Untold Tales.
Thanks to the show ,I immersed myself in this collection. I felt, saw, heard, and, not recommended, smelled everything. It was like each scene played out in my mind. I even had faces for some of the characters.
The author’s choice of titles for each chapter were fun. It gave me an inkling of what I was in for and some of them brought forth an impish grin.
What I enjoyed most about these tales was how each novella had a connection to the others in it. Characters from one tale brush up against each other in other tales, showing different views of the same scenes. I’ve never run into that before and every time a character from one story appeared in another, I was glad to see them.
As I can’t wait to see each new episode of The Walking Dead, I also can’t wait to read more of the As The World Dies Series. I just wish it didn’t have to end!
*
As each collection got 5 STARS from me, it would be great if I could give the complete collection 15 STARS. As it doesn’t work that way, I give them an overall rating of 5 STARS. Take a bow Rhiannon. Your Untold Tales rock!
*
.
~~~~
Purchase Links
~~~~
Rhiannon Frater
.
Rhiannon
.
Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of over a dozen books, including the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) , as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog),and other horror novels. Her next novel for Tor, Dead Spots, will be published in 2014. She was born and raised a Texan and presently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).  She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dying her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
You can find her online at:
Email: rhiannonfrater at gmail.com

~~~~

giveaway photo: Giveaway Banner for 42nd giveaway.png

Two giveaways!

International Giveaway

I have the complete Untold Tales Series, #1 thru 3 (ebooks) to give away.

To enter, please leave your email address and answer this question:

“What’s your preferred weapon of choice for killing zombies?”

And

Grand prize giveaway
.
Prizes: A bookmark, Untold Tales Volume 1-3 in paperback, and an audiobook of Volume 3
Open to US/Can
.
Click on the rafflecopter link below to enter.
.
Xpresso Book Tours
.

~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For all of my giveaways, click on the mean greenie below.

Careful though. He’s been known to bite!

scary book photo: Scary book - ep6 Creepybook-ep6.jpg