Archive for the ‘apocalypse’ Category

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

And welcome to my Monday Minis Reviews where I share shorter reviews of books I’ve read.

This one was free on Amazon. Click the cover to grab your copy. Make sure to check the price before clicking.

Mechaniclism

by Lynn Lamb

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Genre: Apocalyptic Horror

 My Review

This one caught my eye on Amazon and I decided to give the author a try.

What a strangAe and engaging spin to this book. You start with the 1600s and clockmaker Frederick Jori. His work is lauded and comes to the attention of Lord Godwine, who imprisons and tortures him in unimaginable ways to make the automatons he requested. Something Jori claims is an abomination.

Flash forward to present day and Ireland Barton, a smart, accomplished scientist who’s lived her entire life in a bubble because of an immune deficiency that could kill her. She’s sadly left on her own to cope when her father dies from a virus that’s spread across the globe, killing most of civilization.

As the two times blend together, Ireland races to solve the puzzle of the mechanical dolls before all perish.

Each character suffers their own kind of prison. What I liked most was how they weren’t broken. They struggled to accomplish what seemed impossible. And I was held rapt to see what each chapter revealed about their lives.

Well, this was different. At times so gory it made me cringe and at other times intriguing, I couldn’t stop reading it. Even when I felt confused, as the blurb says the times converge, I couldn’t see how that would matter, but I needed to see. The author showed me the way and I sure got an eye opener.

If you like horror, suspense, and a bit of the odd, you might enjoy this one. The writing is strong and, as the author shares each time line, you have no trouble telling when it is or who’s story you’re following. I’m happy I tried this author and will be looking at more of her books now.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

The Past
In 1632, Lord August Godwine, an Austrian nobleman, commissions Swiss clockmaker Frederick Jori to create a miniature city of automatons to amuse himself and impress the aristocracy. When Jori refuses to commit offenses against God, he undergoes brutal, unimaginable torture until the once-pious craftsman surrenders to his fate. But what he hides in the innocuous-appearing automatons ignites a horrific apocalypse—one that will not be realized for 400 years.
The Present
In 21st century San Francisco, Ireland Barton is a brilliant, successful young scientist, but there is one drawback to her perfect life—she suffers from a rare immune disorder that keeps her confined in a plastic bubble. When a new virus is released on the world, she begins a heart-pounding race to find a cure to save what is left of humanity and battle malevolent forces housed in 17th century figurines.
An Uncertain Future
As two worlds—two time periods—collide, will Ireland unravel the mystery of the dolls before the clock winds down on humanity?

Mature Audience
Please be advised, as the genre states, this is horror fiction.

Amazon

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The first cover is the one I own from Goodreads. This one is from Amazon.

Which do you like better?

Mechaniclism: Apocalyptic Horror by [Lamb, Lynn]

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to My 31 Days Of Thrills And Chills!

day of the dead photo: Dancing Skeleton dancing_skeleton.gif

I’ll be sharing all kinds of books, movies, and other spooky stuff for every day in October. Gots to

get those scares on for the 31st!

I’m also sharing for my Teaser Tuesday post.

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My Teaser for this week is from

The Death Doll

by Brian P. White

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse / Zombies

 My teaser from page 53 in the Paperback.

She stood over him with a cold yet comical grin. Her eyes were dark and daring, and she still didn’t blink. She looked like a predator about to sink her teeth into him.

Aah, Didi. So bad ass. LOL

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

Didi was once the darling of the porn industry, baring it all for the world on the silver screen. Then came the zombie apocalypse. Two years later, she’s killing every flesh-eating corpse in her path to protect a group of unlikely survivors in northwest Iowa. Unfortunately, she hides a terrifying secret that threatens every life she defends. For nothing left on Earth that creeps or crawls is as lethal as The Death Doll.

Amazon

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Tainted Cure
The Rememdium Series Book 1
by Ashley Fontainne
Genre: Post-apocalyptic, SciFi
 
Scientists attempted to find a cure for addiction. They failed.
Dr. Everett Berning, a leading researcher into the causes of addiction in
the brain, spent ten years of his life dedicated to one thing:
finding the cure. Recruited after a strange encounter with the
enigmatic Dr. Roberta Flint, Director of Research on Code Name:
Rememdium, Dr. Berning is sent to work in a secret lab as part of the
research team.
When the moment the scientists waited on for years arrives, Dr. Flint
and her team are ecstatic.
Unfortunately,
not everyone in the world feels the same way.
Benito San Nicholas isn’t ready to give up his lucrative business. When the
news of a cure arrives on his doorstep from a crooked informant,
Benito enlists the help of other drug lords from around the world to
stop the cure from hitting the streets and destroying their
livelihoods.
What happens next ends up uniting the globe–just not the way society
ever intended or hoped.
.
.
Tainted Cure is a huge success on different levels. First, the story is
original, well thought-out, and brilliantly accomplished. It’s not
unusual to read books with dangerous products falling into the wrong
hands, but what happens when a good product falls into the wrong
hands? The characters are lovely and engaging, and readers will feel
inclined to connect with Dr. Everett Berning and the enigmatic
Roberta Flint. Benito is the epitome of evil, a greedy character that
readers will hate. Third, the pace is fast and there are so many
surprises and twists to keep readers turning the pages. Ashley
Fontainne has crafted an intriguing story that starts with a bang and
ends on a very high note. You can’t help but fall for this author’s
beautiful prose, her complex characters, and the oh-so-entertaining
read.” – Romuald Dzemo for Readers’ Favorite

Add to Goodreads
 
 
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Tainted Reality
The Rememdium Series Book 2
 
DR. EVERETT BERNING achieved his life’s work by discovering a cure for
drug addiction. Unfortunately, the formula was stolen and fell into
the hands of the enemy.

DRUG LORDS from around the world unknowingly released the altered, deadly
formula into their supply, affecting millions across the
globe.
WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT HOURS, the entire planet is thrown into chaos as the
disease spreads.
REGINA PARKER, Chief of Police of the tiny town of Rockport, Arkansas, isn’t
willing to let the military kill thousands of innocent people in a
rush to contain the outbreak. She leads a small contingent of
survivors on a dangerous quest to keep her town safe from the
soldiers and the dead.
WILL DR. BERNING be able to isolate the contagion and find a way to
reverse it, or is it too late to save humanity from the tainted cure?
How far will Chief Parker go to save the lives of others as the world
collapses around them?
Add to Goodreads
 
 
Tainted Future
The Rememdium Series Book 3
 
Everything they know is gone. The old world obliterated in less than forty-eight
hours. They soon discover they aren’t alone, and other dangers
besides the undead lurk in the forests. The new law of the land: kill
or be killed

Dr. Everett Berning and his team seek refuge in the underground lab in
the Ozark Mountains. The first week after the collapse of
civilization, those who made it out alive struggle against the odds
to survive.
Only a handful escaped the devastation in their hometown of Malvern,
Arkansas, and they grapple with the new reality. Tired, frightened,
and mourning the loss of loved ones, they attempt to regroup and cope
with the life-altering changes.
When one suffers a debilitating injury, they are thrust into a tenuous
relationship with Dr. Berning’s group. Other survivors battle the
odds as they flee treacherous cities destroyed by the government and
crawling with reanimated corpses.
Unfortunately, they all are about to discover the roaming dead aren’t the only
threat they face. As the world plummets into darkness, things will
never be the same. Ever.
Add to Goodreads
 
 
 
Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne enjoys stories
that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters
lurking within each of us. She writes in numerous genres including
mystery, suspense, horror, sci-fi and sometimes poetry.

Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband and is the proud mother of
one son and three daughters.
 
 
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 
 

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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  Title: Death Doll
By: Brian P. White
Publication Date: October 1, 2016
Genre: Horror/Zombie Apocalypse
#deathdollblitz

Didi was once the darling of the porn industry, baring it all for the world on the silver screen.

Then came the zombie apocalypse.

Two years later, she’s killing every flesh-eating corpse in her path to protect a group of unlikely survivors in northwest Iowa. Unfortunately, she hides a terrifying secret that threatens every life she defends. For nothing left on Earth that creeps or crawls is as lethal as The Death Doll.

This Southern California native serves his wife, his four children, and the United States Army wherever they place him, but none of that stops him from writing all the crazy things that come to mind.

Social Media Links

Goodreads – https://goo.gl/7b1qCC
Twitter – @Brian_P_White
Website – https://goo.gl/kMCcX8

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Welcome to The Friday 56 hosted by Freda’s Voice.

 

This is a really fun meme!

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

Then go over to Freda’s Voice and leave your link so we can visit your 56!

My 56 for this week is from:

Pulse

The Forever Man #1

  by Craig Zerf

The Forever Man 1 - Dystopian Apocalypse Adventure: Book 1: Pulse by [Zerf, Craig]

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Genre: Dystopian / Apocalyptic / Fantasy

My 56 from the eBook

Why hadn’t they come to the rescue? Where were the troops? Where were the helicopters? The fifth fleet?

Sobbing, she undid the lanyard and pulled the Stars and Stripes down from the flagpole. She unclipped it and wrapped it around her like a shawl.

Behind her the door burst open and a gaggle of lunatics scurried in.

I enjoy stories like this. And the author has such a fascinating bio. Click on the Goodreads badge to be taken to the page.

It sounds good and it’s free right now on Amazon.

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Read on if you want to know more.

Synopsis

The world, as we know it, has ended.

One man stands resolute. A man who has been trained in the savage arts of war. A man who lives his life according to a creed. A simple man who wants none of the power thrust upon him. This man is Marine Sergeant Nathaniel Hogan, seconded to the American Embassy in London and, although he does not know it, he is – The Forever Man.

The first pulse occurred in the old calendar year of 2022. A sequence of gigantic solar flares created a series of massive electromagnetic pulses that stopped the heart of our modern world and returned us to the DARK AGES.

Tens of thousands died within the first few hours as airplanes fell from the skies, hospitals ceased to work and every form of modern transportation ground to a halt.

Within days the death toll had reached the hundreds of thousands. Fires raged unchecked through the cities, water supplies ran out and survivors turn on each other as mob rule surpassed all else.

And Nathaniel finds that he has been changed by the huge amounts of Gamma radiation in the solar flares. They have enhanced his natural abilities, giving him increased speed, strength and healing. Indefinitely extended his life span and enabling him to be able to draw on the power of the solar flares to create magik.

But even The Forever Man was not prepared for what happened next, as the ongoing flares tore a hole in time and space, creating a gateway through which ‘they’ appeared. From the realms of fantasy came the orcs, the goblins and, leading them all – the Fair Folk.

Were they here to help – or to conquer?

Amazon

The cover displayed is the one I own. There are some different ones on Goodreads.

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Leave your link and I’ll drop by your 56.

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Who let the dogs out? I had to say that. LOL There be zombie dogs roaming the streets. It’s awesome. It’s horrific.

Check out Hounded and Hounded 2 by Ellie Douglas.

And don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

Hounded

by Ellie Douglas

Genre: Horror, Post-Apocalypse

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My Review

It happens fast, with scarcely any warning. Man’s best friend changed. They’re no longer a loving pet. Now they’re dead and deadly. And humans are their favorite meal.

I do love a good zombie story, and dogs, how exciting. Never read about zombie dogs before. Zombie sharks, yes.

My favorite part in plots like this are the group dynamics. In Hounded you have Cal and his family, trying to fight off the zombie dogs and stay alive. When the daughter gets ill, they recognize the symptoms they’d been hearing about and rush her to the hospital. There, she falls into a coma, and they can’t leave. Wouldn’t be safe to do so anyway. The dogs are determined, and it’s probably only a matter of time before the hospital is overrun too.

Cal’s worries about the fate of his twin brother, Bellamy, lead him to do some stupid things. Others pay the terrible price and now he just wants to get back to the hospital. Will his family still be there? Will they be alive? He rushes to return and find out.

I enjoyed getting stories from Cal and his brother, Bellamy. Both of them are determined to find each other and both are fighting so many obstacles. It’s nerve wracking to turn the page and see what awful fate might await them. Hey, it’s zombie dogs and anyone is fair game.

Some of the things the character’s do had me snorting in derision. Why do they do that? Haven’t they watched the movies? Don’t they know the rules? Some of you may be thinking, nope, don’t want that. But, humans are flawed, we do dumb things. Only recognizing it later. The mistakes make this an edgy page turner.

Lots of gore, I mean lots. Just to warn you. Zombie fans should try this series. It’ll feed your craving and keep you on edge to the bitter end.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

When Calloway Foster woke up that morning, he never expected it to be a deathblow to life on earth.

Nothing can prepare him for one of the world’s most loved species to turn into the undead. Four-legged zombies now run rampant-hungry and intelligent, they are merciless to those still struggling to survive.

Follow Cal on a turbulent journey filled with horrific loss, new love, and unbelievably terrifying events.

Will he find his twin brother in time? Can he keep his family safe?

A terrifying surprise twist will test the survivors to the brink of humanity’s very existence.

Previously published as Zombie dogs SB-16

Goodreads * Amazon

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Hounded 2

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My Review

I really enjoyed the first book and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. And I like reading Bellamy’s point of view. He’s still trying to find his twin brother, Cal, and things are more deadly than ever. It’s not just zombie dogs out there anymore. Something just as dangerous is prowling, wanting to feed.  Who finds who and who survives or dies is anybodies guess as the group tries to find a safe haven with the odds stacked against them.

I’m happy to tell you this is every bit as good as the first book. The hits just keep on coming. I’ve become quite attached to many of these characters too, and that worries me. Nobody holds the golden ticket for survival.

Another action packed, zombie bash. Be prepared. The author makes it a gore fest that’ll have you cringing, trying NOT to picture the scenes. There’s more than one kind of zombie and this should please all the fans out there.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Bellamy Foster leads his group of survivors on a perilous journey. Not only must he find a sanctuary for them all, but he is also on a quest to find his twin brother, Calloway.

Currently being stalked by raging, hungry, vicious zombie dogs, they become aware of a new, more sinister, threat. The infected SB-16 coma patients are now becoming vile, ravenous, and monstrous human zombies.

Will the survivors find a new sanctuary in time to save themselves and what remains of the shattered world around them?

Hounded 2 is an explicit horror – full of spattered slaughter, love and loss, fast-moving action, and a maze of unexpected destruction, that is sure to keep you turning pages late into the night. In this, her second novel, Ellie Douglas proves there’s plenty of rot to ooze out of the zombie genre.

Previously published as Zombie dogs SB-16 Book 2

Goodreads * Amazon

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Author Ellie Douglas

I’m Ellie Douglas, and like you, I love horror, everything about horror, the goriest and most gruesome of horrors is the ultimate. I can’t get enough. So much so that I write horror. That need to be graphic, and explicit with my horror scenes makes me stand out. I give what I want to read to others, so now they can enjoy a true horror story.

I’m not all about just being graphic, I also build characters that the readers will love and or hate, so they can feel pulled right inside of the story that they are reading. It gives me so much enjoyment when I hear remarks like, ‘You made me want to puke,’ ‘I have nightmares every damned night –thanks,’ and ‘Quentin Tarantino and Steven King made a baby, YOU!’ when I hear comments like that, I know then I’ve succeeded, that also pushes me into writing more and becoming even better.

I’m fun loving, generous and very mysterious. I enjoy spending time with my family, and have four children to keep the horror writing alive. I enjoy helping others and volunteer my services to help Autistic children, I love cosplay and the chance to dress up as a monster, zombie or some other gritty character is fun, oh so much fun.

I love summer, and well…I hate winter. I live in New Zealand and feel often too far away from all the cool stuff going on in the world. I love helping people all the time. I’ve got my hands dipped in a few things, I write books, but I also make professional book covers for other authors, I also create adult coloring books and I have a gambling app that I designed on the apple store :) I’ve always got a project going, be it writing or creating, that is who I am and I love it :)

My ultimate aim is to give back, paying it forward, to constantly better myself and give the audience amazing stories. Let me scare you…

Website * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Pinterest * Instagram * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

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Welcome to Freakin Fridays, where I share my reviews of books that scare you, thrill you, and get those endorphins pumping.

I’ve got a few good ones to share today.

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After The Ending

The Ending #1

by Lindsey Fairleigh and Lindsey Pogue

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Genre: Post Apocalyptic

My Review

I enjoyed the dual points of view from best friend’s Dani and Zoe. They are far apart when the flu virus starts, killing off most of humanity. They struggle to stay in touch, traveling in two different groups, hoping to meet up later.

It was fun to follow Dani and Zoe as they try to survive and reconnect. And the groups they travel with add much to the turmoil and danger. They all need each other to survive but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own agendas. This is my favorite part of this genre. The group dynamics. Who shines. Who falls short. And who goes homicidal. I like to pick one person I loathe and wait to see what happens to them. Sure adds to the suspense.

And while I expected to be left hanging in the end, with this being an ongoing series, I felt like it just stopped. Like it went to commercial and didn’t come back, right in the middle of the action. A good beginning and I’ll probably continue with the series as it’ll haunt me until I know what happens to who.

 3  Stars

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Synopsis

THE FIRST BOOK IN THE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED POST-APOCALYPTIC ROMANCE SERIES, The Ending.

The Virus spread. Billions died. The Ending began. We may have survived the apocalypse, but the Virus changed us.

When people started getting sick, “they” thought it was just the flu. My roommate, my boyfriend, my family…they’re all gone now. I got sick too. I should have died with them—with the rest of the world—but I didn’t. I thought witnessing the human population almost disappear off the face of the earth was the craziest thing I’d ever experience. I was so wrong. My name is Dani O’Connor, and I survived The Ending.

The Virus changed everything. The world I knew is gone, and life is backwards. We’ve all had to start over. I’ve been stripped of my home, my dreams…all that is me. I’m someone else now—broken and changed. Other survivors’ memories and emotions haunt me. They invade my mind until I can no longer separate them from my own. I won’t let them consume me. I can’t. My name is Zoe Cartwright, and I survived The Ending.

We’ve been inseparable for most of our lives, and now our friendship is all we have left. The aftermath of the Virus has stranded us on opposite sides of the United States. Trusting strangers, making sacrifices, killing—we’ll do anything to reach one another. Fear and pain may be unavoidable, but we’re strong…we’re survivors. But to continue surviving in this unfamiliar world plagued by Crazies and strange new abilities, we have to adapt. We have to evolve.

And more than anything, we have to find each other.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS ADULT CONTENT AND LANGUAGE.

Amazon

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Paranormal Painless

by Shannon Reiger

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Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller

My Review

You know those stories that creep up on you? Where the author takes their time, slipping in subtle clues that you don’t always catch right away, and the atmosphere becomes darker and darker? I do, and I very much enjoy the slow build up as the author introduces the characters, fleshes them out so you connect with them, and then starts adding in some odd occurrences that keep you on edge. Like in a movie where the music builds and you know any second now something horrific is going to happen, you brace yourself for that moment. But it doesn’t come. Then it builds again, gets a little creepier, but doesn’t happen. You start to think it never will, and then you’re caught off guard and jump when the author yells boo. This is one of those stories. It’s edgy, suspenseful and so very creepy.

Christian Moore is a mild mannered English teacher and a self proclaimed loner. He’s got his routine and he’s content.  As such, he’s ill equipped when a strange package is left in his driveway. He opens it to find an enormous black cat with huge paws.  He brings it in out of the rain and the cat is so traumatized it won’t leave his side.  It’s odd behavior rubs off on him and he starts jumping at little noises and things moving in the corner of his vision. Soon he wonders what the cat dragged home as he becomes haunted in his own home.

So much to like in this one. Especially how Christian uses the students in his writing class. The students really like Christian and find it fun when he gives them a new assignment about ghosts and hauntings, hoping they don’t catch on that it’s really happening to him.

The cat, Pacman, is such an important part of the story. He’s one of my favorites. When reading this book, see if you pick up on something special about him.

As Christian is pushed into solving a serial killer cold case, his life changes quickly. The hauntings become the least of his worries when an act of kindness puts him in the local newspaper. Now he’s a target and those around him will suffer for it.

Such a great story. At times I smiled and laughed. Other times I felt so sad. And when things took the dark turn, I cringed, worried about these characters, and for good reason.

A slow burner but never boring, Paranormal Painless will haunt you.

5  Stars

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Synopsis

Bewildered by an unexpected, peculiar package and disturbed by its accompanying antagonistic spirits, English teacher Christian Moore is shaken from his carefully crafted, cocooned existence and catapulted into the shocking reality of an unpredictable, haunted and sometimes evil world. With his own safety and sanity at stake, he must learn to embrace the paranormal when he is confronted by the serial killer of innocent children. To survive, Christian forms unlikely alliances with once feared intruders from the supernatural realm, as well as, a mysterious man with unique insight and abilities.

Just when he thinks he has solved the mystery of his chilling visions, he is propelled into a tomb of water where he is forced to unravel the heartbreaking history buried for years within the confines of those same walls.

While helping the unfortunate, trapped souls, he is compelled to examine his own traumatic past and to risk everything he knows for a life truly worth living.

Amazon

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Ash

Wheels and Zombies #1

by M. Van

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Genre: Horror

My Review

This could be a refreshing twist for zombie fans. Our main heroine is a thirteen-year-old girl in a wheelchair. Ash is in the hospital fighting a losing battle with cancer when the world goes mad. A virus is killing people, but they rise again, rabid for human flesh. As the virus spreads through the hospital, Ash doesn’t have to worry about cancer killing her anymore. The zombies are the big worry now.

Ash is a resilient young girl, brave in the face of death, and refusing to be looked at as a weak victim. She has plenty of ideas on how to get out, to survive. And shes’ adept at reading people, which comes in handy when she discovers why the military want all of the patients on the cancer ward.

There’s lots of action, relentless zombies, and some intrigue for conspiracy fans. Not everyone is brave or good. And I was caught by surprise by a few of the characters. A clever way for the author to offer up more fodder for the zombies

I knew going in this was a novella for a continuing series, but I wasn’t too thrilled when I looked at my kindle and noticed I was 99% through the book and there was no end in sight. It ended on a zinger of a cliffhanger, but, since I enjoyed the characters, I’m encouraged to keep going.

  4 Stars

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Synopsis

Facing the zombie apocalypse in a wheelchair might prove a challenge to others. For thirteen-year-old Ash it’s just another fight for her life.

When feeling deserted and alone with the knowledge that your days are pretty much numbered, you might decide not to be pushed around anymore. But stuck in a wheelchair with the risen dead on your tail—this might prove a challenge.

Ash’s stay at a hospital that for all intents might be her last, turns into a different nightmare when a killer virus overcomes the staff and her fellow patients.

With the walking dead roaming the hospital halls, Ash has to depend on the help of an old man, and a soldier who could turn out to be the enemy to survive. She not only has to use her head, avoiding zombies, but also to stay out of the hands of a shady government agency that wants to dissect her.

Amazon

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE

To see all of my giveaways go HERE

Hellholes banner

Praise Quotes

“I enjoyed my time in Firesmith’s world. I did not want to leave. I really got a kick out of it, and would happily come back for more. Recommended.”

MJ Kobernus, author of The Guardian: Blood in the Sand

“This book rocks.”

Barton Paul Levenson, author of Dark Gods of Alter Telluria

“a quick, enjoyable read. Full of action and fraught with danger”

Dave Robertson, author of Strange Hunting, Strange Hunting II, and The Brave and The Dead

“The book is an easy and quick read and an action-filled one that you’ll imagine as a TV series or a movie with no difficulty.”

Olga Núñez Miret, author of Escaping Psychiatry

Hell Holes

What Lurks Below #1

by Donald Firesmith

Genre: Science Fiction / Apocalyptic

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My Review

I love unexplained acts of nature. Makes for such a chilling plot. When holes start appearing in the Arctic Circle , a team of experts is sent to investigate. Once they arrive, things get worse as more holes appear. And then something straight out of Hell crawls out. A horde of otherworldly creatures that have only one thing in mind. Killing mankind. With nowhere to run, the team seeks shelter in an old station. But the horde won’t be denied, and like an octopus with a sealed bottle full of yummy bait, they will find a way in.

I was almost rubbing my hands together in twisted anticipation before I started this one. Mysterious holes appearing. Something beyond imagining crawls out. The fate of mankind hangs in the balance. Oh yeah. I knew I had to read this book.

There’s a mixed bag of character’s. Ones you come to like and respect and some not so much. The author doesn’t seem to mind killing off either one. Keeps you on edge when things get down and dirty. Which doesn’t take long at all.

The story is strong and there’s a sub plot that makes things even more interesting. Also, the blend of science fiction and horror leaves the story wide open for the author to go in many different directions.

The ending. Well, it’s an end, but also a cliff hanger. That’s because this is really the beginning of something much bigger. I’ll be grabbing the next one immediately. Got a good feeling about this series.

   4  Stars

 

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Synopsis

It’s August in Alaska, and geology professor Jack Oswald prepares for the new school year. But when hundreds of huge holes mysteriously appear overnight in the frozen tundra north of the Arctic Circle, Jack receives an unexpected phone call. An oil company exec hires Jack to investigate, and he pocks his climatologist wife and two of their graduate students as his team.

Uncharacteristically, Jack lets Aileen O’Shannon, a bewitchingly beautiful young photojournalist, talk him into coming along as their photographer. When they arrive in the remote oil town of Deadhorse, the exec and a biologist to protect them from wild animals join the team. Their task: to assess the risk of more holes opening under the Trans-Alaska Pipeline and the wells and pipelines that feed it. But they discover a far worse danger lurks below. When it emerges, it threatens to shatter Jack’s unshakable faith in science. And destroy us all….

 

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Enjoy the Excerpt

After seconds that seemed to stretch into eternity, the cigarette butt tumbled past Mark and eventually reached the depth where the concentration of methane and hydrogen sulfide reached explosive levels.

There was a deafening whoosh, and a huge fireball the size of the hole erupted from the pit. Luckily, the blast from the explosion blew us backwards, away from the hole. That was the only thing that saved us from the intense heat radiating from the colossal swirling ball of fire and smoke that had roared from the crater. It felt like I was standing next to a hundred heat lamps, and I heard the sizzling sound of my hair and beard beginning to burn on the side of my head that faced the flames. Turning my back to the hole, I immediately used my hands to extinguish my burning hair before it could seriously burn me. Disgusted by the stench of a mixture of burnt hair and rotten eggs, I picked myself up and looked back towards the hole. Above us, a huge pillar of smoke rose like the ash cloud of an erupting volcano. Looking back down, we saw the burning nylon rope continue to rise until its end slipped over the edge of the hole. Only a little of Mark’s smoldering body harness was still attached to its end.

“No!” We heard Jill’s horror-filled scream coming loudly over our walkie-talkies, followed less than a second later when her anguished cry reached us from across the pit. I could just make out Jill’s wavering form through the turbulent superheated air rising up between us as she raced back around the hole.

I looked over to where Kowalski was standing, staring in disbelief at the fiery pit his thoughtlessness had created. I was beyond furious. The next thing I knew, I had him by the jacket and was screaming in his face, “You Goddamned careless son of a bitch! Weren’t you listening? Didn’t you hear me say there was hydrogen sulfide in the pit?”

“Buh, buh, but…” he stammered as he tried to back away from me.

Without realizing it, I was slowly backing him up to the hole. I might have backed him over the edge had Bill not forced himself between us. “That’s enough!” he commanded.

Suddenly, I realized what I was doing and let go. It was clear from his expression that he’d had no idea that the gasses in the bottom of the hole were flammable, let alone sufficiently concentrated to be explosive.

My fiery rage died as I turned my anger inward. Kowalski hadn’t killed Mark. I had. I was in charge and responsible for the lives of my team. I should have spotted the danger sooner. Mark was my student, so I should have sent him up first. Worst of all, I had seen Kowalski smoking next to the hole and done nothing. I turned my back on the hole and wearily walked away across the empty tundra.

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Author Donald Firesmith

Hellholes author

A computer geek by day, at night and on weekends Donald Firesmith writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from magical woods and mystical gemstones.

A computer geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He is also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat worrying whether the term “distinguished” makes him sound more like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still more red than gray.

By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.

Links: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Buy Links: The book is free

Click on the links below to get your copy!

Amazon / iTunes / B&N / Createspace / instafreebie / Smashwords

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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by Ambrosia  @ The Purple Booker.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read.
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

My Teaser for this week is from

 The Dog

by Amy Cross

The Dog by [Cross, Amy] 

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

My Teaser from 17% in the eBook.

I don’t sleep during the night. Neither does Jon. He sits at the table, near the gun, while I stay out on the porch, watching the dark forest.

The whole world is so silent, it’s as if Jon and I are the only living things left.

I thought this would be an interesting change of pace for a zombie book. It’s told from Harry’s point of view. He’s Jon’s Jack Russell Terrier.

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Synopsis

There will be many who witness the end of human civilization.

But few who live beyond the first day.

When Jon takes his dog Harry to a remote cabin for the week, he just wants to get away from the rest of the world. And then one morning, after finding that his phone is dead, Jon looks at the city in the distance and realizes that something seems very wrong.

All the power has gone out. At night, the city is completely dark. There are no planes in the sky, and when Jon drives to the nearest gas station, he finds a desolate and bloody scene. He refuses to believe that something truly awful has happened, however, until he spots a figure stumbling through the forest, heading ever closer.

Soon Jon is facing a desperate fight for survival. While he and his dog have been up at the cabin, the whole world has been struck by a huge, global catastrophe that has left billions dead. Can Jon and his dog survive, or are they doomed to suffer the same fate?

The Dog is a novel about the end of the world, told through the eyes of a dog who finds himself stuck at a remote cabin with only his owner for company.

Amazon

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The first cover is the edition I have from Amazon. This is the alternate cover from Goodreads.

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Which do you like better?

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How about you? Got a tease? Tell me!

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Welcome to my Saturday Screams.

For all of you fans of horror and the apocalypse, I have two very different ones for you today. Enjoy!

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Animal Kingdom

by Iain Rob Wright

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Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

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My Review

I’ve read several of Iain’s books and have more on my Kindle waiting for me. This is one of my favorites.

It was supposed to be a special day. Since the divorce, Danny really missed his dad and had ants in his pants when he found out Joe was taking him to the zoo. Joe was just glad to have his son with him. It didn’t matter what they did but he knew Danny would love the animals.

Everything is great until the reptile show starts. The handler has a giant boa constrictor wrapped around his body. While he tells the gathering crowd about the snake it suddenly begins to wrap its thick coils around his neck, constricting and crushing the man. Joe does his best to help him, but the snake is too strong and time runs out for the handler.

The crowd panics and runs in all directions, horrified by the grotesque killing. As Joe grabs Danny and rushes to get help, he notices people are screaming and running from all directions. They couldn’t all have been at the exhibit. Then all of the animals start making a racket. Something bad is happening elsewhere in the zoo.

Deciding to get inside, away from whatever is occurring, Joe ducks into the new visitor’s center. Most people were running for the exits, but Joe had to get Danny to safety quickly. There were several people inside, along with the zoo’s curator. The curators protestations that an animal attack couldn’t be happening are cut short. When Joe turns to see what he’s looking at, he can’t believe what he’s seeing. There in the doorway are four massive lions, snarling and revealing their thick fangs, dripping with blood.

This is where the story really cranks up. The animals, for some unknown reason, have gained intelligence and have turned on mankind. From the lowly spiders to the gigantic elephants, they all want everyone dead.

The diverse group of people trapped in the visitor’s center are safe for the moment, or so they think. The animals won’t be denied, and find ways to get in. How the individual characters react to this is very interesting. As you’d expect, there are the one or two bad apples that think their way is the only way, you have an older woman spouting prophecy, a young girl without her medication, Joe, whose main concern is his son Danny, the curator, not much help there, and an older man with some fight in him. It’s up to them to work together. Otherwise, no one will get out of this alive.

Except that the story takes place in a zoo with animals from all over the world, it reminded of a book I read years ago. I also watched the movie and really enjoyed both. It was Day of the Animals.

The author gave me the same sense of dread and gut-wrenching fear with Animal Kingdom. You just knew people were going to die and die horribly. The animals are too many to fight off.

Reading scenes about the group dynamics was very real. People react differently when their lives are at stake. Some step up, some cower, and some act like blustering buffoons. I can’t figure out why some people can’t see past their own arrogance, or should I say ignorance.

This is a book about a war we may not be able to win. About surviving minute by minute and always looking for the way out.

At the end of the book there are some short Bonus stories. They all tie into the Animal Kingdom book and the one by Eric. S. Brown, Night of the Squirrels, is very interesting!

5 Stars

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Synopsis

WELCOME TO THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN!

Aside from being freakishly tall, Joe is just an ordinary divorcee taking his son, Danny, to the zoo for his weekend of custody. Everything is going great until a bizarre snake attack sends everybody in the zoo running for cover. It isn’t long before Joe realizes that there is a lot more going on than a simple snake attack. And if the hungry lions, roaring gorillas and charging elephants now free from their cages have anything to say about it, there is more bloodshed to come. All of the world’s animals are attacking, and no one knows why. What they do know is that man is now on the bottom of the food chain.

FEATURES BONUS MATERIAL THAT TAKES PLACE IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM UNIVERSE:

7 Short stories by Iain Rob Wright and Eric S. Brown

Amazon

The cover I used is from the eBook edition that I own. This is the cover for the paperback.

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Which do you like the most?

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The Boat:  Zombie Survivors

by Chris Dougherty

 23637227

Genre: Horror / Apocalypse

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My Review

They have the boats. They have a plan. Watch out for the monkey wrench.

I love a good zombie story. After having read Christine’s vampire series, The Blood Run Trilogy, I knew she’d give me her own uniquely twisted view of the apocalypse.

It’s two weeks after everything went to hell. The miracle cure for AIDS turned out to be a world ender. The dead have risen. People turn to bodies of water and ships as the last safe place.

Here’s where Christine makes it fun. The people go in the water. The zombies go in the water. The zombies sink. Thus, their tag, sinkers. Imagine all of those zombies walking along the ocean floor. Imagine going fishing…..

The author’s choice to take the survivors and group them all into one place isn’t new. But she sure gives you some realistic scenarios. Any time you crowd desperate people together, you’re sure to have conflict. It makes some of the scenes so genuine. Scary stuff.

As with most good things, they must come to an end. Enter someone who thinks they know better than anyone else. Stir in the mysterious stranger, found stranded in a small boat. What do you get? A really bad scenario. Now, no one is safe and the zombies are just one of many things that will get you killed.

This was so many levels of horrific and fun. All of you zombie fans are in for a treat.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

At the end of the world, the undead aren’t the greatest threat to those who have survived.

A deadly plague brought on by an experimental AIDS drug called Lazarus sweeps the country. Lazarus, named so because it brings patients back from the brink of death, has the unfortunate side effect of bringing the dead back to life. A handful of survivors have made their way to water where the walking dead–called ‘sinkers’–are less of a threat. These battered and traumatized survivors have colonized a super yacht (Flyboy), a tugboat (Big Daddy), and a weekender yacht (Barbra’s Bay Breeze). As they wait for more survivors and organize a voyage south to a warm climate, they unintentionally bring aboard a monster who might be the end to them all.

Amazon

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The cover I used is the newest. Here are some others.

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Which one do you like the most?

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Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

You can find a list of my reviews HERE.

For a list of free eBooks go HERE

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

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